Tag Archive for: duck

Chido & Padre

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 7/31/21

The multi-colored, vibrant tile juxtaposes to the white, teal, warm wood, and greenery of the updated Chido & Padre double decker patio. This spot has been a staple in the Buckhead community for a while and with a new menu and top to bottom stunning renovation, this spot is simply gorgeous. Whether you want to lounge on the plush couches, swing in one of the swings, or sit at a shady booth, you’ll feel like you’re in Mexico City enjoying a vacation! While you are there, we would recommend sipping on the earthy El Bad Bunny or sparkly Lambrusco Sangria, and tasting the refreshing Seasonal Crudo, Smoked Octopus Tostada, street corn, rich Pollo Con Mole or Carnitas, and dynamite Duck Sope. Let’s take a tour, shall we?

Every good tasting is paired with a good cocktail, wine or beer. We got several cocktail pairings and these were our favorite two! The Lambrusco Sangria was one of the most refreshing wine-forward drinks we’ve had in a while with a tangy, tart and sweet mixed together with a bold grapefruit on the back of the sip. Another great cocktail is the El Bad Bunny, which is a balance between smoky mezcal and smooth and sweet carrot. This one paired perfectly with the carrot dish! I’ll take another. Which sounds good to you?

We’re in love with Chido and Padres new menu! It’s authentic, unique and almost every dish we had top notch! Starting with some traditional items and sharable plates like the Street Corn and Queso Fundito. The Street Corn is some of the best in the city with a crunchy, warm, spicy, complex flavor. Plus, the seasoning and avocado really elevate the bite. In love.  Or if you’re in the mood for cheese or queso dip, look no further than the Queso Fundito, which is a great mix of creamy and sharp cheese with an array of toppings all paired with crunchy chips. Perfect for a cheese pull! 

As far as the sharable plates go, we had some great options that were unique takes on traditional dishes, like the Seasonal Crudo starts with a mild seasonal fish (Hamachi this time) paired with creamy avocado and tart pickled strawberry. The sauce makes this dish a combination of salty, fresh, crisp, and tart. Plus, when you order this ask for an off-menu cocktail. It mixes tequila with as much if the sauce you can get in the glass for an amazingly unique concoction! Our server came up with it and it’s so good. On the other hand, the Carnitas are a rich and tender pork shoulder that melts in your mouth! The sweet smoked meat is surrounded by a sweet avocado tomatillo and creamy and sharp sour cream. The entire dish is a good balance between meat and sauce. Roll it up into a tortilla. OMG.

Traditional not your thing and you want to spice it up? Don’t worry they have a laundry list of menu items just for that, the Smoked Octopus Tostada, is one of them. It is one of the favorite bites of the entire meal with its complexity. We were floored by the smoky, tender, and rich octopus dish with creamy avocado, crunchy tostada, while a good kick in the end. Add a little spicy arugula, mint and voila, you have one amazing bite, so get all the ingredients together! Plus, who doesn’t love a duck dish? The Duck Sope is a fun take on a classic meat with a generous amount of pulled duck that packs a punch, corn mesa cakes, and white peas. We recommend you eat all together for a spicy, rich, meaty bite. We cannot get over the mix of flavors and textures this dish puts on the plate.

If you’re looking for vegetarian, we’d recommend the Heirloom Carrots! They are perfectly cooked carrots that each had a different dynamic flavor profile paired with a cashew tahini that comes off like peanut butter! This is a wonderful mix between nutty, creamy, and earthy. One of the most unique dishes we’ve ever had!! Dynamite!  

Saving the best overall dish for last, we seriously cant’t get over the Pollo Con Mole which was our favorite bite! Succulent chicken that’s perfectly seasoned and slathered in a rich mole. Below the chicken is some of the best root vegetable hash ever filled with bacon and onions that’s earthy and tangy. The entire dish is sweet and smoky, tender and juicy, creamy, earthy, and slightly peanuty. Plus, the mole really ties all of it together, sauce, chicken, and hash.  We’re going back to get this one again!

Feeling stuffed, we couldn’t fathom trying desserts. But it was worth the pain to try this duo of desserts. GET THE CHESS PIE! It is warm caramel flavor followed by chocolate and the crunch of the crust. Then, the ice cream is icing in the cake. Divine. The donuts are also good and sweet potato based for more flavor. They are warm and salty balance! Elevate the flavor when you dip it in the chocolate sauce or take a sip of the Bailey’s Shot that accompanies it. Pro tip: we added the shot to the chocolate and that was a great way to enjoy both at the same time!

 

Are you ready to visit Chido & Padre? What sounds good to you?

 

The Southern Gentleman

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 1/7/21

Holding every door for you. Greet you with a genuine smile. Dressed to impress. Asking politely to hold your hand. With all that southern authenticity and charm, you’ll get this vibe from The Southern Gentleman in Buckhead!  From southern-inspired fancy fried chicken, divine duck, spicy shishito peppers, some fantastic signature cocktails, creamy potato gnocchi and a fun dessert, expect to be charmed by this one. Let’s not waste another minute. Who’s hungry?

Starting with the sips, we sampled the Nick’s Garden and The Upside Down. The favorite of the two was the Nick’s Garden because it was a vegetable forward cocktail with a ton of tasty flavor. With the earthiness of beets combining with the lemon, earthy gin, blackberry for tartness and honey for sweetness, this cocktail created a balanced sip from start to finish. Plus, it’s gorgeous! The Upside Down pays homage to the classic pina colada or pineapple upside down cake, take your pick. With pineapple the star of this cocktail, it combines lemon rhubarb bitters for some earthiness and tart that pairs well with the rum and pineapple. This one drinks like a tiki pineapple drink with a nice froth that is reminiscent of the beach.

To begin our meal, we tried three small plates that included the Homemade Buttermilk Rolls, Potato Gnocchi, and Blistered Shishito Peppers. Something you must get for your table are the Homemade Buttermilk Rolls because they’re not just any ordinary roll! They add bacon fat to them on top of the tender and buttery rolls, so that the bacon flavor lingers on the back of the bite. They’re something that you have to try, buttery, warm, meaty. Then, the potato gnocchi, tastes spot on to a loaded baked potato! With creamy, sharp sauce that is so rich and deep it engulfs the tender potato pillows. It ends up being sharp, creamy, yet soft and fluffy. All-around yum. Our favorite bite had to be the Blistered Shishito Peppers. We’ve never been a big fan of these peppers because they’re either bland or just not cooked right, but this dish changed our minds. Actually, our minds were blown how much this dish brought a hint of spice, the savory of the Bahn Mi vinaigrette broth, and the meatiness of the ham. We couldn’t stop eating because it started with a pop of the pepper skin, a slight earthiness, followed by spiciness, then cooled and brightened by the flavorful broth and ham. Must try.

Of the main dishes, the Honey-Glazed Duck and Buttermilk Fried Chicken stood out as the most interesting. Duck is an acquired taste for some but it’s divine for others, and we love our duck. The Honey-Glazed Duck didn’t disappoint with tender and slightly sweet duck perfectly paired with lemony forward sauce that brightened the savory of the jus. On the side, the creamed turnips were creamy, earthy and they hide the best surprise, the most amazing duck sausage we’ve ever put in our mouths! It was salty, hearty, and whatever you do we recommend you mix it with the creamed turnips and sauce. Divine duck IS RIGHT. As for the Buttermilk Fried Chicken, this beauty was pretty to behold, but also was fantastic to eat. The crunchy shell is glazed with a hot honey, all while masking a tender piece of white meat inside. Crunchy, spicy, sweet, and tender. Then, creamy, and mellow leaks accompany the heartiness and spice of the meat. Complex and good.

Staying for dessert, we decided that Pumpkin Spiced Donuts sounded like the perfect way to end our meal. They house make these donuts, fry them up, and top them with tons of cinnamon. On the side, coffee ice cream goes well with the crunch and cinnamon flavor of the donuts and is reminiscent of coffee and donuts in the morning. What a great way to end this meal. I do declare if this wasn’t a fantastic, well-round food adventure.

McCray’s Tavern East Cobb

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 11/30/20

Just as the sun sets in the sky, the lights start to glow inside McCray’s Tavern East Cobb, while the hustle and bustle of the guests, bartenders, and staff picks up. The energy permeates the air and entices you to enjoy a light appetizer, try the latest chef’s special, and maybe a cocktail or two. We also have to admit, McCray’s Tavern is more eatery than the Tavern name suggests with dynamic and diverse dishes that Chef Mo continues to knock out of the park. Yes, McCray’s Tavern East Cobb may have traditional tavern fare like wings and burgers, but when you see the extensive menu and specials, all you know is you’re in for a treat. From feisty, spicy tuna tartare, delectable duck, divine butternut squash agnolotti, hearty pork chop, to the lemony East Meets West cocktail, McCray’s Tavern East Cobb turns tavern into culinary adventure. Who’s ready to eat?

While waiting for our food, we sipped on two frisky cocktails, the East Meets West and the Mayan Copa. East Meets West does a balancing act between the smooth gin, lemon, and tiki bitters. Light, lemony, and refreshing, this patio sipper, has so much flavor! This ended up being the favorite because it’s one of those drinks you could have a few of and really enjoy! The other cocktail was Mayan Copa. This margarita-like number takes it up a notch with a little bit of grapefruit and dark colored salt on the rim to give it some sass. It’s a beautiful cocktail with the dark salt contrasting the pink of the drink.

When the food arrived, we couldn’t wait to dive into our first course, which started with the spicy tuna tartare and ended with thai chili wings. This is not your regular tuna tartare, it’s a fun take on this dish with a perfect mixture of tender, spicy, tuna, plus ginger, lime, and garlic. Not too spicy and with a ton of flavor, it’s topped with a dreamy avocado mousse that gives it that right amount of creaminess. Don’t forget to eat it with the wonton chips, those give it that crunch. Our pro tip is to make sure to mix it all together well and eat with those chips. Flavor time! Something McCray’s does well are wings. From the crispiness of the skin, mighty meaty flats, and spicy, sweet thai chili glaze, we were definitely treated to a plate of goodness. No ranch or blue cheese required.

Something we didn’t expect was that amazing specials that McCray’s Tavern East Cobb offers daily! We sampled both the Tea-Brined Duck and the Pasta of the Day, Butternut Squash Agnolotti. Starting with the pasta, this to-die-for dish marries hearty, sweet pasta stuffed with creamy butternut squash with a phenomenal truffle vinegar and butter pecan glaze. With hints of lemon, butter, and the bite of hard cheese, it’s rich, cheesy, hearty, creamy, earthy, sweet, with the perfect amount of sauce. Are you hungry yet? We’re not done, either. Next, the Tea-Brined Duck started with a tender piece of meat with a little crisp on the skin. Paired with a delectable, slightly crunchy jasmine rice cake and a citrus-forward, orange miso glaze, this was a match made in heaven. The richness of the duck works so well with the orange of the glaze and the crunchiness of the rice and skin. We’re thinking just like pork and peaches is a winning combo, let’s add duck and orange to your dynamic duo list.

Finally, we couldn’t resist a crack at trying the Wood Grilled Pork Chop. Boy, we weren’t disappointed as the pork chop was just as tender and juicy as advertised. Simply seasoned and thick pork chop gives off a slightly charred flavor followed by a deep and rich pork flavor that is so basic, but is just one of the best flavors in the world. Must try. We got it with crunchy, earthy, and garlicy green beans that really brightened the dish! Yum.

Something we love about McCray’s Tavern East Cobb is the energy of the manager and how it permeates his team. His love for food, fine dining, seafood, and the customer experience really made this dinner special and not just for us, but for everyone that goes and eats there. Plus, we can’t wait to see what Chef Mo comes up with next, just watching their Instagram makes us hungry, and a little jealous. We’d love to try ALL of those amazing specials they show!