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!

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!

Northlake Thai

For a few years now, I have been keeping this place pretty much to myself. I love Northlake Thai. Its tucked away in a Kroger shopping center off Lavista Rd. between Decatur and Tucker. This group formerly owned the now closed Eurasia Bistro in downtown Decatur. The unassuming facade gives way to a nicely appointed if somewhat suburban restaurant. This is white tablecloth Thai!

Their menu has peoples favorite staples like curries and pad prik, but the chef is inventive and features gourmet ingredients as well as non-traditional takes on Asian fare.

Some of my favorites are the mango chicken which features a slightly spicy sauce and plenty of fresh mango slices.

Another traditional staple is pineapple fried rice. You can choose an assortment of meat, but the shrimp is the best. This somewhat expected dish is dressed up with herbs and served in a pineapple!

Final the specials are prepared daily and go well beyond what you might expect. The most recent night I visited they were featuring complementary appetizers with an entree. We were treated to a spring roll, small salad, and beef dumpling sampler plate. One of the featured entrees was the duck served atop eggplant with a slightly spicy soy sauce syrup and basil puree. The duck was tender and offset nicely by the roasted eggplant.

Northlake Thai is delicious. The wait staff are more than willing to offer suggestions. The menu is diverse and ever changing. I would recommend a drive almost OTP for this great restaurant.