My best dining weekend ever - from the highs to the lows.

Friday night I went to Kyma with one of my favorite dining partners. He'd been wanting me to broaden his horizons in Atlanta food and wanted me to help. So, I thought I'd take him to one of my favorite places - Kyma. I love Kyma. They call me Ms. Restaurant Hound. Treat me like a lady (fools!) and I eat it up!

So we arrived at the restaurant and were seated. I was disappointed to see that we were seated on the banquette with another couple less than 6 inches from us. Thank god our table was for four instead of two so we had some space. I love wines from the island of Santorini. The waiter recommended a wine for us based on my specifications - a Thelatissis - it was fantastic. Close to the best bottle of wine I've ever had in a restaurant. The shame about Greek wines is that they export so few that you can rarely find them in the stores. Boo!

So we got a series of 5 appetizers. It started with spreads (fantastic!) - my favorite was the hummus, my friends was the roasted red pepper (which is funny because he hates peppers). Then they brought us scallops - they were fantastic! I don't love scallops but I could have died in a tub of them.

The saganaki was average. However, the cheese pie and the lamb pie were fantastic. The lamb pie was a touch rich but perfect for what it was. We split a lava cake with cinnamon ice cream for dessert and it was perfect. My friend thought it was the best part of the evening (though he later revised and decided it was the scallops).

On a high from Kyma and all the pamering - we went to the Ritz Carlton for drinks. You all know how much that amuses me.

The next night we went to Manuel's for dinner. I love Manuel's - I love it's history both with Atlanta and with me. Manuel's is an institution in Atlanta politics. Everyone who is anyone has watched election returns there. Manuel's is also an institution for the life of me. I hosted my best friends wedding shower there. That was where she told me she was pregnant with her first baby. It was where I went to lunch with the boss from one of my favorite jobs when I told him I got a better opportunity. It was also where we went when I realized that opportunity wasn't so great.

So, I had the chili cheese dog. It was fantastic. But what can you really say about a chili cheese dog? The hot dog was all beef - it was fantastic. The chili was better than good. The french fries were fantastic!

Anyway - my culinary weekend from high to low. But what really mattered was the company.

South City Kitchen - A Near Disaster Saved

I have already told you two of the three kinds of food that I don't think should be expensive - mexican, italian, and ... wait for it... southern.

It's hard to pay $15 for a plate of fried chicken. Popeyes does it for $.99 (or something like that - I do not intend to endorse Popeyes in any way, shape, or form).

My point is simply that I require more from a fancy southern restaurant. So, I walk into South City Kitchen and speak with the hostesses. I noticed they had their patio plastic'ed in so I asked them not to seat me out there because I know I'll be cold (it is in the 30's tonight in Atlanta). They tried to argue with me - you won't be cold. Look, I know me. I've been me for 34 years. I know I'll be cold. Please do not seat me out there.

Unsurprisingly, I was sent away to wait for the rest of my party (all one of them). I stood in the bar area as every single seat was taken up with people eating. Which would be fine but for the fact that there were several open tables and a nice restaurant should really have a relaxing spot for you to wait for your party. So, I was looking around with my grumpy look on my face. Eventually my grumpy look earned me a free glass of wine from one of the maitre de's (see the upgrade when i got free stuff???) - so my pissiness disappeared.

I was seated shortly after that (though my party had not arrived yet). Amy was our waitress and she was great. They must reserve her for difficult people like myself. We started with the fried green tomatoes. I have to be honest - the batter seemed very pedestrian and bar-like. I'm not sure I'd repeat that order.

I got the fried chicken and substituted the mashed potatoes with the gouda macaroni and cheese. The fried chicken was very good - juicy, enough breading without being overwhelming. It is no better or worse than Food 101 (if you're keeping score). The gouda macaroni and cheese on the other hand - I could have (and would have) bathed in it. Fantastic.

After the entree we moved onto some sort of chocolate dessert which inevitably disappointed. I am difficult to impress when it comes to dessert. The dessert consisted of a cold chocolate cake with some whip cream and a chocolate flavor mousse. It was fine - but nothing to write home about.

At the end of the day - the hospitality was better than I thought it would be. The dessert didn't match up.

But I'll be back for the gouda macaroni and cheese

An actual reader??? OMG!

I think I may have an actual reader. I got the comment from the former bartender at The Grape in Norcross and I asked myself - do I know anyone that did that? The answer was no (and by the way his/her idea for the flashlight was sheer brilliance - he/she needs to call Usher and pass on that tidbit).

Anyway, that meant that I have a reader that is coming here of their own free will. I.e. it isn't one of my friends or relatives who I quiz on updated content every time I see them.

So welcome, dear reader, and if you're enjoying it pass it on. If you hate it, well - just move along.

And keep the comments coming. I'm not previewing them anymore. Should I have told you that????

The Grape - The McDonalds of Wine Bars

My friends and I went to The Grape in Inman Park on Tuesday night (the one owned by Usher). I think The Grape is a great concept that hasn't fulfilled it's potential. They've over-franchised themselves and are more of a beginner's wine bar than one for people who have a more sophisticated pallette.

One of the things I like the best about The Grape is the cozy purple club chairs that feel like you are sitting in a big hug. But don't get excited - you won't find them at The Grape in Inman Park. They were inexplicably missing and the atmosphere felt more restaurant than a kick back and enjoy yourself drinking a couple glasses of wine.

My group of five is seated at a table with high back chairs (not super comfy...). As we sit, the lights go up significantly. WTF? I asked the waiter what was up with the lights and he said that the lady over there needed the lights to read - I told him he needed to get a small flashlight to solve that problem not ruin the ambience for everyone else in the place. He did not like this comment and never came back to service our table, choosing to send one of two other wait staff instead.

One of my major complaints about the grape - that I did not bring up last night, though I have in the past - is their idiotic write ups about the wine they serve. They almost never tell you what the wine tastes like - what notes it has, whether it is light or heavy bodied. Generally, it's just some play off the name of the wine (check out the description of Conundrum wine if you don't believe me). This is totally unhelpful and speaks down to its customers - we think you'll pick this wine b/c of the cute description, we don't think you have any clue what "notes" are so we'll leave that stuff out.

Now all that bad stuff being said, the food at The Grape is generally pretty good. I like the chicken mediterranean quesadilla. I think I order it every time I'm there. I also adore the truffled cheese they serve. It literally transports me to heaven. I was also happy to see that The Grape also carries Whitehaven on it's menu. God, I love that wine. I also had a glass of the Oriel Prosecco which I can totally recommend.

I have my complaints about The Grape, but know I'll be back; just like I don't love McDonalds, but know I'll get some mcnuggets some time in the future.

Taurus Revisited

I visited Taurus shortly after it was opened with the girls for dinner. I was unimpressed. The food was mediocre, the floor was slippery and the room was so dark I could barely read the menu and/or see my food.

I went back there a couple weeks ago with my friend Andy (I swear I do go to lunch with other people). It was light out, so I'm not sure if they have fixed the too dark to see problem. But we were seated in the "bull ring" or whatever it was - great table.

I perused the menu and the first thing that jumped out at me was the cheeseburger. However, one of my friends recently commented that my restaurant blog was quickly turning into a cheeseburger blog. So, while I am a sucker for cheeseburgers I refrained from ordering one at Taurus. I got the special - a steak sandwich -instead. I was not disappointed - the steak was cooked perfectly and blended well with the special sauce they had on it (it was cheesy, that's all I remember). The sandwich, like most good burgers, was drippy. The french fries were a real treat - all nice and crunchy. A very positive lunch - of course this may have been b/c I had such low expectations to begin with.

I will probably go back for lunch but am still not in the mood to give Taurus another chance at night quite yet. Falling in public is far too embarrassing.

Two Urban Licks - what I can remember of it at least...

Before Christmas my good friend Dana was in town (she left to go to law school at UF) and wanted to get together. So, Dana, Glen and I met at Two Urban Licks. Now, I have a very long history with Two Urban Licks. I love it. It is my go-to spot to take out of town guests, it is my go to recommendation for a date spot, it is where I have celebrated many special occaisions.

I always order the same thing - calamari, fried green tomato stack and lamb lollipops. The calamari is just perfect - the sauce is neither too spicy nor too sweet, but just right. The fried green tomato stack is tart, crunchy and smooth (I sound like a Taco Bell commercial...). And the lamb lollipops are simply divine. They are so good I can almost forget that I am eating baby animal meat. It would be so much easier to stick to my principles if lamb didn't taste so damned good. Oh well, I still haven't eaten veal.

On this night I sat down and got ready to order my regular order. I looked at the menu. And then again. No fried green tomato stack! Quelle dommage! Oh well, they had the rest of my stand by's, plus a shark taco which was quite tasty, though no substitute for the fried green tomato stack.

The waiter was very good, gave a good wine recommendation and Glen and I really enjoyed it. Probably too much - but that is an issue for another post.

All in all another solid performance by Two Urban Licks. Put the fried green tomato stack back on the menu and I'll be back sooner as opposed to later.

Blue Ribbon Grill - great lunch spot if you can find it!

Just so you don't think I'm a total food snob and only review restaurants with at least two $$'s next to their name, I'm reviewing my visit to Blue Ribbon Grill in Tucker. My friend and I from work headed up there. Well, we didn't really set out to go to Blue Ribbon Grill. We meant to go to Mezza, a Middle Eastern restaurant on LaVista. However, I turned too early and we didn't go by Mezza. We had to improvise. Andy suggested that we hit Blue Ribbon Grill and I'm a gamer, so we went in. The decor is a little, um, rustic. Let's not kid ourselves - the place could use a good cleaning and/or a makeover. But don't let that hold you back, the food is worth a little grime.

We started with fried green beans. I don't know what it is about me, but I love fried vegetables and not just fried potatoes. Fried asparagus, fried pickles (is that a vegetable?), fried zucchini, etc. If it can be found in a salad and you can fry it, I'll order it. The fried green beans were very good. The beans were still crisp and despite the breading I was able to pretend that I was eating healthy.

I ordered one of the blue plate specials. Initially I was a little nervous because the menu referred to them as "small plates" and I was very hungry. But, let me promise you, these are only "small plates" if you are Paul Bunyan. For a normal eater they are plenty large. I got the black bean pizza. It was a mexican type pizza on this fried pizza dough. Unbelievably good. In fact, just remembering this pizza over the weekend gave me a craving for a mexican pizza (and not the kind from Taco Bell) that I could not fight off. I learned, though, that not many places do the mexican pizza very well (yes, I'm talking to you Pizza K). But I'm off track again...

Andy ordered the meatloaf blue plate special which came with mashed potatoes. The meatloaf was as big as his head! Enormous portions! Andy, who can usually eat his weight in food and not gain an ounce (why am I friends with him again???) gave up and couldn't eat it all. I got a bite of the meatloaf and it was very, very good.

So, next time I make the wrong turn on the way to lunch you'll find me at the Blue Ribbon Grill.