Roast chicken and mashed potatoes at Mercer Kitchen.

“Really?”

“Well, probably not the people who can afford to go to those New York restaurants that the magazines and television shows say are the best.  But for the price point, yeah, I think it’s up there.”

Perhaps not the most heartening endorsement.  Yet it was a conversation that intrigued me and made me want to go check out the Mercer Kitchen.  New York City has a lot of great food–but often, the restaurants that are most talked about have exorbitant price tags.  I had heard some buzz about Mercer Kitchen before this funny conversation with a friend and foodie.  Maybe it was the exception to the rule.

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Burgers in Barcelona - Veggie and Beef

Wusha was one of my favorite Asian eateries in Barcelona. A couple months ago I went over there for some spicy noodles and found the place closed up. I consulted their web-page, amazed that they could go out of business, and found that they had moved on to other ventures.

While taking a Sunday stroll a week ago, I noticed that Wushu’s spot had reopened, now named Kiosko Burger. Always on the hunt for the perfect burger, I stopped in with my friend and ordered their veggie burger, he got their Austria burger. Their hamburgers don’t come with fries, so we ordered a side of them and two coca-colas.
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The Finer Side of Delivery

One of the perks of living in a city is the variety of restaurants available to you around every corner. But let’s face it. Even if they are convenient to get to, sometimes you are too busy or too lazy to get there. Sometimes you just wish the restaurants would come to you, like the pizza delivery guy does. Folks in Boston, Chicago, Dallas or Philadelphia are lucky enough to have that very experience, courtesy of DiningIn.com.

This smart business was established in Boston over 20 years ago and offers site users the ability to order from establishments beyond your standard sub shop or Chinese restaurant. If you’re in Chicago for example, when you’d love Prime Rib without getting dressed up, simply place your order at diningin.com from Flemings. Or how about some Veal Florentina from Bistro Romano in Philadelphia? There’s the Lobster Ravioli from Atlantic Fish Company in Boston. And Grilled Quail from Gloria’s in Dallas. And you don’t have to create an account to place an order. Registering is optional and offers such perks as order archives and exclusive promotions. There are daily deals listed right on the site though to entice diners into trying out their menu that day.

DiningIn also offers customized concierge service to large corporate accounts and simple group ordering for less frequent business customers or meetings. DiningIn e-mails the menu link to attendees or co-workers and collects the orders directly within the established budget. All you do is provide the billing account and they accept all major credit cards. They also offer catering menus from participating restaurant partners for business or personal parties.

DiningIn isn’t just for fine dining, though I think that is what allows them to stand out from the crowd. Log on right now to eat braised lamb in your PJ’s while watching reality TV tonight or pre-order for the weekend to impress your date with a romantic and delicious dinner for two in your own home without dirtying a single dish. You will have to clean your apartment though. DiningIn hasn’t added that to their impressive service yet.

Photo credited to Bitsmak/Helen Cook.

Post by Molly G. Find out what Molly is doing when she’s not eating @ The Bumbles Blog.

The Australian Bakery Café on Marietta Square.

I am embarrassed to say that until recently, my only notion of the food in Australia comes from pop culture references: shrimp on the barbie, Vegemite sandwiches and bloomin’ onions. But dating an Aussie has given me the opportunities to expand my horizons, so to speak, and with that comes learning a little more about Australian food.

So it was no real big surprise to recently find myself in Marietta Square at the Australian Bakery Café, sampling Down Under comfort food.

Johanna, like many of her fellow ex-pats, makes pilgrimages to Marietta or the other Australian Bakery Café in East Atlanta to stock up on meat pies, sausage rolls, sweets and cakes, and other sundry goods from home (cans of passion fruit pulp for $5.95 or bottles of hot-sweet chutney $6.95). They buy them by the dozens and keep them in the freezer for emergencies.

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