I wanted to go for the opening last year.  No reservations…  Thought that maybe I’d have my birthday dinner there.  Restaurant was bought out for an event…  Was pretty sure that if I got girlfriends to go for drinks, we’d end up eating upstairs at the restaurant.  We stayed at Craft Bar – and it was not love...  It just never happened for me.  Everyone told me that I should be patient until it was my time.  I waited…

"I'll come for you one day, Craft..."

And THEN, a colleague gave me a very nice gift certificate for dinner at Craft.  My time had finally arrived!

Over the past year, I’ve heard a spectrum of praise and critique regarding Craft Atlanta.  Karen thought it was the best meal she’d ever eaten.  Mr. B thought it was overrated and the service left a lot to be desired.  I was just hoping for a Tom Colicchio drop by…   With some degree of skepticism, Slick and I arrived at the restaurant last Friday ready to form our own opinions.

Tommy!!

We were escorted upstairs, again - I’d only been downstairs at Craft Bar for drinks before, and we noted the art in the staircase and the warm modern feeling of the dining room.  They put us in one of the large half booths which provided for excellent people watching.  Our server was from Texas, which made me feel right at home, and we chatted about Longhorn football, the Hill Country and Dallas schools.  We ordered drinks and the server and I had a little pep talk with Slick about ordering our favorite vodka on the menu, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which is delicious (smooth and smokey), made in Texas and is NOT – as the name insinuates – plastic bottle liquor.  Our Tito’s assisted drinks arrived, were shaken for us at the table and we were very pleased.

The meal was good.  Very good, in fact.  We started with the yellowfin tuna (delicious) and a few belon oysters.  I am not a big oyster fan, but Slick liked them and I thought the presentation was well done.  For entrees, I had the monkfish + pancetta and on our server’s recommendation, Slick ordered the braised beef short rib.  Both were amazing.  Mine was very tasty, artful and nicely presented in a cast iron skillet.  Monkfish, “the poor man’s lobster,” was perfectly complimented by the pancetta wrap.  Slick and I loved his short rib and were pleased at how easily it melted off of the bone.  We also shared the potato gratin and the seasonal risotto, which were delicious but maybe too plentiful for the heaviness of our entrees because we cringed when the dessert menu arrived.  Instead, we opted for another cocktail and little cookies sent out to us from the chef.

Overall, the meal was thoughtful and delicious.  It was very expensive.  Maybe overpriced, but it was hard for us to pin it as such because we had such a nice experience there.  We could easily see, though, how the meal could go wrong.  However, we quickly developed rapport with our server, ordered well and enjoyed the atmosphere.  We were pleased.

Bacchanalia and Aria are still my preference for a special occasion or celebration, but I would recommend throwing Craft into the mix – especially if you are a first timer.  And if you go, make sure you ask for the Tito’s Handmade Vodka. 

P.S. Don’t forget about their Sunday Sandwich deal!

xx, L

Craft – Atlanta
3376 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30326
404.995.7580
www.craftrestaurant.com

After careful thought, he will tell them that, yes – there is more to life. It’s called fantasy football.

If I was asked, I would also agree that there is more to life. But, my response has to do with food. You never know what a day holds for you. Not to be Deborah Downer or anything, but I text while I’m driving. I go to the grocery store at night by myself. I jaywalk and I’ve been known to shake my fist at bad drivers.  I consider myself to be a highly responsible person, but frankly, we never know when our time is up. So, if I am going to go sometime, I’d like to leave with a fabulous last meal in my tummy.  That – coupled with questionable self-control and enjoying the social aspects of sharing a great meal with friends – is why I am so into food. The End.

If I got to choose my “last meal” in Atlanta, there is no question that it would be at my favorite restaurant in town – Wisteria. I just love this restaurant, and I didn’t have to think twice about spending my birthday there last year. (Which is quite an honor – if I do say so myself!) See, TADA:

Wisteria - LR Birthday

Wisteria - LR Birthday

Wisteria is consistently amazing and I frequently recommend it to friends, out-of-towners and business colleagues. My three favorite menu items are the North Atlantic Skate Wing, the Molasses-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin and the Pecan Encrusted Atlantic Salmon. Trust me. They are all to die for.

Inside Wisteria

Aside from a prime location in Inman Park, stellar wait staff, killer entrees and chic decor, my favorite part about Wisteria is their appetizers. I feel confident in saying that their appetizer list is the best in town – by far. It’s rare for me to look at a menu and want everything on it. I have tried everything on Wisteria’s appetizer menu – and trying to decide between a few of their items for any given meal is one of the most stressful decisions I have to make.  

Behold its majesty:

Oysters – cold water, served by the half dozen

Black-Eyed Pea Hummus – with homemade sweet potato chips, olives, and tomatoes

Kobe Beef Carpaccio – with arugula tossed in a horseradish vinaigrette and aged parmesan

Charleston-Style Jumbo Lump Crab Cake – over roasted corn and sweet pepper succotash

Cornmeal Fried Calamari – with sweet and sour apricot sauce and wasabi crème fraiche

Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs – with pickled okra and spiced pecans

Ahi Tuna and Crispy Flatbread – avocados and fresh micro-greens in a citrus horseradish vinaigrette

Prince Edward Island Mussels – in a charred vine-ripened tomato, white wine and herbed garlic broth

Pigs in a Blanket – house cured pork belly, in pastry, with a spicy apple cider vinegar mustard

Tempura Fried Okra – with a horseradish cream sauce

Seared Sea Scallops -over braised pork belly and radicchio with a bourbon molasses reduction

People, life does not get much better than this!! (Unless you are into fantasy football or are really, really, ridiculously good looking…)

P.S. Don’t forget about these two great Wisteria specials:
1 – Burger Sundays for $10
2 – Mussel Mondays for $15.95- Endless bowl of mussels and a glass of house wine.

Make a reservation ASAP!  Life’s too short not to eat great!

xx, L

Wisteria
471 North Highland Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30307
404.525.3363
www.wisteria-atlanta.com

Hi, Bob!

I first started listening to Bob when I was living in Austin.  He’s from the area and played in town all the time while I was in college.  Now, he’s playing throughout the southeast and he frequents Smith’s.  In fact, I’ve seen him twice a year at Smith’s over the past five years I’ve lived in Atlanta – which has been awesome and makes me feel right. at. home.

i’ve got so much to put down before that’s all she wrote
i’ve got so much to give before my heart ain’t so broke
i’ve got to find myself before i can ever be alone
ive got a long way to get before i get back home
- Bob Schneider, “A Long Way to Get”

Bob Schneider @ Smith's Olde Bar

If you’ve ever driven in my car with me, it’s likely you’ve heard a few of my BS favorites, including: “Big Blue Sea,” “I’m Good Now,” “Blue Skies for Everyone,” “A Long Way to Get,” “Tokyo” and “Gold in the Sunset.”  Bob’s shows in Atlanta are intimate and rockin’ and Smith’s is the perfect venue for him.  It’s such a different (and welcomed) experience from seeing him play in Texas where he is a very popular local celebrity…and everyone remembers when he dated fellow Austinite, the beautimus Sandra Bullock. 

and its days like this that burn me
turn me inside out and learn me
not to tell you anything i think i know
well i think i’ll tell you all i know
i don’t want to be alone – i want to be a stone
i wanna sink to the bottom of the ocean
and lie there with you until i’m gone
at the bottom of the big blue sea
just you and me
at the bottom of the big blue sea”
- Bob Schneider, “Big Blue Sea”

Old School Sandra + Bobby

I strongly recommend going to the show.  Tickets are cheap, beer will flow – tunes are guaranteed to be stellar.  I hope to see you there!!

drinking cervezas all night long singing mexican love songs
getting all the words all wrong and not giving a damn
hoping that my luck might change feeling crazy acting strange
never worrying about the danger i was in
well i’ve had a might bad run of luck since you left town
sometimes you hit the brakes but you can’t slow down
i know what i want on my damn tombstone
when they put me in the groun
tell them to write it big and tall or not at all
just put i’m good now
- Bob Schneider, “I’m Good Now”

xx, L

Smith’s Olde Bar
1578 Piedmont Ave NE
Atlanta, GA  30324
404.875.1522
www.smithsoldebar.com

Some people binge on booze or poison with pills – my drug of choice is cooked in a brick oven and comes to my table piping hot and sliced into eight heavenly pieces. For years, I’ve tried to curb my “pizza problem” with faux-pizza manufactured by Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice, but sadly, I’ve been terribly unsuccessful. I’ve tried to convince myself (and others) that pizza is, in fact, really healthy: um, hello – it incorporates a majority of our food groups AND it’s delicious when you put veggies on it! Nine out of ten people remind me about the various cheeses and meats I also like to pile on…haters. Alas, I haven’t been able to kick the habit, so instead, friends and family have grown to accept my pizza problem.

Here’s where I get my fix: SHORTY’S (this place is so good it deserves all caps)

I call it “Pizza Sunday.” Occasionally, it occurs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well, I prefer not to discriminate… Shorty’s is thebomb.com and Sunday is my personal favorite day to order their pie-in-the-sky-brick-oven-perfection. Here’s why:

- Shorty’s cooks their pizzas in a brick oven so the entire restaurant smells mouthwatering-ly amazing. Their pizzas are thin crust “decatur style” and are served nice and crispy. A large has eight slices, but they are thin and upon finishing the entire pie you don’t feel enormous and stuffed like you’ve eaten a bunch of gross fast food pizza slices. Seriously, I dream about this pizza and talk incessantly to anyone who will listen about how much I love Shorty’s.

- It’s hard for me to even walk into Shorty’s and not fast track the server for my usual*, but there is more to this restaurant than just pizza. They have great salads (my favorite of which is the rocket salad: arugula, lemon, olive oil and parmesan) and awesome guacamole. They also have a few other entrees, but honestly, I’ve not gotten past the pizza…

photo credit: images.citysearch.net

- Shorty’s is in the strip connected to L.A. Fitness at N. Druid Hills and La Vista. It’s absolutely no frills and my usual dining attire there is either sweaty workout clothes (hot, I know) or whatever I wore to bed the night before. The staff is pretty hipster and the atmosphere is totally laid back.

- Cheap wine.  I think that is all I need to say on that…

Karen reminds me that I am no longer 21 (unfortunately, far from), that I already have sunglasses in 12 different shades and that I don’t have a crush on a Jonas brother – so what do I think I am doing in there?? Initially, I understand her reasoning. Generally speaking, the clothes are cheaply made in scary places like Vietnam and constructed for pre-teens with boy-shaped bodies. BUT, as soon as I glance around the store and spot neon fringe, I am quickly drawn inside like a magnet lured to Forever 21′s countless metallic racks.

Some days are better than others. Today was amazing. Truly amazing. One hour and a medium Yoforia (how do they keep the fruit so fresh?) later, my closet is about to look like a Kanye West video. (And, yes, I got my 13th shade of the same sunglasses.) While I walked away with some cute work clothes, a fun bubble dresses (Slick loves them) and a few more pairs of leggings, my best finds were in the jewelry section. Please see Exhibit A below:

Exhibit A

(Sorry, there is not an Exhibit B…)

I think Forever must have just had a shipment, because they had so many great summer clothes. Run, don’t walk, run to Perimeter!

It’s okay if you aren’t obsessed with Harry Potter (like me), Britney Spears (like me) or Twilight (like me) – the pre-teen dressing room discussions can be easily ignored and the young-ins on their summer vacation will only see you in your schnazzy work clothes and aspire to be as put-together-looking as you one day. Plus, I had just purchased a dress at Sage that I swear I saw at Forever for half the price.

I told you so.

xx, L