Broadway Cafe

Pesto pasta with feta - delish.

One cold wet evening we were looking for a quick bite and decided to try Broadway Cafe, a Kosher dairy restaurant at the corner of LaVista and Briarcliff. The menu is varied and includes some faux meat dishes as well as pastas, salads and pizzas. From what we could tell the pastas are really a great way to go and I enjoyed the below Middle Eastern platter as well. The pesto pasta is very creamy, made even more delicious by the addition of sun dried tomatoes and feta cheese. We tried the garlic knots to start and although we enjoyed them, they did not have enough real garlic for my taste. Definitely a good place for vegetarians and for those who are open to a meatless meal once in awhile.

Mediterranean sampler - they forgot to bring the hummus but once I asked some was brought out quickly.



Garlic knots - more buttery than garlicky but satisfyingly chewy.

Tantra Restaurant & Lounge

Signature dish - seared ostrich with mushrooms and onions. This is one tasty steak, and healthier for you than beef too.

I was invited to try Tantra back in May. Located on Peachtree Road, next door to Imperial Fez, Tantra is a real treat. Calvin and I enjoyed a spectacular meal with great ambiance and service. The hummus with lamb and the scallops were my favorite dishes and the desserts were awesome too. They also offer an ostrich filet, which is very tender and delicious - something different is always fun too. This is a great special occasion place and with the lovely bar, also a nice place for drinks and appetizers or dessert!

Tasty, although a bit salty, flat bread provided at the beginning of the meal with a tasty herb butter - we liked the butter so much we had to ask for more!



Lamb tartar with shallot butter on matzah - very tasty and unique, but not as much lamb flavor as the hummus with lamb, below.



Hummus tahini with sauteed lamb - one of my favorite dishes of the evening. Absolutely delicious!



Mussels with red bell pepper coconut broth - also outstanding.



Basil Caramelized Scallops - another winner. I love this dish. Basil, scallops, whipped potatoes and greens. Yum.



Tantra has several inventive cocktails including the Tantric, left, which includes fresh thyme and Elderflower liquor.



Lemon scented Italian doughnuts + warm white chocolate cake with vanilla-lavender ice cream and berries. Both of these are wonderful and unique. I was already full when I got to the dessert course but I had to taste these anyway - so glad I did!



Espresso and Sambuca drink - great way to end the evening.



The dining room is dark, romantic and sensual - as it should be at a place called Tantra!



Nicely decorated bar area.

Sonny's Place

Turkey Sharma.

Soon after Sonny's Place opened, we tried it for lunch on a weekday, looking forward to a great spread of a Middle Eastern buffet - boy do I miss the Cedars which used to be on Lenox! The place was almost empty and we enjoyed talking with the manager, who was very friendly. The food we tried was good, although I was a bit disappointed with the falafel, which was rather dry to me. Also, it was disappointing that the lunch buffet had very recently been discontinued before our visit. Still, I really enjoyed the hummus and the turkey "sharma" - which must be akin to the usual lamb/been "schwarma" as well as the fresh tasting salad. I'd like to go back and try more here although I was also very excited about the fact that Sonny's originally offered breakfast all day. According to their website, that seems to have changed and salads, sandwiches and Middle Eastern specialties dominate the menu.

Sampler Patter.

Ziba's Restaurant and Wine Bar in Grant Park

Olive and nut plate - the olives were outstanding.

Back in October I met up with my book club at Ziba's Restaurant and Wine Bar. I'd heard about Ziba's for some time but this group meeting made for the perfect opportunity to check it out. The funniest part was that another book club was meeting there on the same night!

The menu.



The inviting patio.



Yucca Frites.



Crispy Artichoke.

Our group enjoyed sharing several small plates and entrees. After finding out about my food blog the owner graciously sent over some freebies from the kitchen. I really enjoyed the clams with sausage and the quail. The atmosphere was perfect for our group meeting - not too loud and very inviting. As we were leaving, they were gearing up for some dance lessons.

Stuffed dates - I love this presentation!



Persian Meatballs.



Citrus braised baby octopus with clams.



Crabcake entree.



Clams and Merguez Sausage - a surprise highlight of the meal.



Grilled quail (back) and grilled calamari with artichokes (front). The quail was very tasty and the calamari definitely had a unique preparation.

Overall I was a bit disappointed with the food. For example, the meatballs were dry and there was something off about the octopus, which I was so excited about when I ordered it. I think it would work better with sliced octopus rather than small baby octopus, which dried out easily. I would give Ziba's another try sometime, though, as I don't like to judge a place based solely on one visit. There were also several dishes I liked a lot, as indicated above.

Sheik Burritos n Kabobs

Camelback on Persian flatbread and shrimp tacos.

Sheik Burritos n Kabobs is a relatively new and very unique dining establishment on Piedmont, not far from the Cheshire Bridge split. The concept combines Southwest with Middle Eastern, an interesting combination to say the least! What I like: owner Jahan Ostad's laid back, jovial personality, the feast-n-june sauce - composed of slightly sweet pomegranate and ground walnuts with julienned carrots, the Chic eggplant dip and the use of organic and local meat. I also really loved the Persian flat bread on my first visit, but the second time around it tasted too chewy and not so fresh. I am also not really digging the chips with hummus and would prefer something more like pita bread be served with the dips. Still, this place is definitely worth checking out; I understand they do a steady lunch and takeout business as well. Catering is also available.

Hummus & chips.

Kabob Grill - Charlotte

Kabob Grill's wonderful "Hommos dip".

Kabob Grill is one of my Charlotte mainstays. I enjoy the freshness and quality of the ingredients as well as the causal, laid-back atmosphere. The hummus (hommos) is really excellent here. My other favorite dish is the lamb kabob wrap - really tasty. Over Thanksgiving I returned here with Calvin, my dad and a family friend - a great lunch choice!

Daily special - ground lamb with potatoes and rice in a tomato sauce.



Stuffed grape leaves.



Lamb and falafel wraps.

Martha's Vineyard Eats 2009

Clams & ussels in a spicy sauce - my favorite!

Every year I try to make it to the island of Martha's Vineyard for at least a long weekend. The laid back culture, beautiful scenery and fresh seafood make for a relaxing and fun vacation - this is why President Obama decided to vacation here! My aunt and uncle own a very nice house with a great location on the island and graciously invite us to stay every year. For rental information, click here.

This year Cal and I went over a long weekend in October - great weather and a fun time had by all (as usual). We ate out several times during our stay and enjoyed my aunt's wonderful cooking as well.

Near the beginning of our stay we dined at il tesoro in Edgartown at the Charlotte Inn. Overall I was pleased with the experience, especially the spicy mussel and clam appetizer my dad ordered (above), the pesto gnocci (below) and the dessert.

Swordfish.



Sole.



Tuna steak - very good.



Seafood pasta special - not as flavorful as I would have liked. Next time I'll stick with the tomato version. Also, it was supposed to have lobster in it but I don't remember tasting any.



Veal Marsala.



Pesto Gnocci - light and deliciously garlicky. Highly recommended by my cousin Amanda!



Dessert selection - we tasted several of these. My favorite was the berry tart.



Had to go for a lobster roll - following a long bike ride, this was tasty and I enjoyed the sweet potato fries, too.

One day for lunch we went to Fishbone's in Oak Bluffs (not sure why their address on urbanspoon is listed as Vineyard Haven). Our lunch was fine and it was nice to sit near the boats docked nearby.

Cal tried the Fish & Chips. He liked this dish, although I think we were so hungry we would have enjoyed anything!

Our last night on the Vineyard we dined at The Mediterranean in Oak Bluffs. While some of the dishes were noteworthy and tasty, the entire experience was dampened by the extremely slow service and bloopers made throughout the evening including raw eggplant being served under a fried eggplant sandwich, cold food and bad coffee. The restaurant was practically empty so there was no reason for our meal to take 3 hours.

Tapas portions of calamari and carmelized sea scallop with fig sauce - good.



One of the Greek pasta dishes - I can't remember which one - not listed on the online menu. I do remember it was tasty.



Pizza.



Mussel tangine - the best savory dish of the meal; interesting spices used to enhance the fresh seafood.



Lamejun - an interesting melange of flavors but this version turned out dry.



Falafel with rice.



"The Stack" - for some reason this fried eggplant sandwich was served atop raw eggplant this evening - very strange indeed.



The best part of the meal with the burnt sugar ice cream that accompanied this giant and dense chocolate cake.



Mocha creme brulee was also tasty.