2/17/08 Sunday Brunch
After sleeping like a baby (and the girls complained that I coughed and snored all night long!) I was ready for a great brunch....and that's exactly what I had at the Buckhead Bread Co. Yes, you always have to wait for Sunday brunch there, but sipping a great cup of coffee before breakfast is exactly what the FB likes to do in the morning! While my Fidgety Friend kept jumping out of her chair every five minutes trying to hurry our table, I sat happily letting the caffeine serve its intended purpose. After a twenty minute or so wait, we got our table in the rather large diner-style restaurant on Piedmont. My FF and I decided to split the breakfast sandwich which was a panini-style concoction of shaved Black Forest Ham, melted brie, and marinated apple slices. It was heavenly with a side order of the breakfast potatoes and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. It just doesn't get much better than this....
I stopped on the way out at the bakery to pick up two large loaves of crusty French bread, muffins, and apple-walnut pastries. This is The Place to get those things which you can't get at home!
FB
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Glen Ella Springs - Turnerville, Georgia
2/10/08
My Slightly Older Sister (SOS) was visiting me for the weekend and, it being Sunday in Habersham County, just about the only place to get dinner with wine would be Glen Ella Springs. It was also my birthday celebration so we were not going to do without our favorite beverage! As of now, you must bring your own wine to Glen Ella but all that is about to change. They will soon be opening a tasting room for Habersham Winery and will be able to sell wine from not only that winery but also from other local wineries in northeast Georgia. This also brings brown-bagging to an end soon at Glen Ella which is great news for them and partially great news for those of us who live in the northern end of the county. Although our dinner tabs will be higher, we will be able to purchase a bottle of wine without having to trek 20-30 minutes to the Super Ingles or convenience store.
Now, back to my story....we were escorted by Ann, Chef David's wife, to our table in the dining room filled with the usual Sunday night suspects. Seated next to us were neighbors of mine and at the other end of the dining room were former neighbors who had moved away but missed this place so badly that they had come back!
Chef David came out of the kitchen to greet us and tell us about the specials. My SOS informed him that this was a birthday dinner and he immediately said he was going to prepare us a special dessert. The specials that evening were tomato basil soup and sauteed mahi-mahi. I don't know about most people, but the term "mahi-mahi" automatically conjures up an image of a big ol' piece of dried-up fish. I know the menu quite well and generally enjoy trying the specials so I asked my sister if she would care to split the fish. Giving me a big sideways glance (she obviously had channeled my image) she reluctantly agreed. We each ordered salads- hers was the spinach with dried cranberries, walnuts, and feta, and mine was a basic caesar. I sat there with salad-envy for a few minutes until our entrees arrived. Served on separate plates were perfect portions of our half-entrees. One bite into the perfectly cooked, juicy, flaky mahi-mahi and I knew we hit it right. On the side were garlicky mashed potatoes and sauteed broccoli and zucchini. We enjoyed our chardonnay and chit-chatted with fellow diners. There is a comfort level to this place so that you almost feel as if you are eating in someone's home. And then out came David with a custom-made Strawberries Romanoff complete with candle for me! Their ice cream is homemade and chef made a delicious sauce with the strawberries, Cointreau, and a hint of cinnamon. Perfect ending to a perfect meal! Even better, my SOS picked up the tab! Did I say I love birthdays?
FB
My Slightly Older Sister (SOS) was visiting me for the weekend and, it being Sunday in Habersham County, just about the only place to get dinner with wine would be Glen Ella Springs. It was also my birthday celebration so we were not going to do without our favorite beverage! As of now, you must bring your own wine to Glen Ella but all that is about to change. They will soon be opening a tasting room for Habersham Winery and will be able to sell wine from not only that winery but also from other local wineries in northeast Georgia. This also brings brown-bagging to an end soon at Glen Ella which is great news for them and partially great news for those of us who live in the northern end of the county. Although our dinner tabs will be higher, we will be able to purchase a bottle of wine without having to trek 20-30 minutes to the Super Ingles or convenience store.
Now, back to my story....we were escorted by Ann, Chef David's wife, to our table in the dining room filled with the usual Sunday night suspects. Seated next to us were neighbors of mine and at the other end of the dining room were former neighbors who had moved away but missed this place so badly that they had come back!
Chef David came out of the kitchen to greet us and tell us about the specials. My SOS informed him that this was a birthday dinner and he immediately said he was going to prepare us a special dessert. The specials that evening were tomato basil soup and sauteed mahi-mahi. I don't know about most people, but the term "mahi-mahi" automatically conjures up an image of a big ol' piece of dried-up fish. I know the menu quite well and generally enjoy trying the specials so I asked my sister if she would care to split the fish. Giving me a big sideways glance (she obviously had channeled my image) she reluctantly agreed. We each ordered salads- hers was the spinach with dried cranberries, walnuts, and feta, and mine was a basic caesar. I sat there with salad-envy for a few minutes until our entrees arrived. Served on separate plates were perfect portions of our half-entrees. One bite into the perfectly cooked, juicy, flaky mahi-mahi and I knew we hit it right. On the side were garlicky mashed potatoes and sauteed broccoli and zucchini. We enjoyed our chardonnay and chit-chatted with fellow diners. There is a comfort level to this place so that you almost feel as if you are eating in someone's home. And then out came David with a custom-made Strawberries Romanoff complete with candle for me! Their ice cream is homemade and chef made a delicious sauce with the strawberries, Cointreau, and a hint of cinnamon. Perfect ending to a perfect meal! Even better, my SOS picked up the tab! Did I say I love birthdays?
FB
Twist - Atlanta, Georgia
2/17/08 Late Afternoon Lunch
I love Twist! We passed up the sushi bar as you enter to go back in the bar area to sit. There are serpentine curves everywhere and the coolest projection screen I have ever seen for TV. Hundreds of metal beads (think of a seventies doorway) reflect the huge TV image- which happened to be the Daytona 500 when we were there. We sat at a high bar table in front of a long, curvy upholstered bench. As this was the middle of the afternoon on Sunday we had our choice of seats.
Although we waited just a tad too long for our drinks considering that the place wasn't that busy, our server was pleasant and informative about the menu. This place is a tapas bar which is the reason I like it. You get to eat a wide variety of items from the menu and you don't feel like you are overly stuffed afterwards. We ordered french fries, hummus with flatbread, mini-burgers, tempura shrimp, and fried artichokes. The tempura shrimp was light, airy, and wonderful! The little hamburgers got a kick from the jalapenos in the meat and were also very good. The fries were crisp and plentiful. My Beautiful Daughter kept the plate of hummus in front of her, but it tasted pretty ordinary as did the fried artichokes.
I will definitely come back here for a fun, casual meal the next time I am at Phipps!
FB
I love Twist! We passed up the sushi bar as you enter to go back in the bar area to sit. There are serpentine curves everywhere and the coolest projection screen I have ever seen for TV. Hundreds of metal beads (think of a seventies doorway) reflect the huge TV image- which happened to be the Daytona 500 when we were there. We sat at a high bar table in front of a long, curvy upholstered bench. As this was the middle of the afternoon on Sunday we had our choice of seats.
Although we waited just a tad too long for our drinks considering that the place wasn't that busy, our server was pleasant and informative about the menu. This place is a tapas bar which is the reason I like it. You get to eat a wide variety of items from the menu and you don't feel like you are overly stuffed afterwards. We ordered french fries, hummus with flatbread, mini-burgers, tempura shrimp, and fried artichokes. The tempura shrimp was light, airy, and wonderful! The little hamburgers got a kick from the jalapenos in the meat and were also very good. The fries were crisp and plentiful. My Beautiful Daughter kept the plate of hummus in front of her, but it tasted pretty ordinary as did the fried artichokes.
I will definitely come back here for a fun, casual meal the next time I am at Phipps!
FB
The Tavern at Phipps - Atlanta, Georgia
2/16/08 Cocktails and Dinner
This is hard for me to believe, but I had never been to The Tavern and wanted to go. My Slightly Younger Sister (SYS) wanted to meet us there and arrived first. Luckily, she was able to score four seats at the lively bar while we waited for a table outside (you know I love to eat outside!). My friend ordered pomegranate martinis- one for me and one for her- and they were yummy and slushy. Coincidentally, I had bought a pink trench earlier at Lenox so my cocktail matched my jacket! I love when that happens....
Then, the unthinkable.....a girl next to my SYS lit a cigarette! My sister pointed with her thumb down the line of us and said "my niece is pregnant- would you mind not smoking?" to which the bartender retorted, "this is a bar, what do you expect!" Surprisingly, the girls moved down but later smarted off to my friend (who is not pregnant) "maybe you shouldn't be drinking cosmos while you're pregnant!" A little misunderstanding, but funny!
We got to our table on the patio in the corner and my friend orders a second round of those pomegranate martinis- would someone remind me to never drink more than one funky drink? This one was watery and sticky and yucky. I just wanted a beer- you guessed it....a SweetWater 420 on draught. Ahhh....much better! Not being very hungry, I decided to get something called the Tavern Chips which was billed as a cross between nachos and flatbread. What??? To make matters worse, I ordered them topped with crab meat! Had I completely forgotten my lunch? How much crab does one need in a day in landlocked ATL anyway? I barely tasted them when they arrived and they were nothing but cold tortilla chips with various toppings.
The company was great, though, and there were presents to open, so the night was salvaged. I think this bar would be a fun place to have a drink, but no one at our table was impressed with their food. The best news of the evening was that my SYS picked up the tab! I love birthdays!
FB
This is hard for me to believe, but I had never been to The Tavern and wanted to go. My Slightly Younger Sister (SYS) wanted to meet us there and arrived first. Luckily, she was able to score four seats at the lively bar while we waited for a table outside (you know I love to eat outside!). My friend ordered pomegranate martinis- one for me and one for her- and they were yummy and slushy. Coincidentally, I had bought a pink trench earlier at Lenox so my cocktail matched my jacket! I love when that happens....
Then, the unthinkable.....a girl next to my SYS lit a cigarette! My sister pointed with her thumb down the line of us and said "my niece is pregnant- would you mind not smoking?" to which the bartender retorted, "this is a bar, what do you expect!" Surprisingly, the girls moved down but later smarted off to my friend (who is not pregnant) "maybe you shouldn't be drinking cosmos while you're pregnant!" A little misunderstanding, but funny!
We got to our table on the patio in the corner and my friend orders a second round of those pomegranate martinis- would someone remind me to never drink more than one funky drink? This one was watery and sticky and yucky. I just wanted a beer- you guessed it....a SweetWater 420 on draught. Ahhh....much better! Not being very hungry, I decided to get something called the Tavern Chips which was billed as a cross between nachos and flatbread. What??? To make matters worse, I ordered them topped with crab meat! Had I completely forgotten my lunch? How much crab does one need in a day in landlocked ATL anyway? I barely tasted them when they arrived and they were nothing but cold tortilla chips with various toppings.
The company was great, though, and there were presents to open, so the night was salvaged. I think this bar would be a fun place to have a drink, but no one at our table was impressed with their food. The best news of the evening was that my SYS picked up the tab! I love birthdays!
FB
The Clubhouse at Lenox Square, Atlanta, Ga
2/16/08 Afternoon Break
At precisely 3PM during our afternoon of shopping the girls reconvened on the patio at The Clubhouse to reenergize. That, of course, means an ice cold beer- A SweetWater 420 draught to be precise. And french fries....split amongst three people means the calories are eliminated! My Beautiful Daughter, being seven months pregnant, ordered a Buckler non-alcoholic beer. It is always amusing to see the looks from folks who thinks she is guzzling the real thing! It is actually amazing that so few bars and restaurants stock NA beer so she was appreciative. And we were appreciative for having a Designated Driver....aka my BD!
If there is a better place for people watching in Atlanta, I don't know about it. Seated on the patio here you will find the gamut from families to fashionable couples to gangsta-rapper types. And I love to watch the array of folks just walking by outside the railing. There is a portion of this area that is covered so you can sit outside even if it is raining.
Although I did not eat a meal on this visit, I have had an incredibly good hamburger here. Our middle-aged server was pleasant and efficient.
I will be back again....
FB
At precisely 3PM during our afternoon of shopping the girls reconvened on the patio at The Clubhouse to reenergize. That, of course, means an ice cold beer- A SweetWater 420 draught to be precise. And french fries....split amongst three people means the calories are eliminated! My Beautiful Daughter, being seven months pregnant, ordered a Buckler non-alcoholic beer. It is always amusing to see the looks from folks who thinks she is guzzling the real thing! It is actually amazing that so few bars and restaurants stock NA beer so she was appreciative. And we were appreciative for having a Designated Driver....aka my BD!
If there is a better place for people watching in Atlanta, I don't know about it. Seated on the patio here you will find the gamut from families to fashionable couples to gangsta-rapper types. And I love to watch the array of folks just walking by outside the railing. There is a portion of this area that is covered so you can sit outside even if it is raining.
Although I did not eat a meal on this visit, I have had an incredibly good hamburger here. Our middle-aged server was pleasant and efficient.
I will be back again....
FB
Dantanna's - Atlanta, Georgia
2/16/08 Lunch
It was my birthday weekend in Atlanta with the girls. We knew we would be shopping at Lenox and wanted to peruse some shops Around Lenox (go to Tootsie's but forget Blue Genes). After having my brows done by Aric C., the self-proclaimed "best pluck in Atlanta" who is now holding court at Tootsie's boutique, we walked next door to Dantanna's for lunch. Now, I had read about this sports bar on Trip Advisor and City Search- who are these people that raved about this place? First of all, it was pitch dark inside (maybe better at night with lights on?) but we were wanting to eat on the patio anyway. It was a mild February day in the big city and I love nothing better than to lunch outside. There were numerous flat screen TV's perched atop the railing and I hope they were waterproof because they had no protection from the elements or the sun. Our slow-talking waiter was either intimidated by three rather talkative ladies or else had the personality of a Plymouth Comet (I drove one of these in high school at the time I met my former husband- it was a photo finish in the personality contest). But I digress....I felt the need for a shot of vitamin C in the form of a screwdriver since I was suffering from a sore throat and cough- that was not going to halt my weekend, however! My OJ and Absolut tasted very little like orange juice and became very watery toward the end. My friend ordered a glass of Four Vines Chardonnay (the house brand) so I got a glass also to finish my lunch. Lunch, by the way, was a salad topped with crab, avocado, and fresh berries. It actually was quite good and something you would expect to eat at the Nordstrom Cafe. The ambiance was a rather shabby array of lightweight metal tables and chairs, and there was a large group of guys resembling a wedding party smoking cigars and drinking beer. OK, I know this is a sports bar! Guess I need to try this place during football season.....
FB
It was my birthday weekend in Atlanta with the girls. We knew we would be shopping at Lenox and wanted to peruse some shops Around Lenox (go to Tootsie's but forget Blue Genes). After having my brows done by Aric C., the self-proclaimed "best pluck in Atlanta" who is now holding court at Tootsie's boutique, we walked next door to Dantanna's for lunch. Now, I had read about this sports bar on Trip Advisor and City Search- who are these people that raved about this place? First of all, it was pitch dark inside (maybe better at night with lights on?) but we were wanting to eat on the patio anyway. It was a mild February day in the big city and I love nothing better than to lunch outside. There were numerous flat screen TV's perched atop the railing and I hope they were waterproof because they had no protection from the elements or the sun. Our slow-talking waiter was either intimidated by three rather talkative ladies or else had the personality of a Plymouth Comet (I drove one of these in high school at the time I met my former husband- it was a photo finish in the personality contest). But I digress....I felt the need for a shot of vitamin C in the form of a screwdriver since I was suffering from a sore throat and cough- that was not going to halt my weekend, however! My OJ and Absolut tasted very little like orange juice and became very watery toward the end. My friend ordered a glass of Four Vines Chardonnay (the house brand) so I got a glass also to finish my lunch. Lunch, by the way, was a salad topped with crab, avocado, and fresh berries. It actually was quite good and something you would expect to eat at the Nordstrom Cafe. The ambiance was a rather shabby array of lightweight metal tables and chairs, and there was a large group of guys resembling a wedding party smoking cigars and drinking beer. OK, I know this is a sports bar! Guess I need to try this place during football season.....
FB
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Cheers to New Beginnings!
Hello, Everyone!
Welcome to my world of talking about food, restaurants, wine, travel, and life in the northeast Georgia mountains. I hope to share information and experiences about great meals, bad meals, fun places, wineries, new hot spots, good tables, great views, events, and just about anything that relates to food and wine. I love to try new places so I will be bringing you my opinions and I hope to hear yours. Please know that I am neither a restaurateur nor a writer, but simply one who appreciates a wonderful meal whether it is served in someone's home, a fine dining establishment, or a barbecue joint! Let's talk about it all.....
FB
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