West Cobb Diner - Marietta, Georgia

I'm not sure how West Cobb Diner escaped my notice. It's exactly the kind of place I like to try. That's why as soon as I did hear about it the Dining Companion and I headed right over there.

I noticed as were entering that there is a patio adjacent to the restaurant. I asked the hostess if the outside area is pet friendly and she said that it is. Another place where the 4LB Wonder would be welcomed. Nice to know.

The interior is stylish and inviting. It feels like it would be a great place to while away a rainy afternoon.

Warm and inviting dining area - Note the fireplace in the corner

 The food at West Cobb Diner is primarily Southern in style with a few other things added into the mix.

A nice variety

Let me confess something right here. We went to West Cobb Diner with a plan. Having looked over their menus online we decided on a few things to try. When our server Max (I hope I got that right!) dropped off the menus there was also a page of specials included. But, instead of getting all sidetracked like I do, I stuck with the plan.

We ordered a lot of stuff. Most of it ended up coming home with us but I really wanted to try a variety of what was offered.

To begin we ordered two starters - Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp Remoulade and the Smoked Chicken Quesadilla. The tomatoes were crisp without being oily and just what you'd want in a good fried green tomato. The shrimp remoulade however made the dish. It would make just about anything you put it on better.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp Remoulade

The smoked chicken quesadillas were outstanding. You could taste the smoke on the diced chicken as well as the savoriness of the Gouda cheese and the poblano peppers.

Smoked Chicken Quesadilla with Gouda cheese & Pico de Gallo with Roasted Poblanos and Caramelized Onions

We were off to a great start. Next we ordered mains and sides. Some of the dinners come with sides so by ordering an additional sides plate we were able to sample six of the many offered.

For mains we went with a couple of Southern staples - Shrimp and Grits and Country Fried Steak.

Crispy fried shrimp, creamy. cheesy grits and corn salsa. Every single thing about this dish was great. From the perfectly cooked shrimp to the bacon-pepper gravy; delicious, delicious, delicious. 

Jumbo Fried Shrimp & Cheddar Cheese Grits with Bacon-Cracked Pepper Gravy & Roasted Corn Salsa

Next up was the Country Fried Steak. Another home run. The Vidalia Onion gravy totally made this dish. Every bite was great.

Country Fried Steak with Vidalia Onion Gravy, Corn Casserole and Squash Casserole

The corn and squash casseroles were the first of the sides that we ordered. Imagine if you took the best of every Thanksgiving dressing, stuffing or casserole that your grandma ever made; then you'd have an idea of what these two sides were like. But only if your grandma was a good cook. Cause if not then that's not the idea at all.

In addition to all of that we also went for a plate of sides. Called a Veggie Plate on the menu. Four more choices... We ended up with Broccoli Casserole, Cucumbers & Tomatoes, Macaroni & Cheese and Jalapeno Slaw.

From top - Cucumbers & Tomatoes, Macaroni & Cheese, Broccoli Casserole, and Jalapeno Slaw

All really great. Crisp cucumbers and ripe tomatoes with a vinaigrette dressing, spicy creamy slaw and my favorite kind of homemade style mac and cheese. The broccoli casserole was another dish of awesome. Even if you're on the fence about broccoli this dish might make you a convert.

Last but not least is dessert. West Cobb Diner's desserts are made fresh daily so the selection changes. We went with a Lime Cake with some kind of amazing frosting. I can't for the life of me remember what the frosting was (cream cheese maybe?) but it was some kind of awesome.

Lime Cake

We rolled out of West Cobb Diner with a stack of take-out boxes and a plan to come back before patio season is over. There were just so many great things on the menu that we have no choice but to come back and try more stuff and give the pet friendly patio a try.

If you're in the area of the West Cobb Diner, do stop in. The service is friendly and accommodating and the food is fantastic. The perfect antidote to the same old-same old.


Happy dining! 

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! 

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.

New Orleans, Louisiana

The Dining Companion and I (and the 4 Pound Wonder) spent a recent weekend in New Orleans. We stayed at the Loews New Orleans Hotel located in the Warehouse District.

The Loews is a very nice, pet friendly hotel located an easy walk from the French Quarter. They were offering a weekend package that included some dining incentives, gifts and welcome drinks in the hotel bar. Add to that the fact that they treat pets like guests and we had to check this place out.

The 4 Pound Wonder was welcomed with some nice amenities all her own.

If all of that wasn't enough there was also this...

That's right, a room service menu just for her. 

The only downside was the lack of a park or other outside space that was dog friendly. The hotel is downtown so this really wasn't a surprise to us. There is a public plaza adjacent to the hotel that has some trees and small areas of open ground. She made the best of it and it worked out fine.

Enjoying some time in the sun

After getting the 4LBW settled we stopped in at the Swizzle Stick Bar in the lobby for a drink before dinner. There are two parts to the bar, the bar area and an adjacent lounge area.

Lobby Lounge - photo from Loews website

We had dinner at Cafe Adelaide also located in the hotel. The chef offers a modern take on traditional Creole cuisine.The food and service were good. We dined here again for brunch on Saturday.

Cafe Adelaide decorated for brunch

Saturday we spent some time walking around and just seeing the sights before our lunch reservation.

A celebration around every corner

 

I love walking around the city. The beautiful architecture, the people, so much to see.

Part of the weekend package from Loews were gift cards to use at local restaurants. One of them was for dining at Peche Seafood Grill. We had lunch there on Saturday.

 

Lunch started with Shrimp Toast "snack" and a drink called the Ancient Mariner

Shrimp Toast

Ancient Mariner - Plantation 5 yr rum, Goslings Black Seal rum,
grapefruit, lime, allspice dram

We moved on to entrees with the Mahi special and the Chicken Diablo. Yes, chicken, in a seafood place. It turned out to be one of the best dishes we had at Peche.

Chicken Diablo w/ roasted sweet potatoes

Grilled Mahi, Carrot Rice and Broccoli Rabe

 Dessert was a Salted Caramel Cake with a rum pairing

Salted Caramel Cake with caramel buttercream - paired with Prichard’s Fine Gold Rum

Lunch was good. The dining incentive brought us in but the food will bring us back.

Looking out of the window in our room I kept noticing a line of people at a place across the street. My curiosity piqued I set out to find out what everyone was lined up for. I figured if people are lining up for food in New Orleans we had to check it out. (And we did. All will be revealed in an upcoming post!)

 
On our last day in New Orleans we had brunch at the renowned Commander's Palace. It's hard to believe but Commander's has been a New Orleans landmark since the late 1800's. It has a long and storied history. Commander's is the type or place where jackets are still required and people dress for dinner. If for no other reason it needs to be on your must visit list for its place in New Orleans history. Unusual for me, but there are no pictures from brunch. I wanted to give this gem and my Dining Companion all of my attention.

If you plan to visit any major tourist area take a look online to see if any of the local hotels (or chains) or local businesses are offering any specials or deals. We took advantage of a package at Loews New Orleans Hotel and got not only a very nice room but several hundred dollars in dining and drinking incentives. Your next weekend getaway may be just a couple of clicks away.

Happy travels!