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Wisteria Restaurant Celebrates 9th Anniversary

Sep 2

Posted by in American, Romantic, Wine Selection, atlanta | No Comments

Located in Inman Park in Atlanta, Wisteria restaurant is celebrating it’s 9th anniversary in September. It is a charming restaurant housed in a building nearly a century old. Opening only two days prior the tragic event of Sept.11, 2001, Wisteria definitely had obstacles to overcome. There were many doubts that Wisteria Restaurant would be able to survive. Nine years later, however, Wisteria is still open for business and pleasing customers with it’s contemporary Southern American menu as well as an award-winning wine list.

The current economy alone brings many challenges, but so does the natural competition in the restaurant industry especially in the Inman Park area. Despite this, Wisteria has continued to thrive for the past nine years. Their food is tasty, wine list has a superb selection and Wisteria restaurant just started offering a gluten-free menu.

To celebrate their nine year anniversary, Wisteria is hosting a low-country boil buffet on Monday, Sept. 6, 2010 during their regular weekday hours from 5:30 to 10 p.m. The buffet, which will include various local beers & house-made Southern wine coolers, better known as Sangria, will be $29.95 per person & will include the said drinks.

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Nature’s Garden Delivered, Organic Foods Delivery Review

Aug 19

Posted by in American, Healthy, Vegetarian, atlanta | No Comments

I first wrote about Nature’s Garden Delivered, the Organic Food Delivery company last winter. I was contacted by Michael Kirk, the owner of Nature’s Garden to try out a sampling of their goods. I loved everything I had and guess what? Now, I’m a loyal customer of Nature’s Garden Delivered. Yup, I get a box mixed with fruits and vegetables delivered to me every week.

So, why I am writing about Nature’s Garden Delivered again when I’ve already reviewed them? Well, because you really can’t understand how great this service is until you’ve had it for several weeks in a row and you are actually a customer with your very own online account. Then you really appreciate it. I’m now in my 6th week of delivery from Nature’s Garden Organic Food Delivery and I’m lovin it.

Like I said when I reviewed them before, I had the option of getting delivered all fruits, all vegetables or a mixed box. I had chosen a mixed box and that’s still what I’m opting to do. Now, I get a small box once a week. But the cool thing about Nature’s Garden is that you can choose to get a box delivered every other week if you like. If you live by yourself, you might find it hard to even go through a “tiny” box once a week. And, if you go on vacation, you can even put your delivery on hold for a couple weeks.

The best part (well besides eating healthy food) is that your account is 100% manageable online. I never have to call them up and sit on hold waiting to talk to someone. I love that I can put my service on hold, change the size of my box or even the contents of my box all online. Yeah, that’s right. I actually look forward to my weekly email notice from Nature’s Garden letting me know I can log into my account and change my order should I wish to.

The Loot:

Now, don’t get me wrong, they do a good mix every week and change it up frequently enough so that I don’t get bored. Sometimes I get red potatoes, sometimes I get Yukon Gold. Sometimes I get Bibb lettuce and sometimes it’s red lettuce. But it’s nice to have the option to log in to my account and swap bananas for avocados, corn for canteloupe, or apples for butternut squash like I did this week.

If you’re like me, up until a couple years ago, I was pretty skeptical about the “organic” label. Was it really healthier? Or was it all hype? Is it really worth the premium prices that organic foods command? After educating myself on the quality of the foods we are currently offered at our local grocer’s, and learning about our Food Industry and the way food is processed in our country, I believe that organic is definitely the way to go.

And, since I’m making efforts to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet, getting organic fruits and vegetables delivered right to my front door makes it difficult to slack off on that commitment. I’ve had many meatless dinners at home thanks to Nature’s Garden Delivered and while I may not feel like I just stuffed my face with a cheeseburger, I did feel much healthier. So, on Friday night when I ate a huge helping of shrimp and cheesy grits, I had no guilt whatsoever.

Nature’s Garden Delivered Website
Facebook Page
Twitter @NGD_Georgia

Extras: Buying from Nature’s Garden Delivered supports local farmer’s too!

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Publik Restaurant Midtown, Atlanta, GA Review

Aug 12

Posted by in American, Midtown, Pub, Restaurant Reviews, atlanta, bar | 1 Comment

A group of eight of us did the dinner and a show thingy when Phantom of the Opera was in it’s last run at the Fox Theatre. My old standbys within walking distance of the Fox, Pleasant Pheasant and Mick’s, now closed, I had quite the dilemma. Where can we eat that’s close to the Fox? I found that we had about 2 choices if we didn’t want to break the bank – Baronda or Publik. Rumored to be somewhat of a Gastropub, I chose the latter for our group. And well into the first act of Phantom I was still kicking myself for my choice that evening.

Publik has taken the space of the old bar, Bazzar. It is literally right next door the Fox Theatre. You could not ask for a closer location. You could ask for better food and service, though. I guess the proprietors don’t feel the need to deliver either, as they have somewhat of a captive audience. FYI Publik – just having a good beer selection, doesn’t excuse mediocre food and poor service.

Their online menu lists beer and cocktails, neither or which are current, along with Publik’s food menu. At the time of this post, Publik’s online food menu consists of 4 appetizers, 2 salads, 5 sandwiches, and 5 entrees. Not exactly like opening a T.G.I. Friday’s menu. While it was limited, it seemed there would be something for everyone, especially one guest in particular who was dieting, requiring a small portion of (not fried) protein. Called and made a reservation for eight people for six o’clock the next day, thinking that would be plenty of time before our 8 pm show. So far, so good.

We arrived, at 6:15, and even though we were slightly late they had our upstairs table ready. We were handed a “drink menu” and out of all of us only one had the cocktail menu printed on the reverse side. The others were strictly beer. Not matching anything I saw online, I ordered the ‘Publik Domain’ which, as it turns out, is a fancy name for a Whiskey Sour.

From here, things just went downhill. We were presented with a very limited menu. And you though it couldn’t get more limited than what I described above? For apps, you can choose from chicken or beef skewers, Garden, Ceasar, or Cobb Salad, Crab Cakes or a Charcuterie plate. For mains choices are a Burger, Fish n’ Chips, Ribeye, Chicken Piccata or Vegetable Ratatouille. Nowhere on Publik’s website is there any indication that there is a limited menu on certain nights. Had I known this, I would definitely chosen to dine elsewhere.

Publik Dining Room Before Fox Show:

I asked our server what’s up with the extremely limited menu and she said Publik does that on nights that there are shows at the Fox, otherwise they “can’t keep up with getting all the orders out when the restaurant is full.” WTF? Isn’t there always a show at the Fox? Um…if you can’t handle the crowd maybe you shouldn’t situate yourself right next door to the Fox Theatre.

Since it was relatively early still, 6:30, I begged her to just let us order off of the regular menu to no avail. We were SOL and stuck with the limited, limited menu. She did mention 2 specials – Tuna Burger, and Shrimp and Grits which seemed to appease the group slightly. The Publik server seemed to be pushing for us to order, as if there was some rush to turn the table over. Three of us ordered the Tuna Burger, while others ordered the Cobb Salad, Chicken Piccata, and Shrimp and Grits.

Publik Tuna Burger

I had lusty thoughts for my Ahi tuna BLT from Bocado (seriously that could be a contender for my last meal on earth – it is one orgasmic sandwich) but Publik’s version is like it’s retarded brother – definitely not on par. Tuna burger special was cooked too much. It was completely bland, I could barely taste anything. It not only needs to be cooked less but needs some sort of sauce to liven it up. If Publik bills itself as a Gastropub, then they need to get more creative with sauces. I would have expected more than merely ketchup as a dipping sauce for my fries.

The Cobb Salad was pretty and certainly not lacking in the meat department, but not worth the $11 price tag. The Chicken Piccata was pretty tasty and the artichoke risotto had a great flavor, albeit quite salty. One of my friends didn’t get her Shrimp and Grits until nearly all of us were done with our meals. I suspect our quite frazzled incompetent server forgot to put in the order, but I can’t be sure. At that point, her meal should have been comped. We didn’t ask, it’s just the right thing to do with such poor service (I’m leaving out some other details – snippy attitude, etc, etc). They didn’t offer to comp the meal by the way.

Publik Shrimp and Grits

After my friend wolfed down her dinner so as not to keep us from being late, we asked for the check, since our server wasn’t going to offer us dessert although we saw other tables getting some. Server said she couldn’t really do separate checks. Somebody please explain to me, why, with all the technology we have, having separate checks is such a hard thing to do.

After being gone for 20 minutes she finally came back with our checks split up properly. Another friend was getting her cash out and our server (pretty impatient at this point) asked her to get her money together so she could ring everyone up at the same time. I fully expected the downstairs to be packed with theatre-goers, trying to settle up before the curtain rose. But I’ll be damned, the place was nearly empty. I’m absolutely befuddled that in this very competitive market, a restaurant with such lackluster food and sloppy service can stay open. Oh yeah – Location, Location, Location….

654 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30308
404 885 7505

Portofino on Urbanspoon

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Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt Opens in Atlanta

Aug 11

Posted by in American, Buckhead, Cheap, East Cobb, Family, Good for Groups, Healthy, atlanta, roswell | 1 Comment

Popular California Frozen Yogurt Company Plans to Open 12 New Stores in the US and five locations throughout North Atlanta within the next two months. The California based Menchie’s has 40 locations open in 11 states. Menchie’s currently has two stores open in Atlanta – at 9775 Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek, GA, and at 12030 Etris Road in Roswell, GA. Additional locations will open in Druid Hills, Buckhead, Cumming and East Cobb.

Menchie’s is a little different from the other frozen yogurt chains. While other frozen yogurt chains have set sizes and prices and charge for additional toppings, Menchie’s customers help themselves to an unlimited mix of yogurt and toppings at a convenient self-serve station with 100+ rotating yogurt flavors from cake batter and pomegranate tart to chocolate and vanilla, and more than 60 rotating toppings including fresh fruits, granolas, nuts and an assortment of brand-name candy and hot sauces. After crafting the perfect mix, the yogurt is weighed and paid for by the ounce.

Menchie’s offers nonfat, low carb, non-dairy, kosher, gluten-free, and no sugar added soft-serve options, as well as innovative flavors that have never been seen in the market. Menchie’s frozen yogurt also contains live and active cultures (probiotics), receiving the Live and Active Culture (LAC) seal by the National Yogurt Association.

Opening dates are set for Menchie’s as follows:
Toco Hills Thursday 8/19 (Grand Opening 8/20)
Cumming Thursday 8/26 (Grand Opening 8/27)
Sandy Plains Thursday 9/2 (Grand Opening 9/3)
West Paces Thursday 9/9 (Grand Opening 9/10)
Tuxedo (Roswell Rd/Buckhead) Thursday 9/16 (Grand Opening 9/17)
Click here for more info on locations

Two special things to note:
1.) Menchie’s will host “Come Out & Meet Menchie’s Night”, a pre-opening the Thursday before Grand Opening (Friday). Free frozen yogurt will be handed out to anyone who stops by the store from 6-10 p.m. for our Pre-Opening.

2.) 20% of proceeds from sales on our Grand Opening (by individual store) will be donated to a local charity. Charities to be announced.

Check out their site for more information: www.menchies.com

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Rosebud, Virginia Highland, Atlanta, GA Restaurant Review

Jul 30

Posted by in American, Restaurant Reviews, Southern, Virginia Highlands, atlanta | No Comments

Rosebud restaurant was known as Food 101 in a previous life. The name change seems to have been a good move. Rosebud restaurant recently celebrated it’s one year anniversary and on the recent Thursday evening I visited the Virginia Highland restaurant, and it was packed. Under the watchful eye of Ron Eyester, Rosebud restaurant serves up upscale American / Southern food. Full disclosure: I was comped this meal at Rosebud Restaurant as a review.

The wine list is a decent size and there are many wines offered by the glass. I was very impressed with beer list as well. Rosebud has over twenty different kinds of beer available by the bottle. And I’m not just talking Sweetwater 420 or Stella, not that there’s anything wrong with them. But you’ll find unique offerings like Left Hand Milk Stout and Stone Levitation Ale.

Have just said all that, we chose to stick to cocktails this evening. Rosebud’s cocktail list has 6 classics and 6 house cocktails available at $9 a piece. The house cocktails seemed too inventive to pass up. While I had my eye on the AT&T cocktail, a gin and tonic but with house made apricot-thyme gin, my hatred for it’s namesake precluded me from ordering it and I went with the Jackson’s Cup, made with gin, pimms#1, orange-honey syrup and a couple other things thrown in the mix. Glen chose the Fighter Pilot, made with Bombay Sapphire.

These drinks certainly didn’t disappoint. They completely lived up to their dreamy descriptions. Glen did order one of the classics well into the meal, the French 75, which basically tasted a little like a mimosa. So I’d recommend sticking to the inventive house made cocktails.

Rosebud just unveiled a new menu. Some of the previous menu items are still available, however. On my visit, Rosebud was touting it’s Lobster-fest. In addition to a full lobster which is the special of the evening on Thursday, they also have a couple lobster specials: a lobster tail, lobster salad, and a lobster egg roll. While I didn’t want to deal with the messiness of eating a whole lobster, I was in serious need of a lobster fix, and opted for the lobster egg rolls. Great choice as these were chock full of lobster meat in every bite.

Wanting to sample regular appetizers as well, we chose the Eggplant chips, a holdover from the previous menu and a newcomer to the menu, the quail with peach glaze. The Eggplant chips were fried rounds and sprinkled with goat cheese. As someone who doesn’t care for the strong goat cheese flavor, I found these to be pleasantly mild. And the hot sauce that was served alongside was a great addition. As for the quail, I did enjoy it and it is perfectly portioned for two, but it was definitely overshadowed by the lobster egg rolls and eggplant chips without a doubt.

For entrees we chose the twice cooked duck leg and the tuna with lo mein. Both of these are new items on the menu. While the tuna was tasty and cooked rare as requested, the lo mein was quite salty, so salty in fact, that we asked for another side, mushrooms, a much improved side. Chef brought them out himself and apologized for the noodles. My duck leg was served up with some new potatoes and green beans. It had somewhat of an unusual taste – it was like a bitter orange taste mixed with bbq sauce. There was a lot of meat, but can’t say it is something I would order again.

Not to miss out on dessert, we ordered the Mexican coca cola cake and the Rosebud sundae. The cake was moist and tasty but the Rosebud sundae was extraordinary! The sundae is three scoops of ice cream with huge rice krispy treats mixed in on the top. It was absolutely delicious. Oh and it’s ginormous too. We ended up packing up most of it to take home and polishing it off the following evening.

Total cost of the meal before tip was right around $110. Not bad for 3 drinks, 3 appetizers, 2 entrees and desserts. Based on my experience, I recommend sharing appetizers (they are all pretty filling) and around $10 or under. And save room for the Rosebud Sundae of course.

1397 N. Highland Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30306
404 347 9747
Website

Rosebud on Urbanspoon

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One Midtown Kitchen, Atlanta, GA Restaurant Review

Jul 21

Posted by in American, Midtown, atlanta, bar | No Comments


Part of the Concentrics Restaurant Empire, One Midtown Kitchen opened back in 2002 and was an immediate success. Forward eight years, and the allure of the neon sign, it’s swanky bar scene and modern look, still make One Midtown Kitchen a pretty hot Atlanta destination. I had visited One Midtown Kitchen a couple years after they had opened and was thoroughly impressed. So, I was eager to get back and happily accepted when Concentrics invited me back to review One Midtown Kitchen.

I made a full day of it in Midtown – brunch at Park 75, toured the Botanical Gardens (canopy walk isn’t as exciting as I’d hoped – boo!) and had an early dinner at OMK. Arriving at 6:30, the restaurant was mostly empty as this seems to be more of a later night crowd.

First we ordered from their specialty cocktail list. Me – Claret Lemon, made with red wine. If you haven’t yet checked it out, they do have a new cocktail menu which you can read about here. If you are in the area, it is well worth having a drink there. I love the bar area with it’s wall of wine. I could totally see myself coming here for a girls night out sitting at the bar and having a few cocktails or glasses of wine and noshing on some apps.

For appetizers, I wanted to get a mix of their offerings and ordered the calamari, shrimp and and potato gnocchi. I love the the gnocchi is available in a half portion so two can share. I love gnocchi in small portions, but often times, it is served as a full meal rather than a side or appetizer. But if you would like to have it as an entree, go ahead and order the full portion. While I enjoyed it, it does lend itself to more of a winter dish than a summer dish. Now the shrimp, was perfect for summer eating with strawberries, radishes, white asparagus and avocado. And what a beautiful plating job as well.

I could probably eat calamari once a week and not get tired of it. And One Midtown Kitchen’s calamari is incredible. Instead of the thin, calamari rounds you’ll get everywhere else, these are thick tubes of calamari. It was served in a slightly sweet sauce. And the sauce was just the right amount. Don’t you hate when the calamari absorbs the sauce and becomes all soggy? Won’t happen here.

For entrees, there was pork chop special available which we chose as well as the lamb. The pork chop came highly recommended by our server and she mentioned how it was marinated in spices for 24 hours prior to cooking. It was satisfying and tasty. The leg of lamb, which I ordered, comes with three very large pieces of lamb as well as ground lamb mixed in with the beans. The lamb was tender and cooked medium as I had specified but again, this is a hearty dish that I feel I would have enjoyed more on a cold winter evening.

The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Who could forget the lively host Bob Bost who greets you as you enter through the OMK’s gigantic door. Our server, who’s name escapes me right now was very knowledgeable and was able to make recommendations on everything from wine to entrees, albeit after a little nudging from us on her opinions. However, I found myself eavsdropping on the server at the table next to ours. He was so enthusiastic, especially about the wines, he was great at giving them direction based on their preferences without being pushy.

One Midtown Kitchen Dining / Bar View:

One thing to note about their wine list that is really cool. Every wine is available by the half glass, glass, bottle and bottomless (call a cab!). Wines are categorized into 4 tiers with glasses starting at $5 and going as high as $12.50. One Midtown Kitchen’s “Bottomless Glass” options are priced based on their tier, ranging from $22 to $52. These options allow guests to sample different wines throughout their meal – all for one price. We only had one glass each, but both were terrific. And I was so excited to see they have Côtes du Rhône on their list, which I’ve recently fallen in love with.

Oh and don’t miss out on desserts here. They are small, but decadent. My pics didn’t do them justice. Our blueberry tart was divine and the perfect ending to our dinner.

559 Dutch Valley Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30324
404 892 4111
Website

One Midtown Kitchen on Urbanspoon

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Marlow’s Tavern Red, White and Brew Menu Limited Edition Menu

Jul 5

Posted by in American, Burgers, Good for Groups, Salad, Seafood, atlanta, bar | No Comments

You guys, I know Marlow’s Tavern is a chain and I usually avoid chain restaurants as much as possible, but I love Marlow’s. Food and service are consistently on point and prices are reasonable. And not only that, but in addition to the favorites customers have come to love, they also add other goodies based on the season.

From now through Monday, July 26, Atlantans can get a taste of America at all Marlow’s Tavern locations with their limited edition Red, White and Brew Menu. Marlow’s locations are offering a “Red, White and Brew” special. During this time, all six locations of Marlow’s will feature special dishes and beverages suited for celebrating summer. This is also the season for grill masters to show off their skills in Marlow’s First Annual Grilling Contest. Menu and more deets below.

I was invited by Josh Calvin, Marlow’s Kennesaw Manager to check out some of the menu offerings with some of my peeps. I tried the Watermelon Margarita (see pic above) and it was cool and refreshing just like you would expect it to be without being too fru fru. Definitely could please a man just as easily as a woman. I know cause Glen liked it too.

Too hot for the beer cheese soup, I really wanted to give the fiery deviled eggs a try (pimento cheese, bacon, and fiery sauce – yum), but alas none of my peeps wanted to give it a try, so we opted for the flatbread of the day which was loaded with arugula and tomatoes. Very fresh and perfect for sharing (see pic above).

Next, I tried the watermelon, feta and arugula salad. I’m on an Arugula craze lately – I can’t enough of this stuff. No feta was in my salad but that was just fine with me. The fresh basil, ginger and balsamic drizzle were a perfect pairing and I didn’t miss the salty feta at all. Again, another cool choice for the summertime.

My friends did get the Red, White and Blue burger (pic at top of the page) as well as the Glazed chicken. I didn’t try them but they both cleaned their plate and said they loved it. Now Glen ordered the skewers which came with Swordfish and shrimp. I thought the Swordfish was average but the Jumbo shrimp were cooked perfectly. I am trying to eat all the seafood I can before it gets crazy expensive with the Gulf disaster.

I tried the Lamb Burger, which wasn’t a summertime addition but something I hadn’t yet tried on the menu. If you like Greek / Mediterranean food, you will definitely love this burger. It comes with a ton of feta cheese and an olive spread. I did order sides of the chili rubbed corn on the cobb and the potato salad. Nothing says summertime like these perennial favorites, but Marlow’s was able to put a tasty and spicy spin on these favorites.

But it doesn’t end there. Marlow’s Tavern even has a dessert to celebrate The Red, White and Blue – Strawberry Shortcake with blueberries of course!

The “Red, White and Brew” menu includes the following dishes, which are offered daily during the four weeks:
• Beer and cheese soup – a light beer soup with garlic, thyme, provolone, Swiss and a Parmesan pretzel crisp ($6)
• Fiery deviled eggs – pimento cheese, applewood smoked bacon, fresh herbs and fire cracker sauce ($2/$5)
• Backyard “Brat” Melt – grilled beer bratwurst, glazed Vidalia onion, red peppers, Creole sauce and Swiss cheese on marbled rye with housemade potato salad ($10)
• Red, White and Bleu Burger – red pepper, Vidalia onion, Maytag bleu cheese on toasted onion bun served with American fries ($9)
• Watermelon, Feta and arugula salad – with fresh basil, ginger and balsamic drizzle ($6)
• Marlow’s grilled skewer – Pacific swordfish, jumbo shrimp, sweet herbs, garlic, black peppered pineapple, red onion, red peppers, mango apple chutney and chili slathered corn on the cob ($17)
• Honey glazed grilled chicken – honey mustard and Meyer lemon blazed, served with loaded fingerling potatoes and chili slathered corn on the cob.
• Sweet berry shortcake – balsamic glazed strawberries, raspberries and blueberries layered with buttery biscuit and vanilla scented mascarpone cream ($6)
• Chili slathered corn on the cob – secret seasoning, chili butter and fresh parsley ($3)

The “Red, White and Brew” menu also features the following specialty beverages to complement the menu items:
• “Summertime” Watermelon Margarita – Herradura Reposado, fresh watermelon syrup, mint, house made sour and fresh lime ($8)
• Tommy’s Favorite Sangria – Savida Sangria, the freshest seasonal fruit and Agave nectar ($8)

During this special Red, White and Brew promotion, the restaurants will also host the First Annual Marlow’s Tavern Grilling Recipe Contest. Interested grillers can enter their favorite recipe at www.marlowstavern.com or fill out an entry form at one of the six tavern locations. Entries will be accepted from June 16 through July 27. Executive Chef John Metz will review all recipes and determine the winners by August 15, 2010. Winners will be notified by phone or email at this time. No purchase is necessary for guests to enter this contest, and entries are limited to one per person or e-mail address. The first prize winner will receive a Big Green Egg and his/her winning recipe will be featured on Marlow’s Tavern’s fall/winter menu. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the winning menu item will be donated in the winner’s name to Special Olympics Georgia.

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TAP’s Annual Fourth of July Block Party, Midtown, Atlanta, GA

Jun 30

Posted by in American, Family, Good for Groups, Midtown, Pub, atlanta, bar, breakfast, outdoor dining, view | No Comments

Atlantans are invited to don their red, white and blue for TAP’s annual Fourth of July party on the patio! Offering a special brunch and lunch menu, TAP will open at 6:30 a.m. Fans of the annual Peachtree Road Race can cheer on runners from TAP’s spacious patio located at the corner of 14th and Peachtree Streets.

TAP’s celebratory block party menu will feature an Independence Day Pig Roast served with all your favorite accompaniments as well as the best seat in the city to view the Peachtree Road Race! In honor of the nation’s birthday, TAP celebrates all day with festive treats, local beer and live entertainment.

1180 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30309

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Haven Restaurant, Brookhaven, Atlanta, GA Restaurant Review

Jun 29

Posted by in American, Dates, Restaurant Reviews, Romantic, Seafood, Southern, atlanta, outdoor dining | No Comments

I had heard about Haven Restaurant located in Brookhaven for several years, but never made it over until a recent Thursday evening. Thanks to owner Michel Arnette for having me in to try Haven out, though I don’t know why they would need me to review them as Haven Restaurant had quite the crowd going on on this weekday evening. Haven Restaurant has been around for 7 years in the mostly residential area of Brookhaven.

I’m not too familiar with the Brookhaven area and it can be tricky to find if you haven’t yet invested in a GPS like me. You see the street sign from Peachtree says Brookhaven one one side and Dresden (which is where you need to turn) on the other. Needless to say I got pretty turned around. But I digress… Pulling up we drove by Haven’s sister restaurant Valenza and noticed it had quite the crowd as well. We decided to forgo the valet, and park ourselves across the street.

The friendly hostess greeted us and gave us the option of indoor or outdoor seating. It is truly beautiful inside Haven, but it is also quite noisy, so we chose outside seating. On this, one of these last few days in May of low(ish) humidity, we took advantage of Haven’s welcoming patio.

Although the mussels are extremely popular on the menu, according to Haven’s owner, Michel, we were kinda musseled out having had them twice the previous week. I would like to go back and have them at some point though, as the smoky tomatoes and chipotle really piqued my interest.

Instead of Haven’s mussels we opted for the crab cake, fried oysters and with little arm twisting from Michel the other wildly popular appetizer, truffled potato hay. These are like crispy little potato sticks with some parmesan cheese thrown in. They are highly addictive and a huge portion – maybe not the best combination if you only have 2 in the party. This is a great and affordable (only $5) appetizer if you’ve got a group of 4 or more.

The crab cake was tasty and served with some grape tomatoes as well. I thought this would be my favorite appetizer, but I actually enjoyed the fried oysters more. They weren’t simply served by themselves. Nope. Haven’s fried oysters come with fried pickles on a bed of creamy lemony grits. While the oysters themselves are tasty, the side dishes only serve to strengthen and compliment the dish.

We put in our appetizer order but not the entree order as we were taking our time deciding what to order. Looking around at the other diners, this seems to be groups of couples and friends in their upper 40s. Not too many gen exers like me here. But the one thing that struck me is how many of the diners seemed to know each other. I saw table after table of customers that at one point or another during the evening recognized someone they knew and were giving them a hug. Not to be excluded, I ran into an acquaintence myself. A true wine connesseiur, she was able to recommend a terrific Shiraz to pair with my dinner.

So, yes, moving onto dinner. After seeing the mussels appetizer come out, I was actually tempted to order it as my main, but then thought I really should order some meat, and went for the duck breast. Glen ordered the Halibut, which was delicious. I loved the crispy outside texture and the flaky tender inside. The pesto broth and shrimp were nice additions as well.

And I was blown away by the portion of the duck breast. It was sliced into medallions and usually when I get a duck breast it is half the size of what I was presented at Haven. Now I’m wishing I hadn’t been such a glutton, and had packed some up to take home with me. The rhubarb included as a side was a sweet and perfect accompaniment to my duck.

Still loving that that lemon flavor that was apparent in the grits, we opted for the lemon cheesecake with strawberries. Definitely a standout as far as desserts go, and is a big enough portion for two to share.

I love the atmosphere at Haven. No wonder it is consistently on OpenTable.com’s top 10 list of hidden gems. I think some regulars are going to be a little annoyed about the word spreading about “their” spot. I saw many diners giving hugs to the hostess as well as Michel, so they’ve definitely become quite popular in the Brookhaven community.

1441 Dresden Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30319
404 969 0700
Website

Haven on Urbanspoon

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Young Chef Series at Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta, GA

Jun 21

Posted by in American, Downtown, Prix Fixe, atlanta | No Comments

The Ritz-Calton has a program this summer that highlights the most talented chefs in the Southeast. Ritz-Carlton Atlanta is hosting these gifted and renowned young chefs from around the Southeast at Atlanta Grill. The chefs—all between the ages of 27 and 32—will appear at Atlanta Grill on selected dates throughout the summer, and will collaborate with Chef Hollberg to create a four-course dinner menu, with wine pairings recommended by Silvio Garcia, hotel sommelier.

Below is the schedule of when the chefs will guest host, a short bio about each one and the cost.

Sue Zemanick, Gautreau’s, New Orleans, June 25-26
A finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s “Rising Star Chef” award in 2009 and 2010, Chef Zemanick’s cuisine may be both down-to-earth and out-of this-world. She was named one of the “Top Ten Best New Chefs” by Food & Wine in 2009, as well as “Chef of the Year” by New Orleans Magazine. Gautreau’s is renowned for its classic New Orleans flavors and largely French-inspired menu, and is consistently rated one of the “Top Ten Best Restaurants in New Orleans” by the Times-Picayune. For information, please visit www.gautreausrestaurant.com

Kelly English, Restaurant Iris, Memphis, August 20-21
Chef/Owner Kelly English brings endless passion to the guest experience at Restaurant Iris, considered by many to be the dining jewel of Memphis. Among his many recent awards and recognition, Chef English was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation award “Best Chef of the Southeast” (2010); voted “Best Chef,” “Best Restaurant” and ”Best Service” by the readers of Memphis Magazine (2010) and named ‘Best New Chef’ by Food and Wine (2009). Restaurant Iris specializes in French-Creole cuisine featuring local and seasonal ingredients. For information, please visit www.restaurantiris.com.

Jeffrey McInnis, The DiLido Beach Club, The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach, Sep 10 – 11
Chef McInnis routinely gathers accolades at South Beach’s only oceanfront restaurant and lounge, but it is his appearance on Top Chef Season 5 that fuels the buzz surrounding his every move. A veteran of major culinary events, he has appeared at the Aspen Food and Wine Classic, New Orleans Food and Wine Experience, South Beach Wine and Food Festival and the New York Food and Wine Festival. His Sun Cuisine features dishes inspired by tastes from beach towns he’s visited along the southern Mediterranean and North African coasts. For information, please visit www.ritzcarlton.com/southbeach.

The cost of the dinner is $85 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuities and exclusive of wines. Reservations are required and may be made by calling Atlanta Grill at 404-221-6550 or visiting www.opentable.com/atlanta-grill.

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