Tag Archive for: detour

Ocean & Acre: Land and Sea Perfectly Paired

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 11/24/19

Land and Sea come together in perfect harmony up at Ocean & Acre in the Halcyon Forsyth complex! What really sets them apart is the innovative and truly unique menu offerings like ceviche with beets, wagyu beef carpaccio, lamb belly, and savory pork chops. If meat isn’t your thing, they have tons of fish, a take on fish and chips, oysters, and even more shellfish to choose from. Like we said, perfect harmony! Beyond this, we really enjoyed the medley of flavors that they paired together in each dish to make them remarkable. Ok, enough talk, let’s take a journey through their menu, sip on a cocktail, and sit by the fire. Come on in.

Starting with the raw bar, the Bass Ceviche was one of the most unique small plates we’ve ever had with light and flaky bass mixed with beets and in a beet vinaigrette. It was earthy, fresh, and light with every flavor you could imagine in such a simple dish. Yes, you must like beets, but they are perfectly cooked and are actually the perfect pair with the fish. Light and delicious.

Maintaining our foray into the lighter side of Ocean & Acre, we opted for the wagyu beef carpaccio. The most tender slice of tartar beef paired well with some oil, herbs, and a light whipped cheese. The best bite is to wrap up the beef, cheese, herbs, and oil and stuff it all in your mouth. Savory, creamy, light.

We took a turn from there into hearty with the Smoked Lamb Belly. The meat was fresh with very little game, a different take on a pork belly dish. What was truly amazing about this dish was the best side on Ocean & Acre’s menu: the polenta. We cannot sing the praises of this more! With the creamy polenta flavor up front then the tart and sweet of the craisins and raisins on the back it’s a savory sweet MASTERPIECE. Could. Not. Stop. Eating it. Great for the cold weather!

Our main course consisted of some of the most flavorful, savory pork chops we’ve had in a long time. Perfectly cooked with herbs and a hearty au jus, this chop was well, perfect. It comes with two, cooked onions to add flavor to the sauce, as well as mushrooms. Two people can share it, it’s that big. Suggestion: get the pork chop with a side of the polenta from the lamb belly dish. We ended up mixing them together and WOW. This is THE combination to try! Highly recommend.

Let’s not forget their drink menu which had a good mix of classics and signature sips to try. The one we like the best was Barracuda. It’s their drink of the week this week, November 22nd 2019 through the Thanksgiving. They have an in-house infuser and backed it with habanero, blood orange and tequila. They paired this with crème de chassis on the top. Perfecto. We also enjoyed both the Rosetta, the drink of the week last week with whipped egg and cloves, as well as a fun tiki drink called Ebb Tide: pineapple, rum, mint. A tiki mule if you will. Wonder what fun drink of the week they will come up with next week? Can’t wait to find out.

We must say that the Halcyon up in Forsyth is really a destination for anyone living in Atlanta. They have a brew pub, sports bar, movie theater with delicious eats, and more. Let’s not forget this absolute gem, Ocean & Acre. Take your family, friends, and life mate, grab a cocktail and sit by the fire. You’ll be glad you did.

Hoyle’s Kitchen & Bar: Marietta Gem Has Amazing Food!

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 11/10/19

It was one of those nights where the rain started to fall, and the traffic was a challenge. There’s nothing like one of the best meals we’ve ever had, wonderful pairings with beer and wine, and the company of foodie friends to make things right with the world. That’s the experience we had at Hoyle’s Kitchen and Bar in Marietta. It’s an unassuming restaurant out near the Big Chicken, but has delicious apps featuring tempura cauliflower that was the hit of the night. Entrees include Crisp Brick Chicken with a delectable rub, and Sous Vide Sirloin that nestled Brussel sprouts and steak in a melody of flavors. Are you hungry yet? Let’s dive into the details.

The star of the evening had to be the Tempura Cauliflower as everyone raved about the sweet and spicy, lightly fried morsels. From the lightly fried tempura batter to the sweet chili glaze and topped with sriracha aioli, it truly was one of the best bites! It was sweet, spicy, savory, and crunchy. It was perfectly paired with a J. Vineyards Pinot Gris that was light and went well with the sweet and spicy of the cauliflower! This appetizer is a must-try when you head over to Hoyle’s!

All the main course dishes were top notch, so let’s take a journey through all of them. Yes, all of them. They were all something you should try! Let’s start with the Pan Seared Salmon. One of our go-to menu items is always the salmon and can be a good test to if the restaurant is good or not. This one was so tender and flaky, it fell apart. It was succulent, sweet, and savory on top of poblano cous-cous that was creamy and salty with a hint of ginger-soy dressing. A great bit when you mix it all up together: savory and Asian inspired.

If you could have one dish the rest of your life, this is it, the Crispy Brick Chicken! The chicken was perfectly brined in a local IPA and smoked in the house smoker! After that, it is crisped on the grill and rubbed with spices. It was almost like a barbeque fried chicken when you top it with Alabama white sauce. Placing the chicken on poblano mac and cheese and green beans. Saucy, sweet, tender, crispy, need we say more? Whatever you do, cut up the chicken, mix in the sauce between the chicken and the mac and cheese and eat it all together. OMG! It was also wonderfully paired with a Merlot that was deep and rich, just like the dish. One of our favorites of the evening!

In an answer to a country favorite, the 10 oz Frenched Pork Chop is a sweet addition to the menu with its maple bourbon beurre blanc. The chop is tender and melds well with the cheddar grits, that give it a savory and sharp taste. The whole dish is made when you add that sunny side up egg and it covers the chops and grits, creating a savory balance to the sweet of the sauce and sous vide. Best drink pairing of night right here with the sweet of the dish and the sweet of Terrapin MooHoo. You’d think that would be too sweet, but it works well and the MooHoo actually mellows the sweetness of the meat perfectly.

More of a steak and potatoes lover? Don’t worry, get the Sous Vide Sirloin. The sirloin is Sous Vide with butter and thyme to tenderize the meat and cooked to perfection. It was very tender and sat on smashed fingerling potatoes and maple bourbon glazed crispy Brussel sprouts. This is all drizzled with caramelized onion-wild mushroom demi. It’s one of those bites where if you can get it all on the fork, DO IT. It’s rich, savory, crisp, and deep all in one bite.

Next time you want some of the best food in the city, get up to Hoyles’ Kitchen and Bar. We love this restaurant and want everyone to know about it. RUN. DRIVE. TAKE THE BUS up there today!

Nacho Daddy: Vegas Vibes in Downtown Duluth

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 11/3/19

The glitz of the strip, glowing neon and customer precured music videos fills Nacho Daddy with vibrancy and sound, but we’re not in Las Vegas, were in Downtown Duluth. Unexpected and welcomed addition to the recently trending Duluth town center, where you can gather to listen to music, drink a margarita, watch the game, and eat a huge plate of nachos. Here’s our take on our recent visit. Nacho Daddy isn’t just nachos, it has it all.

For the appetizer, who doesn’t love a good wing? Their Spicy Grilled Lemon Pepper Wings were tender, slightly spicy about medium hot with a smoky, lemon pepper finish. You’d be surprised how well these flavors all go together for a fun bite. With the appetizer we had two specialty margaritas: Pineapple Mint Margarita with a good mix of muddled mint, tequila, pineapple juice, sweet and sour. It wasn’t overly sweet and was very similar to a mojito with a Mexican twist. Also, got the Beer-Rita. Take their house margarita and stick an 8 oz Corona in it. Fun. Tasty.

The menu at Nacho Daddy was expansive, so we asked for suggestions and landed on the Fajita Nachos to get the best of both the Fajita and the nacho. It has everything except the kitchen sink, tender fajita filet mignon, creamy guacamole, spicy jalapenos, two melted cheeses, queso, seared peppers and onions, and the best topping ever pickled onions. Everything went so well together in a crunch, savory, sweet, spicy melody of flavors. The best part was the pickled onion, it gave it a kick up front that we loved! Our tip would be to get everything you can on one bite: it will be a big bite, but it’s the best one!

Our second entrée choice was a vegan option: fried avocado tacos. One of our favorite things in the world is fried avocado and we couldn’t pass this up. The avocado itself was creamy and deep, with the right amount of beer battered breading. It wasn’t too much and didn’t overpower it. Topped with salsa that gave it a kick. Also, loved the black beans, which were fresh! Found that if you put the black beans, salsa on the taco itself, it deepens the flavor. Try it that way. Yes, you’re thinking, vegan option? Yes, they have a whole page of them! With dinner we had a flight of Nacho Daddy branded beer, the best thing about it, it’s local! They scoured the Atlanta area and landed on having Wild Heaven on tap as the owner instantly loved their brewery and people. Example: their Mac Daddy is Ode to Mercy or Wise Blood is Hop Daddy. So, cool they scouted a local beer we love to be on tap! Cheers!

One of the favorite things about Nacho Daddy is the music videos! They have an iPad and customers can pick an array of songs to play on their screens. While we were there, we saw a large range of songs and even Liz’s favorite band STP, as well as everything from OutKast, to The Joy Formidable. It was fun to just sit there, sip on our flight of beer, and watch music videos. We’ll be back.

Best of Dragon Con Wednesday Through Friday 2019

Panels, Wallops, A Mai Tai, A Wonder Woman T-Rex, Random Celebrity Sightings, and Parking Lot Karaoke!

Wheeeew, We were busy!

Fandom. Nerdom. Fanatics. Whatever you want to call it descended on downtown Atlanta as the first few days of Dragon Con came and went, but thank goodness it’s Friday. Welcome home to Dragon Con 2019! Wednesday is the new Thursday with the welcome home party and even a T-REX dance party in the Hilton. Thursday is quickly becoming the new first must-do night with their fun late night parties like the End Game Neon Party and late night tunes, like The Tomb Tunes. There’s also $6 Mai Tais at Trader Vic’s! Finally, Friday is the first full day full of panels, parties, and more. Let’s check out all the Friday shenanigans in depth!

First, the Wallops. We snaked like a super hero this evening, while hanging out with Hight Road Craft Ice Cream out of Marietta, GA (local!). A little ball of deliciousness has a delicate ice cream center, cookie dough outside, and crispy shell. Our favorite was definitely the sweet cream ice cream and cookie dough, but the almond was also very good. Wait, they ALL were good. What a nice bunch of people to hang out with for a while! You should check out their large wallop and background you can take a picture with! It’s bigger than your head! They are going to be in the pool area of the Hyatt Regency Saturday too until 6 pm (or gone). Get Walloped!

Second, panels. There are so many tidbits, behind the scene jokes, and more that you find out about actors and even shows that you didn’t know that are a complete surprise to everyone. The best things that happen can be surprise guests, show spoilers, story lines that COULD be, and more. Here’s some of the best of the panels:

THIS PORTION OF OUR ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM LUCIFER AND GOTHAM. Like this afternoon, we got to hear from Aimee Garcia and DB Woodside a few interesting things about Lucifer currently airing on Netflix. DB said in the first season that his character Amenadiel was to fall in love with the demon Maze, but she was going to die. He is so distraught that he brings her back to life and that’s how he looses his powers and wings. Interesting. He does lose his wings in season one into season two, but it wasn’t for this reason. Fox was hesitant about this story line and it got scrapped. Then, Aimee, is hoping her character, Ella, turns out to be God (and so did one fan who asked about it). In the comics, Elaine Bella is a character that turns out to be God and with name Ella… could be? Probably not, but it is a fan theory and a rumor around the lot.

As for Gotham that just ended it’s run on Fox, we got to spend some time with a bunch of the main actors like David Mazouz, Sean Pertwee, Robin Lord Taylor, Maggie Geha, and SURPRISE Donald Logue showed up. Right off, Robin Lord Taylor is a blonde(!). So, he had a wonderful story about how Jada Pinkett Smith took him under her wing and really showed him the ropes of acting on a series, almost like her character Fish Mooney mentored Cobblepot, who became Penguin and he was eternally grateful. He also said he really used Danny Devito’s Penguin and his “look” as a roadmap to his character. Beyond that, it was interesting to hear that Fox/the producers didn’t tell the actors what roles they were auditioning for in the beginning. Sean P said if he knew he was auditioning for Alfred he would have done things differently. David M mentioned they said his scene for audition was that his brother has just died and he is having a hard time with it. So interesting to hear this! What struck us is that these actors were all very close. Donald Logue said this was the closest, most family like cast he’s worked with and that means a lot seeing as he had just done Sons of Anarchy, Vikings, and a stint on SVU. They all hugged when he showed up. He wasn’t supposed to be at the panel, so it was a treat for all!

On the way back from dinner, we were walking by the Marriott and we ran into a man standing on the street talking to another cosplayer. He turns around and it’s Mark Sheppard. If you watched the show Supernatural on the CW and the demon, Crowley, rings a bell, you know who we’re talking about! I (Liz) asked for a selfie or photo but he said it was against the rules, so we can’t give you a proof of encounter, unfortunately. But, I did get to waved to his wife Sarah who was on Facetime with him, and he was very nice. We told him we were big Supernatural fans and left it at that. SPOILER We hope he gets to come back for the final season.

Finally, we ran across something cool tonight, a parking lot karaoke party. A bunch of random people, belting their favorite songs, behind a car, and a bunch of people around cheering them on. It was a lot of fun and interesting to watch everything go down.

That’s a wrap for now. More on Saturday and Sunday to come!

Bistro Off Broad: Big City Eats with Small Town Charm

A short walk from the downtown Courthouse in Winder is a small bistro that has big city eats, nestled in a charming small town. It’s worth the drive from Atlanta to peruse the windows of the small shops and stop in for Brunch at Bistro Off Broad. Great cocktails and sparklers, as well as delicious appetizers and hearty brunch items. Get your fork out, it’s time to take a food adventure with us.

The long bar invites you into Bistro off Broad and they have a serious wine, beer, and cocktail list, along with specialty brunch drinks. Focusing on brunch, we sampled the bottomless sparklers that included four unique mimosas and Bellinis. Get. This. When. You. Go. They were all worth a sip and it was so tough to pick one to feature, so decided to feature them all. Starting with the Raspberry Bellini, it was simply raspberry puree and sparkling prosecco that was refreshing and sweet. The Peach Bellini also combined a peach puree with the sparkling prosecco, but it turned out more tart forward and brought out the tart in the wine. In between the sweet of the two Bellinis were the Mimosa and the Poinsettia. The Mimosa had a good mix of orange juice and brut champagne, not too sweet, not too tart. The Poinsettia incorporated cranberry and brut champagne, as well, but the brut brought out the sweet of the cranberry, so it was more balanced. Take your pick, you won’t go wrong.

Once you move from the bar into the dining room, gorgeous chandeliers hang strategically over each table. They were the first thing we noticed! The second thing we noticed was the full brunch menu full of delicious eats like fresh salads, benedicts, hashes, biscuits and gravy, and everything you can think of you’d ever want for brunch. We opted for several dishes, apps, and sides including deviled eggs, wings, corned beef hash, farmer’s scramble, and Brussel sprouts.

For the apps, the wings were beautifully stacked and looked almost too pretty to dig into. You wouldn’t be disappointed though when you did because they were sweet, salty, fall off the bone good. With a sticky, spicy Asian sauce then slightly charred they had the right amount of sauce and meat. Followed that up by the Reuben Deviled Eggs that were some of the best we’ve had in all of Atlanta.  These beauties were delicately whipped savory egg filling topped with tangy onion and a meaty piece of corned beef. Underneath is a tart and tangy ground mustard that gives it a flavor pop at the end.

For the entrees, the corned beef hash combined real thick cut-corned beef, roasted potatoes, onions and peppers, topped by a runny egg. It was savory, sweet, decadent, salty, and we could go on! If you’re looking for a healthy option, may we suggest the farmer’s scramble with mushroom, corn, green beans, and scrambled eggs. Let’s not leave out the Brussel sprouts side. This is something that we always get because it’s a good food to add brightness and crunch to a meal and we could eat them every day. These were very good with the right amount of crunch, along with a smoky, onion, and savory bacon flavor. It was the right combination of flavors that we wouldn’t add anything to it! They do offer it with a sauce, but it was really good even with out it.

With that we’re throwing in the towel! Stuffed and happy. Isn’t that how all Brunch should end?

Amour Vert In-Store Celebration Event Recap – June 2019

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 7/18/19

Thursday, June 27th

Just in time for summer shopping, Atlantans and visitors alike gathered at the Amour Vert store at Ponce City Market for a special event featuring Machete jewelry on Thursday, June 27th. Based out of San Francisco, the coveted brand is known for their sustainable, versatile and thoughtfully designed clothes and accessories. Guests mixed and mingled, enjoyed complimentary Cathead Vodka cocktails, City Winery wine made by winemaker, Travis Green, bites by Ocean Catering Co., and were the first to explore the Spring and Summer collection. Guests also learned that with every purchase of an Amour Vert tee, the effortlessly sustainable company will plant a tree in North America with their trusted partner American Forest. To date, Amour Vert has planted over 220,000 trees. For more information, visit Amour Vert’s Atlanta flagship store at Ponce City Market on online at  https://amourvert.com.

Fudo: Spicy, Crunchy, Sweet

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 5/19/19

Nestled in a Chamblee live-work community off Peachtree, Fudo has an intimate atmosphere and friendly service. The most amazing thing about Fudo? The number 48. We sat down and counted the number of specialty sushi rolls you can choose from when dining at the restaurant, that number is 48. This is in addition to all the hand or traditional rolls, as well. They have so many combinations, it was so hard to decide on just a few to try. Our waitress helped us pick something that we’re calling: spicy-crunchy-sweet. One spicy, one crunchy, one sweet roll that would round out the meal. Diving in…

We sampled the brussel sprouts appetizer and it is one of the most unique around with a creamy garlic ponzu sauce that’s sweet and spicy along with the crispy, fried sprouts. It was just the right amount of crunch followed by sweetness and spicy. Uniquely delicious.

Of the three rolls we chose, our favorite roll is still the Hunger Games Roll. We had this at the grand opening and couldn’t pass up having it again. It’s the most flavorful roll we’ve found on the menu with a smoky, creamy aioli topped with spicy sriracha and jalapeno that lingers in the back of your throat. No wasabi needed. On top of that, the fish are cut just right and a crunchy asparagus to give it a slight crunch. All around a solid bite that we’re going to get again! Yum.

The other two rolls were delicious as well: Mono and My Idol. Immediately upon trying the mono two things stuck out: the crunch and the wasabi tobiko. The tempura crunch starts off the bite, smooth fish in the middle, then comes the spice of the wasabi tobiko. A great addition on the end to round out the flavor and goes perfectly with the pop of the eggs. My Idol was smoother, sweeter of all the rolls. Very rich and creamy, with the sweetness and crunch of the mango, then the richness of the sauce, as well as the pop of the red and white tobiko. What a great way to fill out a meal with everything from smoky spicy, to crunchy, to sweet and rich.

No matter what you pick, you’ll find something original and new at Fudo. The drinks are on point and have a ton of options for those who don’t prefer raw fish or sushi.  Since Fudo is in our hood, we’ll be heading back soon, shall we meet you there?

MOE’S ORIGINAL BAR B QUE: BOLD FLAVORS, ORIGINAL TAKES ON TYPICAL BBQ OFFERINGS

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 4/1/19

We seriously love barbeque and it had been way too long since we’d been to Moe’s Original Bar B Que in Midtown! They’re going into their 10th year in business, so we came down to sample a few menu items, or more like all of them! Of the meats, the ribs were our favorite. They were meaty with just the right amount of juicy fat and rub for flavor. Fell off the bone. We also really enjoyed the pulled pork that was slowly cooked for eight hours. It had the right amount of fat, meat, and savory flavor. The meat portions were also perfect.

On the side, the stand out was the fried green tomato with the perfect, savory crunch and sweet, thick-sliced tomato. We also loved the brunswick stew too, a great hearty meat, lima, potato, corn concoction that would be perfect for a cold winter night. Let’s not forget to mention that the turkey was all white meat with a tasty slaw on the top, it was a good combination. The gumbo had tender okra and slightly spicy broth, and the collards had a balance of vinegar, spice, and tender greens. We love the bold flavors, and original takes on typical barbeque offerings. Moe’s Original Bar B Que is located at 349 14th St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318.

Want to become you’re own grill master? Seriously Smoked reveals secrets to mastering the grill. Check it out here: