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Mom Visit: Our Weekend in Pictures

07/18/2010 in Buckhead, Entertaining, Guilty Pleasures, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 5 comments

DK and I had the BEST weekend together! Here’s a quick recap in pix…in case you wanted to recreate. FIRST…you need a mom as cool as mine.

Hanging out with her "granddogger"

Then you do the following:

1. Dinner at the bar at 4th and Swift

Amazingness.

We both acknowledge that a bottle of red wine, a cheese plate, and an order of ceviche would not qualify as dinner when men are present…which is why we enjoyed every. last. bite.

2. IMAX and Martinis at the Fernbank

It was “Salsa Night.” 

Honestly, it was a little loud for our tastes, I much prefer the light jazz.  However, it was fun to see all the dancing and all the outfits while we sipped on our martinis.  (Love that DK and I drink exactly the same: Vodka Martini.  Up. Olives. Fin.) Plus, after a martini or two…I find IMAX movies hilarious. (Friday was no different. Cirque was a riot.)

3. Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market

As I suspected, DK LOVED it. All the fresh produce, local wares, and homemade treats were RIGHT up her ally.  We split a mint lemonade, had breakfast pizza, and DK had a Cucumber Basil Fresco Pop.  It was great! Bonus: we ran into a zillion friends (and lots of people who came per the Q+DD reccomendation…which obviously made my day...including this young man and his parents, whom I adore:

lil' Flounder. Son of Flounder and Jen Flounder

DK made out like a bandit (and consequently, so did I!) check out her loot:

Emily G's Jam of Love, classic and chipolte bacon, I heart bacon shirt for Brian, and an assortment of cheeses from Calyroad Creamery

4. Shopping. Major shopping happened on Saturday afternoon. Mostly my bed got a makeover.  Witness:

IN LOVE with my new aqua coverlet, my watercolor duvet cover, and quilted euro shams.  Also exciting: I scored a Calvin Klein Khaki Collection down duvet for $80 at Macy’s.  (I shopped 3 other places, this was the cheapest BY FAR.)  Macy’s is having a crazy linen sale. I replaced every pillow on my bed. Check it. Trust.

5. Lovely lunch at Prime. I always forget about this resto because it’s in the mall.  But DK loved her sushi and I had a great lump crab meat and bibb lettuce salad.  Deeeeeelish.

6. Drinks + Dinner at Holeman + Finch: in that order.  We met my friend Victoria and her husband Hakim, who were visiting from Chicago…because they are MOVING HERE! WOOT!

Reunited...and it feeeeels so good!

It didn’t seem that crowded, but we definitely got there at 8:30 and weren’t seated until our burger (yes.  singular.  We scored the last one. Thanks, Reagan!)  was  served.  (10:30ish?) But we had a great time at the bar. DK LOVED the Aviation and I enjoyed the Shrub (blackberry + tequila on Saturday night).  We demolished a pretty amazing charcuterie plate, I rediscovered the pancetta carbonara, and we tried 2 things that I LOVE that somehow I have never ordered at H+F: the steak tartare and the mussels.  Both were PHENOM. Special thanks to Hakim for showing me how to eat mussels with other mussels.  (ie sans tiny fork.)  I’m so euro now!

Sidebar: Everyone in the WORLD was at Holeman on Saturday night.  Including Eli Kirshstein (from Top Chef.  Yes, we are both obsessed.) and Lauren…my neighbor from Birmingham!

+ about 934829235 other people! fun!

7. Brunch at Craftbar with La + Shecky

The company alone would have made this brunch phenomenal. However, there was nothing to be desired.  At the end of the day, I think Craftbar is so gorgeous and our food was incredible.  We started with biscuits and fresh blackberry jam

I had shortribs and baked eggs, La and Shecks had poached eggs and steak, and DK (true to form) ordered exactly what I wanted: bacon gravy and biscuits.  Everything was perfect: the coffee, the food, the service.  It was a lovely brunch.

8. More shopping. No pictures.  I was too busy taking full advantage of my last few precious hours with DK.  Sorry not sorry.

LOVED having my mom in town. I’m a lucky girl to have my own personal stylist, decorator, role model, and best friend all rolled up into one woman!  Thanks for coming to play!

and thanks for showing me how people sharpened their lipliner in the olden days!

Bonus: Today is my parents’ anniversary!  Happy, happy anniversary to the cutest couple I know!

I love you!

xx, L

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BBE: Ain’t Too Proud to Beg!

07/13/2010 in BIG FAVORS, PSAs by Lauren | 5 comments

Darling readers, we need your help! PLEASE help us win the title of BBE: Best (local Atlanta) Blog EVER (this year)!

Here’s the Q+DD: We have been silently DYING to be Creative Loafing’s Best Local Blog and/or Best Local Bloggers ever since the (very flattering and unsolicited, I swear!) nominations began last week.  But now that we’ve had a taste of fame…we’re pretty much obsessed. We can be silent no more… we want to grab that net and catch that beautiful butterfly, pals!

Lauren: What do you like better?  Wedding Season or the Q+DD?
Lindsay: (raises hand)
Lauren: Miss Roberts?
Lindsay: Yes, um, the answer would be, um, The Q+DD?
Lauren: Bingo.

Being the Best of Atlanta is pretty much our life goal and we can’t do it without you!

Please vote for us by clicking here:

http://bit.ly/bu3bo8

Best Local Bloggers: Lauren Kraselsky and Lindsay Roberts
Best Local Blog: “The Quick + Dirty Dirty” or “Q+DD”

You have to vote for 5 things in order for your ballot to count. If you need help figuring out what to vote for…please feel free to ask us.  We have LOTS of opinions on every category!  (What the hey?   You could even vote for us for local personalities to follow on Twitter!  @LaurenKAtlanta and @LindsayWhat44 that takes care of 3 right there!)

But listen, don’t do it just because we told you to. We want you to make an educated decision before casting your vote.  Please review our political platform below to know our stance on ALL the important issues.

L+L  are:

FOR: Happy hour, excessive use of exclamation points for emphasis, feminism and chivalry, anything from the 1980’s, Mexican food, enormous sunglasses, mussels and muscles, beer-related competitive gaming, Peace on Earth, bubble baths, 3-day weekends, puppies, costume parties, costumes and parties independently, hair products, brunch cocktails, Texas, anything neon, renewable energy, being awesome, human rights, strategic accessorizing, reducing the escalating price of movie tickets, fedoras, mandatory workday nap time, silly moustaches, hot vampires, and your mom.

AGAINST: Alarm clocks, being put on hold, giraffe purses, camping, humidity, most things OTP, cats, children carrying guns, Canada, denim on denim, serious moustaches, Atlantans referring to queso as “cheese dip,” man-sandals, and of course, any sandals worn with socks.

UNDECIDED: Texting, parking vehicles on Cheshire Bridge, eating club sandwiches when you have NOT been invited to the club (note: we are generally FOR club sandwiches and frilly toothpicks), “free” yoga classes, pirates v. ninjas, belly dancing, and where to go for dinner most nights…

(So basically, if you hate man-sandals and love your mom and being awesome…the choice is clear. VOTE FOR US!)

Oh, and while we’re shamelessly self-promoting, please “Like” us on Facebook by clicking here.   Thanks! (if each of you had a “like” button, you better believe we’d click it!)

Thanks…and…we love you.  We do.

xx, L + L

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Only Mildly Amused

05/14/2010 in Midtown, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

Lauren and I had a date on Wednesday.  Our schedules have been pulling us in v. different directions, and we seriously needed to sit down and catch up on everything.  We decided to try a new restaurant – or at least one that neither of us had been to before – and we chose Amuse.  (Amuse was recently on Scoutmob, so we had a nifty 50% of discount (p.s. just got one today for Nakato on Cheshire Bridge) - which certainly didn’t hurt in our decision making process.)

inside amuse

Located in Midtown nearby One Midtown Kitchen, Amuse markets itself as a “whimsical, French-inspired bistro.”  Even though I literally live right down the street from Amuse, I found the restaurant difficult to locate because it’s kinda hidden at the very end of Dutch Valley Road.  However, once I found it and parked (free parking lot beside the restaurant - no valet was set up), I was pleased at what I saw.  It’s a surprisingly large restaurant (I guess I was expecting something more along the lines of Tierra on Piedmont Rd.) with a charming, little dining patio next to it.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t done a bit of research on Amuse before dining there.  After reading some of the blogger reviews on Urbanspoon and Yelp, I felt pretty badly for the restaurant.  It’s just been destroyed throughout social media restaurant reviews.  You have to know when you are reading a review, that only two types of people write them – those who have wonderful or horrible experiences.  People who have a perfectly fine meal, not the best they’ve ever had – but still good/ v. good, don’t take the time to write up their experience.  (Except for LK + me…)  Further, it’s hard to believe that the majority of folks who so fervently bash a restaurant have any sort of culinary training or experience, have ever worked in a restaurant or really know what they are talking about.  I always try to keep this in mind when I read restaurant reviews, but for the sake of this post, let’s turn it back to Amuse…

Our experience was fine.  I mean, really it was just fine.  Service was slow, but good.  Food was good, but not the most delicious I’ve ever eaten.  (That being said, we got small plates to share – not full entrees.)  We finished everything…  The wine was nice.  I guess, that was about it. 

Here’s what we ordered to accompany our wine:

beef carpaccio

mussels

caprese salad

The best part of the night was:

olive joined us!

Know before you go:  Amuse is worth trying once, but keep this in mind…  There’s not much atmosphere, so don’t have dinner there if you want it to be the beginning of a crazy night on the town.  Also, it might be weird for a business dinner because it’s so quiet and kind of romantic-ish.  Sitting on the patio was nice, but there are a lot of mosquitoes.  I got very bitten up (b/c I’m so sweet, obv.).  The patio has a specific closing time (10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m.? on weekends) so as to not disturb folks living in the surrounding condos.  GPS the restaurant – it’s not well marked. 

In my mind, Amuse is a good “second date” restaurant – some place where it’s quiet, so you can talk and not have to shout at each other over loud music, the food is good enough and no one rushes you out of the restaurant (unless you are sitting on the patio).

Let me know what y’all think if you check it out…

xx, L

Amuse
404.888.1890
560 Dutch Valley Road
Atlanta, GA  30324
www.amuseatlanta.com

Amuse on Urbanspoon

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Garlic Breath

03/16/2010 in Midtown, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | No comments

Slick and I are definitely more of a “let’s grab sushi” couple than a “let’s eat four pounds of heavy-garlicky Italian food” couple.  However, when I found that he hadn’t eaten at Alfredo’s* yet, a mecca for Italian food in Atlanta situated on the sketchiest street in the city – lovely Cheshire Bridge, we rallied the Shapiros and sent Outlook reminders to “SAVE THE MEAL.”

*Note: Please do not read any further if you happen to be on a diet…

the shapiros (blog regulars)

Alfredo’s is NOT a place you want to choose for a first date.  It’s packed (even on random weekdays) – it’s pretty loud – there’s not a sexy atmosphere whatsoever – you absolutely REEK of garlic when you leave – and you cannot get out of there w/o consuming roughly 4,000 calories.  However, I love every minute of the famous Alfredo’s experience!  From the 70’s-ish decor that hasn’t been updated to the heavily-accented Italian servers – this place is a gem! 

We went on a Thursday evening and although we made a reservation, we had to wait 20 minutes to be seated.  Even I patiently waited…  The restaurant was filled with businessmen in suits and Sandy Springs married couples.  I ran into a colleague who’s around my age with some of her friends.  The demographic at Alfredo’s is entirely across the board. 

On Stuart’s recommendation, we ordered delicious caesar salads and almost immediately cleaned our plates.  We shared fried calamari + marinara and garlic bread.  I believe we ended up finishing three or so baskets of GB…don’t judge.  It’s the best I’ve ever had – and it’s what leaves you breathing garlic for the following three days.  Seriously, it comes out of your pores.  Not sexy at all - but kind of awesome. :)

For entrees: Stuart’s chicken parm was the group favorite.  Slick and I had the mussels w/ linguine + marinara and the chicken al pesto.  Stac ordered the chicken cacciatore.  We washed it all down with a bottle of cab.  This doesn’t sound like an enormous amount of food, but it certainly was**.  So much, in fact, that after dinner Slick and I parted ways so that we could each go home and rub our stomachs + independently pass out from our food comas.  (Again, sexy – I KNOW.) 

I was full until about 3:00 p.m. the next day.  Even though I brushed my teeth almost hourly after the meal, I could still smell + taste garlic two days later!  Alfredo’s really isn’t kidding around.

me

It’s officially spring and the weather is starting to warm up.  You might as well try Alfredo’s now before you start thinking too much about swimsuit season…   Oh also – I’ve heard from friends that its small bar is a fun place to sit at and have a drink on the weekends. 

**Note: No pictures were taken of our meal because I felt it would be disrespectful.  This place is sacred.  You’ll just have to see for yourselves.  :)

xx, L

Alfredo’s Italian Restaurant
1989 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30324
404-876-1380
http://www.alfredositalianrestaurant.com/

Alfredo's Italian on Urbanspoon

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A Couplea Things

02/19/2010 in Events!, Midtown, PSAs, Random Musings, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 3 comments

Listen. It’s Friday. And while my body may be here at the office, my brain is already out for the weekend. The forecast is spectacular and I just want to leave you with a few notable things before I peace out of here in favor of finding a nice patio on which to drink cocktails:

1. Last night Doc Hollywood and I FINALLY saw the Da Vinci exhibit at the High. It’s closing weekend, and I am officially suggesting you rush over there to view it before it’s gone.

In the interest of full disclosure, the collection is small and the Good Doctor was expecting a bit more sculpture, but I was absolutely fascinated by the early drawings and sketches. Even the teeny tiny ones were drawn with such meticulous detail, it really was, well, genius. DH’s favorite was a spectacular silver piece but I suspect his real favorite part was his entertaining creative narration:

"I am telling you! The red M&Ms taste much better than the brown ones!"

We were only slightly more mature than my last visit to the High. If you haven’t seen this post, I am begging you to do so.

We finished our night at One Midtown Kitchen: mussels, duck, ravioli and a fantastic SUPER TUSCAN (which is so much cooler than meritage just by name alone, yeah?). Now that? Is a perfect LK kind of night.

2. I know I am always looking for creative excuses for my punctuality problem, but last night, I didn’t need to fabricate anything because 85 was a nightmare due to Zebra Traffic. That’s right: a ZEBRA on the loose in downtown Atlanta. A ZEBRA, y’all.
3. Slick informed Linds and me that that today is the anniversary of the first day Mr. Rogers was nationally televised.
As you know, it is also Slick’s birthday. That is a truly remarkable coincidence. Happy birthday, Slick!

4. LuckyFest is right around the corner. 03/13/10.

More details to come, but use promo code “kraselsky” (no caps) for 20% off your ticket. They are $10 right now, but you know the drill. They increase leading up to the event and will eventually be $30.

ShamROCK it out, yo.

5. Atlanta Magazine’s Best of Atlanta Party (Benefiting Camp Twin Lakes!) is MONDAY. Um, It’s only my 2nd favorite CTL event of the year! Lindsay, Christine, and I will be hostessing the VIP lounge from 7-8p, but before and after we will be swilling delicious wine and cocktails, checking out the silent auction, and sampling the tasty vittles offered by Holeman and Finch, Sublime Donuts, Craft + Craftbar, BLT Steak, and other fabulous restaurants (for a complete list of participating bars and restaurants click here.)

Atlanta Magazine’s Best of Atlanta Party
Monday, February 22
6:00 p.m. VIP/Early Admission
$125 per person online
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. General Admission
$60 per person online, $70 per person at the door

Click here for tickets.

OK! That’s about it. Happy Friday, everyone! I hope we all get out early!
xx, L

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The Very Quick + Dirty Dirty #2

11/16/2009 in Buckhead, Highlands, Hotels, Midtown, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | No comments

I am a bit over-committed.  It’s my own fault, really.  I just want to be everywhere at once – and I am terrible at relaxing.  Carpe Diem, I say!  :)

= Lindsay

= Lindsay

This weekend, I had a number of friends in town and was determined to see everyone.  Many of them have previously lived in Atlanta and I wanted to give them reasons to consider moving back, so I had to take them to some of my new-ish favorite spots.  Here’s the VERY Q+DD #2 on where we played this weekend:


THURSDAY

Holeman + Finch: We went for drinks, small plates and the scene.  The bartender made killer gimlets for me and tasty apple jacks for my drinking companions.  (Apple jack = 2 oz. of apple brandy, 1/2 oz. of curacao, 2 dashes of angostura bitters, ice and pour into a chilled glass with an apple garnish.)  Not right for my taste buds, but others loved.  We decided at 9:30 p.m. (way too late) that we had to have one of their late-night burgs.  Sat in agony as the restaurant filled with the delicious aroma of grilled beef and grew hostile as we watched Buckhead bankers eat half of their burgers and then discard.  Next time we will order early…
Holeman & Finch Public House on Urbanspoon


FRIDAY

Pacci:  Went with friends for a nice end-of-the-week dinner @ this new restaurant located at Hotel Palomar, and was pleasantly surprised with my meal.  I didn’t expect too much from this restaurant for some reason and ended up being pretty blown away.  We all shared the beef and tuna carpaccios and thought they were delicious and well-garnished.  I wasn’t a fan of my grilled caesar salad – and I would not recommend it.  However, my beef short rib gnocchi and Slick’s scallops were absolutely incredible.  The two best entrees I’ve had in months.  For dessert, we ate brownie smores that I whipped up on Thursday evening when I was channeling Betty Crocker.  (More on that later…)  Service at Pacci is good, but slow, particularly for drinks – so visit the restaurant when you aren’t in a rush.  Love spending time @ Hotel Palomar, too. 
Pacci Ristorante on Urbanspoon

After dinner, we wanted to head upstairs for drinks at AltoRex, but it was closed. Instead, we went to:

MidCity Cafe: Very scenester.  Slick didn’t know what to make of all the men wearing fitted blazers over printed t-shirts.  The bartenders pour with a heavy hand.  Seems like a great place to start off a night in Midtown!
Midcity Cafe on Urbanspoon

RiRa: Was a great place to end a night in Midtown with car bombs galore!  Enjoyed their fun band and finally saw the back-back room.  I’m a big fan.


SATURDAY

TOP FLR: What can I say?  I am a creature of habit.  I love TOP FLR and I love celebrating there.  My friends from out of town have read numerous blog postings on the Q+DD about my undying love for this restaurant – so we had to check it out.  I had the usual: the mussels and the tuna tartar.  Other folks enjoyed the hanger steak, the scallops and the ravioli.  Don’t forget to try a Pimm’s Cup or a Cynar Blood Orange off of their creative beverage menu!
Top Flr on Urbanspoon

TOP FLR

TOP FLR

St. Regis Bar: Later, we made our way over to the St. Reg hotel to see the end of the Georgia vs. Auburn game and get all mingle-y with Atlanta society.  Instead, we drank delicious (and expensive – believe we referred to it as liquid gold) cocktails and tried to guess-timate how old all the botox-ed up socialites were.  The St. Reg Bar definitely provides interesting people watching.  Did not spot Josh Duhamel, but I did lose my debit card…


SUNDAY

Shorty’s: Everyone who reads the Q+DD has heard more than enough about this place.  It was incredible – as always.  Really hit the spot after three consecutive nights out.  Love the rocket salad.  Then, headed to Piedmont Park to walk around and catch some rays with Miss Kim. 
Shorty's Pizza on Urbanspoon


Apres Diem + Midtown Arts Cinema: Had an early dinner on the Apres Diem patio and enjoyed their Las Moras Malbec before rushing into MAC just in time to catch the previews before Where the Wild Things Are.  Although I know it is just as bad as wearing a band’s t-shirt to the band’s concert, I arrived at Apres proudly sporting my Where the Wild Things Are shirt from Urban.

Apres Diem on Urbanspoon

T’was a fun-filled weekend!  No bizarre new places – nothing too out of the box.  Still perfect.

Hope everyone else got to enjoy the pretty weekend, too!  Off to Rosebud for lunch… :)

xx, L

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Stairway to HAVEN

11/11/2009 in Brookhaven, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | No comments

Over the weekend, Slick and I had dinner with two of our friends to celebrate one of them passing the Georgia bar.  (Congratulations again!)  Since everyone was going to be in the Buckhead/ Brookhaven area, we decided to rediscover one of my old favorites: Haven.  Hidden off Dresden, Haven is the cutest little restaurant with some really delicious menu surprises.   (LK loves it, too!)

348795_ratio4x3_width180

Two of my favorite things about Haven are not edible.  I love that the servers wear jeans.  For me, the “denim uniform” removes any pretension from the restaurant and helps to invoke a more relaxed culinary experience.  Secondly, I adore the Chihuly-esque water drops suspended out of the massive faucet fixtures on the left wall of the restaurant.  So creative. 

Also – the food is delicious!!   

40124652p1

Haven’s menu is relatively straightforward with a number of tasty offerings. 

Here’s what we ate:

Started with…*
Hickory Smoked Chicken Salad: arugula, pistachio, roasted corn + apple
Blue Hill Bay Mussels: smoked tomato, chipotle, grilled sourdough  (Delicious!)
Grilled Georgia Shrimp: fennel and celery root remoulade, lemon confit 
(Not our favorite…just FYI)
*Also sounded yummy: Beef Tartare + Bluefin Tuna Carpaccio

For the main event…
Roasted George Bank Scallops: sweet onion grits, chanterelles, seared pears  (Amazing.)
Slow Cooked CAB Briskit: egg noodles, local swiss chard, shiitakes  (Enormous portion!)
Low Country Shrimp Boil: sweet corn, andouille sausage, new potatoes, old bay broth
Roasted Scottish Salmon: pine nut couscous, feta, kalamata olives, cucumbers

To finish…
Chocolate + Pear Bread Pudding w/ almond creme
Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee w/ candied orange

And, also…
Martinis all around.  (The martinis go all around…all around…the martinis go all around!) 

Haven has been around for a while and its consistently delicious menu is no secret – especially if you live in the area.  But, for those of us who don’t live nearby – we need to make a point to remember this adorable restaurant.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!  (Check out all the new construction directly across Dresden from Haven.  It’s amazing what they’ve done in that area!) 

xx, L

Haven Restaurant
1441 Dresden Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30319-3581
(404) 969-0700
www.havenrestaurant.com

Haven on Urbanspoon

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My Last Meal

11/06/2009 in Appetizers, Inman Park, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

People often ask Slick if there is more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking.

slick
slick

After careful thought, he will tell them that, yes – there is more to life. It’s called fantasy football.

If I was asked, I would also agree that there is more to life. But, my response has to do with food. You never know what a day holds for you. Not to be Deborah Downer or anything, but I text while I’m driving. I go to the grocery store at night by myself. I jaywalk and I’ve been known to shake my fist at bad drivers.  I consider myself to be a highly responsible person, but frankly, we never know when our time is up. So, if I am going to go sometime, I’d like to leave with a fabulous last meal in my tummy.  That – coupled with questionable self-control and enjoying the social aspects of sharing a great meal with friends – is why I am so into food. The End.

If I got to choose my “last meal” in Atlanta, there is no question that it would be at my favorite restaurant in town – Wisteria. I just love this restaurant, and I didn’t have to think twice about spending my birthday there last year. (Which is quite an honor – if I do say so myself!) See, TADA:

Wisteria - LR Birthday

Wisteria - LR Birthday

Wisteria - LR Birthday

Wisteria - LR Birthday

Wisteria is consistently amazing and I frequently recommend it to friends, out-of-towners and business colleagues. My three favorite menu items are the North Atlantic Skate Wing, the Molasses-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin and the Pecan Encrusted Atlantic Salmon. Trust me. They are all to die for.

Inside Wisteria

Inside Wisteria

Aside from a prime location in Inman Park, stellar wait staff, killer entrees and chic decor, my favorite part about Wisteria is their appetizers. I feel confident in saying that their appetizer list is the best in town – by far. It’s rare for me to look at a menu and want everything on it. I have tried everything on Wisteria’s appetizer menu – and trying to decide between a few of their items for any given meal is one of the most stressful decisions I have to make.  

Behold its majesty:

Oysters – cold water, served by the half dozen

Black-Eyed Pea Hummus – with homemade sweet potato chips, olives, and tomatoes

Kobe Beef Carpaccio – with arugula tossed in a horseradish vinaigrette and aged parmesan

Charleston-Style Jumbo Lump Crab Cake – over roasted corn and sweet pepper succotash

Cornmeal Fried Calamari – with sweet and sour apricot sauce and wasabi crème fraiche

Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs – with pickled okra and spiced pecans

Ahi Tuna and Crispy Flatbread – avocados and fresh micro-greens in a citrus horseradish vinaigrette

Prince Edward Island Mussels – in a charred vine-ripened tomato, white wine and herbed garlic broth

Pigs in a Blanket – house cured pork belly, in pastry, with a spicy apple cider vinegar mustard

Tempura Fried Okra – with a horseradish cream sauce

Seared Sea Scallops -over braised pork belly and radicchio with a bourbon molasses reduction

People, life does not get much better than this!! (Unless you are into fantasy football or are really, really, ridiculously good looking…)

P.S. Don’t forget about these two great Wisteria specials:
1 – Burger Sundays for $10
2 – Mussel Mondays for $15.95- Endless bowl of mussels and a glass of house wine.

Make a reservation ASAP!  Life’s too short not to eat great!

xx, L

Wisteria
471 North Highland Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30307
404.525.3363
www.wisteria-atlanta.com

Wisteria on Urbanspoon

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Flood Fundraising Functions Next Week

10/08/2009 in Events!, PSAs, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 3 comments

Someone – everyone – please help save Canoe!  I am heartbroken about the recent flood devastation at this very special Atlanta restaurant.  I have had so many memorable meals at Canoe – it is incredibly sad to see the restaurant under water:

Help Canoe Stay Afloat!

Help Canoe Stay Afloat!

Here are two ways YOU can help Canoe and two local farms recover from the devastating Atlanta flood:

Flood Fundraising Functions Next Week

Muss & Turner’s has devoted the next week to help our friends in need. Please read below for information on two ways you can be a part of these efforts.

Sunday October 11:  Chris Hall Cooks for Canoe

Chris, our partner in Local Three (our new restaurant venture) will be hosting a three-course prix fixe dinner at M&T to benefit the employees and his former co-workers at Canoe Restaurant. Canoe is re-building after experiencing devastating damage from last week’s epic floods.

Anyone who is familiar with Canoe knows what a special restaurant it is and how woven it is into our community’s fabric. The owners and staff are dedicated to a level of food, drink and hospitality that has commanded our respect for more than ten years. 
 
Dinner on October 11th is $33 per person including food, wine, beer, tax & tip. Outside of any costs incurred, M&T will be donating all proceeds to the employees of Canoe to assist them in paying their bills while they are out of work. We plan to solicit help from all our vendors and hospitality industry folks to donate product and time to ensure maximum money is raised.
 
We will begin service at 5pm and our last reservation will be taken at 9pm.
Reservations are required for this event: reservations@mussandturners.com 
Please include your name, number in your party, desired reservation time, contact tel # and if there are any children or special needs.
 
The Menu

Start:

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup Crushed “Amaretti” & Pumpkin Seed Oil
              –or–
Fall Salad of Endive & Frisee Dried Fruit, Toasted Hazelnuts, Blue Cheese
              –or–
Macaroni “a la Chitarra” with Roasted Cauliflower, Pancetta, Crispy Sage
 
Followed by:

Seared Georgia Mountain Trout with Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Local Apples, Toasted Pecans, Brown Butter
             –or–
“8 hour” Braised Beef Brisket with Roasted Fall Vegetables, Spicy Escarole, Natural Jus
             –or-
Red Wine Risotto with Roasted Beets, Goat Cheese Emulsion
 
Finish:

Warm Apple Cake with Creme Fraiche & Toasted Walnuts
         –or–
Chocolate-Hazelnut Brownie with Whipped Cream, Chocolate Sauce     
 
Wine & Beer Pairings - TBD

————————————————————————————-
 
Tuesday, October 13:  Pig Pickin’ at Farmer’s Atlanta Road Market <http://www.farmersatlantaroadmarket.org/>
to Benefit Bray Family Farms and Love is Love Farm
4pm -7pm   
 
Chef Muss will be cooking Berkshire shoulders donated by Gum Creek Farms in a La Caja China (www.lacajachina.com)  cooking box.  100% of all donations in exchange for food will be distributed to these two farms as they recover from a total loss of crops and livestock from the flood.  Get there early to make sure you get some swine lovin’ before it’s all gone. First come, first served.

Bray’s Family Farm <http://brayfamilyfarms.com/homeaboutus.html> – One of this market’s original vendors and strongest supporters of F.A.R.M.

410_Bray_Family_Farms_Logo_3-31-09
 Love is Love Farm <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Douglasville-GA/Love-is-Love-Farm/14079829974> – Owned by Skip & Cookie Glover, who are dear friends of Muss & Turner’s and many of our patrons. Without Skip, it is safe to say that F.A.R.M would not exist. He was instrumental in guiding the leaders of F.A.R.M from A-Z. Love is Love farm is operated by Joe Reynolds and Judith Winfrey who have been strong supporters of Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market as well for the past few years.

header_LIL
 If you can’t attend please contact Dane Lorio dane.lorio@gmail.com to make donations.

THANKS!

xx, L

Canoe
4199 Paces Ferry Road NW
Atlanta, GA  30339
www.canoe-atl.com
770.432.2663
***Closed until mid-November***

Canoe on Urbanspoon

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A word about Mrs. Flax and food: the word is “hors d’oeurves.”

09/11/2009 in Highlands, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 4 comments

Do you remember that movie Mermaids…you know, with Cher?   She’s this quirky mom who only cooks appetizers?  Her kids lament and lament over it and wish for normal dinners, pot roast etcetera, and all I can think is…how divine!

Cher!

Cher!

My point?  Tapas is one of my favorite meals.  I’m a grazer with commitment issues, so ordering a taste of everything works out great for me!

This is exactly what we did on Sunday night at Pura Vida in the Highlands.  I almost forgot about this restaurant until Chef Hector Santiago made it onto Top Chef this season!  (Speaking of quirky: I am so obsessed with Top Chef and as you know…I cannot/will not cook.  What’s that about?)

Great Chef: Scary Picture.

Great Chef: Scary Picture.

We. Ate. Everything.

Malanga root chips with crimini mushroom dip and truffle oil, diablo shrimp coctel (with butternut squash gelee….what what!), tilapia ceviche, pizza latina…all of it was ah-ma-zing.

My favorites were the mussels (they were perfect and our server let us know the trick was in the marinade which had some kind of herring in it that gave it this delicious smoky, salty flavor.  To. Die. For.) and the steamed coconut buns with pork belly inside…y’all: they were beyond.   Benjy said he felt like Hector was really taking care of us, and I have to agree.

We had a really lovely evening, just the two of us, but I’ll tell you: I have also been to some fantastic parties there over the years.  Some of the most memorable included when my office had our 30th anniversary party at Pura Vida and all the past recruiters sat along the “Great Table” in their dining room, while listening to live music from the bar area and had an absolute blast.
pathfinders 75 and bpf 030Another time, I went to a friend’s 30th birthday where he had reserved the whole space and we were served passed tapas and their famous mojitos (they are divine and adorable with a raw sugar cane stirrer) while we milled about the restaurant, and last year, Jeff and I threw La’s birthday party in their downstairs party room (“El Salon”).  We were able to choose a selection of tapas beforehand, order cocktails, and had a really rowdy (yet contained!) evening…major hit.

In summary:  love.

puravidaGo, nosh, be happy.

xx, L

Pura Vida
www.puravidatapas.com
656 north highland avenue
Atlanta, GA 30306
404-870-9797
Pura Vida on Urbanspoon

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It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year…

07/29/2009 in Deals + Steals, Downtown, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 3 comments

…especially if you work/live downtown because…it’s Downtown Restaurant Week(s)!

Yes, friends, they have extended Downtown Restaurant Week another 7 days so the promotion runs from 07/27 – 08/09.


dtrestaurant
Here’s the Q+DD: All participating restaurants will be dishing up 3 course meals for a mere $25.00/per person plus tax + tip.

Downtown often gets a bad rep so I know what you’re thinking: “What’s to eat downtown?” ” I don’t go south of Ponce.” or “How many times can one go to the Hard Rock?” But listen, we’re getting some cool stuff down here (I work directly above the Hard Rock and have had no problem avoiding it for the last 3 years!) Now if someone could just do something about the shopping situation…

Click here for the entire list of participating restaurants but here are a few of my favorites:

No Mas! Cantina: I like this place. It’s not my favorite Mexican joint in town, but remember, I am snobby about my tacos. The food is solid, margaritas are delish and the vibe is cool. Plus, their little store next door is adorable. I have a set of red wine glasses that my seestah bestowed upon me for my birthday last year that I love love love.
Ray’s in the City: great sushi, fresh seafood. Love Ray’s.
Room at Twelve: I take clients here all the time, fabulous lunch spot.
Spoon: I haven’t been in a while, but it’s Thai food and you can’t really go wrong here for me. I will eat anything if it has enough curry on it. Fact.
Thrive: I always order sushi here, but their whole menu is great. The burg is delish!
Terrace on Peachtree (in the Ellis Hotel): I have to tell you, the service is pretty terrible but I always find myself there so there must be something! Plus, I love the way it looks in there, a little retro but still very modern, pretty but not too girly. I’d move in tomorrow.
FAB (French American Brasserie): Roofdeck is amazing and they serve a bowl of mussels the size of G-d. It’s my opinion that FAB is a little overpriced in general, so now is a good time to go.

Oh, and just in case anyone feels like taking me to dinner here are some I want to try:

Social
Il Mulino (I love the one in NYC, but would love to check out ours.) Please see the following piece about their lunch buffet from the Blissful Glutton: http://blissfulglutton.blogspot.com/2009/07/cheap-eats-il-mulino-lunch-buffet.html
BLT Steak

Reservations are strongly encouraged. At the restaurants and on my personal Outlook calendar, of course.

xx, L

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Just a Little FYI

07/02/2009 in Appetizers, Cocktails, Midtown, PSAs, Random Musings, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

Ecco won’t let you order mussels when you sit on their porch.  Apparently, it causes flies to bombard patrons.  Ick.  Double ick.

tomato-mussels-ck-630136-l

Fly

So, while I wasn’t allowed to order my favorite appetizer last night, I did try the greatest wine I’ve had in a while.  It’s one of the few they serve by the glass and it was incredible – very similar to an Albarino. 

Gramona, “Gessami” ‘07 – Penedes, Spain     Salud!

photo credit: zvents.com

photo credit: zvents.com

xx, L

Ecco on Urbanspoon

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