You are currently browsing articles tagged clean plate club.
…I highly recommend that you cheat with these bad boys:
Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q Fried Ribs Appetizer
I ate one of those this weekend when my fam was in town, and I’m just gonna come out + say it… I DIDN’T regret it. Not even for a minute. I didn’t.
Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q’s fried ribs are definitely a splurge, but they are totally worth it in my book!
JUST sayin’. 
xx, L
Tags: bbq, clean plate club, comfort food, Country fried love, don't judge, i need a gym STAT, I'm just saying..., i'm on a diet., LMR, Ridiculous., splurge!, Table for Two, Texas Texas yeehaw!, That'll do Pig, The South, Things we love!, You Can Find Me in the A, Yowza.
So guys… I am here to tell you that if you’ve never been to Spiral Entertainment’s OysterFest, you are SERIOUSLY missing out.
To support this claim, I offer the following information:
1. Holy shellfish: there will be TONS of Blue Point and Malpeque oysters flown in and promptly steamed or fried for your eating pleasure
2. You can enjoy live music from local bands (full lineup below) as well as DJs whilst you munch on your marine mollusks
3. Ice cold beer will be provided so you can wash ‘em down
4. Most importantly, please witness my final piece of evidence:
Clearly this party is awesome.
Here’s the Q+DD:
(Please note that the price WILL increase and Oysterfest sold out last year. I am cool…but not cool enough to get you into a party that’s already full. Fact.)
Live Performances by:
The Issues (local Atlanta rock band)
Six Shot Revival (southern rock)
Red Zepplin (Led Zepplin tribute)
Talk Journey to Me (80s cover band)
Plus DJ Mike Walsh and DJ Mason Gill
Hope to see you guys there!
xx, L
http://www.spiralentertainment.com/events/oysterfest
**price does not include food or drink
Tags: blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol, Christine!, clean plate club, LKfest, More culture than frozen yogurt!, Moxie? We got it., very important people, You Can Find Me in the A
I ate too much over my birthday weekend. FACT.
Also FACT: My most delicious meal was eaten at Aria.
This Buckhead institution is known for its delicious food, excellent service, extensive wine list, and super-exclusive wine room table. It’s a restaurant that I think of for celebrations. Turning 30 was an appropriate one. I was treated to this fantastic dinner by my fantastic friend, Gorms. You are going to be so disgusted impressed by how much we ate!
We began our feast by polishing off Pastry Chef Kathryn King’s Warm Focaccia Bread and a glass of pinot gris. If there was a such thing as a winter coat made out of bread – I’d want it to be this bread.
Next up was Aria’s Creamless Celery Root Soup with black truffles and parmesan.
Potato and Goat Cheese Ravioli with lamb and mushroom bolognese and reggiano parmigiano followed.
Warm Lobster Cocktail with butter braised Maine lobster, broccoli, and black truffle potatoes were next. This was incredibly delish! Gorm’s favorite, in fact.
For entrees, we shared the Blue Ridge Mountain Trout with sweet potatoes, black trumpet mushrooms, Maine lobster, and white corn…
…and the Painted Hills Ranch Natural Beef Short Rib with celery root whipped potatoes, tender carrots, sugar snap peas, and celery hearts.
They were cooked to perfection. So many lovely flavors!
Dessert began with a sensational Warm Apple Tart with caramel ice cream to share…
…and ended with a delightful birthday plate of chocolate surprises!
The meal was OUT OF THIS WORLD (as predicted)! If you have something to celebrate – celebrate here. I would also tell you to order exactly like we did. We had such a nice variety of savory and pastry, and I really feel like it was an excellent sampling of Aria’s menu. I’ve never heard anything negative about this restaurant, and I only have very positive praise to add! So well done!
Enjoy, restaurant-goers! And, thank you Gormsie, for such a delicious night!
xx, L
Aria
490 E. Paces Ferry Rd. NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
404.233.7673
www.aria-atl.com
Tags: Beef., birthday lovin, buckhead betties, clean plate club, don't judge, fancy pants, Gorms, i need a gym STAT, I'm just saying..., incredibly bold statements, LMR, sugar rush!, sweet tooth, Table for Two, That'll do Pig, Things that are awesome..., Things we love!, very important people, wine-O, WineTime, You Can Find Me in the A
Yesterday did not start off great.
You see, I walked out to my parking garage to find my back left tire…
Flatter than a pancake.
I managed to get to the Costco in my neighborhood at Town Brookhaven, and after waiting for an hour and a half for Costco Tire Center to open, I was informed that though the puncture from the NAIL I drove over could be repaired, my tire was essentially mulch on the inside and would have to be replaced. HOWEVER – they didn’t have the tire I needed in stock at that location so they fitted my car with a lovely donut and instructed me to high tail it to the Perimeter Costco to get this blessed tire.
In the 5.6 miles between the two Costcos…apparently I rolled through a stop sign and was promptly pulled over by a motorcycle cop.
Yep.
However, alls well that ends well because it just so happens that my evening was so spectacular that it quite literally saved the day.
Check out my two-step remedy:
Step 1. Core Fusion® Cardio at Exhale Mind Body Spa in Midtown.
I decided I had mooched off Lindsay’s Exhale membership for long enough so I called up our buddy Anne Marie to get myself my very own membership! Yay!
Linds has been preachin’ the gospel about Exhale for a while, but as a reminder, the Q+DD on Core Fusion® Cardio is this: It’s a “calorie burning, sweat inducing, body sculpting, power-packed fitness experience, masterminded by the co-creators of Core Fusion®, Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito. Merging cardio with intense strength and flexibility moves, this 60-minute class generates maximum calorie burn, resulting in defined abs, sculpted legs, and high, rounded glutes.”
I am here to tell you it was ridiculously tough and I felt like a bazillion bucks when I finished.
After our class, Linds, our girlfriend Stef, and I met a handful of our fabulous friends for the BEST thing that ever happened to Wednesdays (and also step 2 in my remedy.)
Step 2. LADIES NIGHT at Piola!
Reminder: if you are a lady, EVERY Wednesday, you can enjoy BOTTOMLESS wine or sangria with the purchase of an entrée or a pizza. I suggest both.
I’d also suggest ordering absolutely ANYTHING with the Catupiry cheese. ET turned me on to this amazing soft cheese from Brazil and it pretty much just makes everything better.
There you have it, ladies. Straight from LK. There is nothing a little detox/retox and a GNO* can’t fix.
Happy Thursday, friends. It’s ALMOST the weekend.
xx, L
*Girls’ Night Out. Duh.
Tags: Beauty is as beauty does., blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol, careful cowboy!, clean plate club, comfort food, detox/retox, ET, GNO, I'm just saying..., Things that are awesome..., Things we love!, You Can Find Me in the A, Yowza.
Need an idea for a fun date or girls night out??
On Monday, January 23, Double Zero Napoletana is hosting a pizza making class! The Sandy Springs restaurant is offering two separate seatings – one at 6:00 p.m. and one at 8:00 p.m.
During the classes, Double Zero Napoletana staff will offer guests an exclusive opportunity to learn the art of making Neapolitan pizza in the restaurant’s beautiful, hand-crafted Stefano Ferrara ovens. Each class is limited to 15 attendees, and the cost is $39 per person.
Participants will learn about the unique and nuanced process of making dough at the highest level of quality. This interactive event also includes a glass of wine and a personal pizza creation.
So much fun!
And, don’t fret that Double Zero is all the way in Sandy Springs. It’s totally worth the schlep, as it’s one of the few restaurants that the Q+DD will travel OTP for! Read about our recent visit to Double Zero HERE!
Can’t make the 1/23 class? No worries! Double Zero is hosting another on February 27.
Make sure you register ASAP!
xx, L
Double Zero Napoletana
5825 Roswell Road
Atlanta, GA 30328
404.991.3666
http://www.doublezeroatl.com/home/
Tags: careful cowboy!, clean plate club, Cooking w/ L+L, I'm just saying..., LMR, OTP, Pizza!, PLU, Table for Two, Things that are awesome..., You Can Find Me in the A
A few weeks ago, Linds and I visited the always chic Intercontinental Hotel in Buckhead. If you haven’t been to the Intercon in a while, you’re in for a surprise. The space that used to be XOXO Bar has now transformed into the VERY sleek Bourbon Bar…
…and the space that was once inhabited by Au Pied de Cochon has now become Art Smith’s new restaurant, Southern Art.
The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous and our meal was good…but allow me to skip to the best part:
12. Layer. Red. Velvet. Cake.
Is this real life?
xx, L
Southern Art and Bourbon Bar
(404) 946-9070
3315 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30305
Tags: clean plate club, comfort food, I'm just saying..., Things that are awesome..., You Can Find Me in the A
Concentrics Restaurant Group is keeping you warm this January with tons of Cold Cash savings!
Join Concentrics’ e-mail database, follow them on Facebook, or visit their website to download Concentrics’ Cold Cash. Enjoy $12 off at their participating Atlanta restaurants for the entire month of January!
Sa-weet! Visit their website here: Stay full + save money this January at Concentrics!
xx, L
Tags: clean plate club, I'm just saying..., LMR, Recessionistas, Table for Two, You Can Find Me in the A
Fact: I had the best sushi roll I’ve eaten in months at Zuma Sushi in Old Fourth Ward on Sunday night.
BEHOLD…in all its glory…the Viagra Roll. (Yeah, it’s really called that.)
Eel, cream cheese, avocado + tobiko. It was very simple, really fresh + totally perfect…and gone in the blink of an eye. Woosh! This place is GOOD.
Know before you go: (1) “Zuma” means “running horse.” (2) Service staff can be slow. (3) Sitting at the bar with the chefs is the way to go in my humble opinion. (4) The Zuma Sushi in Old Fourth has better atmosphere than the one in Toco Hills. (5) It’s on Scoutmob! Yea!
xx, L
Zuma Sushi
701 Highland Avenue NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30312
404.381.1180
http://www.zumasushibar.com/
Tags: clean plate club, I'm just saying..., LMR, newsworthy, oh so hipster, Table for Two, Things that are awesome..., Things we love!, You Can Find Me in the A
Ashley Hesseltine has changed my life.
Again.
If you aren’t reading Hesseltime you should start… immediately. It’s basically a wealth of information. For example, you can learn all about the menagerie of towel animals available on a cruise ship, how to properly interview a celebrity, or how to get over being dumped – plus hear all about the latest and greatest going on in the life of Hess.
Aaaannyway… I saw Miss Hess recently and I have to tell you – homegirl is looking GOOD and she’s crediting a single substance to a chunk of this hotness:
Ok here’s the Q+DD on Chuice: It’s a juice that you chew. (Hence the name) and since it’s raw food, it can be used both to cleanse and as a meal replacement. Made fresh daily by a company called Taste of Earth right here in Atlanta, Chuice is a blend of more than 45 fruits, veggies, herbs, nuts and seeds. Apparently it has a lot of protelytic and fibrinolytic enzymes which aid both the digestive and immune system and 11g of fiber in each serving which is HUGE for pulling waste and toxins out of your body. They also say the high enzyme content will actually slow the aging process! Sign me up.
Obviously I jumped right on this bandwagon and I am a BELIEVER. Here’s what you need to know: it is delicious…it is filling…it makes me feel GREAT… but it does NOT look very appetizing.
Sorry I ripped off your photo, Hess.
Greg won’t even try it. (When we went to Highland Bakery to pick up my supply yesterday, he remarked that he feels like it’s not juice you chew, its soup you drink. Fair. But I just don’t think “Droup” sounds any more appealing.)
BUT: as I mentioned, I am definitely seeing results. I think it brightens my complexion, it keeps me VERY satisfied (and it’s mildly sweet, so it curbs my sweet tooth too!) and at 7 WW points/16 oz, it’s definitely helped me take off some lbs. I get the green kind (a.k.a. “The Forest”) but it also comes in red too – which is heavier on the beet content and very good for your blood and circulation. For starters, the recommendation is to drink 20oz during the first half of your day, and then eat regularly (but ideally healthfully) in the evening.
I usually have about 6-8oz in the morning and depending on my day, I try to replace 1 meal with 16oz of Chuice. I try to have a bottle in my work fridge for those days when you can’t leave your desk, it’s incredibly convenient. Here’s the deal, though: each half gallon ($25) is only good for 3 days, so you need to make sure you consume it and replenish with fresh Chuice. (This has NOT been a problem for me. I drain every last drop)
You can get Chuice at any Highland Bakery location or from Taste of Earth directly. They also ship! Email ladell@tasteofearth.net or visit them online at www.tasteofearth.net. Be sure to mention that your sales rep was Ashley Hesseltine!
I think I’m looking younger already…
xx, L
Tags: Beauty is as beauty does., clean plate club, healthy as heck, Hess, I'm just saying..., Things that are awesome..., very important people, You Can Find Me in the A
As y’all know, Fifth Group’s restaurants are some of my favorites in Atlanta. Sooooooo naturally, I’ve been closely watching the progress of their newest downtown hot spot, Alma Cocina.
Set to open this month, Lauren + I were recently able to take a sneak peak into the contemporary Mexican restaurant to try out some of their tasty bites!
When it officially opens, Alma Cocina will serve lunch + dinner and provide catering services to the downtown Atlanta area. The restaurant accommodates about 200 guests for traditional dining room seating, accented by two distinct bar areas with large booths and communal tables which spill out into the beautiful One Ninety One Peachtree Tower atrium.
We sat at the bar, which was a spectacular choice, because we got to spend two full hours with the fabulous bartender Tony – who, get THIS, plays a zombie in AMC’s The Walking Dead seasons 1+2! We love him. MEET him.
I started off with a skinny girl margarita called “Just Wear Black”: Herradura silver tequila, agave syrup, and hand-squeezed lime juice. It was goooooooood. Made perfectly.
Lauren opted for some amazing-looking rum drink. I missed the name of the cocktail, and admittedly, the ingredients - but I DO know this: Lauren liked it a lot. And, it comes in a cool glass. Witness, por favor:
Our man Tony ordered us some traditional Guacamole: tomato, lime, cilantro, red onion, and serrano. It was good. Although we didn’t try it, we thought the Guacamole & Butternut Squash on the menu sounded pretty cool. It’s seasoned with chipotle and queso fresco.
Lauren and I decided to share everything – small plates and entrees. We certainly brought our appetites.
One of my favorite dishes of the night was the Yellowtail Ceviche: pickled mango, cucumber-serrano water, coconut granita, Fresno chile, and micro cilantro. So fresh – so light and unexpected at a Mexican restaurant.
Next up, Braised Lamb Taquitos: cucumber-mint salsa, fire-roasted salsa, queso cotija, and pomegranate seeds. We thought the pomegranate seeds were such a nice touch, and they added a unique flavor to this creative dish.
We moved on to the Huitlacoche Empanada: corn truffle, charred tomato, jalapeno, queso Oaxaca, epazote, and salsa ranchero. It hit the spot.
Tony stopped us there and informed us that we needed a wee bit more to drink. (Did I mention that we loved Tony?!) He whipped up a blended pina colada with ginger for us to share. It tasted like Christmas in Mexico! And, you MUST know by now how we feel about umbrellas in our drinks. We couldn’t have been happier if we tried.
We made Tony take a picture of us with it…
Eventually, it was dinner time. We shared a Pork Pibil Tamale: banana leaf-braised with bacon-corn masa, green chile sauce, crema, and pico de gallo.
And, also a Roasted Chicken Mole Oaxaca: mashed plantains, grilled green beans, and sesame seeds. I pretty much ate all of the plantain mash. SO good. Sorry, Lauren…
To finish off our grande meal, we shared a few bites of the refreshing Grapefruit-Mint Sorbet: rum-marinated pineapple, guajillo chile sauce.
I’m fully aware that that was a lot of food for two lovely ladies, and I’m being completely honest when I say that we ate most of it and we weren’t in a food coma when we left the restaurant. The plates were smallish – perfect for sharing – and many of them were lighter than you’d expect at a Mexican restaurant. We LOVED Alma Cocina + we’re thrilled to add it to our Fifth Group favorites list! Heck, we’ll even drive downtown to eat there… Anytime.
Welcome, Alma Cocina! Ay! Ay! Ay! We’ll be back soon.
xx, L
Alma Cocina
191 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
http://www.alma-atlanta.com/
Tags: Beef., blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol, careful cowboy!, clean plate club, comfort food, dinner date!, don't judge, I'm just saying..., More culture than frozen yogurt!, Moxie? We got it., PLU, see and be seen, Table for Two, Things that are awesome..., Things we love!, very important people, we heart fifth group, You Can Find Me in the A
…can be found at Abattoir. (Oooooooooooooh, ahhhhhhhhhh!)
steak tartare w/ miso-soy glaze, sesame aioli + quail egg
It’s legit. That’s all.
xx, L
Abattoir
1170 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA 30318
404.892.3335
www.starprovisions.com
Tags: Beef., clean plate club, I'm just saying..., incredibly bold statements, LMR, newsworthy, Table for Two, Things that are awesome..., Things we love!, westSIDEEEE, You Can Find Me in the A
Ok I am tardy to the party. I visited Barcelona Wine Bar WEEKS ago and forgot to tell you all about it.
Inhabiting the space where Zaya used to be in Inman Park, it’s (you guessed it) a Spanish tapas joint and it is AMAZING. The space is absolutely gorgeous, all wood-plank walls, warm and cozy and outrageously lively and fun.
(Photo credit and more pix click HERE – Squarefeetstudio.com)
It was PACKED the night my girl Brooke and our G’s (George + Greg. Duh.) went – which was a Wednesday if memory serves. Word on the street is that it stays pretty busy…
I’ll be completely honest, I don’t remember exactly what I ate. The menu is a huge list of tapas and we tried a TON.
Luckily I snapped some pix:
Roasted chickpea puree with house made pita chips
Ham and cheese croquetas
Albondigas. (meatballs, and sorry for the gross picture. They were delicious, actually.)
Empenadas!
I suggest bringing a fun couple. B+G will do nicely...
Love my Brooke!
Everything was delicious and I can’t wait to go back again! Apparently, it’s part of a chain up in New England, but I didn’t feel like I was in a chain restaurant at all.
It’s perfect for just about every kind of dining experience: girls’ night, date night, etc. – but I think it would be a perfect first date spot. It’s got that perfect blend of low key and fun!
Anyway – go, enjoy. But make a rezzie. That place is CROWDED.
xx, L
Barcelona Wine Bar
(404) 589-1010
240 N. Highland Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30307
Tags: blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol, careful cowboy!, clean plate club, I'm just saying..., PLU, Things that are awesome..., You Can Find Me in the A, Yowza.
Readers’ Choice:
Best Local Blog + Best Local Bloggers
