Cacao Atlanta

I love my husband but I sometimes feel like I’m having an affair with the tall dark and handsome 70% cacao bars I buy. I’m an extreme chocoholic. I’m not at all embarrassed by this affliction- I celebrate it (perhaps too often but you only live once).

A few nights ago in Buckhead, en route to Fellini’s Pizza, I spotted Cacao. I am a sucker for a chocolate shop, let alone a charming French patisserie inspired shop…clean and bright, filled with decadent delights. I stopped cold in my tracks- staring (drooling), and said to my mother- “I know where I’ll be at 11am tomorrow.”

The next day before hittin’ the road back to Athens, we ran across the street to Cacao for a quick trip to Paris by way of the South. We were welcomed by a pleasant aroma of rich coffee and sweet/bitter chocolate…heavenly. We had a great time chatting with Tricia about the history of the shop and learning about each and every product. The owner/creator Kristen Hard, a classically trained French pastry chef, fell hard for the cacao bean working as a chef around the world and thankfully brought her passion back to the South.

Tricia got us started off with some sipping chocolate (divine) and walked us through the different goodies lining the walls. My mother (a packaging junkie) spotted some adorable baskets in the corner used for creating one of a kind gift baskets, so we decided that was the best option. Having a total “Treat Yo Self” moment (Parks and Rec anyone?), I began grabbing anything that peaked my interest. Being a self-proclaimed chocolate connoisseur, I picked up quite the basket.

I love how most items are inspired by Southern desserts or flavors…pecan pie truffles, mint julep truffles, Coca-Cola truffles, homemade oatmeal cream pies, cocoa-nib peanut brittle (oh yea). The shop’s commitment to sustainability is also impressive. Each piece of chocolate is hand crafted with the highest quality organic ingredients while honoring the traditional chocolate making processes and everything in the entire store is made in Georgia, with the exception of herbal teas offered on the menu. The Cacao shop in Buckhead also offers – Honeysuckle Gelato– Southern inspired gelato based in Atlanta!

macarons!

The decor is sweet and simple and very French. A white and grey palette punctuated by the rich colors of the chocolate and other treats. The art instillation above the cafe tables is equally stunning. Created for their Valentine’s Day celebration, the lovebirds and tiny paper hearts make for a beautiful centerpiece in the shop.

sweet success

To top off our decadent morning we had to try something from the esspresso lab. I opted for the Shakerato- 3 shots of espresso and vanilla syrup shaken over ice. Buzz buzz y’all.

A tisket a tasket, I got a chocolate basket!

Since my Cacao visit, I’ve slowly sampled my goodies- or hoarding them if you will. I want to hold on to the dark chocolate goodness as long as I possibly can- or until I reorder them online (bless online shopping)! Stop by one of their three shops in the ATL immediately or visit their online store to get your cacao fix!

Cacao Atlanta- http://cacaoatlanta.com/ Cacao on Facebook Cacao Twitter

The Savory Spoon

So many posts about food lately but what can I say…I love to eat!

My husband, being the resourceful forager, recently found several large wild bear’s tooth mushrooms.  These mushrooms are rare as they take a while to grow, but are so delicious and have a very rich flavor similar to crab or lobster if sauteed in butter or olive oil.  Monday night we were feeling super indulgent and pan fried up some bear’s tooth, and layered it with spinach and brie making mushroom spinach grilled cheeses…..oh yea.

For those of you that know Ryan can attest to this; he is the male version of a chatty kathy.  After our luxurious grilled cheese creation, he got to talking about the bear’s tooth with a chef with from nearby Jefferson, Georgia who owns a farm to table restaurant called The Savory Spoon.  The chef and owner Josh was intrigued by these rare mushrooms so Ryan gave him a sample to see how he liked it.  Shortly after their meet and greet, I noticed on facebook that the chef had featured the bear’s tooth on his menu.  So we jumped in the car and headed over to Jefferson.

It was a quiet night at The Savory Spoon but it was 7 o’clock on a Tuesday night in a very small town.  We hunkered down in a booth and prepared to order a feast…I hadn’t eaten lunch so I was ready to gorge.

We started off with a cup of the corn chowder and some guacamole (not actually an appetizer but I had to try it).

The chowder was so yummy- so warm and comforting with a hint of spice.  The guacamole was tasty too- loved the burst of flavor from halved cherry tomatoes in the mix.

For the main event…Ryan ordered one of the specials.  Beef tenderloin medallions tossed  in a homemade hot sauce with mac n cheese and sauteed cabbage.  I went for the wild caught blackened grouper sandwich topped with dill aoli and slaw on a toasted french roll  and served with braised brussel sprout greens.

There were so many tempting dishes but it is hard for me to turn down wild caught grouper.  It was perfect.  The large filet was so fresh and flakey topped off with blackening seasoning that packed a punch (in a good way).  The slaw and dill aoli were excellent accompaniments- helping cut the spice and salt of the seasoning and the buttery, crusty bread made the perfect vessel for cradling all the goodness of this po boy.

Although I barely looked up from my sandwich, I managed to take a break and try the other dish.  It was equally delectable.  The beef tenderloin cooked perfectly and the sauce was more zesty than hot which was nice and had a hint of smoke.  The mac n cheese was the bomb- almost as good as your grandmother’s.  The cabbage was my favorite side dish of them all- Tender but still had a little crunch to it and it must have been sauteed with some sort of vinegar that enhanced the natural flavor of the cabbage really well.

Never able to turn down chocolate, I insisted on ordering dessert.  In my defense- I didn’t go as nuts as I could have.  We ordered some coffee and the cookie dough truffle pops.

The cookie dough truffles very charming and the perfect size.  These bite size morsels were so decadent and got us sugar buzzed enough for our drive back to Athens.

I really enjoyed our visit to The Savory Spoon.  Located just outside the downtown area, the restaurant has a great neighborhood vibe.  It was fun to talk with the chefs about their process and hearing how passionate they are about  local and sustainable food.  The food was excellent; all the dishes had a wonderful homestyle quality to them which I thought was a little different from some farm to table establishments.  The flavors were complex yet simple; and all of the dishes were reminded me of southern favorites your mother or grandmother would prepare- just kicked up a notch.

Keep an eye out on facebook for their daily changing menus and they should be up and running with their liquor license in the near future.  The chef told us they’ll be rotating two taps of craft beer and serving a variety of wines as well.  They are also expanding the restaurant in the coming months to include a bar/lounge with a tapas menu…lots of new things on the horizon for The Savory Spoon.  I look forward to going back soon!