FOODIE IN FLIP FLOPS

Leons is located on Decatur Square and was opened by the same owners of Brickstore. I had always been a huge fan of Brickstore so my expectations were set high to begin with. I have visited Leons several times and continue to feel underwhelmed. They tend to be very busy because of their prime location and airy atmosphere, as a result their service is lacking. They do have a seasonal cocktail menu and it creatively delivers. The wine and beer selection are always great too. Luke and I were at a coffee house in Decatur all afternoon and decided it was time for a cocktail. He had been craving Leons buttered shrimp for months after he had ordered it early last summer and had loved every bite of it. Apparently today, they had just put it back on the menu. We thought we were in luck, but unfortunately we weren't. They ended up changing the original buttered shrimp to something like buffalo shrimp minus the fried part. The dish still had flavor, however the original s...

It was a pleasant brunch experience at this Inman Park local eatery, One Eared Stag. My best friend was visiting from Florida and we wanted to do a fun foodie brunch and this spot was perfect.  My husband didn't care for his meal, he ordered the sardine with toast topped with an egg. The herbs and olive oil sauce drizzled on top was a nice touch, unfortunately the sardine tasted too fishy.  Of course we had to try the Chef's breakfast and very glad Danielle and I did. Supposedly, it is recreated every time and never the same. It had fried oysters with grits, crab egg scramble, quiche, parfait, pancake with bacon, biscuit with gravy, and beef tongue with potatoes with a sunny side egg on top. Everything was awesome!!! The eggs and pancake were super light and fluffy. The beef tongue was so tender with a ton of flavor. I enjoyed the brunch here and would definitely come back to see what else is on the Chef's plate. It's a great way to try many o...

I had been tracking the progress of this cute restaurant walking the beltline week after week and excited to see this campfire foodery finally open in Old 4th Ward. I thought this would be a great place to catch up with our friends Brian and Katie, it had been awhile since we last saw each other. Glad we caught up and glad we did it here!! The atmosphere is cozy with the dim lighting and the screened in porches feel like you are at a friends vacation house eating and drinking. They also have shufflepuck which is so fun to play and brings me back to my Florida days.  We first ordered the Hot Mushroom Skillet. It was a nice small plate with great mushroom, thyme, wine, and butter flavors. It was served with a toasted egg on top and toast to soak up the sauce. Next, the picnic basket with assorted meats and cheeses from The Spotted Trotter. The meat and cheese selection is constantly changing, but would like to think they are always just as good.  ...

As I sit and reflect on the last 15 years that I have lived in Atlanta, I can't help but think about where my last meals will be. This will be my last weekend before moving to enjoy some Atlanta favs. There are so many to choose from, I'm airbnbing on the westside and want to take advantage of the high walk score. My list, not in any order . . . 1. Bocado- for the burger and herb fries 2. Optimist- love their food (esp. their sides), oyster happy hour, and wine list 3. Brash - I think they have the best coffee beans in town 4. Jeni's - goat cheese and red cherry ice cream 5. Yeah Burger - love their kale salad 6. Barcelona Westside - wine flights and little bites 7. Star Provisions - their sandwiches are so good Come Monday I will be bon voyaging in elastic waist pants!

Crispina is a Neopolitan style restaurant that is located in an unassuming strip mall in Vinings. I had heard good things and had to check the place out for myself.  For an appetizer we ordered the octopus. I'm always a sucker for it when it's on a menu. This was one of the best ways I have had it. The octopus had a great flavor and was served on a bed of arugula and tomatoes then topped with a citronette dressing. All of the flavors complimented each other very well! The pizza dough is made in house. It was great pizza, perfect sauce to cheese ratio. It gives Antico a run for their money! Luke ordered the Calamarata. The homemade pasta was perfectly al dente and had great flavor with lots of clams, calamari, and shrimp. I think the pictures tell it all! I was so impressed with this sleepy restaurant in Vinings. The service was good, food totally delivered, and atmosphere was pleasant. I am looking forward to going back and trying more items ...

Luke and I love eating sushi rolls and are always up for trying new sushi spots. O-Ku just opened up in the new Westside Ironworks building on the west side of Atlanta. It is definitely not traditional Japanese, it leans more to the trendy side. I always get worried that these types of restaurants that look so polished and sexy will not deliver when it comes to food, however, O-ku delivered. Unfortunately, it was cold, rainy, and the rooftop was closed, so we sat at the bar and tried three rolls.  Baja Roll was great! It was spicy tuna in the center with cilantro, cucumber, topped with yellow tail, avocado, jalapeno and siracha. Above was the salmon symphony roll with spicy salmon, cucumber, and yellowtail topped with avocado. The over the rainbow roll was excellent. It was spicy tuna, cucumber, topped with avocado, tuna, salmon, shrimp, and yellow tail. You do get more than four rolls, but after a few glasses of wine I forgot to take the picture u...

Beetlecat has been on my radar since it first opened back in November. We met up with our friends Brian and Katie for a couple of cocktails and nibbles. As always, it was fun hanging out and trying a new place with them!!  We sat at the bar in the cocktail lounge, props to the designers for coming up with a unique decor. Yes, it felt like being on a yacht ready to film 70's porn, but it was refreshing to be surrounded by something other than white subway tile and the usual steam punk furnishings.              The peel and eat shrimp were cooked perfectly. The shrimp were a nice size, plump, and seasoned well.  Beetlecat had a wide variety of oysters from the east and west coasts. We ordered four of each kind to compare the different tastes of each, they were fresh!! I would definitely go back to try more items on their menu, however I do think they are a little overpriced with both the drinks and food. I feel like...

I had eaten at the Oyster Bar at The Optimist but never on the dining room side. I'm really glad after all these years I finally decided to try it, plus I got to catch up with my friend Gina.         We shared the Octopus appetizer and it was delicious, so far the best I've had in town. They charred the octopus and served it with a gochujang (fermented bean sauce), miso yogurt, green papaya, and topped with a lime vinaigrette. It was creative and extremely delicious. Gina wasn't all that hungry and ordered two sides, Brussels sprouts and Beets. Brussels were topped with toasted almond, cilantro, and feta then tossed in a Harissa vinaigrette = sooo good!! The beets were beautiful and a great combination of tastes with carrot cardamom yogurt, wheat berries, and mint.  The bartender recommended the Flounder. It was served with an almond meunière sauce over a cauliflower purée.  It was good, but next to ev...

I am so excited about what Porch Light has brought to the Smyrna area. This area is starved for innovative restaurants and Porch hopefully is the first of many to come. It is a cute and cozy place located in the Smyrna Market Village. This restaurant has so much energy from the moment you enter the door, and it starts with the enthusiasm from Chef Andre Gomez. He is so passionate about his Puerto Rican food and it shows! There were many items on the menu that immediately grabbed me, we ended up ordering the fish tacos, the "Can Can", and the sweet plantains. The fish tacos had great flavor and were served with my favorite El Milagro corn tortillas. The fish was very lightly battered and topped with a pineapple vinegar. The "Can Can" was the whole pork loin with skin, belly and ribs. It was brined, seasoned, and fried, much love went into this dish and it was richly delicious. The plantains were good too, and topped with gravy. There are many menu item...

Don't let this little shack on the side of the road in Smyrna fool you! They have the best smoked wings in the metro Atlanta! They have tremendous flavor and are super tender, while plump and juicy. They are filled with smokiness.  It is strictly a to-go place and it's best to call ahead with your order. My husband normally gets the ribs, which are dry rubbed and smoked. They too are very good, however I can't ever stray from the wings!! I highly recommend trying them if smoked wings are your thing.  

We love to eat at the square in Decatur and when our friends, Brian and Katie recommended the chef's counter at No. 246 we wanted to give it a try. There are four bar stool spots overlooking the kitchen which you definitely need to reserve seeing it is limited seating. You get four course meal of the Chef's choosing for $50 and if you like you can opt for the wine pairing which we did. They did ask us about dietary needs and restrictions before serving our first course. A beautiful radish plate greeted us as we were seated. I love fresh and crispy vegetables, especially with a cashew butter. It was very palate cleansing. The first thing to come out were fried shrimp heads. They were delicious, lightly battered and the fresh lime brightened up the shrimp. How pretty is that fennel salad!?! It was just as tasty too. The shaved fennel and grapefruit completely balanced each other out. It was drizzled with a light vinaigrette. I totally cheate...

L'Thai Organic is a great restaurant with two locations, one in Smyrna, the other in Tucker. They really do focus on quality,  serving organic vegetables, grass-fed beef, hormone and antibiotic-free chicken. They also have a large selection of organic wines.  We ordered soups to start. Luke had the Won Ton Soup and thought it was very good. I had the Tom Yum with Shrimp and it too was very good.  Luke had the Roasted Chili Chicken sauteed with snow peas, onions, and bell peppers. It was flavorful with a bit of spiciness without it overpowering the dish. For my entree, I had the Chili Chicken with Green Beans. I had them add broccoli to boost my veggie intake. It was delicious, loved the chili sauce and that it was gluten free. We ordered very similar dishes, but we have eaten here several times and have always enjoyed other items on their menu. Yes, L'Thai is a bit more expensive than your average Thai restaurant because the portions ...

Sushi House Hayakawa is in my opinion the best and most authentic Japanese restaurant in the Atlanta area. It is located in an unassuming strip plaza on Buford Highway north of 285, so worth the drive.  We started with a little octopus appetizer. The octopus was tender and tossed in a sesame-soy dressing. The flavor was bright and well balanced. We also ordered the Squid. It too was very tasty with a soy lemon sauce and then topped with Bonito flakes. We ordered a variety of items and everything was wonderful as usual. The fish is always so fresh and perfect ratio of fish to rice. We like to order the Chef's choice of sashimi. It always has a nice array of different fish and a great way to try a couple of  things you wouldn't necessarily order, plus how pretty is that presentation!! The atmosphere is very plain and typical with rice paper decor, light wood and the only color being red throughout the restaurant. The ser...

It had been awhile since I had seen my friend Hannah, so we decided to catch up over drinks and dinner. I love Argosy, it's probably my favorite bar in town. It is so beautiful on the inside with dark heavy wood, soft lighting and a tall, vast ceiling. It is a big space and seems to always have a crowd of people. Everything I have ordered or tasted here has been excellent, food and drinks included.  Hannah ordered the boiled peanuts and she liked them. I have never been a fan of a soft peanut so my opinion does not count. I ordered the Trio of Beets and it was delicious. It had roasted beets, pickled raw beets, and beet chips served on greens with whipped local yogurt and topped with a lemon thyme vinaigrette. I would definitely order that again. Hannah ordered the Pig 'n' Grits. The grits had a nice rich, creamy flavor and the pork nice and smoky. The apple jalapeno fennel coleslaw was delicious too! The Roasted Chicken is...

When I heard Kevin Ouzts was opening a restaurant in Krog Market, it couldn't open fast enough. I had always been a fan of his meats from the Spotted Trotter and knew he would deliver in his new restaurant. Apparently I was not the only one excited because he raised over $100,000 through KICKSTARTER to help fund his new venture.  We knew our friends Brian and Katie were big fans too so we made plans to visit soon after they opened.  I knew this restaurant would be heavy on the small bites and it was. The menu had some very unique items. To start, we ordered their version of a Shepard's Pie. It had golden beets and goat cheese inside of puffed pastry, served with a quince paste and bites of lemon cream. I rank this high on the creativity scale however, it did not deliver.  We had to sample the Charcuterie, and of course all of it is made in house. The duck prosciutto stood out the most for me, it was delicious. The item in the middle that ...

I have been hearing such good things about the new eclectic southern BBQ spot on Roswell Rd. in North Buckhead.  I definitely put it on the top of my must try lunch list. It is husband and wife owned with a simple menu and decor. They try to source their ingredients locally and label vegetarian and gluten-free on their menu. Two huge bonuses for me!! Unfortunately, 521 was love and hate. Luke had the Brisket Sandwich on a Holeman and Finch Bun with a baked sweet potato. The brisket was very tough and pretty much tasteless, very disappointing. The potato was good but hard to mess up a baked potato. One of my favorite places to order a salad is at BBQ restaurants. I know it sounds weird but I love the fresh greens with the smoked meat and creative dressings. It goes together so nicely. My salad was deliciousvwith different types of tender lettuce, firm crunchy corn, and cherry tomatoes. Another bonus is they serve hormone-free chicken! It had great smoky fla...