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Eat Squad #7: The Iberian Pig

08/25/2010 in Cocktails, Decatur, Eat Squad, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 4 comments

Soooooo, Lindsay has a new favorite restaurant. 

It’s called The Iberian Pig, and you can find it hidden in downtown Decatur. 

also, you can find it here in this picture. you're welcome.

Although it took Slick + me an extra 30 minutes more than everyone else to find it for Eat Squad last week, it was absolutely worth the hunt.  (Seriously, though, it takes a committed foodie to find this place.  I kinda felt like I was on The Amazing Race…)

As soon as we found it + met our friends, I was ready for a drink.  Much to my complete surprise + great excitement, they feature the Aviation on the menu!  I mean, it was just like they KNEW me.

well hello, gorgeous

The menu at The Iberian Pig is pretty freaking phenomenal.  The tapas list was extensive + creative enough to fully grab the table’s attention, so we decided to share a bunch of those among the six of us.  Here’s what we ate:

charcuterie + quesos

patatas al valdeon

salmon ceviche (special)

salchicha 3-ways

the ladies...

...our studly gentlemen

bbq octopus w/ patatas

first order of pork cheek tacos...

...second order of pork cheek tacos

jonah crab croquetas

B.W.D. (bacon wrapped dates)

cabrita carbonara w/ slow roasted goat

tocino con manzana

calamares

NOT PICTURED (but incredibly delicious):  ALBONDIGAS – wild boar sausage meatballs stuffed w/ piquillo peppers, Macedonian dates + roasted tomatoes.  Finished w/ pimenton creme and oyster mushrooms.

Every small plate we ordered was unbelievably good.  And, we went to town!

so insanely full - could barely stand up to take this, but nice lookin' group, eh?

This was the best meal I’ve had in a long time.  The Iberian Pig gets points for (1) really friendly + knowledgeable staff, (2) an incredibly creative + beyond delicious menu – there’s so much more that I’m dying to try, (3) offering the Aviation martini + bacon-infused bourbon (which was v. tasty) at the bar + in the dining room, and (4) for its kind-of-hidden-and-hard-for-Lindsay-and-Slick-to-find Decatur location. 

Once we finally found it, though, the giant hunt sorta made us feel like it was OUR restaurant.  Which, in fact, it is now.   :)

xx, L

The Iberian Pig
121 Sycamore Street
Atlanta, GA  30030
404.371.8800
www.iberianpigatl.com

The Iberian Pig on Urbanspoon

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Don’t Forget abt. The Atlanta Food Rave!

08/24/2010 in Events!, Midtown, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 4 comments

It’s coming up THIS Friday, people!  Do you have your ticket(s) yet or what??

Here’s the Q+DD on The Atlanta Food Rave:

THE EVENT:  The Atlanta Food Rave is a new high-energy event that brings together an eclectic mix of Atlanta’s finest culinary talent.  Expecting an interactive night of food, fun, cocktails and live entertainment, attendees are invited to sample chef offerings and catered fare that will be placed throughout the expansive host venue, the Mason Murer Fine Art Gallery.  Adding a bit of competition to the occasion, attendees are also encouraged to vote for their favorite chef of the evening, helping him/her to win The 2010 Rave Review, an award reserved for the chef that is best in show.  The evening will also feature a premium open bar with signature alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty beverages, live entertainment and a number of surprises.  The menu will be revealed upon arrival and vegetarian options will be present.  A percent of the proceeds from The Atlanta Food Rave will be donated to The Atlanta Community Food Bank.

DATE & TIME:  Friday, August 27, 2010, 7-11 p.m.
 
VENUE:  Mason Murer Fine Art Gallery  (if you haven’t been before, it’s fabulous!)
                      199 Armour Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30324

The 24,000-square-foot Mason Murer Fine Art gallery has become an art and special event destination, hosting  several exhibitions a year and showcasing a wide range of work from the Southeast and around the world.  Its  unique interior has made the gallery an in-demand venue for corporate parties, non-profit fundraisers, cultural  events and the perfect location for The Atlanta Food Rave to create a delicious evening to remember for all of its  guests. 

Check it out:  www.masonmurer.com
 
FEATURED CHEFS:  The Atlanta Food Rave will give food and cocktail lovers the opportunity to mix and mingle with an eclectic group of  Atlanta-based chefs in an informal and fun atmosphere.  With a goal to showcase some of Atlanta’s best culinary  talent, this year’s chef lineup includes:

Chef/Owner Alex Friedman of P’cheen International Bistro & Pub

 

Executive Chef Delroy Bowen of the Georgia International Convention Center

Executive Chef Keira Moritz of Pacci Ristorante and AltoRex Rooftop Lounge

Executive Chef Lance Gummere of The Shed at Glenwood

Personal Chef/ Caterer Latoya Starks of Noorish Personal Chef and Catering  

GIVING BACK:  The Atlanta Food Rave is proud to donate a portion of the proceeds from the event to The Atlanta Community Food Bank.  With a mission to fight hunger by educating, empowering, and engaging the communities of Metro Atlanta and North Georgia, The Atlanta Community Food Bank currently distributes nearly two million pounds of food and other grocery items each month to more than 700 non-profit agencies and 38 counties in the Atlanta area.  Visit www.acfb.org for more information.

TICKETS:  Tickets are on sale now and are $55 per person for ages 21 and up.  Tickets are available at www.atlantafoodrave.com and 404-856-0157.  Tickets will not be sold at the door.    

PARKING:  Complimentary valet parking will be available.

FOR MORE INFO:  Visit www.atlantafoodrave.com or e-mail info@atlantafoodrave.com                  

We’ll see you there!  :)

xx, L

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Dessert for Dessert Connoisseurs

08/20/2010 in Midtown, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

I have too many coupons in my purse.  I’m very quickly turning into my mother.  (Love you, mom, but still.)  So, I’ve made a promise to myself to stop hoarding coupons, Living Socials, Groupons, Scoutmobs and the like, and use/shed at least one a week.  This week, I used my Groupon for Tierra.  (NOT to be confused with Terra Grille, Mr. Shap…)

I drive by Tierra every workday on my way home.  However, in the 6+ years I’ve lived in Atlanta, I’ve only been there once about five years ago.  Tuesday night was my second time.  (The suspense builds…)  :)

Here’s the Q+DD on Tierra:  Tierra is a Latin American + Caribbean bistro featuring cuisines of South + Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico.  Tierra is the first and only authentic restaurant of its kind in Atlanta.  It has received high ratings from Zagat, which listed it among its “Top Restaurants in America.”  Tierra has consistently been included in the AJC’s “Top Fifty Restaurants” and has been on Atlanta Magazine’s ”Best of Atlanta” list every year since it opened.  Tierra’s recipes have been featured in Bob Appetit, Flavors and Atlanta Magazine.

So, there’s some hype.

The restaurant itself is teeny-tiny (only a few tables), but very cozy.  When we arrived, I’d forgotten how small it actually was.  We sat down, ordered some Malbec and started to make some dinner decisions.  Stacey and I relied heavily on the ingredient cheat sheets on the table to decode the menu, which I thought was actually kinda fun.  It’s the little things, people…  The boys started with the black bean soup w/ apple cured bacon, platanos fritos + creme fraiche.  It smelled delicious.

I wanted small plates for dinner, so I opted for the mussels in pasilla pepper broth w/ corn, jicama + cilantro (which was featured in Bon Appetit)…

tierra's famous mussels

…and the pionono – platanos filled with beef picadillo.

pionono

I have to be honest.  The mussels tasted kind of bland to me, but I LOVED the pionono.  The flavor + texture was absolutely superb.  Stac ordered a caesar salad + chilled cucumber soup, and the boys both chose the shrimp sauteed w/ garlic-lime sauce + served with coconut rice + kale as their entrees.  They ended up with spotless plates.

We decided to order dessert, and allowed our server to talk us into the tres leches cake.  She informed us that it was award-winning, but honestly, it didn’t look like much at all when it was delivered to our table.  It didn’t have to – it TASTED like heaven.  I’m not exaggerating when I say that it was literally gone in a flash.   We honestly debated getting another piece.  At one point, Stuart said that this was the most amazing dessert he’d ever eaten.  And you can quote him…

tres leches cake

All in all, I thought Tierra was good + I’m glad I went, but I wasn’t obsessed with it.  It was a bit too small for me, maybe a little too quiet, and frankly I was disappointed in the mussels.  I will, however, be back for the tres leches cake.  (I’ve been thinking about it ever since we devoured it.)

Tierra is a well-respected restaurant that has received a number of accolades – they are clearly doing something right.  Just because it wasn’t necessarily for me, doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying.  Give it a shot – who knows, it could end up being your favorite restaurant.  And when you do, order the second piece of cake. 

xx, L

Tierra Restaurant
1425 Piedmont Ave NE
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.874.5951
www.tierrarestaurant.com

Tierra on Urbanspoon

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Tummy Full o’ Dinos…

07/06/2010 in New York, Vacation, Weddings, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 3 comments

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th!  As previously mentioned, LK + Slick + I spent America’s BD at Dana + Scott’s wedding in Syracuse, NY.  We had such a blast celebrating w/ the happy couple!

congrats guys!!

However, when we weren’t busy with our numerous wedding festivities…

posing for pictures

spending time w/ the bride

being awesome

getting ICED (thx, slick...)

…we passed the time chowing down at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que!  There wasn’t a whole lot to do in Syracuse, but Dinosaur kept us busy + stuffing our faces for hours – and we anticipated each return over the weekend!

Salt Lick + Fat Matt’s, who??  Seriously.

Here’s the Q+DD on Dinosaur Bar-B-Que:

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is a restaurant, blues venue, and biker bar in Syracuse, New York.  Opened in 1983 on Willow Street in downtown Syracuse, it specializes in authentic barbecue using a wood-fueled barbecue pit.  The restaurant markets its sauce, pulled pork, chili, and baked beans at local supermarkets, and at Wegmans, Fairway, D’Agostino’s, Price Chopper, and Shaw’s Supermarkets across the Northeast.  Two additional locations have also opened in Rochester, New York (in the old Lehigh Valley Railroad Station) in 1998, and Harlem, New York in 2004.   In May 2009, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que was voted America’s best barbecue in ABC’s Good Morning America poll, beating out entrants from across the United States.  Approximately 4,000 out of the 7,500 participants in the poll selected Dinosaur Bar-B-Que as the best in the nation.  (www.wikipedia.com)

Words do not do it justice.  You must witness…

I know I can be a bit of an exaggerator from time to time, but I MEAN it when I say that this was some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had.  It was even better than it looked!  I can’t believe how much I ate there - I really can’t.  The ribs.  Oh, the ribs! 

P.S. You can buy the Dinosaur cookbook + BBQ sauce online here:  DINOS!

Point of this prehistoric post:  Next time you are in NY, you absolutely must, must, MUST make a point to visit The Dinosaur!  Honestly, booking a special trip for it might be necessary…  DO NOT pass up an opportunity to get down and dirty w/ some BBQ there!  Trust me. 

RARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

xx, L

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
246 W. Willow Street
Syracuse, NY  13202
315.476.4937
www.dinosaurbarbque.com

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Urbanspoon

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Nail in the Coffin.

06/29/2010 in Westside, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 4 comments

I am officially over burgers. 

I’ve eaten a pretty impressive amount of red meat since this whole burger boutique trend started when Flip Burger opened, and frankly I’m done. 

I know where to find my three favorite burgers in town: Bocado, Holeman + Finch and Farmburger.  I’ve tried the best, and I really don’t need to try anything else.  Burgers are so over.  SHOW ME SOMETHING NEW FOR THE LOVE OF LADY GAGA!!

How did the nail finally get hammered into the velvet-lined coffin of my burger boutique experiences?  Simply, I visited Yeah! Burger, Shaun Doty’s newest venture, on Friday.

@ yeah! burger...

My friends, Nick + Todd, were in town from Kentucky, and we met for lunch on Friday afternoon with a colleague friend of ours from work.  I insisted on trying Yeah! Burger, and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer.  So, we all drove to Howell Mill, parked in the White Provisions parking deck and stood in an insanely long line (approx. 30 minutes) to order what turned out to be pretty mediocre food. 

To me, the line was long not because there were a ton of people there hoping to try out the new restaurant (which there actually were), but rather because they only had ONE person taking everyone’s orders at the register.  Should have thought that one through, Mr. Doty.  It’s a workday, we are in suits and it’s 95 degrees outside!!  Doesn’t make for happy customers, does it?  Moving on…

The menu was simple and straightforward, which I appreciate, encouraging you to customize your burg w/ your preference of patty, bun, toppings and sauce.  Yeah! has a number of organic, gluten-free and farm fresh items on their menu: gluten-free white buns + french fries, organic chopped/ sliced or grilled Vidalia onions, cage-free fried eggs, nitrate-free bacon, organic Muir Glen ketchup, etc. 

Everyone I was with ordered simple beef burgers and fries.  Jen’s is pictured above.  I ordered the bison burger w/ pimento cheese, whole wheat bun, lettuce, dill pickles and honey mustard – which is pictured below.

Todd got the fried pickles, and although he didn’t finish them, he said that they were quite good – which led us into a discussion about how anything fried tastes “quite good.”  We were hard-pressed to brainstorm what would not taste good fried.

The consensus was soap.

So listen, I ate everything, but I wasn’t impressed.  The burger was blah – the pimento cheese, especially, did not taste housemade.  It was runny.  The fries, usually the item to draw me in, were kind of a let down, too.  I appreciate the farm-friendliness of the restaurant, but it seemed a little contrived when I found myself flipping through the brochure of the farm that supplies the restaurant, which was displayed for our reading pleasure while we were waiting in the horrendously long line to order.

That being said, here are five reasons why you might want to try Yeah! Burger:

1 – You are gluten-intolerant.  They have a lot of gluten-free options for you here - more so than I’ve seen at other restaurants in Atlanta.

2 – You want a burger on a Sunday afternoon, but don’t want to drive to Decatur to hit up Farmburger.  Holeman + Finch burgers aren’t available on Sundays after 3:00 p.m., and Bocado isn’t open.  If Decatur is too far for you to travel for burger bliss, Yeah! Burger is conveniently located on Howell Mill + 14th Street.

3 – You have two hours to eat lunch during the week OR just enjoy waiting in really, really long lines…  (No, clearly I am not over it.)

4 – You want to try one of their Concretes: Vanilla soft-serve ice cream blended at high speed with your favorite mix-ins – hot fudge, cookies + cream, peanut butter cups, chopped peanuts, peanut brittle, Heath candy bar, chocolate almond bark or chocolate espresso beans.  Sounds like a fancy McFlurry - yummmmmmm!  FYI: They start at $6.00.

5 – Howell Mill is happening.  WESTSIDE!

I really don’t want to detract readers from this restaurant merely because I’m so over the whole burger thing, but I just had to say that the burgs @ Yeah! were far from the best I’ve had in Atlanta – and I will never willingly stand in that long line again.

Bye, bye burgers – it’s time to go…

xx, L

Yeah! Burger
1168 Howell Mill Road, Suite E
Atlanta, GA  30318
404.496.4393
www.yeahburger.com

Yeah! Burger on Urbanspoon

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So. Much. FUN!

06/28/2010 in Buckhead, Happy Hour, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | No comments

Thanks to everyone who joined us on Friday for our second Q+DD Happy Hour on Whiskey Blue’s rooftop @ the W Buckhead!  It was such a great turn out – we were tickled pink!

LK + I had such a great time with everyone, and we were so glad you could all join us!  The only thing that made the night even better (yes – you know where I’m headed) was…

HOLEMAN + FINCH 10:00 p.m. burgs!  :)

Oh, you know we got them.  The Best.  Ever!

Thanks again to everyone for joining us!  We look forward to seeing you @ the next one! 
(TBD. TBD. TBD.)

xx, L+L

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You Little Devil…

06/15/2010 in Westside, What we're Cooking, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 6 comments

Believe it or not, I had my first deviled egg yesterday.

(I know…I know…where was I raised?  The country?  A barn?)  I guess maybe if that was the case, I would have already had my fill of deviled eggs…  I tried them for the first time during lunch yesterday with colleagues at Bocado.  And, I thought that they were soooooooo delicious!  (Seriously, why have I not tried these until now??)

deviled eggs @ bocado

The DEs at Bocado had very fluffy + creamy + flavorful yokes.  When I called Slick to tell him that I had just tried my very first one and loved it, he told me that he personally prefers them when they aren’t so fluffy + creamy.  Whatever.  These babies tasted loaded up with mayo (which I loved!) - and I wanted MORE!  So much so, in fact, that I looked up DE recipes all night.

This one was my favorite: http://snipurl.com/xg0z1

I also really liked these two…

Sun-Dried Tomato + Chive Deviled Eggs: http://snipurl.com/xg10b

Bacon Horseradish Deviled Eggs: http://snipurl.com/xg11b

Yummmmmmm!!  :)

inside bocado

Also worth mentioning: On the Blissful Glutton’s advice, I tried the Bocado hamburger + french fries for my lunch entree.  They were both were absolutely amazing!!  The hamburger was very similar to H+F’s mouthwatering 10:00 p.m. burger w/ its mixture of meats + double patties…but the fries!  OH, THE FRIES!  They were particularly incredible!  Not too greasy + tasted like soft baby potatoes.  (It was v. hard for me to share a bowl of them with my colleagues.)  Extremely hard. 

bocado burg

Thanks, BG for the excellent recommendation! 

I will definitely be back at Bocado soon for more deviled eggs, burgs – and to test out their creative tapas list!

xx, L

Bocado
887 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA  30318
404.704.5850
www.bocadoatlanta.com

Bocado on Urbanspoon

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FARM BURGER.

06/01/2010 in Decatur, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 1 comment

Slick + I had MONSTER hamburger cravings yesterday, so we rallied Gtown Jared to meet us at Farm Burger for some Memorial Day beef. 

hello!

Although Gtown J got a bit lost getting there, I thought Farm Burger’s Decatur location, right next to Watershed, was pretty straightforward + easy to find.

the bright orange sign was difficult to miss...

I read extensively about Farm Burger on Urbanspoon + other food blogs, and I was painfully aware that some folks think that it’s more hype than burger.  Did this deter me from trying my very own farm burger?  No.  Did I go into the experience with sky-high expectations?  No.  Was I impressed from the moment I stepped foot in the restaurant?  Yes!

i'm down with farm-to-table.

Although the farm-to-table AND the fancy hamburger joint concepts are both getting kind of old, I really enjoyed myself at Farm Burger.  I liked that when Slick and I arrived, the line was out of the door – and it remained so for the 1 1/2 hours we were at FB.  Not that this is their target market by any means, but Slick and I counted eight very-visibly pregnant women at Farm Burger over the course of the evening.  (Not really sure what you are supposed to do with that information, but I still felt it was noteworthy…)  I also liked the here’s-what-we’ve-got menu presentation.  It was simple + efficient enough for me to navigate on the last evening of a long, lazy three day weekend when my brain was functioning at a much slower pace than normal…

FB menu

I liked this picture at the restaurant.  :)

mooooooooooo

After a short while, we made it up to the front of the line and placed our orders. 

cattle call for farm burgers!

All I really wanted was a hamburger w/ cheddar + lettuce, but I felt like I needed to be a little more adventurous – so I swaped the cheddar for pimiento cheese.  Slick and Gtown J got slightly-altered versions of the house special – the original farm burger.  We sat down at an open table + bench and sipped on our wine (me) + beers (the boys) while we waited for our much anticipated FB beef + fried potatoes to arrive.

my wine

cow-stamped placemats were a hit w/ me.

(i'm a sucker for mason jars, too!)

Right before the delicious aroma of the restaurant finally won me over and I started to drool on my kitschy cow-stamped placemat, our food arrived.  The fries came in a cute little tin, and they were just how I like them: SSS = soft + soggy + lots of seasoning (in this case, garlic).

original fries

I started to quickly fill up on the fries, so I made the executive decision to concentrate on my burger.  The pimiento cheese was an excellent call.  It wasn’t too mayo-y and melted perfectly on my burger.  Growing up, my parents always made + ordered our burgers well or well done (no pink).  Over the years, I guess I’d gotten used to ordering them kinda over-cooked, and so my burgers never really taste like meat.  Although farm burgers come what to me looked like medium or medium rare, I didn’t feel like my (amazing – love you, mom!) Jewish mother was shaking her finger at me all the way from Texas when I quickly devoured the burger, because the beef came from v. happy grass-fed cows (e. coli risk free).  I will admit that this was actually one of my first, true on-the-rare-side hamburger experiences and that kind of blew my mind, but I also thought that the burger, itself, was pretty great – very juicy and flavorful.

my farm burger w/ pimiento cheese

Slick + Gtown J enjoyed their burgers, but they thought the sauce on the original farm burger was slightly too heavy.  Both of them thought I ordered the best of the group.  (I win!) 

the remains of slick's farm burger - it wasn't there for long...

Slick still likes the late-night Holeman + Finch hamburger the best, but I am torn between H+F and Farm Burger.  At the very least, I think Farm Burger gives H+F a run for it’s money – and I liked the fries better.  Will I go back?  Yes.  Do I think that I should buy into hype more often?  Definitely!!

xx, L

Farm Burger
4108 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
Decatur, GA  30030
404.378.5077
www.farmburger.net

Farm Burger on Urbanspoon

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Eat Squad Log #4: Bamboo Grill & Hot Pot

04/14/2010 in Buford Highway, Eat Squad, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

On Sunday, it was Eat Squad time again and Vietnamese food was next on our hit list.  Mr. B did some research and liked the Yelp reviews he found about Bamboo Grill & Hot Pot in Chamblee, so we all ventured back to Buford Highway once again for some ethnic cuisine. 

Aside from Whole Foods-prepared Viet. spring rolls, I’d never eaten Vietnamese food before.  (It’s always interesting not having a benchmark for which to compare new foods or restaurants, but that’s kind of the point of Eat Squad, I guess.) 

This ES session, we had the honor of food blogger FB joining us.  We all sat down at a large round table at the restaurant and perused the extensive menu.  I was pretty overwhelmed, so I asked Mr. B. – who has experience with Viet. food – to order for me.  On his and our friendly waitress’s recommendation, we decided to eat family style and order a number of tasty dishes, a few of which we had to prepare + cook ourselves. 

Below are a few pictures of our meal:

the "create your own spring roll" spread

fish + meat for the spring rolls

waitress showing cari how to prepare the spring rolls

my spring roll didn't really cut it...

cold pot w/ fish, veggies + broken rice (my fav.)

waitress stirring the cold pot and explaining to us the history of broken rice - a famous Viet. peasant dish

i went back for thirds - it was delicious!

veggies to cook in hot pot

fish to cook in hot pot

beef to cook in hot pot

hot pot cooking on our table

mmmmmmmmmmm!

I really enjoyed this meal.  In preparation for my upcoming vacations, I am kinda watching my waistline (only kinda) and I didn’t feel guilty at all about what I ate.  To me, Vietnamese food is like a healthier version of Thai food.  I definitely want to get it again, but I’d like to consider trying some other Viet. restaurants around town.  For the Eat Squad members who had eaten Viet. before, they said that Bamboo was good – but not the best in town.  Whatever the case, I’m happy to know that I like Viet. food and I look forward to trying it again soon.

The next Eat Squad gathering will take us to Cafe Agora in Buckhead for some Mediterranean cuisine.  Stay tuned…

xx, L

Bamboo Grill & Hot Pot
4646 Buford Highway St.
Atlanta, GA  30341
678.580.1727

Bamboo Grill and Hot Pot on Urbanspoon

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Slow Jamz

03/19/2010 in PSAs, What we're Cooking, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

Slick bought home the most amazing kitchen toy the other day – a slow cooker!  I honestly think it’s the greatest invention in the entire world…well…maybe second to hair straighteners.  Whatever – it’s really high up there! 

slick's crock pot

Anyway, he cooked dinner for me the other night and it was delicious – pretty easy to make too.  He made a ton of pulled pork – literally a ton – so much, in fact, that we are still eating away at it almost four days later.  He’s been a total whiz in the kitchen lately! 

what's cookin' good lookin'?

I felt inspired by the crock pot + Slick’s newfound interest in cooking, so I went online to look up some other easy recipes of things we could slowly cook over the eight(+) hours we’re at work and I found these:

1- Chicken + Dumplings: http://bit.ly/bsVh5U
2- Beef Bourguignon: http://bit.ly/YIsW0  (Harness your inner Julia Child!)
3- Creme Brulee: http://bit.ly/9BAdgA
4- BBQ Pulled Pork: http://bit.ly/cQ5Nw2  (Similar to what Slick made…)
5- Spinach + Cheese Dip: http://bit.ly/bLpiov

I’m convinced that a crock pot is God’s gift to the working woman (or man, obv.) – you get what I’m saying.  I love that there is a timer on it, too, so that if you are gone for longer than eight hours, it just turns itself off.  Brilliant.  I kind of want to slow cook everything now… 

You can even make bread in a slow cooker: http://bit.ly/bvz1Dc  Amazing!  Who would have thunk it?!

AND – Wait for it…Wait for it…  Yes – got it!!  :)

Crock Pot Pizza (Pasta): http://bit.ly/dw0zOl = heaven!  I just love carbs (sigh)…

yes please!

God Bless the Crock Pot!  Mmmmmmmmmm!

xx, L

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FAT BBQ

02/19/2010 in Festivals, Midtown, What we're Listening To, What we're Watching, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

Slick got some good news over the weekend and a celebratory dinner was in order.  If I’d received news worthy of celebrating, I would make a b-line for Bacchanalia faster than you can say “American Kobe Short Ribs.”  However, Slick’s favorite food is BBQ – so we decided that Fat Matt’s Rib Shack would be a perfect spot to grub-it-up in his honor.

perfect-o

First, we went to Tara Cinema to see Crazy Heart.  We both thought the movie was amazing, and we’ve been listening to the incredible soundtrack + Ryan Bingham downloads almost non-stop since we saw it.  It’s sort of like The Wrestler, but about country music and with The Dude.  Awesome.  We really liked the movie’s message, too.  Everyone, please see it soon!

"it's funny how fallin' feels like flyin'...for a little while"

Back to BBQ:  Fat Matt’s is my personal favorite place to get BBQ in Atlanta.  It’s a relatively small restaurant with lots of character.  In fact, Fat Matt’s was mentioned in the movie, Up in the Air, as the main character’s favorite place to get BBQ because it happens to be the director, Jason Reitman’s, favorite BBQ joint.  In return, the restaurant gave Jason a V.I.P. card entitling him to a lifetime of free ribs!  So freaking cool. 

Moving on…

Fat Matt's

We get to the restaurant and grab some beers while we wait for another couple to meet us.  And who do we see chowing down on Fat Matt’s famous ribs??  None other than Serpas executive chef, Scott Serpas! 

Scott Serpas, Serpas True Food

(Who vaguely resembles my favorite Modern Family character, Cameron…  Love him!)

CAMERON!!

Obviously, we were in excellent company.  Our friends arrived shortly thereafter and we ordered. 

Fat Menu

Three of us selected the tasty pulled pork sandwiches on white buns – and Slick got the ribs.

Fat Kitchen

My pulled pork was predictably delicious, but I’d never had anything else at Fat Matt’s to compare it to.  Slick let me try one of his ribs – and it was heavenly.  I’m adverse to fat on BBQ, I’d almost rather it be tasteless than bite into fat on meat – the texture weirds me out.  Thankfully, I had no reservations about Fat Matt’s ribs, which were both pretty lean and flavorful.

Fat Ribs

Fat (but not fatty) Ribs

We inhaled our BBQ and washed it down with some Sweetwater beer, all while enjoying the live blues band.  Don’t forget to tip them!

Fat Music

Fat Music

It was a perfect celebratory dinner for Slick!  (He was in hog heaven… Get it?  Get it??)  And today, Slick has another reason to celebrate…HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! 

Jeff + Slick

More BBQ is on tap for tonight + Oysterfest @ Steamhouse Lounge tomorrow! 
Get your Oysterfest tickets here: http://www.ticketalternative.com/Venues/500.aspx

Fat Party

xx, L

Fat Matt’s Rib Shack
1811 Piedmont Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA  30324
404.607.1622
www.fatmattsribshack.com

Fat Matt's Rib Shack on Urbanspoon

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Cocktail Experts.

02/09/2010 in Buckhead, Cocktails, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 6 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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