Georgia vineyards

We did something this weekend, long overdue, that's been on our 'list' for quite some time. Visiting the wineries up in north Georgia country. Believe it or not, there are a lot. A whole lot. So, we wanted to make sure this, our first time, we hit a couple of the bigger ones. Big, not in Napa standards, just in Georgia foothills standards.

Amy, Eric, and I headed off to Dahlonega in Lumpkin County, which as it turns out is on the "Georgia Wine Highway". Prior to this weekend, when I think of Dahlonega, its usually for its quaint town square, the southern vittles at Smith House, the Appalachian foothills, and, of course, the touristy 'Pan for gold here' signs along the curvy, one-lane roads.

Our first visit was to Frogtown Winery. Their $12 tasting menu was well worth it to explore either the 10 white offerings or 10 red offerings. They also offer a light lunch menu of paninis, salads, or a soup. These nibbles are not necessary as the tasting pours didn't amount to more than a half-ounce. A couple of sips, and you are ready for the next one. Your views from the outdoor tasting deck is nothing but wonderful rolling hills. And now being in Fall, they are dotted beautifully with amber and orange brush strokes. The free-roaming vineyard dogs, ranging from retrievers to hounds, keep a more diligent watch on your half-eaten ham and Gruyere sandwich than any overly curious human intruders venturing into the vineyards. We determined our favorites to be: Vineaux Blanc, Viognier, Touche, and Sangiovese.

We rode down the gravel rock road to Three Sisters Winery. We knew it was a bad sign when we saw the large tour bus parked beside their tasting room. It was too chaotic and challenging to squeeze through all the blue-hairs and try to grab three spots at the wine bar, so instead we poked around at their bottle offerings, and picked up a couple of red blends, purely based on wacky labeling gimmicks. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a NV blend simply labeled as Old Face Jug. Oh, and they do have a great selection of Sweet Grass Diary cheeses. You really could do a one-stop-shop for any spur of the moment mountain picnic here at Three Sisters.

Are the wineries comparable to California? Probably not. But they are much better than you would expect.

So, c'mon. Grab your palate. Drive an hour north. You won't be disappointed.

There's a good chance you will end up finding at least one local jem in 'dem 'dar hills - and its not gold.

Links:

Frogtown Winery

Three Sisters Winery

Map of Wineries of Lumpkin County

Fox Brothers Bar-B-Q

Good 'cue can be a religious experience. You will travel far and wide to find the perfect 'altar' of smoke, meat, sauce, and spice. You pray the experience is what you've read about. Or maybe heard from your friends. And, especially down here in the South, the hype is taken pretty seriously. Although not born or raised in the South, it is my hope that in the past 12 years, I've been able to sniff out a genuine 'cue restaurant from a half-butt attempt at an overly-sauced slab of meat on a plate. So far, we consider Swallow in The Hollow in Roswell to be at the top of our list.

So, while Eric & friends were at Decatur's Beer Festival, Mary and I took in a great little hidden gem - Fox Bros. BBQ.

Story is that these guys used to cook up 'cue for Smith's Olde Bar, however, I can't recall a concert that Eric and I went to at Smith's and had a hankerin' to order a messy order of ribs. Maybe that's why the Fox brothers finally opened up their own joint near L5P.

We sat outside, under the shadow of the large smoker, to peruse the offerings. The menu consists of pulled pork, beef ribs, brisket, and half-chicken, each prepared and smoked dry, just spices. Sides include onion rings, veggies, cole slaw, tater tots, and the like.

I decided on the pulled pork plate, with 2 sides consisting of green beans and collards. The pulled pork offered just wonderful, crispy, tasty bits. Bits with just the right smoky char, that crunch, paired with their tender, moist cousins. One piece, with a crunch. The next melts in your mouth. Add a dollop of their tangy signature sauce (or more) to bring out the dry rub. I favored the collards over the beans. They were simple, wilted, a touch of smoke and(surprisingly) without bacon chunks.

Mary decided on the rib sandwich, with onion rings. She said these rings are some of the best she's ever had.

My only complaint: a stronger iced tea. Because if you are truly in 'cue heaven, the iced tea should be fresh and carry a bit of tannic black-tea bite to cut through the fats. But who cares with meat like this?

So, go. Take it all in. Pray at the altar of smoked meat. You won't forget the experience.
http://www.foxbrosbbq.com/

Oh, you sweet thang!

I picked up our weekly CSA share from Maryanne today of Freehome Gardens. About 10 pounds of organic veg to carry us through this week. However, I am most excited about these guys. Their gnarly vines. Their spots. It's these tiny, spindley roots that tell the story of their summer search for water during this past drought-ridden summer. Maryanne took good care of them, and now they are all ours.

For the past 34 years of my existence, if you want a sweet potato, it was bought at the store, under dismal lighting, and you do your best to choose a massive one, usually the size of a human liver which was shipped in from some far-away western US state. You take it home, either to bake the heck out of it, or to microwave it, only for it to come out shriveled or unevenly cooked.

But these guys? They are different. They are smaller, and can be roasted whole, just a touch of oil. Their skins are paper thin, unlike their store counterparts. And the taste? Well, that just takes you out of this world. They become these buttery, smooth, creamy morsels. Oh, we will get spoiled this fall.

Tap Gastropub

We had our eye on this place for months. Just think, a restaurant that offers quality beers, wines, and top notch food, but all at a reasonable price. Oh, yeah, and don't forget you are in the middle of Midtown's boom at 14th and Peachtree, at the bottom of the Symphony Tower 1180 Building.

Under a clear night sky and sitting 10 feet from a bustling Peachtree Street, we had a great meal.

The appetizers were wonderful little plates consisting of crispy chickpeas with Old Bay seasoning, pickled root bowl consisting of brine-y beets, taro and brussel sprouts, and a pair of toasts topped with chocolate, EVOO, and chorizo. From Eric and Chang's testimony, this was the most amazing bruschetta ever.

For entrees, I had the braised veal sweetbreads, slow stewed in a thick chanterelle sauce atop creamy grits paired with a Central Coast pinot blac. Eric had the sirloin salad with crispy chunky bits of bacon, golden yukon potatoes, crisp greens, and an egg, which was paired with a gingered beer cask-conditioned ale. And Chang had a fennel salad, which she said was fitting for a warm evening. Desserts were something to be desired, and next time, I think we would just rather take on another course of beers and appetizers.

Note to self: make sure to load a memory card in the dang camera before departing the house. Sorry, all I got is a web picture of the building, folks.

http://www.tapat1180.com/