restaurant review:: TRACE at W Midtown

Posted on August 28, 2014 by mhayes24

My parents came in town last weekend to celebrate both mine and my dad’s birthdays, which we all love to do together. We had one night that we were able to do a big celebration dinner, so I made a reservation at a new place we hadn’t been to — TRACE at the W Midtown. It recently replaced Spice Market, and I have to say, I’m a big fan. We first heard of TRACE at the ATL Food & Wine Festival a few months ago. They had the most delicious (and adorable) mini chicken pot pies, and I just HAD to come back for more.

I loved the ambiance at TRACE. Tall ceilings and huge windows letting in tons of natural light, stacks of cookbooks on shelves by the bar, and a shabby-chic sort of decor, including that giant wall of decorative pots. So cute!

That’s my cute mom!

They have a fun cocktail menu, and it was hard to make a decision. I don’t remember the name of mine, but it was a “Georgia” cocktail made with Tito’s vodka, strawberries, and a peppercorn syrup.

We started with the Roasted Corn Hush Puppies (perfectly crispy), Grilled Chicken Wings (which smelled SO good), and the Deviled Eggs (which I don’t eat, but they were gobbled up pretty quickly). We didn’t end up getting them, but the Chicken and Waffles sounded fun — they do a different take on the dish by frying the chicken in waffle batter!
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All I’d been thinking about was the Chicken Pot Pie, so my entree ordering was easy. In fact, all 3 ladies at the table chose this dish. All 3 guys chose the Family Farm Burger, made with a short rib and brisket patty. The pot pie was perfect — filled with chicken, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and peas, and it was topped with a giant, fluffy biscuit. It was a large portion — perfect for lunch leftovers!

We were really impressed with the service at TRACE. The manager stopped by a few times to check on us, and our server was incredibly attentive. They knew it was 2 of our birthdays, and they brought out not one, but THREE complimentary desserts for the table. From top, we had the flourless chocolate cake, goat cheese cheesecake, and peach cobbler. They were all fantastic, but I think everyone agreed that we couldn’t get enough of the cobbler. I also enjoyed the turquoise icing messages on the plates. 🙂
If you’re near the Midtown area, be sure to check out TRACE. I can’t wait to go back for some more pot pie!

a beach-y good time

Posted on August 26, 2014 by mhayes24

Just in the nick of time, we made it to the beach before the end of summer. My all-time favorite place is St. Augustine, FL, as you may well know if you know me or have been reading here for long. We took several friends down for a long weekend at my grandmother’s beach house, which is where I grew up vacationing. Being there brings back so many wonderful memories of a lifetime of beach trips with family and friends, and I’m so happy we made it back again this year.

We went down mid-week so that we’d have time to hop over to Jacksonville to visit my grandmother. She treated us and my cousin to a lovely lunch at her country club, and then we headed back to the beach to soak up a couple hours in the sun. We got to eat at some of our favorite local restaurants and have drinks at the Tini Martini Bar, which has a fantastic view of sailboats and the Bridge of Lions – especially at sunset! The majority of our trip was spent laughing, lounging on the beach, and just enjoying the company of some of our dearest friends. Can’t go wrong with that combo.

I don’t think many more words are needed, but be prepared for a photo over-share of our beach-y good time!

Yes, that is a SHARK that joined the beach party! We think he was about 4-5′ long and was less than 10 yards from the shore. He popped up a couple times one afternoon, and thankfully we never saw him again.

Bridge of Lions in downtown St. Augustine

This is the face I get when I’ve taken one too many photos.

Dinner at our favorite spot, Columbia

Castillo de San Marcos

beautiful Flagler College downtown

If only every morning could start with a walk on the beach…

…and if only every evening could end with this view.

Cap’s on the Water

A Few of My Favorite Things (83)

Posted on August 25, 2014 by mhayes24

[Stella & Dot outfit of the week:: Pop Geo Pendant // green Old Navy maxi dress OR black/white print LK Clothing dress]
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[downtown St. Augustine, FL]

[dad’s birthday surprise — Chicago in concert!]

[twinsie sisters]

[Chastain Amphitheater at night]

I’ll have a big photo post coming later this week to share our beach vacation to St. Augustine… but we did have some other fun stuff going on last week, too! My dad’s birthday is 3 days after mine, so we often try to celebrate together with our family. This year, we surprised my dad with concert tickets to see his favorite band, Chicago, at an outdoor amphitheater in Atlanta. We invited my parents up to Atlanta for the weekend (mom was in on the secret) and didn’t tell him until the night before the concert. I think we were successful in our surprise! It was a great night listening to REO Speedwagon and Chicago under the stars.

A Few of My Favorite Things (82)

Posted on August 18, 2014 by mhayes24

[Stella & Dot outfit of the week:: Union Square Scarf in Geo Ikat // Rebel Pendant // black Old Navy maxi // American Eagle denim jacket]
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[Pinterest dinner with the prettiest slaw]

[SHARK WEEK on the big screen!]
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[my latest MHP session with a college friend’s little ones]
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[birthday month celebrations begin]

[celebrating friends – 2 engagements, a baby on the way, and a new homeowner]
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[family visit]

[last pool day of the summer]

[trunk show day!]
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Well… what a fun week! Several girlfriends and I got together mid-week for a most delicious dinner at Watershed to celebrate not one, but two, engagements. Craig and I also drove up to Cartersville to meet his grandparents for a nice little dinner since they were down from Nashville. I love getting to do fun things during the week because it makes the work days a little less painful. 🙂 Our weekend was filled with the last pool day of the summer, dinner out with friends at Bad Dog Taqueria in Emory Village, a trunk show with a favorite old coworker, and our 2nd official “cousin cookout.” We ended the night with a drive around Brookhaven in my brother’s new toy — an old school Toyota Land Cruiser with no doors. So fun!

restaurant review:: the pig and the pearl

Posted on August 13, 2014 by mhayes24

The Pig and the Pearl just opened at Atlantic Station last week, and we checked it out while my dad was passing through town. I’m pretty sure I’m still full from that meal almost a week later. Chef Todd Richards (of The Shed at Glenwood) has created a really enticing menu, filled with all things smoked, as well as raw and smoked seafood. He even stopped by our table to ask how our experience was, which was a nice touch.

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I think we were a little overzealous in our ordering, as we ended up with 5 starters… for 4 people. But we really enjoyed everything we tried: Pimiento Cheese Croquettes, Brunswick Stew “Pot Pie,” Rib Tips ‘n Grits, and raw oysters. The plating and presentation was beautiful with every dish.

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For dinner, I chose the Knife & Fork Pork Shoulder Sandwich, piled high with pickled peaches and arugula. Other dishes at the table were the Spare Ribs and the Knife & Fork Brisket Sandwich. We also shared sides of Smoked Cheddar Mac n Cheese (with double cream, of course), Creamed Corn, and BBQ Red Peas. All were delicious, especially the ribs, brisket, and the sides. My pork shoulder was very heavy on the fat, which I absolutely do not like, but the non-fatty pieces were quite good.

And even after all that, we somehow ended up with three desserts. It’s amazing we didn’t have to be rolled out of there. Here are the goods…
this peach crumble wasn’t on the online menu, and I can’t remember the exact name or ingredients, but it was divine. That coconut ice cream was the perfect accompaniment. Not pictured are the Frozen Jars — a trio of homemade key lime sorbet, chocolate ice cream, and peanut brittle ice cream in mason jars, as well as an assortment of the chef’s confections.

Camp Fire Treat:: smoked chocolate pot de creme, toasted marshmallow mushrooms, pecan praline, salted meringue
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I was really surprised at how well-run the restaurant was for having been open less than a week at that point. The servers were incredibly attentive, and the food was delicious. It’s nice to see an interesting addition to the dining options at Atlantic Station!

A Few of My Favorite Things (81)

Posted on August 11, 2014 by mhayes24

[Stella & Dot outfit of the week:: Ann Taylor Loft tank (old) // Engravable Disc in gold (monogram) // Sutton Stone Necklace (worn long with green stone strand removed)]

[weeknight dessert]
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[fresh fruit delivery]

[more style of the week:: Callie Necklace // Silver Spiral Bardot Bracelet // pink Tieks flats // black JCrew peplum top // GAP jeans]

[birthday celebrations]

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We had a pretty low key week, if you consider a couple dinners out, a birthday celebration, 2 photo gigs, and working part of Saturday low key. 😉 The weather ended up being perfect for an afternoon pool day with some friends on Saturday, and we headed to Six Feet Under, a local seafood restaurant with a great rooftop view of the city over on the Westside (the original location is across from Oakland Cemetery, hence the name). The food was great as usual, but we had the most horrific service I think I’ve ever experienced in a restaurant… needless to say, I won’t be doing a blog post about my great experience there this time around. At least we had great company, which is all that really matters! Also, the countdown to our beach vacation begins… 9 more days!

restaurant review:: euphemia haye (longboat key, fl)

Posted on August 7, 2014 by mhayes24

While we were visitng my parents back home in FL last weekend, they took us to a really amazing dinner at a little place on Longboat Key called Euphemia Haye. It’s been around for 30ish years, so I don’t know how we’ve never been here with them before. The building itself looks like a historic home, and the inside is decorated with all sorts of old Broadway posters and tons of hanging plants covered in little white lights. The restaurant is broken up into smaller dining rooms, which makes it feel really quaint, and the views from the windows are of really pretty gardens surrounding the building.

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One of our favorite things was the banana bread they brought out BEFORE the regular bread… yes, two kinds of bread! A winner in my book from the start. We all agreed it had to be the best banana bread we’ve had. The nice waiter even gave us several pieces to take home. 🙂

We started off with the Fried Green Tomato Fusion (panko and cornmeal-crusted green tomatoes, pan-fried and served with a spicy, roasted red bell pepper sweet chili sauce and topped with pecan pesto and feta cheese) and the Sweet & Spicy Shrimp (Jumbo Gulf shrimp, seasoned with Cajun dust, char-grilled, and served with a honey mustard sauce). I don’t eat shrimp, but the tomatoes were quite yummy. We also got the Nouveau Waldorf Salad, which I could have eaten over and over again. It included tons of pear slices, mixed greens, candied pecans and gorgonzola crumbles, and was drizzled with a red wine vinaigrette.

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The highlight of the meal, though, is what we came for — the Key West Snapper. My dad had this recently and has been raving about it ever since, so 3 of the 4 of us got it for dinner. The dish was made up of fresh Gulf Snapper encrusted with seasoned pistachios, baked, and served with key lime-jalapeño beurre blanc and red pepper curls. To die for. While I like white fish, I don’t usually choose it over other menu items when dining out… but I’d eat this a million times over. The pistachio crust and the key lime sauce were just the most perfect combination.

Next up…. a trip to the dessert room! The space is called the Haye Loft, and it caters to walk-in diners as well as those wanting after dinner drinks/desserts (you can order a small selection of desserts in the regular dining room, too). Dessert is one of my most favorite things ever, so I was pretty excited to get to choose from all of these options below. Although seeing about 12-15 of them lined up next to each other makes for a very hard decision.
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We of course each ordered one… Triple Berry Glaze Pie, Florida Key Lime Pie, Pecan Pie, and Apple Walnut Crumble Pie. Somehow, not a single chocolate dessert in the mix.
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Clearly, they were all terrible.
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If you’re in the Sarasota area anytime soon, you should definitely check out Euphemia Haye. It’s certainly going to be on my list to visit next time we’re home!

A Few of My Favorite Things (80)

Posted on August 5, 2014 by mhayes24

[Stella & Dot outfit of the week:: cream Fab’rik top // citron Old Navy skinnies // Fanella Necklace // Janice Studs on red/orange]

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[my dream come true]
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[a spicy Bone Lick BBQ lunch]
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[small town antiquing]
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[Florida rainbow]
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[the best dinner with my parents]
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[Miss Sophie Kitty]
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[pretty drive through Longboat Key]
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Last week was a fun, busy one — complete with a coworker’s birthday lunch, our monthly Springbluff girls dinner, my Stella & Dot trunk show for the new collection launch, and a trip down to my hometown of Arcadia, FL. The new S&D line is one that should not be missed — there are so many bold colors, geometric patterns, great metallic pieces, and fun new bags/scarves for those non-jewelry ladies. And not to mention the runaway hit, the Engravable Necklaces! I have a mission to get one of those necklace on every lady I know because they’re just that fabulous!

We had such a nice time at home in Florida, including the most amazing dinner at Euphemia Haye on Longboat Key (a restaurant review is coming soon), as well as several other delicious meals, visiting with two of my childhood best friends and their families, taking a long, HOT walk through my neighborhood streets, doing some antiquing, and just hanging out at home with my parents and their funny kitties. Weeks like this one make summer as an adult much more tolerable!

hayes everyday

Monthly Archives: August 2014