This past week allowed me the opportunity to go to one of those dinners at a nice restaurant that someone else pays for, and all I have to do is listen to a talk. Am I a food slut? Maybe, but I really enjoyed my dinner at La Grotta Ravinia, which is at the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Perimeter Mall. I'd been there once before when my in-laws were in town and found it to be consistently good across both visits.
Thursday evening started with appetizers including calamari, bruschetta, and a marinated portobello mushroom. Due to it being a somewhat corporate event, only two wines were poured, and I only got a peek at the label of the Pinot Grigio I had. I didn't get to write it down, but I think it was the 2004 Marco Felluga (Fruili) P.G. It had a hint of oak with lots of fruit and enough body that I think Hubby, who normally turns his nose up at Pinot Grigio ("wine-flavored water"), might have liked it, or at least drank it without fussing too much. The red option was the Ruffino Chianti, which is one of those good, food-friendly, go-to Italian wines.
For dinner, I had the Gamberetti al Grotta, which is "Shrimp Sautéed with Baby Artichokes, Shiitake Mushrooms, Yellow Peppers & Tomato Filets with Polenta." It came with a light lemony cream sauce and went very well with the wine. On our previous visit, I'd had the "Ravioli di Vitello con Salsa di Funghi Selvaggi: Homemade Veal Ravioli with Shiitake Mushrooms, Fresh Spinach & Wild Mushroom Sauce," which I also enjoyed. And yes, I had dessert: chocolate cake with creamy hazelnut icing. I also got a tiramisu to go for Hubby, who's not allowed to come to these things. Both were excellent.
Atmosphere: Very nice, dark, and romantic in the main dining room
Food: Excellent
Wine list: Good
Wait staff: Good
Desserts: Very good
Vegetarian friendly? Not really - no options beyond starters
Kid friendly? No
Would I go back? Yes
Lunch on Friday found me sitting outside with my friend the Chiropractor at Thai Me Up, which is on Ponce right next to Noodle. Again, this was my second time there, and I found it to be consistently good. We started with the summer rolls, which were served with peanut sauce. I found them to be good, but a little heavy on cilantro. I had Pad Thai with chicken, which is the typical recipe, but not too sweet like some places make it. My friend had the Num Ya, which he requested to be made "Thai Hot." He still had to add chili sauce to it but said it was good as well. The service was attentive without being intrusive, and we were served fast, which was good since I had to get back to work, and he had to run errands.
Atmosphere: Very good, outside seating good for people watching
Food: Very good
Wine list: Don't know -- I was good since I had to return to work
Wait staff: Very Good
Desserts: Unknown, but apparently they have shot desserts
Vegetarian friendly? Yes, most of the dishes have a tofu option
Kid friendly? Depends on whether your kids like Thai food, would stick with lunch or early evening if you try it
Would I go back? Yes
On Saturday, Hubby and I made grilled Mahi Mahi with parsleyed tomatoes, a Southern Living recipe. I've got to give Lynn Sawicki, the owner of Sawicki's Meat, Seafood, and More props for the outstanding quality of the fish. It was dubbed "local from North Carolina," and it had obviously never been frozen. Hubby is excited because it's another "fish Cecilia will eat," for the very short list of approved fish. I love shellfish, but I'm just not a big fan of fishy, meaty fish.
While making dinner, we got a call from friends we haven't seen in a while and who happened to be in town for the evening. We ended up going to drink wine while they ate dinner at Siam Thai Restaurant, and although we didn't partake since we'd already eaten -- we only drank wine -- we enjoyed smelling and seeing the dishes they ordered. I can't really rate the restaurant since I haven't eaten there in over a year, but everything looked and smelled really good. The diners agreed, although they also found the "Thai hot" level of spiciness to be somewhat wimpy.
After dinner, we went to Java Monkey (web site under construction) for coffee, tea, and dessert. Hubby got a fantastic Tempranillo that I have to mention: Campos Reales (La Mancha). I came away with the cork, but not the year. It was very fruity on the nose and didn't disappoint when tasted. It was a very smooth wine, and the perfect way to end a fun evening.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Restaurant Review and Tasting Notes: Cakes & Ale, Austrian Wines at Java Monkey 5/1/08
Last Thursday night, hubby and I worked late and decided to treat ourselves at Cakes & Ale, the latest upscale restaurant to open in downtown Decatur. We arrived at about 6:30 and were promptly seated. The small crowd, which grew as the evening went on, consisted of one family with small children, business people there for drinks and snacks after work, and other couples. A table of retirement-age women celebrating a birthday next to us seemed to know half the other people who were there.
The concept for Cakes & Ale is simple: freshly made, seasonal foods sourced from local growers. We started with the "Mixed garden lettuces," which were pretty much drenched in a green goddess-like dressing. I had been craving french fries and had already turned them down once that day, so I ordered the "Cakes & Ale Burger with fries." The burger was tender, cooked medium, and spiced nicely. It had grilled onions, some sort of cheese, gourmet mustard, and a white sauce on the bottom half of the bun that might have been horseradish mayonnaise. It was very good. The fries were a little disappointing: cut to be straw-like and overly salted. Hubby had the "Baked halibut with spring vegetables and salsa verde." The fish itself was a little plain, but when everything was combined, it was very good. He drank the Groth Chardonnay, which we both originally read as "Goth Chardonnay," and which was nice and oaky, but not to the extent that a lot of California Chards are. I had the Rioja at the suggestion of the server, and it went well with the burger.
Overall, it was a good experience, but I don't think we'll make this part of the usual rotation. As Hubby noted, they've got the "Small plates, big price" thing going, so we would likely save it for a special occasion. We do want to go back and try the dessert that is not on the online menu but was on the printed one: chocolate brownie with mint ice cream. Yum!
Atmosphere: Nice - modern industrial but light & airy (in the space where Viet Chateau was)
Food: Very Good
Wine list: Short but with a nice variety, obviously sourced to pair with the food
Wait staff: Friendly and knowledgeable
Desserts: Look good
Vegetarian friendly? Has a couple of options
Kid friendly? No kid's menu
Would I go back? Yes, but likely will save for a special occasion
After dinner, we walked up the hill to Java Monkey for the Austrian wine tasting. Austria isn't a country that I typically seek wines from unless I have something that would go well with a Gruner Veltliner. This might have been a tasting better suited for when it's 90 degrees outside because the wines tended to be light and somewhat insipid.
Burgenland Trocken Pinot Gris, 2006, Burgenland
It's a Pinot Gris, but with more body than one would find in an Italian Pinot Grigio. A little spicy at first, it is crisp, light, dry, and even a little oaky. Overall, not a bad way to start. It would be a good back porch wine.
Brundlmayer "Kamptaler Terrassen" Gruner Veltliner, 2005, Kamptal Kremstal
Like most Gruner Veltliners, this one had a floral nose, but the palate was so dry as to be almost metallic.
Wieninger Rose de Pinot, 2005, Vienna
The wine itself wasn't very good (I dumped it), but it had "Wiener Wine" at the bottom of the label, which provided us with much amusement, especially after Jess told us that it has "hours of maceration." It was smoky on the nose, astringent on the palate, and had a flavor that the table described as "barnyard funk."
Gfanger Blaufrankisch, 2006, Mittelburgenland
So you see why I didn't blog about this one right afterward -- the wine and place spellings just got harder and harder as the night went on. This one had raisins and fennel on the nose and was somewhat bland and acidic.
Sattler St. Laurent, 2006, Neusiedlersee-Huggeland
The St. Laurent grape is Pinot Noir's French cousin. This one had flavors of sour cherry and a slight finish of tomato.
Pockl Zwiegelt, 2006, Burgenland
This one was light and fruity with a light finish. Probably the best one of the evening.
It's always fun to taste things from a country that's not known for wine, but I think I'll stick with the Italians for now.
The concept for Cakes & Ale is simple: freshly made, seasonal foods sourced from local growers. We started with the "Mixed garden lettuces," which were pretty much drenched in a green goddess-like dressing. I had been craving french fries and had already turned them down once that day, so I ordered the "Cakes & Ale Burger with fries." The burger was tender, cooked medium, and spiced nicely. It had grilled onions, some sort of cheese, gourmet mustard, and a white sauce on the bottom half of the bun that might have been horseradish mayonnaise. It was very good. The fries were a little disappointing: cut to be straw-like and overly salted. Hubby had the "Baked halibut with spring vegetables and salsa verde." The fish itself was a little plain, but when everything was combined, it was very good. He drank the Groth Chardonnay, which we both originally read as "Goth Chardonnay," and which was nice and oaky, but not to the extent that a lot of California Chards are. I had the Rioja at the suggestion of the server, and it went well with the burger.
Overall, it was a good experience, but I don't think we'll make this part of the usual rotation. As Hubby noted, they've got the "Small plates, big price" thing going, so we would likely save it for a special occasion. We do want to go back and try the dessert that is not on the online menu but was on the printed one: chocolate brownie with mint ice cream. Yum!
Atmosphere: Nice - modern industrial but light & airy (in the space where Viet Chateau was)
Food: Very Good
Wine list: Short but with a nice variety, obviously sourced to pair with the food
Wait staff: Friendly and knowledgeable
Desserts: Look good
Vegetarian friendly? Has a couple of options
Kid friendly? No kid's menu
Would I go back? Yes, but likely will save for a special occasion
After dinner, we walked up the hill to Java Monkey for the Austrian wine tasting. Austria isn't a country that I typically seek wines from unless I have something that would go well with a Gruner Veltliner. This might have been a tasting better suited for when it's 90 degrees outside because the wines tended to be light and somewhat insipid.
Burgenland Trocken Pinot Gris, 2006, Burgenland
It's a Pinot Gris, but with more body than one would find in an Italian Pinot Grigio. A little spicy at first, it is crisp, light, dry, and even a little oaky. Overall, not a bad way to start. It would be a good back porch wine.
Brundlmayer "Kamptaler Terrassen" Gruner Veltliner, 2005, Kamptal Kremstal
Like most Gruner Veltliners, this one had a floral nose, but the palate was so dry as to be almost metallic.
Wieninger Rose de Pinot, 2005, Vienna
The wine itself wasn't very good (I dumped it), but it had "Wiener Wine" at the bottom of the label, which provided us with much amusement, especially after Jess told us that it has "hours of maceration." It was smoky on the nose, astringent on the palate, and had a flavor that the table described as "barnyard funk."
Gfanger Blaufrankisch, 2006, Mittelburgenland
So you see why I didn't blog about this one right afterward -- the wine and place spellings just got harder and harder as the night went on. This one had raisins and fennel on the nose and was somewhat bland and acidic.
Sattler St. Laurent, 2006, Neusiedlersee-Huggeland
The St. Laurent grape is Pinot Noir's French cousin. This one had flavors of sour cherry and a slight finish of tomato.
Pockl Zwiegelt, 2006, Burgenland
This one was light and fruity with a light finish. Probably the best one of the evening.
It's always fun to taste things from a country that's not known for wine, but I think I'll stick with the Italians for now.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Tasting Notes: Italian wines at Sherlock's
Sometimes the messages of the universe are subtle. At other times, it takes a sledgehammer to one's life. This is one of those moments: God wants me to drink Italian wines.
First Java Monkey warmed up my palate at the most recent tasting, then earlier this week I got an email from the wine dude in charge of the tastings at Sherlock's asking for volunteers for today. He sent along the list, which consisted of eight interesting-looking Italian wines. I knew in my heart that I was meant to be there, so I volunteered and got the spot. I'm glad I did. Here are the wines:
Caldora Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, Ortona, 2006
I heard this one described as "peach wine" a few times. Floral and fruity, but really light. I rated it as "good."
Aurora Gavi di Gavi, Piedmont, 2005
This was the wine that got poured most often. Hubby described the nose as "wet sheep." My objection to it was that it was too mineral.
Gini Soave Classico, Veneto, 2006
Yum! This one smells a little of apple juice, but it's well-balanced and has a nice, clean finish. I brought a bottle home, and with food, the floral and fruity characteristics really come out. Thanks to Chris, the helpful wine rep from Quality Wines & Spirits, I also now know the correct pronunciation of the grape Garganega, which is what this wine is made from. Don't try pronouncing it after a few glasses.
Caldora Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, 2006
Most of the comments about this wine focused on the nose, which was really fruity with a hint of vanilla. The tasting notes described it as "medium to full-bodied." I found it to be more medium with an almost fizzy quality in the middle.
Cusumano Nero d'Avola, Sicily, 2007
The first taste had a real bite to it, but allowing it to breathe mellowed it out and revealed a buttery finish. Chris suggested pairing this one as well as the next one with pizza. It went really well with cheese.
Aurora Barbera d'Asti, Piedmont, 2005
This one had a bite to it but proved to be nice and fruity. I agree with the tasting notes, which described it as tasting of "cherries with some earthy characteristics," probably leaning more to earthy than cherry.
Corte Alla Flora Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, 2003
This one was my favorite of the day. Apparently it was the "wine of Voltaire," and I can see why he liked it. Full-bodied, fruity and full of flavor, mostly fruit with a little chocolate in it.
Saracco Moscato d'Asti, Piedmont, 2006
An excellent, somewhat sweet dessert wine with low alcohol content (5%). Fruity and bubbly without being sugary or syrupy. Should go well with the season's strawberries or just on its own.
Hubby and I came home with the Soave and the Barbera d'Asti. What can I say? It was just meant to be.
First Java Monkey warmed up my palate at the most recent tasting, then earlier this week I got an email from the wine dude in charge of the tastings at Sherlock's asking for volunteers for today. He sent along the list, which consisted of eight interesting-looking Italian wines. I knew in my heart that I was meant to be there, so I volunteered and got the spot. I'm glad I did. Here are the wines:
Caldora Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, Ortona, 2006
I heard this one described as "peach wine" a few times. Floral and fruity, but really light. I rated it as "good."
Aurora Gavi di Gavi, Piedmont, 2005
This was the wine that got poured most often. Hubby described the nose as "wet sheep." My objection to it was that it was too mineral.
Gini Soave Classico, Veneto, 2006
Yum! This one smells a little of apple juice, but it's well-balanced and has a nice, clean finish. I brought a bottle home, and with food, the floral and fruity characteristics really come out. Thanks to Chris, the helpful wine rep from Quality Wines & Spirits, I also now know the correct pronunciation of the grape Garganega, which is what this wine is made from. Don't try pronouncing it after a few glasses.
Caldora Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, 2006
Most of the comments about this wine focused on the nose, which was really fruity with a hint of vanilla. The tasting notes described it as "medium to full-bodied." I found it to be more medium with an almost fizzy quality in the middle.
Cusumano Nero d'Avola, Sicily, 2007
The first taste had a real bite to it, but allowing it to breathe mellowed it out and revealed a buttery finish. Chris suggested pairing this one as well as the next one with pizza. It went really well with cheese.
Aurora Barbera d'Asti, Piedmont, 2005
This one had a bite to it but proved to be nice and fruity. I agree with the tasting notes, which described it as tasting of "cherries with some earthy characteristics," probably leaning more to earthy than cherry.
Corte Alla Flora Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, 2003
This one was my favorite of the day. Apparently it was the "wine of Voltaire," and I can see why he liked it. Full-bodied, fruity and full of flavor, mostly fruit with a little chocolate in it.
Saracco Moscato d'Asti, Piedmont, 2006
An excellent, somewhat sweet dessert wine with low alcohol content (5%). Fruity and bubbly without being sugary or syrupy. Should go well with the season's strawberries or just on its own.
Hubby and I came home with the Soave and the Barbera d'Asti. What can I say? It was just meant to be.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Date night! Restaurant reviews: Moya and Chocolate Bar
The Savvy Shopper (coupon book of restaurants and other stuff) came last week, and since we've been curious, we decided to try Moya, which is off Clairmont Road near Emory. It's Ethiopian food (insert South Park joke here), so we weren't really sure what to expect. The server was very knowledgeable and gave great suggestions, and we had a good time.
Ethiopian food is fun. It comes with a soft, spongy, thin sourdough-type bread that's used to eat the food so that everything is like a little pita pocket. We had the vegetarian sampler, which consists of spicy (but not too hot) lentils, split peas, greens, and a cabbage/carrot/potato mix, all of which is spiced really nicely. We also had the #4, which is steak cooked with onions, tomato, and peppers in a chardonnay sauce. It, too, was a little spicy but okay for a wimp like me. We skipped the wine. Altogether, it was fun, reasonable, and very filling.
Atmosphere: Nice
Food: Very Good
Wine list: Short and basic
Wait staff: Friendly and knowledgeable, very helpful to newbies
Desserts: N/A
Vegetarian friendly? Yes, half the menu is vegetarian
Kid friendly? No kid's menu
Would I go back? Yes, but it will likely be a mood thing
In spite of the fact that the Ethiopian bread and everything else expands to fit every corner of one's stomach, I decided that it's been a stressful week, and I wanted wine and chocolate. This brought us back to downtown Decatur, where we drove by Tastings, which isn't open yet, and ended up at Chocolate Bar, which was not only open, but celebrating its one year anniversary. Hubby and I went with some friends just after it opened and were somewhat underwhelmed, but they've pared down their menu to a few things they do really well, and the truffles are outstanding. We started with glass each of the Di Arie Zinfandel, which is quickly becoming a favorite. I found some corners in my tummy and got the Oreos and Milk, which is two small round chocolate souffles sandwiched together with white chocolate ganache in the middle and served with vanilla ice cream. The chef suggested a pairing with the dessert Grenache (not the Windmill Zin, which is on the web site menu -- that was so last season!), which was a nice, basic dessert wine. Hubby eschewed dessert and got a glass of Tempranillo, which smelled and tasted a bit like raisins, although he said it improved as it breathed.
Atmosphere: Nice, a little noisy
Food: I've never actually had the "bar munchies," just dessert
Wine list: Long enough to find something for everyone, but fairly simple and focused
Wait staff: Friendly, can get overwhelmed when busy
Desserts: Yes, please!
Vegetarian friendly? Chocolate is a vegetable, right?
Kid friendly? Not unless your kids have gourmet tastes
Would I go back? Yes
Random announcement:
I'll be pouring Italian wines at Sherlock's in Decatur this Saturday. Hope to see you there!
Ethiopian food is fun. It comes with a soft, spongy, thin sourdough-type bread that's used to eat the food so that everything is like a little pita pocket. We had the vegetarian sampler, which consists of spicy (but not too hot) lentils, split peas, greens, and a cabbage/carrot/potato mix, all of which is spiced really nicely. We also had the #4, which is steak cooked with onions, tomato, and peppers in a chardonnay sauce. It, too, was a little spicy but okay for a wimp like me. We skipped the wine. Altogether, it was fun, reasonable, and very filling.
Atmosphere: Nice
Food: Very Good
Wine list: Short and basic
Wait staff: Friendly and knowledgeable, very helpful to newbies
Desserts: N/A
Vegetarian friendly? Yes, half the menu is vegetarian
Kid friendly? No kid's menu
Would I go back? Yes, but it will likely be a mood thing
In spite of the fact that the Ethiopian bread and everything else expands to fit every corner of one's stomach, I decided that it's been a stressful week, and I wanted wine and chocolate. This brought us back to downtown Decatur, where we drove by Tastings, which isn't open yet, and ended up at Chocolate Bar, which was not only open, but celebrating its one year anniversary. Hubby and I went with some friends just after it opened and were somewhat underwhelmed, but they've pared down their menu to a few things they do really well, and the truffles are outstanding. We started with glass each of the Di Arie Zinfandel, which is quickly becoming a favorite. I found some corners in my tummy and got the Oreos and Milk, which is two small round chocolate souffles sandwiched together with white chocolate ganache in the middle and served with vanilla ice cream. The chef suggested a pairing with the dessert Grenache (not the Windmill Zin, which is on the web site menu -- that was so last season!), which was a nice, basic dessert wine. Hubby eschewed dessert and got a glass of Tempranillo, which smelled and tasted a bit like raisins, although he said it improved as it breathed.
Atmosphere: Nice, a little noisy
Food: I've never actually had the "bar munchies," just dessert
Wine list: Long enough to find something for everyone, but fairly simple and focused
Wait staff: Friendly, can get overwhelmed when busy
Desserts: Yes, please!
Vegetarian friendly? Chocolate is a vegetable, right?
Kid friendly? Not unless your kids have gourmet tastes
Would I go back? Yes
Random announcement:
I'll be pouring Italian wines at Sherlock's in Decatur this Saturday. Hope to see you there!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Oenophile at Large: Lunching in Decatur
Just a quick note: as you may have noticed in my header, I changed the expected update frequency to 1-2 times/week. My job now requires me to carry a laptop computer all freakin' day long instead of just when I'm doing paperwork, and due to my tendonitis, I have to ration my non-work computer time. This shouldn't affect the blog too much, as I rarely posted more than once a week anyway.
Atlanta had absolutely beautiful weather this weekend, so Hubby and I decided to use our feet to get to and from downtown Decatur. It's an easy mile and a half walk for us, so it makes sense. Yesterday (Saturday), we had to get gnocchi, so we went to Sawicki's, which has an assortment of specialty items in addition to the meat and seafood, which we love as well. She also has a sandwich menu, and we decided to picnic on the square. Hubby got the Mediterranean Sandwich special, which had hummus, chicken, greens, tomato, and some other stuff that he can't remember right now. I got the Veggie special, which also had hummus, greens, tomato, and cucumber as well as aioli. Both sandwiches were really good, if a bit messy. She gave us plenty of napkins, but we didn't get plastic-ware, which would have been smart. We then got ice cream at Jake's, which is attached to Little Shop of Stories. I had the "Chocolate Slap Yo' Mama," my favorite for its chocolate with chocolate, and Hubby got the "Dancing Leprechaun," which is essentially mint chocolate chip.
Today we walked to church and decided to grab brunch on the way back at Voila. If you're not familiar with it, it's the little restaurant that's on the other side of the building that holds Watershed. Hubby and I had been there before when one of our friends was the "Chef du Jour" for a charity event, and we decided to stop back by out of curiosity. We've often walked by and seen very few, if any, people in there and wondered how they stay open. Now that we've been there, we have to wonder how they stay open. The food is good, but the service is terrible. We'd noted that on our previous visit but thought that it was because our friend, who did a great job of self-promotion, had drawn a bigger crowd than they expected. Just so you know what "terrible service" means to me, here's how our visit went:
We arrived at about 12:50 and were greeted by a waitress, who allowed us to choose our own table. We sat for about five minutes without any water or menus. Then the menus appeared (no wine list), but still no water, and even after we ordered our drinks and made sure to mention water, it didn't appear until after the coffee, which came without cream and sugar. She said she'd be "right back" with the cream and sugar. She wasn't. I had to remind her and then still wait. My coffee was lukewarm by the time it finally got seasoned. We ordered beignets for an appetizer, and they were freshly made and excellent. The server suggested we keep our silverware even after we ordered sandwiches with garlic friend potatoes that really wouldn't go well eaten with powdered-sugar encrusted forks. We waited for about twenty minutes for our sandwiches, which our server said would be "right up," and which we then saw come out carried by another server and land on the table of a family of three outside the window. The father had ordered a croque monsieur, but the salmon BLT was rejected and went back to the kitchen because it wasn't what she'd ordered. By this time, our server had disappeared with no explanation of what happened to our food, and another 20 minutes later, our lunch came out. My sandwich was warm, but not hot, and the cheese had melted and then re-solidified. It also should have come with honey mustard, which I had to ask for. Coffee and water were never refilled. Even paying the check took forever.
Some of the above could have been overlooked if the restaurant had been really busy, but it was less than half full. Also, we saw "regulars" come in and immediately get the kind of service we were missing. Frankly, I don't think it's worth the effort to become a regular. My advice for brunch in Decatur: keep on walkin'. There are plenty of great places to go for brunch without the frustration.
Atmosphere: Nice
Food: Good
Wine list: Short and mostly French
Wait staff: Incompetent
Desserts: Too frustrated by that point to try, although the beignets were really good
Vegetarian friendly? Maybe -- there are a few veggie options, mostly appetizers
Kid friendly? No kid's menu
Would I go back? No
Atlanta had absolutely beautiful weather this weekend, so Hubby and I decided to use our feet to get to and from downtown Decatur. It's an easy mile and a half walk for us, so it makes sense. Yesterday (Saturday), we had to get gnocchi, so we went to Sawicki's, which has an assortment of specialty items in addition to the meat and seafood, which we love as well. She also has a sandwich menu, and we decided to picnic on the square. Hubby got the Mediterranean Sandwich special, which had hummus, chicken, greens, tomato, and some other stuff that he can't remember right now. I got the Veggie special, which also had hummus, greens, tomato, and cucumber as well as aioli. Both sandwiches were really good, if a bit messy. She gave us plenty of napkins, but we didn't get plastic-ware, which would have been smart. We then got ice cream at Jake's, which is attached to Little Shop of Stories. I had the "Chocolate Slap Yo' Mama," my favorite for its chocolate with chocolate, and Hubby got the "Dancing Leprechaun," which is essentially mint chocolate chip.
Today we walked to church and decided to grab brunch on the way back at Voila. If you're not familiar with it, it's the little restaurant that's on the other side of the building that holds Watershed. Hubby and I had been there before when one of our friends was the "Chef du Jour" for a charity event, and we decided to stop back by out of curiosity. We've often walked by and seen very few, if any, people in there and wondered how they stay open. Now that we've been there, we have to wonder how they stay open. The food is good, but the service is terrible. We'd noted that on our previous visit but thought that it was because our friend, who did a great job of self-promotion, had drawn a bigger crowd than they expected. Just so you know what "terrible service" means to me, here's how our visit went:
We arrived at about 12:50 and were greeted by a waitress, who allowed us to choose our own table. We sat for about five minutes without any water or menus. Then the menus appeared (no wine list), but still no water, and even after we ordered our drinks and made sure to mention water, it didn't appear until after the coffee, which came without cream and sugar. She said she'd be "right back" with the cream and sugar. She wasn't. I had to remind her and then still wait. My coffee was lukewarm by the time it finally got seasoned. We ordered beignets for an appetizer, and they were freshly made and excellent. The server suggested we keep our silverware even after we ordered sandwiches with garlic friend potatoes that really wouldn't go well eaten with powdered-sugar encrusted forks. We waited for about twenty minutes for our sandwiches, which our server said would be "right up," and which we then saw come out carried by another server and land on the table of a family of three outside the window. The father had ordered a croque monsieur, but the salmon BLT was rejected and went back to the kitchen because it wasn't what she'd ordered. By this time, our server had disappeared with no explanation of what happened to our food, and another 20 minutes later, our lunch came out. My sandwich was warm, but not hot, and the cheese had melted and then re-solidified. It also should have come with honey mustard, which I had to ask for. Coffee and water were never refilled. Even paying the check took forever.
Some of the above could have been overlooked if the restaurant had been really busy, but it was less than half full. Also, we saw "regulars" come in and immediately get the kind of service we were missing. Frankly, I don't think it's worth the effort to become a regular. My advice for brunch in Decatur: keep on walkin'. There are plenty of great places to go for brunch without the frustration.
Atmosphere: Nice
Food: Good
Wine list: Short and mostly French
Wait staff: Incompetent
Desserts: Too frustrated by that point to try, although the beignets were really good
Vegetarian friendly? Maybe -- there are a few veggie options, mostly appetizers
Kid friendly? No kid's menu
Would I go back? No
Tasting Notes: Italian Wines at Java Monkey on 4/17/08
The suspense leading up to last Thursday's wine tasting was interesting because we didn't know what sort of wines we'd get due to the tasting theme not having been decided until the weekend before. I figured it was going to be a "wines from somewhere" tasting because we haven't had one of those in a while. Yep, they were all from Italy, and they were all aged in steel. I had mixed feelings about that; while I don't usually like my whites to even look at oak barrels, I do like the nuances the oak adds to reds. Wow, that sounded really wine-snobby. I think I'll shut up now and just get to the wines:
Zefiro Prosecco, NV, Veneto
According to Jess, the "Charmant method of bubblification" was used. Bubblification? Whatever they did, it worked. It had a cream soda nose and was a nice, mellow prosecco.
Librandi Critone, 2006, Calabria:
90% Chardonnay, 10% Sauvignon Blanc
Light fruit on the nose, floral and fruity on the palate, but with a bitter honey finish.
Stella Sangoivese, 2006, Puglia:
Thankfully the table refrained from stupid Rocky quotations. It had a weird, green musty nose, but the wine itself was very good with dark fruit and leather.
Lucchine Valpolicella, 2006, Valpolicella:
There's actually a Valpolicella, Italy? I tried to look it up on Google maps, but all it showed me were a couple of towns that were "Something di Valpolicella." This one was 25% Corvina, 25% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, 10% Molinara, and 10% other stuff with cool Italian-sounding names that I couldn't spell at that point, not because I was tipsy, but because those long Italian grape names are hard to catch fast. It was dark and tart with hints of black cherry and had a rough finish. One table member suggested that it would be good chilled and consumed with pizza. It opened up nicely, and the clean-up pour after the tasting was much better than the original one.
Palladio Chianti, 2006, Tuscany:
90% Sangiovese, 5% Merlot, and 5% Syrah
This Chianti disappointed in that it was a little flat and lifeless. Other terms people used to describe it were, "peppery," "chewy," and "dusty cherry." Definitely a food wine, it came to life with cheese.
Botromagno Primitivo, 2006, Apulia:
Ah, Primitivo, aka, Zinfandel, didn't disappoint. It had light fruit that tasted like a fruit bomb after the Chianti. Very good. Got the most consistent ratings on everyone's "favorites" list for the evening and was probably my favorite.
So that was our tour of un-oaked Italy. My other favorite was the Prosecco. A couple of group members liked the chianti, and the Valpolicella showed up on a couple of lists as well. Overall, it was a strong tasting. And no, I have no idea what the next one will be, although apparently the new schedules are out. If anyone knows, please enlighten me!
Zefiro Prosecco, NV, Veneto
According to Jess, the "Charmant method of bubblification" was used. Bubblification? Whatever they did, it worked. It had a cream soda nose and was a nice, mellow prosecco.
Librandi Critone, 2006, Calabria:
90% Chardonnay, 10% Sauvignon Blanc
Light fruit on the nose, floral and fruity on the palate, but with a bitter honey finish.
Stella Sangoivese, 2006, Puglia:
Thankfully the table refrained from stupid Rocky quotations. It had a weird, green musty nose, but the wine itself was very good with dark fruit and leather.
Lucchine Valpolicella, 2006, Valpolicella:
There's actually a Valpolicella, Italy? I tried to look it up on Google maps, but all it showed me were a couple of towns that were "Something di Valpolicella." This one was 25% Corvina, 25% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, 10% Molinara, and 10% other stuff with cool Italian-sounding names that I couldn't spell at that point, not because I was tipsy, but because those long Italian grape names are hard to catch fast. It was dark and tart with hints of black cherry and had a rough finish. One table member suggested that it would be good chilled and consumed with pizza. It opened up nicely, and the clean-up pour after the tasting was much better than the original one.
Palladio Chianti, 2006, Tuscany:
90% Sangiovese, 5% Merlot, and 5% Syrah
This Chianti disappointed in that it was a little flat and lifeless. Other terms people used to describe it were, "peppery," "chewy," and "dusty cherry." Definitely a food wine, it came to life with cheese.
Botromagno Primitivo, 2006, Apulia:
Ah, Primitivo, aka, Zinfandel, didn't disappoint. It had light fruit that tasted like a fruit bomb after the Chianti. Very good. Got the most consistent ratings on everyone's "favorites" list for the evening and was probably my favorite.
So that was our tour of un-oaked Italy. My other favorite was the Prosecco. A couple of group members liked the chianti, and the Valpolicella showed up on a couple of lists as well. Overall, it was a strong tasting. And no, I have no idea what the next one will be, although apparently the new schedules are out. If anyone knows, please enlighten me!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Oenophile at Large: Restaurant Adventures
Last Friday's dismal weather gave us the excuse to stay in town and celebrate one of our friends getting his architect's license. It will be interesting to see how well it works for picking up chicks at bars. After some revelry, Hubby and I decided to head toward the Inman Park/Old Fourth Ward areas for dinner. We ended up at P'Cheen, where we hadn't eaten in a while due more to our resistance to traveling outside of Decatur than to the restaurant itself. It was as good and fun as we remembered, and a nice little bar scene had developed by the end of the evening.
The cool, rainy weather as well as the scent of cooking beef that wafted out to the sidewalk as we came in inspired us to have the Hangar Steak with Mushroom Ragout and Artichoke Heart and Spring Onion Gratin. Kieran himself took our order and recommended the d'Arie Zinfandel to go with it. The d'Arie is a zin-gasm with a coffee/chocolate nose and "ripe but not jammy" fruit (wine list description). Basically, this is a zin for grownups: smooth and lush without any grape jam comparisons. The food was stylish and well-prepared, and we were both impressed with the Artichoke Heart and Spring Onion Gratin, which Hubby has been bugging me to duplicate. Dessert was something called a "Chocolate Explosion," which lived up to its name. They get their desserts from the Chocolate Pink Pastry Cafe, so they're guaranteed to be rich and sinful.
Score card:
Atmosphere: Very nice, modern, semi-casual; music's a little loud
Food: Very good
Wine list: Short but a good variety
Wait staff: Excellent and knowledgeable
Desserts: Excellent
Vegetarian friendly? Maybe -- there is a veggie plate option
Kid friendly? No kid's menu
Would I go back? Definitely
Saturday morning found us sleeping in too late to make it to Birmingham in time for lunch, so while running errands on the way out of town (including picking up my umbrella from P'Cheen), we stumbled across The Albert. Hubby had the wild salmon sandwich and fries. I had the gyro sandwich and cole slaw. Both sandwiches were made to order, and the sides were very good. We didn't have any alcoholic beverages, but a quick glance at the limited wine list reveals some consistently good, if not adventurous, wines (e.g., Ercavio Tempranillo).
Score card:
Atmosphere: Bar/pub style, entertaining with pictures of famous Alberts all over
Food: Very good
Wine list: Limited, but what they do have is good
Wait staff: Very good
Desserts: Don't know -- would like to go back and try
Vegetarian friendly? At least 2 all-veg menu items
Kid friendly? It seemed to be at lunch time; not sure about dinner
Would I go back? Yes
I'm not really sure what to say about Saturday afternoon for fear of ruining my wine cred. Hubby and I never drive through east Alabama on I-20 on Saturdays, so we haven't had the opportunity to try any of Alabama's wineries. I do give them credit for operating in a state that's so hostile to anything alcoholic. We weren't impressed with the wines at either of the wineries we visited. It may be a good excursion to try again in about three to five years, although we'll give Bryant, which is all muscadine, a miss.
I grew up in Birmingham and am continually astounded at how it grows. My parents took us to brunch at the Grey House Grille, which is in the new multi-use SoHo development in Homewood. The food took a little while to come out, but the wait staff was attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. I had the Seafood Crepe, which was excellent, although I wouldn't have minded some bigger pieces of shrimp and crab and a little less salt in the dish to allow the sherry sauce to shine. Hubby had the Shrimp and Grits, which was very good. Mom had the Chicken Crepe, and Dad had the Eggs Florentine. Everyone really enjoyed their meal.
Score card:
Atmosphere: Dressy casual, a little noisy
Food: Very good
Wine list: Looks like it would be worth a try
Wait staff: Very good
Desserts: Don't know
Vegetarian friendly? Maybe
Kid friendly? Appears to be
Would I go back? Yes, would like to try for dinner
The cool, rainy weather as well as the scent of cooking beef that wafted out to the sidewalk as we came in inspired us to have the Hangar Steak with Mushroom Ragout and Artichoke Heart and Spring Onion Gratin. Kieran himself took our order and recommended the d'Arie Zinfandel to go with it. The d'Arie is a zin-gasm with a coffee/chocolate nose and "ripe but not jammy" fruit (wine list description). Basically, this is a zin for grownups: smooth and lush without any grape jam comparisons. The food was stylish and well-prepared, and we were both impressed with the Artichoke Heart and Spring Onion Gratin, which Hubby has been bugging me to duplicate. Dessert was something called a "Chocolate Explosion," which lived up to its name. They get their desserts from the Chocolate Pink Pastry Cafe, so they're guaranteed to be rich and sinful.
Score card:
Atmosphere: Very nice, modern, semi-casual; music's a little loud
Food: Very good
Wine list: Short but a good variety
Wait staff: Excellent and knowledgeable
Desserts: Excellent
Vegetarian friendly? Maybe -- there is a veggie plate option
Kid friendly? No kid's menu
Would I go back? Definitely
Saturday morning found us sleeping in too late to make it to Birmingham in time for lunch, so while running errands on the way out of town (including picking up my umbrella from P'Cheen), we stumbled across The Albert. Hubby had the wild salmon sandwich and fries. I had the gyro sandwich and cole slaw. Both sandwiches were made to order, and the sides were very good. We didn't have any alcoholic beverages, but a quick glance at the limited wine list reveals some consistently good, if not adventurous, wines (e.g., Ercavio Tempranillo).
Score card:
Atmosphere: Bar/pub style, entertaining with pictures of famous Alberts all over
Food: Very good
Wine list: Limited, but what they do have is good
Wait staff: Very good
Desserts: Don't know -- would like to go back and try
Vegetarian friendly? At least 2 all-veg menu items
Kid friendly? It seemed to be at lunch time; not sure about dinner
Would I go back? Yes
I'm not really sure what to say about Saturday afternoon for fear of ruining my wine cred. Hubby and I never drive through east Alabama on I-20 on Saturdays, so we haven't had the opportunity to try any of Alabama's wineries. I do give them credit for operating in a state that's so hostile to anything alcoholic. We weren't impressed with the wines at either of the wineries we visited. It may be a good excursion to try again in about three to five years, although we'll give Bryant, which is all muscadine, a miss.
I grew up in Birmingham and am continually astounded at how it grows. My parents took us to brunch at the Grey House Grille, which is in the new multi-use SoHo development in Homewood. The food took a little while to come out, but the wait staff was attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. I had the Seafood Crepe, which was excellent, although I wouldn't have minded some bigger pieces of shrimp and crab and a little less salt in the dish to allow the sherry sauce to shine. Hubby had the Shrimp and Grits, which was very good. Mom had the Chicken Crepe, and Dad had the Eggs Florentine. Everyone really enjoyed their meal.
Score card:
Atmosphere: Dressy casual, a little noisy
Food: Very good
Wine list: Looks like it would be worth a try
Wait staff: Very good
Desserts: Don't know
Vegetarian friendly? Maybe
Kid friendly? Appears to be
Would I go back? Yes, would like to try for dinner
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