Market food

lovely Satsumas....fresh from the tree. I eat these like candy they're so sweet.

Drink...child style.

The chocolate milk box according to Miss Bean

Food and Wine and Buick Invite You to a rather tasteful event.

 

BUICK DISCOVERY TOUR TO BRING CELEBRITY CHEF MING TSAI TO ATLANTA DEC. 3-4

Culinary event to feature renowned chefs Hugh Acheson and Ben Roche and wine expert Michael Green

WHAT:

Atlanta natives and visitors alike will have the opportunity to savor gourmet cuisine, taste fine wine and test drive luxury vehicles – for free – at The Loews Atlanta Hotel on Dec. 3-4. Buick has partnered with FOOD & WINE magazine to bring The Buick Discovery Tour to Atlanta. Consumers will have the opportunity to mingle with celebrity chefs, attend cooking demonstrations, participate in a wine tasting and get a first-hand look at Buick’s 2012 line.

The festivities include:

•             Cooking demonstration with Chef Hugh Acheson, FOOD & WINE Best New Chef, judge on Bravo’s “Top Chef Texas” and owner/chef at Empire State South

•             Pastry demonstration with Chef Ben Roche, executive pastry chef of Moto in Chicago and co-host of “Future Foods” on Discovery’s Planet Green Network

•             Buick test-drives featuring the new Regal Turbo, Lacrosse and Enclave

•             Wine tasting with wine expert Michael Green

•             Cooking demonstration featuring Chef Ming Tsai, producer of the Emmy-nominated public television cooking show, “Simply Ming”

For every guest that registers, Buick will also make a donation to The FEED Foundation in support of their efforts to create products to help feed the world’s hungry.

WHEN:

Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011

•             11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

•             2:30 – 5:30 p.m.

•             6 – 9 p.m.

Ming Tsai will be available for interviews from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011

•             Noon – 3 p.m.

•             3:30 – 6:30 p.m.

WHERE:

Loews Atlanta Hotel

1065 Peachtree St. NE

Atlanta, GA 30309

PRICE:

Free

REGISTRATION:

Attendees can join any of the three-hour sessions and must register at www.buickdiscoverytour.com. The reservation code is ATPRBUICK.

was hungry...

I made a one egg omelet filled with caramelized onions and finished it with a sprinkle of Maldon salt.

You can see I didn't like it.

4th & Swift

Several years ago I was sitting in Chef Jay Swift's cramped office off the kitchen of the former Rainwater Restaurant. "I'm going to have my own place...I need my own place." he insisted. I remember smiling to myself and thinking, all Chefs say that.

I should have had more faith. Chef Jay got his own place and 4th and Swift is most certainly a culinary “Aha!”

The menu is fabulous...American, seasonal, creative. I wanted to try everything. We opted for several small plates rather than the usual courses.

Crisp Brussels Sprouts

First up was a plate of crisply grilled Brussel sprouts that gave me the first foodgasm of the night. It was like eating lovely green candy. We followed the sprouts with smoky grilled octopus paired with charred red onions. The sweet octopus was cooked perfectly; I loved the smooth luscious mouth feel it had with the smokiness of the onion.

Duck confit---which I jumped at when I saw it on the menu---was an over salted disappointment. I sensed that it could have been really good if the seasonings were correct. However, lamb ragu tossed with tiny pasta is braised deliciousness and the pork belly is tender melt in my mouth perfection.

We should have wrapped up the meal with something sweet but we were just too full. A good reason to go back, I'd say. Congratulations Chef Jay. You've raised that culinary bar to dizzying heights.

4th and Swift

621 North Avenue NE Atlanta GA 30308

678-904-0160


Notes:
The former dairy building 4th and Swift occupies still shows its lovely old bones and is set off by a muted color palate, white washed brick, comfortable, well spaced seating, crispy linen and candle light.

Service and staff are professional and friendly; our server, Clarissa, was well informed and very accommodating and we were seated promptly...a minor miracle on a Saturday night in Atlanta.

Prices are reasonable. Small plates run from $9 - $13 and are not so small that you couldn't share. The wine list is beautifully balanced and also well priced. We drank a lovely fruity Argentine Malbec (Camino del Inca $44).

Complimentary valet parking; all major credit cards.

Friendly Food

One of the delights of my life is when my dear friend Jean arrives for a visit. On our own for a few days, we get to spend lots of girlie time indulging in our favorite things. We yak, we read, we just hang out, we may watch a movie or two. But top of our list is at least one evening on the couch with bottles of wine and a snacking dinner of fruit, cheese, cold meats, crackers, bread and any other charcuterie that may strike our fancy



This visit was no different. Can you tell that we enjoyed what we had? An Argentine Malbec was our drink for the evening.

5 grain bread, Bosc pears, double cream brie, nicoise olives, goat cheese with chives and lemon zest, salmon pate

 

Are you a Master Chef?

 

Fox TV's Master Chef is holding open casting calls in Atlanta on Nov 12th. In Savannah on Nov 19th. Do you have what it takes? Check out their web site for details and casting in other cities: Master Chef Casting