Hot Dish Review

It was a muggy morning on Lake Burton. Standing on the balcony overlooking the north Georgia mountains, I swear the humidity was 150%.

LC and I made our third visit to The Chophouse at LaPrades Marina, and despite the humidity, chose a tables on their expansive balcony overlooking the lake. A gentle breeze made it rather comfortable.

Service was unhurried, however, I would have preferred my coffee delivered with speed. Their abbreviated brunch menu was hand-written on a piece of notebook paper, but offered something for everyone….a sweet option of pecan pancakes, a hearty steak and eggs plate, a simple scramble with veggies that LC ordered, and the perennial brunch favorite of eggs benedict, a rich dish I cannot resist.

Their benedict was made the traditional way, with ham and poached eggs on toasted English muffins, topped with hollandaise sauce. Its simplicity belies the multitude of things that can go horribly wrong with this dish, from overcooked eggs to watery sauce.

The Chophouse delivered a solid rendition of this classic, served with mixed fruit on the side. Cantaloupe and strawberries are the norm, and what the table next to us had, but my mix contained only watermelon and cantaloupe. I love watermelon, but I’m allergic to cantaloupe, so I requested some strawberries, which our server cheerfully brought out. I had also added a side of chewy bacon and extra hollandaise to my order, doubling the cholesterol content and doubling the yummy goodness!

LC’s egg dish was far less exciting, a scramble of eggs, peppers, mushrooms, onions, ham, and cheese. I couldn’t detect any cheese, either visually or by taking a bite. It came with breakfast potatoes and a dry, dense biscuit. Our server didn’t bring any butter or jam, so he dipped the biscuit in my hollandaise.

Three cups of luke-warm coffee later, we were ready to hit the winding road back to the condo for a strenuous day of watching golf on TV.

1488 Highway 197, North Clarkesville 706-947-0010

LC and I got a late start on Friday, driving to Lake Burton in the North Georgia mountains for a weekend get-away. Rather than making the trek all the way up to the condo only to have to drive back down for dinner, we stopped at the restaurant at LaPrades Marina where LC’s uncle’s boat is stored.

It’s called The Chophouse, an upscale open-air restaurant and bar made of rough-hewn timbers and huge log supports. The place barely escaped the F4 tornado that swooped down the valleys and up the mountains in the area, cutting a path of destruction that visible on land and from the lake.

We chose a couple of seats at the bar, taking in the tranquil scenery and chilling out with a nice cold beer. The weather was perfect, just prior to sunset. Although we had snacked on veggie chips on the drive, we were both famished, so we started off with an appetizer special. Described as BBQ chicken flatbread, it was also topped with smoked gouda, caramelized onions, and basil. Sounds sorta like California Pizza Kitchen’s infamous concoction. However, there was no hint of BBQ (thankfully), but the pizza was sauced with a rather garlicky pesto. I know my smoked gouda and I dare say it was not smoked. Despite these issues, it was a tasty starter.

Moving on we decided to split the double cut pork chop with a sweet potato on the side. I ordered a glass of red wine, a rare choice in the Summer. A simple salad came with the meal. The chop was dressed with blackberry fig sauce and crumbles of blue cheese, a winning combination. Accompanying veggies, cauliflower and corn, were entirely flavorless, but the 1 3/4″ thick chop was surprisingly juicy and tender, with a subtle smokiness. And as it should be, after all, this is a chophouse!

We would end up at The Chophouse every day, stopping in for an appetizer and drink after our boat excursion on Saturday and for brunch on Sunday. Steak and cheddar spring rolls came with a remoulade and BBQ sauce, neither of which I liked, but the snack gave us enough energy to make it back up the mountain to get ready for dinner.

More on brunch later….

1488 Highway 197, North Clarkesville 706-947-0010

From Atlanta’s PR goddess Liz Lapidus:

It’s no secret that me and B love Zeb Stevenson, the talented chef at Livingston. Now he is adding brunch to his repetoire of creative American cuisine. I bet he’ll be smokin’ something (like Hollandaise, I mean.) See you there!

A rerun….hoping me and B don’t feel like this tomorrow!How appropriate. No food and no sleep (OK, B claims I slept for three hours but I think it was only one) makes me hungry and sleepy. After Widespread Panic on Saturday night, which was at the Verizon Ampitheatre in Alpharetta, me and B piled into a vehicle that was headed to the after party.

It rained. We danced. But we didn’t eat or sleep. The next morning found us in Cumming. Happily headed back to civilization around 12:30, B and I needed to get our cars. The catch? CL was holding our keys hostage at Hobnob.

In the rain and against our will, we met him there for brunch. The warm space and inviting patio would be great on a sunny Summer day. Mimosas all around and a concise menu of heart-stopping cholesterol-laden goodies seemed appropriate on this chilly, dreary day. For me, the “hangover helper” was a no-brainer. Two poached eggs served over fried green tomatoes and toasted English muffins, topped with tomato Hollandaise and goat cheese. I added a side of bacon.

Breakfast potatoes accompany every brunch entree at Hobnob. They are as appealing to me as sauteed cardboard, so I offered mine to B. Along with my potatoes she would have two fried eggs, a biscuit, and cheese grits, all a la carte.

My eggs were perfectly poached, however I would have preferred regular Hollandaise. I love goat cheese but it somehow didn’t work here. The fried green tomatoes were rather thickly breaded, but the tangy flavor was terrific. Three big slices of chewy bacon made me smile. Another mimosa please!

B ate about half of her meal and took the rest home for her animals. I rarely have leftovers, not that The Bunny would consider eating them if I did.

Their regular menu includes soul-satisfying dishes like Southern Spring rolls filled with pork and collards and Belgian endive boats with dried figs, goat cheese, candied pecans, crisp prosciutto and tobasco honey. Hobnob deserves a try one evening soon!

1551 Piedmont Avenue 404-968-2288

The first day of 2011 was rainy and dismal, perfect for sleeping in. Also perfect for a hearty brunch. After coffee and my annual viewing of the Tournament of Roses Parade, LC and I headed to Diesel for food and a little hair of the dog.

With New Year’s Day falling on a Saturday, seems as though it was business as usual at most places. Despite the rain, Diesel was full of its regular young neighborhood crowd. We chose a table on the enclosed patio and ordered drinks, a bloody Mary for him and a mimosa for me.

They advertised a “superstition sampler” comprised of black-eyed peas, collards, corned beef, and cabbage. Maybe later. First I needed breakfast. I rarely pass on eggs Benedict and Diesel’s was made with fried green tomatoes so I had to try it. LC got an omelette filled with almost everything, except he forgot cheese.

Service was excrutiatingly slow. We were on our second round when our entrees came. One of my poached eggs was overcooked, its yolk hard and round. There wasn’t enough Hollandaise sauce either, but there was little chance of getting it before I was finished with my meal. LC’s omelette was luke-warm and there was no butter for his biscuit, which he did manage to get….eventually.

My Benedict was not the traditional composition. Poached eggs, spinach, ham, and the fried green tomatoes were on a split biscuit. Naturally, I found fault with the tomatoes. Sliced too thickly, they were not cooked tender, however, I enjoyed their tangy flavor. Ham paired well but the spinach was nearly unnecessary. And like I said, more Hollandaise would have helped a great deal.

Instead of potatoes, grits, or fruit on the side, I substituted sweet potato fries. I am rather certain they are the ones all restaurants buy, cut wide and flat, they are double fried and extra crispy. Love ‘em.

LC loves bloody Marys. I hate tomato juice. He raved about Diesel’s Mary, not sure what its secret ingredient was….beer perhaps? He insisted I try it as it “didn’t taste like tomato juice”. And he was right, it was good and spicy. My mimosas were also very good with just a splash of orange juice.

After brunch we ordered the superstition sampler to-go….more on that tomorrow!

Advice: do try Diesel for brunch, just don’t be in a hurry.

Ah yes, brunch with the ex. We used to go to brunch most every Sunday when we were together so when SS suggested it I agreed it would be nice, for old time’s sake.

And what better place to go than Ria’s? Back in our punk rock days, she was the big lesbian that would kick any guy’s ass (and I’m sure she still could). Now she is a successful restaurateur….we’re all so proud!

Ria’s Bluebird is in a small building on Memorial Drive, across from Oakland Cemetery. Breakfast and lunch are served daily but it’s her brunch that has everyone lining up on the weekends, from old folks with walkers to tattooed young parents.

The bluebird motif is found throughout the restaurant. A bright blue painted ceiling and matching wood chairs paired with well-worn wood tables give the space a homey, kitschy vibe, perfect for this progressive ‘hood.

A covered patio on the side provides a pretty yet eclectic seating alternative.

Anything but average, Ria’s menu is a combination of Southern and Southwestern flavors with numerous vegetarian options like the country fried tempeh with house gravy, grilled tomato and sauteed spinach atop a grilled buttermilk biscuit. But SS and I are unrepentant carnivores so we opted for hearty meat and egg dishes.

I chose one of the specials, chipotle chicken gravy benedict. It is almost impossible for me to resist benedict, although my preference is the traditional hollandaise sauce. The promise of spiciness from the chipotle plus the sweet potato cake for my side sounded scrumptious. I didn’t realize it was served on a split biscuit when I ordered it, and I’m not a big biscuit fan. The gravy wasn’t nearly spicy enough so I had to request Texas Pete’s, but I loved the sweet potato cake flavored with cinnamon. A dab of the homemade applesauce on the table was yummy with it.

SS wanted something that would stick to his ribs so he ordered the biscuits and gravy. Ria’s gravy is called pepper milk gravy, a vegetarian version of red-eye gravy. He also got a side of two fried eggs and a side of bacon. Ria’s is generally quite affordable but despite being on a budget, with all his sides SS’s breakfast added up to $12, the same as my special. Math was not his best subject.

Other than eggs and bacon a la carte, Ria’s offers an array of unusual sides like spicy tofu cubes, sliced avocado, and a cup o’ beans, allowing guests to be creative. And, according to The NY Times, they serve the “world’s best pancakes”. I saw another diner’s pancakes and they were fluffier than my bed pillow!

The atmosphere alone is worth a visit and if you love biscuits and pancakes, ya just gotta go!