Real & Rosemary

From the moment I saw the lovely exterior of this new spot, I knew it was perfection. The mix of southern charm and industrial pieces fits perfectly with the small town of Homewood Alabama. 

As we walked in to the cafe, we were met with friendly faces and warm greetings. Before I even stepped up to the counter to order my food, a staff member had placed a warm cup of Alabama's own Royal Cup Coffee into my hand. As I sipped, my friend and I decided what food we would order. 

Everything at Real and Rosemary is whole food options. We had the opportunity to meet Jennifer Mims, one of the owners. She was kind, gracious and very passionate about the restaurant. The menu describes the exact experience we had here, "At Real & Rosemary we believe in real food and good company. That's why we use simple, whole ingredients in familiar recipes. Our mission is to create experiences worth sharing and delicious meals that you feel good about eating." 

My friend and I both ordered the Garden plate. We had a choice of four sides each, and you guys, seriously. This food was AMAZING! I have had some very bland veggies in my day at different places across the country. It almost feels like many restaurant's sides were simply an afterthought. This is not at all the case here. Each side was hand crafted to be full of flavor and texture. 

I chose Succotash with herb butter, sweet and spicy slaw, zucchini salad with avocado pesto, and humble green peas. The menu calls them "humble", but those green peas were so packed with flavor, they were anything but. The succotash was warm and comforting, the sweet and spicy slaw was so crunchy, vibrant and tangy, the zucchini salad with avocado pesto had several different layers of flavors with sweet basil and creamy avocado. Everything was delightful! 

I hope you will all get the chance to support this amazing local spot in the near future. I highly recommend it!