Automatic Seafood
Helen
Chez Fonfon
Amore
Blueprint
Bettola
Bottega
Galley and Garden
Perry’s
Bocca
Bottega (her top choice) ok , so out of these places, which ones would be the top 3 ?

Bottega........Such will Assure a good ROMP in da' Bed!!

Automatic is unbelievable. I thought Helen was overrated and way overpriced for what you get. The steak was great but everything else was meh today.

Bottega is always our first choice; you can always go to Cafe side 3-4 in the afternoon without reservation and get dinner menu.
Next 2 are Hot& Hot and Ovenbird. Just went to Ovenbird for Valentines; the wood roasted whole fish(this time mangrove snapper) is top five dish in B'ham. We get the ceviche and wood roasted seasonal vegetables; every time.
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Gianmarcos should be on that list.

Wife has been to all of them (except Amore) and she ranks:
Helen
Automatic
Bottega

My wife and I will have our 30th wedding anniversary next month, I ask her where she wants to go for dinner. She surprised me with Nick's in Tuscaloosa.

Amore
Perry's
Ruth's Chris

My buddy’s fav place is the less formal downstairs at botega. Heard great things about autonomic seafood. Ocean is great as well.

Never met your wife but mine would prefer the Cheesecake Factory. I'd prefer Golden Rule or Pruett's. Well, actually, she'd prefer a salad at home and I'd prefer a thick half cooked porterhouse off my own grill.

Try Food Bar in Cahaba Heights

My wife and I go to Automatic every year for our anniversary. It is very good. The Murder Point oysters are top notch.

Bellinis
Gianmarcos
Helen
Chez Fonfon
Perry’s

I would put Chucks as a top 3... It is on 280

Agree with this. I'll add Blue Print on 3rd, Cafe DuPont, and Gianmarcos.

I ate at that Brazilian steak house a couple times, it was expensive but it was good

Heads up - went to Little Betty's ate an $80 steak... was not impressed. Good steak but not better than Fleming's or Ruth's Chis so that's not that great IMO. Why you charging me $80+? Crossed that one off my list it was good but not as good as their menu prices I may go back and try a pork chop or something. Aged steak tasted like it laid on a 102 degree blacktop in Connecuh county for a day.... dam near inedible glad I didn't order it but I don't like aged steaks. The rot cost extra and you got your money's worth there if you are into that.

For a date night... I like an atmosphere that has a non-chain restaurant feel. If we go for business we do Fleming's or Perry's something like that.

Bottega is good I've just haven't eaten there in a while I wore it out when I was younger. That's a personal thing.

Gianmarcos, Helen, and Ovenbird would be my top picks. I like Ovenbird it is a more interesting meal you can try different things but also a little more casual.

Hot N Hot is still probably the best restaurant in town but places can be too fancy for me and that's getting too fancy when I feel like I need to wear a coat to dinner.

Chez Fonfon is also a great place but I like to eat out back in the Summer the inside always seems too crowded for me.

Gianmarcos food is one of the best in town just hard to get in there. I bounce in there and sit at the bar the wife don't mind. We will sit at the bar a lot of places when we go out to eat on short notice.

Automatic always disappoints IMO. Best thing in there are some raw Oysters. I don't think it is good but I am always disappointed with the old snapper, redfish, etc. You gonna have to hit me with something different. It comes down to what the specials are for me there.

1. Helen. I think its the best place in the city, but you do pay for it. The menu rotates regularly and there have been some sides that we didn't love but overall it is fantastic food.
2. Automatic. If you like oysters, go here. Try the fish collar appetizer. Excellent seafood. Cocktails are probably a little better than Helen's. Atmosphere feels less fancy than Helen.
3. Bottega. Excellent Italian food and top notch service.

From your list, I haven't tried Amore but have heard only good thinigs. Bocca is not my favorite. It is good but not up to par with the others. Galley and Garden has the best wine list but I don't think the food and atmosphere compares to the others listed.

Chez FonFon is a great choice but more casual. No reservations and it can be hard to get a table if you go on a weekend. Blueprint is more formal than FonFon but not as formal as the others. It has great food.

Bettola is one of my favorite spots in town but I prefer to go for lunch when they serve their sandwiches.

Oak House in MT Laurel. Make reservations,

Irishguy agrees with this message. Ovenbird and Bettola are close by each other, and we like them both as well as Amore down on 280.