A NOTE TO OUR READERS:
"Food Finds: Huntsville, Alabama" is from the November 2007 issue of Southern Living.
Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all
information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.
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Top-Rated: Terranova's
When three different readers wrote me
to praise this new Italian restaurant, I thought something must be molto
bene in "Huntsvegas." Sure enough, this place wows. Proof lies in the
singularly delicious cuisine and very friendly waitstaff. Also, much
attention goes into an authentic Italian atmosphere: Bottles of Chianti
grace each table, and homemade focaccia bread and olive oil start your
meal off right. Best of all, the meal won't vacuum out your dining
budget—a good dinner costs just $15 or less. The fried zucchini and
mozzarella appetizers are impossible not to devour. If you enjoy pasta,
the classics on the menu taste just as they do in the Old Country. I
especially loved the house-made baked ravioli, stuffed with ricotta and
topped with a rich meat sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Take our
waiter's advice on dessert: "Order the giant Mount Vesuvius (chocolate
brownies and ice cream) to share. Then roll out, and mow a yard, paint a
house, do whatever you have to do!" 1420 Paramount Drive, Suite 1; [256]489-8883. Dinner entrées: $8.49-$18.99.
Local Favorite: Ol' Heidelberg
Say you're a German rocket
scientist working on America's space program in Huntsville. Where do you
get a good schnitzel in North Alabama? Ol' Heidelberg has some of the
most authentic German food in the U.S. and remains a culinary legacy of
Huntsville's space history. Fantastic sausages, pastries, and schnitzels
(meats that have been fried) fill the menu. The Jäger Schnitzel, a
sautéed pork loin doused in a dark, rich brown mushroom-and-onion gravy,
will send you to the moon, with or without a rocket. 6125 University
Drive; [256] 922-0556. Entrées: $7.50-$18.95.
Rosie's Cantina
Sporting weathered wood, lots of red vinyl,
and colorful Christmas lights, this casual eatery makes the perfect
place to enjoy a tangy Rosie Margarita in a frosty mug, even if it's 30
degrees out. The extraordinarily popular restaurant beckons with
authentic Mexican flavors. A tremendous beef-filled chile relleno made
my favorite dish list for this year. Thick pork-filled tamales, cheesy
enchiladas, and a robustly spiced selection of burritos round out the
menu. I recommend ending any meal here with the sweet, creamy tres
leches cake (got PET milk?). 6196 University Drive; [256] 922-1001.
Entrées: $8-$14.95.
