Red velvet cupcake. Just the thought makes my stomach grumble. As it is a creation of the south, it definitely made sense for me to get an "authentic" red velvet cupcake while I was in Atlanta. Jen took me to her favorite place to get red velvet - Highland Bakery (which, happily, was just a 10 minute walk from her place).
Since Jen was able to take the day off (story about that later), we leisurely took our time and headed out to a late brunch (basically lunch) at Highland Bakery. I got the Cilantro Corn Pancakes that came with 2 eggs, sour cream, salsa and cheese. Jen, of course, got something with bacon. Who can blame her? Bacon makes the world a better place!
As in true Southern fashion, the portions were large. I probably could have eaten my pancakes for one full day. Besides, I had to save room for my red velvet cupcake, which I might add, was probably the best red velvet I have ever had. It was perfectly moist, not too chocolately, not too sweet, and my God, the cream cheese frosting was AMAZING. It was definitely more cream cheese than sugar, which I prefer. I believe the ratio of frosting to cupcake is about 3:1, but hey, I sure didn't mind. If you are ever in Atlanta, definitely stop by Highland Bakery for some red velvet. Although, you may not be able to enjoy another red velvet again since nothing will be able to compare.
Jen and Jessie's Amazing Day continued as we headed back to the Georgia Aquarium.... so we could dive with FOUR whale sharks. The day before, I had headed back to the main viewing area to sit and watch the sharks in awe. I saw a gentleman with a dive flag and decided to ask him how much the dive was (even though I already knew). He told me that if I really wanted to do it, he could give me the dive for a discounted price. That was all it took. I was immediately on the phone with Jen giving her great reasons why she should do it with me:
1. she hasn't gone diving in the 2 years since she moved to Atlanta
2. when will we ever get this chance again? I don't live in Atlanta, and she doesn't know anyone who dives in Atlanta
3. whale sharks! four of them!
Needless to say, it didn't take much arm twisting. The best part was her recounting how she asked her boss for the day off. She said she went into his office and said, "Dan, I have a strange request, but I respectfully request tomorrow off as I have the opportunity to dive with whale sharks." According to her, he placed both hands on his head and exclaimed, "That is awesome! I didn't even know you can do that! Of course you can take the day off!"
The experience of diving in a 6.3 million gallon tank with four whale sharks, four manta rays, a couple of hammerheads, and about 6000 other fish was beyond words. Having such majestic animals swim literally two feet away from you is something I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life. It was just an overwhelming sensation of awe and surrealism. It was definitely money well spent, especially when we learned that all the money they charge actually goes to shark research and the Georgia Aquarium is a nonprofit.
Our day of awesomeness continued at Kevin Gillespie's Woodfire Grill, where Mr. Todd LaBerge and Jen's friend Naomi, joined us. The open kitchen was really fun to see, especially the actual wood fire grill and oven that they use. We chose the 5 course tasting menu, which was just the right amount of food. We started off with an amuse of local radish, a touch of butter, compressed celery and tarragon. It was definitely a nice balance of flavor and a good way to awaken the palate. Our first course was a shaved fennel with tahini salts, tangerine slices and pomegranate seeds. It was an overall very light and fresh start - the fennel was not too strong, the pomegranate added just the right about of tang, and the salt balanced out some of the acid.
The second course was a day boat scallop that was buttered and pan seared. It was served with sunchoke cream, local radish, lemon, chestnut and pecan browned butter, and a roasted apple. Everything just melded together in perfect harmony. The scallop was fresh, the sear was perfect, the butter and hint of lemon was the perfect touch. We were then served another small dish from the chef - a Moroccan spiced sunchoke and celery hearts. That little bite packed quite a punch and was very tasty. Our next dish was a pork loin and pork belly, with charred broccoli, red pea ragu and a red pickle and onion salad. The pork belly literally melted in my mouth. It was amazing - perfect portion, perfectly cooked, and the charred broccoli was a surprisingly nice touch.
Our other main entree was a lamb loin, squash, greens, rutabaga, and quince. The lamb was perfectly cooked and not gamey. It was all so perfectly seasoned. For dessert, we had a maple marscapone cheesecake. I especially liked that they give you a french press when you ask for coffee at the end of the meal. Apparently, they have their own coffee that they ask the roaster to roast the beans to their specifications.
It was just the perfect meal to end a pretty amazing day. It was definitely not a bad day.
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