Bayou 'N Bourbon at Marlow's Tavern

Hey readers,

A few Wednesday afternoons ago, my guest & I were invited to check out the new Bayou 'N Bourbon menu at the Marlow's Tavern located in Dunwoody Village Plaza (a HUGE thank you & shout out go to Emily & ML+A and Marlow Tavern teams), one of the many MT locations throughout Georgia. From their humble beginnings, with the first location in Alpharetta in November of 2004, they've certainly come a long way since then with 19 stores currently, 15 in Georgia, 4 in Florida and a few other stores to come. With over 30+ years of culinary and hospitality experience, Co-Founder/Executive Chef John Metz, is changing the way customers perceive tavern fare by not only making it affordable, but also by creating seasonal dishes that change depending on the availability of fresh and local ingredients, or shall we say ingredient-focused cuisine. And as if the years behind the kitchen weren't enough, Chef Metz brings some pretty impressive credentials to the table as well. He graduated at the top of his class at the Culinary Institute of America and was employed at several notable New York establishments such as Tribeca Grill, Park Avenue Cafe and The 21 Club to name a few. In addition, Metz also served on the team representing Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, franchisor of T.G.I Friday's and has developed the brand of Samba Room, Italianni's and Front Row Sports Grill. And as if THAT didn't already tell you that Chef Metz is clearly "too legit to quit," then it's also worth nothing that Metz is also very involved in the community and Sterling Hospitality as a whole, raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for local organizations every year! You've got a nationally recognized chef who knows how to run the kitchen (& is doing a pretty darn good job of it, might I add) & has such a kind, charitable heart---what else could you want?! Seeing that we just so happened to miss the lunch rush and traffic, my guest & I were ready to fully immerse ourselves in the Mardi Gras spirit and chow down on their unique New Orleans-inspired dishes (ONLY available until 3/28!).

Let's get started:

☆Exterior

☆Sign

☆Interior

☆Interior

☆Menu

☆Daily Flatbread from the Bayou (Crawfish & Chicken): Look at the gorgeous colors on this flatbread-plenty of greens, reds and even purple, too! And yes, this flatbread tasted just as amazing as it looks! The flatbread itself had a nice toasty crust to it & it was topped with plenty of tender chicken and juicy crawfish tails as well!

☆Bayou Lump Crab Dip (Creole spiced lump crab, andouille, spicy mustard, Asiago, Parmesan crust and toasty French baguette): If you love seafood and cheese, then this bayou lump crab dip has got your name written ALL over it! Bubbling fresh from the oven to your table, this dip has plenty of succulent crab meat mixed throughout a pool of cheesy goodness & the toasted cheese baguette is just the icing on the cake!

☆Deconstructed Jambalaya (Grilled Prestige Farms chicken, Andouille sausage, house made dirty rice and traditional crawfish creole sauce): Yummmm-who can resist homemade Jambalaya? I know I can't! It's a complete meal all in one-you've got your rice, meats and veggies all in one delicious combination! Marlow's version takes this classic New Orleans inspired dish and jazzes it up by making the stew first and then laying it atop of the dirty rice, which I personally prefer since the rice in jambalaya can get too soggy from time-to-time, so I like this twist a whole lot better. Rich stew with plenty of grilled chicken, spicy andouille sausage, crawfish tails and more, just make sure you add a couple drops of tabasco to really give it a kick!

☆"The Big Easy" Muffuletta (Imported mortadella, Genoa salami, spicy capital, GG's secret recipe olive salad & melted provolone on pressed ciabatta bread) w/ Parmesan truffle fries: Growing up, I hated olives. The smell, the taste, the texture, everything about it just turned me off. Until my family and I went on a trip to New Orleans back in 2008, and I took my first bite of a muffuletta sandwich from Central Grocery, the creators of the muffuletta sandwich. I swear, that sandwich completely blew my mind away and now, if I see it on any menu, it's always a MUST order item for me. So you can imagine how ecstatic I was after seeing it on Marlow's new B&B menu! Although muffuletta sandwiches are traditionally served cold, they're just as good, if not better, served warm straight from the panini press. Stuffed to the brim with layers of meat and an addicting olive salad, the toasty ciabatta bread and melted cheese really helped enhance the various flavors and textures of the sandwich itself, making it even more enjoyable! In addition, those parmesan truffle fries-oh so mouthwatering!

☆Sweet Bourbon St Ribeye (Blackened Jack Daniels Honey Blazed Ribeye, Jumbo Asparagus and a Creamy Crawfish Pie): I've had ribeye plenty of times in the past, but I've never had it like this before. This ribeye was by far one of the most tender and delicious cuts of ribeye I've ever had. I mean, in addition to that sweet honey glaze that accompanied it, the knife cut through this piece of meat like butter and melted in your mouth as if it really were butter as well. In addition, the creamy crawfish pie was wrapped in a flaky, golden puff pastry shell and had a similar consistency to that of chicken pot pie. Talk about the perfect pairing.

☆Honey Bourbon Bread Pudding (Honey & Vanilla Creme Brûlée, Soaked Cuban Bread and a Splash of Jack Daniels Honey): While Marlow's changes up their B&B menu every year, this is the one item that always stays on the menu-why you might ask?! BECAUSE...it's SO darn delicious that I actually think customers would revolt if they ever decided to not bring it back, myself included! The bread itself is warm, crisp around the edges and soaks up all the creamy goodness-you can just slightly taste the alcohol in there, but it's hardly noticeable and isn't at all overpowering, which makes it the perfect dessert for kids as well. The generous scoop of tasty vanilla ice cream on top and honey drizzle helps balance out the overall "warm-y" feel of the dessert and really takes it to the next level! This dessert is hands down one of my favorite desserts of all time-it saddens me that it's ONLY available once a year-it's the BEST! 

As you can probably tell, both my sister & I had yet another amazing dining experience at Marlow's Tavern and had a blast checking out the new Bayou 'N Bourbon menu they've got going on until 3/28! Over the years, I've dined at more than half of their locations in both Georgia and Florida (roughly 9-10), including a few of their newer locations at Avalon and Mall of Georgia, and can confidently say that I've never had a bad experience at any of them, which is one of the main reasons why my family and friends continue to come back time and again. From the moment we entered, we were immediately greeted and seated at one of the many comfortable booths that surrounds the perimeter of the restaurant. Our server, Mia, did an incredible job taking care of us throughout the afternoon. She made some fabulous recommendations, was very genuinely friendly, attentive and helpful. Luckily, we made it here after the lunch rush, so the food itself didn't take long at all, which is always a plus since my sister and I are always ready to chow down. As always, the food itself was fantastic and it's always delightful to see changes in the menu as the years go by. For example, the Bayou 'N Bourbon menu last year had a delicious Creole patty melt that I absolutely adored. Even though I was saddened by the fact that it didn't make the cut on this year's menu, that sadness quickly faded after seeing some new additions to the menu, such as the Big Easy Muffuletta and more! As we were dining, Chris (general manager) stopped by our table and welcomed us back yet again, with a huge smile on his face. Like Mia, Chris always takes great care of us and makes us feel right at home every time we make the drive out to this location. As for the interior decor, the black leather booths, gorgeous dark wooden furniture and brick walls add an elegant gastropub vibe and exude a mysterious, seductive environment, which are downplayed with the addition of the framed photographs and flat screens strategically placed throughout the establishment to make it a fun, family-friendly environment. The exterior reminds me of home-a place where you can eat and drink and feel like you're sitting in the living room with your loved ones, a place where everybody knows your name. So whether you're grabbing some grub & brew with the guys to catch a sports game, mingling with your girlfriends over the vast selection of wines and cocktails or simply bringing your family in for nice and relaxing lunch or dinner, Marlow's is the place to go. They're one of those "any time, any day" types of places, which are the BEST kinds to be, especially since these types of places are so hard to find lately! I consider myself pretty lucky to live within a 10-20 mile radius of at least 5-7 Marlow's Tavern locations and to be spoiled by their affordable and delicious fare! So what are you waiting for? If you haven't dined with them before or if you want to check out their limited-time Bayou 'N Bourbon, make sure you head on over to your nearest Marlow's by March 28th or you'll have to wait until next year! (I promise, you'll be slapping yourself so hard for missing out!) And hey, even if you don't get a chance to try out this menu, then you've got to get on over there and experience their other tavern-inspired fare (hint hint: try the shrimp and grits or ANY of their burgers!). Thank you again to Emily & the ML+A and Marlow's Tavern teams, especially Chris and Mia, for inviting my guest and I out for another splendid meal-we had a great time as always & you know you've always got a special place in our hearts!

Have a wonderful afternoon

-Sandy

FTC: Although this was a media event and my meal was comped, I will always provide an honest review & experience of the restaurant.

If you'd like to invite Bella Vivere to cover & share your restaurant's media events, tastings or parties, feel free to shoot me an email at bellavivere{at}gmail{dot}com-Thanks!