Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Chipotle Corn Hummus

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This weekend is going to be already hella awesome.

Last night I tried a new restaurant – Escorpian – before going to see Florence and the Machine.

My chicken con red mole and grapefruit was tasty (aside from an incredibly salty side salad). I really liked how the tart grapefruit played with the heat of the red mole.

Springer Mountain chicken with red mole and grapefruit

The stars of this meal were the beverages.  Escorpian’s mixologist has put together a creative, fresh bar menu. I can’t wait to go back and try more!

The El Chamuco consists of blanco tequila, ginger, blackberries, lime, creme de cassis, and sage.

El Chamuco

I did NOT try my friend’s appetizer: octopus ceviche (she claims it was fantastic).

Octopus Ceviche

Would you have eaten that?!

Florence and the Machine put on an amazing show.  Florence’s voice is massive.  Her tiny self filled the room and had us mesmerized for close to 3 hours.

Today I am headed to the lake with a couple of treats to share on the boat.

In honor of the 4th of July (and my love of hummus), I decided to turn grilled corn on the cob into hummus.  Who doesn’t like a little smoky-sweetness to their hummus?

Since my building doesn’t allow grills I had to cheat a bit.

I bought the grilled corn from the counter at Whole Foods.  It was advertised as being cilantro-lime grilled corn… but it really didn’t have much flavor.

After I turned it into hummus it didn’t suffer from a lack of flavor!  This will knock your socks off.

The chipotles are especially good with the sweetness of the corn.  Add the chipotles and adobo sauce one at a time to adjust the spice-level to your taste (you guys know how I am with the heat!).

Chipotle Corn Hummus

Chipotle Corn Hummus

  • 2 ears of grilled corn
  • 1 C chickpeas
  • 2-3 T adobo sauce
  • 3 chipotle peppers
  • 1 serrano pepper
  • Juice of 1/2 large lime
  • 1T tahini
  • 2 green onions
  • 1/3 C cilantro
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • S+P, to taste

Put it all in a blender and mix until smooth.  You may need to scrape down the sides periodically or add a bit of liquid (water or olive oil) if it isn’t mixing well.

Serve with your favorite chips, celery, carrots, or other fun veggie sides.

***

I’m looking forward to running Atlanta’s massive Peachtree Road Race (the largest 10K in the world!) Monday with 60,000+ of my closest friends. 🙂

Is anyone else running a race?

What are your big plans for fireworks this weekend?

Chef Summer Series – Bruce Logue

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Wednesday’s dinner was so good I woke up still in a food coma.

Yes, I realize that makes no sense.

The best way to recover from a massive dinner is a run.  The reason I love a morning-after run isn’t due to excess calorie intake.  The purpose of the run is to sweat out the stuff my body hates.

See, I LOVE dining out.  I like rich foods.  I like red meat.  I like wine a lot.  My body can’t stand those things.  I actually woke up in the middle of the night in a full sweat as my body rejected the aforementioned.

Today’s run was to sweat it all out.

Stats:

  • Distance – 4 miles
  • Time – 32:17 mins
  • Pace – 8:04 mins

In today’s heat, sweating was not difficult.

The most important part of the morning-after run is to strike the “I’m a bad ass” pose.

What deliciousness brought on the morning-after run?

My friend Corrine and I attended another of ONE Midtown Kitchen‘s Summer Chef Series.  (Remember the first one with Chef Hugh Acheson?)

This week’s guest was Bruce Logue from La Pietra Cucina (my favorite Italian place in Atlanta).

Chef Bruce Logue

The amuse, 1st and 5th courses are done by ONE’s Chef Drew Van Leuvan and courses 2-4 are by the guest chef.  Each course is served with a pairing.

The Menu

As we waited for all of the guest to arrive, we were treated to crisp glass of sparkling wine that I wish I knew the name of.  It was light and refreshing after coming in from the heat.

Amuse

One of my my favorite dishes of the night – Potato Zeppole wrapped with a charred beef and dusted with rosemary and freshly ground pepper.

1st Course

This was my favorite.  We learned as the dish was being served that Chef Drew used to own a pasta making company.

That was apparent in the perfection on this Sweet Corn and Mascarpone Tortellini.  It was served with a tomato that had been roasting for 3 hours, smoked cream, and lemon verbena.

All of the flavors we good, but the perfection of the pasta made the dish.  It was so light it almost melted in my mouth.

The pairing was great as well.  A glass of Borgo Conventi, Collio Sauvignon 2009.  It was ok on it’s own, but paired with the dish the flavors grew and we discovered this was an incredible multi-layer, complex wine.  Brassy and floral, then a super-juicy melon, followed with a clean ending. Cheers.

2nd Course

This was the only problem of the night.  The planned course was to be a burrata, but it apparently was delayed in it’s arrival from La Pietra.  Therefore, we were served the 3rd couse.

The Cavatelli with green garlic, asparagus, and a white bolognese.  Cavatelli is similar to gnocchi; however it is made from flour, semolina, and water (no potato like gnocchi).

It was quite good – chewy pasta, rich bolognese, crunch scapes.

The pairing was excellent… and is now my favorite Italian beer!  Menaerea Ambe.  The beer was a nutty, surprisingly light amber with a touch of honey

The problem was the order – this rich pasta dish following another intensely-flavored pasta dish was too much.  We needed the lighter course and sparkly beverage originally planned here to rest the palate.

3rd Course

The originally planned 2nd course came out next: Whipped Burrata with summer squash, cherry tomatoes, and pesto genovese.

I love burrata, so whipped burrata seemed like a good idea and it would have been at a 2nd course.  Unfortunately, by there time we got to this we were ready to keep going to the meat.  The table agreed that it was like being brought down too soon at this point.

Don’t get me wrong – it was still tasty and the whipped burrata was interesting.  Almost ricotta-like.  The pesto was the highlight of this dish – not too cheese-reliant, allowing the basil to shine.

The pairing was not the best.  It was called a Ruby Slip: Absolut Ruby Red, Prosecco, and Lemon.  The drink itself would have been a great starter, but was wayyyyy to light at this point in the meal.

4th Course

Milk and Fennel Roasted Pork Arista with a warm broccoli salad and truffle chips.

Truffle chips are just as good as they sound like they would be, FYI.


Arista is just a fancy way of saying pork loin cooked in milk.  It is extremely moist and flavorful without being too rich.

The pairing was a Due Torri Pinot Noir.  I was more than ready for a good red and this fit the bill.  It was full of berries on the palate and finished with a hint of spice.

5th Course

We were stuffed at this point.  They brought out dessert and my eyes nearly popped out of my head.  It was a HUGE Blackberry Tart.

Thankfully, there is a whole other part of the stomach for dessert.

It wasn’t actually berry-heavy.  The tart was filled with a couple of blackberries, pecan cream, and… gorgonzola granita.  I finished it like a champ.

The gorgonzola granita stole this show – a salty, cheesy, ice cream topping.

The pairing was weird.  It was a deep glass of Tenuta Lodola Nuova, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2004.  I get where they were going, matching it to stand up to the granita.  However, it was way too intense for any bite that didn’t have the granita.  The smoky, leathery taste and chewy tannis overshadowed the tart filling… it was really good with the Pinot I had left for the previous course though!

See why I woke up in a food coma?!

***

One of my favorite parts about these dinners is meeting new people, as seating is communal-style. I promised the people at out table a shout out: Hellooooo! 🙂

What is your “cure” for over-indulgence?

Is your body less of a fan of certain foods than your palate is?

Baked Falafel + WIAW

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It’s WIAW time again!

Which means this is What I ate Tuesday. 🙂  (Check out what everyone else at too @ Peas and Crayons!)

I was supposed to be on a business trip this week, but was cancelled last minute.  I can’t say I was terribly upset… sometimes I get to go to cool cities, but that doesn’t mean I get to see any of them!

Due to this (and a lot of dinner plans), I am having a “use what’s in the fridge” week.

The Challenge

I can be am terrible at letting things go bad.  It’s wasteful.  There are starving kinds in Africa.  Money doesn’t grow on trees. *Insert whatever lines your parents used to force encourage you to clean your plate.*

Muffin trial run, eggs, restaurant leftovers, last week’s hummus, dregs of an artichoke jar, the last bottle of beer… they’re all being utilized!

Breakfast

Blueberry muffins, egg, and raw milk.

Recipe will come soon… I need to do some tweaking.  Good, but not quiiiiite great.

Lunch

Last night I met my very pregnant BFF for dinner at Cafe Sunflower, one of the few exclusively-vegetarian restaurants in Atlanta.

Overall it was good.  I liked my Jamaican Black Bean Patties with Pineapple Salsa and ate the leftovers for lunch.


The server was really weird.  He leaned around the wall by our table and whispered that he had a crush on me.  Then, when my friend went to the bathroom, he asked if I had a boyfriend and told me I have a good energy.  (Note: he had creepy energy.)

I’m here to eat, not get hit on! At least it got me a free sample of the 3 Bean Chili (which was horrible, btw).

Snacks

It was a back/bicep weight day, so I got my post-workout 20g of protein from a Banana-Cinnamon Protein Shake.

In the mix:

(measurements are approximations – I eyeball it)

  • 1 banana
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tsp maca
  • 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 C frozen kale
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of guar gum
  • Pinch of lemon-salt
  • Ice + water (as needed)
  • Granola sprinkled on top

Pretzels, carrots, cucumbers, and a bowl of cereal were also consumed.

Dinner

After a 5 hour conference call, I played with my food.

Falafel face

One of my 5 million bookmarked recipes included a baked falafel by Sarena @ Non-Dairy Queen.  In the spirit of using what I had, I made Japanese-ish Baked Artichoke Falafel – spicy-style!

I ate my falafel with another recipe I have been meaning to try – Baked Grilled Zucchini with Goat Cheese from one of my new favorite blogs: Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide.

If you never listen to anything else I say, listen when I say you HAVE to try this Stuffed Zucchini.  Grill or bake it this weekend for the 4th!

It is so easy – cut rows into a zucchini, stuff with cheese (I used goat), drizzle with olive oil, top with herbs, S+P, wrap in foil, bake or grill for 20 mins.  Devour.

Japanese-ish Baked Artichoke Falafel

  • 1/4 C Japanese-ish hummus
  • 1/8 C jarred artichoke hearts, rough chopped
  • 1 T coconut flour
  • 1-1.5 tsp garlic sriracha
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp hosin sauce
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • Brine from artichokes, as need to moisten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together.  Form 5 balls (1 heaping tablespoon each) and place on foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20 mins.

Note: You can use any hummus or flour to make this.  Add some herbs and you favorite spices and you’ll have your very own customized falafel!

***

I’m so pumped for tonight – it’s the second in a Chef Series I’ve been attending and tonight features one of my favorite Atlanta chefs.  Full report to come… probably not until Friday though!

Show me your WIAW!!!

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten so far this week?

Weekend Stars

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Every once in a while, the stars align just right…

 

and a perfect Saturday is born.

This Saturday began with the 21st Annual Pride Run at the park across from my condo.

There was a special buzz in the air following the news that New York joined a growing number of states extending the basic right of  marriage to all of its citizens.

I’ve run this race 3x so far and it continues to be one of my favorites.  The course is great, it’s well-organized, the runners are friendly, and it gets strong crowd support.  Even the police blocking off the streets cheer the runners on!

This year’s race solidified the event’s place in my heart… it marks the first time I placed in the Top 3 Females Overall!

I earned 3rd place overall and 1st in my division!!!

Stats:

  • Distance – 3.14 miles
  • Time – 23:41 mins
  • Pace – 7:45 mins

 

I have NO idea where that came from, but OMG I was thrilled!!!

 

Post-race I walked across the park for some raw milk (I know it’s controversial… but it does have benefits and it tastes like a milkshake!), farm eggs, and peaches.  There is nothing more delicious than local, fresh food.

 

The afternoon was filled with softball and some quick pre-reunion weight lifting.

At the reunion I saw some people I was looking forward to reconnecting with, which was nice.  Overall… I don’t know what I expected, but was just ok.  High school seems like a lifetime ago, and it wasn’t the best of times for me.

 

In true foodie fashion, dinner was the best part of the night.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

A small group of old classmates (we are now good friends) – myself, Mallory (my BFF), Greg (her husband), and Laura (another friend) – all met for a pre-reunion dinner at Bocado (887 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, 404-815-1399).

Thank god because the only food they served at the event was a cold tray of chicken nuggets.

 

Bocado has been on my “to try” list for far too long.  Several have contended that they serve the best burger in Atlanta; however, the other menus items are the real standouts.

 

My jalapeno-infused tequila cucumber martini was light and clean tasting.  The flavors were perfectly balanced – a great start to dinner on this hot day.

We enjoyed our drinks with a cheese plate made up of:

  • Purple Haze (goat, California)
  • Humboldt (goat, California)
  • Ewephoria (sheep, Holland)
The Ewephoria took the prize as the favorite, and the best named.

 

Our cheeses were served with radishes, cranberries, honey, and perfect crusty bread slices.  I say perfect because often toasted bread is so saturated in olive oil or butter that it becomes a chewy, greasy mess.  These slices were brushed with just enough olive oil to compliment the flavors.

For dinner Laura and I ordered small plates to share.

These were the best Fried Green Tomatoes I have EVER had.  Normally I’m not a huge fan due the the soggy, greasy nature of the dish.

The chef’s interpretation of the dish did not suffer from this affliction.  The tomatoes were cut into spears and battered in corn meal, leaving them crisp and relatively light.  They were served over a bed of greens and radishes with hot sauce and a buttermilk herb dressing.

Our Beet Salad was served in a bowl with farro, orange segments, fennel, toasted hazelnuts, avocado, and goat cheese.  The flavors played together quite well.

Toasted hazelnuts added a dimension to the more typical beet-orange-goat cheese combo.  I especially enjoyed the different textures – the crunch of the nuts with the slightly chewy farro and creamy avocado and goat cheese.

 

The Burrata was the one dish that I wasn’t impressed with.  The eggplant caponata on top was great, but the burrata itself was a bit too rubbery.  It was the only dish we didn’t finish.  However, it was served with a kalamata olive country toast that was delicious.

Our waiter highly recommended the Summer Squash Salad.  As advertised, it was very good.  My only complaint is the heavy hand on the olive oil.  The squash was delicious and the cherry tomatoes were some of the best I’ve had this season.

Mallory and Greg both ordered the infamous burger.  It was quite good.  As good as Holeman & Finch?  My vote is YES… but it’s very close.

The burger is served with house-made herbed french fries and a side of a buttermilk herb sauce.  I’m not a HUGE french fry eater and I could have eaten an entire plate of these.

For dessert we chose a Banana Bread Cake layered with chocolate ganache and cinnamon icing.

We hated it.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Several other bloggers have begun posting recaps of the previous week’s workouts.  I love the idea – if for no other selfish reason than to have a reference for myself to look back at.

Workout Recap (6/20-26)

  • Monday – 4 mile run, 84 push-ups
  • Tuesday – P90X Ab Ripper X, 84 push-ups
  • Wednesday – Triceps/Chest, 3.5 mile run
  • Thursday – 4.5 mile run, 84 push-ups
  • Friday – P90X Ab Ripper X, 15 mile bike ride, 84 push-ups
  • Saturday – 5K, softball, 30 mins upper body weights, 84 push-ups
  • Sunday – Softball, P90X Ab Ripper X, 84 push-ups

***

I never was a cornflake girl…

Was high school a good experience for you?

Do you like when bloggers post workout recaps?


Protein Lassi

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Is everyone else getting all of this rain?!

 

I got all dressed to run this morning and realized it was POURING. #fail

It did eventually let up and I headed out… only to realize that my Achilles is not totally healed.  Oops. So I’m writing this with my trusty bag of frozen peas. 🙂

Stats:

  • Distance – 4.5 miles
  • Time – 38:01 mins
  • Pace – 8:45 mins

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Post-run I enjoyed a savory Protein Lassi that was an appropriate pre-cursor to dinner.

A lassi is simply a yogurt-based Indian drink.  They can be savory, salted, or sweet.

 

They have green smoothies in India too!

Lassi’s are the perfect compliment or end to an Indian meal since the yogurt (and fruit if using) calm your palate after all the spicy, strong flavors.

It seems that everyone has been making them lately!  My Protein Lassi isn’t as sweet as the commonly-seen mango, but I loved the savory flavors and the lightness of it (recipe at the end).

 

Why was my lassi a good pre-cursor to dinner?  I went to see Avenue Q (HILARIOUS!) last night, but prior to the play we hit up a local Indian restaurant called Planet Bombay (451 Moreland Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30307; 404-688-0005).

Funniest. Play. Ever.

 

If you haven’t seen this play (and aren’t easily offended), I highly recommend it!  Do not take your grandparents.

 

Back to the Planet Bombay…

 

My friend got the meat combo plate:

It cane with spring rolls, rice, naan, Chicken Saag, Chicken Tikka Massala, and some sort of beef dish (maybe Bhuna?).

The spring rolls and rice were boring, but the Saag and Tikka were really good!  The naan was on with right track with a bit of char, but it didn’t quite get to the point of awesome with the texture.

 

I chose a Tofu Tandoori:

The tofu itself was delicious.  It was done in a marinade of yogurt, lemon juice, and “special” tandoori sauce and was served on a sizzling hot plate with onions (side note: I love burnt onions… these made me happy).  The texture of the tofu was amazingly fluffy and the spice-level was just right for me.

It came with a side of rice, cucumber-yogurt dip, and roasted eggplant and zucchini in a tomato sauce.  They were just ok.

 

What was really, really good was the side of spinach rice (the green and white mound behind the tofu pictured above).  It was a Basmati rice cooked with a lot of spinach, onions, and butter. Delish.

 

At the end of the meal they brought out a bowl of fennel seeds that appeared to have Nerds sprinkled in it:

 

We couldn’t figure out what to do with it!  Does anyone know?!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Savory Protein Lassi

  • 1/4 C Greek-style yogurt
  • 1 C ice water
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 C spinach
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp rosemary

 

Put it all in the blender and mix until smooth!

Note: I would have added cardamon too if I’d had it on-hand.

***

Avenue Q is my new favorite play.  Those Bad Idea Bears had me rolling with laughter!

Have you seen Avenue Q?  Did you love it?

Are you a fan in Indian food? (Clearly, I cannot get enough.)


Rosebud Veggie Jam

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I woke up late.  My post is delayed.  I’m behind on my blog reading today.  I should have already been in to work.

A sure sign of a successful night!

The 65 degree sunny morning did call my name for a run.  It was the first since my Achilles began acting up last Saturday.  Flat surfaces were ok, but hills were impossible.  A few more days of rest and I’ll be good to go (I hope).

Stats:

  • Distance – 4 miles
  • Time – 32:40
  • Pace – 8:10

__________________________________________________________________________________

Last night was my second Atlanta blogger meet up.  In attendance:

Thanks to Lee for sharing the pic! 

Left to right:

Somehow I managed to talk one of my favorite local chefs, Ron Eyester, into creating a vegetarian tasting menu for us at the meat-centric Rosebud.

That’s an exaggeration.  Despite his scary Twitter persona, Ron is a great guy who agreed to take on the challenge almost immediately.  (Sorry for outing you as a nice guy, Ron.)

Ron is known more for his meats.  I eat meat and can vouch for the tastiness of his meat-centric dishes.  After tonight, I can also vouch for his veggie-centric dishes.

He introduced the “Veggie Jam” by emphasizing the importance of using fresh, local ingredients and allowing them to shine without “cooking the shit out of them.”  (<– direct quote)

***The details may be a bit off in some of these descriptions, but know that a lot of thought was put into using seasonal, fresh ingredients in each course.***

 

Like all good meals, this one began with a cocktail.

Our cocktail was made of tomato-infused vodka, cucumber shrub, and soda.  It was garnished with mini-heirloom tomatoes.  This drink was tasty, light and paired really well with the first couple of dishes.

1st Course

Pink-Eyed Pea Pate 

This was Ron’s take on a vegetarian pate.  It was made with pink-eyed peas and served atop a crusty toast with radishes.  The radishes set off the pate flavor and the creamy pate was complimented by the crunch of the bread.

2nd Course

Marinated mozzarella, tomato, cilantro, and apricot

This take on a caprese salad was a success.  Rosebud makes their own mozzarella in-house.  It’s more dense than a bufala, which worked well with the spicy-cilantro tomato sauce.

3rd Course

Heirloom tomatoes, pineapple, and sriracha sauce 

Heirloom tomatoes are just beginning to appear and these are some of the first local varieties to come available this season.  They were perfectly red (though you can’t tell from my iPhone photography!) and flavorful.

The pineapple topping was incredible – I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that combo before!  It was drizzled with a srircha-olive oil mixture and topped with an impossibly fresh piece of parsley.

Course 4

Chilled potato and broccoli soup 

Honestly, this wasn’t my favorite.  It was a bit salty.  The soup was a chilled potato with a scoop of broccoli soup in the middle.

My favorite part was the cheese powder and the local egg.  It was the same cheese Ron uses at The Family Dog (his bar across the street) to make his “Cheetoes.”  Do not miss these if you’re ever at the bar!

Course 5

Brussels with Red-Curry Peanut Sauce 

This course was my favorite.  Brussel sprouts tossed in a red curry-peanut sauce and roasted.  It was mixed with fresh parsley and topped with crispy wontons.  Served with a side of the saucy deliciousness.  It was all I could do to keep myself from licking the plate.

Ron – please add this to the menu.  Immediately. 🙂

Course 6

Mac ‘n Cheese

True to form, Ron cannot simply make a mac and cheese.  This incorporated Midnight Moon aged goat’s cheese, a creamy cow’s milk goat cheese, dinosaur kale, and cauliflower.

It should be noted that at this point I am FULL.  But I’m no quitter, y’all.

Course 7

Yellow filet beans and tempura eggplant

Yellow filet beans – according to Ron – are only in season for a few weeks in the spring.  Now is the time.  If you see them in your local market, I urge you to check them out.  They’re similar to a pole bean, though a bit sweeter.

Ron tossed them with zucchini, fresh oregano (perfect herb compliment for these!), feta, kalamata olives, and a light vinaigrette.  All of this was served over a tempura-battered eggplant and a red curry ketchup.

Course 8

Rice grits with oyster shrooms and baby leeks 

Rice grits are similar to risotto, but they retain more crunch.  In a good way.  These were fantastic with the earthy oyster mushrooms and baby leeks.  Ron told us there were 20 lbs of leeks in our 6 dishes!  The charred leek on the top was my favorite.

Our server brought out a bottle of a California Cabernet that paired well with this dish.  Often people don’t think to pair a “big” wine with a meat-less dish, but with an earth mushroom and a heavier grain it works really well!

Course 9

Blue Cheese + Blueberries

A wonderfully rich blue cheese topped with a balsamic-port reduction.  This was served with simple, plump blueberries.  Their sweetness was amazing and they definitely stole this show!

Course 10

Bruleed Peaches and Salted Caramel Ice Cream

We finished with a salted caramel ice cream from High Road Craft Ice Cream (now being sold locally at Whole Foods!).  This was served with bruleed peaches – topped with brown sugar and cloves.  Note to self: I under-utilize cloves.

Despite being stuffed, I somehow managed to finish my gigantic bowl.  Had I known the other ladies better, I might have asked to finish theirs too.

Ron brought over a very special treat from The Family Dog – locally-made bourbon!  It was great with the peaches and salty ice cream.  I am going to have dreams of it drizzled as a sauce and served over peach bread pudding.

Ron and the local moonshine… errr… whiskey

This a random, but I have to say that I appreciate a guy offering whiskey to a table of ladies (and me).  Thanks for not discriminating – I ♥ whiskey.

Our server, Amber was incredible.  Knowledgeable, the right amount of attentive, and incredibly nice.  I’d have a drink with her anytime… and I like that in a server.  If you are in the Atlanta area, check out Rosebud and ask for her!  Tell her Laura sent you. 🙂

This post would be remiss without giving Rosebud a brunch shout-out – it’s one of my top 5 in Atlanta (and Atlanta has a LOT of brunches).  Order the Big Nasty.  Just trust me.

Ron – when will you be opening a vegetarian restaurant?!

***

Thanks to Ron, Amber, Rosebud, and some awesome bloggers for an evening to remember!

Do you have local blogger/common-interest group meet-ups?  

What sorts of things do you do?

Souper Underground Supper Club

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Atlanta is BIG on Supper Clubs and special “Chef Series.”

Maybe it’s due to the economy?  

Make the ~$100 meal exclusive (i.e. limited seating) and people believe they are paying for something truly special.  Although it isn’t always perfectly executed (i.e. worth the price tag), my food adventures this week certainly were worth it!

Wednesday night’s dinner with Hugh Acheson was incredible.  Tonight’s dinner was equally good (if not better… shhhh!).

Given I’ve become a professional this week recently, I thought I’d share the ingredients for a exclusive fantastic dinner.

The Pre-Run:

  • Distance – 6.2 miles
  • Time: 52:38
  • Pace: 8:44

The Fabulous Friend:

Me with the lovely Kathleen

The Graceful Host:

The legendary Jennifer Levison of Souper Jenny

The Perfect Setting:

Secret Garden

The Talented Chef:

Jenny with Chef David Sweeny, formerly of Dynamic Dish

The Epic Entertainment:

That’s a belly dancer. With a wine glass on her head.

Do NOT try this at home (at least on a light colored rug)

The belly dancer was too cool.  She was dancing, shaking what her mamma gave her, and doing splits without spilling a drop of that wine on her head.  She’s my new idol.

Good food is also key.  This secret supper club succeeded.

The chef, David Sweeny, owned the now-defunct Dynamic Dish.  Dynamic Dish was a vegetarian restaurant in town.  In my opinion, it was one of the best overall restaurants.  Local, fresh ingredients were carefully prepared for the daily menu.  Why can’t places like this stay in business?!

Anyway, tonight we were lucky enough to enjoy David’s creations once again.  These dishes did include meat – I asked David if he was a vegetarian and found it funny that he is not.  Whatever, boy can cook!

90% of everything served was organic and locally sourced.  As in picked from a Georgia farm the day before this dinner. The meat was also local, sourced from a farm in North Georgia (who knew GA had lamb?!).

Hors d’oeuvres consisted of Borekas and pickled radishes (which I couldn’t stop eating).

Then we made our way to the garden for the cold course:

Cold Course

Clockwise, the plate consisted of:

  • M’Tabbal – puree of grilled eggplant, sesame, yogurt, cucumber, parsley, mint, and olives
  • Sesame Tandoori
  • Warak Ei Nab Zait – Wine leaves filled with Egyptian rice, lamb, beef, fennel, and Lebanese spice (my FAVORITE)
  • Tajan – spicy puree of sweet peppers, preserved lemon, pine nuts, and sesame
  • Heirloom tomatoes

While I could have eaten the cold course all night long, next up was the Hot Course:

Hot Course

  • Kefta Halabieh – grilled skewers of minced local lamb and beef
  • Grilled Summer Squash
  • Kofteuk Tabouleh – fine grain Syrian bulgar, mint, parsley, and turmeric
  • Crem Tum – creamy basil and garlic sauce (I wish I knew more because it was fantastic)
  • Tajan

What would any meal be without dessert?

Dessert

Homemade Baklava with Orange Cardamom Ice Cream and a Chocolate Caramel with Sea Salt.

One VERY important tip:

Look before you sip if you’re dining outside. 🙂

Thank you to Jenny, David, and the Souper Jenny team for an amazing, gourmet food-filled evening.  Not to mention some incredible dining companions.  I am so lucky to live in a town among such passionate, creative people.

If you’re ever in Atlanta don’t miss lunch at Jenny’s restaurant, Souper Jenny.

***

I think I’m developing a supper club addiction.

Would you have finished that glass of wine? (After fishing out the bug, of course.)

Did anyone else nearly melt in the heat this weekend? Not that I’m complaining…

Chef Summer Series – Hugh Acheson

By

Before I write about yet another gluttonous feast delicious dinner…

 

Let’s talk about running in 90 degree temps.

 

I took off today a little later than planned (see the last pic in the post for an explanation).  It was already closing in on 90 when I got outside to run.  Nothing like a little sweat.  My original plan was 7 miles.

My Reality:

  • Distance – 5 miles
  • Time – 41:58
  • Pace – 8:32

 

A good pace, but I think it’s just because I hauled it home at the end just to get it over with.  Seriously.

I have NEVER felt like I might puke during a run before.. Until today (no, it wasn’t the champagne, thankyouverymuch).  It was so hot and I was sweating so hard… not pretty.  I need hot weather running tips.  Or I need to wake up earlier.

 

There was a treat waiting for me when I got back.  The vegan SunWarrior Protein Powder I ordered arrived!  Vanilla flavor.

Still sweating, I got to work making a huge green vanilla-almond shake with my new powder.

 

I wanted SO badly to like it. The ingredients/nutrients are awesome.

It’s chalky and not-so-tasty.  Any one want a full (minus one scoop) bag of this?  I’ll ship it to ya!

_________________________________________________________________________________

Let’s talk about something much more delicious!  Wednesday night was a dinner of epic proportions.

 

One of the new friends I met while going solo to the Food and Wine Festival and I went to the first in a Chef’s Summer Series put on by ONE. Midtown Kitchen.

The series of dinners consists of 5 course meals with pairings prepared by some of Atlanta’s best chefs in conjunction with ONE’s chef, Drew Van Leuvan.  Last night’s meal with Hugh Acheson from Empire State South was outstanding!

James River Oyster with limoncello and lemon verbena

L to R: Summer Squash, Warm Bucheron, Veal Sweetbread, and Weisswurst all over Salsa Verde

Beets, Radishes, Arugula, Nasturtiums, and Pickled Ramps with a Charred Vidalia Cream

Beef Tartare with Cured Local Yolk, Crisp Tendon, Baby Fennel, and Tomato

Riverview Pork Loin with Braised Belly, Mixed Bean Escabeche, Sorghum & Green Tomato Chow Chow

Tres Leches with Blackberries, Lime Sugar, and Vanilla Lime Sorbet

The food was amazing. Except the oysters.  I do NOT like them, Sam I Am. Other than the ocean food, I can’t even choose a favorite course.

The flavors on each plate were spot on – they played off of each other such that each bite was better than the last.  Well done, Hugh and Drew!

Did I mention each course had champagne pairings?!

 

The champagne pairings were interesting.  I thought by the end they were a bit of a stretch (5 champagne pairings = HARD).  And I probably more champagne last night than I drank in all of 2010 combined.  Ouch.

My favorite by far was a Chateau St Michelle Luxe.  It paired really well with the tartare, something I didn’t think a sparkler could effectively do. At $20/bottle, it’s a get deal too!


We are planning to attend a few more.  June 29th with Bruce Logue from La Pietra Cucina is next on my list.  La Pietra is one of my top 5 restaurants in Atlanta!

***

Talk about a champagne high!  I’m going to take a teensy break from drinking.  At least until Supper Club Saturday.  Supper Clubs and Dinner Series are really popular here.

Do you have a lot of dinner events/clubs in your area?

Do you like the sweeter champagnes or dry?  Or do you care (mimosas anyone)?

 

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