Christmas Tree Recycling

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday! With all the festivities coming to an end, it's now time to figure out what to do with your Christmas Tree (see ours above!).  While it might be fun to have a fragrant bonfire or have Christmas again in July, most people are kicking their trees to the curb (literally). DeKalb County and Keep DeKalb Beautiful are sponsoring the 20th Annual Bring One for the Chipper Event.

The recycled Christmas Trees will be chipped into mulch for public beautification projects.  This event is free to all DeKalb County residents.To participate at home, those who are served by DeKalb County Sanitation are asked to leave their trees for curbside pick-up on their yard on debris collection day.  Please note that all decorations, lights, and ornaments must be removed.  Any tree over 7 feet tall must be cut in half prior to curbside placement.

In addition to leaving them at the curbside for pickup Christmas Trees can also be dropped off at the following locations:

Agnes Scott College

Saturday, Jan. 2. Residents can drop off live Christmas trees at the Christmas Tree Recycling Center in the Agnes Scott parking lot. The entrance is between 184 and 206 S. Candler St. in Decatur GA.

Seminole Road 

Landfill Drop-off Site

4203 Clevemont Road

Lithonia, GA 404-294-2900

Mon. to Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sat. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Services are restricted to residents of Dekalb County only.

East Transfer Station

1750 Rogers Lake Road

Lithonia, GA 404-294-2927

Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Services are restricted to residents of Dekalb County only.

The recycling center will be open Monday, Dec. 28, through Saturday, Jan. 2

Last year, more than 200,000 trees were recycled in the State of Georgia. Over 10,000 of those trees were from DeKalb county GA residents. The program produces environmental benefits while helping Dekalb county comply with state regulations that prohibit the disposal of yard trimmings in lined municipal landfills.

DeKalb County Recycling

DeKalb County boasts that it's the Greenest County in America, and since Wednesday is typically our local recycling day, I figured I would discuss how you can get involved with DeKalb County's Curbside Residential Program.

When we first moved into Brookhaven, it was slightly confusing at how to get started.  First, check out their application. All DeKalb County single family residences that presently receive solid waste collection services (aka trash...) from DeKalb’s Sanitation Division are eligible to  participate in this recycling program. So renters - hopefully your apartment or complex has their own center or if not, check out the different drop off centers in Dekalb.

The program requires a one-time $15 charge for the blue bin and a $15 charge for a box of blue bags (to separate our your plastics and paper. We are still working on our first box of bags...)

Once you submit your application and fee, they will drop off your bin and bags at your house (pretty convenient!). Recycling is picked up every Wednesday morning- try to make sure its out in front of your house by 8/9am.  They have a small holiday schedule, and they don't pick up around Thanksgiving and New Years.If you are already a user of this program and need more blue bags- just visit their website.

We have been very happy with our service with this program and love helping to keep Dekalb green!

Egg's Nest

I do a lot (90%) of my shopping online for the Holidays. I am not a fan of crazy shoppers, long lines, and limited parking.  I try to steer clear of malls and large shopping centers.

However, sometimes you just can't beat the joy of shopping around Christmas. Typically the non-chain/neighborhood stores are nicely decorated and the staff cheerful and helpful.  So when I had to do some baby shopping for a new 9 month old family member, I was excited to get to try out our new local, eco-friendly baby boutique: Eggs Nest (no website, follow them on twitter @eggsnestatlanta). Eggs Nest is located in the up and coming Village Place development off Dresden with the Library Coffee Co, Cocktails and Canvas, Kaleidoscope, and Yoforia to name a few.

Eggs Nest has a fairly large retail space with adorable, eco-friendly gifts for any little one (mainly baby & toddler). I picked out a few small gifts for our cousin's baby and they even wrapped the gift in a cute bag with ribbon and a gift tag (complimentary!). I'll let you know how she enjoys them!

If you go, ask for Katharine Kinney, the store owner. She was very friendly and helpful, especially when shopping for a gift. They had some unique products there that looked pretty cool for any new mom.

We always love to support our local stores, so stop by if you can, Christmas is approaching quickly!

Kaleidescope

Quick update... Kaleidescope is NOT open yet as previously rumored. All we have heard is there is/was some issues with a liquor license and investor troubles. The opening date is still undetermined... We hope this doesn't set them back too much! We were hoping for a pre-holiday grand opening, but now it's looking like a January opening.

Stay tuned as we find out more info! Read up on their menu here.

Green's

We have a visitor this weekend: Brandon from American Beer Geek in Paris is stopping in Atlanta on his way back home to Washington for the Holidays.  And sure enough after a long day of international travelling and jet lag, his first request is a stop at Green's on Buford Highway (they also have a location on Ponce).  Green's is a large liquor store that carries everything you need and more for fun on a Friday night.  More importantly though, they have an extensive beer selection that rivals anything in Atlanta.  They carry many brews from small breweries all over America and an even larger import selection.

Brandon (above, pensive...) dropped some knowledge on me and gave me some great recommendations to try.  I went with some brews from Mikkeller, Rogue and Terrapin to try this weekend.  Of course these imports and special brews aren't cheap so bring some cash with you (credit is more expensive).  I'm also not too sure on knowledge of the staff because I didn't really get a chance to ask anyone any questions.

Typically, I frequent Red's 2 in the Kroger shopping center or Alex's Package on Peachtree because they are convenient.  Green's blows both of them out of the water in terms of selection and everytime we go, it is exciting to see what new brews they have.  Go check them out. 

Chick-fil-a, Closed for Renovations

The Chick-fil-a we frequent (on Peachtree in Chamblee) is closed for some much needed renovations. Depending on the extent of the renovation (Interior and/or Exterior) the renovations could take anywhere from 4 - 12 weeks. When I drove by this morning on my way out of the UPS Store in the same shopping center, it looked pretty serious. Let's hope it doesn't take them too long with this bad weather and the holidays! For now, we'll have to go to the Chick-fil-a on North Druid Hills and Briarcliff for our fried chicken fix... If only the new Zaxby's Chamblee development was progressing faster!

We will keep you posted on its progress, and when they will be back open for business.

Library Coffee Co- Anniversary Specials

Happy two year anniversary to Library Coffee Co! Our favorite neighborhood coffee/bar/restaurant/wine tasting place is celebrating two years in Brookhaven. Celebrate with them today by enjoying $1 off any coffee drink or $4 glasses of Chardonnay all day. And since it's also Thursday, from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm they are having their weekly live musical performance featuring contemporary jazz saxophonist, Nick Longo.

Find out about all the great Library Coffee events by following them on Twitter at @LibraryCoffee or signing up for their email newsletter. And just a reminder- you can follow us on twitter at @BHReview to keep track of all our local events and happenings.

Enjoy!

DeKalb County Water and Sewer

Now that we are homeowners- Cory and I have to keep a look out on crazy things like these that impact our budget!

Yesterday, DeKalb County approved an increase in water-sewer rates. Rates will increase 16% starting January 1st, 2011, and then the rates will be increased by an additional 11% (per year!) for 2012, 2013, and 2014.

This rate increase is to try and fund a 1.35 billion dollar upgrade to the 50 year old water and sewer system. This might mean a lot of road closures and roadside construction for the next few years as the County must comply with an EPA mandate to update. I guess DeKalb has been having a lot of sewage spills as of late (over 800 in the past 5 years- gross!)

We will keep you posted if we hear of any additional increases or know of any road closures. And renters don't forget that this will impact you too! Look out for increases in your apartment's water bill.

Read more about all this in the AJC.

Farm Burger's Farm Supper

We tried Farm Burger in Decatur a couple months ago at the suggestion of a friend. FB is just one of a growing number of Atlanta gourmet hamburger joints. It definitely puts up a big fight in the battle for the best hamburger in Atlanta. The most intriguing aspect of this place is that it is a "farm to fork" restaurant (we also spotted them at the Field of Greens festival) which means they get most of their meat and veggies from local Georgia farms. At this event, however, they didn't serve any burgers. It was a special, seasonal dinner where chef Terry Koval gets to spread his wings and design some very creative and unique dishes. After hearing about the event from a friend and then checking out the advertised five course menu posted on their blog, we were a little hesitant about some of the items (see advertised courses below) and the $37 per plate price tag:

• Gougères of pork pâté and housemade pickles, beef heart lollipops w/ chimichurri, pork sausage reubens with fB sauce
• Pickled beef tongue, brussel sprouts & our bacon
• Apple cider-braised hog shoulder, roasted pumpkin, persimmon apple chutney
• Whole bird: leg, wing, thigh, breast, liver, & heart, Grandma’s chicken gravy, apple butter & biscuits
• Grassfed strip loin, cracked black pepper & onion mignonette, oxtail stuffed peppers
• And dessert too....we just haven't decided yet...

Heart lollipops and pickled beef tongue? hmmm... We knew they only do this a few times a year and figured it was worth a shot.

We ended up attending with our friend Alexa and her fiancée, and when we showed up for cocktail hour, we were ready to dig in to the five course menu.We sat down (assigned tables) and were served a mulled, spiced apple cider. It was warm and buttery, perfect for the cold night. Then came the "snacks". They consisted of pork sausages, gougeres filled with pate and, of course, the infamous beef heart lollipops. All were very good. After we got over the mental block of "beef heart" lollipops, we enjoyed the flavor- similar to a roast beef -tender, but with a thicker texture (no photo, sorry).

I apologize in advance for the pics - they are overexposed and a little washed out but it was dark and I needed to use a flash. The official first course consisted of another daunting dish - beef tongue (photo above). Served with brussels sprout leaves, bacon and horseradish sauce it had a great flavor. The texture resembled that of a brisket and wasn't too chewy as I would have expected. A very interesting dish.

The second course was pork shoulder with roasted squash, and a persimmon-apple chutney (photo above). This was Malory's favorite course. The squash had a sweet, buttery flavor and provided a great compliment to the shoulder. The shoulder was braised in cider and had a sweet tang to it.

The third course was my favorite. Served family style in a cast-iron skillet, it was a whole chicken (hearts and livers included) served with gravy, collard greens, and biscuits with apple butter (photo of chicken above). The chicken was perfectly cooked with a great seasoning. The chicken hearts were tasty little morsels that you could just pop in your mouth. And of course the melt-in-your-mouth biscuits were warm, and the apple butter added a southern comfort.

The fourth course was a jalapeno pepper stuffed with oxtail and mignonette and topped with a striploin steak (photo above). The steak was very tender and perfectly seasoned. I can't say I was a huge fan of the oxtail. The texture was odd and it was a little fatty and tasted almost sticky. Plus with the three (really four including the snacks) courses before it, we were all just very full and satisfied by the time this round came out.

Finally, dessert. It was a surprise since the advertised menu didn't have anything posted yet- but they served my all-time favorite: apple pie. The course was warm homemade apple pie with salted caramel ice cream topped with pork rind brittle (photo above). It was a terrific cap to the night. They even gave us all little goody bags with extra pork rind brittle to take home.

Overall, we really had a great time. The atmosphere was very intimate, and it was great that some of the local farmers that provided the food were there enjoying it as well. Our only complaint was that the meal was probably one course too many. At the end of the night, we all headed home in a meat stupor and woke up the next day with a protein hangover. But the dishes were prepared excellently and we can't wait to go to supper no. 3. Until then, we will be travelling out of Brookhaven to Farm Burger again for sure.

Moe's Now Open

Welcome to Moe's!  Moe's Southwest Grill is now open in Town Brookhaven.  Moe's is a popular burrito fast food restaurant that has rapidly expanded in America.  Moe's joins Slack's and Costco as one of the few things open in Town Brookhaven.  We still look forward to Noche, Publix, The Flying Biscuit Cafe, The Cafe at Pharr, Tin Drum and some other great things opening there in 2011.

El Rey Del Taco Taqueria

Looks inviting doesn't it? :) This picture doesn't do the restaurant justice... we ended up here at El Ray Del Taco (no website) on the crazy day of rain and flooding this week so not the best for photo-taking. The location is actually very well lit- and is located right inside I-285 off Buford Highway (and right across Buford Hwy from Chef Liu!). You can't miss the red string of light surrounding the roof of this taqueria (see in photo above).

We read about this place briefly in the same Southern Living article (I guess they didn't stray too far...). All we knew was that they had some great, cheap tacos. And since Cory's favorite food of all time is Mexican, we had to try it out.

Our interest was piqued when the sign on the door said they were open until 5am weeknights and 6am weekend nights (See photo above). I guess they do a lot of late night business! The place was pretty dead when we walked in at 7pm on Tuesday. The space was bright and cheery with latino music videos playing (a little too loud) and decorative metal star lights hanging everywhere (similar to Taqueria del Sol). The kitchen/grill is open to the restaurant with a 50's style counter and bar. Cory and I grabbed a booth and checked out the menu. Everything was reasonably priced with $1 - $1.60 dollar tacos, $4 - $5 burritos, and $1-$3 sides. I ordered 3 tacos ($1.60 ea.) with cheese (+$.30) and frijoles (refried beans- $2). Cory ordered 2 tacos, a burrito and rice ($1.75). They also offer Hecho a Mano tortillas which are handmade and pressed tortillas.  Cory was a little upset they didn't have any available so we'll have to go back to get some. See our delicious spread below:

Our favorite by far were the tacos (of course!) - they came with grilled onions and fresh cilantro on flour tortillas. It also came with some great sauces and fresh limes to squeeze on your meat.  We enjoyed the Al Pastor (la favorita) which is steak and chorizo; Chorizo (spiced Mexican pork); and the Pollo (chicken). The chicken was my least favorite- it was a little dry and just no comparison to the Al Pastor.  This was the cheap, delicious, and authentic taqueria that we have been looking for! Note to vegetarians... there's not much of a selection for you non-meat eaters. I would stick to the sides.

As we were leaving, more and more people kept filing in- I assume it's just more of a late-night place. And remember to pay at the counter! The staff speaks some english.

Christmas Trees

Even though it's still November, the countdown to Christmas has begun. Since Cory and I have graduated from apartment living to house living, we decided it was time to buy our first real Christmas tree.

We stopped off at our neighborhood Lowes to get some hardware for our shelving project, and we walked through the garden center just to check prices of trees (see photo below for pricing, as I'm sure all Lowes have the same). Since the prices were so low, we picked ourselves up a $24.98, 6-7' Douglas Fir (The most common/popular Christmas Tree according to the guy that helped us out). The guys there trim the trunk, wrap it, load it, and tie it down on your car for free. Since we had the truck, we just loaded the tree in along with our wreath ($12).

My only complaint about Lowes is that they didn't carry the "tree food" or tree preservative. We had to make a stop at Hastings to pick up the stuff. Hastings also had some beautiful trees, but they were much more $$$ starting at $50 for what looked like a 5' to $100 for a 8'. Even though they were nice and lush, I just have a hard time spending that much money for a christmas tree.  And if your looking for even more selection, the Big John's Trees is set up in the parking lot of the vacant Wilson & Sons Antiques shopping center. 

We thoroughly enjoyed putting up our tree yesterday and decorating the house. Now every time we walk in the door all you smell is Christmas! Hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving, and we hope you enjoy the upcoming holidays!

A Morning Stroll

Cory and I woke up this morning, and we decided to walk off some of our 3 day eating extravaganza. One of our favorite things about Brookhaven is its walkability- there are sidewalks on almost every street, speed bumps to slow down the fast cars, pedestrian crosswalks- plus, most importantly, great places to walk to. It was pretty chilly (44 degrees) and breezy, but the sun was shining. Jasper, Cory, and I enjoyed the 1+ mile jaunt to our favorite local coffee place, Library Coffee Co.

The weather was brisk for a morning walk, but we enjoyed watching pup try to chase squirrels while we checked out all the cool old homes on the way.

Once at the Library, we sat outside on the fenced in patio (so Jasper can run around) and drank our coffee and munched on our delicious sandwiches. Cory ordered the tuna melt with chips, and I had the avocado BLT (is there nothing that avocado doesn't make more delicious?).

It was beautiful out, and we enjoyed reading the local Brookhaven Buzz while sipping our hot coffee. Theres nothing like a leisurely, lovely Saturday!

On the way home we peeked into the still unopened Kaleidescope, and we also noticed that Pour- Wine Market is now open (check out their website!). Pour looks very cool with a retail space, and a restaurant space as well. The interior looks sort of "posh-pub" with heavy wooden tables and a modern, rough wooden wall. Can't wait to try it out!

We hope everyone had a great holiday week, and now we're getting ready to watch some rivalry football. It's going to be a tough game for our Yellow Jackets, but I'm slightly optimistic...

Chateau de Saigon

The weather is getting colder, and that means it's time for some Pho.  Malory's brother and sister-in-law were visiting and we had heard great things about Chateau de Saigon so we decided to give it a try.  Its located on Buford Highway just north of Dresden.  The shopping center was very updated and you can't miss the sign.  It was packed for a Monday and the dining room was very clean and updated.  Malory's brother and sister-in-law have been to Vietnam so we looked to them for some suggestions.  We started with some Vietnamese beer, fried tofu roll and a garlic green bean special.

For our entrees, Malory had the "Shaky Beef" which was beef cooked in a sweet and sour-like sauce with some pickled vegetables and rice. 

I wanted to go with some Pho and decided on the house special.  Pho is traditionally rice noodles in a broth with braised beef or chicken and usually served with lime, basil, bean sprouts and peppers (all on the side - you decide what you want in it).

All of our dishes had great flavors and the vegetables were very fresh.  The staff was also very friendly and even though their english was not the best, they tried to explain menu items and help us order.  Their menu was extensive and there were plenty of dishes to try so we will definitely be back. 

Kaleidoscope - soon?

I know we have talked about this restaurant a couple times - probably because we just can't wait for it to open. There were rumors of a soft opening last week but all we saw was a sign for a "Private Party" (damn, how do I get invited?). And I've also heard rumors that they don't have their liquor license yet, which is obviously delaying the opening. Our friend Kyle forwarded us the menu and frankly, beer or no beer, let me in! While the prices seem a little higher than what I expected (same price ranges as Haven), the dishes make my mouth water and I'll definitely have to try pretty much all of them. This is going to be a great addition to the area. Take a look at the menu here and hopefully our next post will be us, inside!!

My Favorite Place

Yes, that is the name of it. My Favorite Place is a local antique/rummage market located off of Peachtree in Chamblee (sorry no website). At first glace, this would definitely not attract a typical antique-r. They have so much stuff (for lack of a better word) in this place that it spills into the aisles. Every nook and cranny of this place has some sort of knick-knack piled on top of another one.


For some reason however, to me, this place is relaxing. There is something about the smell of worn leather, furniture polish, and old books that just soothes me. And maybe its just that the piles of vintage hats and mis-matched china make me appreciate the only slight clutter and chaos in my life. Plus, this place makes my house look and feel clean, tidy, and organized.


I try to stop by on my way home from work on Fridays. It's open from 10:30am-5:30pm everyday (even Sunday). I usually just take a look around, but word to the wise, try to go into that space with a purpose. You can get lost inside of the 10,000 sq.ft. large warehouse-space with the small aisles and cluttered dead-ends. I try to have a few things in mind that I'm looking for and just stick with it. For the most part, their prices are incredible reasonable (especially for antiques). Cory and I bought our great coffee table there for $50. We've also purchased an antique oak office chair ($20), Hat/Coat Rack ($11), Clock ($4), and various other things that I'm sure we probably don't need :).


The only thing that rivals this place is the once-a-month Scott Antique Market. A large, multi-vendor market near the airport. The only problem with the Scott Antique Market is that its a day affair... with two seperate convention center type spaces, $10 parking, and hundreds of vendors it can be a little overwhelming.

My Favorite Place is just large enough to have a little bit of everything, and it's definitely small enough to navigate. I enjoy rooting through the bins and shelves and just wondering where these pieces came from. It's a cool place to check out if you enjoy antiquing. The people there are always friendly (and they will negotiate with you too!). Just remember to wash your hands when you get home!

Library Wine Tasting

Last night we enjoyed another Library Coffee Co Wine Tasting with our friends Stacy and Chris. Since Stacy did such a wonderful job recaping the event in her blog StacyEats, we thought we would link you to there to check out all the great photos of the food and fun. Enjoy! Thanks Stacy!

Happy Veteran's Day!

A big thank you to those who have fought for our country and our freedom. Thank you veterans!

The Georgia Veteran's Day Parade will be held this Saturday, 11/13 at 11:11am.  The parade goes down through Centennial Olympic Park.  Click here for the exact parade route.  Go out and support your Veterans!

Another Restaurant... Chef Liu

I know we've been discussing a lot of restaurants lately and major reason for that has been in part to the weather. With it getting colder outside the weekend activities have been drying up, and we have been spending more time indoors. Plus, isn't this the time to start storing up fat for the winter? :)

A few days ago my sister passed along a Southern Living article to me about a few Buford Highway restaurants. The article profiled a Doraville "non-rice" Chinese restaurant called Chef Liu. With only a two sentence description that mentioned "succulent pork pillows", "pizza-sized leek pie", and a staff that speaks no english- my interest was definitely piqued.

The restaurant is located in a large strip shopping center (Pine Tree Plaza) next to a wholesale lingerie and hip-hop jewelry store just inside I-285 off of Buford Highway. The bright lights were definitely a great beacon (see photo above), as the area is pretty well saturated with asian dining, and all we had was an address.

We were welcomed with friendly staff and a bright, clean interior (unlike some chinese restaurants which can be quite dimly lit). The tables had a picture menu of the speciality dishes, and the entire menu was in both english and chinese (so no worries there). Even though they offered dishes like Wine Chicken Feet, Chicken Cool Skin, and Salted Soy Milk (they have an entire breakfast menu as well), we stuck to the article recommendations and ordered the leek pie ($2.50), Tientsin Steamed Pork Buns (the pork pillows-$5.50, photo below), Vegetable & Pork Dumplings ($4.50- order of 10), and Wonton Soup (photo below). Dinner service also included complimentary boiled peanuts, sliced cucumbers, and hot tea.

If you can't tell from the photo... everything was absolutely delicious. The dishes were fresh, flavorful, and filling. The pork pillows were my absolute favorite (if I had to pick one). Even though the article said the staff didn't speak english- they definitely spoke well enough to communicate with us and understood all of our questions. At the end of the meal I asked about dessert and even though they didn't have a dessert menu, the waiter surprised us with a sweet treat of white bean pastry (photo below). And after our pastry, instead of the "traditional" fortune cookie, they include sliced watermelon with every check.

This place is definitely on our list for future visits (and take out!) as staff, food, and atmosphere was excellent and well above my expectations. But try it for yourself, and someone please order the Chicken Cool Skin!

Cafe Agora

This weekend Cory and I checked out Cafe Agora, a small, hidden greek restaurant next to Buckhead Bottle Bar and near the intersection of Peachtree/E. Paces (see map below) just south of Brookhaven in Buckhead. A friend had told me about the place, and since both Cory and I love greek food, we decided to try it out.

Cafe Agora is definitely hidden along the East Paces side street (tip- look for the bright blue awning). When we first walked in there was one other patron there (it was 1pm on Saturday, and I assume they do most of their business for the weekday professional lunch crowd). They had a small picture menu posted on the wall, and warning- they do not list ANY prices. I have heard that they change the prices accordingly to how they feel.

Gyros are our absolute favorite thing to get at a Greek restaurant, especially for lunch. The tender, seasoned sliced meat with lettuce, onion, tomato (sometimes) wrapped in a warm, soft pita and all topped with the creamy yogurt sauce: Tzatziki. So of course, we both order the gryo- me, chicken and Cory, lamb. With no prices on the menu, I was interested to see how much the gryos would be. After a 5-10 minute wait (which is always a good thing for quality food!), he rang us up at $15 dollars even (!). Now, mind you, that price includes ONLY the gyros- no fries and no drink. I'm not sure if eating in would have given us a side, or if they put an extra fee on to-go orders, but that was just a little too pricey for us.

Our favorite Greek restaurant is located in Roswell/Apharetta off of Highway 9: Athens Restaurant. They offer a $6.50 lunch special that includes the gyro, fries, and a drink and it is all so nostimos ('delicious' in Greek). But we were hoping to find a closer option for us with this venture.

I have to say that the gyro itself was more flavorful at Agora than at Athens, however I prefer Athens tzatziki sauce. You can see the picture of my chicken gryo with the meat and grilled onions. I won't lie- it was delicious, I just think we weren't impressed with the service of the restaurant.

Overall its unfortunate that we didn't fully enjoy our first experience, but I think we will definitely try it again, and maybe eat in next time.

Ethiopian

In our quest to try everything ethnic in our neighborhood, Ethiopian had always stood out as something exciting and adventurous.  Knowing nothing about the food, or how it was consumed, I read up a little about it to prepare ourselves for the adventure.

Traditionally, Ethiopian food is served on a large platter and there are no utensils involved.  You eat the food with a soft, spongy bread called Injera, which acts as your utensil (pictured below).  The tradition is similar to Naan in Indian and Bangledeshi culture but Injera tastes nothing like Naan.  It is made out of a native grain called teff (which is extremely nutritious with high concentrations of fiber and protein) and it tastes almost like a sourdough pancake.  Reviews and websites also recommended we try the Tej which is a fermented honey wine.  And of course the coffee which orginiated in Ethipoia.  

So we sought out some good Ethiopian places in the area.  Turns out, the majority of the Ethiopian restaurants are around the intersection of Briarcliff and Clairmont.  The first time we went a couple weeks ago, we decided to do the whole experience.  We went to Queen of Sheba on Briarcliff just north of North Druid Hills.  We started with the Tej.  At first sip, it was enjoyable.  A sweet wine with a little more alcoholic aftertaste than regular wine and a syrupy texture.  We should have stopped there, though.  It was an interesting flavor, but not something I wanted a whole lot of and we were all working to finish our glass.  We ordered Sambussas which are lentils packed in a pastry dough and fried.  Then, we ordered the sampler (below).  To be honest, I don't remember all the different dishes that were included.  There was lamb, beef and chicken in a variety of spices and sauces.  The vegetarian dishes consisted of stewed cabbage, chickpeas and a salad among others.  On the menu it said it served 5 people (kind of an odd number for a restaurant, we should have brought one of our single friends to share) and the portions were huge.

Most of their dishes are like stews.  They slow cook meat in a variety of spices and it comes out very tender and flavorful.  Finally, we ended the night with some ethiopian coffee.  It was served in an iron jug and was more like espresso.  It was also served with popcorn to help absorb the acidity of the coffee.

The second time we tried a different place to see if the experience was any different.  We tried Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant.  We skippied the Tej and stuck to beer.  We had the Sambussas again which were even better here.  There was no big combo dinner like at Queen of Sheba so we decided to go with different dishes.  Pictured below is the vegetarian combo that Malory and Stacy shared. 

After the two spots we hit, we've decided that Ethiopian is an adventure we can only handle every so often.  Both Queen of Sheba and Meskerem were good (the latter a little better) but I don't think the food is something we will find ourselves craving (like Indian or Thai).  The food and the experience is a ton of fun, though, and that to me is always important so give it a try.

Slack's

We wanted to go grab a beer on Friday night and decided to try the new cheesesteak place in Town Brookhaven called Slack's.  It is a native Philadelphia chain that has decided to come to Atlanta.  I had heard some good things from a co-worker and wanted to try it for myself.  It's located right across from the entrance of Costco, near the back of the development.

It was pretty packed and there was a wait when we got there.  The dining area on the inside is pretty small but it's complemented by a nice patio outside.  The weather was too cold to sit outside, so the inside filled up fast.  They have a nice bar, so we decided to grab a drink while we waited and then just decided to eat at the bar.  The TVs were plenty so we could catch any game we wanted.  It was a little dark to snap some pics so I took this off their website.

Beer prices were pretty average (~$5 for a pint of import or craft brews) and it looked like they had specials on some nights (don't really remember, will need to go back to confirm).  For the menu, they had a nice selection of hoagies, cheesesteaks, and deli sandwiches all priced around $6-$10.  I was a little upset with the upcharge on additions ($1 for cheez whiz?  We could have bought a case of cheese whiz from Costco for $1...), but overall the portions somewhat justified the higher prices for the sandwiches.  I went with the cheesesteak which was tasty (never been to philly to try one there so I guess I can't really compare) and we left satisfied.

Overall it was a nice establishment that I would go to again.  I might wait for some warmer weather so I can sit on the patio, though.

Costume Contest & World Bazaar

Just got a few emails about some upcoming events!

Costume Party tonight! Friday, October 29th at Library Coffee Co. Enjoy free appetizers and a costume contest. Prizes will be awarded for best costume.

Also, from the Brookhaven Art Alliance, a new (?) organization called the Brookhaven Community Connection is hosting a "Bazaar"/Market next weekend at Village Place. See below for information about the event.

Have a great Halloween weekend!

General Election Voting!

As many of you know, we have a big State and Local general election next Tuesday November 2nd. I'm sure the lines at your local polling place will be long, so DeKalb County (among many other counties) has started an early voting campaign. Early voting in DeKalb began Sept. 20th and runs until Friday, October 29th. See below or click HERE for more information on when and where you can vote early:

During the early voting period, in-person voting will be conducted at the main Voter Registration office at 4380 Memorial Drive from 8 A.M. until 5 P.M., Monday through Friday. Four additional advance voting sites will be open from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. for the week of October 25 – 29. The additional sites are:
Decatur: Clark Harrison Center 330 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Room A Decatur, GA 30030 Map		North: Chamblee Civic Center 3540 Broad Street Chamblee, GA 30341 Map
Tucker: DeKalb County Fire Headquarters Training Conference Room 1950 West Exchange Place Tucker, GA 30084 Map		South: Porter Sandford Arts Center 3181 Rainbow Drive Decatur, GA 30034 Map

Don't forget to vote (if you haven't done so already) between now and November 2nd! If you need more information on what candidates are running for/about in your area (and in GA), click HERE for a list that I found helpful.

I voted at the Chamblee Civic Center on Monday of this week and there was approximately 4 other people there voting, and I had no line to wait in!

And of course- don't forget to get your trademark "I'm a Georgia Voter" peach sticker.

Yoforia & Kaleidoscope

Cory and I enjoyed a nice yogurt treat last night at our local Yoforia. Yoforia is a self-serve, organic and low-calorie frozen yogurt place. With a modern and clean feel, its a nice alternative to a sugary sweet ice cream cone. The only draw-back is they don't offer any doggie cones, so Jasper is a little disappointed when we visit.  And keep it tart - the imitation savory flavors don't always stand up to the real thing.  But we love being able to mix and match flavors and add our own toppings and for $0.39 an ounce- its not breaking the bank either (be careful though... the tubs they have hold a lot of yummy yogurt and 39c adds up quickly!). Sorry we don't have pictures of our treats... we ate them too fast :) They did have a flavor we hadn't tried, honeydew, that was quite tasty!

Our local Yoforia is located in the up and coming Village Place shopping development (see whats coming in HERE). And Cory and I love walking around that area and looking at the new restaurants, retail, and modern condos/townhomes.

We talked a little about Kaleidoscope (see above for progress pictures) last week, and it looks like its progressing along very well. With an almost complete interior- I'm hopeful that it will open in November! Maybe they might even catch some of this wonderful warm fall weather so they can utilize the incredible patio out front. We also walked by POUR- Wine Market and Tasting Room and talked to two guys who were sipping wine (of course) and discussing floor layout (we assume they were the owners). When I asked when they plan to open- they said hopefully next week (!). We will keep you posted on if they make it :).

Also the new baby store- Eggs Nest, also looks very close to opening. We aren't in the market right now for any baby items, but it looks like a cute kids boutique!