A Bocca Lupo Birthday Fete!

Just returned from an early birthday evening at Bocca Lupo, and it was remarkable.  The restaurant is located on Edgewood in the artsy, eclectic Inman Park area of Atlanta. It's a small neighborhood restaurant feel inside that seats 40 (although there is very cool outside seating that looks fun), but the atmosphere is warm albeit very loud once prime time hits.

753 Edgewood Avenue, NE

Atlanta, GA  30307

404/577-2332

Photo Credit: Zagats

Chef Bruce Logue is from Atlanta but attended culinary school in Vermont and worked in Boston before being a sous chef under Mario Batali at Babbo. After a stint in California he studied in Italy before returning home to open La Pietra Cucina. Bocca Lupo is all about the exquisite pastas. And after a recent trip to Italy ourselves, my family commented on the fact that it felt we were transported back there - if only for one night....

My family (of 4 adults) arrived a little earlier than expected but were still given a table.  Unfortunately my husband and I faced a wall, so we missed the ambiance of the place totally, but the atmosphere overall is comfy and casual and well... feels like Italy.

We met our waiter, Kyle, immediately and went to work figuring out what drinks to order.

My husband's and my view for the evening - our "kids" and the taupe wall:

Breadsticks are waiting for you at the table when you arrive.

Here's a shot of the small but vibrant bar and of us taking our menu studying very seriously:

My husband went with their version of a Moscow Mule.  I loved it, but he thought it was too heavy handed with the lime, so I happily traded.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

The rest of the group went with The Siren:  Barolo Chinato (a vermouth) Tito's Vodka, Lemon, Grapefruit Bitters, Fevertree Ginger Ale.  It was smooth and delicious and not too sweet.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Next up we went with a few appetizers.  I had read about a couple that I HAD to sample.  First up was the Prosciutto on flatbread:  Iowa prosciutto, piadina, my ricotta, pineapple mostarda.  This dish was so good - although I'm the only one that liked the pineapple mostarda, as it was sweet.  But I like the combination of the salty thinly sliced warmed prosciutto with the creamy ricotta and sweet pineapple preserves.  It's a dish I'll be thinking about for a while...

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

We also went with the octopus appetizer and were glad we did.  The combination of flavors it TO DIE FOR - Octopus & mortadella spiedino, shell beans, bacon, marsala.  And with our group of 4, both of these appetizers were easy to share - just enough to whet your appetite for the main event without weighing you down.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

It took some doing, but we finally narrowed down our entree selections.  I went with the 20 yolk tagliatelle dish:  20 yolk tagliatelle with wild mushrooms, Tuscan kale Kimchi & butter.  The pasta was perfectly crafted, and the dish was less rich than I expected - which is a good thing.  I also didn't expect a kick - it was definitely the spiciest of the meals we sampled, but that spice cut any richness of the butter and pasta.  There was nothing left on the plate in the end.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

My husband chose the classic pasta with bolognese: Wide pappardelle, bolognese gravy, American parm.  I almost went for this myself, and I probably would order it for me next time I'm at Bocca Lupo.  The bolognese is spot on and that pappardelle! Wow!  Loved every bite.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

My daughter chose the Handmade garganelli, chicken & veal ragu, field peas, summer squash dish.  I'm not sure I've ever had the garganelli pasta, but it was expertly prepared.  The dish had a rich texture, and the chicken and veal ragu was out of this world.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

My son went with the black spaghetti dish: Black spaghetti, hot calabrese sausage, red shrimp, scallions.  This dish is wonderful - again, a great combination of flavors, but the star of the show to me is the pasta.  Each bite is buttery goodness.  Our waiter had warned our son of the spiciness of the dish, but I never tasted anything spicy - the sausage was the heat here, and I suppose I never had one of those.  But this dish was very very good.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Since it was a birthday celebration we relented to getting dessert (even though we were pretty stuffed).  Their cappuccino was amazing:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

And they brought me a little surprise - a candle atop a molten chocolate concoction that tasted like salted caramel candy.  DELISH!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

And because it took a while to prepare the chocolate dish, they brought us out a pre-dessert treat - a pumpkin gelato with a cinnamon cookie and a fabulous chocolate cookie with a creamy chocolate center. Ridiculously good.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Happy early Birthday to me!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

It was a wonderful evening of celebration, and I hope to be back soon. The atmosphere was warm and fun; the service was spot on (thank you Kyle), but the star of the show was THE FOOD. Totally felt transported to Italy, and being there sparked many culinary memories and discussions of favorite haunts we enjoyed while in Rome and Florence.

THE EL FELIX EXPERIENCE

Last night we had the pleasure of meeting friends at the newest Ford Fry creation, The El Felix.  The El Felix is located in Alpharetta, in the new premier shopping and dining mecca, Avalon.  It's a Mexican themed restaurant that has the feel of Texas.  The name comes from Ford Fry's favorite Tex-Mex restaurant that he remembers as a child.  

Below is their menu - and unfortunately I had to take a photograph off of my laptop, as I failed to snap a pic at the restaurant.  But what you see is what's on the menu right now.

A view of the exterior

Photo Credit: Atlanta Eater

The restaurant has been open less than 2 weeks, and already it's creating quite the stir.  We met our friends after work on a Friday night, and at a little before 6PM there was already a 30 minute wait.  They do not take reservations at this point.  No problem - we headed to the hopping bar to test drive the specialty drinks.

My husband (and our friends) went with their margarita.  It was perfect.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

I went with a vodka concoction of theirs called RED HEADED STRANGER - Deep Eddy Ruby Red vodka, Campari, grapefruit juice with lime.  Delish!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Here's how their chips and salsas (one red and one green) are served:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

We were seated after a while and promptly greeted by our server.  

We tried 2 different appetizers.  Our server, Monica, highly recommended the Chile Con Queso - Bob Armstrong which was a delicious queso topped with seasoned beef, guacamole and sour cream.  It was fabulous!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

We also ordered an order of their guacamole, which Monica said we HAD to squeeze a generous squeeze of lime over.  It was great too!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Now for the serious eats!  I was so so so excited to order their Capechana.  I had this dish in Houston, TX years ago and have been creating it at home myself since then.  It easily can be served as an appetizer for the table to share, but I ordered it as my main course. It was really good, however it was too salty on this night.  I'm a salt lover, but someone was a bit heavy handed.  Still wonderful though.  Capechana de Marisco (with spicy gulf shrimp, octopus, lump crab and avocado).

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

One of our friends ordered the catfish dish. She raved about it and ate every bite! Pescado al Carbon (blackened NC catfish fillet, frothy serrano and garlic butter).

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

And perhaps the decadent meal of the night goes to our friend Jason who ordered the skirt steak topped with a cheese enchilada and then a fried egg.  It looked amazing and he loved it! Tampiquena (marinated wood grilled skirt steak covered with a cheese enchilada and a fried egg).   

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

My husband went with the shrimp tacos.  There were 3 tacos in double small corn tortillas. They were spicy and tasty and not too heavy.  The crunchy cabbage added nice texture to the dish. Tacos de Camarones (Spicy shrimp, smoked jalapeno, queso fresca, cilantro and cabbage).

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

And the flan!  We all 4 split the flan, and it was devine.  I grew up in Florida enjoying much Cuban cuisine, and I absolutely love flan.  It was spot on. My spoon slid easily through the custard concoction, and the taste was exactly what flan should be - sweet with a strong caramel flavor. Loved!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

And with our bill we were given this cute post card that looks and feels like you've been transported to south of the border and are sending a note back home to the States.  Nice touch.

We are already looking forward to our next visit to The El Felix.  As is typical when we dine at a Ford Fry establishment, the negative is that you can't order every delicious thing on the menu at once!  And a word about the place - I told my husband that it felt like it had been open for 10 years, not 2 weeks.  The food, the service, the atmosphere was that good.  That's the Ford Fry machine - well trained and well staffed restaurants with a focus on service and really really good food.  You must GO to The El Felix - you'll be glad you did!

And...the BEST part of the evening?  I got to meet the man himself, Ford Fry.  A gracious host indeed. Best of luck to you in your latest venture, and I look forward to Superica (at the new Krog Street Market) opening soon....

MAVERICKS: THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

MAVERICKS CANTINA

11030 Medlock Bridge Road STE 160 

Johns Creek, GA 30097

470-395-6140

Well, we HAD to try it - - - Nick and Allison St Clair's newest creation, Mavericks Cantina.  It's a Southern California Mexican joint that just opened in the John's Creek area.  And the verdict? Yet another OTP (outside the Perimeter) goldmine from the St Clairs.  Nick and Allison are the chef and owners of Antebellum, the Southern restaurant in Flowery Branch that gets rave reviews.

After dining here last week I actually said to my son, "Run.  Do not walk to Mavericks!" Yes, it's Mexican, but...everything we tried was unique, fresh and outstandingly and carefully prepared.

A view of the exterior of Mavericks.

Photo Credit: Mavericks

 A partial view of the interior - super casual, but it has a clean, warm and inviting feel.  There's outdoor seating as well.  And lots of southern CA beach music is playing.

Photo Credit: Mavericks

We arrived on a Thursday evening for dinner.  The place was about half full, and we were greeted warmly by the hostess and seated immediately.  Our cheerful server, Madison, appeared promptly and brought water and took drink orders.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue 

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Soon after being seated we were served their amazingly fresh and delicious salsa:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

 Chips are served in a little tin bucket:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

 The water and S & P.

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

 I went with their classic margarita and boy, was I glad I did! Perfect!  THE MAVERICK: Classic margarita with tequila, triple sec and lime:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

My husband enjoyed a Mexican Mule - Reposado tequila with lime, ginger beer and bitters.   It was really smooth and delish (and went down a little too quickly!)!

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

I had read about their chicken tortilla soup topped with popcorn and even though it was September, I just had to try it. The flavors burst in your mouth, and you know what, the popcorn totally works.  I loved it.

Chicken popcorn soup with sour cream and baby cilantro:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

 Perfectly prepared guacamole - again LOTS of flavor in this guac:

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

I HAD to have the grouper tacos!  They were some of the best I've ever had (and yes, I've had A LOT of fish tacos!) - fresh and an amazing combination of unexpected flavors with mango and crunchy radishes.  Served with rice and black beans.

Woodfire grilled wild grouper tacos with lime marinated mango, buttermilk dressing, radishes and baby cilantro

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

My husband went with the pork belly torta.  OMG!  We were fighting (sort of) over who would get the last few bites.  Wow. And great, decadent sweet potato fries (we may have enjoyed those or a version of those at Antebellum?).
Pork belly torta
with chipotle mayo, avocado, tomatoes, fried egg, pickled red onions and sweet potato fries

Photo Credit: Cate Bogue

So yes, this review is gushing! But it's justified; trust me.  And we WILL be back soon.  In fact, I'll be surprised if we're not there every week.  They've started out with a fairly limited menu, but I love that. Everything we tried was absolutely outstanding.  We've been talking about it to everyone we've seen since we left.

Way to go Nick and Allison!!!