Tag Archive for: cocktails

Grana Atlanta: Meatball Heaven

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 7/21/20

On the busy corner in Piedmont Heights, Grana’s newly built restaurant is a shrine to the almighty meatball – and all things Italian. Herringbone floor, two large wood burning pizza ovens, sweeping lights, and impeccable décor, Grana has an impressively upscale dining room that pays homage to the Chef’s Italian Heritage. It’s a stunner. Heading up to the beach vibe rooftop bar and patio, you’re greeted with the neon sign that reminds you that this place will be known for it’s balls, meatballs that is. Mark our words, the best meatballs in Atlanta. Beyond this, sinful appetizers, array of unique pizza, fantastic pasta, summer sippers, and impeccable main dishes make up the fabric of the best new Italian restaurant in Atlanta. That’s amore. Let’s dig in.

We get it, dreaming of the perfect meatball was never in our realm of reality either. But here we are awestruck by the master meatball-teer.  We opted for the meatball flight which included Mommy’s, Nonna’s, Crisp Veal, Pork, Grana, and Brasstown Beef. All practically perfect in their own way, but our stand-out was the best meatball ever, Crispy Veal. Imagine biting into a crisp, crunchy shell and coming upon tender and mild veal, perfectly seasoned with a blend of spices, and topped with a dollop of spicy aioli. It has everything you’d want in a meatball: meaty, spicy, sweet, crunchy, earthy. Perfection if you ask us. Perusing the reset of the meatball wonders, we also really enjoyed the Brasstown Beef that boasts hearty and tender beef topped with immaculate black truffle jam(!) and gouda that rounds out the bite, bringing in a little earth and a little creaminess. All the flavors on this one!! Break up the meatball and mix in the truffle topping. WOW! As for the Pork with the whipped ricotta, it was also delicious, with a very mellow pork ball and the creaminess and earthiness of the ricotta cheese. Meaty and creamy. Nonna’s mixes the right amount of meatball with mustard seed for tart and a slight pop in the mouth. Then, on top of that the currants are sweet and tart. Cut the meatball up and mix in the toppings, yum! What feels like the original, just plain good Mommy’s that reminds you of something your grandma would make, perfect meatball, sauce, earthy basil. BAM! Finally, The Grana is a simple, yet delicious meatball that is a good mix of sage and meat, perfectly balanced. Be honest, if you could have just one, what would it be?

Now that we’ve gotten you good and hungry, our Italian journey continues on the vendura and pasta. Something we would never think of getting was the wood roasted peppers. Pat sent them up for us to try and boy, what a treat. Slightly spicy of the pepper to the creamy of the whipped ricotta to the sweetness of the honey, mix it all up and you get a great all-around flavor! The most delightful surprise of the night was the Roasted Corn Vendura. Immaculately plated standing up with the stalks in the air, the corn is surrounded by a moat of lemon aioli, peppers, and Calabrian oils, it was visually and tastefully stunning. The crunchiness of the corn, the creaminess of the aioli and then comes the spice on the back end to kick you in the teeth. We’re in love with this dish because it gives you a little bit of everything and it’s so unique! After breathing a little fire, came our Pappardelle pasta. Oh. My. Goodness. Ragu is our love language. This Pappardelle pasta, which is thick and hearty, is perfectly cooked and fresh topped with rich pork ragu and sprinkled with hard mozzarella cheese. So meaty and rich, the ragu is the perfect combination with the heartiness and heft of the pasta, plus the right amount of spices. Top with that perfect amount of cheese and you’ve got a dynamite pasta that we will have to come back for seconds to get!

Next stop, pizza. We sampled the Roni, which was a mix of fresh cheese, crisp crust, pepperoni, honey and Calabrian chili combined inside curled up pepperoni. An everchanging collaboration of flavors that seep together to make one of the most unique flavored pizza’s we’ve ever had! Tip: horde the middle. All of the pepperoni goodness and honey, chili, all come together there. It’s the best bite. We’d like to mention that John really enjoyed the Roni. He said at one point that he couldn’t get over how good the pepperoni, honey, and cheese combination was and never would have thought he would love it so much.

Just when you think you can’t get a better meal, in comes the Wood Roasted Chicken. Having the Porchetta (WOWZER!) at the preview, we figured since our waitress recommended it, we’d give it a whirl. Good. Choice. Tender and fall off the bone roasted chicken in a blend of spices and mixed with peppers and surrounded by the sweet and spicy rosemary lemon sauce that elevates the chicken.  The best part was the fattier chicken thighs paired so well with the spiciness of the sauce and the peppers. If you have any leftovers, make a quick panini or sandwich with it the next day. Delicimo!

Full to the brim, now, while we sat on the patio and the rainstorm rolled in, we sipped on several cocktails, like the Lemonada, which was Liz’s favorite! It’s just a gin slushie with lemon Pellegrino! It’s simply refreshing and perfect for a hot day. They’re frozen cocktail changes every so often so you might go and get an Aperol Spritz slushie or even a Froze. Our favorite shaken cocktail was the Amalfly Coasting that is the right mix of Pellegrino pompelmo, gin, peychaud’s. It’s sippable heaven.

That evening as we left, a lone beam of light shown under the clouds. A glimpse of the sunset could be seen from the rooftop and we stopped to take it in. The perfect ending to a wonderful meal. It just proved to us that meatball heaven does exist.

Carson Kitchen: Love is in the Air

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 7/9/20

You know that scene at the end of the romantic comedy where the two love birds you’ve been rooting for the entire move finally share their first kiss and the credits roll along with that single tear on your cheek? That’s the heartfelt homecoming we enjoyed in our recent outing back to our love, Carson Kitchen. Impressed with the bacon jam and oxtail risotto on the first go-round, this time we were equally impressed with every bite we put in our mouths. Like the pork belly and it’s fantastic sauce, the beet salad with those goat cheese balls to the best %^$# salmon you’ll ever have in Atlanta, and don’t forget the bacon jam, it’s all perfection. Yes, PERFECTION. Get ready to fall in love all over again. Get the tissues ready, you’ll need them.

 

If you haven’t guessed, Carson Kitchen is our favorite new restaurant of 2020 thus far. We both agree on this AND haven’t had one mediocre thing in all of our tastings. With an extensive signature cocktail menu that changes with the seasons, to the long list of local beers, to the wine list, you can enjoy a happy hour on the patio, or with a meal. We sampled the Just the Tip, which is a whiskey-based drink, but doesn’t drink like it. It’s refreshing and cool with mint and mellowed by the lemon, vanilla, and brightened by the apricot preserves. Loved the sweetness and balance of this cocktail and enhanced by the sweet grand mariner finish. Patio sipping at it’s finest.

 

Giddy with anticipation, we ordered a foodie’s dream, the Carson Kitchen Bacon Jam. How can something be this good? We already have fawned over that in our last trip, so we’re going to transition to what we did sample on the social plate menu this time, the pork belly. We must ask you, have you ever had pork belly that melted in your mouth? This does, it’s that tender. It’s one of the best cooked and plump pork belly slices we’ve ever had and topped with THAT SAUCE. We can’t say enough about the blue cheese-forward buffalo blue cheese beurre blanc sauce that was rich, creamy, tart, to compliment the hearty meat. A complete and amazing overall dish.

 

From hearty Bacon Jam and pork belly, we opted for something light to eat on the patio. Enter the Young Beets off the Farm & Garden menu. This mix of beets were perfectly balanced and earthy, plus perfectly paired with the sweetness of the grapes, and the best part the creamy, dreamy, goat cheese balls rolled in our favorite nut ever, pistachio. Who knew beets and grapes would pair so well? It’s genius. All together the beets, grapes, cheese, and sauce melted into an earthy, crunchy, tangy bite that was perfectly light for the patio dining. Taste all the ingredients together, you’ll thank us. Light and bright!

 

Salmon. Period. Full stop. Bold this, highlight it. This mind-blowing dish boasts perfectly medium cooked salmon that’s light and flaky, yet the outside is crisped just right with light seasoning and a slight crunch. Alone, the salmon itself is an amazing piece of deliciousness, but pair it with the cheese and spinach goodness and a splash of charred lemon and you’ll get an explosion of flavors. The devil is in the details and this one is hearty fish, flaky and light with creamy and sharp cheese, complimented by the earthiness of the spinach. Decadent begins to describe it, but it’s one of the best %^$# salmon dishes we’ve ever tried. Ever.

As the sunsets over Alpharetta City Center, Carson Kitchen lights up it’s patio center-piece, the firepit. The sunset casts yellows, pinks, and purples all over the glass beads in it and it casts and beautiful fire dancing and leaping through the air. We relax in our chairs and just take in our amazing culinary journey of the day. We’d like to know what, if you went to Carson Kitchen, would you like to try? Whatever you choose, you’ll fall in love too! Big heart emoji.

Barleygarden Kitchen & Bar: Beyond Beervana

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 6/25/20

So Beervana, DOES exist. Located on the end of the Avalon complex, with a large patio and rooftop bar, Barleygarden Kitchen and Bar has a legitimate stake in Beervana, but we hope you stay for the food because you’ll be in for a real treat. From a ton of local, regional, and national beer varieties with everything from IPAs to sours to stouts, they have anything you could want made of hops and malt. On top of that, you can’t really go wrong with Barleygarden’s eats either, from fried cauliflower to brussels sprouts, to handheld favorites, to wings, stay a while and enjoy a drink and grub! Let’s check out our heady adventure on a fun OTP patio.

By the time you read this, they’ll probably already be slinging a whole new array of signature cocktails. We tried the Never Say Die set to be one of their features, as well as sipped on a delicious Untitled Art stout. Plus, we paired Arches Queen’s Weiss with the handheld, stay tuned for that pairing later. As for the new cocktail menu Never Say Die is a take on a pina colada with light and fresh lime, demerara, orgeat, curacao, and of course dark rum. It was light and refreshing and perfect to enjoy on the patio. They also plan on having a Baby! Baby! Ruth! Baby! cocktail, which will include peanut butter whiskey (!), rum, orange, pineapple, cream of coconut. Doesn’t that sound divine? They’re planning on reopening the rooftop bar and service 6/26, so you should get over there and try one of these!

Of the starters, we sampled a few things including the brussels sprouts, wings, and our favorite the fried cauliflower. Diving straight into our favorite, the fried cauliflower was crispy cauliflower battered and fried to perfection. It’s served with a side of a paprika aioli that was rich and creamy with a hint of spice. What was dynamic about this bite was the crunchy, cheesy crust that was like eating crispy fried cheese! Dip it in the aioli to round out the bite. Spectacular. We also really enjoyed the brussels sprouts that were a great balance of earthiness of the greens and sweetness of the vinaigrette. We loved the addition of the crunchy almonds and meaty bacon to balance out the bite! Also, get down to the bottom of the bowl, that’s where the best flavors and sauce pool together. Rich, meaty, crunchy, earthy! Our tip is to ask for a side of blue cheese and toss it in there to add even more flavor. Beyond the vegetables, we also go some meaty wings dusted in lemon pepper, with the right amount of char and pop of the skin. We were impressed with how meaty the flats were, as well. If you are asked what sauce you want, opt for the paprika aioli. It actually mixes really well with the lemon pepper sauce and is an excellent mix of flavors.

Of the handhelds, Butchers Bun is an over the top ribeye and gruyere sammy with a fantastic garlic aioli, fried onions, and earthy arugula. What a tasty sandwich. It’s so rich and meaty with the tang and tart of the gruyere and earthy of the arugula and the crunch of the onions. Please don’t forget the garlic aioli which was the right amount of creaminess to compliment all the other ingredients. For the best bite, eat it from the bottom, all the juices, melted cheese, aioli and meat come together down there. So. Freakin. Good.

Something you can do to elevate your meal is pair your food with beer! This is the place to do that! We opted for the Queens Weiss from Arches, which is a wheat beer that pairs well with the strong flavor of the gruyere cheese on this dish. Ask your server or bartender what they’d recommend with the food and enjoy. If you could pair a beer and food together what would it be?

Ray’s on the River: Ultimate Lawn Party

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 5/27/20

On a sunny day in late May, there was a light breeze over the Chattahoochee River and the intermittent clouds cooled down the late afternoon heat. Next to the river sits a beautifully landscaped lawn dotted with large patio umbrellas and a collection of tables, patio furniture, and a serene walkway with purple, red, and pink flowers. Ray’s on the River is the ultimate lawn party that reminds us of an all-day Kentucky Derby soiree with pretty dresses, upscale, sippable cocktails, and on-point tasty bites. They wooed us with their impeccable cocktail menu and service, plus you absolutely can’t. beat. That. View. Being from Atlanta, why hadn’t we visited this wonderful, magical happy place before? Are you ready to go down by the river for a culinary adventure? Make sure to grab your Derby Hat, you’ll need it.

You can’t beat Ray’s on the River’s cocktail menu, there’s a little bit of everything. Fig Old Fashioned, Gimlet, Vitamin Sea tiki drink, and an array of sangrias. Of the ones we sampled, the Vitamin Sea was the hands down favorite and an unexpected treat from a high-end restaurant. When you think of Ray’s the Old Fashioned cocktail does come to mind, even a Gimlet, but not a refreshing, pineapple-forward tiki drink that’s both creamy and foamy. It’s all the flavors of the islands in a glass. Like a beautiful beach day where the sand is lined with palm trees and you sit in the shade with a rum drink in your hand. Don’t forget the little umbrella! Another one that we enjoyed was the Cucumber Mint Gimlet, which was a mixture of earthy, minty, boozy up front and cooling cucumber on the back of the throat. Perfect pair with the patio. Throw up that pinky because you’ll feel high end. Their most popular drink on the menus is the Fig Old Fashioned, which was smooth and boozy with a sweet of the fig, nuttiness of the bitters, and warming of the bourbon. It’s an all-around balanced concoction!

Ray’s on the River has so many light bites you can share like the seafood tower with lobster, crab, and oysters, but our favorite of the appetizer was the Ahi Tuna Poke. Perfectly marinated and perched atop creamy avocado in a moat of citrus ponzu and crowned with crunchy macadamia nuts, it was a magnificent bite. Do we need to go on? Beyond that, the Goat Cheese Pimento Fritters, were the right amount of crunch, sharp cheddar cheese, and sweet honey. The bar manager called it fire, and we must agree, this dish IS fire. Our tip is to take that little, cheese ball and roll it in the honey. It’s amazing. Isn’t it the truth that when calamari is done RIGHT, it’s really good. Ray’s version is done right with tender squid perfectly seasoned, breaded, and crunchy then mixed with red and banana peppers. The crunch of the breading and the spiciness of the peppers were a great bite together. But the best part? The addition of the sauces! Slather on some marinara and cheese or load up on the spicy aioli, both take this dish up a level and add a level of earthiness or creaminess! Now, don’t forget the loaded Statesboro Blue Cheese Chips because they were the right amount of blue cheese, bacon, tomatoes and onion. Plus, the manager mentioned a menu hack and we have to share it with you! Get the chips and the poke together and use the chips with the poke instead of a fork. It’s the ultimate appetizer!

From there we tried a new menu item called the Horseradish Black Grouper. Let us tell you, this is one of the best fish dishes we’ve ever had with crunchy horseradish cracker crust, flaky and mild fish on a bed of shaved brussels sprouts doused in dijonaise. The tart of the horseradish, crunch of the crust, to the flaky and meatiness of the fish to the earthiness of the sprouts and finished off with the kick of Dijon and mayonnaise, we’re still thinking about this dish. Tip, if you mix the fish, crust, and all the other elements together, it’s a one of the best dishes to date. You may want to pace yourself.

We can’t say enough about the view at Ray’s on the River. The river backdrop and serenity of the water, to the manicured lawn and everything in between, it’s easily one of the best patio experiences in Atlanta for any occasion. We can’t wait to go back and relax.

Clues and Cocktails: When a Meal Becomes a Mission

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 5/6/20

What if we told you that you could be a special agent rewarded with food? Enter Clues and Cocktails who traditionally would have you for dinner and a mystery show at their Auburn Ave location or games in their themed bar, but their new to-go and take out option keeps the fun going all the way to your door. An alternative to the boring take-out and delivery night, Clues and Cocktails invites you to order take-out and a mission for a non-traditional date night, game night, and everything in between. Do you have what it takes to crack the code and reap your food reward? Let’s find out.

When you order and select a mission, The Package comes to life as you become a special agent to stop bad guys like a superhero! Given a mission from Special Agent 048, you will crack codes, clues, and puzzles to complete thwart bandits from intercepting the package and receive a special code to open it upon arrival. The game turns out to be easy and fun and you even get to get a code to open the lock on your food. We successfully unlocked ours. Will you?

We got to try one entrée, The Collusion, but they have a ton of sandwich and salads for anyone looking for something handheld or healthy. Don’t let Clues and Cocktails deceive you, they may not have food in their name, but they have some mean bites. The Collusion is a boat of mac n cheese topped with spicy collards, baked chicken, more cheese, with cornbread and cowboy caviar on the side. It was a lot of food! Starting with our favorite, the cornbread, it was some of the best we’ve eaten in a very long time. It was savory and sweet topped with a fruit concoction that makes it almost a dessert. I wish there were more in my package because I could have eaten a whole pan full. What was even better that some of it got on top of my food and it gave it a delicious sweetness. The chicken was tender and well-seasoned, the mac and cheese was super cheesy, and what really made this dish was the spicy collard greens. They were perfectly cooked and mixed with hot sauce to give the dish some spice. It was a collusion of flavors that we really enjoyed. On the side, we also really enjoyed the cowboy caviar, a creamy and crunchy mix of beans, avocado, onion, corn, and a hint of lime. It was so refreshing and a great contrast to the hearty main entrée.

We can’t wait to try their bar, cocktails, and experience a mystery soon at Clues and Cocktails. This message will self-destruct in 3, 2, 1.

Ocean & Acre: Brunch A-Hoy!

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 3/10/20

BRUNCH, a-hoy! Enjoyed a brunching voyage at the newly christened Ocean & Acre that set sail two weekends ago. Yes, this just in, Ocean & Acre in Halcyon Forsyth has brunch! It literally just launched two weekends ago!! Insert heart emoji here. Take a look through our booty of beautiful sippers and savory landlocked dishes like pancakes, steak and eggs, and polenta bowls. Who’s ready to pop the champagne and dive in for a Sunday Funday?

We found it! The prettiest, most photogenic drink in all of Atlanta, it’s on Ocean & Acres brunch menu, the Gin Sour. With an orange-pink hue, white whipped crown, and dried blood orange, she’s ready for her close-up. Beyond the beauty, with Old 4th Ward Gin, Aperol, orange bitters, lemon, and whipped egg, it starts out just as sweet as it looks, but ends smooth with the addition of the egg white. This one will be a crowd favorite. We also sipped on the Gin & Cucumber Spritz, as well as the Red Tide specialty cocktail of the week. The Gin & Cucumber Spritz is one of those drinks that reminds you of the ocean, earthy and salty. With the addition of lemon, cucumber, and prosecco, this spritz is refreshing and sunny. If you like hard seltzer or something light, this one is for you. Finally, The Red Tide was a good pair with the steak and eggs we had as it is bourbon, star anise, clove, with red wine on top. This one they use their inhouse infuser and added blood orange into the bourbon. This really reminded us of a traditional Gluhwein drink, just not hot, as it has a lot of the same ingredients. It was boozy, citrus, and then ends like a fine red wine. So, unique. They have a featured infused drink of the week, so maybe they’ll have something fun when you go brunching! They’re also thinking about having a Bloody Mary bar during brunch in the future. Wouldn’t you love that? What would you like to see on this bar?

Have you ever had a Dutch Pancake? A Polenta bowl on a brunch menu? We haven’t either and we’re in love with both. If you’re looking for a unique brunch, they have some different dishes beyond the staple eggs and bacon fare, but don’t worry, they also have steak and eggs, so you’re covered if not. We tasted three dishes, the Dutch Pancake, the Breakfast Polenta Bowl, and the Steak and Eggs. Starting with our favorite dish, the Polenta Bowl is like a grits bowl, only more like mashed potatoes texture filled with bacon, ragu (tomatoes and mushrooms), and two poached eggs. Think a mixed-up, eggs, bacon, and grits dish but ELEVATED with polenta and the tart of the ragu. And here’s our tip: play with your food! The bacon is on the top and you can use it as a scoop to get all the polenta, egg, and ragu into one bite. The bacon adds a salt element to the creamy and savory of the other ingredients. What something even more playful? Eat the polenta with the steak and eggs. Wowza!

That being said, the steak and eggs were delicious, as well, with tender steak nicely seasoned and topped with perfectly cooked sunny-side up eggs. The addition of the potatoes and oil brings an element of earthiness and richness. Get the potatoes and add to the egg and a small amount of steak = paradise. Beyond that, the dutch pancake was our sweet for the brunch. What’s so unique about this dutch pancake is that it was more fruit and tart forward, not super sweet like we thought. We loved it that way because once you get down to the lemon curd and mix in the whipped cream, you’ll get some of that sweetness mixed in with the savory of pancake and the fruit. Plus, the combo of the fruit like pears and pineapple rounded out the dish to give a great tang and tart. It was a good balance between all the flavors!

This brunch will reel you in as they have a ton of other things we’d love to try. Can you say avocado toast with fish dip, Eggs Benedict Florentine, or even that amazing looking brunch burger? We know where you’re brunching this weekend, save us a bite of the Avocado Toast, please.

HOBNOB Perimeter: Come for the Game, Stay for the food.

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 3/8/20

Hobnob is a verb meaning to drink sociably or to associate familiarly. From drinks that get you talking to dishes with southern flare, HOBNOB is a good mix of hearty food, fun cocktails, and everything in between. It’s a place you’ll grab a cocktail and eat some good food. Their claim of refined tavern fare with southern flare and that is spot on, with everything from Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders, chicken wings, comfort food like sweet potato mash paired with salmon, as well as desserts, their food will have you coming back for more. Who doesn’t love a go-to place for the game and grub or for an intimate date night? Tip: go on Thursday for their Thirsty Thursday: $3 champagne or $5 wine!

Starting with the sky-blue vodka cocktail, The Earhart, is a light and breezy drink that reminds you of a clear sky on a beautiful sunny day. This easy to drink sipper is a combo of hibiscus vodka, fresh squeezed lemon, and maraschino liquor that’s sweet on the nose, but finishes smooth and serene. You’ll definitely feel fancy with this pretty cocktail in front of you! Cheers!

Being a restaurant where you can catch the game, what’s better than some fun, sharable apps that please everyone at your table? Let’s start with the two types of wings and the Nashville Hot Chicken Slides we sampled. From the perfectly crisped chicken, to the coolness of the cole slaw, to the spiciness of the sauce, the Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders were one of those dishes you may not want to share. The cole slaw calmed some of the spiciness and the addition of the crunchy pickle really brought out the flavor of the entire dish. Make sure you get all elements in one bite and you’ll get spicy, salty, creamy, and crunchy. We were impressed with the unique wing flavors that Hobnob has to offer, like coke-yaki that was a sweeter take on teriyaki to honey sriracha that was spicy and sweet. Those are the two we got, and they were both delicious additions to favorites like lemon pepper or buffalo. The wings were meaty and cooked right with the right amount of sauce. Let me tell you that honey sriracha with blue cheese was a delicious overall combo. John loves teriyaki and really loved the coke-yaki combination of coca-cola and soy! Both are great choices for watching a United match or your favorite football team.

Beyond the bar food, they also have some delicious entrees for that special date night! They have a range of dishes, but we just had to sample the Tavern Salmon! What a delicious meal, the salmon was perfectly cooked, while the brussel sprouts were perfectly crisped under the salmon and paired with a sweet and salty sweet potato mash. Hobnob touts that its tavern fare with southern flare and this is case and point. Just imagine a wonderful salmon dish with the right amount of salt, sweet, and crispiness and then top it with a honey mustard and you’ve got a showstopper. The honey mustard really gives it a tartness and elevates all the flavors when you mix them all up together. We will be back for another one of these!

When you go for your special date night and try the Tavern Salmon, you should also spring for dessert. We tried the lava cake, which was everything you’d imagine from a rich, chocolate dessert with ice cream. Creamy, tons of chocolate flavor, a perfect pairing with the vanilla ice cream. Divine. They also have specialties that they make in house like cobbler. It’s the perfect ending.

The Family Dog: A Very Good Dog!

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 2/16/20

The Family Dog in Morningside’s slogan is sit, stay, relax. That’s exactly what you experience when you walk through the doors: sit for a tasty cocktail, stay for the Brussel sprouts and chicken and waffles, relax to the live music. They have fun pub vibes mixed with unique cocktails and serious eats. Are you ready to find out why TFD is a very good dog?

Upon arrival we sat for a tasty cocktail. We tried two of them: The Gardner and Cool Heat. The prettiest of the two, the Cool Heat was everything you think it would be from the name: jalapeno tequila is both savory and spicy, combined with cool lime, agave, and grapefruit. It was spicy on the throat, but not overbearing and was citrusy, sweet, and the grapefruit pairs well with the spice of the jalapeno and gives it a depth. It’s the most unique drink we’ve tried in a while and we dig it. The other cocktail, the Gardner was a good, summer sipper, refreshing and light, with gin and cucumber then tart on the end. One of those cocktails you could drink a few of on your front porch and watch the fireflies dance in the night air.

We stayed for several of the shareable eats like the chicken caprese flat bread, Brussel sprouts, and buffalo cauliflower. From wings without the wings, bacon-loaded sprouts, to an Italian flatbread classic, everything was on point at The Family Dog. We really enjoyed each of these apps and almost can’t decide which was our favorite. Starting with the chicken caprese flatbread, it was an Italian classic dish in flatbread form with tender chicken, mozzarella dollops, and earthy tomatoes. Topped with balsamic glaze, it was a delicious bite, something you can share with a friend or horde all to yourself. We with the latter! Have you ever had something that ate like a chicken wing without the actual “wing?” That’s what the buffalo cauliflower was with tasty buffalo sauce, perfectly fried cauliflower and blue cheese dressing. It was surprisingly good and satisfied that wing craving. If you dig down to the bottom, you’ll find even saucier bites, we recommend you do that and dip it in blue cheese. All the feels. Finally, let’s not forget the Brussel sprouts. From crispy to savory to sweet, some of the best Brussel dish we’ve had in a while! They’ll smack you in the mouth with bacon, which is always welcome, and follow up with crispy, leafy greens, sweet balsamic, and slight salt. So good we call it Brussel love!

We don’t discriminate when it comes to breakfast for dinner and the chicken and waffles hit that spot! The flaky and sweet waffle topped with some seriously good chicken tenders, drizzled in syrup, topped with whipped cream and tart strawberries. Are you hungry yet? We took the waffle, chicken tender, some whipped cream, strawberries, and syrup and rolled it all up into one bite. Insert mind blown emoji here. One of the sides we had we want to talk about, truffle cauliflower mash. Wowza! If you wouldn’t have told us it was cauliflower you wouldn’t have known. Just. Like. Potatoes. It was blended well, creamy, the right amount of salt, and of course the truffle was so deep and rich that it’s delectable. Couldn’t stop eating it!

Plus, they have live music on Thursdays, so we relaxed to the sounds as we sipped and ate our way through The Family Dog menu. If you’re looking for some good food, cocktails, and music, you should visit TFD. It’s a seriously good dog.

Ocean Wave: Mind Blowing Sushi

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 2/3/20

Down in the middle of the Virginia Highlands, Ocean Wave has got to be one of THE sushi destinations in all of Atlanta. From the moment you enter the building, twinkle lights greet you and the sound of drinks being shaken behind the bar. They have top-shelf cocktails, delicious sushi, tons of fried rice and entrees, as well as a good selection of appetizers, so let’s dive into some of those Yummi dishes and cocktails. Full steam food adventure ahead!

We’re not monkeying around about the superior cocktails at Ocean Wave! We sipped and loved the Monkey Business Martini that combined vodka, coconut rum, pineapple and cranberry. We declared it’s a tiki party in your mouth, boozy up front, then smoothing out into a frothy, sweet tiki drink on the backend. It was a great balance of flavors that’s easy to drink any time of year, but we can imagine sitting on the beach under the shadow of an umbrella, drink in hand. A light breeze through our hair, can you feel it?

We will get to the sushi in a moment, but we sampled a few other good dishes that included the Satay Chicken, KA Proud Lamb, and something we’ve NEVER tried before, Spicy Spaghetti. First, the Satay Chicken was very tender, and the peanut sauce and cucumber salad were a great pairing, especially the salad. It was sweet and went well with the savory of the chicken. A good bite! From there we tried the Spicy Spaghetti, which mimics a traditional spaghetti with a Thai flare. We’ve never had anything like it! Spicy, savory, and deep from the spice of the Thai chili sauce, tender chicken, and super juicy tomatoes. Maybe more of spaghetti on steroids? Yeah, that sounds about right. Super good!

The best of the entrees was the Ka Proud Lamb. The sauce was DELECTIBLE with a slight spice up front and rich deep flavor on the back that went perfect with the mushrooms and vegetables in the sauce. The lamb was tender and smoky with a delicate char. The fried rice was perfect with the sauce and lamb. What a great bite when all combined! Plus, we had a little fun with our food. We put the sauce from the lamb on the Spicy Spaghetti. Pretty tasty, we must say.

We tried two different rolls, the Dancing Dragon and the Yummi Yummi. Dancing Dragon was a good balance of sweet and spicy with tempura on the inside and eel and avocado on the outside. The variation between the eel, which was sweet, and the creamy avocado, were a great one-two punch of flavor. Add wasabi and soy sauce, it brings out the flavor of both! Even though this roll was super good, nothing could compare to the Yummi Yummi. A Trio of fresh yellow tail, tuna, salmon stuffed with cream cheese and flash fried in a moat of delicious soy-based sauce. From the creaminess of the cream cheese mixed with the salty and freshness of the fish to the crunch of the fried rice, it was one dynamic bite. What made it even better? Wababi and soy sauce. Mouth dropped to the floor, was that really possible? WOW! Yummi is definitely one way to describe it. Mind blowing is another.

A special shout-out to our waitress who was a gracious hand-model, menu master, and willing food carrier to better light. She was top-notch! That’s the kind of service you’ll get at Ocean Wave. As you leave, the twinkling of the lights follows you down the street and you’ll dream about sushi for a few nights after.

Holiday Luau with Kamayan ATL at Sweet Auburn BBQ 2019

Date: Monday, December 2

Time: 5:30 pm

About: This holiday season, Sweet Auburn BBQ, the Poncey-Highland BBQ spot offering traditional style barbecue with an Asian twist, is transforming their space into a holiday luau! To kick off the season of celebration, Sweet Auburn BBQ will host Kamayan ATL, the Atlanta-based Filipino pop-up restaurant, on Monday, December 2 for a collaborative luau-inspired menu of dishes like Fried Lumpia, Aloha BBQ Skewers, Hsu’s Kalbi Saimin, & Smoked Huli Huli Chicken. Following the pop-up event, Sweet Auburn BBQ will offer a festive food menu and tiki-inspired cocktails alongside holiday luau vibes and decor throughout the season.

More Information:

https://www.facebook.com/events/770999956660073/