Archive for the ‘Taste of The Ticket’ Category

Alpine Bakery & Trattoria

12315 Crabapple Road

Alpharetta, GA 30004

770-410-9883

www.alpinebakeryandtrattoria.com

I never thought I’d say this, but Alpine Bakery & Trattoria is the kind of restaurant that makes you hope for at least a short wait for your table because it is impossible not to be immediately drawn to the bakery upon entering. You simply cannot ignore the huge selection of sweets that are presented so beautifully in perfectly lit display cases on the right side of the space. It’s the perfect way to kill time and trust me, you will want to get a head start on the dessert decision and find out how much room you should save for sweets. I had to be dragged away when it was time to be seated. Luckily, my dining companion and I were escorted to a plush booth that made leaving the bakery less painful.

We sat down and were immediately greeted by a friendly server who helped guide us toward a glass of sparkling wine to start off our meal. As we sipped our Gruet Blanc de Blanc ($10/glass, $20/half bottle), he guided us through the expansive menu. We decided to split the house antipasto platter ($15) as our appetizer. The plate of meats, cheeses, olives, tomatoes and a white bean spread is great for sharing and is more than enough for two people. And with a bakery adjacent to the restaurant, you can count on good bread.

After finishing our glasses of Gruet, we began perusing the rest of the wine list and I was really impressed with the selections. I noticed so many of my favorites on the list, ranging from pinot noirs to Italian blends to malbecs, that I had a hard time choosing. We settled on the 2008 Belle Glos “Clark & Telephone” Pinot Noir ($60/bottle), which was very smooth with bright red fruit flavors.

For my entrée, I ordered the linguini with clam sauce ($17) and my friend ordered the chicken piccata ($16). The linguini was beautifully presented and chock full of Little Neck clams. Anthony, the restaurant’s manager, later told us that it was one of his favorites and also a very popular dish among patrons. My friend’s moist chicken was topped with capers and a lemon, butter and white wine sauce served with asparagus and a risotto cake on the side. The sauce was light and provided just enough flavor, and I couldn’t stop stealing nibbles of the crunchy risotto cake. It added a nice hearty element to an otherwise lighter dish.

I had plenty of linguini and clams to take home with me for lunch the next day, but after my pre-dinner peek at the bakery, we both managed to find room in our stomachs to sample dessert. Choosing from the massive selection of sweets is no easy task, but we finally decided on a slice of the Million Dollar Cake ($6.95/slice) and the baklava ($4.25 for a jumbo piece). As the name implies, the Million Dollar Cake certainly has enough to go around. It’s comprised of three thick layers – flourless chocolate cake on the bottom, NY cheesecake in the middle and rich chocolate mousse on the top. It is the ideal way to indulge, especially if you have a hard time deciding what will cure your sweet tooth.

The baklava was equally impressive in both size and flavor. The flaky layers balance out the honey and nut filling so it’s not cloyingly sweet, and according to Anthony, it’s the addition of pistachios that makes this one so good. The bakery also makes sfogliatelli, an Italian pastry that I grew up on and have a very hard time finding in Georgia. Alpine is a place where you really feel at home, even if you aren’t Italian.

Sugo

408 South Atlanta Street

Roswell, GA 30075

770.641.9131

www.sugorestaurant.com

After years of living in Atlanta and dining out in the city, I’m discovering what a pleasant change it can be to drive out of my comfort zone and explore restaurants outside of the perimeter. On a Friday night, my friend and I decided to do just that and made a reservation at Sugo in Roswell. A little background on Sugo – it’s a part of the Castellucci Hospitality Group of restaurants, which includes Double Zero Napoletana in Sandy Springs and The Iberian Pig in Decatur.

When we arrived for our 8 p.m. seating, the restaurant was full of couples having intimate dinners as well as groups celebrating special occasions. The dining room was dimly lit creating a cozy atmosphere in the open space. Sugo seemed to be a popular place to celebrate milestone events that night, and I suspect one particular employee may have something to do with that. While candles are waiting to be blown out, a member of the kitchen serenades lucky guests with his impressive operatic version of “Happy Birthday” or “Happy Anniversary.”

To start off our dinner, we each chose a glass of wine. I had a glass of the Frescobaldi Castiglioni Chianti Sangiovese ($9) after hearing it was the owner’s favorite. My guest ordered the Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon ($12). The wine list was extensive and I appreciated the various price ranges offered, “Easy & Enjoyable,” “No Expense Account Required” and “The Good Stuff.”

Sugo’s menu is a mix of Greek and Italian food. For starters, we chose the baked stuffed calamari ($6) and the Parma flatbread ($14). The calamari was stuffed with sautéed onions, spinach and artisan cheeses in a tomato basil sauce. This was definitely not the fried calamari I’m used to seeing at restaurants. The cheese and tomato sauce were the stars of the dish, and it almost made me forget I was eating squid. The Parma flatbread was topped with prosciutto, provolone, asparagus, roasted red peppers, poached egg and black truffles, which had a fresh taste. It’s important to note that it’s a Sardinian flatbread, which is thin and more cracker than bread. I enjoyed the flatbread a little more than my dining partner who was expecting a pizza-like flatbread.

Any slight disappointment my companion might have experienced with the flatbread disappeared completely during our entrée course. I ordered the Capesante ($28), a scallop dish served atop fresh basil pasta, tomato, red pepper pesto and grilled asparagus. While my diver scallops were cooked perfectly, I have to say my fork kept hovering over my friend’s Pork Shank Milanese ($25). The pork shank was our server’s recommendation and we both did a double-take when she brought it to the table. The menu describes it as a slow braised pound of pork shank, but even our server had to admit that was a definite underestimation. The shank looked like it would have been right at home with the Flintstones in Bedrock. Also worthy of a mention was the rich and creamy parsnip puree that accompanied the shank.

While we could have stopped there and gone home dessert-less, we decided to challenge our waistbands and sample the Spartan Cheesecake ($7) and the Zucchini Cake ($7). The Spartan Cheesecake was the ultimate fusion of Greek and Italian with a baklava crust filled with Italian crème cheesecake. I had no complaints about the delicious Zucchini Cake either, which was similar to a carrot cake.

Calamari Salad at Briza in Midtown

Briza Restaurant

866 West Peachtree Street NW (inside the Renaissance Midtown Hotel)

Atlanta, Georgia 30308

678-412-2402

www.brizarestaurant.com

I had wanted to visit Briza for a while, and as a huge Top Chef fan, as soon as I heard the executive chef (Janine Falvo) was going to be on the show I knew the time had come to finally check it out.  I brought along my sister and we made our way to Briza on a particularly dreary Tuesday evening.  It was cold and rainy, but the minute we ducked inside out of the rain we felt warm and cozy.  The rich colors and soft glow of the overhead silver globes set a very cool and chic mood and I was immediately excited for the meal ahead!  All the seats feel tucked away, like you’re in your own little nook.  We were seated in a circular booth, which despite being in the center of the restaurant, felt very private and exclusive.

We decided the atmosphere called for drinks, and we started browsing the drink menu.  I settled on the Passion Royale with prosecco, grand mariner, and passion fruit ($12) and my sister went with the Nectar Margarita ($11) featuring cuervo traditional reposado tequila, fresh lime, and agave nectar.  Our drinks quickly arrived and after our first sips, the strong (but not overpowering) drinks were exactly what we needed to start warming up on that cold night. Read the rest of this entry »

Chicken and the Egg

800 Whitlock Avenue
Marietta, GA 30064
678-388-8813 - www.chickandtheegg.com

Being from a small town, I know that the “farm to table” culture that has permeated the urban areas is only just beginning to trickle down to the entire population.   Now that trickle down is evident in the embrace of local food culture at Marietta’s newest restaurant Chicken and the Egg, just a quick skip up the interstate from Atlanta.

Having dined before at Chef and Owner Marc Taft’s previous restaurant Pacci, I was really intrigued to hear he was starting a farmstead style spot in his own neighborhood.  I met up with a friend recently and we ventured out to get a taste. Read the rest of this entry »

Insalate di Mare

Double Zero Napoletana (Sandy Springs)

5825 Roswell Road

Atlanta, GA 30328

404.991.3666

www.doublezeroatl.com

Located in Sandy Springs, Double Zero Napoletana is a hop, skip and jump from Interstate 285 on Roswell Road. The restaurant offers complimentary valet service and limited self-parking spots near the front.

An out-of-town guest joined me for a midweek meal and we were welcomed by the sight of the pastry display and bar as we made our way through the dining area. The dining room was substantial but divided into three sections by warm, earth toned curtains. The curtains created a much more intimate atmosphere and also helped to dampen the sound of the room.

Once seated, we were greeted by our server who was kind enough to provide us with beverage recommendations and the cocktail of the week. I started my evening with a Barrel Aged Negroni ($15) and my guest had the highlighted cocktail of the week, Moscow Mule ($10). While not a connoisseur of cocktails, I did not leave one drop of the barrel aged cocktail could be found after I was done. Variations of classic cocktails are also offered, such as the Whiskey Old Fashioned ($9). Wine and beer lovers will enjoy the substantial selections, including Double Zero’s 100 plus list of Italian wines and one of the most comprehensive Italian microbrew selections too.

We began with a pair of antipasti dishes, Pork Belly Polenta ($12) and Mozzarella al Forno ($10, $5 more for buffalo mozzarella).  The crispy pork belly countered the smooth, creamy texture of the polenta and was a highlight for my guest and me. The tomato sauce of the mozzarella al forno had us coming back with more of the grilled rustic bread for dipping. The mozzarella seemed to get lost in the flavors of the tomato sauce at times, but I would easily order the dish again.

Our next step in our Italian journey started when I ordered the Double Zero Napoletana ($16) as my entrée. The featured pizza and namesake of the restaurant refers to the type of flour, Double Zero, used to make Neapolitan pizza. The highlight of the pizza was the freshness and flavors in its ingredients: arugula, garlic, mozzarella di bufala campana DOP and prosciutto di Parma. Because the portion is large enough to be shared by two, the crust of my last slices became moist due to how long it took me to finish. By the time I was on these last slices, my guest had already finished her Rapini e Salsicce ($16). She confirmed that the egg fettuccine dish was filling and tasty with its assortment of Italian sausage, broccoli rapini and Calabrian chiles.

The memory of the pastry bar as we walked into the restaurant revisited us when our server asked us if we saved room for dessert.  As stuffed as we were, we went with the caveat of “When in Rome.” My guest ordered the Pesche ($8) and I went with the light and refreshing Strawberry Balsamic Sorbet ($4 medium, $6 large). The pesche’s presentation was worthy of photography and the poached peaches, chiffon cake and basil gelato were fit for Julius Caesar himself.

Relatively new to Sandy Springs, Double Zero Napoletana’s tastes and flavors brought an experience of what dining in southern Italy could be. The warmth and ambience will keep you coming back, but the food and cocktails will make you feel like you’re on vacation in Italy.

(Once every month or so, The TICKET provides a review of a new or noteworthy Atlanta restaurant that should be of interest to local or visiting business travelers. Enjoy!)

An Old Pal at No. 246

No. 246

129 E Ponce de Leon Avenue

Decatur, GA 30030

678-399-8246

www.no246.com

I’ve been waiting for No. 246 to open for what seems like ages, and when it finally did (earlier this month), I was more than eager to check it out.  The restaurant doesn’t take reservations so my dining companion and I decided to have a late dinner with the hopes of missing the crowds.

Upon arrival, we opted for a couple seats at the bar so we could get a clear view of the talented Lara Creasy preparing the Italian inspired cocktails we had heard so much about.  I’ve always loved the cocktails that Lara creates at JCT Kitchen and had high hopes for the beverage menu here.  It certainly did not disappoint. I have found my new favorite drink for summer – the Aperol Spritz ($8), which contains Aperol, Prosecco, soda water and blood orange bitters and is topped with an orange slice and pink peppercorn.  It’s light and refreshing and even looks like summer with its bright pink shade. I see many more of these in my future over the next few hot months.  My dinner guest, being a big fan of whiskey, ordered the Old Pal ($8) with Old Overholt Rye, Campari and Punt E Mes and enjoyed it as well.

We started with the Woodland Gardens little gem lettuce salad with radish, blue vinaigrette and olive oil breadcrumbs ($8), and the No. 246 meatball with San Marzano, basil and parmesan ($5). The salad was beautifully presented with colorful watermelon radishes – it matched my drink! – and the olive oil breadcrumbs gave it a delicate crunch that I really enjoyed.  I’m not much of a meatball eater but this one was the best I’ve ever had (and that counts my Italian grandmother’s famous meatballs).  My dinner companion actually ended up ordering another one to go with his entrée, that’s how good it was. Read the rest of this entry »

Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant
273 Buckhead Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-841-0066
www.fadoirishpub.com/atlanta

There are few places more comforting than an Irish pub. You instantly pick up on the neighborhood vibe, happy voices carry enthusiastically through the room and the beer is flowing… what more could you want?  There’s not much better place to while away a little time with a good friend, a pint and some hot food.

I met up with a friend recently for a late dinner to catch up and we decided to venture out to Fadó in Buckhead.  We made our way to the restaurant, which is tucked away on a side street, and walked into a lively scene of diners enjoying themselves in the shadows created from the beautiful, cascading woodwork and billowing flags in the pub.

Since it wouldn’t be right to start out without a pint, I chose a Guinness to begin and my friend ordered a glass of Kilkenny Cream Ale.  We perused the dinner menu and decided to start with the Corned Beef Rolls ($7.95).  I grew up eating (and mostly enjoying) corned beef and cabbage, but this was a step above the time-honored Irish favorite.  In this appetizer version, the corned beef and cabbage find themselves wrapped neatly in small rolls of a traditional boxty (or potato pancake) and topped with a cabbage slaw.  This was our favorite dish of the night; a modern twist on an old classic. Read the rest of this entry »

The 57^TH Fighter Group Restaurant
3829 Clairmont Road (@Peachtree-DeKalb Airport)
Atlanta, GA, 30341
Phone: 770-234-0057
www.the57threstaurant.com

I didn’t really know what to expect when we arrived for dinner at The 57^th Fighter Group Restaurant.  I had definitely heard a lot about the restaurant’s unique location and history over the years, but wondered if it would still be the same after its renovation in 2009.

The 57^th Fighter Group Restaurant is known for its WWII aviation-themed atmosphere, and that is quite clear as soon as you arrive.  Army jeeps greet you as you pull down the restaurant’s driveway and the theme continues with an actual airplane located just outside the front door.  As we walked in, the incredible history behind the 57^th Fighter Group immediately hit us.  Old photos and antique memorabilia lined the walls while 1940’s jazz music played throughout the space.

After taking in all of the design details, we were thrilled when our hostess led us to our table in front of one of the large windows with an incredible view of the Atlanta DeKalb-Peachtree Airport.  The sun had just set and the lights and sounds of the airport were taking the place of all dinner conversation.  Our server first gave us an insightful rundown on the restaurant’s renovation and new menu items and then took our orders. Read the rest of this entry »

Chocolate Lava Cake (order 30 mins ahead!)

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse (Dunwoody)

4501 Olde Perimeter Way

Atlanta, GA 30346

770.698.8112

www.flemingssteakhouse.com

Located in Dunwoody, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is a stone’s throw from Perimeter Mall. Upon our arrival, we found that Fleming’s offers complimentary valet in addition to ample parking in the surrounding center.

It was a Sunday night when my guest and I dined at Fleming’s, and the restaurant was filled with laughter and conversations. We were greeted with soft lighting and dark woods throughout the restaurant as we were being seated. I started the evening with a glass of the 12-year-old Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($15) and my guest had the Beringer White Zinfandel ($6.50/glass).  Although I was in the mood for scotch, I did notice the restaurant does offer a large and varied wine list that can be bought by the glass or bottle.

After the drinks arrived, we were ready to put in our orders for the meal.  We started with the thinly sliced tenderloin carpaccio ($13.50) which came with a caper Creole mustard sauce and was more than ample for two.  I ordered one of Fleming’s new classics, the porcini rubbed filet mignon ($37.95), as my entrée and it came with asparagus spears and a Gorgonzola cream sauce.  The steak was tender and came out precisely as I ordered. The Gorgonzola cream sauce also complemented the steak well.  My guest ordered the petite filet mignon ($35.95), which is an eight-ounce cut. The main filet mignon ($38.95), a twelve-ounce cut, is also available if you are a bit more carnivorous. Read the rest of this entry »

Davios' Maine Lobster Ravioli with Sweet Peas and Corn Purée

Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse

Phipps Plaza

3500 Peachtree Road, NE

Atlanta, GA 30326

Phone: 404-844-4810

www.davios.com

Although Davio’s is located at Phipps Plaza, nothing about this place feels like a restaurant you would normally find in a mall.  The décor is sophisticated, the service is attentive and, as I would soon discover, the food is nice alternative to the less appealing food court selections that we’re normally forced to settle for when shopping or seeing a movie at Phipps.

Davio’s occupies a large space (formerly Nike Town) and has many different seating options, so after giving us the choice of where to sit, the friendly hostess seated my dining companion and I at a booth in the bar area that felt surprisingly intimate.  While we mulled over the menu, we ordered glasses of Aia Vecchia Lagone Toscana ($14/glass) and our server brought us a fresh bread basket with a dish of spreads and olives.  It’s hard to not fill up on these, but believe me, you’ll want to save room for the dishes that follow.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ray’s Killer Creek

1700 Mansell Rd

Alpharetta, GA 30004

770.649.0064

www.raysrestaurants.com

Friday night is date night in our household and this past Friday was no exception.  Since the most recent season of “Top Chef,” I have been curious to check out Atlanta cheftestant Tracey Bloom’s cooking.  The recent news that she took over the kitchen of Ray’s at Killer Creek was enough to push us OTP for an evening of wining and dining.

The drive from Midtown to Alpharetta barely took us 30 minutes and gave us just enough time to work up an appetite for fine dining.  The restaurant itself was beautiful and we could see right away that the service was going to be top-notch.  The friendly greeting from the manager and server’s formal uniform and friendly manner were a perfect start to the night.

Read the rest of this entry »

Located at 12th St & Crescent in Midtown

Deadwood Saloon
66 12th Street NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
404-671-4290

Atlanta is known for its gorgeous and calm fall nights.  Recently, a friend and I sought out a relaxing patio where we could enjoy a couple of beers, soak up the fall breeze and occasionally check in on our favorite sports team’s score on one of the big screens inside.  After hearing about recently opened Deadwood Saloon in Midtown, we decided to check it out.

We parked in the free lot across the street and walked up to something more akin to a big Southern house than a bar or restaurant.    Walking inside, we wound our way through the Western-themed interior up to the balcony patio, where you can sneak a glimpse of the Midtown skyline through the trees, or just peek on the diners below. Read the rest of this entry »

YEAH! BURGER

1168 Howell Mill Road, Suite E

404-496-4393

www.yeahburger.com

The burger craze has certainly hit Atlanta in the past year as several burger-focused eateries are popping up all over town.  I decided to see what the buzz was all about and visit the latest modern-day burger joint, YEAH! BURGER.  The restaurant is owned and operated by Chef Shaun Doty of Shaun’s in Inman Park and entrepreneur Erik Maier.  Since Doty is normally known for his upscale fare, I was curious to see how his casual burger joint would pan out.

We arrived at YEAH! BURGER on a Monday evening right around 6 p.m. and the restaurant was fairly busy with a nearly full house inside and a few couples enjoying their meal on the patio. I liked that YEAH! BURGER was designed as a fast-casual restaurant where customers place their order at the counter and their food is delivered to the table.  I think this offers a certain convenience for this type of restaurant. Read the rest of this entry »

Fresh herbs on the patio at Miller Union (photo: David Naugle)

MILLER UNION

999 Brady Ave, NW (map)

Atlanta, GA 30318

Phone: 678-733-8550

www.millerunion.com

Admittedly, I became a sucker for this place the moment my dinner companion and I sat down. Upon arriving, we had asked the host if there were any available tables on the patio, and the only one left was being held for another reservation so we were seated in one of the small dining rooms.  Five minutes later, the host came back to tell us the guests who had reserved the outdoor table were going to be late and offered to move us outside.  Though a small gesture, this thoughtfulness really made an impression on me.

The patio turned out to be lovely and our table was surrounded by large planters filled with fresh herbs, which is always a good sign at a restaurant that touts local cuisine.  I ordered the Papi Chulo cocktail ($11) and my companion ordered … Read the rest of this entry »

Shaun’s Restaurant

1029 Edgewood Avenue NE

Atlanta, GA 30307

404.577.4358

www.shaunsrestaurant.com

A cool, spring evening  brought me to the doorstep of Shaun’s Restaurant in the heart of historic Inman Park. My guest and I entered at dusk and were greeted by a clean, bistro interior. It immediately felt like I was in a dining room right out of Southern Living. We knew we could not pass up the opportunity to sit on the patio on such a clear, refreshing evening and decided to enjoy our dinner amongst the brick walls, candles and strings of lights that zigzagged above the tables.

Having perused the menu for the week prior to my visit, my first decision was to order a Guinness ($6.50), while my guest went with a Riesling ($11).  Now that I had that tough decision out of the way, it was time to get to the nitty-gritty and order our dinner.  To start off, we shared the Maryland style jumbo lump crab cake ($16), which came with a grainy mustard sauce and Napa cabbage slaw. The crab cake came out warm from the oven and the slaw was a nice and cool counterpoint.

Our server informed us that the salmon had just come in that day, so I went with the wild troll king salmon for my entrée ($28). The salmon came with braised organic greens, garlic caper relish, bacon butter and spring asparagus. This was by far my favorite part of the experience at Shaun’s. The bacon butter complemented every item on the plate and I made sure to dip every item in it.

My compatriot ordered the roast Georgia chicken ($21), which came with wild nettle polenta, sweetbreads and spring asparagus. I did not get the opportunity to taste it, but she said she really enjoyed it. It was such a large portion that she could not even finish the plate. I wish I had more to say about this because the chicken and polenta looked quite appetizing, but I was focused on my salmon and bacon butter and for good reason.

My guest and I somehow managed to find room in our stomachs for dessert. I went with the vanilla bean cheesecake ($7), which had a corn flake crust and cranberry compote. My cheesecake was a soft, melt-in-your-mouth, type of good. The sticky toffee pudding ($7) was my guest’s choice and she said it was full of flavor and a great way to end the night.

From the flavorful Southern fare to the warm welcoming atmosphere, my experience at Shaun’s was a memorable one. I can now see what has made it a staple of historic Inman Park.

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