Tag Archive for: old fashioned

The Cigar Cellar

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 3/3/21

Dark stained wood lines the wall, a black piano sits in the corner, several plush leather chairs dot the floor space, as the large, elegant bar wraps around the entire room and displays all the beautiful liquor assortment perfectly. In the middle of the space, a humidor with all types of cigars illuminates the low-lit interior of The Cigar Cellar, a new cigar lounge with swanky cocktails and divine eats. On Valentine’s Day we ventured up to this new spot to check out their new brunch menu including superb Steak and Eggs, fresh French Toast launched that very day, as well as a killer Breakfast Burger, Mimosas, Bloody Marys and a fantastic signature Old Fashioned. So, let’s light up a cigar, sip on the Cellar Signature Smoked Old Fashioned, and get some stellar food. Who’s hungry?

Nothing goes as well with a freshly lit cigar than a perfectly balanced old fashioned. The Cigar Cellar’s Cellar Signature Smoked Old Fashioned is one experience cocktail to behold! Executed flawlessly, the cocktail is placed in a dome and filled with smoke and presented to the customer and the dome removed and the smoke released unveiling the beautiful old fashioned inside. Beyond the beautiful presentation, the cocktail itself is a flavor extravaganza starting sweet and boozy and ending with a light smoke finish. This is a must try! All of their glass wear and cocktails are presented well, we loved the design on the Bloody Mary glass in particular.  Stunning.

From the brunch menu, we selected the French Toast, Breakfast Burger, and Steak and Eggs. Starting with the French Toast was pretty spectacular with a slight crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. From the crunch of the nuts, the tang of the fruit, and the right amount of maple syrup, the toast had a ton of flavor all the way around. The second entrée we sampled was the Breakfast Burger with Bravas Patatas.  This delicious option has everything you’d want with a savory runny egg, hearty-cut bacon, gooey sharp cheddar cheese and double angus patties all encompassed in a toasty-buttery bun. The burger is perfectly seasoned and is a great bite! The accoutrement to the burger were the Bravas Patatas that were perfectly cooked and crisp, hearty, and warm, topped with a spicy, sweet aioli that’s amazingly good. Our pro tip is to put some of the potatoes and aioli on the burger, you’ll thank us.

Of all the bites we tried, our favorite had to be the superb Steak and Eggs. Fall-apart tender and meaty pieces of steak atop of some crunchy, sweet, spicy potatoes and grits and next to that sensationally seasoned over-medium eggs! Just imagine the meaty and tender steak mixed with the crunch of the potatoes, spiciness and sweetness of the grits and sauce, then even more taste with the addition of the runny egg to liven up the dish with some savor. Can’t stop thinking about all the flavors combined; we’d recommend getting all the ingredients together in one bite. Divine.

As we sat by the fire on the patio, we lightly chatted with a couple at a table near us and finished sipping on our drinks. This will be a Valentine’s Day to remember for sure. What do you want to try?

Fia Restaurant in The Burgess Hotel

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 2/23/21

Dressed to the nines, the couple breezed through the heavy double doors and made their way to the lavish Mr. B Bar for a pre-dinner cocktail. Next to the bar, the Library’s large green, tailored coach was inviting as the fire in the fireplace leapt and danced on the cold day near the end of winter. The beauty of The Burgess Hotel in the heart of Buckhead is breathtaking, you’ll forget you’re in a boutique hotel, more like in a bond movie. Adjacent to the Library, there’s a flavor-forward wood-fire grilled restaurant called Fia Restaurant. Fia, meaning little fire, is anything but that, it boasts big, larger than life flavor, as well as delicious grilled fare that is pretty unforgettable. Burgess, who owns the hotel, got the spices and flavors from his extensive travels and it really shows in his food! Everything from the savory Braised Lamb Shank, the perfectly Charred Octopus, an amazing Pork Belly bowl, sweet and savory Coconut Pecan Old Fashioned, and unbelievable Grilled Whole Branzino are literally on-fire with flavor. Let’s take a tour of the Fia menu, shall we?

Upon arriving, we were quickly greeted with a tasty signature cocktail called the Coconut Pecan Old Fashioned. This isn’t your father’s cocktail that’s for sure! They use coconut washed bourbon as the base so even though it is boozy, there is an element of sweetness to the cocktail throughout. As you sip this starts boozy, ends sweet, and a little spice from the spiced pecan Demerara. Make us another!

Of the appetizers, we made great choices with the Charred Octopus and the Pork Belly. Starting with the octopus that’s seriously tender with a smoky, light char to round out the flavor. Paired with the tangy and bright artichokes, an earthy bed of capers, salty olives, there is so much complexity on the palate. We can’t stop thinking about this healthy option! On the opposite end of the spectrum is a deep and rich pork belly dish that is chocked full of dynamic flavors. It starts with a slightly crispy outside and tender inside pork belly that melts into a sea of creamy and sharp grits. Decadent and topped with tangy pickled onions and an outstanding sweet glaze, this was so good that everything together ended up being creamy, sharp, crispy, tangy, sweet, and tender. Yum.

After enjoying these two starters, we had to go big for the Braised Lamb Shank and the Whole Grilled Branzino. The Braised Lamb Shank was served with a decorative cone on it and revealed to us when placed on the table. Beyond the fun presentation, the lamb fell off the bone and slathered with the hefty, rich, and lightly tangy sauce.  The flavor was so bright, tangy, and yet ended smooth that went to so well with the sauce and rice. Plus, we knocked it out of the park ordering the Brussel Sprouts on the side. Some of the most tender sprouts we’ve had with a great little char were fantastic! The sweetness of the pear that was vibrant and light mix so well with the char and the earthiness of the sprouts. Now, the best bite of the night had to be the Whole Grilled Branzino. We don’t know exactly what spices were on the charred and crispy skin, but they were so well balanced and savory that it made every bite different and fun! The fish was perfectly cooked and served whole paired with a cabbage-y light salad with a bright and lemony sauce. Now, that’s how you season, cook, and grill fish with tender fish up front, crisp skin, and every flavor profile seasoned on the outside. Wow!

To finish up our experience, we opted for the Chocolate Cake. What’s better than ending a fantastic meal with a little chocolate? This one was rich and mostly dark chocolate with hint of raspberry paired with some light and fluffy cake. Would go so well with an after-dinner aperitif or even a good little cup of espresso.

At the end of the evening, the bar was dotted with a few guests and the library’s fireplace glowed from across the hotel. The perfect end to the perfect evening. What would you like to try?

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.