Southern Art and Bourbon Bar - Atlanta (Buckhead), Georgia

You know what I love about eating in the South?  I love the absolutely non-apologetic way that Southerners approach food.  In the South, you can totally appreciate food for all its deliciousness ... without guilt over calories or cholesterol and such.  You can dine alone, order four dishes at once and do so without fear of judgment.   In a world with a multitude of diets and health crazes, I find that my affinity for food should be tempered and tamed.  But not quite so in the South.  In the South, indulgence can occasionally be a good thing and during my last one-night only business trip to Atlanta indulge I did ... thanks to Southern Art and Bourbon Bar.

Southern Art and Bourbon Bar is one of several restaurants opened by James Beard Award winning cookbook author and celebrity chef Art Smith.  Best known as the personal chef for media-mogul, Oprah Winfrey, Chef Smith brings all food things Southern together at his Buckhead restaurant.  Just a short walk from the popular shopping centers of Lenox Square and Phipps Mall, those partaking of the Buckhead shopping scene can easily make their way down Peachtree Street to the Intercontinental Hotel, where Southern Art makes its home.

A look at the menu quickly reveals Chef Smith's Southern food heritage.   With items like cheddar biscuits and gravy, fried green tomatoes, buttermilk fried chicken, shrimp 'n grits and braised oxtails, it's not surprising to find that Chef Smith has Southern roots.  Chef Smith was born in Jasper, Florida, just south of the Georgia border, to a farming family dealing in cattle, pecans and heirloom tomatoes.  While attending Florida State University (a fact this Gator grad will have to ignore), he had the distinct honor of completing a culinary internship at the famed Greenbriar in South Carolina.  After years of bringing and cultivating Southern cuisine to urbanites in Washington D.C., Chicago and California, Chef Smith ventured homeward in 2011 to open Southern Art, his first Southeastern location.  And how very lucky for me that he did.

Now, if there is one Southern staple that I must say I love most, its got to be the biscuit.  Buttery flaky goodness that can be paired with almost any kind of spread, sweet or savory.  I personally enjoy a good biscuit, generously drizzled with raw honey or mounded with orange marmalade.  But its just as good with a nice helping of whipped butter.  So, how perfect for me that Southern Art's bread service is none other than butter and biscuits with gently pickled veg.  These aren't your "hard as a brick variety".  Light and airy, it's enough to help you bide your time waiting for the entrees without filling you up.   And with four dishes to come, I needed to save some room!  Even though I kept my promise of confining my choices to "small plates", I knew that in the South there are no such thing as small plates.

When in the South, eat like the Southerners and that I did.  First up were smoked pork rinds, one of my guilty pleasures.  I admit that when I drive across Alligator Alley, my first purchase at the Miccosukee rest stop is a bag of cicharones.   But unlike their convenience store cousins, the Southern Art version is  light, not greasy, and elevated by the accompaniment of a roasted garlic spinach dip.  Makes 'em feel a heck of lot less guilty.

But just for good measure, I also ordered myself a helping of nice "healthy" tomatoes ... fried green tomatoes that is.  I personally can never get my version right; they give off too much water when I fry 'em.  But these were nice and crisp, both inside and out.  And made extra yum with the optional addition of a sweet red pepper chutney.

Up next for my culinary delight, good old Southern Art mac 'n cheese.  Plated in a single serve cast iron dish and sprinkled with toasted bread crumbs, this dish reminds me of the wonderful Southern cook from my sorority house days.  So decadent, I think they should just call this one cheese 'n mac.  By far the best mac 'n cheese I've ever let past these lips.  So darn cheesy!  Every single piece of pasta is generously coated in creamy cheesy goodness from the top of the dish to the bottom.   It's just sinful and typically Southern!

But the piece de resistance of my one-night only stay in the ATL is Southern Art's braised oxtails, over butternut squash risotto, minced "trinity" of celery, onion and carrot and curiously shaved pieces of fried okra.  Oxtail may not be for everyone but, as a Filipino, its been a favorite from my youth.  Fork tender and meaty with occasional glutinous hints, this dish is comfort food at its best.  Interestingly enough, Southern Art serves this as a starter.  But don't let this fool you.  This plate is generous enough to stand as an entree.  This just makes me wonder, just how generous would a Southern Art entree be?  Guess I'll have to get the answer to that question for another trip.

If you are considering a trip to the Big Peach, think about taking a jaunt over to Buckhead for a visit to Southern Art and Bourbon Bar.  Casual diners can partake of their fare on the patio and watch the traffic on Peachtree roll by.   Want an upscale or intimate setting?   Simply find your way inside.  This is $$ to $$$ on the dining cheque scale, depending upon what you order.  All the dinner entrees are at least $25 each, but those with slimmer wallets can follow my lead and sate themselves on the more generous starters.   This was a 4 spoon experience, one I definitely recommend.

The Bay House, Naples, Florida

Chef Andy Hunter's BBQ Catfish with Pickled Veg Slaw

When you decide to write a food blog, it becomes incumbent on you to find great eats and enjoy to your heart's content.  I'm always keeping my eyes and ears out for the next new thing to try or place to go.  But sometimes, great food finds its way directly to me and that's exactly how I found myself at the Bay House some weeks ago.

If you are in Naples for any length of time, you're likely to have heard about the Bay House, a fine dining waterfront restaurant tucked away on Walkerbilt Road.  With its large open windows and tranquil views of the Cocohatchee River, it's a favored spot for Sunday brunches and intimate dinners.  It's a favorite of Naples seasonal residents and the writers of the Lilly Pulitzer travel blog too.  The rave reviews are in large part due to the genius of the Bay House's Chef Andy Hunter and his creative menus.

I count myself lucky to have met Chef Andy's wife, Lyn, a few years ago when our girls joined the same Girl Scout troop.  In addition to a shared appreciation for literature, quick wit and female empowerment, we both know good food when we taste it.  Admittedly though, Lyn has the upper hand on me in that department.  Anna, whose spent a few nights over at the Hunters, tells me that Chef Andy makes the best breakfast bacon from scratch and now she's spoiled for life.  If only I could have my own professional chef!  But Lyn does.  So, when she texted me in mid-July and invited me to be her guest for a Chef's Dinner at the Bay House, I answered with an emphatic "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

The Chef's Dinner experience at the Bay House is no ordinary dining experience.  At 7 p.m. on Saturday nights, in the restaurant's intimate private dining room, Chef Andy hosts a lucky few who partake of a multi-course tasting menu that varies weekly.  Starting with appetizers, moving into entrees and ending with dessert, the Chef's Dinner presents each diner with sumptuous tasting bites that highlight Chef Andy's well honed and artistic culinary skill.  The service of each dish is accompanied by a short presentation from the Chef himself, giving insight into the composition and inspiration of each dish, a presentation that not only whets your appetite but sends your taste buds in search of those inspirational nuggets.  Not to be ignored, the wine connoisseurs amongst the diners also get a table side presentation from the Bay House's sommelier, Jon Roberson, and generous pours of the recommended wines.  Not simply a dinner, the Chef's Dinner experience is enlightening and a treat for anyone with a genuine appreciation for the art of food.

On the occasion of my invitation to the Bay House, I had the pleasure of enjoying a number of dishes.  Some familiar to me from past Bay House trips, and some brand new.  Among my old favorites is Chef Andy's "Yankee" cornbread, described by the Chef to be a northern version of the southern favorite sweetened with sugar to suit the yankee palate.  Served simply alongside house made pickles and deviled eggs, the sweet and tart tastes were perfect starters to the dinner, awakening the taste buds for the dishes to come, which included a fried oyster on cucumber sauce and a lovely smoked onion soup.

Fried Oyster with Cucumber Sauce

A surprising and welcome highlight to the meal was the watermelon granita.  Although an obvious palate cleanser, the granita stood on its own ground.  Refreshing and sweet, paying homage to the end of the summer with its cool taste of watermelon, it was a perfect precursor to Chef Andy's next dish.

If I had to vote on an absolute favorite, the BBQ catfish would have been my chosen winner of the Chef's Dinner tasting menu.  Like the granita, it too was a welcome salutation to a traditional summer taste.  Not appearing to be a barbecue dish, its flavors certainly harkened to barbecue's sweet and tangy tastes.  And since barbecue ribs are a perennial at my home, this dish spoke right to me.  What was so great about this dish, is that is didn't need to be "true" barbecue to taste like barbecue.  And it's that kind of creative attention to flavor that separates the cook from the Chef.

The catfish was followed by a country fried pork tenderloin, served over a bed of white cannellini beans, dotted with a sweet n' savory red pepper jelly, and surrounded by a swath of white country gravy.  And to cap off the night, a piece de resistance:  a banana pudding encased in a chocolate shell, melted by hot fudge poured table side to make for a decadent ending.  Both dishes were a delightful finish to a great southern-inspired meal.  

The Chef's Dinner is a "can't miss" experience and I count myself lucky to have been invited to share such a wonderful meal.  And although each plate came only with small tastes (it is after all a tasting menu), my belly was certainly full and my taste buds satisfied.  As I drove home, with my own mini-loaf of Chef Andy's Yankee cornbread to share with a rather jealous Anna, I knew that it wouldn't be long before I would be back to the Bay House.  In fact, I came back just two days there after with colleagues in tow.  That's how much I loved it, and I know you will too.

Country Fried Pork Tenderloin served over cannelli beans and accompanied by white gravy and pepper jelly

The Chef's Dinners at the Bay House are offered every Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at a price of $65 per person ($35 additional per person for wine pairings).  Seating is limited so reservations are highly recommended.  799 Walkerbilt Road, Naples, Florida, (239) 591-3837

Osteria Tulia, Naples, Florida

Housemade burrito with heirloom tomatoes and pea tendrils

For the past couple of years, I've been a loyal customer of Collier Family Farms, a local organic produce farm situated east of Naples.  Last season they participated in my local farmers' market, bringing with them a bounty of tomatoes of all types.  Farmer Steve tells me that the best tomatoes on their farm are earmarked just for Osteria Tulia, the "it" restaurant on Naples' famed 5th Avenue opened by Chef Vincenzo Betulia.  With the help of local purveyors like Collier Family Farms and local butcher, Jimmy P's, Chef Vincenzo extends the farm-to-table concept to rustic Italian fare and creates savory masterpieces that will make you want to come back for more.  And I'm not the only one singing Tulia's praises.  This past season, Tulia saw the likes of Harry Connick, Jr. and famed chef Emeril Lagasse too.  With a following like that, you can bet that Tulia will be around for a long time to come.  

Tulia is charming with its rustic wood flooring and inlaid brick, sophisticated but casual with the feel of a European farm house.  It's romantic enough for that long-deserved date night and at the same time perfect for a leisurely night out with friends.  Whether you are a party of one, two or more, it's easy to relax and enjoy yourself in Tulia's dining room.

Chef Vincenzo's first course appetizers are a hit with its visitors.  The most surprising favorite is Tulia's crisp fried pigs ears.  As off putting as it may sound, this is not your ordinary pork rind.  Only slightly chewy in places, crisp in others, perfectly salted and served with an optional lime wedge, its just the right thing to wet your palate and get you ready for the main course to come.  Don't feel like being adventurous, then stick with Tulia's warm bread service and traditional Italian caponata (just like my husband's Sicilian grandmother used to make).  If you'd rather skip the apps and get started on the courses, Tulia offers a delightful selection of salads.  Among my favorites is the soft and creamy house made burrata with some of Collier Family Farm's supplied heirloom tomatoes, dressed with olive oil, cracked black pepper and pea tendrils.  The watermelon and raspberry salad with frisee and feta is also a nice summer option.  

Garganelli with braised lamb and sheep cheese

But the pasta dishes at Tulia are where it is at.  Made on site, these pasta dishes are to die for (and for a little bit extra can be made gluten free).  I'm a short rib fan so the tortellini is one of my go to options when dining at Tulia.  And if Anna isn't with me, the garganelli with braised lamb is a nice choice too.  The meats added to these dishes are both cooked nicely, appropriately sauced and properly highlighted by these well made pastas.  Having difficulty choosing?  Wednesday nights this summer, Tulia offers a pasta tasting flight with a trio of selections.   Have picky kids?  There's no reason that they too can't enjoy Tulia.  I've been told the kitchen will oblige a finicky eater with buttered versions of these pastas.

If you are not into pasta, my newest Tulia recommendation is the seafood risotto.  Anyone who has tried to make risotto at home knows that a well-cooked risotto is not easily done.  It takes a lot of patience and practice.  So when I have an opportunity to order this traditional Italian rice dish at a restaurant with a chef as skilled as Chef Vincenzo, I don't pass that up.  Billed to be made with "all the seafood in the house", this dish is indeed chock full of bits from the goodness of the waters punctuated with fresh cut scallion.  When the risotto appears again on Tulia's regularly changing menu, I will definitely order it again.  

My biggest recommendation though is to come to Tulia with an empty stomach.  Why?  Because, after dining through all of these amazing dishes, you really don't want to miss the dessert selections.  Just like their is savory courses, Tulia's sweet plates don't disappoint.  Visually inviting and equally tasty, these desserts make for a great capper to a great night.

The best thing about Tulia?  Enjoying its fare doesn't really have to break your budget.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm sure you could really blow through quite a bit of cash here if you really wanted to.  But, sans wine and with careful selections, you could really get out of this place on the cheap.  On our first trip to Tulia, the hubby and I skated away with a bill just under $100.  Not bad when you consider we'd ordered a salume app, a salad, two pasta dishes, one dessert, coffee and a glass of wine.  Just the other day, my party of four dined on apps, salads, entrees, dessert, coffee and several glasses of wine for a total, with tip, of $210.  Not bad, right?!  If that's still too rich for your pocket, then head next door to Chef Vincenzo's gastropub, Bar Tulia, for high quality plates at more casual prices.

What can I say, I love Osteria Tulia.  It's one of the places I bring anyone who is new to Naples.  It's a place I go to celebrate a holiday.  Because this place itself is something to celebrate.  

Dining cheque rating:  $$$

Dining spoons rating:  4 1/2 spoons

Chef's Table, Stuart, Florida

Lobster Bisque

Recently, my mother-in-law celebrated her hallmark 80th birthday.  For the occasion, we all traveled to the Treasure Coast of Florida back to the homes of our childhoods.  The Treasure Coast area is situated just to the north of the Palm Beaches.  The latter is known for great dining and entertainment.  The former, not so much.  While a trip to West Palm for dinner is a nice treat, it's also a bit of a drive.  So, my challenge for Mom's birthday weekend was find some place local to honor her with a great meal.

On the Treasure Coast, fine dining options are few and far between.  My friends in the area might disagree but when compared to the selections just 30 minutes south, the choices just aren't ample.  The most recommended dining spots are situated on the southern end of the region, in Martin County.  Typically, we would have opted to visit the area's one well-known bright spot, 11 Maple Street.  But, as luck would have it, July is the one month when 11 Maple Street is closed.  After more than 15 years away from the area, I was at a loss for a suitable substitute.  My go to resource, Open Table, had no suggestions.  Desperate, I took a chance on Google and came across the web page for the Chef's Table. I know I shouldn't pick a restaurant based upon a web presence but this restaurant has got some good marketing.  It's not the most scientific method for choosing a dining option, but I figure a great looking web page at least means that the restaurant makes enough coin to invest in their business.  I could have been entirely wrong, but at the time I was two hours away from Stuart with no reservation for dinner that evening.  Call it shooting fish in a barrel.

Lucky for me, my bullet hit its target.  The Chef's Table turned out to be quite a surprise.  Located in a small two-unit commercial strip across from The Fresh Market, the Chef's Table facade hides an intimate restaurant with a Tuscan farm-style decor.  This farm-to-table restaurant which began as a catering company has a weekly changing three-course prix fixe menu based upon the availability of seasonal ingredients.  The husband and wife chef-owner team of Adam and Kate Fatigate, both CIA grads, transform those ingredients with their big city training and experience.

Joining us and Mom for dinner were our two children.  The Chef's Table does not have a separate children's menu but does allow a la carte ordering from the menu for younger diners.  The week of our visit featured a French inspired menu, in honor of Bastille day.  So, as you can imagine, the menu didn't consist of any truly child appropriate fare.  I'm lucky that my children are used to "the fancy food" so we were able to find entrees that would appeal to them.  Unfortunately, the menu did not list a la carte prices; it wasn't until our check arrived that we learned that our children's dishes were $35 and $50 respectively.  Ouch!

What I loved:  For dinner, I ordered lobster bisque as my first course and cassoulet (a French meat and bean casserole) made with duck breast as my second course.  For dessert, I sampled a creme broulee and a selection of sorbets.  In my experience, bisques are creamy, sometimes too creamy.  Not quite so at the Chef's Table.  While this is no thin soup, any cream that was in this dish was clearly a minor player.  As it should have been, lobster was the star.  That lobster meat was presented to me in the center of a dry bowl before bisque was poured around it from a small porcelain beaker.  As I ate, I rationed the precious lobster meat and conserved generous bits for my last few spoonfuls.  The few virgin spoonfuls revealed that this dish could stand alone as a flavorful seafood broth.  The bisque was enough to convince me that dining at the Chef's Table turned out to be a good choice.

The cassoulet sealed that deal.  This traditional French casserole consisted of a seared duck breast served over wilted greens and white beans in a well seasoned broth.  This is a seriously satisfying dish.  Maybe it was the beans.  They always tend to be rather filling.  Or perhaps it was the nicely cooked and sizable portion of breast.  Either way, this dish had a lot of flavor and substance.  In fact, all of the dishes around our table were generous in portion and in taste.  Sometimes fine dining establishments tempt your palate but don't give you enough to sate our appetite.  I've been places where a whole dish can be devoured in four bites or less.   Not so at the Chef's Table.  These dishes are plentiful and filling.  If you eat at the Chef's Table, you shouldn't ever leave hungry.

What I didn't love:  I used to think the world of creme brûlée and some still think its my favorite dessert.  In the past few years, It's become a little passe for me but sometimes I will partake.  Mom's 80th birthday seemed like a good occasion to visit with an old favorite.  It's always nice to enjoy a good smooth smooth spoonful of creamy custard, especially when that custard is flecked with spots of vanilla bean.  But no good custard can make up for a burned brûlée crust.  And burned this was.  Someone might have called this seriously caramelized but anyone who's had a burned crust knows that it leaves a pretty bitter aftertaste.  And that's not a good thing when its the last thing you've eaten.

I also didn't love our very expensive dinner check.  I've paid my share of high end tabs and in certain places it is completely expected.  Had we been in our own town, which admittedly is a resort town, I wouldn't have have batted an eyelash.  The Chef's Table is a good restaurant but they charge New York prices in a town that just isn't New York.  I realize that their food is much better than the competition and that they deserve to be paid for that good food.  But $60 a person - without alcohol - is pretty hefty for the Treasure Coast.  At least I can say that the price of each dish was well matched by its size and breadth.

How much I spent:  ($$$$)  For our party of five (me, my husband, Mom and the two kids), we spent $305 with tip included.  The adults all dined from the $45 three-course prix fixe menu.  You already know how pricy my children's entrees were; and they ordered dessert too.  As always, we didn't order alcohol but we did order two large bottles of Pelligrino for the table.  My children each had sodas (which at Chef's Table are not the usual domestic variety).   Maybe next time I force them to stick with tap water.

My overall rating:  3 1/4 spoons.  Overall, I really enjoyed the Chef's Table.  Unfortunately, the size of this check just made it hard to enjoy it much more.   Thankfully, the larger portions made the cost a little easier to swallow.  I'd be happy to go back during a future visit to the Stuart area, but I think I'll have to be a bit more careful about what I order or otherwise inquire in advance about a la carte ordering.  I also think that next time we go back to sharing plates with the kids!


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Fruition Restaurant, Denver, Colorado

When I first knew that I would be flying in and out of Denver this summer, I began to research popular restaurants in the area.   My Pinterest dining board includes pins for notable restaurants in and around both Denver and Boulder.   Among these is Fruition Restaurant.  Fruition is housed in a renovated home along the busy thoroughfare of 6th Avenue.  It is an intimate setting for couples and small groups.  And its chef, Alex Seidel, is attracting attention.  In 2011, Fruition was rated Denver's top restaurant by Zagat.  Farm-to-table restaurants like Fruition are part of the current epicurean trend.

The four of us shared a slab of pork belly topped with a six minute egg and paired with english peas and handmade cavatelli.  My husband and son shared a grilled Bavette steak (which we learned is a flank cut) with duck fat french fries (yes, I said duck fat), swiss chard, summer leeks and olathe corn.  I enjoyed a Maple Leaf Farms duck breast with duck confit potato hash, poached asparagus, meyer lemon hollandaise and duck crackling salad while Anna ate pan roasted halibut cheeks en papillote.

What I loved:  The food was definitely good.  The sourdough bread in particular is a treat.  Soft in the middle with a nice crisp salty crust, served with appropriately softened butter.  Hmmm.  The farm-to-table concept is a plus and was most apparent in the service of the vegetables incorporated into our dishes.  The english peas, swiss chard, olathe corn and potatoes were all flavorful and fresh.  Believe me, one can really taste the difference when the vegetables are fresher.  The meats we ate were all cooked well (not the best we've ever had yet still good), but the veggies were the clear stars.

What I didn't love:  The service, which accounts for the shortness of this review.  We couldn't wait to get out of there.  The hostess was rather standoffish, which is a rather odd quality to have in a hostess.  When she mentioned the slight threshold between the entrance and our portion of the dining room, I swear she was whispering which explains why my husband tripped over it.  Our waitress clearly wasn't interested in waiting on us either.  We waited nearly 10 minutes for her to approach us from the time we were seated at our table.  Drinks did come in good time but the promised bread service was also slow.  Bread here is served by the piece and I actually found myself wishing they would just leave the bread on the table.  It was just a shame because I think the bread was probably my one favorite.  Our server rarely asked us how we were doing and whether we needed anything.  Again, very odd as I know there are other places that practically smother you.  And after our dinner was done, it took several more minutes just to clear the plates (which we were actually starting to stack on the table ourselves).  By the time someone noticed my nice, neat stack of dishes and realized we had been waiting, we were ready to go.  We asked for the check before she even had the opportunity to put down the dessert menus.  Our waitress couldn't have dropped that check off faster - the only really prompt service of the night.

What was most disappointing was seeing all the great service being given to our neighboring diners, not only by other servers but by our own server.  None, save one other table, included children.  It's sad to say, but I'm left to assume that was the problem.  Fruition did not have a separate children's menu, which did not surprise me, but our server made no attempt to make suggestions for my kids.  Now I didn't need suggestions, my kids are used to me taking them to restaurants just like Fruition.  But it would have been nice to see the effort.  Even the waiter at the more elegant Restaurant Kelly Liken tried to engage them, awkward as it may have been.  In fact, the hostess and servers all seemed uncomfortable serving my children.  They were tentative and unapproachable.  I suppose they just aren't used to young diners and frankly my kids are not that young.  (They are 8 and 13.)

How much I spent:  ($$$)  Because we were dining with our children, we shared several plates.  The four of us had a shared first course, and my husband and son shared their second course steak.  Because of her size and smaller appetite, I ordered a traditional first course halibut as my daughter's second course.  Although I stayed with water, everyone else ordered sodas and lemonade.  With a slim 10% tip due to very poor service, our bill came to $110.

My overall rating:  1 1/2 spoons.  The food is well prepared, not necessarily the best I have had but still good.  On food alone, this would have rated at least 3 spoons.  But the service was very poor, too poor to ignore.  It could have been much better, as clearly our dining neighbors got great service.  It's a shame that our server was not thrilled either by the lack of any wine at our table or the notion of serving our children.  And any place that isn't interested in having my kids there isn't a place I need to return to.  Chef Seidel should take a cue from Richard Blais and The Spence.  Now that's a place that loves kids, but that's another review for another day