So I realized I haven't been doing restaurant reviews, which may be a disservice to people randomly searching on google, but not really to most people who read this blog but are from out of town. But if you ever come to Atlanta and want "Southern" food, I have a recommendation: Pittypan's Porch.
This week is downtown restaurant week. After going over the menus several times, a friend and I decided to go to Pittypat's Porch for dinner, which is good Southern food. I'm often not aware of the fact that I'm in the south except for the accents and people calling me "ma'am" or strangers calling me "honey" or "sweetheart." But we walked into Pittypat's Porch and I knew I was in the south. And it felt like the old south (or all this northern girl's images of the old south), the glasses were pewter, the service was beyond friendly, it was big and welcoming. And the restaurant week entitles us to an appetizer, main course and dessert. Also, the entrees came with the salad bar (and unlimited muffins/biscuits/cornbread). This was a nice start with lots of southern favorites (pickled watermelon rind, my friend identified for me, hoppin' john, pickled okra, etc). There were only two appetizer options: gumbo and black eyed pea cakes. We decided to split both. The gumbo was probably the most disappointing part of the meal, but still okay. It was salty, but spicy. The seafood in it was limited, which I appreciate, but I also only got one piece of sausage, so that was pretty limited too. The black eyed pea cakes, however, were delicious and made me want to go home and try to make them. I haven't yet, but maybe next week, when I'm home studying. They were served in a nice peach and tomato sauce.
Somewhere around this point the server came by with a basket of muffins, cornbread, and biscuits. He encouraged us to take at least one of each. I stuck to one of each, all of which were very good. The cornbread was a little dry but soaked up the gumbo broth well. It's also worth noting that I do not think we were ever without food on the table. The appetizers were there before we got back from the salad bar. As soon as we finished the appetizers and munched on biscuits a little, our entrees arrived. We both ordered ribs, which were steaming and coated in pretty amazing barbecue sauce. They came with some zucchini and squash cut thin which were very bland but kind of mixed into the barbecue sauce. They weren't anything special, but they weren't really designed to be. The ribs also came with mashed sweet potatoes, which tasted good (exceptionally sweet) and had a almost candy like consistency. I couldn't place what gave them that texture, but had to stop eating them after a few very small bites due to their richness. A snuck a bite later and realized they were made with cream cheese, which explained why I just couldn't eat them. But the ribs were so good and satisfying (though at this point I had already had quite a bit of food) that they didn't really need good sides. And of course the cornbread went to good use again, mopping up leftover barbecue sauce. The waiter brought us boxes (one without even asking, but we requested another) and then a little cup of gumbo to take home as well as more bread to take home. Yes, at this point we had consumed a ton of food, and were being given MORE to take home.
Then it was time for dessert. We ordered key lime pie, which was more like key lime cheesecake, so I wasn't a huge fan, and peach cobbler with cinnamon ice cream, which was of course, very good, but nothing earth changing. Then again, we were very full at this point and so nothing tasted quite as good as it would have if we had been hungrier.
Altogether, it was great experience (and a great deal). We consumed tons of food and brought a lot more home. And the service was exceptionally friendly. Definitely verified this concept of "Southern Hospitality" I've heard of but never have really been in a position to experience. Like I said, this is a good place to eat southern food in Atlanta.
Showing posts with label restaurant review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurant review. Show all posts
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Restaurant Review: Evos
I've been super apathetic when it comes to making meals lately, which is unfortunate with all the fun stuff we get from the CSA. The most notable thing I've made lately is a salad with lentils (wow, that's so cutting edge) and a delicous vinegrette. I did however learn that in order to keep a vinagrette homogeneous you should add some sort of emulsifier: egg yolks (um, not if I'm not cooking it), mayo (does this not defeat the purpose of vinegarette?), mustard, or honey. I don't keep mustard on hand (though maybe I should, it actually comes up a lot), so I used honey. And honey made it delicious too.
But yeah, I've been pretty lame in terms of food. Though I do have tons of things I've made over the past few months that I haven't posted, I just need to remember what they are... did I post the carrot souffle? That was a good one. I'm going to have to put up the balsamic glazed chickpeas and mustard greens. It was delicous.
But today, today I am posting about Evos because it's Earth Day. Evos is a restaurant I've heard about a bit, as they just opened in Midtown Atlanta (it's a chain also appearing in California and Florida). Their concept is healthy fast food: the meat is humanely raised an hormone free (well, the beef is anyway), all the produce is organic. They don't fry their chicken/fries and the milkshakes are low fat and organic. So this is right up my alley right? It took a free Earth Day milkshake to get me through their doors (plus two coupons will keep me going back for the next month). I met up with a friend at the restaurant and although this is one of the few places where I feel great about eating meat (it's the well raised kind), I wasn't in the mood for it, so I ordered the veggie burger, topped with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and light ranch dressing. It was great: one of those veggie burgers where you can see the veggies in it, as opposed to fake textured soy protein compacted to a strange texture. Plus the avocado and ranch made it drippy and moist and bursting with flavor. My friend got the Thai Chicken Wrap, and although I only tried a bite, I'd say it was pretty great too. I got a vanilla milkshake because I'm giving up chocolate for a little while, and it was nothing special, but it was free. And I never think that vanilla milkshakes are special, heck, I never even think chocolate milkshakes are special. With the standards, I'm an oreo girl (Oreo is a standard flavor of milkshake, right?), but I'm more excited about peanut butter, fruit flavors or fruit flavors plus chocolate. Or malts. I love a good malt. Anyway, that was a huge tangent, the milkshake was refreshing and free and went well with the veggie burger. But the major advantage it had was that it was not too big. Often milkshakes come in those big metal cups and are about 3 times what you should drink. This one was the right size. In fact, the burger was the right size, and it seemed that the wrap was the right size. I didn't feel too full, but I was satisfied. Then again, the biggest problem with fast food is the serving size, not necessarily what the food is (though it's of course, not ideal to eat every day), so I thought this encouraged good eating habits. It was however more expensive. A burger without fries or a drink was $5, as opposed to a double cheeseburger at McDonalds or Burger King, which are on the dollar menu. They are also made of corn, essentially, which is subsidized by the government. Oh well.
Evos=good lunch alternative to fast food. Then again, it's not like I ever eat fast food for lunch. But a very friendly place with some nice promotions. They gave me a coupon for a free burger good for the next 4 days (no purchase necessary!) I'll be going back very soon, since it will be free. Oh, one thing I forgot to mention: gourmet ketchup. I am not a ketchup eater at all, but I tried the garlic and the cayenne varieties and decided french fries might be worth pursuing just to eat the (garlic) ketchup.
But yeah, I've been pretty lame in terms of food. Though I do have tons of things I've made over the past few months that I haven't posted, I just need to remember what they are... did I post the carrot souffle? That was a good one. I'm going to have to put up the balsamic glazed chickpeas and mustard greens. It was delicous.
But today, today I am posting about Evos because it's Earth Day. Evos is a restaurant I've heard about a bit, as they just opened in Midtown Atlanta (it's a chain also appearing in California and Florida). Their concept is healthy fast food: the meat is humanely raised an hormone free (well, the beef is anyway), all the produce is organic. They don't fry their chicken/fries and the milkshakes are low fat and organic. So this is right up my alley right? It took a free Earth Day milkshake to get me through their doors (plus two coupons will keep me going back for the next month). I met up with a friend at the restaurant and although this is one of the few places where I feel great about eating meat (it's the well raised kind), I wasn't in the mood for it, so I ordered the veggie burger, topped with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and light ranch dressing. It was great: one of those veggie burgers where you can see the veggies in it, as opposed to fake textured soy protein compacted to a strange texture. Plus the avocado and ranch made it drippy and moist and bursting with flavor. My friend got the Thai Chicken Wrap, and although I only tried a bite, I'd say it was pretty great too. I got a vanilla milkshake because I'm giving up chocolate for a little while, and it was nothing special, but it was free. And I never think that vanilla milkshakes are special, heck, I never even think chocolate milkshakes are special. With the standards, I'm an oreo girl (Oreo is a standard flavor of milkshake, right?), but I'm more excited about peanut butter, fruit flavors or fruit flavors plus chocolate. Or malts. I love a good malt. Anyway, that was a huge tangent, the milkshake was refreshing and free and went well with the veggie burger. But the major advantage it had was that it was not too big. Often milkshakes come in those big metal cups and are about 3 times what you should drink. This one was the right size. In fact, the burger was the right size, and it seemed that the wrap was the right size. I didn't feel too full, but I was satisfied. Then again, the biggest problem with fast food is the serving size, not necessarily what the food is (though it's of course, not ideal to eat every day), so I thought this encouraged good eating habits. It was however more expensive. A burger without fries or a drink was $5, as opposed to a double cheeseburger at McDonalds or Burger King, which are on the dollar menu. They are also made of corn, essentially, which is subsidized by the government. Oh well.
Evos=good lunch alternative to fast food. Then again, it's not like I ever eat fast food for lunch. But a very friendly place with some nice promotions. They gave me a coupon for a free burger good for the next 4 days (no purchase necessary!) I'll be going back very soon, since it will be free. Oh, one thing I forgot to mention: gourmet ketchup. I am not a ketchup eater at all, but I tried the garlic and the cayenne varieties and decided french fries might be worth pursuing just to eat the (garlic) ketchup.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Restaurant Review: Rosa Mexicano
So tonight I tried Rosa Mexicano, which is supposedly a pretty authentic Mexican restaurant (I don't tend to believe that, but I guess I was told if a "Mexican" restaurant does not have burritos, it is a good indication that it is the real thing, however, I take the fact that we are not actually in Mexico with a grain of salt).
First of all, the service was phenomenal. Extremely fast. We were starving, so we put in the order for guacamole as we sat down and it was there no more than a minute after the waiters (yes, waiters, one was in training) left. And it seemed like we had barely finished that when our actual food came. The waiters were attentive, and had good recommendations. When I asked about the mole (how do you put accentuated characters in posts?) sauce he offered to bring me a sample. Honestly, I was too hungry and too focused on the food to notice much, but the whole dinner seemed to fly by, which in this case, speaks well to the efficiency of the restaurant. Also, with my take home box, they included fresh rice and beans, rather than the leftovers from dinner, which ensures that it will be a complete second meal, rather than the smaller half that I sometimes end up with. They had some Dia de los Muertos specials (yes, that was 18 days ago) that sounded fantastic, but way to big, like an 18 oz steak with sides... yeah, that's like a week's worth of meals for me...
The guacamole is one of their specialties, they make it at the table, which is pretty cool, and the guacamole maker has 90 seconds to make it, he told me. And it was awesome, probably because it was so fresh. And because we were famished. They also included two salsas, I liked the spicy tomatillo one, it had a hint of mint. By the time we were done, bam there were our entrees! I got the Mole de Xico beef enchiladas because I was craving steak and the mole sauce was fantastic, like hot chocolate with cinnamon and nutella (which is a basic version of what it was). Very filling and very complex. And I don't know that I've had a good mole before this (the waiter said they are all the same and I probably just didn't like it, but I tried the sample and knew that they are NOT all the same).
Dessert really would have rounded off the meal, especially something Mexican chocolate, but we were just too full. So that would be my recommendation. I probably would have gotten the you pick 3 ice cream/sorbets.
In summary: great food, some of the best Mexican I've found north of, well, Mexico, awesome service, interesting ambiance. My only complaint was it's a little pricy, but hey, the exceptional food alway is, right?
First of all, the service was phenomenal. Extremely fast. We were starving, so we put in the order for guacamole as we sat down and it was there no more than a minute after the waiters (yes, waiters, one was in training) left. And it seemed like we had barely finished that when our actual food came. The waiters were attentive, and had good recommendations. When I asked about the mole (how do you put accentuated characters in posts?) sauce he offered to bring me a sample. Honestly, I was too hungry and too focused on the food to notice much, but the whole dinner seemed to fly by, which in this case, speaks well to the efficiency of the restaurant. Also, with my take home box, they included fresh rice and beans, rather than the leftovers from dinner, which ensures that it will be a complete second meal, rather than the smaller half that I sometimes end up with. They had some Dia de los Muertos specials (yes, that was 18 days ago) that sounded fantastic, but way to big, like an 18 oz steak with sides... yeah, that's like a week's worth of meals for me...
The guacamole is one of their specialties, they make it at the table, which is pretty cool, and the guacamole maker has 90 seconds to make it, he told me. And it was awesome, probably because it was so fresh. And because we were famished. They also included two salsas, I liked the spicy tomatillo one, it had a hint of mint. By the time we were done, bam there were our entrees! I got the Mole de Xico beef enchiladas because I was craving steak and the mole sauce was fantastic, like hot chocolate with cinnamon and nutella (which is a basic version of what it was). Very filling and very complex. And I don't know that I've had a good mole before this (the waiter said they are all the same and I probably just didn't like it, but I tried the sample and knew that they are NOT all the same).
Dessert really would have rounded off the meal, especially something Mexican chocolate, but we were just too full. So that would be my recommendation. I probably would have gotten the you pick 3 ice cream/sorbets.
In summary: great food, some of the best Mexican I've found north of, well, Mexico, awesome service, interesting ambiance. My only complaint was it's a little pricy, but hey, the exceptional food alway is, right?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Restaurant Review: Panahar
What can make a long day of working a homework set better? Taking a "break" by trying a new restaurant of course! And by "break" I mean we did math while waiting for our food. We were too hungry to really be productive though.
Panahar is a Bangladeshi restaurant, and let's be honest, the food isn't that different from Indian. Maybe someday I will know what makes it different, but I do not claim to at this point. But I do know it was delicious. And possibly more importantly: it was cheap! Each dinner was $9 including tax. Granted, we ordered the obligatory naan (and the rice might not have been included either, or maybe Basmati rice was more, I'm not sure), but I came out with $12 after tip, which is certainly not bad for a dinner out. Granted, that did not include a samosa. And the manager is a somewhat pushy salesman, always offering the most expensive suggestions and suggesting add ons. But hey, he's just doing business, right? The service is not particularly fast, which is okay if you brought work with you and don't feel the time pressure; it's probably a cultural difference.
But the food was definitely good, the menu was huge, and when there are huge menus, of things that all sound somewhat familar (which at this point most Indian food does and Bangladeshi sounded similar enough), I usually ask for suggestions. The manager suggested the Chicken Tikka Masala (noting this fell into the most expensive category of dishes, I think this was about $12 for just the meal as opposed to my $12 with naan and tip), which I never order because it's too "safe." I usually like to get something a little more special to a particular restaurant. I ended up setttling on Daal Mahkani, a creamy lentil dish which was very tasty. My friend ordered Shaag Maang-sho, chicken with spinach, which was very good. I've had some spinach dishes I wasn't too keen on (sometimes they are too sweet), but this one was very good. The portions were large, too, which made them definitely worthwhile. I've found that often large portions correspond to lower quality Indian food, but this was not true here. So I'm happy and although, I know, it's Bangladeshi, it's probably the better (at very least a better value) than the Indian food I've had or heard of in Atlanta.
Oh, and the dishes weren't very spicy. I didn't really look into ordering them hotter, but they didn't ask how hot we wanted them.
Panahar is a Bangladeshi restaurant, and let's be honest, the food isn't that different from Indian. Maybe someday I will know what makes it different, but I do not claim to at this point. But I do know it was delicious. And possibly more importantly: it was cheap! Each dinner was $9 including tax. Granted, we ordered the obligatory naan (and the rice might not have been included either, or maybe Basmati rice was more, I'm not sure), but I came out with $12 after tip, which is certainly not bad for a dinner out. Granted, that did not include a samosa. And the manager is a somewhat pushy salesman, always offering the most expensive suggestions and suggesting add ons. But hey, he's just doing business, right? The service is not particularly fast, which is okay if you brought work with you and don't feel the time pressure; it's probably a cultural difference.
But the food was definitely good, the menu was huge, and when there are huge menus, of things that all sound somewhat familar (which at this point most Indian food does and Bangladeshi sounded similar enough), I usually ask for suggestions. The manager suggested the Chicken Tikka Masala (noting this fell into the most expensive category of dishes, I think this was about $12 for just the meal as opposed to my $12 with naan and tip), which I never order because it's too "safe." I usually like to get something a little more special to a particular restaurant. I ended up setttling on Daal Mahkani, a creamy lentil dish which was very tasty. My friend ordered Shaag Maang-sho, chicken with spinach, which was very good. I've had some spinach dishes I wasn't too keen on (sometimes they are too sweet), but this one was very good. The portions were large, too, which made them definitely worthwhile. I've found that often large portions correspond to lower quality Indian food, but this was not true here. So I'm happy and although, I know, it's Bangladeshi, it's probably the better (at very least a better value) than the Indian food I've had or heard of in Atlanta.
Oh, and the dishes weren't very spicy. I didn't really look into ordering them hotter, but they didn't ask how hot we wanted them.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Restaurant Review: Ecco
Okay, I was supposed to be saving time and doing homework (and I think my homework might actually be fun if i can figure out how to do it). But I'm just too food-blissful that I need to post this blog before I can focus.
Randomly, my dad was in Atlanta tonight. He has a business meeting tomorrow and was only supposed to be here for about 6 hours tomorrow, but the bad weather forced him to fly in early, which meant we got to meet up for dinner. And his company would pay for his, so we were getting two for one... or less, so we could really go anywhere. So I asked around and did a few internet searches and made a list of about 5 restaurants. But the leading candidate, and the one I eventually chose, was Ecco. Plus it's near the Midtown MARTA station so it made it easy to meet up there and walk over.
This may have been one of the best dining experiences I've ever had (and mind you, I eat well when I am with my parents). The waiter was attentive but not lurking, and very helpful. He greeted us and asked if we had been there before, and when we said no, he explained the philosophy of the restaurant was to make very fresh food and use local and organic food whenever possible. I really try to stick to these principles, but it's hard when you do not have much money. However, it is something I appreciate in a splurge restaurant (especially when I'm not paying). He then went over the menu with us in detail of all dishes, which I really like sinc ei have a hard time making decisions (and I like to know what's good and what's popular). The service was very prompt; we had barely looked at the menu when he asked if we wanted to start with a meat and cheese plate. Having not looked at it, he offered that some people say "surprise me," so we agreed to that. He asked if we have any preferences and I noted that I do not like Bleu Cheeses. We ended up with Smoked Gouda (I've decided I really like a quality Gouda), some Italian sausage (I'm not a huge sausage eater and they all kind of taste the same to me), and Robiola 3 Milk, a blend of sheep, goat, and cow milk cheese. The cheeses were fantastic and went extrodinarily with the crusty bread. I'm trying to develop my cheese palate, but right now I'm just working on getting "this tastes like this," and "I like this" down. One of my favorite parts of the cheese palate (besides you know the surprise!) was the waiter explained what all of them were and where they were from. Actually, the menu had the origin of all of the meats, cheeses, and wines (and fun fact: in Atlanta, it is more sustainable to drink European wine than wine from California, but probably barely, the boundary is Columbus, OH). Early on I was very impressed.
Then came dinner, which is obviously the most important part of a restaurant experience. My dad asked for a wine recommendation for his entre and I guess I can't tell you how that went because I don't know anything about wine (that's something else I'm working on, but I'm going to start with Trader Joe's 2 3/4 buck chuck and using it in food). I ordered the Chili-braised pork with garlic and homemade pappardelle because it sounded interesting and the waiter said it was a favorite and "kind of [their] signature dish." My dad had also been looking at it, but he let me get it and I told him to work around me. Fortunately, he chose my other top choice, with minimal prodding from me: organic chicken thighs with salsa verde. For both my dad and I, if you say "salsa verde" it is not a very hard sell, and for me the word "organic" helps a little. But neither of us likes dark meat, though I said it was probably worth a try and that I had also been looking at it, when he said that was his next choice (see, that is minimal prodding). He ended up with that. We both loved, LOVED our meals. My dad's comment was "I will never look at a chicken thigh the same way again," since it was so flavorful and slightly crispy with the salsa, and did not have any of the properties that he dislikes about dark meat (personally, I dislike that it tastes like iron and this certainly didn't). I actually ate very little of mine so I could bring it home with me (since i knew there would be an abundance of food, I tried to consolidate so there was enough of one thing to bring home). But it was slightly spicy, served with sweet juicy tomatoes, and deliciously pulled pork. Oh, and there was basil, which made me love it even more. I just hope it heats up well for lunch tomorrow. And the homemade pasta was also delicous. We also ordered green beans, which were served with rum infused raisins and honey with a pinch of cinnamon to give it a little spice. These beans were seriously amazing. I would consider buying rum (and raisins, for that matter) just to try to recreate them. The flavors blended so well, though I couldn't really place them. I even ate all the raisins.
And then there was dessert. Oh dessert. This almost merits it's own blog entry. Because the company was paying and because we couldn't decide and because we were both enjoying the dinner, as well as the surprise time together so much, we ordered three desserts. Three desserts! At a nice restaurant! We both eyed the Red Plum Sorbet immediately. We both love sorbet and have had a great sorbet experience in the past together (guava sorbet at Coquete Cafe in Milwaukee). And it just sounded interesting and unusual, but still delicous. He saw fresh figs and gravitated towards that immediately. And I... couldn't decide, go figure. The dish that caught me as possibly tasty and unusual was Honey Basil ice cream. There was a chocolate cake with pine nuts, which sounded fun because of the pine nuts, but very typical of what I get. And then I saw olive oil and chocolate ice cream with sea salt. This also sounded wonderful and interesting, so I figured I'd have the waiter make the ice cream choice for me. I asked him about both the olive oil and chocolate and the honey and basil ice creams and he said the olive oil and chocolate was "just about the best ice cream anyone has ever had," which if that's not a glowing endorsement I'm not sure what is. So I ordered that. The plum sorbet came out first and it was spicy and sweet. It tasted like all things that should go with plums: cinnamon, ginger, perhaps a dash of nutmeg and I swear there was a touch of wine in there, but I only tasted it when I switched between my chocolate ice cream and the sorbet later. It was very flavorful and the texture was so soft and creamy. It was light like sorbet should be without being crisp to the touch of the spoon like it often is. Possibly the best sorbet ever. And the ice cream was also up there. I don't think there were almonds in it, but it tasted like almonds. But the blend of sea salt and chocolate was just... magical. I am convinced sea salt and chocolate is one of the most understated but perfect food, or at least dessert, combinations ever. Then again, I say the same thing about chilis and chocolate (and chocolate with chilis and sea salt is also phenomenal, they have dark chocolate, chili and sea salt bars at Wal-Mart down here, as well as dark chocolate with sea salt and pop rocks, which are also unbelievable).
This was one of the most amazing meals I have ever had, for sure in Atlanta. I loved every bite of it. The restaurant was great, a nice ambiance, sustainable, and professional yet friendly. The food, as I just spent the past hour describing, was phenomenal. I would definitely recommend it to anyone in Atlanta. And I don't often return to restaurants (I'd rather try something new), but I would go here again for a special occassion.
Randomly, my dad was in Atlanta tonight. He has a business meeting tomorrow and was only supposed to be here for about 6 hours tomorrow, but the bad weather forced him to fly in early, which meant we got to meet up for dinner. And his company would pay for his, so we were getting two for one... or less, so we could really go anywhere. So I asked around and did a few internet searches and made a list of about 5 restaurants. But the leading candidate, and the one I eventually chose, was Ecco. Plus it's near the Midtown MARTA station so it made it easy to meet up there and walk over.
This may have been one of the best dining experiences I've ever had (and mind you, I eat well when I am with my parents). The waiter was attentive but not lurking, and very helpful. He greeted us and asked if we had been there before, and when we said no, he explained the philosophy of the restaurant was to make very fresh food and use local and organic food whenever possible. I really try to stick to these principles, but it's hard when you do not have much money. However, it is something I appreciate in a splurge restaurant (especially when I'm not paying). He then went over the menu with us in detail of all dishes, which I really like sinc ei have a hard time making decisions (and I like to know what's good and what's popular). The service was very prompt; we had barely looked at the menu when he asked if we wanted to start with a meat and cheese plate. Having not looked at it, he offered that some people say "surprise me," so we agreed to that. He asked if we have any preferences and I noted that I do not like Bleu Cheeses. We ended up with Smoked Gouda (I've decided I really like a quality Gouda), some Italian sausage (I'm not a huge sausage eater and they all kind of taste the same to me), and Robiola 3 Milk, a blend of sheep, goat, and cow milk cheese. The cheeses were fantastic and went extrodinarily with the crusty bread. I'm trying to develop my cheese palate, but right now I'm just working on getting "this tastes like this," and "I like this" down. One of my favorite parts of the cheese palate (besides you know the surprise!) was the waiter explained what all of them were and where they were from. Actually, the menu had the origin of all of the meats, cheeses, and wines (and fun fact: in Atlanta, it is more sustainable to drink European wine than wine from California, but probably barely, the boundary is Columbus, OH). Early on I was very impressed.
Then came dinner, which is obviously the most important part of a restaurant experience. My dad asked for a wine recommendation for his entre and I guess I can't tell you how that went because I don't know anything about wine (that's something else I'm working on, but I'm going to start with Trader Joe's 2 3/4 buck chuck and using it in food). I ordered the Chili-braised pork with garlic and homemade pappardelle because it sounded interesting and the waiter said it was a favorite and "kind of [their] signature dish." My dad had also been looking at it, but he let me get it and I told him to work around me. Fortunately, he chose my other top choice, with minimal prodding from me: organic chicken thighs with salsa verde. For both my dad and I, if you say "salsa verde" it is not a very hard sell, and for me the word "organic" helps a little. But neither of us likes dark meat, though I said it was probably worth a try and that I had also been looking at it, when he said that was his next choice (see, that is minimal prodding). He ended up with that. We both loved, LOVED our meals. My dad's comment was "I will never look at a chicken thigh the same way again," since it was so flavorful and slightly crispy with the salsa, and did not have any of the properties that he dislikes about dark meat (personally, I dislike that it tastes like iron and this certainly didn't). I actually ate very little of mine so I could bring it home with me (since i knew there would be an abundance of food, I tried to consolidate so there was enough of one thing to bring home). But it was slightly spicy, served with sweet juicy tomatoes, and deliciously pulled pork. Oh, and there was basil, which made me love it even more. I just hope it heats up well for lunch tomorrow. And the homemade pasta was also delicous. We also ordered green beans, which were served with rum infused raisins and honey with a pinch of cinnamon to give it a little spice. These beans were seriously amazing. I would consider buying rum (and raisins, for that matter) just to try to recreate them. The flavors blended so well, though I couldn't really place them. I even ate all the raisins.
And then there was dessert. Oh dessert. This almost merits it's own blog entry. Because the company was paying and because we couldn't decide and because we were both enjoying the dinner, as well as the surprise time together so much, we ordered three desserts. Three desserts! At a nice restaurant! We both eyed the Red Plum Sorbet immediately. We both love sorbet and have had a great sorbet experience in the past together (guava sorbet at Coquete Cafe in Milwaukee). And it just sounded interesting and unusual, but still delicous. He saw fresh figs and gravitated towards that immediately. And I... couldn't decide, go figure. The dish that caught me as possibly tasty and unusual was Honey Basil ice cream. There was a chocolate cake with pine nuts, which sounded fun because of the pine nuts, but very typical of what I get. And then I saw olive oil and chocolate ice cream with sea salt. This also sounded wonderful and interesting, so I figured I'd have the waiter make the ice cream choice for me. I asked him about both the olive oil and chocolate and the honey and basil ice creams and he said the olive oil and chocolate was "just about the best ice cream anyone has ever had," which if that's not a glowing endorsement I'm not sure what is. So I ordered that. The plum sorbet came out first and it was spicy and sweet. It tasted like all things that should go with plums: cinnamon, ginger, perhaps a dash of nutmeg and I swear there was a touch of wine in there, but I only tasted it when I switched between my chocolate ice cream and the sorbet later. It was very flavorful and the texture was so soft and creamy. It was light like sorbet should be without being crisp to the touch of the spoon like it often is. Possibly the best sorbet ever. And the ice cream was also up there. I don't think there were almonds in it, but it tasted like almonds. But the blend of sea salt and chocolate was just... magical. I am convinced sea salt and chocolate is one of the most understated but perfect food, or at least dessert, combinations ever. Then again, I say the same thing about chilis and chocolate (and chocolate with chilis and sea salt is also phenomenal, they have dark chocolate, chili and sea salt bars at Wal-Mart down here, as well as dark chocolate with sea salt and pop rocks, which are also unbelievable).
This was one of the most amazing meals I have ever had, for sure in Atlanta. I loved every bite of it. The restaurant was great, a nice ambiance, sustainable, and professional yet friendly. The food, as I just spent the past hour describing, was phenomenal. I would definitely recommend it to anyone in Atlanta. And I don't often return to restaurants (I'd rather try something new), but I would go here again for a special occassion.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Restaurant Review: Waterhaven
Note: pardon my spelling, spell check didn't seem to work. I know there are mistakes, but there are just too many and I am too lazy to check that many words.
So as part of Atlanta (ha, I almost said Cleveland) restaurant week (well, there were two Atlanta restaurant weeks and this was part of the first one) you could go to a variety of restaurants and get a 3 course meal for $25. Now this is certainly more than I usually spend on a meal, but I will splurge from time to time. We chose Waterhaven since it seemed to be what we could most agree on. Plus it's very near the Georgia Tech campus, making convenience a plus. However, we don't think it will do very well with business since it is in "Tech Square" a primarily student oriented block, and it is out of the price range of your typical college student. At least for your typical college student to patronize regularly. But it was good. I would give it an "above average" rating.
Appetizers
We ordered everything on the restaurant week menu: lamb sliders, calamari, fried green tomatoes, lemon caesar salad, and hummus plate. The lamb sliders were awesome and came with a yogurt sauce with a little flavor (I do not remember what the flavor was, but it complemented the lamb very well) and coolness on the lamb patty. The fried green tomatoes were pretty average, at least from my experience with fried green tomatoes. They basically tasted fried. The lemon caesar salad was fantastic and very summery. The lemon covered up the excessive anchovy taste that I hate and made it taste very fresh. Speaking of lemon and freshness, the hummus was very lemony, and we all loved that. It was refreshing without being compromising the essence of hummus. And we are all big hummus fans.
Entrees
Between the six of us, we only ordered three entrees: Trout, Steak and Oxtails. I'd say the two I tried, Steak and Oxtails (I ordered the oxtails) were very good but relatively safe. The steak was topped with carmelized onions, which are a pretty classic pairing. The oxtails were tasty, I had never had oxtails before. They taste like red meat, but are very, very tender, they basically fall off the bone. They came with herbed potato dumplings which were a nice texture, less dense than what I've had before, which was good because the meat was plenty filling, though they were still pretty firm and cut well which was good for sharing. But like I said, there was nothing exceptional about either dish, they were just very well done, but obviously not that memorable.
Dessert
Clearly I judge restaurants based on their desserts. There were only two (at least on the special menu): Chocolate Icebox Pie and Creme Brulee. Two of the six ordered the creme brulee and claimed that the rest of us would wish we had chosen that and want to eat lots of theirs. Of course I knew this was false since I always like dessert with chocolate, especially when I go out. When we got our desserts, the creme brulee enthusists admitted that the creme brulee was great and they were not disappointed with their choice, but that ours was better (though somewhat rich). And the creme brulee was good. Sweet and warm with a creamy, consistent texture. But the chocolate icebox dessert was awesome: a nice thick chocolate mousse with a tasty oreo crust. Delicious, but again, very safe, nothing that unique or memorable.
Oh, and as I type this, I'm watching Food Network as it advertises the new show with Melissa, the winner of Next Food Network Star, who is doing $10 dinners for 4 people, while still making them healthy. She may become my new favorite since that is the type of cooking I try to do (and write about) except when it comes to dessert. Plus she's and AXO.
So as part of Atlanta (ha, I almost said Cleveland) restaurant week (well, there were two Atlanta restaurant weeks and this was part of the first one) you could go to a variety of restaurants and get a 3 course meal for $25. Now this is certainly more than I usually spend on a meal, but I will splurge from time to time. We chose Waterhaven since it seemed to be what we could most agree on. Plus it's very near the Georgia Tech campus, making convenience a plus. However, we don't think it will do very well with business since it is in "Tech Square" a primarily student oriented block, and it is out of the price range of your typical college student. At least for your typical college student to patronize regularly. But it was good. I would give it an "above average" rating.
Appetizers
We ordered everything on the restaurant week menu: lamb sliders, calamari, fried green tomatoes, lemon caesar salad, and hummus plate. The lamb sliders were awesome and came with a yogurt sauce with a little flavor (I do not remember what the flavor was, but it complemented the lamb very well) and coolness on the lamb patty. The fried green tomatoes were pretty average, at least from my experience with fried green tomatoes. They basically tasted fried. The lemon caesar salad was fantastic and very summery. The lemon covered up the excessive anchovy taste that I hate and made it taste very fresh. Speaking of lemon and freshness, the hummus was very lemony, and we all loved that. It was refreshing without being compromising the essence of hummus. And we are all big hummus fans.
Entrees
Between the six of us, we only ordered three entrees: Trout, Steak and Oxtails. I'd say the two I tried, Steak and Oxtails (I ordered the oxtails) were very good but relatively safe. The steak was topped with carmelized onions, which are a pretty classic pairing. The oxtails were tasty, I had never had oxtails before. They taste like red meat, but are very, very tender, they basically fall off the bone. They came with herbed potato dumplings which were a nice texture, less dense than what I've had before, which was good because the meat was plenty filling, though they were still pretty firm and cut well which was good for sharing. But like I said, there was nothing exceptional about either dish, they were just very well done, but obviously not that memorable.
Dessert
Clearly I judge restaurants based on their desserts. There were only two (at least on the special menu): Chocolate Icebox Pie and Creme Brulee. Two of the six ordered the creme brulee and claimed that the rest of us would wish we had chosen that and want to eat lots of theirs. Of course I knew this was false since I always like dessert with chocolate, especially when I go out. When we got our desserts, the creme brulee enthusists admitted that the creme brulee was great and they were not disappointed with their choice, but that ours was better (though somewhat rich). And the creme brulee was good. Sweet and warm with a creamy, consistent texture. But the chocolate icebox dessert was awesome: a nice thick chocolate mousse with a tasty oreo crust. Delicious, but again, very safe, nothing that unique or memorable.
Oh, and as I type this, I'm watching Food Network as it advertises the new show with Melissa, the winner of Next Food Network Star, who is doing $10 dinners for 4 people, while still making them healthy. She may become my new favorite since that is the type of cooking I try to do (and write about) except when it comes to dessert. Plus she's and AXO.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Restaurant Review: Dante's
So I figured to throw some extra fun into my blog, I'd review nonchain restaurants. Today, being my birthday, my friends kidnapped me (literally, blindfolded and carried me) and brought me to Dante's, a relatively famous Atlanta fondue restaurant. We had the chocolate fondue, and it was unbelievably good. Apparently better than the Melting Pot, though I've never been there. Not only was the chocolate phenomenal (it's apparently a higher quality bean and the only restaurant in North America that stocks this bean), but the atmosphere is competely original. Six nights a week a jazz band plays, but not Mondays, which is okay because a guy who did really mellow acoustic covers played and we liked him. Dante came and chatted with us for about 20 minutes about our majors and then built up the chocolate experience, explaining to us why their chocolate is so much better than anywhere else. The restaurant kind of has a Middle Ages feel, like the Beefeater's Tavern I went to in London or Shakespeare Tavern. The also had live crocodiles. Walking in blindfolded, I heard rushing water, so I was really unsure of what place might have that.
The wait staff was friendly and Dante was funny and obviously well traveled. Great atmosphere, great food, great restaurant. I see why this is a must try Atlanta restaurant.
The wait staff was friendly and Dante was funny and obviously well traveled. Great atmosphere, great food, great restaurant. I see why this is a must try Atlanta restaurant.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)