Tap Gastropub

Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English - Cite This Source - Share This

Main Entry:	gastropub
Part of Speech:	n
Definition:	a bar offering high-quality food
Example:	The non-fried foods and microbrews made the gastropub enormously popular.
Etymology:	1996
Usage:	British

What did I think about Tap? Our waitress was mostly a ditz, drink service was slow, and the food was lacking in the G-F food department. I ordered my burger to my G-F specifications, with a side salad, and asked for oil and vinegar on the side. I received a cheeseburger and no oil and vinegar. It took asking 3 people before I got oil (note: no vinegar).

Thumbs down for me.

Paprika Chicken With Organic Strawberries

About once a year, I whip out this recipe. It is really good, easy, and reminds us that, despite the rain, summer is here. I clipped it out of Natural Health magazine two years ago. (They have fabulous recipes, by the way.)

I cooked for my boyfriend. Both of us are feeling borderline under the weather- we picked up a throat bug at the Alicia Keys concert on Wednesday. Thankfully, this man in my life takes really good care of himself anyway, but especially when he is sick- healthy food is a must.

Our Menu:
* strawberry chicken
* spring greens mix salad
* baked sweet potato


Paprika Chicken with Organic Strawberries
Strawberries are one of the crops most heavily sprayed with pesticides, so it's worth the extra expense to buy organic. This chicken dish artfully camouflages the imperfections in a scrumptious fruit. ...

4 boneless organic chicken breasts or large thighs (about 5 ounces each)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups thickly sliced strawberries, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided

1. Rinse the chicken under cold running water, and leave it slightly moist. Toss with paprika and thyme, and season generously with salt and black pepper.

2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat; add the chicken and brown for about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Add half the strawberries, along with the sugar, and 1 tablespoon chopped chives.

3. Cover and cook for 6 minutes. Add the remaining strawberries and cook for another minute, to just warm.

4. Remove the chicken to a large platter or 4 plates. Spoon strawberries over the chicken, garnish with reserved chives, and serve.

Per serving: 345 calories, 31% fat (12 g, 2 g saturated), 17% carbohydrates (15 g), 52% protein (45 g), 2 g fiber, 42 mg calcium, 2.5 mg iron, 110 mg sodium.


Salad
buy a box or bag (or mix your own!) of Spring Greens. Top with our favorite dressing- I got mine from the Farmer's Market!


Baked Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Chives
Bakes sweet potatoes
Brown Sugar
Chives
Butter

1. In and oven pre-heated to 450 degrees, place the potatoes on the middle rack. Below them, place a piece of tin foil over a second wrack. Bake until they are sqeezable.

2. Garnish with butter, brown sugar, and the remaining chopped chives.

Ritters

When trying new restaurants, even if the people at the restaurant say they can accommodate my G-Fness, I'm always skeptical, if not mildly anxious.

Ritters is another place I know I can go without a problem. It's my boyfriend's discovery. I've been there twice now with him. The first time I thought steak couldn't get any better. This time, I had the special- a smoked/brown sugar sauce action piece of pork served over fingerling potatoes with veggies on the side.

Let me start with this: the waiter knew what is naturally G-F on the menu. Brilliant! This time around for the pork special, the chef informed the waiter that the sauce he had made wasn't G-F this go around. So the waiter comes back, suggests a few dairy-containing sauces. I tell him I have to 86 the dairy. The waiter goes to consult with the chef. He comes by once to fill our water glasses, and I'm waiting for the sauce update. None. The second time he comes by, I ask. The waiter tells me the chef is whipping up a special G-F sauce.

My meal was incredible. I've been talking about it for the last week and a half.

Five of five stars!

Two-fer Tuesday

Part One: A delicious Mediterranean-inspired dinner

Part Two: A pot of veggie broth for future dishes

Since both parts are very simple, making it a Two-fer Tuesday was quite easy:

1) Marinade chicken breasts in Italian dressing (I use Drew’s dressings from the store) the night before, that morning, or at least 2 hours before baking

2) Start vegetable broth

3) Make the veggies

Vegetable Stock

Keep jars of this flavorful stock in your freezer and you’ll always be prepared.

3 quarts water

1 tablespoon salt

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

4 celery stalks, leaves left on

4 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

8 dill seeds

8 whole peppercorns

1 large tomato, halved

1-2 bunches fresh herbs of choice (thyme, majoram, savory, etc.)

2 teaspoons dried herbs of choice

Leek leaves (leftovers from your veggies) – optional

1 tablespoon butter

1) In a non-stick skillet, melt about 1 tablespoon of butter in your skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots, and sauté until onions begin to become transparent, over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

2) Add all of the ingredients and the onions and carrots to the pot. Bring to a simmer slowly, cover with a lid, and let the mixture cook for 2-3 hours. Move the stock into the refrigerator to let cool.

3) Strain the stock through a fine strainer or mesh and discard any solid materials leftover. Transfer liquid into mason jars or other tightly sealed containers and freeze.

Sauteéd Baby Squash with Basil and Feta

This simple preparation yields delicious results in a versatile side dish. If baby pattypan squash* are not available, substitute four cups of thinly sliced zucchini or yellow squash.

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cups baby pattypan squash, halved (about 18 ounces)

2 cups sliced leek*

½ tablespoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat; heat 20 seconds. Add squash and leek to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in salt and pepper. Transfer squash mixture to a serving platter. Sprinkle with cheese and basil. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup).

CALORIES 61 (43% from fat); FAT 2.9g (sat 0.6g, mono 1.6g, poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 2.3g; CARB 7.5g; FIBER 1.7g, CHOL 1mg, IRON 0.7mg; SODIUM 253mg; CALC 30mg

Recipe from Cooking Light, April 2008, p. 142

* Since I have never knowingly laid eyes on a baby pattypan squash, and I couldn’t find one at the Farmer’s Market, I picked 2 little zucchini and one yellow squash.

** Since I had never cooked with a leek before, I just got one leek, and the dish turned out great. If you are like me, and don’t know how to prep a leek, go to this helpful website: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/ck_dm_fruits_vegetables/article/0,1904,FOOD_19000_1729784,00.html

Straits

Two weekends ago, my boyfriend and I met up with friends for a birthday dinner at Straits (http://www.straitsrestaurants.com/). A restaurant owned by Ludacris, Straights took over the former Spice restaurant, keeping it's trendy atmosphere. We came into a quiet night, although Straits didn't officially open until the following Tuesday. The food is a inspired by Singapore, and features various Southeast Asian dishes.

At the bottom of their menu, there us a blurb asking patrons with allergies to talk to the manager about their needs. Our waiter did a good job making sure I got my allergen-free food, though seemed a little overwhelmed by our party of 12.

I ordered the muscles. Straits serves family style, so as soon as a dish is ready, it is served, so the diners can eat their food fresh and hot. As dish after dish was laid on the table, I was curious to see how mine would be served. Although we missed what some of the waiters said as they laid down other dishes, mine was called out "Specially prepared muscles." The waiter made sure it passed straight into my hands. :) I enjoyed every bite.

Restaurants with G-F Accomodations in the Atlanta Area

This list is a little more challenging. My wonderful boyfriend put together a Google doc with all of the restaurants in the Atlanta area who have G-F menus or who will accommodate G-F food needs. We haven't gotten to try all the places on the list, so in this post I will make a list of the accommodating restaurants we have successfully tried, and then post new restaurants one by one.

5 Seasons Brewing (www.5seasonsbrewing.com)

Buckhead Diner (www.buckheadrestaurants.com/diner.html)

Cafe Lily - I LOVED their egg and salmon dish for Sunday brunch (www.cafelily.com/)

Carol Street Cafe - wonderful staff and wonderful dishes! (www.apresdiem.com/carroll/home.htm)

Eclipse di Luna - there are so many G-F tapas choices (www.eclipsediluna.com/)

Fuego - more great tapas & live music! (www.fuegocafe.com/)

Garrison's Broiler and Tap - I LOVE their steaks and their staff is amazing (www.garrisionsatlanta.com)

Horseradish Grill - their staff is knowledgeable and their food is high-class comfort food (www.horseradishgrill.com/)

Loca Luna - owned by the same people as Eclipse (www.loca-luna.com/default.html)

Longhorn Steak House - my second choice in steakhouses, second to Outback (www.longhornsteakhouse.com/splash.asp)

McCormick & Shmick's - fresh seafood in Atlanta?! YES! (www.mccormickandschmicks.com/)

MF Sushi - fresh fish, smaller proportions (www.mfsushibar.com/)

Oceanaire - the best trout I've EVER had in my life (www.theoceanaire.com/location/index.asp?id=7)

The Real Chow Baby - pesto sauce I didn't have to make 100 different ways, and a great take on a fun modern dining experience (www.therealchowbaby.com)

R. Thomas - G-F breakfast! (www.rthomasdeluxegrill.com/)

Sage - the owner, Roi, is good.

Sushi Avenue - Sato made the first sushi I've ever eaten, and still makes my favorite sushi in the city

Ted's Montana Grill - let's say a Bison burger without seasoning, no bun, and avocado is a weekly experience (www.tedsmontanagrill.com/)

Taurus - beautiful place, staff is helpful, food is good (www.taurusrestaurant.com/index.html)

Restaurants with Gluten-Free Menus in and Around Atlanta

* Five Guys (www.fiveguys.com)
* Beleza Restaurant (www.frittirestaurant.com/beleza/index_b.html)
* Bonefish Grill (www.bonefishgrill.com/)
* Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse (www.bugaboocreekstakhouse.com)
* Cheeseburger in Paradise (www.cheeseburgerinparadise.com)
* Figo
* Grapes and Hops Bar and Bistro (www.grapesandhopsbarandbistro.com/)
* Lavendar Asian Bistro (www.lavenderasianbistro.net)
* Outback Steakhouse (www.outback.com)
* P.F. Chang's (www.pfchangs.com)
* Ritter's Restaurant (www.rittersrestaurant.net)
* Saba (www.saba-restaurant.com)

Spur of the Moment Stir Fry

Sarah and I went car shopping today. She wants a hybrid, and I'm thinking of getting trading in my gas-enemy, bad-karma SUV. (I still love it, but, well, uh, it's complicated...) I fell in love with a Fit.

When we came home, I did a few small chores, caught up on last week's *new* episode of Grey's Anatomy (my only true tv addiction), and then realized:
a) I have one more day of work left
b) I have no food for dinner tonight or lunch tomorrow
c) I also need to make sure my laundry is done so I have clean scrubs and sheets

Obviously one of those was an immediate priority.

Here is what I threw together (literally) with the musical accompaniment of Van Morrison. I thought it was purdy good for a shot in the dark.


Spur of the Moment Stir Fry * About a pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized morsels
* 1 broccoli flower, cut into smaller pieces (yes, including the tree trunks AND leaves)
* 1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into think 1" pieces
* 1/2 shallot
* 3-4 cloves garlic
* 1 teaspoon (+/-) red pepper flakes
* White pepper
* Black pepper
* Tumeric
* Dry roasted peanuts (cashews probably would have been better, but it's what my pantry had)
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1 lime
* A nice warm pot of cooked rice
* Musical muse of choice

1. Turn on music of choice.
2. Wash the chicken, and pat dry with a paper towel. Season generously with white pepper.
3. Head 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
4. Add the chicken and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and wipe the pan out with a paper towel.
5. Heat another tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the onions, pepper, broccoli, garlic, and shallots to the pan. Start moving them around.
6. After about 3 minutes, add the teaspoon (or so) or red pepper flakes, sprinkle over some black pepper, the lime juice, and 2 large pinches of tumeric. Stir in well. Add peanuts proportionally to taste- I had somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4 of a cup. (I think. This is spur of the moment, remember?)
7. Taste. Adjust spicing as necessary, then serve over hot rice.

* note: dancing like nobody is watching might help make this recipe better.