local

seattle – evening 1

kdavis Leave a comment

our visit to anacortes had come to an end, but we weren’t done with washington just yet! mom, aunt cindy, and i decided to tag on a few extra days and explore seattle. i’ve been to seattle once when my small group was passing through for a trip to alaska. so, it was like a whole new world!

we got a bit of a late start so only had time to really check into our airbnb and grab some dinner that monday evening. our airbnb was a clean, spacious, well-stocked condo in the queen anne area. the owner refers to it as the “kraken cabin,” and all the host instructions were easy to follow. i imagine this view west (and the sweet little porch) is even more pleasant when the sun is out. 🙂

we unpacked a bit and started to do a little online looking to figure out what we wanted to eat. sometimes you know just what you are craving. that night was not one of those nights, lol. so much sounded so good! however, the travel gods looked down on us because we found in the condo a binder full of recommendations from the host. what luck! page after page listed different types of food and different parts of town with all sorts of suggestions. you could find just about anything in there! with the rain picking up and our bellies rumbling, we decided the nearby queen anne beerhall was worth a visit. oh, and worth a visit it was!

as mentioned in another recent post, i have never had the pleasure of going to europe, but wow, this experience felt very authentic! long tables and benches as far as the eye can see, raucous kraken fans ready to root on their hockey team, and pint after pint of beer. what a find!

we squeezed into a table between two pairs of coworkers who were humorous and kind to us out-of-towners and all our questions. if any of you knows us three, you know we are not afraid to strike up a conversation. two of those folks we met were mustafa and christopher. mustafa is an attorney and christopher is a soon-to-be-attorney at a local law firm. throughout the conversation, we found out mustafa grew up in huntsville (what are the odds?) and that christopher has a little eastern europe heritage (again, who would have thought!). it was such a serendipitous meeting, and i could not have planned it better if i tried. we got their stories, they got our stories, and they were so sweet to recommend a whole bunch of local spots for us to try during our stay. i love that they obliged our “old school” request to write the restaurants down instead of just punching them into our phone. plus, this napkin will make for a great page in my scrapbook!

over our chatter and cheers and laughter, we shared the giant pretzel, grilled corn, beet salad, and cheese curds. everything was fresh and rich and flavorful, and i bet if i lived within walking distance i’d be a regular. even though it is good to go through life with a plan, sometimes the most unplanned things end up being the best. mustafa and christopher, thank you for tolerating our little trio. if you’re ever in atlanta, i’d be happy to return the favor!

nrw – kurt’s euro bistro

kdavis 1 Comment

phillip and i have had a busy summer season, so you can imagine we were quite grateful for a recent weekend with nearly no plans. it was two saturdays ago, and i’d just returned from a scrapbook supply mission at our local hobby lobby. when i asked phillip what he wanted for dinner, he suggested we go out. i considered this idea for a moment and then, like a ton of bricks, the perfect place came to mind. we piled into the hyundai, made a left out of the neighborhood, took a right on the main drive, and within minutes pulled up to kurt’s euro bistro.

i’ve passed this unassuming spot countless times by now but never given it a try. we have become creatures of habit and tend to eat at the same (and very good) restaurants, so it just felt like the right thing to do to try something new. plus, my neighbor ellen had mentioned it was a good spot, so off we were!

we arrived a little after seven and lucked out that there was a high top available in the bar area. the hostess politely advised we make a reservation next time, as they get busy quickly on the weekends. so, we settled into our chairs, and our waitress brought us some waters while we took in the ambience. dark woods, low ceilings, pint glasses as far as the eye can see; and even though i have never been to europe, i definitely got those vibes.

we weren’t in a hurry so started with some beers and their pretzel and, of course, some beer cheese. my weihenstephan weiss was perfectly wheaty and chilled and paired nicely with the doughy yet light pretzel. the beer cheese was rich, and i think i liked the mustard dip most. if dinner was going to be anything like this appetizer, it was also going to be good (spoiler, it was).

so many of their dishes sounded delicious, but phillip and i both kept things simple and ordered a skillet with a bratwurst and sauerkraut. for barely ten bucks, there was a ton of food! the kraut was tender, the brat was juicy and flavorful, and that spicy ketchup just made everything sing. a bite alone or altogether, i was satisfied regardless.

wait, i almost forgot about the spatzle! i wasn’t hungry enough for an entire schnitzel entree, but that spatzle seemed irresistible. luckily, you can order a side of it, and i’m so glad we did. that pasta was buttery and perfectly finished with a little sautéed crunch. i am certain i looked very ladylike as i stuffed my face with forkfuls of it. 🙂

all in all, kurt’s is a lovely spot. they have indoor and outdoor seating, an intimate and well-stocked bar, welcoming staff, and a menu that’s not too big but not too small. i look forward to our next meal here (which will hopefully be soon).

oh my bagels

kdavis Leave a comment

there’s nothing better than a good icebreaker, and one of my favorites (albeit a little weird/maybe morbid) is to ask folks what their last meal would be if they could choose. you’ll learn a little bit about someone and, more than likely, foster further conversation around food, which is typically a pretty safe topic.

my answer has always been and, unless my tastes change dramatically between now and whenever, will always be a bagel with cream cheese. that’s it, kelsey? that’s all you would want? yes, no questions asked, no second thoughts, no regrets. equal parts cream cheese and bagel, sliced and toasted, that’s all i need.

as a self-proclaimed bagel and cream cheese superfan, i always welcome the opportunity to indulge this craving, and i think phillip and i have uncovered two spots in town that really have just set the bar high. part of me is glad they’re both a 20-minute drive away; otherwise, i’d need to be working out way more to burn off all these dense calories.

first up is the bagel hole in cumming. they’re a no-fuss, we-have-bagels-and-cream-cheese kind of place. i will say they do have fun flavors and also serve lunch, but their bagel and spread selection is fair, and the folks are friendly. they also have homemade bagel chips that i highly recommend! this place gets points for having an egg bagel (which has become my all-time favorite) and teaching me what a bialy is (our recommendation is to get it toasted with butter, simple and delicious). oh, and their coffee is fantastic.

next up is bb’s bagels, a spot known and loved by many. i think i heard about them on the local news (like i do so many places we try), and i can confidently say phillip is glad i recommended we check it out. this place has the diner vibes at 100 with a huge menu that will be sure to satisfy everyone in your party. the staff were very friendly when we went, and the portions made the drive well worth it. the bagels were wonderful and the strawberry spread scrumptious, and the sausage links were mouthwatering (and are flown in from new york, from what i hear). whenever the line is out the door (like it was when we went to bb’s), that’s usually a good sign. i’d say you can’t go wrong here!

do you have a favorite bagel place in town? what would your last meal be if you could choose? i need a new spot to try!

an mcu journey: an al dente dinner with modern vibes

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the delicious eats and fun flicks are still a-comin’, and although i feel like we still have a good chunk to get through, we’ve come so far! you know what’s up. we’ve had the good, the bad, the better, the worse, and if i had to describe everything for this week of adventure, i’d say everything was solidly solid. wait, is it grammatically acceptable to use an adjective to describe itself? sure, why not!

first up is dinner, and one food group we had not yet enjoyed together for marvel night was italian. i mean, we’ve had pizza, but i’m talking pastas and marinaras and garlicky goodness.

phillip and i were super ready to recommend we order dinner from nearby alessio’s. we had tried them for his birthday dinner last year via delivery during the pandemic, and they just might be one of my favorite italian places in town. if i were force fed the tortellii cardinal every day for a week, i would gladly welcome the challenge. phillip tried the ravioli, which i admit was divine. dave and jenn both had parmigiana, dave the veal and jenn the chicken. dave had never had veal before and commented that the texture seemed a little off. could it be because it was delivered? would it be better fresh out of the oven, tableside? is it possible that veal simply is not for him? i guess we’ll just need to eat at the restaurant soon to settle it!

so, dinner was a hit, as far as my dish was concerned. can we say the same for the movie? well, i don’t know that i’d give black panther the highest marks, but it definitely is not at the back of the pack. i feel like it was quite a hit when it first released in 2018, and i’ll admit i was looking forward to seeing it for myself. and now thinking back on it, i first was a huge fan of the fact that this movie takes place in a completely different setting from all the other movies i have seen so far. although most of the scenery is probably computer-generated, it was a nice change. i also appreciate that the start of the movie is very straightforward and explains the history of wakanda; it was helpful to get some direct insight right upfront!

from the vibranium thieves to n’jadaka’s thirst for revenge, i liked the multi-layered conflict throughout the film. the soundtrack was pretty awesome, too, and i was especially glad that at the end t’challa chose to open an outreach center. i really don’t know that there was a better way to conclude the movie.

you know, as i sit here thinking and writing about the restaurant and the movie, i think they both get higher ratings that i originally planned. it’s anybody’s game at this point!

EATS

  1. sweet octopus
  2. alessio’s
  3. gordo’s pizza
  4. alebrije mexican restaurant
  5. jim’n’nick’s
  6. burger 21
  7. jerusalem bakery
  8. armando’s caribe
  9. honeypig
  10. cue barbecue
  11. lon u
  12. rose and olive
  13. wayback burger
  14. 2 nyers pizza
  15. tokyo shokudo

MOVIES

  1. iron man
  2. ant-man
  3. spider-man: homecoming
  4. guardians of the galaxy
  5. captain america: the first avenger
  6. black panther
  7. thor: the dark world
  8. captain america: civil war
  9. thor
  10. avengers: age of ultron
  11. captain america: the winter soldier
  12. doctor strange
  13. iron man 3
  14. the avengers
  15. iron man 2

an mcu journey: slurpy ramen & teenage thrills

kdavis Leave a comment

i’ll come and say it outright: last sunday we had a big ‘ole time with marvel night. the food? a+. the movie? an a+, too! i think this week was just plain fun, which is why i’m excited to tell you all about it.

first, the food. although it was still a 90 degree day in summery georgia, i had a sudden hankering for a big bowl of ramen. there were no objections, so we ordered delivery from a local spot in downtown duluth called sweet octopus. it was a new spot for all four of us (a rarity!), and i’ll tell you all now we were highly impressed. i was secretly jealous of the super poke bowl dave ordered. it looked fresh, salty, and savory all at the same time. i’m only sorry i did not get a picture for you!

we had an order of dumplings for the table, which i feel like are a must with a dinner like this one. jenn’s panko chicken teriyaki chili peanut poke bowl (yes, that is what it is called!) looked like a great choice, and the bite of phillip’s thai fried rice i had was completely satisfying. but what about the ramen, kelsey! well, folks, i ate the. entire. bowl. i had the village classic original ramen and loved every bite of rich broth. the crunchy corn, the sprouts, the soft-boiled egg. i nearly could not get enough! this may be one of the first restaurants we’ve ordered from where i look very forward to going to the restaurant and trying more. sweet octopus, we’ll be coming for you!

so, with such a glowing dinner review, i know you’re just dying to know which movie we saw and what we thought. well, what i thought. 🙂 it was time for spider-man! yes, we watched spider-man: homecoming, and i think i was smiling throughout the entire film. i think i liked this movie so much because it is really its own vibe. younger cast, totally different setting, adolescent fun and dread, what’s not to enjoy? tom holland is 100% precious as peter parker, his sidekick ned is perfectly likeable, and the storyline is not nearly as over the top as some of the other marvel films. can i get a hallelujah? peter’s out there, just trying to help the little guy, and is charming and adorable the whole way through. although the rescue scene in washington, dc felt a little extra, the movie and spider-man redeem themselves with their wholesome message and do-good attitude. i’ll be honest, i cannot wait to see the next movies in the spider-man saga. just gotta get through all these others first!

EATS

  1. sweet octopus
  2. gordo’s pizza
  3. alebrije mexican restaurant
  4. jim’n’nick’s
  5. burger 21
  6. jerusalem bakery
  7. armando’s caribe
  8. cue barbecue
  9. lon u
  10. rose and olive
  11. wayback burger
  12. 2 nyers pizza
  13. tokyo shokudo

MOVIES

  1. iron man
  2. ant-man
  3. spider-man: homecoming
  4. guardians of the galaxy
  5. captain america: the first avenger
  6. thor: the dark world
  7. captain america: civil war
  8. thor
  9. avengers: age of ultron
  10. captain america: the winter soldier
  11. iron man 3
  12. the avengers
  13. iron man 2

quarantine calories

kdavis Leave a comment

i feel like most folks are doing a handful of things with their time these days:  working (if lucky enough to do so), cleaning, hobby-ing, childcaring, and eating.  among all those things, the last one might be the most fun.

over the past two weeks, we’ve been hosting phillip’s sister natalie and her doggie wyatt, and as a household of individuals who love food, we have been fortunate to support some local businesses and adventure into some new recipes together.  today’s post includes mouthwatering photos of all our eats.  get ready to drool!

nat and wyatt.

our first stop after picking up natalie and wyatt from the airport was zaxby’s.  natalie doesn’t have zaxby’s up in nyc, so it was definitely a homecoming meal.  oh, and in case you want a pro tip, check out this recipe to make your own zax sauce.  it’s super easy and worth the minimal effort, i promise.

hhhnnnggg, homemade zax sauce.

the next night, phillip and natalie were together to celebrate their 32nd birthday!  aw, it made my heart so happy.  we started with a specially delivered dinner from alessio’s restaurant & pizzeria in norcross.  from the lasagna and garlic knots to the tortellini cardinal and the chicken francese, it was quite a feast, and i don’t doubt we’ll go dine in once we can.  and, no birthday is complete without a cake!  thank you, publix, for the fudge and strawberry filled chocolate cake with buttercream frosting.  🙂

the mornings were definitely prime opportunities for some tasty treats over the past several days.  from whipped coffee (i promise this trend is worth the work)…

to avocado toast…

to simply done donuts…

the fruity pebbles were delicious!

to dirty horchata…

to mimosas…

cheers!

and finally chrissy teigen’s banana bread.  it was some good eatin’.

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we didn’t leave dinner out at all.  we became kroger recipe experts, first with their arugula, goat cheese, and olive pasta salad.  i couldn’t keep natalie away from it, lol!  on Easter sunday we also tried out and really enjoyed their pork & peach tacos with ginger brown rice.

alongside the tacos we chowed down on my favorite corn dip.  i don’t know where on earth i got this recipe, but i’m glad i have it.

our tex-mex dinner that day had been preceded by a monkey bread breakfast and a deviled egg snack.  om nom nom.

in addition to trying out several kroger recipes, we also busted out the blue apron cards and loved the pork burgers with potato wedges and beef and rice bowls.

beef rice bowl and those pickled radishes. yum.

at some point over the past several days, i also whipped up this spicy pasta salad by ree drummond.  anything with gouda in it just makes my heart sing.

the evening was, of course, always an opportunity to nosh and also spend some of our hard-earned dollars at the nearby establishments.  we had mcdonald’s on our anniversary, freddy’s on thursday just because it was thursday, noodles from lon u on friday because we were craving pad thai, and marco’s pizza on saturday because who doesn’t love some ‘za.

an anniversary tradition!
their fry sauce is so. good.
lon u. so many noodles and so much fried rice.
four cheese pizza from marco’s.

and of all the sweet treats we had for dessert, i think phillip’s homemade ice cream sundaes were my favorite.  ❤

so, have you discovered any tasty recipes you’d like to share?  or have a local restaurant you think we just must try?  let us know and, above all else, stay safe.

p.s. i realize that many people out there are not currently in a position to splurge on food and groceries or even acquire the essentials.  if anyone out there needs a helping hand, i hope we can either assist or that you are able to find what you need right when you need it.  let’s keep everyone in mind these days, especially those severely impacted by everything that surrounds us.

san francisco – day 3

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another early morning arrived for brian and me.  he wanted to get a good start so that he could leave work at a more reasonable hour for some friday fun, so we whisked out into the already windy day and took the truck over to 24th and folsom for brian’s favorite cup of coffee at philz.  he said this spot was his daily hangout once upon a time, so if it’s good enough for him, it’ll work for me, too!

when we walked into philz, i was instantly reminded of the east side jittery joe’s back in athens.  it’s artsy and eclectic, and i loved every ounce of it.

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it’s quite the menu they’ve got here, so i trusted brian to do the ordering for us both.  he got us each a small philtered soul, a lighter medium blend of hazelnut and chocolate.  um, yes, that sounds amazing!  we took our cups to-go and had our first sips out on the sidewalk.  although a little on the sweeter side, the coffee was flavorful, a lovely treat to wake us up at just a quarter past the seven o’clock hour.

gah, he's just the coolest!

gah, he’s just the coolest!

we then headed east on 24th to find dynamo donut shop.  my friend mike had heard good things about it, so i felt it was my personal duty to see if the fun was warranted.  this little place is actually a walk-up counter serving up homemade donuts and coffee.

i was in the mood for something chocoately, so i gladly let the cashier recommend the chocolate rose.  brian went for a saltier selection with the maple glazed bacon apple.  she popped them into a to-go bag for us so that brian and i could enjoy them in a nearby park.  we plopped ourselves on top of the artful sea serpent because that seemed the most obvious thing to do.

we decided that sharing the donuts was the perfect thing to do.  brian bit into the chocolate rose first, and his face said it all:  he really didn’t care for it.  whoops!  i took a taste to see if i agreed but found i felt differently.  i actually quite liked its bittersweet flavor and cakey texture.  brian did come around to admit after a few more tries that it wasn’t so bad after all.

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even though i was a fan of the chocolate rose, i might say the maple glazed bacon apple that brian picked out was pretty awesome.  the glaze was just the right thickness to coat the donut but not take away from the subtle and sweet syrupy-apple flavor.  oh, and let’s be honest, no breakfast is complete without bacon, right?  ah, yes, how american of me!

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it was about that hour for brian to head out to work, so he dropped me off back at cafe st. jorge.  i just couldn’t stay away!  i snuggled into the booth with a sesame bagel and organic cream cheese and wrote the morning away.  all of philz coffee went straight to my head and got me uber focused.  i knocked out a whole day and a half of san fran fun in a short couple of hours.  booyah!

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san francisco – day 2

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thursday morning honestly arrived a little too early for my liking.  although brian’s bed is extremely comfortable, a few more hours of shuteye really would have done wonders.  well, there’s no room for whiners on this vacation, so we were up and at it by 7:30 a.m.  an early day indeed!

brian was going to take the later bus to work so that we’d have a little morning time together.  our first destination of the day was cafe st. jorge for a little caffeine and munchies.  this place was all kinds of adorable, and i’m sure i embarrassed brian with all my question asking and picture taking.  hey, there comes a time when one must be a shameless blogger, and that time for me is now.  this type of coffee shop is right up my alley, and if i lived here, i bet it’s where i would go to write and read.

brian went for a large black coffee and i had a small cafe au lait.  it was a solid au lait, a good thing since it is my favorite coffee beverage.

my cousin is such a stud!

my cousin is such a stud!

for eats i had the banana bread.  i didn’t want anything too filling since i was planning to eat practically all day long.  i wish it had been a little more moist, but the flavors and density you come to expect from banana bread were definitely there.

'naner bread.

‘naner bread.

brian went with his usual in the small granola bowl.  it was the cutest and most homey bowl i’d ever seen in my life, and i’m lucky he let me have a couple bites.  the yogurt wasn’t overly sweet, and the homemade granola was stupid good.  the fruit was fresh, and everything together in a single spoonful made for a very tasty breakfast.

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we grabbed lids for our coffees and began our morning hike.  brian had warned me about the hills, but, yeah, i quickly felt out of shape, and i run half-marathons for goodness’ sakes!  slowly my layers were stripped as we continued upward towards the heavens.  all that was running through my head was miley cyrus’ hit “the climb.”  remember folks, it’s about the journey, not the destination.

brian promised me the effort would be worthwhile, and after we were atop the city, i realized he was absolutely right.  the view from this high up is just gorgeous, a sweeping scene of san francisco and all its neighborhoods.  the breeze was cooling, and the ultimate feeling of relaxation set in as we took in everything.  ah, thank goodness for vacation days!

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“know the good people”

kdavis 2 Comments

good peopleas my eyes surveyed the shelves of our upstairs refrigerator, i happened upon a can of beer that wasn’t miller lite, a strange sight in our house.  we are a miller family, thanks to mark and kathleen, and i promise i mean it in the best of ways, really!

back to the mysterious can of pale ale beer:  i plucked it from its spot and read “good people brewing company.”

“dad, isn’t good people a local birmingham place?”

“yes, somewhere downtown, i think.”

“cool.  can i give it a try?”

“of course!” he sweetly obliged.  i popped that can open and gave it a sip, immediately thrown, for no apparent reason, by its innate hoppy taste.  i typically know what i like and what i do not like, and pale ales tend to be on the latter list.  however, i am determined to like pale ales because they seem so cool and trendy, a real “beer drinker” beer.

not one to shy away and let something go to waste, i poured the beer into a frozen pint glass.  my hopes were that drinking it out of the can was my mistake, and to my pleasant surprise, it did go down much more smoothly out of the chilled vessel.

american pale ales are the game at good people, and they offer five varieties year-round.  apa’s are known for their generous quantities of american hops that distinguish them from european or british pale ales.  well, since i usually stray away from choices that are on the hoppier end of the spectrum, i took this chance to learn more about this particular beer and strive to find something i like in it.  things i like about it?  it’s on the lighter side and has subtle caramel tones that you can really taste if you really stop and think about it.

as i sit here writing to you, my adoring fan, i happily notice that my glass is nearly empty.  i’ve drunk an entire pale ale with nearly no complaint at all!  as i take the last few sips to finish it off, i pleasantly notice that it is not as hoppy as i thought.  it’s just that first taste you get, right on the middle of your tongue, that catches me off guard each time.  perhaps pale ales are one of those brews that you have to drink much of to really like it…?  am i reaching here?  perhaps, but at least i stuck with it, right?  right!  i’ll take a moment to pat myself on the back here.

if pale ales are your thing, and you live in alabama or tennessee, look in your local grocer for good people beer.  from what i gather on their site, the pale ale is the least bitter.  they’ve got a brown ale that looks like it could be a contender for me, but it might be one i try with someone else close by, so that i can kindly offer it to them in case it’s not for me.