One of my best girlfriends, Anjali, is a blog regular.  Y’all know her.  She’s a blast, and she is also responsible for introducing me to the Indian culture.  I’m a little obsessed with it now, and I’m plotting how we are going to set up our kids one day so that they can have a gorgeous Indian/Jewish wedding.  (My fingers are crossed that I can make that happen!)

Anjali gave me my first sari.  (Isn’t it pretty?!)

She arranged for me to get henna done for my first time.

And I’ve gotten to experience some incredibly beautiful cultural + religious events + ceremonies with her family.

One of my favorite things Anjali introduced me to over the years is Indian food – which I’d never tried before she and I became friends.  I love it now, but I think I was intimidated to try it before only because I didn’t know anything about it or what to order.  Anjali took me to Bhojanic in Decatur to try Indian food for my first time, and she guided me through the menu.  After that, I was hooked!

There was a problem, though.  Bhojanic was located in Decatur, an area of town that I adore but rarely make it out to.  Well, my problem has been officially solved!  Bhojanic opened a Buckhead location yesterday in the Shops Around Lenox!

Now, it’ll be so much easier for me to drop in to taste some of THIS deliciousness.

And this…

Here’s a little bit about Bhojanic from their website:

In a city that is becoming increasingly populated with Indian culture, one would think that there would be an abundance of traditional, home-style Indian cuisine available.  In Atlanta, this is not the case but thankfully, Atlanta is home to a truly fabulous, home-style Indian eatery that has the traditional taste of home with a warm and cosmopolitan ambiance.

The owners of Bhojanic understand the need for authentic Indian fare.  With over 20 years of experience in catering and food service and a beloved first location in Decatur, the owners of Bhojanic are skillful at making delicious and creative Indian food nestled in lovely surroundings.  The quality of food, the delightful atmosphere, and the excellent service that this restaurant provides are unmatched!  The finest vegetables and meats are used to create the flavorful experience of the Indian culture.

The food you find at Bhojanic is exactly like the food cooked in the homes of Northern India.  Using yogurts, authentic Indian spices, and other fresh ingredients allows the food to remain nourishing, light, and filling.  With a wide selection of food at Bhojanic, there are choices for everyone.

Welcome to the ‘hood, Bhojanic!  I’ll see you very soon!

xx, L

Bhojanic (Buckhead Location)
3400 Around Lenox Drive
Atlanta, Georgia
404.633.9233

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KR SteakBar is Buckhead’s newest hot spot.  Located next to ADAC in Peachtree Hills, it’s the fourth restaurant Kevin Rathbun has opened in town.  KR SteakBar serves casual Italian-inspired dishes.  It was designed by The Johnson Studio – and it’s majorly sexy, y’all!  I mean, YOWZA.

So naturally, Kev + I had to see what all the hype was about.  And we never can resist a double date with this lovely couple…

We had to pull some strings to get a last minute Saturday night reservation, and as soon as we arrived we knew why the string-pulling was necessary.  It was totally packed.  Totally.  Hardly any space to move.  It was quite a scene – particularly around the bar area.  I must admit, I was starting to fall in love…

After a short while, we sat in a booth nearby the open kitchen and began to peruse the menu.  Our server informed us that we needed to order several dishes in each category of the menu (salumi, pastas, appetizers, and entrees).  We thought that sounded a bit excessive - even for the four of us big eaters – but she was right.  Most of plates at KR SteakBar are truly designed to share between two people.

We ordered, our drinks arrived, and it was time to sit back and enjoy.  Pictured from left to right are two of the creative cocktails (lots of fun ingredients and took about 10 minutes to make) we sipped on.

Sophia: bitter truth apricot liqueur, bombay london dry gin, vanilla white pepper syrup, lemon juice, prosecco.
Toronto: rittenhouse 100 proof bonded rye, fernet branca, simple syrup, angostura aromatic, bitters.

And here’s what we ate…

Lamb Tartar with caponata.  This was my least favorite dish of the evening, but that was entirely based off of personal preference.  It was a hit with others at the table.

Pork Shoulder with shell beans and red onions.  Delicious.

Octopus with farro and candied lemon.  My favorite plate!  I wish we’d ordered five of these!

Pappardelle with bolognese.  Splendidly standard.

Tagliatelle Nero with calabrese chili and bottarga.  My second favorite!

Lamp Chops with agrodolce onions.  Kev got down with these.

Swordfish with fennel and lemon.  This bad boy was my entree.  I felt like I ordered the best at the table.  It was perfection.

Hanger Steak with mushrooms and brown butter.  We all tried this one and thought it was very good.

Shell Steak with espresso and horseradish.  Not pictured: A side of Polenta with mascarpone.  Also a solid order.

We finished it all off with the Olive Oil Cake with pistachio gelato and blood orange.  I wish I hadn’t shared it…  It was so good!

Our meal looks liked it was huge, but it really wasn’t.  I can’t stress enough that the plates are very small – including the entrees.  (And not going to lie, we stopped by Taco Bell at the end of the night because we were still hungry…)  That being said, I thought the food was really creative and absolutely delicious!  I thoroughly enjoyed my experience there.  KR SteakBar checks off my entire list of restaurant must-haves: great atmosphere, interesting design, excellent food, and good-looking people.  This place is HOT, and I can’t wait to go back.  Go see for yourself - but remember what I said about the portion sizes – and make your reservation ASAP or prepare for some string-pulling!

xx, L

KR SteakBar
349 Peachtree Hills Ave.
Atlanta, Georgia 
404.841.8820

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So, lately I’ve been attending the “free”* yoga classes held at Lululemon Buckhead on Sundays with our buddy Gorms.  The Q+DD is this: Lulu hosts a new yoga studio each month with the intention of introducing blossoming yogis to different in-town studios.  Gorms and I have taken class from Lime Tree and Tough Love so far and I think I speak for both of us when I say: yoga is not for sissies.

*In case you were wondering, I put “free” in quotes because each trip has cost me a pretty penny in merch.  How am I supposed to quiet my mind with all the amazing clothes surrounding me?

Among some of my latest purchases: the Lululemon Vinyasa Scarf.  I pretty much have not removed it from my body since I acquired it.

(FYI – mine is bubblegum pink and white striped and my Barista at Starbucks last weekend told me the pop of color made her “happy to look at me.”  Just go with it.  I did!)

It comes in all different colors and patterns (I have my eye on the navy and white chevron print right now, in case anyone feels like getting me a pressie.) and apparently there are a zillion ways in which to wear it.

The ever-helpful team at Lululemon Buckhead directed me to the YouTube video which demonstrates several uses.  I will save you the Google search and embed it below. 

For your viewing pleasure:

All great ideas.  HOWEVER: last night, after Exhale Power Flow (and ok, perhaps a glass of vino.  Detox/Retox anyone?) I came up with a few more innovative uses for the scarf.

May I present… THE MYSTERY, THE DOGGY BJORN, THE BOOTY WARMER, and THE TURBO TURBAN:

Lulu, you are welcome as I am pretty sure these ideas are earth-shattering.  FYI: I am available for freelance opportunities and am willing to be paid in clothes.   

xx, L

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This post is incredibly long overdue.  Right around Christmas time, Kevin and I had ourselves a nice, little double date with our buddies, The Caseys, at Del Frisco’s Grille in Buckhead.  For over a month now, I’ve been wanting to tell you all about what we ate.  (Where does the time go??)

Del Frisco’s Grille (DFG) boasts locations in Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Phoenix, and Washington, DC.  Ours opened in the space formerly occupied by Craft Atlanta.  (RIP)  Here’s a peek inside.

While I personally preferred what Craft did with the space, DFG mastered the upscale bar look with their renovations - which is more appropriate for what they’re going for anyway.

DFG’s menu is sizable with nice coverage on the appetizers and flatbreads list.  You could easily make a whole tapas-style meal out of those two sections alone and leave completely full.  In fact, the next time I’m at DFG that is exactly what I intend to do.

We sat + ordered cocktails, and we smiled when they came out on these cute coasters.  The DFG bartenders pour well.

So, here’s what we ate:

Ahi tacos: tuna tartare, avocado, spicy citrus mayo.  My favorite thing we tried.  They are delicious and a must-get for the table!

Cheesesteak egg rolls: sweet & spicy chili sauce, honey mustard.  They were fun to try and I’d recommend for every DFG first-timer to order them, but I’m not sure that I’d get them again because they were so heavy.  Totally worth trying once, though!  (They are extremely photogenic, too, which I very much appreciate in my food.) 

Orecchiette pasta: lemon-thyme chicken, fresh spinach, garlic cream parmesan.  Jess ordered this.  She said it was fine.  It looked pretty basic to me.  I feel like there are other things on the menu that are a bit more exciting.

Chicken schnitzel: sweet potato spaetzle, bordelaise sauce, fried egg, brown butter, parmesan.  Sam opted for this creative dish.  He said it was pretty darn good, too!

The Grille prime cheeseburger: double patties, lettuce, tomato, sloppy sauce, frites, pickle.  Kev and I both went for the burger, and we were very pleased.  It wasn’t quite as good as Bocado or Holeman + Finch’s master burgers, but it was still really satisfying and I’d definitely order it again.  The fries were also pretty tasty, and we loved that the ketchup came out in a squirt bottle.  Very cute touch.

Del Frisco’s Grille was good.  We had a good time and enjoyed a good atmosphere with some good food.  Was it great?  I don’t know.  Will I go again?  For sure.

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again – not every meal has to be Bacchanalia.  If it was, Bacchanalia wouldn’t be nearly as special.  There is room in my social life and stomach for good food.  DFG did a fine job changing up Craft’s space, and its bar scene is perfect for the Buckhead banker-types.  It’s a fun place to see + be seen, and I think it will do well in Atlanta.  If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you all to give it a shot.  At the very least, you have to test out a cheesesteak egg roll once in your life!

And when you’re there, walk over to the new Mandarin Oriental hotel and take a peek inside like Jess and I did after dinner.  There is some serious loveliness happening in there!

xx, L

Del Frisco’s Grille
3376 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA  30326
404.537.2828
http://delfriscosgrille.com/

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HEY!

Did I grab your attention?

If not – HEY again!

How about now??

Okay – got it!  LivingSocial has something really awesome coming up that you need to know about…

LivingSocial’s Buckhead Beer + Wine Festival is right around the corner on Saturday, September 8!  Here’s the Q+DD on it:

- Unlimited sampling of more than 100 craft beers and wines
- Food trucks
- Live music
- Fit Radio DJ
- Live Art Exhibit from One Love Generation
- LivingSocial Sunglasses
- 5-Ounce BeerFest Tasting Glass

Amaze!  Wanna hear more??

It runs from 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Frankie Allen Park in Buckhead and is only $35 per person to receive a tasting glass to enjoy unlimited samples of up to 100 beers and wines!  21 + up, obvi.  More info here: LivingSocial’s Buckhead Beer + Wine Festival!

Get your tickets NOW! 

xx, L

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