BWAH!!!

Perez is hosting this party at Tao tonight and guess who already had reservations?! OMG!

Drunk at the Olympics

I just got these in an email from my friend Smithers and they were too good not to post. Glad we can always count on our President for a few drunken laughs.

My personal favorite:

Review: M&Ms Premiums

So a couple of weeks ago, M&Ms came out with these new Premiums. I have to admit, I was a little intrigued. (Plus I had a coupon and we all know I love coupons.) I managed to pick up a package the other day at the grocery store, so here are my thoughts. I'd like to thank CandyBlog for the pics here.

First off, these little babies are quite the belle of the ball. As you can see above, they have such a pretty outside which might make them very attractive in your grandmother's candy dish. They come in a variety of flavors, however only one flavor to a package. Some of the ones that stand out are the mint, mocha and raspberry almond. They also come in a cardboard box with a resealable cellophane bag inside. Probably a little overdose on the packaging, but that might account for part of their hefty price tag.

We grabbed a raspberry almond... though I had originally wanted mint... but I thought twice about it because of the container of mint moose tracks I have in my freezer. Upon first bite I would give these a 7.5. Most noticeably, the M&M Premiums don't have the crisp candy coating that we're used to with M&Ms. My guess is that they couldn't make em look so purty if they had a crisp shell. So the texture is a bit different. Chocolate wise, I was hoping for something just a bit darker, but it's your standard M&Ms milk chocolate, if my tastebuds are correct. The almond is surrounded by a layer of raspberry white chocolate (I think -- or something like that), then the chocolate, then the coating. Not bad to have on hand when you just need the tiniest fix.

For $4.99 a box/bag, these things are WAY overpriced in my opinion. Considering a normal bag of M&Ms is what... $1.59 maybe... these are kind of a rip. But then again, they sure are purty.

Yankee Mac & Cheese

So tonight I've found myself at home with a sore throat and no husband. He had a last minute work dinner, so I thought it the perfect time for a little comfort food to send my sore throat packin' back to wherever it came from. I will not be sick for this coming weekend! Mac & Cheese is a very popular side dish here in the South, and it comes in many forms. Lots of places bake their mac down here, which can sometimes result in a dry, un-creamy result... not my favorite. Now don't get me wrong, there are lots of great places to have a little mac & cheese in Atlanta. I'm not knockin on anybody. I just like my mac slightly soupy and nice and creamy. Enter Yankee Mac & Cheese... named Yankee after my own upbringing and because there is no baking involved. I used the cheese I had in the fridge -- asiago and parmesan -- but use whatever you happen to have on hand! Yankee Mac & Cheese by Leslie at Blog Soup 1/2 box elbow macaroni (I like Ronzoni SmartSense) 2 T. butter 1.5 T. flour 1.5 c. milk, more as needed 1.5 c. asiago cheese, shredded 1/4 cup grana padano parmesan cheese salt and pepper Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan. Once foam has subsided, add flour and stir to make a roux. After you have a smooth consistency, begin to gradually add the milk, about 1/4c. at a time, constantly stirring to combine. After you have added the 1.5 c. of milk, assess whether you'd like to add more milk for a slightly runnier cheese sauce. After you're done adding all of your milk, add cheeses and stir to combine. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Drain pasta, pour into saucepan with cheese sauce. Stir to combine. Taste the magic.

So excited to don this number in Vegas...

I am headed to Las Vegas this weekend for a bachelorette party with 20, yes TWENTY girls. So far the plans are to visit Tao at the Venetian, Body English at Hard Rock, NOVE Italiano and Moon... the latter two at The Palms. I am sure insanity will ensue...

Anyway, I'm quite excited to wear this little number that I picked up this past weekend at Bebe. That's not typically a store I shop at much, because I have a hard time finding things that fit me proportionally, but this one was a winner. I have some cute dangle earrings I think I'll pair with it, and possibly my pink pashmina. I must admit that I've found it quite difficult to find clothes for Vegas that are classy, yet just a tiny bit revealing. There's alot of crap out there these days.

Concentrics Restaurant Week

I'm a bit late on this one, but in case anyone's looking for a good value tonight... Concentrics Restaurant Week Aug 17-23 Dine at any Concentrics Restaurant between August 17-23 and enjoy three courses for $25 not including alcohol, tax or tip.

Sala Closed, Reacquired by Fifth Group

I was disappointed to hear today that Sala in Virginia Highlands has permanently closed. It was right down the street from our old apartment, so hubs and I were known to make semi-regular visits there, one of which was reviewed here. The restaurant was sold in mid-2007 by Fifth Group, and now has been reacquired by them. Looks like Shaun Doty of Shaun's in Inman Park and the aforementioned Fifth Group will be opening up The Original El Taco in the space, so it should be interesting to see how that turns out. Read my friend Steakhead's full account of the latest and greatest here. Well done. (ahem). I'm hearing that Sala was doing lots of those half price gift certificates. If you're stuck with one, Fifth Group Marketing Director Michael Erickson says, "Fifth Group Restaurants has taken the property back and is in the process of reconcepting it to open under a new name in the coming weeks. If you have purchased a certificate, please contact Stuart Fierman at 678.302.3207 for further instructions on how to redeem them."

Cooking Light's Mushroom Rigatoni Bake

This is the ultimate in comfort food... and it's lightened up to boot. The sherry adds so much flavor and a nice depth to the dish - it can be omitted but I don't recommend it! Mushroom Rigatoni Bake (Cooking Light) 8 oz rigatoni 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced (I omitted these and just used baby bellas, aka creminis) 1 small onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 t. butter 1 t. dry sherry salt & pepper 1 t. dried thyme 1/4 c. flour 2 c. 2% milk (I used 1%) 1 c. asiago cheese, shredded (check Costco for some good deals on hunks of asiago) Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling Preheat oven to 375. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well, rinse with cold water to prevent sticking. Set aside. Melt butter and saute onion for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper, thyme and garlic and saute until soft, about 6-8 more minutes. Add sherry and cook 1 more minute. Put flour in the bottom of a large pan and add milk slowly, whisking to combine. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute until mixture thickens. Add 2/3 c. asiago. Next, add the mushroom mixture to the cheese sauce. Last, add the pasta and toss. Pour into a sprayed 8x8 baking dish, top with remaining asiago and bake 30 minutes. (I baked for 15 just to heat through and prevent drying out.) Top with a bit of parmesan for saltiness and enjoy!

Dear Dan,

You are so last week! xoxo

iPhone Lurve

Last Friday I became the very lucky owner of a new iPhone. Soliloquy for iPhone: iPhone, iPhone how I love thee. Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Having switched over from a Palm Treo, I cannot even begin to say how happy I am with this new little dude. It is easily the sweetest-ass device I have ever owned and it has made life so much more convenient just over the last 4 days. It's the little things -- I'll be out and about and will need to know where the nearest grocery store -- wait liquor store-- is. Bada bing, I'm picking up a sixer in minutes. Gmail is right there on the home screen. It automatically synced all of my Outlook contacts as well as my calendar. Most importantly - it's a camera too, so yours truly who forgets the camera all the time no longer has an excuse. It's already come in handy, especially for some impending restaurant reviews. Beyond the basics though, are all the great apps you can download. So this post will be mainly dedicated to the apps I've grown to love so far. 1. TRISYour classic time waster. Free. What more is there to say? 2. PANDORA. Personalized, mobile and free radio. Type in the artist or song of your choice and see a customized radio station magically appear before your eyes. Rate songs, fast forward, pause... etc. I already had this on my home computer, but the fact that it's available for iPhone makes it even cooler. Definitely a must have for anyone with a computer, i.e. anyone. 3. For my KC peeps -- check live traffic cams on your phone via KSHB. 4. My absolute FAVORITE so far... Urbanspoon!! Stumped on where to grab a bite? iPhone finds where you are, then you simply shake your phone to find a restaurant. Mimicking a slot machine, it then gives you suggestions on where to eat based on location, cuisine, and price. Want to eat for cheap? Lock in the single dollar sign. Want to find a wine bar? Lock in wine bar. It is the best! So what apps have you downloaded so far? What do you love, what do you hate?

Where are you going for Restaurant Week?

Midtown Restaurant Week is August 23-30... what restaurants are you going to? Husbanator and I are taking full advantage of the 3 courses for $25 deals seeing as we are stretching our restaurant buck these days. We are slated for:

I'm most excited about Park 75 and Repast. We're taking a friend from out of town to Dolce -- she is somewhat of a picky eater -- so I think it should be a pretty good fit with some foodie-oriented options for us as well as a few more vanilla options for her. Full updates coming on those after Labor Day!

FAB was totally un-FAB

Nearly a month ago, we went out with some of our best friends in Atlanta for what we all thought would be a lovely evening and outstanding meal at French American Brasserie. Known to many a local as FAB, it is the follow up to the ill-fated Brasserie Le Coze, which used to occupy a space in Lenox Mall. FAB had been on my list of must-try restaurants since we moved to Atlanta in the summer of 2007. Situated at Ivan Allen Plaza in the middle of a resurging downtown Atlanta, the location is perfect for convention-goers and Atlanta foodies alike. It's a quick hop from the Civic Center Marta station as well. The space is huge, with two dining floors as well as an outdoor patio on the third. Though I don't claim to be an expert in brasserie fare or decor by any means, the space definitely felt very French, although it was a bit too big, as is the case with many an Atlanta restaurant. Diners are greeted by a friendly looking bar upon walking in, complete with stained glass tiles and the like. There are some nice details, such as fancy chandeliers and hand-painted ceilings complete the look. The wine list is well rounded and unintimidating, a welcome surprise for a French restaurant. It's been a few weeks since we were there, but I think we went with a Malbec. I don't remember it being particularly outstanding, but it got the job done. Though there were four of us, we started out with the Le Plateau for two which had chilled oysters, clams, mussels, king crab and lobster with accompanying sauces. It was plenty for all of us -- I can't imagine how big the plateau for four would have been. It was quite good, probably the highlight of the evening. At this point, the restaurant started to get very busy... we were getting on 8:30-9:00 on a Saturday night. We placed our order with the waiter and didn't see him for another 20 minutes of so. I noticed several beads of sweat forming on his face when we were ordering -- it seemed he was very short on time. Wonderful. I was very excited for the receipt of my duck confit. Having seen the delicacy on Iron Chef many a time, you can imagine how anxious I was to actually try it for the first time. Confit is a method of cooking in which a duck leg is cured for up to 36 hours and then poached in its own fat. Being a very fatty bird, duck of course makes the perfect candidate for a confit. Prior to cooking, the salt is of course brushed off. The meat is slowly poached until done, for as little as 90 minutes or up to 10 hours. (Thank you Wikipedia!) Mason ordered the veal sweetbreads (another delicacy I was happy to try), while our dining mates ordered the lambchops and the coq au vin. We ordered another bottle of wine and received our entrees. I'm pretty sure our waiter, Flash Gordon, was at our table a grand total of 18.3 seconds to deliver our food. Everything looked sumptuous, but the first bite of my duck was a huge let down. It was entirely too salty to the point of being inedible. I know salt is a key in confit, but I probably would have needed a 2-gallon container of water to finish just one leg. It came with garlic fries on the side... and who doesn't love a fabulous, hand cut, authentic french fry? I certainly do! But, unfortunately these fries tasted like they were fresh out of the Sysco freezer bag. What an utter disappointment. I haven't done this in years, but I actually sent the dish back and ordered the lambchops instead. While I was waiting, our friend was nice enough to give me one of his chops, which I will say, was quite excellent. It's probably one of the better lambchops I've ever had. Mason says the sweetbreads tasted kind of liver-y... which makes sense since a sweetbread is, in fact, a thymus gland. Draw your own conclusions here. When my lambchop order had not arrived 35 minutes later, we were all at the end of our respective ropes. Our server was nowhere to be found, and it just so happened the host/manager walked by our table as we were getting ready to request our check. The manager brought the check, and the lambchops arrived not 30 seconds later. We promptly had them boxed up and I was glad to leave after that. All in all, the experience was a let down because of the quality of my entree as well as the service. The seafood and the chops were great, so FAB won some points back there... but overall, the meal was completely not worth the price tag. On to the next one.

I just moved - I live under a rock now.

Apparently I have been living under a rock, because I just found out this morning that Il Mulino is coming to Atlanta! It was kind of by accident -- I was walking through the lobby of 191 Peachtree this morning and there it was. For as many times as we have been to New York, we have not been to Il Mulino. Some travelers may be tired of it, but having never tried it, I'm hotly anticipating the restaurant's opening here in town. The sign says to expect an opening in late summer 2008, but I'm not so sure that it's on schedule. Oooooo bebe. Come to mama.

Greetings Earthlings

My life has been taken over by my new job. I'm loving it, but I'm also staring at the computer alot. So when it comes time to do extracurricular computer activities, such as blogging, I gotta admit I'm about plum tapped out by the time the thought even crosses my mind. So, yes ... I know I have a ton of catching up to do. BUT, let me assure you, dear readers, that I have 3 or 4 quality posts brewing upstairs. Mostly restaurant reviews... I think that's the angle Blog Soup is taking these days. So please stay tuned for the latest and greatest on French American Brasserie, OK Cafe, ROOM at Twelve, Cafe di Sol, and maybe a few more.

In other news, hubs and I have been in the market for a new TV for awhile. We finally made a decision about a week ago and ordered our new Samsung 61" DLP from Vann's online, and just in time for the Olympics (cue Olympic orchestra theme). OMFG. I don't think I will ever have to go to a movie theater again since I am getting my own ass kicked by a TV at home in my living room. Thar she blows:

Now I know you can't really tell much about the size from the pic above, so I'll work on getting some actual pics of the TV in my living room. Fact of the matter is, it's 1:42 am and I'm just not going to pick up a camera and deal with a USB cord right now. As for Vann's though, I highly recommend them as an online retailer. Tax free, and free shipping too. Good people out of Montana.