Side veg/Salad to go with Kunde Estate Reserve Chardonnay?

Hi,
I'm having a Kunde Estate Reserve Chardonnay with either scallops or halibut on Saturday. Thinking of starting with cold cucumber soup (not sure if there are specific spices to avoid? sometimes I do it with light curry, sometimes with just garlic and shallot and yogurt...). But I'm looking for an easy side dish that will compliment the wine (or a salad).

I saw earlier posts recommending AGAINST much garlic, so will keep that in mind for the scallops. And one person's post made me think perhaps I should serve the scallops/halibut over mashed potatoes rather than over pasta, as I was planning.

Any ideas?

Many thanks!
Lisa

ldillma in Wine

Vegan pairing for Merlot (Three Rivers)

Thanks! I am not strict at all (in fact, not even vegan, just don't eat dairy and will be cooking on Sunday for a friend who doesn't eat meat). So this is def a possibility. And luckily, I live near TJs! : )

ldillma in Wine

Vegan pairing for Merlot (Three Rivers)

Hey Y'all,

This is similar to a May 20 posting for a Cab veg pairing request, but I am looking for both no meat and no dairy to pair with a Three Rivers Merlot that is supposed to have notes of chocolate on it.

I Googled Merlot pairings and came up with a few recipes that I wasn't actually convinced would go well with it (red beans and rice, with celery and bell peppers, e.g.).

One thing: if there is some amazing chicken or meat recipe, I can potentially substitute seitan for it, so it's not actually off the cards.

At the moment, the only things I've come up with that I'm considering are
1. African Curry, with coconut milk and curry powder
2. the Red Beans and Rice

Any other suggestions much appreciated!
Thanks
Lisa

ldillma in Wine

What's got cozy charm in Atlanta?

Hm. Personally I find it hard to find anything in Buckhead very charming or cozy. Too corporate and fake and SUV-ish for me. But if you're willing to drive, I'd call cozy and charming places like Twain's and Thinking Man's Tavern, both in Decatur. Neither are "fireplacey" sorts of bars, but both are independent, funky, good beers, decent food. Also, for GREAT food and beer, and, come to think of it, much more "cozy" atmospheres, try the Book House Pub on Ponce de Leon, and The Porter Beer Bar, in Little Five Points. Both are "gastro pubs". The Porter has, imho, the best calamari ever (flash friend with razor thin slices of lemon and jalapenos that give amazing flavor). The Porter has endless beers on tap, some of which are very pricey. But it's a great atmosphere, the waiters are really cool, the food is somewhat local, and really tasty (great fish -n- chips, too). Hope that helps!

ldillma in Atlanta

Best Ethopian in ATL?

Meskerem used to be located by the Tara theater. It's now on the corner mentioned in the reply below, where there a total of 4 Ethiopian places on one corner. I have been curious about Desta for ages and still not been to it (they advertise in CL a lot). However, I have been to Meskerem many times and love it. It's cheap and unpretentious, they have a liquor license, and it tends to be half-full of Ethiopians, which I take as a good sign. I almost always get the Doro Wot or the Vegetarian platter. Love them both. I grew up in a part of LA that has many Ethiopian restaurants and find Meskerem comparable in quality. They're also very friendly and will keep bringing injera until you can't take it anymore. My favorite is the lentil one with the thick spicy red sauce tho I can't think of it's name right now. One thing: nothing there (to me) is super spicy. I like very spicy food, and would qualify this as fairly mild (but very flavorful and yummy!)

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Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant
2781 Clairmont Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329

ldillma in Atlanta