I'm not talkin' soup, but I am talkin' DE.LICI.OUS!!!
Last weekend, we seized the opportunity to get away. One of the things I hope I never take for granted about Tad is his grasp of our need to spend time alone...our need to. He understands this better than I do. A few times a year, we find a way to get away, decompress, focus on each other, and not be pulled in a thousand directions (and when our children were younger, having the breath of life sucked out of us). We LOVE our children, they're the greatest kids on the planet that I've ever given birth to ;). BUT, we are better parents when we've had time to fan the flame rediscover what brought us together in the first place invent new and before-unimagined ways to rock each other's world, which may or may not include monkey cage climbing or chandelier swinging rekindle the romance.
To benefit any of you who are planning a visit to Atlanta say, next week or in this life, a few recommendations for your consideration:
If you're lucky enough to score the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead via priceline.com, you're off to a smokin' start. Congratulations. Look at our bathroom, j'adore this stuff:
Everything is so sparkly and clean and just begs to be used! BEGS!
Can you identify everything? Here, I'll help you out...I'll supersize the photo.
And their turn-down service with chocolates on a tray and orchids on your pillow? Well, that just BEGS to be "used", too! BEGS! How can you not jump right in when there are not one, not two, not three, but FOUR down pillows screaming your name? Irrefreakinsistable!
Good food is a must, make that GREAT food. Atlanta is home to Le Cordon Blue College of Culinary Arts, and chefs-to-be intern at local wonderful restaurants. While they're biding their time in class, they're really chompin' at the bit to graduate in order to open up THEIR OWN local wonderful restaurant. Some are legends in their own minds...some are legends.
If you enjoy seafood, you MUST try the Atlanta Fishmarket. Oh, my goodness, my heart just fluttered thinking about it. I got the Parmesan-crusted and baked Atlantic Salmon, grilled asparagus, crispy basil potato cake. I'd get it again. And again. The only problem with the whole "hip-and-trendy-new-restaurant- openings-because-of-the-cool-nearby-culinary-school", is when I LIKE something, it's difficult NOT to return. Atlanta Fishmarket has never disappointed (outside of having to wait in spite of reservations...reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry pontificates the car rental's ability to TAKE a reservation without the ability to KEEP the reservation...but I digress). There was absolutely NO ROOM for dessert, but I could've cared less. I kinda figure our dessert was on the front end...during our 45 minute wait we had time to try a few specialty beverages. Their Georgia Peach Martini is........perfection in a glass.
We brunched on Saturday at Huey's, and again....their steaming melt-in-your-mouth beignets were/are/were perfection...powdered sugar perfection on a plate! Tad got a veggie omelet, I had creole seasoned shrimp and grits, coupled with good coffee and freshly squeezed OJ, it was the creamiest, deliciousest brunch dish EVAH (this year ;) ).
We tried one of those hip and trendy restaurants Saturday night. Mosaic. Gosh, looking at their website, it sounds fantabulous...BUT...I would NOT go there again :/. It was surprisingly the most expensive meal...and the most disappointing. Instead of two entrees (I needed wanted room for dessert), we got a variety of appetizers and split one main dish (Kibbeh--Moroccan style lamb sausage with roasted garlic hummus, marinated tomatoes, grilled flatbread and cucumber yogurt sauce (so-so), a crisp calamari salad (the BEST thing about the meal, the sauce was delicious!, an average Caesar salad), and a pepper-encrusted tuna special they had that night, not on the menu (marginal :/
). The amazing chocolate dessert our waiter enthusiastically described by saying "If you love chocolate you HAVE to try this!" was simply okay, which really isn't okay at all...based on the build-up we expected SHAZAAAM! How can a hardened chocolate shell, filled with chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, vanilla ice cream, sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled with a raspberry glaze just be "okay"???
We shopped all over the place Saturday, girlie stuff for me and Tad's adult fantasy store. Oh, yeah, and his other adult fantasy store. I really wanted these...but I couldn't pull the trigger. I love/hate/love/hatehate expensive shoes. I love the way they look and feel, HATE the price tag :/. I won't pay retail for anything. If Tad likes it, he doesn't care. This is the kind of argument we had on our weekend getaway...I'll take that kind...
As tempted as I was, I did not purchase this:
See how he hangs his head in shame? How he tries to hide his unmentionables? I think it's because HE knows and I know he was nekkid and not just naked. Yep, there's a difference. Ask Lewis Grizzard.
Whew! Worn out and glowing from all this reminiscing...and excited about the next trip...it's gonna be the BIG one! :)