8/7/2009

4/5 stars

A $3 cheeseburger special for their anniversary. What do you expect? To go home afterwards and eat a real dinner? Nope! This was a real burger and fries, not some tiny slider & a limp stick. This place certainly has my attention. Friendly people, and a, well, friendly enough barkeep (hey, I'm not a regular yet). The Terrapin rye ale was fresh as promised and a perfect accompaniment to that burger. Don't expect extreme cuisine, but hell, I haven't had good beef in Atlanta outside of Rosebud's sliders. This beef was charred beautifully and had that smokey happy feel.

Wish they had live music (quoth Mojo, "if you ain't got no live drummer, then you just disco doomed"), but that's about the only downside. Still reminded me of a good time in Hyannis, and that's a good thing…

Yelp tags: American (Traditional)

8/14/2009

4/5 stars

Ok, the coffee shop next door was closed. These folks were out of coffee, too. *BUT* they brewed one just for me, just a guy driving through. That's a really nice feeling and a quick way to gain a fan.

I tried a chocolate truffle as well. Very well-coated with a rich chocolate, neither too thick nor too thin. I was unsure of the filling. It felt like a fondant with a touch of invertase to soften it, so the texture was fun. But the raspberry flavor was a bit bottled. The peanut butter cups looked and smelled perfect, so I simply chose poorly. I'll come back to try those another time…

Yelp tags: Desserts

8/14/2009

4/5 stars

Their sign claims clean restrooms. Indeed, they were clean. And there are times when that is what matters. (And my car's happy with the gas, but it's a Civic, so it's happy with most gas.)

Yelp tags:

8/14/2009

4/5 stars

Asheville in general gives me the warm fuzzies. I never get to spend enough time here. So while I haven't tried enough pubs and restaurants to pick places that would be regular haunts, I suspect Jack of the Wood would be one.

The inside was comfortable and relaxing. The food was delicious. The people were friendly. And the beer…

I was driving though, so I didn't want a heavy meal. I happened upon the $5 Thursday specials. Local Hickory sausage with mushrooms and onions on focaccia was smaller (come on, it's $5!) but still rich and very satisfying. The fresh Green Man porter was a perfect accompaniment.

Perhaps I was lucky enough to appear when the pub was mostly empty, but service was fantastic. She knew I had more driving ahead, so she kept up the pace without rushing and breaking the comfortable feel.

Yelp tags: Restaurants Pubs Breweries

8/16/2009

4/5 stars

Oh, I should not have gotten both the mocha cupcake and a coffee on my drive back to Atlanta. I'm going to be far too awake.

This cafe is a great place to stop, stretch, relax, and chat. They carry Counter Culture coffee, but they make their own blend and take their own notes on the flavors. Quite knowledgeable about the coffee and the origins. The cupcake was nifty. It was a bit more cake than many cupcakes, but that does really well with coffee. The icing was, ahem, rich. I should have eaten half…

This place has become a fairly regular stop for myself and my wife on voyages between Atlanta and SW Virginia. There's always a crowd of locals, and everyone's very friendly. Beware that they're closed on Thursdays.

(And gas in this general area is the cheapest until NE Tennessee. Fill up before NC or venturing further south in GA.)

Yelp tags: Coffee & Tea

8/17/2009

5/5 stars

I had never even considered reviewing Angelo's when I lived out west. It's just not a place that needs reviews. Stumbled across the reviews while looking for a reference for someone else.

Jerky? They best ever. Processing your game? They're by all accounts amazing, if they're still in that game. Home learned charcuterie with love.

May he live a long time and always heal well so he can keep sharing his spices and tastes with the rest of us!

Yelp tags: Meat Shops

8/24/2009

4/5 stars

I admit, we only had the doughnuts. Everything else looked incredible, but it was a quick coffee stop… And then we saw the doughnuts. Wondering aloud if we should try a doughnut, a customer piped up "they're CRACK" while snarfing a doughnut. She was right.

The doughnuts are the cakey, baked variety. Granulated sugar and cinnamon on the outside gives plenty of flavor and texture. They're sweet but not the glazed, tooth-goo-coating insane sweetness. Perfect with coffee.

We went back the next day (yes, addictive doughnuts), but they were closed (Sunday). Will try their sandwiches sometime. With a doughnut, of course. There's a delicious looking brie & prosciutto on the menu.

Have I mentioned the doughnuts? I highly recommend them. Unless it's the last one in the case. If it is, then it must be awful and you should save it for me. (And Dancing Goats Coffee seems to serve some of these delicious doughnuts, too.)

Yelp tags: Pizza

8/24/2009

5/5 stars

So two people walk into a bar… Actually, it's a brunch place 10-3. And we walked in around 2.45, not quite realizing the time.

Brunch food often requires equipment, like waffle irons, that takes time to heat up. It gets turned off around closing to cool down. Most places won't turn the equipment back on, simply saying they're out of waffles. Here, however, the executive chef pops out and asks if we're ok waiting for the iron to heat back up. And the place was just about empty.

That level of care extended into the food. My wife's waffles with duck was great. It's not wild duck (we're a tad spoiled), but the duck still is rich and goes well with the waffle. And the (secret spice mix) jam was *perfect* with everything. We'd love to try it on pork sometime (hinthint). My cajun burger was listed as spicy. It's not the spicy as in melt-your-brain-and-make-you-cry but rather as in well-spiced while not hiding the food beneath. The flavors mixed and the ingredients still stood out (ah, bacon). The textures left me happy, too.

This place definitely is on the short list whenever my wife can make it down here.

And we've heard Doria is quite a musician…

Yelp tags: Soul Food American (New)

11/4/2010

3/5 stars

The renovations are fantastic. The park has grown by quite a bit. There are large rocks rather than benches in about half of the park, and the other half is open for ball-throwing. The rocks end up being benches, hurdles, wrestling mats… They're a great idea.

The water still is a problem. There's no drainage under the pumps, so they will become quite muddy. I don't understand why the renovation didn't include concrete or at least a gravel pit. But in all, a quite nice dog park.

8/24/2009

0/5 stars

Our rescued from California streets, living on top of a mountain, muscle-bound min pin liked the park. Plenty to explore, and enough activity to interest him. We liked it, too, and didn't have issues with poor handlers. It seems a good dog park. Not out-of-this-world like Pt. Isabel in CA, but certainly good for a run. And then you can finish tiring out your pup with a long, leashed walk around the rest of the park.

Happily, our dog's not interested in water / the mud puddle by the pump, so I can't say much about the possible problems.

Yelp tags: Dog Parks

8/24/2009

4/5 stars

Instant win: Duck's Cosmic Kitchen's doughnuts. With really good coffee.

The staff was a bit bored, but they perked right up as soon as we mentioned the doughnuts. A drug reference appeared again…

As a coffee place, they're good and comfortable. The feeling is more along a Charbucks/Peet's vibe than, say, Octane. This is an extension of a WA group, so it's completely appropriate. Definitely of the warm & airy style.

Yelp tags: Coffee & Tea

8/25/2009

4/5 stars

Yup, good French food. The flavors caress rather than beat. The textures combine light with feel. Good stuff. Too bad I embarrass myself whenever I try to pronounce French.

My wife loved her omelet. I really enjoyed my (insert French word here), salmon and asparagus and cheese in puff paste. The potato on the side made my dish just right; it needed the creamy but substantial texture aside.

Yelp tags: French

8/27/2009

5/5 stars

I haven't reviewed Rosebud? How? Oh, too busy eating.

The review in a word: *Squee*

In the times I've been here, I've always managed to see the same wonderful server. Even at the tail end of the Food 101 days. She's a delight and does know about everything on the menu. Her recommendations have been dead-on, even when they include ingredients I typically detest.

The food comes from fresh ingredients sourced as well as inhumanly possible. These folks support the Morningside Farmer's market that gathers outside on Saturdays. If you know the SF Bay area, imagine an *authentic* Southern feel in a reasonably priced restaurant around the Ferry Building. I said imagine because that would be impossible on many counts, but they've managed to find and nurture a similar idea here in Atlanta. Sticking to serious Southern influences helps them stick with local and seasonal ingredients when feasible, but they don't limit themselves. The menu feels like the chef is having fun with the boundaries.

I've had meat-heavy dishes (the sliders are more than an appetizer), things with mayo (that I *should* hate, but the Ahi tuna melt is amazing), a wonderful liver-pickle combo on toast… Can't even remember everything right now. It all has been great, and it's given me some fun ideas. Alas, I really can't cope with eggs, so a large swath of their brunch menu is inaccessible, but I'm quite happy with the remaining options. And if it says "Riverview Farms", eat it. They raise the best pig I've tasted in the area so far. (That farm also comes to the Morningside Market. Sometimes in "I dig the pig" shirts. Oh yeah.)

And with this crazy Monday $5 thing, well, *squee*.

Yelp tags: Southern American (New)

8/29/2009

4/5 stars

I suppose I shouldn't rate the food. Today was the free slow-roasted pig. Kinda hard not to be at least really, really good, and it was.

I also suppose I shouldn't rate their variety of beverages. Haven't tried many. The $3 house ale (via Flying Dog) again is kinda hard to beat. And then there's Sweetwater…

I can certainly rate their staff of infinite patience. They're why this is up to four stars. As mentioned, I was there for freebies. Freebies bring out the worst in people. Their staff handled some atrocious behavior with grace and style (and good looks). Had no problems being served even in the crushing mob. Good folks.

Yelp tags: American (New) Pubs