Tag Archives: Mussels

Terra Terroir

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Terra Terroir, Brookhaven

Have you ever been in the situation where you need to make a last-minute reservation for a 10 person group dinner on a Saturday night? No? Well props to you for having friends that plan! I wasn’t optimistic since it was already 4pm when I was looking for places but I stumbled upon Terra Terroir with an 8pm availability. It was almost serendipitous. When I drove up I was a tad concerned since it was in a strip mall but on the bright side there was ample parking. I walked in early and instantly forgot where I was. There was a covered patio and a long bar. The cocktail menu was great and the mussels were just what I was hankering. Now I ordered something that I’ve never seen on a menu except for my mother’s Christmas dinner menu. I’m not sure where Beef Wellington comes from but for the last 10 years it has graced our Christmas dinner table and I have zero complaints. I ordered it and was happy to say I tried a version slightly different from my mom’s but think it is best left up to Patty on December 25th. I didn’t get to try dessert but have no doubts that it wouldn’t be good.

The Porter Beer Bar

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The Porter Beer Bar, Little 5 Points

Ahh The Porter yet another establishment where you can easily order your food before your beer because the beer menu is just that daunting. At first glance you would think the seating was limited to the bar but the restaurant does go back so don’t be fooled new comers on a busy night it won’t take three hours to get a seat just a casual hour, I’m not kidding this place is loved and most are willing to wait.  If you like The Wrecking Bar Brewpub or The Brick Store Pub chances are you have already been to The Porter and like it as well. Whether you fancy a  pale ale or a stout this place has you covered. While I like trying something I haven’t had before I typically stick to the pale ale/IPA category as I haven’t fully mastered how to appreciate a porter. To my knowledge, although limited, I can’t say that a region or country is left out; even if you just graze at the menu you can see that it goes on for pages, I hear the number of beers is up to 800 now! On my last visit I drank a Pale Ale from Stone Brewing Co. in San Diego and ordered the Mussels along with the Belgium Fries. While the beer was new the mussels and fries were not in fact I had been craving the duo for weeks and finally caved. I’ve been here multiple times and the food never disappoints but the menu also doesn’t change. Remember this is a beer bar with food. They know what they do well and stick to it. This beer bar was my first in Atlanta and I have appreciated it in all its glory even if it means taking twenty minutes to park and a long(er) wait.

JTC Kitchen

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JTC Kitchen, The Westside

Whether you eat here or just drink here you won’t be disappointed! While it is “New American” like a lot of other restaurants in Atlanta a couple of their dishes are above the others. Their Angry Mussels are freakin’ awesome, I’ve never had mussels with quite this much spice before. And second their Fried Chicken, this was the place where I first realized that I actually did love fried chicken. But like most good items in Atlanta has a limited quantity every night so come early! If you come here to drink you’re in luck since their mixologists are experienced and creative, from gin to whiskey they have you covered! The restaurant is very open and has a hip vibe, which on a Friday night could be just the remedy you need from the week. Another good thing to note is their open roof top bar that looks over the city; on a summer evening few things could be better.

Atlanta Fish Market

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Atlanta Fish Market, Buckhead

Went out again last night for another friends birthday and he chose Atlanta Fish Market, I am very lucky that my friends like trying new places as much as I do! The menu is large and can be overwhelming if you don’t make decisions well, but seeing as I do not have that problem I was ready to order quickly. However, others were not so I wasted no time ordering a dirty dry Hendrix Martini straight up to get the evening going. For starters we all split the Oyster Sampler Plate and Oysters Rockefeller. The raw oysters were nice and clean, I know it’s a matter of opinion but I would rather not swallow the sea when eating an oyster. I have never had oysters Rockefeller before but it won’t take me a long time to try them again, these had an awesome essence of bacon, I’m thinking they used bacon fat and we all know that makes dishes much better! I love seafood but always lean toward shellfish rather than fish; I ordered 1 Crab Cake, which is 95% crab meat, and Mussels “Gilbert”. I wish I saw how big the bowl of mussels was going to be because I would not have ordered the crab cake. Not that I was disappointed in trying both… it was just a lot of food! The mussels came in a traditional white wine sauce and our server kept bringing the bread so the broth was put to good use. And finally came the only tradition I like for birthdays, DESSERT! There were five of us so it was only natural to get four desserts when we were all so full already. We got the Creme Brulee, the Bread Pudding, the Chocolate Praline Explosion, and the birthday special Strawberry Shortcake.  We all shared and in an orderly fashion too, each passing the plates clockwise until we had tried all. The bread pudding was extremely sweet and topped with a vanilla cream anglaise, a good dessert to share! The strawberry shortcake was topped with fresh strawberry ice cream that was incredible. I appreciated how brightly lit the restaurant was, that sounds like a stupid thing to notice but it’s nice to see what you are reading on the menu and eating when your food comes. The last thing that I thought was cool, while no one in our party did this, is that one can go up to the fish tank and choose which fish they want and how they would like it prepared, talk about a fresh catch! I’d say Joel’s birthday dinner was a success and I’ll be coming back if for nothing else the oysters Rockefeller.