Review: Rise 'n Dine, Druid Hills, GA

Rise 'n Dine is a great new breakfast-all-day place that recently opened in the space occupied by an old Mediterranean place in the Village. The decor is noticably different: stuco walls, adorable tables with embedded welcome mats underneath a clear plastic top, and a lot of adorable wall decorations everywhere.

The food is also awesome. The menu, divided into omelette's, eggs, and "breads" features sweet potato pancakes dusted with cinnamon sugar. Mine were light and fluffy. The regular stack was only $5 but I couldn't even finish because they were so rich. The coffee, a Honduras something-or-other, was equally delightful, with notes of lavender and chocolate, and a smooth, balanced finish. I was surprised to see that there wasn't a bigger breakfast crowd, but I'm sure it'll fill up more as word gets around.

Next time, I will probably try one of the omelettes. The Cucumber, Dill, and Goat cheese one caught my attention, and seems like a great flavor combination.

Review: Flying Biscuit, Candler Park, GA

The Flying Biscuit is great for a number of reasons: they serve breakfast all day, have vegan and vegetarian items on the menu, and can substitute soy sausage into any of the meaty omelette/tofu-scramble type dishes. The bakery is famous for its biscuits and cranberry apple butter, but my favorite thing is the love cakes.

Love cakes are little black bean and cornmeal cakes topped with tomatillo salsa and feta cheese. They are served warm, usually with rosemary potatoes for breakfast or a side salad for dinner. I'm going to experiment with making my own a few times and see what I get because I crave them often.

My dinner consisted of 3 love cakes, salad with champagne vinegrette, and a flying biscuit. My friends' consisted of the barbeque chicken burrito, which is stuffed with collard greens, carmelized onions, and barbeque sauce, then topped with heaps and heaps of red salsa. I obviously can't speak for his food, but mine was awesome, and definitely a well-priced departure from the same old same old (I've probably eaten at Willy's 10 times since Saturday, or it sure feels like it). If you're in the ATL and looking for a place with a little menu diversity and creativity, definitely stop by the Flying Biscuit, unless it's Sunday morning, in which case, good luck getting a table.

Kitchenette plans for this week

1. Organize baking materials into plastic containers for easy storage
2. Organize cooking utensils in drawer rather than having them strewn about because no one will see them
3. Sweep away cobwebs
4. Ant-proof under-the-sink area
5. Organize loose and bagged teas in glass jars

I've been away but now I am back and ready to cook in my kitchenette. Pictures to come.