Cliche Pun on Book Title

May 28th 2010

bookhouse pub

I had read a lot of praise for The Bookhouse Pub from some of my favorite food writers in Atlanta. Especially the “Locavore Monday” nights. So I was slightly disappointed to learn that the chef, Julia LeRoy, had left the restaurant before I got a chance to try her food. I don’t know if they kept the same menu after she left, but I was frankly underwhelmed by the food.

I had a starter that was an amazing example of bar food, but not “gastropub” fare. House-made chips with blue cheese and bacon bits were delicious, but not what I was looking for as a dinner item. And that was my main problem with the menu. Instead of being one of those restaurants where everything sounds good- nothing sounded really good on the menu.

However, I will rave about the carrot cake Alex and I split for dessert. It was perfection.

I wouldn’t necessarily go back to the Bookhouse Pub for a meal, but I would definitely return for a few beers. I loved the atmosphere, it was like being in a treehouse. A treehouse with a good draft beer list ;)

Also- be warned, you’re entering an uber-hipster environment. Skinny jeans and flannel are advised.

Posted at 12:19pm and tagged with: two column,.

May 28th 2010

urban pl8

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Fun, but not fabulous. I went to Urban Pl8 a few weeks ago with a group of friends before hitting an art gallery in west midtown. The menu consists of a few starters and then is divided between burgers and main plates. I had the “banh mi” burger, which was good, but not great. It had a few toppings reminiscent of banh mi, but failed to really capture the heart of that dish. We did have a lovely appetizer of fresh tomatoes with ciabatta bread.

The best things about Urban Pl8 are that it’s cheap, and it has a great patio with a big communal table that is perfect for groups.

Posted at 12:10pm and tagged with: two column,.

May 17th 2010

4th & Swift- update

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I’ve been to 4th & Swift three times now, and loved it every time. It is always a restaurant I recommend to people, and one I can feel comfortable sending pretty much anyone to. For my earlier, full review click here.

Last week I started out with a cocktail. I’m always nervous ordering cocktails at restaurants because I’ve gotten spoiled by places like Top Flr, Cakes & Ale and Leon’s Full Service, where the mixologists are gods. At 4th & Swift I had a good cocktail, but it wasn’t a great cocktail. It was actually one that I had for the first time at Cakes & Ale- a drink with pineapple and habanero in it. At Cakes & Ale it was a gin gimlet, whereas at 4th & Swift it was tequila-based. Either way, I’m a fan.

We had a lovely cheese plate and GREAT food. I had a small plate, the lamb, and it had a really great crust on it. We also split a dessert, the “coffee & donuts”. This is one of the most well-executed, original and delicious desserts I’ve had in a while. It was a stack of small, piping hot, sugary donuts with a coffee flavored gelato to dip them in. Divine perfection.

The wine list is also impressive. I was able to find a bottle of Elizabeth Spencer wine, a vineyard I discovered the last time I was in Napa. It’s a small and relatively new vineyard, but they make terrific reasonably priced wine.

Posted at 6:42pm.

May 17th 2010

murphy’s- update

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I ate at Murphy’s recently for Brian’s graduation day brunch/lunch. I know everyone has been to Murphy’s (and if you haven’t, I would definitely recommend it), so I won’t go over the basics.

I always get the crab cake sandwich. It’s just one of those dishes, that try as I might, I can’t stray from. I also tried the calamari and the flatbread appetizers and fell in LOVE with the flatbread.

Saw a car accident outside of this restaurant, too. Bad trend?

Posted at 6:28pm and tagged with: atlanta, restaurants, one column,.

May 17th 2010

bocado

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I ate at Bocado for the second time this past weekend. The first time was shortly after it opened, and I had a lovely meal then. This time, the food was just as good, but I can’t say the same thing for the service.

We had an 8:30 reservation for a party of 3, but were kept waiting at the bar until 9. While there, the bartender was super nice and mixed me a drink that wasn’t on the menu. (Do you like tequila? he asked me…) My mom wanted to try one of their signature cocktails, but they were out of it.

We did get to meet the chef, Todd Ginsberg, and he was perfectly amiable, but seemed a bit stressed. (I don’t blame him, it was a Saturday night).

I also noticed that the wine list was smaller than the last time I ate here. Not a lot of interesting choices- in fact, fairly disappointing.

For appetizers, we tried the fried okra and the chicken livers. The chicken liver dish was the clear winner: served cold on crusty bread with some sort of fruit marmalade.

I wanted to order the lobster rolls, but the restaurant had already run out (seeing a trend?). Instead I settled for crab fritters, while Mom chose the pimento cheese sandwich and George had the burger. Bocado is known for its burger, and from the bite I tasted, I can see why. I would order the burger or pimento cheese again, but skip the crab fritters.

For dessert, we had the chocolate pudding. Definite winner. Very tasty with a carmel mousse and bananas mixed in.

Service was slow, and we didn’t leave the restaurant until about 11. There was a horrific car accident in the intersection outside, though, so maybe that caused part of the delay. Lots of people were gawking and running outside.

Posted at 6:24pm.

May 12th 2010

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These delicious popsicles come from King of Pops, a new popsicle vendor in Atlanta. Most afternoons from 3-6 he can be found on the corner of North and North Highland with a variety of flavors of popsicles. He also tweets to update you on where to find him. This is definitely a summer treat worth seeking out. The popsicles are gourmet, and come in a variety of flavors.

Posted at 9:54am.

My Blackberry Lemonade pop

Brian's Grapefruit Mint pop

April 22nd 2010

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Buy this beer for summer- you’ll thank me.

Posted at 7:16pm.

March 29th 2010

Atlanta Food Carts

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There is a movement in Atlanta, headed by Atlanta magazine’s Christiane Lauterbach, to bring food carts to the city. Atlanta has some laws restricting mobile kitchens. To convince lawmakers to change their stance, Lauterbach created this website. Check it out.

Posted at 6:41pm.

March 13th 2010

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I went to Destin, FL for spring break this year, as evidenced by the abundance of seafood photos. We cooked at home most days/nights - bought fresh seafood from a fish market. But our favorite place that we found was Dewey’s. It’s a little shack on the coast with some of the best seafood I’ve ever had. I’d highly recommend stopping in if you’re going to Destin any time soon.

Posted at 10:15pm.

Dewey's- the best seafood in Destin, FL

these birds tried to steal our food

steamed shrimp basket

snow crab legs & legendary hush puppies

March 13th 2010

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A recent cart Brian and I had at Whole Foods. Contents: gnocchi, fish, marinade, my fave salad dressing (thanks to Emmy), two different cheeses (piave and brebris i believe), fig spread to go with the cheese, Brooklyn Local 2 (beer), and a MAGNUM* OF ANCHOR STEAM CHRISTMAS. The final item is one of my favorite beers every year, only produced seasonally, and I was sorely tempted to buy a case of this stuff. A magnum sufficed.

* For those who don’t know, wine comes in several sizes, and the larger bottles are referred to as “large format” wines. From smallest to largest, the traditional sizes are: half bottle, or split; standard; magnum; double magnum; Jeroboam; then a bunch of biblical names, ending with the Melchizedek which contains 30 litres of wine.

[Handy wikipedia link]

Posted at 1:38am.

A recent cart Brian and I had at Whole Foods. Contents: gnocchi, fish, marinade, my fave salad dressing (thanks to Emmy), two different cheeses (piave and brebris i believe), fig spread to go with the cheese, Brooklyn Local 2 (beer), and a MAGNUM* OF ANCHOR STEAM CHRISTMAS. The final item is one of my favorite beers every year, only produced seasonally, and I was sorely tempted to buy a case of this stuff. A magnum sufficed.
* For those who don’t know, wine comes in several sizes, and the larger bottles are referred to as “large format” wines. From smallest to largest, the traditional sizes are: half bottle, or split; standard; magnum; double magnum; Jeroboam; then a bunch of biblical names, ending with the Melchizedek which contains 30 litres of wine.
[Handy wikipedia link]