We’ve been in Roswell just over a month now, and we are absolutely in love with it.  I was weary about living in the suburbs, but it has turned out to be a great town with TONS to do.  Not to mention it has the most adorable downtown with some of the most fun looking restaurants I’ve seen in a while.  Nathan and I decided to venture out to dinner last week, and we settled on Autentico INC Street Food.  It looked awesome, and it definitely was!

We got there around 7:00 PM, and we were seated immediately.  I ordered the watermelon infused water, and Nathan got a margarita.  Both drinks were delicious {although no margarita for me…I’m taking Nathan’s word for it.}

For our appetizer we ordered the Queso Fresco which was amazing.  It came with tortillas, baked Mexican cheese, radishes, and some spices.  We ate it up really fast!

Our main dishes were delicious.  I got the Vegetable Tacos that came with black beans and rice.  There was so much food that I ended up taking more than half of it home with me!  Nathan got the Sonoran Hot Dog which was a hot dog wrapped in bacon with yucca fries.  It looked really good, and the fries were tasty!  I want to try to recreate the fries at home sometime.

Overall, we really liked this place.  I think we’ll definitely be going back.  The service was pretty good, and the atmosphere was really fun and upbeat.  We went during the busiest time of the day, and there were a lot of people.  By the time we left the bar area was filling up while the dining area was emptying.

If you are looking for Latin food that is different than your neighborhood restaurant definitely come here.  It wasn’t expensive although it does cost more than say El Azteca in Sandy Springs.  You’ll leave full, happy, and wanting to visit Latin America immediately.

Autentico INC Street Food

948 Canton Street

Roswell, Georgia

Confession: I drove by this place no less than 200 times on my way to Mass every single Sunday, and I ignored it.  My thought was “another TCBY wannabe.” 

Then as our gift for teaching Sunday School this year, we were each given gift cards to Yogli-Mogli.  I held onto mine for almost 2 months, because I just couldn’t get behind what I thought was just another frozen yogurt place.

On Memorial Day, I decided I really wanted something cold and sweet.  So, Nathan and I drove to Sandy Springs {really just 10 minutes from where we live} to use my gift cards. 

Greatest. Decision. Ever.

First, this place is nothing like TCBY.  It is self-serve, and you pay based on the weight of your cup.  There are no sizes, no rationing of toppings, and definitely no teenager rolling his/her eyes at you while you tell them “no I wanted the sugar-free topping.”

It was pretty crowded when we got there around 3:00 on Monday.  We got in line, and I decided to get the Pomegranate-Raspberry and Tart flavors.  I believe both were either low-fat or fat-free {I can’r remember}.  I topped it with sprinkles, chocolate cookie crumbs, and I think a few chocolate chips.

They had tons of flavors and even more toppings: everything from sprinkles to fresh fruit!  The best part was it was not expensive at all.  It costs 39 cents an ounce, so Nathan and I together came out just under $7.00.

You have to try this place.  Even if you don’t live in Sandy Springs, it is worth the drive.  There is enough to do in Sandy Springs that you can totally justify the drive there. 

Yogli-Mogli

6595 Roswell Road

Sandy Springs, Georgia 30328

Atlanta is home to some of the best restaurants in the United States, and we could probably eat out almost every night for 2 years and not hit half of them.  The city has an amazing blend of 5 star cuisine and corner BBQ joints.  Each restaurant gives you access to a piece of the city, but none of them really give you the whole picture.

Except The Sun Dial at The Westin.

Nathan and I have been here a number of times.  The first time for a dating anniversary 4ish years ago, and the rest of the visits were with people who have come to visit.

The Sun Dial sits on the 72 floor of The Westin.  A glass elevator {that is still being repaired from the damage of the tornado a few years ago} gives you access to a city view as you go up.  The restaurant itself turns 360 degrees every hour, so you get an unobstructed view of the city during your meal.  We’ve been there at lunch, sunset, and dinner, and the view is always gorgeous.

source: Sundialrestaurant.com

Not only is the view awesome, but so are the food and drinks.  In my non-pregnant days, I always enjoyed their gin & tonics.  The food is even better.  The menus are extraordinary.

Our most recent visit on Friday was with Nathan’s grandmother and her husband who were driving through Atlanta en route to Florida.  We decided to meet there for lunch.  It was our first time eating lunch there, but I knew it would be delicious {and it was!}.

Everyone but me enjoyed a bottle of wine and the charbroiled strip steak with grilled corn, red onion and tomato relish, warm potato salad, and bacon vinaigrette.

I ordered an unsweet iced tea and the lunch trio: yellow squash bisque, vegetable hummus wrap, and french fries.

I was NOT disappointed!  I think this is one of the best lunches I’ve had in a long time.  The bisque was divine, and if I was a braver person I would attempt to recreate the recipe.  The wrap was awesome, and it had a little spice but nothing too strong {I hate hate hate spicy food}.

George and Nathan ordered the Fried Apple Pie for dessert, and Pat and I snuck a bite.  That was just as delicious as the main course!  When I visit The Sun Dial I almost always get the Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee, because it is the best I’ve ever had.  I just couldn’t imagine eating dessert on Friday after how filling my meal was!

Whether you live in Atlanta or are just visiting, this is a must stop!  Expect to spend $60ish on lunch for two people if you ordered 1 drink a piece.  Dinner runs closer to $100-$120 with drinks.  It is worth every single penny.  The Sun Dial is easily my favorite restaurant in Atlanta especially because when you are done you can walk around and take in the view from a few different spots in the restaurant!

I recommend making a reservation.  It is ALWAYS packed.

The Sun Dial at The Westin

210 Peachtree Street

Atlanta, Georgia 30303

404.589.7506

Nathan and I had to make a late change in plans and cancel our trip to Savannah for Valentine’s Day Weekend.  Instead, we ended up making a reservation for Saturday the 13th at the Atlanta Fish Market.  The Atlanta Fish Market is another of the Buckhead Life Group Restaurants {I wrote about Corner Cafe here}.

We had to eat at 4:45 since we waited until the last minute, but I am so glad we went early.  When we arrived we were seated immediately, and by the time we left around 6:15 the place was PACKED.  It was surprisingly more casual than any of the other Buckhead Life restuarants we’ve visited.  I would say 70% of the people there had on jeans which was a little surprising.  We didn’t know jeans would be acceptable, so we were both dressed up.

We decided to indulge and get 3 courses!  We were SO FULL afterward, but the food was amazingly delicious.  After dinner we walked it off at Lenox Mall, so I don’t feel too guilty.

Here is what we ended up eating:

• Appetizer – King Crab “Fritters” & Homemade Chips with Spicy Remoulade Sauce
• Main Courses – Stephanie: Fried Seafood Platter; Nathan: Twice-Baked Lobster with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
• Dessert – Stephanie: Baked Apple Tart; Nathan – Chocolate Toffee Cake

Nathan decided not to get any alcohol since I am not drinking these days, so unfortunately, I have no insight on the wine menu.

Everything was very good.  If you live in Atlanta, you’ve surely driven by the Atlanta Fish Market.

I would definitely recommend making a reservation.  The best part is that they have a sushi bar as well!  If we had known that we may have made our reservation for that instead.  However, we were both very pleased with our meals, and the service was excellent.

It is priced similarly to the other Buckhead Life Group Restaurants.  I don’t think it is my favorite of the group, but I would love to go back and visit the sushi bar.  It is definitely top 3 {Pano’s & Paul’s is the leader of the group by far}.

So stop by!  You’ll love the atmosphere and the food is delicious!

Late Friday night, Nathan and I decided we were in the mood to get brunch before our shopping expedition on Saturday.  We’ve driven past Corner Cafe & Buckhead Bread Company a number of times, but we’ve never been inside.  So, we made a reservation for 10:30 AM yesterday.

Corner Cafe is owned by the BuckheadLife Restaurant Group.  If you live in Atlanta, you are probably familiar.  They own other such restaurants as Nava, Bluepointe, Kyma, and Pricci among others.  Nathan and I are huge fans of every single one of their restaurants that we have visited {7 out of the 12}.  So, I was pretty sure that Corner Cafe was a great bet for breakfast.

When we got there on Saturday, it was not crowded at all.  Even if we hadn’t had a reservation we would have been seated immediately.  We had a great booth for two right by the bakery, and it was very quiet.  Our waiter immediately brought over some mini muffins and took our drink orders {coffee for me; water for Nathan}.

The menu was so filled with delicious food that we weren’t sure what we would end up ordering. 

Finally, we settled on our meals:

The Over Stuffed French Crepe {with vanilla custard and strawberries} for me.

The Hot Pressed Breakfast Sandwich {with Black Forest Ham, Brie cheese, and Fuji apples on Mama’s bread with Bourbon Maple Dipping Sauce} for Nathan.

Our meals came out about 10 minutes later, and everything looked delicious {as you can see}!  We ended up both not finishing our meals and getting to go boxes.

I definitely recommend Corner Cafe & Buckhead Bread Company for brunch.  It was not as expensive as most of the BuckheadLife Group Restaurants, and the food was just as amazing.  I’d love to go back and order some items from the bakery.  The fruit tarts looked AMAZING.

Corner Cafe & Buckhead Bread Company

3070 Piedmont Road

Atlanta, GA 30305

Note: They are only open until 3:30 PM.

If you live in Atlanta, you’ve probably at least heard of Your DeKalb Farmers Market.  It is located on East Ponce de Leon in Decatur in a 140,000 sq foot building.  You can find foods from all over the world and most importantly produce usually from the Southeast.

I’ve been here a few times now, and I am never disappointed with the amount of fresh food I can get.  The prices are usually pretty reasonable, and I’ll take in season vegetables from Florida over vegetables flown in from somewhere else anyday.

The market carries everything from produce to beer & wine to coffee.  While I definitely don’t think it is as comprehensive as a regular grocery store, I was able to do all of my grocery shopping there this past weekend.

The only downside is the crowd.  It is always crowded.  There are over 100,000 shoppers each week!

If you haven’t been yet, go check it out!

Your DeKalb Farmers Market

3000 East Ponce de Leon

Decatur, GA 30030

{image found here}

If there is one thing Atlanta really has going for it, the food is definitely that one thing.  There are an incredible amount of restaurants in the city and suburbs that are thankfully not chains.  I can’t even remember the last time I saw an Applebee’s.

We eat out semi-often.  Honestly, we’re busy people, and sometimes dinner at home just isn’t going to cut it.

Back earlier this year, the Johnny Rockets on Cobb Parkway closed and Mykonos Grill moved in.  I used to work across the street at the Galleria, and I would drive past it almost everyday.

Finally, we decided to try it out.

We’ve been a few times now.

• The servings are HUGE.  I am talking 2 or 3 meals huge.  I always have leftovers.
• For the serving size, it is very inexpensive.  I usually order a veggie wrap and fries which I think are about $7.00.
• The servers are super friendly.  They come to your table as soon as you walk in, and you have pita and hummus not a minute later.
• ESPN plays in the back ground which is nice if you go on a sports night.
• It is never so crowded that you can’t get a seat or have to fight for the server’s attention.

I definitely recommend it.  Now. Mykonos Grill is no Kyma so don’t walk in there expecting anything close to that.  You are not paying $40.00 a dish, so don’t expect gourmet food.  It is much more a diner with Greek food.  You’ll enjoy it!

Mykonos Grill

2970 Cobb Parkway

Atlanta, GA 30339

{photo from here}

If there is one restaurant I know I can count on for good food, good margaritas, and great service it is La Paz.  Located in the Vinings area, we visit there again and again.  I am addicted to the La Pazarita and Arizona Quesedilla which is loaded with sun-dried tomatoes and other veggies.  Also the cheese dip?  Totally worth the calories.

The service is impeccible.  The people are so sweet.

If you go on a Friday or Saturday during happy hour be prepared to wait anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes.  I have never waited longer than that even at 5:30 on a Friday!

La Paz always has great drink specials too.  It varies from day to day, but there is always something delicious.

I really can’t think of a single bad thing to say about La Paz except that the price of the amazingly delicious cheese dip is a little excessive topping $5.00 for a cup.

For two people: dinner with drinks expect to spend around $35.00 – $40.00.