review

Tuesday’s Treats #14

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Hilltop Grill

Location: Athens, Ga


Hilltop is a great local steakhouse restaurant in Athens that we love to frequent when we can. They have to best bacon-wrapped shrimp appetizer that you’ll put in your mouth! They have incredible burgers, sandwiches and a various assortment of different plates. One of their sides I love is their grits. Oh. My. Yum! Their sweet tea is good ol’ Southern Sweet Tea, and their dinner rolls are the delicious yeast kind that melt in your mouth with a little butter on top.

They have special “lunch plates” Tuesday-Friday for lunch, and the price isn’t bad at all. These are like roasted pork loin, meatloaf and even turkey and dressing. Their salads and soup are great; they usually have a special soup of the day. The “icing on the cake” is their hilltop brownie. Oh. My. Word! It’s to die for!! 😉 They have several other desserts, but that one is my favorite.

The atmosphere is really cool, too. It is nice enough for linens on the table, and you can come dressed “to the nines,” or you can come dressed for game day, and you’ll feel perfectly welcomed. Just know, if you come on game day, you better come early, cuz this place will be packed!!

Here’s their website to get more information.

Tuesday’s Treats #13

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Ray’s in the City

Location: Atlanta, Ga

Prailine Basket

 

Yes, I did start this post with a yummy looking dessert, and believe me when I say, “It tastes even MORE incredible than it looks!” Oh. My. Goodness! (If you’re attempting to diet, I’m giving you fair warning you may not want to continue this read. lol. 😂)

Ok, I’ll start at the beginning. My husband and I stayed at the Ritz Carlton one night last month, because he was asked to be the chaplain for the day at the State Capitol. What an incredible day! Ok, so, that’s for a whole different post…

Anyway, we arrived in Atlanta early; so, we could have an easy evening and go out for dinner. We walked from The Ritz to Ray’s in the City, and it was such a pleasant little trek. We checked out several restaurants via Trip Advisor (best app for restaurant ratings, by the way!), and we had a tough time narrowing it down. Ray’s looked cool and inviting; so, we decided to give it a try. I am so glad we did!!

key lime pie

 

They sat is in one of the only four booths in the place. The rest of the seating is tables and chairs and the bar area. We were really close to the bar, and I wasn’t sure how the noise level would be, as we were looking for a more romantic atmosphere, but it was totally fine. They had live music, right next to us, and the lady singing was amazing. She was really sensitive to the needs/desires of the crowd, interactive with those who wanted to be and left alone those who didn’t. She did a lot of Rolling Stones and 70s-type music, and she did it right. A group at the bar requested “Rollin’ On The River,” and she had the place rockin’, or Rollin’ rather; everyone was getting into it. She, also, had an assistant that could make his electric guitar “talk.” They were both great, and it was so enjoyable.

AMAZING Shrimp and Grits!!

 

Now, for the food…it was simply “Off The Chain!” We ordered a shrimp appetizer first (I’m sorry. I can’t remember the name!) I had shrimp and grits, my husband had swordfish, and you see the desserts we had: a praline basket and a slice of key lime pie (both made in house!) Oh. My. Word!! We were totally stuffed by the end of our meal, and we were thankful for that short little walk we had back to the hotel!

I’ve heard there’s a Ray’s on the River, as well, and we plan to visit that one some day soon, too. If you’re in downtown Atlanta, and looking for a great place to eat, my suggestion is Ray’s in the City! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! 😉

Here’s their website and more pics for your enjoyment….ps. Just looking at the website and realized they’ve got virtual tours of some of their locations. How cool!

  

this is a pic from The Ritz

 

Tuesday’s Treats #12

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Kilwin’s

Location: Highlands, NC


Kilwin’s is such a great place to go for yummy desserts and ice cream. There are several locations in the South, but my favorite one is in Highlands, NC. It is located right on the Main Street, and it is connected to a large, beautiful courtyard, where bands will set up during the summer months and play the weekends. 
This Kilwin’s has Mayfield ice cream, and all kinds of homemade fudge, pralines and other goodies. One of my favorites is their Turtle Caramel Apple. Oh. My. Goodness!! They start with a Granny Smith Apple, to give it just a little tartness, cover it in caramel goodness, roll it in Southern pecans and drizzle it with heavenly chocolate. Talk about some yumminess! Then, if you’ll ask them, they will slice it right there for you; so, it’s a lot easier to eat than those carnival apples you’ve been buying over the years!
They, also, have some of the best pralines north of Savannah, Ga. (I love the pralines down there from River Street Sweets, but that will have to be another post. 😉) Is Hwy have chocolate dipped Oreos and Nutter Butters, truffles and other chocolate delights, but I usually bypass all of that for those wonderful turtle apples.

If you’re in Highlands, be sure to stop by and try some yumminess…and hey, that’s a dessert that’s actually good for you, right? You can eat the whole thing, cuz after all, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” right?! 😂😂

For more information or directions, you can look them up here.

Tuesday’s Treats #11

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The Country Kitchen

Location:  Pine Mountain, Ga

This place is great, but you probably wouldn’t see it, unless, you know about it. I apologize for not having a pic of the actual dinner we are here. We were traveling back from Florida, had stopped at the beautiful overlooks and were totally consumed with the atmosphere and the sunset as our food arrived.

I’m going to include the menu; so, you can check it out. It was simply a delightful place, and we got to watch the sunset over the horizon, too. That was an incredible ending to an incredible week of chasing sunsets. 😊

They have a little country store with all kinds of goodies and specialty items.

These are the views from the overlooks, but I thought I’d include them to entice you just a little. 😉

Honestly the pics really don’t do it justice…

Ok, enough distractions. On to the menu… 

 Our party of 8 ordered chicken pot pie, veggie plates, grilled chicken salad, cheeseburger, chicken fried chicken, and chicken tenders. Everything was delicious. The fried okra on the veggie plate was a little greasy, but that happens sometimes. The mac and cheese wasn’t processed; it was homemade. They serve biscuits and corn muffins, before your meal, with homemade muscadine preserves. Oh. My. Word! Incredible. It was a great meal.

The only drawback was I do wish someone would come and wash the Windows from the outside (and in), because we couldn’t get any really great shots of the sunset as the windows were messy. Other than that, we had a wonderful time! 😊 

If you’re looking for an enjoyable dinner, with beautiful surroundings and down home country food, this is the place to go. You can find their website here.

Tuesday’s Treats #10

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Ted’s Montana Grill

Location: Several locations in the Atlanta area – Georgia

Since, this week is my birthday week, I thought I’d post one of my favorites for Tuesday’s Treats. Hope you enjoy! 😊

   
Yes, I started this post off with their yummy dessert, the Apple Pecan Crisp. Oh. My. Word. This will send you right over the top! My husband and I love apple pie; however, we’re hesitant on crisps, because, too often, those who prepare them lean too heavily on the breading crumbles (that end up being too soggy), or the filling is more like the canned-fruit-topping-fillings than something fresh and homemade. Well, this dish is incredible! They begin with whole, thick slices of Granny Smith apples, add a touch of cinnamon and make the crumble topping with pecans and oats; so, the combination tasted more like a fresh-out-of-the-oven, heavenly goodness!! Yum!

You may not be the type for desserts first; so let me back up to the main entrees. They have sandwiches, burgers, chicken and steak options. It’s a real “man’s steak and potatoes” kind of restaurant. They are known for their bison burgers, which are incredible, and they have several different types to choose. Every burger variety has the option of beef, bison or chicken. One of our son’s favorites is the Red Rock Bison Burger. I’ve screenshot the monsteracity for you from the website. I usually can’t get a pic fast enough when my son’s involved! Haha.   

I have ordered the Farmhouse salad with salmon and with roasted chicken; both variations are amazing. That salad is huge, and I usually can’t finish it. The menus calls for roasted chicken, but I think I prefer the salmon more, because it’s a little more healthy for me…since, we also get an appetizer and that yummy dessert! Ha. 

Lately, I have also been ordering a side of their squash casserole. Oh. My. Goodness! This is made just as it should be!! The squash isn’t too squishy, cooked with buttery goodness, and it is topped lightly with a light bread crumble. Amazing. 

My husband usually gets the bison cheeseburger with fries, and our youngest has had their chicken fingers with fries. Again, everything is delicious! Oh, and the other day, my husband ordered  the daily special of bison chopped steak, green beans and roasted corn. Oh my word, again, it was all incredible, but that corn was out of this world!! It was roasted kernels with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Amazing, again. 

The appetizer we often order is the Bison nachos with extra chili, because we love the bison chili that is on them! Oh, and there are three other things you’ll definitely want to try while you’re here… They put marinated cucumber slices “(homemade pickles 😉) on the table to begin your “Out West Experience.” These are so yummy. I could eat the whole bowl…well, I usually do, because they’re not so much the favorites of my husband or kiddos. They, also, have fresh squeezed lemonade, made just the way it should be: tart enough to make you pucker but sweetened just right. If apples just aren’t your thing, be sure and try the Kahlua Fudge brownie. I’m not real crazy about Kahlua; so, that was brought on the side, but Oh. My. Word. This is pure sin! (Lol.) It is so rich, you’ll want to share it or take it home, but it’s definitely worth ordering! 

(…I’m sorry I don’t have a picture of that yumminess. Our son dove into that while I was enjoying the apple pecan crisp, and I totally missed the opportunity!)

So, if you’re in The Atlanta area, be sure to look up Ted’s Montana and see if it’s located near you. Even if you have to drive a little bit, I promise you, you won’t be disappointed!   

Yeah, I left one more pic of that yummy deliciousness…

You can find all their locations and menu options here. 

**Note: the burger photo is property of Ted’s Montana, as shown by the copyright. I neither own nor possess this photo. Simply screenshot this from their website to display with written description of item. 

  

Blogging 201: Get Read All Over and Auditing

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Today seems to be a short and sweet assignment (“Get Read All Over”)…check out your blog on various devices to see that it is readable and appeals to all possible audiences. I can “Check” this off my list. 😉

So, I suppose, I will address “Day 2: Auditing Your Brand” of the Blogging 201, as I am still in the process of completing this assignment. I have asked a couple of people to look at my blog and “gently critique” it to see what might need some improvements. I’ve received sweet, encouraging, and honest replies from two of the three fellow bloggers I approached (just haven’t heard from the third yet), and I would like to share with you their blogs, as well, to let you see why I chose them. Even though, I don’t personally know either of them, I think we have just kind of “hit it off” as “blogging neighbors.” I think both of them have incredible blogs and really share from their hearts: The Narrow Lens and Minuscule Moments of Inspiration …I do hope you will hop over to their blogs and see what they have to say today. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. 🙂

You know, if I were to be honest here, asking someone to take time to “review” my blog is a little intimidating. I really am curious and desirous of the review. I wonder all the time if my blog is intriguing, helpful, encouraging, as well as, “pleasant to the eyes;” however, I have to go through so many thoughts before I work up the courage to ask… “Will they mind my asking?” “Do they really have the time?” “Am I imposing upon them by asking?” “Will they give an honest opinion, or will they be mean, and maybe a little too blunt, or will they just simply be too sweet, not being truthful?” It takes courage and confidence to ask for an honest review, an honest answer, even an honest opinion, and it takes humility and confidence to receive constructive criticism. (yes, I used confidence twice in the same sentence. Sorry, making a subtle point. haha.) I think, sometimes…well, no, often times, we avoid asking for honesty in another’s reply to us. We may be too fearful, too intimidated, too prideful, or even too lazy, because to actually receive criticism, we might have to realize we weren’t as right as we thought we were…we might have to alter the way we’ve always done things…we might have to realize and admit we were wrong. (Ouch!) We might have to actually improve our speaking or writing skills. We may have to sit up straighter, walk a little taller, smile a little brighter. We might have to do things a little different…or a lot. We might actually have to change from who we’ve been.

Now, I know, I’m not implying we should change for every little criticism that comes our way! Goodness, NO! If we did that, we’d just become a wimpy, indecisive person who isn’t stable, proactive or even certain of our own thoughts or actions. (and that can be a thought progressed on another post) However, I do believe, if we desire true growth in our lives, we need a few leaders who can “get in our grill” and tell us how it is. We need someone who thinks differently than we do, who dreams different, who sees things different, someone who can challenge us to look at things from a different angle for our own good. Otherwise, we will live our lives puffed up in pride, never realizing we might actually stink at what we’re doing, or we will exist in our own self pity to the point we never can succeed at anything!

Well, I guess, that was a pretty deep thought for the “Audit Your Brand” assignment, but I hope you enjoyed it. 😉 By the way, if you would like, I’d love for you to take a few minutes to browse through my blog and see what you think. I’d like to receive some feedback from you!

… taking a risk here, please, be kind yet truthful! 😉