Archive for the ‘Taste of The Ticket’ Category

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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Saskatoon

360 Pharr Road (Buckhead)

Atlanta, GA 30305

404-891-1911

www.saskatoonatlanta.com

I met my dinner date at the newly-opened restaurant, Saskatoon, on a week night and was pleasantly surprised as soon as I walked in the door.  The interior was warm and inviting with soothing jazz music playing in the background and several fireplaces blazing brightly. It was an excellent escape from the harsh wintry weather.  The friendly hostess seated us and we immediately started to scan the eclectic menu.  Our server soon came over and gave us all the information on the restaurant and its background.   It was then that we realized we were in for something totally different at Saskatoon. The mountain lodge-like eatery offered everything from a basic filet mignon to ostrich. We didn’t know where to start!

We both ordered a Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale ($5) and began trying to decipher what we were going to have for an appetizer.   Since we wanted to get the full Saskatoon experience, we went with the wild game sausage sampler ($10).  I also chose the BLT wedge salad ($8).  Both came out of the kitchen in a timely fashion and we dug right in.  The sampler included venison, duck and rabbit sausages served with roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, corn relish and Saskatoon’s signature barbeque sauce.  The sausage selections were very tasty and the combination of the different components worked nicely together.  The salad was simple, and served as a cool complement to the sausage sampler.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft

1745 Peachtree Rd

Atlanta, GA 30309

(678) 539-6181

www.tuktukatl.com

As you enter Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft you are greeted by an authentic tuk tuk, a type of pedi-cab found all over the main cities in Thailand. This jewel of a neighborhood restaurant is in the former Taurus space, meaning it’s awkwardly located on the 2^nd floor of a building in the Brookwood Square shopping center. It’s worth finding.

Tuk Tuk opened quietly in December. They have yet to do any marketing so the large space is usually pretty empty. The owner is the daughter of well-known Atlanta Thai restaurateurs Charlie and Nan who own Tamarind and Nan. It’s not a copycat. Tuk Tuk is more street food focused. The largest part of the menu is the small plates which are meant for sharing. Also offered are Thai salads, Bangkok street noodles, big plates, sides and dessert. The room is beautiful and will be even prettier when they get some artwork and more people in the chairs. Read the rest of this entry »

You remember the old Steak & Ale in downtown Atlanta? Well it has been transformed into Truva – a stunning Mediterranean restaurant.  One moment you are in the middle of downtown and the next you are inside a gorgeous, comfortable space with a warm fireplace, splashes of burnt red and turquoise and great seating options.  We loved the casual feel of the lounge and the option to sit in the more formal dining room.  Apparently, there is also an upstairs for large parties but we didn’t get to see that space. Read the rest of this entry »

NOON|MIDTOWN

1080 Peachtree Street, Suite 6 (at Crescent Avenue)

Atlanta, GA 30309

404-496-4891

www.noonmidtown.com

Hours: (Breakfast/Lunch only) Mon- Fri, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sat, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

After walking into Noon|Midtown through the convenient parking deck entrance, my dining companion and I stepped up to the counter to place our breakfast order and were greeted by a friendly young man who handed us menus. The first thing I notice is this pattern of friendliness – everyone that works here has a smile on their faces and I immediately get a good feeling about this place. A happy staff means happy customers, right?

I ordered the prosciutto baguette with sweet butter and parmesan ($7.95), and my friend ordered the scrambled egg sandwich with Benton’s bacon, Monterey Jack cheese and scallion pesto ($5.75).  We couldn’t resist getting some grits to accompany our breakfast sandwiches, so I chose stone ground grits ($1.95 for a cup; $2.50 for a bowl) with Benton’s bacon ($1.50), while my friend opted for cheddar cheese as her topping ($1). Read the rest of this entry »

Serpas

Located@Studioplex

659 Auburn Avenue

Atlanta, GA

404-688-0040

www.serpasrestaurant.com

Located in the Old Fourth Ward historic district, Serpas brings tons of culinary talent to this emerging community.  I live in the Midtown/Buckhead area, and am quite guilty about not traveling far beyond my comfort zone.  But last night my friend and I decided to try this new place we had heard such good things about.

As soon as we walked through the doors, I was surprised to see how many people were there – the place was completely packed.  Everyone else in the neighborhood must have caught on months ago about this new dining gem.  Servers, bartenders and the whole restaurant staff were buzzing around.  And, to our surprise, we were able to be seated immediately. Read the rest of this entry »

She’s going Asian this month: “The Tunacado was probably my favorite part of the meal; the seared tuna was fresh and beautifully presented with avocado slices.  The creamy ponzu dipping sauce served on the side was a nice touch.  I usually find potstickers to be too greasy for my tastes, but these were crisp and tasty..” Ummm. Yum? Want to hear more? Then check out the latest dispatch from our fearless taste-tester in THE TASTE OF THE TICKET!

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