The votes are in. The mouths, drooling.
Gulf Coast Media readers have been participating in a new contest called the UltiMEAT bracket contest, presented by Parrish Tractor, where we pitted 32 specific dishes at 32 restaurants across Baldwin County against each other to see which one people think is the best meat dish in the county. Eight-restaurant regions were categorized into beef, chicken, pork/lamb and seafood.
We're now down to the final four dishes/restaurants, which means each of these entrants is their region winner and therefore the top menu item to get in their specific type of meat.
The Beef Region winner is Jesse's Restaurant in Magnolia Springs for its dry-aged ribeye. The Chicken Region winner is Cosmo's Restaurant & Bar in Orange Beach for its chicken roulade. The Pork/Lamb Region winner is Moe's Original BBQ in Foley for its Moe nachos. The Seafood Region winner is Wolf Bay Lodge in Foley for its "Signature Shrimp & Grits."
They will now face each other in a round of voting Oct. 2-6. The championship round will be voted on Oct. 7-9.
As a note, Gulf Coast Media's newsroom chose the 32 dishes and restaurants based on several factors, including our knowledge, general community popularity and an aim for a representative contest field. Did we miss your favorite? Email editor@gulfcoastmedia.com.
To help you decide which dish to vote for, here is more about each.
Steve and Angie Colthrap purchased Jesse's with a vision of being the most talked about steakhouse on the Gulf Coast, the restaurant's website says. They pride themselves in serving unique cuts of dry and wet-aged steaks, bone-in cuts and fresh fish brought in daily.
The restaurant is considered a staple in the small, coastal Southern community of Magnolia Springs, and the building has been there for over 100 years, opening as Moore Bros Store in 1922. Charles and Janie Houser purchased the building in 1998 and opened Jesse's Restaurant in 1999, bringing back a vital piece of Magnolia Springs. Charles named the restaurant after Jesse King, the beloved shopkeeper of Moore's Store who reportedly never missed a day of work for over 60 years.
"We are always working to make Jesse's better than we were yesterday," the Colthraps say on the website.
The dry-aged ribeye features 14 ounces of Allen Brothers beef, a popular choice that brings diners back again and again. It comes with a choice of mash, grits, risotto or fries and the daily vegetable.
Off the beaten path on Canal Road in Orange Beach, Cosmo's Restaurant & Bar is far from ordinary. Owners Brian and Jodi Harsany's attention to detail and love of dining has created something truly memorable that has become a favorite for locals and visitors alike since 2006. The personable and attentive staff, as well as unique cuisine and specialized catering, has created a synergistic harmony that provides for an unforgettable dining experience.
The menu evokes influence from Corporate Chef Jack Baker's love for Southern and French cuisine, Executive Chef Rachel Golden's Gulf Coast roots where she stems from Pensacola and Sous Chef Brittany Thompson's foundation from Jamaica.
Using chef inspired ingredients, diners enjoy everything from hand-cut steaks to local seafood and pasta. A staple of the menu, the chicken roulade is a culinary great that brings this neighborhood to the cutting edge. The dish features bacon-wrapped chicken breast stuffed with asparagus and Gruyère cheese, flash fried and finished in the oven, served with a sage and leek cream sauce and Parmesan risotto.
Moe's Original BBQ was founded by Mike Fernandez, Ben Gilbert and Jeff Kennedy. After meeting at the University of Alabama, their website says, they instantly became friends and had a mutual interest in all things Southern: barbecue, blues, college football and whiskey. In 1988, Mike learned to fire roast meats from Tuscaloosa legend Moses Day, whose distinct style makes up Moe's original flavor of barbecue.
Located in the heart of Foley by the outlets, sports complex and Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermans Market, this location is in middle of all growth going on in the area. Guests can expect a menu full of the popular franchise's famous Alabama-style hand pulled pork, smoked chicken wings, turkey, fried shrimp and catfish, Memphis-style dry rubbed ribs and more, not to mention favorite Southern sides made from scratch daily.
While one might be inclined to order a sandwich or platter featuring Moe's mouth-watering meats, the Moe Nachos is a fan favorite. Baked beans and house-fried chips are topped with pulled smoked pork or chicken, nacho cheese, red onions, pickled jalapenos, barbecue and Alabama white sauce.
Wolf Bay Lodge began as a bait shop nestled in the trees along the waters of Wolf Bay in Elberta in the 1940s. Charlie and Sandra Wrape purchased it in 1973. Many of the seafood recipes were created by ladies who worked there or lived nearby.
After the original lodge was destroyed by a fire in 2008, they reopened in two new locations, one in Foley and the other in Orange Beach. Wolf Bay is known for being a local seafood tradition, and many of the recipes guests enjoy today are from the Wrapes' original menu.
The shrimp and grits has become the restaurant's signature dish, with Head Chef Pauly Abel saying they sell 25-30 for lunch daily from the Foley location. The seasoned, sauteed shrimp sits on a bed of house-made, stone-ground, smoked Gouda grits with house, scratch-made mornay sauce, scallions and diced tomatoes. The velvety sauce is a roux of bacon, onion, sweet peppers, Cavender's and other seasonings cooked until thick and mixed in with tomatoes and green onions.
