Baci by Cafe at Pharr

Mussels of the day: today, served in a bacon cream sauce - we had to ask for more bread to sop up all the delicious sauce!

I was recently invited to check out Baci, a new restaurant by the owners of the famous Cafe at Pharr local chain. During lunch, Baci serves some of the same delicious salads and sandwiches offered at Cafe at Pharr (I'm partial to the curry and walnut chicken salad plates) but during dinner they have a totally different, delicious menu. The dinner menu is a combination of eclectic dishes that are both Mediterranean and Eastern (Asian) inspired. Since I adore all types of Asian food and really enjoy Mediterranean fare as well, this is a concept that makes me smile! The atmosphere at Baci is very inviting and once the liquor license comes through they expect to have an extensive wine list - all the better for enjoying at the bar. Service was excellent throughout our meal, which is always a good sign!

The lovely bar.



Japanese Ceviche - more like sashimi than ceviche!

We started with the delicious mussels, pictured up top, served with grilled bread. The chef's preparation, which changes regularly, included a bacon cream sauce which provided a tasty bath for the succulent, plump mussels - definitely a good choice. We saw other tables with the Mediterranean tasting plate, which looked like a good option for group sharing. The Japanese ceviche is more like sashimi with ponzu sauce and jalepeno slices. Although I enjoyed the raw salmon (I always love raw salmon) it was definitely not what we were expecting from "ceviche".

Baci burger - all Kobe beef served with homemade pickles and duck fat fries - yum!

The best entree we tried was the Chilean sea bass, served with perfect Japanese rice on the side and a bed of spinach over a Hong Kong soy broth; the flavor is light, delicate and fantastic. The burger (above) is unique in that only certified Kobe beef is used. This results in a juicy, extremely flavorful burger. Although I loved the idea of duck fat fries these did not taste much different from other fries I've enjoyed lately - I guess I expected a meatier flavor. But you don't need it when you have the Kobe beef. In order to try more from the menu, we also sampled the chef's risotto of the day: butternut squash.

Chilean sea bass with white rice (served on the side) and spinach. Favorite of the meal!



Butternut squash risotto - very tasty albeit a bit chewy.



Dessert sampler: red velvet cake, lemon fruit tart with raspberries, blueberries and kiwi and moon pie and salted caramel gelatos from Honeysuckle Gelato. All of the desserts were excellent, especially the unique gelato flavors which change on a weekly basis.



Nespresso selection and beautiful cafe latte.

Baci is a great new option in Brookhaven. I look forward to returning to try more from the menu, especially since the selections change frequently.

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

Capital Grille - New Winter Plates Menu

Wagyu cheeseburger with fried egg and crisp onions with side of roasted root vegetables.

I was invited to come try Capital Grille's new addition to the lunch plates menu: Wagyu cheeseburger, roasted root vegetables and roasted pepper soup. The plates menu allows customers to choose a soup/salad, main dish and side for $16 at lunchtime. Other selections include the lobster roll (below) and mini-tenderloin sandwiches as well as clam chowder and truffle fries.

The new burger is delicious - the fried egg and onions adding extra flavor to the already rich Wagyu beef. The term "Wagyu" means Japanese cow and refers to several breeds of cattle (including Kobe) whose meat is genetically predisposed to better than average marbling, leading to tastier, more tender, juicier meat. This is definitely my top pick from the plates menu. The roasted root vegetables are also tasty, basted in olive oil with rosemary peeking through. The roasted pepper soup is another winner - skip the salad and try this soup instead - it has a nice bold flavor.

As always the service at the Capital Grille was delightful and the upscale atmosphere including the stellar views of Atlanta can't be beat for a special occasion or business meeting.

Roasted Pepper Soup and mixed greens.



Lobster roll with French green beans. Good amount of lobster meat but not served warm like in New England!



Trio of ice creams with cookies. I always love ice cream, especially when it's homemade. The cookies were chewy and tasty - a treat to end the meal.

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

Burger Tap: The New Neighbor in Morningside - Grand Opening January 20

Truffle Burger with fried zucchini and the Classic Burger with sweet potato fries.

I sampled Morningside's new Burger Tap soon after its soft opening. You order at the counter, where several beer taps are also available. The look is industrial, with metal tables and clean lines, which may be a bit too "trendy" for maximizing business in this location. I hope they decide to install padding on the benches and add some individual tables to the large space in front.

I enjoyed the food, especially the truffle burger with gruyere, fried onions, garlic mayo and a truffle glaze and the fried zucchini. The burgers are served in a unique shape (rectangular) which seems to cause some people to feel that they are too small. I think the size is fine so long as you are up for one of the side dishes. If not, you may want to order 2 burgers. The sweet potato fries are made using Korean white sweet potatoes - a different taste and feel from the usual but good.

I'd like to see a wider variety of non-alcoholic beverages as well as more desserts - they have ice cream which can be made into a float. It would also be nice to have a more kid-friendly space. I learned that since my visit they have added a price-sensitive kids meal which is a great idea.

The restaurant holds its grand opening this weekend with the following specials:

Friday, January 20th from 6 - 11 p.m. Burger Tap will offer $.25 (twenty-five cent) pints of Bud Light, Newcastle or PBR when you purchase a burger. 50% off all other beer selections.

Saturday, January 21st from 12 noon - 7 p.m. Burger Tap will treat children 12 and under to a complimentary Kid's Meal, which includes a hamburger or cheeseburger, side of fries and a juice box.

Check out Burger Tap for yourself and let me know what you think!

The beer taps.



Dining area - there is outdoor seating also.



Southwestern Burger with fried jalepeno.



View of the kitchen and condiment station.

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

Pinky's Westside Grill - Charlotte

Right after our big honeymoon trip (more on that soon) and after a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner the day before, Calvin, my dad and I decided to check out Pinky's Westside Grill in Charlotte on West Morehead Avenue. This neighborhood is undergoing a pretty significant awakening and I'm excited to try some of the other newbies in the neighborhood also.

Pinky's serves a good burger and offers several eclectic twists, both on their burgers and other menu items that make it stand out as a causal dining joint. In addition to the tasty beef burgers, Pinky's serves hot dogs, falafel, veggie/turkey burgers and various baskets, salads and sandwiches as well. I look forward to returning to try the corn dog shrimp, the falafel and the "kinda fried turkey" sandwich.

We all tried the basic burger (the Pterodactyl), which is only available one temperature (per NC law a burger cannot be prepared rare anyway). At $3.75 (without a side but including generous toppings) it is a good value. We each tried a different topping style. Topping styles include Everything (mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion & dill pickle), Westside (mustard, chili, slaw and onion) and Ding-Dong Style (crunchy peanut butter, honey-cilantro slaw and hot sriracha sauce). I tried the Ding-Dong Style and loved it! Of course, having come from Thailand it was rather ironic that the waiter described it as their "Thai style" burger. We also shared some crab puppies as an appetizer - sweet crabmeat folded into large hush puppies and side orders of southern slaw, onion rings (more like straws) and fried squash. The sides didn't really stand out - the onion rings and squash were sliced too thin for my taste but maybe others like them this way. I preferred the cilantro-honey slaw on the burger to the southern style slaw. The only other negative is that the place is rather loud, although not as bad as some. I look forward to dining here again on the patio when the weather warms up in the spring!

Roxx Tavern

Bacon cheeseburger with homemade chips.

Although we don't live far away, we'd never tried Roxx Tavern before our neighbor suggested that we go there for dinner one night. We really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and the huge menu as well as the good service. We even went back again recently because they sent Calvin a $15 gift certificate for his birthday. The fish & chips were really tasty and the burgers are also excellent. We sat on the patio (enclosed for the cooler season now) both times we dined at Roxx and truly enjoyed the experience.

Fish & Chips.



Harvest salad with grilled chicken.



Fried twinkies.



Carrot cake - special of the day.

George's

George's famous onion rings.

We recently dined with our neighbors and played trivia at George's, a long time Virginia Highland neighborhood hangout. The restaurant's tables are covered with small plaques identifying the famous people who have dined at each particular table - neat idea and fun to know you are sitting where someone famous once sat!

Trivia happens on Tuesday nights here and there were several die-hard and very smart teams participating, although we thought that one of them violated the "no smart phone" ban. Although we did not come close to winning the trivia competition, we had a great time and enjoyed the atmosphere and good burgers. In my opinion this is one of the better burgers in Atlanta; without getting into the burger war debate I will say that George's burgers are cooked properly, delicious and not outrageously priced. The onion rings were a bit hit, too. The only miss was the shrimp po'boy, which I probably should not have ordered after hearing about the great burgers! Now I know.

The above smaller size burger is also available.

Shrimp po'boy. Don't fall for it. Get a burger!

Mushroom swiss burger.

Bacon cheeseburger with tots.

Chocolate cake at Jimmy Carter's seat.

Chef G's Burger Bar at Park 75

House Grind with Sweet Potato Fries.

I was recently invited to sample Chef G's (Gerstenecker's) Burger Bar in the kitchen of the Park 75 restaurant, located inside Atlanta's Four Season's Hotel in midtown. The Burger Bar is open each Wednesday and includes 2 seatings with 8 people each. Reservations are accepted. The neatest part of the experience for me was getting inside the kitchen of such a high class restaurant and watching the many chefs prepare not just our burgers and accompaniments, but also the rest of the food served out in the dining room.

Luckily, I was able to share both the Buford Highway Duck Burger and the House Grind Burger, which gave me a good sampling of the burger menu that week. My favorite was the House Grind, topped with Pimena cheese, fried green tomato and chow-chow. I also tried all of the side dishes - the sweet potato fries and the poutine definitely won out for me. I also loved the housemade pickles, served in a jar at the high-top steel table. This is a unique Atlanta experience and I recommend it for a fun lunch. The milkshakes (available in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and red velvet) added a nice nostalgic touch and I loved going up to the roof to see the herbs and the honeybees after the meal.

The experience starts here.

They even have ice made from tea so as not to dilute your ice tea with water - neat idea.

Buford Highway Duck Burger with Onion Rings - my selection.

The burger options change frequently, with four options available any given week.

One strawberry and five red velvet milkshakes.

House grind with loaded tots.

On the roof Chef G grows herbs used to enhance the restaurant's dishes.

He also raises honeybees and makes candies from the delicious honey.

100th Birthday and Another Lovely Birthday Cake

100 Years and counting... my stepdad's mom Annette. Many of us call her "Aunt Anne".







She requested a cookout...







My mom had this neat cake made commemorating Aunt Anne's many years in Philadelphia (1928 - 2005) as well as her 100 years. Aunt Anne kept insisting, "I am not 100!"







Dips made by my fabulous sister-in-law Nicole. Yum.







My DH, the grill master on the giant Foreman. It was a wonderful celebration of a long life. We look forward to 101 next summer!







Another birthday, another cake - this one for our friend Dana in Atlanta.