New Year's resolutions

It's time to come up with my New Year's resolutions again. Can't say that I ever manage to keep them, but it's always worth a shot, right?

1. Now that the wedding is past and most of the boxes are unpacked at our new place, life is settling down a bit, so I resolve to be more diligent in my blog writing!
2. Cook more at home (to save money and eat healthier!) Especially want to learn to use all my new wedding gift toys like my meat grinder, ice cream maker, slow cooker, etc.
3. Keep up with the pilates to justify all the eating!
4. Save up the splurge eating for when it's really worth it.
5. No packed foods, and cut back on unnatural eating (farewell my beloved splenda pudding cups!)
6. Now that I have the room, host more dinner parties.
   
7. Actually use my fancy new plates. Life is too short to save them for only special occasions.
   

I of course have some others, too, but these are the food related ones at least! Hope you have a happy New Year, too!

New Years Roundup

Hanukkah and Christmas are over and New Year's is just around the corner. Is it just me or do the holidays come and go more quickly every year? I barely get time to anticipate them before they're over! Alas after last year's Shaun's debacle (I'm looking at you, Doty!), we're avoiding the overwhelmed restaurants by breaking out my new fondue set with friends.

If you do want to duke it out for a table, I suggest choosing a place with specific seatings to avoid what we faced last year, namely diners who cop a squat at 8 pm and never move again.

Here's the scoop on some of your options:

Sotto Sotto's New Year's Eve menu includes:

• Tortellini in Brodo: Handmade tortellini in capon broth
• Cotechino e Lenticchie: Cotechino sausage with lentils
• Risotto con Zucca e Aragosta: Lobster and spaghetti squash risotto
• Zampone Ripieno e Piselli: House-made pig's trotter sausage braised with black eyed peas

Sotto Sotto will be open from 5:30 pm to 1:00 am. Call 404.523.6678 to make your reservation. Sister restaurants Fritti and Lupe will be open until 1 am that night, too.

Beleza will have late night dancing at their New Year’s Eve Discofunk Party featuring DJ Romeo Cologne. The music begins at 10:00 pm and continues through the night with no cover!

Serpas offers a three-course prix fixe menu of comfort cuisine for $55 per person. Each guest will receive a complimentary Champagne toast and a choice of dishes such as:

Starters

• Flash Fried Oysters with pickled chiles and mirliton
• Crab Tomato Bisque with brioche croutons and scallions
• Crispy Duck Rolls with chile syrup and five spice

Entrees

• Roasted Beef Tenderloin with potato thyme gratin and portabella pico
• Braised Lamb Shank with candied yams, braised greens and cranberries
• Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with butternut squash, swiss chard and celery remoulade

Desserts

• Double Chocolate Cake
• White Chocolate Cranberry Bread Pudding
• Beignets and Hot Chocolate

Guests can enjoy a three course wine pairing menu for an additional $15 per person. To reserve your New Year's Eve experience, please call 404.688.0040 or click here.

Repast will be featuring a four course pre-fixe menu with four choices on each course for $65 per person, plus tax & gratuity.

ONE. midtown kitchen will offer special menu items, along with hats, noisemakers, a balloon drop and champagne toast at midnight. To make reservations call 404-892-4111 or visit onemidtownkitchen.com.

TWO urban licks offers its regular menu as well as a complimentary champagne toast and balloon drop at midnight. To make reservations call 404-522-4622 or visit twourbanlicks.com.

Tap's festivities will include a balloon drop, noisemakers, hats and a DJ spinning from 9 p.m. on. Menu specials include half price “shares” all night, along with $5 well drinks, shots, and beers. No lines here, as there will be cash only tubs located around the restaurant and patio filled with ice cold Miller Lite, Yuengling and Shock Top. Enjoy a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label champagne for the great deal of $50.00. For more information visit tap1180.com or call 404.347.2220.

Parish's Executive Chef Nick Melvin is offering a three course New Year’s Eve menu which includes choices such as Blackened Tuna “Crudo,” New Years Salad, Braised Lamb Shank and Seared Scallops. Cost is $43 per person and excludes alcohol, tax and gratuity. For reservations call 404-681-4434 or visit parishatl.com.

Lobby at TWELVE will offer special menu selections throughout breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the evening will include balloons, noisemakers and a complimentary champagne toast. To make reservations call 404-961-7370 or visit lobbyattwelve.com

The Shed at Glenwood's 4 Course Prix Fixe with a glass of Segura Viudas Pinot Noir Brut is $65.

1st Course

• Belgian Endive Salad, Apple, Blue Cheese, Toasted Pistachio
• Roasted Beet Salad, Vermont Goat Cheese, White Balsamic
• Beef Tongue & Bread Salad

2nd Course

• Gulf Oysters, Lemon & Black Pepper
• North Carolina Trout, Oregon Black Truffle, Caper Egg Sauce
• Eggplant Terrine, Ricotta, Pine Nuts

3rd Course

• Beef Tenderloin, Wild Mushrooms, Maine Lobster
• Pan Seared Duck Breast, Parsnips, Spicy Cranberry
• Ricotta Ravioli, Georgia Pecans, Brown Butter, Sage

4th Course

• Flourless Chocolate, Orange Anglaise
• Apple Brownie, Creme Fraiche Ice Cream
• Housemade Ding Dong

4th and Swift's Chef Jay Swift will craft a specially designed 5-course menu ($75/adult) and will also offer an optional wine pairing ($35/adult).

BLT Steak will offer 2 menus New Year's Eve. Between 5:30 to 6:30pm; a 4-course $65 menu. Between 8pm-9pm a $95-5-course menu will be offered.

Pura Vida offers a seating from 5:30 & 7:30 pm. $35pp including 3 tapas & 1 dessert. The late seating arrival is between 8:30 & 10 pm. $45pp, including 3 tapas, 1 dessert, cava toast & DJ from 10-1am

Rosebud is holding a 70s themed bash to ring in the New Year with a special limited menu, a live DJ, and costume contest.

Winter Desserts

Apologies for going AWOL this week, but Mr. AT and I finally moved into our adorable new house, and we just got the internet up and running today.

Holiday time is the perfect excuse to indulge your sweet tooth, right? So I'm eager to try my hand at baking something wintery now that my kitchen is cleared out.

So what to bake?

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow-Sour Cream Topping and Gingersnap Crust
I just love pumpkin flavored desserts, and marshmallow topping sounds pretty incredible!

Winter-Spiced Molten Chocolate Cakes with Rum-Ginger Ice Cream
Molten Chocolate Cakes are my specialty, and this recipe puts a nice wintery twist to it. Although I'm not sure where on earth I'd get crystallized ginger???

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Topping
Ah more pumpkin. I made a pumpkin cheesecake previously and it was delectable.

Italian Trifle with Marsala Syrup
For my Italian hubby, perhaps?

Pere Roux's Cake
Sounds delectable but I don't have time to let bananas ripen. Another time for sure!

Chocolate ganache bread pudding
Any excuse to drink port is AOK by me.

A British Holiday Feast: Rib Roast with Horseradish Sauce, Yorkshire Pudding and Minted Peas

This is my first ever Christmas spent in my own home, and not wanting to tempt fate, I decided to do a Christmas dinner test run. I’ve been pouring over my old issues of Domino (RIP my beloved) looking for decorating ideas, and I stumbled upon an old article about a British dinner party. It sounded perfect – standing rib roast with horseradish sauce, Yorkshire pudding, minted peas and gingered carrots.
So I headed to Whole Foods, the place I figured was most likely to have standing rib roast. I didn’t see any in the display, but when I asked the guy said he had some in back. Great, right? So I went about finding the other ingredients while the butcher worked his magic. I returned to grab the 3 ribs I’d requested (my recipe called for 5, but I was just cooking for Mr. AT and myself so I scaled back). I was about to go check out when I looked down and realized that my rather large package of rib roast was going to cost me $87. Whaaaaaaaaaaat??? I almost cried. Seriously. After frantic calls to my mother and Mr. AT asking what I should do (yes, I still call my mother for things like this!), I got up the nerve to go back and give a rib back. $59 bucks later I left Whole Foods as the proud and somewhat disgruntled owner of 2 ribs. That is not a mistake I will EVER make again. That price was bananas. Fortunately I hear Costco is the way to go so I guess that’s what test runs are for.
After spending all of that money, I was determined not to botch these recipes. Fortunately they were pretty fool proof. I always thought meals like this were only for special occasions because they were hard to do, but now I realize it’s because they’re time consuming and really damned expensive! The meat component of the meal couldn’t be any easier – it’s just salt and pepper and proper roasting time. I tried to guesstimate how much less time 2 ribs would take than the 5 in my recipe, but in the end I was way off, and I just kept checking on it until it reached 125 degrees.
Minted peas were also a revelation. This recipe is a take on the classic British dish, mushy peas. I prefer my peas unmushy, so this was perfect.  I virtually never purchase frozen vegetables, but these were awfully good and so easy. Who knew frozen peas, mint and butter could be so good? Because these recipes were in a now defunct magazine, i don’t have online versions of them, so I found recipes online that approximated them. The one I provide below uses olive oil, whereas I used butter. I’m sure it’s great either way.
This biggest unknown was Yorkshire Pudding. I for one would never have guessed that Yorkshire Pudding is actually much like a popover. But even better, it’s a popover made in the beef juices from the roast. Could there be anything more delicious? Little sister had warned me that her past attempts to make this recipe had not turned out, so I was wary, especially because I was cutting down the serving size from the recipe significantly. In the end, the center of my pudding fell a bit, and the bottom center was a bit too soggy with juices, but all around the center, the pudding was fluffy and so yummy. Perfect for sopping up juices from your plate! I think I just always pictured Yorkshire Pudding being some sort of dessert, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn the truth!
In the end, it was quite a repast for a random Sunday evening. Two ribs lasted us 2 full dinners, so I suppose that works out $15 bucks a head a meal – not cheap, but not much worse than buying a nice steak at the store and certainly cheaper than going out for a comparable meal. I was quite proud of myself, and I suspect this meal would impress anyone you might make it for. So elaborate and flavorful and filling! Now I just have to find a meat purveyor that won’t send me to the poor house!

Sunday Rib Roast2002 Barefoot Contessa Family Style, All rights reserved

Prep Time: 20 min

Inactive Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (3-rib) standing rib roast (7 to 8 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• Mustard Horseradish Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Two hours before roasting, remove the meat from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (see note).
Place the oven rack on the second lowest position.
Place the roast in a pan large enough to hold it comfortably, bone-side down, and spread the top thickly with the salt and pepper. Roast the meat for 45 minutes. Without removing the meat from the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and roast for another 30 minutes. Finally, increase the temperature to 450 degrees F and roast for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meat is 125 degrees F. (Be sure the thermometer is exactly in the center of the roast.) The total cooking time will be between 1 1/2 and 1 3/4 hours. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
Remove the roast from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Cover it tightly with aluminum foil and allow the meat to rest for 20 minutes. Carve and serve with the sauce.
Note: Be sure your oven is very clean before setting it at 500 degrees F.
Mustard Horseradish Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustards, horseradish, sour cream, and salt in a small bowl.

Yorkshire PuddingRecipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Prep Time:10 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup pan drippings from roast prime rib of beef

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Sift together the flour and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the eggs and milk until light and foamy. Stir in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Pour the drippings into a 9-inch pie pan, cast iron skillet, or square baking dish. Put the pan in oven and get the drippings smoking hot. Carefully take the pan out of the oven and pour in the batter. Put the pan back in oven and cook until puffed and dry, 15 to 20 minutes.

Green Peas with MintCopyright, 2005, Robin Miller, All rights reserved

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 cups frozen green peas
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add peas and cook 2 minutes, until crisp-tender. Add salt and pepper and stir to coat. Remove from heat and stir in mint.

Atlanta restaurants earn national attention

I’m always an advocate for Atlanta restaurants getting their fare share of the national food press, so I was pleased to see that as all of the publications have been doing their end of year round ups of the best places, Atlanta restaurants have gotten a few nods. Below are some of the accolades:

Where to Go Next: 10 Best Restaurant Dishes 2009 $12 and Under
From Food & Wine’s December 2009 Issue
By Tina Ujlaki, Kate Krader, Christine Quinlan, Patricia Sharpe, Jan Newberry, Kate Heddings, Ray Isle

Lamb Liver Fritters: Abattoir, Atlanta

I'm a confirmed liver hater, and apart from a few select foie gras pâtés, I avoid it. So I felt very brave when I chose the lamb liver fritters at Abattoir, the new meat-focused restaurant from local heroes Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison (F&W Best New Chefs 1995). Maybe I was emboldened by the setting—abattoir is French for slaughterhouse, which is what the building used to be. The fritters are irresistible: sausagelike patties of lamb liver and meat, with tart green-tomato relish alongside. There are three sizable fritters to an order for $8.50; maybe I can't afford not to eat liver anymore. —Kate Krader

The 10 Best New Restaurants in America
From GQ’s January 2010 Issue
By Alan Richman

10. Serpas, Atlanta
Serpas is a big, shiny, modern spot in the Old Fourth Ward, where old-fashioned manufacturing played out. It's so noisy our waitress had laryngitis from yelling at customers. And the cooking of chef Scott Serpas is just as raucous—a little messy and a touch out of control, but I love his passion and sense of place. He does mostly southern and New Orleans food—sweet, hot, and spicy, with a bonus of being endlessly inventive. The fried oysters come with rémoulade, classic enough, but he tops them with pickled chilies. His caramelized-onion-and-beef-short-rib soup with a single Brie-topped floating crouton—not so southern, come to think of it—is what French onion soup dreams of becoming. The desserts, entirely luscious, have unexpected finesse, especially the chocolate-peanut-butter parfait. And best of all, this is the South, not some show-off Yankee spot, so you won't have to worry about microgreens, sous vide, gels, or foams.

Restaurants Worth the Money: Southeast
Gourmet Magazine October 2009

Bacchanalia
A mature restaurant, but never a dowdy one, Bacchanalia remains Atlanta’s flagship fine-dining destination. For more than 15 years, founders Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison have mentored young talent, and chef Andy Carson, currently at the helm, has hewn an aesthetic that is southern but by no means antiquarian. That means country-fried sweetbreads with artichokes, as well as quail stuffed with mortadella. 1198 Howell Mill Rd., Atlanta (404-365-0410; Bacchanalia)

50 Best New U.S. Restaurants
From Travel & Leisure Magazine

Atlanta: Holeman and Finch Public House

Somewhat British, a little Mediterranean, soulfully Southern, and wholly awesome, this offal-centric, cocktail-fueled gastropub gets you hooked on the pleasures of headcheese, crunchy fried pigs’ ears, and bone-marrow gratin. Dinner for two $65.

Lamb & Beef Burger with Cheddar and Caper Remoulade and Cauliflower Soup with Pecorino Romano and Truffle Oil

Mr. AT and I are officially homeowners! We closed yesterday and are now fully in the throes of doing some work on the house and packing up our current place. That means are apartment is a total wreck, but we’ve left out cooking supplies for now because closing on a house also means we’ve emptied out our bank accounts, so saving money is a must.

Yesterday was gloomy and hectic, so I thought we needed a tasty, hearty meal to comfort us. First up was my famous Cauliflower Soup. Granted it’s really Bon Appetit’s famous soup, but I’ve made it enough times by now to claim it as part of the permanent Adventurous Tastes repertoire!

This is not diet food, nor is it vegetarian, but it is damn good! Enough cream, cheese and bacon, and anything is pretty good, right? What I love about it is it tastes very similar to a potato soup minus all the starchy carbs. Alas, I realized at the last minute that our truffle oil had gone bad, so we missed out on one of my favorite parts of the dish, but even without the hint of truffle, it’s beyond rich and creamy and so full of flavor. Yum!

The burgers were super simple and delish too. Lamb makes everything better methinks, and the remoulade is easy to make and full of flavor. These burgers tasted oh so good and paired well with an Alexander Valley Cab. I used ground sirloin instead of lean ground beef for extra richness. Yum!

Cauliflower Soup with Pecorino Romano and Truffle Oil

Bon Appétit
January 2007

Carolynn Angle
The Standard Tap

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

2 ounces applewood-smoked bacon (about 2 1/2 slices), chopped
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups 1-inch pieces cauliflower (cut from 1 large head)
3 1/2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 3/4-inch cube Pecorino Romano cheese plus additional cheese shavings for serving
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
White or black truffle oil (for drizzling)

Preparation

Sauté bacon in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until golden brown and some fat renders. Add onion, celery, and garlic. Cover and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add cauliflower, 3 1/2 cups broth, and cheese cube. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in processor. Return to same pan. Add cream and bring soup to simmer. Thin with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly; cover and chill. Rewarm before continuing.

Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with cheese shavings; drizzle with truffle oil.

Beef-and-Lamb Burgers with Cheddar and Caper Remoulade

Food & Wine Magzine

June 200Recipe by Nick Fauchald

Ingredients

1. 4 cornichons, coarsely chopped
2. 3 tablespoons parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
3. 2 teaspoons drained capers
4. 1 garlic clove
5. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
6. 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
7. 3/4 pound ground beef, preferably 80 percent lean
8. 1/2 pound ground lamb
9. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
10. 4 English muffins, split
11. 4 thin slices of aged cheddar, preferably farmhouse
12. Tomato slices and thinly sliced English cucumber, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Light a grill. In a mini food processor, pulse the cornichons with the parsley leaves, capers and garlic clove until finely chopped. Add the mayonnaise and mustard and pulse until blended.
2. In a large bowl, gently mix the ground beef with the ground lamb and season generously with salt and pepper. Form the meat mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties and make a slight indentation in the center of each one with your thumb. Season the burgers with salt and pepper.
3. Grill the English muffin halves cut side down until toasted, about 1 minute. Flip the muffins and grill for 30 seconds longer. Transfer to a work surface cut side up and spread the bottom halves of the muffins with the caper remoulade.
4. Grill the burgers over high heat until they are nicely charred on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip the burgers, top them with the cheddar cheese and grill until cooked to medium and the cheese melts, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer the burgers to the toasted English muffins and let rest for 5 minutes. Top the burgers with the tomatoes and cucumbers if desired, close the burgers and serve.

Make Ahead

The caper remoulade can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

© Tina Rupp

South Africa Dining: Another Heavenly Lunch

I’m a sucker for a picnic. Sunshine, wine and simple foods combine to form the most delicious of experiences. Alas, Atlanta’s summers tend to be too hot for outdoor dining, so we have just a small window of spring and fall to enjoy dining al fresco (and this year it seemed to rain throughout the fall, except for our wedding weekend!). So I was all too happy to indulge my picnic fantasies in South Africa’s wine country.

Our trusty 2010 Platter Guide (the definitive guide to South African wines) told us that Kaapzicht Winery had a picnic area, so we picked up two bacon sandwiches and a charcuterie platter at Bread and Wine, a popular Winelands lunch spot. When we arrived, we started to set up at the picnic table by their tasting room, but the winemaker spotted us and recommended we check out their vineyard picnic area. After some wrong turns and a bit of off-roading, we wound our way up to the top of their vineyard. It turns out that Kaapzicht is Afrikaans for Cape View, and that’s exactly what we found – we could see all the way to Cape Town.

Better yet, we were all alone, save a couple nearby vineyard workers. We set out our $5 bottle of Kaapzicht rose, and savored our bacon sandwiches, olives and meat platter. Never has a bacon sandwich tasted so wonderful. Who knew it combined perfectly with rose?

Mr. AT turned to me and said this is what it’s all about. And I agree – a gorgeous perch, simple but delicious foods and wine, and my honey, there is truly nothing else I could ask for. Sigh…if only we could indulge in this a bit more often. But for that one afternoon, we lingered over our wine, ate with our hands and enjoyed a truly romantic meal. Heaven!

South Africa Dining: Lunchtime Bliss

We ate at many of South Africa’s top restaurants during our trip, but two of our most casual meals, both Winelands lunches, stick out in my mind despite being among the most casual.

Our entire stay in the Winelands (Franschoek to be specific) was blessed with sunny, gorgeous weather. The area is surrounded by rugged mountains, so everywhere you look is a spectacular view. We decided to stop for lunch during a day of wine tasting at the Goatshed, the restaurant on site at Fairview, producers of the reasonably well known Goats do Roam wines.

We sat on a lovely sun dappled patio, overlooking their goat tower (yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like!) Tired of big meals, I chose simply a cheese plate from the list of cheese made by their own cheesery. The 2008 Spice Route Chenin Blanc went from so-so to perfection when paired with the cheeses. And is it just me or is there something wonderfully decadent about drinking wine in teh middle of the day, particularly a nice chilled white in hot weather!

My hubby, feeling slightly more adventurous opted for the springbok stirfry, which essentially tasted like a steak salad. It was fortunately much lighter than it sounds, and although not as good of a match for the wine, it was at least quite tasty and lovely to look at.

Sigh…it was such a lovely way to while away the day. A nice view, good wine, good, simple food and my honey…

Top Chef Winner Announced (***Spoiler Alert)

***Spoiler Alert***

Given we came back to a DVR full of our favorite TV shows, we are in fact behind on our Top Chef viewers, but I took one for the team and checked out the winner today so I too could report it. Read no further unless you want to know who won!








I was certainly hoping Atlanta's Kevin Gillespie won. Not only does he make Atlanta look great, but his food is consistently top notch and unlike the Voltaggio's he's neither boring nor a jerk. Alas, the surly Voltaggio won (that's the more tatooed one, Michael, if you too confuse them).

Omnivore summed my feelings up perfectly in their coverage. I can certainly respect the notion that the best chef wins, regardless of temperament, but given Top Chef is hardly replicating actual kitchen conditions, I have to wonder if it wouldn't make more sense to have winners who were a bit more marketable. I'd rather attend an event where someone like Kevin is cooking, and engaging, than either Voltaggio brother any day. Given all three chefs seemed to be talented, would it have killed them to someone who wasn't so unpleasant?

I suppose I prefer that to Hosea, the previous winner, who was both boring and not particularly impressive as a chef. Oh well, at least Atlanta came out looking great with three chefs competing and two making it most of the way through. Perhaps we can finally start getting some credit for all of the talented chefs cookin' up a storm in the dirty south? I hear Woodfire Grill is packed the gills these days, and in this economy, that's something to be happy about!

Cape Town Dining - Jardine

After Foodbarn our expectations were quite high for Jardine, one of the highest rated restaurants in Cape Town and even the country as a whole. Alas, our taxi ride there was ill-fated. Our driver claimed to know where it was, so we didn’t pop back into our hotel for the address. After some aimless driving around he admitted he had no idea where he was going, and apparently no one on the other end of his ever-crackling radio had access to Google. After 20 minutes of driving up and down the road it was supposed to be on, and even a failed attempt to stop and ask another hotel (FYI, dodgy tourist hotels apparently don’t know where restaurants on their own streets are located), we finally found it.

Hallelujah! We entered only to find that we were in fact the only ones there. Weird given our reservation was for 7 and we were late, right? They made us wait for our table even though there was quite literally not another diner upstairs, but we didn’t know that yet, so we just unwound over a glass of champagne. Upon being seated, we began to question why no one else was there. For sure the stretch of road it’s on is un-scenic and appears to be across from an adult video store, but Jardine has received such accolades that I assumed more people would be there.Fortunately within half an hour of being seated other diners trickled in, and by the time we left, it was reasonably full. It’s never fun to eat alone!

Prices were notably higher than we had found at Foodbarn, so I opted for the 2-course a la carte, and Mr. At chose the 3 course, and we split his dessert. Everything at Jardine was of course very tasty, it is indeed very elegant with gracious service, but it didn’t quite live up to the standard Foodbarn had set just the night before. For the higher prices, things weren’t quite as delicious!

The west coast black mussels in my appetizer were wonderfully succulent (aren’t anemic little mussels the worst?!), but the coconut milk, ginger and lemongrass broth was so lightly flavored that it didn’t have much impact.

My first of many lamb dishes on the trip came with 3 different petite cuts, vine ripened cherry tomatoes, and vegetable fricassee. The meat was tender and well-prepared, but compared to other lamb dishes had in South Africa, this one didn’t stand out for me. It was lovely to look at though!

The highlight for both of us was the fantastic presentation of the vanilla soufflé flambé, alight with Grand Marnier and cooled by a dollop of vanilla ice cream. I’d never had vanilla souffle before, and I must say it’s not as compelling as chocolate (what is really?), but still it was entertaining and subtle end to the meal.

All in all, Jardine just doesn’t have the cost to deliciousness ratio that Foodbarn has, but the preparations and service were still top notch. it’s so tough in a country with so much great food to compare – elsewhere this meal might have wowed me, but we ate amazing meals nearly every night of our trip, so it was pretty stiff competition!

Cape Town Dining: Foodbarn

After reading a great write-up in the NY Times, I was curious to try the Foodbarn, in Noordhoek. Getting there required a 40 minute drive that was both harrowing and lovely along the cliffs overlooking Cape Town’s beaches. We were rewarded with stellar views on the drive and a phenomenal dining experience.

First off, the French chef’s name is Franck Dangereux, which is just plain awesome. And I just now read that he trained under the chef from Moulin de Mougins in France, site of my all time greatest meal, so he’s even cooler than I imagined!

The setting is nothing special. The restaurant is pleasantly appointed and certainly has the feel of a converted barn. As we found everywhere in South Africa, no matter how nice the restaurant guests arrived in jeans, but here more than most places, it felt appropriate. Our server was an adorable guy who had the rosy cheeks and exuberance that only come with youth. He was certainly not a ultra fine dining kind of waiter, too cheeky and enthusiastic for that, but he seemed perfect for such a relaxed atmosphere.

We had the choice between a multi-course bistro set menu and a la carte. Mr. AT went with the former, and I chose the latter.

While Mr. AT started with salmon ravioli, I oped for tempura of prawns on a tian of avocado , confied eggplamt and tomato, served with basil salsa and finished with a red chilli syrup- Despite it’s long list of ingredients and visually titillating presentation, it was really a pretty straightforward dish. Certainly, there’s nothing complicated in the notion that crunchy shrimp, spicy sauce, and mellow veggies are divine together. Yum!

Both of our entrees were hearty and delectable, too. My steak with a creamy sauce, pearl onions and a mache salad were perfectly prepared and just frenchified enough to be totally decadent. Mr. AT’s lamb chops, the first of many on this trip, were also cooked to a lovely pink medium rare.

Our dessert, while good but not exceptional, came with a sweet inscription of congratulations to us, and we found the XXX portion of the inscription to be a hilarious and most likely unintentional message to a newlywed couple.

In hindsight, we continue to refer to Foodbarn as one of our favorite meals. Given we ate at some of the country’s finest restaurants, this is actually quite a compliment. So what accounted for our fond memories? It was ultimately the price/quality/charm trifecta that sold us on it. Many SA restaurants are priced comparably to high-end Atlanta restaurants, but Foodbarn still felt like a deal. For $27, Mr. AT got 3 courses and a glass of wine. Not too shabby, right? Add to that the delicious food and charming, attentive server, and we were talking about Foodbarn throughout the rest of our trip.

Check it out for yourself:

The Foodbarn Restaurant & Deli
Noordhoek Farm Village, Village Lane, Noordhoek Telephone: +27 (0)21 789 1390

Back from South Africa

It’s official – Mr. AT and I have tied the knot and gallivanted around South Africa for a few weeks, and now we’re back home in the good ol’ ATL. Hard to believe after so much planning that it’s back to the real world again! Fortunately we ate incredibly well at both our wedding and on our honeymoon so lots to tell you about, and of course all that delish holiday eating is right around the corner.

A quick word about our wedding food – as I mentioned after our tasting, Gloriosa cooks up some seriously tasty Southern food, and our wedding day food for 60 was just as good as the tasting for just us two. In fact, I’ve heard compliments from several friends that the fried chicken and mac ‘n cheese are still on their mind weeks later. I only wish I’d had room to eat more because it really was a phenomenal meal. Alas, all that’s left now is the lone remaining slice of red velvet cake tucked away in our freezer for later eating. The whole eat the cake on your anniversary think is king of hokey and probably not optimal for the taste of the cake, but how many chances do I get to live out wedding traditions?

Thanks to all of my guest bloggers who kept everyone entertained during my absence!

Hello from Africa

Full disclosure: I'm writing this before I head to South Africa,

By the time you read this posting, our amazing honeymoon will be almost over. By this point, we've stuffed ourselves silly at some of the world's top restaurants at just a fraction of the price we'd pay in America. Here are the highlights of our culinary travels:

Reuban's

The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais

Le Petit Ferme

Terroir

Hopefully we've found somewhere to eat wild game, too, by this point. I'm hoping to try something like springbok! Back on December 4...