But on this particular day, I was taking a visit to see my date in T-Town, otherwise known as Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama.
Glory Bound Gyro Co. - Tuscaloosa, Al
Logo from restaurant website
The center of town actually does not look that different from Birmingham, except perhaps a bit cleaner than some of the Birmingham downtown area. It was just starting to drizzle, and I was waiting for Connor under the awning of the front door. As I turned, I saw a flash of crimson as he came running up out of the rain shirted in the well-known school color with the flashy, cursive 'A' stitched into the fabric of his polo. So much pride.
So, Connor knows I am obsessed with food. This was actually the first time he picked out the place for the both of us to eat, and I was kind of nervous. If it was terrible, I would never have made a mention of it on my blog, because... well, I am not that cynical. Thankfully, it turned out to be an absolutely wonderful experience, and I feel overjoyed that his first choice was something that I can write about. Now that I have made this first leap of faith, I can trust all his future choices will be equally as memorable. No pressure.
The inside of the restaurant was very open and spacious, definitely inviting from the rain that was then pouring outside. My first shocker of the evening was that Connor confessed he had never before tried hummus. After letting me pick the three different flavors, he ordered for us the hummus trio appetizer in spinach pesto, Mediterranean olive, and original flavors. As we dipped into the different chickpea blends with our side of pita, I watched Connor's expression as he sampled each flavor. The spinach pesto was his favorite, a natural choice considering it removed the majority of the bitterness of the olive or chickpea. I begged him of course to try the kalamata olive sitting in the middle of the dip, but I had no success. He adamantly shook his head 'no,' and proceeded to tell me about 'The Olive Theory' presented on the show How I Met Your Mother, which at the time, I was convinced he was making up. Well, there is still time.
When our waiter came back for our entree requests, I ordered the falafel gyro with the side of cottage fries, and Connor ordered the hot ham and cheese gyro with his side of cottage fries. I am pleased to say that the falafel gyro was the best one I have ever had at a Greek restaurant, and the stocky potato wedges were perfectly seasoned. I had to keep myself from doing a little dance in my seat, when I tasted how perfectly savory the fries were and how excellent the homemade tzatzaki sauce was on the gyro.
Overall, this place was great! I could not eat everything that night so I packed up the leftovers and enjoyed it for lunch the next day. It was surprisingly tasty even the second go round. After dinner, we decided to take a stroll around town, on which journey we were greeted by an older gentleman decked out in Alabama apparel who proceeded to share questionable jokes about the Alabama team and their opponents. Thankfully, Connor handled the situation gracefully before any more "humor" could exit his mouth.
I feel I had an appropriate introduction to Tuscaloosa in all her pride and glory, no pun intended. My readers should definitely drop by this enjoyable restaurant on the corner. Of course, on a more personal note, because of the individual that lives in T-Town, I have every intention of returning.
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