This Southern / Greek / Comfort Food establishment has been open for two years in Marietta. Mr. ARB had been telling me how freakin’ good it was and after numerous times brushing him off, I acquiesced and we grabbed a meal at Come N Get It on a recent Saturday evening.

As you would expect, the decor is pretty country-fied. The menu is a mix of Southern favorites like Fried Chicken, Meatloaf and Country Fried Steak as well as Greek specialties such as Mousakka, Souvlaki, among others. Choose two sides, corn bread or Texas toast, and a drink with your meal for just under ten dollars. At lunch choose from sandwiches for around six dollars or combo with side and a drink for eight.

Having a hankering for fried chicken, Mr. ARB and I both ordered it on the night we visited. However, he’s had both the meatloaf and country fried steak and extols his love for them on a regular basis. On this night, the fried chicken plus onion rings and mac n cheese really fulfilled my need for comfort food. The onion rings are some of the best I’ve had and the chicken was huge!

Owner, Nick Tiliaeous, a gregarious and chatty person, I observed, gets to know his customers rather quickly. He spied me taking pictures and wandered over. Before long, he was telling me all about his Greek heritage, his disdain for Yelp employees, his plans for expansion and new service to be added soon along with a tour of the private party rooms as well as the secret ingredient that makes his biscuits so craveable.

Nick told me he has been approached by Yelp and asked to take down his religious fixtures, but he refused. He feels he is being punished by Yelp as they “hide” most of his positive reviews. It is curious how so many of Come N Get It’s reviews are hidden. Perhaps there is something to that…

Personally, if a restaurant’s religious beliefs are not forced on me and don’t hurt anyone, I don’t care what religious propaganda they want to display. I just care if the food is good and the service is friendly. And they were. Nick even says he tries to source from local suppliers whenever possible. Chicken is sourced from Tip Top Chicken and vegetables are sourced from various local suppliers too. Always a plus in my book.

Before leaving he insisted we try his Baklava. It was heavenly. Nuts, honey and phyllo all blended together perfectly and it wasn’t overly sweet as sometimes Baklava can be.

There’s so much more on the menu I want to try – Mousakka, Lasagne, Country Fried Steak. I did make it back to have the Gyro and give their biscuits a try. Pretty darn good. Oh and that secret ingredient in the biscuits? Greek Yogurt.

1409 Church St Ext
Marietta, GA 30060
Come n Get It
770-423-0010
Come N Get It Website

I know I’ve said it before but I’m astonished at how my old playground (East Cobb) has changed since I was a kid. The area around Johnson Ferry and Roswell Road has especially been transformed to an unrecognizable space in recent years. Whole Foods? The Cook’s Warehouse? Non-chain restaurants? Yes, please.

I’d had Seed Restaurant on my radar for a while and decided to meet a friend for lunch there. A couple days before my lunch date, John Kessler’s review came out and, needless to say, Seed was packed when we visited. We didn’t have to wait long, but for a restaurant that is fairly large, it was hopping on a late Tuesday afternoon. There was nary a free seat at the bar area on this rainy day.

I perused the beer and cocktail list not really intending to order one. Besides a nice selection of craft beer, the cocktails are quite tempting. Divided into two sections: Vintage and Modern, all cocktails are $12 if I’m not mistaken. I don’t normally indulge in a cocktail at lunch, but with names like Black Thai Affair and The “Seville”Ian neither of us could resist. A sucker for anything with St. Germain, I chose a cocktail called the Perfect Pair which comes with Lavender Bitters and Prosecco. My cohort opted for the La Paloma Caliente made with Serrano Syrup and Grapefruit Soda.

Identifying more on the appetizers section that looked intriguing than the mains, we decided to get two apps and split the spicy fish sandwich. For appetizers, the Shrimp Sambal and the Pimento Crostinis were calling our name. The shrimp was overcooked, and when our server noticed we weren’t eating it, offered to take it off our tab, which was very much appreciated.

The Pimento Crostini, on the other hand was just delicious. It came with ham and apple, for the perfect combination of salty and sweet. Loved that the crostini was crispy, yet not so hard that you couldn’t take a bite out of it. I was tempted to order another round, it was that good. And the Flounder sandwich with fries, which we shared, was another highlight. Although the menu says it comes topped with Sriracha, I didn’t feel the slightest twinge of heat on my tongue.

The good news with Seed is that the lunch menu is rather similar to the dinner one (at least it was when I visited). So, you can get a good sampling of the menu at a reduced price, should you visit during lunch. If dining during the evening or any time on a weekend, make reservations. Oh, and promise me to indulge in one of their tasty cocktails, okay?

Seed Kitchen and Bar
1311 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 504
Marietta, GA 30068
Seed Website

I chose Botekim for my Birthday dinner, opting for a low key evening out. The space is not much to look at from the outside. However, it is pretty inside with hardwood flooring and exposed duct work. We started the evening with two of Botekim’s cocktails – the Scottish Mule and their version of a Margarita. Both were overly sweet. But the wine list is quite nice. So skip the cocktails and focus on the wine. There are some unique wines like Pinot Gris or Douro that you won’t find elsewhere.

For starters we chose the Yucca fritters and the Sausage with toast points. Both were delicious and the highlight of our meal. The Yucca fritters are like a pastry filled with savory ground beef. The sausage was perfectly done and had a wonderful smokey flavor. Both of these appetizers were $8 and if you have a large group the sausage app is where you get the most bang for your buck. Drive ITP and you’d get half that size for the same price. My only regret is not having a glass of red to savor with that sausage.

We noticed that there is a prix fixe menu available: 2 courses for $19 or 3 courses for $24. So we opted for the 2 course option (apps were part of that offering) and got the Flounder and Shepherd’s Pie for our entrees. The Flounder had a sauce with shrimp, capers and other goodies that was just delicious and I wouldn’t hesitate to order it again. I ordered the Shepherd’s pie because one of how much Cliff Bostock of Creative Loafing gushed about how delightful it was. He must’ve tasted something very different than what I had because most of what I tasted was salt. It did have a nice flavor but was completely overpowered by the salt.

We were quite full and got our dessert to go, but I wish we would have skipped it altogether. The flan was super tiny a way too rich for what I was expecting. Totally not worth the money. I’d definitely stop in again if for nothing else than those tasty appetizers. The service was another highlight, with the owner making recommendations and checking in to make sure each table was enjoying their meals.

1410 Terrill Mill Road
Marietta, GA 30067
678 402 7584
Botemkim Bistro Website

Earlier this year, I was approached by a publishing company, Globe Pequot Press, and asked if I was interested in writing a Food Guide book for Atlanta. I practically jumped out of my skin, I was so excited that they picked me. My publisher just sent me the cover of the book (pictured above) and I wanted to share it with you.

I’ve had so much fun over the last several months visiting restaurants around Atlanta and talking to staff and chefs. It has been a wonderful experience writing the book and I definitely have a new appreciation and respect for both authors and editors.

As you are reading this, I’m down in Florida for a short break and celebrating finishing the book!

Cheers!

“For years, our customer base has driven into the city to shop for cookware, kitchen accessories and appliances and especially to learn in our cooking school. This new store will serve devoted customers of The Cook’s Warehouse as well as open our ‘Every Excuse to Cook’ concept to many more gourmet enthusiasts who live anywhere from 15 to 50 miles outside downtown Atlanta,” Moore said.

The Cook’s Warehouse, in addition to retailing quality gourmet cookware, operates the largest avocational cooking school in the Southeast. It also sells professional-grade appliances such as built-in refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers, ice makers and more. It will be really nice to have a Cook’s Warehouse so close for Cobb Country residents.