Johnny's Pizza

Last week, my daughter and I went to visit another of Mike Ford's eateries, Johnny's New York Style Pizza, which sits west of US 41 on the south side of Barrett Parkway at 1615 Ridenour Blvd in Kennesaw.

Mike and his partners had wowed us with Johnny's next door neighbor, Keegan's, a few weeks ago. They did a good job this time, as well.

The dining room is wide open, with the kitchen all the way to the back, which is very different from most Johnny's locations. So if you are looking for the loud, hear every cook and server conversation spot, try someplace else. Here, one can actually sit down, eat a pie and watch a game.

We were met by Rachel, the manager, and our server Lauren. They both seemed happy to be there. If you've read any of my posts, you know how important I believe that to be. If the staff is treated well, they will be happy, and in turn will make sure you are happy.

Before I say anything else, let me say that there is usually more to a good pizza place than pizza. Such is true of Johnny's at Ridenour. Johnny's serves a pretty decent array of Italian dishes at a very good price. The starters here range from $2.50 to $6, the salads from $3.50 to $8, and the entrees start at less than $10.

Garlic Knots

The first plate brought to our table was a serving of Garlic Knots, which comes with a cup of marinara sauce. Be careful. That particular appetizer is very good, and very addictive, and very filling. Remember to share, or you will be the only one not able to eat any of your entree.

Johnny's @ Ridenour offers a variety of salads, some of which are a meal in itself.

There is the Garden Salad, an Iceberg & Romaine mix with tomatoes, mushrooms, red onions, cucumber slices and pepperoncini peppers. Also offered, a Greek Salad, which is an Iceberg and Romaine mix with tomatoes, onions, feta cheese, pepperoncini & Greek olives. There are more. Check the menu here to see a complete list. Beth and I enjoyed the Greek salad with oil and vinegar dressing. The serving size was just the right complement to a pasta or pizza meal.

Lasagna

Our entree of choice tonight was lasagna. It was delicious! A hefty amount of meat (sausage and meatballs) layered in with a very good marinara sauce made for a tasty entree. Couple that with the garlic bread and the meal is complete.

The Gourmet

I did say this is a pizza place, right? Well, tonight, we tried two pies. The first was the Gourmet, made with spinach, sun dried tomatoes, black olives, artichoke hearts and feta cheese, this is the pie for a gourmet veggie lover!

Italian Special

The second was Johnny's Italian Special - the house specialty. Now, this is my kind of pie. The sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers and pepperoni all blend to make a pie fit for a man's man.

The bottom line to this review is this: whether you are looking for a slice, or a full meal, if you want a comfortable neighborhood place to eat a decent Italian dish, come visit Rachel and Lauren at Johnny's. You just might see me there.

The Vineyard

The Vineyard

Felicia Prezzano and Tina Sivadon started out with a gift shop on the main floor of this Marietta Square storefront, and later came up with the idea of opening a mall restaurant upstairs. All I can say is Bravo!

... on the way upstairs

These two ladies have transformed this upstairs suite into a charming spot to have a nice relaxing lunch. With bay windows overlooking the square, you can watch the entertainment as the world streams by almost as an invisible bystander. None of the hustle touches you, but the life is in plain view.

View from the entry

If you choose, you can sit further back, away from the view, and concentrate on the conversation at your table. Either way, you will find The Vineyard as comfortable as the dining room in your home. Just take a look at the china. You will swear it is your grandmother's (thanks for that quote, Ann-Marie!).

Tea Press

Ann-Marie Reeder and I went to visit The Vineyard last week. We sat near the window, and shared a nice meal. Ann-Marie had hot tea, served in a French Press, and I got sweet tea with a peach flavor to it.

Ashley

Ashley was our server. When she was asked to bring us what the restaurant was proud of, she was at a loss. The choices were too great. To start us off, Ashley brought out some appetizers, followed by three salad samplers.

Crab Cakes

For appetizers, we were served Parmesan Spinach Bites and Mini Crab Cakes. Both were delicious. I was partial to the crab cakes, which were about three inches in diameter, crispy on the outside, and meaty but not heavy on the inside.

Orchard Salad

The Orchard Salad (a mixture of mixed greens, pears, roasted asparagus, pine nuts, gorgonzola cheese served with a house apricot vinaigrette dressing), the Greek Pasta Salad and the Sweet Potato Salad. Of these, the nicest surprise was the Sweet Potato Salad. It was a very enjoyable twist on traditional potato salad. The sweetness made it almost like dessert!

Sandwich Tray

Following the salads, Ashley brought out our sandwiches! Eggplant Panini, Classic Harvest, and the Cafe Croissant. I am not a big eggplant fan, but this sandwich was good. The Cafe Croissant had creamy chicken salad with cranberries and almonds. That was almost my top selection, but my favorite of the three was the Classic Harvest, which came with turkey breast, bacon, cheddar and mixed greens with Dijon on raisin walnut bread. Delicious!

Dessert Array

Okay. As if this could get better, Ashley brought out the dessert tray. That thing had a bread pudding (good even to non-bread pudding fans), Bundt Cherry Pound Cake (as good as your mom's), Cinnamon scones (delicious), berry filled cookies (excellent) and an Almost Candy Bar (better than a creamy Reese's, the hit of the tray!).

The Vineyard Cafe offers a variety of menus, from catering to brunch and lunch as well as tea parties. Services include Boxed Lunches, Corporate catering and delivery (with notice). Call them at 678-581-3771 to book your next meeting, party or delivery. To see the menu, visit their website at www.thevineyardcafe.com

Whatever you do, the next lunchtime that you find yourself in Marietta near the Square, you owe it to yourself to try The Vineyard. Give yourself enough time to browse the gift shop!



What our readers say:

Cassandra Buckalew

Just had lunch there. They have the best chicken salad around! Can't wait to read your review.

Shawn Williams

I Love That Place..the Pizza thing is Deliche!

Ann-Marie Reeder
(my Auburn Friend who I had pleasant lunch company with)

I have 2 boys but we will be back! I would like to have a tea party, though! I really liked the mint tea and what it was served in. Very nice :))

MF Buckhead

A short while ago, I had the distinct pleasure of visiting MF Buckhead. A sushi restaurant, MF Buckhead joins MF Sushibar and Nam as a creation of owner Alex Kinjo.

The Executive Chef at MFB is Fuyuhiko Ito, formerly of Nagano, Japan. Chef Ito started his cooking career at seventeen. He began working in Izakaya restaurant as a dish washer, working his way up. He has now been in the business for twenty-five years.

The son of musicians, Ito is a trained cellist, and a true artist.

Chef Ito

It was my pleasure to be in the company of Suprina Berenyi. Ms. Berenyi is an accomplished, well educated chef, who studied at Cornell and NYU, as well as Le Cordon Bleu Paris. She operates Suprema Gourmet as a Chef/Nutritionist.

Suprina Berenyi

I was fortunate to have such a lovely, educated dinner companion, since I know nothing of sushi. Suprina took the time to explain everything, step by step and morsel by morsel throughout our meal. She taught me everything from how to properly hold the chopsticks and sushi dining etiquette, to the pieces and parts of each dish. I learned how it should taste and the texture the dish should have. Thank you Suprina!

Dining Room

Of the restaurant itself, I will say that it has a deceptively small appearance. It is intimate, yet roomy as it stretches out for the length of the building. The room has a very sleek design and modern appearance. There is a VIP room above the sushi bar for a private group setting.

At our table, the white tablecloth and the natural textures of the dinnerware enhanced our experience.

As for the food, Suprina will forgive me as I quote her when I describe some of the dishes we sampled, in no particular order:

Yellow tail

Fresh yellow tail with a zest of lemon, cilantro, jalapeno pepper and grated wasabi.....Hamachi had a luxuriously unctuous feel in the mouth. It practically melted before you could chew.

Seared Tuna

Seared tuna served with ponzu, scallions, pan fried garlic and hot sauce.& Maguro ( Tuna) on green shiso leaf- extremely fresh and the pairing was excellent.

Grinding the Wasabi Root

Our server is specially prepared the fresh wasabi root by grinding it on shark skin. Fresh wasabi is less pungent, and suits the subtleties of the fresh seafood we enjoyed.

Shrimp Tempura Roll

The shrimp tempura roll with fresh avocado was delicious! I had no idea I was actually going to like sushi!

Nigiri Maguro, Hamachi, Sake and Toro

The next plate had four different fish - Nigiri Maguro (Tuna), Hamachi (Yellow Tail), Sake (Salmon) and Toro (Fatty Tuna). Although the fish was superb it was the rice that was the show stopper.....yes the rice it was perfectly sweet and the temp was the perfect offset to the fish to bring out the best texture! Very impressive.

Chilean Sea Bass

The Chilean sea bass was cooked on a Japanese Robata grill called a Binchotan it is fueled with special oak wood charcoal, that is also imported directly from Japan. The grill temperature reaches 900 degrees and flames are fanned by hand to achieve perfection! A sensory privilege that should not be missed! It was indeed the masterpiece of our meal!

I cannot take credit for this review. Suprina wrote every plate description so that I would remember. I learned quite a bit that day, and hope for another opportunity to learn from her.

I would like also to thank Chef Ito. True to his word, his sashimi was delicious! I intend to return...

Marietta Fish Market

Marietta Fish Market has brought Gus Tselios and his family of restaurants full circle. With this addition in December 2008, Mr. Tselios has satisfied our need for Southern home cooking, pasta, a good steak, and now a wide variety of fish.

The menu at MFM is large enough that finding a dish to fit one's taste is relatively easy. For an appetizer, I personally recommend the fried seafood combo. It is the largest appetizer plate, so make sure you have help.

Trio Salad

For a salad, a trio salad of Seafood, Village Greek and Shrimp Salad will satisfy most tastes at the table. I particularly enjoyed the seafood salad.

Seashell Combo

I am not an oyster fan, but the seashell combo is attractive. Pictured above is the seashell combo with octopus and crabcakes, Oysters Bienville and Oysters Rockefeller and seared veggies. The crabcakes here are very tasty. They are large, but not firm - an eat with a fork item. The octopus has a tough texture, and a mild taste.

Santorini Shrimp and Mahi Mahi

The Santorini Shrimp and Mahi Mahi are two of my favorite foods at MFM. The tomato based sauce adds a wonderful flavor to this delicious blend of tastes. Combine this with rice and the dish is complete.

Blackened Grouper Tacos

A new addition to the menu, the Blackened Grouper Tacos are wonderful! Thick and meaty with a tasty sauce and salsa, along with wild rice. This will be a fan favorite in no time.

Fried Catfish

We come to the favorites of the night. The catfish was outstanding and plentiful, and the perch was absolutely delicious. We were in the mood for fried, and these dishes served with fried shrimp and hush puppy fingers were just the thing to send us home happy.

Fried Perch Plate

The place is usually packed, but the wait is short. The entree prices range from thirteen to twenty dollars. Parking is plentiful. Enjoy!

Buckhead Pizza Co

So, it was Thursday night, and Richard Tang was hosting an event at Buckhead Pizza Co. I wanted to go and meet him, and to hopefully network a little bit. I got there late, so I sat off to the side.


The decor was typically Buckhead, very modern, high ceiling, narrow and sleek. The restaurant had one of those sliding glass patio bars behind the indoor bar, for those who smoke or just prefer to be outside.


Chef Sean Kelly watched over the operation as his staff hustled to satisfy the needs of the event-goers and other diners.

I took a peek at the menu. It was impressively full of specialty sandwiches and pies, with the usual obligatory Italian food offerings, and a few locally unique dishes. Given the hour, I ordered pizza.

I judge a pizza three ways. How good is the crust? Is the sauce watery or thick? Are the ingredients bountiful and fresh?

In most cases, I would order something highly traditional, like a combination of meats with a veggie or two, and steer clear of the modern inventions, like BBQ or Margharita. That night, it was late, so nothing too heavy. A personal pepperoni and green olive.


The pie I received had a deceptive crust. It was thin in the body and thick on the edges. This was one of the best doughs I have tasted in a while. The texture of the outer crust was like a really dense Krispy Kreme doughnut. A standard, run of the mill pie with a thick crust would be too chewy and more work than enjoyment. Not true here. I was truly impressed.

The sauce was very good, and not dominant. The cheese was the same. Very tasty, but not overwhelming. The ingredients were plentiful. There wasn't that pool of brownish grease you usually end up with when you order pepperoni, and the olives were crisp and salty, just like I like them.

As for value, this is above the norm, especially for that neighborhood. The personal pie I received was a good bit larger than the usual personal pie. I was satisfied in both content and volume. Look at the menu here. If you take a cheese pizza, and add the ingredients you like, you will come out cheaper than any of the big three.

The service was good, and the atmosphere was comfortable. This place will definitely get a return visit from me.

Pertinent visit info: Off Peachtree even though the address is Peachtree. The parking is free if it takes you less than an hour (get your ticket validated by the restaurant) and you park yourself. There is a free valet service, with suggested tipping.