Tag Archive for: steak and eggs

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?

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.

Haven Restaurant: BBQ Chips and Mustard Seeds

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 10/14/19

What do BBQ Chips and Mustard Seeds Have In Common? Find out here!

On a corner off Dresden, Haven Restaurant sits in the middle of the Brookhaven action. From their impeccable staff, to the fresh linens, well-priced offerings, and the warm ambiance, everything about Haven is inviting and welcoming. Their chef, Joe Macy, said that he wants his menu to reflect, “food that people could share and be social with, like their deviled eggs and brussels sprouts.” That’s how Haven feels, like a place you take your friends, your family, and share a meal. Come on in. Let’s share a meal together.

Cue the excitement, because we found them. We found our favorite deviled eggs in Atlanta to date! There are two reasons these deviled eggs stand out, first is the crumbled barbecue chips that give them a crunch and salt. Yes, crumbled BBQ chips! The second and thing that did it for us on top of that were the mustard seeds. They gave it a richer flavor and a pop at the end! It was like eating fish roe, which was his original idea, but with the added zing. Beyond that the filling was just egg, mayonnaise, lemon, tobacco, and Worcestershire for added zip and color. I (Liz) at them all, so now we must go back so John can get one. Darn.

We didn’t realize how egg-centric our brunch was until we ordered our entrees: Avocado Toast, Sunday Hash, and Steak and Eggs. Egg-celent! Puns aside, we really enjoyed each dish for an entirely different reason. Let’s start with the Avocado Toast. This healthy option may look healthy, but don’t think for a minute it is low on taste. Layered bread, guacamole, hard boiled eggs, and tomatoes, it was a good balance of creamy, crunch, and savory. The guacamole was creamy, bread had a good crunch to it, while the eggs were savory, and the tomato gave it acidity and balance. It also came it an arugula salad. It was slightly salty and peppery, so it made an amazing topping for the toast. Yes, we’d recommend putting it on your toast. It’s gives it a WOW factor!

If you’re looking for something savory and hearty, go with the Sunday Hash. From the potatoes to soak up all the flavors, sweet peppers and onions, savory short rib, and topped with a runny egg, there’s a lot of flavor in this dish. The savory short rib was tender with a slight char and all that good au jus from it seeped into the potatoes and vegetables and gave it a richer flavor. Then, the sweet peppers and onions gave it a balance. It was something you could sit by a roaring fire with and a good cup of coffee. If you get this, try getting all the ingredients on your fork in one bite for the best bite possible. OMG. Worth it! As far as the steak and eggs, it was John’s choice and the steak was tender and well-seasoned. It came with potatoes and eggs and was a good breakfast staple that anyone could enjoy. Especially steak connoisseurs like us!

What is a brunch without something to sip on? We’re always down for a mimosa, and we loved the size and balance of juice and champagne on this one! It was just right. We also tried the Brookhaven Botanical, which was cucumber vodka, mint, grapefruit (citrus) that rounds it out. When you first sip it, it’s cool and refreshing from the mint and cucumber flavor of the vodka, then has a little sweet from the fruit to balance it out. A good sipping drink!

We ended our time chatting with Chef Joe Macy for quite a while about all the above food, beer, and everything in between, we felt like he really cares about his food and his customers. This place feels like family. The seal of approval comes when you decide you’re going to take your mom there! Mom, are you ready?