This is Marie, contributing an article about jam. Jam is something that I have loved for a long time. This love has a good bit to do with my sweet tooth, something to do with the beauty of the jewel-toned jars lining up in neat rows, and in recent years an increasing amount of interest in unusual varieties of fruit, including types that you can’t find easily fresh. Continue reading “Idell Dew Gardens, Falls City OR”
Valor Chocolates
I’ve always been a little indifferent toward chocolate, caught between the occasional greatness of a chocolate malted milkshake and the unbearable awfulness of the mass-produced chemical-packed sludge that people eat for some fool reason. Earlier this fall, my daughter sold these bars as a fundraiser for her school chorus fees. I bought one, took one bite, rolled it around on my tongue, trashed it, rinsed my mouth, brushed my teeth, and went door-to-door apologizing to everybody who’d bought a bar or ten from her. Continue reading “Valor Chocolates”
Mr. D’s Barbeque, Austell GA (CLOSED)
One evening last month, while the girlchild was busy with football and friends, Marie and I took a badly overstimulated baby over to Austell to strike another Atlanta-area barbecue joint off our to-do list. The little fellow fell asleep in the car, exhausted after an afternoon spent refusing to nap, and so he missed all the deterioration and sprawl of the southern part of the county. After crossing the East-West Connector, Austell Road takes drivers through some really ugly dilapidation. I’ve always had a soft spot for South Cobb High School because I like the way their stadium is backed right up to and above the street, but all this blight around it and Clay Road is unfortunate. Continue reading “Mr. D’s Barbeque, Austell GA (CLOSED)”
The Red-Eyed Mule, Marietta GA (take two)
Please don’t look around in our archives for our original story about The Red-Eyed Mule. It was written before we actually started the blog in any formal, branded sense, and was one of a handful of entries – probably the first six or seven, I suppose – that was scripted as a regular entry on my old Livejournal. As our first story, it is an interesting archaeological curio, but not a particularly auspicious launch to our hobby. Continue reading “The Red-Eyed Mule, Marietta GA (take two)”
Julia Child’s Favorite Angel Hair Pomodoro
This is Marie, contributing an article about a recipe we got from Steve DiFillippo’s new memoir, It’s All About the Guest. Steve is the founder of Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, a restaurant chain that we really enjoy. Grant has already posted a review of the book this week at The Hipster Dad’s Bookshelf, and today we’re featuring a recipe from it. Synergy! Continue reading “Julia Child’s Favorite Angel Hair Pomodoro”
Loribell’s Frozen Custard Creations, Kennesaw GA
Urbanspoon sent us north up US-41 for dessert one Friday last month. The baby had been sick for a couple of days, and since he was finally feeling good enough to go back to school, Marie and I got out of the house for some grown-up time. Since frozen custard is still somewhat uncommon in the south (Sheridan’s, one of the few custard chains to try a foothold in Georgia, closed their lone store in Tucker last year), I was curious to try this place. It’s in the “Make Way for the Wal-Mart” sprawl north of Kennesaw and slightly south of Acworth, and it’s an incredibly surprising and fun little treat. Continue reading “Loribell’s Frozen Custard Creations, Kennesaw GA”
Highland Brewing Company, Asheville NC
For the next brewery in my small and slow “learning a little about beer” project, I wanted to try something from Asheville, a place sometimes called “Beer City” and home to something like a dozen brewpubs and breweries, and a place we are long overdue to return. I went with Highland Brewing because I remembered really enjoying their Oatmeal Porter. I first had that when I paid my first of a couple of visits to Decatur’s Brick Store Pub and I’ve had it a couple of times at other places. If I had a top five beer list, Highland Oatmeal Porter would be on it. Continue reading “Highland Brewing Company, Asheville NC”
Marie, Let's Eat! 