October 12, 2011
Judging Beaufort's Shrimp Festival
This post has been moved:
http://getawaysforgrownups.com/beaufort-shrimp-festival/
October 5, 2011
Peasant Bistro
Peasant Bistro is a restaurant name that warms the hearts of certain Atlanta foodies. Once upon a time a restaurant bearing a similar name helped launch this city's dining revolution, raising menu offerings from humble to refined. The founders of that restaurant eventually moved on to other projects (including Concentrics Restaurants and Serenbe). For awhile, there was no Peasant restaurant. Then a former employee opened Peasant Bistro, melding both nostalgia and innovation. There's more to the story, of course, but that's the gist.
I recently visited Peasant Bistro for the first time. (FYI, I've long heard of the original, but its heyday was before I moved to Atlanta in 1998 and so I had never been to it.)
Executive Chef Michael Patria uses fresh, seasonal ingredients for his creations, including:
Sweet Pea Agnolotti ($9) with carrot mint jus, English peas and a rainbow of carrots:
Crab cakes ($14) with citrus aioli:
Lamb Tagine ($19) with braised lamb shoulder, carrot, onion, Israeli cous cous and Moroccan spice:
Honey Crisp Apple Salad ($8) with hydro Bibb lettuce, aged Manchego and shallot-Champagne vinaigrette:
Bucatini Pasta ($16) with exotic spring mushrooms, sweet peas, Fontina and vegetable mushroom glace:
Chef's Risotto ($16) is created daily; I was fortunate enough to arrive when the dish featured lobster:
Mac & Cheese ($6):
Pecan Sticky Bread Pudding ($6) with vanilla ice cream:
Bottom Line: A fine example of Southern dining. The restaurant overlooks Centennial Olympic Park, making it popular with tourists. But its quality preparations and warm vibe should attract locals as well.
I recently visited Peasant Bistro for the first time. (FYI, I've long heard of the original, but its heyday was before I moved to Atlanta in 1998 and so I had never been to it.)
Executive Chef Michael Patria uses fresh, seasonal ingredients for his creations, including:
Sweet Pea Agnolotti ($9) with carrot mint jus, English peas and a rainbow of carrots:
Crab cakes ($14) with citrus aioli:
Lamb Tagine ($19) with braised lamb shoulder, carrot, onion, Israeli cous cous and Moroccan spice:
Honey Crisp Apple Salad ($8) with hydro Bibb lettuce, aged Manchego and shallot-Champagne vinaigrette:
Bucatini Pasta ($16) with exotic spring mushrooms, sweet peas, Fontina and vegetable mushroom glace:
Chef's Risotto ($16) is created daily; I was fortunate enough to arrive when the dish featured lobster:
Mac & Cheese ($6):
Pecan Sticky Bread Pudding ($6) with vanilla ice cream:
Bottom Line: A fine example of Southern dining. The restaurant overlooks Centennial Olympic Park, making it popular with tourists. But its quality preparations and warm vibe should attract locals as well.
Der Biergarten
Der Biergarten commemorates Oktoberfest with a six-week “Munich on Marietta Street” celebration. In addition, the restaurant and bar has rolled out a new menu that promises to deliver an authentic German experience in Atlanta. Seven new beers have been added on tap, including the national debut of Krombacher.
Last night we decided to check it out.
A brand new rotisserie is visible from the terrace. Enjoy Schweinshaxe and Gegrilltes Hahnchen, slow-roasted pork shanks, chicken and turkey legs fresh from the spit.
The newly launched Oktoberfest menu will be available on Saturdays and Sundays through October 30. Offerings include:
RIESENBRETZEL - Giant pretzel served warm with three kinds of mustard
OBATZDA - Bavarian cheese spread with onions - served with grilled bread
GEMISCHTE WURST UND KÄSEPLATTE - A selection of cured meats and cheeses
SCHWEINSHAXE - Rotisserie pork shank, coarse salt, and sauerkraut (*limited availability)
KÄSESPÄTZLE - Sauteed house-made noodles with caramelized onions and Emmentaler cheese
GEGRILLTES HÄHNCHEN - Rotiserrie chicken with french fries and natural jus
TRUTHAHNSCHENKEL - Smoked turkey legs with french fries
BRATWURST MIT BRÖTCHEN - Patak bratwurst on a bun with sauerkraut
JÄGERSCHNITZEL SANDWICH - Lightly breaded pork served with hunters sauce and spätzle
New brews on Der Biergarten’s menu include:
HACKER-PSCHORR WEISSE - Orange colored body. Nose is sweet citrus and faint banana. Flavor is quite sweet and fruity. Soft wheat, with a clean and fresh sweetness.
ERDINGER HEFEWEIZEN - Notes of malt, wheat, banana and floral hops. Taste is very light.
KROMBACHER WEIZEN - Sweet taste of banana and mellow wheat flavors with vanilla and a hint of dry nutmeg or clove in the finish.
KROMBACHER, DUNKEL - Light taste of caramel, chocolate, raisins and brown sugar with a faint coffee finish and a small amount of citrus from the hops.
KROMBACHER, PILSNER - Malty, grassy with a small amount of citrus and hops. Smooth with a crisp medium body.
WARSTEINER, MÄRZEN - Amber color with a medium body. Sweet and malty taste with some bitterness.
WEIHENSTEPHEN VITUS - A light-colored, spicy single-bock wheat beer with a banana, citrus and clove presence. Alcohol content 7.7 percent.
New additions to Der Biergarten’s regular menu include:
GOULASCH SUPPE - Hearty spiced beef soup with tomatoes, peppers, and potato
GEGRILLTES HÄHNCHEN - Rotiserrie chicken with french fries and natural jus
Der Biergarten is located at 300 Marietta Street, Atlanta, GA 30313. The restaurant is open seven days a week. For more information, call 404-521-BRAU (2728). Parking is validated and complimentary across the street in the covered deck at 275 Baker.
Bottom Line: After a slip in quality during a transition in the kitchen, the new chef now delivers outstanding examples of German cuisine. Give this restaurant a try during Oktoberfest.
Last night we decided to check it out.
A brand new rotisserie is visible from the terrace. Enjoy Schweinshaxe and Gegrilltes Hahnchen, slow-roasted pork shanks, chicken and turkey legs fresh from the spit.
The newly launched Oktoberfest menu will be available on Saturdays and Sundays through October 30. Offerings include:
RIESENBRETZEL - Giant pretzel served warm with three kinds of mustard
OBATZDA - Bavarian cheese spread with onions - served with grilled bread
GEMISCHTE WURST UND KÄSEPLATTE - A selection of cured meats and cheeses
SCHWEINSHAXE - Rotisserie pork shank, coarse salt, and sauerkraut (*limited availability)
TRUTHAHNSCHENKEL - Smoked turkey legs with french fries
BRATWURST MIT BRÖTCHEN - Patak bratwurst on a bun with sauerkraut
JÄGERSCHNITZEL SANDWICH - Lightly breaded pork served with hunters sauce and spätzle
New brews on Der Biergarten’s menu include:
ERDINGER HEFEWEIZEN - Notes of malt, wheat, banana and floral hops. Taste is very light.
KROMBACHER WEIZEN - Sweet taste of banana and mellow wheat flavors with vanilla and a hint of dry nutmeg or clove in the finish.
KROMBACHER, DUNKEL - Light taste of caramel, chocolate, raisins and brown sugar with a faint coffee finish and a small amount of citrus from the hops.
KROMBACHER, PILSNER - Malty, grassy with a small amount of citrus and hops. Smooth with a crisp medium body.
WARSTEINER, MÄRZEN - Amber color with a medium body. Sweet and malty taste with some bitterness.
WEIHENSTEPHEN VITUS - A light-colored, spicy single-bock wheat beer with a banana, citrus and clove presence. Alcohol content 7.7 percent.
New additions to Der Biergarten’s regular menu include:
GOULASCH SUPPE - Hearty spiced beef soup with tomatoes, peppers, and potato
GEGRILLTES HÄHNCHEN - Rotiserrie chicken with french fries and natural jus
Der Biergarten is located at 300 Marietta Street, Atlanta, GA 30313. The restaurant is open seven days a week. For more information, call 404-521-BRAU (2728). Parking is validated and complimentary across the street in the covered deck at 275 Baker.
Bottom Line: After a slip in quality during a transition in the kitchen, the new chef now delivers outstanding examples of German cuisine. Give this restaurant a try during Oktoberfest.
Four Roses Bourbon
One funny thing about bourbon is that when you belly-up to a tasting bar, odds are that before you're handed a glass of the stuff you'll be told about the history (legend?) of the family behind the label. Thus it comes as no real surprise that the book Four Roses: The Return of a Whiskey Legend begins with a family tree.
Whatever.
Yes, it's interesting to learn that Four Roses began production in the 1860s, managed to stay in business throughout Prohibition (distilling product "for medicinal purposes"), and was the bourbon industry's most recognized brand name in the 1940s. Nevertheless, at some point in the 1960s Seagram's (which by then owned the brand) decided to stop selling Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon in the U.S., focusing instead on sales in Western Europe and Japan. After a lengthy absence, Four Roses bourbon is now back in the U.S.--and quickly gaining fans: In 2010 it won a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
What really matters is how the stuff tastes, right?!
I was recently invited to a Four Roses bourbon tasting hosted by Four Roses Brand Ambassador Al Young.
Four Roses produces 10 different expressions of bourbons, which are distilled and aged differently. Each recipe incorporates one of five proprietary strains of yeast (one of which lends light and delicate fruity flavors; another spicy character; another rich full-bodied fruit notes; another a floral essence; and finally another lends herbal essence--they won't say which bourbon uses which yeast, but perhaps you can figure it out when tasting).
By U.S. law to be labeled as "bourbon," a whiskey must be made with at least 51% corn. Four Roses' mashbill calls for 75% or 60% corn, plus either 20% or 35% rye and 5% malted barley. "We use more rye than anybody else," says Young.
At the tasting we sampled four bourbons. Here are my tasting notes:
Four Roses Single Barrel = This high rye (35%) has fruity notes plus flavors of maple, caramel, toffee and crème brûlée.
Four Roses Small Batch = Boasting a viscous mouthfeel, this bourbon offers some cognac-like characteristics.
Four Roses Yellow Label = The best-selling bourbon in Japan, this bourbon has a sweet finish. It offers notes of caramel and vanilla.
Four Roses 2011 Limited Edition Single Barrel = This 12-year-old bourbon has a smokey finish. It has a highly floral essence, a nice spicy mouthfeel and notes of orange peel, crème brûlée, magnolia and rose.
Bottom Line: Four Roses bourbons are a welcome (re-)addition to the U.S. bourbon market.
-Bottle shot photos courtesy of Four Roses
Whatever.
Yes, it's interesting to learn that Four Roses began production in the 1860s, managed to stay in business throughout Prohibition (distilling product "for medicinal purposes"), and was the bourbon industry's most recognized brand name in the 1940s. Nevertheless, at some point in the 1960s Seagram's (which by then owned the brand) decided to stop selling Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon in the U.S., focusing instead on sales in Western Europe and Japan. After a lengthy absence, Four Roses bourbon is now back in the U.S.--and quickly gaining fans: In 2010 it won a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
What really matters is how the stuff tastes, right?!
I was recently invited to a Four Roses bourbon tasting hosted by Four Roses Brand Ambassador Al Young.
Four Roses produces 10 different expressions of bourbons, which are distilled and aged differently. Each recipe incorporates one of five proprietary strains of yeast (one of which lends light and delicate fruity flavors; another spicy character; another rich full-bodied fruit notes; another a floral essence; and finally another lends herbal essence--they won't say which bourbon uses which yeast, but perhaps you can figure it out when tasting).
By U.S. law to be labeled as "bourbon," a whiskey must be made with at least 51% corn. Four Roses' mashbill calls for 75% or 60% corn, plus either 20% or 35% rye and 5% malted barley. "We use more rye than anybody else," says Young.
At the tasting we sampled four bourbons. Here are my tasting notes:
Four Roses Single Barrel = This high rye (35%) has fruity notes plus flavors of maple, caramel, toffee and crème brûlée.
Four Roses Small Batch = Boasting a viscous mouthfeel, this bourbon offers some cognac-like characteristics.
Four Roses Yellow Label = The best-selling bourbon in Japan, this bourbon has a sweet finish. It offers notes of caramel and vanilla.
Four Roses 2011 Limited Edition Single Barrel = This 12-year-old bourbon has a smokey finish. It has a highly floral essence, a nice spicy mouthfeel and notes of orange peel, crème brûlée, magnolia and rose.
Bottom Line: Four Roses bourbons are a welcome (re-)addition to the U.S. bourbon market.
-Bottle shot photos courtesy of Four Roses
October 4, 2011
October 3, 2011
Hatch Chiles at Taqueria Del Sol
Fall harvest season means food festivals!
On September 11, Taqueria del Sol hosted the second annual Hatch Chile Festival to celebrate the arrival of the restaurant's annual shipment of the famed chiles from New Mexico.
"This is the only time of year you can get these chiles fresh," says Chef Eddie Hernandez, who ordered 14 pallets of the chiles to stock his kitchens. For use throughout the year, the majority are frozen or preserved. But at the festival, held at the Howell Mill location, Hernandez crafted specialty dishes to share while some team members roasted chiles in the parking lot--an endeavor that filled the air with an intoxicating blend of spicy (and literal) heat.
Among the dishes available that incorporated the moderately spicy chiles....
Green Chile Chicken Stew:
Chile Relleno:
Bottom Line: Casual fun, this festival offers the opportunity to taste green New Mexican chiles in a variety of dishes. Missed the festival? Fret not: You can also enjoy these chiles on menu items at Taqueria del Sol throughout the year.
Fact: Taqueria del Sol is my personal favorite value dining option in Atlanta, Georgia.
On September 11, Taqueria del Sol hosted the second annual Hatch Chile Festival to celebrate the arrival of the restaurant's annual shipment of the famed chiles from New Mexico.
"This is the only time of year you can get these chiles fresh," says Chef Eddie Hernandez, who ordered 14 pallets of the chiles to stock his kitchens. For use throughout the year, the majority are frozen or preserved. But at the festival, held at the Howell Mill location, Hernandez crafted specialty dishes to share while some team members roasted chiles in the parking lot--an endeavor that filled the air with an intoxicating blend of spicy (and literal) heat.
Among the dishes available that incorporated the moderately spicy chiles....
Green Chile Chicken Stew:
Bottom Line: Casual fun, this festival offers the opportunity to taste green New Mexican chiles in a variety of dishes. Missed the festival? Fret not: You can also enjoy these chiles on menu items at Taqueria del Sol throughout the year.
Fact: Taqueria del Sol is my personal favorite value dining option in Atlanta, Georgia.
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