dinner

greek salad with orzo & black eyed-peas

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last night i decided i needed to actually make something for my brown bags this week at lunch.  i don’t mind eating out, but it gets old quickly when you have a limited window for it.

orzo

i rummaged through my recipe box, looking particularly for something that i hadn’t yet tried.  a few soups looked tasty, but i need it to be slightly cooler before i get those brewing.  i came upon this recipe for greek salad with orzo and black eyed-peas, clearly ripped out of the pages of an old real simple magazine from years ago.  although i didn’t have mine fashioned in these stylish and hip mason jars, my tupperware containers suited them just fine.  enjoy!

ingredients

3/4 cup orzo

1 (15-oz.) can black-eyed peas, drained & rinsed

1 large tomato, diced

2 Tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

*i could only find italian parsley at disco kroger and it worked just fine

2 Tablespoons red-wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/4 seedless cucumber, halved lengthwise, cored, & diced (1 cup)

*disco kroger also does not have seedless cucumbers, so a regular cucumber would just have to do

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, slivered

*i have a strong distaste towards olives, so i left these out

1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon finely chopped oregano

*i found a whole Tablespoon to be way too much – i’d suggest cutting it down to half a Tablespoon

2-3 cups coarsely chopped romaine

1/2 pound feta, crumbled (1 cup)

4 to 8 pepperoncini

directions

cook orzo according to package instructions.  drain in a sieve and rinse under cold water until cool.  drain well.

toss black-eyed peas, tomato, and parsley with vinegar, 1 Tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  marinate, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

meanwhile, toss together orzo, remaining oil, cucumber, olives, onion, lemon zest and juice, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

divide black-eyed pea mixture (with juices) among jars and layer orzo salad, romaine, and feta on top.  add 1 or 2 pepperoncini to each jar.

*note:  assembled jars can be chilled up to eight hours and serve four.  enjoy at room temperature with pita chips.

**kelsey’s note:  i assembled my tupperware this morning before work and had it as a salad for lunch.

ladybird grove and mess hall – atlanta, ga

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last week was the grand opening of the latest spot in old fourth ward, ladybird grove and mess hall, and we just had to be there!  i got in touch with general manager creighton mcmurray to get the deets and was quite delighted when he invited us to come on out for opening night on monday.

ladybird grove and mess hall is tucked nicely into this neighborhood, with kevin rathbun steak to its southeast and the beltline right in between the two.  if it’s your first time visiting this part of town, you might be wary as your gps directs you here, for you feel as though you may be intruding upon a residential area.  fear not, though, for once you get to the end of john wesley dobbs, the big ladybird sign will wave you down.

i arrived earlier than the rest of our group so that i could steal a few precious moments with the staff.  creighton and i had been exchanging e-mails, and i was looking forward to meeting him.  the waitress seated me and brought some water and then creighton joined me at the family style table for a quick introduction.

“so, how does it feel, now that opening day is here?  did you sleep at all?  are you overwhelmed?”

“actually,” creighton responded, “i’m feeling comfortably whelmed.  i got a little bit of shut eye, but things are going great.”  well, if that isn’t great news for a restaurant’s first night, i don’t know what is.

“i know you’re busy, but tell me a little bit about ladybird’s identity, because the web site is quite simple.”

“haha.  yes, our site is a bit vague right now,” he laughs (note that it has since been updated with their menu offerings).  “we want ladybird to be a laid-back place that anyone can enjoy.  we’re a from-scratch kitchen making good food.  we want folks to want to hop in for a burger and beer after walking their dog or going for a run.”

their location really is quite perfect for all of those things.  i can see ladybird quickly becoming a must-try spot in its opening months, especially with its screened-in dining area and roomy patios.  the exposed brick and carshop doors inside keep the space tall and airy, as does the wilderness murals.  the whole atmosphere is something i haven’t experienced really ever, and i was definitely feeling it.

the menu caters to folks of nearly all appetites and price points.  there are starters and small plates and individual meals and platters to share among friends.  there’s so much to try, and you can bet that we did our fair share of tasting.

jamie & me.
nathan!

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desta ethiopian kitchen – atlanta, ga

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DSCF1304[1]

ah, at last, we dine on ethiopian cuisine for nrw!  such an exciting week, especially since my younger brother clark just moved in with me and it was his first ever nrw!!!  welcome to the atl, bro!

we’ve been talking about it for months, and last week we finally arrived at desta ethiopian kitchen off of briarcliff and clairmont.  desta was kenneth’s personal recommendation, which is good enough for me.  i’m going to spoil things for you right now and say that desta might be in my top ten for new restaurants.  what a proclamation to make!  read on to find out just why we left here so happy.

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brian, a bride, and a moh

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yesterday was so fun-filled and enjoyable that i just need to tell you all about it!  i first started off the lovely morning with my cousin brian.  he was in town from san francisco this weekend for kyle’s bachelor party, and in an effort to not crash the events, he and i met up for an early breakfast before their festivities geared up for the day.  i picked him up from his rented loft in downtown atlanta, and then we zoomed off towards memorial.  as we pulled up to ria’s bluebird café, we sadly realized that it wasn’t open.

“but the web site said they were open beginning at eight o’clock saturday mornings!?”

i know, i know.  it’s heartbreaking!  for this little place looked quite original and quirky, just what we were craving.  well, maybe next time?  maybe…

brian quickly hopped on foursquare and read aloud some other recommendations.  “this place highland bakery has an even higher score than ria’s.”

“we can definitely go there!” i assured him.  “it should just be right down the road.”

even though it was quite early in the day, there were plenty of folks already at their tables on the sidewalk.  the sun was beginning to peek up over the horizon with its warm rays, so we opted to eat inside instead.  it was a fine choice to dine indoors, for we were perfectly placed to visit and enjoy the atmosphere.

brian is one of the coolest people i know but is someone with whom i never get to spend enough time.  considering he spent his childhood in san pedro, moved to new york for a few years, and is now in northern california, you can see how it would be hard to get together.  thanks to more frequent family events and reunions, though, we’ve been pretty good about seeing each other at least once a year.  ah, he’s just so cool that it still isn’t enough!

our genial waitress brought the coffees and between sips, brian and i caught up on anything and everything.  his job at apple is going well, he loves his new apartment, and he is stoked for the wedding in october.  he’s one of the groomsmen for kyle, and you can bet he will be tearing up the dance floor at the reception.  brian definitely has a wild side, and we’ll see just how far it is unleashed next month.

per foursquare’s recommendation, brian ordered the fried chicken benedict.  he had mentioned he didn’t want anything too heavy, but i think this plate weighed a good bit.  those little fried tenders were smothered in a jalapeno cheddar cheese sauce that looked unreal.  brian said the dish certainly lived up to its hype.

brian!

brian!

i really didn’t know what i was in the mood to eat that morning, but the sweet potato pancake caught my eye, and i figured that it would be quite delicious with my café au lait.  first, the café au lait was very well made.  it didn’t need any sugar or cream, and that, in my opinion, means you’ve got a great mug of coffee in your thirsty little hands.  the pancake was dense and sweet and even more delicious with the caramelized brown sugar butter; and the side of bacon was thick and crispy.  sometimes i like chewy bacon, but this crispy serving of pig was a great choice.

our time together was coming to a close, as i had to meet up with some peeps around ten for an alumni event.  it had been so wonderful to catch up with brian, and it makes  my heart ache that i only get to see him every now and then.  i suppose i’ll just have to make it out to san fran sometime soon.  challenge accepted!

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#cheersbitches

kdavis 2 Comments

okay, i don’t typically prefer to swear on my public, social media, but this post is the exception because we were celebrating kari’s bachelorette-ness this past weekend.  she’s marrying my older brother kyle in a short 53 days, and labor day weekend was the perfect time for the bachelorette party.  plenty of time to relax and recover after the fact.  i wish i could share all the shocking and juicy details, but some things are sworn to sisterhood.  thankfully most of the weekend was g-rated, so i’ll let you in on the fun.

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don antonio – atlanta, ga

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after our pizza eating flop last week, we figured we’d give it another go, this time at don antonio.  i’d heard only great reviews about this restaurant, so it was our turn to check out the hype.

don antonio is a spot that strives to offer the finest pizza this side of the atlantic ocean, and considering the accolades it has already received, most folks could convince you that they have.  they serve up wood-fired neopolitan pies of all varieties, from your traditional red-sauce pies to gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan pizzas.  it’s a great place to come if you have a group with special dietary requirements.  the mozzarella is made in-house, and it’s an easy thing to believe once you give it a try.

don antonio is considered among the elite, placing amongst the top 25 “best pizza places in the us” by food and wine magazine.  the dishes have even been featured on several magazine covers.  founders and owners roberto caporuscio and antonio starita are renowned as pizza makers all over the world, bolstering their restaurants with years of industry experience and authentic, italian culinary training.  the original actually is off west 50th street in new york city, having had its grand debut back in february 2012.  now as for this buckhead location of don antonio, just what did we think?

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we can’t stop

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sarah & me!

sarah & me!

and we won’t stop.  we won’t stop having fun.  we won’t stop living it up.  we won’t settle for ordinary when incredible is waiting at the door.  a life as grand as this one shouldn’t be wasted on the monotonous and expected.  let’s shake it up, and shake it up we did this past weekend.  another couple days of fun in the sun and new adventures.

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burger vs. burger

kdavis 1 Comment

so, we’d gotten wind of the 40th anniversary celebration mellow mushroom was having last night, and apparently so had the rest of the city.  i arrived at the brookhaven location and looped the parking lot three times to squeeze into a spot, all to find out that a table for a party of five would be a two and a half hour wait.  tWo AnD a HaLf HoUrS?!  yes, you read that correctly.  i like mellow mushroom just fine, but $2.50 small cheese pizzas and $0.75 pbr’s just couldn’t keep me.  instead, nathan and alison recommended we try the burger place lucky’s just up the road in town brookhaven.  a new restaurant in exchange for an overpacked (and overhyped) mellow mushroom?  count us in!

and folks, let me tell you this much right now.  this post isn’t just about lucky’s. it’s also about cheeseburger bobby’s, the burger joint kyle, bank, and i ventured to for lunch today up in norcross.  it was my first place at both restaurants, and having had them in nearly back-to-back meals, i figured it would be fun to find out which one reigns supreme!

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poor calvin’s – atlanta, ga

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calvin logo

last week in atlanta was restaurant week, so you can bet our group was ready to try some great food at great prices.  i had my brother kyle help me choose the spot, and we decided on poor calvin’s.  i mean, isn’t that name just great?  i think so, too!  this quaint restaurant on the edge of downtown atlanta has been around since november 2012.  owner and chef calvin phan came to seek bigger things in our fair city, hoping to find an appreciation for his unique and innovative international perspective.  his vietnamese roots, germanic training, and swiss experience have turned out some amazing dishes here at poor calvin’s.  eastern flavors and western techniques come together in what they call “absolute fusion.”  the cuisine has asian flavors, thai roots, and southern accents.  honestly, it was an easy choice to come here.

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acre – auburn, al

kdavis 2 Comments

“is this place farm-to-table?” kari asked as i passed the car keys to the valet.  “ha!  you crack me up!”  we were in auburn this past weekend to celebrate clark’s graduation with his masters of accountancy (we’re so proud!), but more on that later.

once the ceremony ended, we made the short drive to acre off east glenn avenue.  i was instantly excited as we drove up and approached the restaurant.  isn’t it just beautiful?

acre.

acre.

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