I’ve done Pilates mat classes in the past and thought they were okay, but for the past year or so I’ve really wanted to work out on a Pilates reformer.  People rave about the reformer, but the two gyms I belong to do not offer classes.  So, a friend of mine recommended Meredith to me.  I recently spent an hour in her home studio in the Highlands under her instruction on the reformer, and it was one of the best workouts I’ve EVER had!  I’m not at all exaggerating. 

Pictures of Meredith demonstrating some positions we worked on during our session are below.  Watch her gooooooooo! 

After my session, I was sore in places where I didn’t even realize I had muscles – which means that I haven’t been engaging these areas in my regular workouts.  Meredith was SO awesome, and now I’m addicted to the Pilates reformer! 

Meredith charges $55 per one hour session or you can purchase a pack of 10 classes with her for $500.  This is excellent pricing for one-on-one Pilates reformer workouts, y’all!  I highly recommend.  Swimsuit season is right around the corner, after all…

Contact Meredith Bass at meredithpbass@comcast.net. 

xx, L

we did it! yay for 3 years!

We ate a LOT, but the Black Linguine was absolutely the biggest hit of all!  It was out-of-this-world spectacular!  No exaggeration.

Squid ink pasta, calamari, Calabrian chilies + Thai basil pesto.  Perfection.

We washed it down with a very complimentary bottle of Clos Teddi “Patrimonio” Vermentino.  I highly recommend this wine with any of La Tavola’s spicier dishes.  SO delightful!  (La Tavola has the best wine list.)

YOU HAVE TO TRY THESE!  I guarantee that you’ll them as much as we did! 

xx, L

La Tavola Trattoria
992 Virginia Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA  30306
678.879.5632
www.latavolatrattoria.com

HD1 is situated next to Pura Vida and San Fran Coffee in between Ponce de Leon and North Ave. on North Highland.  I think it’s a brilliant location pulling from the Poncey-Highlands hipsters, the Virginia Highlands college kids, the Fernbank area families, and the Little Five and Candler Park folks.  Kev and I visited HD1 on Sunday afternoon around 1:30 p.m. and it was P.A.C.K.E.D.  Admittedly, I was shocked by how popular it seemed to be.

Location, Location, Location – right?  Right.

A glimpse at HD1′s elaborate hot dog menu…

We found two cozy seats set aside from the otherwise communal seating, and were greeted by a pleasantly laid-back waitress who took our drink orders and informed us about her favorite HD1 dogs.  We perused the menu for a bit, and I frequently looked up to see Kev’s eyes get wider and wider.  Everything we were reading sounded more and more decadent and delicious than the former!  Eventually, we settled on a few things.

We started with the HD Waffle Fries with maple-oy sauce.

They were different. 

I found the maple-oy sauce to be pretty overpowering, and wished that we would have just ordered the plain waffle fries and soaked them in good ol’ fashioned ketchup.  Now we know…

Next, we moved on to THESE.  Beef ‘n pork wieners served on toasted sweet Ghana rolls.

From left to right – The Whiz: cheese sauce + shoestring frites (my fav.)/ Eastbound and Down: Carolina pulled pork, sweet mustard slaw + mop sauce (Kev’s fav.)/ Plain Jane: HD mustard, ketchup, sweet relish + onion.

Kev and I both agreed that the hot dogs were delicious and definitely creative, but the sweet Ghana rolls were really what made the major difference for us!  Y-U-M!

check out those buns!

Other hot dogs that we thought sounded great:

- Chow-down: chow-chow + brown mustard.

- Freemont St.: garlic cream cheese + red onion-tomato salad.

- Kenturkey: turkey sausage, tomato-pimento marmalade, mornay, bacon + parmesan.

See the full HD1 menu HERE!

Although we’d stuffed ourselves with hot dogs, we HAD to try the Caramel Popcorn Vanilla Soft Serve at the end of our meal. 

It was out-of-this-world good! 

We had such a fun time at HD1.  The food was an interesting change up to an otherwise potentially boring Sunday lunch.  While I might not want to eat hot dogs every weekend (Kev disagrees with me on that point), I would absolutely bring out-of-towners and first-timers to HD1 to show it off.  And, next time I’m definitely trying the Kenturkey.

So, about that wedding diet…  

xx, L

HD1
664 Highland Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA  30306
404.815.1127
www.hd1restaurant.com

And, we seriously heart Pura Vida.  It was our favorite Q+DD happy hour yet!!

We’d like to extend a very special thanks to Hector + Leslie Santiago for embracing all the Q+DD excitement and allowing us to invade their incredible restaurant for the evening!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Q+DD + the Santiagos

An excellent time was had by all.

Slick + Greg…

…and lots of our amazing friends + readers!  Thank you all so much for your support!

Another big THANK YOU to Pura Vida bartender extraordinaire, Paul Calvert, who did a phenomenal job taking care of our thirsty Q+DD happy hour-ers!  You rock, Paul.  We loved the shout out on the cocktail menu, too!  The best.

Finally…DID YOU GET ONE OR WHAT?!

the Q+DD has koozie FEVER!

They’re the hottest summer fashion accessory for your beverages.  Just look:

Drinks just don’t get sexier than that… 

Thanks again for celebrating with us last night + toasting to many more Q+DD-filled years to come! 

xx, L

All three Genki Noodles + Sushi locations (Buckhead, Sandy Springs + Virginia Highland) are adding a new weekly event to their ranks: Sake Sundays.  On Sundays, they are offering $1 sushi nigiri, $3 rolls, $3 Genki draft beer, $3.50 sake bombs + $5 cold sake.  Sundays are meant to be social at Genki, all without breaking the bank.  The Buckhead location will also feature live music every Sunday evening starting at 6:00 p.m.

In addition to Sake Sundays, all three Genki locations host Wine Wednesdays, offering half price bottles of wine starting at $12 and Genki Hour every Monday through Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with $3 apps, sushi rolls, wine + beer.  The Virginia Highland location has also introduced Tokyo Tuesdays featuring $1 sushi nigiri, $3 rolls, $3 Genki draft beer, $3.50 sake bombs + $5 cold sake.  Every Thursday is Ladies Night at The Prado in Sandy Springs with half of all appetizers for the ladies + live music at 6:00 p.m.  For those that crave a late night sushi fix, the Buckhead and Virginia Highland locations offer a late night menu and a live DJ every Friday.

That’s enough to make your head spin…

Sounds like it’s a constant party at Genki! 

xx, L

Genki Noodles + Sushi Locations:

Buckhead
3186 Roswell Road NW
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.844.8319

Sandy Springs – The Prado
5590 Roswell Road NE
Sandy Springs, GA  30342
404.843.8319

Virginia Highland
1040 N. Highland Ave.
Atlanta, GA  30306
404.853.3315

The 28th Annual Virginia Highland Summerfest is this weekend, folks! 

The Q+DD on VaHi Summerfest:
When: 6/4 10:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. & 6/5 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Where: Summerfest takes place along tree-lined Virginia Avenue, in the heart of the historic + charming Virginia Highland neighborhood.  (Between North Highland Ave. and Park Dr.) 
Tickets: FREE ADMISSION – donations to the VaHi Civic Association are appreciated.
Buzz: Regularly recognized by local media as one of Atlanta’s best neighborhood festivals + consistently revered by art professionals as one of the best artists’ markets in the southeast, Summerfest is a great event for the entire family.
Arts: The juried artists’ market features work + exhibits from more than 220 of the best artists in the southeast and beyond, in a variety of media including painting, clay, glass, jewelry, photography, printmaking, fiber, wood, metal + mixed media.
Music: The 92.9 Dave FM music stage will feature a variety of renowned local musicians, along with nationally acclaimed singer songwriters.

summerfest '10

And, and, and….I will be there!  Hooray!!

Click righttttt HERE for more info about Summerfest.

dave fm stage at summerfest

Summerfest is a seriously solid festival.  I always end up buying something awesome, eating something fried and terribly delicious + having a great time at it.  The only way that Summerfest could get any better is if there are going to be food trucks this year.   For sure King of Pops (love!) will make an appearance, but I’m talking about FOOD TRUCK food trucks.

Which brings me to one of my favorite parts of last weekend when Loren + Seth (congrats on your engagement guys!) and Slick + I chased down (from Little Five Points to Midtown) two of the trucks remaining in the Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race.  We found out that they were filming in and around Atlanta from our friends, Mr. Casey + Foodie Buddha.  Once we did a little research on the contenders, we knew that we were going to set aside time to find them. 

On the show, food trucks travel across the country seeing which can sell the most food.  At the end of each stop, the food truck that made the least money goes home.  Atlanta was the last stop before the finale in Miami.  Hardcore readers may remember that I recently tried the Nom Nom truck in Palm Springs, which was runner up in last year’s The Great Food Truck Race.  I guess that this is sorta becoming my thing…

We only had time to sample two trucks, both of which were fan-freaking-tastic + we plan to root for on the show.  Here’s what we ate:

Truck #1: Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese (Boston, MA) 

(Slick ordering from Roxy’s.)

Oysters ROXYfeller.  Cute.

Grilled CHZ: Vermont cremont cheese, proscuitto de parma + quince.

Grilled CHZ: Private stock cheddar, foie gras, applewood bacon + peach preserve.

So nice…

…it got photographed twice!

We were in cheesy heaven.  And, I got a Roxy’s t-shirt which I proudly wore to the gym yesterday!  Somehow, we found inner-hunger, strength, whatever you want to call it, to check out The Lime Truck up the street.

Truck #2: The Lime Truck (Irvine, CA) 

Crab + Bay Scallop Ceviche.

Green Curry Tofu Quesadilla.

Ahi Tuna Poke Nachos.

Blistered Shishito Peppers.

And, the coolest part of all is that we got to see them filming!

Even now, I’m still stuffed.  Total.  Both trucks were SO good and for such different reasons.  There is a time and place for a loaded grilled cheese.  Likewise, there is a time and place for creative, fresh fish + tofu.  Last weekend, it was time for both. 

Don’t miss Summerfest this weekend in the Highlands.  And, if they have food trucks – I’m sure I’ll see you there.  Play on, players + good luck to Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese + The Lime Truck! 

xx, L

We loved.  Look how pretty, too:

floataway cafe's strawberry pimm's cup

It would take some work, but this is a drink that would be a hit at a dinner party.  Definitely a crowd pleaser. 

Impress Your Friends w/ a Strawberry Pimm’s Cup:
Two ounces of Pimm’s
Two large strawberries (use a third if strawberries are not enormo)
Five mint leaves

Muddle all of that together and either strain (if you don’t like chunk) or pour directly into the glass (if you are chunk-friendly).

Top it off with homemade lemonade soda.  For every ounce of lemon juice add 3/4 an ounce of sweetener.  To the lemon concoction, add an equal amount of soda water on top.  Pour into muddled ingredients.

Drink + enjoy! 

You guys.  It is a.m.a.z.i.n.g.  No lie.

And, so was the rest of our meal.  All was splendid!  Here’s what we ate:

First
Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna Crudo, Blood Orange, Chili (my fav.)
Crispy Young Squid, Sweet Onions, Asparagus, Lemon
Wood Grilled Chicken Livers, Red Onion Jam, Sourdough (decided I don’t care for chix livers…to put it nicely)

Second
Wood Grilled Hanger Steak, Pommes Frites (x2)
Wood Grilled Georgia Quail, Caramelized Sweet Onions, Shallot Mostardo, Champagne Gastrique
Margherita Pizza with Chorizo + Farm Egg

Dolci
Toffee Cake w/ Vanilla Gelato (SUPER delish!)

Truly a delightful meal.  Recommend Floataway from top to bottom!

xx, L

Floataway Cafe
1123 Zonolite Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30306
404.892.1414
www.starprovisions.com

flip cup champion (what, what!)

Well then, you may be v. interested to hear about THIS:

On Sunday, May 15, Atkins Park Tavern in the Virginia Highlands will host a cornhole tournament from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. in the back parking lot of the restaurant to benefit the Georgia Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training.

The event will also feature live music from Homefront, cold beer from Sweetwater Brewery, lunch + dinner specials cooked in the Big Green Egg + a raffle.  (Oh, how I love a raffle!) 

Registration fees cost $25 per person for a single entry or $50 for a team of two + 100% of the participants’ registration fees will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Participants will receive one complimentary Sweetwater beer with registration.  Raffle items + team prizes include a hot air balloon ride, restaurant + bar gift certificates, a Sweetwater cornhole set, Sweetwater brewery tour passes and more.

yeaaaaaaaaah!

Participants must compete in teams of two + those who are interested can call 404.876.7249 or stop by the restaurant to pre-register with the manager on duty.  All singles will be placed with another single to make a team.  Pre-registration is strongly encouraged; however, teams who wish to register the day of the event need to arrive by 1:30 p.m. to be placed in the brackets.  Play begins at 2:00 p.m. for all teams + a prize will be awarded to the winning team!

I do enjoy a good cornhole touney – especially when the proceeds go to such a worthy cause!

Come join the competition at Atkins Park on Sunday! 

xx, L

Atkins Park Tavern – Virginia Highlands
794 N. Highland Ave.
Atlanta, GA  30306
404.876.7249
www.atkinspark.com

The Family Dog, located directly across the street from Rosebud, offers creative, farm-to-table pub cuisine + an innovative fare of handcrafted beers and cocktails. 

We all know who Ron Eyester is, right?  Or at least heard about his Twitter handle: The Angry Chef.  I’m assuming so, but if not, catch up on your Atlanta chef-related social media scoop here: Ron’s angry at you…that’s right, YOU.

ron eyester

While Ron may regard his tweets as comical or witty, Slick and I often find them pretty offensive.  Both of us follow him on Twitter + I’ll admit that we will chuckle every so often, BUT while recently dining at The Family Dog, we asked ourselves how we’d feel if Ron was tweeting about one of our mothers altering the preparation of her order or asking for the kitchen to substitute something.  His tweets were no longer all that funny. 

We understand what he’s trying to do – drawing attention to the ”absurdities” that happen every day in the restaurant industry, but whether he likes it or not he has chosen to enter the service industry AND the customer IS always right, right?? 

Ron’s tweets haven’t stopped me from going to Rosebud.  In fact, I dine there regularly.  I will say, though, that they never give me the warm fuzzies about the restaurant.  And, no matter how uncomfortable my server looks (and they always hesitate) when I order my usual (the Breakfast Bowl) and ask for the grape tomatoes to be switched out for sun-dried, I plan to continue to do it.  I may even do it tomorrow…

Soooooooooo, that’s all I have to say about that.  (If Ron gets to rant, I get to, too.)

Moving on to The Family Dog. 

Slick + I had ourselves a nice little Easter Sunday lunch on The Family Dog’s patio.  We watched Ron walk back and forth between his restaurants several times + assumed that both establishments were going to be very busy on the holiday.  And, good for them. 

On the patio, The Family Dog lists a number of rules for patio eaters to follow.  No doubt this is Ron’s restaurant…  I think the “no dogs within the patio area” rule is kind of silly for a place called The Family Dog, but I’ll admit that I’d rather see the house rules painted on the side of the building than commented about in a snarky tweet.

As we expected, our server was exceptionally knowledgeable about the menu + we very much enjoyed our meal.  To start, we ordered the Pimento Cheese w/ Spicy Saltines and practically licked the dish clean.  It was particularly refreshing while sitting on the patio on a warm day. 

Our lunch was on the earlier side for a Sunday, so we had to wait until the GA-approved time to order drinks.  When that time came, Slick selected a fancy beer + I ordered The Morningsider: Boodles gin, fresh squeezed lemon + Luxardo maraschino liqueur.  It was pretty much a basic Aviation + I enjoyed it.

Peeking out from the back of that photo you’ll see my entree, The Burger: it’s made with Riverview Farms beef + it only comes 1 way…  It didn’t have me doing cartwheels, but it was a solid burger.  Slick got the Peekytoe Crab Melt w/ White American & Pepper Jelly and he was very pleased with his order.

There are a number of menu items that I’d like to go back and try.  These all sounded particularly delicious to me:

Housemade Cheetohs (Of Course They Have Pork In Them)

“Billy Bob’s” Fried Bologna Sandwich w/ Pickles, Cheese + Crushed Fritos

Noodle Bowl w/ Smoked Chix, Vegetables, Hamhock-Shrimp Broth + Soft Poached Egg

Mussels Steamed in Beer w/ Serranos + Leeks

Korean Style Duck Quesadilla

Disco Fries w/ Marrow Gravy, Pickled Japs, American Cheese + Fried Egg

(And believe me, there are more.) 

The Family Dog is going to do well.  (Did I mention that I love its name?)  It’s a bar scene that I appreciate in The Highlands – more of a laid back feeling than that of the Emory students running around The Cavern + Highland Tap on the corner of Virginia and N. Highland Ave.  The food is good, very good, in fact.  And the large menu is sure to keep you coming back to try more + more of it.  I may not personally be down with Ron Eyester’s sarcastic/ pointedly rude comments about his paying customers who are currently dining in his restaurant and driving him nuts, but again, they’re not exactly keeping me away.

Try The Family Dog.  Just be sure to shut off your Twitter account before you sit down…

xx, L

The Family Dog
1402 North Highland Ave.
Atlanta, GA  30306
404.249.0180
www.thefamilydogatlanta.com

Grindhouse Killer Burgers officially opened a new spot yesterday in Morningside on Piedmont Ave!

while under construction...

And NOW:

...fully-constructed + ready to serve!

It will be SO nice to have GKB in the hood!  Welcome, friend.

Click here to check out Grindhouse’s TO DIE FOR burgs: Killers on the Loose!

They have some very creatively-named menu items I’d like to try.  And, a full bar. Yeah, that’s right.  For more about Grindhouse, check out LK’s post here: LK visits Grindhouse – Sweet Auburn.

GKB’s Morningside location is open Monday – Sunday: 11 a.m. to Late.

I will be there this weekend, fo sho.

xx, L

Grindhouse Killer Burgers – Morningside
1842 Piedmont Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.254.2273
www.grindhouseburgers.com