Local Three Kitchen & Bar – Carley Edwards, DC Student

southern authentic flavor

Local three is named for its owners, three local guys coming together to create southern cuisine. Chef Todd Mussman and Business man Ryan Turner also own Muss and Turner’s Deli in Vinings. The two paired up with Chef Chris Hall, who has worked at The Sundial Restaurant and Canoe, to create Local Three Kitchen & Bar.

Local Three is focused on using local ingredients and the menu is seasonal. The lunch menu includes soups, salads, sandwiches and some small main courses. Sandwiches range from $10-15. Lunch main courses range from $11-14. Local Three is famous for their pork; the “East Bound & Down” is a roasted pork sandwich with peach BBQ sauce and pickled jalapeno slaw. “The Vinnie Barberino” is made with spicy Italian sausage, peppers, onions, and beer mustard. Local Three’s take on the Big Mac, “The McDowell” is made with two Angus beef patties, special sauce, lettuce and cheese. Mussman is from Boston and Turner is from Maine, so Joe’s Maine Lobsta’ Roll was inspired from their New England hometowns. If chicken is more your speed, try the grilled chicken sandwich with cheddar, horseradish slaw, and charred tomato BBQ sauce.

Truffled Parmesan popcorn, duck fat fried okra, pimento cheese with flatbread, and oyster shooters are a few appetizers offered during dinner. There are about a half dozen pork dishes offered since that is Local Three’s specialty like Spicy Andouille and summer sausage. For $16 try the cheese tasting with a variety of cheeses from Georgia, New Hampshire and California. Main courses range from $10-26 and include hanger steak, duck meatloaf, spicy shrimp spaghetti, Georgia mountain trout, venison, and salmon.

The drink menu is the size of a typical lab manual at Life University and offers more than fourty bourbons, a hundred beers and more than a hundred different wines.

A southern brunch is also available with grits, French toast, buttermilk biscuits, and of course, sausage and bacon.

Desserts range from $5-6 and include an eclectic selection of things like milk and cookies, warm apple pie and a daily selection of ice cream. Keep in mind the menu changes seasonally, including the dessert menu, so not all of these options may be available.

Local Three is located at 3290 Northside Parkway in Atlanta. Parking is available in the garage and is free after validation of a parking ticket. Take any elevator to the lobby then Local Three is located at the end of the hallway behind the large black door. Dress is business casual and outdoor seating is available. For more information visit www.localthree.com or call 404-968-2700.

L’Thai – Carley Edwards, DC Student

The Only Organic Thai Food in Atlanta

Eating healthy in the Atlanta area isn’t hard to do, but when you’re a full-time student and parent, working two jobs, it’s hard to find the time to get out of Marietta. That’s why I was so excited to hear about an organic Thai restaurant close to school. After all, the daily lunch trip to Harry’s can get monotonous.

L’Thai prides itself on being the first organic Thai restaurant outside of Thailand.L’Thai’s mission is to be “Committed to health, vitality, and wellness of body, mind, and spirit for all people and of the planet.” This claim alone should be enough to entice any health nut wanting to experience something new. And beyond that, the Ministry of Commerce of the Royal Thai Government awarded L’Thai with the Thai Select Award for being one of the best Thai restaurants in the world.

When visiting places with a menu longer than a Harry Potter novel, you can expect the food to be about as healthy and delicious as a Whopper, but not at L’Thai. The menu is extensive, but includes dishes made with grass-fed beef and organic brown rice. In fact, 95% of the produce used is certified USDA Organic. L’Thai takes pride in the fact that no MSG is used in their dishes and the chicken is antibiotic free. There is even organic pork on the menu.

I consume a diet of mostly organic food, but I do enjoy an adult beverage on occasion, and if I can find affordable organic wine, even better. There are several organic beers and organic, sulfite-free wine on the menu and even organic vodka. Of course, the usual domestic beers, like Budweiser and Coors, are offered, but if that’s what you’re looking for, I suggest you take a trip up the road to Applebees.

The dessert menu has unique options, like fried organic bananas in rice paper with homemade ice cream, and tropical jackfruit served with organic sweet black rice and coconut cream. I opted for the mango and coconut ice cream. The coconut was to die for.

You’d think after a plate of beef, rice, and ice cream, you’d spend the rest of the evening on the couch unable to move, but this was not the case. The food was satisfying, without the side effects of typical Asian cuisine loaded with chemicals.

L’Thai is also open for lunch, and with spring arriving soon, their outdoor seating makes this the ideal meeting spot. There is an east location in Tucker, Georgia, and a west location in the West Village in Smyrna. The scene at L’Thai is upscale and modern, but the dress is business casual, so it’s the perfect place for a night out with friends or an intimate date. And if you’re looking to spend the night in, but want something appetizing, L’Thai even offers take-out.

For more information visit www.lethai.org.

Café Intermezzo – Carley Edwards, DC Student

A European experience for Atlanta residents

Café Intermezzo is as intoxicating as its name. Perhaps it’s because they’re famous for their coffee. After all, coffee itself is dark and seductive and has been a luxurious commodity for centuries. So it’s no wonder a place called Café Intermezzo would be any less invigorating. Don’t be thrown by its antiquated almost ominous appearance. With gelato imported from Italy and organic cinnamon from Sumatra, exotic is an understatement. Café Intermezzo attracts a variety of characters, including the nocturnal party-goers, and couples tucked away in a dark corner trying to converse separated from the chaos.

Café Intermezzo has the largest, espresso/cappuccino maker in the world. The idea for Café Intermezzo was to recreate the coffeehouses of Europe – a place for people to rendezvous, read, and sit around contemplating life. The beverage list is a small novel containing chapters of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, wine, champagne, whiskey, single malt scotches, cognacs, brandy and much more. There are even two types of absinthes offered including the original French Absinthe, Pernod Absinthe Superieure.

Café Intermezzo may sound sophisticated but one doesn’t have to be a connoisseur to enjoy the menu. Lunch at Café Intermezzo includes an assortment of crepes, Panini’s, soups and salads. The dinner menu includes fish, chicken, pasta, Italian gnocchi, shrimp piccata, lasagna and several other dishes. Breakfast is served all day with enticing dishes like crab cakes Benedict, salmon crepes, and French toast with bananas and walnuts.

Many visit Café Intermezzo for their pastries, pies, cheesecakes, tarts and cakes. There are so many in fact that a tour is given to describe them all.

The original Café Intermezzo opened in 1979 in Dunwoody. The second location on Peachtree Street opened in 1987. There is now a location at Hartsfield -Jackson on concourse B. Hours for each location vary, however, Café Intermezzo is open every day of the year, including holidays. For more information visit www.cafeintermezzo.com. Let Vital Source know about your experience at Café Intermezzo by commenting or visiting our Facebook page.