Birmingham Restaurant Review - Real & Rosemary

A couple months ago we went to Real & Rosemary. They opened earlier this year, and I was excited to try them after hearing the buzz about this new spot in Homewood. They pride themselves on using simple ingredients to revamp familiar southern dishes.

They have a cute and clean look inside, but the tables and curtains give it a homey feel.

What I ate:  Fig and Collard Salad. The collards were tender, although raw, and it was a great combination of flavors. The figs were dried and very delicious. There were a few too many on the salad to be such a strong flavor, but at least you got one in every bite.

What he had: Plate of turkey with sides of sweet and spicy slaw and the vegetable succotash. The turkey looked plain, but it was super moist and flavorful, and came with gravy to dip. The sides were just okay; he liked the slaw, but wasn't impressed with the succotash. If I remember correctly, they were out of polenta cakes that day, so this wasn't his top side pick anyway.

Not pictured, was the orange blossom lemonade we had to drink. It was amazing! Super refreshing and you could definitely appreciate the orange flavor! If you enjoy Urban Cookhouse's strawberry lemonade (which has quite a following), you will probably like this. Tart and sweet - a funky version of a classic summer drink.
Overall, we enjoyed Real and Rosemary. We didn't feel we had to rush back to try more dishes; for that I'll give it 3/5 bowls. However, I have been back with friends since this initial visit and had the meatball sub with the polenta cakes and more orange blossom lemonade. Again, everything tasted good, and I would go back to try a few more menu items.
Overall Rating:

Since this is my first restaurant review, let's define the rating system:

1 Bowl  = A complete miss. We wouldn't recommend it.

2 Bowls = Ehh... it was okay. Sufficed as a meal, but nothing to write home about.

3 Bowls = Satisfying experience. Generally good food and enjoyable, but somewhat forgettable.

4 Bowls = Nice! Fully satisfied, and we would definitely recommend and return!

5 Bowls = A place that truly wows us and exceeds our expectations!