Brewery Bhavana is an interesting combination of flowers, books, beer and dim sum in one shop. The Laotian siblings, Vanvisa and Vansana(since left) Nolintha, that owns the spot next door made friends with Patrick Woodson who brewed beer. They decided to combine forces and also make room for friend Deana Nguyen that sells flower arrangments right across the street from historic Moore Square. It’s a large striking space divided by sheer curtains. A long bar is one wall and it has about that many taps for available draft beers. Books are on one wall just to look at while you’re there and another cabinet of them is for sale. The flower shop is in the middle space just behind the greeter station. It is filled with lots of natural light from the windows along the street and from a massive skylight that is above the center room. Music was in the background and staff were welcoming and super friendly. While the food was good it was not great even though the prices were on the high side for dim sum. Continue reading
Lazy Betty delivers a world-class menu prepared by Chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips. Chef Hsu formally was with Le Bernardin as the Executive Sous Chef and then Creative Director, but ultimately is the product of a family all about food, particularly his mother Betty. He and Phillips opened Lazy Betty in October of 2019, offering only a tasting menu. The interior is designed to relax the diner, to feel lazy and comfortable. It is a fairly large space beginning with a good sized porch area attached to the larger dining area by an open kitchen with bar stools and tables across for it. If you are able to go try and get one of the counter seats where you can interact with the staff and watch your meal being made. Lowered lighting, music and lots of liquor choices all add to the experience. There is ample parking out front and they offer only a 6 or 8 course tasting menu with optional wine pairings. The 2 tastings have some different dishes as well as a few overlaps. This place comes with my highest recommendation to give it a try. 
Buena Gente is a Cuban bakery and sandwich shop in Decatur that opened in Aug of 2020, that started running out of a camper in 2016. Now it has found a home in a strip shopping center filled with many ethnic restaurants. It is takeout only and masks must be warn at the counter when making your order. You wait outside with a buzzer to go back inside and get your food. The food is well seasoned and really tasty. It’s hard to chose what to get but the counter person guided us. All sandwiches and pastries are well filled and it didn’t take long to get the hot sandwiches, whereas you can walk out with the pastries. 
Cry Wolf opened 3 days ago at 4422 Gaston Avenue, a space that formerly held a Subway and you’d never know it. Chef/owner Ross Demers and his team have done a miraculous makeover to present a cozy, fun spot to have a delicious meal. Chef Demers previously owned On the Lamb but also held positions at Flora Street Café and Beverley’s Bistro. Alongside Demers in the open kitchen is another Fauna (part of Flora Street) alum, Liam Byres and also from there is sommelier Tim. The less than 30 seat stylish place offers a small seasonal menu of gradually-increasing-in-size options – to mix and match as the diner prefers. The plan is to change options as ingredients become available. The interior has a long concrete counter facing the kitchen and bar where diners can eat and interact with staff. There are also standard tables on the other side of the room. Music is in the background and the lights are lowered but you can still see. Get here before it gets so popular that you can’t. This is a new favorite restaurant and highly recommended. 
Club Paris was visited by Frankie in 2018 for lunch so this visit we decided to have dinner. It is an old school place but the interior has been changed quite a bit to deal with the Covid pandemic. Tables are now separated by dividers and so room shots are difficult. The building dates back 100 years and the current restaurant to the 1950s when I understand the owner married a French woman and he decorated the place with lots of Paris images to make her feel at home. The Selman family bought it in the 1970s with many of the staff having worked there for more than 25 years. They are known for their steaks and seafood as well as their pink neon sign out front featuring an Eiffel Tower. It is a long space with a curved bar taking up most of the front room. Music is in the background, the lights are low and they did have one nightly special to add to the menu. Their wine selection was not as appealing as their cocktails so we enjoyed martinis with dinner. 
It’s been a year since we visited (and 2 since I’ve written up) Galatoire’s and we were excited to be vaccinated and out once again. The food is just as good but a few changes include well spaced tables, masked staff and required reservations – even for dining on the first floor. Even with 75% dining capacity the room still got really noisy but part of the place is the energy in the room. Less waitstaff are on for each shift so you also may need to stray from your usual person. The menu is on line and in past write-ups but it hasn’t changed except for a price increase here and there. The fresh catch is updated daily and the food and service is consistently excellent. One caution, don’t fill up on the hot bread and butter while waiting, which is really easy to do. 
