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

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

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

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

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

but I have never known this kind of busy before! Never fear, though. I have still found time to eat and drink cocktails.

Here’s a quick rundown of a few recent excursions…

Drinks @ Home in Buckhead
Located in the old space of longtime Atlanta favorite, Seeger’s (then relatively short-lived Posh) I have been meaning to try Home for some time. I’ve heard mixed reviews and just hadn’t made my way over, so when my friend suggested we meet there for cocktails, I was all about it!

It was definitely an interesting choice for happy hour. I loved the little bar area. Separate from the main dining area, it’s quite intimate and the service was very warm. It’s…well…homey!

We had a few bites: the tuna tartare was great, but I chuckled a little internally when we ordered the “heirloom tomato salad” and received a bowl of grape tomatoes and sliced carrots in balsamic. Come on, now. Didn’t you once have a Top Chef in the kitchen? Whatever, though. My Ketel and soda tasted divine!

Home Restaurant and Bar
(404) 869-0777
111 W Paces Ferry Rd NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
www.heretoserverestaurants.com

Drinks @ the St. Regis bar in Buckhead
It was my first time there, and I looooooved it. The scene was b.u.m.p.i.n.g. The St. Regis was my second stop of the night, so please forgive the bird’s eye view review, but it has pretty much everything you (I?) could want in a hotel bar: open spaces with lots of enclaves and cushy couches, a modern wine bar area, a buzzing country club-esque lounge, a chi chi la la restaurant attached, spectacular chandeliers, pretty people, the whole 9. Can’t wait to go back for Ms. Wolman’s nuptials in 2 weeks!

St. Regis Atlanta
(404) 563-7900
88 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
www.stregis.starwoodhotels.com

Dinner @ Zuma Sushi in Inman Park
The sushi was good and super fresh, I really liked our wine choice, and I had an absolute blast…but I am fairly sure I can attribute the latter to the fabulous company I kept on Friday night.  I’m just saying…I don’t know if I’d truck it back over there just for my salmon nigiri. No real complaints though, it was a super way to spend a Friday night!

Zuma
(404) 522-2872
701 Highland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30312

Dinner @ Haven in Brookhaven
Y’all, I love Haven. I have personally never had a bad time there. I mean, they already had a few things going for them with the truffled haystack appetizer and the exposed brick walls and the open kitchen and rad lighting fixtures, but the food is always spot-on, the service is impeccable, and I adore the bar scene as well (even though I might be the youngest person there by 20 years or so…) On Sunday, we started with the Bluefin tuna crudo (amazing) and the local heirloom tomato and zucchini tart (outstanding) then split the scallops over local field pea succotash (perfection) with sides of broccolini (delish) and the parmesan TATER TOTS (gimme some of your tots!) It’s always delicious and unpretentious and comfortable and I think I could eat there every night. I do.

Haven
(404) 969-0700
Buckhead/Brookhaven
1441 Dresden Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30319
www.havenrestaurant.com

Ok. That’s all I got for you right now. Just didn’t want you sending out the hounds…

xx, L