Cleveland Eats

This weekend we made the trip up to Cleveland for my husband’s uncle’s Celebration of Life. His uncle passed a few months before the wedding and was cremated. The family was waiting until we all could be together in Ohio to celebrate him and spread his ashes. In true Mazzolini family tradition, we had a free for all of good food, grilling out, and a few cocktails during Happy Hour. Nick and I stayed an extra day to pass the time quietly together before returning to the mayhem of life in Atlanta.

On our family-less day, Nick and I ventured into Cleveland. We wandered Little Italy (nothing was really open on Monday), then drove forever to the area just out of the eastern part of the city. I really wanted to try this new Latin cuisine at Paladar. Paladar has two locations, one in Cleveland and one in Maryland. They host a large menu of various Latin flavors, spanning form the Caribbean to Brazil, have a rum bar, and a GF menu. We both selected our meals form the GF menu. To start, we had the garlic mango guacamole. As an antree, I chose tacos; Nick enjoyed a traditional Brazilian stew. My tacos were perfect. I chose to leave off the aioli sauce (I find it messy and distracting), and enjoy the flavors of the shaved potato circles, cabbage, sausage, and goat balance, enhanced by a squeeze of lime. The Cuban rice on the side was amazingly good. The guac was served with the mélange of dippers. While I dipped jicama, carrots, and corn tortilla wedges, Nick was served a basket of tortilla chips, plantain chips, and sweet potato chips. (Despite them being fried in the communal fryer, I did break off a tiny taste of each dipped in guac for “quality control” purposes.)

I think the next time I make guac, I will for sure use the mango-garlic inspiration served with a mix of chips and veggies. I also discovered last week that Whole Foods has hand made chorizo sausage, GF, that won’t break the bank. (Up until this week, Nick and I have been unable to find chorizo that is for sure GF.) Maybe sooner or later we’ll get around to having tapas for dinner again, along side of a tall glass of malbec. Until we make our next pretend escape to Latin America, it’s back to the grind in Atlanta. This coming weekend: Lily & Sung’s wedding. Next weekend: Melissa & Brian’s wedding in Savannah.

Blue Moon Pizza

Nick and I's first dinner in 2011 was Blue Moon Pizza. Nick needed to fulfill a pizza craving, and I needed to try another GF pizza. We drove over to the Smyrna location and sat at one of the high boy tables. Everything on their menu (except steak) can be made into a personal sized GF pizza. Although the GF pizzas only come in personal size, the personal size is 8". There are quite a few interesting choices, such as Thai Chicken, Bacon Cheeseburger, and Santa Fe. Blue Moon also has GF beer and cider on their adult beverage menu.

Nick ordered us GF brushetta. The bread portion was phenomenal. The topping was much to vinegary for my taste. Maybe brushetta is supposed to be tomatoes and onions bathed in an ocean of balsamic. I've never had brushetta before, since that particular food trend occurred after my conversion to GF. I've never been curious enough to buy a jar of brushetta and sample it on bread.

I kept my pie traditional and ordered a Greek pizza, heavy sauce, light on the house cheese. My pizza had a soft thin crust. The more GF pizza I eat, the more I realize that it's harder to make a GF thick crust (the issue being rising). I really loved it. The fresh basil leaves were a tad hard to bite through; I kept pulling off the basil when I bit into the slice. I ate until I was stuffed, and still had 2 more pieces for breakfast.

Conclusion: I'll be back for more!

Farmburger

The best thing about a great burger? A great GF bun. I have received quite a few messages about Yeah!Burger in Midtown and their GF buns and beers, but I still have not made it over to sample this amazing-ness. I have (x2) gone to Farmburger in Decatur to sample their incredi-burgers. Farmburger is set up similarly to Taquieria del Sol in that you stand in line, order your food, and then hustle to claim a table to be served at. Since the limited seating is a bit of a drawback. All of the burger meat, fixin's, and sides come from local farms in the area, such as Farm 255 in Athens.

Here are my two meal selections:
Eggcellent Burger
* GF burger, cooked medium
* Toppings of fried egg, tomatoes, red onion
* Side salad + sampling of the yummy seasonal pickled veggies

Goat Kick
* GF burger, cooked medium
* Toppings of goat cheese, jalapenos, red onions, tomatoes
* Side of collard greens (perfectly cooked!)

I think my next burger will involve the pecan pesto.

Professional Engineering Recognition Dinner

On Wednesday we attended a Professional Engineer (PE) Recognition Dinner at the Georgia Tech Hotel to recognize our newly appointed PE's. Here is the problem with attending catered events: one never knows what she will be fed. Nick emailed the lady in charge of the dinner, but we had no response. We assumed I'd either a) not be able to eat anything, or b) be confused with a vegan and be served grilled veggies macerated in balsamic vinegar. The best of circumstances is like that of the last wedding we attended- I am served a protein + veggies. The more mediocre outcome was that of the PE dinner- I was served a vegan meal. For those of you who are vegans, power to you. I, on the other hand, have never been satisfied with a protein-less meal (I can't eat soy), so veganism just is not going to work out for me. Plus, GF living is not vegan living. It just is not.

Since Nick never got a response about the meal selection at the PE dinner, we hit up Hotel Palomar beforehand for snacks and drinks. The decor is very classy- the booths are crescent shaped, facing the center of the restaurant's action. Our waiter really impressed me by asking first if anyone had food allergies or dietary concerns. He was helpful in answering questions I had about the menu items. Ali and I ordered 6 things off of the meat/cheese plate on the app menu. I thoroughly enjoyed all of our selections. While we snacked, I looked at the real menu. It was a bit hard to read (the menu was a piece of paper attached to a limp piece of leather ), but I did find a few selections I would like to try on our next visit.

Mellow Mushroom Goes GF

When my GF Pizza staple by work folded, I was pretty sad.

Skills Day is an annual event at work for nursing staff. Nurses and techs do their annual skills check-off for the year. If you are an attendee, it takes 1-2 hours. If you are teaching it, is a 15 hour day followed by a 5 hour day. I helped out with the "round two" teaching, from 3-9pm on Saturday. It might not be an ideal way to spend a Saturday night, but I didn't find it too bad.

On Saturday, we all shuffled into the hospital. Since we were teaching from 3-9pm, we planned to order out. Conveniently, another nurse educator, Mickey, has Celiac Disease. We called up the Mellow Mushroom down the street from work and placed an order for *gasp* GF pizza. Our GF pepperoni with extra sauce was great! The crust was thin and pliable, not crispy or chewy. Mellow Mushroom will be my delicious replacement for nearby GF pizza now that Pizza Fusion has folded.

Sage Woodfire Grill

My personal music series started with Imogen Heap, moved into the hard-edged haze of 311, cleaned up for the last tour of Phantom of the Opera, mellowed out for Dave (Matthews Band), and came to a fabulous finale with Sugarland. I realize my music tastes are all over the map. I don't think anyone should limit themselves to one venue of expression.

Sugarland, back at home in Atlanta, played at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Alpharetta. Verizon is a little different than the other concert venues in the city. For one, it's not in the sketchy part of town like the amphitheater formally known as Lakewood. (That place changes names more often than Cher changes wigs.) It's got great food, clean bathrooms, and an absolutely crisp, clear sound system. Although we were sitting by the trees on the lawn, it sounded as if we were at the edge of the stage.

Since Verizon is outside the city, I had to do a little searching to find a restaurant. My boyfriend and my two friends that came voted on my top 3. We were all coming from work (Thursday concert), so were ready to sacrifice the opening band for a classy meal at Sage. It wasn't until I looked up directions that I realized the following night I was meeting

another group of girlfriends at the Sage in Perimeter (the sister store).

My back to back Sage experiences were great. While the Perimeter location is bigger, both boast a modern tavern feel with a woodfire grill. Both nights the service was great, but Andrew, our waiter at Perimeter was informative, helpful, and there at all the right moments to make sure we felt spoiled. Thursday night we warmed up our taste buds with the rosemary shrimp skewers. They were incredible. For dinner on Thursday I ate the huge portion of goat stuffed chicken (wonderful), and sampled the NY Strip on Friday (perfect). The portions are substantially sized. When you go with your friends (because you should), order a bottle of wine. Or two.

Sally's Bakery

This week at work we had a health fair. HR pulled together lots of places- banks, supplements, chiropracters, chair massage, insta-lipid panel testing, exercise programs, and so much more. The thing I was most excited about was running into Sally from Sally's bakery. At the hospital I work at, quite a few people eat GF. Even more employees are related to someone who live GF. So, having a GF bakery represented was really great.

Sally's bakery is located on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. Daily, they make fresh-baked treats. Everything (except the cookies) are soy-free, and more than half of their products are egg and dairy-free. They have quite a selection of things in stock- breads, hamburger bun, English muffins, take-and-bake pizzas, sweet loaves of bread (banana, pumpkin, sweet potato). Cakes are made to order. And they ship wherever in the US.

I tasted the moist, sweet, and delicious banana bread (twice). I am looking forward to tasting more great things from Sally. Check them out:






http://www.sallysbakery.com/
Monday - Friday: 10:00am - 6:30pm
Phone:(404) 847-0211

Rena's Birthday with Mezza Lebanese Food

When we lived in Massachusetts, I discovered the Ninja Turtles. I used to pretend to be a turtle, fighting evil with my neighborhood friends. At Pamela's house, we'd steal her brother's figurines and play with them, too. I guess you could say I was on the brink of tom-boyhood. Really, I just wanted to be a strong girl who could kick butt one minute, and be a lady at a fancy dinner party in my dress-up clothes the next.

I guess things don't really change a whole lot as we age.

When we moved to Atlanta, my parents enrolled us in popular Southern sports. They attempted golf, while I did an embarrassing job on swim team and made descent attempts at tennis. When all of the Brownie troops were full and a re-attempt at ballet seemed uninspiring, my mother had me signed up for my first free karate lesson. I was hooked. We did a little shopping around for karate schools in our area, and settled into dojo life at a little school in Alpharetta. The people here became my second family, and life long friends.

After 15 years in and out of a few styles of martial arts, I decided I was a bit burnt out. I decided it was time, at 24, to try a few other things. Since then, I've dabbled in various types of dance lessons, taken up running (and by that I mean jogging), restarted jewelry making, yoga, and taken various types of gym classes. Some of my karate buddies are still practicing the art. One of my dearest friends, Rena, now hikes with the Trail Dames on weekends and belly dances during the week. Her belly dancing is so inspiring, that belly dance is my next class to tackle.

For Rena's birthday, she chose a Lebanese restaurant in Decatur called Mezza. Mezza features small plates and belly dancing entertainment on weekend nights. We were a large party, seated across the floor on low benches and cushions; Rena was surrounded by people who have come to know and love her over the years from karate, dance, drumming, and social circles. Instead of family style service, we all decided to order individually. The waitress was very helpful in identifying the GF items, and informed me they only cook in olive oil. Narrowing the list down to what I could actually eat was a tad difficult.

By the time the waitress got through the group and over to me, I blanked on what to order. Trying not to take too much time, I started with one I did remember "goat balls." The waitress gave me an expression indicative of stifled laughter. I realized I had omitted the word "cheese" from my order.

"Goat cheese balls?" the waitress asked, straight faced.

"Exactly," I replied. "Goat balls. The bigger the better." My table mates laughed.

I went on to order a few other dishes. My favorite things (mine, and samples of other people's food) were the potatoes, goat (cheese) balls, olives, and grape leaves (non-veg). I found the lamb to be a bit too vinegary for my taste- I'm not a fan of vinegar. I loved the social aspect of sharing the small plates and socializing in between watching the beautiful belly dancer memorize us with her fluid movements. I supposed to go tip her politely (by throwing money over her head) during her final routine. Only, I was so distracted by the sword balancing on her head and hip, that I just could not move from my seat.

We even snuck in an impromptu belly dance lesson in between dinner and coffee, thanks to Rena's belly dance teacher, Fox, being there and providing us with fun scarves.

I highly recommend going to Mezza for a fun evening.
GF Accommodation Skills: check.
Good Food: check.
A Fun Environment for Social Interaction: check.

He's 70! Boston, MA and Milford, NH Trip

New England's weather was definitely rainy, cold, and windy this past weekend. Only, the elements did not affect me greatly. The company I was in was much more important. This past weekend was my father's 70th birthday weekend. Instead of celebrating here, my father, his girlfriend, Nick and I all joined our family up in New England for a wonderful weekend of family fun.

With distance, jobs, homes full of kids, social lives, and other pieces of life, we all find it hard sometimes to stay connected. I love my family dearly, and what is lacking in face to face or on the phone communication is supplemented with warm thoughts, the occasional visit, and the magic of Facebook. I am always thankful that when we are given an opportunity to see one another, we all come together as a whole family unit. The distance between us closes. I know for my dad, this weekend of family time was refreshing and grounding. He was the happiest father, grandfather, and great grandfather that could be.

***

Nick and I chose to go up on Thursday, a day ahead of my father. I thought it would be nice to have some uninterrupted together time, without schedules or to-do lists. We ended up making an earlier connection-less flight to Boston, getting us to vacation-land 3 hours earlier than expected. We checked into the hotel and wandered the Commons before meeting my brother up for dinner at Meyers + Chang.

Meyers + Chang is a hip little restaurant in the city with a diverse menu. The GF menu is printed on the back of the "regular" menu. Food at Meyers + Chang is meant to share. Since my brother and I were eating GF, we shared the omelet (okay) and the fried rice (spicy, rich, and delicious). We even downed a few GF beers. I enjoyed the ambiance as well as the food. Since I am more limited than some, I would return to try the fried rice again. For the rest of you soy-eaters out there, the page long menu has plenty of exciting choices to offer.

Friday morning we ate at the hotel's restaurant, the Boston Park Plaza's Pairings. I had a delicious scramble of eggs, lobster, green onions, and bacon. I mean, wow. Lobster for breakfast.

Friday afternoon (and Sunday afternoon) we ate at Durgin Park. This restaurant is a Boston trip staple; it is simply Yankee cuisine. Durgin Park has both surf and aged-to-perfection turf. Despite my love for meat, both times I ate a steamed lobster. Lobster is my favorite seafood, and my lobsters were caught off the New England coast. The seafood can be fried or steamed, and they use real butter to dip foods in. They were sensitive to my family and I's allergen needs. Also on their menu is Stewart's root beer, a GF soda.

Friday night we met Nick's brother up at Elephant Walk near the Green Monster. The ambiance was classy yet earthy. I particularly loved the muted amber lighting across the blue cieling. The gluten-free menu was impressive. My brother and I had trouble narrowing it down to one dish a piece. I ended up with the trout, a whole fish fried with a spicy and sweet sauce. I ate off of Nick's plate- he ordered the Nataing with crispy rice for dipping. I loved the creamy peanut flavor with an edgy after flavor. I'd love to go back and try everything on the menu, right down to the GF brunch.

Saturday our major eat out was Amigo's in Milford, NH. Milford has a suprisingly large GF community, so we had plenty of places to choose from. The Koranda clan descended on Amigo's for party day. The staff were all gracious hosts to our huge gathering. While waiting on dinner, I snacked on GF tortilla chips and salsa. Nick and I started walking down the expansive list of fabulous margaritas. My favorites were the Mi Amigo John and the Millionaire's. The GF menu was rather expansive. The food is just fresh, good Mexican food. I tried the tostadas and loved them. For dessert, we ordered Dad a piece of GF carrot cake. It looked amazing, but I was too busy socializing to try a bite. I had every intention of getting my own, but I was so stuffed from the goodness of dinner, that the closest I got to the birthday cake was dreaming about it later that night. My brother is so lucky to have a great GF place to eat within walking distance to his house!

Young Frankenstein & Truva

I watched Young Frankenstein, the movie, for the first time in the 10th grade in our Intro to Theater class. A lover of Mel Brooks, this became a classic in my repertoire of movies I often quote. While the movie does drag out a bit, I definitely think you discover more jokes and nuances the more you watch it. Knowing that Young Frankenstein is one of my all-time favorites, my boyfriend got us tickets to watch the musical (also a Mel Brooks production) at the Fabulous Fox Theater.

If you have never been to the Fox, it is a magical theater built at the turn of the 1900's in a Middle Eastern style. Everything is lavish, right down to the shooting stars that cross the domed ceiling. The show aside, the theater is an experience all by itself. Naturally, I was quite excited to return to the Fox for a viewing of a great musical. The show itself was truly spectacular. It was fast paced, funny, and embellished on a few of the jokes in the movie by making them into songs. Even if you are not a musical lover (as I am not a musical lover), you will enjoy this show.

After a great theater experience, Nick and I drove a few miles over to Truva for a late lunch/early dinner. Truva opened up near-ish to Georgia State in what used to be Steak and Ale. It is a restaurant filled with Turkish cuisine and, at night, music and belly dancers. We arrived at about 4:45pm. Despite it not being filled to the seams with patrons and gorgeous women belly dancers, the atmosphere was not lacking. There is nothing reminiscent of old-world Turkish bars; Truva's decor is a modern lounge with open seating and relaxing feel.

Truva's menu is replete with choices of appetizers and entree's without being overwhelming. Truva cooks everything in olive oil. The staff was very sensitive to my food needs, and the waiter and manager made doubly sure I was well taken care of. For an appetizer, Nick and I split a Mediterranean salad. Although it was an appetizer, it was big enough for both of us to split. Nick and I each chose a lamb dish, paired with a glass of malbec. I had the chops, served with spinach and potatoes. The lamb was cooked perfectly to my specification of medium, and the side dishes were perfect as well. The food is definitely worth the price and worth a few more visits. The next time we go, we will go a bit later to enjoy the night scene with friends.

Chiles

I actually had a not-so-exhausting day at work today. And I found out that I am working Thursday, not tomorrow. *whoa!* These two lovely things and having my roomie let out the barkers allowed me to go out to dinner with the girls after work.

When I started working at Shepherd, there was a core group of nurses. Through various circumstances- unit changes, parenthood, injuries- we have been spread out. Every few months we all come together as a group for a meal, a beverage, and a good time. Tonight the meet-up spot was Chiles. I've eaten there before, but I cannot for the life of me remember what the outcome was. Tonight was a clean plate.

Chile's has an allergen menu- fish, shellfish, dairy, peanuts, nuts, wheat/gluten, and soy. I eat GF and SF (soy-free), as I react to both. The soy-free menu was some slim pickin's. While I was surprised that Chiles has a GF/SF salad dressing, the rest was not wildly impressive. The only protein choice was a plain steak, and the choice of side items were naked veggies, naked corn, corn kernels, or mandarin oranges. Although the combo of steak + corn kernels + oranges seemed a little odd, the meal was good. My steak was cooked perfectly (I love a medium steak) and the sides were okay. If you are a Celiac out with friends, or in a chain-restaurant pinch, it's just fine. Otherwise, it won't really be my first choice for a place to grab a bite.

...but I am very glad for the safety of an allergen menu!

Albuquerque

I'm sitting on my couch after a great Association of Rehabilitation Nurses' conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I picked up (another) sinus infection somewhere along our trip. Despite our best efforts, I didn't get to try all of the restaurants on my list. Here are a few experiences us nurses had in Albuquerque.

Wednesday
For lunch we checked out Nick's Cafe, on Route 66. Since we'd gotten up at 3am to catch our early flight, we were starved. We found Nick's after wandering down part of Central Ave. I had strips of lamb kebob on a salad. I am not completely sure if it was soy-free, as well as gluten-free. (I had a few little bumps and some IBS.)

For dinner, we ate at the Doubletree restaurant. We were practically delirious when we sat down, after looking at posters and visiting vendors. I had a fabulous goat-cheese salad with chicken. The Doubletree proved to be a great GF friendly spot. Our waitress 3/4 times were there was really nice, too.

Thursday
Breakfast was "continental" at the conference. For gluten-eaters, that meant pastries, yogurt with granola, and fruit. For me, it meant the Bumble Bar (delicious!) that I brought along and fruit.

For lunch we wandered back toward central and ate some great sushi at Sushi King. The only problem with Sushi King was that the first time we ate (this lunch), A Baby Story was on, featuring a live birth.

At dinner, all of us Shepherd nurses dined at the highly recommended Tucanos Grill. We started with a round of very tasty mojitos. When we moved it over to the table, the kitchen manager came out to talk to me about gluten and soy-free. He took my on a tour of the side item food bar and told me what each thing was and why or why it was not gluten/soy-free. It was great to have someone really take the time to take me aside and make sure that I was taken care of. The manager also provided me a list of the 3 meat dishes coming around that I should avoid eating. All of the food- meat parade and side bar was incredible. I even enjoyed their collard greens (my least favorite vegetable in the South). Their beef was perfectly cooked, each time it came around in varying forms. I ate until I was past full, and loved every minute of it.

Friday
Breakfast this morning was minus the fruit. I was still hungry after my chocolate Bumble Bar. Ugh.

For lunch, Jamie and I kept it simple and ate together at the Doubletree. I had presented that morning, and she was up after lunch. Yummy as usual.

Dinner on Friday was tacos at the Museum of Natural History, an ARN function. Although the lines were long, I think we made the best of it by enjoying an adult beverage and talking. I asked one of the servers if she knew what was gluten-free, and she told me that if she was asked about food allergens, she should let the manager know to come talk to the patron. Having a plan for individuals with food allergies is a great way to manage big events.

Post Ghost tour drinks were had at Elevated Lounge in Downtown. My friend Jamie and I joined up with a nurse from Madonna in Nebraska. The lounge was very trendy and open. The first while was good fun, but when club time started, we couldn't hear each other talk over the DJ.

Saturday
I insisted on a real breakfast, so we dined at the hotel again. Mmmmmmmmmm bacon, eggs, and hash browns cooked in olive oil.

In between dashing out the aquarium and Rio Grande and another round of lectures at conference, Jamie and I check out a great gelato/sorbet place called Sweet Berry. I tried the pineapple sorbet. It was light, fruity, and sweet. Heaven. That was definitely the best snack we had the whole trip. I wish I could import them to Atlanta!

For lunch we ate at the Church Street Cafe. I have never had such a bad GF experience. The server was incredibly rude and short-tempered in regards to my food needs. He made no attempt to be accommodating, but did cross his arms over his chest. I was so insulted, I wrote an email to the restaurant when I got home. I received a very prompt response. The manager explained that they take pride in being able to cater to people with food allergies and even have charts to ensure food safety. If I find myself in Albuquerque, I'll see if I can have a new gluten-free experience. The burger was good, and my gluten-eating counterpart said the Indian frybread was absolutely fabulous.

Exhausted after wandering, we went back to Sushi King. I tried the roll that involved fish and green chilies. I loved it! I wonder how I can get that here in the ATL...

What I Missed
There are three restaurants that I missed eating at, who all responded to an email inquiring about their GF friendliness. These restaurants are: Slate Street Cafe, Garcia's Kitchen, and Bumblebee's Baja Grill. So, if you find yourself in Albuquerque, try them out, and let me know how great your GF eating experience was.

Patriots Game at Meehan's

The Meehan's Public House (http://www.101concepts.com/articles/category/meehans-sandy-springs/) near the house happens to be a Patriots bar. This week was the Falcon's bye week, so Nick and I chose to head to Meehan's to support our other favorite team battle it out in an all-Pats atmosphere.

Meehan's is owned by 101 Concepts, as in Food 101 (a restaurant I have previously reviewed on here). Their menu has so many great things to choose from. I was really looking for something meaty, so I asked our waitress, Christen, about the Farmstead burger. When I explained to her my food restrictions, she brought over Shane, another waiter. Shane also has Celiac Disease, and pointed out a few of his favorites on the menu for me. He highly recommended my burger choice, with a side of spinach. I paired the food with Meehan's Sunday special bottomless mimosas- a little strange, but very delicious.

The organic Farmstead burger features a bison burger, with cheddar cheese, a fried egg, bacon, lettuce & tomato. Shane had the kitchen staff add extra lettuce, to make a lettuce bun. This burger was amazing. It has to be one of Atlanta's best burgers. I highly reccomend sampling this one. I know Nick and I will be going back for more food and football this season.

Wahoo!

Wahoo! Grill is a Decatur staple. It has been four years since I moved to Decatur, and I just made my first trip to this Zagat-rated restaurant. Tisk, tisk.

From the front, I imagined this historic-looking buiding to hold a small restaurant in it's four walls. My imagination was not large enough to hold the expanse of Wahoo!. Our birthday party of ten was set up on the patio. The restuarant interior opens out into a charming patio, and ends in a lovely garden.

When I called ahead to find out about GF accomodations, I learned they would accomodate with whatever I wanted- making an item on the menu GF or allowing me invent a GF plate of my own. My fellow GF friend and I both ordered the Wahoo!, with two sides of veggies. It seemed like the only dish that was inherently GF. I was not familiar with wahoo, a fish. To me, the fish looked like, tasted like, and had the texture of chicken. Overall, I thought the dish was average.

I would go back with friends who love this restaurant for a second shot, since I've heard rave reviews about Wahoo!. Going to Wahoo! for just a drink would be very enjoyable- their drink menu is extensive and their mixed drinks very interesting and delicious.

South City Kitchen

Matt decided we should all go to South City Kitchen for his birthday. This restaurant has been on my list of places to try for some time now. I have been ever so slightly hesitant because Southern food is not exactly the first thing of as GF-friendly. Before we went, I emailed the address listed on the website (http://www.southcitykitchen.com/midtown/index.htm). They assured me I would have no problems, and to let my server know.

At the restaurant, I notified my server about my food concerns. Jeffery, the chef, came out to our table to talk to me. He was very nice and very helpful. I pointed out a few things on the menu that sounded appealing to me. Jeffrey was relaxed and took the time to really find me a food experience I would enjoy. He recommended the Cider and Chile Pork Braised Shanks first, the jambalaya second. I took his enthusiastic recommendation, and ordered the pork. It was an amazing dish. The pork fell off the bone, and the Brussels sprouts were rich and mouth-watering. I sampled a bite of my boyfriend's "Country Captain" and loved it. I highly recommend trying the restaurant and the pork shanks. Next time, I am trying the jambalaya.

Derby Day!

Each year the Junior Committee helps the Shepherd Center Foundation raise funds with a Derby celebration on Foxhall Farm. Since Derby Day benefits our hospital, two of my nurse friends and I decided we would attend.

Low Country Barbecue catered Derby Day. I emailed Bennett, the president of Low Country BBQ, and asked him about GF food. Bennett was wonderful- he made sure to bring a batch of unmarinated pulled pork, and assured me that the sides (besides the bread, of course) were GF. I met Bennett at the food tent, where he made sure I was well taken care of. It was wonderful food, made even more wonderful by being worry-free gluten-free.

Baraonda

I bought my father two tickets for the King Tut exhibit at the Atlanta Civic Center as a birthday present. We made it a Koranda Family affair, and Aunt Lee, Nick, and I all went with Dad and his girlfriend. We spent a few hours gawking at the marvels of Egyptian artifacts, then planned on getting "treats" somewhere afterwards. In the end, my aunt and I lobbied for Baraonda, an Italian restaurant near the Fox Theatre. I've been wanting to try out Baraonda for a long time, despite it being Italian.

The decor and service were all I'd hoped for. Doors open with the warmth of spring, stucco walls, Italian wine posters, rustic wooden tables, everything just as I imagined. Our waiter was accomodating to my father and I's GF needs, my aunt's garlic-free needs, and my Dad's girlfriend's need for fish. We started with an antipasto plate of fresh meats, olives, and greens. Next, Nick and I tried the gorgonzola salad. Divine. In the end, four of us ordered the organge ruffy special, and Nick got a cheese pizza. Usually I am not a lover of steak-like fish, but this ruffy was amazingly good. The was laid upon a bed of spinach and topped with a tomato vegetable mixture. I enjoyed my experience so much, I would love to go back again. Maybe next time I'll go for appetizers and wine.

Season's 52

Nick's birthday brought us to Season's 52. We'd been talking about "checking it out" for months, and finally had a reason to go. We visited on a dreary Friday; I found the woods and warm lighting to be warm and soothing. We had a table for 12 in the center of the restaurant, giving me a good view to visually eavesdrop on the other restaurant-goers. We had two doting waitresses to serve our party. I listened passively as one waitress explained how flatbread is Season's 52 a house specialty, and perked up when they mentioned that each dish has less than 475 calories.

While I perused the menu, I enjoyed the Escape Sweet Shiraz. This wine is like no other I have tried before- the sweet shiraz was the perfect blend of candy-fruit and rich red. Since it was a Lenten Friday, I headed for the fish portion of the menu. (Then, distracted by the wine's goodness, the words of a close friend came to mind: "I could get into some trouble with that." Focus.) I decided on the grilled boneless rainbow trout. The fish was tender and moist, and the potatoes and asparagus on the side complemented the fish well. I was very happy. Once we finished, Nick blew out a candle on his shot glass desert. We each tried one of the desert glasses Season's 52 offers. The only GF desert was a fresh fruit cup. Each of the shot glasses is just the perfect "sugar fix" after a good meal.

My only complaint was the service at the end of our experience. Once the table was cleared, we waited about 25 minutes for the check before 2 of the men at our table asked the hostess and waitress if we could have our check. We all waited, watching a party of prom kids larger than ours, who arrived later than us, leave. Forty-five minutes passed by before we actually received our bills. I talked to a few other foodie friends who have been to Season's 52 and have never had a problem with the service, so I will not be holding it against them. All considered, the food was fresh, healthy, and delicious- 3 reasons I will be going to Season's 52 again.

Amanda's Farewill at Taverna Plaka

I realized Amanda was truly moving when we gave each other a final goodbye hug on Friday night. Amanda is packing up and moving back home to Toledo, OH to be closer to her family and to finish her nursing degree. Her BFF arranged a party at Taverna Plaka, a Greek restaurant complete with Ouzo and belly dancers.

Being a Friday night in Lent, Nick and I ordered a cheese and olive plate to share as an appetizer. The ample plate contained firm and slightly crumbly feta cheese surrounded by salty black olives. For dinner, I ate a salmon, served with lemon potatoes and spinach. Each sweet flavor married perfectly, and each piece was perfectly cooked. My friend Jamie and I split a bottle of Tsantali Merlot. Usually I am not big into Merlots, but this wine was light and peppery. I enjoyed every bite, each sip, and every dance by the belly dancer.

The resturant has the dimmed lights of a Greek tavern, with music getting you revved up for a dlicious meal and grea comraderie. Us girls even got to enjoy a little table dancing ourselves, but without the belly dancer accompianiment. Ompa!

Pasta Vino

I would have eaten anywhere after a grueling 2-hour shift. It just so happened that the Monday Night Dinner Crew arranged a rendezvous near my hospital of employment. Pasta Vino is tucked into the Peachtree Battle shopping center, next to the sports bar. They serve standard Italian fare- pizza, pastas, a few other dishes.

I was in the mood for chicken, and a few dishes sparked my interest. I ended up ordering chicken and broccoli because of the waiter's suggestion, but I really wanted the chicken that involved goat cheese. Instead of a side of pasta, I got more broccoli. When it was served, I got a plate of broccoli covering the chicken breast. The dish was not bad, but it was very boring. The butter-lemon sauce kept me from noticing any dryness in the chicken. I was unimpressed by the service. The rest of the crew gave it middle of the road reviews as well- very average and slightly pricey food.