Tag Archives: Cheese Plate

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.

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!

 

 

Seven Lamps

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Seven Lamps, Buckhead

This has been on my list for a while now and I’m glad I finally made it! My friend Kiffy and I went on a Monday so it wasn’t crowded but we still enjoyed a lovely dinner. This place is known for “craft food & drinks” as it says on their website and it didn’t disappoint. I’m only bummed that I couldn’t eat more!

Like all good meals Kiffy & I started with the cheese plate, we picked three: Delice de Bourgogne, Stilton, & Dancing Fern (all cow’s milk). The third was our favorite but I also enjoyed the delice de bourgogne because a triple creme is always music to my taste buds. Next I ordered the Steamed Lobster Bun and Kiffy the Cottage Fries, which came with a duke’s mayonnaise and were awesome. While we should have stopped there the feast was far from over. We ordered with our eyes and ate as much as we could. Kiffy was smart and ordered the Tortellini stuffed with butternut squash & paprika that was good left over but I was not so smart and ordered the Maine Mussels & Smoked Andouille. I do not think I miss  ordered as I throughly enjoyed the mussels I was just sad that I couldn’t take them with me. The food was fantastic but I would recommend coming with more people so you can try multiple things on the menu, trust me you will want to!

Next time I go I’ll check out the cocktails and stick to the small plates as those were the most exciting but who knows maybe next time I go the menu will be different and I’ll have to over indulge once again.

 

Eleanor’s

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Eleanor’s, Smyrna

Have you ever had the pleasure to go to a secret restaurant where not everyone knows where to enter or eaten in the dark? No? Maybe you should change that. I had the luxury of going to Eleanor’s on Saturday and I got to experience both. I went with two friends who know I get as excited about a new restaurant as a little kid on Christmas morning. When they mentioned you enter  through a fake freezer door I got excited. And when I couldn’t find a website only illusive reviews I grew impatient as Saturday afternoon rolled on. My friend, Justin, had clear instructions on how to find the door and when walking with conviction no one tends to stop you. Right when you open the door there is a long dark hallway with built-in wine racks and decorated with reclaimed wood. Once your eyes adjust to the restaurant that is pretty much only lit with tea light candles you are in the clear. The tables are first come first serve but as luck would have it there was a perfect table for 3, clearly meant to be! Service was great and ready to steer us in the right direction. To drink we enjoyed a Whispering Angel Rose, at first I was skeptical, but  it is summer and hot so went well with all plates. We started off with a cheese plate, they had six options, we picked three. A Sweet Asher Blue paired with fig cake, next up was Cypress Grove Midnight Moon paired with pepper honey (the tables favorite), & lastly a Roccetta which was paired with a plum condiment. For the mains I picked the Braised Pork Cheek with peach orzo, bacon, & honey. This dish melted in your mouth, I don’t think I have enjoyed anything so tender. Kiffy had the Tybee Island Shrimp, that was spicy and in an excellent broth, which included fantastic hints of mint. Justin ordered the Hanger Steak with grilled corn and while I thought this was going to be the so-so dish I was very much wrong. There was not a sub-par item on the table!  We were on a roll ordering wise so we decided to take the gambled and test out their desserts. One Peach Blueberry Cobbler Cake with basil, one Turtle Trifle, & one Strawberry Whoopie Pie. My goodness I think we hit the trifecta, all different and all wondrous. This restaurant has the air of mystery to it and when eating in close to darkness you rely more on your taste buds and not your sight; although I am no scientist I feel it made the dishes better because you tasted what was actually there and not what you think you should. The subtle hints of pepper, honey, basil, or mint really came alive and highlighted the dominant flavors in the best way! This bar extension to Muss & Turners was definitely worth it. I only hope my next visit is just as enchanting.