This post is a tale of two cities…or two Smashburgers in two cities. I made a trip to Atlanta last weekend to hang out with Mario and do some “official” last hurrah-type activities (mani/pedi at my most favorite nail shop, my favorite cupcakes, etc). After a half day of furniture shopping, I was really hoping to get my last Bocado burger for lunch but forgot that they are only open for dinner on Saturdays. Bummer. So we decided instead to visit one of the newer burger joints in town, Smashburger. Just a few days later, I got an invite to the opening of the 1st Jacksonville Smashburger location at Neptune Beach. I guess the fact that I accepted means my first visit went well!

The folks at Smashburger are doing some rapid expansion as of late, trying to fill the fast-casual space that they say is wide open (and maybe it is, in places other than Atlanta). How they determined that fast-casual burger joints are lacking is a mystery to me, but if you’re executing well I guess more is ok. Direct competition for them is, of course, the also-expanding “multiple men” burger joint.

We liked the open and airy feel of the dining area (very Chipotle-like) and the friendly staff members at the register where you order before grabbing a seat. The menu is largely customizable, from bread to cheese to protein (beef, chicken, and black bean), but also contains some “pre-fab” burgers. These pre-fabs are one way Smashburger aims to specially recognize each local market–one burger that is only sold in that area. Jacksonville’s burger is the Sunshine Bacon & Cheese, with orange citrus bbq sauce, bacon, cheddar, and haystack onions:

Sunshine Bacon & Cheese

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On the heels of John Kessler’s glowing review of newcomer Local Three Kitchen & Bar in the AJC is my equally glowing review. Luckily I visited before the AJC ran the story, because now it seems to be near impossible to get a reservation at the popular new restaurant. Opened by the founders of Muss & Turner’s and Chef Chris Hall, Local Three stepped onto the scene late last year in a big way. The restaurant is housed in the old JOEL Brasserie space off Northside Pkwy. in Vinings/Buckhead, and while it retains some of the trappings of its former upscale inhabitant, the owners have updated the decor to a kind of “down home chic.” (Props for the “George P. Burdell was here” board on their accent wall)

Local Three

Above is the nearly hidden entryway. We had to backtrack once to find it (as did the ladies we were following), so it feels almost like a clandestine destination. In fact, the directions from the lobby would go a little something like this: “On your left, down the hallway, just past the bathrooms…” I’m sad to say that the above photo is the best of the bunch that I have from this dinner. Not only did I forget my camera, but Mario forgot his iPhone which usually works as our stand-in. The camera on my phone was just not working for me in the low light of the restaurant. Hopefully the lack of photographic imagery won’t detract from the review.

Mario and I both ended up ordering two “small plates” each in lieu of an actual entree. This was a good way to taste more of the menu, and we both ended up full anyway. I ordered the braised lamb shoulder (spiced lentils, yogurt) and the roasted mushrooms (creamy polenta, truffle jus), and Mario had oven-roasted chicken wings (celery root remoulade) and “Breakfast for Dinner” (maple glazed pork belly, fried egg, grits).
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A few of my labmates have been feeling adventurous in their new city and started a dinner club of sorts by choosing a new restaurant to visit every week. For my first outing with the group, I joined in for a visit to Seasons 52 in Buckhead. What sets Seasons 52 apart is not only its seasonally (and even weekly, for some items) rotating menu, but the fact that everything on the menu is under 475 calories. No, that is not a typo. If nothing else, a visit to Seasons 52 is a good opportunity to see that low-cal food can actually have flavor, and to find out what an actual portion size should look like. We were happy to find that our dishes were not just an experiment in bland diet food, but were actually pretty good.

We started out with one of their famous flatbreads (Grilled steak and cremini mushroom with fresh spinach and Wisconsin blue cheese) and edamame with green tea salt (no picture) to share:

Steak & Mushroom Flatbread

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A few weeks ago, Buckhead Restaurant Week kicked off and offered 3-course meals for $25 at a number of swank Buckhead eateries. Coincidentally, Mario’s birthday weekend fell during the same time, so I decided to make a surprise reservation at Craftbar Atlanta. Craftbar is part of Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio’s (hm, he doesn’t have his own website) restaurant group, which includes Craft, Craftbar, Craftsteak and ‘wichcraft.

The Craftbar Restaurant Week menu was quite extensive, so it was tough to decide what to try. For starters, Mario settled on the sweet potato soup with mascarpone and bbq’d pecans, and I had the glazed pork belly with jalapeño grits:

Sweet Potato Soup

Pork Belly+grits

This is a long overdue post on an amazing dinner and wine tasting hosted by Mark Beringer of Artesa Vineyards and Winery at Bone’s Steakhouse. Mr. Beringer is the new VP of Production and Winemaking at Artesa and has been touring the country showing off some of the Spanish-owned company’s products. Bone’s is arguably the best steakhouse in Atlanta, so I was very excited to be treated to a meal there complete with wine pairings: an area I know little about but am interested in learning. I also had the opportunity to meet the ATL bloggers behind Atlanta Restaurant Blog, Amy on Food, and Atlanta Foodies, so you can check out their reviews of the event as well!

Our first course was Bone’s chilled seafood platter, which contained a number of beautifully presented crustaceans:

Chilled Seafood Platter

Artesa Chardonnays

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I am coming to terms with the fact that I am apparently on an unofficial mission to try all of Atlanta’s cupcakes. My latest endeavor was CamiCakes Cupcakes, which originated in Florida and now has 3 locations; 2 in Florida, and one here in ATL. My friend Tracie and I made an impromptu stop after noticing the storefront in a shopping center on Peachtree on our way back from lunch one afternoon.

Camicakes

All of the cupcakes looked really delicious, but I finally settled on a Strawberries -n- Cream (strawberries cream cheese frosting on yellow cake) and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream (chocolate cake topped with peanut butter cream cheese frosting). Prepare for drooling after the jump:
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Another “finally!” culinary experience this weekend was trying the oft-discussed Holeman+Finch Public House burger. H+F offers only 24 burgers a night at 10pm on a first-come, first-served, no reservations basis. The burger is only even listed on the menu for Sunday brunch, when they make ~70, and is also when Mario and I decided to stop in and try it out.

The Burger

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Last weekend, Mario and I visited a place we’ve been eying for quite a while, BrickTops. Located on the corner of Peachtree and Piedmont, BrickTops enjoys a good amount of visibility. Self-described as an American-style bistro, BrickTops’ interior said “comfortable luxury” and the menu showcased a few “luxurious” prices as well (e.g. $14 chicken tenders).

Mario and I (well, really just I) started with one of my favorite hors d’oeuvres, Deviled Eggs with Sugar Bacon:

Deviled Eggs and Sugar Bacon

Mario and I FINALLY had a chance to visit the new hotspot in town, Varasano’s Pizzeria, for my last meal in Atlanta until ~August. Varasano’s is located at the bottom of the posh new high-rise Mezzo, and as many posh places require, you must valet park at the parking deck. I’m not sure if I should give this away or not, but we talked to the attendant and he told us we didn’t have to valet and could park ourselves in the back of the deck. Score! We went in and were promptly seated, which was pretty nice for a Friday night in Atlanta. Mario wanted to order his usual pepperoni pizza, but had to order the “house special” Nana’s (Mozzarella & Tomato Sauce with a Secret Blend of Italian Herbs), and add pepperoni. I decided to try the New Haven Clam with Clams, Mussels & Garlic in a white sauce. I also added mushrooms.

Nana's + Pepperoni

New Haven Clam

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