Sonny's Place

Turkey Sharma.

Soon after Sonny's Place opened, we tried it for lunch on a weekday, looking forward to a great spread of a Middle Eastern buffet - boy do I miss the Cedars which used to be on Lenox! The place was almost empty and we enjoyed talking with the manager, who was very friendly. The food we tried was good, although I was a bit disappointed with the falafel, which was rather dry to me. Also, it was disappointing that the lunch buffet had very recently been discontinued before our visit. Still, I really enjoyed the hummus and the turkey "sharma" - which must be akin to the usual lamb/been "schwarma" as well as the fresh tasting salad. I'd like to go back and try more here although I was also very excited about the fact that Sonny's originally offered breakfast all day. According to their website, that seems to have changed and salads, sandwiches and Middle Eastern specialties dominate the menu.

Sampler Patter.

San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition - Southeast Region

Winner Elizabeth V. Freer from the Culinary Institute of Charleston. Her Rabbit Two Ways really impressed the judges!

I previously blogged about my experience judging this event here. However, as the result of wedding-madness I am just now getting around to blogging about the entire event including all of the dishes we judged. This was such a fun event and I was thrilled to be asked to Judge along with some of Atlanta's "top chefs"!

First I was allowed to observe the chefs at work.

Then time for tasting. Here we are all hard at work judging!

Bourbon-glazed Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Southern cornbread dressing and haricot vert AKA green beans.



My personal favorite: Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Mole Scented Demi served with Purple Potato Tostada and Agave nectar glazed jicama and Calabaza.



The winner: Rabbit Two Ways: Sweet Braised Rabbit Ravioli (yum!) with Pecan and Spice Encrusted Tenderloin served with Baby Spinach and Grilled Radicchio Saute with Cinnamon.



Hazelnut and Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Star Anise Scented stone ground grits and ratatouille tart.



Lemongrass stuffed airline breast with wasabi and beet mash potato and stir-fry. Spicy and interesting!



Lemon Pellegrino Pressure Braised Short Ribs with Smoky Gouda Grits and Seasonal Succotash.



Seared Duck Breast with buttered cabbage, ginger-butternut squash puree, mustard-chive spaetzle with braised leg.



Roasted Rabbit Roulade with Sweet Tea Polenta and Collard Greens with Pan Jus.



Awaiting the big announcement!

Williamson Brothers Bar-B-Q

Lots of logs needed for all of this BBQ!

After a wonderful hike at Red Top Mountain State Park, we were hungry and ventured to Williamson Brothers Bar-B-Q in Marietta. The restaurant has several other locations, including Douglasville and Canton. At once we were given the opportunity to try the "all you can eat" deal, which was quite a deal - I believe it was around $10 - $11 for all of the riblets, chopped pork and sides you could eat. It was pretty funny that they brought out one onion ring at a time, although I will admit it was a pretty large onion ring. Overall the meal satisfied our hungry tummies but was by no means outstanding. The chopped pork was tasty as were the baby back ribs that Cal ordered separately (not available with all you can eat) and the pies were a nice finish. However, when I'm in the mood for BBQ I'll head to Fox Brothers any day! I also want to try Heirloom Market BBQ very soon!

Pork-a-cookin'.



Chopped pork and Brunswick stew. The stew was, disappointingly, too sweet.



Chocolate and Key Lime Pies.



Ribs with fried okra and mac & cheese.

Sufi's

Tasting of butter, feta, mint, olives, walnuts, cucumber and radishes they serve with the delicious bread.

From top: Sufi's special eggplant, eggplant mixed with yogurt and onion and stuffed grape leaves. We also tried the yogurt mixed with beets. All very good!

I was so pleased to hear that Sufi's, a Persian restaurant, opened ITP not too far from my office. Although it was still cold when we visited, we sat on the heated patio, which was quite enjoyable. Our server took really good care of us and, despite making a mistake with our appetizer, she quickly made up for it by bringing the correct item at no charge. The appetizers were all excellent and you could make an entire meal out of the dishes, many of which include yogurt or eggplant. The salads look interesting as well - something to try next time. I love saffron - the aroma is so unique and really just makes your mouth water, so the rice was definitely a hit. Although I was really excited about the pomegranate/walnut/chicken combo of the Fesenjoon, I found it a bit dry and thick. Next time I'd like to try the beef in tomato sauce or the ground beef kabob.

Fesenjoon - chicken with walnuts and pomegranate. I loved the flavor but the dish came off a bit dry. I'm not sure how this happened since it is in a sauce but I think it has to do with the chicken being a bit overcooked and walnuts being in the sauce. Still very tasty. Love the saffron rice!

I believe this was baklava cheesecake.

Muir Glen Tomato Dinner at Aria

Favorite dish of the night - Tomato Panna Cotta with Tomato Sorbet. Sugar Cookies with Tomato Jam on the side.

I was invited to a fabulous tasting event at Aria, sponsored by Muir Glen. The organic tomato folks asked Chef Gerry Klaskala to create a tasting menu featuring their canned tomatoes. These are definitely not your average canned tomatoes, some even hold the "reserve" label. In addition to the delicious dishes pictured below, hors d'oeuvres of grilled cheese with bacon and tomato, bruschetta with tomato, blue cheese and prosciutto and tomato burger sliders were offered along with Bloody Mary's.

My favorite had to be the dessert, followed closely by the lamb dish with tomato and eggplant ragout. At the end of the meal we were given a Reserve Kit with tomatoes to take home. The fire roasted tomatoes have become a favorite of mine, especially for spaghetti sauce and lasagna. Yum! Thanks Muir Glen!

Chef Gerry Klaskala

Tomato tasting. Love the fire roasted!

Fire Roasted Tomato & Shrimp Bisque.

Ditalini with Squash, Tomatoes and Reggiano Parmigiano.

Spinasse Ragu with Anson Mills Polenta.

Oak Grilled Lamb with Tomato & Eggplant Ragout.

Slow Food Atlanta 5th Annual Ice Cream Social

Amy on Food has been practicing her homemade ice cream making and will be at this event with a special flavor! You should plan to compete or buy tickets and taste.

Fifth Annual Ice Cream Social
Saturday, June 18, 12:30 – 2 pm
I Scream, You Scream…!

Slow Food Atlanta is seeking contestants for the
Fifth Annual Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social fundraiser! There Slow Food’s fans will get the opportunity to vote for the most delicious homemade, not-necessarily-traditional ice cream or sorbet flavor!

The Ice Cream Social, which is in conjunction with the Peachtree Road Farmers Market, will take place in the garden of St. Philip’s Cathedral at 2744 Peachtree Road on Saturday, June 18 from12:30 pm to 2:00 p.m.

The contestants will include renowned local chefs and ambitious amateurs.

The skinny:
Contestants provide homespun ice cream made from fresh ingredients. Slow Food Atlanta will provide cups and utensils (all compostable or recyclable), signage, and an eager ice cream-eating public. Last year’s event drew almost 200 hungry Atlantans of all ages. This year, we will cap the ticket sales at 300 people.

Tickets will be $15 each, and will earn Slow Food fans a taste of each flavor and a ballot. (Children ages 5 – 10 are $5 and children under 5 are free) Proceeds benefit the Atlanta Chapter of Slow Food International and the Peachtree Road Farmers Market.

To sign-up as a participant, email slowfoodicecreamsocial@gmail.com by June 1.

Truffles Birthday Lunch

The cutest creamer!

My law firm celebrate several birthdays at the new Truffles Cafe, formerly Ruby Tuesday, on Lenox Road across from Lenox Square. While I am usually hesitant about chain restaurants, Truffles made an overall good impression. While the restaurant is owned by the same parent company that owns Ruby Tuesday, there are only four locations - three of which are in the Hilton Head area.

The Atlanta location offers valet parking and includes a nice bar. The place was pretty crowded when we visited, a popular spot for business lunches. We had excellent service during our visit and the food was surprisingly good, although nothing too out of the ordinary. The coconut shrimp were quite tasty and I loved the frozen Oreo pie. Otherwise the food I tasted was OK but not great - the sweet potato fries were not piping hot and one person who ordered the chicken pot pie declared it bland.

We admired the cow creamers so much the manager let one member of our party buy one at a very reasonable price - very nice! Overall I recommend Truffles for those who are not very adventurous or for a group or business meal. I have not tried their dinner service so if I do I will update this post.

Coconut Shrimp.

Spinach salad with Chicken.

Crab cake with Sweet Potato Fries.

BBQ Chicken.

Chicken Pot Pie.

Key Lime Pie and Oreo Ice Cream Pie.

Hand in Hand

Brit Burger with Rocket Salad.

On Saturday we wanted to relax on the patio at a neighborhood restaurant with our friends from the neighborhood. We decided to go to Hand in Hand, a Virginia Highlands staple with a great patio. The food was fine, although the fried mushrooms and fried fish were too greasy for my taste. The burger was good and the fries were decent as well. However, the service was definitely BAD.

Now because of the awesome patio and the location Hand in Hand probably isn't lacking for customers. They also have some great recurring daily specials such as the $1 fish taco and $1 PBR on Sundays. Upon arrival, we seated ourselves at an outdoor picnic table. Nobody came although we could see several waitresses in the vicinity. Finally after about 20 minutes one of us got up and went inside to find out if we could get menus. After that we ordered quickly and the food came out in a timely fashion. Still, it was impossible to find our waitress. We got malt vinegar and hot sauce on our own (we could see it on a stand near the door); we asked another waiter for a refill of iced tea and Coke. We asked twice for a side of blue cheese dressing that took at least 20 minutes to materialize. We ordered the fish & chips because our waitress told us it was $5 instead of the usual $12. When we got our check it was $12 and she said "Oops I forgot it is Saturday, that special is on Friday. Sorry." We made it clear we were not going to pay $12 for something she told us was $5 and she did take care of it although I thought it was terrible customer service for her to even suggest we would pay full price at that point.

In any event, this place is a great find for the patio but beware of the service. And you probably want to come when they are actually having one of their specials!

Fried Mushrooms.



Fish & Chips.

Blackfin Bistro and Better Than Sex Dessert Restaurant - Key West

Tomato ginger carrot - the soup du jour.

We actually spent an extra night in Key West quite unexpectedly. Although our flight from ATL to Key West arrived with no problem, on the return trip severe winds kept the jet from landing in Key West. Delta's solution - drive us to Miami in a bus OR stay another night and fly out in the morning. Although we both needed to return for work, we decided to remain in Key West another night instead of taking the long bus ride to Miami. We actually hooked up with new-found friends from Louisville who we'd met on our first day. They were supposed to be on the same flight.

Once we got settled in another lodging - I can't even remember the name and it was so disappointing after our great B&B, we met up with our new friends for dinner and dessert. For dinner we went to Blackfin Bistro, upon recommendation of the clerk at the hotel. Although the menu looked pretty good, it was quite pricey and the food was mixed. I enjoyed the soup of the day (above) although $9 is a bit much I think... The burger was also good and the pasta was decent. Our friend was not too crazy about his lobster salad, though, and the whole experience was somehow lackluster.

Lobster Salad with fruit.



Chef's seafood pasta, half portion (shared with new friends!)



Blackfin Burger - with Swiss cheese, bacon and a sunny side up egg.

Our new friends had been to Better Than Sex - A Dessert Restaurant already and they wanted to go back. Intrigued we went along to give it a try. Unfortunately they were out of the signature dessert (you guessed it - it's called "Better Than Sex") but we still enjoyed some delicious treats as well as chocolate-rimmed dessert wine - whoa a serious sugar kick! The restaurant is DARK and some of the menu items have racy names. They do provide flashlights so you can read the menu. Definitely a unique place and not quite like anything I've ever experienced before.

Luckily we made it out of KW early the next day. It was a wonderful trip overall and I would enjoy another vacation there. Nice to meet you Louisville friends!

Cheesecake.



Cobbler/bread pudding.



Chocolate chip pie.



Chocolate rimmed chocolate beverage.