Anis Cafe & Bistro

A friend suggested we meet for lunch at Anis Cafe & Bistro, and I was eager to give it a try since for years I've heard that it's one of Atlanta's better options for French cuisine.

The adorable décor in the small dining room authentically captures the look and feel of the sort of casual bistro that might be found in the French countryside.

My friend ordered the Moules Marinières ($12), which the menu describes as "our famous mussels" made with white wine, garlic, parsley, and cream. They were hot and delicious.

I ordered the Croque Monsieur ($10), a French sandwich made with Black Forest Ham, Gruyere and Bechamel sauce.

It came with a side of potato chips that appeared to be handmade.

It looked good, but sadly the sandwich was cold and the chips soggy. The flavor was satisfactory, but lacked a "wow" factor.

Bottom Line: The place failed to live up to its hype on my first visit. But I'd give it another try since my friend's mussels were tasty.

Georgia Beef

From Pasture to Plate

                  -Angus cattle at Honeywood Farms in Barnesville, Ga., Jan. 12, 2012

Even if you live in a skyscraper in Buckhead or Midtown Atlanta, you don’t have to go very far to find a rural vibe since nothing says “country” like standing face-to-face with a cow. And cattle can be found in all 159 counties in Georgia. According to the USDA, Georgia is the nation’s 28th largest producer of cattle and calves with 1.02 million head. The beef industry contributes $3 billion to Georgia’s economy each year.

Of course every hamburger- and steak-loving American understands the need to raise cattle. But if you live in Atlanta, purchasing beef that was raised in Georgia requires reading labels. It is available, but not necessarily every plastic-wrapped package at your grocer has been sourced locally.

Among the options available to anyone who is interested in purchasing Georgia-grown beef--nearly all of which is grass-fed:

Grass-fed beef steaks, roasts, offal and ground beef from White Oak Pastures of Bluffton, Ga., are sold at Whole Foods under the “Harris Family Farms” label. Grass-fed ground beef is also sold at Publix. Product can also be ordered online.

Carlton Farms of Rockport, Ga., sells farm-direct grass-fed beef and other products. Order online for pick-up at one of the Atlanta-area weekly delivery locations.

Buckhead Beef processes products sourced from producers around the country, including Georgia. The company most often sells direct to restaurants, but can also ship orders to customers who place phone orders (call 1-800-888-5578; if you’re looking specifically for Georgia-grown beef, ask about what is currently available). Prices include shipping overnight via Federal Express. Details are online.

                    -A worker breaks down beef at Buckhead Beef in Buckhead, Ga., Jan. 12, 2012

Learn more about Georgia Beef.

Burger Tap

While working as a sous chef at The Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles, Sean Park was lured to exchange fine dining to flip burgers at 1409 N. Highland Avenue, where Burger Tap is now open.

Before rolling your eyes while thinking, "Jeesh, his parents must be so proud," consider this: The talented, friendly dude now heads up the kitchen as Executive Chef, a significant step up the career ladder. What's more, he said that this Atlanta location is the first Burger Tap, hinting at grand future plans.

Park says that he had no previous ties to Atlanta, but opened the restaurant here after he and his partners scoured the nation and determined that Atlanta's Morningside neighborhood was the ideal spot to launch their concept.

It's not that our city lacks burger options. But this one aims to be different.

“We combed the country for the best fast-casual burger and often found ourselves underwhelmed by taste and overwhelmed by decisions,” says Park. “Should my burger be made of beef, bison, turkey or lamb? On a white, wheat or gluten-free bun? And with which cheese, topping, sauce, jam or relish? As a chef, I understand the balance of sweet, savory and different textures and have put together four perfectly balanced burgers.”

In fact, Park and the team behind Burger Tap—some of the original founders of the frozen yogurt chain Yoforia—prefer customers refrain from adding mustard or ketchup to their burgers before tasting them because they’re that sure it's done right the first time. “It’s like going to a sushi bar and building your own roll, only to find out the ingredients don’t work well together,” Park says. “These are our burgers, the way they’re meant to be.”

At Burger Tap, each patty is a custom blend of brisket, chuck and short rib, formed, seasoned and seared in-house. The four themed burgers—plus a grilled 3-cheese and a new egg sandwich—are all served on a lightly buttered and toasted bun.

The classic cheeseburger is topped with American cheese, onion, lettuce, tomatoes and secret sauce ($3.80 quarter pound; $5.80 half pound):

                                                   -Photo Courtesy Burger Tap

The Southwestern burger, a personal favorite, is topped with Jack cheese, fried jalapeno and smoky chipotle BBQ sauce ($3.80 quarter pound; $5.80 half pound):

                                                          -Photo Courtesy Burger Tap
It packs enough heat to make things interesting without setting your throat ablaze.

Other burger options include truffle and portobello veggie.

The fries are cut by hand. A side of traditional fries is $2 while the battered sweet potato fries are $2.80 and served with your choice of chipotle mayo, ranch or chipotle BBQ sauce. I preferred the BBQ, Dean favored the ranch.

                                                   -Photo Courtesy Burger Tap

The interior of the restaurant is sparkling clean, with benches and tables for those who opt to dine-in. This is the sort of place where you order at the counter then grab a seat and wait until your order is ready--signaled by a funky light-up faux cell-phone.

"Tap" is literal here, as 25 local, national and international beers are on draft.

There's also a one-of-a-kind soda machine dispensing 12 different flavors of soda, any one of which can be combined with two scoops of vanilla ice cream to make a float.

Bottom Line: If you prefer your burgers quick and easy and trust a chef to match flavors for you, then Burger Tap is the joint you've been waiting for.

Baraonda

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Marriott's PURE Guestrooms

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Noche

On a recent first visit to Noche in Virginia-Highlands -- where the dinner menu features salads, tacos and tapas -- we tried several dishes:

Saffron Paella ($9) with shrimp, chicken, sausage, mussels, yellow rice and peas:

This dish included traditional ingredients and was tasty, but too salty.

Shrimp Taco ($5) with roasted corn and black bean salsa and chipotle aioli:

Great flavor made this dish a personal favorite. I'll order it again on future visits.

Grilled Veggie Taco ($3) with black beans, spinach and charred tomato salsa:

It's possible to get a great-tasting veggie taco. This does not compare. It's not awful, but a bit too bland to recommend. (Unless, perhaps, you hate spicy food -- but then why are you at a Mexican restaurant? -- or you're too famished/drunk/exhausted/ill to care.)

Lobster Taco ($7) with peppers, onions, oaxaca cheese and cascabel chili sauce:

Delicious! Another favorite with sophisticated flavors.

Bottom Line: Menu items can be hit or miss, but overall this restaurant offers tasty fare served in an energetic casual environment.

Cinco Mexican Cantina

After shopping at the Cumberland Mall, Dean suggested we stop for dinner at Cinco Mexican Cantina. It's convenient to the mall and also near where he works, so he and his office mates have utilized that restaurant for some off-site "meetings." (He says they do talk about work, but how seriously are we supposed to take that given that they're all sipping margaritas and munching on chips and salsa at the same time? Hence the quotes.)

I ordered the Burrito Grande ($9.99) with carne asada steak, beans, chorizo, ranchero sauce, cheese and sour cream, which comes served with rice and black beans.

It's a standard menu option on Mexican restaurants of a certain ilk--and it caught my eye for a couple of reasons: (1) It sounded like it would hit the spot, and (2) on a first visit to a restaurant I like to order either the house specialities or general standards as a way to gain insight into the skills of the kitchen staff.

My husband had ordered the same thing (which we typically don't do, but this was a casual dining experience so what the heck). Both our meals were served at a cooler temperature than we would like, so when the server stopped by to ask if everything was OK we said as much. She whisked the plates away and within moments someone else delivered new servings. Dean said his second serving was a bit warmer, mine was about the same as the first attempt.

The flavor of the food was OK, but not great.

The restaurant manager sent out a dessert, as an apology for our cold dinners. It was a bland, fluffy vanilla and chocolate mousse duo coated in chocolate and drizzled with strawberry jam:

Dean was disappointed and claims that his previous experiences with the restaurant were better.

Bottom Line: After this initial visit, I have no plans to return.