Vegetarians: Where to eat

One of the problems with being a vegetarian, is the quality of the food prepared when you go out for a meal. If you can find a place with a vegetarian option at all. The trouble is, a lot of restaurants do not specialise in catering for those who don’t eat meat, so when they do attempt to vary the menu and include some options, the food is bland or unimaginative.

Don’t worry though. Spending your Saturday night doing your usual, playing FoxyBingo and catching up with the news, while your friends go out and have a nice meal, isn’t necessarily going to happen. There are places in Atlanta that cater to your tastes, you just have to know where they are hiding. Three places worth visiting are:

L’Thai Organic Cuisine & Wine Bar

Although tucked away inside a shopping centre off of Lawrenceville Highway, this restaurant has one of the widest selections of vegetarian dishes out there. It is a little on the expensive side, but it has the perfect balance between foods for the carnivorous, and foods for the vegetarian. Plus it is all organic. Every food option allows you to opt for tofu substitute, if you fancy it.

Green Sprout Vegetarian

Green Sprout is like every other Chinese take-out joint, if you were to replace everything on the menu with vegan and gourmet ingredients. There is nothing particularly fancy about the place. It is very much like any other Chinese place, but they cater for vegans without it feeling like an after thought. Great service, great price, fresh food that is well cooked. You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy it though.

Big Chow Grill

Formerly The Real Chow Baby, the restaurant changed into Big Chow Grill. Now they offer far more seafood and vegetarian options, with ingredients that are sourced locally. It is healthy too. Perfect for anyone who wants to dine out without feeling bloated later on.

Nestled in the heart of Midtown is the Atlanta icon of Einstein’s. Part of the Metrotainment Group of restaurants, Einstein’s does NOT disappoint.

From our arrival at the valet parking, Einstein’s was a smooth an easy time for our afternoon Sunday brunch. If the weather had been better we may have enjoyed our meal on the large patio, but as it was we settled into a cozy booth.

We always try to do call ahead or make reservations if the restaurant will accept them. I urge diners to try this consistently as it can save you lots of time and certainly add enjoyment to the meal. By doing so, our hostess was able to seat us right away while other diners who arrived about the same time waited for 20-30 minutes.

Something simple at the beginning of our meal was a true delight and a great start to our brunch! The bread, more accurately, the bakery items were very delicious and nutty with a sweetness that did not make one feel over indulgent.

Melanie ordered a made-to-0rder omelet with breakfast potatoes and grits for her sides. I chose the Crab Meat omelet with Hollandaise sauce (oh so delisch! ) with a side of chicken sausage.

The grits STOLE the show! OMG, that stuff is SO good! Not to be outdone, the chicken sausage was not far behind. A little spicy (which I really dig) but far too spicy for Miss Melanie.

The Crab Meat Omelet was so, so good I’m not sure whether I can even speak of it without melting. And the Hollandaise, my pairing not theirs, was awesome. I chose to bypass the jalapenos which normally comes with this dish since I was still nursing a cold and not quite feeling up to it.

The only thing that can make a great meal like this better is live music. The Sadler Jazz Duo was playing jazz in the bar and they were quite wonderful. I really liked the iPad being used for his music! And yes, they play there every Sunday for your entertainment.

I should also mention that we have not made postings for almost nine months. Yes, we’ve still been eating, but I just had a lot of stuff on my plate (pun intended). Hopefully, with my new years resolution of continuing to provide fine reviews for Atlanta diners, our readers will continue to enjoy our blog for many years to come.

Guten appetit!

Culinary Fight Night® makes a few appearances before going on the road to New York City

Atlanta, Georgia—May 16, 2011— Culinary Fight Night®, a local cooking competition, added 2 huge appearances to their resume this week before relocating to New York City; Better Mornings Atlanta and the 2nd annual SW Atlanta Celebrity Cook-Off.

Sunday afternoon, Culinary Fight Night®, supported by students from Atlanta Area Tech, showcased their culinary talent as featured platform artists at the 2nd annual SW Atlanta Celebrity Cook-Off, hosted by Food Network Star, Season 5 Finalist Jamika Pessoa, Celebrity Chef Dwayne Hairston, and crowd favorite and founder LaMont Bynum. The cook-off took place at the Adamsville Recreational Center in southwest Atlanta.  Along with producing a competition, the SW Atlanta Celebrity Cook-Off also featured as many as 50 local restaurants, caterers, and venders, all coming together in support of Mayor Kasim Reed’s Center of Hope Initiative which raises awareness and funds to help children and youth after school and sports programs.

There were a number of notable local celebrities in attendance; Celebrity Chefs Delroy Christian; who led the winning team, J. Scott, Marvin Woods, Jennifer Booker, Desmond Fannin, and Clarence Ridgley, NFL alumni Ed Hartwell and Bob Whitfield, Sheree Whitfield from BRAVO’s Real Housewives of Atlanta, celebrity stylist and entrepreneur Tameka Raymond, radio and media personalities Rashan Ali, Ramona Debreaux, and Darlene McCoy, recording artist Ray Lavender and Councilman Michael Julian Bond. 

To promote this event, CFN’s Executive Chef Clarence Ridgley and one of Sodexo’s Executive Chefs Desmond Fannin appeared on Better Mornings Atlanta 2 days prior in order to led their individual teams in a mini-cooking challenge. 

Culinary Fight Night® has grown quickly during their 1st year. Based on this, CFN® will be relocating to New York City this week in efforts of shopping their ideas for 2 reality shows, publishing a cookbook; CFN: The Recipes, and implementing satellite CFN® competitions not only in New York City on July 26th, but also in Chicago, Miami, and New Orleans.

For more information about Culinary Fight Night® and their efforts or if you are interested in becoming a sponsor or contender, visit www.culinaryfightnight.com or contact Walt Henderson via email: walt@culinaryfightnight.com or directly: 917.796.0669.

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If you’ve never made it to New York, you can go to BB’s Diner and say you got pretty close. From the moment you walk in, you’d swear you were in an authentic New York diner – because YOU ARE! Two things you should be aware of: This is OTP in a BIG sort of way and 2) they close at 2pm EVERY DAY so plan accordingly.

BB’s Diner is known for it’s bagels, made fresh daily. The only thing more pronounced than the New York attitude seething from this place, is how GOOD these bagels are! BB’s Diner is the only hand-rolled kettle-boiled bagels in Atlanta.

Onion bagel with vegetable cream cheese

Wheat bagel with strawberry cream cheese

Wheat bagel with white cream cheese

If you REALLY want a great deal for breakfast and you’re absolutely STARVING, get the 3 egg omelet platter. This comes with a bagel, a 3 egg omelet done your way and a choice of either hash browned potatoes or grits.

1 egg scrambled, 1 egg sunny side up, sausage links and potatoes

Omelet with cheddar and ham with grits

Omelet with cheddar and sausage with potatoes

The omelets were good but not the best we’ve had. They were a little overdone and this took some of the flavor out of them. The potatoes win an A+ for uniqueness as they had a sauce they were cooked with which made them very moist and full of flavor.

It’s not really New York but the bagels are some of the best food just south of the Pine Barrens that you will ever put in your mouth. TIP: After you eat, order a bag of bagels to go! Guten appetit!

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Other location(s):

If you’re in Athens and you want pizza on Friday night, you’d better get to Transmetropolitan early. If you don’t, you will experience mayhem like you never have. Fortunately, we started out VERY early for dinner (or maybe it was a late lunch) but we got there in time to grab one of the precious sidewalk tables and were able to enjoy a great meal together in this beautiful weather!

Melanie and I both started with side salads and WHAT A DEAL they are! For $3 you get a very nicely equipped mixed greens salad with the freshest ingredients! Really, really good stuff!

Melanie and I split a medium, which is 12”, and that was plenty. She chose veggie for her side, I went with the Sasquatch Hungryman which is the Transmetropolitan equivalent of a meat lover’s pizza.

This pizza was REALLY DYNAMITE! It reminded us a lot of Antico Pizza with it’s large, fresh, cut-large toppings yet it was served Americanized. We both still felt like Everybody’s Pizza edged it out on taste but it’s a totally different town and a totally different pizza! For Athens, Transmetropolitan rocked our world! Guten appetit!

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If you are looking for a great breakfast at a great price, you MUST check out West Egg Café. This place is hopping and very, very good! We arrived mid-afternoon Sunday with friends and we must have timed it just right because we were seated within 10-15 minutes.

Melanie ordered a cappuccino right off the rip once we sat down (as Tigger would say “it was a blustery day”). Gee, do you thick this cappuccino is thick enough? Melanie LOVED the cappuccino!

The restaurant also has seating available on the patio but the patio was not open this day due to the cold weather.

I ordered an omelet with turkey sausage and skillet potatoes while Melanie ordered a veggie omelet  and roasted garlic grits with cheese.

Our meals arrived way before we ever expected them considering West Egg Café was at or near capacity.

Omelet with turkey sausage with skillet potatoes	Veggie omelet and roasted garlic grits with cheese

Brunch, as you may have surmised, has become one of our favorite meals and West Egg Café does brunch right! These omelet were cooked to perfection, the ingredients were fresh and the presentation was very good. Melanie said the grits reminded her of the Creamy Dreamy Grits from Flying Biscuit Café. My skillet potatoes were like none other! It was a leap of faith considering the potatoes the week prior at Ria’s Bluebird, but these potatoes were rich with flavor and oh SO delicious!

One of the parts I HATE about eating out is when the check is presented. Yes, dear readers, all of this comes from the pocket of yours truly. Like most of us these days, I LOVE it when I see a really GOOD VALUE and West Egg Café is one of those places! We both think you’ll love SO TRY IT! Guten appetit!

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If you are a dog lover, you will definitely LOVE Lucky’s Burger & Brew. If not, you’ll probably still love it.

We waited a short while and were seated on the patio. It was a perfect, PERFECT evening (#supermoon and all) for patio dining and we had a splendid meal.

We started with an appetizer of the Fried Pickles. If you’ve been following us for a while we are absolute suckers for this menu item and if it’s on the menu, chance are we’re going to try them. The Fried Pickles at Lucky’s Burger & Brew are awesome and a great start to your meal. They were done perfectly – not greasy or underdone and not overcooked and dried out.

For our entrées, our young guest ordered a Turkey Club Sandwich, Melanie chose the Turkey Burger and I (after doing my homework on Urbanspoon) chose The Undertaker. Both Melanie and I subbed the fries for salads and I also subbed the standard mayonnaise for chipotle mayonnaise.

Our young guest said her Turkey Club was “OK” which translated from teenager language means that it was pretty good otherwise we would have never heard the end of it. The fries were nothing special, so Melanie did not feel deprived of the finer things in life.

Melanie was a little taken aback by her Turkey Burger. She had asked and expected ground turkey made into a patty. Instead she received a pre-made turkey patty. Despite this however, she liked it and enjoyed the mixed green salad as well although she said the ranch dressing was a little watery.

The Undertaker is one of the more unique burgers I have ever eaten! I MUST thank those on Urbanspoon who recommended it! Fried egg? On a burger? Yes, it was great. The menu also said onion straws but, as you can see, we ended up with onion rings. In any case, this burger was FANTASTIC and OH SO FILLING! So, let me be among my friends on Urbanspoon who HIGHLY recommend The Undertaker.

Lucky’s Burger & Brew, is both dog-friendly and kid-friendly and their burgers will knock your socks off. Lucky’s Burger & Brew had a relaxed, laid back atmosphere and we must recommend this as a MUST SEE on your list of Atlanta dining. Guten appetit!

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The cornerstone of Emory Village is Everybody’s Pizza and we found it to be welcoming, relaxing and a nice place to enjoy a great pizza. It was a cold, blustery March evening when we arrived early for dinner and were seated right away.

It took us a while to review the menu (it’s quite large with all of the variations) and we decided that it works out about the same to order the individual size pizza rather than compromise and get a large one. That being said, the salad decisions were much easier and I had read a note on Foursquare that said “Love the sun-dried tomato and basil dressing!” from Allison C. so my decision was made.

Can you even believe THIS is the SMALL salad? All of our salads were equally grandiose and we remarked to ourselves we could’ve easily shared this between three people! Even more incredible is that the salad is under $4 ($1/topping).

And  Allison C. was OH SO RIGHT! You will fall in love with the sun-dried tomato and basil dressing. It was really awesome. The lettuce is fresh and the ingredients taste like they just got them off the farm. One thing for sure – the salads DO NOT disappoint!

Italian Sausage and Hamburger

Spinach and Tomato

Spinach and Shrimp

One of the many pleasures in life is ordering a pizza just for you and Everybody’s Pizza individual size let’s you do just that. There is also an overwhelming array of items to select from. As you can tell from the variety above, the only thing they had in common was that they were all great! I’m not sure what seasoning they use, whether it’s in the sauce or the dough but this is an awesome pizza!

Everybody will find something they like at Everybody’s Pizza and, more importantly, everybody will enjoy it. Guten appetit!

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We were down this way not long ago on a visit to Oakland Cemetery and I promised myself we’d come back to try Ria’s Bluebird. Every time we’ve gone past Ria’s Bluebird it’s been packed and this day was no exception. We waited about 20 minutes and we were seated with coffee right away.

The atmosphere is warm and inviting and the staff could not have been nicer. We both ordered omelettes and they arrived much more quickly than we had expected. One thing right off the bat, is that these are two egg omelettes rather than 3 egg which we’ve become accustomed to elsewhere yet they are the same price range.

Melanie had her omelette with her usual assortment of veggie stuffings. For her side items, she ordered the creamy grits and soysage. I had wanted the sausage (standard pork sausage for me) inside of my omelette but the server must’ve misunderstood because I received the three cheese omelette (the Omelette of the Day) with the sausage on the side. I also had the skillet potatoes.

As I mentioned previously (2 egg versus 3 egg), the omelettes were noticeably smaller than the brunch spots we’ve been visiting. The oddest thing was the biscuits (can we really call them that?) because it was much more like bread baked in a pan although it was light and flavorful it didn’t score in the biscuit category.

Both of our omelettes were a little dry but tasted great. Hey, when you’ve had omlettes from Rise-n-Dine, Murphy’s, and Park’s Edge you’ve been spoiled rotten. The potatoes were even more dry, didn’t have any real flavor but did have some kind of weird after taste that I didn’t care for. Melanie did enjoy her soysage which tasted better than my overdone real sausage.

Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Ria’s Bluebird and would give it a B-. One thing that I have to say is that it’s an institution and I’m a sucker for tradtion. Are there better places for brunch? Sure, but Ria’s Bluebird is a good contender and certainly deserves a spot of our MUST SEE of Atlanta dining.

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You’d better rise early if you want to dine at Rise-n-Dine or expect to wait! That being said, even if you have to wait, it’s worth it!

Parking is at a premium as are tables inside but I found a parking place at the rear of the building and came in the back entrance.

It was a Sunday afternoon and understandably crowded but we only waiting perhaps 25-30 minutes before we were seated. While we waited, the hostess brought us coffee and we had a great time chatting with our friends. Before we knew it, our table was available and we were ready to proceed with our meal.

From the very first time I entered Rise-n-Dine reminded me a whole lot of Early Girl Eatery in Asheville NC. I love the relaxed vibe that this place gives and it’s great atmosphere for a laid back relaxing meal.

One of the things I had heard about was the Polish Omelette. The description was potato-cheddar pierogies, kielbasa, onions, and cheddar cheese. topped with sour cream. (Yes, we went to Wikipedia to learn more about pierogies) I also asked for a side of house-made chicken sausage with hash browns and Melanie ordered a custom omelette with broccoli, tomato green peppers and extra cheddar cheese with a side of sage-quinoa grits and the biscuit w/ gravy.

Polish Omelette with house-made chicken sausage and hash browns	Omelette with a side of sage-quinoa grits and the biscuit w/ gravy.

Melanie felt her omelette was a little dry and wasn’t thrilled about the grits either. She also thought the chunks of broccoli should have been cut into smaller pieces. The biscuit with gravy was good but not out of this world, especially when compared to Park’s Edge.

The Polish Omelette was OUT OF THIS WORLD! I can’t recall ever having sour cream with eggs before, but combined with the onions and the pierogies it made something really, really special. You simply MUST try this! I also particularly enjoyed the hash browns. As you can see, the pieces of potato were big and perfectly done. The chicken sausage was slightly underwhelming especially after the big meaty chicken sausage links at Murphy’s, but it was still quite tasty.

We loved our brunch Rise-n-Dine. I thought it was a great value and it’s very kid-friendly if you want to bring the lil critters along. I consider it a MUST SEE on your list of Atlanta dining. Guten appetit!

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Murphy’s wears Virginia-Highlands like a soldier wears medals. We absolutely LOVE this area of town for it’s charm and warmth and Murphy’s combines those attributes with a relaxing atmosphere and delicious food.

We had been hearing about the brunch, the weather was beautiful and it was a great day to be seated on the patio at Murphy’s. We’d been told to expect a 40 minute wait. TIP: You might be able to find a seat at the wine bar if you don’t want to stand for a long while. We found ourselves seated though in about 20 minutes.

The first thing brought to us was muffins and biscuits. The biscuits were some of the best we’ve had served for brunch, although still a notch shy of Mema’s goodness! What we did love was the strawberry preserves! I cannot remember the last time!

There is nothing quite as spectacular as Sunday afternoon in Atlanta enjoying brunch on the patio – especially on a “Spring” day in February! We had such a wonderful time chatting while we enjoyed our afternoon together.

The only thing that could’ve made this afternoon better was what awaited us.

I ordered the Corned Beef Hash with scrambled eggs and mustard horseradish sauce. Melanie chose the Linda’s Omelet with sauteed spinach, mushrooms and cheddar. I also felt like we had to try the Hashbrown potatoes and Chicken Sausage Links.

Friends, brunch doesn’t get much better than Murphy’s! Melanie loved her Linda’s Omelet . I thought the Corned Beef Hash was really spectacular and the mustard horseradish sauce was the perfect compliment to set off the flavor of the meat. The Chicken Sausage Links were a little greasy, could perhaps have been done just a bit more but were delicious none the less. The Hashbrown potatoes were done perfectly but the portion size left us feeling slighted. As you can probably surmise, this was QUITE a filling brunch and we were looking forward to visiting Oakland Cemetery and walk some of this off!

As is our custom when extraordinary service is provided, hats off to the staff of Murphy’s! We were treated like royalty from the moment we arrived by everyone we encountered. Everyone was very friendly and went out of their way to accommodate us in every way. This kind of attitude comes from the top down and is an excellent reflection upon the management team. Kudos!

Great food + excellent service + relaxing, comfortable place = bliss for brunch in the ATL making Murphy’s a MUST SEE on our list of Atlanta dining. Guten appetit!

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After a great meal, the final course offered is coffee and petit fours. Ever since our sweet tooth was tickled in Savannah at Mabel Francis Potter’s Cupcake Emporium, we’ve continued to look for the sweeter things in life here in Atlanta. Dear readers, we have found chocolate bliss at The Chocolaterie located at The Avenue Forsyth.

We were finishing up on meal at Salt Factory Pub and I hit Urbanspoon and found The Chocolaterie in the #2 position for dessert places in Atlanta. I noticed it was within ten miles and we were on our way!

The Avenue Forsyth was easy enough to find but IT’s BIG! The Chocolaterie is located just next to Chico’s right near the center of the complex. Once inside you enter into a sweet smell of luxury! Now, run – do not walk – to the display cases and feast your eyes on the artwork that is the truffle. It’s really amazing (and I’m sure the pictures DO NOT do it justice)!

If you think they look simply amazing, they taste even better! I made a few selections, as did Melanie, and we were soon packaged and ready to go. One thing I should point out is that this would make an excellent gift for either a lady or a gentleman and the packaging is the highest quality – no expense was spared in this area.

Now, if you haven’t already begun drooling, check for a pulse and then make your way to The Chocolaterie to satiate that craving now. Guten appetit!

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Salt Factory Pub sits on Canton Street in historic Roswell in the center of what’s happening in North Fulton. Not only was Salt Factory Pub totally packed out, so was everything else around – including the parking. TIP: If you can’t get parking at the Antique market, go one block east toward Alpharetta St. (Hwy 9) and you should be able to find something within a short walking distance.

When we arrived at Salt Factory Pub we were told that the wait was 35-40 minutes, but we were seated within 20 and had a great table in the corner from where we could observe the entire restaurant.

7 Onion Soup	Caesar Salad

For starters, Melanie’s chose the 7 Onion Soup and I went with the Caesar Salad. Melanie truly LOVED the 7 Onion Soup and wants the recipe. The Caesar Salad was quite good and I enjoyed it completely.

I should add that even though Salt Factory Pub was at 110% capacity (people eating at the outside seating and standing near the bar), the food continued to come out of the kitchen quite rapidly.

Linguine and Clams	Double Chicken Pot Pie

Next came our entrées – I had chosen the Linguine and Clams and Melanie ordered the Double Chicken Pot Pie which comes with a roasted chicken breast along with the chicken pot pie. The breast meat was tender and juicy beyond compare. The Double Chicken Pot Pie had generous portions of both chicken and vegetables and Melanie she that she felt the chicken pot pie was second only to Local Three and a VERY close second at that.

My Linguine and Clams was seasoned to perfection although I’m not sure if those with softer palettes could’ve endured it. The other thing that I loved about it was that the clams were bountiful. You simply could not eat a forkful without getting a healthy bite of clam meat. This is one of my staple dishes that I love to order and Salt Factory Pub did a wonderful job!

Our apologies to the couple sitting next to us whom we blinded several times taking pictures. They put two and two together and called us out as food critic bloggers, discreetly of course. I handed them a card and VOILA! They became Twitter followers right there! One of our favorite parts of doing this is the people we meet – both in person and online!

We had a great meal at Salt Factory Pub and really enjoyed ourselves. When you are OTP and near North Fulton, don’t mind the wait, it’s worth it. Salt Factory Pub makes a MUST SEE on our list of Atlanta dining. Guten appetit!

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Visit http://CulinaryFightNight.com for more info!

Before we left Savannah, we had one more stop to make at Mabel Francis Potter’s Cupcake Emporium. The buzz at street level for this place is phenomenal and we were dying to check it out. It seemed everywhere we went in town, people we spoke with had mentioned and recommended that we stop by.

Our excitement almost turned into tears when we arrived to find that they were almost TOTALLY SOLD OUT of cupcakes! Fortunately, there was still some left which we were able to try and OH BOY are they ever good!

Key Lime, Cotton Candy and Cookie Cupcake (left to right)   We loved our visit to Mabel Francis Potter’s Cupcake Emporium and we suggest that when you come here, COME EARLY! Guten appetit!

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Tybee Island is one of our favorite places on the planet! It’s casual, laid back atmosphere is in direct contrast with our normal hectic Atlanta lives and we find this a place that we can just come and relax. Marlin Monroe’s exemplifies the best of Tybee Island’s characteristics and we found it to be a super place just to relax with a fantastic oceanfront view.

We love coming to Tybee Island in the off-season although it was particularly warm, in the 70s, on this weekend. It hadn’t been too long since we’d eaten at The Pirate’s House but after walking along the beach I was not only thirsty but a little hungry as well. Wanting to continue my tradition of enjoying the local seafood, I ordered the Steamed Shrimp Platter which comes with corn-on-the-cob  and cole slaw.

The shrimp were large and still hot from cooking when they arrived at our table. I LOVE, LOVE , LOVE peel and eat shrimp and these were dynamite. I might also add that at $15 they were priced right and you received a decent portion size for your money. The corn-on-the-cob was very good and not over-cooked (which is often the case when served like this). The cole slaw though was disappointing and not worth the trouble.

I wish we had more time to relax on the deck at Marlin Monroe’s as we found it be to a great place to sit and enjoy the afternoon. When you are on Tybee Island, come hang out at Marlin Monroe’s and you won’t leave hungry! Guten appetit!

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One of our favorite places to visit in Savannah is Pirate’s House. Over the years, we’ve had many good times here and this day was no exception.

We normally come for dinner but today we decided to give the lunch menu a try. Not only is it easier to get a table, it’s also easier on the wallet. They offer an all-you-can-eat buffet, but Melanie and I diligently did not opt for that.

Just like the evening though, there is a pirate roaming about offering entertainment and will lead a tour of the house as well (please remember to tip). If you are planning an evening visit, make sure that Jack Sparrow (he’s young and short) is there. He’s really, really good and will give you an excellent time.

I chose the Blackened Grouper Sandwich  with potato salad and Melanie went with a Burger and Fries. The grouper was very good and the potato salad was out of this world. I would have preferred the bun toasted and I will ask for that the next time. The remoulade sauce was the perfect compliment and, characteristically unlike me, I used it liberally. Melanie really enjoyed her burger as it was cooked perfectly to her liking, but the fries were nothing special. We’d love to see them switch to making them homemade!

Blackened Grouper Sandwich	Burger and Fries.

The Pirate’s House is rich with history and legend and should not be missed by the visitor. The Pirate’s House has a whole lot more to do with the fun atmosphere than the food but it is certainly a must see when you come to Savannah. Guten appetit!

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Our trip to Rocks on the River was an exercise in mediocrity. We had very high hopes since Rocks had been rated so high on Urbanspoon but we were less than impressed.

Some new found tips for those visiting Savannah and wanting to venture down to River Street – we finally found an easy way! Park in the Whitaker Street garage. Parking is scare on Level 1 but if you drive in the direction of the pay booths, you can continue to the lower levels and there are plenty of spaces. Take the elevator up to the street level, walk directly across Bay Street to the Bohemian Hotel. Take the elevator down to the bottom floor and you are in Rocks on the River. You are also directly on River Street! This makes is SO easy for easy, cheap parking and no hassle way down to River Street.

We arrived promptly at 7pm for our reservations and were seated right away. Our service was extraordinary and truly was the best part of our meal.

We got started with Parmesan Flatbread with Sundried Tomato Pesto.  Unlike our delightful flatbread experience we enjoyed at Seasons 52, this was like a salty mini pizza.

We shook that off and we prepared to order entrées. I knew Rocks on the River was pricy but in fairness, there is a wide menu selection and you DO NOT have to spend a fortune to eat there. In hindsight, I wished we had gone this route. I always try to order the “flagship” menu items so we can accurately perform a review. It’s tough judging a place known for steaks and seafood when you order a burger and a tilapia sandwich. Agreed?

I ordered the Ultimate Fried Seafood Platter which comes with shrimp, scallops, oysters, and grouper, house fries, blue cheese sweet slaw, Rocks remoulade & roasted garlic cocktail sauce. Melanie chose the Rocks Surf and Turf which is a center cut petite filet mignon, jumbo lump crab cake, sour cream & chives mashed potatoes, Rocks remoulade sauce and house green beans.

Rarely do we discuss specific prices, because we are much more concerned with value – bang for the buck. But, in this case we feel it is directly relevant. My Ultimate Fried Seafood Platter was $28 and Melanie’s Rocks Surf and Turf was $29. The reason why we mention this, is that when one pays premium dollars, one expects premium food and what we found instead was simply OK. When you pay THAT kind of money for food, it MUST be spectacular. The diner MUST be in awe and we were just unimpressed.

Ultimate Fried Seafood Platter	Rocks Surf and Turf

When my meal was first presented to me I was quite impressed. It looked like there was just a ton of seafood on my plate. Unfortunately, this was a deception because it was piled on top of a bunch of french fries. Anybody know what happens when you pile hot fried food on top of french fries? As the grease from the fried food drains, it soaks the french fries (which are more than capable of absorbing this). What the diner soon discovers, is that there is actually very little seafood but plenty of greasy, soggy fries. The sauces, which in my humble opinion should be used sparingly if at all as the natural flavor of the seafood is the target of one’s taste, were lackluster. I must give them an A for effort as many restaurants simply will serve the run-of-the-mill sauces provided from their vendor.

When I glanced over at Melanie’s plate, I realized that the Rocks Surf and Turf included the 5oz filet rather than the 8oz. More disappointing was that she had ordered it medium well and it came out charred. I personally don’t like my meat cooked this much but, when it is prepared as such, it must be cooked slowly to avoid just this type of tragedy. The cut itself was quite good – the meat had a wonderful consistency and was full of flavor. The accompanying sauce was the perfect compliment. The crab cake was a real gem, but to label this “surf and turf” is a misnomer.

If you go to Rocks on the River, I would suggest some of the less expensive menu items. The value for the upper-end is just not there. Guten appetit!

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One of the most highly ranked restaurants in Savannah is SOHO South Café. One visit and it is easy to understand why.

We decided, quite on the spur of the moment, that we would go to Savannah to celebrate Melanie’s birthday. We both love Savannah and Tybee Island, we spent our honeymoon there and it’s one of our favorite cities.

When we rolled into town Sunday morning, the GPS was going into fits (thanks, Google Android…) and it directed us to the rear entrance rather than the front of the restaurant. What we didn’t know, was just how fortuitous that was for us. I was still parking the car when Melanie called and said they told her the wait was an hour for a table. I asked her if there were seats at the bar where we could wait it out and she said there was. Once I got there we decided just to eat there instead of waiting another hour for a table. We ordered two cappuccinos and brunch for two.

TIP: Don’t wait in line for a table. We watched all of the regulars slide right up to the bar and be served immediately. BUT, seating is VERY limited!

One of the really cool things to note is that the restaurant is also an art gallery so there is plenty to look at and be amazed by. SOHO South Café occupies a building which was formerly a car garage and it’s décor mixes well with the rough urban tones of the structure. It has a very comfortable and relaxing atmosphere even when packed with diners.

I ordered the Cheddar Omelet but chose to compliment mine with sausage rather than the suggested ham. Melanie ordered the Greek Omelet, with spinach, tomato and peppers but swapped the feta cheese for cheddar. We also ordered a side of sausage gravy.

Cheddar Omelet with home fries and  biscuit	Greek Omelet with grits and biscuit

The omelets were really great and cooked very nicely. I didn’t care for the home fries much. They aren’t cubed and they are baked rather than fried. I really wished I had gotten the grits because Melanie really loved hers. We both had flashbacks of Park’s Edge when we tried the sausage gravy. While it wasn’t quite as spicy as Park’s Edge Chicken Sausage Gravy, which Melanie really enjoyed, this was a strong contender to that and we were really blown away by it. You CANNOT go there and NOT order the sausage gravy. We even poured it over our omelets. It was dreamy (but a cardiologist’s nightmare).

Finally, we can’t end this review without mentioning the spectacular service given to us by Bonnie Jean, our server. She was really, really a sweet girl and took such great care of us. You know when someone has a heart for this business when even under the pressure of a busy rush they still take the time to simply be nice. Thanks, Bonnie Jean, you are a wonderful person!

We love to consider Savannah our home away from home and when you come to Savannah, skip Lady & Sons and come to SOHO South Café. It’s worth the wait. There’s a reason why this place has the reputation is does – the food is simply delightful. You will love it. Guten appetit!

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When we arrived at Sprig, it was late but there were still diners waiting in line to be seated. We waited about 10-15 minutes and were seated at our table and had our beverages.

Sprig is a great homey, little place where one feels very comfortable right from the start. There’s almost a “Cheers” atmosphere where you expect them to know your name! There were even fresh flowers at the bar!

To get started, Melanie chose the Butternut Squash Soup and I went with the Fried Pickles. Melanie thought the soup was a little sweet, yet bland but a little salt and pepper quickly rectified that. She thought a pinch of garlic would have brought out a little more of the natural flavor. The Fried Pickles were really spectacular! They were lightly battered and the pickle slices were thick and juicy! The sauce was also really great and it wasn’t hot, so Melanie got to enjoy some too!

Butternut Squash Soup	Fried Pickles

For our entrées, Melanie had the Pan-Seared Chicken Breast and I chose the Lamb Stroganoff. Melanie thought the chicken was very nice but would have cut the wing bone off and plated it with a different side that had a little more color. She felt the grits were bland and lacked color as well as taste but she really enjoyed the Brussels Sprouts which she said were delicious!

Pan-Seared Chicken Breast with Grits and side of Brussels Sprouts	Lamb Stroganoff with a side of Mashed Potatoes

When they brought the Lamb Stroganoff out, I thought I’d been cheated. It just seemed like a very small portion size. I was SO wrong! About halfway through, I realized that I’d be lucky to finish it! It could’ve used a few more pieces of lamb and it was a little dry but I have a feeling that if I had arrived earlier in the evening this would not have been the case. The mashed potatoes were authentic but some brown gravy would’ve really topped it off nicely.

	Lastly, a meal at Sprig cannot be complete without the Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake. Oh my! Sinfully sweet and OH SO GOOD! You can’t miss it! After such a wonderful meal, we easily understood how Sprig has such a following!
Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake with whipped cream and strawberries

If you haven’t guessed by now, we had a marvelous time at Sprig. With it’s casual yet vibrant atmosphere, excellent service and great food it HAS to be on your short list of Atlanta dining! Guten appetit!

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