Hoggy's

Yeah, I know, you don't expect to see Hoggy's in something called Dandy's Green Scene, but I have to say, for comfort food later on a cool Friday rainy evening, it was a nice respite. We walked in to the location at Dublin and sat down to what we have come to enjoy every now and then. We got two Elevator Nut Brown Ales to start with, which seemed like a good way to start the meal and the weekend.

Candy ordered the sirloin, and while she said it was fine, she may have been spoiled by Rigsby's a couple weeks ago. A side salad with iceberg and some greens accompanied for a little extra.

I got the sides as I always do, and they are really quite good. The Mac-N-Cheese is cheesy, thick, filling, and tasty with both ziti and macaroni elbows. The Mashed Potatoes with skin on and made with cream cheese are likewise tasty, filling, and creamy. And for a little balance, the asparagus was moderately fresh, with candied almonds and flavorfully grilled.

We drove home filled and warmed on a drizzly night.

Mellow Mushroom

I have to say, these guys do this right. Candy, Tom and I headed there last week for some pizza, and they delivered! (I mean, on the quality, not to our door) We walked in the location in Dublin near Sawmill and were greeted by the warm smell of pizza.
Candy got a Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, very mellow and rich, and I got the Magic Hat #9 Apricot cider, which was very refreshing and crisp. Tom's bottomless lemonade was a good deal, which he appreciated.

I won't comment on his Might Meaty Pizza, or Candy's Philosopher Pizza, but my Kosmic Karma Pizza was really tasty and filling. Here's how they describe it: "red sauce base with mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, feta, romas, and a pesto swirl" Yum! The only thing missing were kalamata olives, which I added for a little extra. The crust was chewy and dry, and everything went well together.

Even though it was just 10", it was so well-topped that it was more than I wanted to eat at one sitting, and we all took leftovers home. Great casual place for the whole family with great pizza!

Betty's

Ah, Betty's! We have had many good, and often late, meals there over the years. Always good for that go-to neighborhood hangout. We dropped in Easter Sunday, knowing they'd be there for us. The dark interior, surrounded by vintage risque prints, is always well-filled.
Our experience this time around was a bit below normal, but I can't count off too much for that. Service was good, as always.
Candy got the Pesto Potato soup of the day, which was hearty enough with potato pieces and fairly tasty, but light on the pesto. The Tuscan Tomato was likewise hearty with chunks of tomato and veggies, but a bit acidic to my stomach that day.
I believe Candy's Veggie Burrito with black bean hummus was fine, but I will let her comment on that, if she cares.
My Grilled Tofu Steak was a disappointment. At $11 and a description like this: "Marinated slices of tofu steak topped with a tangy onion sauce made with tomato, cilantro, garlic and curry" you would expect big taste and big slabs of tofu. Unfortunately, three smallish pieces of average tofu greeted me covered with bland sauteed onions. The black beans were likewise bland and as much as I like broccoli, served plain with the other relative tastelessness, this dish left me wanting something really flavorful. I realize this was a vegan meal, but Candy mercifully offered to give me some of her broccoli with cheese sauce, and that helped greatly.
We left a little underwhelmed, but we'll be back because we love Betty's and all the Betty's incarnations.

G. Michael's

We've been talking about going to G. Michael's in German Village for years. After finally going last night, we're kicking ourselves for not going sooner. Everything was top-notch, from the food to the service to the atmosphere. And though it's upscale, the portions were very generous.

For those who've not had the pleasure of supping at G.Mike's, let me describe the ambience: Imagine your favorite neighborhood bar. Now imagine a conservatory, filled with windows and light. Now imagine a romantic alcove with dimmed lights and Rosemary Clooney on the stereo. All three of these environments are found at this charming establishment, believe it or not! While we dined in the plush and secluded back room, I'm looking forward to checking out the other vistas as well. Great atmosphere and fantastic flavor profiles orchestrated by Executive Chef (and fellow Miami grad) David Tetzloff equal a new favorite dining destination. :-)

We started with soup. I chanced the chilled cucumber soup and found it delicious. There was a dollop of creme, a hint of garlic, and it was all fresh.

Knowing that the chef has an affinity for Southern cuisine, I couldn't resist good old ham 'n bean soup. Made with country ham and including swiss chard in a tomato base, it packed a flavorful wallop and more than a little heat. This ain't your mama's bean soup, let me tell ya!

Salads next. I had the Spinach Salad with red onion, chevre, and fried sunchokes with lemon-poppy dressing. The healthy-sized plate was well worth the price and the fresh spinach went perfectly with the ultra-creamy chevre. The fried sunchoke was a nice surprise, adding a flavorful crispy topping reminiscent of leeks. And the dressing complemented the rest nicely.

Ah, if only all house salads were as complex as G. Michael's! The greens were deep, dark and lovely. Topped with tangy poached pear slices, spiced pecans and a generous sprinkling of gorgonzola (for an extra $1.00), it was nearly a meal unto itself. Bonus points for a light hand with the creamy gorgonzola dressing.

There was only one vegetarian entree on the menu, and my only suggestion would be that they consider adding more. What I had was very tasty: Spinach-stuffed Portobello Mushroom with roasted garlic grits and sundried tomato cream sauce. The texture was good, the flavor not too mushroomy and the grits and flavorful sauce balanced the sizable amount of tasty spinach.
I chose one of the specials: venison scallopine, resting on a hash of purple potatoes, squash and peppers. The cutlets were tender and complimented by the goat cheese and herb spread that capped the plate. Not vegetarian, to be sure, but an excellent choice for a carnivore not afraid to commune with plant-based yumminess. I assure you that Bambi did not die in vain. ;-)

And finally, the piece de resistance, which we didn't even try to resist: the coffee cheesecake. Creamy cheesecake drizzled with Irish coffee sauce, topped with mascarpone whipped cream, on a graham cracker crust, accompanied by fresh red raspberries and blueberries. It's one of those delights that never stops delivering the flavor, from the first bite to the last.

Umm...what he said. It rocked! For those leery of an overpowering coffee flavor (think: amateur attempts at tiramisu), there's no need to worry. Perfectly balanced flavors have allowed this dish to edge to the top of my favorite desserts EVER list.