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The Social Goat Bed + Breakfast (Grant Park)

01/23/2012 in Grant Park, Hotels, Inman Park, Random Musings, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

Over my birthday weekend, Kevin took it upon himself to make plans.  Shocked, I was, shocked!  And, v. pleased.  :)

He arranged for a number of excellent meals over the weekend, but my favorite thing we did was have a little stay-cation at The Social Goat Bed + Breakfast in Grant Park.

Here’s the Q+DD on The Social Goat:

The Social Goat Bed + Breakfast is located in downtown Atlanta, and is in the community surrounding the oldest city park, Grant Park.  The park was established in 1882 when Lemuel P. Grant gave the city of Atlanta 100 acres and the city acquired an additional 44 acres to create a park for its citizens, eventually developing Atlanta’s largest historic neighborhood.  A failed circus traveling through town in 1889 was purchased and animals were placed in what is now Zoo Atlanta for spectators.  In 1892, the circular painting of the Battle of Atlanta was exhibited in the park and is now housed in the Atlanta Cyclorama.  Just one block from the park, guest can enjoy all the attractions and much more while the stay at The Social Goat.

the social goat exterior

The Social Goat was originally built in 1900 as a Queen Anne Victorian to accommodate 13 children.  Once a working farm and homestead, the house was located on a large piece of property that eventually was sold to make way for suburban building.  This property is now 3/4 of an acre and once again has a miniature barnyard.  Residents include two nigerian dwarf goats named “Sherman” and “Tallulah”, three cats named “Monkey, Leon, Tanuki”, three black spanish turkeys, 12 chickens, and plenty of goldfish and koi that inhabit the pond.  The Social Goat welcomes you with southern hospitality, and invites you to stay and relax on their little city farm.

Prior to our stay at The Social Goat, I hadn’t heard about this bed + breakfast before, so I was super impressed that Kevin had booked our stay at such a unique place!  When we arrived, we took a brief tour of the house – which was beautiful. 

Here’s a peek:

We moved in our bags, quickly changed + headed to Barcelona Wine Bar in nearby Inman Park for an EXCELLENT dinner. 

barcelona wine bar

The next morning, Kristy (The Social Goat owner + innkeeper) made us breakfast in the dining room.  She borrowed eggs from the chickens on her farm behind the house.  The breakfast was DE-licious.  A true feast.

Finally, it was time to meet the animals!  This was the biggest highlight for me!  We hung out with the most friendly, dog-like, dwarf goats named Sherman + Tallulah. 

I. fell. in. LOVE!! 

They, however, were slightly less interested in us, and way more interested in my bright purple jacket.  Oh well.  Still soooooooo unbelievably cute!

Then, we met the roosters who had woken us up in the morning.  This one is named Fabio. 

Kevin and I did not make friends with the turkeys.  They were jerks.

We really could have played with the animals all day…

The Social Goat Bed + Breakfast truly deserves the positive reviews and praise it’s received on Yelp!  I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a little getaway within the city.  It was such a unique experience – one that I know I will never forget.  I just loved!

More info on The Social Goat Bed + Breakfast here: Gobble til ya Wobble!

Miss you, Sherman + Tallulah…

xx, L

The Social Goat Bed + Breakfast
548 Robinson Ave.
Atlanta, Georgia  30315
404.626.4830
http://www.thesocialgoatbandb.com/

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PARTY at PONCE (10/1)

09/29/2011 in Event Space, Events, Guilty Pleasures, Midtown, On the Street, Parties, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | No comments

Put on your party hats, people, for Party at Ponce on Saturday, October 1!
 
Party at Ponce is a kickoff for Ponce City Market and celebration of Green Street Properties 10th Anniversary, benefiting the Atlanta Beltline Partnership and Georgia Organics.  This once-in-a-lifetime party will include musical performances by The Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins + Francine Reed.
 

The finest chefs in Atlanta are preparing food for you to sample. The line-up currently includes:

•   Kevin Rathbun of Rathbun’s
•   Anne Quatrano of Bacchanalia
•   Shaun Doty of Yeah! Burger
•   Jay Swift of 4th and Swift
•   Hugh Acheson of Empire State South
•   Ford Fry of JCT Kitchen
•   Duane Nutter of One Flew South
•   Brian Jones of the Ritz-Carlton Atlanta
•   Joe Truex of Watershed
•   Joshua Hopkins of Abattoir
•   Ron Eyester of Rosebud
•   Scott Serpas of Serpas
•   Pano Karatassos of Buckhead Life Restaurant Group
•   Frederico Castellucci of Iberian Pig…and more to come!
 
As if that wasn’t enough, some of your favorite food trucks will also be on hand to be sure that all of your food cravings are satisfied.
 
Tours of the old Sears building will be provided during the party on a first-come first-serve basis.

Ponce City Market, a two million square-foot structure, is an adaptive reuse development that when revitalized will house a mix of retail, dining, office + residential space.  A landmark structure at the crossroads of Midtown, Poncey Highland, Old Fourth Ward + Virginia Highland, situated along the Atlanta Beltline transit corridor, Ponce City Market is perfectly positioned to become a hub among its neighboring communities, and a vibrant reflection of the diversity that makes each of those neighborhoods authentic and distinct.  It is a development borne of integrity, one that is destined to emerge as Atlanta’s next great urban experience.

This all sounds amazing, but for me The Indigo Girls performing takes the CAKE!

indigo girls

I am going to DC this weekend + will unfortunately miss PatP, but I would absolutely be there if I was going to be in town! 

Find out more about the event here: PARTY AT PONCE. 

Ticket info here: GET ‘EM WHILE THEY’RE HOT!

Party on, Atlanta.  :)

xx, L

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Fungi from Fun Guys

07/19/2011 in Brookhaven, Festivals, PSAs, Trend Alert, What we're Doing by Lauren | No comments

As you may or may not know, I moved to Brookhaven a couple of months ago and I’m pretty much obsessed with my new neighborhood.  It. Is. Love.  

Reason #20958206 why I love Broohaven: the newly-invigorated Brookhaven Farmers’ Market (Saturdays from 9am – 1pm in the Haven parking lot: 1441 Dresden Drive, Atlanta, GA 30319)

Last Saturday got there a little late – so I’ll have to go get the full experience another time, but even though everyone was packing it up as we arrived… DK+DK managed to score gold:

Mushrooms on a Log: everything you need to grow your own shiitake mushrooms on a log brought to you by 2 Fun Guys.(Props for the awesome name, dudes.)

Yup.  Just a log.  Inoculated with a strain of shiitake mushrooms.  Ready for you to take home, care for, and harvest yourself.  

Check out owners Todd Pittard and Howard Berk on their website HERE.  They’ll tell you how to care for them, even walk you through your harvest and give you suggestions on how to cook ‘em!  I couldn’t dig this idea any more.  

Dad walked off very happy with his log o’ shrooms. 

I’ll keep you posted on it’s progress!

xx, L

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Sit. Drink. Stay. (Leave Your Dog/Twitter @ Home.)

05/06/2011 in Cocktails, Highlands, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

Or so you are mostly instructed to do at The Family Dog, Ron Eyester + Jason Chenette’s (Rosebud dudes) relatively newish watering hole + cozy eatery in Morningside.

The Family Dog, located directly across the street from Rosebud, offers creative, farm-to-table pub cuisine + an innovative fare of handcrafted beers and cocktails. 

We all know who Ron Eyester is, right?  Or at least heard about his Twitter handle: The Angry Chef.  I’m assuming so, but if not, catch up on your Atlanta chef-related social media scoop here: Ron’s angry at you…that’s right, YOU.

ron eyester

While Ron may regard his tweets as comical or witty, Slick and I often find them pretty offensive.  Both of us follow him on Twitter + I’ll admit that we will chuckle every so often, BUT while recently dining at The Family Dog, we asked ourselves how we’d feel if Ron was tweeting about one of our mothers altering the preparation of her order or asking for the kitchen to substitute something.  His tweets were no longer all that funny. 

We understand what he’s trying to do – drawing attention to the ”absurdities” that happen every day in the restaurant industry, but whether he likes it or not he has chosen to enter the service industry AND the customer IS always right, right?? 

Ron’s tweets haven’t stopped me from going to Rosebud.  In fact, I dine there regularly.  I will say, though, that they never give me the warm fuzzies about the restaurant.  And, no matter how uncomfortable my server looks (and they always hesitate) when I order my usual (the Breakfast Bowl) and ask for the grape tomatoes to be switched out for sun-dried, I plan to continue to do it.  I may even do it tomorrow…

Soooooooooo, that’s all I have to say about that.  (If Ron gets to rant, I get to, too.)

Moving on to The Family Dog.  :)

Slick + I had ourselves a nice little Easter Sunday lunch on The Family Dog’s patio.  We watched Ron walk back and forth between his restaurants several times + assumed that both establishments were going to be very busy on the holiday.  And, good for them. 

On the patio, The Family Dog lists a number of rules for patio eaters to follow.  No doubt this is Ron’s restaurant…  I think the “no dogs within the patio area” rule is kind of silly for a place called The Family Dog, but I’ll admit that I’d rather see the house rules painted on the side of the building than commented about in a snarky tweet.

As we expected, our server was exceptionally knowledgeable about the menu + we very much enjoyed our meal.  To start, we ordered the Pimento Cheese w/ Spicy Saltines and practically licked the dish clean.  It was particularly refreshing while sitting on the patio on a warm day. 

Our lunch was on the earlier side for a Sunday, so we had to wait until the GA-approved time to order drinks.  When that time came, Slick selected a fancy beer + I ordered The Morningsider: Boodles gin, fresh squeezed lemon + Luxardo maraschino liqueur.  It was pretty much a basic Aviation + I enjoyed it.

Peeking out from the back of that photo you’ll see my entree, The Burger: it’s made with Riverview Farms beef + it only comes 1 way…  It didn’t have me doing cartwheels, but it was a solid burger.  Slick got the Peekytoe Crab Melt w/ White American & Pepper Jelly and he was very pleased with his order.

There are a number of menu items that I’d like to go back and try.  These all sounded particularly delicious to me:

Housemade Cheetohs (Of Course They Have Pork In Them)

“Billy Bob’s” Fried Bologna Sandwich w/ Pickles, Cheese + Crushed Fritos

Noodle Bowl w/ Smoked Chix, Vegetables, Hamhock-Shrimp Broth + Soft Poached Egg

Mussels Steamed in Beer w/ Serranos + Leeks

Korean Style Duck Quesadilla

Disco Fries w/ Marrow Gravy, Pickled Japs, American Cheese + Fried Egg

(And believe me, there are more.) 

The Family Dog is going to do well.  (Did I mention that I love its name?)  It’s a bar scene that I appreciate in The Highlands – more of a laid back feeling than that of the Emory students running around The Cavern + Highland Tap on the corner of Virginia and N. Highland Ave.  The food is good, very good, in fact.  And the large menu is sure to keep you coming back to try more + more of it.  I may not personally be down with Ron Eyester’s sarcastic/ pointedly rude comments about his paying customers who are currently dining in his restaurant and driving him nuts, but again, they’re not exactly keeping me away.

Try The Family Dog.  Just be sure to shut off your Twitter account before you sit down…

xx, L

The Family Dog
1402 North Highland Ave.
Atlanta, GA  30306
404.249.0180
www.thefamilydogatlanta.com

The Family Dog on Urbanspoon

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Sunday Supper + Hunting Horcruxes.

11/22/2010 in Decatur, Harry Potter, PSAs, What we're Watching, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 5 comments

Isn’t alliteration fun, kids?  :)

Yesterday night, Slick + the Levins + I headed out to the historic Decatur train depot for some serious farm-fueled comfort food at Farmstead 303.  And, it just so happened that there was a Scoutmob deal for it…   Perfect. 

Teri Rogers, owner of an adorable restaurant across the street from Farmstead 303 called Feast, opened F 303 in June of this year.  The menu is seasonal + from local farms, and the restaurant feels incredibly authentic.  You are having dinner in a barn.  Although upon walking into the restaurant I instantly regretted sporting my five inch nude suede pumps, I totally dug the country-casual atmosphere.  I felt like I was in the movie Twister, but minus the tornadoes.

Here’s a peek  at what our table looked like. 

The menu was incredibly hearty + filled with lots of southern fried goodness.  For appetizers, we ordered the deviled farm eggs…

…and the fried local cauliflower + pepper jelly. 

The eggs were good, although not nearly as delicious as the d.eggs at Bocado, but I thought the cauliflower was a bit too heavily fried for my personal liking.  Slick + Brian agreed that if they came back to F 303, they would order the appetizer sampler instead of individual apps.  They wanted a bit more of a variety of the restaurant’s small bites.

For my entree, I ordered the Georgia Mountain Trout + wilted spinach salad with roasted new potatoes, applewood smoked bacon, beet pancake + horseradish sauce.  There was a party on my plate!  I passed it around the table and everyone thought it was delicious.

Brian ordered the crispy pan seared duck breast w/ pancetta roasted brussels sprouts + candied carrots.  He reported that it was tasty + enjoyable, but honestly nothing to write home about.

Slick + Sarah both raved about their Painted Hills burgers w/ pimento cheese, thick cut bacon + homemade chips.

 I had a few bites of Slick’s and thought it was a pretty. solid. burger.  (Close up below.)

Overall, we really enjoyed the F 303 experience.  There’s a time and place for everything, and the time to go to F 303 is when you really need some serious southern cookin’.  If F 303 doesn’t hit the spot, I’m not sure if anything will.

Farmstead 303 Menu + Hours Here:  FANTASTICALLY FRIED FEASTING
Info on Farmstead’s Raised Bed Urban Garden Here: 303 GARDENING

After dinner, Slick + I zipped over to Atlantic Station’s movie theater to claim seats for the 9:00 p.m. Harry Potter #7 Part 1.  As you know, I’m a pretty huge HP fan + have been eagerly awaiting the release of the 7th movie.  AND (drum roll please…), I thought it was really fantastic!  There were some slow scenes, but they were necessary to add to the build up for July’s #7 Part 2.  I can’t WAIT!

IMPORTANT PSA:  This is totally going to come off as parenting-advice-from-a-non-parent, but I don’t really care.  One of my biggest pet peeves is people talking during movies  Um, hello – there are like 400 pre-movie commercials reminding you that “silence is golden!”  I will ask you to be quiet if you are infringing on my movie-going-experience, oh random fellow movie-goer.  Even worse is when parents bring children WHO SHOULD BE IN BED or WITH A BABYSITTER to late movies that aren’t age appropriate for them.  Our movie started at 9:00 p.m. on a Sunday night, and there was a BABY in the theater + two kids under the age of 8 or so sitting behind Slick + I.  I wish I could report their parents.  I really do.  Just saying…I’m judging you.

In prep for HP #7 Part 1, Slick + I spent Saturday 10:00 a.m. through Sunday 12:30 a.m. watching the first six Harry Potter movies back to back w/ the Rischels = HARRY POTTER MARATHON DAY (HPMD) 2010!  It was quite epic, if I do say so myself.  Mich (Flounder) + Slick fell into a pizza coma + passed out during the last movie, but Justin and I made it.  By the end of the day, we all felt like we’d earned a boy scout badge or something. At least recognition from Caribou Coffee for all the caffeine we’d consumed…  I can safely say that it was one of my favorite days of the past year.  Fact. 

July – You are WAY too far away!

xx, L

Farmstead 303
303 East Howard Avenue
Decatur, GA  30030
404.377.3550
http://farmstead303.squarespace.com/

Farmstead 303 on Urbanspoon

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Wednesday Night @ Woodfire.

11/15/2010 in Appetizers, Midtown, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

I’m not quite sure what took me so long, but I finally tried Woodfire Grill last week.

LK has written (pro-con-pro) about it before, so I won’t go into great detail – but I will say that the interior was really different than I expected (I loved the restaurant’s design aesthetic) + the food was very, very tasty.  And, on the way to our table, we were all excited to catch a few glimpses of Mr. Gillespie working his pork-lovin’ magic in the kitchen.

Gillespie. Genius.

We spotted him again hanging out in the female restroom, but this time he was made out of construction paper.  (I thought this was precious…)

Slick + I had the honor of dining with the absolutely adorable couple, Becoming the Caseys.  

Woodfire offers two tasting menus in addition to its regular menu.  In order to try one of the tasting menus, the entire table has to opt for it - everyone.  We decided, instead, to select our own dinner items.  (Although I think if we go back, we’ll definitely do the tasting menu.  Really, who did we think we were assuming that we were smarter than the chef?!) 

Everyone enjoyed their entrees + dessert, but the most popular items were without a doubt the appetizers: squash soup + scallops + pork belly were all incredibly delish!  Be sure to note, though, that overall the portions are pretty modest.  Slick thought that everything we ordered was really tasty, but I noticed a few eyebrow raises from his side of the table when our plates arrived.  (I know that my father would have felt the same way.)  The portion sizes were perfect for me, however.  So, just know before you go…


(They’re the cutest.)  Check out their wedding blog here:  BECOMING THE CASEYS

It was such a nice evening, and really fun to randomly plan a sorta fancy pants dinner late on a Wednesday night.  We were at the restaurant enjoying the food + ambiance + excellent company for over three hours!  Almost immediately upon getting home, I slipped into a deep food coma until 7:00 a.m. the following morning. 

I thought Woodfire was pretty darn fantastic.  I certainly don’t have to tell you that, though – with the difficulty that we had getting a reservation, it seems like Woodfire is still one of the most popular restaurants in town!  Way to go, Gillespie (real – not construction).  Keep up the good work!

xx, L

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

Woodfire Grill on Urbanspoon

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True Food, Extreme Excellence.

10/27/2010 in Appetizers, Inman Park, Old 4th Ward, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 5 comments

My closest girlfriend, Mrs. Wolkove, was in town last Thursday – Monday.  She lives in L.A. and has a pretty incredible West Coast lifestyle, so I really wanted to show her what Atlanta had to offer over her long weekend trip!  (I was wildly successful, but more on THAT tomorrow…)  Anyway, I made a v. long list of important things she had to see + do while she was here, one of which was a big Saturday night dinner @ Serpas True Food – one of my favorite Atlanta restaurants. 

Slick + I invited a few friends to join us for our feast.  (Flash forward…)  Everyone – every single person – was head over heels for the restaurant by the time the bill arrived!  Phrases like “best new restaurant in Atlanta, “most delicious meal I’ve had in years,” and “I can die happily now” were casually thrown around our table.  Frankly, I couldn’t agree more.  Serpas IS fantastic, and has solidly secured a spot in my prestigious Top Five Favorite Atlanta Restaurants List. 

LK + I have been to Serpas for brunch before, and she blogged about how much we loved it, but dinner - OH dinner – blew. us. away.

The Q+DD on Serpas:  The restaurant is named for the owner and chef, Scott Serpas, who trained under Kevin Rathbun in Dallas + Atlanta, was in cahoots with the Concentrics people as the executive chef at TWO Urban Licks, and also served as the executive chef at Sia’s in Alpharetta + sister restaurant Mitra before opening his own digs last January.  The space itself is VERY cool.  It’s located at the Pavillion at Studioplex (Irwin and Auburn Ave.) and used to be an old cotton storage facility built in the 1900s.

Not only do Atlantans love Serpas, but also it was recently named one of the 10 “Best Restaurants in America” by GQ Magazine. 

Here’s a peek inside:

Serpas

Without further adieu, here’s what we ate…

Beginning

Tuna Tartar: chili sesame dressing, green apple, house chips

Flash Fried Oysters: pickled chiles, mirliton

BBQ Pork Flatbread: pork shoulder + belly, creole cole slaw, coriander flatbread

Shaved Calamari: chili syrup

(By this point, we were discussing how our entrees could possibly be more delicious than our starters…  Everything was absolutely fantastic + incredibly flavorful.)

Slick @ Serpas

Middle

Duck Breast: glazed baby sweet potatoes, toasted pecans, yellow filet beans

Open-faced Ravioli: layered w/ braised short rib, local arugula, red wine jus

Jumbo Sea Scallops: lady peas, panang curry

Trout (Crab & Mushroom Stuffed): lemon thyme butter, new potatoes, asparagus, mushrooms

Veggie Pot Pie: grilled root veggies + asparagus + squash, baby sunflower sprouts, arugula tossed in arugula pesto, sunflower seeds, shaved apple salad

Braised Short Rib: cream cheese herb whipped potatoes, breakfast radishes, tempura onion ring

Blackened Salmon Tacos: crispy wonton shell, pickled radishes, arugula, tomatillo mayo

Finale

Brown Sugar Cake: poached pears, cinnamon ice cream

Fried Apple Pie: vanilla ice cream

We were stuffed, but still had enough energy for a quick “hello” w/ the brains behind the extreme excellence that is Serpas: chef + owner, Scott Serpas.

The Man.

And a few pictures, of course…

Not a bad lookin’ group, eh?  :)

Ugh, we had such a great meal – and we are all STILL talking about it!

If you haven’t been already, run – don’t walk - to Serpas ASAP!  You are seriously missing out.  Also, don’t forget that it’s open for brunch every Sunday!  See you there super soon!  Enjoy, foodies… 

P.S.  Be sure to say “hello” to Bartender Matt!

xx, L

Serpas True Food
659 Auburn Ave. NE #501
Atlanta, GA  30312
404.688.0040
www.serpasrestaurant.com

Serpas True Food on Urbanspoon

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OTP w/ Purpose.

08/23/2010 in Suburbs, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 1 comment

On Sunday morning, Slick + I ventured OTP to meet the Rishel’s for brunch + to see their new Smyrna-diggs and meet their adorable new puppy, Rowdy.  Fact – I am in love with Rowdy. 

how could you not love this little guy??

I went into a bit of restaurant-related-panic-mode when we agreed to do brunch OTP, but Mich quickly reminded me that my beloved Muss + Turners* is relatively close to their new place.  Yes, ma’am! 

*Note:  The last time I went to M+T’s was after I’d been out of work for a week with e. coli (from Las Margaritas on Cheshire Bridge – FYI).  M+T’s “Gobbler” was the first real food I could eat for almost a week.  It was like magic.  No joke.

Muss + Turners

Anyway, Slick and I left about 30 minutes early from my condo in Midtown to make sure that we weren’t too tardy for brunch – and we got to M+T’s w/ a surprising 10 minutes to spare.  As soon as we walked into the restaurant, we were bombarded with the delicious aroma of smoked meat.  We asked the host what it was, and he informed us that it was one of the day’s brunch specials: Hot Bacon on Bacon on Bacon Fat Biscuit Action.  Ummm, incredible!

As everyone perused through the brunch specials + extensive lunch menu, including very creative items in categories i.e. “FISH + Things that Swim,” “Divine SWINE,” “CHICKEN + Things with Wings,” and “BEEF & Things that Eat Grass” (also cute: “Yesterday’s Soup”), I sipped on some v. strong coffee and read the restaurant’s promotional Labor Day Lobster Bake Special:

Sounds like a deal to me!

Everyone ordered brunch items, but I just had to go with the Gobbler again.  How could I not after it rescued me from my Saltine-diet following my e. coli nightmare?  Plus, it’s mouthwateringly amazing…

Gobbler =Shaved house-roasted turkey breast served with Bubby Muss’ Ritz cracker stuffing, Swedish lingonberry coulis and thyme aioli on a toasted challah bun.  On the menu, they call it “THE sandwich.”  They are correct.

the gobbler

If I wasn’t going to order that, I was really considering “Swify Biscuits” on the brunch menu: Two bacon buttermilk biscuits with local/organic Berkshire pork (from Riverview Farms) slow-smoked, pulled, tossed in house BBQ, topped with horseradish slaw and Nueske’s applewood bacon w/ two fried eggs + a side of fruit salad.  I am pretty sure I just gained four pounds writing that out.

We ate like kings (queens = me + Mich). 

Afterwards, we drove around Smyrna a bit, and I have to admit – it’s kind of cute!  Muss + Turners may not be nearly as convenient to us ITP-ers as a number of local brunch spots, but it’s a heck of a lot better than most others.  Dare I say that it’s absolutely worth the drive?  Oh, I dare.

Muss + Turners: I apologize for forgetting about you, old friend, after all you’ve done for me.  I’ll be back v. soon.

xx, L

Muss + Turners
1675 Cumberland Pkwy SE
Smyrna, GA  30080
770.434.1114
www.mussandturners.com

Muss & Turners on Urbanspoon

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Nail in the Coffin.

06/29/2010 in Westside, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 6 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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This little piggy went to the farmstand…

06/17/2010 in Health, Tricks of the Trade, Westside, Where we're Eating, Where we're Shopping by Lindsay | 1 comment

Slick and I have been spending more time now than ever in the Westside Provisions District.  While strolling around the area one afternoon + waiting on our sandwich orders at Star Provisions, I walked out to the front of the complex and was surprised to see a quaint, little farmstand in front of the building.

Is this cute or what?  I didn’t realize that it was there!  So unexpected in such an industrial area.

Here’s the Q+DD on The Local Farmstand:

The Local Farmstand at the Westside Urban Market is the joint effort of two local farmers: Nicolas Donck of Crystal Organic Farm and Joe Reynolds of Love is Love Farm.  The Local Farmstand offers delicious, healthy produce from both farms, as well a selection from other trusted local farmers, including Jenny Jack Sun Farm, Double B, Evie’s Country Garden, Walker Farms, Featherwise Farm and Riverview Farm.  The knowledgeable staff can assist with your selection, and even help you plan the preparation.  TLF strives to provide the finest variety from trustworthy sources, as well as relevant information about our products and happenings around the Atlanta foodshed.

The Local Farmstand is more than a reliable, convenient and trustworthy produce stand, it’s a community touchstone – a place where you can become a part of Atlanta’s growing local food movement.

farm fresh veggies

cucumbers

peaches

Everything looked incredibly fresh and delicious.  :)

Later that day, I went home and did some online research on The Local Farmstand.  What a great idea!  What aren’t there more of these?  My favorite part of the stand’s website is their “In Season” page: http://snipurl.com/xi5yc.  Eating local means eating seasonal, and this chart gives you an idea of what to look out for at the farmstand each month. 

The Local Farmstand is open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.  Love!

xx, L

The Local Farmstand
1198 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA  30318
404.423.8639
www.thelocalfarmstand.com

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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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Attention Carnivores

07/06/2009 in Westside, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 5 comments

On Thursday, Slick took me on a date to Abattoir. If you haven’t heard about it already, Abattoir is part of the Star Provisions group (www.starprovisions.com) and is located in the old meat packing plant in the White Provisions development off Howell Mill. I’ve never been remotely disappointed in a meal at a Star Provisions restaurant (my favorites of which are Bacchanalia and, of course, Quinones) and was super excited to see what all the hype has been about the newest restaurant to the group. Here are five things you must know (Q+DD) about Abattoir:

1 – The restaurant’s name means “slaughterhouse” in French. Sexy, I know.

2 – Abattoir specializes in “whole animal cuisine” – a term referring to the use of every functional piece of the animal. Yes, there is lardo (the thick layer of fat under the skin of a pig), tripe (innards), feet and tongue on the menu. No, I did not try any of them. But, I did eat quite a bit of this furry animal…

bunny

3 – Abattoir is not incredibly easily to find. It’s across the foot bridge from the Star Provisions complex.

4 – The atmosphere is really cool. The design aesthetic is reminiscent of a modern barn. Actually, smelled a little like a barn, too. Check out the light fixtures – they are rad.

photo credit: gardenandgun.com

photo credit: gardenandgun.com

5 – Be brave when ordering – and don’t be afraid to ask your server to decode the menu. It’s good to test your palate! (Also, check out the creative mixed drinks and beer list.)

Slick and I started with the beef jerky (my favorite) from the “snacks” section and a bottle of viognier, which after a brief French lesson he learned to pronounce. Then, we ordered cured pork (not my favorite) and pickled shrimp from the adorable “food in a jar” section. For our entrees, I had the roasted trout and he ordered the rabbit with bratwurst. We both thought the rabbit was incredibly tender and flavorful. Never one to pass up a dessert menu, I talked Slick into the beignets with bacon.

photo credit: blog.creativeloafing.com

photo credit: blog.creativeloafing.com

They. were. amazing.

We left satiated, but not stuffed, and proud of ourselves for (1) finding the restaurant and (2) being open to trying new foods – or at least reading about them on the menu… Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The price seemed right and the food was incredibly creative. In a city that will deep fry the flavor out of pretty much any meat, Abattoir is a culinary oasis for adventuresome foodies and brave carnivores.

Bon appétit!

xx, L

ABATTOIR
1170 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA 30318
404.892.3335
Tuesday – Saturday: Dinner served starting at 5:00 p.m.
Accept reservations

 
Abattoir Chophouse on Urbanspoon

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