Shrimp & Oyster Po’Boy
What’s interesting about this sandwich? It arrives at the table. You look at it. And, you think to yourself “Wow, look at all those fried oysters and shrimp!” But… wait just a second… what’s this? You go to pick up the sandwich and then you realize all of the stuff that should be in the sandwich is piled next to the sandwich. Yes, it’s a perfectly acceptable amount freshly fried shrimp and oysters. It was just a bit odd. It’s a build your own po’boy. Hmm, we can’t decide if that’s cute, weird, or some sort of sneaky voodoo mind game.
Pretty (and properly cooked) green beans, a slice of tomato, and a shredded lettuce sandwich.
Pasta With 4 Cheese (And Chicken)
It was tasty-ish, we suppose. But, it was $18 of utterly forgettable, too. All in all, we’d say it was better than the food court. So, we win?
(If we did, it was a super small victory.)
The Tavern at Phipps
3500 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30326
404 814 9640
The Merguez Pizza
Merguez Sausage, Artichoke, Ricotta Salata, Mint & Tomato
Every element on this pizza was equally delicious and thoughtfully put together. From the finely shaved ricotta salata that melts away to nothing with your bite to the tender crumbles of lamb sausage to the freshness of the chopped mint, this was a harmony of flavors. And, the crust? It was absolutely divine.
The toppings were generously distributed all about the pizza. But, they weren’t too heavy for that gorgeously airy crust.
The Mushroom
Mushrooms, Garlic Confit, Sliced Onion Tops, Provolone,
& White Truffle Oil
The delicate hand used to apply truffle oil to this pizza was greatly appreciated. It was a welcome reminder of just how good truffle oil can be when it’s used as it should be. The scent of it should fill your senses without overpowering your taste buds. It can be pure heaven when it’s used with a gentle touch.
Fever Tree Bitter Lemon
Lovely and delicate, we could drink this every day.
Cynar Lime Soda
Can they top that with a house cocktail? Yes, they sure did. This Cynar lime soda was even better. It was an addictive blend of cynar, lime, Fee’s orange bitters, sparkling soda and a twist of orange peel. It made for a perfect ending to our meal.
STG Trattoria
102 West Paces Ferry Road
Suite E
Atlanta, GA 30305
404 844 2879
EBO
Eggs Benedict Oscar
Brasstown Beef Tenderloin, Gulf Blue Crab, Grilled Asparagus, & Sage Hollandaise
Each delicate sprig of asparagus was touched with the perfect amount of char from the grill. Adding even more flavor to an already gorgeous dish, we polished off the asparagus with incredible speed.
Both the egg and tenderloin were beautifully cooked.
Add one great cup of coffee, we’re happy brunchers.
BBLAT Club
Pork Belly, Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, & Tomato
There are at least three BLT-ish sandiwiches at Sprig. There’s a Sprig BLT, a pimento and bacon sandwich, and the BBLAT. We didn’t realize until we were bites from being done that we’d accidentally ordered the BBLAT with pimento cheese. It was super, crazy, utterly ridiculous rich. But, it was also super, crazy good. And, there’s a side of fried potatoes, too? Seriously? Someone needed a nap afterward.
One of the drinks on the board was “The Saving Grace”. It’s a blend of Redemption rye, St Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram, ginger liqueur, lemon and sage. MMMmm… We both want one.
Waffle Bread Pudding with Creme Anglaise & Candied Bacon
In other news of all things wicked, we were almost tempted into making a meal of that waffle bread pudding.
Sprig Restaurant
2860 Lavista Road
Decatur, GA 30033
404 248 9700
Fresh Cream Filled Croissants
Castella Crumb Twisted Doughnut
99 cents… Seriously? They were on this day. It was the daily special.
Light, fluffy and delicious. This was absolute heaven with a green tea latte. The airy dough was rich and full of flavor. This was no run-of-the-mill twist of fried dough. We want more.
Green Tea Latte
Rich, creamy and too good… this falls into the “We want more soon!” category. And, those sweet little cream cheese rolled buns were equally delicious.
There are so many option to covet and crave.
Cakes, cookies, muffins, buns, croissants, and bread. You want it? They’ve probably got it.
So many buns…
Sweet and savory… side by side, they sit in harmony.
Just grab a basket and stake (or greedily grab) your claim.
Covered in almond slivers, we’ll take a basket of those next time. But, this time we had to go with our favorites. Pumpkin, walnut and chestnut manju top our list of must haves. And, Tree Story Bakery’s manju were divine. We also had to have those little puff pastry rolls filled with sweet potato. The tops were lusciously glazed in sweetness and black sesame seeds. It was all good.
…Too good!
If you’re going to splurge, make sure the treats you pop in your mouth are top notch. Tree Story Bakery’s are certainly that. Then, wash them down with a green tea latte. Green tea negates all of that wickedness, doesn’t it? Sure there’s coffee, espresso, cappuccino, hot chocolate and latte or two in the list of offerings.
See that rack of books off to the side there? You might even find a book that you haven’t thought about for years.
As you exit the door at Tree Story Bakery and turn right, you’re steps away from a Super H, too.
Tree Story Bakery & Cafe
2550 Pleasant Hill Road
Duluth, GA 30096
678 584 0000
La De Pernil Torta
Tender braised pork with roasted sweet peppers and habanero slaw fill this generously stuffed grilled torta. The small cup of salsa on the side was a lovely blend of sweet and under-ripe mangoes. The combination of sweet and under-ripe mangos makes for a great sweet-tart bite of fresh salsa. This sandwich is one winning combination of flavors.
La Cubana Torta
Another very tasty sandwich, this one filled with carnitas, ham, swiss, black beans, pickle slices and mustard. We couldn’t agree on a favorite. We each loved our own chosen sandwich. There was one little itty bitty flaw to the Cubana Torta. Too much mustard and wet black beans made the sandwich quite messy to eat. It was still very tasty. And, we wouldn’t hesitate to order it again any day of the week.
Pollo Verde Empanadas
There was a generous amount of chicken in each empanada. Each serving comes with two empanadas. The pollo verde empanadas come drizzled with a mild green sauce. Our pair of empanadas were freshly fried and the shredded chicken was tender and full of flavor.
Side of Habanero Slaw
We ordered an extra order of habanero slaw. And, it was generously topped with even more of our favorite condiment…. their mango salsa. We used that mango salsa to dress the chicken empanadas. The habanero slaw itself was a bit bland. It was dressed with a simple vinaigrette. We would have enjoyed significantly more habanero and cilantro.
Order At The Counter
Seating is a bit limited. There are 2 big tables, a smaller table and 2 strips of bar seating, each with three chairs.
And, you can’t miss the small gallery of Pete The Cat art.
Calle Latina is merely steps away from Decatur Marta.
Calle Latina
406 Church Street
Decatur, GA 30030
404 378 0020
Starbucks Salted Caramel Cocoa By The Packet
These cocoa packets fall into the same category as Godiva’s cocoa. They’re pretty good… not great. They’re a pleasant step above the average grocery store variety. And, we do like the salted caramel flavor. There’s a definite caramel flavor and the cocoa is rich enough to please.
120 Calories
That can’t include the 1 cup of hot milk. Last time we checked, 1 cup of 2% milk had approximately 120 calories. And, whole milk clocks in at around 150 calories. So, if you add this packet to 2% milk you’re really consuming around 240 calories or approximately 270 calories with whole milk.
Since we weren’t in the mood for a meal in a glass, we added our packet to a mug of hot coffee.
Mmm… Now, that’s not bad. We wouldn’t use our favorite coffee. But, we would use a packet on a mug came from that last pot of coffee that came from the last bit of beans at the bottom of a bag. Or, we might use these packets to spice up that not so great cup of office coffee.
Starbucks
The Cuban
Delicate, flaky crust… very nice.
So, this time we ate at That Pie Place. Wow, what a difference! These pies should be eaten immediately to appreciate the tender, flaky crusts. Theses crusts were incredibly light, flaky and full of flavor. The Cuban pie is generously stuffed with ham and pulled pork. By far, this was the best of the savory options that we’ve tried.
Yes, we’re serious. They are VERY generously stuffed.
The Chicken Pot Pie
Sadly, this one wasn’t completely warm in the middle. But, even with the saucy filling, the crust was flaky. And, the pie itself was tasty.
The Elvis Pie
This is our current favorite guilty pleasure. The dessert pies are smaller than the savory pies. One whole savory pie is a meal. Add half of a dessert pie and you’re stuffed.
That Pie Place Art
Gotta Love A Good Mural
That Pie Place
6355 Peachtree Dunwoody Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30328
770 394 4743
Big Easy Paradise
Three flavors of syrup (Strawberry, Lemoncello & Mango) cover the snow. Under that big mound of snow, there’s a generous scoop of coconut ice cream. On top, there’s a crown of blueberry and strawberry puree. It’s all good. The tart bite of lemon brings all the flavors together. But, the texture of the fluffy snow is divine. Little crystals that hold the syrup beautifully.
Love, love, love it.
All White Wedding Cake
This one is wedding cake syrup with vanilla ice cream. The snow is crowned with condensed milk. At first, we weren’t sure about this one. It’s definitely for the sweet tooth. But, we were given a little tip…
Let it sit for a minute. Have a little patience.
Keep waiting… one more minute.
That patience is rewarded when the condensed milk melts into the snow. Combining with the wedding cake syrup, the thick, creamy condensed milk and sweet vanilla of the wedding cake syrup give the illusion of cake flavored snow. It was very unique, interesting, and incredibly edible. But, wow, is it sweet.
…in a good way
Build Your Own Snoball
Choose a size, choose a flavor, stuff it (or don’t) and crown it if you like with the topping of your choice. Or, just choose a favorite from the list of offerings. Some of the favorite flavors are Cafe du Monde, Chocolate Decadence, Mississippi Mudslide, Dreamsicle, or Mounds.
Or, just grab a bag of sweet or savory popcorn. Different toppings and sizes range from $2 – $11.50.
Hmm, Bananas Foster… maybe next time.
New Orleans Snoball Cafe
340 West Ponce De Leon Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030
404 788 9141
Duck Poppers
Crab Cake Sandwich On Baby Greens with Sprouts & Avocado
This was more of a fork and knife sandwich. The tender crab cake made cutting the sandwich in half a bit of a challenge. But, it was loaded with crabmeat and it was quite tasty. The avocado, sprouts and baby greens added a light touch that we enjoyed.
Blackened Shrimp Salad
This was a lovely assortment of tender baby greens with big chunks of gorgonzola generously scattered around the plate. The port poached pear was a delight to nibble with those gorgonzola nuggets. We love a salad that requires no dressing at all, even though one was provided.
We’re looking forward to trying some of the other green options.
Vegetarian Muffuletta, anyone? We’d love to give it a try.
And, a covered patio with comfy chairs for lounging around on a gorgeous day.
Open:
Tuesday thru Sunday
11:00 am to 10:00 pm
Native – A Local Joint
340 West Ponce De Leon Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030
404 378 5500
This is required reading for all Manhattan lovers in Atlanta:
The Atlanta Manhattan Smackdown by Brad Kaplan
Now, it’s time to make the rounds and find your own personal favorite.
P.S. Don’t be too hard on those bright red cherries. We’ve been known to soak those toxic red cherries in our favorite bourbon (or brandy) for a couple of weeks. Then, add a few to a bowl of good quality vanilla ice cream along with a drizzle of that bourbon (or brandy) … instant weekday treat.
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