Guest Blogger: Antico - It’s Amore!

While I am away on my honeymoon, guest bloggers will be filling in on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

I walk in the door and immediately swoon. It happens every single time, without fail. My sensibility leaves me and I lose all self-control. What is it about the heady combination of garlic and tomato that makes me so giddy? I don’t know, but Antico has the secret.

The first time I went to the newest pizza place in town, I gasped in delight as I walked in the door and inhaled the goodness. I knew I was in for a treat. This is the real deal – not since my semester abroad in Rome have I had pizza like this. And I love, love, love pizza; you don’t want to know how many times a week I avail myself of the pie.

What sets Antico apart in Atlanta’s pizza wars? A few things:

We've heard about their famous ovens – the real deal, brought over from Italy, and fired up at 1000 degrees to cook the pizzas just right. It works. The crust is about as perfect as I've ever had – the amount of char is right, the thickness is right, there’s no bitterness (ick), and it’s even good at room temp or reheated the next day (I recommend five minutes at 425). The San Marzano tomatoes they use – these are just the best kind. The ratio of cheese to sauce – this is crucial, and they get it right. The fact that they only offer four kinds of pizzas; they don’t try to offer all kinds of toppings (other places can specialize in that, they’re OK with it!) but they do theirs with care and deliberation. Add a couple calzones (I haven’t gotten up the guts to order one yet as they are absolutely ginormous) and a small pasta selection, and that’s the menu. Finishing it all off are homemade desserts – does it get better than cannolis filled when you order them?

Personally, I like the communal table. I think standing around it is cool (though they've added bar stools since opening so you might be able to grab a seat), and like something I might have done while in Italy. Then again, I have no problem whatsoever talking to strangers – and I think that’s kind of the point of them having that huge table in the cool glass-enclosed room. If you’re lucky, you might be able to get a seat at the “kitchen table” and get to visit with the gracious owner, Giovanni.

I also get a kick out of their inside-out to-go boxes, and the fact that they only make a certain amount of dough, and when it’s gone . . . that’s it for the day. This is a step up for pizza in Atlanta, the next round of battle in our ongoing “pizza wars” and one that this lover of the pie is so deliriously, garlic-lovingly glad has arrived. In fact, it’s Friday, which as a child meant my parents were going out and we’d order Little Caesar’s or Domino’s . . . I think it’s time for a drive down to Hemphill Ave!

Guest Blogger: Carrie Neal Walden, http://www.carrienealland.com/

Guest Blogger: Table for One, Please

While I am away on my honeymoon, guest bloggers will be filling in on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Do you ever eat alone? I do. And I love it. Does that sound strange? It does to lots of people. Don’t get me wrong, I’m as social as they come and love to wine and dine with a friend or ten, but I also enjoy the pleasure of my own dining company and I eat out – and at nice places, not fast food spots! – multiple times a week.

It’s a habit I developed out of necessity some years back when my job required a lot of travel; I could only watch so much “Law & Order” in my hotel room and when I finished my evening emails and it was dinner time, well, I had to find something to do with myself and Chick-fil-A just wasn't gonna cut it every night when there were options like The Palm in Charlotte or the hidden Korean gem I found in Columbia. A solo diner was born.

I continued my habit long after leaving that job, and I've refined my techniques and preferences since. And even while technically dining alone, I've met so many intriguing people – and overheard such interesting stories! – and gotten such a panoramic view into all walks of life.

If you find yourself having to eat alone, or maybe wanting to – sometimes it’s just nice to be around other people and hear the hum of human voices, but not have to entertain anyone but yourself, you know? – here are the tips I have and things I've learned about how to do it right and enjoy it best:

1. Go to places with a bar meant for dining. These are perfect for “one.” Most nicer restaurants as well as chains attached to malls are great picks, where you’ll find a welcoming seat if you’re flying solo. Plus, bartenders are almost always good conversationalists and a wealth of information.
2. Take a prop. A book, magazine, even a laptop – mine is practically an extension of my arm, and with free WiFi so many places these days I can use it almost everywhere – so that you have something to do if you want to be busy, or if you feel awkward. Or if some pesky guy (or, OK, girl!) starts hitting on you and won’t take the hint.
3. Pick the right restaurant. Don’t go to a Benihana-type place and expect to feel comfortable. Some places are naturally more amenable to single diners than others, such as smaller cafes or places with lots of different sizes of tables, or, again, places with large full-food-service bars.
4. Likewise, act like you belong there – because you do! And if you want to eat at a table, do! Behave like you belong, just like any other patron and if you get the side-eye from a server, ignore it.
5. If you plan to “linger” a bit, say, with your book or laptop, let your server know. You’re taking up a chunk of their valuable real estate. And make sure to tip accordingly – that means 20%, really, and certainly not less than 15%. More isn't a bad idea, depending on how long you’re there!
6. Become a regular. Whether it’s the local bagel place or a high-end steak house, restaurants love their regulars and take care of them. If you are a familiar face, they won’t mind (or at least, not as much!) if you linger a little longer at your table or always ask for your salad made a special way that’s off the menu.
7. If you’re a woman, make friends with the manager or police officer (if there is one) – just in case. It never hurts to have a friend. The one time I needed to leave a place without paying my tab because of the guy that wouldn't leave me alone, I knew it wouldn't be a problem because it was my most-regular haunt, and everybody knew me; the bartender and GM knew I’d be back the next day to pay my tab.
   

Dining solo can be fun, and you never know who you might meet – or what interesting conversations you might overhear, especially if you sit in the bar area! The solo diner can tend to “disappear” among twosomes at the bar and when sitting at a small table between several larger ones. Getting out by yourself can be liberating, maybe a little scary, but mostly an adventure if you look at it that way! Try it – you might find it a new habit that suits you well.

Guest Blogger: Carrie Neal Walden, http://www.carrienealland.com/

Wedding recap!

Dear readers, yesterday was such a truly wonderful day! People had been telling me for months that inevitably something will go wrong, and you just have to roll with it. But amazingly enough, nothing went wrong!

The weather was glorious - 73 and sunny - in mid-November, no less! Serenbe is such an incredibly lovely place, and the weather allowed everyone to enjoy it to its fullest. Our friends and family were there, and everything came together without a hitch.

Our rehearsal dinner food at the Farmhouse - pot roast & shrimp and grits as well as chocolate bourbon pecan pie - was delicious. Even more amazing was the actual wedding food catered by Gloriosa. No one expects much from wedding food, but the fried chicken and fried green tomatoes and macaroni cheese, in particular, garnered rave reviews. I only wish I'd had room for more, but we certainly enjoyed our leftovers for dinner yesterday. My father, never a fan of mac 'n cheese, even said he's now a fan after tasting their incredible version.

We worked off all those calories on the dance floor afterwards, and I got to live out my dream of dancing my figurative pants off at my own wedding. According to my videographer, brides rarely dance so much, but for me it was the best way to celebrate with my friends. After the reception, everyone carried away red candy favors (jersey sour cherries were my personal faves!), and we adjourned to a bonfire, made 'smores, and drank more of the fantastic wine hand-selected by Mr. AT. More yummy goodness!

All I can say is it was perfect, perfect, perfect! Great food and wine, blissful weather, the people I love most in the world, and my darling new hubby - what more could a gal ask for? Thank you, readers, for your well-wishes and thanks so much to everyone who was there for making it such a special day.

Now we're off to South Africa for another adventure (and lots of great eats!) Some of my readers have been kind enough to guest blog, so Adventurous Tastes will keep publishing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while I'm gone. I'll fill you in when I return December 4!

Post-wedding cravings: someone give this girl a sweet!

It's T-2.5 days until I join the ranks of the oh so happily married. I'm excited, of course, to start my married life with Mr. AT, and I'm looking forward to having most of the people I love all in one place for the weekend. But when I think down the line to what I'm most looking forward to after all the excitement of the big day is over - long after after the DJ spins his last tune, after my friends and family fly/drive away, and I hermetically seal my wedding dress - it's the opportunity to once again eat with abandon. Granted I'm always a stickler for being at least somewhat healthy, but after so many months of denying myself sweet treats on all but the most special of occasions, I am dying - really DYING - to stuff my face silly with sweets.

I may have mentioned it here before, but I once learned about a study that proved that self deniers were far more likely to binge eat than those who moderated all the time. I am currently falling squarely into that trap. With visions of my wedding dress showing off my chiseled Michelle Obama arms and trim waistline, I have systematically denied myself candy (through Halloween no less!), pastries, and desserts of all kinds. Sigh...it has been rough.

I stare longingly at the overflowing candy bowl at work, sigh when I pass the bakery section at the grocery store, day dream about holiday pastries (pumpkin pie, oh my!)...but still I resist because if I can't eat healthy for my wedding, then when will I ever?

I still have in my work drawer the Almond Joy that my coworker oh so cruelly threw on my desk and practically dared me to eat. But no, I didn't break, it's still there a month later. Of course, I've not been a perfect little denier. I've given in on anything I could construe as a special occasion, such as press meal (it would be rude to turn away a free dessert, no?) or grad school reunion. But still I cannot wait to tuck into something ooey gooey chocolaty with abandon.

My mother asked recently if I was going to finally stop denying myself so I could enjoy some dessert at my wedding. Am I ever?! We have 3 kinds of dessert - spiced pear pie, pecan pie, and red velvet cake. I intend to eat at least a small slice of each. Aw hell yeah!

Tomorrow I make seven-layer bars to put in my welcome bags, and you better believe I'm going to have one of them. Their abundant layers of goodness will be too much to resist, and at this point, I have to wonder - can I really expand that much in just 2 days?

So as the minutes tick by, and I get closer to the day I've been planning for months, it's not just a lifetime of love I look forward to, but also a return to the world of moderation and occasional dessert indulgence!

Our final pre-wedding date night at Holeman & Finch

Saturday was our last night out as an unmarried couple. I certainly hope we’ll continue going on dates long after our wedding day, but it still felt momentous to know that we were on the precipice of major change. After some debate (and missed freeway exits), we decided to go to our favorite place in town – Holeman & Finch.

Alas, I didn’t bring my camera, so my descriptions will have to suffice. Let it be said, that as always, every single thing we had was awesome. Rich, hearty, flavorful…just really fricking delicious!

We sidled up to the bar, and I had a cranberry and gin cocktail, that definitely hit the spot after weeks of being a teetotaler. The fried oysters were, as always, heavenly. Salty and crispy on the outside, with a little bit of spicy remoulade. The mussels were also a hit, although it was really the bread dipped in the sauce that did it for me (yes, I forewent my low-carb ways for this date, too!)

We’re on an eternal search for sweetbreads as good as those at Casa Mono in NY. H&F’s version still wasn’t quite there, but it was the best version we’ve tried. Not chewy or bland like so many variations, and an appealing citrus sort of flavor. there was no citrus listed in it’s recipe, so I could be calling that entirely wrong, but there was something there that was an unexpected but very welcome flavor.

But best of all was the carbonara. Generally it’s hard for carbonara, filled with pancetta and cream, to go wrong, but this one was out of control. I may have actually told the bartender that I wanted to dive my head in it, and Mr. AT quickly added on that he’d like take his clothes off and swim in it naked. Yes, that’s how good it was.

I truly, deeply love Holeman & Finch. I love the chill by stylish atmosphere that always feels like you’re somewhere cool. I love the knowledgeable bartenders and top-notch drinks. And I’m passionate about their always impressive food. Once my form fitting wedding dress is behind me, I’ll be back for a married date night to enjoy their burger! Yum…can’t wait!