A Black Tie Cinco de Mayo

This past Wednesday I finally had the opportunity to experience a Black Tie Barbecue Secret Supper, this time in celebration of Cinco de Mayo.  A little background on Black Tie: this local full service catering company is the realization of the dreams of two couples (Spencer & Allison Humphrey, Neil and LaToyin Rollins) with a love of cooking and entertaining.  After experiencing job layoffs in 2009, both families made the decision to join forces and pursue their passion.  Black Tie is quickly becoming an Atlanta success story and their Secret Suppers (which they hold periodically) have become quite popular.  I had the pleasure of meeting both couples a few months ago while attending a food and wine "conclave" at Montaluce Winery & Estates-great people!

The location for this Cinco de Mayo themed secret supper was Relics & Rarities, an ice cream parlor/vintage car & memorabilia gallery in downtown Decatur.  When I arrived, I ran into Patti Davis (a great lady and blogmistress at Anatomy of a Dinner Party) and her husband.  I'd met Patti a few months prior when she hosted a macaron workshop (taught by Helen of Tartelette) in her home.  We were a little bit early, so we decided to take time to look around and check out some of the restored classic cars.

The whole evening was a lot of fun.  There was music, games and even a bit of comic relief.  Mingling was strongly encouraged-I had the chance to meet a few new folks as well as chat with a few familiar faces who were in attendance.  The dinner menu included a nice spread of grilled shrimp, pulled pork and marinated skirt steak tacos (plus a vegetarian station featuring black bean quesadillas).

Sides included some delicious grilled corn on the cob (rubbed with an herbed butter and cheese), black beans and bbq chicken nachos.  Oh those nachos...I'm still daydreaming about them.  I have been doing the meatless thing for the past few weeks so I didn't partake of the tacos (although I really wanted to), but I have to confess that I had a weak moment and ate a few bits of the chicken in the nachos.   If the little bits I had are any indication, let's just say that I can't wait to try more of Black Tie's barbecue once my "meatless" month is over (May 21st, not that I'm counting down or anything).  Everything was delicious, right down to the margaritas (my compliments to the folks behind the bar).

If you haven't attended a Black Tie Secret Supper, you should try one in the future.  You'll be in for a fun evening of socializing and great food.  I spoke to quite a few people on Wednesday night that have attended multiple secret suppers and keep coming back because they love the food, the service and the atmosphere.  I know I'm already looking forward to the next one!  Check out their website and join their mailing list to be informed of future Secret Supper events.  You'll also find more information on their catering services and menus (while it's their specialty, you'll find that they aren't just about the BBQ).

In the spirit of Cinco de Mayo, this particular secret supper was much less formal than usual-please check out my friend Patti's writeup of a previous Black Tie Secret Supper here at her blog Anatomy of a Dinner Party.  It was a real swanky affair!


Black Tie Barbecue
(404) 840-9246
www.black-tie-barbecue.com
info@black-tie-barbecue.com

Quick Bites: The Flying Biscuit Cafe (Norcross)

After an early workday last weekend, I decided to pay my first visit to The Flying Biscuit Cafe to sample their breakfast fare.  The popular chain has several Atlanta area locations (I visited the one on Peachtree Parkway).  This place stays packed on weekend mornings and last Saturday was no exception.  Since I was dining solo, I was able to be seated immediately at the bar.  One of the reasons I wanted to stop by is their wide selection of vegetarian menu items (I'm going meatless for the time being but still eating eggs and dairy).  I opted for the Hollywood, an egg white omelette with mushrooms, spinach and white cheddar cheese topped with a chunky tomato sauce.

I wish I could rave about it, but unfortunately I found the Hollywood to be a bit bland.  Not that I always expect a great deal of excitement when eating an egg white omelette, but I've had (and made) better.  However, I fell in love with their signature biscuits.  These were among the best I've had anywhere: light, airy and delicious with their cranberry-apple butter.  I also enjoyed their popular fried green tomato appetizer.  I love the combination of the creamy goat cheese and tart green tomatoes.  The sweet cashew-jalapeno relish adds a nice little kick-great stuff.

The Flying Biscuit Cafe
5270 Peachtree Parkway #120
Norcross, GA  30092
(770) 407-5885
www.theflyingbiscuit.com