I received an email from Acacia Midtown advertising a to-go lunch special. I usually do not open these since I am not available to take advantage of the offering, but last time I read about the crab cake and this month my mouth watered over the Banh Mi with duck sausage. In both emails (and past instances going back a few years) Acacia has stated this as the routine for ordering:
YOU KNOW HOW THIS WORKS..........
EMAIL US SOON, THEY SELL OUT FAST
YOUR NAME:
PHONE NUMBER:
NUMBER OF ORDERS:
CREDIT CARD NUMBER:
EXPIRATION DATE:
And apparently they sell out every time. Hello? Listen up people: NEVER SEND YOUR CREDIT CARD INFO VIA EMAIL!!!! You are opening yourselves up for identity theft. This is not a secure communication method. I emailed Acacia last time and expressed concern. No response. I emailed them again this time. No response. While I would trust Acacia with the preparation of food. I cannot trust them with how they would handle my credit card. Shame on Acacia for placing their loyal patrons at risk.
Let's face it. Fat Dragon is basically a bar with okay food. I appreciate the fact they have 24 taps and feature local brews. Their cocktails are strong and tasty. They even have impressive wine service. But the food did not wow us like their sister restaurants. Nothing wrong with being more bar than restaurant. And I love taking photos of the place.
While I have yet to find a bread that I like at Sub Rosa Bakery, they have THE BEST croissants. Both the plain and chocolate are to die for and transport me back to Paris when I eat them.
I am so pleased that Little House Green Grocery now carries shallots, onions, potatoes, and garlic! They also have fresh butter from Mountain View Farm in Fairfield, VA and KimKim sauce. Every week brings new delights.
The waiter that made us avoid Amuse for so long is not working there anymore (I have no idea where he went or when he left). Hubby and I rejoiced by having a luxuriously leisurely lunch there a couple of weeks ago.
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| View from our table |
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| Kaleidoscope Sparkling Cocktail |
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| Fried Oysters |
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| Hangar Steak with Turnip Puree and Roasted Brussels Sprouts |
While it looks like bonvenu has finally married up the menu prices on-line, on the printed menu, and in their charging system, in mid-January they had not. Based on our waitresses response when we questioned the bill, it seemed like a known problem. While our food and service was good, unaligned prices do not thrill me.
The Rocket Shrimp at Mekong continues to be a favorite and while Beer is the Answer, they also have a fine list of wines at truly incredible prices.
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| Rocket Shrimp |
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| Beer may be the answer but Sass is in the glass |
Shout outs to both Tastebuds American Bistro and Enoteca Sogno. Northside is so very lucky to have you both. We took out-of-town guests to Tastebuds and they were mightily impressed. We met three friends for dinner at Enoteca - all with different tastes, personalities, and allergies. Enoteca accommodated everyone with grace and deliciousness.
Last weekend we tried The Grey Hill Cafe, a food truck crafting sandwiches located in the Once Upon a Vine parking lot. Hubby enjoyed one of the largest crabcake sandwiches I've ever seen. I had turkey and meunster with arugula on marble rye. Very satisfying.
Finally, Northside (and for me specifically Ginter Park and Bellevue areas) needs, no, is desperate for, a GOOD local pizza delivery company. Zorba's on MacArthur was sold to someone else and the pizzas have not been the same. While the former Zorba's was not spectacular, we had figured out what to order and was happy (we also loved Mike, the delivery driver). Now, not so much. Mike left and we have tried Zorba's Express a couple of times and just can't order from them in their current state. We have not been impressed with Arianna's either. While we enjoy the chicken parm subs on occasion, we were disappointed in the pizza. Please, any of you budding pizza makers or any old pros, please, please, consider a pizza delivery service for Northside!
