Hey guys!

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!

As always, a big thank you to the gorgeous Jenn for hosting our weekly party! Be sure to head over to Peas & Crayons and check out everyone else’s link ups this week!

Oh, and can I get a round of applause for actually posting on the right day this week? Sorry about the confusion last MONDAY…I blame it on the zombie brain!

As promised in yesterday’s post, I will tease you no longer…it’s time to see all the deliciousness that was my Atlanta trip this weekend, but I’ll warn you…you may want to grab a napkin…sponge…mop! 😉

Laura did an amazing job of introducing Allie and me to a wide variety of eats this weekend, but I have to say out of everything, the most memorable was our dinner at Pushstart Kitchen on Friday night…

Remember that mouth-watering menu?

Well, like I mentioned yesterday, before the meal even got started, my mind was already blown!

These masa cakes were more than just fried corn flour with a mayonnaise dipping sauce… soft on the inside, crisp and crunchy on the outside and the spices in the tomato aioli were the PERFECT compliment to the buttery flavor!

And the starter cocktail was perfect as we came in from the chilly night air…a mix of rum, honey sauce, and lemon which was combined with hot black tea!

First course: Bacon & Apple Fritters with pickled apple, white cheddar, and shaved fennel

The fritters again satisfied my love of contrasting textures with a soft pillowy inside surrounded by a crunchy exterior that still provided enough give to soak up the swirls of sauce and cheese!

Served alongside a glass (or two) of chardonnay. 😉

Second Course: Seared beef flank with burnt shallots, crispy potatoes, romesco, and dandelion chimichurri 

The steak was SO tender, the shallots SO sweet, the potatoes moist and delicious…and I swear I could have drunk a gallon of the romesco!

Served alongside a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon which I was surprised that I liked. I’m really more of a white girl…like seriously, you should see me dance! 😉

Third Course: Coffee tires leche with Evan Williams ice cream, candied macadamias, and hot fudge

I am a tres leche virgin NO MORE! And for this to be my first experience? Oh my gosh, I’m pretty sure I had an out-of-body experience with this one! The coffee addition was perfect…not overpowering to the other flavors at all. I loved how the whiskey-spiked ice cream soaked into the cake and meshed with all the flavors. And the candied macadamia nuts? I don’t even like macadamia nuts, but these were on a whole other level!

Served alongside a glass of sparkling wine.

And just when I thought the meal was over…

Fourth Course: Cajeta de coco (Costa Rican coconut fudge)

Soft and truffle like on the inside with an outside covered in crushed vanilla cookies it was enough to put me over the top…so I had TWO! 😉

Served with (some REALLY strong) apple moonshine.

The next night, Allie wasn’t feeling so well, but she urged Laura and I to continue with our dinner plans for the evening. With assurances to rush home with tummy pills if need be, we headed out to Barcelona Wine Bar for a night of tapas…

Grilled okra in chorizo oil and fresh bread

The okra had that fantastic burnt flavor you get from a well seasoned grill and paired with the spicy chorizo oil? Well, we may or may not have lapped it up with our bread instead of using the olive oil that was given to us! 😉

Ceviche
(Red snapper and shrimp)

My first ever…tasted like cocktail shrimp, but the sauce it was in was beyond amazing…a little sweet, a little spicy…the perfect compliment to the cool temperature of the dish.

Caramelized brussel sprouts with bacon, shallots, and thyme and grilled hangar steak with black truffle sauce

Those were the best damn brussel sprouts I’ve ever put in my mouth! And a bite of steak and the brussels at the same time? With the truffle sauce? HEAVEN!!

For our “dessert”, we decided to keep it light…

Idiazabal cheese with red grapes and quince jam

The cheese had a fantastically smokey flavor that went great with the sweetness of the grapes and jam.

Of course, Mr. Hot Bartender had other plans for how we ended our meal that night…

Neither one of us is a huge fan of flan, but we each had a couple of bites…because c’mon, you never turn down free dessert…especially when it comes from a Paul Rudd look-alike!

Before Allie and I headed back to Tennessee on Sunday, we all decided to hit up
Dulce Vegan for lunch…you know, just to balance out all that carnivorous fare! 😉

Allie ordered the tempeh-based chicken salad:

Which she raved about.

While Laura and I decided to split the soup and sandwich combo.

Butternut squash soup with a few dashes of Chohula
(which I am now addicted to…thanks Laura!)

TLT (Tempeh Lettuce & Tomato)
with chipotle aioli and a side of apple fennel slaw

The slaw was just okay…I think it could have used a bit more spice, but the sandwich was incredible…the chipotle aioli was perfect next to the smokey tempeh!

And of course, it was even better dipped in my soup! 😉

Then Allie and I picked out a scone and tea for the road and we were off!

Lavender chocolate chip scone and cherry amaretto tea

I’ll admit, after a couple of bites, I was already thinking of ways I could turn this scone into a panCOOKIE! 😉

 What’s the last NEW food you tried? Did you like it?

What is your favorite ethnic dessert?
I’ve always loved sopapillas but I’m definitely going with tres leches now! 😀