NYC - Out and About

Taco and really good tamale from a NYC taco truck (truck pictured below).

More culinary adventures from our November NYC trip... look for additional posts on NYC in the next week.

Later, craving a little something sweet, we stopped by Creprie in Greenwich Village.

Making my delicious butter sugar crepe.

Calvin checks out the taco truck.

Lunch at Anis

Salade Nicoise.

I dined out for lunch with a friend recently at Anis Cafe & Bistro, located on Grandview Avenue in Buckhead. This adorable restaurant is owned and managed by native Frenchmen and we were delighted to hear French being spoken at several tables on the porch where we sat under an umbrella on a still hot September day. We started with the mussels (not pictured) which we inhaled before I thought of photographing them. As with good French mussels, they reeked of butter, white wine and especially garlic. The warm sliced bread served alongside made for perfect dipping, while the harder rolls went untouched. We opted to skip the fries, which are offered as an option to make a true "moules frites" - this would be a great entree choice, too.

The above Salade Nicoise was perfectly executed with generous slices of seared Ahi tuna, a very light, tasty olive salad dressing and the requisite potato, pepper and egg offerings. The below quiche of the day - tomato and spinach if I'm remembering correctly featured a light, flaky, delicious crust and a very classic quiche filling.

For dessert we enjoyed profiteroles - a classic, playfully spruced up by the juxtaposition of chocolate ice cream in one and vanilla in the other. A perfect ending to a weekday lunch treat.

Quiche of the day.



Profiteroles - one chocolate and one vanilla.

Crepes and Sausages - More from Prague

Sausage stand in Prague's Old Town Square.

One of the great things about traveling is trying the local street food, which in Prague, included lots of sausages. We kept thinking about trying one of these tasty-smelling puppies from the street vendor in the old town square, but somehow we never tried one. Calvin did try a sausage from another street vendor elsewhere in Prague and we were underwhelmed at the quality. For some reason I think we'd played up the sausages or else we did not go to the right place.

On the other hand, the crepe place we found and tried one day for a late lunch, was quite tasty, although not up to France standards. I thoroughly enjoyed my dessert crepe and stole a few tastes of the savory crepe also. I promise to post about another destination spot soon!

Crepe with camembert, ham and olives.



Crepe with ice cream, nuts and chocolate sauce, with whipped cream.



Crepe Menu.

Social on West Peachtree

Duck confit salad with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.

On Friday night we found ourselves downtown without a plan. Luckily I remembered hearing about Social and decided to find it. I am so glad we did. I regret not photographing the inside of the restaurant, but photos are available on their website. Even though it was a Friday, the place was not packed (it should be, but I was glad for the space!) and we were seated at a high table near the bar.

Our waiter, who is from France, took good care of us, pointing out the specials on the board and bringing bread (and more bread) at Calvin's request! The eggplant "caviar" - no real fish eggs included - delighted with its freshness and smooth texture. It reminded us of guacamole, but with eggplant instead of avocado. The trick, we found out, is that they roast or grill the tomatoes, and use several spices that really make this a winning appetizer. I definitely look forward to returning here. There is also a lunch menu including sandwiches as well as a selection of tagines (stews originating in northern Africa), both with lamb and vegetarian. Overall, a great find!

Bread with balsamic & olive oil dipping sauce and eggplant "caviar" appetizer - so fresh and delicious.



Pan seared diver scallops with ratatouille, risotto and lobster broth. The scallops were a tiny bit overcooked but the flavors really worked. I loved the ratatouille and the lobster broth - very rich!



Lavender-infused creme brulee = wonderful.

Cafe Intermezzo

Banana chocolate chip cake.

Last week I had a business lunch at Cafe Intermezzo near Perimeter Mall. There is also a location in Buckhead. They have a wide-ranging menu including savory crepes, salads, sandwiches and entrees. Inside there are display cases with cakes galore! I did not sample the crepe or the Waldorf salad, pictured below, but both of my dining companions enjoyed their meals. The turkey sandwich was tasty; I liked the addition of granny smith apple slices. The banana chocolate chip cake was quite sweet and had good flavor, although not any better than my chocolate chip banana bread! The atmosphere inside is nice, and there is a patio also. It has a real European feel, which is complemented by the foreign languages they play in the restrooms! Next time I will have to try one of the crepes.

Waldorf chicken salad sandwich.

Turkey DeLuxe sandwich with swiss and apple on croissant.

Chicken Duxelle Crepe.

Spinach side salad.

Joli Kobe Saturday Lunch

Out front at the Midtown location.

On Saturday after a successful and sample-filled trip to Costo, I ventured to Joli Kobe Bakery & Cafe in Midtown. The atmosphere is very nice, similar to some of the Korean bakeries I've visited. Several customers appeared to be enjoying coffee and pastries rather than full lunch. The chicken mushroom crepe was delicious, definitely the standout. I wasn't a big fan of the vegetarian panini but I think it's because there was some kind of olive spread on it. I want to return to try their curried chicken salad, which is one of my favorite lunch items. The creme brulee was fantastic and we (including a very precocious and curious almost 6-year-old who was with me) were able to watch the waitress torch the top to a nice, carmelized brown. The waitress said they are fairly busy at lunch and parking could be a problem, but if you come on Saturday or on an off time from lunch - anytime other than 12 to 1 - you should be fine. Joli Kobe is right next to La Pietra Cucina, a restaurant I still need to visit.

Joli Kobe's menu.

Grilled vegetable sandwich with potato salad.

Chicken mushroom crepe with greens.

Chocolate eclair with chocolate filling and creme brulee.

View cakes and to-go boxes in the refrigerated case. Breads for purchase are also available.