A Long Time Coming: Tilia

I seriously love holiday weeks. A couple days off - add in a few vacation days - and suddenly you're catching up on projects, making your own meals, meeting up with friends and family and maybe even blogging a bit. ;)

It's true. I've spent some time de-cluttering and hung a few new pictures on the walls, made two scrumptious dinners, had lunch with two good friends, saw a movie with some of my favorite gals, spent enough time with my mom that she'll be glad to see me go home tomorrow (kidding, I hope), out-played (but didn't win against) my sister in Monopoly Deal, hung out with my favorite rugrats and am now on to blog post number two: recapping Tilia.

Tilia has been on my list so long I was practically itching to go. I've heard so many great things about the menu that when my friend and I were picking lunch destinations, it was a shoo-in.

Located right in the middle of Minneapolis' Linden Hills neighborhood, Tilia is just down the street from children's bookstore perfection Wild Rumpus. It's a quaint, adorable little spot.

And on the inside, it's equally adorable. The place was also packed with lunch-goers on a Tuesday afternoon.

We ordered the french fries with an accompanying fry sauce to share. They were salty and crispy and easily devour-able.

I also went with the fish taco torta, a fantastic little sandwich on a chewy bun with a peppadew pepper slaw and cilantro. So big, you almost can't fit it in your mouth. The sauce had a fun, addictive kick that keeps you coming back for more, and the slaw added a delightful crunchy texture.

I've heard great things about Tilia's brunch and dinner too. I can't wait to go back :)

Tonight, I spend some QT with grandma and tomorrow, I help a two-year-old celebrate her birthday. Life is good.

Country Style Eats in Hotlanta

Happy Thanksgiving! I love today. It's my absolute favorite holiday (okay, maybe tied with the Fourth of July), because it serves as such a wonderful reminder of everything we have to be grateful for in life. I actually get a little angry when I see Halloween and Christmas start to steal Thanksgiving's thunder. Don't get me wrong - I quite enjoy both Christmas and Halloween, I just don't think they should overshadow all of Thanksgiving's splendid goodness. Most of November belongs to Thanksgiving...let's give it its due. Tomorrow is for Christmas music. Tomorrow is for watching "Love Actually" on repeat. Tomorrow is for turning into a gift-hunting crazy pants. But, today...today is for relaxing and enjoying each other. :)

A festive little treat I made to accompany Thanksgiving dinner thanks to the ever-inspiring Pinterest: Chocolate and Peanut Butter Acorns.

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I recently went on an epic girls trip to Atlanta with a few of my favorite people (coming together from four different states). Most surprisingly, this was my first visit to Atlanta proper. I've spent countless hours stuck in that crazy airport due to various connections and travel delays but had never actually set foot in the city. I was excited to fix that.

We were in town for just a weekend but managed to really take it all in as we celebrated a friend's birthday at the 2012 Roller Derby championships, where we were lucky enough to catch a Minnesota RollerGirls bout (Minnesota represent!). We toured CNN (nerd heaven), enjoyed cocktails while taking in city views in the Westin's spinning Sun Dial restaurant, ate good food and even overwhelmed ourselves at the World of Coca-Cola.

One of the most memorable dining experiences came in the form of Southern perfection at Pittypat's Porch in downtown Atlanta.

Now, for those more informed than I, the restaurant is named after Scarlett's aunt Pittypat from "Gone With the Wind" who was known to serve up some delicious Southern eats (or so I've been told). The ambiance of Pittypat's Porch is nothing short of awesome and everything you'd hope for.

We were there right when the restaurant opened for dinner, combining a late, late lunch with an early dinner (read: go big or go home). And go big we did. I ordered Aunt Pittypat's fried chicken: "three pieces of the best damn Southern fried bird." All entrees came with access to a "Southern Salad Sideboard."

I tried a little bit of everything. Some salad with bleu cheese dressing. Some pasta salads. A little rice dish. A scoop of potato salad. The potato salad was killer, but I tried not to fill up on everything else in order to save room for the main event.

Fried chicken. Fried chicken. Fried chicken. Oh my gosh, this was sooooooo much chicken for just one person. But that didn't stop me from giving it the ol' college try. I think I made it through the breast and half of the thigh. Mmmmm.....crunchy, crispy chicken. And those mashed potatoes...were...ridiculous. Seriously, so good.

Our meal also came with collard greens and blackeyed peas. But I really couldn't even consider either option. I had one last thing on the brain: a bite of the Georgia peach cobbler we ordered to share.

That's right. A picture is worth a thousand words (photo courtesy of a friend on said trip). :)