The Happy Olive expands business to Wine and Greek Fare, opening The Angry Grape and The Sad Chickpea

The Happy Olive has blessed downtown Fairhope for over 200 years ever since an industrious Choctaw Native began selling the expelled juices from mosquitoes and calling it Olive Oil. That business developed into a local mainstay and now proudly serves very good, and very real olive oil in all types of flavors and infusions.

With 2 centuries of success under their belt, The Happy Olive has decided to "branch" out and try it's hand in other food fare. The Angry Grape will open up next year with a wide variety of wines and alcoholic beverages as well as The Sad Chickpea, a Mediterranean restaurant.

The owners also plan to open a coffee shop, The Anxious Bean, one day in the future if their current endeavors pan out.

TFI EATS!: Jesse's Restaurant Review.

For some odd reason in my glorious time in Fairhope, I've yet to eat at the quaint little restaurant in Magnolia Springs known as Jesse's. I've talked to hundreds of folks that claim that Jesse's is their all-time favorite dining spot for local seafood and lip smacking steaks. I finally caved and decided to try this place once and for all.

Jesse's restaurant was founded in 1996 by the famous TV character Jesse Katsopolis from the family drama Full House. Jesse was played by Greek Actor John Stamos who for a short time played drums for the aging Beach Boys. John eventually settled down and decided to live his life as the fictional character Jesse Katsopolis instead, eventually opening up a restaurant in Magnolia Springs where the humidity keeps his hair healthy . I imagine on many nights Jesse pulls up a stool and belts out an Elvis cover on guitar while the sweet smell of pan fried Snapper circulates through the air. 

I didn't see Jesse Saturday night, nor did I hear the great harmonies of The Beach Boys, but the food and ambiance more than made up for it. After an appetizer of BBQ Shrimp (is it impolite to drink straight from the bowl?) I ordered a dry aged bone-in strip steak. Dry aging is a method used to bring out the best flavor and moisture level from the meat and it works especially great on hot dogs. The steak was served over risotto and fresh vegetables with a smattering of french fried onions covering the whole platter. As a veteran of several Rotary Steak Cook-Off's I feel like a professional when it comes to steak and especially gluttony, but I couldn't eat my whole steak. I had a nice chunk left at the end so I didn't win the "clean plate award". As a result, I didn't get a Blow Pop and the waitress made me march a "walk of shame", a parade of sorts through each uniquely decorated room as I was made to chant "not worthy!" and moo like a cow in heat. 

After a few cocktails I was able to move again and went in search of the restroom, which is where my only complaint came from. The complimentary bathroom ice cream by the sink was briny and gritty, and nothing comparative to Blue Bell. In fact, it was so terrible that the gentleman after me declined to try it and instead smooshed it between his hands angrilly.

 All in all I was impressed with everything from the decor to the Bread Pudding dessert. The scenery was romantic and pleasurable, but clashed with my hot pink windbreaker outfit I chose thinking back to the Full House aesthetic. Have Mercy! 

New dating app "Silver Queen" launches just for older Baldwin County residents

For those newly single that have been out of the dating game for a while, it can be daunting to start over from scratch. This is especially difficult in small towns where like-minded singles are limited and spread out. That's why local entrepreneur Kathy Mills used her personal problem to help many others in our own Baldwin County community. Kathy developed an "App"  with her own ingenuity and lack of tech skills right here in Fairhope, and it's off to a great start.  The way the app works is local "Silver Queens" post their photo and small bio on a poster board in Julwin's Restaurant. Interested older singles will inspect the photos while enjoying coffee and eggs and physically swipe the photo left for a match. The single will then attach a string leading to their own photo and begin a series of communication via snail mail, but limited to 5 words per letter. The entire process can take up to a year before a physical meeting takes place.  Be on the lookout for a second Silver Queen location opening up in Bay Minette at the Shrimp Basket.