Monthly Archives: April 2014

Victory Sandwich Bar

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Victory Sandwich Bar, Decatur

Hipsters rejoice there is yet another place in Decatur just for y’all! I first went to Victory when it was still in Inman Park but recently went to their newer location in Decatur. I have a habit of going to lunch at awkward times and this day was no different. I would say this is a solid lunch spot then turns into a fun bar later into the evening. I ordered the Castro Sandwich that came with smoked pork, ham, pickles, fontina cheese, and yellow mustard. It was one of the hardier options on the menu and I really liked it. The sandwiches are on the smaller side so if you go with a group you could share a bunch or just eat two yourself if you’re that hungry. The peppered chips were awesome but you can also choose a different bigger side, the ramen and potato salad looked tempting. Right when I was about to leave in the corner of my eye I saw a few mason jar desserts and of course I had to try one. I got the Panna Cotta with strawberries and it made my day. Next time I come I’ll have to try their acclaimed jack & coke slushie!

H. Harper Station

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H. Harper Station, Reynoldstown

This place used to be a railroad station and when the owner turned it into a restaurant he kept a lot of character, I took note of the super high ceilings and exposed brick, clearly I’m no architecture buff but nevertheless I thought it was cool! The owner is a mixologist so the cocktail list is lengthy and well crafted. I went with a group of five on a Friday so I did my share of checking out what they had to offer. I had their version of a Manhattan and Dirty Gin Martini, while neither were too crazy I throughly enjoyed  both. The snacks were tasty; we ordered five and thought this might have been too much, however, they have a very literal meaning of the word  snack. We ordered the Deviled Eggs with bacon crunch, the Smoked Pimento Cheese with jalapeño red marmalade & crispy bread, Fried House Pickles which consisted of carrots, cucumbers, and radishes served with a sriracha mayo, Bacon CrackerJack- caramel corn, bacon, & salty peanuts, and lastly the Cheese Plate that had two Consider Bardwell cheeses and one Jasper Hill. I was surprised to find all Vermont cheeses but still excited since I love all three. Fun fact the Consider Bardwell logo is actually my favorite logo in the cheese world. I would order the fried pickles, the bacon crackerjack and cheese plate again but not the other two. Not to say they were bad they just didn’t leave me wanting more. They have about six to seven bigger plates. I ordered the North Carolina Catfish that was served with romanesco, sunchokes, celery & orange. I often find myself thinking that catfish will be gross since they aren’t pretty things alive but I should probably get over that notion already since I’ve had two good catfish dishes recently. This is a cocktail centric place so on the dessert menu they did a marvelous thing and paired the two together. I ordered The Dude, a white Russian (if you got The Big Lebowski reference props to you!), one of the best I’ve had and a warm chocolate chip cookie. This by far was my favorite… how could it not be? The food was good and had some fun things on the menu but I would come back more for the drinks and ambiance than anything else.

Zula

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Zula, Cincinnati (OTR)

I was back in Cincinnati for work but this time for a much shorter trip all the while I was still able to try one new restaurant! It was a bistro specializing in Mediterranean flavors and wine! A friend raved about the mussels so while I already knew my friend Lindsey and I were sharing a pot of those we had many other small plates to choose from. If you happen to love bacon this would be an especially good place for you since it was included in many of the dishes. We started out with the Plancha Mushrooms with smoked bacon, scallions, lime, & cilantro. The Yellow Fin Tuna Crudo with tomatoes, avocado, citrus, & Serrano peppers; I just loved the spiciness of the peppers and coolness of the raw fish. The Roasted Beet Salad with bleu cheese, herb salad, pistachios, & beet vinaigrette. The beet on beet flavors was cool to see since I would never think to do that myself. Then we pigged out on the Mediterranean Mussels the broth included scallions, Serrano peppers, garlic confit, lemon, parsley, mint, & sun-dried tomatoes. We ordered a side of bread too and were able to soak up all the soup we wanted, literally two meals in one! We shared a bottle of Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône, which may have been a little heavy for what we were having but we both enjoyed it since we tend to prefer heavier/ earthier wines! We finished the meal with a dessert that was out of this world. The Raspberry Marsala Cake was both light and sweet. It came with mascarpone cream and vanilla bean panna cotta. While both Lindsey were polite this is a dish you want the last bite of! We came on a week night so it wasn’t too busy and the waitress was great, she never loaded our table with too many dishes at once. The parking was a little problematic due to construction but besides that I wouldn’t say there were a whole lot of cons. 

Iberian Pig

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Iberian Pig, Decatur

It was fate that Marge and I were able to find two seats at the bar on a Friday night. This place has been popular for a couple of years years and is loved by all. If you’re on the hunt for wine & small plates seriously look no further. Their variety of wine by the glass is awesome, regardless of your preference they will have something for you. I tried two different Tempranillo‘s and a was pleased with both. We started with a cheese plate, which consisted of a Mahón D.O., Valdeón D.O., & Monte Enebro. Then we shared three small plates. The Pork Cheek Tacos were my favorite but don’t think that the Spanish Tortoloni & Lamb Ribs weren’t just as good! Our bartender was knowledgeable and gave us good suggestions on the cheese plate. I wish I could have tried their dessert but was just too full. The only things I would keep in mind when going here is that reservations are highly recommended and parking can be a pain but other than those two minor details go & enjoy!