July 14, 2009 at 10:55 pm (Food)
Tags: Cheese Dip, Chile Rellonos, Chimichangas, Chorizo Enchiladas, Fajitas, Fried Chicken Taco, Margarita, Mexican Restaurant, Nuevo Laredo, Restaurant Review, Taco, Taqueria del Sol, Tasty Tuesday, Uncle Julio's Casa Grande
So I received positive feed back regarding my last Tasty Tuesday post so I’m going to provide another list of places I like. And by positive feedback I got two emails. Lol!
Today I am going to share my favorite places to have Mexican food. I LOVE cheese and chips, so I am naturally drawn to Mexican Restaurants. Oh I am not going to share with you “Gourmet” Mexican restaurants. The places on my list offer great food at affordable prices.
1. Taqueria del Sol – This is the best place to run in and out (unless it’s lunch time) for a good, cheap taco. Don’t worry that there’s not much in between the tortilla, it’s delicious none-the-less. Definitely try to the fried chicken taco. If you have moments to spare kick back, get a pitcher of their Margarita on ice and a bowl of the cheese dip and ENJOY.
2. Nuevo Laredo – There is ALWAYS a line and a wait when I go to this restaurant which I consider to be a good sign. I love this place because I’m not always adventurous when I got to restaurants, but every time I go I have something different and it’s always delicious. Try the Chicken Mole, the Chorizo Enchiladas (or chicken), the Chile Rellonos or Chimichangas. Everything is excellent and they give you a lot. I didn’t think sausage in an enchilada would work but here somehow it does. Just be prepare to wait.
3. Uncle Julio’s Casa Grande – I always get a side glance from whoever I’m on my way to eat with when I mention this place. What’s funny is that a lot of people have never been there, but have pasted judgment on it. I think they have the best fajitas and they always fill up your chip basket (even if it’s not empty). No one complains when we leave so do try it if you haven’t already. Plus they even provide entertainment – you can watch them make your chips.
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July 7, 2009 at 5:54 pm (Food)
Tags: Banana Pudding, Biscuits, Blueberry Pancakes, Breakfast, brunch, Coconut Cake, Crab Cakes, French Toast, Fried Green Tomatoes, Granny's Kitchen, Highland Bakery, Lunch, Murphy's, NaBloPoMo, National Blog Posting Month, North Highland Bakery, Ok Cafe, Omelette, Pancakes, Restaurant Review, Salmon Croquettes, Social House, South City Kitchen, Sweet Potato Pancakes, Tasty Tuesday, Waffles
For this edition of Tasty Tuesday I am not going to review a restaurant. Today I am going to share with you my favorite places to have Brunch. During the summer, more of my friends and associates want to meet up for breakfast/lunch instead of dinner. I don’t blame em’. I love breakfast and will eat it morning, noon or night so I never complain. However, once it’s decided we are going to meet for Brunch the next question is where should we go? This list is my solution to the breakfast/lunch conundrum.
1. South City Kitchen – This is my favorite Brunch Spot. I believe they have the BEST pancakes. They also have the BEST fried green tomatoes. I have both whenever I go. Plus they give you a big basket of biscuits and cornbread to munch on while you wait. Try the Maryland Style Crab Cakes they are excellent with the grits. Oh and it’s the only place I know where you can get banana pudding.
2. Social House – This place reminds me of my Granny’s house, except my Granny prefers to hang chandeliers instead of bicycles from the ceiling. SoHo has excellent pancakes, they make a mean salmon croquette (only place besides my Granny’s kitchen that I will eat them), but it’s the spinach bacon feta omelette that keeps me coming back.
3. Murphy’s - I go to Murphy’s for French toast and sometimes for the waffles. It’s a great brunch spot if you can stand the crowds, but people tend to linger at this spot. There’s something for everyone on the menu and they have baked goods you can snack on while you wait.
4. OK Café - This place is an old school diner and it’s very kitschy. They have a great big dollar tree, waitresses in crisp white uniforms and a confederate flag in the dining area. You should probably warn people about the flag before you decide to dine at OK. There’s always a wait at this place, but if it’s just two people you can generally sit at one of two bars. Let me warn you, if you sit at the bar in the money tree room you are going to want dessert. They guy behind this bar makes all the deserts and they have good deserts! My favorite is the Coconut Cake. I come here for blueberry pancakes (ask for your blueberries on the side), omelettes and lemonade (it rivals the lemonade at chick-fil-a).
5. Highland Bakery - I refer to it as the North Highland Bakery, but whatever you want to call it this is the best place to go if you just rolled out of bed, pulled on some flip-flops and barely wiped the sleep crumbs from your eyes. It’s very unpretentious. They have some interesting things on the menu, but my favorite hands down are the sweet potato pancakes. They should be called sinfully, delicious candy-cakes. They also have peanut butter French toast that is great and I don’t even like peanut butter. It’s a bakery so try some deserts or a cinnamon roll.
6. Thumbs Up – Last, but certainly not least is Thumbs up. I don’t frequent this place for two reasons they are cash only (I rarely carry cash and it’s against my religion to pay to retrieve my money at random atms) and the wait times can be ugly. I also prefer to go to the location in east point. When I do plan ahead and stop at my bank’s atm or meet up for brunch later in the afternoon this is the best place to go for fish n’ grits or chicken and waffles.
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June 16, 2009 at 2:03 am (Food)
Tags: Battle of Puebla, Calamari, Chicken Enchiladas, Chips, Chips & Salsa, Cinco de Mayo, Crab & Shrimp Spring Rolls, Don Eduardo Anejo, Margarita, Mexican, Oakland Cemetery, Peach Margarita, Restaurant Review, Salt, Seared Grouper, Southwestern Eatery, Southwestern Restaurant, Stuffed Trout, Taqueria del Sol, Tequila, Tequila Bar
I’ve been lax on the Tasty Tuesday postings, but I’ve been embarrassed by how behind I am. I post in the order I go and right now I have a back log, but the one I’m most interested in posting is from Cinco de Mayo which was May 5th and over a month late. However, I guess the motto should be better late than never.
I went to Agave over on boulevard. Although this place is definitely more upscale then the typical taco shack, it’s going for Upscale Southwestern not Mexican. I had been there once before many years ago to celebrate a colleague’s birthday. I remembered they had excellent Margaritas so I decided that was the place to go for Cinco de Mayo. We rode by Taqueria del Sol, which by the way has a mean Margarita and you can get them by the pitcher, but the line was out the door and into the parking lot.
When we arrived it was a little crowded so we put our name down and went over to the bar to order Margaritas. I ordered the Peachtree Margarita and asked for salt and extra peach schnapps. I got my drink first and it was delicious, perfectly sweet but with a tangy kick. My friend ordered the Don Eduardo Anejo. I think they put extra tequila in the margarita for Cinco de Mayo because the warm floaty feeling came quickly. Then someone at the bar ordered a round of tequila shots for us. The shot wasn’t easy going down. I’m not good at shots, actually I’m terrible so I just poured it into my second margarita. I started to get antsy because I was hungry and the moment I turned around to tap the hostess on the shoulder to inquire about our table they called our name. They seated us in the main dining room, not in the little room off to the right. I want to call the place rustic, but I don’t think that’s the proper way to describe it. Everything’s dark and earthy. It’s not homey, but the décor is welcoming like a mountain cabin.
The chips and salsa arrived about 30 seconds after we sat down. Yes! A restaurant after my own heart. They were warm, salty and the perfect filler food as I perused the menu. I had finished my second margarita when I noticed my friend hadn’t touched the Don Eduardo. I asked for a sip, it was even better than the Peach Margarita, it’s not sweet, but I ordered one of those too. I was real nice, but that’s what you do for Cinco de Mayo to celebrate the Battle of Puebla. We ordered Enchiladas, the Stuffed Trout, Spicy Southwestern Spring Rolls and Cayenne Fried Calamari.
I was on my second basket of chips when the appetizers came out. I thought the calamari was good it was hot and spicy, my friend thought it was a little too spicy and refused to eat anymore after the second bite. The rolls were not as good. I didn’t like the mix of crab and shrimp and the sauce was the best part of the dish. I even dipped a few chips in it. The entrees came out before we even finished the appetizers which was fine for me because I had been dreaming of cheesy enchiladas all day.
The enchilada was very dry. I think mainly because it wasn’t really cheesy. I mean it had cheese on it, but it wasn’t oozing cheesy goodness. I had to ask for extra corn relish and some salsa to try and moisten it up a bit. After some doctoring with salt, relish and salsa I was well on my way to devouring the enchilada. I know that an enchilada isn’t much of a stretch at a Mexican restaurant, but I know what I like and I stick to it. Plus I was more interested in what I was drinking then what I was eating. My friend didn’t like the trout, neither did so it was sent back. The waitress suggested the grouper, so we got that. It was much better than the trout, but about five bites into the grouper my friend took the salt shaker out of my hand and placed it on the other side of the table. “You are going to leave here with hypertension if you put anymore salt on your food.” I was a little irritated, but then I realized that the salt shaker was full when I sat down and a ¼ of it was gone. I will explain it like this. While the calamari, chips and drinks were excellent, the rest of the food was well seasoned bland food. How is well seasoned food bland? It has lots of fresh flavorful ingredients for adding taste, but no salt – no seasoning salt – no adoba or some spice that makes the salt unnecessary for bringing all the ingredients together. I think a little salt goes a long way. However, if you’ve had a few margaritas you don’t even really notice the missing salt, your subconscious just wields your hand to sprinkle it generously and vigorously over the food on your plate.
Despite the bland food, I’ll be back for the chips and the Peach Margaritas!
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May 5, 2009 at 5:28 pm (Food)
Tags: Blue Moon Pizza, Classic Pizza, Deep Dish Pizza, Gourmet Pizza, Hot Wings, Lemon Pepper Wings, Pizza, Restaurant Review, Vinings, Wings
Blue Moon Pizza – Vinings
I heart pizza. I think it’s one of the best dishes the chef who created the original pizza pie ever thought up, or any chef for that matter. Word on the street was that this place, Blue Moon Pizza, had the best pizza in Atlanta. When people give a place that kind of stamp of approval I have to check it out.
I ended up at the Blue Moon in Vinings. It has very simple decor, but I liked the blue tiled tables it reminded me of preschool and I wanted to color. I decided to start off with the wings. I’m always on the look out for tasty wings. I’ve never been a fan of J.R. Crickets and they closed the wing spot I loved on Auburn Avenue. I decided to get a mixed basket with Lemon Pepper and Hot Sauce. The wings were delicious. They were big, juicy and freshly prepared. Both flavors were perfectly seasoned and I know I will be back to Blue Moon for wings.
I wasn’t as impressed with the pizza. I got the classic which has house cheese, pepperoni, Italian sausage, red onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Let me say that I am a BIG fan of deep dish pizza because I like lots of sauce and cheese. This is NOT that kind of pizza. It’s more of a gourmet pizza with a few fresh ingredients, a sprinkling of cheese and a tablespoon of sauce on some dough. I believe if you are relying on the ingredients with not much cheese or sauce you MUST have a great crust. Blue moon’s crust is just okay nothing to write home about. Halfway through my first slice, I had to request some extra sauce because I don’t like dry pizza. Once I added the sauce it was much better. They actually have a pretty decent sauce they just need to add a little bit more of it to the pizzas. I finished off four slices of pizza, so obviously it wasn’t bad, but I always have an appetite. If you like gourmet pizza, as described above, it’s definitely another pizza option. If you want lots of sauce and cheese this is not your spot.
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March 11, 2009 at 3:53 am (Food)
Tags: Atlanta Journal Constitution, Bacon wrapped Date, Crab Cakes, Jezebel Magazine, Macaroni Grill, Maxim Prime, Mrs. Dash, Old Bay, Pork Chop, Repast Restaurant, Restaurant Review
I feel obligated, no it is my civic duty to start reviewing restaurants. I believe that if real people write real restaurant reviews others will do the same and save me from making bad restaurant choices. Additional Disclaimer: I am not trying to pass myself off as a food critic. I enjoy chips and cheese and believe that pizza is one of the best culinary creations ever thought up by a chef. My palate isn’t refined, but I know good food and if a dish is tasty or NOT.
I went to Repast over the weekend. First let me say that I was put off by the name. Isn’t a repast what you go to after a funeral? However, I thought that maybe somebody’s grandma or aunt might be back in the kitchen whipping up delicious comfort food for the masses. Despite the name, this place got great reviews AND it’s #5 on Jezebel’s Top Restaurants AND the Atlanta Journal Constitution gave it four stars. I thought I was safe and the place was a sure bet.
My friend and I braved a man-less valet stand and parked our own car. It was raining, so we ducked in through the side, but managed to find our way. I thought the space was well designed and artsy, but not overly so. Some restaurants are just TOO cool for school and rely to heavily on decor, think Maxim Prime. I think simple, uncomplicated decor goes a long way, save the money for good food and a fantastic chef.
We were both starving and ready to EAT. After being seated, we immediately asked for bread and water. The bread was okay, but it has nothing on the bread at say Macaroni Grill . We decided to start with the dates wrapped in bacon because they were highly recommended. I must admit they sounded strange, but actually anything wrapped in bacon is tempting to me. They were very good, sweet, salty and savory. After this first course, I was eagerly anticipating my entree.
I ordered the chorizo crusted pork chop and my friend ordered the crab cakes. The pork chop was excellent, tender, perfectly cooked and the crust went nicely with the sherry sauce. I was confused by the sides. The first side was ham bits and brussel sprouts, but it was bland and a little mushy, maybe some red cabbage could have spiced it up. I love cheese, but the cheesy au gratin sweet potatoes were just wrong. Based on this dish I have decided that the “au gratin” style does not work for the sweet potato. Both sides were a little off and didn’t complement the meat.
My friend bless his poor heart didn’t fair so well. He ordered the crab cakes. I’m a big believer that you should order seafood at seafood restaurants and preferably in the north or near water. When the cakes arrived they looked pretty, but they were a disappointment. They tasted very fishy and they weren’t lumpy, crumbly or flakey. It was a circular gelatin, tofu like glob. Even if it was more cakey with bread crumbs and eggs the texture wasn’t right, it was slick and slightly rubbery. I wasn’t sure it was a crab cake at all. I forced him to send it back. I believe if you’re paying you should be satisfied. So we sent the cakes back and ordered the bass. The second dish gets a gold star for presentation. The fish was perched atop mushrooms and more brussel sprouts. After the waitress sat the plate down, she poured a brown broth around the food. His plate resembled a pool with an island, it was pretty. Despite the beachy presentation, the fish and sides were tasteless. Bring on the Old Bay or at least some salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash . The fish was very fresh and maybe it was prepared to allow the natural flavor of fish to shine through. Well if you are on a salt restricted diet this is your dish.
Overall I wasn’t impressed. I can’t subsist on bacon wrapped dates alone so I will have to pass on Repast .
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