Buckhead Diner's New Menu Items

Today's "Ceviche" Day Boat - Calamari and scallops with mango, papaya, melon, shallots and sweet potato and plantain chips - my favorite dish!

I was recently invited to a tasting at Buckhead Diner, organized by Atlanta Food Bloggers Society. Chef Charles Schwab is at the helm of this established Buckhead meeting spot where the warm Maytag Blue Cheese potato chips and veal and wild mushroom meatloaf are adored standards. In addition to the classics, there are quite a few new items on the menu and our sampling was comprised of these new additions. Everything we tried was quite tasty. My favorites include the ceviche (above), the Cobb salad (below) and the turkey Breast Jardiniere (not pictured) - a light entree of wood grilled turkey topped with fresh asparagus, tiny tomatoes, radishes, fingerling potatoes, arugula and a very tasty lemon vinaigrette. I look forward to trying Buckhead Diner again and for all you long-time fans - you must try the new menu!

Spicy "Pow Pow" Rock Shrimp.



Pimento Cheese fritters with spicy pimento jelly. Loved the jelly with these tasty fritters.



White truffle deviled eggs - this delicious delight started off our tasting.



Flatbread vegetarian pizza.



Cobb Salad - so pretty and delicious.



Horseradish Crusted Maine Cod + summer bean and corn succotash. The vegetables really shined here.



White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie - a classic favorite.

Poquito - Latin American Cuisine in San Francisco's Dogpatch Neighborhood

Churrasco - most delicious steak EVER! Grilled beef with a fried egg on a bed of rice, sweet plantains and spinach salad.

While in the Bay area recently, I truly enjoyed my visit to Poquito, a Latin American Tapas Bar in San Francisco's Dogpatch neighborhood. Poquito was a highlight, not only because of the unique Latin American flavors but also because of the excellent service and variety of dishes offered. The above steak was excellent, something I would order again in a heartbeat and I am not usually a steak person. The sweet plantains and Spinach salad with cheese and dried fruit only added additional bursts of flavor to the mouthwatering steak, paired perfectly with a fried egg and delicious rice. Yes even the rice was better than usual.

L to R: Habas Fritas (fava beans, fried and salted); Chulpi (Ecuadorean corn kernels); Tostado (crunchy corn kernels, the Andean version of popcorn). Order one of these for an authentic South American start to the meal - great paired with drinks also.



Street sign.



Full bar.



Dining room.



Arepa con relleno - plain arepa topped with pork fritada, green onions, sweet plantain, cheese and white beans. Cheesy and delicious.



Shrimp tacos on jicama wrappers with pickled slaw and guanabana balsamic reduction. I LOVE the use of jicama instead of a tortilla - makes it healthier and adds a wonderful crunch to the delicious shrimp taco.



Homemade Hibiscus Cooler - yum. Other non-alcoholic drinks offered: Guanabana, Blackberry, Guayaba, Naranjilla or Lucuma smoothies as well as Hibiscus soda and Guava and Mango Nectar. Poquito has a full bar as well.



Shrimp Ceviche, Ecuadorean style. I love ceviche and this did not disappoint. The Eduadorean style was full of tomatoes and adding popcorn and tostado enriched the crunch factor.



Empanadas: 3 varieties are offered. These cheese and bean ones were delicious.



Empanadas de Aire con guayaba - sugar crusted empanadas with guava & cheese filling. Although stuffed I had to try these and again, a new delicious flavor. These would be great for breakfast with a cup of coffee!



Yours truly with co-owner Jason Yoo. Richard Vila is the second owner. If you live in SF or if you are visiting, this is a really neat place to try. I look forward to visiting again someday.

Santiago's Bodega - Key West

Spring mix with duck confit, dried cranberries, walnuts, and red onions tossed with a citrus-ginger vinaigrette.

On what we thought was our last night in Key West, we took it up a notch and dined at Santiago's Bodega, recently renovated to include more seating . We snagged a highly coveted patio seat and enjoyed the breezy, warm evening. The food was definitely fancier than any other place we went on the island and we really enjoyed it.

Special soup - unfortunately can't remember exactly what kind - note to self* take better notes!



Yellowfin tuna ceviche - huge chunks of fish - almost too big, very briny and acidic.



Camembert wedge topped with sautéed garlic, onions, almonds, apricots, and red bell peppers with crostini - delicious!



Chicken skewers.



Bread pudding and ice cream.

Alonzo's Oyster Bar - Key West's Famous Happy Hour

Fried calamari and mussels diablo. In the back - REAL fish sticks!

After hearing about it from the staff at our B&B, we had to try the famous happy hour at Alonzo's Oyster Bar. Great drink specials and all appetizers are 50% off. The conch chowder and mussels were definitely highlights. The fried food - not so much. I should have ordered the peel'n'eat shrimp, which I later heard is really their specialty and of course, it's hard to mess up steamed shrimp if they are really fresh. We got there just as the deal started and by the time we left there was a wait. This place is in the marina and huge fish (not sure what kind - anyone know the ones that hang out in the harbor?) prowl around right by the dock!

Conch Ceviche.

Outside Alonzo's. We saw some giant fish hanging out in the harbor.

Conch Chowder.

Tin Can Fish House & Oyster Bar

Platter of Calamari, ahi tuna ceviche and bang bang shrimp.

I was invited to come try Tin Can Fish House & Oyster Bar, a fairly new restaurant in Sandy Springs. As I don't get OTP very often, this was a bit of a trek , but still not too far all things considered. Although the restaurant sits in a shopping center, it does a good job of getting that neighborhood feel. I could see folks who live nearby coming here frequently and they also do a good job making it family-friendly. Kids can draw on huge chalkboards on the front side of the restaurant, providing a fun activity for the younger set.

We tried a variety of items from the menu, my favorite being the horseradish-crusted grouper. For my sides I chose cheese grits (yum) and very good steamed vegetables. On the appetizer platter we ordered, the calamari and bang bang shrimp were average although the ceviche a nice touch. The mussels were pretty good and I enjoyed the raw oysters despite the grit in a couple of them. Other than the grouper, the seafood was nothing special, but I do appreciate what Tin Can is trying to do - service was attentive and the neighborhood feel is something not to be taken for granted.

Menu.

Traditional White Mussels.

Bloody Mary Oysters.

Horseradish crusted grouper with veggies and cheese grits - my favorite dish of the night.

Shrimp and oyster po'boy.

Blonde brownie Sundae.