Montgomery's Hidden Gem

Discover hip shops and fun restaurants in this revived neighborhood.

Ditch work one afternoon, and come explore one of the South's quaintest neighborhoods. Everything you need for an incredible visit sits five minutes from downtown Montgomery in Old Cloverdale. While the name may suggest a stuffy suburb, visitors will delight in fabulous shopping, galleries, wine stores, and restaurants. Think Mayberry meets SoHo, and you'll get the idea.

Have Lunch

Fill up at an old gas station turned delightful eatery: Sinclair's on Fairview Avenue. In-the-know Montgomerians order the Black & Bleu burger ($6.95). Soup-and-salad combos are a bargain here. Try the Plowman's Lunch for $6.50, which includes a generous bowl of soup, cheese toast, and fresh fruit. Don't leave without sampling either the Bananas Sinclair ($4.50) or Chocolate Sinclair ($5). The first combines banana slices, sugar, rum, brandy, and roasted pecans topped by (what else?) vanilla ice cream. The latter is a flour tortilla full of ice cream, fudge, almonds, and whipped cream. Both will impress.

If you'd prefer to picnic in one of Old Cloverdale's many parks, venture over to Derk's Filet & Vine. This wine shop, which doubles as a deli, stocks gourmet sandwiches and salads, plus a robust selection of fine wines.

Get Out the Credit Card

Cloverdale hosts a variety of shopsantiques, collectibles, clothing, and more. My two favorites are Stonehenge Framing and Apropos. Stonehenge offers fabulous original prints beginning at $10. It goes up from there. I covet their hummingbird prints by John Gould (circa 1850). The vibrant, hand-applied colors really pop in elegant, gold-trimmed frames. They cost $1,200.

Apropos holds merchandise any Southern lady will love. Owner Tern Owen showcases Alabama designers and stocks many items from Atlanta and New York. As a result, the intimate space sports a chic, modern feel. In five minutes I'd spotted a bevy of buyable stuff, including Matt & Nat handbags ($65-$95) and Mediterranean Spa Body Butter ($13-$19).

Finish With a Walk

Stroll the tree-lined streets to discover such places as the First United Methodist Church and the home of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Cloverdale dates to 1892, so it's rich with history. Luckily for us, it has a bright future. MORGAN MURPHY

For more information: Visit www. oldcloverdale.org.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Mar 2006
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