A Watershed Moment

Every once in a while I travel to our Atlanta office and work there for a day or two. Folks inevitably ask why I've come to town, and I generally murmur something about a "client meeting" or "practice group conference." But the truth is this: I have to get my Watershed fix. Watershed has been one of my all time favorite restaurants for several years now, particularly for lunch. Every single thing is delicious, the service is fabulous, and the location (minutes from Midtown) cannot be beat. We were there on Monday for a working lunch, and let me tell you friends, I worked that shrimp and crab burger. Mmmmm. If you, dear reader, are in Atlanta or need an excuse to be, this is your place. Here is where you can find them.

A Little Vacay

I always have such grand plans of cooking big elaborate meals whenever we are on vacation, figuring I'll have so much more time on my hands. I do things like bring my cooking magazines (3 of them, this trip), or my new cookbooks (only 1 this time), thinking I'll have all afternoon to flip through them, run to Whole Foods, and cook to my heart's content.

Whatever.

Our days are definitely more fun, but no less busy (or exhausting!). After a day packed of tennis lessons, pool, beach, and playgrounds, the last thing I want to do is cook. Not to mention DH (who, let's be honest, is the one really in the trenches when it comes to pool and beach play) has no intention of spending his vacation evenings doing the dishes.

So, in 2 short days, we have already managed to hit many of our Charleston favorites:

1) The world's best BBQ, according to DH, and the cheeseburgers are amazing (I should know. I make it my personal mission to find amazing cheeseburgers.)

2) Our absolute favorite butcher shop, with fabulous meat and prepared foods (I stock a whole cooler with chicken parmesan, ravioli, and meatballs to take home with us).

and

3) Our favorite place for seafood.

If you are ever visiting Charleston (or the surrounding area) and have the chance to hit any of these places, don't pass them up.

Party Like It's 1875

Let me begin this post by noting that DH and I can be a bit finicky when it comes to restaurants. Really, we're spoiled by living so many years in Charleston, Chapel Hill, and Savannah - the trifecta of excellent Southern cuisine. The problem with being so spoiled is that it has made our standards high. We have those favorite few, and it's hard to be patient when others don't live up. All of that to say, it takes a lot to become my New Favorite Place.
***
With that said, let me introduce you to my new favorite restaurant in Savannah - Circa 1875. If you are visiting or live here, this is a must try. How have we lived here almost 4 years and missed it all this time? We had dinner there for the first time this weekend, and it was nearly perfect in every way.

First: making reservations. We called Saturday afternoon for last minute reservations, and got a message that they would open at 5pm, with instructions to leave our information for a return call, which we did. Promptly at 5:01, the hostess returned our call and worked us in at our first choice time. (You would have to live in Savannah to know what a stunning display of customer service this is, but let's just say they don't call it Slo-vannah for nothing.)

Second: the ambiance. Could. Not. Be. More. Charming. When you call for your reservations (seriously, do it now), be sure to ask if they have a table available in the wine cellar. It's fabulous. Exposed brick, racks of wine, tiny enough to feel intimate, but not claustrophobic.

Third: the food. Did I mention it's a French restaurant? And perfect? Seriously - every single thing we had was amazing. Hot bread, crusty on the outside and tender inside; herb butter served at just the right temperature (is there anything more annoying than ice cold butter that's impossible to actually spread on your bread?); garlicky escargot; super fresh chicken pate served with grainy mustard and pickled vegetables; mussels swimming in a butter and wine broth; wild boar chops with sweet potatoes...everything we ordered hit all the right notes. My stomach is growling as I type at the memory of it all. For all that, plus wine and a shared dessert, our bill was just under $100 before tip. Call the babysitter, and put it on the list.
***
It can be hard to draft a post and watch the Tar Heels play, but Gary Williams has helpfully called 2 timeouts in the first 10 minutes of the game. I think he's taking a page from Pete Gillen's playbook.

The Distillery

Do you ever have a complete and total lack of creativity? I obviously do, because I couldn't think of anything clever for today's blog title. But I know someone who doesn't: my friend Leigh, one of my college roommates, and one of the most creative, loving, and life-embracing people I know. She's the real creator of this blog (and I mean that literally - she actually set it up for me) and truly an inspiration. She's also celebrating a birthday, so this shoutout is for her - Happy Birthday Leigh!

***

Now, for today's restaurant review, a joint effort by Attorney Mom and me:

(Me): Talk about a tall order. Attorney Mom and I, along with our husbands, had tickets to see Seinfeld perform the other night, and we were looking for a place to have a quick bite to eat before the show. Savannah, while lovely in oh-so-many other ways, is not exactly known for its speed (there's a reason the whole "slow cook" food movement is so popular here; unfortunately Savannah's interpretation extends to "slow service"), thus we were a bit concerned about whether we could find a real restaurant that could deliver. But we did. The Distillery was exactly the right place - great casual atmosphere, good pub-style food, and excellent service, despite the fact that every living soul in Savannah apparently had the same idea we did.

(Attorney Mom): The name of the restaurant is The Distillery, but it's a bit of a misnomer, as its raison d'etre is to be a hand-crafted beer parlor (beer is brewed, not distilled...right?) Further proof that its soul is beer? I had a pour of the house chardonnay, and it was, to be gentle, not lovingly selected by a kind nose. The husbands had beer, and if that's your thing, get thee there pronto, as the beer went down well and the selection is fabulous.
And the food? I had a burger that was really delicious- the beef was very satisfying, as were the side fries that accompanied it. To me, there is nothing better than a crisp fry, and the overall crisp to soggy ratio was about 80/20, which is quite excellent, in the big scheme of eating fries all over town. My DH had the club sandwich, and as he similarly has sampled club sandwiches all over town, he deemed this one to be Most Impressive. The meat was handcut at the restaurant, and thus the sandwich went from tired cold cuts to a much more exciting bite.

(Me): I agree with Attorney Mom about the wine (though mine was a pinot grigio). On the upside, it was served nicely chilled. Nothing worse than warm, weak wine (shudder). I had the fish and chips, which was perfect. Tasty pieces of cod lightly battered and fried, and seasoned just right. Served the with aforementioned fries with a nice, light tartar sauce for dipping. Our server was friendly and efficient, quite a feat considering the packed crowds. My DH also had the burger and pronounced it "very good."

Overall, we give it 4 stars. (Out of how many? I don't know. We didn't actually set a system) Just the right place for a casual, quick downtown dinner.

Happy eating!

Celebrate Good Times

Guest blog from Atlanta Mom today, with a restaurant review from her fair city! All I have to say is she'd better take me here next time I visit. Have a great weekend!
***
My husband and I have a lot to celebrate every fall. His birthday is in mid-August and our anniversary is September 2, followed by my birthday a week later. Every year I say that we should reverse our birthdays because by the time we get around to mine, we are often tired of babysitters and over-priced restaurants. This year his birthday was muddied more than usual by the back to school rush; he was traveling in Europe on our anniversary; and we had a school commitment the night of my birthday. So…we finally went out to celebrate all 3 events last Saturday night. And my sister babysat for free, which was an extra bonus (because it is so depressing to splurge on a nice dinner only to come home and hand someone at least $50 more). Anyway, I thought it would be appropriate to review this Atlanta restaurant because it was FABULOUS!

We went to Joël Brasserie (pronounced like Joelle, not like Billy Joel) in the Borghese development on Northside Drive. It used to be a super-fancy restaurant, but they recently closed for renovations, reopening as an upscale bistro. Neither of us had ever been, and what a treat it was!

My husband was not particularly adventurous (or apparently hungry), and he ordered, per his mom’s suggestion as she had recently been for lunch, the lobster cobb salad. Lobster upsets my stomach, so I didn’t taste it, but he said it was yummy. I, however, started with the heirloom tomatoes served with greens, cider dressing, and a sprinkle of fleur de sel—absolutely delicious. Is there anything better than good tomatoes? I don’t think so. For dinner, I ordered, by recommendation of our very capable server, the scallops (the sea bass was also tempting). They were beautifully seared, served over perfectly cooked zucchini risotto (I wouldn’t have known the zucchini was there if it weren’t listed in the menu description), and topped with a rich, very flavorful, chicken broth. The delicious aroma from the dish was just a prelude to how amazing it was. I’m not sure I could go there again and order something else—it was that good. With it, I had a generous glass of an Italian pinot grigio.

We ordered the dessert special to follow our entrees—a blackberry and apple crumble topped with lemon ice cream—a delightfully light way to end a fantastic meal. We topped off the night with a quick run to the bookstore before returning home to relieve our most affordable babysitter. We were very pleased with our yearly 3-fold celebration!

Bake it, Baby

2 for 1 today! A recipe AND a restaurant review. We are on a roll.

First - is there anything more boring sounding for dinner than "baked chicken"? Why is it that we say "roasted chicken" and it instantly sounds more appealing? But here is one of the world's easiest, inexpensive, and yummiest dinners: roasted chicken leg quarters. In fact, it's so good and easy that I'm suddenly wondering if I've blogged it before...but since I'm in a hurry (aren't I always in a hurry?) I can't be bothered to go back and check. If I've forgotten, then maybe you, dear reader, have as well. (And, as my grandmother would say, together we could hide our own Easter eggs...)

6-8 chicken leg quarters
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Optional: your other favorite seasonings or spice rub (I have a "Mediterranean" dry spice rub that was a hostess gift one time, and I love it with this recipe. Side note - nicely packaged spice rubs make great hostess gifts!)

Preheat oven to 400. Line roasting pan with aluminum foil (only to make it easier to clean up. If you have it out for whoever cleans up dinner, you can skip this step). Place chicken leg quarters in pan, skin side up. Rub with olive oil, and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and optional spices. Roast for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

This is a great recipe to do with the "delay start" function on your oven. We always have this with lima beans and mac & cheese. Mmmmm...

***
And Attorney Mom had a fantastic lunch the other day at Cafe 37:

Cafe 37- Or, as we'll call it, Cafe 5 (Stars)

This week a dear friend and I enjoyed ourselves immensely at Cafe 37, a small, rustic-inspired cafe tucked into Savannah's Victorian district, on 37th street. The cafe has been open approximately a year, and serves brunch, lunch, and dinner. The space is small but filled with light, with a bar tucked on one side and the kitchen upstairs. I've only sampled the brunch and lunch menus, and as this is becoming my new favorite spot, I'll be presenting myself for dinner soon!

Lunch was just divine. Simple, flavorful, and executed to perfection. The soup of the day was french onion, and as I usually avoid this soup due to the (normal) overabundance of cheese and grease, I ordered it with a slight hesitation and a salad on the side. The soup arrived, in an appropriately sized bowl, with a perfect toast and adequate (but not overkill) amount of broiled cheese, and it was excellent. The flavor was the obvious result of a slow-cooked soup, with an fantastic depth that could have been provided by beef stock. (My friend and I were too absorbed in our conversation to chase down the chef, but dear reader, go after him!) The house salad was also Quite Perfect. Excellent greens, with fat dried cherries and lightly-candied pistachios, with a generous dollop of goat cheese that had been quickly heated, served on a toast.

I cannot wait to sample dinner, and to eat my way through the rest of the lunch menu throughout the next year!

Rocks Review

Attorney Mom guest blogs today with a restaurant review. Enjoy!
***
A Rocky Start to Savannah's Newest Restaurant

A few weeks ago, my husband and I had free babysitting, a free evening, and a wedding anniversary to celebrate - the makings of a great night! We decided to scope out the Bohemian Hotel, Savannah's newest "luxe" accommodations, featuring a rooftop bar (Savannah, weirdly, has a total paucity of these despite fantastic weather and pretty city views) and a first-floor restaurant, "Rocks on the River." The rooftop bar was relatively busy for 6 p.m. on a Thursday evening, but as the music was too loud and the sun too hot for us to enjoy our meal, we opted to investigate the restaurant, which features an extended menu from the upstairs bar.

The hotel offers an express elevator to the first floor (the lobby actually sits on the fourth floor, as the hotel spans a bluff along the Savannah River), and, as we exited the elevator and turned toward the restaurant, we were nonplussed to find ourselves behind the bar, and a bit lost. Without anyone turning to greet us, we asked the bartender where the waitstand was, and then presented ourselves thereto. Issue one: the hostess is not facing those patrons who arrive by elevator, leaving one's first impressions of the restaurant somewhat lacking. Rather, the hostess is facing those patrons who arrive via the entrance on River Street (mostly tourists, instead of locals who arrive via Bay Street). As we were seated, we quickly encountered Further Issues: first, the layout reminded me of McDonald's. The tables were too open and too close together, and nary a white tablecloth was in view. So, although the flatware, menu prices and excellent decor hinted at "higher-end restaurant," the lack of tablecloths, the diner-inspired plates, the table layout, and the blaring 80's music that followed us from the rooftop bar told us "high-end diner." This jarring effect of high-low elements seemed to be the result of poor planning and the loud music must, must be stopped. Or at least play Madonna! And, to be fair, the restaurant has only been open for a month or so, but our waitress, while kindly, could not tell us what sort of beer was served and had not eaten anything on the menu. Management, feed her already!

But the food? Mine was heaven. A wedge salad had perfectly executed bits and pieces, and my margarita pizza was the best I've had in Savannah- a thin crust and fresh toppings with a generous amount of buffalo mozzarella, finished with a splash of olive oil. The ricotta cheesecake to finish was light and didn't feature the gummy finish that normal cheesecake (cream cheese based) produces.

However, my husband's meal was Not So Good. The parmesan flatbread featured chopped tomatoes and onions, very nice, but the kitchen then splashed lemon juice across the dish. Lemon and tomato, in theory, are the tastes of Italy, but please, not together. He next ordered a spaetzl (egg noodle) and chicken entree. This dish tasted good, but as the only accompaniments were three halved and barely cooked brussel sprouts paraded along the top of the dish, once the sprouts were removed, the entire plate was brown. It did not look appetizing or healthy, especially to a Northern Californian, but with a bit of reworking on the visual effect, as well as adding more vegetables for a variation in texture, this dish should improve.

Stars? Two out of Five, with room to improve. Our Supper Club is taking a field trip to the restaurant in a few weeks, and I hope that with a larger crowd, more dishes can be sampled and the kitchen's uneven performance will be improved with time. Although I may just order that fantastic pizza again!

Eos? Yes-os!

If you have not eaten at Eos in Savannah, you are seriously missing out. Our meal was fabulous, service was friendly and prompt, and the decor was unexpectedly welcoming.
(Before you click on that link, note they haven't updated their website since February. I think they've been devoting all their energies towards cooking perfect dishes).

I'll admit the location is a little suspect. We read that it was located in the "Victorian district" of Savannah. If by "Victorian district" people around here mean "houses have not been painted and yards have not been tended to since the Victorian age," then yes, that's exactly where it is. But once inside, oh so charming. It's an old bank, and absolutely delightful with its brick wall and funky artwork. Next time we go I'm taking more people with us so we can eat in the vault room (which seats up to 7 at one large table). Who's available next Saturday?!?!

Eos' menu says it serves "small plates," but I'll be frank: the portions are absolutely normal, and what we should all be eating in the first place. Just because they're not super-sized doesn't mean they're small, and the prices are entirely reasonable. Nothing on the menu was more than $18, and a number of entrees were in the range of $10 - $15. They have an extensive by-the-glass wine menu, and though those prices were a little on the high side, we always appreciate not having to commit to a whole bottle for the two of us, especially when we order such different foods and like different wine parings.

We had appetizers of caprese supieror and aquacate vinaigretta (stuffed avocado), main dishes of pan roasted salmon with risotto and green beans and crispy duck breast with home fries and asparagus, and finished with the chocolate mousse. Seriously, I wanted to hide under the table and lick my plate. Everything was that good. But what I loved most was the unexpected combinations - creative pairings that showed someone was really thinking about their cooking - that worked perfectly. For example, the duck breast and home fries came with a subtle honey mustard sauce that just made the dish sing. Not too in-your-face, but a twist that was just right.

My usual policy at restaurants is to order dishes I can't make at home and wines I can't find on the grocery store shelf. But it's also nice to come home with an inspiration for a dish you could recreate. At Eos, the stuffed avocado was a stroke of brilliance that will be making its way on our dinner plates at home. It was an avocado cut in half, pit removed, and then each side topped with a homemade tomato salsa. Delicious, healthy, and simple.

Happy eating!

Eating In While Eating Out

The time has gotten away from me, and I haven't done some restaurant reviews that I meant to do. Sadly, since I didn't write it all down as soon the next day, the actual details of our meals escape me. So here are the highlights from two recent ventures out...

1) Bonna Bella Yacht Club. In Savannah, we all know it as the best place to eat on a beautiful Saturday evening given its gorgeous views and great outdoor seating (the fabulousness of the food goes without saying). But here's a tip we recently discovered - it's a great place to eat on a rainy day well. The indoor seating is fresh and new, thanks to rebuilding required after a fire, and with its huge windows is a wonderful place to watch the rain pouring down on the marsh while you're cozy inside eating the best crab stew ever served. Seriously, next time it's pouring rain and you want to get out of the house, try BBYC for lunch or dinner.

2) Ruth's Chris. Wonderful, wonderful to have such a great steakhouse in Savannah...both meals we've had there have been amazing...but seriously, the portions are so huge I felt uncomfortably wasteful. Tip: if you're not getting a steak, get one of their appetizers as your dinner.

And finally, a dinner idea for those willing to venture a little to the north: next time you make a trip to Charleston, take a cooler with you and hit the New York Butcher on Coleman Boulevard in Mt. Pleasant. Buy as many of the chicken parmesan entrees as your cooler will hold, and pop them in your freezer for the easiest and yummiest dinner EVER.

Have a great weekend!

Vic's on the River

Sometimes, it's all about expectations.

DH and I have been wanting to try dinner at Vic's on the River for a while now, and finally managed to the other night. I must admit - we both had low expectations. Vic's is located in a beautiful spot, right downtown on the Savannah river, but has a reputation for being heavily populated with tourists. And the last popular-with-tourists-but-not-so-much-with-locals restaurant we tried around here was so awful and so overpriced that it shall remain nameless. That said, Vic's is so well known we felt like we should really eat there to get a taste of it ourselves. (Pun intended, thank you very much).

Our expectations were lowered even a bit more when DH called for reservations. The conversation went like this:

DH: Hi, I'd like to make reservations for this evening.

Vic's: What time?

DH: Around 6:30.

Vic's: No, we don't have anything then.

DH: (silence, waiting for them to suggest an alternative time)

Vic's: (silence, apparently waiting for...who knows what)

DH: What do you have available?

Vic's: We could do 6:15.

DH to Vic's: We'll take it.

DH to me: That was weird.

Not a great start.

It didn't get any better when we were shown to our table, which very well may have been the worst table in the restaurant. Right in the middle of traffic, and awkwardly positioned so that anyone walking by would have to do a little Texas two-step not to trip over my seat. I asked for a different table, and the hostess said...no. However, I am nothing if not persistent, so when the waiter came by for the first time, I asked him for a different table. He was much more concerned with my happiness, and immediately moved us to a perfect little table right around the corner.

From there the evening was delightful. I was pleasantly surprised to find the extensive menu with very reasonable prices (I find Savannah restaurants a bit overpriced in general, but Vic's does not fall into that category). We had the calamari appetizer, wonderfully fresh and crisp salads, biscuits that I could live on for the rest of my life with butter and marmalade, crab cakes, sea scallops that practically melted in my mouth, and a bottle of fabulous pinot gris that just danced right along with all the seafood. The crab cakes and scallops were served with an amazing risotto, and my only regret is that I was far too full for dessert. Service was just right; we were given time to linger over each course, but not so much time that we felt neglected. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable, though not overly chatty. Total bill for 1 appetizer (big enough to share), 2 salads, 2 entrees, and a bottle of wine, including tax but not tip: $105.

I'm hereby declaring Vic's a must-hit for both locals and tourists. Happy eating!

Bar Food

I've always wanted to be a food critic for a restaurant. (Of course, I have neither professional chef training nor any journalism background, but that doesn't seem to stop the reviewers for our local newspaper, so I figure it can't be that much of a disqualifier.) To satisfy my own internal critic, I've decided to do restaurant reviews on the blog.

Savannah has such wonderful restaurants that whenever we have a babysitter for the evening, it's always a tough decision: try someplace new, or hit an old favorite? Last week we went with new, and what a great little jewel it was.

Bar Food is tucked into a strip of shops in Habersham Village, completely unassuming outside but edgy and bright on the inside. Its focus is on small plates (the servings are bigger than tapas, but smaller than usual restaurant entrees), and has a fabulous French-Asian flavor to it. The entrees range from $5 to $12 - a great value, especially in Savannah where restaurants seem to be frequently overpriced. We ordered 4 for the two of us and couldn't eat it all: the Southern poo-poo platter, the vegetable plate, escargot, and the Asian noodle bowl. Everything was fresh (what a treat to have beautifully prepared and seasonal vegetables at a restaurant, rather than the same old tired mixed green salad), creative, and absolutely delicious. The wine list was extensive, with an excellent selection of wines by the glass, which is always appreciated since DH and I rarely want the same wine. Our total bill, for 4 entrees and 4 glasses of wine, and including tax, was $68.

I had two small complaints. Service wasn't great - a smidgen slow and it felt like we were pulling information out of our server (for example: it wasn't until we were ready to order that he told us one item on the menu wasn't available). And the dessert menu was completely underwhelming (as I type, I can't even remember what was available). Despite that, Bar Food is a new old favorite for us.

Must-try if you live in Savannah? Yes
Must-try if you're an out of town visitor? Yes, if you don't mind that it's not quaint or Southern.
Kid-friendly? No.

***

We've had a spell of tried and true foods for a while now, and I'm getting restless. I love food magazines, but have forbidden myself from subscribing (or resubscribing) to anything until I get my ridiculously large file of recipes-to-try cleaned out. I've probably got 50 in there, all torn from various magazines and newspapers. I'm determined to clean it out and either try them or toss them, and I'll write about those that I try.

Happy Eating!