Anyone know a really GOOD Italian place?

I wish we had better Italian places in Atlanta. And before you start emailing and commenting on the blog, I’m talking about one of those restaurants that you crave, that you can not stop thinking about until you eat there. I really don’t think we have one of those places. Every place you go they have a pasta dish on the menu; the Italian places, like Olive Garden and Provino’s, they are fine but not great, not memorable, not amazing, not… they are just pasta that you did not have to cook.

In Duluth alone, we have over 111 places listed on yellow pages.com but over half are pizza joints, where pasta is an after thought, something that rounds off the menu it seems. Most of the rest are pasta and (insert food type). You rarely find a place that does just pasta or has pasta as there main food.

I know some of you are going to say, what about … Provino’s or Bi Ba’s Italian or Antoneta Bibas or Macaroni Grill. But are they great, do you get cravings, do think that place would be incredible/astounding/unbelievable! I don’t, so if anyone has an idea or place that would be good to try, please tell me.

Road Trip - Charleston Seafood

ROAD TRIP! So the Hubby and I took a trip to Charleston for some friend’s wedding. (Which was a blast and congrats) We get seafood when ever we go to the coast; it is the one thing we have to do! We asked around on Friday night and we were told to go to A.W. Shucks, which thank you guy.
This was the best Seafood I have ever had!

The hubby and I went with a couple that came down with us from Athens, Ga. We took one look at the menu and could not deicide what to get, so all ordered something different and shared, like an episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. The starters were She Crab soup, Calamari and hush puppies. I only eat soup when I am sick, for some reason it only tastes right when I am sick. But that She Crab soup was sooo good! The calamari was good but it was not great. Hush Puppies, I love hush puppies, I wanted to order more.
For the main meal we had shrimp and grits, a fried Market st. platter, crab cakes with stuff shrimp and more fried fish and shrimp. I have nothing bad to say, the food was fantastic.
Coming from Atlanta it was so nice to have good seafood. The price was about 20 dollars a person, which is not bad for all the food we got and the quality. A.W. Shucks is right off market st in the down town area. Please if you are ever in Charleston, try the seafood!

To fondue or not!

As my husband and I ran errands around the house, the subject of dinner came up, since we love food way to much, we are tried of all the same old places. He wanted a new place and I am picky. (I know, I am writing a food blog and I am a picky eater, but my husband and I have a rule: try everything once) So we are driving around and he said the melting pot. I am hesitated, I have had it before but he has not. I pulled up to the curb and had him look at the menu. He wanted to try it, so we went in.

The last time I had it was at least 7 years ago with my brother and friends. I say this because the menu is a very confusing, they had to order for me then and this time the waitress had to go over it twice! Hubby and I finally figured out what we wanted to eat after several minutes and started to people watch.

The first course came, the cheese course, to my dismay. I don’t like cheese! I really don’t cheese. I will give you that cheese does make some things taste better, but really as the main part of the dish, it is awful. The hubby could take it or leave it. He wants to forgo it the next time but I think he should give it one more chance.

The next course is the salad. The hubby got a garden with ranch, he loved it. I got the California salad; mine was drowning in dressing but very good.

Then came the meat; everything was really tasty. The veggies taste like they have been steamed in beef stock just right. The dipping sauces have that perfect little something for each meat and veggie. They take a little bit of time but it is worth the waiting (cooking).

At last the Chocolate!!!

“Hello, my name is Cooking Monster and I am a sweet-ohlic.”

Since it was my hubby’s first time, he picked the happy ending!

He picked Plain old White Chocolate!

I was a little disappointed BUT he had never been and he said that next time we will pick something with a little more to it.
Oh my god, even as just white chocolate, it tasted SOOOOO good!

The Melting pot is a little bit pricy, but it is an experience I think everyone should try once. I don’t care if you did it at home or you went to one of those parties, you should go to one of restaurant.

http://www.meltingpot.com/

Please Wash Your Hands!!!!!

Did you know that 90% of people say that they wash their hands, however, only 68% really do after going to the restroom? I could not believe this, so I have been watching and it is true! I cannot tell you how many people I watched just walk right past the sinks. Why? How hard is it to get a little soap and wash your hand for about 15-20 seconds under water? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states, “It is well documented that the most important measure for preventing the spread of pathogens is effective hand washing.”

I have seen people walk right out of the restroom and then later I see them getting free samples with their unwashed hands. It really makes me wonder if people really are washing before returning to work. Are you making my pizza, sandwich, or pasta with unwashed hands? Are you changing your child's diaper and then making cupcakes for the office? Are you the one who is coughing and blowing your nose and then ringing up my food at the store?

What kind of example are you setting for your kids? Did you know that only 58% of female and 48% of male, middle and high school students, wash their hands after the restroom? Then they are going to lunch and sharing those germs (i.e. their sandwich) with their friends.

So I ask of you, do you want to wonder about your food at a restaurant or if your child is going to get their friend’s flu or wonder if those cupcakes in the break room are OK? Just wash your hands, teach your kids, and then maybe others will see the great example and do so themselves.

OK, I can hope can't I?

For more information visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washing_hands
or http://www.cdc.gov/cleanhands/

One Year Old Cake

So last night was my one year wedding anniversary and of course came the eating of the one year old freezer cake. So far so good, no freezer burn, no bad smell, maybe this will not be to bad.

So we cut into the cake. It was to be a yellow cake but it is chocolate! Then if you look closely the color is a little off. We smell it! i say no to eating it. You know when you find that container in the back of the reflector and you open it and quickly close it again because the smell is going to make you sick, that is about what the cake smelled like on the inside. Yes, it was that scary! The "other half" puts a bite on a fork and feeds it to me. Before you go all sweet on me, it was so I would eat it! He put a bite in his mouth. He ate it but i could not stomach the food.

Why!!! Why would you!??! The truth is no matter how much they tell you to kept the top of the cake, don't! Just sever it to your guests and on your one year, if you want to be all sweet and gay then go to a bakery and have them make a small cake just like the one you had one year ago and eat that. It will be a lot better!

Hello fellow food lovers!!

Thank you to a few friends and a few Blogs that make me laugh. I have deiced to start a food blog. Just so you know "this ain't your mama's kitchen" (just for OG) this blog is about anything and everything food!! So to start with i give you a great you tube video.