Fine Dining Road Show to The Spring House

I know you must be tired of the mindless ramblings of that n'ar do well Irishman Allpots. I truly know that I am. Therefore, I feel compelled to contribute a little story about my recent trip up AL 63 to "The Spring House" at Russell Crossroads. You see, while CNA's culinary mind is muddled by his cavorting with his stable of wealthy man-starved widows, my bride of umpteen years and I remain focused upon the experience of a fine meal served by attentive and professional waiters in a pleasant location. To us, if there are no white tablecloths and the wait staff is not wearing aprons and collared shirts, the place should be generally avoided. The Spring House at Russell Crossroads near Lake Martin provides exactly what we consider a fine dining experience.

For dinner I recommend you arrive, as we always do, at least 15 minutes before the scheduled sunset and enjoy one of their ample martinis on the west-facing deck. Ask for the blue-cheese stuffed olives if you are so inclined. I prefer a Grey Goose vodka martini straight up with a twist. On a clear evening the view of the sunset is outstanding.

Almost every time we have dined for dinner on a weekend at The Spring House we see friends from Montgomery. This evening was no exception. There on the patio was my cardiologist, my banker, my insurance agent and (cough) my proctologist. We were also joined by a constitutional officer of the State who had just attended some sort of "rodeo" involving rattling snakes and had the pictures to prove it. Only the handshake and conversation with the proctologist was the least bit awkward. The waitress allowed us to chat while we sipped our cocktails. They realize at The Spring House that good conversation with friends compliments a fine meal.

Of course, as with all fine restaurants, the menu changes constantly depending on the availability of suitable ingredients. This past Saturday I was able to order the hickory grilled Painted Hills Flat Iron Steak with roasted fingerling potatoes and green beans. My appetizer was the "chopped salad" with a very light and different blue cheese dressing. It all went well with the '06 Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rhone. My better half and daughter had the seared red fish and hickory smoked quail. They purred as they dined.

Dinner at The Spring House is not for the unemployed or those without a trust fund. Dinner for three (sans the $250 bottle of wine) was about $175 including the martinis and an absolutely fabulous banana pudding served with a glaze of melted sugar like a creme brulee.

After the meal I fired up a Cuban Cohiba Behike on the upper deck and stared up into the clear night sky at the brilliant stars of Orion's Belt that seemed closer and brighter than normal due to the absence of ambient city light. Why, it was so beautiful and the meal so fine that I was almost unmanned.

If you long for a fine dining experience while visiting Lake Martin I can highly recommend The Spring House. I also highly recommend you make your reservations a week or more in advance if you are planning a weekend dinner.