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Outlet Shopping for Spring

03/09/2010 in Buckhead, Deals + Steals, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating, Where we're Shopping by Lindsay | 2 comments

On Saturday, Dana + Jenny + I trekked up to the North Georgia Premium Outlets in Dawsonville for a little outlet shopping.  The weather has been warming up (yea!!), and as a result my winter wardrobe has been relentlessly begging me for some warm weather additions.  I resisted for a while, but recently I’ve had a hard time saying “no.”

It took us about 45 minutes going up 400 N to get to the NGPOs from Buckhead.  We easily spotted the NGPOs from the highway, and we were excited to park across from Off Fifth(Saks Fifth Ave. outlet) to begin our mini-spree.  Thanks to the grande Starbucks ice coffee I finished during the ride up, in less than ten minutes flat I was standing in the check out line at Off Fifth with an incredible lined winter coat (for next year) and a very-Lindsay-style gold bracelet.  And like a flash, we were off again…

In the interest of keeping your attention, I won’t break down every stop we made.  However, I will tell you that my favorite stores at the NGPOs were: Cole Haan, Burberry, Coach, Off Fifth, Kate Spade, Juicy, Polo, BCBG, Michael Kors and J. Crew.  We were afraid to step foot into Pottery Barn or Nike – which were absolutely swarmed with eager shoppers.  Even though it wasn’t a holiday weekend, we found excellent deals everywhere!  Coach was running a one day promotion for 20% off of the entire store, and Jenny and I walked away with adorable new purses.  Polo had some noteworthy deals, too, convincing Dana to stock up on shirts for her wonderful fiance who is in Iraq until May.  Overall, I thought the shopping was great. 

North Georgia Premium Outlets

Here are a few tips on efficient outlet shopping that I picked up during our mini-spree:

1- Wear flats or comfortable shoes.  You will regret it if you don’t.  However, if your feet begin to hurt while you are shopping – you can run into Adidas, Nike or Cole Haan (love their shoes with the Nike technology) and purchase yourself a brand spankin’ new pair.

2- Go to the bathroom prior to standing in line for a dressing room.  Lines can be long and there is nothing worse than nature calling while you are trying to shimmy your way out of a pair of skinny jeans…

3- Eat before you go – or bring snacks.  I wasn’t impressed with the food options at the NGPO’s – or the lack thereof.

4- Develop patience.  The lines are long for the dressing rooms, registers and bathrooms…there’s really no way around it.  And, there were a ton of slowly walking people w/ strollers.  Just keep that in mind…

5- According to a colleague, the best time to go outlet shopping is the week(end) prior to a holiday – so for instance the week before Black Friday or Fourth of July.  Apparently, the outlet stores will already have their stock out for the holiday weekend and start running their sales early.

6- Bring an umbrella.  The weather happened to be gorgeous on Saturday and we were fine - however it’s important to note that not all of the walkways between stores are covered.  It would be a shame to drive all the way out to the NGPOs and not be able to visit all the stores on your list because you’ve become a drowned rat in a rainstorm.

jenny's trunk @ the end of the day...

Four hours later on our drive home, we realized we were absolutely famished.  So, at 4:30 p.m. on a Saturday we sat down for a three hour sushi meal complete with sake bombs!  Yea! 

yu-ka sushi bar

"i say SAKE - you say BOMB!"

We went to Yu-Ka Sushi Bar - right next to the disco Kroger in Buckhead.  I did not care for the sushi or the atmosphere at all, but the service was good and the sake bombs hit the spot.  I called it an early evening and ventured home with my bags upon bags of outlet loot and redboxed The Hurt Locker + A Serious Man (both nominated for Best Picture @ the Oscar’s – The Hurt Locker won).  I really enjoyed both. 

What a Saturday!  I’m already looking forward to heading back to the NGPOs in a few months to stock up on summertime gear… 

xx, L

North Georgia Premium Outlets
800 Highway 400 South
Dawsonville, GA  30534
706.216.3609
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=16

Sushi Bar Yu-Ka
3300 Piedmont Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.233.6700
Sushi Bar Yu-Ka on Urbanspoon

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In Case You’re Hungry this Week…

03/08/2010 in Buckhead, Events!, Inman Park, Restaurant Weeks, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 4 comments

Please do not forget that it is BUCKHEAD RESTAURANT WEEK. I can’t wait to eat at Anis tonight! I’m feeling very French already...

You know, in Paris they're just "fries"

I know it’s late notice, but the INMAN PARK SPRING RESTAURANT WEEK is also 03/08 (today!) through 03/14!

The Q+DD on IPRW: You know the drill. Great restaurants at a crazy discount. One week only! Although, as a good-karma extra, this Spring, the event will benefit the Believe In Me Foundation, which supports the education and welfare of children with autism and is led by Chef Shaun Doty.

Bonus: $1 raffle tickets will be sold and will go towards the charity.  The Winner will win an hors d’ouerves, beer and wine party for 30 people hosted by Kevin  Rathbun.  Each participating chef will create an appetizer, chooose beer and wine, and celebrate the evening  with thirty of the winner’s friends.  

As in IPRWs past (view my previous post here) the restaurant discounts are in tiers:

$15: Fritti, Pure Taqueria, The Albert, North Highland Pub (dinner for 2)

$25: Wisteria, Parish Food & Goods, Fritti, Park’s Edge, Rathbun’s, Sauced, Shaun’s, Zaya Mediterranean Cuisine

$35: Kevin Rathbun Steak, Sotto Sotto

I must admit: I am SHOCKED that I can even THINK about food after the amazing amount of homemade Pizza Rolls and Milk Duds I consumed at our friend Meredith’s fabulous Oscar party last night…

= LK on the red carpet

xx, L

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Meet Tom Colicchio

02/27/2010 in Buckhead, Events!, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | No comments

Are you as starstruck by him as I am??

Tommy!!

If so, you may want to take advantage of this incredible opportunity at Craft Atlanta!

Craft Atlanta Wine Dinner with Chef Tom Colicchio

Following the success of its Fall Beer Dinner, Craft Atlanta will host a Wine Tasting Dinner on Monday, March 22 with a seasonal menu prepared by Chef and Owner Tom Colicchio paired with wines selected by Craft Atlanta General Manager and Beverage Director Leo Barrera and Winemaker Jesse Lange of Lange Estate Winery and Vineyards.

Beginning at 7:00 p.m., guests will be guided by Colicchio and Lange through this unique celebration of seasonal, spring ingredients and wines.  The five-course dinner will be served in Craft Atlanta’s upscale dining room and will be $155 per person, including tax and service charges.

To reserve a spot at this experience, please call 404.995.7580 or email Valeria Torres at VTorres@craftatlanta.com.

And, please send Mr. T my regards… :)

xx, L

Craft – Atlanta
3376 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30326
404.995.7580
www.craftrestaurant.com

Craft Atlanta on Urbanspoon

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Buckhead Restaurant Week: 03/06 – 03/14

02/24/2010 in Buckhead, Deals + Steals, Events!, Restaurant Weeks, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 1 comment

I am ALL ABOUT various neighborhood restaurant weeks. It’s a combination of my favorite things: restaurants, good deals, and hype.

That said, you should know that the inaugural Buckhead Restaurant week is right around the corner! 3 courses for $25? Yes, please!

Here are a few of my favorite participants:

Anis
Anis is such a perfect little date spot! It’s this amazing little French resto in a charming little house off Grandview. They have an outside patio (and allow pups!) as well as cozy inside seating. Love!

Aria
(Or Aria’s as my mom calls it.) If you have never been, you are seriously missing out. Aria is one of my favorite restaurants in the city – it’s romantic, the food is amazing, and it’s very glam in an understated sort of way.

Bistro Niko
You know a restaurant is cool when EZ elects to celebrate her birthday there!In the bottom of the Soverign building, this chic little French bistro is the newest addition to the Buckhead Life restaurant group. The bar area is especially cool.

Capital Grille
Two words: Stoli Doli. When l lived in the Eclipse (located just behind the restaurant) this was my go-to happy hour spot. It’s a higher-end steak joint, and everything on the menu is delish, but the lobster mac + cheese will change your life and the calamari is out of this world. Their signature cocktail is the “Stoli Doli” – a martini made with pineapple infused vodka. DELISH. Plus, it has the whole country club chic thing going on and I love that.

Kyma
Another Buckhead Life participant, and Lindsay’s favorite big fat Greek restaurant. Go get your taramasalata on, yo.

Nava
I celebrated a landmark birthday here and will always have a special place in my heart for blue cornbread, prickly pear margaritas, and lobster tacos…

Other participating restaurants are Aja (it’s pronounced like Asia, FYI, not Ah-zjh-ah- I asked!), Aqua Bistro, Atlanta Fish Market, Blue Pointe, Cantina (where Lola used to be), Craftbar, Gordon Biersch, Home, Market, Paces 88, The Palm, Pricci, Prime, Ruth’s Chris, Shula’s 347, and The Grape.

You can make reservations by calling the restaurants (duh) or on Opentable.com, a sponsor of the event.

Please note that alcohol and gratuity are not included in the $25.

Happy fine dining on a dime!

xx, L

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Cupcakes To Write Home About

02/16/2010 in Buckhead, Guilty Pleasures, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 4 comments

I’ve died and gone to cupcake heaven!  I never thought I’d enjoy eating a cupcake as much as I love eating petit fours, but Cami Cakes has completely won me over!

Let’s take a step back, shall we? 

I’ve never turned my nose up at a cupcake, but they aren’t my favorite dessert in the world.  I can take ‘em or leave ‘em pretty much any day.  Magnolia (NYC), Sprinkles (Dallas) and Belly General Store (Atlanta) all have excellent cupcakes, but I’m not writing home about them.  Hey Cupcake (Austin) is definitely the closest I’ve come to cupcake-on-the-brain.

Hey Cupcake (Austin, TX)

Until now…  A girl in my book club brought a box of Cami Cakes to a meeting last week, and well, that’s all it took.  I’m officially hooked!  After talking about/ thinking about Cami Cakes for what seemed like days and days and days, Slick and I popped in yesterday after a visit to the Atlanta Humane Society to get a few treats for a little dinner celebration we had last night @ Fat Matt’s (more on that later). 

I’d frequently passed Cami Cakes on drives down Peachtree St. from Midtown to Buckhead, but I’d never noticed it.  It’s situated in a short, kinda boring strip (dry cleaners, tax advice, etc…)  nearby Varasano’s - so it’s easily overlooked.  I will most certainly NOT miss it from now on!

When you walk inside Cami Cakes, you are overwhelmed with the wonderful aroma of freshly baked cupcakes.  Slick’s first question to the gentleman behind the counter was, “How IN THE WORLD do you work here and you’re not 900 pounds?!”  Slick has excellent people skills.  :)

The cupcakes are artistic and creative, while at the same time flavorful and very moist.  Nothing is compromised in the making of these beauties!  You can choose from delicious flavors in their long glass case including – THE ELVIS: Creamy banana and peanut butter frosting topping their classic chocolate cake garnished with a hint of salt, and SWEET POTATO: Cinnamon and real sweet potato mixed into their buttery yellow cake and topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.  Yum!

We eventually left the store with a small box of the following:

Top Left – RED VELVET: Their classic Red Velvet cake with cream cheese frosting studded with lightly toasted pecans.  (Their best seller!)

Top Right – CHOCOLATE COCONUT PECAN: Rich and creamy caramel frosting with loads of coconut and pecans topping their classic chocolate cake.  (My least favorite…)

Bottom Right – CARROT: Moist spice cake loaded with carrots and pecans beneath cream cheese frosting studded with lightly toasted pecans.  (Absolutely delicious.)

Bottom Left – CLASSIC CAMI: Their signature yellow cake with classic pink buttercream frosting.  (Can’t beat the classics!)

After dinner, our cupcakes were gone in a flash!  SUGAR RUSH!!

Stop by Cami Cakes ASAP and you’ll see what I mean.  This just may be the second happiest place on Earth (next to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, of course!) 

Welcome to Cupcake HEAVEN!

xx, L

Cami Cakes
2221-B Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.748.4288
www.camicakes.com

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Cocktail Experts.

02/09/2010 in Buckhead, Cocktails, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 4 comments

VIP: Lindsay and I were asked to be a part of a panel of cocktail experts (!!!) to evaluate the specialty cocktail menu for a new restaurant in Buckhead. I just knew the day would come when this particular skill set (which we have been diligently honing at various bars and restaurants for the last 10+ years!) would come in handy…lkcocktail

Varsity Team.

Varsity Team.

…and last night at Saskatoon was the night, my friends.

OK so the Q+DD on Saskatoon is this: It’s a wild game restaurant located in the Alexan on Pharr Road (in the space where ill-fated Spondivits and Harry Bisset’s once were…) Think hunter’s lodge: über masculine, warm and cozy. Soft jazz playing, fires roaring, lighting fixtures adorned with antlers, and deer heads on the wood paneled walls. The menu is chock full of wild boar, elk, ostrich and the like. I even tried my first fried alligator! (This thrilled Lindsay: “I’m so glad we can be a part of this!”)

And hey, we like antlers!

laurenantlerslindsay antlers

Anyway, our table consisted of the two of us, our +1s (Linds brought Steph Cheeseman and I had Doc Hollywood in tow) and our new best friend Alison Abby, a fabulous freelance writer whom we met last night.

They brought us several appetizers to sample, and I have to say – we all really enjoyed the food we tried. Of course, wild game was the main protein in each dish, and they were all very creative as well as delicious!

The real purpose of our visit last night was to provide feedback on their cocktail menu. We tasted everything from the Saskatoon Sling (a variation of the Singapore Sling) to the Espresso Martini (cinnamon-y and not too dessert-y! Our favorite by far.) For the most part, we all thought the specialty cocktails were a little sweet (and perhaps tropical?) for our taste BUT we were there to help them tweak, and I’m sure they will. (Also, in the interest of full disclosure, Lindsay and I are pretty straightforward in our cocktail preferences. Any more than 2 ingredients and we’re raising an eyebrow and I have never seen the Doc drink anything but scotch. Ever.) So if you’re a specialty cocktail type of person, you may totally disagree with our evaluation. IJS.

Additionally, the GM seems pretty passionate about having an impressive, yet affordable wine list and the wait staff was just lovely…and happy to pour me a vodka on the rocks after all was said and done. (With 3 nice, big, fat queen-sized olives. DK always told me you can judge a bar by the size of their olives...)

My verdict on Saskatoon is this: I think it’s a pretty interesting addition to Buckhead’s restaurant scene and if you enjoy that type of atmosphere, (or if you’re in the mood to envision yourself as a ski bunny taking a break from the slopes!) I would encourage you to try it for yourself.

Bonus: FYI, Saskatoon is a city located in central Saskatchewan, Canada and I find Saskatchewan really, REALLY fun to say.

Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan…Saskatchewan…

xx, L

PS. Thanks for the folks at Melissa Libby for the invite!

Saskatoon
(404) 891-1911
360 Pharr Road
Atlanta, GA 30305

Saskatoon on Urbanspoon

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Pro-Con-Pro #2…

01/22/2010 in Buckhead, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 7 comments

Ok, I’m bringing back Elle Woods. Wednesday, EZ and I went for our annual 01/20 “day-between-our-birthdays” dinner at Woodfire Grill and I think a Pro-Con-Pro is in order. (if you are unfamiliar, please refer to a previous Pro-Con-Pro by clicking here)ellewoods

I KNOW you know how excited I was for this dinner. I’m a Top Chef FREAK, I am overly excited by any kind of celebrity (especially Kevin Gillespie and his beard)… kevinsbeard…I ADORE hype, and I love food and fancy restaurants more than probably anything else in the word (except handbags and lip-gloss. Duh). I have to tell you, the food at Woodfire did NOT disappoint, but the chances of my return are slim. (I just deleted “to none” when I remembered the restaurants proximity to my condo. It’s CLOSE.) Here we go: woodfire_logoPRO: The restaurant itself is awesome. It’s in a really unexpected location (Cheshire Bridge. Not 7-8 months ago did Lindsay drive me to where I left my car on CB to find a full-fledge police hold-up happening ON. MY. CAR. Luckily, Taqueria is close and there’s not a whole lot a stiff margarita can’t cure.)

I digress.

The interior is very cozy and homey and chic all at the same time and I absolutely adored it. It’s earthy and warm and very simply decorated. The crowd was pretty (EZ and I saw a gorgeous woman in a fabulous romper. A ROMPER, y’all!), and these super slick .com guys from Cali bought us some incredible vino. Plus, it is very difficult to get a reservation, and you know how I dig that sort of thing. (That is, if I can score a reservation myself.)

CON: I am just going to say it: the wait staff was a liiiiiiiiiittle obnoxious and pretentious. Sorry. They were. I was sad about it because on Top Chef, Gillespie always seemed really down-to-earth. The perception is that he’s just this super nice guy from Georgia with a natural talent for cooking who just wants to make delicious food and help elevate the national (international?) opinion of American Southern cuisine.

I thought the experience (read: the wait staff) would be equally earnest, but it wasn’t. I’d have to launch into a whole new pro-con-pro to tell you about the hostess’s customer service skills, but to make a long story short, we ended up eating at the bar. (Which is fine, I love to eat at the bar. It worked out.) Anyway. The bartender who was serving us was so condescending. In a voice my sister used to use with her Kindergarten class, “this menu is different than anything you’ve seen before. It has the date on it. It was printed today.” (Thank you! Good to know. They don’t do that at McDonalds!) and when we asked about various items on the menu she felt the need to repeatedly tell us that “everything is executed perfectly.” My general opinion is that if you need to tell everyone how great you are, you probably aren’t. (And for some reason, this chafed me more than if you ask a server about an item and they don’t know anything about any of the menu items) Plus, no lie, she actually used the term ” je ne sais quoi.” With a straight face. Woodfire wait staff: if I have one piece of advice for you, it would be to focus on connecting rather than impressing.

Pro: The food. The food was inspired. Brilliant. We adored our food and weren’t at all disappointed. First of all, I can’t remember what it was, but we were served a really refreshing amuse-bouche, phenomenal house-made bread and delicious herbed butter. Then we shared the foie gras (pan seared with braised pistachios on foie buttered toast), the sunchoke risotto (fried sunchoke. Celery “salsa.” Toasted walnuts. TaDIEfah!) and the duck (Grilled. With warm farro salad. Insane.) Our foodie bar-neighbors-turned-dinner partners were equally impressed with their meal. It was just a perfect flavor combination, perfect portion size…everything on our plates was JUST PERFECT.

So I guess the Q+DD is that this is a situation where I can’t wait for the hype to die down. I hope that Woodfire survives this little bout of celebrity and endures as one of our city’s fabulous little restaurants. Please, someone just let me know when that happens, I like to dine with a bit less ego…

xx, L

Woodfire Grill
www.woodfiregrill.com
1782 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30324-4922
(404) 347-9055
Woodfire Grill on Urbanspoon

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Diamond in the Rough

01/11/2010 in Buckhead, Cocktails, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 6 comments

I’ve lived in Atlanta for five and a half years.  As an ITP girl living in Midtown and spending a lot of time in Buckhead, I’ve driven through the intersection at Piedmont and Peachtree maybe three million times.  (If not exactly – then pretty close to that amount.)  Adjacent from that intersection, I’ve passed Beluga Martini Bar about three million times, too.  I’ve always been intrigued by it, but I’ve never actually made it inside.  Something about it just seemed very Lindsay.  And, I love that it also seemed somehow recession-proof when a number of neighboring bars have changed over management or closed down over the past year.  I was intrigued.

After a nice group dinner that LK planned at Pura Vida in the Highlands on Saturday evening + an adorable little meet and greet with this former Top Chef contestant…

Hector Santiago - Pura Vida, Atlanta

Hector Santiago - Pura Vida, Atlanta

Him + Us

Him + Us

… Slick and I made our way back to Buckhead, but we weren’t quite ready to go home.  We didn’t want to skip over to East Andrews and as a personal rule I never go to Moondogs, Peachtree Tavern and the like…so I thought it would be the perfect crisp winter night to finally see what Beluga was all about.  As usual, I was right on. :)

Beluga Martini Bar, situated across from Sambuca and Bones on Piedmont right before the Peachtree intersection, is quite a gem.  Upon arrival, we valeted Slick’s hot rod and paid a little cover for him to get into the bar.  I think charging cover to go anywhere in Atlanta is kind of ridiculous (who do the bars + clubs think we are – Miami?  No.), so I walked in with a degree of attitude that I immediately dropped once I saw what lied in store for me inside the renovated house Beluga calls home. 

Live jazz, red fringe lampshades, velvet couches and a creative martini menu.  SOLD. 

This place couldn’t have been more me.  I loved the loungy + upscale feeling of the bar – but there was still so much energy.  Slick and I explored the different rooms and decided on a highboy near the back bar to plant ourselves for the rest of the evening. 

What incredible people watching!  Most of the crowd was over 30 – many closer to 50.  Lots of plastic surgery and salt + pepper haired gentlemen smoking cigars.  (Note:  The ceilings are low so the cigar smoke is always a little in your face.  My clothes and hair reeked when I got home, but otherwise it didn’t really bother me.)  Patrons strictly obeyed Beluga’s dress code with plunging necklines and turtlenecks + sport coats - even some “sunglasses at night,” which are among my favorite evening accessories that I’d never wear but love to see on other people.  Most importantly, the drinks were stiff and well-made. 

Not one to ever turn down a martini…

IMG_4705

… I ordered a vodka gimlet that was divine.  Slick had his usual dirty martini and was pleased, as well.  A few cocktails later, we decided it was time to head home.  Had we not eaten our weight in delicious + authentic tapas and shared a pitcher of the best sangria in town (I heart you, Pura Vida. xx.) prior to our arrival at Beluga, I would have liked to stay later because it seemed like the party was just getting going when we left around 1:00 a.m. 

If you are like me and have seen the neon blue “Beluga” sign from Piedmont, but never been inside – GO.  It was really fun and a nice spot to break up the predictable Buckhead bar scene.  While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as a spot to find your Prince Charming, I would definitely suggest Beluga for a girl’s night out or a hot date.  It’s places like this that make me appreciate getting a little older.  :)

xx, L

beluga

Beluga Martini Bar
3115 Piedmont Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.869.1090
www.belugamartinibar.com

Beluga Martini Bar on Urbanspoon

Pura Vida
656 North Highland Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30306
404.870.9797
www.puravidatapas.com

Pura Vida on Urbanspoon

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Back on the Bandwagon

12/30/2009 in Buckhead, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 1 comment

I am not a big fan of most of the Buckhead Life Group Restaurants.  Frankly, I think they are kind of boring.  I’ve eaten at all of them more than once, and aside from Kyma – which I think is absolutely divine, I rarely suggest them to colleagues for business dinners, friends for dates or think of them when Slick and I want to treat ourselves to a nice meal.  I tend to prefer boutique-y restaurants with less of a corporate feel to them.  But, I have to admit that Slick and I had an incredible dining experience last night at Pricci and I think it’s blogworthy.

Pricci

Pricci

Pricci, located on Pharr Road, is one of the two Buckhead Life Group Italian restaurants (Veni Vidi Vici in Midtown is the other).  The food is substantial and consistently good, the decor is classic and the service, well, it’s impeccable.  Our server last night was one of the best I’ve had in Atlanta.  He’s worked at Pricci for eight years, which speaks a lot to the restaurant as there is serious turnover in the service industry.  He was everything you want in a server – incredibly attentive, recommended a delicious bottle of Chianti and talked to us a little about various wines and winetasting, didn’t hesitate at all when answering our numerous questions about the menu, refilled our waters and wine without us realizing he was even there (there but not there) and he successfully talked us, stuffed as we were, into the most delicious dessert I’ve had in a long time. 

Dining Room @ Pricci

Dining Room @ Pricci

Although we didn’t get too creative with our menu selections last night, we shared some excellent Italian standbys:

Prosciutto:  24-Month Aged Parma Ham from the Hand Slicer with Cantaloupe

Calamari e Zucchini:  Crisped Maine Calamari, Italian Zucchini, Lemon Aioli + Salsarubra

Cesare:  “Pricci Caesar” Whole Romaine Leaves, Crushed Parmigiano Croutons + Anchoves

Ossobuco:  Braised Veal Shank, Carnaroli Risotto Milanese, Preserved Lemon Gremolata

Nocciole:  Hazelnut Praline Chocolate Bars w/ Seasonal Berries + Raspberry Sauce

We left the restaurant very full and impressed with our evening – mostly because the service was so incredible.  Bad service can forever change your perception about a restaurant, regardless of how enjoyable the meal itself is, and last night the opposite was true for me.  I’m back on the bandwagon and I’ve decided not to be such a BLG hater any longer.  That’s all.

Oh, also – Pricci has 1/2 price bottles of wine + jazz in their bar on Thursday evenings! 

xx, L

39l
Pricci
500 Pharr Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.237.2941
http://www.buckheadrestaurants.com/pricci.html

Pricci on Urbanspoon

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Craft. (Been There. Eaten That.)

11/25/2009 in Buckhead, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 1 comment

It took almost an entire year, but I finally made it to Craft Atlanta. 

I wanted to go for the opening last year.  No reservations…  Thought that maybe I’d have my birthday dinner there.  Restaurant was bought out for an event…  Was pretty sure that if I got girlfriends to go for drinks, we’d end up eating upstairs at the restaurant.  We stayed at Craft Bar – and it was not love...  It just never happened for me.  Everyone told me that I should be patient until it was my time.  I waited…

"I'll come for you one day, Craft..."

"I'll come for you one day, Craft..."

And THEN, a colleague gave me a very nice gift certificate for dinner at Craft.  My time had finally arrived!

Over the past year, I’ve heard a spectrum of praise and critique regarding Craft Atlanta.  Karen thought it was the best meal she’d ever eaten.  Mr. B thought it was overrated and the service left a lot to be desired.  I was just hoping for a Tom Colicchio drop by…   With some degree of skepticism, Slick and I arrived at the restaurant last Friday ready to form our own opinions.

Tommy!

Tommy!!

We were escorted upstairs, again - I’d only been downstairs at Craft Bar for drinks before, and we noted the art in the staircase and the warm modern feeling of the dining room.  They put us in one of the large half booths which provided for excellent people watching.  Our server was from Texas, which made me feel right at home, and we chatted about Longhorn football, the Hill Country and Dallas schools.  We ordered drinks and the server and I had a little pep talk with Slick about ordering our favorite vodka on the menu, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which is delicious (smooth and smokey), made in Texas and is NOT – as the name insinuates – plastic bottle liquor.  Our Tito’s assisted drinks arrived, were shaken for us at the table and we were very pleased.

Tito's

The meal was good.  Very good, in fact.  We started with the yellowfin tuna (delicious) and a few belon oysters.  I am not a big oyster fan, but Slick liked them and I thought the presentation was well done.  For entrees, I had the monkfish + pancetta and on our server’s recommendation, Slick ordered the braised beef short rib.  Both were amazing.  Mine was very tasty, artful and nicely presented in a cast iron skillet.  Monkfish, “the poor man’s lobster,” was perfectly complimented by the pancetta wrap.  Slick and I loved his short rib and were pleased at how easily it melted off of the bone.  We also shared the potato gratin and the seasonal risotto, which were delicious but maybe too plentiful for the heaviness of our entrees because we cringed when the dessert menu arrived.  Instead, we opted for another cocktail and little cookies sent out to us from the chef.

Overall, the meal was thoughtful and delicious.  It was very expensive.  Maybe overpriced, but it was hard for us to pin it as such because we had such a nice experience there.  We could easily see, though, how the meal could go wrong.  However, we quickly developed rapport with our server, ordered well and enjoyed the atmosphere.  We were pleased.

Bacchanalia and Aria are still my preference for a special occasion or celebration, but I would recommend throwing Craft into the mix – especially if you are a first timer.  And if you go, make sure you ask for the Tito’s Handmade Vodka.  :)

P.S. Don’t forget about their Sunday Sandwich deal!

xx, L

craft_ATLANTA_bottom

Craft – Atlanta
3376 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30326
404.995.7580
www.craftrestaurant.com

Craft Atlanta on Urbanspoon

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The Very Quick + Dirty Dirty #2

11/16/2009 in Buckhead, Highlands, 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 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.
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 Bar 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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Specials at Aja in Buckhead

11/02/2009 in Buckhead, Deals + Steals, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 1 comment

Halloween was a blast – and I am still recovering…  My brain feels kinda mushy and my creativity is running low, but I wanted to make sure and let everyone know about a few specials at Aja in Buckhead that I think are super duper.  (Lauren + I went last night to celebrate our friend, La’s birthday, and we had some pretty delicious sushi.  Yum!)

Bar @ Aja

Bar @ Aja

- $10 All You Can Eat (AYCE) Sushi: 11:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Monday – Friday

- $15 AYCE Dim Sum: 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. on Sunday

- 1/2 Price Bottles of Wine on Wednesday

Dining Room @ Aja

Dining Room @ Aja

I definitely recommend taking advantage of these specials if you are in the mood for Asian fusion/ sushi in Buckhead.  The scene is pretty cool – love the decor – and I really enjoyed all the food we ordered.  Also, don’t miss the 10 ft. brass Buddha they imported from Thailand located in the dining room.  It’s impressive!

xx, L

aja

Aja Restaurant + Bar
3500 Lenox Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30326
404.231.0001
http://www.h2sr.com/aja/

Aja on Urbanspoon

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