Tag Archive for: polenta

Bazati Atlanta

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 4/20/23

The moment you step in the delightful Pan-Latin restaurant Bazati on the Atlanta Beltline you’re immersed in vintage French decor, marble, luxurious lighting, and a beautiful bar area with leather seats and lounge area! Upstairs is Estrello Rooftop with more pastel, light Latin vibes, vibrant patio, and mezcal behind the bar. This one-two punch of Latin dining is exquisite! Everything is elevated from their sensational cocktails like the floral Houdini, decadent decaf Tequila me Softy espresso martini, and the all-new tangy Wren’s Nest. Then, phenomenal small plates from their loaded charcuterie board, creamy polenta, or their bright Strawberry Maple salad. Their entrees are sure to wow with their earthy Double Stuffed Ravioli, flavorful Brazilian Picanha, and our favorite, the juicy Pork Osso Bucco. Let’s take a trip. 

We will kick it off with the trio of cocktails we tried: Houdini, Tequila me Softly, and Wren’s Nest. The Houdini will disappear before your eyes as it is herbaceous, floral up front and balanced with bright and tangy on the back. So good! If you’re looking for a new cocktail to try, go for the Wren’s Nest that will be on their spring menu. It is boozy bourbon that starts warm and ends tangy and bright, slightly sweet watermelon shrub and a hint of ginger. It’s complete. The favorite cocktail of the night was the DECAF Tequila me Softly espresso martini. Decadent and dark chocolate, bitter and creamy, this is sure to please all those coffee lovers out there. You couldn’t tell it was decaf at all and no jitters! We will be back for more! 

On to the small plates that John and I shared from the charcuterie board, crispy polenta, and Strawberry Maple Salad. Starting with the loaded Charcuterie board that is stuffed with three meats with different flavor profiles, an array of cheese from soft to hard, salty, crispy almonds, sweet honeycomb, mixed berries, and crackers. After that we got the Crispy Polenta, which is our favorite of the small plates with a gamut of flavors from creamy to buttery to tangy to earthy and bright. The polenta bed itself is creamy and buttery with a crispy top, then it is topped with creamy and sharp cheese. A dollop of olive tempade gives it a slight earthiness to finish out the bite. Love. For our salad, we got the Strawberry Maple, which starts earthy and crunchy with the lettuce, and then is sweet from the maple, tangy from the strawberry. It is finished off with crunchy almonds and sharp blue cheese.  

In between the small plates and our entrees, we were treated to the seriously divine Double Stuffed Ravioli. Holy Truffle! Tender Handmade in-house ravioli stuffed with earthy mushroom and enveloped in a sea of creamy, truffle-forward sauce that will definitely WOW you. This is a must try dish bursting with flavor!  

Of the entrees, we got the phenomenal Pork Osso Bucco that is meat heaven with tender, fall off the bone pork, perfectly seasoned and surrounded by a moat of rich, savory jus and stuffed with eggplant, celery, and other root vegetables. It was the favorite dish of the day! John got the Brazilian Picanha that is flavorful and well-seasoned meat topped with a bright chimichurri, bright onions, and paired with crunchy fries. On the side we got two very good sides, one being the baby carrots and the other seasonal fiddle heads. The baby carrots are super sweet and candied and laid on a bed of creamy and sharp Greek yogurt. It is sweet and creamy and sharp, a winning combo. Then, fiddle heads are something neither of us had ever had before. They’re naturally foraged tops of ferns that have not blossomed yet. They taste a lot like asparagus but have a flowery, fluttery texture up front with a good crunch on the end. They’re amazing! These are cooked with butter and oil and really taste fresh and light!  

Finally, we got a pair of delicious desserts, the Tres Leches cake and the Tiramisu. The Tres Leches is super moist and mellow with a delightful light frosting, topped with fruit. The tiramisu is seriously rich and creamy, dark chocolate notes, boozy, drenched lady fingers with so much flavor. We’d recommend you stay for dessert.  

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.

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.