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!
Great Article with an Atlanta Connection
I know I have not been doing very much this month, but I have been doing some great reading. Here is another great article with a connection to Staplehouse in Atlanta.
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/08/06/underground-supper-clubs/
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/08/06/underground-supper-clubs/
CNN's 50 Most Delicious Foods
Today I came across CNN's 50 Most Delicious Foods. This is an interesting read. I am not sure I can agree with all of them, but still worth a glance.
Back Again!
I am back again after another long break from blogging. I think getting married is a good excuse to take some time off. Along the way, I did manage to detail our fabulous wedding meal and some great eats along the Coastal 1 Hwy. More great things to come...
Don't Forget Downtown Restaurant Week!
It may be easy to overlook with all of the commotion in town surrounding the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival, but the Downtown Restaurant Week starts May 28th! This is a great opportunity. I think many of us who grew up in Atlanta think of downtown as the baren wasteland that it was in the 1990's. Today downtown bustles with some amazing restaurants and bars. (Thanks Amy C. for the reminder!)Back After a Break
I am back after a two month break! I have been more than just a little busy planning a destination wedding, planning events at work, and finishing up classes for the spring semester. I did manage to squeeze in some delicious meals and am back to share them with you.
Be on the look out, but for now a teaser a mouthwatering filet from Epic Roasthouse in San Francisco, CA!
Be on the look out, but for now a teaser a mouthwatering filet from Epic Roasthouse in San Francisco, CA!
Another Great Excuse to Eat Out
Georgia Wine Highway Weekend
French Chocolate Heaven
As you walk into the shop, the smell of chocolate overwhelms your senses. You can dazzle your eyes at the chocolate counter and explore the cute packages of chocolates and treats and you can watch Robert and his family in action. When I was there for lunch recently, I was able to watch him hand dip chocolate caramel truffles! Finally don't miss out on the tiny but delicious lunch menu. We tried the turkey and brie sandwich served on fresh baked baguette, and the homemade spinach quiche. The breads and quiche are also made daily and are the closest to France I had tasted in a while. The quiche was light and flaky with eggs that were firm, but not overcooked something hard to find. They also offer them frozen so you can take one home.
Before leaving, we had to get some chocolates and try my personal reason for visiting, the macarons. These are very hard to find in Atlanta. Maison Robert offers about 10 flavors, each one delicate and full of natural flavors like sea salt and caramel and raspberry. The colors are so pretty and they taste amazing.
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.
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.