OMG, y’all, it was DELICIOUS!  Ben & Jerry’s Greek Frozen Yogurt tastes just as good as the real thing!  No lie – I would never.  They’ve combined the creamy richness of Greek yogurt with their notorious colossal chunks + swirls.  B&J GFY comes in four decadent flavors: Peanut Butter Banana, Strawberry Shortcake, Blueberry Vanilla Graham, and Raspberry Fudge Chunk.

This is seriously the best ever.  Enjoy! 

xx, L

Why would you wait in line at Highland Bakery or Murphy’s when you could hop on over to BWB?  Their menu is creative + delicious, the brunch isn’t crazy busy (yet), the service is great, and you really can’t beat the atmosphere.  I heart.  I heart.

This is what I ate most recently at BWB brunch with Gorms + Rosh…

Bread Pudding French Toast to share.  TO. DIE. FOR. 

Goat Cheese and Chorizo Crepes with sweet and sour fig jam.

Plancha Omlette with herbed goat cheese and mushrooms.

Fried Egg Sandwich with bacon, manchego, sliced tomato, garlic aioli, and served with grits.  (Didn’t photograph too well, but it was really tasty.  Manchego was excellent on it.)

Here are a few other BWB brunch menu items that made my mouth water: 

- Short Rib Hash with crispy potatoes, bell peppers, and two eggs.
- Gulf Shrimp and Grits with stone ground grits and chorizo gravy.
- Scottish Smoked Salmon with kumato tomatoes, whipped cheese, and pumpernickel toast.

Don’t those sound divine??

Check out more of Barcelona’s brunch menu here: BRUNCH TIMEEEE!

And, I’ll you there next week!! 

xx, L

Barcelona Wine Bar
240 N. Highland Avenue
Atlanta, GA  30307
404.589.1010
http://www.barcelonawinebar.com/atlanta.htm

First of all, it’s in a great spot. Though not visible from the road, it’s nestled in the strip where B.Braithwaite, Dry Bar, and Flywheel are located…good company indeed! AND only a stone’s throw from the glorious St. Regis Hotel – I’d say this little resto has some primo real estate!

Secondly, it is ADORABLE. The design is so fresh and clean. You walk through the wine cellar straight into the fresh and sleek interior like the world’s most amazing tunnel.

Photo lovingly ripped off from my girl over at Baxter Bark Twice. Thanks, lady.

There are a few small tables, but most of the seating is a large U-shaped double-sided bar with this super cool riser for your pies! Bonus: your wine glass fits neatly underneath

They also have a pretty fantastic wine list with some very affordable vinos – which our server said was by design. (um, THANK YOU.) You can also choose your wine via their wine pairing app loaded onto an iPad at the table.

You had Greg at “iPad.” I loved watching him “help” my mom figure out how to use it:

Most importantly…the food was fantastic.  We started with the spring pea, prociutto, mozzarella, and rosemary bruschetta and it was DELISH. Witness:

Then…onto the pies. We went with

Pomodorini, oregano, garlic, and mozzarella

And

Mozzarella, fontina, taleggio, gorgonzola, and thyme

You’d think that 2 huge pizzas would be way too much for 3 people… but you’d be wrong. We ate almost every last bite. In our defense, they were surprisingly light.

You guys, I really liked this place a lot and can see where I could easily become addicted. (and um, hello – Flywheel, then Drybar, then STG? Sounds a little TOO convenient.)

And although I’m done with first dates, it did occur to me that this would be an excellent first date spot – it’s lively and sleek yet causal enough – and pizza is always a crowd pleaser. Plus – you can dash over to the bar at the St. Reg for an après dinner nightcap… I’m just saying.

Two enthusiastic thumbs up for STG Trattoria. I WILL be back.

xx, L

STG Trattoria
102 West Paces Ferry
Atlanta, GA
404 – 844 – 2879

Behold the two most impressive Food-Stuffed-Inside-Food contenders I’ve EVER witnessed anyone eat.  (Bold statement, I know.)

1 – The Nook’s Award Winning Shrimp & Grits Stuffed Burger: certified angus beef stuffed with sauteed shrimp and gouda cheese, topped with an andouille sausage-studded grit cake + a smoked tomato beurre blanc sauce.

Holy hamburger!!  I’m pretty sure that’s not fat free.

2 – The Nook’s Award Winning Southern Comfort Burger: certified angus beef patty stuffed with a ball of homemade fried bacon mac + cheese and topped with cheddar cheese and The Nook’s secret peach and Southern Comfort barbecue sauce.

Wait for it….  Wait for it….

BAMMMMMM!!  

You haven’t LIVED until you’ve seen these monsters in person.  Take my word for it.

Move over Totchos…

xx, L

The Nook
1144 Piedmont Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.745.9222
www.thenookatlanta.com

I am so excited about this! I wonder if they’ll let me set up a food plan? 

xx, L

Anyway, I had a lovely dinner with The Jessicas recently at Kyma, and two of their already-delicious menu items stood out to me even more than usual because they were topped off with a delightful dollop of sorbet.  They were divine.  Witness:

1 – Watermelon Salad: dodonis feta, vidalia onions, Kyma garden herbs + watermelon sorbet.

2 – Kyma’s Baklava: baklava with pistachio sorbet.

AHHH-mazingggg!

I wonder how sorbet will do on my Lean Cuisines… 

xx, L

Kyma
3085 Piedmont Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.262.0702
http://www.buckheadrestaurants.com/kyma/

The Q+DD on Junior Achievement:
Junior Achievement is the only organization focused on economic, education, and workforce development.  We believe that inspiring and preparing Georgia’s young people to succeed in a global economy will result in a skilled workforce that will allow Georgia’s business community to flourish and grow.  We strive to impact tomorrow’s business and community leaders by bridging the gap between the business and education communities, encouraging Georgia’s youth to set long term career goals and showing them the value of education.  Our turn-key curriculum aligns to the Georgia Performance Standards, enhancing what students are learning in the classroom with real world examples and hands-on application of knowledge. 

Junior Achievement of Georgia partners with corporations, organizations, schools, and individuals concerned about the success of our students and our state.  Our volunteer-led programs teach K-12 students about business and entrepreneurship, personal financial literacy, and workforce readiness.  Volunteers share their personal and business experience to bring JA curriculum to life, helping students understand the real-world application of what they are learning in school.  This added relevancy inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy.

Pretty amazing, right? 

Well, Junior Achievement has teamed up with Fogo de Chao to bring financial literacy education to even more metro Atlanta students.

Mmmmmmmm…Fogo….

Here’s the deal: You and as many guests as you like can dine at Fogo de Chao on Thursday, April 26, 2012 for a discounted meal to raise money for Junior Achievement.  All you need to do is call JA of Georgia to make a reservation anytime between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m.  Your meal will include a whopping 15 cuts of meat, all you can eat salad bar, soft drinks, dessert, and a cocktail.  The price of the meal is normally $75 per person, but by making a reservation through JA your meal will be ONLY $50 per person!  JA will receive 100% of the proceeds from the evening.

Seating is limited to 150 people + seats are filling up quickly, so make your reservation ASAP, y’all.  Reservations can only be made through the Junior Achievement office by calling 404-257-1932 x 210 or e-mailing cmajors@georgia.ja.org. 

Major beef-age + serious do-gooding.  Sounds excellent to me!  BRING ON THE BEEF! 

xx, L

Fogo de Chao
3101 Piedmont Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.266.9988
http://www.fogodechao.com/

barkley

Barkley’s owners are our great friends, the Sands.  We wanted to see them, too, of course.  They recommended that we have brunch at nearby Atmosphere Bistro and then head down to the Chattahoochee River Trails for Barkley’s first swimming lesson.  To me, that sounded like the best. day. ever. 

So, we met at Atmosphere pre-church crowd rush.  It was my first time at the restaurant, but even before setting foot inside I knew four things about it.

1 – I pass by it driving on Piedmont (Morningside intersection) almost every single day.
2 – It’s a French bistro that has won a lot of local dining awards.
3 – The patio looks like a great place to have dinner or brunch cocktails.
4 – Everyone I know who has tried it has recommended it to me.

Here’s a picture of Atmosphere at night.  So impossibly cute.

Anyway, we successfully snagged a table on the patio and ordered up some champagne cocktails + coffee.

We literally wanted to order everything on the menu.  It all sounded so splendid!  We ultimately decided on two appetizers to share – both of which I strongly recommend.

Crab with avocado, tomato + pineapple chutney served in a martini glass.

Breaded + fried brie with an arugula salad.  OOOOMMMMGGGG.  Awesomesauce, y’all!

After we’d effectively wet our whistles with a few cups of coffee, brunch-y cocktails, and delicious appetizers, we quickly eased on to our entrees.  The Sands both settled on Benedictine: poached eggs benedict over toasted bread, ham, and hollandaise sauce, served with homemade French fries and mixed greens.  A perfect brunch-on-a-patio dish.

Kevin selected the L’Omelette du Jour which happened to be filled that day with thick cut bacon.  There were no complaints from his side of the table.  His omelet arrived with French fries Oeufs and mixed greens, as well.  Kev thought that Atmosphere’s French fries were spectacular!  (Obviously cooked in duck fat and with love.)  He was thoroughly impressed.

I ordered the Carpaccio de boeuf: thin slices of raw Kobe beef with shaved Parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh lemon juice.  Simple and delightful.  I was very pleased with my selection.

By the end of the meal, we were completely stuffed.  I was so glad that the Sands suggested we try Atmosphere, and now the delicious restaurant is no longer just a quaint house with a sign that I pass by on Piedmont each day, but rather a destination for really enjoyable French cuisine.  I am looking forward to going back to try their dinner menu, and taste their famous French Onion soup!

Shortly after brunch, we headed out to the Chattahoochee with Barkley – who had been patiently awaiting our return. 

I’m sure you will all be pleased to know that he is a total water pup and had a very successful first swimming lesson!  The Sands are sure to become river regulars!

Hoping that everyone had as lovely of an Easter as we did! 

xx, L

Atmosphere Bistro
1620 Piedmont Ave.
Atlanta, GA  30324
678.702.1620
www.atmospherebistro.com

I’ve definitely seen the truck before, and Dennis Dean is our favorite Atlanta caterer, so I’ve wanted to try Ibiza Bites for a while now, but I haven’t had the opportunity to do so until last Wednesday night when the truck was parked on 12th Street + Piedmont.  (Which we were told is going to become a weekly dinnertime thing for them…)

The very Q+DD on Ibiza Bites Food Truck:
Recently named by Jezebel Magazine as one of the top food trucks to watch in 2012, Ibiza Bites offers a brand new style of cuisine called “SoLa.”  It’s a bit South American, Latin American, and deep South – with a whole lot of deliciousness!  Cute.

I met Kev at the truck for dinner + we ordered up a few of his favorite items.  The truck was bumping Rihanna – so I knew I liked them immediately.  While they prepped our order, I found a high boy table waiting for us complete with a lovely floral arrangement.  Eating food out of a truck has never been so classy before! 

Our meal was sooooo decadently delicious!  We shared a pulled pork entree over cheese grits with a side of coconut/ plantain rice…

…crab cakes, fried green tomato, lemon thyme aioli over arugula w/ orange segments, pecans + fresh shaved manchego + sherry vinaigrette…

…and finally, sweet potato fries covered with melted marshmallow for dessert!

It was fantastic food truck fare, and ever since Wednesday night I’ve been stalking Ibiza Bites on Twitter to see where they’re headed next!  Follow the truck HERE! 

Next time, I’m all about trying their lobster mac ’n cheese!  Yummmmmmm…

xx, L

Ibiza Bites
Various Locations Around Atlanta
404.857.9308
www.ibizabites.com

Midtown’s Pop Up Chef is BACK tomorrow with Anne Quatrano from Star Provisions serving up delicious boxed lunches in the 999 Plaza (10th Street + Peachtree Street).

What a treat! 

xx, L