Season's 52 - Buckhead

Special of the day: Grilled Cobia with Curry sauce and vegetables over Himalayan rice.

I was recently invited to check out Season's 52. Atlanta has two locations and we dined at the location in Buckhead. The second Atlanta location is near Perimeter mall and both locations have lunch as well as dinner menus. Seasons 52 prides itself on its use of seasonal ingredients, its well stocked wine room/wine bar and its upscale ambiance. The service was excellent and it was clear that we were not the only ones getting special treatment. Our server was extremely knowledgeable and timed all of our dishes to come out perfectly, allowing us to have a relaxed meal. An added bonus: everything on the menu here has less than 475 calories, allowing guests to indulge in a nice meal out without totally destroying their diet.

My favorite dishes include the flatbread - about 6 varieties are offered and the special portobello mushroom kind we tried was fabulous - and the cobia with curry sauce, pictured above. Both of these items came from the sidebar menu that changes even more frequently than the regular menu, which is updated seasonally. I also adore the mini-desserts that they serve here.

Special portobello mushroom flatbread with sour cream truffle sauce, spinach and garlic - very delicious!



Organic tomato stack salad with blue cheese. Order this if you like onions - the onions are lightly grilled but not fully cooked. We enjoyed it but definitely not for the shy of onion.



Pom Margarita and a specially made pomegranate blueberry spritzer - both were really tasty!



Grilled lamb T-bone chops with asparagus, truffle mashed potatoes and red wine sauce. I always enjoy lamb.



Roasted yellow beets with wasabi cream sauce. The sauce really has a nice kick that goes great with the creamy delicious beets.



Seasons 52 serves the cutest "mini-indulgences" for dessert. I love how small they are so that you can sample lots!



We tried (L to R) the chocolate peanut butter mousse, special chocolate raspberry Valentine, pecan pie and mango cheesecake. My personal favorites are the pecan pie and the cheesecake - a wonderful way to end the meal without feeling too guilty!

Near the end of our meal manager Brian Farkas came by and took a photo of us. We saw him doing this for other tables, too. To our surprise, just before we left our server brought the photo to us in a special Seasons 52 frame. What a nice touch! This is a great place for a special meal or a nice business lunch - those who are watching their calorie intake will appreciate the thoughtfulness of the menu and those who are not won't notice!

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

Blue Moon Pizza - Buckhead

Delicious Portabella Mushrooms topped with "Grandma's sauce", goat cheese and basil. A great first taste.

I was recently invited to check out Blue Moon Pizza, a local chain with four Atlanta area locations. Owners Kelvin and Mandy Slater have built a fun concept including a delicious variety of "specialty moons" (pizzas) as well as salads, "flatwiches" (sandwiches with bread made from pizza crust dough and appetizers. In addition to the Buckhead location (pictured below), there are locations in Marietta, Smyrna and now Sandy Springs as well. Click here for specific location information.

We had the opportunity to taste the mushroom appetizer (above) as well as several pizzas and one of the salads. Everything was good, with enough spice already added to make red pepper flakes a non-issue (at other pizza places we are always shaking those little glass bottles to try and get more flavor on the food!) I particularly enjoyed the portabella mushrooms, the Santa Fe style pizza and the Cobb salad. I look forward to trying more options on a future visit. We also had a fun time talking with Kelvin and Mandy, who are obviously dedicated to their concept of making Blue Moon "an everyday place that still feels special" for their customers. There is a loyalty program as well as a newsletter.

Casual, pleasing dining area adorned with special blue moon decor. The restaurant also features the amazing Coke machine with dozens of possible flavor combinations. I had fun trying out cherry Dr. Pepper - a rare treat!



Top half: BBQ chicken pizza; below: Jerk chicken pizza - just the right amount of spice!



Top half: Grandma's Pizza; below: my personal favorite, the Santa Fe featuring black beans, avocado and jalepenos - spicy and so delicious.



Calvin enjoyed a blue "moontini" - all locations feature a full bar with $5 martinis every Thursday.



Cobb salad - this is no ordinary salad! All salads at Blue Moon are served on pizza crusts - a neat touch.

Blue Moon also features a special gluten-free pizza crust, which can be used for all of the pies and for garlic bread. There is a list of gluten-free menu items and even a gluten-free chocolate brownie. Additionally, the restaurant offers lunch specials like a slice of cheese pizza, a side salad and a soda for $6.99.

Delivery is available within 3 miles of any location. Blue Moon also features Take-n-Bake: you pick up a pizza that is ready to be cooked in your oven at home. The pizza comes with a special baking tray to help you achieve that perfect crispness!

If you haven't already become a fan, give Blue Moon a try!

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary

The Original Italian Pie - Charlotte

During our last visit to Charlotte we tried The Original Italian Pie for pizza and salads. This is a franchise with a dozen outposts in Louisiana and one in Texas. This is the only location in North Carolina.

We split the Italian salad and the Caesar salad along with a large Roasted Eggplant pizza from the "Gourmet Pizza" section. The salads were pretty average, although fresh and the pizza was better than expected. This particular pizza is made with "zesty garlic sauce" and includes fresh mushroom, fresh tomato, sauteed onions and feta as well as mozzarella and the roasted eggplant. My dad previously ordered takeout here and was pleased, but for pizza it's best to eat it right out of the oven, of course. I look forward to trying the calzones and the oven-baked sandwiches here.

Vintage Pizzeria - Chamblee

Calamari with jalepeno peppers and okra - favorite dish. The tomato sauce was really good, too.

We recently dined at the Chamblee location of Vintage Pizzeria while my dad was in town (there is a location in Alpharetta as well). Family friends we met at a recent gathering really raved about this place so we thought it was high time to try it out. We got a little lost getting there although once we found it I realized that every time I come to this part of Peachtree Rd. I get lost! This is definitely a neighborhood gathering place and watering hole, although I warn you to stay away from the house margarita - it is seriously 3/4 ice. In fairness, they did take it off our bill - however, it was removed only after the server said management would "discount" it. When it was not discounted on the original check we reminded her of this and it was removed.

Notwithstanding the margarita, we enjoyed our meal overall. However, the pizza did not stand out to me as much as I expected for a restaurant with such a high urbanspoon rating. While still not thick-crust, the pizza here is much more filling than some of our favorite pie places (Urban Pie, Antico) so there is more bang for your buck. The salads were also large, and the Caesar was tasty. This place is rather far from us so not a place we would likely return unless we were already in the area. If you live nearby, definitely give it a try. There is a cute ice cream stand across the street, too if you aren't totally stuffed after eating here.

Small house (left) and large Caesar salad.



The Vintage - half without olives.



Carmen's Own - a veggie pie with tomatoes and basil - we added garlic too. This was definitely my favorite of the two as I tend not to like a lot of meat on pizza.

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.

Nancy's Pizza - Buckhead

Stuffed pizza.

After hearing about Nancy's Pizza for quite some time, I finally had the chance to try it one summer afternoon at the Buckhead location in Atlanta. In addition to the signature, deep dish stuffed pizzas, Nancy's, which has two Atlanta area locations and two dozen or so Illinois locations, also has a full menu of appetizers, sandwiches and salads as well as thin crust pizzas and even super-thin crust pizzas. The deep dish pizza we tried was quite delicious with lots of seasoned, tasty tomato sauce and loads of gooey cheese. Definitely the closest you'll find to Chicago deep dish in the deep south.

Pizza and Gingerbread - what could be better?

Ready to go into the oven!
One of our favorite family traditions is pizza making. We've gotten better at it over the past couple of years and the toppings only get more creative each time! One day we decorated a gingerbread house and made pizza - quite a fun day! The pizza was extremely tasty also and it made it from board to stone without getting too messy. The trick is LOTS of cornmeal - both in the dough and on the board. Having two people move the pizza from the board to the hot stone helps a great deal as well. Practice makes perfect I suppose! The dough from Your DeKalb Farmer's Market is our favorite - they have lots of tasty topping options too - check out the cheese section!

Gingerbread house decorating - what fun!

After cooking on the hot pizza stone - so delicious!

Big Pie in the Sky as Seen on Man Vs. Food

The sheer size of it - Calvin poses with the giant pizza!

After a fun-filled afternoon of rock climbing with a group, we all decided to head to Big Pie in the Sky for some pizza. Man vs. Food attempted their Carnivore Challenge - 2 people have to eat 11 lbs. of meat-heavy pizza in under one hour for a $250 prize (the pizza costs $50) and did not succeed. Our group of 9 succeeded in finishing off the above pie, but did not even try the Carniverous wonder. The pizza actually tasted great. I was a little skeptical with a pie this large, but the bacon cheeseburger and the Margherita specialty pies really impressed. I'm not often in Kennesaw, but if you are, this is a must-try!

Lobby at Twelve and Chef Nick Oltarsh

Chicken and waffles: maple syrup, tabasco.

I was recently invited to a media luncheon showcasing the new menu of Chef Nick Oltarsh, who has returned to Lobby at Twelve in Atlantic Station after serving as chef at various other restaurants in the Concentrics group.

We started with Gumbo, which surpassed my expectations. Spicy and flavorful, I would definitely order this again on a cold evening. The chicken and waffles were also pleasing, perhaps because I've always wanted to try this dish and never before have gone for it. The addition of tabasco to the syrup really added something to the dish. I enjoyed the seared tuna, although when I want good tuna, I head to a sushi bar. I did enjoy the flavors presented with the tuna here, however.

Gumbo: andouille sausage, steamed rice, scallions.



Seared Tuna: picked cucumbers, hearts of palm, sesame ginger vinaigrette.



Lobby Vegetable Pizza.

The pizza was pretty good also - I love all the veggies on it and after adding some red pepper flakes, it was spiced just right for me! The shrimp and grits were disappointing, lacking the flavor the many other such dishes convey. I think the grits need something - maybe cheese or cream? I tasted the salmon another person ordered and it was better, cooked properly with a nice sauce.

Overall Lobby is a good choice if you're in the Atlantic Station area and need to eat. I don't love the hotel atmosphere and parking is not ideal, although I've managed to figure out how to park just underneath the hotel after a couple visits to the area! I'm glad that Chef Nick has returned and look forward to trying additional items as the menu evolves.

Marinated Shrimp & Creamy Grits: tomato, caraway seeds, capers.



Roasted Salmon: champagne vinegar sauce, julienne spring vegetables.



Mini-Desserts: lemon meringue tarts, chocolate cake, eclairs, Opera. Always good to have a little sweet spot at the end!