Josh and Amy Eat Habitat Feed & Social

I didn't get a picture of the front of Habitat so here is a picture of Amy instead. 

We chose Habitat Feed & Social as a birthday date lunch for Amy after she went to the spa at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook. The restaurant is located in the hotel, so it made sense to give it a whirl. I am also glad to have Amy contribute on this my second food blog!

This lavish eatery has three dining areas. There is the main dining room, the bar, and a great outdoor space. We chose the main dining room. As you walk into the restaurant you notice lots of art, and a decadent lobby. There is also a cooking school where you can schedule to take a class and eat the food you helped prepare. I think we will do this in the near future.

I had already decided to get a salad based on the fact that I had eaten tacos and queso 6 days in a row.  The Early Spring Salad got my attention because it sounded fresh and seasonal, I love artichoke and arugula, and I thought it would stretch my palate to try a salad with beets - something I normally don't eat. When Amy offered to get a burger and us share my decision on the salad was a lock.

When the food arrived it was presented with the same elegance as the  that we experienced during our entire time at the Grand Bohemian. The meal was elegant, colorful and appeared to be just as much a work of art as the many sculptures and paintings we enjoyed that decorated the establishment.

The first thing I notice when my plate was place in front of me was the huge piece of salmon with perfect grill marks. Instead of chopping it up and mixing it into the salad, I wanted to dive right into the fish and leave everything else behind. I don't though, and mix it in to this rainbow salad. Amy and I spit the burger and salad and we both dive in.

Let's keep going with the salad. First of arugula - how I love you. I wish every salad was filled with your peppery goodness. This salad in particular was loaded with the stuff. Amy thought it was too much and overpowered everything else. She also noted that the salmon was rich and satisfying, but not so drenched in butter that it felt heavy.

For some reason I expected the beets to be chopped up versions of the gelatin can shaped item that is for some reason only served at Thanksgiving. It wasn't. Instead I found round purple and white swirly discs that added a bit of crunch and flavor to this refreshing salad. The lemon dressing brought everything together, and I loved that it was dressed for me. I hate dressing a salad myself. Not that I am too good for something like that (but maybe I am), it's just that it is such a messy and awkward affair, and you are never able to spread the dressing equally throughout the salad. 

This is why I shake my fast-food salads in their containers. This doesn't do anything to rid myself of the awkward element of dressing a salad myself, but does help in the other two areas. But this is not a a fast food place... This is Habitat Feed & Social at the Grand Bohemian. So pinkies in the air, and onto the burger.

I had my hesitations about the burger. While in Louisiana we put Tony Chachere's on everything, in Birmingham they put pimento cheese on everything - including this burger. I was not looking forward to the pimento cheese, but I was in Mountain Brook so I put my hesitations aside and dove in.

This burger hits all the right notes. The bun is warm and buttery and has been perfectly toasted. Why someone would not toast a burger bun before serving a burger is beyond me, and is something I deduct major points for not doing. I love the cold lettuce, pimento and tomato mashing together with the warm beef and and bacon in my mouth. What surprised me about the beef patty is that it was crispy on the outside while still juicy and soft on the inside. As someone who is crazy about textures, I absolute love this. 

The fries don't disappoint either. Thick and hearty, they are also a combination of crispy skin with soft gooey insides. Perfectly seasoned, they make a delightful counterpart to a burger that should make Mountain Brook proud. 

We loved Habitat. It is a bit pricey, but you definitely get your money's worth in both experience and cuisine.

Atmosphere 5/5 Hams.

Food 5/5 Hams.

Overall 5/5 Hams.