Carrabba's

Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Town Center Location
1160 Ernest Barrett Pkwy.
Kennesaw, GA 30144
770-499-0338
http://www.carrabbas.com/

5 out of 5 Peaches from Atlanta Foodies

My latest epicurean adventure with my husband, Dan, took me to Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Kennesaw. If you haven’t been to Carrabba’s, you are in for a treat. I love Italian food, and Carrabba’s does it best. They are better than Olive Garden, better than Ippolito’s, and better than Macaroni Grill, although I do enjoy all of these. Carrabba’s on Barrett Parkway sits among many other chains, but its excellent food makes it a stand-out.

We walked in and immediately liked the atmosphere. It’s very romantic, with dim lights, grape vines, and comfy booths. We only had to wait a moment for our tables. We had just gotten glasses of Chianti at the bar when our coaster began to buzz. The hostess seated us in a private booth in the corner.

The waiter was very friendly and brought us warm bread with a dish of olive oil and herbs. He mixed the oil with the herbs at the table. We loved the flavor of the bread with the mixture and requested another. It was delicious. Throughout our meal, the server was conscientious and knowledgeable, and he refilled our wine glasses and soda glasses at the right times.

We skipped appetizers and went straight for the entrees. Dan ordered Filet Fiorentina. He is a cook, so he knows his stuff. He loved everything on his plate. I ordered the current special, Piatto di Pollo – Chicken Bryan and Chicken topped with Port Wine Sauce. It came with sautéed asparagus and vegetable ravioli. The attached photo shows Chicken Bryan, which can be ordered by itself. Let me tell you, my dinner was scrumptious! The different styles of chicken played against each other wonderfully, and the side dishes were sufficiently light that I was able to finish my whole meal. Both of our dinners were perfect. For dessert, we had the Chocolate Dream – a fudge brownie with chocolate mousse, Kahlua, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce. Oh my goodness, it was to die for!

To sum up, Carrabba’s is a lovely restaurant with superb food. I would recommend it to anyone I know. The prices are mid-range. Overall, we had a wonderful time and will definitely go back to Carrabba’s!

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best), how would you rate this restaurant compared to the other restaurants you visit on a regular basis.

10 for delicious Italian cuisine.

This restaurant is best for (Choose all that apply)

• Good food • Family-friendly • Romantic • Special occasion

Review of The Red & Green Steakhouse

The Red & Green Steakhouse
5979 Buford Hwy NE
Suite B1
Atlanta GA 30340
Phone: (678) 710-0888
Fax: (678) 710-0555






Atlanta Foodies contributor Brian White recently dined at the The Red & Green Steakhouse. Here is his review.

When it comes to dining in Atlanta, your options tend to be as broad as your appetite, and the likelihood of poor service diminishes nearly to zero. Sadly that means most restaurants have to have a unique flavor and incredible service just to meet the minimum criteria, but so many go so far beyond that, it isn't tough to set the bar right there. The Red & Green Steakhouse, though a bit out in the suburbs, has earned such a reputation for excellence; it was well worth the short drive to find what all the fuss might be about.

Unannounced, I took my editor out to dinner. I figured if it was a success, we could both write it up and I could be brilliant for the find. If it was a failure, I could pretend it was a fluke. No failure to be found here: this place reeks success from the second you walk in the door, and it made me look as good as I'd hoped.

Even though it was a Friday evening, we were almost immediately shown to a table and given instructions for what was to follow. We exchanged work-related pleasantries and headed for the salad bar, where the difference in our tastes could not have been more evident. I went for the olives, while he delved into more unusual salads than I was aware a beef-centric restaurant was willing to offer.

Back at the table, pleased with my choice, he bought a bottle of dry white wine (not my choice for a steakhouse, but upon ordering the bottle he decided he was picking up the tab, so I would have been crazy to decline).

If you've never been to a Brazilian Steakhouse, then you might not get the titular reference to "red and green." Many such places, especially traditional ones, will give you a card to place on your table. One side is green, as in "go," and the other is red as in "stop." So if you've had quite enough of the gauchos wandering around and offering you just a tad more meat, simply flip your green card to red, and they'll know you're finished… you can change your mind, of course - they don't mind that, but the power is still in your hands either way.

The lamb, garlic steak and pork ribs are exactly the sort of thing that can't be beat. The chicken hearts were more my boss's speed, but not to be out done, I gladly asked for one myself. The gentleman offered me a second one with a straight face, which I politely declined. If you've never had chicken heart, they aren't bad, but I have to wonder if they're more the sort of thing a boss orders to make sure he keeps you in your place.

By the time we got around to dessert, we were both stuffed beyond capacity, and it was a shame because I already knew I wasn't picking up the tab, so figured it would be a great way to taste the Chocolate Mousse Cake without paying for it. Instead we opted for coffee and finally had a chance to take in our surroundings.

The Red & Green Steakhouse is unassuming from the outside, but once you're in, you're surely sold. The ceilings are easily twenty feet, with flawless woodwork throughout, and a seating space sufficient to make a weekday meal seem private, and a busy Friday night nothing more than ordinary. The high ceilings really dissipate sound, so even though there was a group of high school students close enough to throw bread at, we could still enjoy our (presumably tax-deductible) dinner just the same.

I know our bill would have been around $60 for an exceptional dinner of all the best food we could have possibly stuffed ourselves with, but once that bottle of wine was ordered, the tab was off-limits to me, and a good thing, because if it wasn't, my boss would have quickly realized the reason I asked him out to dinner in the first place was to ask for a pay raise.

The Red & Green Steakhouse is located off Buford Highway Northeast in Atlanta, Georgia. Call 678-710-0888 for reservations or check them out on Google, Yelp, City Search or any of the other sites that are proud to list them.

Reviewed by Brian White.

Carrabba's Contest!

Carrabba's is holding a contest to name a wine. Sounds fun! Submit your ideas at their website - http://www.carrabbas.com/. People actually win these things, you know. I won a trip to Florida a few years ago in a seafood contest. Details below...

Uncork your Creativity Contest

Carrabba’s Italian Grill invites consumers to help name a new, Carrabba’s-exclusive, limited-edition baby Super Tuscan wine debuting this fall from Ruffino. This is a fun opportunity for one winner to receive a $1,500 epicurean prize package including:

A case of the exclusive Ruffino wine
A catered 2008 holiday celebration for 12
A year’s worth of Carrabba’s dinners in 2009

Entries can be submitted online at www.Carrabbas.com until July 31, 2008.

Fogo de Chao vs. Fire of Brazil - Churrascaria Throwdown!

What did you order? How was your food?

Both Fogo de Chao and Fire of Brazil are Brazilian steakhouses called “churrascarias” with prix fixe menus. For a set price, you have unlimited access to the salad bar, unlimited sides, and unlimited meat. Both restaurants provide you with a red light/green light device, which you display according to whether or not you would like the gauchos to bring you more meat. We went to Fogo de Chao in Buckhead, and Fire of Brazil by Perimeter Mall. Now, I hate to give a negative review, and I will let you know if somehow I change my mind, but after dining at both restaurants, I have to say that Fogo de Chao is much better than Fire of Brazil. Maybe other locations are different, though.

The salad bar at Fogo de Chao is wonderful and impeccably presented with smoked salmon, fresh buffalo mozzarella, and various gourmet salad ingredients. I especially enjoyed the pesto vinaigrette. The Fire of Brazil salad bar was similar, but we noticed that the asparagus appeared to be a bit brown, and it did not look as neat and fresh as Fogo's.

The meat menu is very similar at both restaurants. Sides at Fogo are much better – both have delicious cheese rolls, but Fogo’s warm polenta, cheese-topped mashed potatoes, and most of all fried bananas – beat Fire of Brazil’s average beans, yucca and rice. The yucca was interesting, though. We had a wonderful drink at Fogo that was like a Brazilian mojito. It was called a “caipirinha.” Verrry strong, but delicious!

Describe your impressions of the service. Was anything exceptionally good (or bad) about the quality of service you received?

Fogo de Chao’s service is perfect! It seems that the service is choreographed by a coach, because there are never any lapses where you are thirsty or lacking sides or meat.

On the other hand… we were disappointed with Fire of Brazil’s service. We arrived about an hour before they closed, and there were several other couples and one very large party of about 12. The other couples filtered out, and soon it was just us and the large party. Drinks were not refilled consistently, but the worst part was that our green lights were displayed, and the meat stopped coming! Our server did not come over for about ten minutes, and when she did we requested the specific meats we wanted, but then it took about 15 to 20 minutes to get them.

I guess they ran out of meat and just figured we were done since the large party was done. There were at least 30 minutes until close at this point. Well, that is not the way churrascarias work! Also, several servers were just standing around near the kitchen entrance gabbing. Our experience started out well, but then it just went downhill.

What do you think of the décor and atmosphere?

Fire of Brazil does have a nice atmosphere. There is an stone fire pit in the center which gives off a nice glow, and the décor is charming. Still, Fogo de Chao’s décor is top notch. It is on a higher level of dining, even though the price is about the same!

Do you consider this a good value for the money you spent? If no, why not?

Fogo de Chao – yes, definitely! We go back there at least once a year.

Fire of Brazil – no, definitely not. I have to be honest - we will not be back, and I don’t recommend it.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best), how would you rate this restaurant compared to the other restaurants you visit on a regular basis.

Fogo de Chao – 10 for everything.
Fire of Brazil – 4 for food, 3 for service.

This restaurant is best for...

Fogo de Chao – great for special occasions, nice dinners, and especially meat lovers! It’s Disneyworld for carnivores – Meatworld!

STRAITS Atlanta

Straits
793 Juniper Street
Atlanta, GA 30308
404-877-1283
M-Sat open at 5
Sunday Brunch 11-3
http://www.straitsrestaurants.com/




What can I say besides "YEAH!" With Straits Restaurant's opening, Atlanta superstar Ludacris and Chef Chris Yeo have struck San Francisco gold right here in midtown Atlanta.

Take a look at Chris "Ludacris" Bridges' bio, and you may be awestruck by all of his accomplishments. Personally, I adore his amazingly catchy songs, thought his acting was great in Crash, and love that he has collaborated with another of my favorite artists, Kylie Minogue. But Luda has even more creativity to share, as evidenced by the success of his wonderful new Singaporean restaurant, Straits. Ludacris was so impressed by Chef Yeo's Straits location in California that he just had to bring it to Atlanta for all of us to enjoy. Thanks, Luda!

My husband Dan and I dined at Straits recently, and we both agreed that the cuisine and the atmosphere were phenomenal. Not to mention that we got to meet Ludacris and Chef Yeo! We also met the sous chef, who was very pleasant and charming as well. Decor, I would describe as modern Asian done in lush, varied textures, with a theme of dark burgundy.

Kung Pao Chicken Lollipops at Straits

Okay, I did not think that I would be the type to be starstruck, but I was. Luckily, I was brave enough to say something when Ludacris checked on us. My husband talked to Luda about the cuisine. I managed to stammer out that I loved his earrings. They must have been 100 carats. Seriously! And I got his autograph!! We got to meet Ludacris' mom, too. It was her birthday, and it was really wonderful that she took the time to make sure we were enjoying ourselves.

Anyway, by talking with Ludacris, we discovered that his favorite dish at Straits are the Kung Pao Chicken Lollipops pictured above. We tried some, and they were delectable. Much neater than a chicken wing! I never eat chicken wings because they are so messy. We also had Roti Prata and Samosas for our appetizers, Indian dishes that were familiar, yet updated in Chef Yeo's talented hands. See, that's why this Singaporean thing is so great. You can have Indian, Chinese, and Malaysian food all at the same restaurant!

We tried a Passion Fruit Margarita that was refreshing and sweet, and some lovely Sauvignon Blanc. Other dishes we tried (all exquisite) were Mix Satay, Vegetarian Egg Rolls, Seafood Curry, Lobster Pad Thai, Tamarind Beef, and Crispy Whole Chicken. Dan told Ludacris that his favorite was the Tamarind Beef. It was fantastic. It was tangy, rich, and cooked perfectly. Sauces at Straits are some of the best I have ever had. There were chili sauces and yellow and green curries.

The Lobster Pad Thai was another stand-out (see below). And our dessert was delicious, too! We had a French Kiss - strawberry ice cream with chocolate cake and strawberry sauce. I joked with Dan that the French Kiss meant that Ludacris would come out and kiss you. This upscale, gorgeously-decorated restaurant is already a hotspot on the Atlanta dining scene. I will definitely be back for dinner and to try the Sunday brunch. I would recommend it to anyone. And who knows, if you go, you just may see Ludacris, too!

Lobster Pad Thai at Straits

Chili Crab at Straits

Toast of the Town - Event Review

Wine Enthusiast's Toast of the Town event was held in Atlanta on April 17th, at the Georgia Aquarium in the Oceans Ballroom, an amazing venue. The ballroom was packed with beautifully-dressed food and wine aficionados. It was definitely the place to see and be seen for Atlanta's social set that evening, as guests sampled the unbelievable smorgasbord of delectable beverages and cuisine. Here are some photos I took of the event, as well as some thoughts about the offerings from vendors and local restaurants. VIP status was an option for some guests, who arrived early and were treated to many perks.

Here is the description of the VIP package:

The VIP Tasting is a private pre-event tasting of reserve and estate wines. Includes a complimentary Wine Enthusiast Wine Master 2008 pocket electronic wine buying guide, tasting glass, tasting notes booklet and admission to Grand Tasting.



Throughout the ballroom were tables stocked with refreshing Saratoga spring water, like the bottle this very nice lady is holding here. You can begin to understand how many tables, wine bottles, and chefs there are by looking at the background.















Here are some more guests enjoying themselves at Toast of the Town. There were so many drinks and foods to taste that conversation was not a priority, although the woman here seems to be taking a break from the sampling.

I tried lots of wines and champagnes, all excellent. Some brands I liked best were Freixenet, Henriot, San Pedro, Piper Heidsieck, and Sebeka.









Here is one of my favorite dishes of the evening -

Tataki Roll from Nakato Japanese Restaurant on Cheshire Bridge Road, (404) 873-6582. The servers were wearing kimonos, and this roll was simply delicious. The outside is seared sirloin with wasabi mayo and sweet ponzu sauce.










Another favorite here may not look like much in the photo, but trust me, it was the best! I don't know why, but pasta always turns out great at catered events!

This was Prosciutto and Four Cheese Ravioli in Marsala Sauce from the Village Tavern in Alpharetta, (770) 777-6490. It was scrumptious - great prosciutto flavor with creamy and buttery sauce.






This was a yummy dish - Aged cheddar grits with barbeque beef brisket and green tomato relish from Atlanta Grill on Peachtree Rd., (404) 221-6550.

























We had awesome views of the whale sharks and beluga whales! I believe the above dish is the Shaved Housemade Tasso Ham with Butterbean Hummus and Micro Basil, which I noted as scrumptious, delicioso, beany? (Can't read my writing). Anyway, it's from the South City Kitchen in Vinings, (770) 435-0700.









Ray's in the City, (404) 524-9224, produced this yummy Parmesan Crusted Sea Scallop. Ray's restaurants always have fantastic seafood!
















On the left is the Serrano Crostini from Eclipse di Luna on Miami Circle, (404) 846-0449, and below are the delectable Bacon-wrapped Medjool Dates, Marcona Almonds, Smoked Sea Salt, and Vincotto from Repast on Glen Iris Drive (404) 870-8707.



















Of course, there were lovely desserts from several restaurants as well. I tried two options from Seasons 52 (already reviewed on this blog) - the key lime was amazing, as was the mango cheesecake on the left, and I had the sample plate from The Melting Pot, which I have also already reviewed. I should have tried the White Chocolate Bread Pudding from Feast, but I will just have to go there or wait till next year.

Toast of the Town was a huge success. A wonderful time was had by all, and I can't wait to attend again next year!

Toast of the Town - April 17th, 2008

Wine Enthusiast's Toast of the Town event is coming to Atlanta, and I am definitely going. Here is the information. Hope to see you there!

Toast of the Town
Thursday, April 17
VIP Tasting 5pm
Grand Tasting 7-10pm
Georgia Aquarium
http://www.toastofthetown.com/

Enjoy a spectacular evening of wines, spirits and music, paired with culinary creations from some of the city's top restaurants!








Participating Restaurants Include:

Atlanta Grill
Babette's Cafe
Bistro VG
Canoe
City Grill
Ecco
Eclipse di Luna
ENO
Food 101
Halyards
Imperial Fez
Justin's Restaurant
La Tavola Trattoria
The Melting Pot
Oceanaire Seafood Room
Peasant Bistro
Portofino
Ray's in the City
Repast
Seasons 52 - Perimeter
South City Kitchen
Steel
Taurus Restaurant
The Clubhouse
Tramici
Village Tavern Alpharetta
Woodfire Grill
Cafe Dupri
Cafe Elan
Nakato Japanese Restaurant
Feast Restaurant
The Sun Dial Restaurant
Gumbeaux's, "A Cajun Cafe"