Theo
Red Hot Cinnamon Love Crunch
They say red hot. And, they mean red hot. The crispy, crunchy streaks of cinnamon brittle are fiery hot. The cinnamon oil flavor and heat dominate the chocolate. This bar definitely falls firmly in the “interesting” category.
Chocolove
Cherries & Almonds In Dark Chocolate
Love poem inside? Too cute. This is a snappy little bar with just enough cocoa to make this enjoyable for the dark chocolate fans. It’s mildly dark in a pleasant way.
Chocolove
Peppermint In Dark Chocolate
Another love poem? Before opening, we’re hoping and praying that it’s not the same poem. Whew, it’s not. This is a solid dark chocolate bar touched with peppermint oil. It’s a delicate dose of minty oil that’s blended right into the chocolate. It works as a background element to this bittersweet bar. We enjoyed this bar significantly more than we thought we would.
Salazon Chocolate Co.
Dark Chocolate With Sea Salt & Caramel
Dark Chocolate with salted caramel and sea salt crystals, that’s usually a winning combination. From bite to bite, our enjoyment varied based on the number of salt crystals in each bite. Too much salt? In some bites, we’d have to say yes. But, hey, a portion of the proceeds go to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s work to protect the trail. That’s a great excuse to justify buying a bar of chocolate filled with gooey caramel.
www.appalachiantrail.org
Salazon Chocolate
(SalazonChoc.com)
Chocolove
Theo Chocolate
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Divine Chocolate
Dark Chocolate (70%) With Raspberry Bits
Gorgeous packaging, lovely bitter (in the best way) dark chocolate with gentle touch of sweetness, and vividly bright bits of freeze dried raspberry…
Those bits of raspberry keep us hovering on the fence. The crunch of the raspberry seeds add pleasant intrigue. But, they’re a touch sour. That’s “fine” and a bit interesting in small doses. But, we’re still stuck on the fence with this bar.
Again, just look at that wrapper. That’s some seriously brilliant and gorgeous packaging. We both enjoyed this dark chocolate fruit and nut bar considerably more. Currants and almonds, yeah, that’s quite nice. (It’s probably our favorite out of the Divine bars that we’ve sampled.) Divine bars have been hit and miss for us. If you factor in the quality and cost, this one is a real hit. But, it’s a twist of sheer luck that Divine Chocolate’s clever packaging keeps calling out to us.
And, we’re sure to try the dark chocolate with mango and coconut… as soon as we can fine one.
If you’re the type to gift out random sweet treats and surprises this week, a stack of high quality bars (our favorite bar) wrapped with a fancy bow would make a great first gift. Or, you might consider trying a small basket of bars and other pretty little candies decorated with fresh flowers. Or, put together a high end cocktail making basket with hard to find bitters and a gorgeous shaker. Or, make a basket full of green teas with an artful mug at the center. Or, how about a matcha making kit? Or, a basket of soaps, lotions, creams and fragrances (Body Shop’s Absinthe and Honey are someone’s favorite in this house.) Or, you might want to wake up your special someone with a tray of croissants and/or pastries served with their favorite coffee in bed. An effortless start to the day wins hearts everywhere. It really is all about the little things that you do every day to make someone feel loved.
Divine Chocolate
Whole Foods
The Body Shop
Lake Champlain Chocolates
Five Star Bar
These dense, chunky little bars are quite interesting. The lighter truffle-like center reminds us of creamy milk chocolate dotted with tender sour cherry halves, praline, and crunchy fresh pecan pieces. Then, the cherry and praline rich chunks are dipped in a darker chocolate.
It’s the soft, tender cherries with a tart bite that make this bar memorable.
Lake Champlain Chocolates
Whole Food
Royal Family Green Tea Mochi
So, we’re not really mochi fans… especially the packaged type. The doughy blobs hidden by over-sized packaging rarely live up to the “artistic” renderings on the box. Every box is a gamble. You never know what you’re going to get. As usual, these look nothing like the picture on the package. But, these were soft, smooth, silky, pleasantly squishy, and plenty of green tea flavor fills every bite. Delicate sweetness balanced nicely with the bite of green tea.
We’d definitely buy these again.
Green Tea, Red Bean & Milk Mochi Roll
These were sweeter, but, equally interesting.
The red bean paste had a dark brown sugar flavor that was almost caramel-y. And, the milky cream center was another layer of flavor.
Also, Royal Family Brand…
(The Royal Family green tea cakes and pineapple cakes are pretty tasty, too.)
Royal Family Brand
Mizumi Ramen
Spicy Ramen (#4)
Red Ginger, Green Onion, Bean Sprouts, Egg…
Cha-Shu, Sweet Corn, Agaric, & Sea Sedge
Lovely and delicious… period.
Tonkotsu Ramen
Cha-Shu, Spinach, Egg, Sweet Corn, & Bamboo Shoots
Incredibly rich pork broth, this was a very hearty meal on a frigidly cold day.
Kaki Furai
Deep Fried Oysters With Dipping Sauce & Lime
Soothing green tea made a perfect ending to our meal.
Takoyaki… Next Time
Ramen
With spicy ramen tempting us, it’ll be a challenge to sample the other options. But, we’re up for a tasty, good challenge.
Mizumi Ramen
1611 Satellite Blvd
Suite 11
Duluth, GA 30097
678 682 3400
As the birth of a new Beluga whale nears, divers (sitting quietly near the middle of the bottom) begin to make an appearance in Cold Water Quest. If you’re thinking of getting an annual pass to the aquarium, now is the time. The baby Beluga is expected to make an appearance this spring. Since this will be Maris The Beluga’s second birth (The statistic for a Beluga whale’s second birth is roughly 50/50.), everyone at the aquarium is cautiously optimistic for Maris.
A Manta Ray In Ocean Voyager
Ocean Voyager never fails to amaze.
We could wander around for hours.
You’re sure to see something new with each visit.
Touch…
…or just observe
Watch the Ocean Voyager Web Cam for a couple minutes, it’s great way to forget the stress of the work day.
Georgia Aquarium
Then, grab a drink and a bite within waking distance…
—
Der Biergarten Restaurant
Beer List
Spaten Marzen
It can be Oktoberfest year round.
Riesenbretzel
Giant Pretzel Served With Three Mustards
Specialties
Bitter Orange Hefe
Campari, Grand Marnier & Konig Hefe… lovely. Really. But, we’re so ready for spring.
Piping hot with an intensely crisp, buttery exterior, we were very pleasantly surprised.
Jagerschnitzel
Pan Fried Spatzle With Bacon And Onion
Gegrillte Forelle Mit Senfsauce
Grilled Trout With Brown Butter Mustard Sauce And Asparagus
It might feel a bit like Epcot… but, it’s definitely better.
Der Biergarten
300 Marietta Street
Atlanta, GA 30313
404 521 2728
The Counter
Look! You can get mac & cheese with your spicy chicken sandwich.
Hapeville Dwarf House
461 North Central Avenue
Hapeville, GA 30354
404 762 1746
Salt & Pepper Shrimp
(Without Heads & Shells)
Tender, lightly breaded and full of flavor, these shrimp were delicious. The seasoned bed of lettuce, onions, shallots, green onion slivers, chives, and deep fried garlic added beautifully to the mix.
Green Papaya Salad
Delicious at Nam Phuong, this is one of our all time favorite dishes. It always has been and it always will be.
Better than our last visit? We really think it was. We’ll have to return soon to test this theory.
Nam Phuong
5495 Jimmy Carter Blvd.
Norcross, GA 30093
770 409 8686
Dolsot Bibimbap With Spicy Squid
Times two, we’ve both loved this dish for years.
A very generous layer of spicy squid cover the rice.
Slivers of mushrooms and onions play supporting roles beautifully.
Mix and devour.
The crispy golden brown rice at the bottom of your stone bowl offers another savory and textural bonus.
Banchan
(Eomuk Japchae)
All of our favorite small dishes are represented here.
Gamja Jjorim
Sigeumchi Namul
We’ve been loving it for years. And, we still do.
Woo Nam Jeong — Stone Bowl House
5953 Buford Highway
Suite 107
Doraville, GA 30340
678 530 0844
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