La Tagliatella Italian Restaurant in Atlanta

Mar 26th, 2013 by Wendy

While most new restaurants in Atlanta are minimalist in design with their concrete walls, exposed ceilings and little amount of art, La Tagliatella starts their first U.S. venture by coming to Atlanta in true Italian style. They’ve transformed the old Silk Asian restaurant on Peachtree Street by using ornate Italian décor and serving authentic Italian cuisine. Step off Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta into what feels like an Italian bistro in Italy (you’ll feel like a character in a movie called Midnight in Italy vs. Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris).

La Tagliatella restaurant's Italian interior

This European-based Italian restaurant features more than 20 unique Napoletana-style pizzas, created with the best authentic ingredients and a variety of traditional dishes including antipasti, salads, lasagna and artfully crafted combinations of pasta and sauces using tomatoes from Puglia, Parmesan-Reggiano DOP from Emilia Romagna and buffalo mozzarella from Campania.

The center-stage pizza kitchen and bar, knowledgeable wait staff and great vibe makes you realize that you’re still in a metropolitan city.

For more than 20 years, Europeans have loved La Tagliatella for our exceptional dining experience. Portions are perfect for sharing which we did during our media dinner in January where we tried appetizers, salads, pizza, pastas, and of course desserts.

La Tagliatella in Midtown is located at 933 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta at the corner of 8^th and Peachtree in the Shops at Metropolis. Hours: Sunday – Thursday 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. and the bar is open ‘til. 678.608.3188. Second location recently opened in Emory Point. For more information go to www.latagliatella.com

One of many of La Tagliatella's scrumptious pizzas. Photo courtesy of La Tagliatella

One of many of La Tagliatella's scrumptious pizzas. Photos courtesy of La Tagliatella.

Tags: Atlanta Italian restaurants, Pizza in Atlanta

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Atlanta’s Steak Restaurants for Lunch

Mar 12th, 2013 by Wendy

Your favorite Atlanta chop house restaurants for dinner can be your favorite lunch restaurants for business or pleasure. You might be avoiding them because you’re assuming that they are expensive for lunch but they aren’t any more expensive than other restaurant in Atlanta that you might be patronizing for lunch. My top picks include:

Blue Ridge Grill

Feel as if you’re having lunch in a private club house with a canoe hanging from the ceiling, the famous rabbit painting over the fireplace and an inviting enclosed porch. Lunch items range from seafood soup to their classic Blue Ridge Grill Salad with field greens, poached pears, local blue cheese and toasted Georgia pecans, Lobster Club sandwich with Edwards Maple dipped bacon topped with arugula and honey mustard or Blue Plates including one of my favorite seafood entrees: Horseradish Crusted Grouper with fennel and grapefruit butter sauce, as well as chicken, steak or lamb Blue Plates and an array of delicious sides. You’ll always see a friend, movers and shakers and some times celebrities having lunch there.

Blue Ridge Grill, 1261 West Paces Ferry, Atlanta. Open for lunch Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 404.233.5030

Feel as if you’re having lunch in a private club house that's conveniently located at the corner of West Paces Ferry and Northside Drive.

The Capital Grille, Buckhead

We Atlantans have a tough time patronizing restaurants that are off the first floor but Capital Grille in Buckhead is worth the elevator ride to the eighth floor of The Capital Building at the corner of East Paces Ferry Road and Peachtree Road for an exquisite lunch with Atlanta skyline views and a quiet ambiance. Select lunch menu items like their signature appetizer: Pan-Fried Calamari with Hot Cherry Peppers or the unexpected flavors and combination of their Seared Salmon with Avocado, Mango and Tomato Salad or the Ribeye Steak Sandwich with Caramelized Onions and Havarti Cheese or their seasonal lunch special where you choose one of three items including soup or salad, main dish and a side dish for $16. Save room for dessert and if you can’t decide (like we couldn’t) then order a few and share including the Coconut Cream Pie, Classic Crème Brûlée, Chocolate Hazelnut Cake and Trio of Homemade Ice Creams, just to name a few yummy selections.

The Capital Grille, Buckhead, 255 E. Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta. Open for lunch Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 404.262.1162. Plus its newest location in The Capital Grille, Perimeter Mall at 94 Perimeter Center West in Dunwoody.

The Capital Grille in Buckhead offers skyline views of Atlanta with a quiet ambiance.

Chops

You still get that great Atlanta icon ambiance that you get at night while seeing all the movers and shakers of Atlanta during lunch. Wait staff jet around the restaurant sporting their chef jacket-styled uniforms while serving lunch items like the Maine Lobster Bisque, Steak & Wedge: slice beef tenderloin with thick cut onion ring atop a loaded iceberg wedge, Florida Shrimp & Lump Crab Salad Chops Salad with Chops dressing, Club Burger with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Wisconsin Cheese to choice cut steaks, fish and poultry dishes as well as its famous Chops side dishes.

Chops, 70 West Paces Road NW, Atlanta. Open for lunch Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 404.262.2675.

Chops' iconic Art Deco interior makes it a lively atmosphere for lunch whether it's for business or pleasure.

Tags: Atlanta chop houses, Atlanta steak restaurants, Blue Ridge Grill, Chops, The Capital Grille

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Conquer Your Wolf

Mar 1st, 2013 by Wendy

For those of us lucky enough to own a Wolf cooktop, oven or stove—for me it’s three so far in my lifetime; I currently own the Dual Fuel stove with four burners and griddle—you’ll be thrilled to learned that the Sub-Zero/Wolf Southeast showroom in Atlanta has a marvelous Use and Care Class where you can learn all about the capabilities of your Wolf products. In this hour and a half class you’ll learn the difference between convection vs. bake, roast, proofing and dehydrating and excellent tips on using this gourmet applicance. I attended specifically to learn how to season my Wolf griddle correctly which must be done before using the Wolf griddle for the first time. Class size ranges between 18-20 people and reserved seating is required. Class materials are customized to the model you own which is sent with your reservations but also printed for you at your scheduled class. My class included a light lunch of salad, pizza and a cookie—the homemade pizzas and cookies were prepared and cooked during the class on the Wolf baking stone.

There was great open forum Q & A during class too so you learn what other had learned about their products. The Atlanta Sub-Zero/Wolf showroom is the beautiful new facility at the corner of Piedmont and Peachtree in Buckhead (where they’ll even validated parking). It is an hour and a half well spent and I highly recommend. The Atlanta Use & Care Classes are once a month and more information and class dates can be found at www.subzero-wolf.com/showroom/atlanta/Events.

The Sub-Zero/Wolf Showroom demo kitchen in the Atlanta, Ga. location.

Tags: Sub-Zero, Wolf

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Linens and Luxuries for the Home

Jan 31st, 2013 by Wendy

It’s been a crazy month with the holidays and moving into a new home in Atlanta. Good crazy but crazy so the blog has unfortunately been on the back burner. As I’m living deeper in the heart of the city, I’ll have so much to share with you as I’m able to walk to restaurants, shops, parks and museums. The proximity of everything Atlanta has to offer is closer than it was before even though I only moved four miles it feels like I’m discovering a new city.

One discovering I made before the holidays is a new store in Brookhaven called Marguerite’s on Dresden. The mother-daughter team has a love for home décor. Mom Cindy Lites-Richard has been a professional decorator for over 30 years and daughter Caroline Lites Thompson has followed in mom’s footsteps with her own love for home décor. The shop is a great combo of Cindy’s interior design expertise with Caroline’s youthful flair. The shop’s name pays tribute to other women in the family lineage: Cindy’s mom and Caroline’s grandmother Marguerite.

Marguerite’s on Dresden includes bedding by Haute, Legacy Linens, Monde Maison and Peacock Alley; bath and home items include Claus Soaps, books, art and accessories; tabletop items from Low Country Linens, Monte’s Dugget, Rebecca Wood Pottery and Vietri; gift items include candles, jewelry, baby gifts, PJs and robes as well as bags and accessories from Stephanie Johnson; plus furniture and more.

Marguerite’s on Dresden is located at 1430 Dresden Drive, Suite 200, Atlanta, Ga. 404.841.9171. They’re open Monday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Sunday by appointment. www.margueritesondresden.com