Chow Down Atlanta

I end my chain series with Bahama Breeze. I actually went first when it opened years ago and then again a couple of weeks ago but didn’t know how to tie it into my other articles until now. My brother who lives in NY came for a visit and wanted to try (of all places) Bahama Breeze. He said it looked quirky. So off we went.

I’m not going to comment about the decor — all chains are the same. Except with different themes. This one has an island-slash-Caribbean theme complete with wicker chairs. I’ve heard about this place as having great and inexpensive drinks. But I’m not impressed. Although they have an arsenal of cocktails, the alcohol is so weak you can hardly taste it. And that’s coming from a non-drinker like me. (I have a good friend and an eating buddy who got me drunk on 3 sips of Amaretto Sour. But that’s for another story.)

I really liked the Jamaican Grilled Chicken Wings. They’re marinated with spicy jerk seasonings that are very flavorful. The wings are grilled right and are just plain wonderful. These make great appetizers.

We got a few pasta dishes that seemed to all taste the same and three orders of paella. The paella looked really good. But it was salty beyond belief that we had to take them back. We never have anything taken back anywhere unless absolutely necessary. But this one’s uneatable. It tasted like there’s a half a teaspoon of salt for every bite! The server (who gave really great service) told us that the culprit was the sausages and that they’re cooked separately and then incorporated into the paella including the drippings. Makes sense. But still. So we had the sausages completely taken out and, alas, the paella became bearable but tasted like there was something lacking. The yellow rice resembled Uncle Ben’s which was a turn-off. Good paellas use Arborio rice. Long grain Asian rice is the next option but never Uncle Ben’s. The only saving grace were the fresh seafood and chicken.

Like I said, the pasta dishes we ordered all tasted basically the same. But I did like my Lobster and Shrimp Pasta with a creamy sauce, fresh mushrooms, and herbs served over linguine. I must say it was really good. The sauce was buttery and creamy but not cloyingly rich and thick. It had a hint of brandy which added depth to the flavors. There was a surprisingly good amount of lobster and shrimp which was another plus.

Okay, so it’s chain dining. There are some really good chains out there. This one’s just middle of the road.

Insider tip:
The Breezy Sangria, Bahamarita, and Piña Colada are worth a trip.

The scoop:
Bahama Breeze
3590 Breckinridge Blvd
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 935-6509

Two other locations:
Alpharetta:
10845 Haynes Bridge Road
Alpharetta, GA 30022
Phone: (678) 319-9949

Kennesaw:
755 Ernest W. Barrett Parkway N.W.
Kennesaw, GA 30144
Phone: (678) 354-7777

Technorati Tags: Bahama Breeze, Caribbean cuisine, bar, Duluth, Alpharetta, Kennesaw

Here’s another chain for you. This time, barbecue. The first time I got introduced to Jim ‘n Nick’s Bar-B-Q was about three years ago during Taste of Atlanta. They had a line literally a mile long.

They have this thing on the menu called Mr. Jim’s Deluxe Combo that serves two people. I’m all for combos like these because they allow you to get a taste of a bunch of things in one sitting. The deluxe combo here comes with a half-rack of ribs plus an additional 3 barbecue meats and 4 sides. A great deal for two people sharing. We decided to go for it and had spicy sausage, brisket, and chicken with mac-and-cheese, coleslaw, fries, and collard greens with the half-rack of spare ribs which have more fat than the regular baby back ribs.

The ribs had a lot of meat around the bones and were tender and moist. The spicy sausages were really, really good with a good amount of heat in them. The brisket, likewise, was moist and tender; as well as the chicken. Their barbecue sauce is a bit on the thin side. Taste wise, they’re just, well, okay. Not fantastic but not bad either. I much prefer Fox Bros or One Star Ranch. The sides were all okay, too. I did like the collard greens which weren’t bitter at all.

They also have these heavenly cheese biscuits that taste like sweet, cheesy muffins. They are to die for. I’d go back for these biscuits alone.

Anyway, there’s really nothing special about this place, in my opinion. Just a popular chain where you can get okay barbecue.

Insider tip:
Located at The Avenue Forsyth. Check website for other locations.

The scoop:
Jim ‘n Nick’s Bar-B-Q
3130 Ronald Reagan Blvd
Cumming, GA 30041
(678) 845-1565

Technorati Tags: Jim n Nick’s, barbecue, Cumming

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as much as I did. Now back to regular programming.

I’ve been eating at chains the past week and one of the stops I made was at Red Robin up in Cumming at The Avenue Forsyth (a brand new outdoor mall). It’s fascinating to note that every single food establishment in and around this mall is packed to the rafters every single weekend. Packed.  With 45 minute waits. Every single one of them. Even the yuckiest of them all. If I was gonna open a restaurant, it would be here. It’s a gold mine.

But back to my chain dining… The place looks like a chain, smells like a chain, even sounds like a chain. As with any other chain, it’s bright and it’s loud. Really loud. With a bevy of over-eager teen-aged servers.

My order of choice was obviously a burger, seeing that it’s their specialty. There are quite a few burger choices on the menu but I settled for a cheeseburger since it’s easier to compare with other burgers. Burgers here come in two temperatures: “pink or no pink”; which is their chain speak for your preferred doneness. They also come with bottomless steak fries.

The burger was meh. In fact, I wanted to shout, “where’s the beef?” I could not taste the beef at all with the large amount of toppings. First of all, the beef patty was tiny and the buns were huge and tasteless. Then, it didn’t help that it also had a whole handful of shredded lettuce, two huge slices of tomatoes, 2 slices of cheese, 7 onion rounds, 4 big pickle slices, and 3 teaspoons of mayo.  It’s like eating a salad sandwich. And although the steak fries were steaming hot, they were limp and bland. For around $10 I prefer to go to Five Guys where I can get 4 burgers which are far more superior in taste and quality.

Inside scoop:
Flavored teas have free refills

The scoop:
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Spirits
370 Peachtree Pky
Cumming, GA 30041
(770) 781-0200
Sun-Thurs: 11a-10p; Fri-Sat: 11a-11p