Brash — The Bollocks
Port Brewing Co.’s Hop-15
The Bollocks Up Front, Hop-15 In Back
Both so interesting… so very different… and so divine.
This imperial IPA is intensely bitter in a very interesting, complex way.
It’s a bit hazy and heavy, yet richly creamy and smooth.
This beer is over the top. It would easily overpower any food. Except…
We might like to try it with a fresh out of the oven pretzel.
By comparison, The Bollocks has a brighter, fresher, tartness and effervescent feel to it. There’s a gorgeous citrusy bite with a pleasant touch of dark caramel. This one might lack the complexity of the other. But, it’s nicely balanced, easy, fun, approachable and very VERY drinkable.
We’ll be buying more of The Bollocks to try on its own.
Port Brewing Co.
Brash Beers
Smoke Rise Bottle Shoppe
1559 Lilburn-Stone Mountain Road
Stone Mountain, GA 30087
770 469 1622
Smoked Ribs Dusted With Coarsely Ground Black Pepper
Gorgeously smoked, these were simply delicious.
Pulled Pork
Another example of great smoking, this pork was tender, smoky and delicious. What more can you ask for?
How about a good sauce? Check.
Brisket Chili Up Front, Brunswick Stew In The Back
Next to the ribs and pulled pork, the brisket chili was a highlight to our meal. So very good, we could have easily made a meal of it. Chock full of tender beef, it was richly hearty and satisfying. Thick with tomatoes, smoky pepper, and onion, this chili had wonderful depth of flavor.
Creamy Corn & Potato Salad, Too
The chunky, mustardy potato salad was polished off at light speed. When the food doesn’t make it into one of our shots, you know it’s good.
Spicy Chipotle BBQ Sauce & A Peppery Mustard Sauce
By far, the spicy chipotle sauce was our favorite. The mustard sauce was a touch too sweet and ball park mustardy for our taste. But, it was still quite good. As a matter of fact, if it weren’t sitting next to that fabulous chipotle sauce, we probably would have enjoyed it just fine.
Order At The Counter
Just A Few Blocks Away From Flowery Branch’s Main Street
A Handful Of Shops Line This Charming Little Main Street
On this rainy Sunday, it was a ghost town.
(The shops are on Saturday, not Sunday.)
Want to kill a few hours and eat some great barbecue? Go visit.
Hours:
Tuesday-Sunday — 11:00am to 8:00pm
(Or, until the meat runs out… when the meat’s gone, so are they!)
Moonie’s Texas Barbecue
MooniesBBQ.com
5545 Atlanta Highway
Flowery Branch, GA 30542
678 828 8366
Smoke On The Water
Cocktails
Fried Oysters With Slivers of Pickled Baby Vidalia Onion
The dusting of spices and salt add just the right light touch of flavor. The remoulade was quite nice, too. But, we didn’t need it.
Bites To Start
Fish & Farm
Fish & Chips
Two Words: Ridiculously Good
If there’s a way to make this dish any more perfect, we sure can’t think of it.
Salads & Sandwiches
The Lobster Roll
It might not be as prettily prepared as the last one. But, it was equally delicious. Every morsel of lobster was meltingly tender and bursting with the flavor of sweet, super fresh lobster.
So tender, it just succumbs to the lightest bite.
Corn Milk Hushpuppies “Beignet Style”
We’re still not in love with the powdered sugar. These were significanly denser than the ones eaten on a previous visit. These didn’t live up to our memory. And yet, they were still pretty decent.
Corn Milk Hushpuppies (Previous Visit)
These were much puffier, lighter, and more enjoyable to eat.
Meyer Lemon Cake With Sugar-Glazed Rosemary Almond Slivers
& Blackberries
The sweet lemon cakes had the lightest scent of anise… or was it fennel? Either way, this was a lovely sweet.
Plump Blackberries Added The Magic
Sweet, tart and fresh, what a finish!
Fig Tart With Brown Butter Ice Cream
This is a marriage made in heaven.
Too Perfect For Words
Simply put, there are no words to describe our pleasure with this dish.
Dessert pefection? This just might be it.
This was the still before the storm.
(The storm seems to start around 12:15pm.)
The Optimist Restaurant
914 Howell Mill Road
Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30318
404 477 6260
Fried New Bedford Clams With Anchovy Aioli
Before taking even one bite of pizza, these fried clams will guarantee our return visit. Do you think that tomorrow might be too soon? They were OUT OF THIS WORLD good. No joke. The breading was simultaneously light, crispy, crackly brittle and super crisp on the outside. And the sweet, tender sliver of clam on the inside tasted super clean and fresh. We’re in love with these.
Starters
Rhubarb Seltzer
House Made Sodas
Sweetwater IPA
Beer On Draft
The Pies
Fresh Clams, Calabrian Chiles, Bechamel, Parsley, Kale, Garlic
& Romano
This crust was a little bit denser and maybe a touch thicker than we might consider ideal. But, the flavor was quite nice. There’s a pleasant maturity and depth of flavor to this dough. There was none of that awful raw dough taste that comes from a dough that’s been rushed.
Finished with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of fresh parsley, this pizza was all about a glorious blend of toppings. The bitterness of those crispy kale bits rounded out the rich béchamel. And, the zing of those Calabrian chiles were a punch of flavor and heat to the taste buds.
This was one great first meal.
This place has the potential to be so much more than just a local pizza joint.
Just Follow The Pointing Hand…
…To The Door Under The Stairs
Timone’s Local Pizza Joint
1409 North Highland Avenue
Suite D
Atlanta, GA 30306
404 809 2979
Lebanese Coffee
Deep, Dark, Rich & Complex
Lawrence’s Platter
Lamb Kebab, Chicken, Kafta, Kibbie (Kibbe or Kibbeh),
Falafel, & Grape Leaf Roll
It was all quite nice. Though, we both tend to enjoy more green herbs in our falafel. This one was a bit dense and rich with chickpeas and garlic.
Seafood Tahini
Sea scallops and shrimp were sautéed with white wine, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and onion. Then, both the seasoned brown rice and seafood tahini were sprinkled with parsley and sumac. This dish might give the appearance of a heavy meal. It wasn’t. The sauce kept it delicate, light and fresh. Both the rich tahini and lemon juice were carefully balanced. And, the gorgeously seasoned rice was a worthy companion to the tender scallops and shrimp.
Warm Little Pitas & Tabouli Salad
Need Dessert? Revolution Doughnuts (check them out here on March 2013 and here from July 2012) are just steps away.
Lawrence’s Cafe
910 West College Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030
404 373 4000
Hell In A Bucket Popcorn
On Draft
Spicy nibbles and a beer…
…or two
Sometimes, that’s all you want.
(And, they offer brunch til 4pm on Sundays? That’s a real feature for two seriously late sleepers.)
The Family Dog
1397 North Highland Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
404 347 9747
Tempura Haddock & Chips
Three very generous (and beautifully deep fried) pieces of haddock make up this order of fish & chips.
The mountain of piping hot and perfectly crisp fries were a distraction. Keep in mind, those delicately fried hunks of haddock are on the plate. So, they’d have to be pretty darn good to match up.
Every bite was pure pleasure to eat.
Steinbeck’s House Burger
Pine Street Bacon, Pimento Cheese, House Pickled Jalapeños
It’s a rich, delicious mountain of a burger. Plenty of pickled jalapeños add the right touch of delicate heat and vinegary zing. And, Pine Street bacon? You know that’s bringing plenty of flavor to the table.
Chinese Spiced Peanuts
Chunks of spicy red pepper and Szechuan peppercorns…
After a taste of these, we’re eager to return for Steinbeck’s Kung Pao Brisket.
On Draft
Which did we choose? Hmm…
From snack to app-size to full-sized meal, there’s something for all tastes.
Steinbeck’s Ale House
(Steinbecksbar.com)
659 East Lake Drive
Decatur, GA 30030
404 373 1116
Pulled Pork Croquettes With Jalapeño Jam
Oddly shaped unassuming little balls…
One bite in, you’ll be taken with them. They are absolutely chock full of tender pork and chunks of potato. Red pepper pieces are scattered about for a little pop of color. And, that jam! Sweet and spicy, it’s the perfect burst of freshness to cut through the richness of the pork.
In a word, divine.
21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA sits in front,
Smuttynose Old Brown Dog hides in the back
Both were very nice with the croquettes, but the 21st Amendment was the clear winner with its rich touches of citrus, exotic floral-y fruit, equally balanced with fresh hoppy bitterness and smooth, bright finish. We loved it and we’re eager for more.
Shrimp & Grits
Rich with jalapeño and cheese, these were some seriously good grits. We were eager for a few more bites of tender greens to cut the richness. But, would that stop us from ordering this again? Never.
Shrimp? Too many to count.
Coupled with an equally generous portion of sausage, this is a meal that requires a post-meal hike.
Salmon Cake Benedict With Dill Hollandaise
With perfectly poached eggs, every bite of that buttery whole wheat toast was put to good use.
Nothing fancy, it’s just a cozy place to linger.
Inside or Out?
McGowan’s Oakhurst Pub
321 West Hill Street
Suite 7B
Decatur, GA 30030
404 373 4702
Asian Pear & Ginger Kombucha
This kombucha had a great balance of flavor. The sweetness of the fruity Asian pear and the richness of the ginger balanced the acidity in all the right ways. This is a new favorite.
Love it!
Wonder Drink
Alon’s Bakery & Market
4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30345
678 397 1781
Pimento Cheese Balls
With Green Tomato Chow Chow & Tomato Jam
We had a feeling we’d like these. But, we didn’t. We LOVED these! Crispy on the outside and rich, creamy, oozy gooey fried pimento cheese on the inside, what’s not to love? But, we had no idea just how much we’d love them until the first bite. With a touch of vinegar and bite from the chow chow to the light touch of sweetness and spice from the tomato jam to the sharp cheddar richness of the pimento cheese, these were too good. Each and every bite was a pleasure to eat.
Shrimp & Grits
These are in the running to be some of the richest (and most delicious) shrimp and grits we’ve ever had the good fortune to eat. Heywood’s andouille, tasso, roasted tomatoes, and onions were swimming in a decadently rich low country sauce. And, the smoked gouda grits only added to that super rich flavor party.
Pimento Bacon Burger
Crispy Sweet Potato Fries, In The Back
Someone’s on a pimento burger eating streak. And, while this one might not win any beauty contests, it was so very good that this burger rarely hit the plate. Those deep dark, crispy sweet potato fries were mighty tasty, too.
Key Lime Mousse with Crispy Smoked Almond Tart Shell
On a cooler day, we’re sure this might be a little more picture perfect. But, we’re not complaining about anything that comes smothered in key lime mousse.
We’re so easy to please. Just give us comfy outdoor seating and we’re happy.
It’s pretty as a picture and there’s an abundance of tables? Extra bonus points must be added.
The Mill Kitchen And Bar
590 Mimosa Blvd
Roswell, GA 30075
770 817 9347
|
|
