Truffles Cafe - Buckhead

Truffles Cafe has expanded from South Carolina to Atlanta, taking over the old Ruby Tuesday space across the street from Lenox Square Mall. I went there with Jim and a friend only two weeks after they opened and was very pleasantly surprised. It seems often times that when one goes to a fledgling restaurant there are kinks in the service or the quality of food disappoints. I am glad to say that this was not the case here.

We arrived early for the dinner crowd but still were immediately greeted by a friendly hostess. Since Jim and I arrived ahead of our friend we went onto the bar to have a drink. Again, we were greeted right away by a bartender whom was just as friendly and professional. She made an excellent (slightly) Dirty Martini and was chatty, in a pleasant manner, giving us some of the restaurant's history. As we scanned the menu she made suggestions for appetizers and we decided on the Baked Brie in Puff Pastry. It quickly arrived warm, delicious, and delightfully presented. Since we were a bit early we did encounter a shift change of bartenders which was handled seamlessly and our new bartender was just as great. Our friend arrived  as we were eating the app and she too ordered a drink as we were finishing ours. We sat a few minutes more at the bar and then closed off  and took a table in the dining room.

At the table my husband and I ordered a different drink from our server. (Stepping down from the martinis.) They were brought out in a timely manner that gave us the perfect amount of time to make our entree selections. Our friend ordered the Baby Back Ribs, Jim asked for the Rib Eye "Delmonico" and I ordered the Crispy Chicken. As we waited on our food we taken care of by our attentive server whom brought us another round of the second drink that we ordered at no charge, saying that the bartender had mistakenly made them twice and wanted us to have them rather than pour them out. It was a very nice gesture. (This is what happens when one tips well folks.)

Our food arrived and it just looked and smelled delicious. Each of us dug into our separate entrees and also sampled each other's dishes. Everything was wonderful! To point out how good it was, as I write this review, I am Google chatting with my husband. I mentioned the steak to him and he wrote back "Delicious. My mouth is watering thinking about it." Granted he likes a steak just about more than anyone I know but he does have standards so this is a great compliment. I do want to elaborate on the Crispy Chicken for a moment. It is described on the menu as " half chicken fried, chopped, and tossed with a fresh soy and ginger vinaigrette, served with truffled macaroni and cheese, seasonal vegetable" It exceeded my expectations! This was certainly more chicken than the average person could eat in one sitting but what was so wonderful was the preparation. It was so lightly battered that when fried it came out to the perfect crispiness and was unlike so much fried chicken that is served with more batter than chicken in a bite. The vinaigrette was wonderful as well. The chicken was not drowning in it, rather it was perfectly dressed so that the chicken remained crisp. The macaroni and cheese was good but I do prefer the truffled mac & cheese at One Midtown Kitchen. We finished what we could of our ample meals taking what was left with us.

So there you have it. Every last person we encountered was friendly and accommodating, the food was delicious, and I enjoyed the atmosphere. I do not often make my way into Buckhead but now when I need to make a trip to the mall...well, Houston's you have some competition! -- Now that I mentioned Houston's please indulge me just a bit longer.

Houston's - If I were on The Best Thing I Ever Ate, the Salad Edition, I would have to tell you about this lunch special: It is a bed of field greens topped by two crab cakes, pink grapefruit that has been peeled and quartered, and avocado slices all served with a Champagne vinaigrette. I know most people will not get excited about a salad nor pay $18 for one BUT this salad is absolute divine perfection to me! The crab cakes are amazing, perfectly put together with nice big flavorful lumps of crab and only enough breadcrumbs to get them to hold together while they are browned just right. Take that with the wonderful combination of the other ingredients and probably the best salad dressing I've ever tasted and one really cannot go wrong. If you are at Houston's and see this lunch special, trust me, and order it!

Ham, Asparagus and Gruyere Quiche

I have been partial to eggs with asparagus for some time and finally decided to make a quiche to incorporate the two. I used a deep pie dish for this so that I have a big fluffy quiche. Also, since my husband tends to be on the Atkins diet, I have made this without the crust to accommodate him. Just spray your dish with some butter spray if you omit the pie crust.

Ingredients:

1 pie crust
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1 bunch of asparagus spears, cut 1-inch long pieces
2 cups of ham ham, cubed
1/2 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
5 large eggs
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place your pie shell in the pie pan pressing gently against the sides. Trim and flute the edges to your liking. Place it in the oven and bake until the shell just begins to bubble up but not brown. Remove it from the oven and let it cool while preparing the mix.

Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots of cook until translucent.

Add the ham and the asparagus and cook until the asparagus is al dente, about 5-6 minutes, being careful not to overcook. (Remember this will cook in the oven quite a bit too.) Remove from heat.

Using a medium-sized bowl whisk together the milk, heavy cream, eggs, pepper, and nutmeg.

Spread 1 cup of cheese evenly over the bottom of the pie crust and then spread your asparagus and ham mixture on top of that. Spread the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the ham and asparagus. Pour your egg mixture evenly on top of the layers, gently giving your pie pan a small jiggle if needed.

Place your pie in the oven and let bake for 35-40 minutes. Note: Check on the pie 30 minutes into baking. If it is browning on top more than you like you may take a piece of aluminum foil and place it loosely and gently on top, leaving the edges unfolded. At the end of your cook time insert a knife in the center to make sure it comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Slice and serve.