http://www.varasanos.com
2171 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
Actively seeking points on OpenTable, Katy and I decided to have lunch one Sunday after church at Varasano's. A recent establishment in the Peachtree Battle neighborhood, we were hoping to find a new pizza joint that could rival our other local favorites. After checking in with the hostess to receive our 100 dining points, we laughed while realizing 11:45am reservations are not a hot commodity.
Unsure just how big the pizzas were, we ordered two to share and wound up with some leftovers. Personally loving thin crust pizza charred from a brick oven, I was confident any of the menu selections would not disappoint. I chose the Salumi that was topped with thinly sliced Italian cured meats, mozzarella, tomato sauce and spiced olives. Just as I had hoped, the flash baked crust was an ideal vehicle for the sauce and delicious combination of meats and salty olives. Katy ordered the Caramelized Onion pizza with sweet onions and a sharp Emmenthaler cheese. She added sausage with fennel which was a perfect compliment to the other present bold flavors. We folded up the slices and gobbled them down in recommended fashion.
After a lovely meal, our jubilant waitress informed us that we could save ten percent simply by blogging or tweeting about the restaurant. Knowing nothing about 'tweeting', I questioned whether or not I could become a Blogger.....enter DOT's Thoughts on Hot Spots.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Abattoir
www.starprovisions.com
1170 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA 30318
Meaning Slaughterhouse, Abattoir is sheltered in West Midtown with the rest of Star Provisions' award-winning restaurants and is associated with using the whole animal in their dishes. Trying to find a different, cheaper restaurant, we landed on Abattoir since it had been on our list for a while and was a bit less than one of Quatrano's other restaurants, Bacchanalia. The substantial bar up front is ideal for cocktails while waiting to be seated, whereas the rustic Edison light bulbs and open warehouse-feel to the restaurant make for an old butcher shop presence.
The food was just as great as the surroundings and after seeing the enormous pig portrait on the wall, my gut told me to order pork. To start, we had the black-eyed pea hummus and although it looked simply like a puree served with flatbread and vegetables, it was delicate and flavorful. Katy's special of fish and turnips among others was pleasing but my trio of pork took home the awards! There was a hunk of ham surrounded by even more impressive brethren pork sausage and sauteed greens with bits of pork belly, which of course makes EVERYTHING better.
Ultimately, my favorite part of the meal were the two slow cooked pork shoulder fritters on the side of my dish. They were the most pleasant make-your-eyes-widen-when-you-take-the-first-bite surprise. These pork filled 'hushpuppies' tasted as if I were a kid waking up unexpectedly to Christmas morning with tons of presents!
With the ever changing menu and offerings such as beef tongue, tripe, and sweetbreads, Abattoir is for those who enjoy a twist from the normal steakhouse. I feel they are trying to create a new restaurant on an old town idea while making dishes delightful and memorable...and they're succeeding tremendously.
1170 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA 30318
Meaning Slaughterhouse, Abattoir is sheltered in West Midtown with the rest of Star Provisions' award-winning restaurants and is associated with using the whole animal in their dishes. Trying to find a different, cheaper restaurant, we landed on Abattoir since it had been on our list for a while and was a bit less than one of Quatrano's other restaurants, Bacchanalia. The substantial bar up front is ideal for cocktails while waiting to be seated, whereas the rustic Edison light bulbs and open warehouse-feel to the restaurant make for an old butcher shop presence.
The food was just as great as the surroundings and after seeing the enormous pig portrait on the wall, my gut told me to order pork. To start, we had the black-eyed pea hummus and although it looked simply like a puree served with flatbread and vegetables, it was delicate and flavorful. Katy's special of fish and turnips among others was pleasing but my trio of pork took home the awards! There was a hunk of ham surrounded by even more impressive brethren pork sausage and sauteed greens with bits of pork belly, which of course makes EVERYTHING better.
Ultimately, my favorite part of the meal were the two slow cooked pork shoulder fritters on the side of my dish. They were the most pleasant make-your-eyes-widen-when-you-take-the-first-bite surprise. These pork filled 'hushpuppies' tasted as if I were a kid waking up unexpectedly to Christmas morning with tons of presents!
With the ever changing menu and offerings such as beef tongue, tripe, and sweetbreads, Abattoir is for those who enjoy a twist from the normal steakhouse. I feel they are trying to create a new restaurant on an old town idea while making dishes delightful and memorable...and they're succeeding tremendously.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Espana Restaurant
http://www.espanadowntown.com/
22 South 4th Street
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Excited to spend another day at the beach, but not brave enough to conquer the Atlantic in January, we headed downtown for some antiquing. Not only was shopping a success, but we enjoyed a delightful brunch at Lulu's complete with crab cakes Benedict (Orleans) and a roasted red pepper salad (Love on a Plate). Hidden at the bottom of the Thompson House, Lulu's makes for a uniquely scrumptious meal.
With a trunk full of antiques and satisfied stomachs, we headed back to the Captain's House for some more shark's tooth hunting and awaited our reservation at Espana later that evening. A burly Spanish waiter helped us navigate the menu and made recommendations for items including the Gambas Mozambique, sautéed shrimp topped with a spicy coconut milk sauce and fresh cilantro as well as the Aceitunas, a variety of marinated olives, garlic and fresh herbs. Pleased with both choices, we found the other items on the menu to be somewhat typical of Spanish Tapas we've had at similar restaurants.
One of few tapas restaurants on the island, visit Espana for the authentic cuisine as a kick-start to your night on the town.
22 South 4th Street
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Excited to spend another day at the beach, but not brave enough to conquer the Atlantic in January, we headed downtown for some antiquing. Not only was shopping a success, but we enjoyed a delightful brunch at Lulu's complete with crab cakes Benedict (Orleans) and a roasted red pepper salad (Love on a Plate). Hidden at the bottom of the Thompson House, Lulu's makes for a uniquely scrumptious meal.
With a trunk full of antiques and satisfied stomachs, we headed back to the Captain's House for some more shark's tooth hunting and awaited our reservation at Espana later that evening. A burly Spanish waiter helped us navigate the menu and made recommendations for items including the Gambas Mozambique, sautéed shrimp topped with a spicy coconut milk sauce and fresh cilantro as well as the Aceitunas, a variety of marinated olives, garlic and fresh herbs. Pleased with both choices, we found the other items on the menu to be somewhat typical of Spanish Tapas we've had at similar restaurants.
One of few tapas restaurants on the island, visit Espana for the authentic cuisine as a kick-start to your night on the town.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Horizons
http://www.horizonsameliaisland.com/
4828 First Coast Highway
Amelia Islands, FL 32034
Fernandina Beach, situated on the East Coast of Amelia Island, is a fabulous vacation hideaway. Less than six hours from Atlanta, Katy has a condo at The Captain's House that we visited for the weekend. Renters welcome! With minimal choices for dinner on Open Table, we compared some local spots and chose Horizons, which also gave us 1,000 dining points.
After scouring the beach all day for shark's teeth, we made our way towards The Plantation for dinner. We were greeted by the amicable manager who not only escorted us to our table, but cut-up with us throughout the night which made for a pleasant evening. To start, I ordered the lobster bisque that was decent, but nothing out of this world. Katy's grilled Romaine with Brie and lump crab meat was delicious. For entrees, I ordered the special, which was a blackened fish (can't remember) with sweet potato puree and grilled asparagus while Katy dominated the potato crusted grouper with thyme cream accompanied by an assortment of vegetables.
In our opinion, the food was good, but overpriced due to the mostly tourist population. When we return to The Captain's House, we will continue to enjoy the quaint town and collecting shark's teeth, but will opt to try a different fine dining experience.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Perilla
http://www.perillanyc.com/
9 Jones Street
New York, NY 10014
Located discretely off the main drag in the West Village, Perilla encompasses everything you could ask for from the original Top Chef winner, Harold Dieterle. I have been wanting to eat here since 2007 when they first opened their doors. With only 18 tables and few seats at the bar, reservations are needed to eat at this charming, predominantly locals, neighborhood joint. After walking across the city all day, the refined touch of this chef is exactly what we needed to refuel.
Upon arrival, I had already picked a medley of courses I wanted to try, but due to limited size of stomach, as well as wallet, I had to narrow it down to a concise meal...and eat whatever Katy ordered! She had the steak with sunchoke creamed spinach and I had one of the specials, the salmon. Both were insanely delicious alongside our roasted brussel sprouts with dried cranberries. Entrees and wine were phenomenal, but the fascination and high point of the night was from an appetizer, the spicy duck meatballs. Katy has decided that this may be the one meal she could eat every day for the rest of her life.
After licking our plates clean, Perilla was the perfect meal to end our vacation. The experience was everything I had hoped for, and the food better than I thought possible. We left Perilla and headed East to make our reservation for drinks at PDT's, but I will definitely eat here again.
9 Jones Street
New York, NY 10014
Located discretely off the main drag in the West Village, Perilla encompasses everything you could ask for from the original Top Chef winner, Harold Dieterle. I have been wanting to eat here since 2007 when they first opened their doors. With only 18 tables and few seats at the bar, reservations are needed to eat at this charming, predominantly locals, neighborhood joint. After walking across the city all day, the refined touch of this chef is exactly what we needed to refuel.
Upon arrival, I had already picked a medley of courses I wanted to try, but due to limited size of stomach, as well as wallet, I had to narrow it down to a concise meal...and eat whatever Katy ordered! She had the steak with sunchoke creamed spinach and I had one of the specials, the salmon. Both were insanely delicious alongside our roasted brussel sprouts with dried cranberries. Entrees and wine were phenomenal, but the fascination and high point of the night was from an appetizer, the spicy duck meatballs. Katy has decided that this may be the one meal she could eat every day for the rest of her life.
After licking our plates clean, Perilla was the perfect meal to end our vacation. The experience was everything I had hoped for, and the food better than I thought possible. We left Perilla and headed East to make our reservation for drinks at PDT's, but I will definitely eat here again.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Freemans Restaurant
www.freemansrestaurant.com/
191 Chrystie Street
New York, NY 10002
Myself, Katy, and another couple took a quick vacation to New York City during Christmas. After sightseeing all day with a pit stop at The Central Park Boathouse for drinks, we navigated our way to find Freemans, an establishment recommended by a local friend. After the cab dropped us off in the Lower East Side, we had to find the hidden entrance down a dark alley. Upon entering, we could tell by the bustling crowd and the hour and a half wait that this was the Friday night watering hole.
Lucky to find four seats at the bar, we quickly made friends with the bartender while trying not to stick out like tourists. Along with drinks, we ordered the flagship appetizer, Devils on Horseback. The thought of a prune is not too appetizing for me, but stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in bacon = success! Continuing to wait, we also devoured the amazing artichoke dip.
Finally, we were seated around 11:00 and were content with everything at the bar, so we split another bottle of wine and continued to splurge on the seasonal brussel sprouts and the five cheese macaroni...I know this may be a bold statement, but hands down this is the best mac-n-cheese we've ever had. Ever.
Freemans is worth the extra five minutes to ask a native where to go when you can't find the alley, and when you arrive and the hostess states it will be another hour or two before you are seated, stick around. It's too enjoyable of a time to give up on.
191 Chrystie Street
New York, NY 10002
Myself, Katy, and another couple took a quick vacation to New York City during Christmas. After sightseeing all day with a pit stop at The Central Park Boathouse for drinks, we navigated our way to find Freemans, an establishment recommended by a local friend. After the cab dropped us off in the Lower East Side, we had to find the hidden entrance down a dark alley. Upon entering, we could tell by the bustling crowd and the hour and a half wait that this was the Friday night watering hole.
Lucky to find four seats at the bar, we quickly made friends with the bartender while trying not to stick out like tourists. Along with drinks, we ordered the flagship appetizer, Devils on Horseback. The thought of a prune is not too appetizing for me, but stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in bacon = success! Continuing to wait, we also devoured the amazing artichoke dip.
Finally, we were seated around 11:00 and were content with everything at the bar, so we split another bottle of wine and continued to splurge on the seasonal brussel sprouts and the five cheese macaroni...I know this may be a bold statement, but hands down this is the best mac-n-cheese we've ever had. Ever.
Freemans is worth the extra five minutes to ask a native where to go when you can't find the alley, and when you arrive and the hostess states it will be another hour or two before you are seated, stick around. It's too enjoyable of a time to give up on.
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