Fairhope State of Mind {Eats & Drinks, Summer ‘14}

I am NOT ready to go home- stomping feet! I am NOT ready to go home!
J & I left the beach yesterday in pouring down rain after a week of perfect beach weather and made a pit stop in one of our favorite locales, Fairhope, AL. For those of you who follow the Uptown Acorn, you know how much I love the Eastern Shore.
We arrived around lunch time and checked into the Fairhope Inn. It is such a cozy bed & breakfast style inn. With only 3 rooms in the main house, the Inn is the perfect place to stay in downtown Fairhope. We stayed in the “Red Room”.



Located in the heart of downtown Fairhope lies the beautiful Fairhope Inn and Restaurant. Warm and Elegant are what many describe the 107 year-old home. True Southern hospitality awaits your arrival as you enter the quaint town.
Upon a recommendation of Leslie Ann of Fairhope Supply Company blog, J & I had lunch at Locals, a local eatery which features foods with the finest locally sourced ingredients.

• Bread is baked fresh daily by Sweet Olive, Fairhope,AL
• Cheese is from Sweet Home Farm Cheese in Elberta, AL
• Veggies are from Local famers here in Baldwin County

J & I both devoured the bison burger on freshly baked wheat buns, topped with local blue cheese, sautéed mushrooms, and garlic aioli. We shared a side of green beans and squash and a side of freshly cut fries. Let me just say this meal was fresh and delicious, and the service was impeccable.



For happy hour, we met Leslie Ann and her husband at Pinzone's, a local Italian restaurant and bar, for a couple cocktails. It was great meeting her husband and talking blog “stuff”.





For dinner, we dined at the more upscale Fairhope Inn Restaurant. We love to dine on the glass enclosed porch.
“Chef/Owner and Culinary Institute of America graduate Tyler J. Kean invites you to come and experience fine dining in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere, expertly prepared meals planned from a menu that changes with the seasons. Chef Tyler takes his past experiences in restaurants that stretch from New York to New Orleans and pours them into his restaurant that he acquired in Nov. of 2000. Rich colors, large tropical plants and candle light help provide an elegant backdrop for some of the best dining on the coast.”
After a couple cocktails at the bar, we were seated promptly.



For appetizers, we shared the crab cake with sweet potato hay and a tomato caper aioli and half dozen oysters on the half shell.


For dinner, I had the catch of the day, grouper, the daily selection of sustainable seafood pan seared served with an seasonal succotash and lemon sage beurre blanc, and Jeff loved his grilled pork tenderloin with whipped sweet potatoes, braised “Local Appetite” Farms Russian red kale, with Point Clear honey and Cippolini onion jus.


For dessert, we shared the apple crisp. All was delicious. We love to dine at the Fairhope Inn when we are in this charming city.

Eating and drinking Fairhope-style, y’all!