Tin Pail

The cheesy spread, shown from a birds eye view, is chicken nachos from Tin Lizzy's Cantina. The famous nachos are served with melted queso blanco, lettuce, and chucks of tender chicken. Tin Lizzy's brings the mountain of nachos, in a tin pail, to the table. The serving size is large enough to share with the table,  but its the perfect size for me.  The queso blanco is hot and freshly spread across the bed of crispy tortilla chips. It compliments well with any of the margaritas on the drink menu. I enjoyed munching on the chicken nachos while on Tin Lizzy's outdoor patio. The weather was sunny and the nachos were heavenly.

FYI: Tin Lizzy's Cantina

FOOD TIP: You can make your own tortilla chips from corn or flour tortillas by lightly frying them.

Feature of the Week: July 26-Aug. 1

A Taste of Heaven would not exist if it were not for the audience, so I want to show my appreciation by dedicating Thursdays to the fans. If you eat or make a dish of your own and its camera ready, then you can email me your photos. I will review and post them on Thursday.  It’s important to remember presentation, style, and taste. I look forward to seeing your Taste of Heaven.

FYI: Email Pictures...

Description: Many of you know that I’m a strong lover of Italian food. The pastas, salads, and garlic knots are my favorites. This taste of heaven is meaty lasagna. It’s made up of fresh pasta sheets, marinara sauce, fresh herbs, ricotta, mozzarella, and Romano cheeses. I have always wanted to make my own lasagna, but I’m searching for the perfect recipe. I want to incorporate Italian sausage and five different cheeses. If anyone has a recipe handy, please send it to me. I can’t wait to share it with you guys!

What's Under Your Sleeve?

It’s been a long week, and you’re dying for a break. Well, I have the perfect solution. I’m introducing Whine Down Wednesdays. Every Wednesday I will offer a drink to the viewers. You don’t have to wait until the weekend arrives to enjoy a great drink. Take a break and have a sip of A Taste of Heaven.  

Since it was my first time visiting Yard House, I had to try one of their specialty drinks. This taste of heaven is called the House Tropic. Its Cruzan banana rum, Malibu mango rum, pineapple juice, sweet & sour, and Midori float. The bright green color stuck out the most to me. It’s was very tropical, and the red cherry was the perfect accent. The drink itself had an island flavor that had a sweet, but smooth taste. I only ordered one, but that was enough for me, since it was served in a tall glass. If the House Tropic was on point, then I know Yard House has other great drinks up their sleeve.

FYI: Yard House

FOOD TIP:  Pineapple juice has a great source of vitamin A and E.

Abstract Art

One of my favorite places to visit is Atlantic Station because it offers shopping, movies, and restaurants. In April 2012, Atlantic Station had its grand opening for a new restaurant called Yard House. The new location includes an island bar, over 130 menu items, abstract artwork, and much more. When I ventured to Yard House, I ordered the seared Ahi Sashimi. Plated freshly is lightly blackened ahi sashimi with soy vinaigrette, wasabi, and pickled ginger. The seared ahi sashimi is actually a sushi selection with a visual twist. The customer can build their own sushi with the elements presented on the plate, and enjoy their favorite sushi at the same time. If you’re looking for a great happy hour menu, large draft beer selections, or late night specials, then Yard House needs to be your next stop. I definitely will be visiting again.

FYI: Yard House

FOOD TIP: Ginger is used for many medicinal purposes.

The Ultimate Combo

I love dishes that combine my favorite foods. The ultimate combo is seafood and steak. This taste of heaven is Shrimp Scampi and Steak Diane from The Cheesecake Factory. The beautiful spread consists of medallions of Angus beef steak with black peppercorns and a mushroom wine sauce. The shrimp scampi is sautéed with fresh garlic, white wine, tomato, and basil. Then for the side item, we have two dollops of fresh mashed potatoes. When I say the plate was clean, I devoured everything but the tails on the shrimp. Everything was seasoned perfectly, and the flavors melted in my mouth. If you order the Shrimp Scampi and Steak Diane, make sure you have a big appetite ready.

FYI: The Cheesecake Factory

FOOD TIP: Cold temperatures lesson the flavor in tomatoes.

Feature of the Week: July 19-25

A Taste of Heaven would not exist if it were not for the audience, so I want to show my appreciation by dedicating Thursdays to the fans. If you eat or make a dish of your own and its camera ready, then you can email me your photos. I will review and post them on Thursday.  It’s important to remember presentation, style, and taste. I look forward to seeing your Taste of Heaven.

FYI: Email Pictures...

Description: I’m a lover of sweets, but I just can’t get on the cake scene. I haven’t eaten a slice of cake since I was in first grade. If you put a cookie, brownie, or ice cream before me, then I’m sold. I plan to give it another try in the future, but I’m taking baby steps. This taste of heaven is Italian cream cake. Its six layers of cream icing and Italian cake. I have to be honest, this feature actually looks like it would be moist and flavorful. The whipped cream on the side is a nice a touch, and it doesn’t look overwhelmed with icing. The spread is simple, but elegant. Great Job Gail!

The Most Wanted

It’s been a long week, and you’re dying for a break. Well, I have the perfect solution. I’m introducing Whine Down Wednesdays. Every Wednesday I will offer a drink to the viewers. You don’t have to wait until the weekend arrives to enjoy a great drink. Take a break and have a sip of A Taste of Heaven.

One of the best tequilas is Patron Silver. The crystal clear mixture has fresh agave with fruits and citrus. It has a 40% alcohol content, and it’s made with the finest blue agave. I love making house margaritas with the famous tequila and using it in the Patron Passion Fruit cocktail. Patron Silver is great for straight shots and party atmospheres. It gets the night going, and the guest love it! It’s the Most Wanted.

FYI: Patron Tequila

FOOD TIP: Patron Tequila was launched in 1989.

Late Night Snack

One night, I was so hungry I didn’t know what to cook. I looked in the fridge, and all I saw was a bag of romaine lettuce. Since it was late, I figured a bacon salad wouldn’t be so bad. Plated is a romaine salad with bacon, mushrooms, tomato, cheese, boiled egg, apple, crushed black pepper, and Texas garlic croutons.  I loaded this salad with everything. By the time I was finished preparing it, the salad look like a huge mountain. This did not discourage me one bit; I ate every last drop. Go hard or go home.

FYI: Further Details...

FOOD TIP: Pineapples, grapes, and strawberries are great fruits to add to your next salad.

Feature of the Week: July 12-18

A Taste of Heaven would not exist if it were not for the audience, so I want to show my appreciation by dedicating Thursdays to the fans. If you eat or make a dish of your own and its camera ready, then you can email me your photos. I will review and post them on Thursday.  It’s important to remember presentation, style, and taste. I look forward to seeing your Taste of Heaven.

FYI: Email Pictures...

Description: This taste of heaven is jerk chicken wings. These wings are seasoned with Caribbean spices and paired with ranch and blue cheese dressing. Then on the side, fresh celery sticks are served to calm down the hotness. I’ve tried jerk chicken wings before, and they were flaming HOT. Even though I love Jamaican jerk spices, I can only eat it on certain occasions because it’s so spicy. If you’re a fan of hot food, then I would recommend anything cooked with jerk spice. However, make sure you have a glass of milk handy. I promise you will thank me later.

Remedy

It’s been a long week, and you’re dying for a break. Well, I have the perfect solution. I’m introducing Whine Down Wednesdays. Every Wednesday I will offer a drink to the viewers. You don’t have to wait until the weekend arrives to enjoy a great drink. Take a break and have a sip of A Taste of Heaven.

I’m very indecisive when it comes to picking a drink. There are a lot of styles that I have not tried, so I experiment every time I visit a bar. This taste of heaven is frozen Pina Colada swirled with Strawberry Daiquiri. It’s one of the smoothest mixtures I have ever tasted. Before I ordered the Strawberry Pina Colada, I tried them both to see which one was better. Of course I couldn’t choose, so I mixed them together. The frozen mixture was served in a tall wide glass, so I didn’t have to worry about running out. It was blazing hot outside, and the Strawberry Pina Colada was the perfect remedy.

FYI: Cheeseburger in Paradise

FOOD TIP: Pina Colada is a rum based cocktail made with coconut cream and pineapple.

Savory Crab

One of my favorite appetizers is crab cakes. Maryland has some of the best crab cakes I have ever tasted. Their cakes are loaded with pure crab and then lightly fried or seared for crunch. Since Maryland is far away, I have to search for the best crab cakes in Atlanta. Plated is a jump lump crab cake over a puddle of tomato butter sauce. The crab cake is placed adjacent to a mixed green salad that is absolutely delicious. The crab meat is fresh and tastes like butter. Unfortunately, I had to share my appetizer, but I would recommend this jump lump crab cake for one person. Savor each bite, and enjoy the moment while it lasts.

FYI: Strip

FOOD TIP: Maryland is home for crab cakes.

Locked & Loaded

It’s the summertime and everybody is grilling their favorite foods. Plated are two mushroom turkey burgers. They are loaded with lettuce, tomato, mushrooms, sliced cheese, sautéed onions, mayonnaise, ketchup, and pickles. These turkey burgers are tender, juicy, and seasoned perfectly. I love having turkey burgers with fresh cut French fries or creamy fried corn. It’s a quick meal to make, and a great dish to share with company.

FYI: Further Details...

FOOD TIP: Mushrooms don't need sunlight to grow.

Secret Snaps

I had no idea that this picture was being taken. I was making some lunch and while I was plating, my friend snapped a few photos. This taste of heaven is chicken nachos. It’s a combo of shredded cheese, chicken, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and French dressing over crispy tortilla chips. Nachos are great for a late lunch or for a light dinner. They are easy to make and there are so many different topping you can use; avocado, black beans, and jalapenos are few of the extras. I enjoy nachos because I feel healthy while I am eating them, and I love loading them with toppings.

FYI: Further Details...

FOOD TIP: Heating the tortilla chips in the oven adds an extra crunch to the equation.