Good Eats

Good Eats Glover made its case for the Marshall County Culinary Hall of Fame, but ...

Note: Just before GLM went to press, the Glovers announced they were closing their Guntersville restaurant to reopen at 1504 Rainbow Drive in Gadsden. They said the economic impact from COVID proved devastating. They plan to reopen in about two months with Jimmy Glover as head chef serving the same menu.

“Two years ago a dream was realized with the reopening of the Historic Glover,” Beatrice said. “It has been our great honor to serve this community, and we are forever grateful for the support we received.”

In memory of good times and good food, here’s the story of what was ...

Story by David Myers Photos by David Moore

The Glover is owned by Jimmy and Beatrice Glover, a culinary couple who go way back in the local restaurant scene. Beatrice, originally from Switzerland, served fine fare with a European touch at La Strada, which started out at the top of Sand Mountain then later moved into the same historic building where the current restaurant is located. She had a long tenure running Aqua at the Wyndham Hotel, where she worked with Jimmy, now her husband.

Jimmy cut his teeth in the hotel kitchen alongside chefs including the locally-known Sebastien, who taught him French cooking. Others followed sharing Cajun, Brazilian and even some Alaskan influences until Jimmy finally had his chance to take over the kitchen about six years ago. He readily admits to being a self-taught chef with no formal training.

“We’re fortunate enough to know what people here are interested in,” he says, citing fish, steaks and chicken as the top sellers. “Consistency is what’s important to us.”

An Albertville native, Jimmy surprises diners when he says the fact that his name is on the building is just a coincidence. The red brick, three-story building opened in 1932 as a hotel. Through many reincarnations it has retained its old-style beauty with high ceilings, chandeliers and crown molding throughout. Its spacious rooms allow ample area for diners to distance from each other.

That’s enough about history. I came for the food.

We started with an appetizer sampler. Not to be missed are the cheese bombs. A mixture of Gouda, mozzarella and cream cheese wrapped in puff pastry and baked, these are little clouds of cheesy goodness. The crab cakes blend lumps of crab with subtle seasoning highlighted by the freshmade remoulade sauce. The scallops were perfectly cooked to a gentle golden brown.

Now that’s the way to start a meal.

Grilled wedge salads were next. Happily for Rose, Romaine lettuce was the green of choice rather than the inferior iceberg. Topped with cherry tomatoes, bacon and homemade ranch, the smoky taste from a few seconds on the grill elevated this from an ordinary meal starter to a gourmet treat.

Now I’m not a guy who’s big on fancy food, but with a strong recommendation from the chef we ordered their signature

dish, the Angus Beef Wellington.

This labor intensive dish takes a fine steak and raises it several notches. I honestly could not believe how good it was. It starts with a generous round of filet mignon which is spread with Boursin cheese and topped with prosciutto. After grilling to perfection, the steak is wrapped in a beautiful cloak of puff pastry and baked to a golden crisp.

You don’t even need a steak knife to cut into it. Presented on a bed of mashed potatoes and asparagus dancing in just the right amount of red wine reduction, this dish should go down in the Marshall County Culinary Hall of Fame

The second entrée we shared was the Clockwise from upper left: Angus Beef Wellington is Hoff worthy; Grilled Wedge Salad with a Razzitini and specialty soup of the day; popular Cheese Bombs and bruschetta make good appetizers; Chicken Roulade; owners Jimmy and Beatrice, photographed during more hopeful times before the full effects of COVID-19 became apparent.

grilled mahi-mahi, which tasted like it came straight out of the ocean. That flavor took me straight back to my hometown New Orleans with its steady diet of fresh seafood perfectly cooked. The flaky tenderness of the fish indicated the chef took it out of the pan at exactly the right time. Served atop rice and colorful sautéed peppers, I just couldn’t stop.

Other choices include the Chicken Roulade, Crispy Orange Glazed Salmon, Herb Crusted Pecan Chicken, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, Lobster Ravioli, Pan Seared Snapper, Black Peppercorn Tuna, filet, ribeye and porterhouse steaks.

Making the meal extra nice, Beatrice paired each course with a complementary wine. She chose a chilled Rosé to start, a sauvignon blanc followed that, a dry red wine accompanied the beef and a Moscato champagne starred as dessert wine.

Desserts were absolutely over the top. The crème brulee was a light and creamy dream. The bananas foster took me straight back to dining in New Orleans again.

But the show stopper had to be the cheesecake made with Toblerone, a Swiss chocolate bar in the shape of triangular prisms, which top the delicacy. The richness is enhanced by the crispy spun sugar glistening on top. Heaven on a plate.