JCT.

Remember that time when six of Alanta's best would get together and bring the party to one of the A's choicest establishments for your very own personal avocation? Were you wondering whatever happended to the most entertaining group of broads you ever done seen?? Well dbm (don't be mad)- we just took a lil' breaky-poo for the summer and now the bunnies of Beta are back and in full effect.

This month, not one, but TWO members of our group found themselves celebrating another year of merriment. As the European sophistication of Persia collides with the Farmstead of Kinston, you've got quite the pair of diametric personalities to satisfy! Thanks to the vision of Chef Ford Fry, JCT. Kitchen & Bar offers something for both: the essence of a great French bistro with plates that serve up the heart and flavor of the South. Nestled in the cozy back corner of the Westside Urban Market off Howell Mill, JCT. (or Junction) seemed to be just what the doctor ordered for this birthday duo.

Naturally, when a girl considers it's her birthday, and she knows her picture is going to be on the "internets", she best make sure she look hott! So you better believe when the clock struck 7:30 p.m., seven fabulosities walked into the warm and welcoming foyer of JCT. and heads were immediately turning.

From the cool lamp shades and chic wainscot wood paneling to the incredibly comfortable "couch-booths" and dimmed lighting, everything about the ambiance said, "Feel sophisticatedly at home," so we did.... well the "at home" part at least!

Traditionally, when it comes to appetizers, there's two things we've been consistent in incorporating into our order: fried goodness and cheese. With that in mind, the JCT Onion Rings with tomato-apple ketchup (um, YUM!) and the Sweetgrass dairy Goat Cheese with framstand tomatoes and wood-grilled bread were no-brainers. Good? Doy and doy! Let's just say fingers were licked to relish the salty grease and plates were scraped for even a smidgen more of that creamy goodness on the tastebuds...
With that the meal was off to a great start. Because it had been a minute since this group had done the South up right, dinner selections were not as diverse as you may inquire. Forgive us, though. When a Beta craves her grits, step aside. She's gonna' order them, and you're gonna' be OK with it... that, or kiss 'em ;). That said, half the table ordered the incredibly delectable Georgia White Shrimp & Grits served with crusty bread for sopping. Holy Hanky Pankys, these things were AMAZING!! Sunken eyeballs in heads spoke in lieu of commentary proclaiming, "I'm in heaven, and I'm not all that aware of what you're saying to me right now... ."












Two other biscuits ordered more traditonal Southern fare with the Springer Mountain Fried Chicken served with skillet baked macaroni and cheese, and garlicky green beans. Our Kinston belle couldn't resist the starches, though, and substituted beans with butter whipped potatoes, which were as de-lish as they sound. Selection numero dos was good and GOOD all around! The meat was juicy and flavorful and the sides were truly irresistable. In all seriousness, Gunz just about had to throw some 'bows to fight us off of her mac n' cheese!

Now our beauiful bride-to-be branched out and ordered the Georgia Goat Cheese & Corn Agnolotti- that's fancy for HEAVEN IN MY MOUTH! With truffle, peas & carrots, this dish had Jones doin' cartwheels in her britches with every bite... Seriously, though, I've never seen this sweet pea get so ansy every time someone asked for a lil' taste; Bunny loved her food and for a moment had us convinced she'd rather spend the night with her ravioli, than her fiance!
That said, one can imagine who was the winner of the Clean Plate Award: why Miss Joni-kins herself, of course! We actually caught her pulling a T-Bomb at one point and scraping the sauce off of the plate with her fingers and licking it.... That was almost as clutch as our second place CPA winners, who were caught lapping the remnant off their plates... classy!

Have we yet to mention the fabulosity that served our dinner that night?? Nicole was a dove and a fiiiiiiiine one at that. We'd give her the Spoon award for being too cute if such a thing existed, but it doesn't... so instead, ask for the hottie with the nose ring when you stop in.

After dinner, she pleasantly surprised the birthday girls with a Chocolate Molten Cake, served hot with ice cream and a candle. If you think for a second we quietly took that treat and smiled a "patsy face" and went on our merry way, then you couldn't be more wrong. Our group insisted on sitting on one side of the extra long booth and burst into the loudest happy birthday song the restaurant will ever see in its patronage. Half a line into the song, the entire dining room was facing our direction and joined the singing in celebration- it was perfection!
It's moments like this where a lil' lady stops to praise the dear Lord for His abundant grace in best girlfriends like these! With that and a personal birthday wish, the candle was blown and post dinner fun began.
First, we annihilated the molten cake, which erupted in hot melted chocolate with a slight stab of the fork. Evidently we liked it! Either that, or we're just women that will inevitably act ravenous at any opportunity to bask in a warm array of chocolate goodness... I mean... for dessert... like in a restaurant... sheesh...

The rest of the night brought about typical flapdoodle that is naturally expected when two or more of us gather. By far the best part of hanging out was the JCT Bar upstairs. With a drink in hand, we mosied up to the fabulous outdoor bar with lounge chairs and high tops for continued celebration the way estrogen knows best. Paparazzi moments were had overlooking the incredible view of midtown, as these ladies don't need to be asked twice to pose for a foto.
It's AWESOME up there, and evidently on a good night you might catch the likes of Francisco Vidal (or another fun singer/songwriter who's easy on the ears) playin' a tune you'd like to sing along to. But we didn't need any extra entertainment this night- there was plenty of natural charisma to fill our evening to the brim.

Giggles were had, sha-sheen-ahs were grabbed, wisdom was shared, and mistakes were declared. We even got to see Gunz' mulberries!

All in all it was a perfect night, with perfect food and perfect company. So take our advice: Put your big girl panties on, ask him/her out and treat them to a night of bliss in West Midtown.

See you sweet cheeks in a few weeks. November calls for extra celebration for our favorite bride, so stay tuned... booses 'til then!

1198 Howell Mill Road, Ste. 18, 30318