The last week I actually got stay in Georgia which was a nice, welcome break from the daily grind of travel. I'm hoping to visit some great spots this coming week as I head out to New York and New Orleans. Please be sure to check back and as always I welcome suggestions.

Tonight we went out for dinner at an amazing restaurant right here in good ole Kennesaw. It's called Penang...that's right not exactly southern comfort food! Well, let me tell you: It may not southern but it is all about comfort and boasts an eclectic menu featuring the best Malaysian-style cooking one could have. What exactly is Malaysian? To me it is the best combo of Indian, Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese styles of cooking and flavors. Here is a link to the website and the menu.

http://www.penangusa.com/location_uws_menu_in.html

When you hit the site you will see a variety of locations and while the Georgia location is not on the site their menu is identical. Not sure how the food tastes at the other locations but here in Kennesaw it is nothing short of fantastic.

We were greeted by the nicest folks welcoming us as if into their home. All the staff there are friendly and willing to help out with narrowing the broad menu selection. We decided to start with the Roti Canai, which are Crispy Indian-style pancakes with curry chicken dipping sauce. This stuff is a bowl of curry goodness...the roti is flaky and buttery, and dipping it into the curry is the perfect compliment of flavors and textures. We were mopping up the bowl trying to get every last drop! Here is a picture:



Once our palates were ready we wanted them to bring on the onslaught of spices and flavors. We tried a variety of items to get a sense of what they could offer. Our main entrees included the following: boneless curry chicken, pad Thai with chicken, sizzling beef plate, and veggie fried rice. Here are pics of all the delights:









Now those of you who know me understand that I like to keep it simple. So am I not going to do the foo foo detailed explanation of each dish. Here is what you need to know: The food is out of this world. Everything above is amazing. If you don't like it I think your IQ is in question. After sampling each I had strong desire to get up and hug all of the staff to thank them for such an amazing meal!

If you are local, make the trip out to this place, you will not be disappointed!


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http://www.marlowstavern.com/


It has been a really long time but I gotta get better at this - I feel it is an injustice to not write about all the places I get to eat at during my busy weeks traveling. From now on...one entry every day while I am on the road. This is my commitment to you!

Today was Marlow's Tavern in Kennesaw, GA. We have eaten here before but couldn't remember if it was good or bad. Forgettable? Well, we decided to find out. To my surprise it was really nice. I like the decor and feel of the place. It brings a modern edge to the tavern with an upscale look and feel but not upscale prices.

We started with a tavern fav - homemade Kettle Chips topped with a Gorgonzola cheese sauce and a nice little tomato salsa. Chips were piping hot and salted just right so as not to be overly salty.

Wife had a chicken queso soup with tortilla strips. It was very close to a chicken tortilla soup, the portion size was just right and the flavors were fantastic! Creamy with right hint of heat. I had the blackened tilipia fish tacos. Not bad, but not great either. The fish was great, although, I would like to see a meatier white fish like cod, or mahi mahi. They topped it with lettuce, but for a true fish taco, it should be garnished with a cabbage slaw. There was a chile sauce that added some nice flavors and I also requested some sriracha sauce which really hit the spot!



A quick lunch but I liked it. A definite spot I would return to with friends to grab some grub and catch the game on one of their many flat screen TV and cool bar.

Since my husband, The Eating Executive, does more executive things lately and less in the way of eating - or at least less blogging about eating, I've decided to hijack this blog.

I met a girlfriend and her sister tonight a few miles from home at a tapas bar but I don't really have much in the way of positive remarks.

I should first say that I'm not ordinarily the biggest fan of tapas or small plates. The moment I hit my stride and find something I love, I look down and the plate is empty. Not good. As a result, I wasn't expecting much from The Cave Tapas Bar in Kennesaw, GA and they didn't exceed my expectations. At all. In any way.

First, they dropped off our menus - those vinyl tri-fold menus. Problem was, they forgot to slip the actual paper menus into them. Stellar. After getting the waiter's attention and requesting menus with actual typeprint explaining their offerings, we asked to order an appetizer to start and then a few plates to share. The waiter told us just to hold onto the menu and order as we wanted the food. Wuuuh?? Just space it out, dude!

While we were waiting for the first thing we ordered (since they couldn't manage the timing themselves), we ordered a bottle of wine. We were told that they had to run next door to buy a bottle of wine at the liquor store (classy) only to discover they purchased the wrong bottle. We then ordered an alternative only to discover they didn't have that one, either. To their credit, they offered us a more expensive bottle at the price of our second choice. Yay for that. That's all I have to "yay" about.

We ordered a salami & cheese plate, wings, sliders and green beans. Nothing was downright bad and the wings were pretty good for a joint that doesn't specialize in wings, but nothing was outstanding. The sliders had more bun than "stuff." The salami & cheese plate was very amateurish. The beans were true to their garlic-n-parmesan description but were a smidge shy of gourmet.

Atmosphere: Dark, rustic
Cleanliness: Clean, not smoky, bathrooms were clean
Food: Mediocre
Service: Awful
Overall: Don't bother

Back home for the weekend and getting closer to March 12th when my friends come into town. I have been trying to scope out some places locally for us to chill and hang at. I have noticed that in the area there are 3 different establishments named "Sidelines Grill", and I've been wondering if they are a chain, but they look too different to be related to one another.

I did a little research on the web and found that only one of them really gets any attention online. Here is a link to the website:

http://www.sidelinesga.com/

Since its the only I managed to find any info on online, its the only one I am going to try out for now. It is located in a strip mall on Barret Parkway, a busy thoroughfare in Kennesaw, GA. When we walked in there were a couple of instant bursts to our senses. First it seems a lot of smokers come to this place - Georgia still allows smoking in its bars and some restaurants. Secondly, its definitely a sports bar as there are at least 40 flat screen TVs and one huge projection screen. I'm not a big fan of the smoking but luckily we were there for lunch so it wasn't too bad.

We were greeted promptly by our waitress, and started going through the menu. Here is a link to the menu:

http://www.sidelinesga.com/kenn_menu.html

The menu lists typical bar fare. There were some interesting items I was really curious about. The first one was the Black bean hummus. I am always skeptical of hummus at non-Middle Eastern places but for whatever reason I'm always compelled to order it, hoping for the best. When the dish came out it was served with veggies and warm pita. The verdict...REALLY GOOD!!! I was amazed that this dish was so good, not at all what I expected at a sports bar in Kennesaw. The black bean influence on the hummus was great, it also had a little kick with a hint of cayenne pepper. It was the perfect texture - creamy and smooth.

For entrees my wife ordered a French dip sandwich and I ordered the grouper sandwich. Both came out and were presented really well and looked delicious. I ordered the grouper blackened and asked for it to come with fresh home made chips. The fish was cooked well and on a nice size hoagie with lettuce, tomato, onions and tartar sauce. The chips were awesome! Freshly made, hot and crispy! I don't usually finish my entire entree but could not help it with this one! 30 minutes and that plate was clean! Wifey's sandwich looked great as well and she confirmed it as the beef was tender and seasoned well along with the au jus. Here is a picture of the grouper:



I wish there was no smoke in the place. That took away from the experience but for what it is worth, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of food and not just "for a bar" - it was great food regardless of the type of establishment. You can tell the chef in the back really enjoys putting out a decent plate for the hungry bar goer.

I am looking forward to a return trip.

Today for lunch my wife and I decided to try one of the restaurants near our home in Kennesaw, GA. I read about a cafe called The Boxcar; the menu looked simple with a good selection of sandwiches, wraps and salads.

The restaurant is located in historic downtown Kennesaw and has a very homey and comfortable setting. You can tell it is a place full of regulars as the wait staff pretty much knew everyone by name. Service is prompt and friendly and I was very excited to give the menu a try.

Despite all the great first impressions, we got off on the wrong foot. One of my biggest pet peeves is a restaurant that runs out of items listed on the menu. We wanted to start with the spinach and artichoke dip, but..."we ran out"...ouch, not good. We decided to order the Mushroom Quesadilla for an appetizer instead.

On to ordering the main course. My wife wanted the French Dip...again..."we have no roast beef"...how does a sandwich place run out of roast beef?

Instead, my wife ordered a chicken salad pita with chips and potato salad. I ordered a turkey melt on whole wheat with chips.

First came the Mushroom Quesadilla appetizer. It was cut into 4 pieces and accompanied with salsa and sour cream with a lettuce garnish. The quesadilla was filled with grilled mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese. The outside was crispy, cheese melted well but the mushrooms were just not that warm, at least for my liking. Regardless flavors worked well. The salsa was really ordinary and nothing special.

Next came the sandwiches. The turkey melt I ordered was great! Topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, mayo and cheddar cheese, the deli turkey tasted great and the portion of meat on my sandwich was just right.

My wife's chicken salad pita sandwich was not as good but I liked it. There were some elements of the sandwich that was not typical of chicken salad. A combination of pecans, apples, a little celery, and mayo made up the chicken salad, however it was served warm. I have never had warm chicken salad - not bad, but definitely unexpected. The pita was filled with lettuce and and cheddar cheese as well. Like I said it was a little unconventional but still okay. The meal came accompanied with my personal favorite item which was a mashed potato salad. Something I have never had but is apparently popular in the Tennessee area. It had just a hint of cayenne mixed in for a slight kick which made this a great little side item.

The Boxcar calls itself a cheesecake cafe, and sadly we did not try any! Gotta watch those calories. However, in the hour or so we were there a line of folks were waiting just for the cheesecake to take out, that has to be a good sign! Maybe next time.

Overall I like the place, we got off to a rough start with the missing menu items but the rest of our meal was good with the highlight being the mashed potato salad. The best part...PRICE! Appetizer, 2 soft drinks and 2 entrees totaled $22. Not a bad deal in my mind.

Check it out for a good inexpensive casual deli experience.

Here is a link to their blogspot: The Boxcar Cafe