My To Try List

Every week it seems another amazing restaurant opens in Atlanta. I feel the urge to try them all and often have a hard time keeping up with where I want to go on any given night. I also struggle with revisiting old favorites or neighborhood spots. To remedy this,  I recently started a "to try" list so I have go to ideas for nights out. Here are a few places I plan to go in the coming months:

• Chai Pani Decatur
• Seven Lamps in Buckhead (Shops Around Lenox)
• Gio's Chicken Amalfitano near Georgia Tech
• KR Steak Bar in Peachtree Hills
• The General Muir near Emory

What is on your list?

Inaugural Wine Dinner at the Colonnade

Yes you read the title correctly. The Colonnade hosted a wine dinner and they did it with style. As soon as I saw this event come through my inbox, I jumped at a chance to see their kitchen swing into full scale gourmet action. Chef Ryan Cobb often sticks to the tried and true favorites that have been drawing folks to the restaurant for decades but he also offers specials that showcase his culinary skill on a regular basis. This dinner was a chance for him to pull out all the stops. As I entered the back dining room, a favorite regular waitress handed me a glass of champagne and showed me to my seat. The tables were graced with white linens and fresh flowers (yes this is the Colonnade, it was surreal). I enjoyed my drink and introduced myself to others at the table. Mostly regulars also looking to see what they were up to. They have promised that this will become a more regular thing at the restaurant and also mentioned they are ramping up the cocktail and craft beer selection at the restaurant. We were in for a treat!

 Duck Salad with Oranges

Champagne Sorbet

Tenderloin with Truffle Potatoes

 Apple Panna Cotta

2012 Travel Food Photo Update

Again at the end of 2012 I fell off the blogging wagon. I had many excellent food experiences I would love to share with you. Here is a quick and colorful recap of some of the great places and tastes I have was lucky enough to indulge in last year.

Feb 2012 A special Mexican dinner with family at Zapatas in Norcross, GA

 POLLO TABASQUENO

Steak ARRACHERA

CAMARONES AL AJILLO

March 2012: Several great meals at The Old Edwards Inn, Highlands, NC

We had the pleasure of having an amazing dinner at Madisons as well as a cozy lunch on the next day. 

Fantastic pulled pork sandwich!

April 2012: A fun weekend in Chicago!

Although I have been there a few times, this time I made sure to have some great food experiences. Dinners at Sepia and Blackbird (so nice I couldn't take pictures), as well as Gilt Bar and a fun foodie tour with Tastebud Tours Chicago! 

June 2013: Denver Dining and Sizzling in St. Maarten

June brought alot of travel! I attended a conference in Denver having the luck to taste some great beer as well as to experience the The Kitchen! Later that month I celebrated an anniversary with a trip to the French side of St. Maarten/ St. Martin. The experience was a food paradise. We had the pleasure of small side of the road stores serving perfect baguette sandwiches to five star dining and everything in between. 

Merguez sausage and lentils

Oskar Blues Tasting!

 Guavaberry Colada 

 Curry Shrimp and Rice at Talk of the Town Lolo 

 Smoked Salmon at Holland House Beachfront Hotel

 Fresh Pan Aux Rasin (finally)

 Incredible Lagoon Front Escargot at La Cigale

 Scallops at La Cigale

 Grand Raspberry Macaron!

July 2012: Refreshing July 4th at the Grove Park Inn

We were back to Asheville for what is now a favorite tradition of watching the fireworks on the 4th while eating at the Sunset Terrace restaurant at the GPI. We also had a chance to sample some unique and delicious olive oils and vinegars at Tree and Vine in Biltmore Village. 

August 2013: Birthday Celebrations!

For my birthday at the end of August, I chose to have dinner at my go to favorite Sotto Sotto as well as to take the day wine tasting at Frog Town Winery in North GA. 

Ravioli Michelangelo 

Frog Town Patio View

September 2013: Post Football Find

After one of the Tech football games we chose to try out Cardamom Hill. Since then it has, of course, earned the praise of everyone in Atlanta and beyond. Congratulations to Asha Gomez for her James Beard nomination for 2013!

Spicy Fish Curry

October 2012: New Orleans Adventure!

Read more about it in the individual posts.

November 2012: Thankful for Family

For an early Thanksgiving celebration I met my grandmother at Monteluce Winery in Dawsonville, GA for an amazing lunch.

 Mushroom Soup

 Smoked Salmon Appetizer

 Amazing Short Rib

 Not so ordinary roast chicken

 Super Rich Chocolate Cake

Apple Walnut Pastry

December 2012: Holiday Date

Each year for holidays rather than big gifts we sometimes choose an experience, usually a meal, to have together. This year we chose well by enjoying the chef's tasting with wine pairing at the Woodfire Grill. 

 Tuna Crudo

Roasted Quail 

 Pork Tenderloin

 Caramel Ice Cream, Chocolate Gnache and Marshmallow

Addition to Asheville

Over Thanksgiving, my parents celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary. We were together in Asheville for the holiday and chose to explore a restaurant new to town. Chestnut, from the same great folks who bring us the Corner Kitchen in Biltmore Village is another great culinary addition to downtown.

When we visited they had been open for only 1 month but they were already full of interested diners. The atmosphere is a hip, casual rustic modern look making the most of the great old building where they are housed. We were sure to make a reservation and were seated right away, although I would not have minded waiting at the bar!

We started with two great cocktails, a dirty martini featuring olives stuffed with Three Graces Dairy goat cheese (we tried to bribe the server for more) and the house version of an Old Fashioned. Both were well made and unique in flavor.

For starters we shared the lobster bisque, the beet salad, and the lobster risotto cakes. The bisque was creamy with generous amounts of lobster meat and the lobster risotto cakes where lightly fried shaped into cute pears. Each delivered in flavor and portions. We complemented our choices with the bread basket a not to be missed treat of (mostly) house made breads.

 For entrees we were lucky enough to have several people at the table, so I had the joy of sampling much of the menu. The entrees proved to be substantial and flavorful. Two of my favorites were the filet and a halibut special. The halibut was light with a smooth butter sauce to complement its delicate flavor.

 Although we could not hold another bite, we made room for the chocolate souffle. It was well worth loosening our top buttons.

I cannot wait to cozy up again in Chestnut's space. It is a worthy addition to downtown Asheville's restaurant scene.

New Orleans Finale

My last day in New Orleans I think I saved the best for last. We started off our morning with a leisurely stroll through the French Quarter to Cafe du Monde. Jackson Square was just waking up and you could smell the beingets! We snagged a table and helped ourselves to some fried goodness and strong coffee. Yes its touristy but its also fun and delicious. 

For dinner we saved our appetites for Cochon. It was a meal full of southern goodness and fresh takes on classic dishes. This restaurant continues to be on top lists for this city. While it was crowded and trendy, the food was well worth the wait. We started with the house made charcutterie but for the main course stretched a little outside our normal fare and tried a whole pork shank served over boiled peanuts and an amazing melt in your mouth dish of rabbit and dumplings.

 

 

I will certainly save time and room for Cochon next time I am in NOLA.

New Orleans Touristy Tradition (Day 3)

Sunday we wanted to experience a New Orleans tradition, the Jazz Brunch.We chose to dine at Arnaud's. This restaurant is one of the classic style upscale restaurants in the French Quarter. This type of dining seems so out of place in the U.S. more like that of a French Bistro. New Orleans is lucky enough to have several of these old gems. The oldest being Antoine's and the most famous being Galatoire's and Commander's Palace.

I know this is marketed to tourists, but I was surprised at how much fun we had, how good the food was, and how many locals were eating along side our table. Our waiter, who had worked at Arnaud's for 18 years, was outstanding the type of waiter you rarely see anymore. This was not his job, it was his career. He was head waiter and had seen alot in his time at the restaurant. He noted most families in New Orleans only eat out at these institutions for special occasions. I can see why at this price point you can't do this every weekend. However, a huge family of locals celebrated a birthday at the next table with tons of oysters and multiple bottles of Dom Perignon!  

 We sat and enjoyed the atmosphere of the grand old dining room while being serenaded by a three piece jazz band. The men roamed table to table taking requests and playing old songs for the room. We had no less than 4 wait staff of various levels attending to our every need. This was a restaurant experience you dont really have anymore.   The Sunday menu is pre-fix of four courses with the price determined by your entree choice. You get an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. For our first course, we had the shrimp bisque and the classic shrimp Arnaud. The shrimp were poached and served in a spice remoulade atop a fresh tomato.
 

The salads featured the house dressing and were the perfect way to clean our palates and prepare for the entree. We chose the crab cakes and the savory crab meat cheesecake. The crab cakes were perfect lump crab lightly breaded and sauteed. They were a perfect balance of flavor and texture.    

The cheesecake was amazing. This is one of the signature dishes. We hesitated to order concerned about being overwhelmed by the flavor or the richness, but it was more like an extremely rich quiche. The crust was light and flaky. I would have eaten two pieces!  

For dessert we couldn't help but order the bananas foster made table side old school style. This was fun to watch and melted in our mouths.



Its hard to eat here and not have a drink or two. The bar at Arnaud's is known as the French 75 Bar. We had to try one. They were great! We also took advantage of the brunch theme and had a few Bloody Marys as well. I am sure it has changed from the old days and sure it is something that lots of tourists do, but the Jazz Brunch experience is not to be missed. We spent almost three hours enjoying our drinks the music and the meal. We strolled out to roam the antique stores on Royal street with a slight champagne buzz. Now that is a perfect Sunday!