(AKA Sweet Vanilla Haystack)

Did you ever dip french fries in a vanilla milkshake in high school?  This is better.  The sweet potato fries were perfectly crisp and drizzled with caramel sauce.  We both simultaneously commented that we would have been happy [...]]]>
Sweet Potato Fries, Vanilla Ice Cream & Caramel Sauce

(AKA Sweet Vanilla Haystack)

Did you ever dip french fries in a vanilla milkshake in high school?  This is better.  The sweet potato fries were perfectly crisp and drizzled with caramel sauce.  We both simultaneously commented that we would have been happy with the caramel drizzled sweet potato fries.  The ice cream was an added indulgence.  Trashy bar food?  Yes, but, sometimes we’re in the mood for something a little trashy.

Fried Scallops, Shrimp, Clam Strips, Fish Fingers, & Hush Puppies

This was a solid plate of fried bar food for the price… even if the scallops were a bit overcooked.

Fish & Chips

Another plate of fried fish… also, nicely done.  We don’t even feel guilty.  After  spending nine hours in the blistering heat, we eagerly gobbled up almost every bite.

Miller’s Ale House
10750 Davis Drive
Alpharetta, GA 30004
678 277 2581

For a fast food milkshake, this is really quite nice.  Birthday cake?  Not really.  But, we both agreed that it did taste of vanilla pudding.  You know the sort of vanilla pudding you see at a cafeteria?  Creamy vanilla pudding layered with ‘nilla wafers and whipped cream… That’s [...]]]>
Zaxby’s Birthday Cake Milkshake

For a fast food milkshake, this is really quite nice.  Birthday cake?  Not really.  But, we both agreed that it did taste of vanilla pudding.  You know the sort of vanilla pudding you see at a cafeteria?  Creamy vanilla pudding layered with ‘nilla wafers and whipped cream… That’s exactly what the Zaxby’s birthday cake milkshake tastes like.

Zaxby’s

Don’t feel guilty.  There’s a fig wrapped around your caramel.  I love these individually wrapped candies.  One makes a perfect little treat.

Walnut!

Creamy walnut pops… genius!  Love them!

Juice of the Cashew Fruit

I’ve found frozen cashew fruit (cashew apple) on Buford Highway. [...]]]>
Figs Stuffed with Caramel

Don’t feel guilty.  There’s a fig wrapped around your caramel.  I love these individually wrapped candies.  One makes a perfect little treat.

Walnut!

Creamy walnut pops… genius!  Love them!

Juice of the Cashew Fruit

I’ve found frozen cashew fruit (cashew apple) on Buford Highway.  But, the flavor is significantly better in this juice.

Super Mercado Jalisco #5
440 Pleasant Hill Road
Lilburn, GA 30044
770 381 9215

Given the light color, we were shocked by the richness of this salted caramel ice cream.  The buttery caramel flavor reminds me of sticky toffee pudding.  Love it!

And, the maple bacon brittle is oddly addictive.  The genius is the super-thick brittle coating that covers [...]]]>
Salted Caramel & Maple Bacon Brittle

Given the light color, we were shocked by the richness of this salted caramel ice cream.  The buttery caramel flavor reminds me of sticky toffee pudding.  Love it!

And, the maple bacon brittle is oddly addictive.  The genius is the super-thick brittle coating that covers the bacon.  Without it, the bacon would just be too much.  Instead, the thick coating of crunchy caramel camouflages all but the perfect touch of smoke surrendered by the bacon.

Pecan Praline & Chocolate Hazelnut

As you can see (above), the pecan praline is literally oozing caramel.  What’s not to love about that?  Yum!  And, the chocolate hazelnut is perfectly delicious.  As always, the balance of chocolate and roasted hazelnuts is right on the money.

Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream & Desserts
749 Moreland Avenue SE
Suite B-102
Atlanta, GA 30316
404 622 0210

This is one killer combination.  I don’t know which flavor I love more.  And, I love the color and crunch of the sprinkles. (my sugar cone was dipped in chocolate as we waited and generously covered in gorgeous multi-colored sprinkles)  The freshly dipped cone really adds a [...]]]>
Chocolate Hazelnut & Oreo Cheesecake

This is one killer combination.  I don’t know which flavor I love more.  And, I love the color and crunch of the sprinkles. (my sugar cone was dipped in chocolate as we waited and generously covered in gorgeous multi-colored sprinkles)  The freshly dipped cone really adds a nice touch.  The chocolate melts almost instantly on your tongue.  Perfection!

Oreo Cheesecake & Butter Pecan

Yeah, we’re not kidding.  We both LOVE the Oreo Cheesecake.  You can almost see that this waffle cone’s (also freshly dipped) chocolate dip is still soft and melty.  Yum!  The butter pecan is incredible, too.  A hint of maple (syrup, maybe?) adds a lovely touch of unique flavor.

Morelli’s Ice Cream
749 Moreland Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30316
404 622 0210

This is surprisingly tasty for a fast food milkshake…  even if the peaches do have that soft (canned) texture.  The vanilla base was pleasantly smooth and mostly creamy.  The classic peaches’n'cream flavor combination works well in a milkshake.  We both agreed.  We’d definitely order this again.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip [...]]]>
Peach Milkshake

This is surprisingly tasty for a fast food milkshake…  even if the peaches do have that soft (canned) texture.  The vanilla base was pleasantly smooth and mostly creamy.  The classic peaches’n'cream flavor combination works well in a milkshake.  We both agreed.  We’d definitely order this again.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake

We’re not loving the pepto-bismol pink color… why pink?  It’s not the most appetizing color.   Flavor-wise, it’s alright.  We both thought the texture was looser and more watery than the peach.  We’d probably order this again.  But, we only order a handful of milkshakes in any given year. So, the chances are slim.

Chick-fil-A

While the chocolate flavor might be pleasant, the texture is coarse with loads of ice crystals and the consistency is watery.  The gigantic blackberries were the real highlight.  They were perfectly fresh and unbelievably sweet.

Yogen Fruz vs Yoforia?

The winner is Yogen Fruz by a mile.

Tasty…  It’s no surprise that these flavors work well in a frozen yogurt.  You won’t mistake this for ice cream.  It has the distinctive sour tang of most frozen yogurts.  But, it was pleasantly creamy and satisfying.

Yogen Fruz

I wouldn’t call the version of Spumoni (or Spumone) served at Athens Kouzzina traditional.  But, all the flavors are there.  A traditional Spumone would have a variety of flavors swirled or layered, then dotted richly with candied fruits, nuts, chocolate, and a hint of spice.  The version at Athens Kouzzina consists [...]]]>
Spumoni

I wouldn’t call the version of Spumoni (or Spumone) served at Athens Kouzzina traditional.  But, all the flavors are there.  A traditional Spumone would have a variety of flavors swirled or layered, then dotted richly with candied fruits, nuts, chocolate, and a hint of spice.  The version at Athens Kouzzina consists of an ice cream base that’s delicately flavored with pistachio dotted with small pieces of candied orange zest, cherries, and chopped pistachios.  No layers or swirls… and no chocolate is present.  If the texture were a wee bit smoother and creamy, we’d be in heaven.  It’s still close to the the best spumoni gelato we’ve tasted in Atlanta.

Athens Kouzzina
2205 Pleasant Hill Road
Duluth, GA 30096
770 813 1369

For Summer Shade Festival Information:  SummerShade.org

–And–

Corks & Forks A Food & Wine Event

Admission:  $35 in advance or $45 at the gate

Chef & Restaurant Lineup for: Saturday, August 29, 2009 — 1:00pm [...]]]> Summer Shade Festival 2009
An artist market & food market with music & 5k run
August 29, 2009 (10am-11pm) & August 30, 2009 (11am-7:30pm)

For Summer Shade Festival Information:  SummerShade.org

–And–

Corks & Forks
A Food & Wine Event

Admission:  $35 in advance or $45 at the gate

Chef & Restaurant Lineup for:
Saturday, August 29, 2009 — 1:00pm to 5:00pm

Cabot Creamery
Dolce’, Kris Calloway
Geisha House, Kris Calloway
Graveyard Tavern – Justin Bright
JCT Kitchen, Fry Ford
Murphy’s, Gregg McCarthy
ONE Midtown Kitchen, Tom Harvey
PARISH Foods, Nick Melvin
Peasant Bistro, Russell Hayes
Rathbun’s, Kevin Rathbun & Kirk Parks
Rosebud, Ron Eyester
The Melting Pot,
The Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar & View, Christian Messier
Trader Vic’s, Michael Broderick
Trois, Drew Van Levvan

Chef & Restaurant Lineup for:
Sunday, August 30, 2009 — 1:00pm to 5:00pm

Bhojanic, Archna Malhotra Becker
Cabot Creamery
Canoe, Carvel Grant Gould
Graveyard Tavern, Justin Bright  
Holy Taco
Legal Seafoods, John Piper
Livingston, Gary Mennie 
Metrotainment Bakery
Rise Sushi, Tony Wang
Serpas True Food, Scott Serpas
Six Feet Under, Nancy Mitchell
TAP, Adrian Villarreal
The Melting Pot,
The Shed at Glenwood, Lance Gummere
TWO urban licks, Cameron Thompson
Woodfire Grill, Kevin Gillespie

For More Information on Corks & Forks:  Corks & Forks

Grant Park
537 Park Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30312