Lauren and I recently had a lovely dinner at an adorable, new-ish restaurant in Town Brookhaven called Baci (owned by the Cafe at Pharr folks).  Baci is a cute + cozy eatery that was packed with curious locals the night we visited.  It immediately struck us as the kinda of place where you could become a regular and the friendly staff would remember your name/ favorite menu items.

baci interior

We sat down and cracked open a bottle of red, which we brought with us since Baci didn’t have its liquor license yet. CODE RED(wine) is what LK called it!  And, we looked over the menu as we grilled the server about her favorite items and house specialties.

We started off our meal with Baci’s Caprese Salad: tomatoes, mozzarella, basil + creamy balsamic vinegar.  It was beautifully plated, and it absolutely hit the spot.

We quickly moved onto our entrees.  We shared the Seared Scallops: scallops + house risotto (pesto risotto the evening we dined)…

…and the Chilean Sea Bass: hong-kong style sea bass with white rice.  Both entrees were delicious, but in my opinion the sea bass was totally the way to go.

As a side, we couldn’t help ourselves when we spotted the Lobster Mac n’ Cheese on the menu.  It was incredibly decadent - a very welcomed splurge!

Check us out with our divine spread…

We weren’t actually hungry for dessert, but as soon as the server told us that the Gelato of the Week was salted caramel, the deal was SEALED!  Two scoops please – we’re not sharing!  It blew my mind.  I looooove salted caramel, but it has to be prepared JUST right or you can’t quite taste the saltiness or it’s terribly overpowering.  This gelato was fan-freaking-tastic!

We very much enjoyed our evening at Baci, and we recommend you try it before a movie at Cinebistro or for a quiet dinner date.  We know that you will love it as much as we do!  LK + I give Baci two thumbs up AND two big hugs.  Such an adorable spot! 

xx, L

Baci
705 Town Blvd. Ste. 510
Atlanta, GA  30319
404.771.7557
www.baciatlanta.com

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So, as you know, I recently moved to BrookHEAVEN.  I seriously couldn’t love it any more.

If someone could do something about my horrendous commute downtown, that would be great… but I am NOT moving anytime soon.  I mean, I suppose I’ll have to grow up sometime and get a real house and a real mortgage, but right now, I am seriously enjoying renting my little piece of Heaven at The Goodwynn.

I love you.

Even better – all the amazing things RIGHT in my front yard.

In addition to the obvious (LA Fitness, Costco, Publix Greenwise…) here are a few highlights: 

Flying Biscuit - It’s so nice to be able to stumble out of bed, run down and put my name on the list, go back upstairs and slick on some lipgloss and run a comb through my hair, and pop back down and totally bypass the enormous line.  Bonus: They are also offering “Breakfast in Bed” delivery service for Town Brookhaven residents.  I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t take advantage of that.

Boogaloos - Seriously adorable women’s clothing and accessories, at somewhat reasonable prices.  I like.

Bua - Thai/Sushi.  I didn’t have grand expectations…but they blew me away.  Full post coming soon, but in the meantime – give it a shot.  You won’t be disappointed.

Noche - Somehow they got the same vibe from the Highlands location up here in the ‘haven.  It’s always rowdy and it’s nice to have right in my building.  With the exception of the time they accidentally set off their fire alarm at 3:30AM on a Sunday - they are great neighbors to have.

Baci by Cafe at Pharr: Ok I haven’t been yet, but Cafe at Pharr is seriously my favorite place in the WORLD.  I can’t wait to go here. 

THIS WEEKEND:

Saturday on the Town:  The Town Brookhaven Merchants Association invites the public to “Paint the town Red” in Town Brookhaven Saturday, Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a day filled with special prizes, sampling, and fun!

Check out their Facebook Page for more info!

I’ll be in Birmingham doing Bride-y things this weekend.  (I’m coming for you, White Room, Bella Bridesmaid Birmingham and Table Matters.)  But if I weren’t, I would surely be hanging out on the Town…(ok and definitely heading to Oysterfest, too!)

Have fun!

xx, L

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As you may or may not know, I moved to Brookhaven a couple of months ago and I’m pretty much obsessed with my new neighborhood.  It. Is. Love.  

Reason #20958206 why I love Broohaven: the newly-invigorated Brookhaven Farmers’ Market (Saturdays from 9am – 1pm in the Haven parking lot: 1441 Dresden Drive, Atlanta, GA 30319)

Last Saturday got there a little late – so I’ll have to go get the full experience another time, but even though everyone was packing it up as we arrived… DK+DK managed to score gold:

Mushrooms on a Log: everything you need to grow your own shiitake mushrooms on a log brought to you by 2 Fun Guys.(Props for the awesome name, dudes.)

Yup.  Just a log.  Inoculated with a strain of shiitake mushrooms.  Ready for you to take home, care for, and harvest yourself.  

Check out owners Todd Pittard and Howard Berk on their website HERE.  They’ll tell you how to care for them, even walk you through your harvest and give you suggestions on how to cook ‘em!  I couldn’t dig this idea any more.  

Dad walked off very happy with his log o’ shrooms. 

I’ll keep you posted on it’s progress!

xx, L

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On Sunday night, Slick + I met the Barocai, Rosh + Z and Gorms at Kaleidoscope Bistro + Pub located in Village Place Brookhaven for an early dinner and drinks.  The restaurant choice was based on Gorms’ glowing recommendation – which I will always trust without question.  She really knows her stuff.  Other than Haven and Valenza, I haven’t eaten at too many restaurants in Brookhaven, but I continue to be pleased with what that neighborhood has to offer.  Kaleidoscope totally hit the spot.

kaleidoscope bistro + pub - brookhaven

Here’s the Q+DD on Kaleidoscope:  Recently opened by a few former Buckhead Diner folks, including executive chef Joey Riley, the idea behind the name is that every time you look into a kaleidoscope you see something colorful and different.  That concept is applied to their own menu.  They call their cuisine “global comfort food,” as both the food + drinks are ever changing.  The restaurant features seasonal items and daily specials.

kaleidoscope interior

Upon arrival, we sat down at a large, wooden community table + had no trouble selecting a few delicious (and gorgeous, I might add) appetizers to start us off:

Ahi Tuna Tartare: avocado, tomato, coriander, feta, yuzu.

Thai Style Beef Jerky: bird’s eye chilis, lime, roasted rice.  (My fav!)

Springer Mountain Chicken Wings: kaleidoscope sauce, bleu cheese.

For entrees, we took the owner’s expert recommendations:

Slick selected the Mahi Tostado: green chili grits, guajillo charred tomato sauce, tomato/ feta and avocado salad.

Z got the Sage Roasted Pork Porterhouse: brussels, fingerlings, mustard, pancetta.

Rosh opted for Azalea’s Famous Whole Sizzling Catfish: chinese black bean sauce, pickled ginger, lime.  She won the prize for the most creatively plated dish!

The rest of us went with the Award Winning Kaleidoscope Burger: pimento cheese, slaw, green tomato chow chow, bread and butter pickles.  How could we not?  This burg was awarded the Judges’ Choice for “Best (Meat) Burger” in July’s Battle of the Burgers in the Virginia Highlands!  It was SO great + well-complimented by the tasty Pub Fries cooked in duck fat.  (Don’t judge…)

So, next time you’re in the mood for comfort food + boutique wines or fine craft beers from around the world, give Kaleidoscope a try.  Not only is the food stellar + the staff friendly, but it’s also a pretty solid hangout.  Get there early, though, it was packed on a Sunday night + they don’t accept reservations.  I’ll certainly be back!

I’ve gotta say – Brookhaven is kinda bumpin’… 

xx, L

Kaleidoscope Bistro + Pub
Village Place – Brookhaven
1410 Dresden Drive, Ste. 100
Atlanta, GA  30319
404.555.1212
www.k-pub.com

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Over the weekend, Slick and I had dinner with two of our friends to celebrate one of them passing the Georgia bar.  (Congratulations again!)  Since everyone was going to be in the Buckhead/ Brookhaven area, we decided to rediscover one of my old favorites: Haven.  Hidden off Dresden, Haven is the cutest little restaurant with some really delicious menu surprises.   (LK loves it, too!)

Two of my favorite things about Haven are not edible.  I love that the servers wear jeans.  For me, the “denim uniform” removes any pretension from the restaurant and helps to invoke a more relaxed culinary experience.  Secondly, I adore the Chihuly-esque water drops suspended out of the massive faucet fixtures on the left wall of the restaurant.  So creative. 

Also – the food is delicious!!   

Haven’s menu is relatively straightforward with a number of tasty offerings. 

Here’s what we ate:

Started with…*
Hickory Smoked Chicken Salad: arugula, pistachio, roasted corn + apple
Blue Hill Bay Mussels: smoked tomato, chipotle, grilled sourdough  (Delicious!)
Grilled Georgia Shrimp: fennel and celery root remoulade, lemon confit 
(Not our favorite…just FYI)
*Also sounded yummy: Beef Tartare + Bluefin Tuna Carpaccio

For the main event…
Roasted George Bank Scallops: sweet onion grits, chanterelles, seared pears  (Amazing.)
Slow Cooked CAB Briskit: egg noodles, local swiss chard, shiitakes  (Enormous portion!)
Low Country Shrimp Boil: sweet corn, andouille sausage, new potatoes, old bay broth
Roasted Scottish Salmon: pine nut couscous, feta, kalamata olives, cucumbers

To finish…
Chocolate + Pear Bread Pudding w/ almond creme
Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee w/ candied orange

And, also…
Martinis all around.  (The martinis go all around…all around…the martinis go all around!) 

Haven has been around for a while and its consistently delicious menu is no secret – especially if you live in the area.  But, for those of us who don’t live nearby – we need to make a point to remember this adorable restaurant.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!  (Check out all the new construction directly across Dresden from Haven.  It’s amazing what they’ve done in that area!) 

xx, L

Haven Restaurant
1441 Dresden Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30319-3581
(404) 969-0700
www.havenrestaurant.com

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