South Alabama’s food and drink scene keeps expanding this summer, with a farm-to-table delivery service opening its first storefront, a longtime Mobile seafood market settling into a bigger space, and Fairhope’s hometown brewery rolling out a new seasonal beer. Here’s a roundup of what’s happening at some of the region’s favorite food spots.
Chasing Fresh, the farm-to-table delivery operation started by young entrepreneur Chase Corte, has grown enough to add a second pickup option for customers. The service built its following on weekly deliveries of locally sourced produce and goods ordered through Facebook, and demand has now outpaced what a single delivery day can handle. To keep up, Chasing Fresh has opened a market location at 19176 Highway 181 in Fairhope, just north of County Road 44, where customers can pick up their orders in person.
For now, the market is open Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., though organizers say daily hours could be coming soon as the operation continues to grow. The ordering process remains the same for shoppers: place a Facebook order by Tuesday to receive the standard Wednesday delivery, or use the new Friday pickup window at the market instead. Anyone with questions can call (251) 550-9600 for details on ordering and pickup times.
Across the bay in Mobile, Mudbugs has moved into a new home. The seafood market, a favorite stop for locals craving po-boys and snow cones, relocated across the parking lot at the corner of Dauphin Island Parkway and Government Street. The new space gives customers something the old location lacked: a proper place to sit down and enjoy a meal on-site rather than taking it to go. Regulars are encouraged to stop in for lunch and pick up fresh redfish on the way out — the staff will clean it on request, and seasoned customers know to ask that the backbone be left in for extra flavor.
Not far down the Causeway, Lap’s on the Causeway is settling into its own rhythm after opening as one of the bayfront’s newest additions. Like most new restaurants, it has spent its first weeks working out the kinks that come with a full house night after night, and it’s showing signs of becoming the well-run operation it was designed to be. The seafood market attached to the restaurant is turning out quality product — a recent visit yielded a pair of oversized snapper fillets perfect for the grill — and service throughout the combined restaurant, market, grocery and bait shop has been fast and friendly even with steady crowds. With live music added to the mix, the Causeway location is shaping up to be a one-stop destination for Mobile Bay diners.
Fairhope Brewing Company continues to build its presence around Mobile and Baldwin counties after working through the regulatory process required to expand distribution. The brewery’s beer is now on tap at spots ranging from downtown Fairhope’s Bike Shop to the Royal Scam and various locations across both counties. Its newest release, the (Take The) Causeway IPA, is available as a seasonal offering at the brewery’s Tap Room at 914 Nichols Avenue in Fairhope. Fans of the brewery’s Paint It Black IPA need not worry about it disappearing — that beer remains a year-round staple, while the Causeway IPA is meant to be enjoyed before summer winds down. A full list of what’s currently on tap, along with updates on events and live music, is posted at www.fairhopebrewing.com and on the brewery’s Facebook page.
Bayou La Batre also picked up some national attention recently when the Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods America: Third Coast” episode featured the fishing community as one of host Andrew Zimmern’s top food experiences nationwide. The episode opened with Zimmern hog hunting at Hurricane Landing, where he praised both the flavor of the wild hog and the hospitality of the people he met. Feral hogs in the area are typically trapped and calmed before being dispatched, then soaked in ice water for a few days before marinating — a process Zimmern got a firsthand look at during filming.
Of all the stops on his “Third Coast” tour, Zimmern ranked a home-cooked dinner with a Vietnamese family in Bayou La Batre as his top Gulf Coast experience, ahead of duck at chef John Besh’s La Provence restaurant in Lacombe, Louisiana, nutria in the Canary Islands, and night bow fishing for stingray. Zimmern struggled with the pronunciation of Bayou La Batre but had no trouble praising the close-knit, welcoming nature of the fishing community, encouraging viewers to visit and see what south Alabama has to offer.
Mobile’s growing food truck scene is also set to add a new name to the roster. Geaux Boy, a New Orleans-style po-boy truck, is expected to launch later this month with a menu built around Louisiana-inspired sandwiches, including a take on the classic Ferdie Special. Meats will be smoked in-house before service, and the truck is planning to serve both the lunch crowd and the late-night weekend rush. Details on the truck’s schedule and locations are expected to be shared on Facebook and Twitter as the launch approaches.