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.

HD1 - The Trendy New Hot Dog Joint

From top: the Eastbound & Down (with pulled pork), the Classic dog and the Jerk Chicken.

I recently succumbed to the hype and tried HD1, Richard Blais' "haute doggery" of recent fame. Not being a huge hot dog fan, I enjoyed it more than I expected, especially the Merguez (lamb sausage with currants, minted cucumber relish and yogurt) and the Jerk Chicken (chicken sausage with mango pork ragout, curry ketchup and ginger crunch). The fries were also tasty as was the peanut butter soft serve ice cream (not pictured).

The space here is trendy, as one would expect from a Blais establishment, although it is not as hypertrendy as Flip. The service was a bit slow. There are communal tables, a bar and high-stool tables (where we sat), none of which make for a very comfy situation. The better to get 'em in and get 'em out, most likely. Overall I suggest giving it a try - definitely a unique concept in Atlanta.

Waffled fries with "maple-oy", the Merguez (lamb dog) and the beet salad.

Muir Glen Tomato Dinner at Aria - Take 2

Fried Green Tomatoes with Deviled Egg Salad, Ruby Red Tomato & Dill Pickle Dressing.

I was excited to be invited to the second Muir Glen Tomato Dinner at Aria - I attended the first one earlier this year and you can see my post here. In celebration of its fine tomatoes, Muir Glen invites chefs around the country to create recipes using their organic canned tomatoes. Some chefs create a whole menu for guests to try at a special dinner. Before we sat down we enjoyed Tomato Clam Chowder; Tomato, white bean, red chard & fennel sausage soup; spicy Angus beef grillades and Southern Fried Chicken with Creamy Ruby Red Tomato Gravy (both served on buttermilk biscuits); grilled cheese, bacon & tomato keasters and Oak Grilled Ciabatta Bruschetta with Red & Yellow tomatoes and basil.

My favorites included the tomato, white bean, chard & sausage soup and the grilled cheese - both used the flavorful tomatoes perfectly.

Chef Gary Klaskala of Aria explaining the special tomato menu.

After the appetizers mentioned above, we sat down for a four course menu. We were also provided with samples of the tomatoes and reserve tomatoes - this year the reserve is called Harvest Sunset (trademark) and is a blend of red and yellow tomatoes. You can order a reserve basket here, which includes the recipe for the beef dish pictured below.

I am looking forward to making some chilli very soon using my tomatoes. I especially love the fire roasted tomatoes that Muir Glen produces. These tomatoes take canned to another level. To see recipe ideas, click here.

Pan Roasted Jumbo Prawn with Herbed Lobster Ruby Red Tomato Broth



Spicy Braised Angus Beef with Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Tomatillos, Gold Potatoes and Cilantro. This was my favorite dish (well, after the dessert!)



UpsideDown Tomato Cake with black Pepper Tomato Ice Cream. Simply delicious - it sounds odd but a very good combination!

Cakes & Ale - New Location + Bakery

Fabulous fried okra.

After reading several wonderful reviews of the recently relocated Cakes & Ale in Decatur, I decided to try it out with my dad during his visit to Atlanta. We had a lovely dinner with gracious service, delicious food and a wonderful setting. The new space includes a large bar/table area, another large dining room and the attached, quaint cafe/bakery where breads, pastries and coffees as well as lunch are available. Many of the plates are small, sharing plates, which works just fine for me since you get to try more this way. I can't wait to return here to try more - the menu changes daily so there is always more to try!

Vermont burrata cheese with roasted broccoli, arugula and cherry tomatoes in a light dressing. The cheese paired perfectly with the house-made bread.



The delicious bread selection kept coming. You can buy whole loaves in the bakery as well. They also made me a lime/ginger "mocktail", which was delicious.



Squid stuffed with farro, frisee & feta, beet & frisee salad - one of my favorite items.



Gnocchi with rabbit ragu and mustard greens.



Roasted squash with rosemary - delicious and not too strong of a rosemary flavor.



Top: Pecan Tart with Cinnamon Ice Cream; bottom: brioche donuts with squash ice cream & pumpkin seed brittle - really unique. Both were sublime.

Sushi House Hayakawa

Today's specials with complementary bean sprouts. The green tea hit the spot as well.

I finally made it to Sushi House Hayakawa, an Atlanta area destination sushi spot worth the drive and the cost. Owner/head chef Atsushi (Art) Hayakawa is from Sapporo, Japan and has worked in the sushi business for many years, including in several other quality local establishments. He finally opened his own sushi restaurant in 2008 and it has retained a following ever since. Not only does Sushi House Hayakawa have great sushi, it also has a large menu of Japanese home style dishes as well as daily specials printed on special cards. I enjoyed everything that I tried and look forward to returning again.

Mother's onion miso soup. This was truly outstanding - so different from regular miso with bold onion flavor.



Avocado tofu salad - very tasty, mild and unique and fried oysters - also delicious.



Sashimi platter.



Outside the small restaurant.



Salmon Torch Roll - absolutely delicious! Salmon is my favorite type of sushi and this did not disappoint.



Takoyaki topped with bonito flakes - Wow - finally found another place that serves these tasty Osaka treats. I still haven't found any that equal the quality of the street food in Japan but it's still fun to be able to experience these unique flavors and interesting presentation.



Mochi ice cream dessert - green tea and sesame flavors. These were really delicious and brought back fond memories of Japan.



Chef Hayakawa (left).



Ikura - part of the sushi and sashimi platter - gleefully salty as they should be and served over perfect rice.

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.