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.