Bar Cocoa at the Ritz-Carlton - Charlotte

New Eclair Selection. From L to R: classic (vanilla custard) with Ritz chocolate topper, S'mores with chocolate custard, pistachio strawberry, raspberry rose and caramel.

I was very excited to be invited to a special dessert tasting featuring the delicious sweets offered at Bar Cocoa at the Ritz-Carlton in uptown Charlotte. Bar Cocoa is the only one of its kind in the world and its corner location (Trade and College) allows both hotel guests and uptown Charlotte pedestrians to partake of pastries, gelato, coffee, chocolates and other goodies. Cooking classes, catering and custom cakes are also offered and there is even a champagne and chocolate all dessert dinner option on the weekends!

The French macaron selection is truly impressive. New flavor blueberry lavender has a subtle lavender aftertaste with strong blueberry notes. Other favorites include coconut, red velvet, honey, dulce de leche, and caramel but there are at least 10 macaroon options to try on a daily basis. 

The new eclairs are incredible - my favorite item we tried. The outside of the eclair is crisp and a little crunchy, giving way to smooth fillings - nothing at all like the soggy eclairs typically found in grocery stores. My favorite flavors were the classic and the caramel but all of them were truly excellent.

Tasty Macarons.

Gelato: Peach Mango and Honey Pecan. The new peach mango gelato is terrific for summer - flavorful, creamy and refreshing all at the same time. On Friday and Saturday afternoons you can sample the gelatos in tiny cones in the Ritz's lobby - this will cause you to dash back to Bar Cocoa for a larger serving!

The Ritz-Carlton cake - dark chocolate, candied orange and Grand Marnier. This rich, chocolatey cake is available at every Ritz all over the world. But remember, no other Ritz has a Bar Cocoa!
 

Lovely table decoration made from many flavors of macaron.

Milkshakes - we tried mini versions but these are sold in standard larger sizes - from L to R - chocolate hazelnut, banana caramel and cookies and cream. My favorite = cookies and cream!

Norman Love Easter Collection selections. These are peanut butter and lemon - delicious and beautiful. See the entire Easter collection here. The chocolates are the only item that is not made in-house at Bar Cocoa.

If you have not yet tried Bar Cocoa, I recommend it for a sweet treat anytime! Since it is located in the Ritz-Carlton, it is even open until midnight on Friday and Saturday - sweet!

Disclosure: The desserts described in this review were complimentary.

Travel Post - Vieques

One major highlight of the trip - seeing this sea turtle while snorkeling near Mosquito Pier.

Back in March I surprised Calvin with a very late and/or very early birthday trip to Vieques, Puerto Rico, a wonderfully undeveloped island off the main island's east coast. Below are some highlights of our trip, including some culinary delights.

Yautia fritters and bean salad at Conuco, Isabel II, Vieques, PR.

The first night we tried Conuco, a little place on the main strip of Isabel II, within walking distance from where we stayed. The fare is purported to be upscale Puerto Rican and we enjoyed it. However, compared to the other two places we tried, it was not our most favorite.

Delicious portion of fish with mashed purple potatoes.

Strawberry tart and chocolate cake.



Gorgeous sunset on our second night.



El Quenepo in Esperanza - Excellent, high quality food. This was our splurge meal for the trip!



The ceviche was tried was amazing!



Fried oysters - good, but not any better than some we get here!



Seafood special - delicious.



Brontosaurus beef rib - yes it really was huge! With yummy sticky rice and mango salsa - a bit spicy and delicious.



Goat cheesecake and a very rich chocolate dessert - both excellent.



One of the wonderful beaches we visited. Beach-hopping is one of the favored activities on Vieques.



Calvin thought I was kicking the trash bag, but then we discovered it was a hermit crab - a big one!

One the way to the beaches on the southeast side of the island we stopped at the Sol Food truck, which produces amazing sandwiches, salads and desserts - you really must try this when you go. The food from the truck is very affordable, too - unlike the restaurant food, which is, like on most islands, quite expensive.

The crab that was IN OUR TRASH!



Sushi pizza - tasty although the fish was not exceptional.

We also dined at Coconuts in Isabell II, the town where we stayed. They have wonderful homemade ice cream. The other dishes we tried were good, too, but nothing outstanding.

Fish entree with salsa - honestly I cannot remember what kind of fish!



Brownie sundae at Coconuts. Their ice cream selection = outstanding, especially the mint chocolate chip (homemade).



Calvin pretends to take the plunge!

We stayed at Casa de Amistad guesthouse, a lovely small hotel with beautiful courtyard and nice, small pool. You have access to a full kitchen so you can buy food and cook. We thoroughly enjoyed staying here and highly recommend it.

Casa de Amistad patio.



View from our prop-plane on the way back to San Juan.

On the way over we took a taxi and then a ferry boat. On the way back, we flew, which was fun - only about 7 passengers on the tiny plane - albeit it made me a little queasy!

Beer and Cheese Pairings at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead

The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead is currently offering a unique pairing of beer and cheese in it's Lobby Lounge. The pairings are: Rogue's Chocolate Stout Ale paired with Chocolate Stout Cheddar, Rogue's Morimoto Soba Ale paired with Morimoto Cheddar, and Rogue's Hazelnut Nectar paired with Smokey Blue Cheese. I had the pleasure of attended a complimentary tasting several weeks ago, and enjoyed the pairings very much. My favorite is the Hazelnut beer with the blue cheese. In addition to the beer and cheese, the pairings are served with various crackers as well as jams and jellies that add a burst of flavor to the mix. The fiery pepper jelly with the blue cheese really worked well, as did the apple rosemary jelly. I also enjoyed the pecan jam with the chocolate stout and chocolate stout cheddar. The jams and jellies are all from Ferrywood Thicket, a local farm.

The Terrace Restaurant and The Ellis Hotel

View of the Ellis entrace and the Terrace.

Several weeks ago Calvin and I dined and stayed gratis at The Ellis hotel in downtown Atlanta. We arrived on a Friday evening just in time for the hotel's nightly wine tasting, which is included for all guests. This is a nice touch and allows guests to mingle and get to know each other a bit more than they otherwise might at this boutique hotel.

Stuffed Mushrooms with Blackberry Farms sheep's cheese and spinach - my favorite dish.



Bartenders with our drinks - the Hendrick Thatcher and the Pomegranate-Acai Lemonade.



Drink menu.



Shrimp & grits - grits were very creamy.

We had a few drinks at the nicely appointed bar before being seated for dinner. The drink menu is impressive, with 11 specialty cocktails. We enjoyed all that we tried, but my favorite was the Champagne punch = champagne, grape juice and pineapple juice with a grape garnish.

Terrace crab cake with Creole mustard sauce.



Kettle Macaroni & Cheese - also made with the Blackberry Farms Sheep's cheese.



Lovely dining room.

Overall I was impressed with the food's quality and presentation. When comparing it to other hotel restaurants, the Terrace at Peachtree is certainly a step above the usual and the emphasis on local and fresh food is inspiring and uplifting for anyone professing to be even partially a "locovore".

My favorite dishes we tried were the stuffed mushrooms and the kettle macaroni and cheese. Part of why I liked both of these dishes so much is the distinct, delicious taste of the Blackberry Farms sheep's cheese used in both dishes. They were also both really tasty and I liked the presentation of the mac and cheese in it's own little baking dish. I also really enjoyed the fall salad (see below).

I was, however, disappointed with a few things. The crab cake didn't taste nearly as good as the best crab cakes I've had elsewhere, although I'm not sure what the exact issue was. Another problem I noticed was with oversalting. I found several of the dishes such as the sweet potato ravioli (which I expected to be sweet), the shrimp and grits and the crabcake to be a too salty for my taste. This is a problem easily fixed.

Excellent fall salad with roasted figs, caramelized onions, bacon and fried goat cheese balls.



Enchanted Springs Georgia mountain trout atop roasted beets.



Sweet potato ravioli with sage and roasted garlic cream sauce, drizzled with crispy onions.



Roasted local beets with Sweet Grass Georgia goat cheese.

The Terrace is a welcome addition to the downtown scene and provides a good alternative to some of the overpriced, tourist-oriented places nearby. I also really like the chef's use of often overlooked ingredients such as figs and beets (and not just a beet salad - these beets were cooked and served warm in two preparations).

I should also mention that service throughout the entire stay was outstanding. Director of Operations Peter Minervini took great care of us throughout our stay and it showed that he really cares about the comfort and satisfaction of all guests.

Amy with Chef Joel Young.



Spiced Apple Tart with butter pecan gelato.

I loved the gelato, although it had a bit of a gritty texture. To me, that shows it was really homemade, which is more important to me than perfect texture! The tart was tasty but I think by the time we got to it we were too full to really enjoy it! I'd prefer to see another type of dough or crust used here rather than the flaky pastry, but that is a personal preference.

Spacious and comfy room.

I was very impressed with our room. From the specially outfitted mini-bar (with prices that are not as high as many hotels) to the luxury soaps and lotions in the bathroom to the fluffy towels and bathrobes, the hotel management has really thought out how to make guests feel especially welcome. The rooms have all been recently renovated, including the bathrooms. The bed was extremely comfortable. I want one!

Deluxe mini-bar includes lip gloss and edible body paint.



View from our 12th floor room.



Pancakes.



Farmer's Omelet with potatoes and toast.

The next morning we were treated to a fine breakfast. The pancakes were tasty but the syrup did not appear to be pure maple - somehow I have a very discerning taste for that! Calvin's farmer's omelet was fresh and filling.

Overall I really enjoyed our Ellis experience. For Atlantans I'd recommend a "staycation" there any day and I definitely recommend the Ellis for out of town folks looking for a comfortable, reasonably priced hotel near some of Atlanta's most popular attractions. Thanks Peter, Chef & the Ellis team! We will be back!

View from just outside the entrance.



The namesake terrace.