Grateful Thanksgiving

November 28, 2011 By Laura

Grateful as in Grateful Dead.

I had a post-race “Friendsgiving” at one of my favorite local restaurants – Rosebud. How is that related to the Dead? Rosebud is named for one of Jerry Garcia’s guitars, the one he played in his last show in July of 1995.

A celebratory glass of sparkling with our (now empty) app plates

Ron Eyester, the chef and owner, put together one incredible (and HUGE) Thanksgiving feast.

We began with an appetizer consisting of Pimento Cheese, Trail Mix, Smoked Trout Pate, Housemade Pickled Vegetables, and crackers dusted with something spicy (cayenne?). The Pimento Cheese was our favorite, with the trail mix in a close second (I love those wasabi things). The Trout Pate was the only miss of the meal.

Next up was the main event. The way the special menus worked you could choose Sage, Apple & Honey Roasted Turkey or Housemade Berkshire Ham with Mexican Coke Glaze. Then you chose 3 sides from a list of 12. There were 3 of us at lunch, which meant we could try all but 3 sides. And so we did.

I chose the turkey with Brioche & Herb Stuffing (yes it was as good as it sounds), Cider & Maple Braised Brussels, and Red Wine & Balsamic Braised Mushrooms. It was all wonderful. The stuffing bordered on being bread pudding – a good thing in my book! Turkey has never been my cup o’ tea, but Ron’s turkey was nearing perfection. Not the least bit dried out and perfectly flavored. I loved the sage!

Carla’s also chose the turkey and brussels, but ordered the Buttermilk Whipped Potatoes and Baby Carrots with Fennel, Citrus, and Cardamom. The carrots were one of my favorite sides; they were left fairly crisp and the hints of fennel and citrus made for a fun flavor.

Corinne chose the ham. It was good, but I’m glad I didn’t get it. A little too sweet as a main for my taste, but if you like honey-baked ham you would love it. Her sides included the Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Ginger & Sweet Chili, Green Beans with Fresh Garlic and Sea Salt, and Mexican Coke Braised Local Greens with Smoked Ham Bone. I don’t even know how to choose a favorite. Maybe the beans?! I really appreciated how they kitchen left the veggies with some bite rather than cooking them to the point of soggy (all too often the case).

Since all of this clearly wasn’t enough food, Ron sent us a plate of the 3 sides we didn’t order (he really is the nicest angry chef in ATL). Our last 3 tastes: Mac n’ Cheese, Duck Fat & Thyme Fingerling Potatoes, and Truffled Cream Corn. The mac and cheese was done with Tillamook Cheddar and couldn’t have been more delicious. We all agreed the corn was also pretty amazing – and none of us are big on creamed corn!

Everyone had a favorite potato – I don’t know if he did it on purpose, but Ron offered the 3 major potato “types” so there was something for everyone. I was all about the whipped sweet potatoes.

My favorite course is always last – dessert! Chocolate Tart, Bread Pudding with Dried Cherries, Salted Browned Butter Cookies, and Apple Cake with Cardamom Cream. I love chocolate… but those cookies are my favorite. I’m convinced he puts crack in them.

A “Friendsgiving” lunch at Rosebud was the perfect race recovery meal. But I had to get home to make the treat you saw in Friday’s post to bring to a Thanksgiving potluck dinner (big revel tomorrow… suspense, I know). Because one gluttonous holiday meal is never enough. 😉

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Speaking of gluttony… it’s Monday recap time.

Last week brought 2 big accomplishments – the Thanksgiving Half Marathon and I did my 100 push-ups EVERY DAY. That’s 700 push-ups last week!!! 3 accomplishments if you count the fact that I took TWO rest days.

Looking ahead, I’m ready cut back on the running for a while. My focus will be more on weights and kickboxing – just in time for the arrival of more winter-like weather (I can’t stand to run in the cold).

Workout Recap (11/21-11/27)

Monday – 30 mins stationary bike intervals, Biceps/Back, 100 push-ups
Tuesday – 2 mile run, 2 mile walk, 100 push-ups
Wednesday – Tris/Chest, Ab Ripper X, 100 push-ups
Thursday – Half Marathon, 100 push-ups
Friday – 100 push-ups
Saturday – 2 mile walk, 100 push-ups
Sunday – Kickboxing, 100 push-ups

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I promise some healthier foods are coming… after tomorrow dessert post!

Have you ever eaten your Thanksgiving meal at a restaurant?

Do your workouts change in the winter months?

Rosebud Veggie Jam

June 16, 2011 By Laura

I woke up late. My post is delayed. I’m behind on my blog reading today. I should have already been in to work.

A sure sign of a successful night!

The 65 degree sunny morning did call my name for a run. It was the first since my Achilles began acting up last Saturday. Flat surfaces were ok, but hills were impossible. A few more days of rest and I’ll be good to go (I hope).

Stats:

Distance – 4 miles
Time – 32:40
Pace – 8:10

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Last night was my second Atlanta blogger meet up. In attendance:

Thanks to Lee for sharing the pic!

Left to right:

Lee @ In My Tummy
Stacy @ Stacy Eats
Corinne (my Food + Wine buddy)
Heather @ Girly Ever After
Me
Alanya @ Thyme Bombe

Somehow I managed to talk one of my favorite local chefs, Ron Eyester, into creating a vegetarian tasting menu for us at the meat-centric Rosebud.

That’s an exaggeration. Despite his scary Twitter persona, Ron is a great guy who agreed to take on the challenge almost immediately. (Sorry for outing you as a nice guy, Ron.)

Ron is known more for his meats. I eat meat and can vouch for the tastiness of his meat-centric dishes. After tonight, I can also vouch for his veggie-centric dishes.

He introduced the “Veggie Jam” by emphasizing the importance of using fresh, local ingredients and allowing them to shine without “cooking the shit out of them.” (<– direct quote)

***The details may be a bit off in some of these descriptions, but know that a lot of thought was put into using seasonal, fresh ingredients in each course.***

Like all good meals, this one began with a cocktail.

Our cocktail was made of tomato-infused vodka, cucumber shrub, and soda. It was garnished with mini-heirloom tomatoes. This drink was tasty, light and paired really well with the first couple of dishes.

1st Course

Pink-Eyed Pea Pate

This was Ron’s take on a vegetarian pate. It was made with pink-eyed peas and served atop a crusty toast with radishes. The radishes set off the pate flavor and the creamy pate was complimented by the crunch of the bread.

2nd Course

Marinated mozzarella, tomato, cilantro, and apricot

This take on a caprese salad was a success. Rosebud makes their own mozzarella in-house. It’s more dense than a bufala, which worked well with the spicy-cilantro tomato sauce.

3rd Course

Heirloom tomatoes, pineapple, and sriracha sauce

Heirloom tomatoes are just beginning to appear and these are some of the first local varieties to come available this season. They were perfectly red (though you can’t tell from my iPhone photography!) and flavorful.

The pineapple topping was incredible – I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that combo before! It was drizzled with a srircha-olive oil mixture and topped with an impossibly fresh piece of parsley.

Course 4

Chilled potato and broccoli soup

Honestly, this wasn’t my favorite. It was a bit salty. The soup was a chilled potato with a scoop of broccoli soup in the middle.

My favorite part was the cheese powder and the local egg. It was the same cheese Ron uses at The Family Dog (his bar across the street) to make his “Cheetoes.” Do not miss these if you’re ever at the bar!

Course 5

Brussels with Red-Curry Peanut Sauce

This course was my favorite. Brussel sprouts tossed in a red curry-peanut sauce and roasted. It was mixed with fresh parsley and topped with crispy wontons. Served with a side of the saucy deliciousness. It was all I could do to keep myself from licking the plate.

Ron – please add this to the menu. Immediately. 🙂

Course 6

Mac ‘n Cheese

True to form, Ron cannot simply make a mac and cheese. This incorporated Midnight Moon aged goat’s cheese, a creamy cow’s milk goat cheese, dinosaur kale, and cauliflower.

It should be noted that at this point I am FULL. But I’m no quitter, y’all.

Course 7

Yellow filet beans and tempura eggplant

Yellow filet beans – according to Ron – are only in season for a few weeks in the spring. Now is the time. If you see them in your local market, I urge you to check them out. They’re similar to a pole bean, though a bit sweeter.

Ron tossed them with zucchini, fresh oregano (perfect herb compliment for these!), feta, kalamata olives, and a light vinaigrette. All of this was served over a tempura-battered eggplant and a red curry ketchup.

Course 8

Rice grits with oyster shrooms and baby leeks

Rice grits are similar to risotto, but they retain more crunch. In a good way. These were fantastic with the earthy oyster mushrooms and baby leeks. Ron told us there were 20 lbs of leeks in our 6 dishes! The charred leek on the top was my favorite.

Our server brought out a bottle of a California Cabernet that paired well with this dish. Often people don’t think to pair a “big” wine with a meat-less dish, but with an earth mushroom and a heavier grain it works really well!

Course 9

Blue Cheese + Blueberries

A wonderfully rich blue cheese topped with a balsamic-port reduction. This was served with simple, plump blueberries. Their sweetness was amazing and they definitely stole this show!

Course 10

Bruleed Peaches and Salted Caramel Ice Cream

We finished with a salted caramel ice cream from High Road Craft Ice Cream (now being sold locally at Whole Foods!). This was served with bruleed peaches – topped with brown sugar and cloves. Note to self: I under-utilize cloves.

Despite being stuffed, I somehow managed to finish my gigantic bowl. ~~Had I known the other ladies better, I might have asked to finish theirs too.~~

Ron brought over a very special treat from The Family Dog – locally-made bourbon! It was great with the peaches and salty ice cream. I am going to have dreams of it drizzled as a sauce and served over peach bread pudding.

Ron and the local moonshine… errr… whiskey

This a random, but I have to say that I appreciate a guy offering whiskey to a table of ladies (and me). Thanks for not discriminating – I ♥ whiskey.

Our server, Amber was incredible. Knowledgeable, the right amount of attentive, and incredibly nice. I’d have a drink with her anytime… and I like that in a server. If you are in the Atlanta area, check out Rosebud and ask for her! Tell her Laura sent you. 🙂

This post would be remiss without giving Rosebud a brunch shout-out – it’s one of my top 5 in Atlanta (and Atlanta has a LOT of brunches). Order the Big Nasty. Just trust me.

Ron – when will you be opening a vegetarian restaurant?!

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Thanks to Ron, Amber, Rosebud, and some awesome bloggers for an evening to remember!

Do you have local blogger/common-interest group meet-ups?

What sorts of things do you do?

Rosebud

May 10, 2011 By Laura

Guess where I am?

Don’t be jealous. 11 hours of the day I was shivering in a conference room. It was a good meeting though… and the beach was a great backdrop for dinner!

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Have you guys heard about the bake sale going being hosted by Steph @ Bite by Bite? Steph is a member of Team in Training and is raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. My dad passed away from Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia 3 years ago this summer. Please go check out the bake sale when it opens on Friday!

My contribution is a cookie that my dad enjoyed: Dark Chocolate Sea Salt.

Recipe to come as I make them and can photog this weekend! The basics include: dark chocolate, butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, almonds, and fleur de sel glittered across the top.

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Growing up my mom used to say I had “rosebud” lips. I guess that means they were not very wide, yet plump?!

I wish I could say I that I remembered this cute story when I made Mother’s Day reservations at a restaurant called Rosebud. I did not.

Rosebud (1397 N. Highland Ave, Atlanta, GA 30306, 404-347-9747) is headed by talented chef and owner, Ron Eyester (@theangrychef). He gets extra cool-points for naming it after named after Jerry Garcia’s guitar.

Beginning with a light cocktail is the secret to Sunday brunch success. I ordered the Crispy Cucumber – fresh cucumber juice, fresh squeezed lemon, and champagne. It was perfect – sparkling, light, and not sweet.

Just as I suspected, the cucumber was a refreshing compliment to the bubbly.

It’s the Sunday version of a green smoothie

We started with mini Sweet Corn Muffins (sadly, not pictured). They were served with fresh strawberry preserves. Honestly, I’m not a big cornbread fan, but these straight-out-of the-oven muffins were irresistible with the preserves. Rather than taking over the taste, the sweetness in the moist minis was more of an accent.

Next up was a Fried Green Tomato app. These tomatoes were breaded in Ritz crackers and fried to crispy perfection. (Don’t you hate when they are a greasy, soggy mess? NOT the case here!)

The tomato deliciousness was topped with fresh mozzarella, radishes, and leeks. All served over truffled honey mustard. That’s right, I said truffled.

My only issue was with the mozzarella – I prefer mine to be creamier than the thicker version served here.

My entree selection was a Wild Mushroom Scramble, topped with chopped romaine and Cypress Grove Midnight Moon goat’s milk cheese. It was as good as it looks – fluffy scrambled eggs, properly seasoned to let the earthy mushroom and nutty aged chevre to shine. Nom Nom.

Mom seemed pretty satisfied with her Wild Georgia Shrimp and Grits, served with andoullie sausage, sweet onion, San Marzano tomatoes, and local grits. These grits are ridiculously good.

The dessert special was a chocolate pretzel ice cream with some form of rice crispy treat. We didn’t order dessert and I still regret it 3 days later. Learn from my mistake.

In conclusion, if you are in Atlanta on a Saturday or Sunday, you should check out brunch @ Rosebud. Or you could enjoy have brunch for dinner at Rosebud on Friday or Monday. ‘Cause 2 day weekends are never enough.

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Do you eat breakfast for dinner?

I could eat breakfast for every meal.