Interesting Advice for Dining Out
Do you have rules for dining out? I think we all have ways that we make decisions on which places are worth our time and taste buds. I enjoyed this recent article from the Atlantic Monthly on dining out. I can't say I agree with all of these, but he does have an interesting perspective.
Wurstkuche Venice Beach
We discovered Wurstkuche in Los Angeles through a great Huffington Post article showcasing Zagat's best single item focused menus in America. It is important to note that I found the article through a friend, Neel Sengupta, partner in Crepe Revolution here in Smyrna/ Vinings. They made this short list for their tasty crepes. If you haven't tried their great specialties or one of their wine or beer nights you should! They offer a laid back atmosphere with high end flavors.
Now back to Wurstkuche, after reading the article, my mouth was watering to try all of these great spots. I was excited to know my in-laws were also eager to try their city's contributor. Driving through Venice, you could easily pass this place among the bike shops, boutiques and bars, but once you head inside, the space certainly stands out. The room is a rough and rustic combination of barn wood panels and smooth concrete. The front counter gleams full of their selection of about 20 types of house made sausages. What caught my eye however were the numerous taps running the length of the room. Not only do they sell gourmet sausages prepared in inventive ways, along with sides of thick cut Belgian fries, they have about 20 beers on tap, and many more in bottles. I was in heaven. It was hard to choose, but I decided on the mango and jalapeno chicken sausage served on a soft toasted bun with caramelized onions and hot pickled peppers and nice cold Houblon Chouffe.
Lucky for me my family members all ordered a variety of sausages. I sampled everything from the duck with bacon and jalapenos to the traditional bratwurst. Each sausage had a distinct flavor and style. I am envious of my in-laws proximity to this little gem. Now I have one more reason to love LA.
Now back to Wurstkuche, after reading the article, my mouth was watering to try all of these great spots. I was excited to know my in-laws were also eager to try their city's contributor. Driving through Venice, you could easily pass this place among the bike shops, boutiques and bars, but once you head inside, the space certainly stands out. The room is a rough and rustic combination of barn wood panels and smooth concrete. The front counter gleams full of their selection of about 20 types of house made sausages. What caught my eye however were the numerous taps running the length of the room. Not only do they sell gourmet sausages prepared in inventive ways, along with sides of thick cut Belgian fries, they have about 20 beers on tap, and many more in bottles. I was in heaven. It was hard to choose, but I decided on the mango and jalapeno chicken sausage served on a soft toasted bun with caramelized onions and hot pickled peppers and nice cold Houblon Chouffe.
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| Tasty Lunch |
Lucky for me my family members all ordered a variety of sausages. I sampled everything from the duck with bacon and jalapenos to the traditional bratwurst. Each sausage had a distinct flavor and style. I am envious of my in-laws proximity to this little gem. Now I have one more reason to love LA.
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!
White Duck Taco Shop
I had been dying to try the White Duck Taco Shop in Asheville, NC for months. Over the holidays I was finally able to try out several of their tasty tacos. Located in the River Arts District, White Duck is a great launching spot for a day of browsing the amazing art galleries and artist studios that line the streets in this part of town. Here you will find anything from hand blown glass to amazing pottery along with a few cute eateries.
The White Duck menu focuses on "good and affordable" food. The tacos range from your typical fish taco enhanced by a fresh slaw and dressed up tarter sauce to those with an Asian and Greek flare. I was happy to have a few people along to help me sample. I ordered the gyro taco as well as the fish taco. The fish was lightly fried and flakey the flavor was set off by a creamy jalapeno tarter sauce and a crunchy fresh cole slaw. The gyro taco was my favorite! It featured thinly sliced gyro meat a great tzatziki sauce, cucumbers, pico de gallo, feta, and a corn tortilla. This was rich, flavorful and filling. It seems like two tacos are enough to fill anyone, but it's hard to resist trying more.
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| Fish and the Gyro |
We started with chips, salsa and queso which were unremarkable although we did enjoy the smokey chipotle sauce that came as a part of the selection. Other great tacos we tried were the jerk chicken, duck confit, steak and cheese and the Bangkok shrimp.
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| Duck Confit and the Jerk Chicken |
The duck confit was rich and unexpectedly paired with avocado which smoothed out the richness of the duck. The jerk chicken packed a spicy punch. The chicken seemed rubbed with a true jerk marinade of intricate spices. This was cooled with a purple cabbage slaw.
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| Bangkok Shrimp and the Steak and Cheese |
The restaurant has a great laid back feel. You can order and eat quickly although a line formed quickly after 1 pm. On a sunny day you can dine on the porch at a picnic table overlooking the river and the train. I can't wait to go back and try another great selection.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year. Here's to a 2012 filled with fun and great food. I am happy to be back in town and looking forward to sharing my holiday travel eats with you.
Preping for a French Thanksgiving
We are on our own for the first time this year and rather than taking on the religion that is my mother's traditional Thanksgiving, we are doing things our own way. We considered several options and given our love of food, and abundant stash of Chateauneuf du Pape from out trip last year decided on a menu with a heavy French influence. Recipes and preparation images coming soon!
As we cook:
Foie gras stuffed mejool dates
A cheese and charcuterie plate
For Dinner:
Duck Magret with an orange cranberry sauce
Brioche stuffing with sausage, fennel, and spinach
Brussel sprouts with lardon and shallots
Asparagus
A gratin of sweet potatoes and caramelized onionsFor dessert:
Pumpkin creme brulee
And now for the results...
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| Our Thanksgiving table |
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| The Appetizers |
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| Husband Sous Chef preps the oranges for the cranberry sauce |
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| Sweet Potatoes for the gratin |
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| Yummm yes three onions to caramelize for the potatoes |
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| The wine! |
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| Scoring the magret |
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| Searing the magret |
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| Ready for the oven |
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| Finished asparagus |
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| Finished Brussel Sprouts with apples and lardon |
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| Finished Stuffing |
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| Sweet Potato Gratin |
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| And the duck! |
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| The finale, pumpkin creme brulee |
Hate to peel garlic?
I haven't had a chance to try this yet, but am so excited at the possibility of a new way to do this dreaded task. Check out Saveur's video on how to peel garlic in less than 10 seconds!
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| Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.org. |
My Favorite Romantic Restaurants
I am often asked for advice on romantic restaurants in Atlanta. While I can think of a number of places, and ways to be romantic on any budget, here are my top choices for a nice (and possibly splurge worthy) night out.
Canoe- Located in Vinings is a great choice for brunch or for dinner. If the weather is nice, ask for a patio seat. You can sit right on the Chattahoochee River and enjoy a candlelight dinner. If they still have the selection of three styles of creme brulee, it's well worth the calories. At brunch, you cannot go wrong with the cinnamon rolls!
Restaurant Eugene- Linton Hopkins, as in winner of the James Beard Award for Best Southern Chef, does southern food in gourmet style. The feature 5 and 7 course tasting menus, as well as a la carte ordering. The pork belly, snapper and trout are among my favorite dishes. They are also known for the amazing cocktails. This place is smaller and romantically quiet.
Floataway Cafe- Is actually owned by the same folks who own Bacchanalia but allows a little more room in your wallet. It leans toward Italian, Mediterranean and French style preparations and flavors. It is smaller, well designed and quiet. This is great for a celebration or a first date. Sit outside on the patio for an upscale casual meal.
Kevin Rathbun Steak- I think this place has better steaks than any I have eaten in Chicago, NYC, Atlanta or SF. The fillet or NY strip with black truffle butter can't be beat. They have a wine list to match the quality f the aged meat. It is dark and candle-lit and therefore romantic. Also can be a little noisy. You can ask for a corner table or booth here that I think helps with the sound.
Rathbun's located in Inman Park is a staple now for great food, good atmosphere. It can be on the loud side since it is located in a converted warehouse, you can ask for a great booth that lines the wall and muffles the sound. The food here is ever changing and eclectic. Even after several years, it still tends to book up on the weekends, so always get a reservation, or plan to wait it out at the Krog Bar outside.
Aria located in Buckhead is an Atlanta standard. This place has great food. Chef Kalaskla is famous in Atlanta for doing food well and not being gimmicky. He is an adventurous chef with a good sense of what Atlantans want to eat.
Horseradish Grill in Buckhead is an easy way to have a nice dinner without the pretence of many Buckhead or Midtown restaurants. If you go ask for a window seat, or sit on the patio if the weather is nice! They have great southern food, large portions. It can be dressy or casual. If you go here, save room for the Kentucky Derby Pie for dessert. This is also a great place for groups.
Atmosphere-While unassuming on the outside, this tiny house delivers a great atmosphere and traditional French cuisine. The often offer live music and feature wine tastings on Wednesday nights. Recently they are offering a $25 3 course meal on Tues-Thurs. nights.
Baccanailia-This is the powerhouse of Atlanta dining. I think many people who have never been are intimidated by this restaurant's image and assume that either it is too expensive, or too snooty to be worth your time. I feel they earn their name for the quality of the food, the presentation, and the attention to detail. You will see couples out for an anniversary date and folks in nicer jeans who wanted a nice meal out on the town. The menu changes constantly. I recommend trying the wine parings with the 5 course meal for the whole experience. If you want to get your feet wet, you can order a la carte at the bar! This place is anything but stuffy and well worth the price you pay for your meal.
Violette is not a newcomer to Atlanta, but recently came on my radar. It is located just off I-85 at the Clairmont exit. It sits in an unassuming building near the street, but once inside you are welcomed into a cozy space filled with the smells of great French food. The waiters are of true French quality and the food is a great way to bring back memories of trips to France!
Canoe- Located in Vinings is a great choice for brunch or for dinner. If the weather is nice, ask for a patio seat. You can sit right on the Chattahoochee River and enjoy a candlelight dinner. If they still have the selection of three styles of creme brulee, it's well worth the calories. At brunch, you cannot go wrong with the cinnamon rolls!
Restaurant Eugene- Linton Hopkins, as in winner of the James Beard Award for Best Southern Chef, does southern food in gourmet style. The feature 5 and 7 course tasting menus, as well as a la carte ordering. The pork belly, snapper and trout are among my favorite dishes. They are also known for the amazing cocktails. This place is smaller and romantically quiet.
Floataway Cafe- Is actually owned by the same folks who own Bacchanalia but allows a little more room in your wallet. It leans toward Italian, Mediterranean and French style preparations and flavors. It is smaller, well designed and quiet. This is great for a celebration or a first date. Sit outside on the patio for an upscale casual meal.
Kevin Rathbun Steak- I think this place has better steaks than any I have eaten in Chicago, NYC, Atlanta or SF. The fillet or NY strip with black truffle butter can't be beat. They have a wine list to match the quality f the aged meat. It is dark and candle-lit and therefore romantic. Also can be a little noisy. You can ask for a corner table or booth here that I think helps with the sound.
Rathbun's located in Inman Park is a staple now for great food, good atmosphere. It can be on the loud side since it is located in a converted warehouse, you can ask for a great booth that lines the wall and muffles the sound. The food here is ever changing and eclectic. Even after several years, it still tends to book up on the weekends, so always get a reservation, or plan to wait it out at the Krog Bar outside.
Aria located in Buckhead is an Atlanta standard. This place has great food. Chef Kalaskla is famous in Atlanta for doing food well and not being gimmicky. He is an adventurous chef with a good sense of what Atlantans want to eat.
Horseradish Grill in Buckhead is an easy way to have a nice dinner without the pretence of many Buckhead or Midtown restaurants. If you go ask for a window seat, or sit on the patio if the weather is nice! They have great southern food, large portions. It can be dressy or casual. If you go here, save room for the Kentucky Derby Pie for dessert. This is also a great place for groups.
Atmosphere-While unassuming on the outside, this tiny house delivers a great atmosphere and traditional French cuisine. The often offer live music and feature wine tastings on Wednesday nights. Recently they are offering a $25 3 course meal on Tues-Thurs. nights.
Baccanailia-This is the powerhouse of Atlanta dining. I think many people who have never been are intimidated by this restaurant's image and assume that either it is too expensive, or too snooty to be worth your time. I feel they earn their name for the quality of the food, the presentation, and the attention to detail. You will see couples out for an anniversary date and folks in nicer jeans who wanted a nice meal out on the town. The menu changes constantly. I recommend trying the wine parings with the 5 course meal for the whole experience. If you want to get your feet wet, you can order a la carte at the bar! This place is anything but stuffy and well worth the price you pay for your meal.
Violette is not a newcomer to Atlanta, but recently came on my radar. It is located just off I-85 at the Clairmont exit. It sits in an unassuming building near the street, but once inside you are welcomed into a cozy space filled with the smells of great French food. The waiters are of true French quality and the food is a great way to bring back memories of trips to France!
The Wedding
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| Photo Courtesy of Grek Slick www.oncestudio.com |
We chose our wedding location sight unseen based solely on a few things, cooler weather, amazing views, historic charm, and a Michelin star restaurant on the property. Cavallo Point The Lodge at the Golden Gate was once an army base turned state park turned luxury resort. Just across the Golden Gate bridge, you find yourself in another world of wildlife, cool air, and spectacular views of San Francisco and the bridge itself. The resort sits in a cove just a mile or so from Sausalito. When we stumbled upon their website last year, we were immediately sold on the views and the food.
We planned to have a small wedding with only immediate family, and we succeeded. With eight total guests and two small children we were able to enjoy the area with our families for a few days prior to the celebration, and to splurge on food and wine for our big night.
Smoked duck procuito over toast with foie gras shavings.
As the wedding approached, we had to narrow down our choices from the extensive menu. We featured foods from the area as well as wines from near by Napa Valley. To start we featured a local cheese and fruit selection served with champage.
As appetizers we offered grilled figs with Serrano ham, preserved truffle gougeres, and Our salad course included endive served with local goat cheese and preserved apricots.
Finally for dessert we enjoyed a dark chocolate malt cake with butter cream frosting and macarons de Paris in flavors of raspberry, pistachio and chocolate to honor our engagement in Paris.
Ahh... the benefits of a small family wedding. I am looking forward to sharing our adventures in Napa and our tasty travels down the Coastal Highway 1.