Well. Long time, stranger. Several people have said something to me along the lines of, "you should write a blog. About restaurants. Or about your shoes." So... I'm going to give it a whirl again and see how it goes. Much in my life is radically different than the last time I wrote, so I'm going to consider this starting fresh, rather than continuing on.
I have a long history of being very into dining, so I'm going to explore that more in this space also, but in a little different way than most of the other blogs that I read on the subject. I'm a near life-long vegetarian, but I don't feel the need to eat at vegetarian restaurants. A friend once labeled me a "people-first vegetarian" - I like it. I do care more about the people I'm with than the limits within which I choose to eat. So, I will look at the vegetarian-friendliness of a place, but I hope to say more about the place than just whether its good for veggies.
The 2 restaurants I've been to in the new year worth mentioning are Miller Union (which, come to think of it was on New Year's Eve, not actually in the new year) and Bone Garden Cantina. Miller Union is new on the scene, in the very trendy "westside", and we went the day the AJC review was published. The review was very positive, which helped me make the decision about where to go, and it led to some expectations. Upfront, I was a little put off by the fact that I could hear the people at the table opposite mine better than I could my boyfriend, but as the restaurant continued to fill up, the noise evened out. The space is quite beautiful, but you could still smell paint. They are known for being out front in the "farm to table" movement, which is quite the rage these days, and the space was similarly trendy - but in a good way. The menus are all printed and placed on small boards, which is quite cute. I thought to myself several times during the evening that all of their printed materials (business cards, menus, etc.) looked like something my former roommate, a graphic designer, would have created. It had a style I've seen in her work and in her school materials several times.
Enough about the space, though, right? The food. The FOOD! We shared an order of the radish and feta snack, which was tasty, but not a home run in my book. The radishes were beautiful - cut from several varieties so the plate was colorful and varied. The cheese is a nice complement to the crunch and sweetness of the vegetable. I'm not sure where it lost points, exactly, and I did enjoy it, but... I ordered the seasonal vegetable plate. The vegetables had been the center of wide and high praise, and I was not going to miss that boat! The brussels sprouts were pretty much out of this world. Peppery, perfect texture, very, very well done. There were some greens and broccoli rabe (I think) as well, and those were good, but not especially memorable. The broccoli rabe was extra bitter, which I don't mind.
My dining companion ordered the skate, which he appeared to enjoy. I don't think that he loved it, although I think that was likely more the fish itself than its preparation. Upon sitting down, our waiter came by to welcome us and solicit drink orders. This was our first face-to-face encounter with the "farm-to-table"ness of the restaurant. When he ordered a rattler, he was told that the restaurant only sources small bottlers who use appropriate ingredients. Alas, they only had Mexican Coke, but no Sprite to offset the beer. OK. Only real sugar. Got it. It probably even tastes better (I dislike cola). But... why go all the way to Mexico for Coke? Doesn't that seem a little weird? or out of sorts of a "farm to table" restaurant? Maybe its just me...
AJC reviewer Meredith Ford Goldman writes, "Miller Union stands poised to be one of the city’s finest dining destinations," and I'm reluctant to disagree. Not there yet, but poised.
I was remiss in capturing the evening on film, but... those are the shoes I wore... :)
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