Short Trip to San Francisco Part I
Last month I had the opportunity to tag along for a trip to one of my favorite cities, San Francisco. I love when I have traveled to a city enough times to no longer feel obligated to see any tourist attractions. Its a nice release to give myself permission to just wander and do or eat whatever I want!
We started our weekend at Cavallo Point the location of our wedding in 2011. It was so nice to be there and relax, have some wine on the porch and look at the view of the Golden Gate Bridge. We had a light lunch at the Farley Bar and our dinner at the Murry Circle restaurant who catered our wedding dinner as we reminisced about that great day.
Saturday we headed into the city and started off the night with an amazing dinner at Canteen. Canteen is almost like an incorporated supper club. The chef has two seatings each night at 6 and 8. The menu is 4-5 courses pre-fix with wine a la carte. When we arrived I was thrilled to see the restaurant was located in what used to be the diner like breakfast space of the old art deco Commodore Hotel. This was the first hotel that I ever stayed in when I visited SF. It had been about 16 years since I had been in the space. It is now a dorm for the San Francisco Institute of Art. It was so interesting to see the transformation. The lobby is now the dorm lobby and common area and the bar is currently closed.
Stepping inside we were one of about 20 people lucky enough to have a seat for the night. The chef prepped our food behind the diner style counter. Smells of the warm dinner rolls (which I heard were legendary) wafted through the air.
Our dinner was amazing. Such care and detail was taken with each dish. We had an appetizer of smoked lamb with butter beans. The lamb melted in your mouth and was balanced in richness by the beans. The second course was an English pea soup filled with lump dungeness crab. This was light and fresh and tasted like spring. The entree was halibut crusted in hazelnuts and mustard. To finish was my favorite a rhubarb shortcake with homemade cakes and tart and tangy rhubarb, perfect for the nice spring night.
To extend our evening, we walked up Nob Hill to the Fairmont Hotel. In the basement is the classic and kitchy Tonga Room. It was packed with tourists, locals, wedding parties and bachelorettes. This was so entertaining. For about $20 you can position yourself in this Tiki paradise to people watch, dance, and drink something with rum out of a whole pineapple. I had not been here in over 10 years and its still as entertaining as ever!
We started our weekend at Cavallo Point the location of our wedding in 2011. It was so nice to be there and relax, have some wine on the porch and look at the view of the Golden Gate Bridge. We had a light lunch at the Farley Bar and our dinner at the Murry Circle restaurant who catered our wedding dinner as we reminisced about that great day.
Saturday we headed into the city and started off the night with an amazing dinner at Canteen. Canteen is almost like an incorporated supper club. The chef has two seatings each night at 6 and 8. The menu is 4-5 courses pre-fix with wine a la carte. When we arrived I was thrilled to see the restaurant was located in what used to be the diner like breakfast space of the old art deco Commodore Hotel. This was the first hotel that I ever stayed in when I visited SF. It had been about 16 years since I had been in the space. It is now a dorm for the San Francisco Institute of Art. It was so interesting to see the transformation. The lobby is now the dorm lobby and common area and the bar is currently closed.
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| Commodore Breakfast Space as I knew it! |
Stepping inside we were one of about 20 people lucky enough to have a seat for the night. The chef prepped our food behind the diner style counter. Smells of the warm dinner rolls (which I heard were legendary) wafted through the air.
Our dinner was amazing. Such care and detail was taken with each dish. We had an appetizer of smoked lamb with butter beans. The lamb melted in your mouth and was balanced in richness by the beans. The second course was an English pea soup filled with lump dungeness crab. This was light and fresh and tasted like spring. The entree was halibut crusted in hazelnuts and mustard. To finish was my favorite a rhubarb shortcake with homemade cakes and tart and tangy rhubarb, perfect for the nice spring night.
To extend our evening, we walked up Nob Hill to the Fairmont Hotel. In the basement is the classic and kitchy Tonga Room. It was packed with tourists, locals, wedding parties and bachelorettes. This was so entertaining. For about $20 you can position yourself in this Tiki paradise to people watch, dance, and drink something with rum out of a whole pineapple. I had not been here in over 10 years and its still as entertaining as ever!
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| http://tongaroom.com/ |
Night on the Town NOLA (Day 2)
Saturday consisted of a great tour of the Garden District from Free Tours by Foot. This group all over the US allows you to take a walking tour for free. You are expected to tip the tour guide. We rounded up well past 20% of the value of a typical walking tour, all in all we still saved money. The Garden District was a long walk Saturday morning from the French Quarter, but the bus system made a short trip back to downtown. The St. Charles streetcar line was disrupted due to Super Bowl construction, but for anyone visiting this spring I highly recommend the ride!
All this walking worked up a great appetite. I had planned a nice night out. We started off our evening at the Waldorf Astoria Roosevelt Hotel. This hotel was originally built in 1893 as The Grunewald. It was taken over by the Fairmont in 1965. When it was the Grunewald it held a club called "The Cave" which is thought to be one of the first nightclubs in the US. The hotel and its bar were a place to see and be seen. During Hurricane Katrina the hotel was damaged and condemned. Not until 2009 was it purchased by the Waldorf Astoria line of hotels. It was restored to a blend of art deco grandeur including its famous nightclub and bar space now open as the Sazerac Bar. While according to our cocktail tour from Friday, the Sazerac was invented by a pharmacist whose shop was located near Galatoires in the French Quarter, this bar holds a reputation now for having one of the best in town. They offer the modern version (think Prohibition era) made with Herbsaint and Rye Whiskey as well as the original version featuring 1840's French Cognac. While the older version packs a punch to your wallet at seventeen dollars, it is fun to compare and contrast the flavors.
For dinner we headed Uptown through the Garden District to a quiet residential street. Good thing I had heard about the lack of visibility for our dinner spot or I think we would have driven right by. Gautreau's Restaurant has been serving New Orleanians for over a decade. Its star chef Sue Zemanick has received the James Beard rising star award for the past 4 years running. When you walk in the door it is a surprise after all the hype to see the small butcomfortable dining room. Looking around it seemed everyone from families to couples were enjoying themselves. They all seemed to know each other and the staff seemed to know them. (I take this as a sign of a good restaurant, especially at this price point). This place felt like a hidden gem among the flashy super star restaurants all over town. The menu was to the moment with perfect pairings of regional and gourmet. We started with the Duck Confit over a white bean salad and the kale and quinoa salad. Both were fresh and flavorful, but not over sauced. you could taste the individual flavors of the dish. These were the perfect compliments to the fall weather. As our entrees we couldn't resist the filet I had read so much about and also had to try the special rack of lamb crusted in pistachios. The meats were tender and juicy. The steak rested on top of ricotta gnocchi and melted in my mouth. The crunch and salt of the pistachios complemented the earthy lamb. Entree Heaven! We vowed to make room for dessert and selected the brown butter pear tart with marscapone fig ice cream. Sweet and tart this was autumn in your mouth! While I wish I could share some of these with you there are occasionally some places that are too nice and too intimate a setting to take pictures. This was one of those nights. So you will just have to dream of the flavors and rush the next time you are there to get a reservation!
All this walking worked up a great appetite. I had planned a nice night out. We started off our evening at the Waldorf Astoria Roosevelt Hotel. This hotel was originally built in 1893 as The Grunewald. It was taken over by the Fairmont in 1965. When it was the Grunewald it held a club called "The Cave" which is thought to be one of the first nightclubs in the US. The hotel and its bar were a place to see and be seen. During Hurricane Katrina the hotel was damaged and condemned. Not until 2009 was it purchased by the Waldorf Astoria line of hotels. It was restored to a blend of art deco grandeur including its famous nightclub and bar space now open as the Sazerac Bar. While according to our cocktail tour from Friday, the Sazerac was invented by a pharmacist whose shop was located near Galatoires in the French Quarter, this bar holds a reputation now for having one of the best in town. They offer the modern version (think Prohibition era) made with Herbsaint and Rye Whiskey as well as the original version featuring 1840's French Cognac. While the older version packs a punch to your wallet at seventeen dollars, it is fun to compare and contrast the flavors.
For dinner we headed Uptown through the Garden District to a quiet residential street. Good thing I had heard about the lack of visibility for our dinner spot or I think we would have driven right by. Gautreau's Restaurant has been serving New Orleanians for over a decade. Its star chef Sue Zemanick has received the James Beard rising star award for the past 4 years running. When you walk in the door it is a surprise after all the hype to see the small butcomfortable dining room. Looking around it seemed everyone from families to couples were enjoying themselves. They all seemed to know each other and the staff seemed to know them. (I take this as a sign of a good restaurant, especially at this price point). This place felt like a hidden gem among the flashy super star restaurants all over town. The menu was to the moment with perfect pairings of regional and gourmet. We started with the Duck Confit over a white bean salad and the kale and quinoa salad. Both were fresh and flavorful, but not over sauced. you could taste the individual flavors of the dish. These were the perfect compliments to the fall weather. As our entrees we couldn't resist the filet I had read so much about and also had to try the special rack of lamb crusted in pistachios. The meats were tender and juicy. The steak rested on top of ricotta gnocchi and melted in my mouth. The crunch and salt of the pistachios complemented the earthy lamb. Entree Heaven! We vowed to make room for dessert and selected the brown butter pear tart with marscapone fig ice cream. Sweet and tart this was autumn in your mouth! While I wish I could share some of these with you there are occasionally some places that are too nice and too intimate a setting to take pictures. This was one of those nights. So you will just have to dream of the flavors and rush the next time you are there to get a reservation!
Getting into the Spirits in New Orleans (Day One)
Two weeks ago, I was lucky enough to tag along on a weekend trip to New Orleans. I am not sure how this city has escaped my attention or my stomach for so long. Most people I know have made this short trip down experience the food, the fun and the music. I couldn't wait to see what the city had to offer.
We arrived mid day on a Friday and settled into our quarters for the weekend. The cute little Hotel Mazarin located right in the French Quarter. The even provided free bottled water, wifi, and breakfast each morning. The hotel was the perfect location and easily walkable to everything I wanted to see and eat!
We arrived mid day on a Friday and settled into our quarters for the weekend. The cute little Hotel Mazarin located right in the French Quarter. The even provided free bottled water, wifi, and breakfast each morning. The hotel was the perfect location and easily walkable to everything I wanted to see and eat!
We made our way toward St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square taking in the typical tourist sights along the way. Around each corner, it seemed there was another great little bar, coffee shop or restaurant waiting to be tried. I had a mission. I wanted to start my vacation out in true French Quarter style with an original Muffuletta. Central Grocery was established in 1906 as a grocery store and became a deli for the Sicilian truck farmers who sold their produce at the Farmer's Market. The sandwich was invented by by Salvatore Lupo the original owner of the grocery. The traditional New Orleans muffuletta is stuffed with ham, salami, various cheeses and marinated olive salad. While I have never been a big fan of this sandwich (too much bread not enough cheese and meat) this version won me over. My mouth is watering thinking about it as I write! The olive salad and fresh sliced deli meats paired with super soft sesame bread really make it.
We decided the best way to get to know the city was to take a tour. I was looking for something besides the typical history or ghost tours that I had experienced in Charleston or Savannah so I sought out culinary based tours and found a perfect match! The Cocktail Tour is lead by culinary historian Elizabeth Pearce. She got her start in the food world as the curator of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum and writes a monthly drinking column Neat with a Twist. She takes pride in sharing not only the history of the city but how some of its signature libations tell the stories of the development of its culture and people. Elizabeth was energetic and full of great information. This wasn't a tour where you stopped into promotional bars and got a free shot of something here and there, she has prepared homemade classic versions of three special drinks and one liquor for us to sample. We each received a small messenger bag with individually labeled cups. When we arrived at the perfect location or at the right "moment in history" we were instructed to sample. This model of touring provided more ability to see and hear the city as well as a much higher quality of drinks! We sampled the St. Charles Hotel Punch, a sazerac the official drink of New Orleans, and a Hurricane (made with real fruit juice not some over sweet mix) To round out our night we each got a share of praline liquor. We spent about 2 hours walking about 1 mile through the French Quarter. I feel like this was the perfect way to get a feel for the Vieux Carre and to kick off a great Friday night.
Enjoying Empire State South
I have to admit this one will be a treat for me as well! If you have not experienced one of the ACFB cooking classes, you should give them a try. They are typically hosted by Cooks Warehouse as a part of their quarterly schedule of classes. They showcase some of Atlanta's best chefs, prizes, enough food to call it dinner, and wine tastings. As an added bonus the proceeds go to the food bank itself. What a fun way to give back!
Although he has turned over the reigns of Executive Chef to Ryan Smith, Chef Acheson's strong influence is present in the tasty menu. After his recent James Beard wins, the dinning room was again packed with guests. We were looking forward to all of the great takes on traditional southern flavors.
To start, we chose the In Jars an amazing selection of tasty spreads presented in miniature mason jars. The choices included pimento cheese with bacon marmalade, smoked trout, boiled peanut hummus, ricotta with sauteed mushrooms, and a selection of house made pickles. The waiter laughed as we picked up the jars to scrape out every last bite saying, "that is how we know people like them."
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| In Jars |
For our next course we tried several of the Beginnings, a mixed green salad with duck bacon and a house made cheese puff, a warm vegetable salad with goat cheese, a fried shrimp salad with foraged greens and the farm egg served almost like bi bim bab over rice. The flavors were rich, but not over powering. These were imaginative takes on salads with a southern spin.
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| Fried Shrimp Salad |
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| Mixed Greens |
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| Warm Vegetable Salad |
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| Farm Egg |
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| Trout |
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| The Duck |
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| Pork Loin |
Freight Kitchen and Tap
Earlier this spring I had the day off and a growling stomach. I decided to head out to Woodstock to check out Neel Sengupta's Freight Kitchen and Tap. With little traffic during the day, I made it up there from Decatur in less than 30 minutes. I was delighted to see the cute downtown area and even more excited to try out the great food and drinks. First the restaurant is full of ambiance. Located in an old train depot, you are able to walk through the large doors, and across the original wood floors. The inside is at the same time modern and rustic. You can really get a feel for what it might have looked like back in the day, but more than appreciate the cool bar, and cozy nooks for guest dining.
Then you peruse the menu, the culinary team of Chef Kyle Shankman and Bar Manager Chris Pease have developed tastes that appeal to everyone, but are far from ordinary. The beer list got my attention as I was able to choose from a great selection of rotating local and regional draughts as well as some favorite and unusual bottles.
For lunch the appetizers such as house made pickles, pimento cheese, and poutine caught my eye. We were wooed by the soup a hearty pork and green chile bowl that melted in your mouth. According to the menu and my taste buds, the pork was roasted 8 hours! The flavors were set off with citrus sour cream a perfect way to start our meal. For the main course we sampled two of the sandwiches. I couldn't resist the "Stake" sandwich a rich filet of beef sliced and served on a warm baguette with grilled tomato and blue cheese dressing. We also had to try the burger (a measure of any good restaurant). We opted for the "Steam Engine" basted in BBQ sauce and topped with caramelized onions, mushrooms, swiss and cheddar; paired with the sweet potato fries it was a hit.
Overall Freight delivers in flavorful food, unique drinks and charm. I cannot wait to head back up to Woodstock to enjoy the dinner menu and take on some of their house cocktails!
Sneak Peek Dinner at The Lawrence
Just after Christmas, we drove home 4 hours from Asheville, NC and rushed to pack for our 7 am flight to Los Angeles all to be ready to experience a sneak peek of The Lawrence. Now in a soft opening phase and hosting seated dinners to build the buzz, over the holidays Scoutmob and The Lawrence hosted a series of four dinners to expose Atlanta to their concept.
The Lawrence is housed at 905 Juniper in the old Beleza/ Cuerno spot once owned by Richard Ullio. Upon entering the space had been white washed, the bar was still unstained, and there were only candles to light the evening in the dining room, but the kitchen was hustling.
This new concept comes to Midtown in an interesting collaboration between Patrick La Bouff of Dinner Party Atlanta, Darren Carr and chef Shane Devereux partners with La Bouff from Top Flr (Midtown) and Sound Table (O4W) , the chef de cuisine will be George Brooks (formerly at Rathbun's). Behind the bar as beverage directors The Lawrence features the amazing and friendly Eric Simpkins (DrinkShop/Trois) and T. Fable Jeon. Also according to Liza Dunning of LuxeCrush Atlanta, the King of Pops brothers are investors in this property.
So what do you get from such an interesting mash-up of young Atlanta culinary talent? A great night out, fabulous creative cocktails, thoughtful food, and a warm welcome from the whole team.
As we were seated, we were presented with our agenda for the night showcasing several of Simkin's cocktails and great wines along with small plates from throughout the menu.
The Lawrence is housed at 905 Juniper in the old Beleza/ Cuerno spot once owned by Richard Ullio. Upon entering the space had been white washed, the bar was still unstained, and there were only candles to light the evening in the dining room, but the kitchen was hustling.
This new concept comes to Midtown in an interesting collaboration between Patrick La Bouff of Dinner Party Atlanta, Darren Carr and chef Shane Devereux partners with La Bouff from Top Flr (Midtown) and Sound Table (O4W) , the chef de cuisine will be George Brooks (formerly at Rathbun's). Behind the bar as beverage directors The Lawrence features the amazing and friendly Eric Simpkins (DrinkShop/Trois) and T. Fable Jeon. Also according to Liza Dunning of LuxeCrush Atlanta, the King of Pops brothers are investors in this property.
So what do you get from such an interesting mash-up of young Atlanta culinary talent? A great night out, fabulous creative cocktails, thoughtful food, and a warm welcome from the whole team.
As we were seated, we were presented with our agenda for the night showcasing several of Simkin's cocktails and great wines along with small plates from throughout the menu.
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| The menu |
We eagerly sampled two cocktails along with some bar bites which came out of the kitchen in a self-serve style. The group encouraged guests to mingle in the space, ask questions of the busy chefs, and to get a feel for the concept. Our first cocktail featured Rye, brown sugar, maple, coffee and creme and was an excellent way to warm up on a very cold night. The second cocktail was my highlight of the night. It was a bright blend of Gin infused with jasmine tea (yes handmade) and paired with homemade cranberry jam, lime and sparkling rose. Who knew bartenders made their own jam?
Our drinks were complemented by the small plates of pickled eggs, crispy hogs ears (yes they were good), house made beef jerky and a shot of creamy mushroom soup.
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| Pickled Eggs |
As we moved into the next courses, we were offered a sampling of some unique yet approachable wines ranging from a modern riesling to a rich Monastrell. The small plates started with a beet salad, followed by house made fish sticks served with chick pea frites and stewed tomatoes, as Chef Devereaux explained this dish, he called it comfort food from his childhood dressed up. The entree samples included a potato gnocchi with chicharrones, the flavors were rich and the textures a great contrast. The final entree was rabbit schnitzel, this was delicious with charred tomato and fennel salad.
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| Beet Salad |
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| Fancy Fish Sticks |
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| Gnocchi |
As we ate dinner, I had a chance to talk to La Bouff about the name. He said he was happy to have been able to select it and be supported by his partners. The Lawrence refers to St. Lawrence who as I guess good Catholics know was basically grilled to death. The tiny symbol on the menu is a little grill and St. Lawrence is known as the patron saint of chefs and cooks. A fitting name I would say with this collaboration. As La Bouff and Carr made their way around the room it was evident they are excited about this place. The took the time to explain their concept and welcomed us as return visitors with a swag bag for each guest including discounts for the year of 2012 and a gift certificate.
For dessert, we enjoyed a slightly Asian flavor of rice pudding with coconut milk and cilantro. For someone who always prefers savory to super sweet this dessert hit the spot and cleared my palate for the final drink of the night, a chai buttered rum. For this Simkins made his own compound butter filled with brown sugar and slowly melted it into each drink. Talk about a hand crafted cocktail. I was glad the post holiday diet didn't start until the 1st! The evening ended with many leaving and some of us having time to talk with Simkins and get a chance to revisit our favorite drinks of the night. The headache on the 7am flight was well worth it.
I am looking forward to their full opening and to returning soon to The Lawrence!
Wolf Mountain Sparkling Wine Class
The highlight of my Mid-May started with a tempting email from Wolf Mountain Vineyards. We joined the wine club there after a fall tasting and have been consistently impressed with the wine and the events offered to club members. May's treat was a special class on the making of their award winning sparkling wine. They make the one of the only true méthode champenoise wines in this part of the country. This year their Blanc de Blancs took a gold medal and the Brut Rose took a silver medal at the 2011 Tasters Guild International Competition.
We headed off to Dahlonega on a beautiful morning, and were greeted with a complementary tasting in the tasting room then whisked off the the newly opened sparkling cellar. The space was cool and well decorated. We were seated at tables and offered a sampling of cheese and fruit to prepare for the class.
We worked our way through the making of each of the sparkling wines produced at Wolf Mountain. The brilliant Blanc de Blanc, the smooth Brut Rose and the slightly sweeter Demi-Sec. Each of the wines produced a crisp taste and finite bubbles that tickled your nose. The lesson continued with the ingredients for each wine, an overview of the process of riddling, and finally the moment we were all waiting for, making our own wine!
Each couple was able to choose their favorite sparkling wine and make a bottle to take home. We chose the Blanc de Blanc for its crisp light taste. We entered the room, selected our bottle, were able to remove the temporary cap to discharge the yeast built up from the fermentation, and quickly add the proper dosage to create our blend. The bottle was then re-caped by hand and ours to take home. I am waiting for the perfect night this fall by a fire to pop the top on the bottle!
Lunch awaited the guests after our class. We were treated to a delightful early summer buffet including salmon wellington, fruit, cheeses, encrusted chicken, and fresh salads.
For dessert I had to try the pound cake, chocolate covered strawberries and profiteroles!
Our day at Wolf Mountain once again was a great escape from the city. We are eagerly awaiting the fall harvest festival in October!
We headed off to Dahlonega on a beautiful morning, and were greeted with a complementary tasting in the tasting room then whisked off the the newly opened sparkling cellar. The space was cool and well decorated. We were seated at tables and offered a sampling of cheese and fruit to prepare for the class.
Lunch awaited the guests after our class. We were treated to a delightful early summer buffet including salmon wellington, fruit, cheeses, encrusted chicken, and fresh salads.
Our day at Wolf Mountain once again was a great escape from the city. We are eagerly awaiting the fall harvest festival in October!
Miller Union
Lured by meeting Chef Satterfield at my cooking class this week, I finally made it over to Miller Union! This westside restaurant has been popular for a year bringing in rave reviews as well as big names looking for a great meal. I met friends for a drink on the patio after a long day and was determined to stay for dinner.
The drink menu was well developed featuring a number of house specialty cocktails in the now popular old school/classic cocktail style. I tried the Artichoke Spaceship. I am not really sure about the name, but I am sure about recommending this drink. If you have been reading recently you will know by now I have been on a bourbon kick the past few months. Assuming I may need to move on to more refreshing drinks soon, I settled into what I thought would be one of my last rich drinks of the season. The Artichoke Spaceship was surprisingly light, and crisp. The bourbon was offset by bitters and lemon juice. It was served up and garnished with what I think was lemon or orange peel. Delicious. The wine list and other available spirits is enviable. I am looking forward to working my way through the drink list.
As an appetizer we tried the feta snack. We were not sure what we were getting and were pleasantly surprised. This mixture of feta cheese, buttermilk, olive oil, course salt, and fresh pepper made a fantastic dip for carrots, and red a black radishes.
I convinced a friend to stay for dinner. Moving inside, we were lead to a cozy two top. While the restaurant does have many tables, it is divided into several rooms making it much easier to have a conversation. The decor is stylized and classic. For dinner we started with the butter lettuce salad topped with green goddess dressing. The dressing was flavorful and creamy, the greens were fresh and included fennel a favorite of mine, but overall the salad was a little less inventive and layered than I had expected.
The entrees were perfect. My friend gave the house made sausage a try. It came out over pureed rutabagas and we added a side of the best brussels sprouts I have ever eaten. The sausage was spicy and rich.
The drink menu was well developed featuring a number of house specialty cocktails in the now popular old school/classic cocktail style. I tried the Artichoke Spaceship. I am not really sure about the name, but I am sure about recommending this drink. If you have been reading recently you will know by now I have been on a bourbon kick the past few months. Assuming I may need to move on to more refreshing drinks soon, I settled into what I thought would be one of my last rich drinks of the season. The Artichoke Spaceship was surprisingly light, and crisp. The bourbon was offset by bitters and lemon juice. It was served up and garnished with what I think was lemon or orange peel. Delicious. The wine list and other available spirits is enviable. I am looking forward to working my way through the drink list.
As an appetizer we tried the feta snack. We were not sure what we were getting and were pleasantly surprised. This mixture of feta cheese, buttermilk, olive oil, course salt, and fresh pepper made a fantastic dip for carrots, and red a black radishes.
I convinced a friend to stay for dinner. Moving inside, we were lead to a cozy two top. While the restaurant does have many tables, it is divided into several rooms making it much easier to have a conversation. The decor is stylized and classic. For dinner we started with the butter lettuce salad topped with green goddess dressing. The dressing was flavorful and creamy, the greens were fresh and included fennel a favorite of mine, but overall the salad was a little less inventive and layered than I had expected.
The entrees were perfect. My friend gave the house made sausage a try. It came out over pureed rutabagas and we added a side of the best brussels sprouts I have ever eaten. The sausage was spicy and rich.
My entree was the duck. I guess along with bourbon, duck has been a winter staple for me (lucky me!) The duck was seasoned perfectly, served medium over a bed of farro with apples and pecans and along side a celery root puree. The sweetness of the apples played well off the flavor of the duck and the celery root puree lighted what could be a heavy dish. I will be back for this one before the menu changes to spring!
Miller Union is the perfect place to dive into Atlanta's growing batch of farm to table restaurants. Chef Satterfield is doing it right. The food is amazing and the prices are reasonable. I would recommend taking a trip over to this Westside gem.
Atlanta Update H&F Bottle Shop (from Food & Wine)
Update: H. Harper Station
Last night was cold, and my parents were coming into town for dinner. I decided to take them to H. Harper Station for some warm comfort food, and because its only two streets over from my house!
I started dinner with a fabulous drink, by far the best one I have tried. It was called a Bufala Negra and was made with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, basil, brown sugar, balsamic, ginger beer. It was warming, but not heavy and had a wonderfully complex flavor.
My parents started with the relish plate, and I again couldn't resist the deviled eggs or pimento cheese. We also were tempted by the salads. I enjoyed a roasted root vegetable salad with roasted beet, shaved radish, petite lettuce, goat cheese, parsnip chip, and a roasted carrot vinaigrette. My parents loved the BLT salad which featured amazing blue cheese, pecans, cherry tomatoes and was served on a small half head of lettuce. We commented on how creative and beautiful the presentation was.
Our entrees were even better than my last dishes. My dad had the gumbo which was served in a smooth broth with sausage, mussels, crawfish and okra. The flavor was delicate, unlike most heavy gumbos I have tried. My mom had the Night Trains, mini pulled pork subs served with cole slaw and Zapps chips. I couldn't help myself, it was cold and I had heard how great the Bacon and Eggs Fettuccine was. When it arrived it had a poached egg on top, peas and mustard greens throughout, firm pasta, and great bits of smoky salty pork belly. Although I couldn't hold it all, I am looking forward to having this for lunch today.
Each time I have tried H. Harper Station, the food has been better. I can't wait for my next trip, I am thinking the pimento cheese grilled with tomato soup is sounding good! Sorry for the lack of pictures on this one. More to come.
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| Photo borrowed from Food &Wine |
I started dinner with a fabulous drink, by far the best one I have tried. It was called a Bufala Negra and was made with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, basil, brown sugar, balsamic, ginger beer. It was warming, but not heavy and had a wonderfully complex flavor.
My parents started with the relish plate, and I again couldn't resist the deviled eggs or pimento cheese. We also were tempted by the salads. I enjoyed a roasted root vegetable salad with roasted beet, shaved radish, petite lettuce, goat cheese, parsnip chip, and a roasted carrot vinaigrette. My parents loved the BLT salad which featured amazing blue cheese, pecans, cherry tomatoes and was served on a small half head of lettuce. We commented on how creative and beautiful the presentation was.
Our entrees were even better than my last dishes. My dad had the gumbo which was served in a smooth broth with sausage, mussels, crawfish and okra. The flavor was delicate, unlike most heavy gumbos I have tried. My mom had the Night Trains, mini pulled pork subs served with cole slaw and Zapps chips. I couldn't help myself, it was cold and I had heard how great the Bacon and Eggs Fettuccine was. When it arrived it had a poached egg on top, peas and mustard greens throughout, firm pasta, and great bits of smoky salty pork belly. Although I couldn't hold it all, I am looking forward to having this for lunch today.
Each time I have tried H. Harper Station, the food has been better. I can't wait for my next trip, I am thinking the pimento cheese grilled with tomato soup is sounding good! Sorry for the lack of pictures on this one. More to come.