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Both of these gorgeous teas were purchased at Buford Highway Farmers Market for approximately $10 each. Given the quantity and quality, that’s an incredible bargain. Buford Highway Farmers Market
White Chocolate Grill in Lone Tree, Colorado
“Perfectly Grilled Atlantic Salmon” Pretty cocky… huh? But, you know what? It was just about perfect.
White Chocolate Martini (aka dessert #1) Healthy dinner means we can have two desserts, right?
White Chocolate Blondie (aka dessert #2) Warm blondie topped with French vanilla ice cream, white chocolate shavings and chocolate sauce. Yep, you guessed it… it’s yummy.
Surprisingly good food… at the mall! What a nice surprise. The Vistas @ Park Meadow
There’s a lot to love at The Swallow at the Hollow. Set down a quiet side street with a gravel path leading to make-shift parking under the trees, we feel like we’re visiting friendly neighbors. A mountain of chopped wood decorates the front of the cabin and a row of garden boxes invite you in. The porch is calling our name. Without a doubt, it’s the most adorable BBQ restaurant in the city. And, the staff is so welcoming you feel like family before you sit down. We’ve visited Swallow at the Hollow more than a few times and the staff is always super friendly. The food oozes equal charm. Perfect biscuits are griddled with butter, giving each biscuit half just the right amount of butter. Only a drizzle of honey is needed over each warm half, and I’m in biscuit heaven. Macaroni and cheese is super smooth and creamy… homey in a very, very good way. And, tangy Brunswick stew wakes up your taste buds. Then, gargantuan slabs of baby back ribs taunt you. You’ll never finish. You won’t even come close. (I was starving and only managed 2 small ribs off the end. There were leftovers for days.) Both of our racks of ribs dangled over each side of the plates. They aren’t kidding when they say a “full” rack of ribs.
Mmm… cabin bread. Freshly baked and lightly griddled with a teeny tiny bit of butter, it’s really yummy. Yeah, there were more than a few carbs consumed at this meal. And, we’ll do it again. The biscuits and cabin bread are worth every calorie. The ribs are were moist, tasty and melt-in-your-mouth tender. We disagree slightly on the bbq sauce. One of us doesn’t love it. (It’s a bit too vinegary and tomato-y. It needs some more spice.) The other thinks it’s “pretty good”. We both like the mustard sauce for the pork and turkey.
Corn muffins straight out of the oven, courtesy of that superb staff, maybe? Perfect with butter and honey, we LOVE them! These muffins define southern style cornbread… err muffins. We’re not huge country music fans. (Or, to be completely honest, we’re not country music fans at all.) So, we’ve never seen a show. But, if you are a fan, you’re bound to like one of the top notch performers that visit this charming venue. Check out their website for a list of upcoming performances. The Swallow at the Hollow
The area surrounding Mall of Georgia is a dead zone for restaurants. So, in a moment of hungry desperation, we decided to give Luciano’s a chance. And, we’re glad we did. With an interesting 80’s white on white meets Abercrombie interior, we weren’t sure what to expect.
The bread basket served with a sun-dried tomato, herb and cheese doused olive oil was a nice start to the meal. Comforting, hearty, and a little old-fashioned… we loved it. Then, we started with the Scallops & Artichokes (shown above). We happily devoured every bite. The lemon butter sauce was delicate and lovely. Each scallop was nicely caramelized. The artichokes had a touch of crispness to the edges… yummy. And, the crispy bits of pancetta added even more texture and good bite of salt. This was our favorite dish.
While the crust is a bit too soft & doughy to make this a real contender, it’s still one solid pie. The balance of mushrooms and onions was pleasant. And, the truffle oil was used appropriately. Adding another layer of flavor, the woodsy complexity added depth without overpowering the pizza.
This dish was fine, but, nothing to write home about. To quote my honey, “Yours is better.” (He’s a very smart boy.) It was our least favorite (and most forgetable) dish. We also enjoyed a slice of ricotta cheesecake drizzled with real caramel sauce. The light touch of lemon was refreshing against the deep dark caramel flavor. This is something we will be back to try next time we’re in the neighborhood… whenever that might be. I think it’s safe to say that this is one of the better restaurants in the Mall of Georgia neighborhood. Luciano’s Ristorante Italiano
Given the light color, we were shocked by the richness of this salted caramel ice cream. The buttery caramel flavor reminds me of sticky toffee pudding. Love it! And, the maple bacon brittle is oddly addictive. The genius is the super-thick brittle coating that covers the bacon. Without it, the bacon would just be too much. Instead, the thick coating of crunchy caramel camouflages all but the perfect touch of smoke surrendered by the bacon.
As you can see (above), the pecan praline is literally oozing caramel. What’s not to love about that? Yum! And, the chocolate hazelnut is perfectly delicious. As always, the balance of chocolate and roasted hazelnuts is right on the money. Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream & Desserts
Yet another visit to Patak Meats… No matter how many times we visit, we never tire of their Black Forest ham. It’s simply divine. Tender, sweet and smoky… it’s just about perfect. When the weather starts to warm up, we enjoy sandwiches for dinner. Only deli meats from Patak could turn sandwiches into something really special. (And, they offer an amazing peasant-style rye perfect for the occasion.) The smoked liverwurst is another must-have item. Love it!
Perfect for grilling… and snacking.
This ultra-rich salami is surprisingly good. It’s a perfect blend of sweet and salty with a peppery bite. (Salami has never been one of my favorite things. But, this one is good enough to convert me.) Patak meats are more than worth the drive. Patak Meat Products, Inc
Global Food and Nuts sits in the same strip mall as Veranda Greek Taverna. Attracted by the variety of Hookah pipes lining one of the front glass windows, we had to check this place out. We were instantly greeted by tall rows of candy, tea, nuts (lots and lots of nuts), spices, jams, preserves, olives, and an assortment of Persian groceries. But, sitting in a big box on the floor, we found the real jackpot…. fresh green almonds! They’re perfect… fresh bright green shells with their lovely white fuzz. And, for $2.99 a lb, they’re a real find. Then, we spotted a nut blend chock full of cashews, 4 kinds of raisins (huge sultanas, green raisins, and 2 types of dark raisins), roasted chickpeas, pistachios, dried pineapple, fried bananas, dried papaya, and dried mulberries! (The dried mulberries are also available for purchase in small containers and a freezer off to one side has a variety of frozen mulberries.)
The freshness of the dried fruits were obvious. They were all so soft and tender. We LOVE this blend. The huge sultanas are super sugary sweet. And, the roasted chickpeas add a nice smoky toasty complexity to the blend.
One of our relatives has a farm with a number of hazelnut trees near the Amalfi Coast in Italy. So, we’ve eaten some great (fresh) hazelnuts in our lives. We can’t remember the last time we’ve seen hazelnuts this big. These are HUGE… and roasted to perfection. Love them! And, a few more great finds: Cornelian Cherry Preserves We can’t wait to go back to this great little shop. Global Food And Nuts
We enjoyed our recent lunchtime visit to Veranda. The entire tapas menu is $5 per selection. Two grilled lamb chops with wine reduction, two potato fritters and a nice little serving of green beans with garlic and olive oil for $5. We were pleasantly shocked. (I could make a meal out of this single dish.) If the lamb chops were cooked to medium rare, this could be close to a perfect dish. But, even cooked a bit beyond medium, they were still tender.
Another favorite, the shrimp were plump and tender. Served in a sop-worthy sauce, the feta added a nice burst of flavor to the chunky tomato sauce. Sadly, no bread or pita to sop up the sauce.
The ouzo broth was full of flavor and the mussels were tender. But, once again, we would have enjoyed a bit of bread or pita to sop up the broth… our favorite part of this dish.
This moist & tender cake had a lovely blend of sweet spices and walnut.
Veranda’s version of bougatsa consists of a dense semolina custard wrapped in two sheets of phyllo. Served cold, it was fine in a way that only hospital/cafeteria food can be, but, with a Greek flare. The phyllo was quite soft and soggy. We were hoping the phyllo would be crisp and buttery… maybe a drizzle of honey? Oh well. (I think we’d enjoy this more after a night out… or, after a wicked stomach flu. I bet my Mom, Queen Of All Things Bland, would love it.) Veranda Greek Taverna
The only accurate description for this chicken? Perfection. This chicken (yet again) showcases the perfect use of smoke and spice. And, it was cooked to the perfect state of doneness. You know when a piece of chicken is cooked so perfectly it nearly melts in your mouth? Yes, that’s what they’ve done… again. We’ve lost count of the number of perfect and near-perfect meals we’ve eaten at Fox Bros. The only dilemma… Should we choose their ribs, chicken or pork? And, for the sides, collards are mandatory for me. They’re incredible. The balance of flavor is amazing. Each bite gives a bit of smoke, meaty richness and spice with a perfect rush of vinegary tang to round out the heat. Sometimes, I opt for their yummy mac N cheese. But, more often, I choose the sweet and spicy cornbread. This rich & dense cornbread served with sweet butter could easily be a meal. It would be an understatement to call the serving size a “slice”. It’s more like a hunk.
Yep, their pulled pork was perfect too. (Again.) Smoky, tender, rich & meaty pork. Yum. And, the serving size can only be described as ginormous. Oh yeah… they have an great patio, too. We’ve loved Fox Brothers BBQ from day one. They’re close to BBQ perfection. Fox Bros BBQ
We both love these ribs. Seriously. The balance of smoke, tender meaty pork and sauce is right on the money. And, the sauces are some of our favorites. With three sauces (Original, Mustard, and Bold AKA Kansas City Style), there should be a sauce to please just about everyone. But, overall, our first visit was significantly better than this visit. (Check out our first visit to Smokin J’s here.)
Sadly, the brisket was a bit dry and more than a little tough on this visit.
The instant our meal arrived my honey was regretting his choice. While the pork was tender and full of flavor, it had very little caramelization and bark. His brisket clearly came from the same piece of beef as mine. So, it was equally dry and chewy. He was eyeing my plate of ribs with a lusty gaze. I had to share. After one bite his reaction was, “Oh my god… These ribs are amazing.” And, I wholeheartedly agree. So, for now, Smokin J’s will be all about the ribs for us. Hopefully, the pork and brisket will be better next time.
Smokin J’s BBQ |
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