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.

The Generous Pour at The Capital Grille

Special - Wagyu beef ribeye with onion rings.

The Capital Grille is again offering its summer wine event, The Generous Pour. This fantastic deal runs until September September 2, 2012 and is even available during Queen's Feast restaurant week, which is going on in Charlotte now until Sunday July 29. Click here to see the special menu offered by The Capital Grille for restaurant week. Here's the deal about The Generous Pour: unlimited portions of 9 different fine wines are available for a flat cost of $25. You must order an entree to participate. This is a great deal as several of these wines retail for more than $100 per bottle. It is also neat that you can have so much variety with your meal without ordering 9 separate glasses of wine.

I recently had the chance to come in, have dinner and sample all of the wines available with The Generous Pour. I brought our family friend Joal Fischer along, who is not only a wine lover but also a chocolate maker and co-founder of Barking Dog Chocolatiers. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and had fun tasting the nine available wines that are unlimited when you participate in this special wine event.

Joal's favorite wine of the night was the aperitif: Lunetta Rose sparkling rose from Trentino - Italy. This straightforward sparkling has very clean flavors and was a fabulous start to the meal. Other notable wines include the Falesco, Assisi Rosso 2009, the Villa Mt. Eden, Grand Reserve 2007, a Slovenian wine: Simcic, 2008/2009 - making its US debut for this event - and the South African dessert wine Kanu Kia Ora 2006, a chenin blanc - sweet and very tasty. The dessert wine was my personal favorite - it paired very well with the cheesecake, which is one of my favorite renditions of cheesecake ever.

We enjoyed our food as well, particularly the entrees: salmon prepared as the seared tuna usually is and a special Wagyu steak with onion rings - very tender and succulent meat. I also enjoyed the calamari and the Wagyu carpaccio. Dessert is always a winner here as well. The ice cream sampler was very good - I love the peanut butter ice cream that was available alongside the traditional chocolate and vanilla - and the carrot cake was something I'd never had here before - also very tasty. I encourage any wine lovers out there to make your way over to The Capital Grille to dine while The Generous Pour is being offered - a great opportunity to try some excellent wines and enjoy the classic ambiance offered by The Capital Grille.

Joal Fischer of Barking Dog Chocolatiers enjoying the wines from The Generous Pour.



Wagyu beef carpaccio.



Appetizer sampler.



Calamari.



Salmon - substitution for the seared tuna - loved the ginger, white soy and wasabi sauces and the delicious coconut rice.



My favorite cheesecake.



Ice cream with cookies.



Carrot Cake.

Disclosure: The meal and wine described in this review was complimentary.

Krazy Fish

Salmon tacos with Jalepeno Cheddar Cheese Grits Souffle.

Krazy Fish is a unique and fun Plaza Midwood restaurant that opened just over a year ago in April 2011. The focus is on seafood and spice and the global menu includes a multitude of tacos, roti (flour tortillas stuffed with a protein of choice, rice and a chosen "roti sauce"), sandwiches and salads as well as entrees like fried seafood platters and shrimp and grits. The decor is quite entertaining including lots of nautical chotchkes that put you in the mind of a beachside seafood shack.

For lunch I was able to try both the special salmon taco - delicious with a tasty sauce - and the fried shrimp taco, which was also very good. The jalepeno cheddar cheese grits souffle was awesome and should not be missed. Many of the other side options look like great choices as well, especially the cactus salad which I didn't yet try. Service was friendly and fairly quick and our waiter steered us in the right direction with several recommendations. I look forward to returning to Krazy Fish to try more menu items - in particular the wings and the shrimp and grits. Also to note: every day tacos are half price from 4-6 PM - a great deal - and on Tuesdays bottles of wine are half-price as well.

The patio / tiki bar - open late!



Chips & Salsa sampler - 7 house made salsas are available.



Funky decor abounds.



Shrimp tacos with the same cheese grits goodness.



Fish Tacos with black eyed pea salad.



Strawberry shortcake - a sweet ending to the meal.



Specials board.

Season's 52 Spring Menu

Artichoke & Goat Cheese Flatbread.

I was recently invited to check out the new spring menu at Season's 52 in Buckhead. There are some very tasty selections offered right now. I particularly enjoyed the tomato and avocado salad and the trout. The trout is so pink and tender you'd think it was salmon. The rice, veggies and delicious lemongrass sauce make it worthy of ordering.

Season's 52 is also featuring several new cocktails: Strawberry Kir Royal (Fresh Strawberry-Infused Prairie Organic Vodka, Organic Agave Nectar and Zardetto Prosecco) and Strawberry Basil Fusion (Fresh Strawberry-Infused Prairie Organic Vodka, Fresh Basil, and Organic Agave Nectar).

Go try the new menu and let me know what you think.

Artichoke-Stuffed Artichoke Leaves.



Tomato & Haas Avocado Salad - my favorite!



Spicy Snow Peas and Shiitake Mushrooms.



Columbia River Steelhead Trout with spring vegetables, basmati rice and lemongrass sauce.



Lamb T-Bone Chops with asparagus, truffle mashed potatoes and red wine glaze.

Disclosure: The meal reviewed in this post was complimentary.

Rise-n-Dine

Vegetarian roll-up sandwich with side salad. The roti bread used for the roll-up was delicious and flaky.

I recently met a friend for lunch at Rise-n-Dine at Emory Village. On weekends when I drive past this place it is always packed with a crowed waiting to get in. Even for this weekday lunch we waited about 10 minutes. Now I know why so many people are waiting. The food is simply good, with some innovative twists to keep it interesting. Breakfast is served all day and there is a short lunch menu as well. Everything we tried really hit the spot, especially the light, warm roti used to roll up a vegetarian sandwich and the delicious apple butter made in house and served with the restaurant's toast and biscuits. I look forward to visiting again soon to try the tasty looking pancakes and French toast as well as some of the other sandwiches.

Smoked salmon scramble with toast and homemade jam and apple butter. The apple butter is worth buying in bulk!

Salmon Under Fur Coat

Over the summer a friend of ours from Russia brought the above dish as a contribution to our BBQ. Traditionally, it's "Selyodka Pod Shuboy" or "herring under fur coat". However, in this case our friend thought the American palate would be better pleased by "smoked salmon under fur coat". It was delicious, with carrots, potatoes, beets and mayo making this a superb summer salad. Try this recipe to make it yourself.

Gourmet Brunch with Friends at their Home

Quiche, chocolate bacon waffles and fruit.

While in California we were treated to a lovely delicious brunch at the home of friends. The food was excellent and the hostess showed me how she grates bacon and chocolate into the waffles to give them a unique, rich flavor. We are available anytime for another meal - well anytime we are in the Bay Area again!

Smoked salmon blini with capers.

The Capital Grille's Generous Pour Event

The featured wines.

I was recently treated to a preview of The Generous Pour wine event at The Capital Grille in Buckhead. The event is going on right now at all CG locations and lasts through September 4. Here's the deal: for $25 you can try as many of the nine features wines as you'd like with your dinner. This is an exceptional value for wine drinkers as the wines represent a wide price range and hail from several countries including Spain, Italy, France and Australia. The Capital Grille's master sommelier George Miliotes travelled the globe to pick out the perfect nine wines for this showcase and at the event we enjoyed a live webcast with him, including a question and answer segment. Click here to see all the featured wines as well as a short video clip featuring Mr. Miliotes. My favorite wines include the Marquis de la Tour, Cremant de Loire Brut, a sparkling wine that paired wonderfully with the appetizers we tried. I am also a huge fan of the RL Buller, The Portly Gentleman port, which I enjoyed more than any other dessert wine I've ever tried.

The food was wonderful as well. I especially enjoyed the calamari, the steak (of course) and the ice cream with strawberries. This is a wonderful way to enjoy a variety of high quality wines without buying nine entire bottles. You can have as much as you'd like of these fabulous wines for $25.

Proscuitto wrapped housemade mozzarella with vine ripe tomatoes.

Pan fried calamari with hot peppers.

Cedar-planked salmon - lovely presentation and tasty as well.

Lobster mac & cheese - heavenly and rich.

Sauteed spinach with garlic - great to have something green on the table.

Ice cream with strawberries and port reduction - so delicious with the port served as part of The Generous Pour.

Flourless chocolate cake.

Buddy, sommelier and waiter extraordinaire.

I love this port!