Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Hemingway's Bar and Grill - Marietta, Georgia


A recent sunny weekend found our intrepid trio once again in search of a pleasant patio. Their search was helped again by BringFido. This time they found themselves at Hemingway's Bar and Grill on Marietta Square where we pick up our story...

Marietta Square surrounds Glover Park and is home to many dining and entertainment spots. Hemingway's Bar and Grill is one of them. Parking is located on the street as well as in public lots that dot the area but may be a challenge at peak times. Plan accordingly. We grabbed a spot not too far away and walked over. Well, not directly. Walking with the 4LB Wonder is always interesting. She has to investigate along the way which means stopping to SMELL ALL THE THINGS. We made it to the restaurant by and by.

Hemingway's patio is located in a bricked lined alleyway. Covered tables provide plenty of shade in this sunny spot.
 
It's a great spot and because we were there mid-afternoon it was pretty quiet. Except for the train. A train track crosses the alley on one side. As trains go through the crossing they blow their whistles. Loudly. And often. It's over fairly quickly though and quiet is restored but it was a bit of a surprise.
We were there at end of shift and in between lunch and dinner so things were a little slowed down. We waited a bit but were happy just to sit and enjoy the day.

With our drinks the 4LB Wonder received a bowl of water and a treat. A nice touch and a sure sign that Hemingway's is as pet friendly as we thought.
The human members of our party decided to split an order of Chili Tots and the Classic 1/2lb Burger.

Classic Burger - Served with Lettuce, Vine Ripened Tomato & Mayonnaise on a Toasted Kaiser Roll - The tots were perfect by the way

Chili Tots - Tater Tots Smothered with Chili, Topped with Jack & Cheddar Cheeses
Hemingway's makes a pretty good burger; well seasoned if not exactly to temperature. The tots though were prefect. The exact crispness that I enjoy and not at all greasy. I'd go back just for an order of tots and a beer. The chili tots benefited from having the perfect tots as a base. The chili was mild but flavorful and the whole thing worked well enough.

It's been a pleasure to find dining spots that provide not only a welcoming environment for out 4-legged friends but also good food and a nice place to enjoy it. We're more than happy to support these establishments and will definitely be returning to Hemingway's soon.

There are also several other places around the square that look interesting. We'll be back to check those out too.

Happy dining! 

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Moxie Burger - Marietta, Georgia



Over the past couple of weeks the Dining Companion and I have been scouting out dining spots where the 4LB Wonder would be welcome. With patio season in full swing that task has been fairly easy. As I've mentioned before I use the website BringFido to find dog friendly spots in any given area. Moxie Burger was a great find.

Moxie Burger is located in a picturesque business district made up of local, small businesses.
 



We made our way there for lunch a couple of weekends back. We got a nice tour of the business park thanks to the 4LB Wonder's desire to smell all the things. After a bit of a walk we found a seat on Moxie Burger's shady covered patio.

Although not visible in this photo water dishes are available for 4-legged visitors
Moxie Burger is a fast casual place. Most typified by the process of ordering at a counter and then having your order delivered to your table. We grabbed a menu to look over our choices and then I went inside to place our order.

Besides the traditional beef burgers, Moxie also offers a few other options. You can get a lamb burger, a black bean patty, a portobello cap or a turkey or buffalo burger. Something for most everyone. They also offer hotdogs, salads and a nice variety of sides that include things like brocolli salad and goat cheese fritters. A nice, well thought out menu.

I decided on the eponymous Moxie Burger and the Dining Companion had The Entrepreneur burger which is Moxie's build-your-own-burger option.

The Moxie Burger - Bacon, fried green tomato, pimento cheese & Moxie sauce


The Entrepreneur Burger - Lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo
The burgers were good; perfectly cooked, sturdy but soft buns and plenty of tasty toppings. You can get beer or wine to go with your burger as well as the usual soft drinks.

Overall we were happy with Moxie Burger and plan to get back there soon. The fact that the 4LB Wonder is welcome is a nice perk that we really appreciate. 


 Happy dining!

NOTE: In our search for pet friendly dining spots we found a couple more that made the cut for return visits.  


The Rib Ranch in Marietta serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and welcomes furry family members on their patio. All this from a BBQ place that also serves a really decent bowl of Texas chili.


Pisano's Pizza in Kennesaw, GA A great Antipasto Salad as well as pizza by the slice, strombolis, pasta and sandwiches.








Tuesday, July 7, 2015

A Room with a View

Lowes, New Orleans
Lowes, New Orleans
A cityscape as day turns to night, the ocean as it slaps against the shore, a tumble of buildings that house the day to day of a place. Things we see through our changing window on the world.

Marriott, Houston
Marriott Plaza, San Antonio

Residence Inn, Austin, TX

Hotel El Convento, San Juan, PR
Hyatt Resort, Key West

Enterprise Hotel, Milan - Laundry and the occasional cat

Marriott, Sioux Falls, SD
Hotel Sofitel, Chicago
Marriott, Providence, RI
We while away the time sitting in a comfortable chair, sipping a cup of coffee, staring out the window.

The cities change, the views change but the wonder and excitement of a new adventure never changes.

Happy travels!