Blais-in' Through The ATL

Photo from johnmariani.com

My mom is in town this week (yay!) and we went to Atlanta yesterday for some high-calibur shopping and eating. We also happen to be huge Top Chef fans - especially Top Chef All Stars. So, we went to the only logical place to go - Richard Blais's (he won TCAS) Flip Burger Boutique in Buckhead. We were EXCITED.

How cool is the inside of this burger place? Very modern and very spotless. Awesome.

Our meal



Candycane Beet Salad ($4)



The Local: local organic grass-fed beef, tomme cheese, lettuce, yellow tomato,
red onion, coca cola ketchup, picked peach & pecans
($14)

Nutella + Burnt Marshmallow Liquid Nitrogen Shake ($6)

The meal was incredible - hands down the best burger either of us had ever eaten. What a flavor combo! Pickled peaches? Coca cola ketchup? The man has an imagination. Also, that beet salad was to die for! And who would ever put a beet salad with arugula on a burger menu. Richard Blais would. I might start salivating if I start talking about the milkshake. Holy moley it was fantastic! It was unlike any milkshake I've ever had in my life - rich, creamy, chocolatey - and the best part? There was no air in it like most milk shakes. It was solid deliciousness. And the topping of burnt marshmallows? Perfection.

It made my mouth glad. :) So, if you're in the neighborhood, go. And if you're not, figure out a way to get there.

~ Mari

The Joy of Cooking (Vegetables)

Spring is here and it's time for veggies! Last night, my dad and I made a strictly veggie meal (which, if you know my dad, is almost unheard of) that was amazingly delicious - if I do say so myself! The photo above is what we started with: raw beets, sweet onions, fennel, and garlic cloves. We decided to roast them (believe it or not, at the suggestion of Auguste Escoffier) so they would be cruncy and delicious. After we arranged them in the pan (and preheated the oven to 350 degrees F), we drizzled EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) on them and sprinkled them with salt, pepper, a little chicken base (I promise... it works), and balsamic vinegar.



Next, we baked them for about 20 minutes, flipped them over & added a few splashes of red wine, and baked them for another 10 minutes.

Next, we plated them and sprinkled toasted walnuts shaved parmesan cheese on them and drizzled a homemade mustard walnut vinaigrette over the entire yumminess. I love how the onions soaked up the balsamic and wine and look like little sweet roses! And every once in a while, when you bite into a roasted and caramelized garlic clove, you just want to weep with happiness.

You've got to love my dad. He couldn't take having a completely vegetarian meal (it's just not in him), so he rendered some bacon and sauteed the beet greens in it for about 4 minutes. And I must say - they were delicious! But, if you're a vegetarian, you could do without that step, of course. ;)

Enjoy!