Tag Archives: Farm to Table

North Georgia

Posted in Southeast Weekends by

Recently took the opportunity to spend a weekend up in North Georgia and I am so glad I did. Originally went up to celebrate Tom’s birthday and just go white water rafting but then (last minute) we decided to turn it into a FULL weekend.

We stayed at Rabun Manor in Dillard, GA and it was a fabulous Bed & Breakfast. Nancy is the owner and is just too sweet. She called saying she wouldn’t be there when we were planning to arrive and gave us perfect instructions on how to get to our room, which happened to be one of the cottages. The king size bed was a dream and the breakfast delicious. A bowl of fruit and a yogurt parfait were on the table when we got to table both mornings. On Saturday we had peach stuffed french toast with eggs and bacon. On Sunday it was carrot bread, pan-fried potatoes, and bacon.

On Saturday we rafted all day with Southeastern Expeditions in Clayton, GA. We did the class IV trip on the Chattooga river. It was my first rafting trip and I successfully only fell out of the raft once! The rapid was called 7 falls and you fall roughly seven feet (tip: when they say lean right actually lean right). Our river guide was Josh and he was beyond amazing. He told us all about the river, what to expect, and was a history buff so learned a lot about the Chattooga, which I honestly knew nothing about. Most importantly he told us about this BBQ place just over the state line in South Carolina…

I’ve never had BBQ in South Carolina so some might say I’ve never really had BBQ before. There is another saying in South Carolina that the less the place is open the better is it. Brasstown Creek BBQ in Westminster, SC is open 2 days a week for a total of 10 hours. There is no website and it is cash only. Now that I know what BBQ should and can taste like I fully agree that nothing compares. Tom & I shared the pulled pork sandwich with the Carolina mustard sauce, baked beans, apple sauce, and homemade pecan pie. Once we were done we promptly hopped back in line to bring home leftovers.

Our final stop on on the trip was at Fortify Kitchen in Clayton, GA. It is a farm to table restaurant near all the farms; a novel idea I tell you!! Having heard they were known for cocktails Tom and I decided to start with a Manhattan and Old Fashioned and since having BBQ only a few hours before we decided to skip the appetizers and just order mains. I opted for the Duet of Duck with farro and kale sauteed with sun dried tomatoes. Tom choose the 6 oz Filet with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. I ordered a glass of cab-franc for dinner from Stonewall Creek Vineyards in Tiger, GA. And it was really good! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised but I certainly do like local gems. We wanted to check out the winery but it wasn’t open until later on Sunday so this just mean we have an excuse to go back. The dessert was an easy decision, chocolate creme brulee with two Irish coffees. Finishing up the weekend on a sweet (and boozy!) note was really kind of perfect.

4th & Swift

Posted in Atlanta by

4th & Swift, Old Fourth Ward

New American + Farm to Table. This is a common theme in Atlanta and many are done well. I really wanted to like 4th & Swift it’s mentioned all the time on Atlanta Eats but I just wasn’t that enamored with it since nothing really brought it home for me. While the food and service were both good there wasn’t one thing truly special. I went with my friend Kiffy one evening and we were able to sit outside since it was still so nice out. We ordered the Farmstead Cheese Plate which had five selections. I will say it was presented very well but nothing I couldn’t get at Whole Foods. I ordered the Veal Chop that came with polenta, charred baby bulb Vidalias, rapini, and baby beets. Kiffy got the Hand Rolled Gnocchi with pearl onions, swiss chard, oyster mushrooms, asparagus, and tomato confit. Both dishes were decent and again beautifully plated but still nothing that had me wanting to come back. The wine we got went well with both plates and was satisfying so I would like to thank our waiter for suggesting it! I wouldn’t mind coming here again since I would like to see what they do in another season, there menu does change daily, but I think I have a few other spots that I many try first before I give this place a second shot.

 

Miller Union

Posted in Atlanta by

Miller Union, the Westside

“New American” is becoming a synonymous with restaurants in Atlanta but I won’t complain because while many have similar takes all have a little twist that makes them stand out in their own way. I went to Miller Union with Kiffy and her mom, Patti. While I didn’t know this Miller Union is also very aware of their carbon footprint and try to limit in every way possible including what they print their menus on. This may not be a factor to many, however, I think it’s super cool to have a restaurant care that much. Now back to the food! Their cocktail menu was impressive and one of the things that made me want to come. I ordered a Miller Thyme that really was too good as it went down rather quickly. As a table we shared the Feta Snack & the Farm Egg baked in celery cream served with grilled bread. Warning if you happen to be lactose intolerant these are not the dishes for you because holy dairy both were superb! Kiffy then the got the Country Captain Chicken, which came with almonds, coconut, and chutney. Patti ordered the Ribeye with fingerlings, Vidalias, and mushrooms. I ordered the Seared Duck Breast with farro spaetzle, buttered cabbage, and duck sausage. And now this is where I wished we stopped the meal. Up until this point we were not disappointed. The desserts did look pretty unique but I don’t think we really thought about it. We ordered the Beet Red Velvet Cake with goat cheese and tarragon ice cream and the Chocolate Ganache Cake with peanuts and fig-balsamic ice cream. While certain parts of the desserts were good I couldn’t fully recommend either but at least I know that I do not like beet red velvet cake. I do consider myself lucky though because I eat out a lot and am normally not this surprised with the actual outcome. This restaurant is constantly being raved about and I am now glad I can say I’ve been!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hen of the Wood

Posted in Vermont by

I recently visited home and my sister and I spent the day in Vermont; the afternoon in Burlington and dinner in Waterbury at Hen of the Wood. It is a true farm to table restaurant and it was great to see local meat, cheese, and produce throughout the whole menu. I would have to say my favorite course was the cheese course because a) I don’t buy myself good cheese a lot and b) there was a rhubarb butter that was paired with Spring Brook Farm’s Tarentaise and it was a magical duo. The other notable dish was of course the chocolate pot de creme for dessert, which had these chocolate bits on top before the cream that gave it a fun crunch. My sister did a great job picking out a Spanish wine, I don’t always feel comfortable ordering wines from Spain since I am not familiar with all the regions but after trying this one I might have to do some exploring! Once it had time to open up it gave off some solid spicy notes and went well with the duck sausage and polenta we had for starters. If this restaurant wasn’t 1,200 miles away I would be in some serious trouble.