Travel Post-Tasty Tavel

Most of you know I am headed to France in less than two weeks! Last night I spent some time reviewing our plans for Provence. After spending a day and night in Avignon, we will be renting a car and heading out to explore several small towns in the area. A recent NY Times article inspired me to explore the town of Tavel.

Tavel is only 14 km north of Avignon and touted as the birthplace of Rose wines.

Although I think Rose in the recent past has been overlooked here in the US, this pinkish wine is making a comeback especially as we enter the months of summer. This is not white Zinfandel and not Boone's Farms! Rose is a long standing traditional French wine dating back to when the Pope ruled from Avignon. Tavel along with Chateau Neuf de Pape was home to vineyards charged with creating wine fit for the Pope! Today, in France, the sale of Rose wine outpaces white wine.

Tavel is the epicenter of great Rose. With over 30 wineries, there is plenty to taste and to see. We will be visiting Domaine de la Mordorée to sample some of the wines of the region followed by lunch at L'Auberge de Tavel a cute little hotel and restaurant built in a former school house.

This tiny town of 1,600 will hopefully be a perfect place to dive into small town French culture and sample some amazing food and wine.

Korean BBQ

For a Southern girl like myself, BBQ is a staple of family gatherings and summertime cuisine. I love to find a perfect out of the way spot with great sauce and the perfect cole slaw. More on that later, this post is dedicated to Korean BBQ. I was first introduced to this by a friend who had moved to Atlanta from San Diego. At first taste, I fell in love with the smokey flavor of the meat, and the cool fresh taste of the condiments.

In case you don't know (because I didn't), when eating Korean BBQ (as I was shown by our great waiter) the meat is grilled at your table over hot smokey coals. It is then typically served with lettuce and an assortment of banchan (side dishes), like kimchi, radishes, bean sprouts, peanut or soybean paste, scallions, and other vegetables. The grilled meat is placed inside the lettuce to make a lettuce wrap and can be eaten with the side dishes.

Hae Woon Dae has been voted best Korean BBQ in Atlanta several years running. This small out of the way restaurant sits in one of the many obscure strips of shops off Buford Highway. I was pleased the first several times I ate there to be the only non-Asian customer. The menu consists of many traditional Korean dishes and appetizers. I prefer the Kimchee Jun a moist crepe like appetizer with kimchi and onions. We have also enjoyed the Goon Mandu a fried dumpling stuffed with beef and cabbage, much like a Chinese dumpling.  For entrees you can choose between traditional rice and stew dishes likeBi Bim Bab, shredded beef & vegetables over rice with hot sauce or my favorite the Dol Sot Bi Bim Bab which is a veggie version of the dish. This comes served in a cast iron hot pot so the rice becomes moist but slightly crunchy.

For the main event though it is hard to pass up the BBQ itself. I pair it with a Korean beer Hite. Guests choose from an assortment of familiar and maybe not so familiar meats. Many feature exception marinades. I recommend the short ribs which are marinated and very tender, also the Joo Mool Ruk  which seems to be marinated beef tips, as well as the Dak Yang Nyum Gui  marinated chicken that melts in your mouth. I have also tried the Dae Ji Bul Gogi  pork marinated and grilled. For more adventurous eaters, they feature tripe, tongue and various seafood choices.

This restaurant is a destination dining experience. I have been taking friends new to Korean BBQ here for a few years. The service is friendly and the food is fun and delicious. Well worth the drive just outside the Perimeter.

Savoring Serenbe

Yesterday for Mother's Day, my parents and I ventured 35 minutes south of Atlanta to Serenbe Farm. We had been planning to visit for over a year. Upon arriving we were transported to an idyllic country setting.  Serenbe is a planned community near Palmetto. The community is a neighborhood with small shops and restaurants similar to Watercolor Beach in Florida, but it features an Inn with an amazing restaurant The Farmhouse. 

 The Inn at Serenbe consists of a main house constructed from a resurrected 1905 farm house and  is surrounded by various out buildings and barns new and old that have been renovated into additional guest quarters. Rooms at the Inn are quite reasonably priced in comparison to other resorts near Atlanta, and the ambiance is exactly what you seek when you try to get out of the city. Picture a Countrytime Lemonade commercial and you are there. Wildflowers were in bloom, horses stood lazily in the pastures, and the garden behind the Inn was lush with lettuce, and herbs used in our Sunday lunch.

Being Mother's Day, we were there for the Sunday fried chicken lunch. We were greeted and seated on the beautiful screened in porch overlooking the garden. The Sunday menu is pre fix featuring a green salad, your choice of fried chicken or ham, various seasonal side dishes, and a dessert. For only $25 this was a deal.

The meal started with a green salad, featuring the lettuce we could see growing in the garden! It was tasty, but nothing out of the ordinary. The accompanying bread stole the show. These little biscuits were perfect. Slightly crusty on the outside, totally moist and buttery on the inside and full of fresh chives.

The entree arrived with a huge portion of fried chicken served  with chive cheese grits in a casserole, fresh carrots (also from the garden) and a tomato, cucumber and onion salad. The chicken was amazing, crispy and moist with plenty of black pepper in the batter, delicious. The cheese grits were so creamy. To finish we were served a homemade old fashioned style lemon pound cake with fresh blue berries and whipped cream.

The meal was a perfect way to celebrate the day. I am looking forward to returning to Serenbe for the day or for a weekend. Throughout the summer and Fall they have events for families and couples. This is one retreat worth venturing outside of the city to find!

Mi Favorita Margaritas ( My Favorite Margaritas)

Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow and that calls for margaritas. There are plenty of places to drink them around Atlanta, but in my humble opinion a good margarita here is hard to find. About 5 years ago a friend of mine made margaritas for a dinner party. She had taken a cooking class at Nava in Buckhead.  The chef had shared the Nava margarita recipe. Since that day, I have been perfecting the recipe to my taste and have become sort of a margarita snob.

Here is my version of this classic and pretty easy recipe:

1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (blood orange is really good too)

1 1/4 cup tequila (I prefer Don Julio Anjeo, but your favorite will do)

1/2 cup Cointreau

**1 cup of simple syrup (see recipe here)

** instead of simple syrup, you can substitute one cup of Splenda powder. Place this in a measuring cup, then add water. The Splenda powder will dissolve. Add enough water to bring it back up to one cup.

For other places in Atlanta to buy pretty good margaritas check out my favorites list:

1. Agave
2. Nava
3. Taquiera del Sol
4. Nuevo Laredo
5. Lupe

Travel Post-Manger `a Montreal

I am finally back to the blog and back from a whirlwind weekend in Montreal. It started with being bumped from my flight and missing a much anticipated dinner at Au Pied du Cochon, but was well worth it in the end. Montreal itself is amazing. It holds an old world charm but has all the modern amenities of a medium sized city and the food, oh the food. I am going to try to hit the highlights!

Saturday morning we ventured out in search of the elusive Montreal bagel. I had heard these toasty treats had a reputation claiming to be better than Manhattan bagels. I am a huge fan of H&H in NYC so this was a challenge I was ready to take. Montreal is a very walk able city, in fact the only time we took a cab was too or from the airport, but we underestimated the distance to the bagel shop. When we finally arrived at St. Viateur Bagels, we had walked about an hour and a half. This tiny bagel shop was located in the residential neighborhood of Mile End. We could see the crowd bustling at the door. These were not tourists, but residents hustling for their Saturday morning bagel fix and now we know why.... The bagels were delicious. They were smaller and thinner than a NY bagel and had a slightly sweet taste to the dough. The real flavor came from their cooking. They are cooked in a real fire pizza like oven. They come out warm, smoky, and toasted. We sampled and devoured three a sesame, a poppy seed, and a cinnamon raisin. Each had its own flavor. Nothing artificial just the flavor of the bread and the seeds or raisins. Amazing. This was a little out of the way, but well worth the walk.

Saturday evening we had no dinner plans. Our attempts at trying some French influenced Quebecois cuisine had been dashed by Delta delays Friday night so we were determined to get out and find some good food. In a mad internet restaurant search, I happened across Grange. It was described as kitschy back woods ambience and great tapas style French/ Quebecois cuisine. For a chilly rainy night this seemed to be a great place to cozy up by a fire. Upon arrival, I saw that the reviews had belied the restaurant's hip vibe. It was located in the apparently very trendy West Old Montreal. This strip of old store fronts housed restaurant after restaurant with a SoHo like feel. Inside were plenty of younger people definitely dressed to go out for a Saturday night. The interior was less kitschy and more like a cabin styled loft. Dance music played and we wound our way past the bar and fireplaces to a cozy back table overlooking the street. The menu was arranged tapas style with small tasting plates for every palate. We were delighted to have a chance to sample so many things and to enjoy this trendy and creative take on French cuisine. The restaurant is known for their wine list. We chose a bottle of Bordeaux to complement our dinner. To start the waiter helped me pronounce and recommended the Sucettes de rosette de Lyon which were meat (basically like coppa) lollipops featuring fig paste and pistachio nuts. These were cleverly served on popsicle sticks which made them hard to resist and easy to eat. Additionally we tried the Fois gras served in small cubes on top of gingerbread cubes with onion chutney. These melted in your mouth. The ginger and gingerbread added a slight sweetness to the smooth fois gras. I literally closed my eyes to eat these, Heavenly. For our main plates we chose a delicious roasted beet and goat cheese salad, another veggie dish Poutine au Sante, basically a healthy version of the famous poutine. This dish typically features French fries, gravy, and cheese curds. This play on that concept substituted the fries for crisp green beans! For meats we tried mini tartar burgers served slider style with onion confit, piave cheese and mini cornichons. We also had braised pork flank with skin, fat and all served over potatoes gratin in a cheese and sour cream sauce. Finally for dessert the pot du crème served in a cute little jar and accompanied by popcorn and shortbread cookies. The sweet/ salty caramel crème was the perfect accent to these treats. This dinner was an inventive way to sample some traditional French favorites.

Monday we were looking for a quick spot for lunch. Several people had recommended to try the smoked meat at Schwartz's Deli. This cute little shop in St. Laurent didn't disappoint. When we arrived and when we left, there was a line out the door. Service is brusk and the tables and counter were crowded, but they can get away with it because the food is that good. I far cry from gourmet, the smoked meat was authentic, flavorful, and simple. It was served sliced with mustard on rye bread. To complement our meal, we had a side of cole slaw and a large homemade pickle. The meat was so moist and tender, with a full smoky flavor. It was a brisket cut like pastrami or corned beef but sliced thick and not brined. I have eaten at Carnegie Deli,  Katz's, and 2nd Ave. Deli in New York and this exceeded my expectations. A great sandwich and worth the crowd.

Monday evening lead us to Globe. Located along St. Laurent, it was in the middle of the restaurant and bar scene for Montreal. This neighborhood is full of younger fashionable people, great shopping and nightlife. Being a Monday night the restaurant was not packed so we could enjoy the atmosphere and have the attention of three different waiters! The interior reminded me of restaurants in New Your of LA. It was trendy and hip but not over the top. The entry way was covered in panels of muted marble. The booths and tables allowed you to view the entire restaurant. We started with a signature cocktail. I tried an orange martini made with gin, grand Marnier, and a splash of orange juice, delicious. We started with an excellent salad of mescalin, caramelized pistachios, roasted crisp parsnip chips, pomegranate seeds and raspberry vinaigrette as well as a plate of lump crab meat served atop pineapple circles.

Our entrees couldn’t have been more delicious. I had duck breast magret marinated and served with butter nut squash ravioli, foie gras mouse, mushrooms, and brussel sprouts. We also had Cavatelli pasta served with braised pork shoulder, black trumpet mushrooms, truffle oil and broth. This was topped with a poached egg, fabulous. The picture just can't do it justice. We made the mistake of stirring in the egg prior to the photo. The food and service made this dinner worth the price. I would highly recommend a date night at the Globe; it was a great way to end our gourmet weekend.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today is special for anyone who is even 1/16th Irish, and to me because it was my sister's birthday. Today we celebrate with great culinary wonders like corned beef and green beer. I came across this article. Is corned beef really an Irish dish or are millions of pubs nationwide using today as a good day to clean out the fridge?
St. Patrick's Day controversy: Is corned beef and cabbage Irish?

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Practicing Pasta Patience

I have been waiting to return to Sotto Sotto since my birthday in August. I am headed back there Friday night. I can't wait to sample one of my favorite Italian restaurants.  I will cover that meal in detail, but until then, here are my favorite US  Italian meals.

• Gnocchi at Lupa in NYC 
• Tortelli di Michelangelo at Sotto Sotto in Inman Park, Atlanta, GA
• Calamari and Penne alla Amatriciana sauce at Amalfi in Roswell, GA
• Bombolotti alla vodka at Restorante Fiore in Boston's North End

Magnificent Monteluce Winery

Last weekend I wanted to get out of the house and enjoy the great weather. I spent some time searching for a quick day tip getaway and found a gem. Monteluce Winery  is located just outside of Dahlonega, GA and is one of the wineries on the North GA Wine Trail. The winery itself sits within a larger planned community modeled after an Italian landscape. The homes and the winery reflect the look of Tuscany, but with a slightly modern flair. The winery itself holds a restaurant Le Vigne, a tasting room, and a bar as well as several spaces for private events and dining.

The tasting room was beautiful, a perfect blend of old world style and modern touches. The bar had ample room for tasting and several cozy booths where you can cuddle up for a drink.

Speaking of drinks we did a tasting of the Monteluce wines, followed by a winery tour and then a special tasting of rare Italian wines. There were not too many people visiting this weekend so we were treated to a personal guide and tour as well as one on one attention for our tasting.

First the Monteluce wines. I have been to several wineries in GA and been dissappointed by the wine, this was not the case here. We tasted five wines, a Rose, a Chardonnay, a Viogner, a Merlot and a Cabernet. The Rose, and Cabernet were excellend. The Viogner was sweet, but would be a nice apertif. The Chardonnay is not oaked and therefore was one that I would like to drink, but not my favorite on the menu. The Merlot however lacked substance. Overall Monteluce has some excellent wine. According to our guide, Bill, the current wine is made from grapes from a nearby vineyard. Monteluce is only two years old so this fall will be the first full harvest. I can't wait to go back to try more.

Now for the Italians... Bill had chosen several oddball Italian wines for us to sample. We again worked our way from a light white toward the deep dark reds. While I love Italian wines, two stuck out as clear winners. The Casata Monfort Blanc de Sers 2006 was a fabulously flavorful blend of northern white varietals. The Tormaresca Neprica 2008 was also unexpected, and unusually complex blend of traditional red varietals put together in an interesting way.

Monteluce is a stunning place to get away from the city. You are less than an hour from a little piece of Italy. I am looking forward to returning to sample the Sunday Supper. More to come!

Monteluce Winery
http://www.montaluce.com/

501 Hightower Church Road
Dahlonega, GA 30533-2235
(706) 867-4061

Let the Restaurant Weeks Begin

I love this time of year. We are about to kick off the festival and restaurant week season. Next week, March 8-14, is Inman Park Restaurant Week  and Buckhead Restaurant Week. Great places like Sotto Sotto and Shaun's are offering $25 pp tasting menus. This is a great chance to experience some of Atlanta's top restaurants without totally breaking the bank.

Also this weekend, if you are interested in wine take time to check out the Midtown International Wine Crawl. Five Midtown restaurants  are offering discounted wine and food pairings. You simply register at Livingston Restaurant in the Georgian Terrace Hotel,  then make your way between the locations. The registration fee benefits Haitian relief funds. I did this last year on a perfect March Saturday with friends. It was a great way to kick off the spring and sample some some great wine.

Travel Post-Fabulous French Broad Chocolates

I spent Valentine's Day weekend in Asheville, NC this year and despite the amount of brownies and snacks available in my mom's amazing kitchen, went in search of some chocolate. What is Valentine's Day without that sweet goodness right? I was pleased to try French Broad Chocolates. FBC is a family owned gourmet chocolate company right in the heart of downtown Asheville. They subscribe to the organic local movement and try to produce chocolates using the finest natural ingredients. They offer a great selection of truffles, caramels, desserts, coffees, and chocolate drinks.  I have a sweet tooth, but will always choose something savory over a dessert. These confections were ideal. They offered unique choices of truffles like olive oil, fennel, and sea sat, lavender, orange, and chili. The salt perfectly offsets the sweetness of the smooth chocolate. I sampled an assortment of truffles, and had to pair them with a coffee (delicious french press). For beverages, they offer an array of hot chocolates that can be made from any of the truffle flavors onhand. For the real chocolate lover however,  there is the liquid truffle. This drink seems to be simply melted chocoate, flavorings, and a little milk. It was like sipping a melted chocolate bar. The spicy liquid truffle was like traditional Mexican hot chocolate with cinnamon and chili powder, but was a little on the spicy side. The lavender was amazing like a spa day for your mouth. My favorite however was the chai tea hot chocolate. Each drink is served in a cute little handmade clay mug. This is certainly worth a try. It appears more crowded than it really is with a line to initially order, but they have ample space upstairs for larger groups or to get away from the crowd.

French Broad Chocolate Lounge
www.frenchbroadchocolates.com

10 South Lexington Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 252-4181