Rosebud

So Day 2 of our weekend (or rather, 24 hours) in Atlanta started off pretty much perfectly--with Mimosas. I know you saw that coming...

Rosebud is another adorable eatery in Virginia Highlands. It's chic, yet comfortable--perfect for a girly brunch, but equally inviting for solo dining. I can imagine myself sitting at the bar on a Sunday mornig, chatting with the staff as I read the paper and try to decide what in the world to order. It's times like this I wish that I were a food critic so I could order everything on the menu and not feel weird or guilty, because you know, it'd be my job. That's about what we did. Not because it's our job but because we love food and we do what we want...good-bye diet, hello Big Nasty (more on that later).

We began our descent into gluttony with one of Rosebud's "Morning Starters"-- Hashbrown Casserole with Fresh Crab, Jalapeno, Caramelized Onions and Aged Cheddar. Out of this world. Everything tasted so fresh-- I thought at first that so many strong flavors (the crab, peppers, onions) would be overwhelming, but they blended perfectly. As you can see, I liked it.

Next up was the Wild Georgia Shrimp and Grits with Andouille Sausage, Caramelized Onions and Tomato Gravy. Our sweet waiter took the time to divide the dish into individual bowls for each of us--very thoughtful. The grits were the creamiest I have ever tasted--almost like a risotto. Normally, I don't care for tomato-based sauces in my shrimp and grits, but I was more than pleasantly suprised. In fact, I'm pretty sure we licked our bowls clean.

Our entrees were the Omelette Special (Braised Beef and some kind of cheese that was similar to Camembert--HEAVEN), the Big Greek Omelette, Brioche French Toast with Mascarpone and Rosemary-Orange Honey and everyone's favorite-- The Big Nasty. And by nasty they mean delicious. It's a beast of a sandwich with lightly breaded and fried chicken, topped with a scrambled egg, smoked bacon and cheddar.

I'm pretty sure I gained 10 more lbs. just writing about it, but I'd say it was worth it...can't wait to try and re-create some of these delightful dishes at home!

Girls Just Want to Have Fun…and Food…and Wine…

I love girls weekends…mostly because my girls love the same things I do…good food, great wine and even better company. This past weekend, we went to visit our dear friend Hope, who recently left us for the big ATL. We miss her terribly, but the upside is that we have the perfect excuse to make frequent trips to see her and I can check out all the fun places that I didn’t get a chance to try/wasn’t allowed to drive to when I lived there.

We started out at La Tavola in Virginia Highlands, where Hope is a hostess on nights and weekends. Sidenote--in all the 8 years I lived in Atlanta, I never went to Virginia Highlands. Boy, did I miss out. The area is full of amazing eateries, trendy boutiques and eclectic crowds. If only we’d had a few more days…but I digress.

La Tavola is everything I imagine an authentic trattoria to be…simple and intimate with a wine list to die for. Oh, and the food is pretty stellar too. We started our meal with some delightful Prosecco Rose and three appetizers-- Mozzarella Burrata with tomato conserva and crostini, Escarole and Sausage with Parmigiana-Reggiano fonduta and Bruschetta with cherry tomatoes, oregano, garlic and spicy ricotta. I love a good bruschetta, and this version was no exception. The cherry tomatoes were halved, instead of chopped or diced, which soaked up the flavor from the garlic and oregano beautifully. The spicy ricotta was smooth with a nice kick, and a welcome change from the traditional shredded parmesan or mozzarella that I’ve had in other bruschettas. The Escarole and Sausage was delicious, but the Burrata…oh the burrata. I had never heard of burrata until reading one of favorite blogs, Orangette. It’s essentially a ball of mozzarella, stuffed with more mozzarella that has been mixed with heavy cream. Cheese stuffed with cheese?? Yes, please! To quote the wonderful Molly Wizenberg of Orangette, “I am deeply in love with it”. I’ve heard that it doesn’t need more than a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt, but I honestly can’t imagine anything better than the delicious tomato conserve (sort of like a sweet tomato jam) that La Tavola paired with it-- it was the perfect complement to the smooth, creamy and slightly tangy flavor of the cheese. If I go missing one day, I'm huddled in the kitchen at La Tavola and eating my weight in burrata...

And moving on. There were several entrees that looked amazing, so we each decided to get something different and share (we’re sweet like that). The winners-- Smoked Risotto with Butternut Squash (one of my faves) and Boar sausage, Pork Porterhouse with Buckwheat Polenta, Saltimbocca alla Romana (veal scallopini) with prosciutto, sage, roasted fingerling potatoes and braised brussel sprouts, and Braised Beef Ravioli in a red wine reduction with marrow butter and fresh thyme. I'm drooling over my keyboard as I type...

The risotto was perfectly creamy, sweet from the butternut, and smoky from the boar sausage--incredible combination. I’m not sure how to describe the pork and polenta, other than really tasty. The veal was also delicious, and I can happily say that someone else besides Tyler Florence can make me love brussel sprouts. But my MOST favorite was the Braised Beef Ravioli. The ravioli was fresh and tender, and the marrow butter added an incredibly rich, velvety flavor. It is quite possibly the most sumptuous (ha! I’ve always wanted to use that word) dish I have ever enjoyed.
We were so in love with the restaurant that they basically had to kick us out so they could clean and go home. We headed back to Hope’s house to finish the evening with La Tavola’s dessert sampler and more wine (FYI, the Chocolate Nemesis cake is as serious as its name). We tore into that sampler like we hadn't eaten in DAYS (it was maybe 15 minutes).

Well five paragraphs and who knows how many words later, I guess what I meant to say was, I think I know where we're going for my birthday dinner. See you in April, La Tavola!

DC Weekend Kick-off at Jaleo

So I arrived in DC on Friday evening, with just enough time to share a bottle of red wine with my friend Emily, do a little catching up and then hit the sack so as to rest up for the big weekend.

Saturday started like this...

Emily suggested this fabulous tapas restaurant, Jaleo, for brunch. At first I was skeptical...tapas? For brunch? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE tapas. I also love to eat. A lot. Particularly at breakfast (I mean, it's the most important meal of the day). Anyway, we got this cute little table right in front of the window so we could people-watch as we ate (I adore sidewalk cafes/restaurants for this very reason). We started off with a Mimosa (duh) and an order of Pan con Tomate, topped with Manchego. Pan con Tomate is a very traditional Spanish tapa. It's basically rustic bread that has been smeared (for lack of a better term) with fresh garlic and a juicy, ripe tomato. This version was topped with one of my favorite cheeses OF ALL TIME-- Manchego. Manchego is a sheep's milk cheese from the La Mancha region of Spain. It. Is. DELICIOUS. Some people compare it to feta, although it's not as salty. In any case, if you have never tried Manchego (shame on you!), I highly recommend that you run out this very minute and get some.

Next, we ordered Revuelto de queso y set--scrambled eggs with chef selected wild mushrooms and cheese. I forgot to ask what kind of cheese was in the dish, but whatever was used was wonderful. I also forgot to take a picture. But don't worry- I DID get a shot of another brunch highlight--complimentary roasted garlic in olive oil and rosemary with fresh bread. Needless to say, I was in heaven. While there were so many other dishes we wanted to try (such as pancakes made with Spanish extra virgin olive oil--the more carbs, the better), we were actually full after our two dishes. We also knew we were headed for a day of sipping and tasting at the MCES, so we needed to pace ourselves.

Exhibit editorial to come...

Margaux's

So I know that this blog is primarily focused on cooking, but I just HAVE to give a little plug to my new favorite (out-of-state) restaurant--Margaux's in Raleigh, NC. My parents moved to North Carolina two years ago, and this quickly became their favorite dining spot. On a recent trip to visit them, Mom and Dad were nice enough to treat me to dinner. Words cannot express my gratitude. Dramatic, but true. This place is THAT GOOD.

We started out at the bar with our favorite cocktail-- Apple Martinis (actually, Dad got a Gin and Tonic--he's not that girly) to enjoy the atmosphere and watch a little football. The decor is very eclectic--it's not stuffy, but still upscale. The menu changes periodically, and they always have seasonal specials. I had my eye on a dish that I found on the menu a few days earlier (doing my due diligence--I always look at menus before I go to new restaurants. It gets me excited), but my parents warned me it might not be on there any more. I'm happy to say they were wrong. Not only that, but when the bartender described the dish to them, they decided that they would get it too! We're all about variety, in my family.

Anyway, the dish was Pan Seared Lobster Tails with Shrimp and Scallops, served with a Smoked Bacon and Pumpkin Sage Risotto. I can't even type it without drooling, but the best part was the presentation. My photo does not do it justice (the restaurant was very dark), but the dish was served in this adorable mini pumpkin. I all but licked my plate clean (pumpkin included). And though we didn't really have room for dessert, I couldn't resist their White and Dark Chocolate Mousse. In a word--heavenly. Food is my best friend (sorry, Husband).

Oklahoma, OK!!!

I hope I'm not the only one who understands the reference of my blog title...ya'll have seen the musical Oklahoma, right? Anyone?

Anyway, I just returned from a business trip to OK City, completely exhausted and probably 5 pounds heavier. My boss and I were meeting with the marketing folks at the Sonic headquarters (which is awesome, by the way--though I found myself craving tater tots throughout the entire meeting). Our day started with a 6am flight (why did we think that was a good idea?) and we were in meetings until 5pm. We were a little tired, but looking forward to a nice, relaxing dinner. We did our research before we arrived and chose the Red Prime Steakhouse in downtown Oklahoma City. Oh. My. Word. Where do I even begin...

It has a very trendy atmosphere…the lights are dim and everyone is bathed in a red glow. The bar is obviously a hot spot (highlighted by a floor-to-ceiling metal "cage", for lack of a better word, that houses I don't even know how many bottles of wine). Everything from the white square plates down to the cutlery and stemware was impressive. Although the floor was a little slick---ladies in heels, beware.

To say the wine list is extensive is an understatement….my boss (we'll call her "M", like in the James Bond movies. I could be the James Bond of marketing. You don't know.) took the reigns on that. I mean, I like to think that I know a little bit about wine, but when M started talking about how Napa produced a really lovely Cab in '95 I knew I was WAY out of my league...I'm thinking this job will be a learning opportunity in more ways then one. Anyway, M chose the Turnbull Cabernet, '95 from Napa. I'm still learning how to distinguish between "notes" and "flavors" and whatnot, but this was smooth and delicious and I gladly would have drank the entire bottle by myself.

Moving on to my next favorite food group--the bread. This was not just any ol' roll--these were warm and freshly baked with black and green peppercorns scattered throughout the dough. Being the proud, carb-craving girl that I am, I ate 6 or 7.

We couldn't pass up the Prix Fixe menu, which at $35 for 3 courses was an absolute steal! I chose the RP Tomatoes as my appetizer--fried green and hot house tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, cracked pepper and sea salt. Absolutely delicious. My main course was the 7oz. petite filet, cooked to perfection. This was my favorite part-after you choose your cut of steak, you get to choose from 6 crusts and 6 sauces to accompany it. I wish I could have tried every single one, but I settled on the freshly cracked pepper crust and creamy horseradish sauce. Always a sucker for great french fries, I chose the Idaho fries as my side. My boss chose seared green beans, which looked delicious, and some sauted mushrooms for us to share (also delicious). And last but not least--dessert. Chocolate spoon cake with walnuts and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Absolute heaven—but the real gem was the tiny dish of salted caramel served next to the cake. I all but licked the plate clean. Finished off with some wonderful coffee, I can absolutely say that it was one of the best meals I have ever enjoyed. I think I'm going to like this new job....