Whiskey Bird

 Wow! It's been almost 2 years since I've blogged about dining out!  Something that I treasured and made plans for meticulously changed in March 2020!  Due to the pandemic, we've eaten a lot of take out, and I've cooked at home more than ever.  We are FINALLY mask free and vaccinated and ready to try new places!

Last weekend we chose to dine at WHISKEY BIRD.  It's long been our daughter and son-in-law's favorite spot in Atlanta, so we were way overdue trying it.  And we are so glad we did!

WHISKEY BIRD

1409 N Highland Ave | Atlanta, GA 30306

(404) 600-5797

A link to their menu is here: https://www.eatwhiskeybird.com/menus-atlanta-restaurant/

We got there early on a Saturday evening on a rainy night in Atlanta.  Fortunately we were able to snag a spot right in front of the restaurant, since N. Highland Avenue can get packed with people.

We were immediately greeted by the hostess and seated in an intimate corner table.

Our server, Addison (who was fantastic) took drink orders, and we settled in to peruse the menu.

My lime vodka gimlet was perfection:

And my husband's spicy Margarita was fabulous!

We began with one of their signature Starters, Yakitori.  We went with 4: sweet potato, sticky chicken, stuffed peppers and chimichurri shrimp

It was served with house made slaw and pickles.  This appetizer was so good!  The sweet potatoes were by far my favorite with a killer aioli on top.  And the amount was just right, so we could sample without getting totally filled up.

We ordered entrees and they arrived quickly.

I had their chopped salad with ahi tuna.

This salad was so so good!  Campari tomatoes and fresh avocado along with edamame and cranberries sprinkled with cojita cheese all came together perfectly.  The ahi tuna was fresh and delicious!

My husband went with the fried grouper sandwich:

They knocked this dish out of the park as well!  It came with a Napa coleslaw and great tartar sauce.  And those fries!  Absolutely divine.

A view from our seat of the casual atmosphere:

And we had zero room for dessert but with our bill we were presented with these delectable little treats: Pocky!  They are slim little chocolate covered pretzels.  These things were so good and just the right about of sweetness and crunch after a meal.  Just such a cool touch.

It felt so good trying out a new restaurant FINALLY, and we were so glad that Whiskey Bird didn't disappoint!  From the atmosphere (laid back, great music, fun vibe) to the service (Addison couldn't have been better) to the drinks and food:  all were A+++.  Can't wait to go back and try new items from the menu.  Such a fun evening!

CUCINA 24 - ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

We were in Asheville again this past weekend, and we decided to try a restaurant there that we'd not been to before: Cucina 24.  The restaurant has been on many top 10 lists, and it is located right on Wall Street in downtown Asheville.

CUCINA 24

24 Wall Street

Asheville, NC

828-254-6170

Cucina 24 had been on our radar for some time, but we either couldn't get a reservation when we wanted one or made alternate plans.  But we were excited to FINALLY be going.

We arrived for an early dinner around 6:30pm, and the place was half full.  But in no time it was bustling.  The entire bar was covered up with people eating dinner there that weren't able to get a reservation ahead of time.

We were seated at a 2 top table and presented with menus.

Our server Aubry arrived shortly thereafter and explained the menu to us.  Everything is fresh - they make their own pastas and all the vegetables come from a farm 15 minutes away.  You can order ala carte or have their tasting menu (see below) for $48 per person.  That's what we decided to go with:

And the wine menu is a little daunting in that it is entirely in Italian.  I decided that since the menu was a seasonal Spring menu, we'd go with an Italian Rose:

We sipped our rose and noshed on some thin tall breadsticks that were on the table (and were delicious btw).

Then after a bit our food began arriving.  

First up was the asparagus.  It was cooked quickly and served with a soft egg, a salsa verde made with fresh ramps (like scallions) and sautéed crunchy garlic was atop.  The dish was outstanding.

Next up was a carrot display.  I've never raved about carrots, but OMG!  These were in a brown butter (probably I'd eat absolutely ANYTHING if it's in brown butter!).  They were not over cooked, and there was an apple vinegar there that gave each bite a kick. SO GOOD!

The next nosh was a tuna crudo.  I'm not sure, but this dish might have been my favorite.  I love tuna crudo, but this one was over the top served with blood orange segments.  On top of it all was a fresh nasturtium that gave it another little level of flavor.  We were sad it was only a few bites!

The next dish was delish as well.  It was grilled bread served alongside stracciatella cheese with fresh peas and drizzled with olive oil.  The dish was topped with fresh mint.  It was the perfect Spring tribute dish!

The last of the appetizers or starters was the "salad".  It was fresh greens (assorted) with a fresh anchovy dressing (basically a mild version of a caesar dressing).  It was fresh and delicious.  We left nary a morsel!

Then came the two pasta dishes.  The first one was "little hats" or cappaletti pasta with ramps, marscapone and lemon.  The pasta was perfectly cooked al dente and the combination of flavors again = SPRING!  Fabulous!

The second pasta dish was this one below.  Two different fettuccini sized pastas with fave beans and fresh kale blossoms.  It was light and flavorful.   We loved it!

Then came our entrees.  These were the only things we had to decide on the tasting menu.  My husband went with the pork ribeye and WOW!  It was soaked in milk then served with peas, crumbled focaccia, almonds, and mint.  Fabulous!

I went with the tuna.  This dish was superb!  Perfectly seared tuna served with fresh chokeberry juice (jus) that was just "in season" - broccoli, knotweed and golden raisins.  Incredibly good.

Finally, our dessert.  I'm not one to normally be able to even fathom eating dessert but this one was perfection.  An olive oil gelato drizzled with strawberry juice.  Fresh South Carolina strawberries tossed in sugar and crunchy chocolate and hazelnut cookies.  It was just the right amount and every bite was better than the last.

We LOVED Cucina 24!  The food just is above and beyond some of the best we've had in Asheville (and that's saying A LOT).  And a note about the tasting menu: these dishes were so carefully thought out.  We left feeling full but not stuffed and miserable.  Each course was small so that you didn't get over-stuffed, but you were also able to get enough of a taste to enjoy each one.  Bravo!

I can't wait to go back!

HAL'S "The Steakhouse"

After talking with fellow food lover friends (Jeff and Cristina), I decided it was time to try Hal's.  My husband has been several times, but somehow I have not made it there.  Here are my thoughts:

HAL'S

30 Old Ivy Road

Atlanta, GA 30342

(404) 261-0025

I made a reservation easily via Open Table for a Saturday night.  It was a very cold and misty/rainy evening, but we pulled up to a valet and were quickly walking in the front door.

My first thought was that the place looked smaller than I expected - compared to some large steakhouses in Atlanta.  It's MUCH more intimate than those.  You walk in and the hostess stand is to your right, and a long bar is in front of you.  In the corner by the front door is a musician area (although no one was there this night - at least when we were there).

We were seated very quickly at a nice table for two away from several large groups, which was nice.  The sound level is high - I had been warned that the place was loud.  But even though the restaurant was PACKED, it was not so loud (to me) to be uncomfortable.

Their kitchen is open, so if you snag a seat at the bar you can see the food being prepared.  And you definitely smell the aromas of the kitchen immediately upon entering the spot.  You see people in jeans and sweaters (this was in January), and others are very dressed up, so anything goes dress wise.

Another thing to note: it is very very dark in the restaurant, so some of my photos are darker than I would have preferred.  I had to use my cell phone flashlight to see the menu at times (along with numerous other diners I witnessed).

Here's the menu we were presented (along with a rather large wine menu):

 Even though they are known for their steaks, they have a pretty impressive menu of other items - especially seafood items.  And I was tempted to get their sea bass special, as it sounded incredible.  The menu/food are New Orleans inspired.  And the feel of the place is that way as well - hustling busy restaurant with people laughing and enjoying drinks and food.

 We wanted to take our time, so we ordered drinks and enjoyed those before deciding on dinner.

Dirty Martini for me!

They also brought garlic bread to nosh on with our drinks.

The drinks were out of this world - exactly what you'd expect from a great steakhouse---ice cold and with fresh hand-stuffed blue cheese olives.  One of my all time favorite drinks (if served properly!)...

We started our meal with Canadian oysters on the half shell.  They were fresh and delicious and nicely presented.

We decided on our next course, and began by sharing a chopped salad.  It was outstanding!  They brought us two, so we didn't have to share one plate, and there wasn't a bit of either salad left.  LOVED the blue cheese!

For our main course we both went with steak.  I chose their classic 12 ounce filet mignon and my husband went with a special bone-in filet.  Both were very very good.  I couldn't even come close to finishing mine, but - steak salad for lunch the next day was devine!

My filet:

My husband's bone-in filet (not a great picture coming from my side of the table, but the steak was delicious and perfectly cooked):

We went with their brussels sprouts, charred with bacon, as a side and were very glad we did.  I could've eaten the entire plate as my entree!  They were THAT good!  My photo doesn't do them justice...

And we had a bottle of wine with dinner (and they re-corked what we couldn't drink, so we could bring it home).  I was so excited that they had one of my favorite Malbec's on their list.  It didn't disappoint!  I first had this Malbec on a flight home from Italy on Delta Airlines with my daughter.  We were so enthralled with it! Better (maybe) than all the wine we tasted in Italy!

Susana Balbo Malbec, 2015




And, ahem, for blogging purposes ONLY, we sampled their toffee bread pudding.  OMG!  It was to die for!

So, all in all we had a wonderful date night at Hal's.

I'm so glad that I finally went there.  Our server, Scott, was one of the best there is, and the food was just outstanding.  It does get very very crowded and rather loud (I can only imagine when they have a musician there as well), but we had a great time.  It's not dressy or stuffy and the food is the star.  Note however: It IS pricey (see below for the bill), but top to bottom we were treated royally and served expertly prepared and delicious food.

STAPLEHOUSE

The long anticipated trip to Staplehouse in Atlanta finally happened!  This restaurant has been on Atlanta's "Best of" list for quite some time getting rave reviews for their quality food as well as their unique reservation system.  You have to go online the 2nd Friday of the month beginning at noon to request a reservation for the following month.  THEN you prepay online!  It's a fixed tasting menu of 8-10 courses ($105 per person) that changes frequently.  Drinks are extra but, they include a "hospitality charge" of 20% and taxes ahead of your visit.  So, before you've walked in the door your credit card has a $274.43 charge - not for the faint-hearted....

But, that food...

STAPLEHOUSE

541 Edgewood Ave. SE

Atlanta, GA 30312

404 / 524-5005

info@staplehouse.com

Our reservation time was at 6:15 pm, and we were asked to arrive 10 minutes early.  They email you and call you prior to your reservation date to remind you of their rules such as: if you are more than 20 minutes late your table may be given away, and if you cancel within 48 hours of the reservation, your payment is non-refundable.  They also ask several times if there are any eating restrictions or allergies that they need to be aware of.

A sample tasting menu from September 2018

ribeye, cauliflower, hazelnut

crab, papalo, peppers

pompano, sunchoke, celtuce

eggplant, shell beans, basil

squash, lobster mushroom, marigold

soppressata

duck liver tart, black fig

grandma lillian's potato bread

aged duck, chestnut, matsutake

kombucha

white chocolate, hibiscus, ginger

caramel miso chocolate

When you arrive at the restaurant what you see is a nondescript building.

 

You turn left past the sign and brick building and walk down an alley way until you see this on your left:

The menu we were given our evening:

We decided to go with wine pairings for the evening, and they began with serving us a sparking Rose from Italy.  It was out of this world!

ferrari, brut rose, italy

And the first course was carmelized yeast and apple - you pop it in your mouth in one bite.  So good! Served on a bed of sunflower seeds - such a cool presentation!

 And along with the Rose course, we had ribeye tartare with a turnip and cashew topping.  I can't describe how good this dish was - and how well it went with the wine.  I'd never in a million years paired a Rose with this dish.

 The next wine was SAKE - from Japan!  We had been to Japan years ago, and I can't say I was a fan of Sake there and then.  BUT THIS Sake was very good.  And we both loved it with the accompanying course.
manotsuru, crane, junta sake, Japan

 Crab, celery and marigold.  I can't adequately tell you the dimensions of this dish, but the crab was fresh and delicious with a clean feel.  We loved it.

 Next beverage was from Arcadiana (brewery in Athens, GA) surprisingly.  I'm not a big beer fan, but this beer was great.

arcadiana, creature comforts, georgia

And the beer went so well with the fish!  Pompano, sun choke, finger lime
There was fabulous fresh fish with greens and crunchiness as well.  Yet another amazing dish.

The next wine (below) was outstanding and probably my favorite of the night.  It was from Spain - do ferreiro, Albarino.   It had a crisp, fresh taste - dry. I loved it.

 
And the wine paired wonderfully with what was my favorite dish of the evening - mushroom, celeriac and fennel.

It was so so good without being too rich.

The next wine was a chardonnay to go with a cabbage dish and a salami and chicken liver tart concoction.  The French chardonnay was wonderful!

olivier leflaive, chardonnay, france

And THIS dish - just wow!  Such a combination in your mouth with each bite - LOVED IT!

cabbage, sake sushi, rye


salami, chicken liver tart, persimmon

This course was great - the salami perfect, and the chicken liver tart!  I'm not one to eat liver on it's own, but this sort of foie gras was rich and yummy.  I was sad there was only one bite!  Really incredible.

 That's our waiter on the left - he was outstanding!  And my adorable husband and eating partner in life:

 The next drink is one of my favorites that I get when I can - a Barolo.  This particular one was (as you probably guessed) exceptional.

g.d. vajra, albe, barolo, Italy

Bad picture, but the barolo was paired with duck breast.  This dish was decadent.  The duck was thinly sliced and tender, the rutabaga was a nice partner (not too rich) and the schmear that they sat upon was killer!  Don't know what that was but it was all I could do not to lick the plate clean!

aged duck, rutabaga, minutina

 This dense yet airy bread was so fabulous!  I can't remember what was in the butter though, but I could have jumped in and taken a bath in it.  Just incredible.

Then we were presented as sort of a palate cleanser before dessert:

Kombucha

Kombucha is said to have health benefits.  According to wikipedia  it is rich in probiotics — the healthy gut bacteria associated with heart health, lower rates of anxiety and depression, fewer yeast infections, weight management, boosted immunity, and improved digestive health.

And it was a really nice drink to have after a lot of different foods.


The final beverage was
rare wine company, madeira, portugal

It was a sweet madeira wine, and while that's not normally my favorite, it was delicious, and it was lovely with the 2 desserts that evening.

 This delectable morsel was dense dark chocolate - caramel miso chocolate

THE perfect ending to a perfect evening.

 Pic on the uber ride home -

Just an amazing evening.  Can't say enough about Staplehouse, other than it's now my top 3 in Atlanta.  The experience was one of a kind.  You are treated like royalty without pretense.  The food is carefully thoughtfully prepared and expertly executed.  Dreaming of a return now....