Brunch at Block & Grinder

Awesome biscuits. Seriously the best I have ever had with delicious sorghum butter.

While Malika of Atlanta Restaurant Blog was here in town, we also had the opportunity to check out Block & Grinder. I was psyched to try this place since I missed the media event they held prior to opening.  Block & Grinder is unique in that in addition to being a full-service restaurant and bar, there is also a butcher counter where you can purchase meats to cook at home. The restaurant focuses on premium beef as well as natural, organic meats and wild game so carnivores will be in heaven. However, there are options even for vegetarians including an "anti-burger" made from lentils and the house-smoked salmon is sure to please any pescatarian as well.

We had a lovely Sunday brunch here and we were table to try a good portion of the brunch menu. The above biscuits were outstanding and everything else was very good. My favorite dishes (although very hard to choose from the items we tried) were the house smoked salmon - my son's first taste of smoked salmon and he loved it - and the corned beef hash. The coffee (French press) was also wonderful. 

As of July 2013 Sunday brunch is no longer being offered as there is a high demand for cooking classes and private events during that time. However, as noted here, many of the brunch items are available on the lunch and dinner menus. 

House smoked salmon with cornmeal cake.

Sunday sausage.

Shiitake and Gruyere Burger - fantastic flavor and great fries. This is also available for lunch and dinner.

Crawfish & Grits.

Corned beef hash with egg.

Out front.

Cute decoration and the famous butcher counter.

More neat butcher tools on display.

Full bar. I didn't sample any alcohol this visit but the cocktail offerings sound fantastic! I look forward to returning to try the lunch and dinner menus. The pork belly, duck and quail options sounds particularly enticing and I'd wager this would be a great choice if you want a good steak.

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

Dilworth Neighborhood Grille

With free entree coupon in hand we decided to check out Dilworth Neighborhood Grille. After all, we live in Dilworth and it's always fun to try a new place. The space is attractive and has a lot of seating, with a large bar area and lots of TVs for superior sports watching. Service was also pleasant and prompt. Unfortunately the food we tried (other than the house salad, which was fresh and good) was nothing special. The slaw on the BBQ platter was not very flavorful and the BBQ itself didn't have any kind of smoky appeal. The mac & cheese was OK but not great. As for the shrimp and grits, to me it was way too cheesy/greasy- some may like all the cheese but definitely too rich for my taste and not enough distinct grits flavor separate from the sauce/cheese. This would be a fun place to watch a game and definitely good for the drinking set. Of course I only tried a few items from the menu, but from what I tasted the food is not the draw here.

BBQ plate - a bit skimpy on the meat.



Shrimp & grits - a bit too cheesy for me!



House salad - fresh and tasty.

Savor Cafe and Catering

Shrimp & Grits with Andouille sausage - my #1 recommendation.

Savor Cafe and Catering, located on West Morehead St., is a cute spot for a tasty lunch or dinner. I recently dined in for dinner and we enjoyed prompt and attentive, but not overbearing service - thumbs up! The shrimp & grits, pictured above, was one of the best items I tried. The meat loaf was also very good as was the famous banana pudding. The soul rolls were crispy but I didn't find them to be as noteworthy as I expected. It would be great if the chef created a variation on the standard chili sauce to go with these, as part of the disappointment was tasting a sauce that comes right out of a bottle. The pad thai was sweeter than usual and definitely a different take if you are used to the traditional Thai variety. On my next visit I would like to try the blue cheese and bacon dip and I look forward to trying the salads, lunch sandwiches and more desserts - in particular the mile high peanut butter pie and the cobbler, which changes daily! Savor is a great addition to West Morehead and I look forward to returning soon.

Pad Thai with shrimp.



Crispy Soul Rolls.



Grilled meat loaf - very good!



Banana Pudding - tasty and pretty.

Rosa Mexicano's Winter Eclectic Cuts Menu

Carne Asada con Tamarindo - Tamarind Barbecued Tri-Tip Steak with roasted root vegetable mash, crispy kale and tamarind salsa. This is one tasty steak!

Earlier this week I was invited to check out Rosa Mexicano's unique Winter Eclectic Cuts menu at the Atlantic Station location in Atlanta. This special menu is available from now until March 11. The menu is termed "eclectic" because it features underutilized cuts of meat not often seen in mainstream dining establishments. For full menu, see below. We started wit a taste that's on the regular menu - scallop and pork belly tacos - these were really delicious and packed just the right amount of spice. We also had the famous guacamole, which is made table side - hard to come here without getting this!

We tried both the starters on the Eclectic Cuts menu as well - the veal tongue tacos were tasty with a sweet fruit glaze and avocado rounding out the flavors. The crispy sweetbreads had a nice salsa verde served on the side.

Scallop and Pork belly tacos.

Awesome guacamole prepared table side.

Veal Tongue tacos.

Crispy Sweetbreads.

For our entrees we tried both the tri-tip steak (top photo) and the braised pork cheeks with organic grits (below). Both entrees were really outstanding. I love the tamarind sauce served with the steak and the steak itself was really outstanding - I'm not a steak person so this is really saying something!

Braised pork cheeks and soft corn tamale grits - tender and delicious.

In addition to trying the prepared by Rosa Mexicano's chef, you can also purchase the eclectic cuts raw to prepare at home - a neat feature to this very unique menu.

For dessert we opted for the tres leches cake although the Meyer lemon frozen souffle on the special menu sounds delicious as well.

Eclectic Cuts Menu
Appetizers
Veal Tongue Tacos ($8)
Seared veal tongue hand tacos with a winter fruit glaze and molcajete salsa

Crispy Sweetbreads ($10)
Crispy fried sweetbreads with fresh Burns Farms huitlacoche and poblano sauté, cabbage escabeche and salsa verde

Entrees
Braised Pork Cheeks and Soft Corn Tamale ($19)
Ancho chile braised pork cheeks with a soft tamale of organic grits, red wine and roasted tomatoes

Tamarind Barbecued Tri-Tip Steak ($24)
Tamarind barbecued tri-tip steak with roasted root vegetable mash, crispy kale and salsa tamarindo

Braised Lamb Neck Tinga Enchilada ($17)
Two soft corn tortillas filled with spicy braised lamb topped with creamy roasted tomato chipotle salsa

Dessert
Meyer Lemon Souffle ($7)
Creamy, frozen meyer lemon souffle with warm raspberry-pomegranate compote, toasted meringue and a crispy Mexican sopapilla

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.