How Cravings Satisfied my Cravings
2320 University Blvd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
I’ll just go ahead and say it right off the bat: Cravings is without a doubt my favorite hangout in town right now. With its classically designed red and black storefront logo, Cravings advertises itself as a “specialty grocery” – but this is no stuffy Whole Foods. No, this is a specialty food store with style. Nestled into the downtown streets of Tuscaloosa, this gem serves up an almost unbelievable variety of tasty treats you just can’t get anywhere else. New York bagels, caviar on crackers, German breads, lobster mac and cheese, corned beef sandwiches, pastrami sandwiches, lobster rolls… I could go on. And that’s not even mentioning the desserts and drinks. However, the most exciting part of the Cravings menu is that it includes Creole favorites like seafood gumbo, muffalettas, “Central Grocery” olive salad, and specialty meats like crawfish tails, venison, and Poche’s pork boudin. But more on that later.
Cravings is unique for many reasons, but the quirky, laid-back vibe of the place is what I like the most. It’s usually pretty quiet, and I mainly see a lot of hip-looking, older adults there. When you walk in the front door, you’re greeted on your left by the cashier and a mouthwatering selection of baked goods like gourmet muffins and dainty slices of cake waiting just below him behind a thin window of glass. On your right you’re met with an almost mind-bogglingly vast and vibrant selection of specialty chips and candies from all over the world, as well as miscellaneous items like cigarettes, lighters, batteries, Advil, and Mardi Gras beads.
Not quite a restaurant and not quite a grocery store, the dimly-lit room stretches back like a large hallway. As you proceed to the back of the room you come upon smooth, sturdy, wooden tables and benches to your left. Lined up across the entire wall to your right are about fifteen refrigerators, arguably containing the most amusing of what Cravings has to offer. Soft fluorescent lights peek out from behind an absolutely massive selection of craft beers, wines, champagnes, ciders, and hard sodas. With unusual imports, zany labels, and specialty drinks you’ve never seen in your life, there really is no place like Cravings to step out of your comfort zone for a casual drink. If you go with a friend or two, it’s good fun to pick out different beverages to share and taste test together.
The best place to chow down, however, is the outdoor portion of the restaurant. The small, concrete area is roped off from the sidewalk by a square of thick chain. Inside its confines, classic black wrought iron chairs surround four small, round tables topped with beautiful blue tiling. The overhead cover gives you the freedom to choose sunshine or shadow, and all seats have a great view. The finishing touches are a row of basil plants right next to the tables and a super-sized dog bowl full of water waiting for thirsty pets at the patio’s entrance. With the smell of fresh basil in your nostrils and a front row seat to a parade of cute dogs stopping for a drink, you hardly even need amazing food to have a good time. Fortunately, you need not worry about being disappointed in your meal.
On our most recent visit to Cravings, my boyfriend Nick and I were lookin’ to try some Creole cookin’. As a Louisiana native, I’m usually wary of places that claim to sell authentic “New Orleans food,” but you’ll never know if you don’t try, right? After some deliberation Nick and I decided on a quarter of a muffaletta and a bowl of seafood gumbo – two classic favorites. (If you’re not familiar with muffaletta sandwiches, they’re quite big so a quarter is plenty.) We ordered our food, grabbed a couple of ciders, and checked out with the owner of the place, who’s usually working the cash register. I can’t recall exactly what he looks like other than he’s thin, probably around 40, maybe bald, and maybe has an ear piercing or some tattoos. Those details could just be me putting images to my memory of the badass vibe he gives off though. In addition to that, he’s a really friendly guy. He even remembered Nick and me from the last time we had been there a few months ago and remembered that we liked to eat on the patio. Without us having to ask he pulled out plastic cups to pour our drinks into, since you can’t have glass outside, and we moseyed on out to sip our ciders and wait. Before long, he darted out with our food.
The meal was, in two words, shockingly authentic. Our plates were clean within minutes, with Nick and I exclaiming in surprise and moaning in delight
the entire time. The quartered muffaletta came on a small paper plate, and visually it was indistinguishable from muffalettas I’ve had in New Orleans. Layers of oily olive salad, ham, salami, and three different cheeses rested between two soft, thick, sesame-seed covered triangles of bread. I thought it must be too good to be true – a wolf in sheep’s clothing. However, when I sunk my teeth into the sandwich I the tasted that familiar tangy, salty, slightly smoky taste I’ve come to love so much. It was the real deal.
The gumbo came out in a plastic bowl with a reusable top – presumably so we could take home leftovers if we had any. (Ha!) As Nick popped the top off, I was hit in the face with a strong, rich, inviting scent. It smelled like seafood and roux – a good sign. When I dug in, I was again pleasantly surprised. As 
foreshadowed by the smell of roux, the stew was indulgently thick. (In my opinion there’s nothing worse than a watery gumbo.) With an appropriate amount of rice underneath, an unidentifiable but proper-tasting mix of vegetables, a healthy amount of spice, and a generous helping of shrimp and crab meat, the gumbo was just as much of a home run as the muffaletta.
Needless to say, I was elated at this discovery. I can confidently say that this was the best Creole meal I’ve had outside of Louisiana. In fact, it’s the only Creole meal outside of Louisiana I’ve ever found satisfactory. And it wasn’t just satisfactory – it was really good. My only gripe about Cravings is that it’s slightly above college-student price range. Our meals plus two drinks each came out to be around 35 bucks. However, you get what you pay for, and for food, drinks, and ambiance that great it’s worth every penny. I may not be able to afford to dine there too often, but I certainly will be back. If you haven’t given Cravings a try yet, add it to your list. It’s worth the visit.