Hot Dish Review

Patience is a virtue I lack. Or, perhaps I am simply efficient. When I shop I can cover a department store in under 20 minutes. I’m in and out of the grocery store in a flash. And, my disdain for the suburbs is legendary. So spending over two hours at Kohl’s in Alpharetta recently was less than ideal.

Later, I accompanied LC to the neighborhood AT & T store, after which we went in search of an afternoon snack. We passed one strip mall after another, each anchored by a pasteurized, homogenized big-box retailer….Costco, Walmart, Target, Home Depot. Alpharetta’s got ‘em all.

Ditto for restaurant chains that surround them. After thirty minutes of driving around, I didn’t see even one independently owned, non-franchise restaurant. We settled for Hudson Grille, a local sportsbar chain with four locations in the Atlanta area, owned by Metrotainment who’s holdings also include Garrison’s, Einstein’s, and Cowtippers.

It was almost warm enough to sit outside, but alas, we couldn’t see the big screen due to the sun’s glare, so we moved inside where we were surrounded by multipled big screens, each showing a different college basketball game. At this point, I was in need of an alcoholic beverage.

Hudson Grille offers your typical sportsbar fare with a good amount of Texican dishes much like Taco Mac. As a rule, I usually don’t order tacos unless I’m at a Mexican restaurant, but our server did such a great job she almost sold me on their chicken tacos. Unfortunately, we had tacos the night before so I ordered sliders and LC went with his standard hot wings, and we shared a side of onion rings.

Although they were topped with caramelized onions and pepper jack, the sliders didn’t deliver much flavor. Perhaps it was the proportion of bread to meat….about 90/10. Honestly, Krystals are much better. Onion rings were good and crispy, but LC was disappointed with the lack of spice on his hot wings. To their credit, they serve the wings with high quality chunky blue cheese dressing for dipping the traditional celery sticks.

Our experience at Hudson Grille was not a bad one. The service was excellent (and efficient!) and they have an absurd amount of flat screen TV’s which would be great for March madness. But at the end of the day, it’s your typical sports bar, set in the suburban sprawl of Alpharetta.

865 North Main Street 770-777-4127

It was New Year’s Day so LC and I thought we’d visit the new Diesel in his neighborhood. Last year we ordered their superstition sampler with black eyed peas, ham, and collards. These foods are supposed to bring you luck.

But alas, it was not a second location of the Virginia Highland’s favorite, but rather a pizza joint. It’s just as well, the majority of our luck in 2011 was bad, so we were probably better off without the superstition sampler.

So we were left wandering the burbs in search of something open. It was too late for lunch, too early for dinner, so we settled for a bar and restaurant where we could watch football and share a snack. That’s when we spotted Loco’s Grill and Pub. I’ve seen the location at Loehmann’s Plaza for years with no urge whatsoever to go inside. But they were one of few places open, so we were in luck.

The first thing I noticed about the space was the smell of smoke. I find it incredibly weird that smoking is allowed in bars in the uptight suburbs, but not in the city of Atlanta. They try to divide the smoking room from the non-smoking, but the smell always seeps through the cracks.

We settled into a booth in the bar and ordered a couple of huge, cheap Miller Lites. Then LC noticed they had Keno….some harmless gambling to entertain us during lunch.

Their menu was typical pub fare, with a selection of burgers, some Tex-Mex items, and the ubiquitous wings. Come to find out, Loco’s is another damn chain, with 17 locations in the Southeast and one in Missouri. Isn’t anything original any more?

Nothing thrilled me on the menu, so I let LC decide. He ordered the blackened chicken sandwich with provolone, lettuce, and tomato on an onion roll, called The Rooster. I added bacon for excitement.

The sandwich boasted a thick chicken breast but was relatively unimpressive. Onion rings on the side were crispy and not greasy, but the serving was scant.

2012 will undoubtedly bring us luck….the question is, will it be good or bad? I hope LC’s loss in Keno wasn’t a sign of things to come.

11770 Haynes Bridge Road 770-751-9898

During her visit, AD and I packed a year’s worth of drama in a week. Before taking her to the airport, we decided to find a restaurant nearby with a patio so we could enjoy the sunny day with a touch of Fall in the air, and enjoy a casual lunch while rehashing the events of her visit.

We decided on Cafe 640, formerly Cafe di Sol, who’s quaint patio faces a colorful section of N. Highland Avenue in the Poncey Highlands. The trees, flowers and tiny lights strung all around make guests feel like they are in a small town, but the sirens and occassional passing vagrant remind them otherwise! We chose one of the small tables near the street with the uncomfortable wooden slat chairs.

Should we have wine? Silly question. A glass of riesling for me, pinot noir for her. The three most expensive appetizers ($29 all together) sounded like an awesome clusterf*ck of flavor, perfect for sharing.

Delivered first were the panko crusted fried green tomatoes with New Orleans style BBQ shrimp. You know how I feel about fried green tomatoes. I rarely have a positive reaction to them, but often order them just to see how badly the kitchen can screw ‘em up. Of course the tomatoes were too heavily breaded, but they were not greasy. We could actually taste the tartness of the tomatoes, which was a great match to the sweet, plump shrimp.

A huge bowl of mussels and leeks in a red curry broth came out along with the “ropa vieja”, a dish of slow braised shredded flank steak on tortilla chips, then topped with a little melted aged white cheddar, fresh jalapeno slices, and drizzled with cilantro sour cream. In effect, Spanish nachos. Having just spent her last month abroad in San Sabastian, AD was interested to see how authentic this dish would taste.

The mussels were well-prepared, although I couldn’t detect much curry in the broth. That didn’t stop me from sopping up every last drop with the grilled slices of bread that were served with them.

In between slurping up shellfish, we tried the tortillas, each topped with copious amounts of tender shredded beef. The fresh, not pickled, jalapenos were fiery hot. We both loved it!

Not so pleased with the dryness of my riesling, I chose a malbec for my second glass, as did AD.

We enjoyed our lunch so much that I suggested LC and I dine there for an impromptu dinner the following week. Naturally, we had to order the ropa vieja. I knew LC would love the spicy nachos! To mix it up a bit we tried a house salad with a fantastic housemade balsamic, a stack of perfectly crispy onion rings, and a side of truffle mac ‘n’ cheese, bubbly and browned on top. A martini and a Guinness draft washed it all down.

But LC was still hungry, so we order the panna cotta to go. Needless to say, it didn’t even make it to the car. Sublime, light, and topped with fresh blueberries, we polished off the dessert in seconds.

640 N. Highland Avenue 404-724-0711

A Memorial Day weekend repost, in honor of my first return visit to the boat!
Day three of LC’s birthday/Labor Day weekend bash found us at Sunset Cove at Lake Lanier. Our group was supposed to dock there the night before but there were no spots big enough for the Cooper boat.

So after a day and night on the water me and LC planted our feet back on dry land and headed for the manmade beach at Lake Lanier Islands for a drink. Which turned into five or six, of course.

Frozen pina coladas with Myers rum floaters made for low-brow deliciousness as we celebrated the gorgeous weather on his birthday.

Drinkin’ makes us hungry! Burgers are required eatin’ on Labor Day weekend but first we were craving something spicy. LC wanted the firecracker shrimp. A plate full, butterflied and fried with a coconut breading then drizzled with a cloyingly sweet sauce with a little kick. Decadent for all the wrong reasons, these shrimp contained the trifecta of food addiction: fat, salt, and sugar. Served with celery and blue cheese, we cleaned the plate.

Sunset Cove is relatively new, just up the beach from the masses of houseboats full of bikini-clad chicks, dudes with mullets, and the professional partiers keeping their boats afloat in a lake of liquor, luring all the unsuspecting barely-legal dudettes with the promise of free shots. Sorta reminds me of guys with shag carpet and panelling in their vans. I can just hear ‘em now….”I got a cooler full of cold beer in the back!” Indeed.

As we walked to the restaurant we noticed several stands with drinks and one that offered burgers and brats. Once seated at Sunset Cove I figured we’d get a burger off the menu. But LC couldn’t resist a second appetizer and bought a brat on his way back from the long trek to the restroom.

This is all before the burger, which thankfully we split. Covered in cheese and caramelized onions (not shown in photo due to their late arrival), it was juicy, messy goodness. Onion rings were awesome, just not plentiful enough.

There is a huge bucket that slowly fills with water suspended menacingly above the waterslide next to Sunset Cove. If you wait long enough it’ll tip over, splashing (or drenching) everyone below. The path to the car went around the waterslide’s bucket but LC and I went under it, of course. Then to the car to throw on my swimsuit. How dare I put on a bikini after the meal I just described? Insanity perhaps.

We took a stroll down to the sand, got our feet wet, and made some new friends before making our way back for round two. Not remembering how we ended up at a table with some pretty cool people isn’t too surprising. I think they bought us margaritas. A stage was set up in the water and the band began to play as the sun set on a fun, spontaneous day at Sunset Cove.

Lake Lanier Islands has a reputation for family fun….nothing fancy. There is a water park, and a casual restaurant at Sunset Cove, where all the houseboats pull up to party.

But there’s another side to Lake Lanier, its resort called Legacy Lodge. Gorgeous views, golf, a spa, and fine dining are making this resort the next hot destination for weddings, corporate meetings, and weekend getaways.

LC and I spent a night at one of the lake cottages recently, a sweet two bed, two bath with a huge balcony complete with a jacuzzi and a grill.

A Mardis Gras party was planned but since the weather didn’t cooperate, it was cancelled, so we ended up having some dinner at Bullfrogs Bar & Grille. We chose a booth in the nearly empty dining room and ordered a couple of drinks.

This restaurant serves guests at the pool in the warmer months, offering a variety of healthy menu choices. Lighter items include the nutritional information, although I question the accuracy on some like the island chicken salad with sliced melon, for instance. It is described as chicken salad tossed with cashew pieces, crushed pineapple, and raisins, and having 182 calories. Either the serving is tiny or the calorie count is grossly underestimated. Nevertheless, I applaud their effort.

LC was ravenous so we tried the bruschetta to start. This is a dish that can suffer from numerous issues including soggy toast and a heavy hand with garlic. Not to mention, its inclusion on practically every menu in the ’90′s made it as predictable as fried calamari. Bullfrogs served four large, crisp toasts topped with fresh chopped tomatoes, diced pepper jack cheese, basil, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. It was fresh and bright….I was pleasantly surprised. If you are not in the mood for bruschetta, you can order….you guess it….the fried calamari.

I rarely crave red meat, but on this occasion I had a hankerin’ for a steak….medium rare. There were several choices but I went with the pan seared filet mignon, a 4-5 oz medallion topped with artichoke heart pesto and served over sweet potato puree and steamed broccoli. The nutritional content of the dish was listed below its menu description…..182 calories, 6 grams of fat, 448 mg. of sodium. Strangely, there was no carbohydrate or protein information.

It sounded amazing, but to be honest, I didn’t expect gourmet fare at Lake Lanier. When my filet arrived, I took its temperature….perfect. Seriously tender, the pesto added crazy good flavor to the already fantastic cut of meat. And with sweet potatoes? That’s right, it kicked ass.

There are also plenty of unhealthy menu options. LC went with one of those….their signature “Firehouse” baby back ribs. He chose a salad as one of his sides, onion rings as the other. The salad was nothing special, unless you really like croutons.

Described as “fall-off-the-bone goodness”, his half rack was coated with a sweet and spicy sauce. The succulent meat really did fall off the bones, as promised. LC’s onion rings were perfectly crispy, but not greasy. We had to take half of his entree back to our cottage where it made an awesome midnight snack after we tried out the hot tub in the rain. We were determined to enjoy our stay, damn it!

And we did. I’m looking forward to many return visits, perhaps lounging by the pool and sampling some of Bullfrogs’ light salads or sandwiches. Or spending a day at the spa while LC plays a round of golf.

After months of driving by the Yeah! Burger on the corner of N. Highland and Virginia on my way to some other restaurant, I finally had the chance to dine there with LC and his daughter TC, who we had just picked up at the airport.

I love the fresh retro-modern decor. Guests order at the register then take a seat and wait for their drinks and burgers to be delivered. Only problem with this system is Yeah! Burger ain’t no McDonald’s. There are thousands of sandwich combinations and a multitude of sauces, sides, and extras so you may end up behind some dude that didn’t look at the menu before getting to the cashier.

Unlike a fast food joint, Yeah! Burger serves alcohol. Great, except their selection is weirdly bad. I ordered an organic Bison IPA to go with my organic grass-fed bison burger, on a wheat bun with with pepper jack, lettuce, grilled onions, avocado, mayo, and bacon jam.

LC decided on a grass-fed beef patty on a whole wheat bun with cheddar, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, and jalapenos and a PBR draft. We split a side of fifty-fifty….half buttermilk battered onion rings and half hand-cut fries. As soon as I saw fried pickles on the menu, I knew he would order those too.

The little chick wasn’t hungry, just nibbling on fries and pickles while we scarfed down our burger. I only ate half my bun and was pleasantly surprised to discover my burger was cooked medium, not well. When Doty opened the first location, all burgers were cooked through. Now the menu says they are cooked medium, and well-done on request. Rare is not an option. LC’s burger was well done, although he didn’t specify.

My burger wasn’t as good as I remembered. It was difficult to distinguish the meat from the bun. It was all brown. Maybe the bun was too soft. My toppings lacked flavor, except the amazing bacon jam. LC only got two slices of jalapeno and they, too, didn’t have much kick, so he requested more, which were much spicier. Our sides were a little on the greasy side, but hell, they were all fried.

In addition to burgers, Yeah! Burger also offers hot dogs, salads, kiddie meals, and milkshakes made with High Road Craft Ice Cream, a local specialty ice cream company that recently opened their production facility on a limited basis to the public. A visit is on my to-do list!

At around ten bucks a burger plus two sides and two beers, our total was $35. Despite the price and the minor glitches, I really appreciate having this healthier alternative in Atlanta and consider Yeah! Burger one of the best!

1017 N. Highland Ave. 404-437-7845

My relationship with the Righteous Room has been a long and tumultuous one. Exactly how long, I can’t say. The bar/restaurant doesn’t have a website but I’m guessing they’ve been open over 15 years. During that time, it was the place where I smoked too many cigarettes with my old roommate, hung out with various boyfriends, picked up lunch while designing for local boutique owner BH, and ate with my Dad after renovating my rental house.

It is also the place where I stumbled upon the huge painting that has hung behind my sofa since the day I moved into my condo over 11 years ago. But that’s another story….

The long, narrow space is dark and smoky, decorated with local artwork and frequented by rock chicks with tattoos, frat boys trying to get laid, and old drunks. An odd mix to be sure.

My most recent visit was with LC….his first, in fact. We sat at the second hightop, the very one where LL (formerly LR) and I shared many Mediterranean plates with black olives, hummus, tomatoes, and toasted pita. We ordered a couple of beers and wondered if our server would ever return for our food order. No, The Righteous Room is not known for swift service. It is known for a rockin’ jukebox and killer food.

Sandwiches used to come a la carte, but these days they are served with a side. Sadly, they no longer offer the bratwurst with caramelized onions and peppers, but they do still make the three sandwiches that I used to keep in heavy rotation, exactly the same as always.

I went with the veggie burger for old time’s sake, adding cheese and caramelized onions. It’s a freakin’ mess, with chunks of their homemade veggie pattie covered with melted cheese falling out of the soft Indian-style naan. But the flavor! Dude, it is kickass. Asian slaw on the side was light and refreshing in contrast to the heavy sandwich.

At my recommendation, LC ordered my second favorite sandwich, grilled chicken with garlicky yogurt sauce and cheese on naan with onion straws on the side. He couldn’t believe how good it was. Another delicious mess.

The Righteous Room is like my old favorite sweater….I may not wear it for a year but when I put it on, it always fits perfectly.

1051 Ponce De Leon Avenue 404-874-0939

While in Orlando, LC and I dined at a cozy spot on the main drag called Brick House Tavern and Tap. Flattering lighting and a modern rustic decor made it the perfect choice for a casual date night. We settled into a booth next to the fireplace.

Not sure how I missed the overt sexual innuendo on the menu during our visit, only discovering it while reviewing our choices for this post. Items like “three-way chicken wings” and “submissive baked potato soup” make me wonder who thought this was a good idea….and why. I also discovered that the restaurant is part of a chain, with 15 locations from Texas to Florida. I liked the place a whole lot more before I knew that bit of info.

Having eaten at Brick House a few weeks before on a business trip, LC knew I’d love the deviled eggs topped with crispy bacon and roasted jalapenos to start, so we ordered them along with a couple of drinks. That’s when we got the bad news: they were out of bacon. Checking out the entire menu, I noticed that many dishes contained bacon, from the mac ‘n’ cheese to the “bad boy chopped salad”. How the f*ck can you run out of bacon when your entire menu depends on it?

We ordered the deviled eggs anyway, which arrived unadorned, save for a sprinkling of cayenne. I guess without the bacon we wouldn’t want the jalapenos? LC asked our server to bring them. The eggs were good but disappointing without the bacon.

Like all taverns and taps, Brick House offers a large selection of specialty and import beers with twenty served on draught. Man-sized burgers and sandwiches compete with ladylike dishes like “zucchini curls” or the “good girl Caesar salad”.

As we often do, LC and I chose a few items to share. Silver dollar burger sliders were thick and juicy, topped with balsamic caramelized onions and gooey melted cheese. Soft buns were the final component that made these sliders exceptionally delicious.

If she ever was a brick house, she wouldn’t stay that way for long eating stuff like the “big onion stack”. LC demonstrated how it was one continuous piece of greasy, battered onion. I blotted them with my napkin to no avail. Did we stop eating them? No sir!

For a lighter dish we tried the “beefed up steak salad”. Grilled pieces of tenderloin were flavorful paired with grilled red onions. Although not listed, the salad was garnished with tomato wedges and candied walnuts. Creamy balsamic finished the fresh greens.

Desserts are called “happy endings”, of course. We were too full to indulge, but when we got back to our lovely resort we had worked up an appetite for “pleasure pie”.

Sorry, just couldn’t resist.

8440 International Drive, Orlando 407-355-0321

Rather than the leisurely dining experience we had planned on prior to Cirque du Soleil, several unfortunate incidents forced me and LC to rush to get a bite to eat instead.

Once at Atlantic Station, we ran into the closest place that served food, the Fox Sports Grill. With a mere thirty minutes to order and eat, we quickly requested two beers.

LC’s default is set on chicken wings and mine is usually burgers so their appetizer combo that included both was an easy choice. Two kobe sliders with caramelized onions and garlic mayo, two Buffalo chicken sliders, six Buffalo wings with celery and blue cheese, and a stack of thick-cut onion rings.

When our beers came LC made a brilliant executive decision. Two lemon drops, please. Cheers!

Food came in five minutes flat. In my haste, I failed to add cheese to the sliders, however, they still hit the spot. The batter on the onion rings was quite thick, falling off the enormous onion slices. Wings were nothing to write home about and Buffalo tenders made into sliders were even less interesting. All in all, it was passable sports bar fare. Like all quickies, it served the purpose but was, in the end, just not very satisfying.

By the way, Cirque du Soleil’s Ovo was fantastic. It was about the magical world of insects, if insects were incredible acrobats with their own string section.

261 19th Street NW 404-207-1369

The last time I ate at a Ted’s, I was sitting with Ted. It was only the chain’s third location, in Norcross, and I was there for the media dinner. He and his business partner, George McKerrow, were doing interviews. So there we were, the three of us in a booth with a big bison steak on the table. Surreal. Later, Ted described this new venture by saying “We’re like a juggernaut….nobody can stop us now!” Man, he was hot. But who the hell says juggernaut?

Fast forward to Friday night. B wanted to grab a bite to eat downtown before the Black Crowe’s show at the Tabernacle so we stopped in at Ted’s. It was packed. We got lucky and found one bar stool, basically in front of the kitchen. The guy next to us gave his seat to B upon his departure.

We quickly ordered two Coronas with lime and salted glasses. Having checked out the menu online earlier in the day, we didn’t need to consult a menu to place our order. B trusted my judgment so we decided to split a “green and hot” bison burger, the “green” being guacamole, and the “hot” sliced jalapenos. Monterey Jack was melted over our thick burger that was cooked through, although I had requested it medium. Shredded lettuce, pickles, and a slice of tomato came on the side, along with crispy skin-on fries. The burger was seriously juicy, but the guacamole could use some work. It was more like cubes of avocado. I did appreciate that the jalapenos were fresh, not pickled.

B ordered a small Caeser salad on the side. Seated next to the bowls of hot fries and onion rings at the pass, we coerced one of the line cooks to snag a couple of the big fat onion rings for us to snack on.

In our haste I forgot to photograph our food. But I did manage to get some shots of their popular sliders and steaks as they were coming up. Now that Winter is upon us I hope to visit Ted’s to warm up with a bowl of the bison chili soon (like within the year).

Some years have passed and those three Georgia locations have grown to forty-seven in sixteen states. Seems Ted’s prediction has come true. The old boy’s still got it.

133 Luckie Street NW 404-521-9796