Category: Georgia

JCT Kitchen – Atlanta, GA

There is this great farm to table restaurant that I got to visit in Atlanta recently called JCT Kitchen. It’s located in an area that use to be old factories and now it is being transformed to a popular hangout.

The restaurant inside is beautifully decorated with reclaimed wood, flowing curtains, and cozy lighting.

The choices that the chef had on the menu the day I visited were unique and not found at many restaurants I visit. Everything from rabbit to swordfish,  no matter what type of protein you prefer there is something for everyone on the menu.

My table started off with a few appetizers. We started with the deviled eggs. These delicate eggs came out topped with thin slices of country ham and drizzled with olive oil. The filling was extremely creamy and fluffy. The ham added a slight salty taste.

The other snack that came out was the toast. This is a very vague name to be sure. What this dish contained was a toasted slice of baguette topped with out of the ashes (which is goat cheese), celery and a fresh apple salad. The cheese was so creamy with a slight tang. The celery added crunch and the apple salad offered a sweetness that counter balanced the cheese.

The final starter was the Stracciatella. Stracciatella is a buffalo cheese. They make this cheese fresh. It comes with African squash and a hazelnut drizzle. It is served with a fresh flatbread. This cheese too was super creamy and had a mild, light taste. The squash had a savory taste that paired well with the cheese. The flatbread was soft and had a great taste from the light grilling they did to it.

One of the most popular dishes at JCT is their fried chicken. I was able to try one of the wings because one of my dining partners ordered this dish.  The breading on the chicken was extremely crispy; I love that with fried chicken. That crispy outer layer helps seal in the juices and flavor. As soon as I took a bite the juices just flowed out. The chicken was cooked perfectly. The flavor that the chef captured in this chicken proves why this is their most popular item.

I ordered the Gulf shrimp for my dinner. This was their version of shrimp and grits. The shrimp were chopped up into pieces, which made it a little easier to eat. These shrimp were mixed with red mule grits and shrimp bordelaise. They also added a generous amount of cheese in the grits as well. That cheese made the grits really creamy and salty, which was the perfect accompaniment to the fresh shrimp. The dish is rich so I was not able to finish the whole thing.

We shared a few sides around the table. The macaroni and cheese is a must try. This cheesy goodness was blended with bacon. That crispy, salty bacon flavor was fantastic with the cheese. They cooked it in the oven to create that wonderful crispy top layer.

The other side was the Brussels sprouts. These were paired with apples from Georgia and tossed with chili honey. They were roasted to create those crispy edges on the Brussels sprouts. The sweetness of the apples offset the bitterness from the sprouts.

The food I got to enjoy was extremely filling. Because of that, I had no room for dessert. That was a bummer because many of the desserts sounded wonderful. I would definitely come back to JCT and would bring more friends with me. Check them out at www.jctkitchen.com

Enjoy!

T

Murphy’s – Atlanta, GA

Located in the Virginia Highlands neighborhood of Atlanta is Murphy’s, a restaurant that had been feeding residents and visitors for 35 years. They were packed inside so it was a good thing I had a reservation.

To start off the wonderful evening with friends, I ordered a Sangria. It was full of fresh fruit and had the right amount of sweetness.

The artisan cheese plate was the perfect appetizer to share with the table. They served as assortment of cheeses, including warm ficelle. On the side they served fresh strawberry jam. It paired perfectly with the ficelle. I ate it on top of the crispy, warm buttery bread. It was almost like having jam and cream cheese for breakfast.

For my starter I ordered the Mexico City Tortilla soup. The broth was very savory and loaded with fresh chicken breast pieces. Mixed throughout were tomatoes and creamy avocado. They crush corn tortilla chips on top for a little crunch.

For my main dish I got the grilled Atlantic Salmon. The salmon was flakey and cooked to a perfect medium. They put a sweet bourbon maple glaze on the outside. I could taste the maple and it surprisingly went well with the taste of salmon. They also served a warm lentil salad underneath the salmon. It helped soak up the extra maple glaze and it tasted great.

Now the main part of my meal was delicious but I could not wait to dig into all the desserts we ordered. The first one I tried was the Key Lime Pie. The crust was a combination of coconut and graham crackers. The filling was tart and creamy. They topped it off with a fresh sweet cream and toasted coconut. The flavor was perfect and you would think it came from Key West.

The second dessert was the Bourbon Pecan Cheesecake. The cheesecake was sweet, soft, and creamy; exactly how cheesecake is supposed to be. They covered the cheesecake in a bourbon based caramel sauce. It added richness to the cake.

The Apple Bread Pudding was a nice subtle dessert. They used pieces of fresh apple mixed between the bread. When it baked together the apples and bread became one. They drizzled a crème anglaise all over the pudding. They also served it with homemade vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was creamy and full of vanilla essence.

The last dessert was the richest – the Mocha Cake. This was a flourless chocolate cake. In between the layers of cake was an espresso mousse. Now if that was not enough rich flavor, they covered the top with a layer of chocolate glaze. There was no way that one person could eat this whole slice of cake. It was just so rich and heavy. The combination of chocolate and espresso paired perfectly on my taste buds.

The food and desserts at Murphy’s were fantastic. I would recommend that everyone visiting Atlanta to check them out. www.murphysvh.com

Enjoy!

T

Bartaco – Atlanta, GA

There is a really cute restaurant in Atlanta that I had dinner at with friends – Bartaco. It is located in a cute area with lots of trendy restaurants and shops. The best part is our Uber driver actually suggested it to us.

This was not a typical Mexican restaurant. It was a fusion of Mexican and a hint of Japanese influence. Everything came in small dishes or bites so you could order a lot to share.

Since we were there to have a fun time, we all got a cocktail. I went with the red sangria. It was slightly sweet and had a slight taste of allspice. It was loaded with chopped up apples and peaches. I just wish it did not have so much ice.

The table started off with the guac+roja+verde. The guacamole was really fresh. There were nice chunks of avocado throughout. The roja salsa had a major kick of heat. I was not expecting that. The verde salsa had a fresh feeling that was full of flavor, no heat with this one. They served full size round tortilla chips. They were like flat taco shells.

I ordered their chicken soup. This was not a chicken tortilla soup. This was a classic, hearty chicken soup. The broth had a wonderful savory flavor. It was loaded with shredded chicken, pieces of potato, and fresh corn, right off the cob.

I did order a taco (which they have several options). I went for the Baja fish. It was the perfect size for a few bites. The fresh fish was cut into strips and lightly breaded. They fired it up until crispy. On top of the fish they served a cole slaw that added a super crunch. There was also a slight sour taste to the slaw that complemented the sweetness of the fish and the tortilla shell.

I was so excited to order a side of the grilled corn. Two cobs came out and were covered in cayenne pepper and cotija cheese. The corn itself was super sweet. The cayenne did not really add any heat. The cotija cheese added a lot of tanginess, which paired perfectly with the sweetness from the corn.

We could not pass up dessert. We shared a few around the table. The churros were amazing. These were fresh made and were piping hot when they came to the table. They were covered in sugar. The first bite was like WOW! I could have eaten a dozen of these. The cinnamon and sugar encompassed every inch of the churro. They were also accompanied by a chocolate sauce. I tried it with the churro and it was good, however, this churro was perfect just with the sugar and cinnamon.

The second dessert was the key lime pie. They served this in a jar which was a unique presentation. I really liked seeing the layers of the pie with the graham cracker crust at the bottom. The key lime filled most of the jar. It was extremely smooth and creamy with the best tart, tangy flavor. They topped off the pie with fresh whipped cream that was light and fluffy.

The last dessert out was the horchata. This is like custard. It was really creamy and sweet. It was topped with a salted caramel sauce. The first taste of the sauce was bitter. But once I went back for a second taste that bitterness went away.

Bartaco was amazing. I am so glad that our Uber driver suggested it and that we listened to him. I would recommend everyone check them out. One side note is they are a cashless restaurant so make sure you take a credit or debit card.

Check out all their wonderful food options at www.bartaco.com

Enjoy!

T

Vinnie Van GoGo – Savannah, GA

Located right across the street in City Market from Belford’s is an extremely busy pizza shop called Vinnie Van GoGo. As soon as I walked by the door I could smell the pizza ovens. It smelt so good it was drawing me inside.

They were a very busy place. They were small inside so there were two options for me and my friend. We could get a seat inside or get a slice to go. Since we were not in a hurry we took a seat at their bar.

We could order a slice or a whole pie. Their pizza’s were huge and there was no way we could eat a whole pizza. We went for slices. I made sure to get pepperoni on mine.

Even the slice was big. The dough was cooked perfectly with a little crunch. They put on a ton of cheese and pepperoni. I had to fold the slice in half in order to take a bite. It reminded me of the slices I had gotten at the Jersey Shore.

Vinnie’s was a happening place. As I sat there I watched as dozens of people kept coming and going. It seemed that everyone was coming in for a slice and then eating it as they walked around the market.

This was a great spot for a bite to eat. It’s popular with everyone, from locals to visitors. Just make sure you bring cash because that is all they accept.

http://www.vinnievangogo.com/

Enjoy!

T

Belford’s – Savannah, GA

For years I have wanted to visit Savannah, Georgia. From the beaches to the history, I knew it would be a perfect weekend getaway. The history of Savannah starts in 1733 when settlers landed along the Savannah River. To this day visitors can walk along the river to enjoy shopping and food. Or you can stay at one of the many hotels over looking the water.

While walking around several of Savannah’s squares, I came to City Market. This is where I saw a sign for Belford’s. I glanced over the menu they had posted and saw several items that would make a perfect lunch.

While looking over the menu, I learned a little about the history of the building. It was built in 1902 and was owned by a Hebrew congregation until 1923. That is when it was sold to the Belford family. The building was used to run their wholesale food business. There are wonderful pictures of this history decorating the walls of the restaurant.

  

It appears that the restaurant did not appear until 1996. What was great about the look of the inside, it a lot of the history was kept.

  

As with most of my meals, I like to order a creative and unique cocktail off the menu. I went for the Dixie Lemonade. This was no ordinary lemonade, this was special. They used General Beauregard’s Black Pepper vodka, crop cucumber vodka, muddled fresh cucumbers, and fresh squeezed lemonade.

This drink was not sweet at all. It was slightly tangy from the lemonade. The pepper accents from the vodka shined through. The cucumber however mellowed everything out and turned the drink into a refreshing taste.

An appetizer for the table that is always a hit is fried calamari. It was pretty standard in taste and texture. It came with a Thai chili dipping sauce. I liked the calamari best with the sauce.

I was excited to see She Crab soup on the menu. It combines two of my favorite things, soup and crab. It was a pretty large bowl of soup. They placed a nice swirl of Sherry along the top of the soup.

The broth of the soup was extremely creamy with a nice herb accent. There was loads of crab meat in the soup itself. You could actually use a fork to get the crab out.

Since the soup was somewhat filling, I was glad I ordered the watermelon salad for lunch. This salad was arugula, feta cheese, grilled Vidalia onions, olive oil, and chopped up pieces of watermelon.

The arugula added spice to this salad. The feta cheese tamed that spicy note. As a side note the feta cheese came from Capra Gia Cheese Company located in Carrollton, Georgia (capragia.net). It was nice to see the restaurant keeping their ingredients local.

The grilled Vidalia onions (another Georgia crop) added a savory sweetness to the salad. It also paired well with the feta cheese. The watermelon added the juiciness and sweet sugar flavor. it balanced out the salty and spicy notes from the other ingredients. I only wish they added a little more watermelon. that was my favorite part.

I had a lovely lunch at Belford’s. I just had a sampling of what they had to offer. Their menu is filled with many other dishes that sounded wonderful. Check them out when you are in Savannah.

http://www.belfordssavannah.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

 

Savannah’s Candy Kitchen – Savannah, GA

Savannah is a fascinating city. It is filled with a rich history. There are a plethora of places to eat and drink. There are also several places that can help satisfy a sweet tooth. Savannah’s Candy Kitchen is the place I chose to check out for something sweet.

This candy shop has been around for over 40 years. They have several locations in town. I visited their location along the famous River Street. I could smell the yummy chocolate as I walked up to the door. They are known for their pralines, which I found out as soon as I saw their sign.

The shop was a magical place. There was candy and chocolate everywhere. I knew it was going to be hard for me to narrow down exactly what to get.

  

  

The main attraction that drew all the attention was the window that allowed customers to watch their famous pralines being made. If you are not familiar, pralines are a soft, creamy blend of sugar, butter, cream and pecans. The candy makers made the whole process look so easy. What was even more exciting was getting to taste a free sample. They were warm and sweet and the sugar just melted in my mouth. It is the perfect hook to get you to buy more.

They also gave out free samples of their homemade fudge. It was amazing. I tried the peanut butter / chocolate mix. It was extremely creamy and smooth. I would definitely recommend this treat.

I wanted to try a few of their other chocolate offerings. The chocolate covered raisin clusters caught my attention. I love Raisinets so I knew I would enjoy these. These homemade treats blew me away. They were 1000% better than anything you could buy at the store. The chocolate was extremely creamy and smooth. It melted in my mouth as soon as I took a bite. The raisins were tender and paired perfectly with the milk chocolate.

The one last chocolate treat I wanted to try was their Gophers. These were layers of milk chocolate, caramel, and pecans. These were basically chocolate turtles on steroids.

The caramel was super soft. When I took a bite it oozed out. The pecans added a ton of crunch and texture. The chocolate helped tie it all together. It was extremely sweet. One was definitely all I could eat.

Visiting Savannah’s Candy Kitchen was my favorite thing I did that day. I really felt like a kid again. I would highly recommend everyone make a stop by one of their locations around Savannah. You can also order some of the chocolate from their website at www.savannahcandy.com

Enjoy!

T

 

Bernie’s Oyster House – Savannah, GA

Strolling up and down Historic River Street I came across a little bar called Bernie’s Oyster House. The building was an old pre-Civil War warehouse. There were several people inside and by the looks of it they were all locals. There was fun writing all over the brick walls from past visitors.

  

They had a sign for their mimosa that caught my attention. They called it a Sassy Mimosa. I asked the bartender what made the drink “sassy” and it is because they use Svedka Clementine vodka in the drink. I think it helped make the mimosa sweeter. It tasted wonderful and I could have easily drank several more.

  

They had a few things on their menu that I wanted to try. I started off with a cup of their seafood chowder. It was basically a clam chowder. It was very creamy. There were nice pieces of fresh, tender clams throughout.

  

I also decided to try the fried stuffed shrimp. These fresh shrimp were stuffed with Monterrey Jack cheese. The breading was very crispy. On the inside the creamy cheese oozed out. It accented the shrimp really well. There was no need to dip these shrimp in cocktail sauce. The cheese added a lot of flavor.

Bernie’s Oyster House was a fun little hangout. I was glad I stopped in to check them out. If you are hanging out in Savannah, head down to River Street and check out Bernie’s. http://berniesoysterhouse.com/

  

Enjoy!

T

 

Cotton Exchange Tavern – Savannah, GA

All along River Street there are tons of old buildings. Most of them are old warehouses that date back to the 1700s. Several of these warehouses have been converted to restaurants, bars, and hotels.

I stopped into one of those bars called Cotton Exchange Tavern.

   

This place was packed. Every table was taken. I was lucky enough to find one of the last seats at the bar.

  

Since I was in Georgia and I love sangrias I knew I had to order their Georgia Peach Sangria. This was definitely a sweet sangria. There was just an accent flavor of peach. It was subtle, not overpowering at all.

  

While sitting at the bar enjoying fun conversation, I ordered the spinach dip. I figured that would be perfect to share.

The dip was loaded with fresh, sautéed spinach. I could tell right away because of the texture and taste. They also loaded this dip with creamy cheese. On top they added extra so that it became crispy after baking in the oven. The saltiness of the cheese paired perfectly with my sweet sangria. It really balanced each other out.

I really had just popped into Cotton Exchange Tavern. I do not even feel I got to experience everything they had to offer. I would definitely want to go back and try a few other things off their menu.

Check out their website at http://www.exchangetavernsavannah.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

 

 

The Lady and Sons – Savannah, GA

I was visiting Savannah, Georgia for a wedding. While I was extremely excited for that special day, I was super excited to check out The Lady & Sons. This is Paula Deen’s signature restaurant.

I have been wanting to visit her place for years. I have read all about it and seen it all over the Food Network. She is all about Southern comfort food and I could not wait to partake.

I arrived right at 11:00am when they opened (that is how excited I was). I did not have a reservation but this early in the day I was ok. The restaurant is huge. It is three floors and very deep. I had to get into an elevator to head to the third floor.

When the doors opened I was greeted by a ton of Paula Deen family photos.

  

I was welcomed with great Southern hospitality. After sitting down, I glanced over the menu but realized by the smell in the air that there was a buffet. What better way to taste everything that Paula Deen has to offer than the buffet.

The buffet (which does change daily) offered up the following meats:

  • Fried Chicken
  • Smothered Pork Chops
  • BBQ Ribs
  • Fried White Fish

Their sides were plenty too:

  • Black Eyed Peas
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Collard Greens
  • Green Beans
  • Candied Yams
  • Mac N’ Cheese
  • Cheese Grits

  

They also had a salad bar but I did not see anyone actually going up.

I loaded up my first plate. The first thing I had to try was the fried chicken. The breading was extra crispy with a slight hint of cracked pepper. The moisture of the chicken was locked in. When I peeled away the flavorful breading the juices just poured out. It was an amazing bite of chicken. I ended up getting a second piece too.

The mashed potatoes were extremely creamy. There was a layer of butter on top that needed to be mixed in. I would expect nothing less from Paula. There were chucks of potatoes mixed in that added great texture.

The mac n’ cheese was prepared just like what my mom would make at home. It was a creamy blend of cheese and noodles. There was a crispy layer of cheese on top for a little texture.

To accompany this wonderful meal I ordered a sangria. In true Southern style it was served in a mason jar. This was an interesting sangria; it had a cinnamon, spicy taste. It reminded me of mulled wine, just cold.

The wonderful waitress I had brought two fresh made bread options to the table. One was a corn bread griddle cake and the other was a cheesy biscuit. The corn bread was a little dry to me. The biscuit was fantastic. It was cute like a brownie. It was super light and fluffy. I could easily eat a few of them.

My second plate I made sure to try the smothered pork chop. The meat was extremely tender and moist. It can be tricky with thick pork chop to prevent them from getting dry. They cooked it to perfection. The gravy they used had a great buttery flavor. It was a perfect accent to the pork.

The collard greens were amazing. The greens were tender. There was this hearty taste to them that is extremely hard to describe. It had a meaty taste, perhaps they cooked them with some bacon grease.

I naturally got more fried chicken. That meat was so addicting. And so were the mashed potatoes.

I wanted to make sure I tried a few other sides. The candied yams were like a dessert – loaded with brown sugar. The cheesy grits were extremely creamy and slightly salty from the cheese. The green beans were the perfect Southern side. I could taste the bacon they were cooked in.

Now no meal would be complete without dessert. Luckily I saved a little room to try them.

The banana pudding was fresh. It had great creamy texture. It also had a rich banana taste. The whip cream on top was a nice extra.

The ooey-gooey butter cake was rich. It was crispy on the outside but extremely soft inside. It reminded me of a sugar cookie. It was really sweet so I could not finish all of it.

I had a blast at The Lady and Sons. I am so glad I finally got to check the restaurant out in Savannah. There are lots of places to check out in Savannah but The Lady and Sons needs to be the first stop. Check out the website at http://www.ladyandsons.com/

Enjoy!

T

Carroll’s Sausage & Country Store – Ashburn, GA

If you have ever been traveling along Interstate 75 between Atlanta, Georgia and the Florida border you have probably passed Carroll’s Sausage and Country Store.

I had passed it many times and I finally decided to stop in. I just had to see what it was all about. The parking lot was packed with travelers just like me.

I was overwhelmed as soon as I walked in. There were candies, jerky, jams and jellies all up at the front for customers to grab. Toward the back of the shop were the deli counters. These cold cases were filled with steaks, pork chops, different styles of bacon, sausages, and a ton of meat sticks. They called the meat sticks “snack sticks”.

     

I got a few links of homemade sausages to put in the cooler I had in the car. This way I could grill them up when I got to my destination.

For the long drive I grabbed a few of the snack sticks. I figured those would be easy to munch on. I went with three different flavors.

  • Pepperoni – this was just a classic
  • Garlic Parmesan – these had a great garlic taste while the Parmesan flavor was very subtle.
  • Jalapeno with Pepper-jack Cheese – This was my favorite. The jalapeno made it slightly spicy and the cheese added even more heat but also a creamy texture. They really used a generous amount of cheese in each stick.

I also grabbed some beef jerky as a gift for a friend. I did not get to try any but my friend said it was wonderful.

Stopping at Carroll’s was the highlight of my drive. They had great snacks and surprises for you to take home. I will definitely be stopping for more snack sticks and sausage the next time I drive through. They are open 7 days a week

Check them out at www.carrollssausage.com

Enjoy!

T