The Blind Pig

 The Blind Pig was definitely a big favorite for me in Louisville. For dinner I had a citrus rub pork belly, polenta and low country greens. Each one tasted great by itself but the flavor combination of all 3 in one bite was amazing. I love restaurants that think about their flavor combinations before assembling a plate and that is definitely something they do well here. My only slight complaint was as you can see in the picture way too much of the juices from the low country greens made it onto my plate. It made my polenta a bit soggy and just seemed a little sloppy.

The White Chocolate creme brulee I had for dessert more than made up for it though! It was to die for and definitely worth getting if you ever make a visit there!

Gasthaus

The Gasthaus is second to the Heidelberg Cafe for my favorite German food here in the US. They have a much bigger and more broad menu including other European fare in addition to the German. I suggest you come hungry and not in a big hurry to eat because they're staff is somewhat small and their customer base is very big! Also drive slowly when you're approaching or you just might miss it. The haus itself is VERY small and easily passed. Parking is a little tricky too but believe me it's worth it!

What you see here is one of my favorite entrees on the menu - The Swiss. It's Black Forest Ham, spatzle, and swiss cheese cooked together and while you can order it with any side item I prefer to get more spatzle to mix with it. I can also say without a doubt they have the best spatzle and potato pancakes I've had stateside. The spatzle is perfectly seasoned, soft and buttery. Delicious!


Other items I have had that I can gladly recommend (though sadly I don't have any photos): the potato pancakes are a must. You can order just the pancakes which come with cooked applies and sour cream for dipping or you can order two potato pancakes cooked together with a layer of swiss cheese and black forest ham in between. We call it the German quesadilla and it is divine! The pretzel is wonderful as well as the cheese/sausage plate which are great appetizers. They have a variety of schnitzels to choose from - all of which are excellent - and a delicious chicken cordon bleu.

For dessert I cannot recommend the Raspberry Ganache Cake. Also while it takes a while for them to make the coffee since it's one cup at a time believe me it's amazing. I highly recommend it!

The greatest pie you will ever eat

It is no big secret that I have a major sweet tooth. I love all things sweet and I cannot get enough. Normally my immediate go-to snack is chocolate. And before my 20s believe it or not - I hated pie and cheesecake. I know it sounds insane but really I didn't like it. I am now a big cheesecake lover and I also enjoy cherry/berry pies. I'm still trying to muster up an appetite for apple or pumpkin but that's neither here nor there. In Louisville at a lovely establishment called the Pie Kitchen they make a mixed berry (blackberry, raspberry and blueberry) pie that will absolutely knock your socks off. They have a HUGE selection of other pies as well as ice cream, cookies and various sweets. There are quite a few in the Louisville area and they are opening new ones all the time - thank goodness! My folks brought this pie home for me after their recent trip up to Louisville and I am going to eat the entire thing by myself. Oh yes.

Raku

Raku is a new Japanese restaurant in the heart of Koreatown (it is owned/managed by a Korean woman despite the food having a Japanese inspiration) by the Super H Mart on Pleasant Hill Road. The same owner also owns Honey Pig, which I've reviewed before and am a big fan of.

We ordered the Okonomiyaki first because it was listed as an appetizer. Wow was it HUGE and definitely not an appetizer unless you're sharing it with a large party of people. There were only 2 of us and we'd each ordered an entree so we could barely eat any of this dish even though it was really delicious. I recommend it but only as an entree unless you are sharing or starving!

Raku's two main specialties are tonkatsu (or tonkatsu inspired) dishes and ramen. The minute I saw Cheese Tonkatsu on the menu I knew I was hooked. Like a cross between my favorite tonkatsu and a cordon bleu this dish blew me away. Filled with a few different melty cheeses this tonkatsu dish is a must have for me. While they have a variety of other delicious tonkatsu dishes I don't think I can ever order another, this one has my heart.

And of course what else to have with a tonkatsu dish than the Tonkotsu Ramen? While I still love Umaido's ramen Raku has a MUCH bigger selection and variety of ramen's to choose from. This is perfection to me. All of my favorite flavors from my childhood flourish within this bowl and it just pure happiness for me.

The other great perk of being a frequent eater at Raku is they now have a stamp card that can earn you free beverages/free entree's the more you come in! I've already filled one - I suggest you guys get going!

The Heidelberg Cafe

My mother's family have been eating at the Heidelberg since it opened in the 60's. It is a big family tradition for us especially since my immediate family spent so much time in Germany. There are only 2 German restaurants in the US that I love and will gladly return to. This is one of them. While it doesn't look fancy (and truly it isn't) that's not what makes the experience so amazing.

First there is the food itself. It's all delicious, prepared perfectly, but served in the most simplistic way like how you would really make it in your home in Germany. Not a ton of fancy frills and elegant side dishes. Food as a way to bring people together and make them happy - not to show off. I always order the Kielbasa Dinner and I am never disappointed. You really need nothing more than what is on my plate here. I know many German food enthusiasts love a spicy German mustard but I think it has no place on your plate with these amazing Kielbasa. Just the sweet/smoky flavor of the BEST German Potato Salad I've ever had stateside, a little crispy bite of the pickle and the soft buttered bread to compliment the sausage itself. Trust me when I say it's perfection.

Second of all the Heidelberg Haus itself is more than just the cafe. There is also an amazing German bakery inside plus almost every other square inch of the building is devoted to German goods for sale. Everything from CDs to mustard. So it's really like stepping through the doors of a German market/cake/bakery all at once. If you're ever in Indianapolis believe me when I say it is a MUST.

Third and most important of all is if you just can't live without some more of that delicious sausage you just ate you can just head over to Claus' and buy as much as you want! In addition to that they also have an amazing selection of other meat products including the best jerky I've ever had. Buy a ton! You won't regret it! But remember to bring cash or hit up an atm - they do not take check or card!

Lynn's Paradise Cafe

As part of my first trip to Louisville my mother insisted we go to Lynn's Paradise Cafe and it was great! The decor of the place is unREAL and the food was excellent. Normally places with a big gimmicky look have so-so food but definitely not Lynn's.

Since we were in Kentucky I opted for Kenny's Kentucky Scramble with cheese grits and wheat toast. Now normally I don't eat a lot of bacon but some meals you just NEED a little bacon. The bacon in the scramble suited the overall flavors perfectly and especially when paired with the cheesy grits. I thought I knew good grits well having been raised in GA but on my trip to Kentucky I discovered what truly outstanding grits tasted like. Everywhere I went had amazing grits and really stunned me. I even bought a big back of locally made grits to take home!

They had a selection of specialty coffees/hot chocolates that also came in the most adorable boot-shaped glass! I totally wanted to snag this little guy and take it home with me but I left him there for the next patron to enjoy!

More Louisville food adventures to come! Sadly not as many pictures because I totally fell down on the job when it came to picture taking on this trip!

Crepe Revolution

A friend sent me a link to Crepe Revolution's website and I knew the minute I saw the menu I simply had to go. While they do have a great variety of savory crepes as well as other non-crepe food items I knew I was a goner when I saw the selection of sweet crepes.

After a ton of debating and menu-staring I made my choice. First up was the raspberry cheesecake crepe. Mine was a little too full of the cheesecake itself but overall was still delicious and believe me - I devoured the entire thing with no remorse!






Next up was the nutella and blackberry crepe which still remains one of the most sinfully delicious foods I've ever had. At first I was just going to go for a straight nutella crepe but when I saw the option to add fruit to the mix I knew I had to do something different and bold. So rather than the commonly used strawberries or bananas I chose blackberry and the combination was definitely a winner!

Pacci Ristorante

I apologize in advance for the darkness of these pictures. The lighting was very low (though not unpleasant) in the restaurant and I didn't want to disturb the other diners by turning on my flash.

For my appetizer I decided the bruschetta sounded amazing and it came with a delicious goat cheese as well. While there was a little *too* much balsamic for my tastes it was overall delicious.

 For my entree I had the filet with blackberry glaze. I never thought until I was reading the menu that blackberry would suit the flavor of red meat but I am so glad I chose it. The two suited each other perfectly and I was in heaven the entire time! I sadly forgot to note what wine we had with dinner but the waitress chose it and it was wonderful!

I really hadn't even planned to order a dessert but when I saw the tiramisu trio - espresso, limoncello & banana I couldn't resist! I am especially a big lover of limoncello in just about anything so I saved it for last. All 3 were excellent but the limoncello was especially divine. I had to end my meal with a cappucino of course!

EDIT: Sadly Pacci Ristorante is now closed. I am very upset I never got to take my family here because the food was truly excellent.

The Real Chow Baby

While my plate definitely looks like a hot mess here I can assure you that it is mostly my fault for being a messy person. The Real Chow Baby is definitely a big favorite for me because of how versatile their menu is - you can bring anyone here and they will be pleased! You start out at the beginning of the line by choosing whether you want rice or noodles and what kind. Then you choose what veggies/fruits/nuts/etc you want in the mix, then you choose your sauces and lastly you pick your protein. Then you hand it off to the chefs, they stir fry up the ingredients you chose and deliver it to your table. None of that hassle that comes in a real restaurant when you don't like something as it's served on the menu. 100% customization of your food and you can get up and do it again as many times as you want! Keep trying different combinations! New sauce mixes! The possibilities are endless! I love this place and cannot wait to go again.

Umaido and Mozart Bakery

So today was our visit to Umaido and it was *amazing* especially because there was also a Mozart Bakery right next door. I frequently go to the one on Buford Highway so I was happy to find another one - but more about that in a minute!

So we walked into Umaido were greeted, seated and placed our orders really quickly. The waitress was very sweet and made sure to let me know which items most Westerners find strange so I wouldn't order those. I assured her I loved Octopus and we moved on pretty quickly from there. My mum and I both ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen because I'd had it before and was dying for more and it just sounded good to her though we both plan to try other types next time we visit!

Our waitress asked if we wanted to make it a lunch set so we did, adding Curry Rice to my mum's meal and a few Gyoza to mine. Then she brought us some delicious edamame and hot tea while our orders were prepared.

While we waited we continued browsing the menu and planning our next trip. They had a Chicken Ramen that wasn't on their online menu my mum wants to try whereas I am definitely going for the Miso Ramen next time.


Finally it was time for Ramen! They brought me 2 eggs because my mum didn't want hers (long story but she doesn't eat any eggs other than scrambled). It was so much better this time then when I had it at Japan Fest - and it was great then! But the freshness of having it from the restaurants kitchen as opposed to the portable set up they had at Japan Fest made a big difference. We both ate rather quickly and my mum raved about it long after we left. Especially the broth which is the key to a good bowl of Ramen. Can't wait to have more!

The Gyoza were simple but tasty - I think next time I will try the Octopus Rice instead! Though I also didn't notice until later that you could order Shrimp Gyoza. I think I would have much preferred that but oh well! Now I know for next time.

The Curry Rice was *excellent* ! It had a great heat in the aftertaste but didn't burn your tongue while you were eating. I didn't get a lot of it because it was my mum's side dish but I would definitely order it again. Of course it's still not as good as my mum's Curry Rice but I might be biased there ;)

Dessert sounded good but I knew Mozart was close by so we simply paid and left. It was very reasonable though and I will definitely make a return visit soon!

On to Mozart! While I have gone to the one on Buford Hwy for years this one in Suwanee was *stunning* and had a bigger selection! I would have liked to take some pictures of the store itself but I didn't have time. Next time for sure! It is beautifully decorated. In addition to the bevy of goodies we bought to take home we stopped for some cakes! I had the Chocolate Ganache Cake and my mum had the Fresh Fruit Cream Cake. She also had a Cappucino and I had a White Hot Chocolate that was so good I bought a second one just to take home for later!

Now I think it's time to raid my bag of snacks for a late night treat! Knitting update coming asap! Gotta get to work!

Lunar New Year!

So I need to preface this entry with a quick warning: in a moment of complete and utter failure I did not take a SINGLE photograph the night of the Lunar New Year. I know, I know. I can hear you shaking your heads in disapproval. But trust me I'm upset with myself more than you are because I looked *fantastic* and didn't think to even take a selca before leaving. *sigh* So here is a rather wordy blog post about celebrating the New Year with my friends.

We went to my favorite (now 1 of 2!) Taiwanese place in Atlanta: Bento Cafe. If you go anytime this month you'll receive a cute little red envelope with a coupon of some kind in it as long as your order is over $15. For those of you who don't know children, or unmarried young people, receive red envelopes from elders on the New Year with money inside them. I thought it was a really cute idea from the restaurant and I got a 10% off coupon which I intend to use soon! We also had a new waiter who had only been there 1 day and I feel so sorry for him because we are rather a raucous group and we ordered quite a bit of food!

So as always you guys can check out the full menu at their website ! This is the rundown on what we ordered:

I had the wonton soup because it was *bitterly* cold out that night and their wontons are nice and spicy! Then I split an order of chicken curry and an order of braised pork with my friend Meg who couldn't decide between the two. Since I already knew I loved both I offered to share with her and get double the good food! It worked out great and I was stuffed! The braised pork also came with cabbage which I annihilated! I'm sorry Meg! I just go crazy for some yummy steamed cabbage.

Randi had an order of the Bento Nuggets because she admittedly is an extremely picky eater and will only eat McDonalds when traveling overseas. Note to self: Never bring Randi with me when traveling overseas. She got them with the hot seasoning which was *too* hot for me but very yummy and she loved it!

Tise had the Shrimp Fried Rice which I know sounds like a bit of a cop out but I can't stress enough how good their Fried Rice is. I am a self-proclaimed rice snob and refuse to ever eat Fried Rice at a restaurant. In fact until I tried the Fried Rice at Bento Cafe I don't think I ever willingly ate Fried Rice not made by either my grandmother or my mother (usually my grandmother because hers is the *best*). However Bento knows the value of rice and takes their cooking very seriously and their Fried Rice is well worth ordering. Not only is it delicious they definitely do not do the switcheroo most "Chinese" restaurants do of using old rice. It is fresh, flavorful and they give you a HEAPING portion of it. You'll eat it all and order more to take home - I promise!

In addition to food I of course had not 1, not 2 but 3 large orders of Jasmine Milk Tea. I seriously cannot imagine life without this drink. Just writing about it makes me with I had one in my hand right now. To be fair I only ordered 2 this time but I wound up inheriting Randi's 2nd drink - a warm Jasmine Milk Tea with no tapioca because she left it in the car! Thanks Randi!

Tise started the evening with a warm Honeydew Melon tea which we were all skeptical of but she really loved. She took home a cold Honeydew Melon with bubbles! If I recall correctly Meg also had the Jasmine Milk Tea because I would not shut up about it. Randi had a Coffee Milk Tea to start and a Jasmine Milk Tea to take home......for me!

I also made everyone little buttons with (poorly done) painted rabbits on them and New Years greetings in Mandarin. I was pretty proud of them but again (fail) didn't take any pictures. Thankfully Tise did and I'll upload it to the twitter feed after this posts!

Tomorrow I am super excited because I am taking my mum to Umaido ! I had some of their ramen at Japan Fest last fall and was so excited to know there was a real ramen shop here in Atlanta. Sadly I just haven't had the time to make it out there but tomorrow unless it snows I'm getting my ramen fix! I *will* post pictures too! I may even tweet some while there from my camera phone.

Also tomorrow is my day off and I'm hopeful to make a knitting update too because I have several projects going and want to update about them. So look forward to it! 恭喜发财!

Busy days

Things have been extremely busy at work but now that inventory is over I should have more time to knit! I will post progress shots on twitter and update here with completed pieces. Also next week is Lunar New Year so there will be an exciting food blog too! Now I am off to Barnes & Noble for Nook time but I will post a progress pic of the Irish Hiking Scarf I am working on via twitter later today! Happy knitting and happy eating!

New movings!

Sorry for abandoning this blog for so long but I am back and I promise not to let you guys down again! First of all I finally was able to settle on a twitter name I liked so feel free to follow me here:

http://twitter.com/edkptweets

But if you don't have a twitter you can still see my updates on the sidebar! ^_^