restaurants

Tasting Thomasville: Chop House on the Bricks

Nibbles

It’s been a while since we’ve done a Thomasville restaurant experience; let’s fix that, shall we?

Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

About this time last year, Todd decided he didn’t feel like cooking one night so we wandered into Chop House on the Bricks, a restaurant that opened right around the same time we bought the Dollhouse.

Our view from the front and center table, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

Our view from the front and center table, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

With the low lights and the cozy booths, I was at first concerned we were under dressed (as we were both in jeans) and without necessary reservations. Neither appeared to be an issue, however, as we were seated immediately at a table right in front, affording us a nice views of Broad Street.

Whiskey Smash, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

Whiskey Smash, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

For drinks Todd ordered a glass of Pinot Noir while I decided to try their Whiskey Smash–whiskey is slowly growing on me, at least in well-made cocktails, and I was rewarded with a highly sippable drink of Knob Creek Rye, muddled mint, house sour mix, orange bitters, and soda water.

Bread and butter, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

Bread and butter, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

Chop House Chowder, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

Chop House Chowder, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

House Vegetable Soup, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

House Vegetable Soup, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

We were both in a soup mood that night, so with the dark bread brought to the table we ordered the Chop House Chowder (Todd) and the House Vegetable Soup (which was, that evening, a blend of roasted red bell peppers and eggplant and absolutely delicious).

Sea Scallops, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

Sea Scallops, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

For dinner, Todd ordered the Sea Scallops served with grilled Brussels sprouts, double smoked bacon, and caramelized Vidalia onion hash with a Romano cheese crisp and sweet corn puree. The scallops were melt-in-your-mouth tender and the accompaniments were bursting with flavor.

Duck Three Ways, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

Duck Three Ways, Chop House on the Bricks, Thomasville, GA

My Duck Three Ways featured seared crispy skin duck breast, duck confit, roasted butternut squash, local white acre peas, duck cracklings, and a red wine demi glace. I was in duck heaven. It took effort not to lick the plate clean.

Between soup and supper, however, we were stuffed and did not get a chance to sample any of their desserts. It was tempting to get an order of Bourbon Bread Pudding to go, but we restrained ourselves (how or why I couldn’t tell you).

We haven’t made it back to Chop House yet, but their house Burger (topped with a fried egg, Sweet Grass Dairy Asher blue cheese, onions, mushrooms, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, heirloon tomatoes and house sauce) is high on my list of items to try. As is their Lamb Rack with pork belly polenta, their Black Grouper and grits, and, well, if I continued I’d just end up listing their entire menu. Everything sounds good and, if our first visit was any indication, will taste good, too!

Chop House on the Bricks is an excellent restaurant for a relaxed evening for two or a business dinner. Entrees range from $15 (the Chop House Burger) to $36 (the 8oz Filet Mignon), so it’s more of a special occasion restaurant for us, but it’s one I hope we make it back to before too long. You can find them at 123 N Broad Street and they are open evenings starting at 5pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

Tasting Tallahassee: The Burger Bar Explosion

Nibbles

Even though we’re up in Thomasville, we still head down to Tallahassee regularly for dinners with friends and family. In January, for my youngest brother’s 30th birthday (!!!) we got a chance to try out Midtown Caboose, which was still relatively new, even though the owners behind it are not.

Ages ago Wells Brothers (aka Monk’s) opened near the corner of High and Tharpe, over on the west side of Tallahassee. This was in my neighborhood, there was a monkey on the sign, and we like a good burger. The food is good, the burgers are nice and reliable, and we’ve eaten there many times (Jason, the same brother who brought us to Midtown Caboose, even attempted their Burger Challenge more than once). All that to say, our expectations of Midtown Caboose were largely informed by our Monk’s experiences and we were looking forward to eating here.

We were not disappointed.

Goat Cheese appetizer at Midtown Caboose

Goat Cheese appetizer at Midtown Caboose

Midtown Caboose still has excellent burgers along with other sandwiches, wraps, and salads, but they also have some more upscale options, like the goat cheese appetizer we ordered. There was plenty to share with the rest of the table and the balsamic reduction was just so perfect paired with the soft, tangy cheese.

The ___ at Midtown Caboose

The Oh Canada* at Midtown Caboose

Mom raves about their chicken sandwich but I wanted a burger, and I think I decided on the Oh, Canada, but on a gluten free Kaiser Roll instead of the pancakes or waffles it would normally be served on, along with a side of their sweet potato fries. *Looking at their current menu online it had to be the Oh Canada, but it’s been several months and I’m making my best guess. I see eggs, cheese, and Canadian bacon, so I’m gonna go with that!

For those who follow me for Low-FODMAP info, this meal would be what I consider overall Low-FODMAP impact. I skipped the red onions on the appetizer and mostly ate the goat cheese with the greens and tomatoes it came with, but because I knew I could get a wheat-free bun here, I did indulge in a couple triangles of their fluffy pita bread, too. Overall it wasn’t a lot of High-FODMAP component and I really didn’t have any reactionary IBS symptoms (I passed on the birthday cake, just to be sure). Of course, knowing that we were going out I was careful with my breakfast and lunch earlier in the day, just to make sure my cumulative FODMAP load was low. This is what life is like for me on FODMAP maintenance-mode: thinking ahead, but a lot freer than the earlier years!

The Mac Daddy from Midtown Caboose

The Mac Daddy from Midtown Caboose

Todd’s burger, The Mac Daddy, features mac & cheese, bacon, and bbq sauce (it usually comes with fried pickles, as well, but I’m pretty sure he asked for those to be left off–not a pickle fan is Todd; the spear it the picture moved to my plate in mere moments after we were served). These burgers were very filling and you definitely get your money’s worth at either of the Wells Brothers’ locations.

Moving ahead to April, Todd and I were in town for something or other and decided to grab a late lunch before heading home at the recently opened SmashBurger in Village Square.

Avocado Club and Veggie Frites at SmashBurger

Avocado Club and Veggie Frites at SmashBurger

I am a SmashBurger convert, y’all. My Avocado Club (on gluten-free bun) was so good and the veggie frites are a nice option from the traditional fried potatoes. They are flash fried, so it’s not like they’re completely healthy, but the slightly blistered green beans and carrots are a really nice foil to the heavier burger.

The 000 and Smash Fries at SmashBurger

The BBQ, Bacon & Cheddar burger and Fries at SmashBurger

Todd went with the BBQ, Bacon and Cheddar burger with its haystack onions curbing any onion ring cravings. Having them on the burger and fries on the side is pretty much the best of both worlds if you’re into that. From the looks of things, those are the regular fries, not the SmashFries that have garlic and rosemary on them (though I believe he ordered them on a subsequent visit).

While I don’t often eat lunch outside of the office, the fact that they are putting in a SmashBurger not far from work and the restaurant offers easy online ordering makes me a happy girl for those times when I don’t bring my lunch and am craving a burger.

Grub Burger Bar, Tallahassee

Grub Burger Bar, Tallahassee

And then last month (August) a group of us ended up at the newest of the burger spots popping up all over town: Grub Burger Bar.

While I liked the atmosphere and options that Grub offered, I’m sorry to say that all the carnivores in our group found their burgers too salty to truly enjoy (meanwhile my sweet potato fries could have used some of the overage). And I’m someone who really likes salty food (ironic, as the only consistent critiques I got in school was for the under-salting of dishes–go figure)!

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The Thai Peanut burger and Sweet Potato Fries from Grub

I opted for the Thai Peanut burger (with creamy peanut butter, roasted peanuts, cilantro lime coconut flakes, and Sambal mayo) on a gluten-free bun and a side of sweet potato fries. It was a good burger, aside from the salt issue–not salt-lick salty, just slightly above optimal–but the “rosemary dust” that was reportedly on the sweet potato fries would have needed a CSI lab to detect because my tastebuds certainly couldn’t. Nor could others at the table. Disappointing.

The OMG and Onion Rings from Grub

The OMG and Onion Rings from Grub

I think Todd fared slightly better with his OMG (Texas chili, Grub skinny fries, cheddar cheese, chopped onions and mustard) and onion rings.

We hear tell that their spiked milkshakes are worth a trip, but we’d just come from a meetup at an ice cream shop so, really, were a little dairy-ed out. And if we do end up back here I think there’s plenty on the menu that I wouldn’t mind trying–the Luau Fries, the Ahi Tuna, or even one of their salads–that I’m totally up for another trip should a good enough reason present itself.

What strikes me, though, is that we’ve got a lot of burger places popping up and many of them are chains. A Red Robin recently opened up on the Parkway–are they worth trying one of these days? Aside from Red Robin, I’d never heard of Grub or SmashBurger before this year. Are “gourmet” burger spots common where you are and is Tallahassee just (still and forever) playing catch-up (or would that be ketchup?) to the rest of the country or is this a college town, regional sort of thing?

I’m culinarily curious, let me know what you think of the burger bar trend!

Tasting Thomasville: Sweet Grass Dairy and Fallin’s Barbeque

Nibbles

How about another peek into the local eatery options in our new hometown?

Cheese, Please!

One fall Friday night we walked downtown for dinner and found ourselves at Sweet Grass Dairy’s Cheese Shop. I’d purchased a Groupon for Blue Coop, their sister shop, but the coop had, er, flown by this point–first temporarily closed for renovations, then permanently as the Cheese Shop decided to relocate down Broad Street a bit for larger digs. The Cheese Shop was honoring the Coop’s offer, though, so we took advantage of some seats at the large central table and ordered up.

As the name implies, Sweet Grass Dairy is a local dairy creating delectable cheeses and sells cheese and charcuterie from their deli case as well as serving up sandwiches, salads, and tasting flights. (Check out their menu online.)

Sweet Grass Dairy | Taste of Thomasville

Sweet Grass Dairy | Taste of Thomasville

We started with the Taste of Thomasville cheese flight: 3 local cheeses (this time Lil’ Moo, Thomasville Tomme, and Asher Blue) paired with pecans, preserves, pickles, and crackers. Bonus points to Sweet Grass for having gluten-free crackers available. It was all delicious (I mean, really, it’s hard to go wrong with cheeses) but it’s hard to top the Lil’ Moo for a rich, creamy, spreadable cheese. If you enjoy Boursin, this would be right up your alley.

Sweet Grass Dairy | The Nola

Sweet Grass Dairy | The Nola

For dinner I ordered The Nola–Sweet Grass’s version of the classic New Orleans muffuletta–on a gluten free roll. Of the side options I chose the spinach, which came lightly dressed with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. It would certainly sate a craving for the original but in our informal game of who ordered better, I think Todd won this round.

Sweet Grass Dairy | The Pickled Pig

Sweet Grass Dairy | The Pickled Pig

Choosing the Pickled Pig was a bit of a surprise: it includes green tomato relish and Todd isn’t a big fan of anything pickled. Surprising both of us, the relish was sweet and went so well with the Tomme and Prosciutto! It’s a great combination and will be top of my list next time we stop in for a meal.

This was back at their older, smaller location and, while it was certainly charming, it tended to get very loud very fast, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the new space improves upon the ambiance of the shop.

Falling for Fallin’s 

It had been one of those days, a mid-week slump that led to a whole lotta ‘I’m-not-cooking’ setting in once we got home. A day where a bit of comfort food would not go amiss, and that’s how we ended up trying Fallin’s Barbeque for the first time. Their menu is fairly simple and straightforward, but it was a little lacking in combo plates or samplers. Call it a penchant for grazing or just the inability to make up my mind, but I like to try more than one offering, especially at a barbeque place.

Fallin's Barbeque | Baby Bear (the meats)

Fallin’s Barbeque | Baby Bear (the meats)

Fallin's Barbeque | Baby Bear (the sides)

Fallin’s Barbeque | Baby Bear (the sides)

So I ordered the Baby Bear (which is described as feeding 2-3) and asked for a to-go box immediately so I wouldn’t be tempted to eat too much. Because it was all so very good. The ribs were tender without being greasy, the chicken breast–frequently the driest of all the options on a bbq menu–was moist, practically succulent! The pulled pork is always a reliable option and when I say it was just okay, it’s not to say that it was lackluster in any way, just that it paled in comparison to the melt-in-your mouth beef brisket.

Fallin's Barbecue | THe Mama Bear

Fallin’s Barbecue | THe Mama Bear

Even though we got the next size up sampler (the Mama Bear) on our next visit (and had to convince the waitress that yes, we knew how much food it would be and that we were looking forward to bringing leftovers home), if I had to choose only one meat at Fallin’s it would be the brisket.

Fallin's Barbeque | The Big Joe with Brunswick Stew

Fallin’s Barbeque | The Big Joe with Brunswick Stew

Which brings us back to our first visit, where Todd ordered the Big Joe sandwich–that aforementioned amazing brisket topped with cheese and an onion ring. It looked fabulous, and Fallin’s seams to do a decent trade in a variety of sandwiches. And how can you not love a restaurant that list dog bones to go? And another plus for Fallin’s: you don’t smell like a bonfire when you leave, unlike the other place we tried a few months back.

Tasting Thomasville: Yoburst, George & Louie’s

Nibbles

Yoburst Frozen Yogurt

We love the toppings bar... perhaps a smidgen too much some visits.

We love the toppings bar… perhaps a smidgen too much some visits.

While we were still “camping out” at the Dollhouse before officially moving in, we gave into temptation and stopped by the frozen yogurt shop on E Pinetree Blvd (we passed it coming and going to Lowes, it was just a matter of time). It was not the last time.

While not a restaurant of the sort I’ve included in other Tasting Thomasville posts, the fact that we frequent this shop a couple times a month makes it definitely worth mentioning. From what I can tell they serve the Yocream brand of frozen yogurt (produced by Dannon) and they rotate flavors on a regular basis. Sometimes this is good (yay, variety!) and sometimes it’s bittersweet (like the amazing Rootbeer Float frozen yogurt they had on one trip).

I often opt for the Triple Chocolate paired with something else depending on the options. This last visit, after dinner Friday night, they had recently put out Pumpkin Pie, so I skipped the chocolate and paired it with Butter Pecan for a pie-flavored fro-yo-off. Both were delicious, especially topped with praline pecans and some cinnamon sauce! Todd’s favorites are the Country Vanilla and Cake Batter.

And, yes, we’re quite aware that frozen yogurt is only a half-step healthier (if that!) than going out for regular ice cream, but we also don’t care. Everything in moderation, including moderation!

George and Louie’s

Their options can be a bit overwhelming at first.

Their options can be a bit overwhelming at first.

Back into the realm of “real food” (as opposed to the imaginary sort, but you know what I mean) we ended up at George and Louie’s one evening after Todd saw they had gyros on the menu. It’s tucked back on Remington Ave (a street I’m just now getting my bearings on) and features self-seating and a walk-up counter for ordering. This threw me, at first, as we walked in about 30 minutes before closing that first time and I was a little overwhelmed by the series of chalkboards spanning the wall showcasing their southern-seafood-Greek offerings.

Crab Louie Special: obviously I made an exception to my Low-FODMAP lifestyle, but it's a saving grace that I can!

Crab Louie Special: obviously I made an exception to my Low-FODMAP lifestyle, but it’s a saving grace that I can!

That first night I went with the Crab Louie Special (when in doubt, I default to ordering the house special in a new place) which was a deviled crab cake, hushpuppies, Greek salad, and cheese grits, along with a glass of Merlot. The cheese grits were more like grits topped with cheese, so not what I think of when I order cheese grits, but other than that the meal was just perfect. The tartar sauce tasted homemade and, well, it’s hard to screw up a Greek salad but it can be done (they didn’t though). Todd got the gyro he went in craving along with an order of onion rings that he was quite over the moon about. Once we’d ordered I had a chance to look at the parts of the menu I skipped over. Items like the Greek salad topped with Fried Green Tomatoes, Fried Oysters, or Tilapia sounded especially intriguing.

French fries and onion rings---it'd been that kind of week, folks!

French fries and onion rings—it’d been that kind of week, folks!

While it can get pretty loud in there when it’s busy (as we found out when we visited with a group of friends after the Taste of Greece event was rained out, a month or so after our first visit), there’s nice music playing in the background, plenty of seating of all configurations, and umbrella’d tables outside. There’s even a drive-through if you’re in a hurry. The music was of particular interest to us, though, as we were midway through our meal when a familiar song came on: “our” song, the one we danced to at our wedding, a song from 1955 that we don’t hear unless we play it intentionally, was playing on the sound system. One of the many reasons Thomasville continues to feel more like home every day are these little touches of awesome we run into in random places around here.

We also got to talking with the owner before we left and complimented him on his atmospheric choices. And we know we’ll be back because there are just so many great-sounding things left on the menu to try!

Tasting Thomasville: Chinese Buffets & Moonspin Pizza

Tuesday Revews-Day

Wherever you live, you probably have a list of favorite restaurants; places you go when you’re craving X, Y, or Z that can always count on. Relocation means finding new favorites, and can make for some truly tasty homework as you get to know your new town.

Obviously, that’s exactly what we’ve been working on, bit by bit, starting with the first evening we spent in Thomsaville as new home-owners.

I’m not a fan of buffets. If I wanted to fix my own plate, I’d have stayed home and cooked, okay? Plus, the “all you can/care to eat” feature is lost on me as I purposely try not to stuff myself. The one exception to trough-style places is Chinese buffets. For whatever reason these get a pass from me and I really do appreciate a good Chinese buffet, especially for nights where cooking is out but you want food in a hurry that didn’t come from a drive-thru window.

Since we were downtown for the local Rose Parade and Festival, we decided to test out the nearby Chinese place: Hong Yip. The food wasn’t anything spectacular (the buffet, at least, we haven’t tried them for take-out, yet) and it felt a little dive-ish, so we’ll just leave it at that (though the barefoot patrons at the next table could have contributed to that feeling a little more than usual). The Urban Spoon reviews are pretty good, though, so maybe we just caught them on a bad night, who knows? Another weekend, still on the hunt, we walked into and right back out of Yummi Express (it involved a walk-up counter, not what we were after; again, we might try them another time) and headed up the road to the Hibachi Buffet (not sure if it has another name).

The Hibachi Buffet looked like it used to be a Ryan’s or something similar from the layout inside, but the buffet was large and featured a fair amount of variety (including frog legs, for those so inclined). Nothing amazing, but passable. They even had basic sushi and, while I didn’t try it this time, a hibachi option that was actually manned. It got the job done and we’d probably go back, but it still wasn’t as good as our favorite buffet in Tallahassee.

Sadly, the best sushi in Thomasville appears to be at the Publix deli. But, hey, at least now we know!

Having explored our limited Asian-cuisine options close to our new home (we’ve seen a sign for a 4th option, but we’re not sure if it’s actually still in business), we moved onto another staple: Pizza!

Image via MoonspinPizza.com

Image via MoonspinPizza.com

If I recall correctly, Todd did some digging and found out that Moonspin Pizza offered a gluten-free crust, so giving them a shot was an easy yes. Turns out, Moonspin is quite the place to be on a Friday night: we managed to snag a table inside but just barely, and a considerable crowd was not too far behind us!

He ordered the large calzone. He also took some of it home!

He ordered the large calzone. He also took some of it home!

Todd ordered a calzone and I ordered a gluten-free, sauce-less, onion-less version of their Lucky Moon (chicken, arugula, and feta) with a bit of olive oil brushed on the crust.

They say they make everything in-house, but I didn't ask if everything included their gf crust.

They say they make everything in-house, but I didn’t ask if everything included their gf crust.

The pizza was fantastic, but I doubt they’ll be a last-minute take-out option. Moonspin bills itself (and rightly so) as gourmet pizza and their prices reflect that (His calzone, my pizza, and our drinks came to just over $30). Still, we now know where the good pizza is!

Next time, though, I think I’ll order their Salad Pizza. (Yes, a salad served on a 10″ pizza crust–someone next to us ordered that and it looked so good!)

These aren’t mean to be full-fledged reviews, just our impressions as we try out different places in our new town. Next time on Tasting Thomasville it’s time for Mexican and BBQ (though not on the same night, or even on the same weekend!).