El Potro

This weekend we decided to try out some more local ethnic Brookhaven Restaurants we had heard about. Cory was really in the mood for Mexican (as he is most Friday nights) so we tried out El Potro. El Potro is located just north of Briarwood & Buford (3396 Buford Hwy NE), directly under the massive Asian Pearl billboard.

We were pleasantly surprised to find a nice outdoor patio and quickly grabbed a seat. The restaurant was bustling with patrons, but it wasn't too difficult to find a table which was nice. The menu was pretty typical Mexican with quesadillas, tacos, combo plates, etc all roughly $6-$9 (not bad!). Drinks were also pretty reasonable: Cory enjoyed a 32 oz. Dos Equis Amber and I enjoyed a $3.75 house margarita in a cute glass. For dinner Cory had the vallarta special (it was ok...) and I had the chimichangas (very delicious! pictured below- $6.50). We also saw a few others ordering some interesting looking sauces/salsa, so we will definitely try those next time and see how those are.

Overall, we were hoping for some more authentic mexican cuisine and less tex-mex (we do, however, need to go back and explore the menu a little more). We were really on the lookout for some aztec-style Mexican (like Zapata in Norcross) complete with molcajetes and mole. The atmosphere was pretty cool (helped by a gorgeous night), there was a diverse group of folks there, and it was pretty inexpensive. We definitely were pretty happy walking out of there will full stomachs for less than $20! This will probably become a good hangout for us and our friends as an inexpensive local Mexican, but we will still be on the lookout for some down home mexican cookin'.

Moore Farms- Market Open!

This is the first week of the Fall Harvest, so take a moment to order your farm box for next week (see photo above of our goodies from last week's box)! Remember you can pick your box up at numerous locations- the Brookhaven location is the Cooks Warehouse at Peachtree St & Dresden. This week's boxes include:

$20 - Apples, Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Lettuce,
Collard Greens and Green Onions.

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$30 - Apples, Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Lettuce,
Collard Greens, Eggplant, Florida Avocado,
Sweet Peppers and Green Onions.

Click here to log in and place your order:www.moorefarmsandfriends.com.

 

 They are also having a Farm Day next Saturday (October 16). Learn more about that HERE

Brookhaven Happenings

We've received a few emails with some updates on Brookhaven happenings, and I thought I would share:

• Tonight (and every Thursday) Live Music at the Library Coffee. Join them tonight from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm for the Gary Harris Band. This four member band led by Jazz Saxophonist Gary Harris, will play a range of upbeat tunes. Remember - they have cold beers from the tap starting at just $3 a pint plus an extensive wine list with glasses starting at just $6.
• Next weekend (October 16 & 17) the Brookhaven Arts Festival, hosted by the Brookhaven Art Alliance and presented by Brookhaven Bank, returns to Apple Valley Road. Located directly behind the Brookhaven-Oglethorpe MARTA station, this arts and entertainment event is convenient to everyone in Atlanta. Free to the public, come join more than 125 artists that will be displaying and marketing their fine arts. There will also be live music throughout the festival.
• Cory and I are also planning a visit to the Peachtree Road Farmers Market on Saturday in Buckhead (every Sat. from 9am-12:30pm) to pick up some yummy seasonal veggies and check out some chef demos. Visit their website to also find a great harvesting calendar.There's also a smaller, more local Farmers Market every Thursday evening (4pm - 8pm) at the Old Five Points junction (Ashford Dunwoody & Johnson Ferry Road) in Chamblee/Brookhaven. More information here (facebook).
• There is also a Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club Make Over Day on October 17th (9am-4pm)! The National Business Aviation Association and Club Sport will spend a full day giving the Brookhaven Club a much needed makeover. Projects for the Makeover include:
  
  1. Playground renovation
  2. Teen Center renovation
  3. Spruce up/painting of Club rooms
  4. Volleyball courts
  5. Softball Field and much more!
  This will be a fun and rewarding day for all. Please volunteer by registering HERE. Make sure you add Club Sport as the Company Name when registering.
  

Hope to see you all at a few of these events!

Now on Twitter!!

Hey guys, if you're feeling adventurous... follow us on twitter @BHreview.  Or, if you've got any suggestions, comments or just want to chat feel free to email us at brookhavenreview@gmail.com. 

Holeman & Finch's Burger

I had heard about this burger from a number of different sources including Food & Wine and Food Magazine.  And after Alton Brown recommended it as the best burger in the country, I knew I had to try it.  So I found about tonight: the one night they are serving their infamous burger during dinner hours.  That's odd you might say.  Wouldn't they always serve it during dinner hours?  No.  Chef Linton Hopkins at Holeman & Finch public house only serves 24 each night.  At 10pm he calls out on a bull horn "It's burger time" and 24 people get to share in the experience that is the Holeman & Finch burger.  But tonight, you got to enjoy unlimited amounts of their burger from 5pm to 1am. 

I did feel like I was cheating a bit by coming tonight.  I feel like being one of the 24 to get a burger is a great privilege. I also figured that people only considered this as the best burger they have ever eaten because they are usually a couple beers or cocktails deep by 10pm and a burger sounds oh so satisfying.  But either way I had to have one and I had been looking forward to this for awhile.

We ended showing up around 6:45 to a packed house (it's pretty small inside) and they said it was a 3 hour wait.  Well, bring it on.  We headed to the bar where it was first come first serve if you could find a table and luckily for us within the hour we found 2 seats.  By the time we ordered, I was already feeling like one of those couple beers deep folks who were craving a hamburger (so I didn't totally cheat).  It also didn't help that we were sitting right next to the kitchen where I watched them create numerous burgers.

We finally were served.  The burger itself was very simple.  It consisted of 2 patties with cheese, red onions, and homemade pickles on a toasted bun served with hand-cut fries and a homemade ketchup and mustard on the side.  While we were waiting, we had seen a couple being served around and I thought to myself, "Is this really what the fuss is about?"

Then I took my first bite. The meat itself was so flavorful and rich that it almost tasted creamy.  It was lean and juicy and I knew why it was so plain.  There was no reason to dilute the taste of this beef with any sort of gimmicks.  We both thoroughly enjoyed the burger and I was on the verge of ordering one more to take home.

I know the 10pm experience is probably very cool and I can't wait to find myself there again, being one of the proud and the few to get to eat one of the burgers.  While we may have cheated tonight, don't cheat yourself and go try one.

Field of Greens Festival & Kenari

As I mentioned in my first post of the day, we had a great time at the Field of Greens Festival at Whippoorwill Hollow Farm in Covington, Georgia. There were probably about 25ish restaurants there all showcasing some of their best organic and local dishes with most of the ingredients coming from Georgia Farms. We were pleasantly surprised to find both Haven and Valenza both local Brookhaven restaurants in the Village Place Development.
Some of my favorite dishes included a creamy cauliflower soup, sangria with fresh fruit, spicy lamb sausage with succotash, and a spice cake with homemade ice cream all topped with bacon peanut brittle (YUM! See photo below)We also were very surprised to stumble upon a local juicer who happened to be from Roswell. Cory and I are both from Roswell, and haven't quite ever come across any farmers since Mr. Coleman, and he pretty much only sold pet rabbits and pre-made pies...Anyways, this farmer- Johnathan Hosseini recently leased an old horse farm in Roswell (right across the street from Cory's parents- small world!) and started his company The Kenari Neighborhood Food System and growing ingredients to make his juice, also named, Kenari. Johnathan's focus has been on promoting urban food systems and vibrant, healthy neighborhoods. His hand-brewed juice/tea is made mainly from ingredients grown on his farm and is rich in antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins.

Cory and I loved this juice, and when we happened upon it tonight at the local Whole Foods in Buckhead- we bought a large jug ($7.99- top right). After further consumption it tastes like an apple cider tea hybrid with a little bit of spice. It's quite refreshing! Stay tuned as we learn more about Kenari and their Neighborhood Food Systems.

See more pics of the festival at Stacy Eats!

October!

Sorry for the lag in postings!! October has proved to be a busy month already. Cory and I have lots of posts planned and many restaurants to try, so please check back throughout the month to see what we're up to.

This weekend was action packed with the braves games, GT football, and Field of Greens Festival. The festival was well worth the $15 ticket price, and was everything we wanted the Taste of Brookhaven to be. More to come on that festival, but in the meantime, check out StacyEats for more details and photos- Stacy was the one who turned us on to this event, and we thoroughly enjoyed going with her and Chris.

Stay tuned for our photos and review of the event- there were even a few Brookhaven restaurants in attendance!

Hope everyone is enjoying their Monday.