Blue Ribbon Grill House Salad

Topped with roasted pecans, gorgonzola, and red onion, this is one satisfying salad.  The assorted mixed greens were dressed with a very nice gorgonzola vinaigrette.

Blue Cheese Burger With Sweet Potato Fries

Loaded with oodles of blue cheese, thin slices of [...]]]>

Blue Ribbon Grill House Salad

Topped with roasted pecans, gorgonzola, and red onion, this is one satisfying salad.  The assorted mixed greens were dressed with a very nice gorgonzola vinaigrette.

Blue Cheese Burger With Sweet Potato Fries

Loaded with oodles of blue cheese, thin slices of red onion, tomato and lettuce, you don’t want to overlook this burger.  That would be a serious mistake.  Blue cheese pairs beautifully with rich ground beef that’s seared over high heat and touched with pink at the center.

Melty cheese, Big Beef Patty & A Sesame Seed Bun

You’ll want one of these.

Ribeye With Fried Onion Strings

We were both impressed with this piece of meat.  Blue Ribbon Grill offers a respectable prime rib, too.  It was that surprisingly good prime rib that made us give the ribeye a try.  Normally, we stick to the burgers and grouper sandwich at Blue Ribbon Grill.  Not anymore, we’re glad we gave this ribeye a chance.  How often do you get the chance to refer to a ribeye steak as a “good value”?  This was a good value and good eats.

It might be a tad beyond medium rare.  But, we barely noticed.  We were too busy commenting on the nice sprinkling of salt and pepper that so often gets forgotten.

The Blue Ribbon Grill has more than its fair share of seniors.  (Or, “Cotton Heads” …That’s an affectionate term we use.  It’s the ex-Floridian within us rearing its silly little head.  In Florida, a “Cotton Head Alert” at a restaurant tends to be a very bad thing.  Frequently, it signals bland and boring food.  Cotton heads have finicky old bellies, dontcha know.)  But, don’t let that scare you away.  There’s some great neighborhood grub hiding out in the lovingly battered dining room that is Blue Ribbon Grill.

The Blue Ribbon Grill
4006 Lavista Road
Tucker, GA 30084
770 491 1570

Spindrift Sparkling Blackberry Soda

8 Blackberries & A Squeeze of Lemon

The scent of fresh blackberries hit both of us before ever taking a sip.  You really can see specks of blackberry in the bottle and suspended in the soda.  We both fell in love with this [...]]]>

Spindrift Sparkling Blackberry Soda

8 Blackberries & A Squeeze of Lemon

The scent of fresh blackberries hit both of us before ever taking a sip.  You really can see specks of blackberry in the bottle and suspended in the soda.  We both fell in love with this fresh tasting soda that had loads of tart blackberry flavor with a lovely touch of lemon.

What’s for Lunch?

Pressed Short Rib Sandwich with Gruyere & Preserved Tomatoes

Served with a Leafy Green Salad Dressed in Balsamic

And, the Bocado Burger Stack

Served with Herb Fries

The only question:  Who’s lunch was better?

Bocado
887 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA 30318
404 815 1399

Georgia Mule

DBA’s Georgia Mule is composed of Junior Johnson moonshine, fresh ginger, lime and ginger beer.  This cocktail is a lovely breath of fresh air on a warm night.

Fried Pickles & Bacon

Predominantly breaded with cornmeal, these had a really great crunch to them. [...]]]>

Georgia Mule

DBA’s Georgia Mule is composed of Junior Johnson moonshine, fresh ginger, lime and ginger beer.  This cocktail is a lovely breath of fresh air on a warm night.

Fried Pickles & Bacon

Predominantly breaded with cornmeal, these had a really great crunch to them.  Though, like all fried pickles, you need to eat them fast, fast, fast!  They quickly turn soggy.

Fried Pickles & Bacon with Ranch Dressing

Served with a little cup of ranch, we decided neither fried pickles or bacon needed its embellishment.

The Tara Burger

We both loved this burger (even though it was slightly overcooked).  Topped with queso cheese sauce, crispy fried hash browns and fresh jalapeno slices, this burger was just begging to be devoured.  The spicy bite of fresh jalapeno slices with their rush of bright green flavor added the perfect burst of freshness to this incredibly rich (and filling) burger.

BBQ Ribs & Chicken
(The chicken is hidden under that mountain of gigantic onion rings)

Tender, smoky, and full of flavor, both ribs and chicken were delicious… as always.  What was our first comment to each other after one bite of those ribs?  ”Why don’t we eat here more often?”

Then, we got a taste of their new spicy BBQ sauce… We loved it!  It’s a perfect rush of smoky heat with a great zippy bite of vinegar.  DBA Barbecue has our attention, again.

DBA Barbecue
1190 North Highland Avenue NE
Suite B
Altanta, GA 30306
404 249 5000

rBQ

This burger is topped with freshly ground black pepper, chives, slaw, and pulled brisket in rBQ sauce.  It all sits on top of a buttery bun with a dab of smoked mayo.  It all works.  But, it would work even better without the smoked mayo.

rBQ [...]]]>

rBQ

This burger is topped with freshly ground black pepper, chives, slaw, and pulled brisket in rBQ sauce.  It all sits on top of a buttery bun with a dab of smoked mayo.  It all works.  But, it would work even better without the smoked mayo.

rBQ On Top, Butcher’s Cut On Bottom

Butcher’s Cut

Still one of our favorites…

Thinly sliced onions and dressed mixed greens top blue cheese, caramelized onion, and red wine jam.  The grating of fresh pepper makes the perfect finishing touch.  Creamy blue cheese needs that bite of pepper to wake it up and round it out.

Bell’s Amber Ale

What could make it all better?  A great beer to wash them both down.  Bell’s amber ale did the job beautifully.

Nutella & Burnt Marshmallow Milkshake

This followed an appropriate intermission, of course.

Rich, creamy, and chocolate-y with a pleasantlly mild touch of nutella nuttiness.  Bury all of that creamy delicious under a mound of charred marshmallows.  Yum.  But, then again, when isn’t the chocolate/marshmallow combination an instant win?

Flip Burger
1587 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA 30318
404 352 3547

]]> http://www.reviewatlanta.com/2011/05/18/flip-burger-again/feed/ 0 http://www.reviewatlanta.com/2011/01/25/farm-burger/ http://www.reviewatlanta.com/2011/01/25/farm-burger/#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 01:19:46 +0000 michele http://www.reviewatlanta.com/?p=2315

Are you feeling lucky?

That’s the question we ask each other before we head off to Farm Burger.  More often than not, the answer to that question is yes.  Yes, as a matter of fact, we are feeling lucky.  And, we were very lucky on this day.   The four [...]]]>

Are you feeling lucky?

That’s the question we ask each other before we head off to Farm Burger.  More often than not, the answer to that question is yes.  Yes, as a matter of fact, we are feeling lucky.  And, we were very lucky on this day.   The four plump chicken livers were tinted with a perfect blush of pink underneath their crispy batter.  Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Then, you might ask yourself… What are these trashy looking McNugget-like things?  If you ask Farm Burger they’ll tell you chicken pot pie fritters with apple date chutney and a sweet mayo.  But, as ex-Floridians who used to live within minutes of Calle Ocho, we’d call them chicken croquetas.  Our first bite was a pleasant surprise that brought us back to Miami.  These little morsels taste much better than they look.  Tender hunks of REAL chicken are blended with small pieces of carrot and a touch of something like gravy to keep it all moist.

The No 6

We’ve visited Farm Burger a number of times with mixed results.  We were on the fence for quite some time.  We had a couple of excellent Banh Mi burgers.  Then, we had a string of bad luck.  We were shooting 50-50.  For every good burger, the other person at the table was less fortunate.  On this visit, we can happily state that every plate was a winner.  And, each and every element of both burgers was skillfully prepared.  From the perfectly fried egg with its light dusting of salt and pepper to the golden brown bacon to the melty pepperjack cheese through to the glorious, juicy burger with crispy griddled yummy bits on the outside while still touched with pink on the inside.

Now, this is a burger we can sink our teeth into.

The No 5

A generous chunk of tender, silky pork belly is buried under that dollop of barbeque sauce. Pickled jalapenos and a giant beer battered onion ring complete the picture.  We were skeptical on first glance.  That’s a touch more barbecue sauce than we might normally apply ourselves.  But, it all worked out in the end.  Another rich, meaty burger… another happy ending… this time.  What about next time?  It’s a mystery.  But, I think we’re feeling lucky.

Farm Burger
410b West Ponce De Leon Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030
404 378 5077

]]> http://www.reviewatlanta.com/2011/01/25/farm-burger/feed/ 0 http://www.reviewatlanta.com/2011/01/04/seasons-52/ http://www.reviewatlanta.com/2011/01/04/seasons-52/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:55:58 +0000 michele http://www.reviewatlanta.com/?p=2211

Hearty Vegetable Soup with Whole Grain Bread Stick

This tastes shockingly better than it looks.

Grilled Rainbow Trout with Lemon, Carrots, Asparagus & Potatoes

Can you believe this huge plate overflowing with grilled rainbow trout, roasted carrots, asparagus, and potatoes has less than 475 calories?  Grilling [...]]]>

Hearty Vegetable Soup with Whole Grain Bread Stick

This tastes shockingly better than it looks.

Grilled Rainbow Trout with Lemon, Carrots, Asparagus & Potatoes

Can you believe this huge plate overflowing with grilled rainbow trout, roasted carrots, asparagus, and potatoes has less than 475 calories?  Grilling the lemon half was a touch of genius.  We wish more restaurants did this.  We love the way it mellows the juice.  And, as an added bonus, the lemon is easier to squeeze.  With the exception of a touch of butter brushed on the trout, this is one incredibly healthy and delicious dinner.  As a matter of fact, we’d happily eat this every weekday night.

Since we were being so incredibly good, we didn’t feel one bit guilty ordering a bottle of Rioja, Sierra Cantabria Crianza.  It was perfectly smooth, delicate, lightly fruity and entirely lovely.

Buffalo Burger with Guac & Salsa

This was a nice, lean buffalo burger with decent flavor.  But, it won’t be winning any “best of” awards.  The whole grain bun gave us the lowlight (opposite of highlight) of the meal.  It was accompanied by a pleasant (yet more than a bit boring) salad of mixed organic greens.

We’ll be back for the grilled trout at Seasons 52… soon.

Seasons 52
90 Perimeter Center West
Dunwoody, GA 30346
770 671 0052

Can you see the line to the Dali exhibit?

3 Meat Burger

Sirloin, brisket & hanger…. or was it sirloin, brisket & chuck?  We can’t remember.  It was a nice flavorful burger topped with a huge hunk of powerful blue cheese.  But, after viewing one of our [...]]]>

Can you see the line to the Dali exhibit?

3 Meat Burger

Sirloin, brisket & hanger…. or was it sirloin, brisket & chuck?  We can’t remember.  It was a nice flavorful burger topped with a huge hunk of powerful blue cheese.  But, after viewing one of our favorite exhibits, we were hoping for something a bit more like this burger.

Peekytoe Crab Benedict

Nicely poached eggs, delicate crab, pretty greens and a dreadfully ordinary muffin.  Circles of toasted brioche would have added a pleasant lightness with a buttery yum in the background.

Table 1280
1280 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
404 897 1280

Another visit to Alon’s… and we made another great find.

We were browsing with some interest at a rather nondescript vacuum-sealed package of ground beef.

Three-Cut Ground Beef of Hanger, Chuck, & Brisket

And, one of the Alon’s friendly staff volunteered a bit [...]]]>
Homemade BBQ-grilled Burger on Mini Ciabatta

Another visit to Alon’s… and we made another great find.

We were browsing with some interest at a rather nondescript vacuum-sealed package of ground beef.

Three-Cut Ground Beef of Hanger, Chuck, & Brisket

And, one of the Alon’s friendly staff volunteered a bit of information.  The package was a house-ground blend of hanger, chuck & brisket.  Then, he mentioned that Creative Loafing did a write-up.  And, it’s been a great seller.  We we were sold.  We grabbed a pack of 2 burgers ($9) and a few mini ciabattas.

An hour later…

Sha-zam! …quick week-night dinner.

It might not be our all-time favorite ground beef blend.  But, it’s REALLY good.  Creative Loafing mentioned a good amount of fat.  But, our meat was surprisingly lean for a burger (yet, still full of flavor) and tender.

Yummy.  We’ll definitely be buying these again.

Alon’s Bakery And Market
4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road
Atlanta, GA 30346
678 397 1781

What’s not to love?  Crispy cheese topped popovers were served warm with sweet cream butter and sea salt.  They were simple & delicious.

Black Angus Burger with double wood smoked bacon

The high quality angus beef shines in this burger.  And, nicely charred grill marks underline the [...]]]>
Cheesy topped popovers

What’s not to love?  Crispy cheese topped popovers were served warm with sweet cream butter and sea salt.  They were simple & delicious.

Black Angus Burger with double wood smoked bacon

The high quality angus beef shines in this burger.  And, nicely charred grill marks underline the rich beef flavor.  Interestingly, we both thought the real star of this burger was the double wood smoked bacon.  We also appreciated the grill-marked bun.  A toasty bun adds nice crunch and a bit of needed structure to this big burger.

From the sesame bun to the iceberg lettuce, this is a great old school burger.  We’re eager to return when a gorgeously ripe tomato slice will add the finishing touch to this classic burger.  Tomatoes at this time of year do a disservice to this burger.

Lamb with spicy eggplant

This picture doesn’t do justice to the real winner of the day.  This perfectly prepared (medium rare) lamb with spicy eggplant sandwich was divine.  We both found this sandwich to be the real standout.  The complex flavor of lamb complemented the eggplant and spices to perfection.  This sandwich is truly memorable.  It’s worth every penny.  And, it will be the impetus for a return visit… very soon.

Warm Mushroom Salad

This salad was a perfect jolt of pepper and acidic tang.  The chevre rounded out the tang with a bit of creamy smoothness. Chock full of arugula, chevre, and an assortment of barely warm mushrooms including hen of the woods mushrooms, this is a perfect balance of flavors.  From savory richness, to its peppery bite and creamy buttery cheese, it finishes with a burst of fresh bright green flavor to remind you that it is a salad.

BLT Steak
The W Hotel Downtown Atlanta
45 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd.
Atlanta, GA 30308
404 577 7601