Cajun

Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro in Atlantic Station is a little piece of New Orleans in Atlanta. The atmosphere is great, the service is good, and the cheesecake is perfection. I have a confession to make: every other time I go to this restaurant I order the same thing. Luckily I've been so many times I've tried many things on the vast Louisiana inspired menu. This time I ordered my usual: wings for an appetizer, catish for an entree, and dulce de leche cheesecake for dessert. My friend and I totally indulged! As you can see no vegetables or leafy greens in sight. This is my favorite dish because its always crispy, seasoned wonderfully, and served with fresh cocktail and tartar sauces. The portion is out of control so you can eat it two or three times; talk about bang for your buck! For dessert try any of the cheesecakes and you'll leave satisfied.

Quiche

As a kid my mom made quiche but I never ate it. I can't remember where I tried it but when I did I loved it. I also decided that I preferred vegetable quiche. The other day I went to the store and a large bag of spinach was on sale so I found a general recipe on Allrecipes and adapted it for what I wanted. Instead of butter I cooked two strips of bacon to saute the onions and garlic in, but I didn't actually use the bacon in the quiche.

Original recipe makes 6 servings

 2 tablespoons butter
 1 onion, minced
 1 teaspoon minced garlic
 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
 4 eggs, well beaten
 3/4 cup milk
 1 teaspoon salt
 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
 1 tablespoon butter, melted


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Over medium-low heat melt butter in a large saucepan or crisp two strips of bacon and remove.

Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent not brown. Let cool.

Stir saute mixture into spinach and sprinkle with cheese. Spoon filling into crust

Combine eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in melted butter. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until center has set.

Pumpkin Bread

I've this recipe for a while and had been meaning to make it since before Thanksgiving, yet never got around to it. So now that I'm on vacation and have to classes to attend, I decided it was as good a times as any to finally make some pumpkin bread. I love making breads because there's always plenty to share. Not to mention it makes the house smell homey. Below is a recipe I got from Allrecipes that I substituted oil for applesauce. Enjoy!

Original recipe makes 3 - 7x3 inch loaf pans

 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
 4 eggs
 1 cup applesauce
 2/3 cup water
 3 cups white sugar
 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 2 teaspoons baking soda
 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Korean Fusion in Little Five Points

As much as I enjoy being in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta, I don't know that I've ever eaten at one of its restaurants. A friend and I stopped into to OMG Taco on our way to East Atlanta Village. 

When I walked in the first thing I noticed was the artwork and decor. Street art adorned the walls and the counter was made to look like a food truck. I ordered bi bim bap. It is a signature Korean rice dish with sauteed veggies, marinated beef, and topped with an egg (raw or fried) and chili pepper sauce. The vegetables were crisp, not over cooked, the sauce was delicious and the beef was tender. I will go again to try the tacos. 

Atlanta Food Trucking

You already know how much I love food trucks so it's only right I visited a few while on vacation! I was on my way to lunch with a friend, when I noticed one of my friends posted a pic on Instagram from one of the trucks; of course I had to figure out where it was and go, so on the off ramp headed to a different restaurant, I Googled the location and got directions. Oh the joys of social media and a smart phone! Luckily it was down the street from our original destination so we were already going in the right direction. 

There were a few options so we looked around a bit first and decided on bbq. I ordered the brisket sandwich and the guy taking my ordered mentioned a "crisket" sandwich. Intrigued I asked for that instead. I received a heap of pulled brisket AND pulled chicken on buttery Texas toast. I ordered a side of loaded potato salad and topped my sandwich with sweet and spicy sauces. For 6 bucks you can't beat it!

Dessert Please

Café Intermezzo is another Atlanta favorite and a must visit. I haven't had anything I didn't like. I usually go for dessert but the few times I've gotten paninis they were good. There's a wide variety of hot, cold, alcoholic, non-alcoholic, caffeinated and non-caffeinated beverages to choose from. When you go don't ask for dessert menu because there isn't one! Everyday the dessert cases are filled with different fluffy cakes and creamy cheesecakes. You can be a "regular" and not get the same thing every time. 

I ordered the orange cream cake which was moist and provided just the right combination of tart and sweet. I liked that the cake itself had the orange flavor as opposed to just the frosting. It tasted like a orange creamsicle. One of my friends ordered the lemon cake that was made similarly. Another friend ordered the strawberry cheesecake. Hands down the best I've ever tasted. It wasn't just a plain cheesecake thawed and topped with that disgusting strawberry gel. The strawberry was incorporated into the cream cheese filling! So delish! Can't wait to go back and try something else!

Twist

Twist is one of nine restaurants in the Here to Serve network of establishments. Its trendy, young, stylish, and hip atmosphere lends itself to different crowds and portrays everything that I love about Atlanta. While there is plenty to choose from on the regular menu, I can't remember the last time I ordered from it because they have a great all-you-can-eat tapas menu on Sundays from 4 to close. The menu changes every week and includes fresh salads, fruit or vegetables, sushi and more. My last night in Atlanta I met some friends to share conversation and good food. The menu consisted of a fresh green salad with tomatoes and chickpeas, a pineapple salad with coconut and rum, caramelized onion and chorizo ragu, chicken enchilada balls with tomatillo sauce, and an assortment of sushi. Everyone's favorite was the enchilada which was really unique and cooked similar to falafel. The food is served family style and the plates keep coming until you say when. Its always a good time at Twist!

Down Home with Mary Mac

Miss Mary Mac, Mac, Mac
All dressed in black black black
With silver buttons buttons buttons
All down her back back back
She asked her mother mother mother
For fifty cents cents cents
To see an elephant elephant elephant
Jump over a fence fence fence
He jumped so high high high
He touched the sky sky sky
And didn't come back back back
Till the Fourth of July July July . . .

There's probably no correlation between that childhood song and this restaurant but I can't help sing it every time hear the name Mary Mac. As I looked it up the lyrics to make sure I had them right I realized the ending is rather morbid. I'm not sure if ever knew the end or I just chose to forget it because I didn't like it, either way Mary Mac's Tea Room is a must when visiting Atlanta. It's cuisine is the epitome of southern comfort food and has been since 1945. 

It's fried, smothered, covered and baked to perfection. You won't be disappointed with any selection. They start you off with yeast rolls, cinnamon rolls, and cornbread that you'll struggle not to fill up on. If you haven't been here before definitely try the Brunswick stew or pot likker as an appetizer. I chose the special of the day, chicken fried chicken. It was topped with classic white gravy and served with a choice of two sides. With all the sides they have to choose from it was particularly hard to narrow it down. You can't have white gravy without mashed potatoes, so that's one but I couldn't decide on just one other after that so I got macaroni and cheese and fried green tomatoes. The chicken was tender and crispy even the next day. I've had better green tomatoes and the mac & cheese was too salty this time but that's not the norm. From previous experiences I can tell you the greens, green beans, black eyed peas, sweet potato souffle, and cheese grits are killer sides. Save room for dessert! The peach cobbler is warm and sweet with flaky, buttery crust. You can also choose from pecan pie, bread or banana pudding, or strawberry shortcake to name a few. 

Dinner in the Park

All of my friends know how much I love Park Tavern at Piedmont Park. Birthdays, anniversaries, farewells, random Tuesday nights have been spent at this wonderful little place. The menu is always fresh and flavorful.

You can feel comfortable picking anything from their small yet diverse menu. From southwest egg rolls to mahi mahi you will not be disappointed and the prices are unbeatable for the quality.  Plus they have half price sushi everyday from 10pm to close, half price bottles of wine on Wednesday, and $1 drafts on rainy days!!!!

The bison burgers are made with fresh ground meat, seasoned, grilled to perfection, and topped with local and sustainable veggies.  while the sushi rolls are unique and fresh rolled. My favorite is the Dragon Roll, rolled with shrimp tempura, red pepper, cream cheese and green onions topped with grilled eel and crab. I get it almost every time I go to Park tavern or recommend it to anyone who goes.

I've tried almost everything on the menu, but since the last time I went they added a few new items so I chose the Big Bang Shrimp Tacos. One of my culinary pet peeves is tacos made with flour tortillas but I indulged anyway. The tortillas were stuffed with crispy fried shrimp and served with fresh pico de gallo and a chipotle cream sauce. Expectantly delicious, my only complaint is that there were only 2 and not the typical trio of tacos. 

Another must order is the sangria. Skip the glass and get the carafe! I do and I promise you won't regret it. Just be careful standing up after! What are you waiting for? Go!

Herb & Soul

Groupon helped me find a wonderful little place in northeast Baltimore; Parkville to be exact. The concept is similar to the staple of Baltimore: the carry out. They're all over the place; sometimes two on one block serving Chinese, pizza, sandwiches, and the notorious chicken box. The twist is that Herb & Soul strives to bring fresh, sustainable meats and produce. If you cant beat em, join em right? They boast Maryland farmed, cage free chicken and eggs, grass fed beef, pork and lamb, and Maryland grown veggies. My wonderful little groupon included an appetizer, two entrees, and dessert for two. I was able to try a lot of items from their small but diverse menu. I had:

Appetizer: Chicken and Waffles

The chicken was seasoned perfectly. It was juicy and still crispy even though I got it delivered. The waffle had a wonderful sweet potato flavor and it's served with a homemade maple syrup that is to die for.

Entrées: Catfish and Pork Loin

The catfish was fresh, perfectly crisp, and not greasy at all but the cornmeal completely lacked seasoning. The macaroni and cheese was ooey, gooey, and delicious. I'm pretty sure it had nutmeg which is the "secret" to any great baked Mac and cheese. The Liberian collard greens were tender and well seasoned but entirely too sweet for my taste.

The pork loin was tender and juicy but again lacked seasoning. I could have eaten an entire pot of the green beans and I'm not the biggest green bean fan. The candied yams were tender but not sweet enough for me.

Dessert: Cranberry Cupcake

The flavor was good and it was topped with a tart frosting but the cake itself was very dry.

Overall: Good, fresh, local food. I'm going back to try their Indian fry bread taco! And if all else fails get the chicken and waffles!

City Café

Back to one of my favorite places in Mount Vernon. The last time I went was restaurant week. The friend I went with back then wanted to go again. Being incredibly busy people, months later we finally got together last Friday. Dinner, dessert, and hours of great conversation are always welcomed on a Friday night. 

We shared an appetizer, the MEATLESS NACHOS with Green Chili Chickpeas, Pepperjack Cheese Sauce, Fresh Salsa, Guacamole & Sour Cream. All the ingredients were fresh as opposed to canned. I'm definitely going to make nachos at home with chickpeas; who knew it would be so good?

I ordered the CHILEAN SEABASS which was Pan Seared, with Jumbo Lump Crab, Beurre Blanc, Whipped Potatoes & Asparagus I'm kind of a seafood snob and City Café never disappoints. The fish melted in my mouth. It was fresh and perfectly seared. I could eat that meal everyday . . . if only I had the metabolism of a 16 year old boy. 

My friend got the LAMB & VEAL MEATLOAF it was Prosciutto Wrapped and served with Whipped Potatoes, Local Green Beans, and Rosemary Demi Glace. It was very hearty and the gravy was scrumptious.

For dessert I had the Heathbar Crunch Bread Pudding with House Made Caramel Sauce and Fresh Whipped Cream and my friend ordered the Baileys Creme Brulee With Chocolate Curls & Fresh Whipped Cream. Both equally delectable!

Jalapeño Popper Dip

I usually have jalapeños on hand because I love spice and I put them in a lot of things. I had a lot of extras and wanted to make something different. I found this recipe on Pinterest and gave it a try. I made it without the bacon because I didn't have any. Because I'm cooking for one I halved the recipe and still ate it for four days. I kept the same amount of jalapeños but they were on the small side, too small for stuffing. Next time I'll probably keep some seeds because it wasn't hot at all but still very tasty.

Ingredients

6-8 slices of bacon, diced and cooked crispy
2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, soft
1 cup of mayonnaise
4-6 jalapeno's, chopped and deseeded. The seeds will make it fiery hot.
1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup diced green onion

Topping:

1 cup of crushed crackers (I used Club crackers)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 stick of butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Combine all of the ingredients into a medium bowl. Stir well.

3. Transfer to an oven proof dish. The size of the dish depends on how thick the dip is. The thicker the dip the longer it may need to warm up. I used a glass pie pan. My dip was a little less than an inch thick.

4. Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle all over the top of the dip.

5. Bake the dip for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.