Restaurant Update

I had such a great time trying out new restaurants that I decided to continue it. My co-workers have been happy to accompany me. Since the beginning of the year we have the opportunity to visit several new places. Below is a quick overview of each. My apologies for no pictures, I'll try to remember to take some on our future restaurant visits.

Creole Nouvelle is a quaint (read tiny) New Orleans style bistro located downtown Atlanta. I attended college in New Orleans and fell in love with the food and culture. With that in mind I was anxious to try Creole Nouvelle especially since Red Fish Creole Bistro shuttered its doorsL. I opted for the red beans and rice while my co-workers tried the gumbo. OMG! My red beans were absolutely delicious as they were perfectly seasoned. I ordered some shrimp and crawfish etoufee to go for L which he enjoyed. My co-workers enjoyed their dishes as well. I will add this to my list of places for lunch takeout as it is walking distance from my office.

Ria's Bluebird located in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta. It is another cute little spot with the emphasis on little. No, I really mean little. Luckily, we got there in time for an open table and did not have to wait outside. The staff was extremely friendly and the food was equally good. Since they were also serving breakfast, a favorite of mine, I decided to go that route. Although I wanted the pancakes I also wanted to try something different. The sweet potato cake was my something different. Basically, it is a sweet potato pie or casserole filling that has been seared on a grill top to mimic a pancake. The food and staff were good but I am not quite sure if I'll visit again as the parking and seating is extremely limited.

Tin Lizzy's Cantina also located in Grant Park adjacent to Ria's Bluebirds. This Mexican restaurant is full of charm and big portions. We shared a half order of the fried jalapenos appetizer. Luckily we ordered a half because there was more than enough in our cute little tin bucket. My co-workers each ordered the nachos. A single order of nachos should really be shared by two people. I went with the buffalo chicken and black bean quesadillas. O.M.G!!!!!!! It was fantastic. This will be a definite after hours return visit for me as I would love to sample a tasty adult beverage with my meal next time.

Pure located in the Inman Park neighborhood of Atlanta is becoming a favorite of mine. I've visited twice in the past few months. This place really reminds me of my favorite bar in Chicago, The Bar Celano. They have garage doors instead of walls that can be raised for an alfresco dining experience. So far I haven't had a chance to visit at night to see if they actually lift the doors. The chips are fresh and amazing as well is the quesadilla. Instead of grilling, the quesadillas are deep fried for gooey goodness. The portion is huge and there is no way I can or should finish my entire meal.

Highland Bakery also located in Inman Park has become a fast favorite. So far we have had three visits and counting. Be prepared for wait. I've only been for a weekday lunch and can imagine what the wait will be for a weekend brunch. No matter what the wait time is it will be definitely worth it. My first visit I tried the white chicken chili and grilled cheese on rosemary garlic bread. It did not disappoint. The last two times, I've had their shrimp and grits. Although, I really like the shrimp and grits my favorite part of the meal is the grilled jalapeno focacciaRe. I certainly plan to keep this on the list and can't wait to take my sister there. She will love it

Another Year Older

On Friday April 16^th I was blessed to celebrate my 36^th birthday. It has been an awesome weekend spent with my family and friends.

My sweet co-workers treated me to lunch at one of our favorite dining spots Doc Chey's. It was on the first restaurants we tried when I started the 101 journey. I am so glad still get a chance to frequent some of the spots. Ironically, Doc Chey's new location is housed where Stella's was. Sadly, Stella's closed a few months back but I am glad I had a chance to dine there.

Later that evening, my sister, nieces and a few of their friends arrived in town to celebrate my niece K's 16^th birthday. It was double celebration as we learned that niece M received a full tuition scholarship courtesy of her father's employer. We decided that the Marietta Diner would be the perfect spot since they have an extensive menu selection. Everyone was pleased and full by the time we left.

Saturday started with us mapping out a plan of assault to find the perfect prom dress for niece M. After learning that the dress she wanted was not in stock we convinced her to try on some dresses just to get a feel for it. The first dress she tried on was perfect and she instantly fell in love with it. After trying on several more that didn't appeal to her I asked she try on one more. We all loved the last one more than the first and I am so glad she chose that one. She will look amazing! Later Saturday afternoon, my sisters and nieces attended a step competition. L and I decided to go Wet Willie's for some daiquiris. We had a great time just people watching and soon realized we were some of the oldest people in the room. He quickly pointed out that now I am older than him. Well at least until June when he turns 36 as well.

Today we attended the Dogwood Festival in Piedmont Park. The weather was perfect and it was an absolute beautiful day. I really enjoyed checking out the different pieces of jewelry, sculpture and paintings. There truly are some talented people.

I am now officially T-I-R-E-D but happy. It has been an amazing weekend of food, drinks, shopping and laughter. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday but with the people I love and who love me.

Smooches!

Another Check... 15th New Restaurant!

While living in Chicago, one of my girlfriends and I would watch a local PBS show, Check Please. Three local residents selected their favorite restaurant to chronicle and the remaining panelists had to go out and try it as well and provide a review of it. My friend and I would then go out and try some of the new spots we learned of. It was a great experience as we got to try out new places besides the national chains we constantly frequented.

At the beginning of my day zero journey, I decided I wanted to try 15 new restaurants in Atlanta . As before, they had to be new to me and could not be mass chain restaurants. Today, my trusty co-workers and I dined at our 15th new to us restaurant, The Nook.

The Nook is located directly across the street from Piedmont Park in the midtown area of Atlanta. I really loved the neighborhood feel of the place as well as the friendliness of the staff. Plus the food did not disappoint. Below are a few pictures of our meals. Check them out if you get the chance.

I am not a mac and cheese fan but had to try their version with bacon. OMG....so delish! We all split a side order.

My choice- mesquite smoked wings with spicy Coca-Cola bbq sauce

Yes those are tater tots. Both my co-workers ordered Totchos. The first picture is of the Philly Totchos and the second picture of the Nacho Totchos. Its such a cute concept and obviously delicious since both of them became members of the clean plate club.

South City Kitchen

Today my co-workers and I went to South City Kitchen, a contemporary southern restaurant located in the midtown area of Atlanta. We were joined by another co-worker who will soon be leaving the company as she is relocating out of state. It was great spending time with her before she starts the new chapter in her life.

After reviewing the menu and finding at least something I absolutely hate in a few dishes I settled on the shrimp and grits sans the scallops. It was good but not the best I've ever had. I am not sure if this will be a repeat visit but did see another restaurant next door I'd like to try in the near future.

Flip Burger Boutique

Today's team lunch was at Flip Burger Boutique. As the name implies, Flip is twist on your traditional burger spot. It has a unique menu created by Chef Richard Blais of Top Chef fame.

We each tried something different. I had the bacon cheese burger and vodka battered onion rings. I topped it off with a Krispy Kreme milkshake. Yep, you read that right. Krispy Kreme as in the donut. It should be against the law to make something that good!

My team members requested that we make a return visit as soon as possible. If you are in the area be sure to check them out.

Krispy Kreme milkshake

The Flying Biscuit

Today's team lunch was at The Flying Biscuit Cafe located in the midtown area of Atlanta. I've heard mixed reviews about the place but wanted to try it out for myself.

The midtown is super tiny and they make use of every available inch of space literally. It was really noisy since everyone had to attempt to speak over the conversations from surrounding tables. Besides that I really like the in town location and feel of the place. It reminds me of some of my favorite hangout spots in Chicago.

Of course we came to try the food. It is not your traditional southern breakfast spot. I noticed they did not serve any beef or pork products only chicken and turkey. I decided to try the 'high flyer'-two large farm fresh eggs served with our signature chicken breakfast sausage plus an organic oatmeal pancake topped with warm peach compote. It was also served with their signature potatoes and biscuit. I sampled some of everything but did not care too much for the oatmeal pancake.

I really enjoyed everything and think I will pick up some of their biscuits for our next large family meal. Heck, I may even try to pass them off as mine though my family will know better. :-)

Check them out if you get the opportunity.

Dominick's Little Italy

Today my team mates and I had the opportunity to do a site visit to one of our vendors in Buford, GA. The vendor decided to take us to lunch at Dominick's, a local Italian restaurant.

I love Italian food and am happy I do not live near this place because I will always be there. The portions are insanely large and reasonably priced. L and I may have to make a trip up Interstate 85 and check them out again.

Welcome to Miami!

Recently L and I went to Miami for a weekend getaway. It was my first time visiting the city and I am highly upset with myself that I waited this long.

We had the opportunity to stay at the all suite Hilton Bentley on South Beach and I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone who is travelling to the area. The hotel is located on Ocean Drive and is associated with the Bentley Beach Club. The hotel staff was extremely friendly and went out of their way to make sure our stay was perfect.

Some friends of ours decided to join us on the trip and we all had a great time hanging out together. On our first night there, we all dined at Gaia Ristorante, an Italian restaurant located inside the hotel. We were actually waited on by the restaurant manager who provided us with excellent service. L is a huge shrimp scampi fan and did not see it on the menu. When the manager overheard our conversation about the scampi, he offered to have it specially prepared for us. Amazing service!

To end our first night in town, L and I decided to check out some local clubs. Earlier, he asked the bartender for club recommendations and she provided us with a list of local spots. During dinner, she brought a couple of passes to Sobe Live to us granting free admission. Besides waiting in line for and hour and having too much to drink I had a great time dancing and hanging out with my hubby.

Saturday was devoted to relaxing on the beach and recovering from the night before. We also and the opportunity to have dinner with another friend who has relocated to the area.

Sadly, all good vacations must come to and end. This was one of the best trips I've had and can not wait to return to the city. Next time I hope to experience other aspects and areas of the city. Below are a few pictures from the weekend.

hustle man is everywhere :-)

view from the beach
my favorite spot near the hotel pool

Figo Pasta

Our most recent team lunch was held at Figo Pasta located in the Virginia Highlands neighborhood. It is immediately across the street from another restaurant favorite of mine, Murphy's.

Figo is a small, quaint restaurant with an open kitchen and friendly staff. Upon arriving, you immediately place order at the counter and it is then delivered to your table. The menu is relatively inexpensive. You have the option of creating your own dish using one of their freshly made pastas and sauce combination. On this visit, I tried the whole wheat penne with Italian sausage and peppers... yummy!

I am so happy, I decided to try out different local restaurants. Our next scheduled team lunch will be held at the Flying Biscuit Cafe.

My kind of sports bar

After a few weeks of conflicting schedules, my co-workers and I had an opportunity to go out for another team lunch. Today, we took a quick walk to a nearby sports bar STATS. I am not a sports fanatic, but I wouldn't mind catching a game here.

I loved the design of the restaurant and its furnishing. They had these extremely neat tap tables. Basically, you have the bar at your table. I don't drink beer but like the concept nonetheless. It would be great if they had those for martinis. Hey, a girl can dream can't she.

The menu was not your traditional bar grub. Our waitress recommended the Crabcake BLT and we all took her up on the choice. She was right, this sandwich was great. I'll have to make myself try something different next time.

To top off a great outing, we found out that since our employer is nearby, we qualified for 10% discount during lunch. Got to love that. We will certainly go there again.

LaFonda Latina

In my continuing journey to try new restaurants, my co-workers and I went to LaFonda Latina on last Friday. As indicated in the name the cuisine includes Latin cuisines including Spanish, Cuban and Mexican....a yummy combo.

I hate that I did not bring my camera because everyone's dish looked fabulous. I had the paella and it was awesome. This will also be added to my list of places for a repeat visit.

Thumbs Up!

As a part of my desire to try out new restaurants, my co-worker Jakia suggested that we go to Thumbs Up Diner for our team lunch. It is a small local chain with about four resturants around Metro Atlanta. Since I love breakfast food I was game.

The food was delish and the staff was very nice. I will definitely be going back.

Hey STELLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, I'll admit I have never seen all of "A Streetcar Named Desire" but I am familiar with the iconic scene of Marlon Brando yelling " Hey Stella!!!!" This is the only thing I could think of as my team members and I dined at Stella's.

On Friday April 24th, we ventured out to our sometimes bi-weekly team lunch. As opposed to our last outing to Salmonellaville, this one did not disappoint. Stella's is located in cute area of Atlanta that is currently going under revitalization. Oddly enough it is directly across the street from Oakland Cemetery. Besides the view, it is a nice location.

This will be added to my repeat list as it was fabulous. Both the food and service were great. I had the Arrabiata which is spaghetti, Italian sausage, onions and spicy tomato sauce. Can we say Y-U-M-M-Y-!!!!!. My co-workers both had piadinas (0ven baked sandwiches) which they devoured.

Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me again. I've started keeping it in my bag for just in case moments. I'll have pictures of our next outing.

Ciao!

But it was good....

Today my co-worker and I ate at The Highlander. I first learned about it on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The episode had a segment about the jerk chili they served at the Highlander. It looked delish and I added it our list of restaurants to try out.

When we got there it was pouring down raining and there weren't many patrons. I guess it was due to the weather since on the show, the place was packed. OK, this place really is a dive and not my style but I'll try it out.

I shared an appetizer of Kari- Kari (fried pot stickers with cream cheese and crab meat) with my co-worker and they were delicious. For my meal, I decided to try the Chicken Philly with a cup of the jerk chili on the side. The chili was off the chain good. It was a symphony of flavor with a good kick of spice and a hint of sweetness. I actually preferred the chili to the Chicken Philly. Once I had my fill of everything, I had the remaining items packaged to go.

I returned to work and continued about my day. Around 3p.m. I began to feel sick. I spent the next 6 hours extremely ill. I am not sure what caused it but needless to say, I promptly threw my left overs away. After speaking with my co-worker, she was not feeling well either. We believe it was the Kari-Kari but to be on the safe side I don't see myself going there again. Hopefully, my next meal won't take me through the ringer.

You Ate Where?

A part of my journey is to venture out and try new things. To assist me in my goal to try new restaurants, my team members have agreed to try new restaurants with me. We will visit resturants on a bi-weekly basis and I will update the blog with a review.

Red Fish Creole

On March 6th, we dined at Red Fish Creole Bistro. After attending college at Dillard University in New Orleans I became a fan of Cajun & Creole cuisine. I loved Red Fish and believe it will become a new spot for me.

I had the shrimp creole and it was divine. It was truly a symphony of flavor. There was a sweet and spicy flavor. Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera for picture. I'll be sure to bring it on my next visit.

Doc Chey's Noodle Bowl

On March 13th, my team members and I visited Doc Chey's Noodle Bowl for lunch. Despite the small size of the restaurant, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The staff was quick and efficient and the food was delish and low cost.

I had the spicy szechuan and it was quite tasty. If I return I'll request they go easy on the water chestnuts and bean sprouts.