GO BAAACK!

Really GOOD Eats!

Places we've feasted! These are the ones we come back to again and again (if possible). It's not that we lack imagination or don't want variety... you just hate to think you're missing something! Pretty much all of these would make good date spots. We treat most dinners as a date, and appreciate a fun, romantic place.

Wherever you may go, I strongly recommend you eat family-style. Order for the table, not individuals. This avoids duplication of items, and sets up a good variety for everyone to enjoy.

Approximate date of last visit is after the name. Some have web links, some don't. Come on, you know how to use Google...

On The Road

Peter's Pancake House - Cherokee, NC. Open 7am-2pm  (828) 497-5116 October 2007.

If you're within 50 miles of Cherokee, eat at Peter's. I can't say enough good things about this place! Awesome food at good prices. If there's a wait, WAIT! Blueberry pancakes have more berries than pancakes. Here's a picture of their menu you can peruse. Seriously, we've been looking for good breakfast/lunch in Cherokee for years. Everyone we've eaten with here is back the next day for more. Not next trip, next DAY.

Cajun Depot Grill - Ellijay, GA - (706) 276-1676 - January 2008

Amazingly delicious Cajun and quick service, just off the main highway (Hwy 515, what I-575 becomes up north). They stay open later then most small-town places too. Our last visit we got the Crawfish Etouffe and Jambalaya with andouille sausage, bowl of Gumbo to start. We arrived 30 minutes before closing on an icy Sunday night and they still served us the best Cajun I've had outside Louisiana. We've eaten here several times through the years, and it's always a delicious FEAST. Come hungry, leave happy.

Barbara Jean's - St. Simons Island, GA (multiple locations in GA and SC, but this is the one we've been to) August 2007

Crab cakes without peer! Coconut shrimp got crack in them or something. They season everything a bit different than you're used to, which makes their veggie sides into yummy mini-entrees. Everything's a star on your plate at Barbara Jean's!

Blackwater Grill - St. Simons Island, GA

I don't recall specific dishes here, which is not to mean that it impressed me less. We've been twice, a year or so apart, and it was a feast both visits. Loved their wine selections, got an awesome glass of Blue Heron Pinot Noir. Part of an "artists village", might be fun browsing.

The Crab Shack - Tybee Island, GA... "Where the elite eat in their bare feet" - early 2007

Shellfish lovers, attack! The Low Country Boil for one is plenty for two, and a great deal. Shrimp, crawfish, sausage, crab claws, crab legs, spuds, corn, other crustaceans I've forgotten and a big roll of paper towels. Sit out on the massive deck under huge live oaks and look over the Back Creek. Scads of stray cats, but very polite ones.

Ivar's Salmon House - Seattle, WA - November 2002

When I travel, I like to eat the locals. In Seattle, that's salmon. Ivar's serves up salmon that will paralyze you as soon as it hits your tongue. You just sit there going "mmmmmm..." Cool decor too, sort of a cedar replica of a Northwest Indian Longhouse. I suspect it's a popular tourist destination - if so, don't hold that against it. We got a salmon sampler platter of some kind, three of the nicest fish I've ever feasted upon. Ivar's has other locations for fast food and shellfish, but I know nothing of those.

Local to Atlanta

Panahar - Bangladeshi on Buford highway

Atlanta's only Bangladeshi restaurant, and it ROCKS! Much in common with Indian cuisine, but very different. The spices tend to be more "raw", coarsely-ground or whole. They're less evenly distributed, and each bite is literally a little different! The staff are friendly and welcoming, make you feel special. They're ready to guide your choices if you like, explain the dishes, and even advise on how to eat them. I recommend letting them guide you the first trip or two, more fun and authentic. If you say some unfamiliar menu words out loud, you'll recognize them... Baash-motee = Basmati, and so on.

Malaya - Malaysian - 857 Collier Rd NW Ste 10 (404) 609-9991 - bi-monthly or so, ongoing

Excellent authentic Malaysian food, also Chinese and Thai entrees. Staff are very friendly and will recognize you after a visit or two. Beef Rendang is addictive, might be their signature dish. Order Malaysian, plenty of good Thai elsewhere.

Short listing does NOT mean less worthy to talk about! Visit this place!

Penang - Malaysian - Kennesaw, GA, next toTown Center Mall. (678) 213-4848 - January 2008

Excellent Malaysian eating, great service, good good good. The Buford highway location is on probation with us, but this location was awesome. Good fun dinner-date FEAST!

On Probation
These used to be prime spots, but we've put them on hold for various reasons. I include them here in case the name's in your head from an old recommendation...

Penang - Buford Highway. Prices gone up, quality and service gone down a bit. - mid-2007

Latitude 31 - Jekyll Island, GA. Not impressed last few visits. Might be due to try again. - early 2006