Recently, I have wondered how one could possibly go wrong eating a hot pressed sandwich with melty cheese, roast pork, ham, pickles, and a few other choice toppings. I am sure it’s possible, just not at Kool Korner, located in the Publix shopping center in Vestavia Hills.
IIldefonso Ramirez, the shop’s Cuban-born owner, arrives each morning and personally roasts enough pork, eye-round, and chicken for the day. He opened the original Kool Korner Grocery in Atlanta in the mid-1980s and reigned as the cuban sandwich king through the 1990s. The Vestavia location opened in June 2009 and he runs the shop with his son Guillermo and grandson Will.
For more on my experience here, check out the January 2010 issue of Birmingham Magazine and its Buzzwords podcast.
Details:
Kool Korner Sandwiches
790 Montgomery Highway #134 [map]
822-4406
Open Monday to Saturday
10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
KoolKornerSandwiches.com
Dan is the producer of ‘Ham Sandwich. Read about his cooking adventures as Skip on The Gourmetro and learn about him on aisle-9.net.
Jason Wallis/jasonwallisphotography.com
I’m not quite sure what it is about food from a truck that makes it so completely irresistible. This truck, the Taqueria Guzman, parks in a run-down Texaco parking lot on West Valley and turns out some of the best tacos in town.
Check out my article in this month’s Birmingham magazine (or, while I’m shamelessly plugging, get a subscription) for details about my experience at Taqueria Guzman.
What to remember:
- 3 tacos ($1.75 each) make a good meal
- have a cane sugar Coca Cola
- try the lengua (tongue) or tripa (tripe, but make sure it’s extra crispy)
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Jason Wallis/jasonwallisphotography.com
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Jason Wallis/jasonwallisphotography.com
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Jason Wallis/jasonwallisphotography.com
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Jason Wallis/jasonwallisphotography.com
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Jason Wallis/jasonwallisphotography.com
Dan is the producer of ‘Ham Sandwich. Read about his cooking adventures as Skip on The Gourmetro and learn about him on aisle-9.net. Photos by Jason Wallis www.jasonwallisphotography.com.
I picked up these pretty persimmons at the Oak Street Market a few days ago. When they’re red and soft (probably overripe) I like to cut the top off and eat them with a spoon. After a very brief wikipedia read, I learned that underripe persimmons could cause goo buildup in your stomach and result in serious issues. Damn.
Some people prefer thinly sliced crisp persimmons, but the syrupy sweetness that I go for doesn’t quite develop until it begins to soften. Oh, and the prevailing local variety is the sweet fuyu. Petals From the Past is a chief supplier to the Birmingham area.
For anyone who hasn’t yet been to the Oak Street Market, it’s a small local market located in Crestline Village that supports local farmers. They’ve got a great selection and friendly people. Go check them out, they’ve currently got some late-season corn, lots of apples, and tons of squash and pumpkin among their stock.
Dan is the producer of ‘Ham Sandwich. Read about his cooking adventures as Skip on The Gourmetro and learn about him on aisle-9.net.
October 10, 2009
64 degrees and light rain (at 8:15)
Apples (McIntosh, Cumberland Spur, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Matsu, winesap, granny smith, jonagold, rome)
Basil
Beets (Chiogga and red)
Bok Choi
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cilantro
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Eggplant (white, Japanese)
Escarole [click to continue…]
October 3, 2009
54 degrees and sunny
Apples (McIntosh, Cumberland Spur, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Matsu, winesap, granny smith, jonagold, rome)
Arugula
Basil
Beets (Chiogga and red)
Broccoli
Chestnuts
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Eggplant (white, Japanese) [click to continue…]
