Harvest Moon Grille

The Farmer's Market Frittata with fruit.

On Easter Sunday my mom treated us to an Anniversary brunch at Harvest Moon Grille in Charlotte. Attached to the Dunhill Hotel uptown Charlotte, Harvest Moon Grill is a farm to table operation that opened following the success of a food cart with the same name - their motto is "Farm to Fork". Harvest Moon offers 3 squares a day and weekend brunch. We were lucky enough to snag an outdoor table which allowed for us to enjoy the beautiful day and the people-watching.

I enjoyed brunch but the food did not stand out in the way I expected after reading about this place in advance. The flavor combinations worked but lacked something of a punch for me. The omelet and frittata were fairly standard to me and a bit overcooked. However, the house-cured bacon was delicious and went great with the pancakes. I do look forward to trying lunch and dinner here also as the menus look very tempting.

I appreciate what they are trying to do at Harvest Moon and these days many people are drawn to restaurants that emphasize local produce, meats and dairy products. Hopefully I will get to try more soon! Cooking classes are also offered and the restaurant's website contains a lot of information about he local farms and events in addition to the menus and other standard information.

Buttermilk pancakes and a side of bacon.



Omelet.

Nava's Brunch

Salsa Trio - mango habenero, chipotle tomatillo and avocado tomatillo. My favorite: the chipotle tomatillo - smoky with just the right spice level.

I was very excited to try Nava's new brunch menu after being invited to a special brunch event on a Friday morning back in May. I had never been to Nava before, although its Southwestern concept has always intrigued me. After trying some of the brunch items I hope to go back soon for dinner or another brunch. Everything was delicious. I especially liked the shrimp & grits taco, the Johnny cakes and the brunch-inspired cocktails. Nava is a neat place to take someone for a unique and special meal and is one of the few Southwestern restaurants in our city.

Nava Taco Trio: chipotle BBQ brisket, shrimp & grits and fish. The shrimp & grits taco was much better than I expected - I think it was the smoked tomato grits.



Johnny Cakes with smoked bacon layers and real maple syrup. So buttery and delicious.



"Bacon" & Eggs - crisp pork belly, masa goditas, chorizo, chipotle aioli, pan fried farm eggs and citrus arugula salad.

Other brunch menu items include Sonoma Jack Cheese 3 Egg Omelet with Tequila sour cream & chorizo hash browns and Salmon & Eggs with short smoked salmon, soft poached farm egg, spinach & goat cheese hash and chipotle lime hollandaise. I'd definitely like to try that salmon next time I go to Nava for brunch.

Blue jalepeno corn bread with GA peach Bellini. Other brunch cocktails include Peach Payaso, Blood Orange Mimosa and Spiced Flower.

Mrs. Butterworth Visits Piedmont Park

WHAT: Family Breakfast Ball at Piedmont Park - families get a sneak peek of Mrs. Butterworth's limited edition spring bottles and downloadable wardrobe collection as well as a free pancake and waffle breakfast.

WHEN: Sunday, March 27, 2011 - 9:30 AM to noon

WHERE: Piedmont Park's Magnolia Hall Lawn - 400 Park Dr. NE Atlanta, GA 30306

COST: FREE!

Chicago Trip - Evanston/Wilmette

Salmon Benedict.

While in the Chicago area for a cousin's Bar Mitzvah, I sampled some of the local Evanston/Wilmette cuisine. Unfortunately with so many events to attend, I did not have a chance to eat in Chicago proper. A good reason to return soon!

Near our hotel in Evanston, we found Le Peep, a breakfast food restaurant chain with locations across the country. Breakfast was tasty and the option of salmon Benedict very appealing. Luckily, my familial dining companions were willing to share with me so that I could have some savory also while enjoying the blueberry pancakes. Even grandma left happy and we all thought the coffee was particularly strong and tasty.

Vegetable crepe.



Blueberry pancakes - tasty and huge!



Lentil soup.

Upon our arrival on Friday, we met up with family at C.J. Arthur's in Wilmette. I enjoyed the lentil soup as well as the cookies on the dessert platter (not pictured). The fish was disappointing, however, with little flavor, although it did taste fresh. It was very nice of them to accommodate our group - I'm sure our rowdy group gave them a lot to deal with - and the live music was a nice end to the evening.

Fish with wild rice and asparagus.

OK Cafe

Mushroom, green pepper and onion omelet.

This Buckhead classic is a rush in the early morning with business meetings - I had no idea there would be a wait at 8 AM! OK Cafe's egg dishes and bacon were tasty, although the omelet lacked the flavor I was hoping for as the filling was not cooked well enough or with enough seasonings. I'm also not a fan of pancakes without real maple syrup. Enough said. Still, I liked the down-home atmosphere and we had a pleasant business meal. Service was also prompt once we were finally seated. A nice touch: they give you a small tootsie roll with your check!

Pancakes with bacon.

Basic breakfast: potatoes, eggs and bacon.

Stone Bowl House - Woo Nam Jeong

Beef bulgogi with banchan dishes.

We met up with friends at this OTP Buford Highway gem on a rainy January evening. The signage here is a bit deceptive, but I've tried to help by calling the restaurant "Stone Bowl House - Woo Nam Jeong" instead of the other way around. When we visited only the English words were visible and all I had was a sheet of paper with "Woo Nam Jeong" scribbled on it with the address. Since the place is in a strip shopping center, this caused a bit of confusion.

In any event, once we arrived, we ended up waiting for about 30 minutes for a table for 5. The restaurant had just been reviewed by the AJC (see their review here) so I think that explains part of the allure that weekend. That and the place is really good - at least really good for non-Duluth Korean BBQ. Since I don't get out to Duluth much I was so glad to find this place. Also the atmosphere is quite nice, with several private rooms.

We didn't opt for the 12 course menu bloggers have been raving about, but it looks like a real experience. I was very happy with the seafood pancake (not oily here and so fluffy) with delicious dipping sauce, the bulgogi - very tasty meat and the bi bim bap as well as the plentiful and fresh banchan (vegetable side dishes including many that are pickled).

Seafood pancake with delicious dipping sauce - we want more sauce!



Bi Bim Bap in hot stone bowl - the egg cooks as you mix it in the sizzling bowl.

I look forward to returning to Woo Nam Jeong soon. They are reportedly open for lunch as well, offering good midday prices.

Highland Bakery Time

One of my favorite brunch places is Highland Bakery, where we enjoyed a laid back Saturday brunch. Although the wait can be long here, we were seated in about 15 minutes. Since it's hard to decide between sweet and salty, I always enjoy sharing one of each with my dining companion. This time Calvin & I split the Burrito de Huevos, which were delicious, and the sweet potato pancakes, very sweet and also very delicious. The cinnamon rolls look enticing as do the lunch sandwiches. I will definitely be back here soon to sample more from the diverse menu.

Burrito de Huevos with Avocado, served with black beans & spicy salsa.



Sweet potato pancakes with brown sugar syrup.

Highland Bakery
655 Highland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
(404) 586-0772