Tag Archive for: restaurant review

Wahoo! Grill

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 5/21/23

Nestled in a secret garden off College Ave, Wahoo! Grill has been serving Decatur for 18 years and we know why they love it. The moment you walk in the door you’re greeted with an indoor-outdoor vibe, in the main dining space, while outside a large patio that feels secluded. On the menu, a wide variety of options abound from Wahoo fish to lamb to southern staples, as well as a great cocktail menu and desserts. Let’s explore. 

Starting with their signature Grilled Wahoo Sofrito that’s tender yet meaty and topped with a tomato forward Spanish sofrito sauce, earthy, crunchy asparagus, and an earthy, seasoned savory risotto underneath. OR go for their new menu item, the grilled half rack of lamb, our favorite bite of the day! Succulent and tender, well-seasoned lamb, the rhubarb sauce underneath is sweet and juxtaposed the savory meat. Then, paired with a sharp and herbaceous potatoes au gratin and earthy asparagus!  

Plus, Wahoo! Grill’s cocktail program is “perfection” with this Pina en la pina is a fresh and tangy pina colada style drink with a great tang, cream, and dash of nutmeg. And for the finale, make sure to sample the bread pudding; it’s grandmother’s recipe! It is warm and rich, stuffed with raisins topped with a creamy bourbon glaze. OMG! 

Other menu highlights include the Pimento cheese Fritters! They are sinful crispy bites stuffed with pimento cheese inside then a sharp and a sweet spicy tomato sauce underneath! Also, their solid fried green tomatoes that are crispy, perfectly breaded outside, slightly crisp yet tender tomato inside, then a balsamic drizzle for brightness and cool goat cheese to round out the bite. They typically come with shrimp, but we got without.  

Fried chicken, a staple of Wahoo! Grill’s menu, is plump and tender, and has a great crunch outside. Paired with collard greens that are rich, spicy and savory, as well as crunchy warm fries. Finish it off with, A crime of passion, an herbaceous and floral gin cocktail mixed with juicy passion fruit and lime, then a rose petal rim to dress it up! 

Wahoo Safrito
Patio
Fried Chicken
Inside
Fried Green Tomatoes
Pimento Cheese Fritters
Pina en la Pina
A Crime of Passion
Rack of Lamb
Bread Pudding

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.  

Brassica, in the Waldorf Astoria Buckhead

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 6/5/22

Marble and brass extend out from the warm wood bar, dotted with happy hour patrons enjoying fancy drinks and small bites. To the side the dining room is packed with warm leather booths juxtaposed to the orange and blue ornate plates and the slats in the wall that peer into the hall next to the restaurant. On the back end, the décor changes to a modern black with white tables and dark napkins. This beautiful spot is Brassica, the opulent French-Inspired Southern fare restaurant nestled in the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria Buckhead. They put just the right spin on traditional French and southern dishes, while offering upscale cocktails and an extensive wine list.

Brassica does everything well, including their cocktail and wine offerings. For the cocktails we tried the fancy James Bond inspired Vesper. Shaken not stirred, botanical gin, vodka, and the right amount of lemon make for a boozy, strong, floral, smooth cocktail where the flavor profile changes as you drink. If boozy isn’t want you’re looking for, go for the Roman Punch, it’s like drinking tea on the porch! Lemony, tangy, and sweet, it’s smooth as you can get. That might be dangerous. Plus, they have a great wine list that pairs with the great French-inspired southern menu. We tried the Licia Albarino from Spain and a Cabernet that were both delicious and went so well with the dishes we got, the Trout, and the Roasted Rack of Venison.

For starters, you can never go wrong with a solid Beef Carpaccio, tender and savory with tangy olives, earthy capers, and the sharpness of the cheese and tangy onion. A great bite when you roll it all up into one. We paired that with something we don’t see every day on menus, frog legs! The Sauteed Frog Legs are deconstructed and taken off the bone, and surround a crunchy, buttery toast with roasted garlic on top. Then underneath a fantastic creamy, earthy parsley cream adds the right amount of balance to the tender frog, buttery, crunchy toast, and sharpness of the garlic. This mix and match dish is a keeper.

Of the sides, we are in love with the Butternut Squash Jambalaya. This one is an experience all on its own, served in a smoked dome and the smoke released at the table. The smokiness is prevalent in the dish and pairs with the lightly spicy Cajun spices and creamy rice then contrasts the hearty and earthy butternut squash. Beyond that we had to opt for the Mac N Cheese that is served in a pot. It is creamy brie and tender macaroni all topped with a layer of sharp cheese.

The chef surprised us with a pair of Little Gem salads that is one part crunchy with pecans and apples and one part earthy of the greens. The best part is the buttery, tangy brown butter vinaigrette. It goes so well with the overall flavor profile of the salad. This is so good you may want to lick the plate. Another fun surprise we can talk about here is the cornbread that comes before the meal. It’s thick, dense, sweet, and savory bread that’s topped with a beautiful, warm brown butter sauce that give off hints of caramel. It’s some of the best cornbread you can get in Atlanta. It almost is like a dessert!

We can’t stop thinking about this stunning Roasted Rack of Venison shared plate. Have you seen venison presented so perfectly (see article cover)? It is tender and savory with a balanced amount of seasoning. On top boozy, sweet, and tart marinated cherries marry with the meat for an explosion of flavor, then underneath creamy and smooth mashed potatoes and savory, earthy Brussels pair with a savory, meaty sauce that just knocks the flavors out of the park. This is the best Venison we’ve EVER had! Go try it! The other main that we got is the Pecan Rainbow Trout. It is tender and flaky fish with a light crunch of the fish skin on the top. The pecans dotted on top roll into the creamy corn and sauce below for a warm, crunchy, overall great bite that is popping with flavor. This is a light dish that goes so well with the heftiness of the Venison.

To finish out our meal, we had to try the Oven Roasted Georgia Apple. It’s a whole cooked apple, skin on, that’s stuffed with sweet apricots, topped with a sweet, caramel sauce, spicy cinnamon, and paired with a cool dollop of ice cream. The uniqueness of the crunchy apple skin, sweetness of the apricots and creaminess of the sauce and ice cream make for the perfect pair.

This was epic.

Silom Thai and Sushi Bar: Come for Happy Hour, Stay for Sushi

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

Across from Lenox Mall, a chic Thai and Sushi spot brings serious cocktails and super fresh sushi to the north Buckhead area. From the Tiki Thai and Lychee Martini to the Chicken Satay to the Chicken Pad Thai and the fresh One Night in Bangkok Roll, Silom Thai and Sushi Bar is one of those places you can enjoy happy hour, grab a small bite, or go all out with a full meal. Our tip: get the sushi!

Starting with Tiki Thai, it’s a tiki drink with Thai flare. Small batch rum, OJ, Pineapple, lychee juice, and tiki syrup all mixed up into a cocktail that reminds you of summer. It’s refreshing and sweet that leaves you wanting to grab a beach towel and lay in the sun. The Lychee Martini is another good sipper with lychee and vodka, a little bit tart, a little bit sweet. Both drinks are beautifully crafted. They offer several $5 Happy Hour Martinis including this one Monday through Friday from 5 to 7 pm. Cheers!

A staple on Sushi and Thai menus, Chicken Satay is always a must get! Tender chicken with either a sweet cucumber salad or a peanut sauce, that’s a real crowd pleaser! This one was beautifully plated and tender. The sauces were a great addition, especially the salad, which was slightly sweet and paired well with the savory of the meat. Did we mention this is a light and healthy dish? And you get a good portion. Then, there was the Chicken Pad Thai. It was sweet, savory, tender, and deep. Being a traditional dish, this one was elevated with rich flavor and mix in the crunchy carrots, tart of lime, crunchy peanuts and bingo, you have a dynamic dish! Bring a friend, it’s enough for two.

Now, let’s dive into that One Night in Bangkok Roll. By far our favorite of the night, the sushi was unbelievably fresh. The roll boasts of yellowtail, salmon, and topped with seared tuna and mango salad. The bite being sweet and spicy, the mango, creamy avocado, and spices mixed perfectly with the fish to make a well-balanced bite. Plus, the seared tuna was perfectly done and gave it a little bit of smoke and char. We added wasabi and soy sauce, which brought out the creaminess of the avocado and deepen the overall flavor. We STILL can’t get over how tender and fresh the fish was on this roll! This is a must get. We want to try more!

Will we see you there for a sushi roll and a happy hour Martini?

Firepit Pizza Tavern: Perfectly Seasoned

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 12/15/19

With a slice of pie, a dusting of unicorn seasoning, and a handcrafted My Little Pony Punch, Firepit Pizza Tavern is the perfect combo of corner pizza place, wing stop, and local watering hole. Located in the Larkin on Memorial complex in walking distance to Grant Park staple, Six Feet Under, the blossoming Memorial Drive area now has a must-go-to pizza joint with unique wing offerings, every pizza topping imaginable, and fun cocktails. Let’s take an adventure into a few of their menu highlights.

Starting with small bites like the Pork Belly Toast and Unicorn Wings, you may not want to share, so get each FOR YOURSELF. You’ve been warned. The Pork Belly Toast was a blend of savory and salty pork belly, crunchy toast, creamy feta, earthy basil, and sweet tomato jam. Every type of flavor you can pack in, it had. They actually flash fry their pork belly after it was braised overnight in beer and unicorn seasoning for extra flavor and crunch. So many flavors, but you must love sweet. Tip make sure to get all ingredients in one bite.

If you’re looking for some more traditional, don’t go for the Unicorn Wings. This is some of the best seasoning you’ll ever have, and it is a complex medley of lemon pepper, sugar, salt, an entire pantry of seasonings, and secret spices that they wouldn’t share with us. Their chicken for the wings is a two-step cooking process of blanching then frying. Worth the wait. Again, get some for yourself because you won’t want to share.

When it comes to pizza, you can always judge it by if you must add salt, garlic salt, or parmesan on top to enhance the flavor. Not needed at all here. This pizza is delicious, perfectly seasoned from sourdough bread to creamy cheese to wonderfully balanced sauce. Speaking about the sauce, it was slightly spicy with red pepper flakes and raw garlic that gave it depth. Plus, they have some of the best sausage topping we’ve ever had; it seemed fresh sliced! A secret to their delectable dough comes from it being made fresh in house every day, plus they age it for 3 days! Perfecto!

Beyond your traditional pizza fare, they have some tasty handhelds like the Salmon BLT. They slather it in garlic oil and cook it on the flat top to crisp up the tender salmon and to give it more flavor. They top it with savory bacon, creamy aioli, and add capers right to the bottom bun to give it extra tart. Great combo of flavors. We paired it with their Brussel sprouts which married crispy sprouts with bacon and blue cheese and charred for balance. The blue cheese and bacon combo really enhanced these sprouts. Was a great overall meal you could have for a quick lunch or dinner!

Let’s not forget the My Little Pony Punch. Surprisingly tart and refreshing, you’ll never believe it has Gin in it! What really makes this little cocktail pop is the sparkling wine and cranberry. This would really be a great summer cocktail by the pool.

Now that you’re ready to go to Firepit Pizza Tavern, save us a spot and get us a set of those Unicorn Wings!

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?

Black Walnut Cafe: Fine Dining in a Fast-Casual Setting (Atlanta Locations Closed)

Black Walnut Café out of Houston, TX, has opened in Atlanta, settling near all the action in Peachtree Corners and Alpharetta. This café has a lounge where you can sit and chat with your friends, a bar where you can grab a drink and an appetizer, or you can order at the counter and sit in the dining room. Opting for the bar at the Peachtree Corners location, we got several delicious fast-casual dishes that ate like fine dining. From the Salmon to the Shrimp and Grits, as well as the hand-made cocktails, Black Walnut Café really does fine dining in a fast-casual setting.

We sampled the BWC Grand Mimosa and the Ginger Peach Lemonade. The mimosa was a good balance of champagne, orange juice, and Gran Marnier, while the Ginger Peach Lemonade mixed the sweet peach syrup, fresh sliced peaches, and tangy ginger. Both drinks were tasty! Fun fact: the bar tenders hand squeezed the juice themselves!

As far as the main entrees, the salmon was cooked perfectly to a silky quality that melted in your mouth. Contrasted to the smooth fish was the sweet and savory of the honey ginger sauce that was deep and tangy. You combine that with the crunch of the peppers and snap peas rounded out the dish with some brightness and depth! Along with the fish, we had the Shrimp and Grits that was perfectly seasoned with the right amount of spice to offset the creaminess of the grits. On top of that, the grits could have stood on their own with the addition of savory bacon and crunchy scallions. Both great dishes all the way around.

Yum.