FAIRHOPE, Alabama -- Throughout 2012, as the Alabama Tourism Department celebrates "The Year of Alabama Food," The Birmingham News will spotlight some of the restaurants, cafes, bistros and bakeries on the list of "100 Dishes To Eat in Alabama Before You Die." This is a weekly series that appears Fridays in City Scene.

Panini Pete’s

Address: 42½ South Section St., Fairhope.

On the menu: Pressed sandwiches made with house-roasted meats, including roast beef with gorgonzola spread, rosemary chicken with goat cheese, turkey with mozzarella, seared tuna with key lime aioli, and mozzarella and tomato on focaccia. Plus hand-pattied hamburgers, all-beef hot dogs and house-cut fries and chips. Breakfast includes classic New Orleans beignets.

What's in a name?: In Italy, "panino" refers to a sandwich made with a small bread roll, and "panini" is the plural form of the word. In the United States, panini are pressed in a grill. "Pete" is Panini Pete's chef and owner Pete Blohme.

From Fort Lauderdale to Fairhope: Blohme, who grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1986, worked as a chef on a cruise ship, and later helped his brother-in-law, wings king Bob Baumhower, open a chain of restaurants across the state. It was while working with Baumhower's Aloha Hospitality group that Blohme discovered Baldwin County. Six years ago, Blohme opened his Panini Pete's Cafe and Bake Shoppe in a little cubbyhole in downtown Fairhope's French Quarter.

Food Network star: In 2008, Food Network rock star Guy Fieri pulled into town to film an episode of his popular "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" road show. Fieri was blown away by the food, particularly the Pete's Rubbed and Almost Fried Turkey Sandwich. "Oh, my gosh, talk about a place you wish you could go to 10 times," Fieri said in an interview with The Birmingham News. "That dude (Blohme) was just a riot, just off the hook." Fieri and Blohme became fast friends. A year later, Blohme appeared as a guest on Fieri's "Guy's Big Bite," and in 2011, Fieri returned to Baldwin County to join Blohme and other chefs for "Supper on the Sand: A Celebration of the Gulf," a 500-seat dinner to mark the anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

Feeding the troops: Throughout last year, Blohme and a group of chefs who call themselves the Messlords embarked on their Forkful of Freedom Tour, traveling the world to cook for U.S. soldiers in military bases around the globe. Again, it was his buddy Fieri who recommended Blohme for the gig. One day, the Messlords served 30,000 meals. "We're trying to give them a full belly, a hug around the neck and a good time," Blohme told the Press-Register in Mobile. "It's our way of thanking them for all they do for the country."

Now in Mobile, too: Panini Pete's opened a second location in downtown Mobile late last year.

Dish to eat before you die: Pete's Muffaletta Panino, with Italian meats and cheeses and olive salad on rustic Italian bread.

Hours: 8 to 10:30 a.m. for breakfast, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch, Mondays through Saturdays.

Phone: 251-929-0122.

Website: www.paninipetes.com.

Email Bob Carlton at bcarlton@bhamnews.com