Holiday Spirit

Well, it's been a wonderful holiday so far here in Foodies world! We are very happy with our new Keurig coffeemaker. We drink a sleighload of hot beverages around here, and it makes them instantly available. How delightful!!! Also, I got an iPod Touch. I'm finally caught up gadget-wise.

I wish I had a new review to write, but we spent our Christmas dining allotment on our old standby, Fogo de Chao. You just can't beat it for a lovely meat-filled dinner that reminds you of childhood games of red light, green light. My husband's new favorite meat changed from bottom roast to the pork ribs, though. I still love the side dishes best. Polenta and fried bananas - omg!

I still haven't gotten to see Twilight, and I'm waiting for the third book, Eclipse, to come in at the library. We did watch Step Brothers again and cracked up the whole time. In the near future I'm going to try to find a great Greek restaurant nearby, and also a nice sushi place. I also need to try Goldberg's Deli which just opened a branch on Johnson Ferry near me. I have one recommendation to make before I do a full review on it as well -- Lahore Grill is wonderful for Indian food. It's located on Cobb Parkway/Highway 41 in a space that used to be a Los Reyes location. So if you want to try something besides Haveli without traveling too far, try Lahore!

Happy Holidays from Atlanta Foodies!

Sweet Tomatoes Review

Sweet Tomatoes
1125 Ernest Barrett Pkwy.
Kennesaw, GA 30144-4534
770-429-5522


Restaurant Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday & Saturday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.



My mother and I dined at Sweet Tomatoes on Barrett Parkway on Thursday, December 8th, 2008.

What did you order? How was your food?

Sweet Tomatoes offers a buffet dinner for around nine dollars per person. The unique thing about Sweet Tomatoes is that their buffet is a healthy buffet, well, mostly healthy. You start off with salad, but you can also have a variety of soups, baked goods, hot pastas, and frozen yogurt. The food is good, but if you crave meat, this is not your restaurant. Salad-lovers, however, will adore it -- and their chocolate brownies and muffins are under 200 calories each and less than 10 grams of fat!

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

Service was great. Since this is a buffet restaurant, service was mostly confined to bussing, but everyone seemed genuinely friendly.

What do you think of the décor and atmosphere?

Clean and bright. A typical family-friendly atmosphere.

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

Yes, it is a good value if you want a healthy meal and are not looking for meaty, hearty fare.

This restaurant is best for...
Families, Business Lunches, Casual Dining, Healthy Fare

Atlanta Foodies gives Sweet Tomatoes 4/5 peaches for a family-friendly, healthy buffet.

FOODIES FUN!

Hello Everyone,

Sorry I haven't posted in a while! I will be keeping up with this site much better in the future. I love my blog! Today I want to share a little Foodies fun with you all. Enjoy!


1. This is cool! Check out my awesome new GeekLogik widget on the sidebar! :)


2. As a Youth Services Librarian and someone who gets caught up in movie mania, I am very excited to see Twilight! Loved the book! And who better to play Edward than Cedric! ;)

3. Mini Review of Sugo in Roswell -



Very nice atmosphere - posh strip mall. Food was delicious, complimentary wine, service outstanding. A bit pricey, but worth it. The strange Italian cured pig rind in my special dinner was the only thing I didn't care for. Dan thought the preparation was very well done, but some items were slightly heavy. :) Romantic, good for special occasions. Sugo Rocks!!! :)



4. Mini Review of Soba Asian Bistro on East Piedmont Rd. in Marietta -


New sushi restaurant and bar. This restaurant was disappointing because it was overpriced, the food had some major flaws, and the decor was almost trendy but came off a tiny bit cheap. The food flaws consisted of shredded lettuce beneath our dim sum, still frozen-in-the-middle cheesecake with four flavor accents, and very mediocre miso soup. Come on guys, you have to step it up or reduce those prices before we'll go back! I don't know, maybe everyone else loves this place. Soba, I wanted to like you. Let me know when you can prove yourself, and I'l give you another chance. :(


5. Some Good News for the Rainforest! Yay!

Having lost the password for my other blog, Rainforest Resources, I am putting up a news blurb here.


Legal battle over forest is victory for Paraguayan Indians

(CNN) -- A small tribe of Indians in Paraguay who have had virtually no contact with the outside world won a legal battle this week when rights groups stopped a Brazilian company from continuing to bulldoze the forest to clear land for cattle ranches.
The Totobiegosode tribe, said to number no more than 300, is the last group of uncontacted Indians in South America outside the Amazon River basin, indigenous rights groups say. Indian rights proponents see Thursday's ruling as an important victory.

That is so cool! Here is the link for the entire article -
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/11/14/paraguay.indians/index.html?iref=newssearch

Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce

Atlanta Foodies recently tried out Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce, and we really liked it! It's a great, tangy sauce you can use on anything. As their site says, "It is more than a steak sauce, because of its unique flavor and the variety of uses. You can grill, cook, and marinate with it, or put it in your soups, stews, baked beans, and your other favorite dishes." You can get it at many retail locations - check out their website to locate the nearest retailer, or order online at www.countrybobs.com. :)

Dagwood's Pizza and Deli Sandwiches

Reviewed by Sarah Watton

The slice I had this past weekend at Dagwood's Pizza in Peachtree Corners was worth the drive to this suburban dive that’s tucked into one end of a Publix strip mall. Still in our church clothes, my husband and I were definitely overdressed for the dimly-lit, but cozy room with walls fittingly adorned with framed memorabilia and large-screen TVs. The menu includes standard bar fare, but it’s the pie that’s kept butts in the wooden booths since 1980 that you’re here for. Pizzas are offered whole and by the slice, with a thin crust option available, as well as strombolis, calzones, and even a stuffed crust pie for those who prefer things neatly packaged.

My husband and I ordered the Deluxe and Greek slices, respectively. A little over ten minutes later, the server brought two huge, steaming slices to our table. With one bite I knew that Dagwood’s pizza had trumped my longtime favorite Atlanta pizza, Napoli’s Pizzeria in Sandy Springs. The dough at Dagwood’s was crisp enough to support the sauce, cheese and toppings without getting doughy or soggy, but still very tender on the inside. The flavor of the dough was also great, but not so much to overpower the taste of the pizza. What earned the gold for me was how each element seemed lovingly attended to. The sauce tasted like a homemade marinara laced with just the right amount of tang and sweeter elements of basil and oregano. The ratio of sauce to cheese to toppings was also just right. My Greek slice had shaved pieces of lamb with caramelized edges and drifts of feta goat cheese and pepperoncini rings, and the Deluxe was loaded with olives, peppers, meat and a thin layering of extra mozzarella across the top to keep it all together.

Dagwood’s is located at 7746 Spalding Drive, where the latter intersects with Holcomb Bridge Road. ITP Atlantans and pizza aficionados willing to make the drive up 141 to this outpost that is serving up some seriously tasty pie will not be disappointed. I know that I will be returning, maybe in the evening for a little team trivia and an ice cold frosty beer.

5 out of 5 Peaches

Address and Directions:

Dagwood's Pizza
7746 Spalding Drive
Norcross, GA 30092
Phone: 770.441.7773

7746 Spalding Drive at Holcomb Bridge Road, in the new Publix Shopping Center

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.