The Common Market, Southend - Charlotte

Deli Counter

Last time I was in Charlotte I ventured into the Common Market's South End location for a quick lunch. What a great place! There are all sorts of goodies including beer/wine, prepared salads, soups, breakfast and lunch sandwiches and desserts and lots of specialty items including fresh pasta you could take home to cook for dinner. They also do Sunday brunch with a special menu. There are several tables for eating in and they do a large takeout business as well. Every week they have a wine tasting and a beer tasting and live music nights are not uncommon :)

After much deliberation I tried the Soup-O-Rama which includes grilled cheese made with your choice of cheeses and optional tomato and a large soup. The soup selections change frequently but were very impressive. I tried the red pepper gruyere (I think that was the name!) but they had so many tasty sounding options including Brunswick stew and chili. They always have at least one vegan or vegetarian soup. I also sprang for one of the giant chocolate sea salt cookies that are next to the register. Everything was delicious, especially that soup. I definitely look forward to trying more from Common Market soon. The original location is on Commonwealth Avenue in Plaza-Midwood.

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.

The Capital Grille - lunch post

Mini-tenderloin served with roasted butternut squash & cranberry chutney. Usually two tenderloins are included but we split this plate with the fried lobster tails (unfortunately NOT on the special $15 plate lunch!) and the chef split the plates for us.

I was recently invited to try The Capital Grille's new lunch menu, which includes special 3 part lunch plates. The lunch plates are $15 and include soup or salad, choice of entree (current choices include mini-tenderloin sandwiches, lobster roll and "knife and fork" BLT) and a side dish - see Atlanta lunch menu here. This is a more economical option for those who want to experience the great service, atmosphere, view (it's on the 8th floor) and food of The Capital Grille in Atlanta. I found all of the options I tried from $15 menu to be tasty. I also love the bread service here. In addition to the $15 plate with the porcini bisque, mini-tenderloins and roasted squash we also tried the special oysters of the day (wonderful!) and the fried lobster tails - also a daily special. The Capital Grille is a great place for a business or special occasion meal and now for lunch there is a more cost-conscious option as well.

Porcini mushroom bisque- one of the options on the $15 lunch plate menu. Creamy and tasty.



Special of the day: fresh raw oysters, shucked perfectly with lots of sauces to choose from.



Homemade grapefruit soda - really fresh and not too sweet. I preferred this to the lemonade.

This cheesecake is awesome: light, delicious and made even better by the strawberry puree and berries served on the side. I love the sugar top and the tasty crust is made from vanilla wafers. I usually don't even like cheesecake and this was so good I had to take a piece back for my co-workers.

Super Pan Latino Sandwich Shop

Outdoor sign signals this is the place!



Medio Dia: a unique Cuban sandwich including roasted pork skin on a pineapple roll.

Because of its very limited hours, it took me a very long time to finally try Chef Hector Santiago's Super Pan Latino Sandwich Shop. The lunch-only restaurant is open Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM, serving from a tiny entryway on the side of the building where the same chef's acclaimed restaurant, Pura Vida is located. You go upstairs to order and pay, then sit at tables back downstairs where staff brings your food. I tried a lamb pastellito to begin - the pastellito selections changes frequently, the medio dia sandwich and the hibiscus-basil agua fresca to drink. My friend tried the pork belly buns and I was lucky enough to try a bite of those as well. Overall I was a bit disappointed. After hearing so much hype I expected something really extraordinary. I liked everything I tried but nothing really called to me. The high prices coupled with the lack of any "wow" factor make it doubtful I will return, but I am glad that I tried it.

Pork Belly Buns - full of soft, fatty goodness.



Menu on the wall.

Rise-n-Dine

Vegetarian roll-up sandwich with side salad. The roti bread used for the roll-up was delicious and flaky.

I recently met a friend for lunch at Rise-n-Dine at Emory Village. On weekends when I drive past this place it is always packed with a crowed waiting to get in. Even for this weekday lunch we waited about 10 minutes. Now I know why so many people are waiting. The food is simply good, with some innovative twists to keep it interesting. Breakfast is served all day and there is a short lunch menu as well. Everything we tried really hit the spot, especially the light, warm roti used to roll up a vegetarian sandwich and the delicious apple butter made in house and served with the restaurant's toast and biscuits. I look forward to visiting again soon to try the tasty looking pancakes and French toast as well as some of the other sandwiches.

Smoked salmon scramble with toast and homemade jam and apple butter. The apple butter is worth buying in bulk!

Las Palmeras Cuban Cuisine - Midtown

Fajitas.

Las Palmeras is a quirky, hole in the wall Cuban restaurant tucked into Atlanta's midtown neighborhood. Although the service can be a bit slow when they are busy, the food is well worth it and the family-run place has been around for a long time. The Cuban sandwich is one of the best in the city and I also love the fruity milkshakes. The location is a bit hard to find so you should definitely print out and map and/or believe your GPS when it tells you to go down a residential street - the restaurant and attached store is the only business on the block.

We recently took my dad here and service was exceptionally slow; however, we still enjoyed our food and the view from the cozy patio. The wait was mostly on the front end, however. Once we placed our order the food came pretty quickly - it was just that initial wait for someone to take our drink order etc. that can really set the meal off on the wrong foot. It would help a lot if they could bring out some bread first off, maybe with some dip or sauce. Then the wait wouldn't seem quite as long! It appears that they often have only one waitress/server/greeter and this is way too much for one person on a busy night. Still, it's worth a try if you know in advance it might be a little slow as the food really is good.

Cuban sandwich.



Maduros (sweet plantains) with roasted chicken and black beans/rice mix.

The Family Dog - Media Tasting

I was invited to a media preview event at The Family Dog, the new bar concept by Ron Eyester. The bar is located directly across the street from Eyester's flagship restaurant, Rosebud, which I have enjoyed several times for lunch and brunch. Although I am not typically a bar person I really like the atmosphere of The Family Dog. The long bar, dark tones and fun art as well as a patio play positively into the mix.

Unfortunately I found the food mostly mediocre and although I find the "Angry Chef" bit that Eyester has become infamous for mildly amusing, as a customer it doesn't make a lot of sense. For example, the burger comes only one way. No exceptions. Of course this is Eyester's choice and I understand the dilemma he faces regarding preparation time and speed of orders, but this is a bit excessive. I'd rather see fewer toppings on the burger and/or have toppings come on the side. Another option: a topping bar.

I did really enjoy the playfulness of much of the menu, including lobster spaghetti egg rolls and house made Cheetohs. I was really excited about tasting the Cheetohs as well as the duck fat chips and onion dip. However, unfortunately I saw very little lobster meat in the egg rolls and in my humble opinion neither the Cheetohs nor the chips and onion dip tasted as good as upper-end store-bought varieties.

My favorite menu items that we sampled included the steamed mussels and the crab dip. The mussels, plump and juicy after being steamed in beer with serrano peppers and leeks, really took on the flavor of their cooking stock. I wanted to lap up the remaining broth but restrained myself since we were sharing plates! The crab dip is rich and creamy, served with tasty bread sticks. The burger (served its one way) was also good - I personally am fine with the way it is served. I also like the nostalgic tint of the fried bologna sandwich with cheese and crushed Fritos. It is definitely flavorful although that flavor screams unhealthy! The crispy rock shrimp with maple-sambal glaze had a great flavor, but the breading was so think I could barely taste the shrimp.

Crab dip.



Spaghetti lobster egg rolls.



House made Cheetohs.

We also sampled some of the tasty drinks including the Morningsider (gin, fresh squeezed lemon and maraschino juice) and the Angry Elk (adult fruit punch in a Mason jar) - both quite delicious. There is a huge selection of liquor including an especially impressive list of whisky. In addition, there are six other custom cocktails made using fresh ingredients, around ten draught beers and several wine options. I also really appreciate the selection of non-alcoholic options, including Mexican Coke (no corn syrup) and Cheerwine, the beloved soda from my home state.

7 Spice Duck Fat Potato Chips and Onion Dip.



Joe's Fried Mozzarella.



Burger.



Fried Bologna and Cheese with crushed Fritos.



Disco fries with marrow gravy and fried egg.

Overall I think The Family Dog is a neat addition to the neighborhood since it is open late, which is hard to find, and it provides an atmosphere not previously available in Morningside proper. Those seeking out good drinks and a fun atmosphere will really enjoy it and the food will satisfy their need to eat something after inhaling all those drinks. I would like to try some of the other options we were not given, including the wings, fried oyster sandwich, pimento cheese and crab-stuffed shrooms.

The Cafe - Key West

Cold Peanut Noodles and Falafel Pita special with Sweet Potato Fries.

It rained quite a bit during our stay and one rainy evening we made our way to The Cafe, a quaint vegetarian/pescatarian restaurant on Southard St. I enjoyed the cold peanut noodles - one of my favorite things to make (and eat) while Calvin opted for the falafel sandwich, a special for the evening. Both dishes were excellent and the creative menu made me sorry we didn't have time to return. In addition to a wide array of traditional and ethnic vegetarian dishes, this place has an extensive seafood menu including clams and mussels. Definitely a good place for a little something different when you're in Key West.

Dave's Cosmic Subs

Meatball Sub.

After a long day, we stopped by Dave's Cosmic Subs on a rainy Saturday evening for some subs. This small shop, which features a small outdoor (but enclosed) seating area is popular with Emory students. Delivery is available as well, which is a neat option if you live nearby. The sub options vary widely, the menu divided into Hot and Cold options, with the option of heating the "Cold" subs anyway. I always thought when passing by that this place might be a bit of a diamond in the rough and what we tried did not disappoint.

The subs are HUGE, although 1/2 options are offered. Probably a better value to get the whole thing and save some for later! The meatball contained 3 enormous, tasty meatballs, tasty tomato sauce and lots of melted cheese. I'm actually not the biggest fan of meatball subs so for me to even like this at all is a good sign. The Original Dave's Cosmic Sub (below) was also tasty, with lots of meat and flavor. Next time I go back I want to try Dave's Far Our Chicken and the chocolate dipped key lime pie - sounds divine.

I noticed they do have a couple of veggie options, including a veggie burger sub. Another neat thing about going to Dave's is that they provide permanent markers for you to write with directly on the wall - of course there isn't much room left but something about that definitely takes me back to my own college days... Try it and let me know what you think!

The Original Dave's Cosmic Sub - basically a glorified Italian.

Havana Grill

Cuban Sandwich.

On a recent trip down Buford Highway, Calvin and I decided to check out Havana Grill, which comes with its own family saga. You order at the counter, then sit down and wait for your food to arrive. We tried some maduros (not pictured) as well as the Cuban sandwich and the beef picadillo, served with beans, rice, bread and salad. Everything was really tasty, especially the black beans and rice, which could definitely stand alone in a big way. This place offers many traditional Cuban dishes and is in my opinion, the closest thing to the original Havana that burned down in 2008. Hopefully I'll be back soon to try something else!

Beef Picadillo with beans, rice, salad and bread.

MetroFresh

Somehow I just got around to trying MetroFresh in the Midtown Promenade shopping center. The red pepper melon soup (cold) and curried chicken couscous salad (above) really hit the spot! This is a great place for lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch. I love that they have so many great soups, especially the cold soups for summer. They also offer many vegetarian and vegan options. I will definitely be back again soon!

Black bean soup and salad with olive roll.

Lunch at Miller Union

Seasonal vegetable plate.

We recently celebrated an office birthday lunch at Miller Union in west Midtown. The focus here is on seasonal, local ingredients, so the menu changes frequently. We all enjoyed our choices for lunch, especially the oyster po' boy rendition, which I believe has been replaced with shrimp thanks to the oil crisis and the roasted pork sandwich. The radish and Feta cheese snack is a fresh, colorful way to begin the meal and the vegetable plate pictured above was so colorful and full of taste. The space is rustic, with high ceilings and a nice long bar. I also liked the homemade soda option - and the rhubarb was just different enough but still sweet in a way that embodies the quintessential summer non-cocktail. Service was a bit haphazard and we waited far too long to order - at dinner I don't mind a slower pace but for a work lunch, it should be obvious that we can't stay all day. I look forward to trying Miller Union for dinner, including their monthly communal Harvest Dinner, held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Entrance at the corner of 10th St. and Brady Avenue in West Midtown.

Homemade rhubarb soda.

Chicken salad sandwich.

Chilled watercress soup and radish and Feta snack.

Fried oyster sandwich (now replaced with fried shrimp).

Roasted pork sandwich.

We also sampled cinnamon and chocolate ice cream sandwiches for dessert. So simple, yet so satisfying - a perfect end to a birthday lunch.