Sugar Shack in the Back (from the owners of the Fickle Pickle)

Bagel bombs and mini-quiche 

I want to be good. I want to eat only healthy, organic vegetables. I want to be a vegan until 6PM every day. I want to run marathons, do yoga and eat only locally farmed, sustainably raised eggs. I want to be good.

Then Andy Badgett has to go and open another goddamned restaurant.

Badgett's been kicking around historic Roswell, owning and operating several great restaurants including Asher, Relish and Pico Autentico. However, he's best known for Fickle Pickle Cafe, a Canton street mainstay as long as I've lived in Roswell. I don't go as often as I used to. There's more choices in the neighborhood than there used to be. But you still can't beat a basket of fried pickles fresh from the kitchen served up alongside the Oooey Gooey sandwich (grilled pimento cheese and pepper jelly, on whole grain sourdough.) Yum.

The Sugar Shack in the Back takes the barn behind the Fickle Pickle, which was previously their events facility, and transforms it into a cozy little bakery. We know from the dessert selection at the Pickle, that Badgett and his staff can put together a mean carrot cake cookie and red velvet cupcake. This bakery concept takes that and cranks it up to 11, adding breakfast pastries, made to order biscuit sandwiches and coffee. Vanilla glazed beignet share a case with jalapeño cheese bagel bombs and an assortment of flakey turnovers, both sweet and savory. You can watch the guy behind the counter rolling cookie dough in a bowl of M&Ms and laying it on a cookie sheet.

Frosted cinnamon rolls 

Tuesday was the "Friends & Family" preview. It was advertised on Facebook, so we decided to try them out for breakfast. (Disclosure: Since this was a special event, our meals were complimentary.) Years ago, Fickle Pickle experimented with a breakfast menu and my husband spied the return of his favorite and most lamented chicken biscuit ever at The Sugar Shack. I, of course, had to try the Ooey Gooey biscuit. The chicken biscuit was as good as remembered. It's a flakey, buttery biscuit, stuffed with a fried chicken breast, cheese and an egg cooked to order. My biscuit was filled with pimento cheese, bacon and sweet red pepper jelly. Both were very good, though my sandwich could have benefited from warming up the pimento cheese before serving. The cold wad of cheese was a little off-putting. I told my server when she asked for feedback and she promised to follow up.

The reason elastic waistbands were invented

The glass case wrapping around the room was only partly filled, but the ice cream freezer was fully stocked. An enthusiastic member of the staff explained that made to order ice cream sandwiches are part of the offerings. Choose a cookie and then your ice cream and someone will assemble it right in front of you. They'll even do it with one of their cupcakes, which sounds like a good enough reason to wear stretchy pants for the rest of my life.

They only serve coffee and lattes as drinks right now. Orange juice is reportedly on it's way. These are nothing fancy, just something to wash your pastry down with. I enjoyed my chai latte.

Time will tell if this bakery will stick around. The location, tucked away behind Fickle Pickle doesn't do it any favors. Parking is notoriously tricky there, but during the week, there is overflow at Founders Hall across the street. Or you can do what I'm likely to do and park at City Hall. It's only a half mile walk. It's not hard. But the food is well worth the trip and the owner has a great track record. If you are looking for a casual breakfast option, this is a great place.

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First Look: Foundation Social Eatery

A non-chain restaurant? On my side of 400? I may get the vapors.

Foundation is the first solo venture from Chef Mel Toledo, formerly of Bacchanalia and Century House Tavern. While it was originally planned for Inman Park, Toledo has made a smart move by choosing Holcomb Bridge Road for his restaurant. East Roswell is critically underserved by restaurants, especially upscale, non-chain eateries. Also, I learned at the Roswell NEXT restaurant panel last year that while many of the patrons in the Historic District do hail from Alpharetta and east Cobb, there's also a sizable contingent from Norcross and Suwannee driving in. So while Foundation is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Canton street, I think it'll prove to be a smart move in the long run, provided Toledo can maintain the excitement of the opening this week, covered by both the AJC and Eater Atlanta, as well as other news outlets.

Foundation takes over the space vacated by the late, unlamented Twisted Taco. It's been transformed from the dark, nasty faux taqueria into a bright, airy industrial inspired space. Think exposed wood, concrete and rebar used in creative ways. It's softened with artwork inspired by Mel Toledo's orchid tattoo created with more wood and repurposed building supplies. I like the visual pun between "Foundation" the restaurant and the building materials used in unusual ways.

So how about the food? Do east Roswellians have cause for rejoicing? Yes. Yes we do. It's pretty delicious. Let me take you on a tour.

This is a "station #4". It's a nicely balanced cocktail of absinthe, rye whiskey, and bitters. It was refreshing and not too heavy for the meal. 

This was our appetizer. Crispy pork ribs with pickled onions. The ribs were melt in your mouth soft, but crisp on the edges. The house made pickled onion was perfect. The vinegar cut the fattiness and made a very balanced dish. Perfect for sharing. 

This is the braised pork shoulder with apple arugala salad. It was my husband's dinner, so I only ate a bite or two. The pork was beautifully done and the salad pairing keeps it from being heavy. The extra bacon is a little much though. A few more vegetables would have helped the balance. 

I had the home made pasta with lamb bolagnaise. I don't eat much pasta anymore, so this was a really nice treat. The lamb was braised in the sauce and shredded.  Again, a little heavy on the meat, but still  a real nice execution of a classic italian dish. 

My dessert was the olive oil rosemary cake, which I swear tastes better then this picture looks. The cake was much lighter than expected and not too sweet. The sliced oranges and whipped creamed also contributed to the light feel of this dish. A perfect end to a meal. 

Our friends had the chocolate tart with banana brûlée. I love seeing something clever like a caramelized banana on a plate. I had a bite of the tart and it was a very dark chocolate, almost bitter, with a hint of espresso. I dislike coffee flavors intensely, so I didn't like it. But I understand I'm in the minority on this one. Go ahead world, enjoy the one chocolate dessert I don't like. 

Service was attentive without being intrusive. Our server was knowledgeable about many menu items and made recommendations when we looked a little lost. I felt like we were in good hands. 

So what's the verdict? Is this the restaurant east Roswell has been waiting for? I think so. It's a little pricey to go in my regular rotation, but I definitely plan to return. Hopefully my prediction that will attract diners to this side of 400 will pan out and this will stick around for years to come. 

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Review: Le Bistro by Roswell Provisions

Seriously, this sandwich is huge. 

We were dismayed to hear last month that Party Chic would be closing. I'd been a fan for years of their affordable menu, geared towards the ladies who lunch crowd in Roswell. It took awhile to get my husband on board, but he eventually caved to the lure of fancy cupcakes and five dollar martini specials. So it was a sad thing to hear the owners were closing it in favor of a new concept, more closely tied with the Roswell Provisions store downstairs that they also own. Our friends at Provisions assured us that we'd love the new place, that the recipes were being updated and that everything we loved would still be there, just better. Their enthusiasm was well placed, because the new Le Bistro is everything good about Party Chic, but better.

Spinach salad

In France, a "bistro" is a small, casual, moderately priced restaurant. Le Bistro is precisely that. The menu is traditional french cooking, made well and not nearly as pricey as some of the other offerings in the Historic District. It's a welcome break from the trend towards destination dining on Canton street. Which shouldn't be taken as a knock on Le Bistro, Canton street needs a mix of styles and prices ranges to stay vibrant and growing. I like having a super fancy steak house on the same street as a boisterous Irish pub. Tucking a casual French bistro upstairs over a wine and cheese shop is precisely what's needed.

My natterings about the proper mix of restaurants aside, how is the food? Good? Great? Terrifying? It's pretty good. This isn't fine dining, but you could take a first date here and no be embarrassed or break the bank. The menu is standard French classics, such as the French Dip, savory crepes and various other sandwiches and salads. The aforementioned French Dip is an improvement on the previous version, featuring a big pile of tender, slow roasted beef, tangy horseradish and a savory au ju that I'm told starts with roasted bone marrow and red wine. The pan bagnat is a big, sloppy pile of tuna salad spiked with potatoes, green beans, olives and more and served on what seems like half a loaf of bread. Seriously, it's like two meals worth of sandwich.

Chicken & mushroom crepe.

The spinach salad entree comes with almost too much bacon, but the warm vinaigrette  comes in a cute container and is the perfect balance of fat and vinegar. Most entrees come with house made kettle chips, but you can add a side salad with dijion mustard vinaigrette.

The wine list is small, it's a couple of varietals served in either a large carafe suitable for sharing, or a small one that equals about a glass and a half. You can also purchase a bottle from the shop downstairs and drink it at dinner for a $20 corking fee. They also have a full bar, featuring the fancy cocktails that made Party Chic so attractive, as well as the menu of cupcakes and other desserts by Kelly's Kakes.

The space itself has been lightly remade to fit the retro chic look of the Provisions store. Think lots of burlap and destressed wood and things made out of old wine barrels. They found a video of Roswell during the 1940's and it plays on continuous loop on a back wall, giving everything a nostalgic air. The front porch overlooking Canton street is still the best seat in the city for people watching on a pleasant, early spring day and the back patio is still lively and cozy with live music on the weekends.

All in all, I say the move from Party Chic to Le Bistro was a worthwhile one. They've kept the charm and added better food and a more appealing aesthetic.




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Saint Patrick's Day in Roswell & Alpharetta

No. No we aren't. 

So St. Patrick's Day is coming up on Monday. Or the day everyone pretends to be annoyingly Irish, whatever you want to call it. I'm not a big fan of noise and crowds and cultural appropriation, so I'll be staying in that night. But if you thrive on crowds, here are some nearby to celebrate. These places will probably have specials going all weekend too.

• Mac McGee's in the historic district is a clean, friendly neighborhood bar with Old World trappings. The food is good and the drinks tasty. If I didn't already have my neighborhood watering hole picked out at The Roswell Tap, I'd be over here all the time. It's welcome addition to Canton street. As an Irish bar, it will definitely be doing up the big day in style.
• 
  
• Just around the corner, the aforementioned Roswell Tap is throwing their annual party. Expect live music and a special Irish themed menu on Friday. You can read my review here.
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• Over in Crabapple, the Olde Blind Dog Pub has drink specials as well. Sadly, I've never been there, so you'll have to tell me about it.
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• Harp Irish Pub over by the Publix on Old Alabama is also open for the party. I've only been once and that was years ago. I remember it being a little shabby. But there's always a line out the door for St. Patrick's day, so they must be doing something right.

Any other places I'm missing? Tell me in the comments. 

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Review: VUU Asian Bistro

Ramen with wontons
 and bok choy

Paper wrapped
shrimp and crab rangoon

With a last name like mine, you better believe I like Chinese food. My mom used to joke that the only reason I married a Chinese man was for the food, because I've always loved Chinese. Growing up in Salt Lake City, even the heavily Americanized version available there seemed like the most exotic, far away food you could get. And you always had to get it at a restaurant, because the home made versions were never as good. Things have changed, obviously. Not only do I live in a much bigger, more international city now, but formerly exotic ingredients are now almost common place in American cooking. It's not hard to find a good Korean grocery store, stocked to the gills with fish sauce, chinese chives and glass noodles for authentic home cooking. But I'll never quite get over the secret thrill of going out for Chinese.

So Rasa Sayang is always my go to place for American style Chinese. It's next to my house, they deliver and they have some Malaysian and Thai dishes on the menu. It's a solid, dependable neighborhood Chinese place. But if I want something a little different? Then it's time to put on pants, get in the car and head over to VUU Asian Bistro.

Shrimp tempura udon

VUU is Asian fusion, a blending of different styles and flavors from different Asian countries. You might get a little kimchee in your sushi or get a different take on a familiar stir fry.  We love their soups and I tend to order almost exclusively from their soup menu. Their take on the traditional Vietmanese soup known as "pho" is a giant bowl of vermicelli noodles in a rich beef broth, topped with thick slices of roast beef and served with a variety of hot sauces to customize with. Recently I had a bowl of the shrimp tempura udon. This is a giant bowl of rich broth, slippery noodles and crunchy vegetables, alongside two crispy tempura battered shrimp. It's a sloppy eat, because those thick noodles are hard to navigate with chopsticks, but totally worth getting noodle faced. They also have egg drop, ramen and hot and sour soups. I'm a big fan of soups. I wish more places had such an extensive soup menu.

Tuna lovers roll

Alongside the soups and stir fries, they also have a sushi counter. Everything is freshly prepared as you order it, using high quality ingredients. It's not quite up to Shallots's standard for sushi, but only just. Definitely stop by and give it a try if you are a sushi lover. They also have a good selections of appetizers, including the expected potstickers, crab rangoon and egg rolls. But they also have a few unexpected treats, such as panko crusted avocado fries.

The decor is modern, with black granite table tops, white porcelain and lime green accents. It gives the restaurant a fresh, clean aesthetic. The modern feel is only helped by your server taking your order via iPhone and swiping your card right there at the table with the same phone. It's the only place I've seen so far up here using smartphones like this. It looks cool and it's convenient too. Here's hoping more places start using this technology.

So yeah, VUU is definitely worth stopping by if you are in the neighborhood.

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Roswell Restaurant Week 2014

It's Restaurant Week! Everyone is running specials and offering tasting menus. Roswell is becoming well know for it's tasty eats and this is a good time to sample places you haven't been yet. In case you are trying to decide which one to try next, here's the list, along with links to my reviews. Sadly, I've not been able to visit everybody yet, but I'm definitely going some place new this week.

• Ceviche 
• Vin25
• The Fickle Pickle (Seriously? I've never written about this place. I will kill a man for one of those carrot cake cookies…)
• 9 Street Kitchen 
• Oak Street Cafe (Another one I've never written about? I need to stop being lazy. Excellent burgers and everything else.)
• Mac Magees (Great addition to Canton Street. Well done Irish pub style food.)
• Roux on Canton
• The Salt Factory (A little pricey, but great food. Get the cheese plate.)
• The Mill Restaurant & Bar
• Table & Main (Great traditional southern kitchen)
• Zest Tapas & Sushi
• Pastis (I used to think this was the best restaurant in Roswell. It's been upstaged in the last few years, but they still serve excellent food.)
• Lazaro's Cuban Cuisine (Like this place, but not love it. But if you are in the mood Cuban, it'll scratch that itch.)
• The Roswell Tap
• Slate Table and Tap
• Lucky's Burger & Brew (Great burgers and dog friendly patio. I've never been disappointed here.)
• Ale Yeah Craft Beer Market
• Thumbs Up Diner (Another one I've never written about? I'm here almost every weekend. Get the biscuits and gravy. You won't regret it.)
• Plum Cafe
• Little Alley Steak
• Adele's
• Alessio's
• Andretti Grill
• Aqua Blue
• Brickhouse Pizza, Pasta & More
• Douceur de France (Great bakery, okay brunch)
• di Paolo
• Opulent
• Noca Eatery and Bar
• Osteria Mattone (Link goes to pictures, not review)
• Panera Bread
• Piece of Cake
• Roswell Farmers Market

Whew! That's quite a list. And it looks like I need to get busy reviewing.

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Brunch at Artisan Foods Bakery & Cafe

My husband and I have wildly divergent ideas on breakfast. I like things to taste good. He likes them convenient. So one Saturday morning, his brilliant plan for breakfast was that we'd both enjoy a leisurely morning in our jammies eating cold cereal and watching TV. My husband thinks cereal is a special treat, because we hardly ever buy it. He never realized that I never buy it because I associate it with sad people sitting by themselves in the dark, eating cereal out of mixing bowls, with only the cold flicker of the television set for company. Yes, I am aware that this indicates all sorts of insane things about myself. I don't care. I'm never waking up and thinking "Yes! Cereal!" If you see me eating it, it's because it's my least objectionable option.

Anyways, I threw one of my fits and we ended up having brunch at Artisan Foods that day. I feel like everyone wins when you're not eating cereal for breakfast.

Artisan Foods is easily one of the best restaurants in Roswell. It's consistently rated high by the AJC, Creative Loafing, Yelp and Urbanspoon. Tucked away behind the Raiford Art Gallery in the Historic District, it consistently serves out high quality breads, pastries, scones, croissant and more six days a week. Tuesday through Saturday, they serve breakfast and lunch in their charming dining room and adjacent porch. When I was in grad school one summer I'd come at least once week to eat French toast and use their wi-fi while desperately trying to stay on top of my research project (If you're wondering how I did, please note the lack of M.Ed. after my name. I'll try again, hopefully this summer.)

The aforementioned French toast is a thick, eggy slice of brioche served with fresh fruit and a lemony creme anglaise drizzle. I like to get an order of chicken sausage with mine, which comes as free formed patty flecked with peppers. It's a little dry, but a quick dunk in the warm maple syrup that comes with my french toast fixes that nicely. Sweet and spicy is a magic combo.

My husband likes the omelets. They are perfectly made, with delicate, crisp brown edges and your choice of fillings. Today I'm getting Eggs Sardou, a creole riff on Eggs Benedict that includes fresh baby spinach leaves and artichoke bottoms. Artisan's hollandaise sauce has a touch too much lemon for my taste, but the artichokes need the extra acidity to come to life.

We also sample a "croignet", their version of the super trendy cronut and also sold at Roswell Provisions   (In fact, Artisan Foods supplies many of the baked goods sold by Provisions.) and a beignet. Between Artisan Foods and Adele's, I'm calling the beignet race in favor of Artisan. Soft, pillowy and dense, it comes mounded with the traditional powdered sugar and can be ordered either one or three at a time. One of my favorite things here is the "Yuzu Basil Orangade". Yuzu is a sour, asian citrus fruit and Artisan Foods blends it's juice with orange juice and a muddle of basil for a slightly more complex take on traditional orange juice.

So yes, brunch in Artisan Foods Bakery and Cafe's warm, sunny dining room is quite a bit better than eating cold cereal in the dark. My husband will never admit it though.




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Adele's Authentic Cajun

I've been trying to broaden my horizons when it comes to eating out in Roswell and Alpharetta. I've definitely been in a rut lately. One of the places that's slowly working its way into my regular rotation is Adele's.

Shrimp creole

Owned and operated by Chef Marc Wegman, Adele's is an amazing addition to Roswell's food scene. We've been hurting for cajun since North of NoLa closed in 2011. The restaurant is small and tucked away in the shopping center at the intersection of Holcomb and Old Roswell. You'd think it's a weird place for a great restaurant, until you remember that the late, still lamented Little Alley Tapas used to be just a few doors away. But the space is bright and clean, with polished wood tables and lots of subdued mementos of Wegman's hometown.

Crawfish Étouffée

But what about the food? I don't claim to be any kind of expert on authentic anything, but this stuff is delicious. The iconic seafood gumbo is rich and savory, with spicy sausage and shrimp dotting the bowl. Shrimp creole is loaded with vegetables, slightly spicy and sweet and generous scoop of rice to soak it all up. There's a crawfish étouffée with big chunks of seafood in a savory sauce. I haven't yet tried one of the po'boys, but when I see them come out of the kitchen, they are giant sandwiches pile high with fried shrimp, roast beef or fried chicken. Guess what I'm sampling next.  Adele's is also highly regarded for their beignet and they don't disappoint. They come as three pillowy mounds of fried dough drenched in powdered sugar.

Yum

Service has been hit or miss so far. A weeknight with a large party? There were a couple minor issues, quickly fixed. But a couple out on a Saturday, we had no issues and thought our waitress that night was one of the best we've had at a place we aren't regulars. But nothing so bad I'd hesitate to recommend Adele's if you're looking for a good cajun restaurant.






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Brunch at Little Alley Steaks

Sunday morning, my husband told me to get dressed for brunch. "Where are we going?" I asked. It was sort of late in the morning and most brunch places would be packed. Was it really worth it to go out and wait in line for a table somewhere, when I could just scramble some eggs and mix up some muffins in the same amount of time?  "It's a surprise." he told me. I love his surprises. So I got dressed and we went over to Little Alley Steaks to enjoy their Sunday brunch.

Brunch at Little Alley seems like a hidden gem. Everyone knows about Little Alley's fabulous dinner service, featuring melt in your mouth steaks by Linz, a beautiful bourbon bar and amazing sides created with fresh, local ingredients. At night, the restaurant bustles with noise. Expensive people wearing expensive clothes sip expensive wines.  Servers in impossibly white aprons serve sizzling hot steaks on cast iron pans, drizzled with herb infused oils. It's a big, dramatic, exciting place to see and be seen.

But brunch? Quieter. More casual. The dining room is almost empty, except for a few other couples. Our waiter is quietly attentive, rather than the ostentatious "How may I serve you?" attitude they have at dinner. The brunch menu follows Little Alley's aesthetic of picking a couple things to really excel at. They have a selection of omelets with various fillings, as well as the expected "steak and eggs" and several riffs on the eggs Benedict. The menu fills out with an array of salads, appetizers and the surprisingly amazing grilled tofu (Seriously. This is a must try.), all from the dinner menu.

I tried the filet mignon and eggs benedict, featuring velvety soft sous vide eggs, beurre blanc sauce and perfectly medium slices of filet mignon over a toasted english muffin. It came with a choice of cheese grits or roasted fingerling potatoes. The grits were soft and creamy with just the right amount of gooey cheese and topped with crisp bacon crumbles. It reminded me of risotto.

My husband had the steak and eggs. It featured another perfectly cooked steak, alongside two sunny side up eggs with delicate, crispy brown edges, a toasted english muffin and a green peppercorn sauce in a tiny gravy boat. I want my own gravy boat! Do you have any idea how much I love gravy? Don't answer that.

The prices are lower than for dinner, but still a bit higher than you'd pay at Thumbs Up or Flying Biscuit. This isn't a neighborhood flap jack joint. It's intended to be an occasion, just like dinner. But if you want to sample their cuisine, without dealing with the crowds, this is a good opportunity.

So why is brunch at Little Alley so under appreciated? It might be the lack of advertising. They don't list the brunch menu on the website. It gets an occasional mention on their Facebook page. We knew about it from the placard they hang on the sidewalk on Sunday mornings while brunch is being served. It seems very much like the owners want to keep brunch a little quieter and less fraught than the dinner hours. And that's just fine with me. I like knowing that when my husband wants to treat me special, there's a lovely secret brunch place waiting for me on Canton street.

UPDATE:

I get asked frequently about prices for Little Alley's brunch after publishing this piece. Since they don't post a menu anywhere, it's tough to decide if this is within your price range. So I snapped this picture on a recent visit. This is only half the menu. The other side is the stuff they also serve for dinner and you can find those prices elsewhere. Hope this helps you decide to visit Little Alley. It's one of the best restaurants in Atlanta and worth a trip any time of day.

UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: Little Alley now offers a brunch buffet. The price is $26.95 per person, according to their Facebook page. I haven't been yet, but I bet it's as amazing as the rest of their food. Someone go check it out for me!

 

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Roswell Ghost Tour: Spirit Crawl

So last Saturday night, Northside Foods Amalgamated Industries experienced the first "Spirit Crawl" hosted by the Roswell Ghost Tour. What's a Spirit Crawl? It's a ghost tour, but with booze. How can this go wrong? (Hint: It doesn't!)

Spooky old building? Or trendy new
Southern eatery? I'm so confused!

Before I get into reviewing the crawl itself, let me preface this by saying I'm not a believer in ghosts. I'm an "interested skeptic". I like hearing the history that goes with old buildings and feeling that creepy-cool shiver you get when you hear a scary story, but ghosts aren't a thing with me. That said, the Roswell Ghost Tour is one of my favorite local attractions and one I highly recommend. I've been on it multiple times and never had a bad experience. I like that they research and document their featured hauntings thoroughly before featuring them and never tell a story they don't have permission for. Even if I don't believe myself, I can respect someone that puts this kind of time and attention into creating a worthwhile experience.

So the Ghost Tour recently received permission from the owners of The Mill Kitchen and Bar to add their building to the tour. If you didn't know, that gorgeous stone building across the street from Barrington Hall used to be a funeral parlor throughout most of the twentieth century. The business has moved to Mansell road, leaving the building empty. Mimosa Salon on the lower level? Used to be where the corpses would get done up. The beautiful glass enclosed dining room? Used to be the portico where the hearse parked. The building has a fascinating history and it's no wonder it's thought to be haunted. The previous owner of Pico Autentico/Relish wasn't interested in any negative publicity from ghost investigators, so the building has only recently been added to the ghost tour.

For the spirit crawl, we were offered three flights along with the tour: beer, wine and specialty cocktails. All were provided by The Mill and served on the premises. You started the tour at the Square, where all Roswell Ghost tours begin, and walked over to the restaurant and upstairs to the private dining room where the beers were served. After that, we walked to Bulloch Hall and heard the stories associated with that house and the nearby Mimosa Hall. For the second leg, we went upstairs in The Mill again and enjoyed our tastings of wine while one of the restaurant employees told us about her personal experiences with the buildings ghosts. Afterwards, we walked over to Founders Cemetery, The Bricks and "The Creepy House", which is exactly as advertised. We ended at The Mill's bar, where we were served our cocktails.

This is the oldest example of townhouse architecture
in the United States. And it's haunted. 

All in all, it was a good tour. It took about twice as long as a regular ghost tour, so if they offer it again, be ready for a late night. Our guide, Beth, was friendly and knowledgeable and kept things moving along at a good pace. The drinks themselves didn't wow me much. Everything was good, but not great. The tastings felt a little rushed to me, I found myself having to quickly gulp a glass of wine I was enjoying so I could leave with the group. Maybe next time they can truncate the tour a bit to give you more time to enjoy the drinks? Either way, it was a really nice way to spend a fall evening. If they offer this tour again, I'd recommend it. If they offer it again, but this time featuring another restaurant on the Square, I'd go on it again.

I took a bunch of photos with my phone, including some with the coveted "orbs" that are supposed to indicate a haunting. You can check them all out here.

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Party Chic

Picture this: You're nestled at a cozy table on a balcony overlooking Canton street on a busy Friday night. Lots of Roswell ladies wearing their official uniform of white jeans and a coral top are around you. Everything looks warm and inviting with golden street lamps lighting up old brick buildings. Maybe one of the chairs at your table is a porch swing. Maybe the live band on the back patio is covering a Cranberries song that you loved in high school. But you've got your friends with you and a nice cocktail and it's time for a leisurely dinner. Got it? Then you understand why Party Chic is such a popular spot on the weekends.

Prosciutto wrapped melon 

But it's not just weekends when Party Chic is the place to be. I'm frequently here for lunch during my summer vacations, meeting other teacher friends. It's a popular spot for the ladies who lunch, so much so, that it took me a couple years to convince my husband to come with me. But once there, the food sold him and I hear nary a peep from him when I want to go now.

So yes, Party Chic is a little girly. It's owned by the same ladies who own Kelly's Kakes, and is connected with Roswell Provisions downstairs. There are fancy cupcakes and themed martinis and lightly dressed salads. But the food is good and won't break your wallet. If you can convince your guy to go, he'll be hooked.

French dip with spinach salad

It's unfortunate that the night I planned to review it, the kitchen was a little off. My French dip sandwich with spinach salad was served with cold au jus, instead of piping hot like I've come to expect. But my salad is an ample portion of greens, dressed with balsamic vinaigrette and dotted with crumbled goat cheese, and segments of orange and strawberry. Our appetizer of prosciutto wrapped melon arrives on the heels of our entrees, with breathless apologies from our server. I only mention this, because this is such an unusual situation. Normally, this place has the kind of spotless, effortless efficiency that you never notice. Our table smiles and laughs it off.

A big part of the attraction is the cocktail menu. I've got a chocolate martini so good, I'm licking the syrup off the glass. If the food isn't pricey, the drinks more than make up for that. My friend is sipping something with Kahlua while she tells me about her class. My husband drinks a Blue Moon and talks to the other guys. A cocktail costs as much as an entree, and so does a fancy cupcake. But the drinks are also pretty strong and well crafted. The cupcakes are huge and big enough to share with a date.

So on a warm fall night, you can find much worse places to meet with friends, but I doubt you'll find better.



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Tokyo Boat II

It's hibachi night! Get excited! Whoo! Hibachi! Fire! Flying shrimp! Chefs clanging on metal salt shakers! Whoo! How much fun is Tokyo Boat II, the latest hibachi to open in the Publix shopping center at Holcomb Bridge and Old Albama? It's pretty fun.

The great thing about hibachi is it's predictability. There's a certain rhythm to the meal, no matter where you go. It's different enough to be a change of pace, but nothing really boundary pushing. You can get grilled chicken and steak! Check out the shrimp and scallops, if you're feeling fancy. Here is your bowl of clear soup with thin mushroom shavings decorating. Now it's the garden salad with creamy dressing. I'm momentarily dismayed when they don't have a cocktail menu of silly drinks made with cheap sake, but I order a glass of syrupy sweet plum wine instead and plow forward. Tokyo Boat has an option for a red snapper combo. That's different enough that I order it. The sushi menu looks interesting and I mentally note to try it next time.

Here's the chef with his wheeled cart. He checks our orders and immediately sets fire to the grill pan. I love the heat coming off the grill in front of me. I chat with my friends about work and the coffee table I'm refinishing while I sip my wine and watch our chef twirl spatulas and fry eggs. Hibachi chefs are amazing. One part chef, one part waiter, all show man. He's new at this, but his patter is still well rehearsed and exactly like every other hibachi chef I've been served by. He fries the rice, grills my steak and fish and makes an onion volcano all while keeping a constant stream of conversation. Now it's time for my husband to catch a piece of raw zucchini in his mouth. Now we set more things on fire. The fire is ALWAYS the best part.

Now we're chowing down on plates of grill steak, chicken and seafood. It's time to order a second drink and make plans for the weekend. Our chef has reserved a shrimp and ends the meal by making my husband catch it in his mouth like the zucchini. He succeeds to great applause. My meal ends with green tea ice cream, wrapped in mochi and arranged on a platter. The show is over and it's time to get ready for work the next day.


Was this great food? Not really. I've had better.  But you don't go to hibachi looking for a great culinary experience. You want onion volcanoes, flying shrimp and gimicky cocktails. Tokyo Boat delivers all this but the cocktails. But that's okay. This was fun! They followed the formula for a successful hibachi night. Plus, Wednesday is half price night, so it's quite the deal. So if you're on my side of 400 in Roswell, check it out.


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Amazing Chipotle Ad

Have you seen this yet? It's been making the rounds on my social media for a couple days now. Here, I'll let you watch.

Stunning, right? Those poor animals... I haven't eaten at Chipotle in years (I don't need any more 1,000 calorie burritos in my life, thank you), but in general I like their commitment to good, fast, and humanely raised food. These things aren't mutually exclusive and can even be profitable on a large scale. So well done, Chipotle. Well done.  

Wolf Mountain Winery in Dahlonega

So a couple days ago my husband came to pick me up at work. My truck died over the summer and we're down to one car right now. Anyways, he mentions something about having a surprise for me this weekend.

"Oh, what is it?", I ask.

"If I tell you, it won't be a surprise anymore."

"No, I'll just be surprised NOW."

Which is how I found out I was having lunch at Wolf Mountain Winery in north Georgia on Saturday. I had visited the winery for a tasting last summer when I went on a tour of three north Georgia wineries from LivingSocial with one of my sisters. (I've uploaded my pictures from that day to Flickr.)

Wolf Mountain is owned by the Boegner family. Karl Boegner was the original manager of Chateau Elan in Braselton and you can see that same attentiveness to detail and the experience at Wolf Mountain. In fact, I think they do a better job at making your time at the winery feel like a special occasion. It's definitely a smaller winery, but they make up for it in wonderful ways. I hesitate to call it "off the beaten path", because it's a pretty busy and well known winery, but it's not the same kind of resort destination.

Anyways, let's talk about our day! Look at that gorgeous building. That's the cafe and tasting room. You have to walk up the incredibly steep driveway to get there from the parking lot. My calves burned. But the walk is totally worth it, because at the top you have a gorgeous view of the valley and the vines themselves.

The tasting room is a beautiful glass enclosed patio that overlooks the vineyard. You can go out to sit a tables to enjoy your glass, or stand at the dark wood bar where they pour.  My husband and I shared a tasting flight of eight wines for $20. They tell you this will equal about two glasses, but the pours are generous, so its really just a bit more than that. I won't get into too much detail about the wines, since eight is a lot to keep track of in your head (I think it's tacky to take notes while I'm eating and drinking in public. I also think it's tacky to snap pictures with my phone, but my blog would be pretty boring without that. Sorry good taste and propriety.) But Wolf Mountain is an award winning wine maker and none of the wines offered disappointed.  Our server was knowledgeable and chatty and though he was busy with several other patrons, I never felt rushed or unattended. We could have taken longer, but we had a lunch reservation at the cafe upstairs.

The cafe is another beautiful, light, airy room overlooking the valley. We had a table on the patio, which was perfect with this early fall weather we are having.  We started with a tomato mozzarella spread with pita chips. The cheese spread was savory and delicious. The pita chips were thick toast points that were lightly fried, not baked. It makes a chip that's both chewy and crispy. It was a little much for two people, but we ate it all anyways. We're both gluttons for good cheese and bread.

I ordered the crab cake sandwich special. It was a large crab cake that included kernels of grilled corn, but otherwise very little filler and a house made mustard sauce. It came with fries, which were just fries. Very few places put effort into their fries. The bun overpowered the crab cake, so I just ate the cake by itself and left the bread. It was a pretty tasty crab cake by itself and I'd probably order it like that if I saw it on their menu.

I paired my sandwich with a glass of their Plentitude white wine. This is a 70/30 blend of Chardonnay and Viognier grapes. It's dry and crisp and just the sort of thing I like drinking on a pleasant almost fall day.  I've had it before and I think it's about a perfect wine for this time of year.

My husband ordered a smoked brisket sandwich which was served with a horse radish sauce on soft focaccia bread. This was a pretty amazing beef brisket. Mr. Northside is from Texas and they know their smoked beef down there. So if his semi-hysterical natterings while eating are any indication, this is really good brisket. You should eat it.

All the prices are pretty moderate, especially considering this is a "fancy" place. This isn't a cheap date, but it's not going to break your piggy bank either.

After lunch, we walked around the grounds again and enjoyed the gorgeous scenery. Everything seems to have been placed to give you just the perfect view or backdrop wherever you go at Wolf Mountain. Like I said before, attention to detail.

So yeah. My husband pretty much wins at surprises. Aren't you jealous now?

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Dining Out Town Hall Roswell event by Roswell NEXT

Last night I attended the Town Hall Roswell event sponsored by Roswell NEXT. Roswell NEXT is a great local civic organization that helps promote smart growth and development in Roswell. I'm not a member, but I've seen their name around town and on Michael Hadden's excellent blog. They seem like good people with a lot of pride in their city.

Anyways, they do monthly events and this one was open to the public. It was a panel discussion of restauranteurs in Roswell discussing what issues they face and why they do business in Roswell. It was a really interesting discussion, even if there were no huge revelations or verbal smack downs. This ain't no Jerry Spring sideshow.

The panel consisted of the owners of The Salt Factory/Opulent/Little Alley Steaks, Table & Main, Adele's, Lucky's Burgers & Brews and The Food Movement, which owns about a dozen or so food trucks around Atlanta. I like that the organizers had such a diverse range of restaurants and included food trucks.

One of the things discussed was how Roswell really intends to become a destination dining area, not just for metro Atlanta, but for the entire south east. The owner of The Salt Factory was especially complimentary of Roswell's friendliness to the restaurant business, mentioning that you don't really appreciate it until you try to open another one somewhere else. I can only assume he's talking about the second Salt Factory location in Alpharetta, which is coming soon. I'm a fan of this goal. I think Decatur still has us beat on sheer numbers of destination restaurants, but we're rapidly catching up. And Canton Street, with the shops and galleries around the restaurants gives you something to do while waiting for a table, or walking off a meal. There is better density of restaurants too. It's possible to walk around for a bit and look at a dozen menus before deciding where to eat.

Parking on Canton is definitely an issue and was discussed quite a bit. Folks seem to be learning you can park for free at the nearby City Hall, but the panel pointed out that that's a long walk to the north end of Canton and City Hall is poorly lit at night. It's not an inviting place. Several panelists and audience members expressed a hope that the planned City Walk development replacing the Frasier Street apartments will include more parking and perhaps a shuttle on weekends to take you from Alpharetta highway to Canton Street. That sounds like an expensive prospect for the city though. I don't think we can afford for them to run a free trolley bus outside of special events like Alive After 5. This is one area where I wish we had better transit in Roswell. If MARTA ran a bus from Martin's Landing to the Historic District, I'd probably ride that sucker every week. But folks coming to Canton Street aren't just locals. The panel moderator revealed that quite a bit of that street's business comes from East Cobb, Swanee and Duluth these days.

Alive After 5 is a big boon to the restaurants actually on Canton. But the ones off it? Not so much. Roswell runs trolley busses out to the Square, which is where the food trucks park, but nothing goes to Alpharetta highway. The owner of Lucky's was quite blunt that he sees no real benefit to participating in the festival beyond having an employee pass out paper menus. He doesn't want to set up a booth because he'd hate for his customer's first experience to be something substandard. The other owners had similar things to say about participating in Taste of Roswell. It's hard to be memorable at a festival and you can't bring your A game to something being "served from a tub", to quote Lucky's. That actually answered a question I'd had for years about why I never see the really INTERESTING things at A Taste of Roswell. It's always a bunch of crap like Moe's or Shane's Ribshack. I'm not getting my toes run over by a stroller mom for THAT.

Another topic raised was the impact of food bloggers. I admit, this one had me squirming in my seat a little. This is my fun hobby! I'm performing a community service here! Don't knock me! And yeah, they all had a love/hate relationship with food bloggers and social media. They love being able to interact with their customers and spread the word. They hate getting negative reviews from random idiots having a bad day on Yelp. But they all agree that its part of doing business now and I think most of them say they have a social media person on staff who is responsible for minding all the Twitters and Facebooks and whatnot.

I do get the reluctance about amateur reviews. I'm just some weirdo with a laptop. I have no food background or journalism training. But I still try to be ethical and responsible about how I blog. My dozens of readers demand it! I've been mulling over writing up a restaurant where I've had multiple bad experiences recently. I hate to do it, but that's what I have to say if I'm being honest. So I just haven't done it yet, even though I know a negative review posted here will get me more hits than a positive.

There was also a conversation about food trucks and how they've changed things. Everyone seemed to agree that as long as they are competing fairly, they are a great addition to street festivals and busy areas without dining options. The Food Movement has an exclusive contract with the city to park at Don White park on the weekends, which is an area without any restaurants to compete with. It's a great fit and it helps fulfill Roswell's dream of being a sophisticated foodie town.  I'd like to see more food trucks given permission to park there or at other area parks in the future, but this is a great start. I got the impression that The Food Movement approached the city about it, so kudos to them for it.

And that's about all I recall clearly enough to feel confident putting down here. Again, a great event. The mayor and several councilmen were in attendance, along with other business and community leaders. If another event like this comes around, I recommend attending it.  

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Acceptable Chain Restaurants

I'm visiting family in Texas right now, and like most people, I struggle finding acceptable places to eat when I'm away from my familiar haunts and dealing with a large crowd of eaters with different tastes. It seems like for every seasoned world traveler who happily eats cold jellyfish salad, there's at least two more that seem to subsist on nothing but chicken fingers with ketchup as a side. If I'm at home, I can easily navigate everyone to a local, independent place. But on the road? I'm pretty much at anyone's mercy.

That's where chains step in. As much as they get a rap for boring, mediocre food, they do serve a very real need on occasional. Sometimes that lowest common denominator is the best everyone can agree on. And the dirty secret of hipster food bloggers like myself? Some of them aren't terrible. In fact, some of them can be good. Here's my list of acceptable chain restaurants that you don't have to twist my arm to get me to.

My go to spot for quick, casual and healthy eating is Panera Bread. Panera has fresh made salads, soups and sandwiches. Best of all, they post the calorie counts right there on the menu board so I never worry that I'll accidentally eat a thousand calorie salad.



If I'm in the mood for a burger, 5 Guys hits the spot. Not nearly as good as the offerings at Oak Street Cafe, or even The Counter, 5 Guys still manages to put together a decent burger and more fries than a human being should really eat. Sure, you can do better. But you can also do much, much worse.



For sit down meals, I'm fond of Chili's. Most of their menu is crap, but every location I've been to can grill a decent steak and I can order a double portion of steamed broccoli to go with it. (I am slightly more like to indulge my weakness for mashed potatoes and gravy though. Okay, not slightly. Very likely.) And my husband and I used to go to Chili's all the time when we were dating. Nostalgia!



For fast food, my favorite is Chik-fil-a. I'm under no illusions that it's healthier for you than any other fast food. But it's much tastier than McDonalds. The chicken is an honest to go chicken breast, not extruded "chicken", which reassures me that I'm eating food and not a chemistry project. On Sundays, when they are closed, Wendy's is my next choice. There I have the option to replace my fries with chili or a side salad, which helps me not be such a fatty mcfatterson.

For other chain dining suggestions, I recommend "Eat This, Not That" from Men's Health. They have comparison guides telling you the worst thing, diet wise on national menus and offering a much more reasonable substitute.

How about you? Any suggestions on where to eat when on the road?

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