Hot Dish Review

It was late Friday night and LC and I still had not decided on dinner plans, so we got in his car, as we often do, without a specific destination in mind. He turned left, then right, passing a number of restaurants that we didn’t want to visit. LC wanted to watch the NCAA tournament and I wanted high quality food….two things that usually don’t go hand in hand.

We were running out of options when we drove by Rosebud. I spotted big screen TV’s behind the bar so we decided to give it a shot. We had eaten there once before a couple of years ago, the memory of their earthy mushroom toasts still fresh in my head.

The space is deceptively large, with dining rooms to the left and right of the entrance where the bar is located. Wood and exposed brick combine with shades of deep yellow for warmth and Southern charm.

We took the last two seats at the bar, his eyes glued to the TV, mine glued to the menu. Mushroom toasts were long gone, but there was a list of specials that included lobster lettuce wraps, so we decided on those and an order of Brussels sprouts to start. A split of Freixenet prior to our dinner prompted me to order a glass of cava while LC couldn’t resist a skinny margarita.

Halved and roasted, the sprouts were large but tender, tossed with a maple sambal glaze. No complaints but the Brussels sprouts war is currently being won by Hearth in Sandy Springs. Two leaves of butter lettuce were generously filled with lobster salad but I was surprised that there was no dipping sauce, making the lettuce wraps anticlimactic for me. LC used the remaining maple sambal glaze to add flavor….a good idea but I had already eaten my plain wrap.

As we often do, we ordered an entree and side to split. A massive Riverview Farms pork chop was cooked medium-well and served on a tangy sweet bed of braised red cabbage. Pears are a natural accompaniment to pork, here served pickled, and arranged on top. An enormous potato and kale casserole may not have been my first choice as a side, but the crunchy bread crumb topping convinced me it was the right one. There was a good bit of fat on the chop, but we carefully cut around it and didn’t leave a morsel of meat on the plate.

Our attention was divided between dinner and dunks, but during commercials we watched the bartenders shaking up some pretty cocktails. Perhaps in an unwise move, I decided to follow my bubbly with a drink called “Mexican firing squad special”, made with tequila, lime, and housemade grenadine. A dash of bitters floated on top along with a preserved black cherry from a $100 can imported from Italy. (Yes, they are worth it).

Although we don’t visit often, I can see why chef Eyester’s restaurant is consistently packed. The ambiance is warm and inviting and the food is what it should be….delicious. The final score? Rosebud 1, hunger 0.

1397 N. Highland Avenue 404-347-9747

What’s better than a low country boil with all the fixin’s? A low country boil on a luxury houseboat!

Last Saturday was the inaugural voyage of Goin’ Coastal’s Sunset Cruise. The weather was perfect, and the shrimp were boilin’. As the houseboat left the dock, guests mingled and relaxed with a glass of wine or beer.

Chef and restaurant partner Seth Hendricks and my man LC came up with the idea during our many martini and lobster-fueled visits to Goin’ Coastal in my neighborhood. a few meetings later and the idea became a reality. Cooper Global provided the venue and chauffeured transportation to Lake Lanier, while Hendricks and his staff were in charge of preparing the food on board.

LC and I had stumbled upon an amazing acoustic guitarist, Steve Q, at 10 Degrees South the week before. He provided the entertainment for the event and had everyone dancing on the top deck. Promoted via Urban Daddy, the dinner cruise was quite a bargain at only $75 a ticket for this first voyage, with beer and wine included. Guests reportedly consumed forty bottles of wine and 45 lbs. of gigantic steamed shrimp!

Along with shrimp, Hendricks boiled up a batch of andouille sausage, red potatoes, and corn on the cob. When everything was done, he and his crew poured it all into an enormous metal warming tray, drizzled it with melted butter, then sprinkled his special seasoning mix over the whole thing. Folks lined up to get a heapin’ helpin’ of deliciousness as the sun set over the water. Perfect.

LC and I are no strangers to the family houseboat. We’ve celebrated his birthday, Memorial Day, and Labor Day on it, sleeping (or perhaps, not) in two of the five bedrooms. I’ve made a tub of my famous guacamole in the kitchen in the cabin, helped cook bacon and eggs for eight with LC’s cousin DC, and enjoyed burgers grilled on the upper deck. It’s 100 feet of luxury.

Cooper Global and Goin’ Coastal anticipate many more cruises throughout the Spring and Summer. The Cooper houseboat, The Family Tradition, is also available for corporate and private rentals, with a maximum capacity of 100, not including shrimp. Email lcooper@cooper-global.com for information and pricing.

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