By Erica Thomas, managing editor
TRUSSVILLE — As construction continues on two new restaurants in Trussville’s future Entertainment District, the Operations Manager, Randall Norman, is offering an inside look at what guests can expect during their dining experience. He is in the planning process and is keeping variety and unique options at the forefront of that process.
Mexicali Blues Trussville and Pinchgut Pies are projected to open in the fall. Mexicali Blues is designed to be a more upscale restaurant, while Pinchgut Pies will have a more laid-back feel.
“Mexicali Blues Trussville is upscale-casual,” said Norman. “It’s not white tablecloth fine dining. It’ll be full service and we will have more plate presentation, along with higher-quality ingredients.”
Norman, who has previously worked as a chef at places such as Freddy’s Wine Bar, Post Office Pies, Saw’s Soul Kitchen, and Highlands Bar & Grill, is currently developing the menus for both of the new restaurants. He said the menus will start out limited and will expand over time.
“The initial menues will be smaller so we can make sure that we put out high-quality food and service and as everything settles in, we will expand the menu and give more options,” he said.
For Mexicali Blues, Norman said there will be a larger presence of seafood on the menu than you see at a typical Mexican restaurant. The higher-quality ingredients will be locally sourced and seasonal, when available.
“There’s not going to be groundbeef tacos,” he said. “We’re going to use high-quality cuts of meat. We have a really good seafood purveyor, Royal Lagoon, based out of the Gulf. So, it’s really high-quality. You will be crab on the menu, things of that nature.”
There will also be snapper, tuna, crab claws and crab cakes.
Norman said he has pulled inspiration from authentic Mexican cookbooks and he has researched the best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and in the Birminghama area.
The goal is to offer authentic Mexican cusine, a lot of it will be based around Oaxacan cusine,” he added. “We also want to make it approachable for the Trussville community, so I’m building things that you’re used to seeing at different establishments around here with more of an authentic base.”
The building where Mexicali Blues will go is two levels. The upstairs level will be opened on weekends and for big events, special catered events and for VIP during concerts. There will also be a full bar upstairs. Downstairs will be structured like a standard, full-service restaurant with tables, booths, and a patio dining area.
The more eclectic, casual Pinchgut Pies will also offer fresh ingredients. Doughs and sauces will be made fresh from scratch daily.
The menu will include traditional offerings, as well as signature pizzas and there will be a build-your-own option.
“We do want Pinchgut Pies to be our most cost-efficient place for the consumer,” Norman said. “We’re going to have pizzas that are single-serving pizzas for individuals and the family-sized pizzas.”
Salads will also be a part of the initial menu for the restaurant. Norman hopes to add pastas, sandwiches and other handheld items.
In developing the menu for the “pizza shack”, Norman said the three most important items are the dough, the sauce and the cheese.
“It all starts with the dough,” he continued. So, we will be making it in-house from scratch every day. We will allow the dough to ferment overnight to really build flavor and that will give us a nice thin crust with a good chew. From there, we will make our own house sauces with roasted tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs. We are currently sourcing and trying out a lot of different cheeses. That’s always the basis of a good pizza. If you can’t make a good cheese pizza, you shouldn’t be making pizza.”
There will also be a full bar at Pinchgut Pies.
Norman said the variety of options available from the two restaurants will allow the people of Trussville to find what they’re looking for right in the heart of downtown.
“We really want to be able to touch all parts of the community and offer a full scale of food and price margins,” said Norman. “Trussville has been so supportive to Ferus.”
For both restaurants, people will be able to order from the pavilion area and have food brought out to them.
“We’re very excited about it,” Norman said. “We just want to be sure that it’s a good experience for the guests.”
The target opening date for the restaurants are Aug. 2 for Pinchgut Pies and Aug. 16 for Mexicali Blues Trussville.
The two restaurants will employ around 60 people. They are hiring for all positions. For more information, go to mexicalibluestrussville.com and pinchgutpies.com.
The Trussville Entertainment District area is located at 101 Beech Street, in Trussville.