food

Tuesday’s Treats #35

/ The WheatandTares / 3 Comments

The Last Catch Seafood

Location: Jasper, Ga

This place has really gotten the atmosphere right. If you’re looking for a seafood joint in the middle of North Georgia, then, you need to drop by. You feel like you’re walking right into a dockside seafood restaurant.

They have a pretty good selection from which to choose for both lunch and dinner…

Honestly, I’d have to give the food a solid “B.” The fried pickles were yummy, and the grilled veggies were incredible! The fried shrimp and blackened tuna was pretty good but, maybe, not the best I’ve had. The blackened mahi mahi had a great flavor, but the texture was dry, because it had been overcooked. I’ll say it one more time, the veggies were phenomenal! I don’t eat cole slaw much, and the fries were good.

  
   The key lime pie was ok, but it was a little too sweet and not tart enough; however, the chocolate cake from a local restaurant was incredible!

If you’re in the North Georgia mountains, and you’re looking for a restaurant with a great dockside feeling, and you don’t necessarily require A+ rated food, give this place a try. It might just be that we landed on a not so good day. The wait staff was very kind, and we did love a few things along with the atmosphere.

Here is their website to find out more.

Tuesday’s Treats #34

/ The WheatandTares / 4 Comments

Cocina Fuentes (Mexican)

Location: Monroe, Ga

 This place is probably the absolute BEST Mexican restaurant we have been to! It’s in the cute little town of Monroe, Georgia, and after you enjoy your meal, you can head downtown and the surrounding areas to find some great antique shops. The atmosphere here is great, and the service is always spot on.

The food is always made perfect to order, and everything tastes fresh and prepared with care. The steak seems to be of higher quality than most Mexican restaurants, and everything else is just perfect. They have quite an extensive menu from which to choose, and I do wish I had more pics to share with you.

My husband usually gets the Taco Quaintes (spelling?), and it is always delicious. I apologize that I don’t have the name of the meal above, but I can say it was also delicious! I have looked online for their website; however, there doesn’t seem to be one listed. However, they do have a facebook page, and here is a copy of their lunch menu.

Oh, and I do hope you don’t think me rude for posting a pic of the bathroom, but I wanted to be able to share the attention they give to details. Most places just stick a sink in there to get the job done, but this is actually stylish and beautiful. Their attention to details shows in everything they do. Drop by, and check them out!

Tuesday’s Treats #33

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

Biguns Barbeque

location: Talking Rock, Ga

Biguns is probably one of my absolute favorites when it comes to BBQ. The they know what they’re doing, and they do it right! They smoke the meat to perfection, and when they serve the plate, whether it be a sandwich or a platter, they don’t overdose the meat in sauce, they let you do that. 😉 there are about four or five sauces to choos from, too.

They, also, have a plethora of sides! Oh my goodness! They have coleslaw, green beans, baked beans, fried okra, fries, etc., and all of them are great! The sweet tea is good ole Southern sweet tea, and the desserts are delicious! Oh, and if you like BBQ spuds, you know, baked potatoes with BBQ in them, these do not disappoint! Oh. My. Goodness! They are Huge, and they don’t skimp on the meat they put inside! I wish I had a pic to show you. You wouldn’t believe it.  Did I say they were huge?! Well, it’s no joke! 😂

Don’t be fooled when you drive up,, either. Yes, the restaurant is actually in a gas station; however, it not like those nasty gas station restaurants where they’ve forgotten how to use a mop! No, sir.

They have remodeled the inside to make it look like a log cabin, and everything, including a the drink coolers, are encased in wood. It has a really great atmosphere. They’ve got lots of booths and even big tables for bigger parties.  The restrooms are always clean, too, and the service can’t be beat.
  

If you’re anywhere close to the Talking Rock area, you’ll not want to miss a trip to Biguns!! Shoot, even you’re over in the Ellijay or Big Canoe areas, it’s worth the 30 minute trip to get there! However, beware. You’ll want to get there early. They fill up quick at noon. Check out their website here.

Tuesday’s Treats #32

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Rumor HazIt

Location: Clayton, Ga 

This has been a local favorite of ours for several years now, and I’ll be honest, you can actually catch them on a day when they’re not A+ quality. However, I’ll have to say the majority of the time, you’ll get really good food and pretty good service.

You wouldn’t think you’d find a decent seafood restaurant in the hills of North Georgia, and if I hadn’t eaten here myself, I’d definitely be a doubter. We actually ate here yesterday, and the food was pretty good, about a B grade. We ordered the fried pickles, and they were amazing! We, also, ordered a small tossed salad and the shrimp bisque, both were yummy.

For entrees, we ordered the grilled chicken sandwich, chicken fingers, cheeseburger and the blackened mahi-mahi sandwich, all with fries. Everything tasted great; however, the chicken and mahi sandwiches were just a tad over cooked, leaving them both a little dry, but we’ve had these plenty of times before, and they were delicious. The fries were awesome; they’re like little potato logs. The ranch dressing, tartar sauce and the chipotle ranch sauces all taste homemade.

We’ve had the burgers before (pictured first above), and they’ve always been great. If you like beer battered onion rings, they’ve got some of the best. The fried cod sandwich has always been tasty as well. Oh, if you like dessert, you’ll really like their key lime pie, and there’s another dessert we’ve had there; however, I can’t remember what it was. 😜

The atmosphere is really done right with all nautical themes and a beautiful fish tank in the center of the room. The seating is very comfortable with both inside tables and half booths and outside patio areas.

So, try them out, and remember, if you happen to get bad (slow!) service that day, please, just give them one more try. You’ll enjoy the meals, and you’ll probably catch them on a better day the next time around. 😉

You can check out their website here.

Tuesday’s Treats #31

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Pueblo’s Cantina & Grill

Location: Jasper, Ga. (25 Luke Carver Dr…Listing address, because apparently there are a couple of Pueblo’s in Jasper! 😉)

I don’t know about you, but if I’m out of town, it’s so hard to know which Mexican restaurant to choose. Everyone’s opinion on this cuisine is so diverse, even in tripadvisor.com, you can end up at a great place or an awful one, all depending upon who gave the review. That’s why I decided to post about this restaurant, because we were recently in the little town of Jasper, and we were craving some steak tacos, rice and beans. I looked up on Trip Advisor, and this restaurant’s name was listed three times at three different locations, all with conflicting reviews! Talk about decision dilemmas. Ugh!

 

googlemaps.com

After finding the one with the best ratings and driving to the address, we realized that we had actually been to this one before. The location of this place doesn’t look like much from the outside, but they have great Mexican food. The inside has a nice atmosphere as well. The sweet tea is what good Southern sweet tea should be. The chips and salsa are a great combo, and the steak is great. We ordered steak tacos, a fajita steak burrito and rice and beans. Everything tastes great, and the service is good as well.

 

steak fajita buritto

If you’re in Jasper, Georgia, and you want a good Mexican meal, find Pueblo’s on Luke Carver Dr. You won’t be disappointed. 😉

Evidently, they don’t have an actual website; however, I did find them on Facebook. Look here to find their location and see the menu.

Tuesday’s Treats #30

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

Marlow’s Tavern

Location: several in the Atlanta area


Marlow’s is the BEST! This is one of my favorite restaurants. The ingredients are picked up fresh daily, and the choices are unique and diverse. They have some of the best shrimp and grits I’ve put in my mouth. Now, I switch up mine from their menu description. I order mine with the jalapeño corn grits rather than the grit cakes, but that’s just according to your particular taste. I like them both.

The Tavern burgers, chicken panini and chicken stack are all delicious, and the salads are different than any you’ll get at another restaurant. Beware, the salads are of large proportion, too! You’ll definitely want to start out with the kettle chips or the firecracker shrimp, and the warm chocolate cake is a delicious finish.

If your appetite isn’t all that today, you can even order a few small plates to custom make your meal. There’s jalapeño corn grits, fried okra, fresh fruit and white cheddar grit cakes, just to name a few. If you enjoy a little spirits with your meal, I suppose they have plenty of that, too, because it is called a tavern. That’s just not my game; so, I apologize I won’t be too helpful in that area. 😉
The atmosphere is great, and the seating is very comfortable with booths, regular tables, high tops and even a great patio area. We had a group of 35 meet here recently, and the patio area was so comfortable and accommodating. The fans oscillate and rotate, and the tables are a cool wood/metal decor, and they even have a couch a table area for the more relaxed conversations.

I believe you’ll enjoy your visit; so, I hope you’ll check them out soon. Oh, I hear they just opened a location in Florida as well! 😊 Here’s their website for all your information needs.

Tuesday’s Treats #29

/ The WheatandTares

Provino’s Italian Restaurant

Location: several in surrounding Atlanta area

We love, love, love Provino’s! It is one of the best Italian restaurants I have ever been to! If you don’t want to overload on carbs, well, you might as well forget it. It could be done, but it would be pretty much torture.

The atmospher here is so romantic, yet, just as enjoyable for family and friends. They have several different sections to choose from, and each area is comfortable and enjoyable. After you order your drinks, they bring you a bowl full of yummy, buttery, garlic rolls. If you’re on a first date, you better beware. These things are loaded with the garlic, but oh, it’s SOOO good.

Along with this, they will bring you a beautifully arranged Italian salad, complete with lettuce, chickpeas, beats, onions, tomatoes and cucumbers, all drenched in their delicious house dressing (an italian oil vinegar)

This is a half order of the Cody Special. The whole order is HUGE, but you do get (planned) leftovers! 😉 This dish is NOT on the menu, and depending on the location, you may have to update them on the ingredients. We were first told about it at the Snellville location. It is a generously portioned dish made with angel hair pasta, rosetella sauce (red and white mixed), chicken and/or shrimp, sautéed mushrooms and mozzarella cheese, all baked to deliciousness. My husband always orders it with chicken only and gets it baked to a nice golden brown. This last time, he had them add a meatball to the dish. Oh. My. Word! This is incredible!!  

This second photo is of their famous lasagna. It is a perfect layering of pasta, meat, ricotta cheese, sauce and cheese, all baked right in the dish to a beautiful golden brown. It is SOOO yummy.

The menu has a great variety, and everything we have had or tasted is wonderful. They plenty to choose from: chicken, veal, seafood and simple pastas. They have several side dishes and delicious desserts. One dessert I have to mention is the one that’s my favorite: the Cafe Provino. This is a delicious, chocolate drenched italian coffee with whip cream and tiny chocolate morsels on top. My husband calls it coffee flavored chocolate milk (warmed). I just call it “heaven in a cup!” 😂 It is so good!!

Oh, go by on your birthday, show your ID, and you get your meal for FREE, too! 😉 You can’t beat that!!

Here is their website; so, you can find the right location for you.  We’ve been to almost every location, and even though, we do have our favorites, we’ve never been disappointed.

Tuesday’s Treats #28

/ The WheatandTares

Bare Bones Steakhouse

Location: Buford, Ga.  

For one of the best steaks you’ll put in your mouth, drive on past The Mall of Georgia and head toward the historic town of Buford, Georgia. In the old Bona Allen Tannery Building, the owner of Bare Bones Restaurant is grilling them up right! He has direct connections with a meat company out of Norcross; so, the steaks are cut and delivered fresh everyday.

My husband and I went here for the first time the other night, and we were highly impressed! From what I’ve been told, they have redone the building perfectly. You feel like you’ve walked into an upscale steakhouse yet not so upscale that you can’t show up in jeans and a cute top. The hostess is dressed in jeans and a plaid button up, and I saw the owner bustling around in his suit and tie. They asked if we had reservations, but seated us quickly even though we did not. They have booths and tables and a grand room in the back for really large groups.


We split the 22 oz Chateau Briand Filet with a side of Logan Turnpike Grits with cheese and a salad. Can I just say, “Oh. My. Word. That’s a lot of meat, but, oh, what a good steak!!” The grits were phenomenal and the wedge salad was incredible with the bacon, tomatoes and pecans (We got it with Ranch dressing instead of blue cheese). We were told by the hostess that everything here, except the bread and the cheesecake, is made in house, and you can tell! The grits were creamy and delicious…”Southern style” made just right.

Even though, we were almost full, and we had already had a portion of our steak boxed to go, we ordered the blackberry cobbler with homemade ice cream for dessert. Oh. My. Goodness!! That’s heaven in a bowl! It was served in this cute little white “crock,” and I’m so sorry, I don’t have a pic of this. We dove into it way too quickly, and it disappeared before I thought to take a photo. Just trust me when I say, you’ve got to get you some!!

These guys opened up back in the fall/winter of 2015, and they seem to be going great. I hope they do well. They are a great addition to the cool upgrade of downtown Buford. Here is their website; so, you can find their location and see the menu.

Tuesday’s Treats #27

/ The WheatandTares / 4 Comments

Austin’s Cattle Co.

Location: Valdosta, Ga.

This place is a hidden gem in Valdosta. You wouldn’t quite expect the quality, as its location is unassuming and connected to a motel, and usually motel restaurants are, at best, hit and miss. Well, this is a “bullseye hit!”

It seems to be locally owned and cared for by people who care about quality as well as service. It’s hard to tell from appearances, if the owners own the motel, or they may not be affiliated at all with the motel; however, it is evident the restaurant is of top priority. From the front door to the tables to the food, everything is extremely clean and treated with “A+ quality.”

The steaks were cooked to perfection and seemed to melt in your mouth, and the veggies were cooked exactly as they should be, not squishy and soggy, and the taste was scrumptious! The menu is quite extensive with choices not only of steak but chicken, salads, burgers, etc. Our waiter was delightful and helpful with the menu, and she was quick to keep our drinks refilled and assist in any way she could.

If you’re in the Valdosta area, and you want an incredible steak, this is the place to eat! Check out their website here.

Tuesday’s Treats #26

/ The WheatandTares

River Grille on the Tokoma River

Location: Daytona, Fl


We love this place. This has become a “must” when we’re in Daytona. The atmosphere is cool, and you can choose to eat inside or outside on the deck. They have large, gentle ceiling fans; so, the temps are too unbearable on a warmer day (maybe not in the hottest parts of summer, though😉).  

Yes, I know, I’ve started this blog with a picture of dessert, but there’s a reason: Thai key lime pie is TO DIE FOR! Oh. My. Goodness. I can be a little picky about key lime pie, too. 😉

For the main entrees, we ordered the blackened swordfish and blacked mahi mahi, and they were incredible! Honestly, the hush puppies are so so, but the grits are out of this world! 

The atmosphere, and the boardwalk out back is great. The time before last we were there, we got to see an alligator swimming by, but we didn’t see one on this trip. They have fish food you can feed the fish, just be careful, and definitely hold onto little ones, as there are no railings on the dock! 😉

Here’s the website for you to find the location and menu items.