Southern Foodie

Urban PL8

2011-11-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

1082 Huff Rd., Atlanta, GA www.urbanpl8.com

Tonight I had dinner with my friends Paul and Erin at Urban Pl8. It's on Huff Rd., a street otherwise known for it's bevy of interior design warehouses and it's intersection with Howell Mill Rd. where Figo, Bacchanalia, JCT Kitchen, etc. reside. If you turn there, you'll need to drive a little over a mile before you'll see the sign on the left. Be on the lookout, or you'll be like me and Paul and miss it the first time (maybe even the second). The restaurant itself is back off the road.

Urban Pl8 has a strange vibe going on, specifically a "paleo" vibe. If you're unfamiliar with that term, it's a type of diet that focuses on getting as close to the diet of ancient humans as possible. You know, no processed foods, no grains or beans, no food that can't enter our bodies in "its natural state."

Personally, I have no idea why anyone would want to bother with all that, but that didn't make me unwilling to try or prejudiced against the restaurant, especially since most of the menu's items are fairly healthy and reasonably affordable. Most entrees were about $15, and there's a bar for those who are so inclined. Oh yeah, and plenty of vegetarian, vegan and/or gluten free options if you're on those diets.

I had the Indian shrimp with coconut and vegetables ($16). This came with brown rice, kale, sauteed tomatoes, onions, and more garlic than any dish should ever contain. I'll be tasting garlic tomorrow morning at breakfast at this rate. Otherwise, I liked the kale, enjoyed the fat shrimp and bright red tomatoes. It all came in a round, deep white bowl, Asian style.

Paul ordered the red curry tofu ($12), which is pan seared. He liked it, but didn't really expound upon it the way he does when he truly loves a dish. It comes with sweet potatoes, broccoli, basil and coconut milk. One thing you should know is there's lots of coconut on the menu at this restaurant. If you're into tropical or Asian flavors, you'll be happy. If not, you'll probably be disappointed.

But this will be far from your biggest disappointment. That will definitely be the service.

It didn't start out badly. We were seated and given menus, and quickly received our drinks from a bright, smiling female server. She did her best to explain the paleo concept to us, then she left and didn't return to take our orders for a while (probably about 10 minutes). Next it took half an hour to receive our food, and the place wasn't crazy crowded. A member of the kitchen staff brought our entrees, and then we never saw anyone again. I kept turning around in my seat, blatantly looking for someone, anyone, to inquire about our satisfaction with the meals, refill our empty water glasses, offer us the check, anything, whatever. No dice. Finally I went to the bar and mentioned our waitress had been M.I.A. for quite a while.

"What does she look like?" the pretty bartender asked. I dutifully described the long absent woman. "Oh, she went home," she said, looking vaguely disturbed.

Well, that explains it, I guess.

Another server came to our table, apologized, and took our dessert order. This was a truly intriguing dish - chocolate pudding, but not really pudding. Not pudding at all, actually. Avocado, cocoa, agave for sweetness, coconut milk (see what I mean?), and banana. No dairy, no processed sugar. It had a vaguely mousse-like consistency, and smelled like jarred baby food. Must have been the mashed 'nana. The cocoa tasted much more like carob powder to me, a substance I ignorantly purchased back in college when I was going through an unfortunate healthy smoothie phase. I'm not saying the "pudding" was the worst thing I've ever had, but it wasn't the thick, milky texture or sweet chocolate flavor I'd anticipated.

After eating the pudding, I asked for the check from the new server and presented my Scoutmob coupon, which promises 50% off up to $20.

"Oh, I see you have a Scoutmob," she says, her brow darkening. "There's a mistake on that and we've reissued it. We only give up to $15 off. It was Scoutmob's mistake, not ours."

Are you kidding me? First we wait forever to get our dinners, then our waitress flat out leaves and no one takes her place finishing up our table. Though the new girl was apologetic, and gave us the "pudding" on the house, I don't think that makes up for severely neglectful service AND failure to honor a clearly stated, well circulated coupon. I mean, it's $5 - do you want us to come back for another meal, or don't you?

Guess you don't, and I have no problem moving on to greener pastures.

Verdict: Poor service, ho-hum food, and a coupon mishap that rubbed salt in the wound. Don't bother.

Broadway Cafe

2011-11-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

2157 Briarcliff Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 404/239-0888

Last night my grandmother, mom and I had dinner at Broadway Cafe at the intersection of Briarcliff and Lavista roads. This is a vegetarian restaurant that includes dishes with egg substitute, fish and soy "chicken" or "sausage". The menu is all over the place - Italian pasta, pizza, Indian vegetable dishes, blintz souffles, Mediterranean fare, Southern cole slaw, "grown up mac n' cheese", Thai stir fry and English style fish and chips. While I'm generally disapproving of crazy mixed menus, I'm willing to overlook it in Broadway Cafe's case and consider it a place where anyone can find something he or she likes.

The reason I'm adopting a lenient attitude about the menu is because I had a great experience here. I chose the Mumbai vegetables ($12.95), the "chef's specialty", a blend of herbs, spices and lots of healthy stuff - green beans, red bell peppers, onions, cauliflower, tomato, red potatoes, etc. I don't know why the menu doesn't just label this as curry. It's definitely curry, and it's definitely delicious. Just the right amount of hot spicy, perfectly cooked vegetables, a smattering of fresh chopped cilantro on top. The sauce was on the thick side (a good quality), and was as good as you'd get in an actual Indian restaurant.

My mom ordered the Mediterranean platter ($9.95). This is supposed to be an appetizer, but is large enough to make an ample meal for one. Dark fried falafel, hummus, roasted eggplant and peppers, with a Turkish style chopped salad. Lots of good stuff here, and plenty of pita to pair with all of it. Everything was fresh.

We ended with another odd addition to the menu - beignets. Broadway Cafe's beignets are small, about the size of a silver dollar. When you order the dessert ($3.95), you get a whole plate full, maybe a dozen total. They are still doughy in the inside, coated with powdered sugar. They taste like they're really bad for you (read: they are heavy and sugary and addictive). Twelve sounds like a lot, but I'm telling you, you'll finish them off.

Our female server was cute and enthusiastic, but she forgot about us for a while after she delivered our entrees. Mumbai vegetables made me suck down the water, and my glass was empty for quite a while before our waitress resurfaced. There was also a young male host, who ran to the door and held it open for us when we entered and exited. Very pleasant, I'll say that much.

The decor is fairly simple - wooden booth and tables, cartoonish paintings of the New York theater district and well-known Broadway shows. Nothing fancy, just casual and unprepossessing.

Verdict: A nice neighborhood find.

Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft

2011-11-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

1745 Peachtree Rd. Atlanta, GA www.tuktukatl.com

Last night my friend Valerie and I had dinner at Tuk Tuk, located in Brookwood Place on Peachtree in Buckhead. The restaurant occupies the space previously taken by Taurus, above the Viking store. (There's elevator access to the upper level.) I'd never been there before, but I knew Tuk Tuk was owned and operated by Dee Dee Niyomkul, daughter of the creators of the delicious, nearby swanky Thai restaurant Nana. With that legacy, I figured there must be some great food in store for me at Tuk Tuk.

So is Tuk Tuk on par with the grand Nan? Hmmm. No. But I want to immediately qualify that negative with a few notes:

Tuk Tuk is about half the price of Nan. Whereas I spent $26 on my entree last time I dined at Nan, I only spent $13 at Tuk Tuk, and $13 is on the high range of their menu. Tuk Tuk is doable on a regular basis/budget, while Nan is more of a special occasion or first date place.

Most of the dishes at Tuk Tuk seem simpler than the ones served at Nan. Take for example my dinner entree, Kow Mun Kai. This is steamed chicken with ginger, galanga and garlic rice topped with black bean chili sauce served with chicken consomme'.
Tuk Tuk's dishes aren't like those served at typical Atlanta Thai restaurants - they are about half that size. I got about 6 thin slices of chicken, very simply steamed, with a little ginger, about a cup of rice (noticeably garlic), a small condiment bowl of the black soy bean chili sauce, with another slightly larger bowl of the consomme. Our server encouraged me to try some of the soup by itself first, then pour a little onto the chicken. What excellent advice - the consomme' alone was top notch, and definitely added another layer of flavor to the chicken and rice. While I thought the chicken itself was too bland, I was happy with the sauces and sticky rice.

Other simple but pleasing dishes are the Pad Mee (sauteed vermicelli rice noodles with mushrooms, sprouts, scallions and egg), curries with your choice of beef, chicken, pork or shrimp, and Tom Yum Koong (traditional lemongrass soup with shrimp). These are dishes you will see at every Thai restaurant, in any city. Tuk Tuk also has some interesting, different items though, including lots of the small plates, which range from $7 - $9. The next time I eat at Tuk Tuk I'm planning to order the Kao Pad Goong Chiang, which is fried rice with diced Thai sausage, eggs, onions and Chinese broccoli ($13). We've all had fried rice umpteen times in our lives by adulthood, but not with Thai sausage. Sounds yummy.

Valerie ordered the Kanom jeen khew whan, which is basically green curry chicken with steamed rice noodles instead of just rice ($14). I tasted it and liked it, although I didn't find it as spicy as I might expect. I like my green curry with a distinct kick, and I didn't find it here. Still, the eggplant and bamboo shoots were tender, and the green curry sauce was good. Not as good as at Chaba Thai, but those of us ITP also don't have to go all the way out to Duluth for it, either.

Tuk Tuk has a very nice interior, with lots of black and white decor, boxes of Thai crackers and cookies adorning one wall, a spacious dining room, little lights that dangle from the ceiling and give the place a nice ambiance as the evening progresses. Our server, Gus, was great. He made good suggestions from the menu, smiled continuously and saw to our needs.

He did something else really cool - made me a Bangkok snow cone ($6). You read that right - Tuk Tuk has a cute, old fashioned snow cone stand where your server will create a huge snow cone (actually, it's in a bowl) just for you. The ice is topped with sweetened condensed milk and colorful rosewater, while a bevy of Thai dessert staples awaits you at the bottom: red beans, lychees, lotus and palm seeds. It may sound strange, but it was quite pleasant. Big enough for a small family to share, and not insanely sweet.

So, it's not as romantic or suave as Nan, and the menu isn't as complex or well cultivated. However, it's about half the price and you'll leave satisfied, especially if you're looking for a more fun, casual atmosphere.

Verdict: It's got that something special . . .

Recipe: Chickpea Stew with Spinach & Chorizo

2011-10-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chickpea-stew-with-spinach-and-chorizo

Another Food & Wine gem. Chickpea stew with spinach and chorizo. It encompasses lots of food categories - the ubiquitous chopped onion, spicy meat, healthy greens, bright tomatoes, good beans - with just enough herbs to kick it into high gear. You can do without the bay leaf in a pinch, but you'll find the rosemary is absolutely necessary. As always, fresh is best if you can get it.

I pulled this recipe out of my October issue of Food & Wine back in 2005, and have been making it at least once a month during the fall and winter ever since. Being a stew, it just feels like a cold weather meal to me. The list of ingredients isn't long, and you can make it in about half an hour if you use canned (and rinsed) chickpeas instead of soaking dry beans overnight and simmering them for hours the next day. Normally I follow Food & Wine's recipes to the letter, but since chickpeas are kind of bland even when they're at their best, I haven't tasted much if any difference when I've used the canned beans.

My only other tip about this is that if you forget to cook the chorizo beforehand, you can cook it along with the onion as long as you stir frequently and don't burn it. I actually prefer to do it this way, because I omit the olive oil and cook the onions in the sausage grease instead. Make sure you get the soft sausage, in the link form, not the hard deli style chorizo. It really has a different flavor and consistency that melds well with the other ingredients in the stew.

Do yourself a favor: when you make this recipe, buy a big bag or bushel of fresh spinach, and after you make this heavy stew, use the remaining spinach in a salad the next day. That way, you can get a good contrasting use of the spinach, which is the healthiest part of the recipe.

Sufi's

2011-10-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

1814 Peachtree St. Atlanta, GA www.sufisatlanta.com

On Thursday night Kevin and I had dinner at Sufi's, located on Peachtree right beside previously reviewed R. Thomas deluxe grill.

You'll begin your meal with traditional Persian bread (sort of a thicker, less butter, rectangular version of Indian naan), with a plate of various side items like sliced radishes, fresh mint and basil, good quality, firm feta, and olives. The restaurant is dimly lit, so be sure not to mistake the large pat of butter with feta. I've done this on both trips to Sufi's, and it's an unpleasant experience. I'm not even sure why they include butter - the bread doesn't need it, especially if you order one of the yogurts as an appetizer. The yogurts ($6 each) come with either grated cooked beets, shallots, spinach, or Kevin's favorite, cucumber and herbs. It's a nice way to lighten up your bread and prepare you for your entree.

We also had an order of dolmeh, grape leaves stuff with rice, ground beef, chives, tarragon, parsley, cilantro and raisins ($8). Not the best dolmeh I've ever had, but still at least average. It contained too much of something bitter . . . maybe tarragon?

I chose one of the specialty dishes, Zereshk polo with chicken ($18). You'll see in the pic that it comes with the usual big portion of saffron basmati rice, but in this case it's mixed with barberries and more saffron, almonds and pistachios. If you've never tried barberries, the flavor is very similar to cranberries. While I like cranberries, this is what throws me off about the dish. The tender chicken is very good, but it's overwhelmed by the tartness of the berries. Even the extra dose of saffron doesn't save it. I'd give this dish about a 7 of 10.

Kevin got another speciality dish, the ghemeh badenjoon ($16), which is chunks of lean beef in tomato sauce, split peas, sauteed eggplant and onions, on saffron basmati rice of course. This is a similar concept to the Turkish Iskender kabob, with a couple more vegetables. It's a pretty heavy dish, a good choice during cold weather.

This was our second dinner at Sufi's. When Kevin and I ate here before I had the koobideh kabob, which is 2 beef kabob skewers alongside a large plate of rice. The beef is quite good, but not as rich and flavorful as that of previously reviewed Darvish in Roswell. However, you have to weigh this against the slow-as-molasses service you'll probably get at Darvish. If your goal is to eat the best kabobs in Atlanta, trek out to Darvish and plan to stay a few hours. If you want 2nd best kabobs (which is still pretty good) and faster service, try Sufi's.

Vegetarians can select from a variety of meatless rice dishes, ranging from sweet (black cherry) to nutty to substantial (dill and protein-packed fava beans). Rice dishes are only $6, and between that and the free bread you should have a fine meal.

Nice atmosphere. Lovely copper-hued walls, burgundy fabric-covered booths, and small pillows, but no flat platforms for seating or huge rugs hanging from the ceilings. If you think Darvish is "overdone" in terms of decor, you'll enjoy Sufi's elegance.

Prices listed above are on par with other Persian restaurants in the metro area. Persian dining isn't ever the cheapest available option around, but this type of food has a personality all it's own that shouldn't be missed.

Verdict: Good stuff. I plan to make it a semi-regular dinner choice.

Recipe: Pancetta-Wrapped Roasted Turkey

2011-10-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pancetta-wrapped-roasted-turkey

Here's your Thanksgiving recipe # 2 for this year, and it will put any plain ole' oven roasted turkey you've made in the past to shame. It has a hint of sweetness, a noticeable measure of spice, tender poultry and lip-smacking, fatty pancetta. If your favorite thing about Thanksgiving turkey is the fragrant, flavorful skin, then you'll be head over heels for this version.

Think that making a whole turkey is too daunting a task, will require too much time or simply produce more food than you need? You don't need a special occasion (or 4 hours) to make this recipe if you make a few, easy revisions. Kyle and I have made this several times when we've hosted another couple for dinner, and we've found that two one-pound breasts, 1/3 of the quantity of each ingredient in the rub, and 1/4 pound of pancetta will suffice. In this case, I only brine the bird for about 3 hours. This means that you can place it in the fridge to brine (using only 1/3 of each of the brining ingredients) at lunch, and still have plenty of time to get it ready for a 7pm dinner. That's because you don't have to roast it for nearly as long - an hour and a half should do it.

The other thing I would change about this recipe - and this tip applies regardless of whether or not you use a whole 13 pound turkey or a couple of breasts - is that I wouldn't add the pancetta until the last half an hour of roasting. Why bother with it so early on, when you have to worry about getting the foil on top just right and risk burning the pancetta to a crisp? If your pancetta is thin sliced by the deli, it will easily cook up to a soft, barely crisp texture in half an hour.

And as you can see from the picture, you can't beat this recipe for presentation. It's super cool looking, so make sure you make a prominent space for it in the center of your dinner table, or parade it out from the kitchen under your guests happy noses before you slice and serve. This will give them a few minutes of gleeful anticipation for their upcoming main course.

Verdict: Another fabulous, easier than it looks recipe from Food & Wine.

Coast Seafood & Raw Bar

2011-10-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

111 W. Paces Ferry Rd., Atlanta, GA http://www.h2sr.com/

My grandmother and I had dinner at Coast Seafood & Raw Bar on Sunday night. Coast is located right across from the St. Regis hotel in Buckhead, near the intersection of W. Paces Ferry and Peachtree Rd. Coast is in the restored house structure formerly occupied by Home restaurant. Outside is an elevated white patio with 6 tables or so, warmed on Sunday by heat lamps. Inside is a dimly lit but cute dining room with more space - bright blue accents on the walls, sculptures of fish, frameless paintings of the seashore. It might sound corny, but it was actually quite tasteful.

We started with the chilled smoked salmon dip ($8), which comes with an ample supply of lightly toasted pita chips. This stuff is addictive. Not too chunky, not too smooth, and not overly fishy. Just right.

Grandmother ordered the BBQ Jumbo Gulf Shrimp ($9), served with a buttermilk biscuit. This is an appetizer, but my grandmother rarely eats more than 8 bites of any meal nowadays, so it was pretty much the right size for her. The dish included 6 appropriately large shrimp in a heavy, dark sauce, and a decent looking biscuit. She liked it all very much.

I ordered the blue cod, blackened, with a side of spring onions and sauteed spinach. This was from the fresh catch portion of the menu, which offers 7 types of fish or shellfish served pan-roasted, grilled, blackened or "naked". At first I thought the cod was too blackened - meaning the seasoning was overkill. Then after a few bites I started to really like it, and finished it with relish. I also loved the spinach, laden with small slices of garlic and fantastic with the greens. Well worth $15.50.

One thing I liked a lot about Coast was the selection of sides that are available with the entrees in the fresh catch section of the menu. You have your choice of french fries, cheese grits, red beans and rice, cole slaw or spring onions and sauteed spinach. For a $1 upcharge, you can have green beans, Brussels sprouts, baby squash, roasted baby vidalias, mashed potatoes and mac n' cheese. I've already mentioned that I thought the spinach was excellent, but I'm also thrilled to find Brussels sprouts on the menu. I love them, and almost never get a chance to order them when dining out. The roasted baby vidalias make excellent use of a local and famous onion. Most casual/semi-casual fish restaurants would settle for only offering cole slaw, fries or other potatoes. Kudos to Coast for providing a few more interesting options.

In addition to the above, Coast also offers baskets of fried fish with french fries, specialty entrees complete with sides, sandwiches and a decent number of starters. If you can't decide what you'd like, you could always order the seafood tower, which comes with chilled lobster, shrimp, clams, oysters, crabmeat and ceviche ($35 for 2, or $19.50 for a half portion).

Service was unremarkable. Polite, but not cordial.

I was surprised by how much I liked Coast. I used to consider Atlanta, a landlocked city, to have a very limited number of good seafood options. Lately, however, I've been getting really great fish all over town (examples: Empire State South, Grace 17:20 and Miller Union). Each of the aforementioned restaurants had better fish than what I ate at Coast, but they were also notably more expensive. Given the price, I think Coast was a great value.

Verdict: A good pick for moderately priced seafood.

Recipe: Nell's Sweet Potato Souffle'

2011-10-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: 40 oz. can of sweet potatoes, drained; 1 1/2 sticks butter or margarine; 1 cup sugar; 1 cup whipping cream; 2 cups miniature marshmallows; 2 eggs; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1 cup crushed cornflakes, 1/2 cup pecans.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 3/4 stick butter and marshmallows on low heat. Beat potatoes, sugar and eggs with electric mixer. Add the whipping cream, beating thoroughly, then add the marshmallow mixture until well mixed. Pour into ovenproof dish. For topping: Melt 3/4 cup margarine and brown sugar. Add cornflakes and pecans, stir until evenly coated. Spread over potato mixture. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Before you know it, Thanksgiving will be upon us. I will be posting a few autumn/Thanksgiving recipes that you may want to include at your next family gathering.

This recipe for sweet potato souffle is courtesy (and shared with permission from) my grandmother, Nell Braxton. While I love her more than anything, I have to admit that my grandmother isn't, as most people claim of their own grandmothers, the world's best cook. However, she has about half a dozen recipes that are simply awesome, and this souffle' is a big favorite of mine. It's a little labor intensive with all the heating various things on the stove, but it's worth the effort.

The reason this recipe is called a souffle' as opposed to the typical casserole is its texture. The whipping cream makes it creamy, almost light, and the melted marshmallows and butter give it a fluffy quality. Lots of people make sweet potato casseroles with marshmallows on the top. If you'd like, you may also add some marshmallows to the topping, but be prepared for an extremely sweet dish verging into the dessert category. My grandmother's recipe has just the right amount of sweetness, along with a satisfying crunch of cornflakes on top.

Sweet potato souffle' keeps for about a week, but it is best enjoyed within an hour of removal from the oven. Why? Because the cornflakes are crisp and the pecans are fragrant at that point. Once you refrigerate the souffle' and microwave it, you'll have mushy cornflakes and reheated, tired nuts.

For those of you who want a more home-made treat, you may substitute fresh sweet potatoes for the canned ones. My friend Danielle's wonderful mom Alice recently gave us a bag of just-dug-up-on-the-farm sweet potatoes from south Georgia, which inspired me to make the souffle' last night. If you use fresh sweet potatoes, peel then boil them for about 20 minutes, until they are soft. If they are too hard, you'll have chunky potatoes that won't properly blend into a luscious souffle' consistency.

This recipe makes approximately 10 side dishes. When Kyle and I made it last night, we used 7 medium sized sweet potatoes, which made enough for about 8 side dishes.

Iberian Pig

2011-10-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

121 Sycamore St., Decatur, GA www.iberianpigatl.com

Last Thursday night my friend John treated me and Kyle to dinner at Iberian Pig. He's been raving about it for months, so I was excited to try it out.

Wow, what an awesome place! One thing about dining with John is that he typically orders anything and everything on the menu that looks even remotely interesting, so we got to sample a ton of dishes. This is especially fun when we're having tapas, and the Pig is a tapas/wine bar.

If you're now rolling your eyes, muttering that you're sick of the ho-hum, overpriced and underwhelming little dishes often found in Atlanta's tapas restaurants, you can rest assured that you won't have that experience here. The tapas are pricey, but they are really, really tasty and unique. You won't find that cross cultural, mix of Asian/Spanish/American/Italian tapas you'll find elsewhere. Iberian Pig seeks to replicate the original, authentic Spanish tapas experience - the menu offerings are comprised of traditional ingredients and combinations. No sushi, no sliders. Instead you'll find lots of cured meats, Spanish cheeses and flatbreads.

We started with the charcuterie, which, in hindsight, was my favorite part of the meal. We chose 3 types of cured pork, all in the Iberico category. The menu tells you the pigs dine on acorns, and you'll detect a distinct nuttiness when you chew these wafer-thin slices of goodness. We also got 3 cheeses, my favorite being the Valdeon, which is a pungeant blue cheese made from both sheep and goat's milk. Stronger than grocery store blue, but not as ripe as gorgonzola. Fantastic.

Next we moved on to the regular tapas. We liked the Albondigas ($7), wild boar meatballs stuffed with dates, peppers, and roasted tomatoes, finished with a pimenton creme and oyster mushrooms. You can't go wrong with oyster mushrooms in my book. I've noticed they've become increasingly popular on the menus of upscale Atlanta restaurants, and I'm happy about it. If you haven't had wild boar, I can tell you it tastes more like beef than pork. Good, but not excellent.

Here's something that was excellent - the braised veal shank ravioli ($9). Each lovely ravioli burst with flavor, and the topping - rioja cream sauce, black truffle creme fraiche, white truffle oil, roasted shitake mushrooms and fresh thyme - could you just die hearing that, much less eating it? Iberian Pig needs to convert this into a main dish, so the gluttons among us can eat unto our heart's content (or until our stomachs explode, whichever comes first).

We also loved the Pulp a la Parilla ($14), grilled Mediterranean octopus with roasted fingerling potatoes, garlic, watercress pistou and little bits of bacon. As all of you know, bacon is always a welcome addition to any dish. However, it's the watercress pistou atop the perfectly grilled, firm but not chewy octopus that makes this dish.

Cheese lovers should definitely order the Croquetas de Queso ($8), chevre with honey-citrus yogurt, and lavendar honey. Goat cheese with honey is an excellent combination, and the citrus lightens up this heavy, fragrant dish.

And by the way, the Spanish olives are in some kind of divine olive oil with sherry vinegar, which Kyle compared to tasty plastic. I know that sounds odd, but it just tastes like it's been processed a little differently. If plastic could be appetizing, this is how it would taste.

It's a little dark in the dining room for my taste, but if you like a happening scene, Iberian Pig is for you. It was packed both inside and out last Thursday, and that's apparently the norm.

Now for the service - some of the best I've received this year. Patrick was a true gem, a sommelier with good suggestions who is also extremely knowledgeable about every dish on the menu. He's so attentive and pleasant that you'll want him to pull up a chair and join your feast - although you don't want him to actually eat any of your food, because you'll want it all for yourself.

Verdict: Perhaps Decatur's best restaurant.

Road Trip: Savannah - Cobblestone Cafe

2011-09-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

130 W Lower Factors Walk, Savannah, GA 912/231-0701

Before we left Savannah, we had breakfast at Cobblestone Cafe. See how cool it looks from the outside? The interior doesn't live up to the exterior. It's a little dark, the furnishings are outdated, the staff appear less than fresh. I'm forgiving of this though, because the Cafe is located in downtown Savannah on the back side of River Street. If you've ever been to River Street, you know it's about old charm, not bright modernity. The Cafe sort of fits the area.

The menu is basically pleasing - oatmeal, cereal, French toast, eggs Benedict, corned beef hash, omelets, juices and lots of flavored coffees and cappuccinos. Most choices are between $10 and $15, which seemed a little steep considering the quality. I would assume the prices are marked up because of the high rent in this part of town, but I don't like making excuses for inflated prices.

A few of us got omelets and thought they were pretty good. Eggs were fluffy enough, veggies seemed okay. My side of bacon was paper thin, nearly translucent, but the flavor was right on target.

The booths were very cramped - think coach-class airplane seats. The service was initially fine, and midway through our meal our waitress must have finished her shift because we never saw her again.

Before I posted this review I noticed a lot of bad reviews of this restaurant on other websites. I want to make it clear that we didn't have a bad experience. I think as long as your expectation is that you're going to get average service and adequate food, you'll be fine here. If you go in expecting something really impressive, you're going to be disappointed.

Verdict: A little better than IHOP.

Road Trip: Savannah - Vinnie Van GoGo's

2011-09-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

317 W. Bryan St., Savannah, GA www.vinnievangogo.com

You didn't think I was going to take you all the way to Savannah and just leave you with one post, did you?

Kyle, Ben, Danielle and I also had dinner at Vinnie Van GoGo's. This place has been in City Market for a while, and is a favorite of the locals. If you aren't familiar with Savannah, City Market is a very central area full of arts and crafts galleries, stores carrying Southern-made jams, wines, handmade quilts, and an excellent candy shop that I can't blog about because it's a chain - but I'd definitely recommend picking up some fudge there once you've had dinner at Vinnie's.

Vinnie's was my sister's favorite restaurant in-town back when she was a SCAD student living in Savannah, and Danielle and Ben like it a lot, too. I really wish I could get on the bandwagon and become a big fan of Vinnie's, but I just can't. I've eaten there at least 3 times over the past 7 years and I've never left feeling super impressed.

That doesn't mean the pizza is bad. It's not. In fact, it's probably above average. A little above average. There just isn't anything that stands out as fantastic about the pizza. When I see my pie coming to the table, I perk up my nose, but I don't close my eyes in near ecstasy when I smell the aroma the way I do at Blue Moon in Marietta. The restaurant doesn't offer particularly interesting or premium ingredients, the service is so-so, the dining areas (both indoor and out) are crowded, the chairs are somewhat uncomfortable, and I've always waited a decent period of time before receiving my order.

Part of the reason for that last comment is because Vinnie Van GoGo's is always packed - always. As I said, it's in a great location, a very pleasant area of town with a nice view of one of the squares. And the pizza IS notably better than the chains (e.g. Domino's, Pizza Hut). The ingredients, while not particularly exciting, are fresh, and the thin crust tastes like it's made from scratch. Which the website claims it is, so there you go.

Also, Vinnie Van GoGo's is a cash only establishment. No cash only restaurant is every going to get a perfect 10 review on my blog. Most of us under the age of 55 just don't carry a wad of cash around nowadays. I'll give Vinnie's this much - they've posted Cash Only notices on both the inside and outside of the restaurant, as well as on the website, so anyone who approaches the host stand (which is inevitable, considering you've got a snowball's chance in hell of waiting for less than half an hour for a table here) has any excuse when they receive their check, which also proclaims CASH ONLY!!!!! at the bottom.

On a positive note, the pizza isn't overpriced. $2.50/slice for most of it. $.50 extra for toppings, and $.75 for the better ones like pesto, artichoke hearts or spicy Italian sausage. For some reason basic tomatoes and mushrooms are considered premium toppings. See what I mean?

The restaurant also serves calzones and salads.

Verdict: An apparent old favorite of the locals, but not on my hot list of places to dine in downtown Savannah.

Road Trip: Savannah - Green Truck Pub

2011-09-23T09:40:00.001-07:00

2430 Habersham St., Savannah, GA www.greentruckpub.com

On Saturday Kyle and I visited our friends Ben and Danielle in Savannah, and had lunch at Green Truck Pub. It's a square, smallish, stand-alone white building on Habersham. We waited for about 20 minutes for a table, and were seated at a slightly cramped booth. The restaurant is a little dark inside (which is indicative of pubs), and the decor is a little trendy without being intimidating.

That description goes for everything about the restaurant, from the waitstaff to the menu. You'll see some locally produced ingredients on the menu, including grassfed beef from Hunter Cattle Company in Brooklet, GA and Perc Coffee Roasters coffees from within Savannah. The beer list features a few Savannah brews, and there's a "Little truckers menu" for your kids. Not that this place was full of kids, or anything.

Adults have their choice of burgers, a chili, soup du jour, a few salads and sandwiches. So the menu isn't huge, but it contains humorous commentary. And while there may not be a ton of choices, what Green Truck Pub does it does right.

For example, my Trailer Park burger ($10.50). It was a 1/3 pd beef patty (I could also have opted for organic grilled chicken or a homemade veggie patty), topped with pimento cheese, bacon, tomato and onion. The bacon was delish. The pimento cheese was chunky and the cheese tasted much better than the typical Kraft shredded. It wasn't a super fancy burger like you'd find at Flip in Atlanta, but it wasn't trying to be. It was just an honest, sizzling burger with real beefy aroma, prepared with the toppings (probably intentionally) a little sloppy on beneath the fat bun. Flip wants its burgers to be works of art. Green Truck Pub just wants to make a good burger. Would you have expected something different from a place called Green Truck Pub? The very name eschews pretension.

My burger came with the house made French fries, which were a little too browned and greasy for my taste, and the homemade ketchup. Kyle wasn't fond of the ketchup, likening it to marinara sauce. Not that there's anything wrong with marinara sauce . . . it just tastes odd with fries.

Danielle ordered the El Jefe burger ($10), one of the more creative combos. It has cheddar, black bean and corn salsa, avocado and jalapenos. It was so big she could barely get her teeth around it. I gave up on grasping my own burger almost immediately and cut it up like a yuppie. Oh well.

Service was good, not too pushy, zany or inattentive.

Verdict: Not the best burger I've ever had in my life, but the best burger I've ever had in Savannah.

Blackstone

2011-09-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

4686 S. Atlanta Rd. Smyrna, GA www.blackstoneatlanta.com

Last week Kyle and I had dinner at Blackstone. I'd been curious about the restaurant for some time, interested to see this place that had been awarded a few good reviews several years ago in various papers, all of which claimed Blackstone was Smyrna's answer to fine steak and seafood dining. No need to go all the way (meaning a 15 minute drive) to Buckhead, midtown, or downtown Atlanta when you have Blackstone, that sort of thing.

Boy, was I ever disillusioned from that theory. Upon entry, we had to wait for several minutes for the hostess to show up from some back room. We weren't the only ones waiting. And once she came out, we had to wait for a table despite our reservation. Not for a long time, but long enough to give me a sense of foreboding.

Unfortunately that sense was correct. Here's what was wrong:

1. The atmosphere. Too casual, with an overly dark dining room that seemed to be geared towards covering up the dingy furniture and ugly carpet. Adults wearing inappropriate clothing. Noisy children. If all of this recent fervor about not allowing babies or small children in nice restaurants has escaped you, I ask that you visit Blackstone for dinner. You'll know why so many people are cheering this idea.

Maybe this is Smyrna's citizens fault and not Blackstone's, but I couldn't help but think they're geared towards a mediocre dining experience when I saw that overly casual bar and cramped seating.

2. The bread. Kroger has better bread in their bakery, and I'm referring to the house baked kind. Plain, boring, nothing but filler. Why bother?

3. The wait for our entrees. Yes, the restaurant was almost full. However, it was a weeknight, and we had reservations. Upon ordering it took about 40 minutes for us to receive our entrees. Why?

4. Here's a guess: because they were burning Kyle's steak to a crisp. It was a 14 oz ribeye for $37, and was supposedly marinated in soy sauce, garlic and herbs and seared on a flat iron skillet. This steak was a long, long way from being simply seared. Take a gander at the photo above if you don't believe me. He ordered it medium rare. The inside was probably medium or medium well, and the outside was black and charred. What did they do to that poor thing, anyway? Cook it to the requested temperature and then stick it under the broiler for 15 minutes, just for kicks? It was nearly inedible, but we were so hungry by this time that Kyle ate it. Why didn't we complain? Because if you've ever worked in a restaurant or known anyone who has you know that this will almost guarantee you some type of revenge from the kitchen. Not worth it.

5. My fish entree. It was the special, a baked salmon stuffed with crab meat in a citrus buerre blanc sauce ($22). Sounds outstanding, right? No. The fish itself was fine. The crab tasted old. The sauce was lackluster, the orange slices looked as if they'd been sitting out a while.

For dessert - creme' brulee. Kyle assures me that at least they didn't screw that up. I didn't even order dessert, if that gives you any idea of how disgusted with the meal I was.

The only redeeming quality I found at Blackstone was the service. Our waitress, a dead ringer for Maggie Gyllenhall, was perky and bright. She apologized when our food was late in getting to the table, she refilled our water glasses at appropriate intervals and offered us more wine. Blackstone's management needs to do its best to keep her.

The website says Blackstone is an upscale establishment. About the only thing that's upscale about this place is the prices. You'll be paying as much to eat here as you would at Ruth's Chris, where the steak is about a million times better, the staff is more polished and and environment is more spacious and in better repair.

Verdict: No way, no how. A waste of nearly $100 for a dinner for 2.

The Highlander

2011-09-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

931 Monroe Dr. Atlanta, GA www.thehighlanderatlanta.com

A couple of weeks ago Kyle and I met our friends John and Jennifer at The Highlander, located on Monroe in the same shopping center as the Landmark Midtown theatre, Trader Joe's, Bruster's, etc. We were there to play trivia, which The Highlander offers on Sunday nights.

There are lots of typical bar items on the menu, but there are a few that stand out for their novelty in either title or presentation, such as the Pitcher of Tater Tots or French Fries ($4.95) or crab au gratin ($8.95 - served with pita). We were intrigued by the pasta-rella sticks ($7.95). This is 5 sticks of mozzarella sticks wrapped in pasta and deep fried, with a side of marinara. Yes, someone thought that all cheese sticks needed to transform themselves into fantastic was some fried pasta. If you're adding that many carbs and calories unnecessarily to your diet, the result OUGHT to be stupendous. It wasn't. They really tasted like regular cheese sticks with more bread coating. Not that they were bad, just that the pasta didn't improve anything.

I was determined to try the chili, apparently a claim to fame for The Highlander as it's been featured on The Food Network's Diners, Drive-In's and Dives. It's Jamaican Jerk chili, complete with jerk seasoning, shredded cheddar, sliced green onions, and plenty of good ground beef. A pretty good sized bowl is just under $7. While I liked the flavor, it was way too hot for me. I realize that plenty of people judge chili based solely on it's ability to scorch the mouth (meaning they think this is a good thing), but I'm not one of that tribe. I would have liked to eat more, but I just couldn't handle more than half the bowl.

There's a half decent beer selection. Nothing to get excited about, but several premium choices on tap.

The absolute downfall of The Highlander was its service. It was just awful. When we entered the restaurant, at least 3 servers were hanging out around the server's station. We seated ourselves and were there for nearly 10 minutes before any of them acknowledged us. In the meantime, at least 2 other groups came in and were attended to right away. Judging by the clientele, I'm guessing we were ignored because we were way too average for that scene. And I don't mean we aren't good looking people - I mean that we aren't marred by sleeve tattoos, weren't wearing hipster or Rockabilly clothing and didn't sport huge holes from gauge earrings. Anyone fitting that description appeared to get great service, so if that sounds like you, The Highlander should probably become your new hangout.

Besides getting ignored, our waitress was generally snide. She kept calling us "kids", and I mean every time she came to the table. Since the youngest person in our party was 27, I have to assume this was her "thing." Not that she came to the table all that often. Jennifer mentioned something about the restaurant being written up in Playboy, and I agree that the waitresses seemed to have been selected for their jobs more for their cup sizes than their level of interest in actual service. Had I seen the cartoon on the website before dining here, I wouldn't have actually thought this was an accurate depiction of the employees. But I would have been wrong.

Verdict: Some of the menu options are interesting, but the service was enough to keep me from returning.

Empire State South

2011-09-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

999 Peachtree St. Atlanta, GA www.empirestatesouth.com

Empire State South - why do I love thee? Let me list a few of the reasons:

1. Your convenience: You are located on the corner of 10th and Peachtree, and you have a parking deck where you validate the parking for up to 3 hours. No unnecessary valet, no metered street-side parking or expensive lots.

2. The Southern inspired menu: It's not just the once-new-but-now-ubiquitous shrimp and grits. This menu boasts really inspired combinations of local and otherwise delicious ingredients. Take one of the dinner "beginnings" for example: grilled Tybee shrimp (as in Tybee Island, just off of Savannah's coast), Wong's melon, ESS bacon, radish, and ESS yogurt. Playful and smart. The menu changes regularly. I see they now have a dish I would have jumped on had it been available when I dined here a few weeks ago: monkfish (possibly my favorite sea creature) crepinette with country ham broth, arugula, oyster mushrooms, sweet onion and dressed cucumber ($28). Be still my beating heart!

3. An in-house bakery. Sweet and tart treats like zesty lemon loaf, scones, muffins and donuts for only a couple dollars each.

4. Little cast iron skillets. My unbelievably good fish with oyster mushrooms, thick, fragrant bacon and tomato risotto cooked just right was perfectly presented in this

5. Atmosphere: NOT stuffy. It's hard to find a restaurant with the caliber and price of the food served here (meaning $20+ per entrees) with a farm house appeal. (And I generally don't find farm houses appealing, but somehow the interior designers have made it so.) Guys who hate to dress up and worry about what utensils to use with which course will love this place. Not sure why they bothered with the bocce ball court outside. When you're eating a meal this good, you don't need any other form of entertainment.

6. The wine: Wine Director Steven Grubbs was recently featured in Food & Wine as one of the best new sommeliers of the year. When we had dinner at ESS, Sabrina and I asked for wine recommendations and our sommelier found something great for each of our palettes. Lots of good choices here.

And finally -

7. The jars. The jars, the jars, the jars! Hot diggity! I know they're an $18 appetizer, but I'm telling you they're the best appetizer I've had in at least a year, and you'll get enough for 4 people to share. If there was any way I could've absconded with the jars, I would have, but there was no way they were fitting under my blouse without attracting a lot of unwanted notice (and possibly security in the parking deck). Our jars contained pork rilette, trout mousse, homemade pickled vegetables, pimento cheese with bacon marmalade, and boiled peanuts. The mousse was my favorite, the marmalade Sabrina's. And by the way - thanks to Sabrina for this awesome belated birthday dinner.

I can't wait to have another meal here!

Verdict: The best new restaurant in Atlanta.

Recipe: Marinated Pork Chops w/Herb Salsa

2011-09-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/marinated-pork-chops-with-herb-salsa

I know you just got a recipe from me a few weeks ago, but I made this last week and knew I had to share it with all my followers. I live in an apartment complex in Cobb county, and therefore am not legally allowed to have a grill, so I get few opportunities to put my grilling recipes to good use. Fortunately I've been dogsitting for the past couple of weeks at a house with a great new gas grill, and this has been the best thing Kyle and I have made so far.

I've actually made this recipe about 3 times, and unless you burn the pork chops (which you have no excuse to do if you're watching them while they grill) then you can't screw it up. It's a fantastic summer dish because you can use some of that fresh basil, mint and parsley from your garden. My friends Kathy and Amy sometimes grow lemon basil, which would make a fine, lively substitute for the regular basil. In that case you could probably use only half the lemon juice, or none at all. This is also a great recipe because it's simple and requires only a few ingredients. If you have to buy the fresh herbs in the little plastic packages, you should have enough to double or triple the recipe, or enough left over for other meals later in the week.

Capers, dijon mustard, white wine vinegar - all zingy, potent ingredients - offset by the fresh parsley, basil and mint. You'll love it. We use the thin breakfast chops for this recipe, which cook in about 7 minutes or so. In my mind, pork is always better seared, broiled, falling apart after hours in the slow cooker or grilled as opposed to baked. It's wonderful juices should either be tightly retained (such as when searing), ready to flow into your mouth upon entry, or should be bubbling slightly after broiling or grilling. Getting the edges of the chops just singed from the broiler is my specialty.

Kyle and I like to pair this with a simple side such as buttered corn on the cob or sliced carrots. Enjoy!

And yes, I'll be sure to post a new restaurant review for you by week's end.

Paradise Grill

2011-08-25T08:17:00.000-07:00

3605 Sandy Plains Rd., Marietta, GA www.paradisegrillmarietta.com

A couple of weeks ago my friend Megan accompanied me to Paradise Grill in east Cobb. It's located in a nice shopping center with a Hallmark nearby and Publix as the anchor.

This wasn't the first time I've patronized Paradise Grill. Several years ago I used to eat here at least every other month, and had an opportunity to try many of the dishes. I was pleased to see that one in particular is still on the menu.

The prime and cheddar ($8.99) is an excellent sandwich. This consists of slow cooked prime rib (thin-sliced, slightly shredded) and good quality cheddar cheese with a side of au jus. I must admit - I'm a sucker for au jus, and Paradise Grill provides a tasty version. You'll have a choice of breads, and you should definitely get the marble rye. For sides, your best bests are the house chips or the pasta salad. The pasta salad is light, chewy, and perky, and the chips are home-made, thin, slightly dark but not too greasy.

The Grill also offers plenty of typical bar food - wings, club sandwiches, chicken fingers, nachos, quesadillas and burgers. None of it is particularly noteworthy, but none of it is actually bad, either. If you've got kids, they'll probably eat almost anything on the menu. Parents have obviously already figured this out: Paradise Grill is usually packed, with about 3/4 of its customers being families with young or preteen children. What kid doesn't like a chocolate brownie a la mode? There's also an actual kids' menu.

If you're not in the mood for any of the above, Paradise Grill has a page of seafood items you might enjoy. I recently had the shrimp tavern basket, which at $8.99 was basically a rip-off. For this price you get a whopping total of 9 fried shrimp, along with a serving of fries or house chips. 9 shrimp? I don't know what I was thinking - this was clearly stated on the menu - but this isn't enough food for anyone who weighs over 90 pounds. If you want to fill up on fries then you can get out a lot cheaper at McDonald's.

On the subject of seafood, there's also mahi mahi, salmon, fish and chips, fish tacos or pasta with scallops, etc. added. These are all more expensive than the baskets, but they're probably worth the extra money because you'll actually receive more than 5 mouthfuls of seafood. I seem to recall enjoying the blackened fish wrap ($7.99) or some version of this in previous years..

My biggest problem with this place is the service. When I used to frequent this place about 5 years ago the service was consistently good, but now the entire staff appears to be between the ages of 17 and 20. Lots of cute young girls, but also lots of mixups on your orders, bone dry water glasses and apathetic servers who are M.I.A. whenever you need them. Notice to restaurants: I'll take an older, unattractive but conscientious server over a young, hot clueless one any day.

Verdict: Not as good as it used to be, but the prime and cheddar is still worth a visit.

Recipe: Sicilian Meatballs

2011-08-22T18:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sicilian-style-meatballs

This recipe is from Food & Wine, and it's unbelievable - the best meatballs you've ever eaten, either at home or in a restaurant. As a matter of fact, ever since Kyle and I started making this recipe, I won't order meatballs at any restaurant, ever. The competition simply doesn't measure up. What makes them so great?

1. The inclusion of currants. Just enough chewy texture, little bursts of fruit within a rich meatball.

2. The presence of the pine nuts. Crunchy, and they add depth.

3. The sauce - put the olive oil and crushed tomatoes (the best quality you can find) on the stove and allow them to simmer together while you're rolling and cooking the meatballs. You'll be glad you gave it some extra time, and this requires no extra effort.

This recipe makes enough meatballs for about 4 people for dinner. Kyle and I love it because we get an excellent dinner (great with some Italian red wine) and an equally wonderful lunch the next, or even several days later. It keeps well, and almost tastes better later after the meatballs have had time to soak up the sauce for a few days.

We like to cook the meatballs until they're dark brown on all sides, which means someone has to stand over the stove turning them frequently. Take my advice - relax and enjoy the experience. Inhale the wonderful aroma of beef, freshly grated or shredded Parmesan, fresh sprigs of parsley, nuts and berries. If you broil some thick slices of buttery garlic bread during the last 3 minutes, you'll get another layer of fragrance.

Verdict: A little more labor intensive than most of the recipes I highlight on this blog, but worth the effort.

Capozzi's

2011-08-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

1355 Clairmont Rd. Decatur, GA www.capozzisdecatur.com

So you've probably noticed I've been spending a lot of time eating in Decatur lately. Well, that's because Decatur has lots of good restaurants. Capozzi's is no exception. It's located in a nondescript shopping center near the intersection of Clairmont and N. Decatur roads, along with Thai, Greek and Indian restaurants.

While the outside might be boring, you'll be more impressed with the interior. Once inside, you'll be greeted by a smiling host, who will take you past a singing piano man (Asian, and can sing just like Tony Bennett) to a nice booth. The walls are brick and the chandeliers are varied - nice, but a little eccentric and definitely not intimidating.

Torn between the pasta with clam sauce (your choice of red or white) and the basil pine nut pesto, I took our very friendly and solicitous waiter's suggestion and got the pesto ($14 for a full plate, although the lunch portion is cheaper and will allow room for dessert). It was great - a bright green, truly basil pesto with lots of salty Parmesan and plenty of pine nuts. I had this with penne, and was very happy with my choice. If I have a complaint here, it's that I was actually served too much sauce - so much I couldn't determine the quality of the pasta. That being said, it's not the worst of problems.

The menu includes all the usual Italian-American suspects - those dishes like veal parmegiana and manicotta that I never consider when dining out. However, Capozzi's also has a few potential winners: homemade focaccia, eggplant napoleon (an appetizer with grilled portabello mushrooms, marinated tomato and goat cheese), saltimbocco, and a forte sauce for pasta that includes fresh mushrooms and onions with a "dab of jalapeno puree". Nothing on the menu will scare your kids or anything, but there are options for those who are tired of plain ole' spaghetti with meatballs.

And the desserts! I haven't gotten this excited about a dessert menu in quite a while. The night we were there we had our choice of chocolate chips filled mini cannollis, cheesecake, limoncello cheesecake, chocolate layer cake, coconut cake, chocolate coconut cake (like a big Mounds bar), tiramisu and gelato. What doesn't sound good here?My brother had the cannollis, which I liked but I thought were short on chocolate chips (the best cannollis I've had yet in Atlanta are the ones at Mulberry Street Pizza in Marietta), and I selected the limoncello cheesecake. This was awesome, and I'm not even a cheesecake lover. The limoncello was best detected within the graham cracker crust - I think it must have soaked through - and was excellent, a tart contrast to the sweet, creamy cheesecake. The desserts alone are reason to come back to Capozzi's.

Our service was great from the time we entered the restaurant to the time the pianist waved good-bye and thanked us for coming in, despite the fact that the restaurant was consistently busy. (Note for L.S. - they were all men, so I doubt you're concerned in this case about their level of attractiveness).

Capozzi's isn't as quite as good as the chain Maggiano's, but better than previously reviewed Nino's Italian Kitchen and far above Bambinelli's near Northlake Mall.

Verdict: The best moderately priced Italian food I've had in the past couple of years.

Re-review: Restaurant Eugene

2011-08-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

2277 Peachtree Rd., Atlanta, GA www.restauranteugene.com

To my blog followers - you're in for a treat today, my first re-review ever posted on Southern Foodie. The last time I reviewed Restaurant Eugene was just over 2 years ago, and I haven't been back since. Last week my friend Kelly and I made a return visit to decide it we still thought it was the best restaurant in Atlanta.

We ordered the 5 course tasting menu ($70), with the optional foie gras dish, an additional $15. Here's a basic idea of what we were served:

First course - fresh field peas, heirloom tomatoes, basil leaves, chunks of thick bacon, a high quality olive oil and small, delicate pillows of pasta filled with a light lemon zest. This was my favorite course of the meal - I thought the combination was perfect, the presentation beautiful, with each unique flavor simultaneously standing out and complementing the others. Amazing.

Second course - a light, mild white fish (I don't know why I can't seem to remember the exact names of any fish lately - forgive me), with micro greens and other goodies. Sublime.

Third course - This was the "mixed course", which on that night consisted of about 5 slices of nearly rare pork tenderloin, and baked eggplant, red bell peppers, onions, etc. This was my least favorite course, primarily because I like my pork more on the done side. A positive note was a slice of baked polenta, which was heavenly alongside the eggplant and peppers. I'd love to see this combination more often in Atlanta's restaurants.

Next we got the foie gras. Fans of this guilty pleasure know that when done correctly, it's the most succulent thing on Earth. It was done correctly at Restaurant Eugene. It lay, cool as a meaty cucumber, on one end of a long white plate, while the other end held a small scoop of bellini sorbet. Yes, bellini sorbet. This is something I loved so much I'm now determined to make it for myself at home in my ice cream maker (I'll let you know if my attempts are successful.) How did I ever live 33 years without foie gras topped with diced roasted peaches and bellini sorbet? It probably shortened my life to eat it, but I enjoyed every second of it.

Fourth course - the cheese plate. A semi-hard, light golden goat cheese with honey and roasted peanuts. I could've done without the peanuts, because I thought they were a little overpowering, but the cheese and honey were wonderful. The food of kings.

Fifth course - dessert, and an unusual one at that. About 3 tablespoons of corn ice cream atop grains of cocoa and espresso with a sweet tomato jam smeared along the side. Not an overly sweet dessert to say the least, but interesting, in a good way. The espresso granules gave me a little jolt, but they were tempered by the tomato jam. Tomato appeared in 3 of our 5 courses in this meal, and every time it was in a completely different and lovely way.

An outstanding job.

Restaurant Eugene is an experience, but an understated one. When it's crowded it's a little loud for my taste, but I still have a feeling of tranquility as I sit awaiting my next dish or amuse bouche. (Speaking of those, there was one with compressed watermelon and nearly liquified mascarpone cheese and another, much better one with raw trout, etc.) The staff is excellent, refilling drinks at appropriate times, sliding a small breadbasket onto the table almost unnoticed, explaining each course of the meal with as much detail as you desire. The hosts/hostesses are all eager to accommodate any special needs and all have smiles on their faces, just as you will as soon as you taste even one bite of Restaurant Eugene's incredible food.

And if you didn't already know, Chef Linton Hopkins has been nominated Best Chef: Southeast for the James Beard Awards, 2011. I believe the last Atlanta chef to win this was Scott Peacock from Watershed. While I think Chef Hopkins is certainly deserving of the title, it's my fervent hope that if he wins he won't move on to larger scale, national projects and semi-fame and finally disappear from the city the way Peacock has. It would be a great shame if Atlanta lost such a superior talent.

Review: Still the best.

Parker's On Ponce

2011-08-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

116 E Ponce de Leon Ave. Decatur, GA www.parkersonponce.com

Last week I had dinner at Parker's On Ponce with Sabrina and my grandmother. It's located right in the heart of Decatur, at the intersection of Ponce and Church street. You'll find a few spaces of free parking marked for the restaurant directly behind the building, or you can park on the street or in a nearby deck.

I asked our server, who was very friendly but a little scattered (and this was on a Monday night when the restaurant wasn't busy), which cut of steak she recommended. She said she liked the New York strip or the ribeye best, because they had the least fat. I thought it was odd she didn't mention the filet . . . I'm usually not big on NY strip because it's generally pretty tough, especially in comparison with filet. However, I took a chance and ordered the 8 oz ($17, the 14 oz is $28) NY strip. All the steaks come with your choice of herb butter, bearnaise or blue cheese for an additional $3. Our server told me that she preferred the bearnaise, and advised me that it was mixed with a tarragon sauce. Again, I took a chance.

And the NY strip was excellent! Really, very tender, juicy and delicious. Maybe slightly overcooked, but only slightly. She did request that I cut into the meat and make sure it was cooked correctly before I began eating, and when I did this I noticed it was a little overdone, but what hungry, sane person is going to return steak and wait for the next one (from what is likely a perturbed cook) when the difference is minimal? Not I, I can assure you.

The bearnaise was absolutely chock full of tarragon. It was practically a tarragon cream sauce. Well, she did warn me. Maybe I'll go for the herb butter next time.

Because there will be a next time. In addition to being pleasantly surprised by the texture and quality of my steak, I also loved my side, a black truffle mac n' cheese. Once again, I chose something I would normally hate - I think I had too much of the neon orange Kraft macaroni and cheese as a child and now basically abhor the dish in any form, at any restaurant - but the addition of the truffles intrigued me. Hooray! It was very good. Creamy, creamy, creamy sauce with very tender pasta, and a hint of black truffle oil. Not quite as much truffle flavor as I'd like, but I like the pungent flavor more than most people, so it was probably just right for the general population.

My sister ordered the 6 oz filet ($24) and liked it. It didn't beat out her favorite filet from the chain Stoney River, but it merited praise. She also enjoyed her haricot verts, which were lightly sauteed and fragrant.

My grandmother ordered a salad - the Parker's House with mixed greens, peppered bacon, toasted pecans and dried cherries in a gorgonzola-vinaigrette dressing. This would work as an appetizer or a light main course, and the latter would make it a steal at $5. The kitchen didn't skimp on the "good stuff" - there were more pecans, cherries and bacon than greens, which gives the salad good marks in my book.

Finally we ended with dessert, the day's special, old-fashioned chocolate layer cake with chocolate icing. This was exactly what you'd want to eat if you're a chocolate cake lover. Rich without being bitter or too heavy, creamy icing, moist cake. Yum.

Verdict: Another great restaurant in Decatur. The best New York strip I've had in recent memory.

Ghion Cultural Hall Ethiopian

2011-08-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

2080 Cheshire Bridge Rd. Atlanta, GA

My friends Erin and Paul had dinner with me at this tiny, tiny place on Cheshire Bridge a couple of weeks ago. Look for the Blue Rat Smoke shop and a smaller sign for the California Food Mart, and you'll find it. Once parked, you'll go in a shady looking entrance, down a path to a second doorway, but don't be afraid - once inside, you'll find a very cute main dining room with a bar and a stage set up for musical acts.

I've posted more pics of the restaurant itself instead of the food this time because I'm really afraid you won't find this place without some help.

The menu is similar to other Ethiopian restaurants in the area - kitfo, lega tibs, awaze tibs, fish dulet - lots of lamb, spicy items and entrees that can be described as stews.

I'm going to cut to the chase on this review: everything we had was great. Everything. Meat, vegetables, beans - all fantastic. And almost everything is priced $10 or less. Whether you get "barely cooked" ground beef, fish in butter and olive oil, chickpeas and tomatoes, or a huge platter of beans and greens, you'll get your money's worth.

If you've ever dined at an Ethiopian restaurant you know you'll be served as much as you can possibly handle - which is the case at Ghion. If you're really hungry, pull up a chair and dig in.

We had excellent service from a lovely young woman who was full of info on the menu. When Erin asked for something NOT spicy, our server recommended a great beef and bell pepper dish that Erin gleefully consumed with some of the great, very slightly bitter injera bread. You'll get as much of this as you need to scoop up your meat and vegetables, and you'll enjoy all of it.

Seriously, I know it looks sketchy, but you'll be rewarded if you give it a try. Once you take a seat and smell the food cooking, you'll relax.

Verdict: I'll be happy to return to this great little restaurant for more.

Wild Ginger Thai

2011-08-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

2201 Savoy Dr. Atlanta, GA www.wildginger-restaurant.com

A week or so ago my grandmother and I had dinner at Wild Ginger, which is located on the access road beside I-285 near the Chamblee-Dunwoody exit.

The menu is pretty extensive and contains lots of great options - soups, salads, tempura, fried rice, noodles, curries, chicken, shrimp, desserts, etc. There's an interesting section called "Thai with a Twist" which features entrees like ginger flounder and sweet herb talay. There is also a separate sushi menu.

Although I had a difficult time choosing between the many offerings, I finally went with the jungle curry, simply because I'd never heard of it. Jungle curry ($10.95) has chicken with bamboo shoots, basil leaves, carrots, green peas, green bell pepper and eggplant in a spicy herb "soup." I put soup in quotes because your rice will basically absorb the broth, but don't worry, this won't detract from the flavor one bit. This is a delicious, spicy (but not mouth-numbingly spicy) curry. You'll get lots of fresh basil, and the eggplant is a great inclusion. It's an interesting alternative to the usual green, red, yellow or masaman curries.

My grandmother ordered the pineapple fried rice ($9.95, contains chicken). This is exactly what you'd expect, with a little unexpected, tart fruit. The pineapple is cut into small chunks, so it's not overwhelming. You'll also taste yellow curry powder and enjoy some crunchy cashews. It's a tropical delight.

We ended with some green tea ice cream. If you're unfamiliar with this popular Thai flavor, green tea is a subtle, divine ice cream. It's not too sweet, not too anything but good. Our ice cream was served in a tall glass parfait dish with 2 spoons. Who doesn't like that?

The decor is actually kind of cool. There are random blue panels in the ceiling, bright red tableware and a small sushi bar. Tables aren't too close together for comfort, and plenty of room to put them together if you have a large group. And there were a couple of large groups, both Asian (always a great sign in an Asian restaurant), on the night when we dined at Wild Ginger.

Finally, the service is dynamite. Smiling and attentive waitstaff and a friendly manager who can and will fully answer any questions you have about the menu. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this place, especially the food.

Verdict: A nice surprise off of Chamblee-Dunwoody. I'll definitely return.

Grace 17:20

2011-07-27T14:44:00.001-07:00

5155 Peachtree Pkwy, Ste 320, Norcross, GA www.grace1720.com

About a week and a half ago Kyle and I had dinner at Grace 17:20 in Norcross. While we live on the total opposite side of Atlanta from this restaurant, I remembered dining there about 6 years ago and enjoying it immensely, so we made the trek out to The Forum shopping center off of Peachtree Parkway in northeast Atlanta.

And it was so worth the drive!

I ordered the market fish, which is oven roasted and citrus encrusted ($26). This came with smoked salmon mashed potatoes, wilted spinach, and citrus vanilla buerre blanc. First, I have to say that I didn't taste any salmon in the potatoes, nor even a hint of vanilla in the buerre blanc. Despite these omissions, this fish still rocked. Perfectly cooked, falling apart before I could get it in my mouth, it was a mild white fish (so sorry, can't remember the exact type - it was something I don't have or see on Atlanta menus very often). The citrus bread crumbs were lively without being zingy, the potatoes creamy, the wilted spinach fantastic. I haven't gotten quite this excited about spinach in a while.

Kyle ordered the black Angus New York strip, which normally comes with horseradish mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus and red wine veal jus ($28). Kyle asked our waiter to substitute plain mashed potatoes instead, and he gladly complied. The potatoes were fine, and asparagus was cooked correctly, and the steak was a decent size. Not an enormous cut of beef, but enough. It would've been perfect if it had come out cooked as ordered: Kyle ordered it medium rare, and it was probably more along the lines of medium or medium well. Other than being overcooked, I think the price for this lux meat and 2 veggies was appropriate.

We opted to forgo an appetizer in favor of eating a dessert later, and that was the right move - we ordered the bananas foster turnover. This comes with drizzled white chocolate and a small scoop of chocolate ice cream, and it's a dream. The pastry comes out hot and slightly crisp, while the center is ooey gooey caramelized bananas and brown sugar. Rich without being overpowering. My only complaint about the dessert is that all selections are $9 each. $9?!? This is probably the most expensive dessert I've ordered in the Atlanta area within the past year. As much as I enjoyed it, I think the price should've been more around $7 or $7.50.

I was disappointed that this restaurant's menu no longer features what I previously would have proclaimed as the best appetizer in Atlanta restaurants - mussels grits. Maybe they'll bring that heavenly dish back.

Our service was above average, non-intrusive. I wish I could say I was impressed with the wine list, but I thought it was a little lacking. Not enough interesting reds or unique white blends. We ordered a cabernet for $36 (One Hope) that was only so-so. However, with food this good, I can overlook a sub-par wine list on occasion.

Verdict: The best food I've had yet in Norcross.

Mykonos Taverna

2011-07-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

2901 Clairmont Rd., Atlanta, GA www.mykonostaverna.com

A couple of weeks ago my friend Kevin and I had dinner at Mykonos Tavern. Kevin is a Turkish and Greek food lover, so I was eagerly anticipating this excursion. Mykonos Tavern is located right on Clairmont Rd. just past the I-85 exit, in the Sam's Club parking lot. You can't miss it - its painted a startlingly bright royal blue with white trim.

The first thing that comes to mind when I recall our dinner was the enormous amount of food we were served. (If you read my post on Colonnade, you'll see this has been a recent although unintentional theme.) With our entrees, which were huge, we also got big Greek salads and a large, round, fat bread absolutely covered with minced garlic. The bread itself would have made a meal for most people. Wish I could comment on it, but I have a strong aversion to that much garlic, so I didn't taste it.

For the salads - romaine, tomatoes, feta, black olives, chopped green bell peppers and the occasional pepperoncini with Greek vinaigrette dressing. It was fine, nothing special. We could have alternately ordered soup.

Since I wasn't prepared for us to get this much food, Kevin also ordered a mezze platter. This came with triangular slices of pita and 3 different dips - I think one was hummus, one baba ganoush, and one a spicy red pepper/cream cheese blend. The latter was my favorite. A pretty good start to the meal.

This came with a side of oven roasted potatoes, which were absolutely delicious. At first I didn't realize they were potatoes - they have such an acidic flavor (lots of fresh lemon juice), I thought they might be cassava, served similarly to the Cuban style available at Marietta's Cuban diner. If you read my review of that place, you know I loved it.

The moussaka didn't impress me as much. I think my main problem with it was the overabundance of nutmeg. I tasted nutmeg over every other flavor, and that's just not my idea of good moussaka. The pasta was cooked properly and the eggplant was sufficiently soft, but the ground beef was a little mushy from too much bechamel sauce. Again, why all the nutmeg? Kevin's wife Sue has also voiced her disapproval of the moussaka, although I'm not sure if she dislikes it for the same reason.

Service was fine, and I appreciated that a manager came over to check on us at one point. The restaurant was about 2/3rds full when we left, primarily with families. Along with about a dozen varied desserts (carrot cake, eclairs, rice pudding, etc.), there's also a children's menu at Mykonos Taverna, so your kids will probably be happy here. I don't know how anyone ever makes it to dessert here - after the mezze and salad I could only eat about half my moussaka and potatoes.

I'd be willing to return, maybe for one of the dinner sautees and a dessert - but not if I had the option of dining at Al's Agora Cafe in Buckhead instead. It's hand over fist better than Mykonos Taverna.

Verdict: Al's Agora Cafe is still my pick for best Greek in the metro Atlanta area.

Colonnade

2011-07-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

1879 Cheshire Bridge Rd. Atlanta, GA www.colonnadeatl.com

Last Saturday afternoon my grandmother and I had lunch at the Colonnade, an Atlanta institution since 1927. If you're unfamiliar with the Colonnade, you probably don't know that it's commonly called the restaurant for "gays and grays" - seniors and gay men seem to adore it. I can tell you that the average age of those present last week was probably 70, and it was only that low because 2 families brought babies.

If you haven't been to Colonnade but you've been to Piccadilly, you already know just about everything you need to know regarding the menu. Chopped steak with gravy, livers, vegetable plate, pork chops. Several different varieties of fried fish, along with country fried steak or country fried chicken. Vegetable sides include sweet potato souffle', green beans, fried okra, collards - the usual fried or boiled-to-death Southern fare.

I ordered the chopped sirloin with crispy onions and mushroom gravy ($11). You can see right off the bat that the entrees at Colonnade cost about twice as much as they do at Piccadilly . . . but you'll also get twice as much food. If you like large portions, this is the place to go. My crispy onions were slim and fried without being greasy (surprisingly), and the mushroom gravy was quite tasty. My chopped steak was a notch above that commonly available in the frozen food aisle of your grocery store - it actually had a little taste of the grill or broiler. My turnip greens were slimy and nearly tasteless, but my okra was good, only needed a very little bit of salt.

According to a recent PBS special, the current chef at the Colonnade has plans to revamp the menu, keeping some of the popular old standbys but adding a fewer newer, more interesting dishes in an attempt to attract a younger crowd who may have given up on the Colonnade. Guess we'll have to wait and see. The menu last Saturday could have come from the 70's, 80's, or whenever. There was nothing on it that any Southerner hasn't eaten a hundred times by age 10.

The decor? Exactly what you'd think - dark carpet with an unfortunate pattern, lots of unstable wood tables with a few booths, big windows allowing light inside so their customers' old eyes can read the menus. As a matter of fact, it looks like a lower grade version of the dining room at my grandmother's retirement home.

Service was average, a little subdued. Maybe our waitress didn't have enough time to show us her charm and personality. The place was rockin' busy from the time we set foot inside to the minute we left. One thing is for sure - if I never return to the Colonnade, they sure have a ton of other people who probably will.

A major word of warning here - Colonnade does not accept any credit or debit cards. They have an ATM just inside the entrance, if you're interested in paying the fee (in addition to your own bank's fee) to get cash at the last minute.

Verdict: Nothing new here.

Recipe: Wheat Berry Salad w/Dried Apricots

2011-07-13T15:13:00.000-07:00

My friend Joanie and I recently had a discussion about working wheat berries into our diets. I think this Better Homes and Gardens recipe uses wheat berries to their best advantage.

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/salads/wheat-berry-salad-with-dried-apricots/

If you aren't in the know about wheat berries, they have excellent nutritional value. They're high in fiber, manganese and magnesium and are low in calories. (While I haven't seen them at Kroger or Publix, you can get them at farmer's markets, Harry's and health food stores, usually at about $4 for half a pound. They are really dense, so this quantity goes a long way.)

What I love about it: You've got a great variety of ingredients here - fresh green peas, protein-packed chickpeas, luscious dried apricots and tart dried cranberries, a little nutty flavor from the walnut oil, green onions and of course the wheat berries. The lemon juice makes it bright without making your mouth pucker, the snow peas give it a light, "spring" quality, and the wheat berries and walnut oil make it rich. This dish will sufficiently fill you up without giving you that overly stuffed feeling. It makes a fantastic lunch, because it won't give you a carb crash and you won't be searching for an unhealthful snack two hours later.

I also love that it's easy to make. Besides cooking the wheat berries, the only other thing you have to do is mix the other ingredients together. It's good to go immediately, or a day or two later if you refrigerate it.

What I would change: It's totally unnecessary to soak the wheat berries overnight. Seriously, don't bother. Just be sure to simmer them for at least an hour on the stove. Otherwise they'll be hard and too chewy. Also, if you aren't crazy about snow peas, sugar snap peas will work as a substitute, but in that case you might want to add a little more lemon juice to prevent this from being too sweet.

Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing. Enjoy!

Isabella's Cafe

2011-07-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

910 West College Ave., Decatur, GA www.isabellascafe.com

Last Thursday night Sabrina, my grandmother and I had dinner at Isabella's Cafe near Agnes Scott College. It's in a shopping center with a craft beer store (which I'll definitely visit later), among other establishments. The menu can be described as global, with a heavy emphasis on African dishes (South African, Kenyan, etc.)

We started with an order of the samosas ($7.95). There are 3 to an order, and you can choose between vegetarian, ground turkey or tilapia fillings. We got all veggie, and they were very good. The peas and potatoes were soft, the breading was crisp, and the dipping sauce was tasty.

My grandmother ordered the Cajun Alfredo Shrimp with Andouille Sausage on toasted ciabatta ($9.95). This seemed like a hearty mouthful of good flavors. She selected a side of sweet potato tater tots. We all rather liked these. A nice change from regular white tater tots, and not greasy like you might expect.

I chose the Swahili shrimp curry with mango served over basmati rice ($13.95). The curry itself was very slightly spicy, and the flavor was average, maybe a little better. There were about 8 shrimp total - a moderate number. According to the menu, this is their "signature dish." Really? There was more rice to this than anything.

Which brings me to my sister's entree, the chipotle-maple black beans served over basmati rice ($10.95). This tasted . . . strange. I think including the maple was an attempt at a sweet/spicy effect, but it really just didn't work. Just chipotle might have been a better idea. Again, there was far, far more rice than beans, etc. Come on, chef - beans are cheap! Toss another cup of them into the pot next time.

Our service wasn't all that great, either. When I mentioned to our male server that I'd noticed lots of South African options on both the dinner and wine menus, and said that I hadn't seen anything about the owner's potential connection to South Africa on the restaurant's website, he sort of sneered at me that it was on there, I must have just missed it. Well, excuse me Mr. Nasty. How about just filling me in a little bit yourself, since I'm clearly an interested customer who you'd supposedly like to return. When I asked him for a wine pairing with my entree, he recommended something that, upon tasting it, I felt didn't go with my curry at all. He looked young - maybe a college kid? - and he needs to get rid of the attitude if he wants to earn a living off of tips.

I chose the Swahili shrimp curry with mango served over basmati rice ($13.95). The curry itself was very slightly spicy, and the flavor was average, maybe a little better. There were about 8 shrimp total - a moderate number. There was more rice to this than anything.

Which brings me to my sister's entree, the chipotle-maple black beans served over basmati rice ($10.95). This tasted . . . strange. I think including the maple was an attempt at a sweet/spicy effect, but it really just didn't work. Just chipotle might have been a better idea. Again, there was far, far more rice than beans, etc. Come on, chef - beans are cheap! Toss another cup of them into the pot next time.

Our service wasn't all that great, either. When I mentioned to our male server that I'd noticed lots of South African options on both the dinner and wine menus, and said that I hadn't seen anything about the owner's potential connection to South Africa on the restaurant's website, he sort of sneered at me that it was on there, I must have just missed it. Well, excuse me Mr. Nasty. How about just filling me in a little bit yourself, since I'm clearly an interested customer who you'd supposedly like to return. When I asked him for a wine pairing with my entree, he recommended something that, upon tasting it, I felt didn't go with my curry at all. He looked young - maybe a college kid? - and he needs to get rid of the attitude if he wants to earn a living off of tips.

Verdict: Has potential, but needs improvement.

Shilling's on the Square

2011-07-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

19 North Park Sq. NE, Marietta, GA www.shillingsonthesquare.com

If you've been to the Marietta Square and haven't noticed Shillings, you haven't been paying attention. It's occupied a prime corner spot for the past umpteen years, and from the exterior appears to be the most upscale restaurant in the area. There's a few tables outside, and the interior is broken up between upstairs and downstairs dining rooms, with an average-sized bar right up front downstairs.

So let's talk about the food. Heidi and I had Sunday brunch here last week, and we were pretty happy with our meals. I chose the corned beef hash and eggs, which comes with a choice of a biscuit or wheat toast. I got the biscuit, and it was above average (but alas, no biscuit in Atlanta can compete with those at the chain restaurant Copeland's). This combo was only $8, and I got plenty of corned beef, which was just the right consistency (not mushy, but not undercooked either) that popped with great flavor, big chunks of home-style potatoes, a handful of fresh, sliced strawberries and a fat serving of creamy butter. It was really a great deal.

Heidi ordered the almond chicken salad on wheat from the lunch menu ($8). The liked it for several reasons. #1 - no one ingredient overpowered any of others, #2 - it wasn't ground up to mashed nothingness, and #3 - you can see from the pic that she got a heaping portion of it, along with a snappy dill pickle and some delicious pasta salad.

Along with the aforementioned, there are lots of other brunch/lunch options, including French toast, more sandwiches, salads, burgers, and some platters featuring things like Caribbean chicken or chop sirloin patty. Basic stuff, not especially creative, but they do a good job with it, and all of it is reasonably priced.

Dinner is more expensive. Downstairs you can have lamb shank, wasabi crusted tuna steak, filet mignon, or a big salad. The entrees come with your choice of mashed potatoes, roasted red potatoes, or wild rice. Plain meat and potatoes, nothing out of the ordinary. Anyone between the ages of 4 to 104 could find something they like here, which is probably the intent.

There's also an upstairs menu. (While I've never eaten upstairs, I've had lunch or dinner downstairs several times, and it was always predictable - slightly above average). Upstairs you can get some of the same selections as are offered downstairs, with the addition of shrimp cocktail, escargot, pastry wrapped brie, steak au poivre, honey glazed salmon, etc.

If you haven't gotten the idea already, here's the deal with Shillings: you'll get regular food without any novelties - no crazy pairings, no obscure ethnic dishes, no uncommon fish or offal, no use of liquid nitrogen, no inclusion of organic ingredients or mention of the currently trendy farm-to-table goals. The current menu at Shillings could've been issued in the mid 80's, for all of it's innovative quality.

However, that doesn't mean the food is bad here. People aren't always in the mood to go out on a culinary limb at dinner - maybe they just want some dill crusted salmon or a pork rib chop with escalloped apples. And there's nothing wrong with that. If that's what you want, Shillings will fit the bill.

The website says Shillings has a "pub-like atmosphere". This would be true if there weren't always so many kids there. Let's face it - Marietta is classic OTP, and the Square is a big draw for family outings. If you want a pub, go to the nearby McCracken's. If it's more important to you to get better quality food and a smoke-free dining room, go for Shillings.

Verdict: Unexciting, but good, basic American food.

Sip

2011-06-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

4403 Northside Pkwy, Atlanta, GA www.siprestaurants.com

On Friday night Kyle and I had dinner at Sip's Riverside location, just off of where Cobb Pkwy turns into Northside Drive. Once on Northside, you'll see a clock tower and big signs for a Post apartment complex, along with a smaller sign for Sip. Follow the road up the hill and you'll find a quaint little live/play community with about a dozen shops and Sip. The restaurant occupies the old River Room space.

So what makes Sip different from other Atlanta tapas restaurants or wine bars? Like The Grape (located in Vinings), Sip offers their wine by the bottle, the glass and the half glass. They also go one step further, offering sips for sale. According to our server, a glass is 6 ozs, half glass is 3 ozs, and a sip is 1 oz. One ounce? How anyone can decide whether they like a wine or not after having only one ounce is beyond me, but if you're afraid of committing to even half a glass of wine, this is the place for you.

To make things more interesting, you can opt to get your glasses or sips yourself - from these things on the wall that look like slot machines, but are basically wine vending machines. Each bottle is displayed in its own spot, and there are buttons above them. Push one and you'll get your glass full, two will give you the half glass, and three will spit out your tiny sip.

How do they keep up with this? They give you a wine credit card, uniquely programmed to tally up your tables wine totals. It's ingenious, really, because who doesn't like the idea of hanging around a bunch of wine machines, trying as many of their 30ish selections as you can handle? If you've ever been on a cruise, you understand how a person can simply swipe the card with abandon, never bothering to total up exactly how much he/she is spending to taste and sample.

And you will spend a decent chunk of change, whether you use the wine card or simply order the wine through your server and have him deliver it. I think the cheapest sip was over $2. The half glasses averaged about $7, and the full glasses about $14.

But the wine isn't the only thing that's pricey - there's the tapas, too. Compared to Eclipse di Luna, Sip has a smaller tapas menu (including a much more limited selection of vegetarian tapas), and the prices are significantly higher.

Here's a quick rundown of the tapas we ordered:

The artisan cheese plate ($9) was very good. I got a slice of thick, earthy goat cheese, a just-runny-enough camembert, and a ho-hum blue, along with some french bread and a fig relish. The relish was like the inside of a Fig Newton, only a little chunkier, and was a great sweet touch alongside the cheeses.

Kyle ordered the smoked chicken stuffed poblano ($9), which came with smoked gouda and a roasted tomato cream sauce. Lots of gouda for those who love it, inside a large, mild pepper with plenty of chicken. I tasted it and couldn't discern the tomato in the sauce, but it was definitely creamy. This was probably the best value of anything we ordered off the menu - the portion was substantial, and the concept is interesting.

Kyle also ordered the Kobe beef sliders ($10). This came with a red onion marmalade and cheese, and was topped with a single Spanish olive speared in the center of each. Kyle and I have tried to avoid jumping into the sliders craze, because we seem to always be disappointed by what comes out - beef and bun and little else. More cheese would've helped in this case.

We also shared a meze platter, which in this case was toasted pita bread with 3 dips - eggplant "caviar", hummus and red pepper relish with artichoke ($6). This was very nice. All 3 dips were tasty, and differed enough from one another that we felt we were getting a nice selection.

The tuna tartare napoleon ($10) was the downfall of the evening. It was covered, absolutely smothered, in a wasabi aioli. I normally love tuna tartare. The glory of the dish is the delicious tuna, which should be accented, complemented, by a few other flavors such as a bright citrus or a fresh herb. In this case, the avocado and maybe a minute amount of diced red onion would've been fine companions. Instead, the tuna's distinctly wonderful flavor was completely masked by all these other ingredients, in large quantities. I'm not sure if this is because the quality of the restaurant's tuna is very poor (and they need to mask the flavor, assuming it has any), or if the chef just went nuts when creating this dish and threw too many things onto the plate.

Our service was less than memorable. When we had questions about the menu (both food and wine) we had to drag the answers out of him, and he kept showing up at our table at all the wrong times. Maybe this was an "off" night for him, or he's just the worst server they've got. The restaurant has only been open for about 7 months, so maybe they haven't built their core staff yet. Ambiance: lighting was a little too low (unfortunately typical of wine bars), and the music was a little too loud (live music - same as at Eclipse di Luna). The acoustics make it sound like everyone is yelling, when this isn't the case. If you like places that sound crowded and "happening" even when they aren't, go to Sip.

I liked most of the food here very much, and I think the wine menu is sufficient, but there's no way 2 people are going to get out of here for less than $60 (before tip/tax) - and that's with one glass of wine per person. If you want the equivalent of a bottle, you'll definitely drop over $100, and I just don't think the quality of the food is quite up to triple digit quality yet. We could have eaten as good or better offerings at Eclipse di Luna for 2/3rds of the price. If the cost isn't a factor for you, you should add this to your list of places to try in the near future.

Sip has another location (Crabapple) in Milton, GA.

Recipe: Lemon Pork Chops

2011-06-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

From: Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Best Loved Recipes.

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 4 boneless pork chops; 3 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce; 1 large onion, quartered and sliced (optional); 1 large green pepper, cut into strips; 1 tablespoon lemon-pepper seasoning; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 large lemon, quartered; lemon wedges (optional)

Directions: 1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-low heat until hot. Brown pork chops on both sides. Drain excess fat and discard. Transfer to slow cooker.

2. Combine tomato sauce, onion, if desired, bell pepper, lemon-pepper seasoning and Worcestershire. Add to slow cooker.

3. Squeeze juice from lemon quarters over mixture; drop squeezed peels into slow cooker. Cover; cook on low 6 to 8 hour or until pork is tender. Remove lemon wedges before serving. Garnish with additional lemon wedges, if desired.

What you need to know:

First off, I don't think the inclusion of the onion should be optional. The onion adds another layer of flavor, and if you throw in enough onion and bell pepper you won't need a side dish. The photo in the cookbook shows the chops atop a bed of rice, but this works great as a one pot meal.

Second, 3 cans of tomato sauce is way, way too much. Even with 2 cans you'll be left with 3 inches of veritable lemon-pepper soup after extracting the chops and covering them with sauce. 2 cans is plenty.

The first time you make this recipe, you might want to leave the squeezed and quartered lemon out of the pot. Between the whole tablespoon of lemon-pepper and the fresh squeezed juice, you'll have a heap of lemon flavor. If you aren't a true lemon lover, cooking the wedges all those hours along with the rest might be overkill for you. You won't need the additional lemon wedges unless you just want to decorate the plate.

My favorite slow cooker recipes are usually those that only require me to chuck all the ingredients into the pot and let it cook them itself, but browning the pork chops is a good first step. As the recipe points out, it will reduce the fat content and make your dinner more healthful.

Kyle and I have substituted the thin-sliced breakfast chops (Kroger sells them in a package of 6-7) for the 4 regular sliced chops several times, and we haven't had to change anything else about the recipe. As a matter of fact, other than setting the cooker at the wrong time or temperature, it's pretty difficult to screw this up. Even a novice cook can make this meal come out delicious the first time (and every time), and most of the ingredients are cabinet staples.

This is a fantastic recipe. The tomato sauce makes it rich and satisfying, and the fresh lemon keeps it bright and perfect for spring or summer. They are wonderful complements. The pork will literally be falling apart when you serve it up. It tastes like something that has been cooking for hours, and the Crock Pot won't heat up your kitchen the same way an oven would - a great relief during these hot months in the South. That being said, I'd recommend this recipe for any season.

Alison's Restaurant

2011-06-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

5500 Chamblee-Dunwoody Rd., Dunwoody, GA www.alisonsrestaurant.com

Last Sunday night Kyle, my grandmother and I had dinner at Alison's restaurant in Dunwoody. The first thing you need to know about this place is that if you want to eat there, you better be looking for it - it's practically hidden back in a shopping center with only a small sign indicating it's presence. Once you get there, you'll find ample parking, a moderately sized patio and an indoors dining area. The second thing you need to know is that this is a relatively new place - it was opened last November by an English woman (Alison, of course), who was actively managing the restaurant on Sunday night. When she came by our table to inquire about our dinners, I was pleased to give her a positive response.

Grandmother and I both ordered one of the evenings specials, a penne pasta with scallops and shrimp in a Cajun sauce. This was outstanding. The penne was cooked al dente, the sauce was was great - strong flavors of sherry and heavy cream. There were plenty of scallops, but only 2 shrimp (same for both me and Grandmother). Normally restaurants will skimp on the scallops instead, so I'm not sure if Alison's was having a shrimp shortage or what. Nevertheless, the scallops were not overcooked (a common mistake at somewhat inexpensive seafood restaurants), the sliced mushrooms were plentiful, and the sun-dried tomatoes were pungent notes. Normally I steer clear of entrees with sun-dried tomatoes, because they often overpower all other flavors, but there were just enough in this case. I finished most of mine, and took half of Grandmother's home. When I ate it 2 days later it was just as good, a near miracle with delicate seafood. The dish far exceeded my expectations, and only cost around $13.50.

Price is one of the good traits about Alison's. No dish on the menu is priced to empty your wallet. It's not super cheap like Buford Hwy or anything, but it's definitely reasonable.

Another plus - a Georgia winery, Blackstock, has several offerings on the wine menu. Blackstock's good reputation is growing, and I'm happy to see that Alison's is getting in on the local action.

If only Kyle's filet mignon would've been as great as the pasta. The meat itself is about the same quality as you'd find at Longhorn - not as good as Ruth's Chris or Stoney River, but priced less at $18.69. It was cooked as ordered. The main issue we had with it is the size - it's only 6 ozs. Now, unless you're a 14 year old girl, this probably won't be enough meat for you. Fortunately it comes with two sides, which will prevent your stomach from growling after you've cleaned your plate. Kyle thought the mashed potatoes were very creamy, but when you order steak, you're hoping the main course will be a little more substantial. (Alison's does offer a 12 oz Ribeye for $16.99, but once you've got filet in your mind, ribeye just won't cut it.) The other side he chose was the spaghetti with marinara sauce, which wasn't anything special, but wasn't bad either.

Another negative is the decor. It's sort of 1980's - the colors, the booths, the carpet, and those God-awful vinyl table covers. Some plain white linen tablecloths would go a long way towards improving the appearance of this place.

That being said, I never value decor over quality of food, and I'll sit in that crappy booth in front of that sticky table cover any day for that seafood pasta.

Verdict: Better than expected. Give it a try next time you're in the neighborhood.

Pho Dai Loi 2

2011-06-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

4186 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30345 404/633-2111

On Thursday night my friends Kelly, Joanie and Molly (whom I haven't seen in forever and is a radiant newlywed!) had dinner at Pho Dai Loi 2. Has it really been 6 months since I blogged about a restaurant on Buford Hwy? If you love the road's great ethnic cuisine as much as I do, here's your spring fix.

If you've never had Vietnamese pho, you're missing out on an excellent meal. At Pho Dai Loi 2, you can choose from about 30 combinations of meat and vegetables, which will accompany noodles and a hearty chicken stock. Most selections include beef, although a few have seafood like shrimp. The meat will basically cook itself in your bowl as you wait a minute or so for it to cool off.

Regarding the meat, the beef is the key - you can get tendon, tripe, flank steak, etc. I got the # 9, which is pho with eye rimmed steak and well done flank. The flank was much better than the eye rimmed steak, which was rather stringy. Still, the broth was good. On the side, we were served a typical, large plate of fresh bean sprouts and basil. At some pho restaurants you also get fresh mint. I rather missed the mint . . .

Of course, the most important part of pho is the broth. It should be a rich, hearty thing of beauty. It's good here, but I think Pho Bac does it just a little bit better.

Another great thing about pho is that most restaurants, Pho Dai Loi 2 included, give you quite the bang for your buck: a small bowl will cost $5, a medium $5.95, and a large (which is truly massive) is a ridiculously cheap $6.50. I can never finish more than a small bowl, and I make a habit of eating everything anyone puts in front of me.

I like most pho places, especially these restaurants in nondescript, predominately Asian owned shopping centers. I like the pho places that concentrate on making good soup, rather than fancy websites or late night party atmospheres. Pho Dai Loi 2 fits the bill.

If you don't want pho, you can also order vermicelli dishes, rice dishes, spring rolls, etc. Plenty of shakes and tea to go around too.

Verdict: Good stuff, but not quite as great as nearby Pho Bac.

Brooklyn Cafe

2011-06-08T17:29:00.001-07:00

220 Sandy Springs Cir., Sandy Springs, GA www.brooklyncafe.com

On Saturday my grandmother and I had lunch at The Brooklyn Cafe. This place is just off of busy Roswell Rd., in the same shopping center as a Thai restaurant, a large fresh produce stand, and Van Michaels salon. They serve American fare, such as Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Creole BBQ Chicken and Sausage, crab cakes and Reuben sandwiches. Everything is moderately priced.

I ordered the Awesome Fish Sandwich ($10), which that day was broiled mahi mahi with tomato, lettuce, red onion and a dill sauce. This was excellent. The bun was lightly broiled and very buttery, and fish was tasty, and the sliced pickles on top made the sandwich lively. I had a choice of sides, and went with our server's suggestion of tomatoes. They came out nicely ripened with a little crumbled blue cheese and parsley on top. If you're like me and can't get enough fresh tomatoes in the spring and summer, this is the side dish for you. My only criticism is with the sauce on the fish. Dill is my favorite herb, and it's a natural compliment to most fish. However, this sauce tasted more of garlic than of dill. It was almost like an aioli, which wasn't what I had in mind.

Grandmother had the classic Caesar salad with gulf shrimp ($10). The plate of romaine was huge. I tried a bite, which is all I needed to determine it was terrible. Yes, terrible. The shrimp was fine - not overcooked, plump and pink - but the salad itself was awful, nearly inedible. Why? Anchovies overload. It was like eating anchovies straight out of the jar. I'm fine with a hint on anchovy flavor; I like the little fish in pasta sauces, and it's an essential ingredient in Caesar salads done right. But this was just way, way too much. Thank God my grandmother, who at 87 has lost much of her sense of taste, ordered this. I can honestly say it was so bad that if they would've served it to me, I would've sent it back to the kitchen.

The wine list is decent, and there's a bar that appeared to be a hangout for middle aged women with fake tans in tennis wear. Not sure if this is indicative of Sandy Springs, or the restaurant itself. When it's not so hot as it was this weekend, you'll probably enjoy the nice patio seating.

Our service was very good. The cheerful female server seemed down to earth without being too gabby.

Overall, I was pleased with Brooklyn Cafe. I'd like to think the bad salad was an isolated negative on the menu.

Verdict: If you stay away from the Caesar salad, you'll probably leave happy.

Porter Beer Bar

2011-06-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

1156 Euclid Ave., Atlanta, GA www.theporterbeerbar.com

Last Saturday night Kyle, April and I ate at The Porter Beer Bar in Little Five. My friend Kathy has been urging me to this gastropub for a while now, and somehow we haven't gotten there until now. Kathy is one smart lady - this place is awesome.

We started with the Sweetwater Spent Grain Bread ($3), which comes with salty butter. I didn't find the butter particularly salty, and the only indication that the bread contained Sweetwater IPA (an excellent Atlanta brew) was the slightly tangy flavor. However, it was a decent, not-too-thick and not-overly-thin bread, good for helping to pad your stomach for the beer to come.

April, who seems to always order appetizers as an entree, got the Goat Cheese Fritters ($6.75). This comes with clover honey, and April made a mistake in having it as an entree. It's extremely rich. Between the thick, syrupy honey and the dense, decadent fried goat cheese you'll only be able to stomach one, two at the most. I liked it, but you've got to have something else besides this if you want to make it through the night.

I ordered the Foie Gras, which isn't on the regular menu. It was fantastic, and I have to admit I was a little wary of trying it here where the tables don't have white tablecloths and the price was under $15 per serving. I took a risk, and The Porter pleasantly surprised me. The foie gras was accompanied by micro arugula, thick ciabatta-like bread, duck powder, and two sides, one of which had a cranberry base. Really, you should try it.

Kyle ordered the half pound cheeseburger ($11.75), which was about what you would expect. It may be the plainest and most traditional item on their menu, but it was good. It came with a huge side of fries, which I think had way, way too much garlic. You could smell them coming from the time the waiter entered the dining room with his plate. They overpowered everything, including the beer.

And yes, I'm now going to talk about the beer.

No matter how much I may have liked the food here, there's no way I would have loved it more than the beer. The list is tremendous - 19 pages, I think. In fact, it appears to be almost identical to the list at Brick Store in Decatur (previously reviewed and highly rated). Pilsners, hefeweizens, porters (naturally), cask ales, barley wines - all ranging from about $5 to $23. I've tried at least 200 brews in my life, and I can say that the Porter has lots of beer I've never tasted, many I've never even heard of. If you're a beer hound, you'll love it.

The atmosphere . . . hmmm. First of all, you're in the heart of Little Five Points. If you've been there, you get the idea of the clientele. Inside the restaurant itself is shaped like a narrow "L", with a traditional bar in the front, and tables further back that keep going up, and up, and up. Be careful of this if you've downed a few! (No, I didn't break a leg, but you can see the potential.) It's a little dark, and there's 80's music like The Cure, Erasure and New Order playing. Or at least there was last Saturday night. Half the people inside are too young to remember any of it, but the other half range from old hippies to professor types (sometimes one in the same, I admit), to simple beer lovers like me, and I'm always a shockingly normal element in this part of town. I don't necessarily feel like I fit in here, but the problem was in my mind, not in the way I was treated. Our waiter was fantastic. He had a great sense of humor and was very knowledgeable when we had questions about the various beers. Everything would've been kosher is someone wouldn't have puked on the floor in the level below us - again, lots of under 25's here.

Despite the upchuck, I'll definitely be back.

Verdict: The best bar/pub in Little 5.

Road Trip: Dahlonega - Le Petite Cafe

2011-06-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

259 Church St. Dahlonega, GA www.lepetitecafedahlonega.com

During our weekend in Dahlonega with my dad and stepmom, we had Sunday brunch at this small but cute little place in Dahlonega. It's run by two sisters - my dad has met them, says they're super nice and English. There are 5, maybe 6 tables total, all outdoors in front of a nice privately owned home. As a matter of fact, the tables themselves are basically in the home's front driveway.

The menu is short, but it's unique for the area. Breakfast items include low-fat yogurt with house made granola and morning fresh madeleines. Yes! Madeleines in Dahlonega! For lunch you can get simple but good dishes like a turkey and cranberry sandwich or homemade quiche. They actually serve French pate' with toast. Yes, pate' in Dahlonega. In the afternoon you can enjoy fresh cakes or hot chocolate with toast.

I tried the day's special, which was brie and bacon on a French baguette. This came with a simple Boston lettuce salad and cup of freshly sliced strawberries, a good combination of rich cheese, thick bread, greens and juicy fruit. Kyle had the French toast with fresh fruit (also strawberries). You won't believe how large a serving this is for the price. He also tried the warm chocolate tart. Unfortunately it wasn't warm, but it was flaky and the chocolate was melted and gooey. Yum.

It's not fancy, it's not overly ambitious, it's just simple, fresh cafe food, something that's very hard to find in north Georgia.

Possibly the best thing about this place is the price. Everything is very inexpensive, with the majority of the dishes being under $5. You can easily eat breakfast for $3/person, plus a beverage. I think the tart was $1. Even though it wasn't warm, I'm hard put to complain about a fresh baked tart that cost as much as a can of Coke does at the QT. Why not add some hot tea to your order while you're at it? The environment is perfect for hanging out with a newspaper, especially if you get there in the early morning, when the dew is still on the lawn.

The Cafe is open from 7am to 5pm every day.

Verdict: A pleasant little find in Dahlonega.

Road Trip: Dahlonega - Roosters

2011-05-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

89 Long Branch Rd # 9, Dahlonega, GA http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=251546721351

On Saturday night Kyle and I had dinner with my dad and stepmom at Roosters Cafe in Dahlonega. My dad and sister have been raving about it forever, and despite my general apathy towards hot wings, they finally got me inside this restaurant just off of north Georgia 400.

Did it live up to the hype? Not really.

What I liked about it: The fries are fantastic. Somewhere between thinly and thickly sliced, hand-cut, very salty and hot to the touch. Just greasy enough. You're going to love them. Get a basket for every person at your table. I also really liked the flavor of the sauce on the wings. Kyle and I ordered them mild, which were spicy enough to be labeled medium in any other wing joint I know. My dad advised us in advance that we should order them "wet", meaning dripping with the sauce. Apparently if you don't do this you'll hardly get any sauce at all. The wings are spicy, more on the tangy side than the sweet side.

What I didn't like about it: The drumsticks were pitifully lacking in meat, almost all bone. My dad ordered 10 wings and convinced the nice waitress to bring him all flats - no drumsticks. This is definitely the way to go. The flats were great - plenty of meat to enjoy. The drumsticks were tiny and almost entirely comprised of bone and sauce. They seemed to come from a half starved chicken. You'll barely get two bites out of each, and that's if you're especially good at working your teeth around the stiff bones. I don't like to have to work that much to get such a small amount of food.

The service was good. There's a small patio along with a good sized indoor dining room and somewhat dive-y looking bar area. This isn't a snobby place - which is good, because a wings place should never, ever be high falutin'. Don't come to Roosters if you're going to be offended by a bunch of bearded rednecks in dirty jeans and waitresses who gather around and smoke with the customers on the patio during their breaks. You'll be happy that roll of cheap paper towels is on your table once you get your hands on those wet wings.

I couldn't find a website for Roosters, so I've referenced their Facebook page above.

Roosters has a second location in Cumming, GA.

BTW - sorry I neglected to get a pic of the actual food. You all know what wings look like anyway, right?

Verdict: When I return, I'm requesting all flats for my wings order.

Foodie Reading: Medium Raw

2011-05-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I happily blogged about attending Anthony Bourdain's life show/talk/Q&A at the Cobb Performing Arts Center. While there, I learned Bourdain had recently published a new book entitled Medium Raw, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy.

My first disappointment won't come as a surprise to some of you - Bourdain regaled his live audience at the Center with many of the stories contained in the book. If you've ever seen a famous comedian perform live in a comedy club and then went out to buy his book, only to discover you've heard all the material already, you're familiar with this experience. Anthony Bourdain is a very talented writer, but the written word can't compare to his enchanting live delivery. I'm sure he had the same routine going at all his tour's stops; if you've attended one of his shows, you may not want to bother with purchasing a copy of Medium Raw. Hair-raising confrontation with creepy Sandra Lee? Check. Advice to travelers? Check. Efforts to turn his daughter against the evil Ronald McDonald? Check.

The most disappointing things about Medium Raw are its disjointed content and its style in certain chapters - sounding very un-Bourdain like, forced and nearly insincere. I loved both Kitchen Confidential, the book that made Bourdain famous, and A Cook's Tour, written in conjunction with a show he used to star in on the Cooking Network (back before he understandably came to loathe it). I read them both with relish, and will happily reread them during the next couple of years. Medium Raw just wasn't up to the standard I've come to expect from Bourdain. The chapter layout has no flow, almost no relation to each other. There is almost no natural progression - instead it's a bumpy ride. The final chapter revisits some of the well-loved or much despised characters from Kitchen Confidential, which is good, but it feels like it was slapped on as an afterthought following Bourdain's completion of the number of pages required by his editor/publisher.

I realize this makes it sound like I disliked the book. I really didn't.

What did I like? His chapter on Alice Waters, the self-proclaimed mother of the slow food movement, co-founder of Chez Panisse and general kook, is hilarious and his its target smack in the center. His no-holds-barred attack on the GQ writer entitled "Alan Richman Is a Douchebag" is stupendous. His in depth look at chef and mega restaurant owner David Change is well-rounded and thought provoking. Chapter 3 chronicles his hellish experience with a coke-addicted heiress in the Caribbean, and every sentence is a gem.

Bourdain is, of course, at his best when he's writing about food (as opposed to eviscerating/praising other chefs, crowing his love for his toddler daughter, or doling out advice to prospective cooks). While Bourdain can make any of the other aforementioned subjects interesting, his food writing (he calls it food porn) is absolutely fascinating. You'll get some of that in Medium Raw - enough to make the book worth purchasing. If the paragraph on page 83 (of the hardback) about eating pho in Hanoi doesn't make your mouth water, you're not a foodie.

Anyone who knows me knows that I adore Anthony Bourdain - he's probably my biggest foodie hero. He's witty, forthright, and bases his love for a dish on its flavor, creativity, texture, presentation, aroma - all the important factors, not its price. It pains me to say that I dislike a single word he's written. Maybe the best way to sum up how I feel about this book is to say that I'm happy I read it . . . but unlike his previous nonfiction books, I probably wouldn't read it again.

The Ivy

2011-05-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

3717 Roswell Rd., Atlanta, GA www.theivybuckhead.com

On Friday night Erin and I had dinner at The Ivy. She had a Scoutmob coupon, I had a new job to celebrate, and this place seemed to fit the bill.

We started with the spinach and artichoke dip, which comes with house chips. It was good, very creamy. Lots of parmesan, not too much garlic. A little overpriced at $10.

Erin ordered the Dublin chicken sandwich ($11). She loved it. It's rosemary and garlic marinated chicken with portobello mushrooms, melted provolone and pesto aioli on grilled ciabatta. If you like the sound of it, you'll like the way it tastes.

I had the club sandwich, a monstrous thing that came with a nice portion of rosemary spiced fries. Loved the fries - a great spin on a classic. The sandwich was double-decker, and so large I took half of it home for lunch the next day. For $9, this was a deal. It was above average for a club - the ham tasted distinctively honeyed, the bacon was thick and not overcooked, and the dijon 3 pepper mustard was a bright spot.

One of the owners, a casually preppy guy who appeared to be about 30, came over and asked about our experience. He was very solicitous and seemed to be concerned about only getting the "coupon crowd" instead of creating repeat customers. Would Erin and I be back? I told him we would, and we might, because our food was good and the restaurant is in a convenient location. However, the food wasn't outstanding, and the parking is (complimentary) valet, a turn-off for me.

I'm not exactly sure what type of atmosphere the owners are attempting to create here. There's a large outdoor dining area, including a round beach style bar. Inside, there's another large, dark bar, a regular dining area with tables, and beyond that a large lounge area. None of it was particularly crowded on Friday night at 8, which is a prime dinner hour. The people there ranged from retirees to businessmen with their ties loosened to college girls. I know the restaurant is fairly new, so it hasn't come into it's identity yet, but obviously the end result won't possibly be appealing to all those different people. Hopefully for the owners it will gather a good following from one of these dynamics.

The owner also mentioned that soon they'll be simplifying the menu, which I think is unfortunate but will probably steer this place in the lounge direction, never good for foodies.

Verdict: Pretty good, just not completely there yet.

Desta

2011-05-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

3086 Briarcliff Rd., Atlanta, GA www.destaethiopiankitchen.com

Last night Heidi, Ilya and I had dinner at Desta, an Ethiopian restaurant at the intersection of Clairmont and Briarcliff roads. This area boasts several Ethiopian restaurants - in fact, previously reviewed Bahel is right across the street. I hadn't been to Bahel in a while, and had been missing Ethiopian cuisine.

The two restaurants have similar menus, but not everything is the same. Both have kitfo, the raw beef dish I so enjoyed at Bahel. Both have collard greens and other vegetables, and the ubiquitous spongy bread you'll use as a utensil, folding it up and grabbing the rest of your food. However, there are a few differences.

One difference seems to be in the intensity of the spiciness. At Bahel, the server will give you a separate, small bowl of the famously hot mitmita on the side, whereas it was liberally mixed into each of our dishes at Desta. If you're sensitive to the heat, you'll want to either ask for your meal to be prepared minus the spice, or eat at Bahel instead.

For example, I had the fish tibs ($11). This is shredded (the menu says cubed) tilapia, marinated in "house spices" (read hot), olive oil, peppers, tomato and onion. This is a very rich but delicious dish. Who can resist fish in olive oil? The red onion and green peppers provide excellent flavor notes, and the portion is probably just right . . . assuming you can stand the hot, hot spices, which I couldn't. I wanted to eat more, but I could only get about halfway through before giving up and allowing my mouth to burn on its own. The tilapia is also accompanied by bread and a nice, semi-cooling diced tomato and lettuce (I think iceberg) salad.

Desta also doesn't offer chicken kitfo, as Bahel does. I think kitfo is technically supposed to be raw. Let me assure you that Bahel doesn't serve raw chicken. It's cooked, and it's devine. Desta only had one or two chicken options on the menu.

Another difference is the desserts. Desta offers at least five desserts, with only one of them making sense given the theme - an Ethiopian hot cake for $5.99. The other options are tiramisu (Italian), Napoleon (French), chocolate cake and baklava (Greek). Ilya loves the tiramisu here.

Desta has plenty of meat options, including ground beef, ribeye, liver and tripe. You won't lack for meat or bread here.

I won't say that I like it better than Bahel, but I didn't like it less either. I think the two are probably just about equal, as are their prices and indoor atmospheres. The deciding factor for where you might want to dine could be the covered outdoor seating at Desta.

I'd love to hear from followers who've tried both restaurants and have a clear preference.

Verdict: Great stuff.

Bambinelli's

2011-05-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

3202 Northlake Parkway NE, Atlanta, GA 30345 www.bambinellispizza.com

The website says it's Italian food by way of the Bronx. If this sounds discouraging to you, you're on the right track. Bambinelli's serves every single old and (in this case) boring Italian-American dish imaginable: lasagna, fettucine alfredo with chicken or shrimp, calzones, chicken marsala, antipasta salad and baked ziti, and pizza, of course. All the things your middle school cafeteria ladies used to half-heartedly dish out onto your plastic lunch trays back before you had a choice about what and where you ate. The food at Bambinelli's is about that exciting, and near the same quality.

Now you're really discouraged, right?

And the thing is, I HATE to have to discourage you in this case. Bambinelli's is family run restaurant, an establishment that has been in the Northlake area for over 30 years. It's outlasted almost every other restaurant within five miles of Northlake Mall. The entrance and cash register areas are covered in framed pictures of the owner's family, covering weddings, births, high school graduations, etc. It's not cold and overly modern, and the waiters are nice, not aloof and overdressed like they are at some restaurants in Buckhead or downtown. It's homey. It makes you want to like it.

But I don't like it. And I have intentionally held off from reviewing it for at least a year because I kept giving it another chance, and another . . .

Since my grandmother likes and lives near this place, I've dined here at least 4 times during the past year. Once I had the linguine with white clam sauce. I've mentioned in a previous review how much I normally love this dish. Some Italian restaurants make it great (such as Veni Vedi Vici in midtown), and some do a poor job (such as previously reviewed Il Bacio, whose aforementioned dish is like clam soup). Bambinelli's dish gets about a 3 on my scale of 1-10. The clams don't seem fresh, the pasta is overcooked, and there's way too much garlic.

Last night we had the pizza. If you're going to eat here, that's what you should order. I've had plain pepperoni, which was fine, and last night we had the Bada Bing Pizza. The toppings are ham, salami, pepperoni, smoked provolone and mozzarella. The medium was $17.95. It was OK. Just OK. No one flavor stood out, no one ingredient seemed particularly fresh. Biting into a hot slice of pizza should leave you with that satisfied feeling, the kind where you close your eyes in appreciation and kind of slump back into your seat. That didn't happen for me here. If I wouldn't have had a hungry husband at home, I wouldn't have bothered getting a to-go box.

On the bright side, the crust was pretty good. It was somewhere between thick and think, of a hand-tossed consistency. And the pizza came with a small bowl of marinara sauce. I spooned this directly onto my slices. Their flavor was moderately improved.

It's nowhere near the quality of pizza served at Blue Moon Pizza or Mulberry Street Pizza in Cobb. Still, it's the best thing I've had at Bambinelli's.

So why has Bambinelli's been around for so long? (Not only is it still in business, it's always busy.) Well, I think there are a couple of reasons. # 1 - it's not just family owned, it's family friendly. Need a high chair? Have a screaming kid (or two) and still want to go out to eat tonight? Bambinelli's is your place. # 2 - it's reasonably priced. You'll spend the same amount you would at Applebee's, so most people can afford it. # 3 - it's consistent. I mean, if you like their food the first time you dine there, you'll always like it.

There is a second location on Lawrenceville Hwy in Lilburn.

Verdict: Wish I could give Bambinelli's my seal of approval, but I can't.

Recipe: Lombardi chicken

2011-05-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe out of Better Homes and Gardens' Our Best Recipes cookbook.

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3-4 tbsp a/p flour
3 tbsp butter or margarine
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella or fontina cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions.

1. Preheat oven to 375. Cut each breast half in half lengthwise. Place each between 2 pieces of heavy plastic wrap; working from center to edges, pound with flat side of a meat mallet to 1/8 inch thickness. Remove plastic wrap. Coat chicken lightly with flour.

2. In a 12-inch skillet, melt 1 tbsp of the butter over medium heat; add half the chicken pieces, cook for 4 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a 2 quart rectangular baking dish. Repeat with another 1 tbsp of the butter and remaining chicken pieces; transfer to the baking dish.

3. Melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter in the skillet. Add mushrooms. Cook and stir until tender; add wine, broth, dash of salt & a dash of pepper. Bring to boiling; boil gently about 5 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup including mushrooms. Pour over the chicken.

4. In a small bowl, combine mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and green onions; sprinkle over the chicken. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Serves 4.

What you need to know:
I think 20 minutes is insufficient for baking this recipe. I like the cheeses on my Lombardi chicken to get browned and a little crispy around the edge of the baking dish. To get this texture, you'll need to bake it for at least 25 minutes.

The ingredients call for 3 tablespoons of butter or margarine. Kyle and I always end up using twice this much. Once you flour the chicken, it seems to drink up the butter very quickly. When faced with adding more fatty butter or burning my dinner, I always have my spoon at the ready.

The quality of marsala wine that you use in this recipe will really impact the saltiness of the finished dish. If you buy the $2-$3 cooking wine from the baking aisle of your grocery store, you better not put any additional salt into this dish.

The ratio of parmesan to mozzarella cheese can be reversed according to your liking. Keep in mind that the mozzarella will make the dish gooey - and too gooey can be a bad thing. You don't want to have to pry it out of the pan.

The dish is pictured in the cookbook as being served with fresh tomatoes, and I always serve it with this simple side-dish. Lombardi chicken is a rich main course. You don't want to put something fancy or with a vegetable with a sauce alongside it (God forbid).

Instead of using a 12" skillet, I use my large saute' pan. Most of the time I can't fit all the chicken in a 12" skillet, and end up having to brown several batches of chicken before moving on to the next steps. This recipe takes about 40 minutes to make, so I prefer to streamline the initial cooking as much as possible.

Verdict: Thanks to the Wisconsin BH&G reader who submitted this. It truly belongs in their Best Recipes cookbook.

Special Feature: Cacao

2011-04-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

2817 Peachtree Rd., Atlanta, GA www.cacaoatlanta.com

Today I decided to stop by Cacao. I've been passing it on my way to work since the second location opened a couple of months ago, and finally my curiousity got the better of me and I went inside today on my lunch break. The flagship location is at 312C N. Highland Ave.

Cacao makes a nice first impression. As you can see from the photo, the interior is pretty. Girly pink chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and glass cases hold chocolate goodies of all kinds. It's exceptionally clean and white. The counter was manned by a very polite woman with what I think was a German accent.

I was illegally parked, so I couldn't stand around lusting over the chocolate the way I normally would. Within a few minutes the German woman had sold me a 4 oz slice of almond marshmallow fudge for a whopping $15.50.

I know, outrageous right?

Well, technically there's a reason for that. Cacao is a "bean-to-chocolate" maker. They use all organic ingredients and hand-form the chocolate in-house, mainly at the original location in the Highlands. When you bite into the fudge as I did today, you'll taste a purity, a deep, rich flavor that speaks of beans grown in uncontaminated soil, picked by expert hands and made just for you with love. Or maybe I just convinced myself that's what I tasted because I needed to feel better about just dropping $15 on a slice of fudge that would've cost me $4 at a chocolate shop in Helen or Savannah.

Besides the fudge, of which I saw 3 different flavors (including a great looking one with lots of sliced pistachios), there are plain and dipped marshmallow clouds, fruits dipped in chocolate, truffles, bars, and individually wrapped caramels. You can also enjoy premium cups of cocoa inside the shop, where there are tiny round tables set up for you. The truffles come in delicious-sounding flavors, like lemon curd, mint julep, lavendar apricot and peach amaretto. Wish I could have afforded to try some. A box of 10 is $25. And these truffles are on the small side. I think the ones at Godiva are expensive, and I know for a fact that I love them. This would be an expensive experiment.

Also, I'm pretty sure all of the chocolate is dark. The level of darkness varies, but it's all dark. If you're a milk chocolate lover, you better go elsewhere for your fix.

Cacao will also provide custom chocolate bars for private events such as weddings. God only knows how much that costs.

Verdict: It's nice for Atlanta to have an artisinal chocolate shop, but it won't be affordable for everyone.

Honey Pig

2011-04-22T06:29:00.000-07:00

3473 Old Norcross Rd. Suite #304 Duluth, GA 30096 www.honeypigatl.com

OK foodies - after posting several reviews in a row of disappointing restaurants, I finally have a positive one for you. The restaurant is in Duluth. I think my last (and only?) post from Duluth was of Chaba Thai back in 2009. I may not visit Duluth frequently, but I've had good luck dining there. So here goes:

Last night Kyle, John, his grandmother and I went out to Honey Pig. It's located in a shopping center with a makeup store, a Japanese restaurant, and another restaurant named "Chicken and Beer." (I know - it was hard to resist the temptation of going to that place instead. But then again, the name Honey Pig also put a smile on my face.)

Eating at this restaurant was an interesting experience. You're seated at a table with a large round cast-iron lid in the center. Underneath is a gas burner, triggered by a small dial at one side of the table. You choose between pork, beef, seafood and vegetable dishes. There is a minimum of 2 orders per table - but you can choose any 2 items. First the server brings out some moderately spicy kim chi and very mild bean sprouts, placing them on two sides of the lid and turning on the gas burner. These items come with everything on the menu. Each person also get a cup of sweet soup that's mainly broth, a small bowl of sea salt, a tiny bowl of rice wraps, another tiny bowl of radish wraps, a dish containing bean sauce, chili sauce, a couple of jalapenos and onions (I think these last 2 were pickled). Your table will be completely full by now. Then you wait.

A few minutes later you'll start getting the meat or veggies you ordered. Seafood will come out first. The waiter will melt a little butter, spread it across the lid, then artfully arrange each piece of scallop or shrimp near the top center. When he comes back to cut them in half, that means they're ready. In the meantime, you can inhale the delicious aroma and imagine how good everything will taste.

And it will taste good. We had the scallops first, then the beef (boneless prime/Kobe style - $23.95), next the pork (Honey Pig sam-gyup-sal - $17.95), and finally the shrimp (jumbo - $24.95). The shrimp was my favorite - big juicy pieces basted in butter. The beef was good, although not quite as tender as I would have expected from something labeled Kobe. The pork was too fatty for me and Kyle, but John and his grandmother loved it. Kyle liked the kim chi - and he usually hates stuff like that, so that says something. I thought the bean sprouts were excellent. Something so simple shouldn't taste that good. They were best when they had cooked for a while and the bottom layer had gotten crispy - the same appeal as fried rice from the bottom of the pot. Our server also added a few different mushrooms - at least 3 varieties including portobello, shitake and enoki. The enoki will practically melt on the lid, a lovely sight.

There are no chicken options, probably because it's too easy to undercook chicken, which would of course lead to bad consequences.

So what do you do with all this stuff? You take either a rice or radish wrap (both are very thinly sliced, the radish being nearly transparent), grab a little bit of kim chi or bean sprouts, select a meat, dip the meat into one of the sauces, then add it to your wrap. You probably can guess the next step - roll it up into what amounts to a one or two bite wrap. It's an excellent combination (in fact, there are many different combinations possible, all of your own choosing), and really fun to eat.

The whole thing is sort of like hibachi - you get to pick a meat, watch the food cooking in front of you on a hot surface. You won't have the drama of the hibachi cooks, but you'll have the meat closer to you, and you'll get to determine when it's done enough to remove it to your own plate. For those of you who are picky about the temperature of your meat, this is a great bonus.

What I didn't like about it: the music was too loud. Some songs were overplayed R&B tunes, the others were Korean pop. The servers were all young Asian guys, and they weren't always attentive. They seemed to be hired more for their slim physiques and spiked hair than their skills at handling a table. The place is a little too trendy for me altogether.

It's not the cheapest meal in the world. Much like hibachi, you'll need to order one item off the menu per person, so you're looking at $20 each before ordering any drinks or additional selections.

Verdict: A cool experience, with plenty of good food.

Nino's Italian Kitchen

2011-04-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

11070 Alpharetta Hwy, Roswell, GA 30076 www.ninositaliankitchen.com

On Saturday night Kyle and I had dinner with our friends Dan and Rebecca at Nino's in Roswell.

All of our entrees came with a choice of soup or salad. I opted for the cream of broccoli soup, which was quite good. It was subtle, with small chunks of broccoli and a lovely light green hue. Wish I would have ordered a whole bowl of this.

I ordered the meat ravioli with plum tomato and basil sauce ($13). The menu claims the ravioli is homemade. This may be true, but if so, someone in the kitchen isn't doing much to the meat within besides pulverizing it. The meat had basically no flavor of its own, while the sauce was too heady. I loved the plum tomatoes and fresh, shredded basil, but the sauce was overloaded with pepper. There was nothing on the menu to indicate this would be a spicy sauce, so I wasn't expecting that. Our server told us that arrabiata sauce, another option for the ravioli, was the spicier version - that must be very hot indeed.

Rebecca ordered the eggplant Parmesan ($11.50). I tried it, and thought it was baked just right, and the portion size was good. Kyle ordered the manicotti ($11.50), which was filled with ricotta cheese, and topped with Parmesan and your choice of a marinara or a meat sauce. The pasta appeared to be overcooked. Manicotti is a traditional Italian dish, and Nino's made it in the simplest way possible. I'd like to see a more unusual option on the menu, like one with a creamy pesto sauce.

I guess what I'm getting at is that everything on the menu was completely predictable, right down to the moderate quality bread, and a wine list that includes Chianti in the straw bottle. (And if you don't already know this, Chianti in the cute straw bottle is always priced for it's packaging and of inferior quality.)

We had excellent service from Karyn, who was upbeat and made us feel very welcome. Dan and Rebecca have been to Nino's many times, and they said this was by far the best service they'd ever received. According to them, the servers are usually nice enough, but there are too few of them to adequately cover the tables.

Having been to (Northern) Italy twice, I'm not an expert on authentic Italian cooking, but I do know a little bit about it. One problem I always have with Americanized Italian places like Nino's is that most dishes are overseasoned - too much oregano, too much pepper, so much garlic that you're still tasting it over 24 hours later. Nino's isn't the only Italian restaurant in the metro area that's guilty of this, but they are one of the guilty parties.

You'll end up paying more, but if your goal is top quality, authentic Italian cuisine, I'd recommend Veni Vedi Vici or previously reviewed Sotto Sotto over Nino's. If you want a decent (but not the best) place that's more family friendly and located in the suburbs, Nino's is the way to go.

Verdict: I'd be willing to eat here again if I was in the area, but I wouldn't seek it out.

Chat Patti

2011-04-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

1594 Woodcliff Dr. NE, # F, Atlanta, GA www.chatpattiatl.com

Last night my grandmother and I visited this Indian vegetarian restaurant a stone's throw away from previously reviewed Tin Roof Cantina. It's in a shopping center with a sari shop, another Indian restaurant and an Ethiopian restaurant.

If you are unfamiliar with Indian dishes, you're best move before going to this restaurant is to review their website, which has descriptions of everything on the menu. At the restaurant yourself, all you'll get is pictures and the names of the dishes, featured on a glossy hanging board. If you want more details, you can always ask the owner, but he has a heavy accent.

I ordered the Katchori Chat. This is fried pastry (on the bottom), with brown and (neon) yellow lentils topped with yogurt and fresh cilantro. The menu doesn't say this, but it also contained onions, potato, and hot sauce. This is a very interesting dish, very heavily spiced. In some bites I tasted cumin, in some coriander, some mild hot sauce, and then of course the cilantro. Every forkful seemed different from the last. It was like eating the flavor equivalent of a tie-dyed shirt. If you like variety, this is the entree for you. I'm still not exactly sure how I feel about it.

Grandmother ordered the masala dosa, which is a long, cylindrical semi-crisp crepe containing mixed vegetables. This is a southern Indian specialty. It looks enormous, but you should know is that the vegetable filling is only within about the middle third of the crepe. This isn't atypical of dosas I've eaten at local Indian restaurants - just be prepared for a meal composed of mostly bread. This particular dosa mainly included onion and potato, with a few chili peppers. It was adequate, but I much prefer the Saravana Bhavan, which specializes in southern Indian cuisine. By comparison, the dosa at Chat Patti is too pancake-like, and the filling wasn't as flavorful.

This is the third Indian vegetarian restaurant I've reviewed on this blog. Of these, I think Saravana Bhavan is # 1, Vatica is # 2, and this is # 3. I also prefer Udipi Cafe to this place, although I haven't posted a review on it because it's a chain. I'm not saying Chat Patti is bad, it's just not the best.

On the bright side, the menu is extensive, and the portions are filling. There are lots of varieties of chat, plenty of bread, eggless pastries, and "snacks" like dal and samosas. It's also very inexpensive - I spent $12 on two dinners. A great deal, if you like the food.

The owner and other employees were very nice. The owner even gave us a few samples of some lentil-based cake that came with a sweet and sour dipping sauce, on the house. It's always nice to be able to try something new for free.

The restaurant itself is nothing fancy, but it's clean and benefits from a big window that allows light to reflect off the mustard yellow walls. It's nicer than the worn exterior indicates.

Verdict: Average.

Recipe: Turkey Tomatillo Enchiladas

2011-04-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Corn tortillas (enchilada size)
1 3/4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cans enchilada sauce
1 small (6 oz.) can salsa verde
Canola oil
Crumbled feta cheese
3/4 pound turkey - thin-sliced

Directions: Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Slice the turkey into strips about 3" long. In a medium to large bowl, combine turkey, salsa verde, Monterey jack cheese, and 1/2 of 1 can of enchilada sauce. Mix well.

On the stovetop, pour a small amount of canola oil in a small skillet (you will need enough to cover the bottom of the pan but not so much that when it gets hot it's going to pop out all over you.) Briefly fry one tortilla at a time in the oil, on one side only. Fill center of tortilla with about 2 tablespoons of the mix, roll up, and place into a glass baking dish (I use a 9" x 13" or larger), oiled side facing out. Repeat until dish is full. Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top before serving.

This recipe was taken from a 2006 Whole Foods flyer, and these are hands-down the best enchiladas I've ever eaten. They beat the pants off the beef kind you usually find at typical Mexican-American restaurants. The turkey is surprisingly an ideal component. The salsa verde gives it some spice without burning your mouth, and the crumbled feta is an awesome final touch. It's also very consistent, and kid-friendly.

What you should know: the better quality the turkey you buy, the better this will taste. I'm normally totally fine with generics, but in this recipe the expensive turkey really stands out. Go for the Boar's Head, or something even better.

Also, I like the enchiladas to be a little crispy on the outside, so I bake them for 20 minutes or more.

I use red enchilada sauce, but green is fine too if you prefer it. And of course, buying the pre-shredded Monterey Jack cheese is a time-saver.

Tin Roof Cantina

2011-04-05T07:06:00.000-07:00

2591 Briarcliff Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA www.tinroofcantina.com

Last night I had dinner at Tin Roof Cantina, near the intersection of Briarcliff and North Druid Hills roads.

Tin Roof is "one of those places." By that I mean it's a little grungy, with the sour smell of spilled beer and stale cigarette smoke permeating every corner. The interior is dark, and there's trivia or a band playing every night. It's open until 4am, even during the week, if you can believe it. They have the usual slew of bad beers on tap, along with a few good ones like Sweetwater Blue and Smithwick's. They also have something called, no kidding, "The Cheap S#!" for $2/draft (Could this be Pabst Blue Ribbon? Don't know, didn't ask.), and beer towers. You can bet that many a regrettable one-night-stand began inside these walls. A college student, or someone who just celebrated his/her 21st b-day would just love it.

The rest of us . . . not so much.

Sounds like a great place for me to take my grandmother, right?

I entered Tin Roof Cantina knowing absolutely nothing about it, besides that is was conveniently located within a mile of my grandmother's new residence. I wanted to take her some place neither of us had ever been, so Tin Roof met that requirement. It was only after we went inside and the waitress brought our glasses of water that I realized this may not have been the idea choice for us.

Nevertheless, I try to approach unfamiliar restaurants with an open mind. So we dug in and ordered.

Tin Roof offers typical Americanized Mexican cuisine - tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, chips and salsa, guacamole, etc. They also have regular bar food - wings, burgers and hot dogs. A few salads. Nothing I can get excited about.

My grandmother ordered the Tin Roof taco ($6.95), which is a large, soft flour tortilla-wrapped taco with lettuce, tomato, grated cheese, and your choice of chicken, steak or ground beef. She got the ground beef. It tasted exactly like what your mom used to make . . . if she was like my mom and served the Ortega brand from Kroger.

I ordered a chicken quesadilla, which came with grilled chicken, diced tomato, onion, Monterrey Jack cheese, accompanied by sides of guacamole, salsa and a very liquidy sour cream. I think this was $10.95. It was actually pretty good. The quesadilla itself was thick and the portion was ample. Not as good or nearly as fresh as the ones served at the Tree House in Peachtree Hills (previously reviewed), but better than I expected.

Service was okay. Neither the food nor the service was bad. It ranged from mediocre to slightly good. That's not enough to get a return visit out of me.

Verdict: Catering to a specific crowd, one who doesn't make quality of the food their first priority.

Le Giverny

2011-03-31T06:21:00.000-07:00

1641 Clifton Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA www.legiverny.com

Last night Sabrina, my Grandmother and I had dinner at Le Giverny, a French restaurant that has been around for over 15 years. I mistakenly told a friend that it was located in Decatur - which is because it used to be years ago, before it moved to the Emory Inn near the CDC.

And the fact that it's now part of the Inn is what should have made me stay away from Le Giverny. If there's anything I should know by now with all my experiences dining out, it's that people should avoid restaurants attached to hotels of any type. They are almost universally overpriced and famous for serving below average food. (One notable exception: I have seen a few Ruth's Chris steakhouses attached to hotels, although they are usually stand-alones, and always excellent.) My experience at Le Giverny did nothing to dispel this negative impression.

My grandmother had the blue crab and caramelized onion cake appetizer ($10) with capers and brown butter. She liked it, but thought it came with far too many sliced red onions (which, upon inspection, didn't really appear caramelized). She also ordered the iceberg and blue cheese salad ($7), which is exactly what you'd expect - a large wedge of iceberg (my least favorite lettuce) topped with runny blue cheese (why runny? why not big fat chunks?), crumbled bacon and more red onions. I'm not sure why a person would even bother ordering this, but whatever.

My sister ordered the truite grenobloise, fresh mountain trout, toasted cracked almonds, capers and hazelnut butter ($19). Sabrina said it best - it's basically a trout picatta, lacking sufficient flavor. More butter might help. I tried it, and neither of us could taste even a hint of hazelnut. Since that was the selling point with my sister, this dish doesn't rate highly.

I had the risotto aux fruits de mer ($24) - aka seafood risotto. The shrimp was good, although I can never understand why cooks don't remove the tails from shrimp before mixing them into a dish. The mussels were fine, as was the salmon. Supposedly this dish also included scallops. Really? You could have fooled me. If they were present, they must have been chopped into oblivion. This dish included mushrooms (about 3 total), and tomatoes, which were practically tasteless. I ate the whole thing, because I was starving, but finished very dissatisfied. This dish is far, far overpriced for the quality and serving size.

Finally we all had dessert (all desserts, $7). Grandmother and Sabrina each ordered creme brulee, which was good. I attempted to order the Georgia pecan tart with vanilla ice cream, but they were out of it, so I switched to the chocolate ganache pie. This was unfortunate. The ganache itself was OK, but the crust was absolutely filled with cinnamon, enough, as my dad says, to choke a mule. Why, oh why, did the chef do this? I'm not a fan of cinnamon and chocolate combined, the "Mexican chocolate" experience. Maybe a hint of cinnamon would have been alright, but this was like someone dropped a spice container into the pie dough and just went with it.

Service was fine. And the herb butter that came with the bread (which was too hard) was good.

A rule of thumb for this restaurant: All the food looks better on the website than it does it does in reality, and it looks better on your plate than it will taste in your mouth. I actually recall liking this place very much back in the late nineties when I was a teenager, but that was so long ago - I weighed 97 pounds at that point and couldn't have been less interested in food with the exception of chocolate. Has the quality of the cuisine at Le Giverny declined since then, or am I just a more discerning eater? Probably both, but I'm not going to waste any more time contemplating it.

Verdict: Very disappointing.

The Pie Hole

2011-03-25T08:04:00.001-07:00

1025 Canton St., Roswell, GA www.facebook.com/thepiehole

After hearing my friend Eric rave about this place months ago, I finally got to drop in and sample the goods last Saturday. It's housed a little off the road in barn-like structure in "Old Roswell". If you've never been to that area, it's a great place to walk around and browse eclectic clothing, art and antique shops. While you're at it, you'll want to treat yourself to at least one slice of pie from The Pie Hole. Hey, you can always walk it off afterwards.

Pie Hole sells pies, tea, pimento cheese, a few non-edible items like t-shirts, and more pies. You can purchase whole pies or any available pies by the slice. I picked up four different slices, and an hour later my Grandmother gave the apple with walnut crumb topping her seal of approval. If your Grandmother likes it (and my Grandmother is famous for both her chocolate and her pecan pies), then you know it must be good.

Of the remaining 3, I tried the pear cranberry first. This was pretty good, with thick slices of pear and lots of baked cranberries, but it contained a little too much nutmeg. My friend Brian commented that he thought it would be better off with no nutmeg at all, and I tend to agree. Still, a nice fruit pie.

Then I tried the buttermilk, a completely new flavor for me. I was initially a little hesitant about it, but it turned out to be incredibly good. Both sweet and slightly sour, with a thick custard texture, this pie was a real winner.

So I thought the buttermilk would be my favorite . . . and then I had a slice of the chocolate derby.

The chocolate derby is out of sight! It's a chocolate chip pecan pie, and is a gooey, wonderful treat. If you microwave a slice for about 45 seconds, it halfway melts into a thick, cookie-like piece which no chocolate chip cookie lover could refuse.

One great thing about The Pie Hole is that the pies actually look (as well as taste) home-made, from scratch. The crusts aren't the picture-perfect kind you might see on a French tart tatin - they are often crooked around the edges, unevenly browned, and sometimes the pie plate seems to be overflowing with the filling. I consider all of these things to be good traits.

Among other flavors, they also sometimes make an almond joy pie (coconut. almonds, chocolate chip,), a sweet potato with caramel nut topping pie, and an eggnog pie. Can't wait to try those!

Each day you can access The Hole's Facebook site and see which pies will be available. The Pie Hole is closed on Sunday and Monday. Whole pies are $12.50, and individual slices range from $2.50 to $3.50. The custard styles are cheaper than the fruits, which makes sense to you if you've ever bought enough fresh cherries, etc. to fill a deep dish pie - you know it's expensive.

The staff is also extremely nice. You can't go wrong with good Southern pie-bakers.

Verdict: Best pie I've had in a long, long time.

Niramish

2011-03-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

1138 Euclid Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA www.niramish.com

On Friday night Heidi and I had dinner at Nirimish Indian restaurant in Little Five Points.

We started with an order of samosas. These were the best part of the meal. They were fried up crisp, with a wonderful mix of vegetables (primarily potato) inside. Two big pieces for $3.49. Not the cheapest samosas in town, but very good and just the right amount for 2 diners.

Next we ordered the naan. I love naan's billowy shape and light deliciousness, but this naan was mediocre, almost bland. Nowhere nearly as good as what's served at Himalayas on Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Same for the rice.

For my entree, I had the balti bindhir johl (#41 - $10.99), a dish I've never tried before. According to the menu, balti is cooked with the chef's "secret" recipe of yogurt, coriander, gorom (garam) masala, tomatoes, onion, green chili and cilantro. (Not much of a secret when they tell you exactly what's comprises it, but whatever.) The bindhir johl contains okra, but you can get different versions with other vegetables. This was supposed to be moderately spicy, but I would say it's pretty hot. I had to request a small cup of raita to cool it down, and I usually like moderately spiced food. Unfortunately the raita deadened the flavor. On the bright side, the okra and thinly sliced onions were cooked appropriately, no vegetables were mushy.

Heidi ordered the chicken passanda (#87 - $11.99), but we don't think this is what the waiter brought out. For one thing, chicken passanda is listed on the menu as containing pineapple. We couldn't detect any pineapple in this dish. For another thing, it doesn't list coconut milk as an ingredient, but it was the predominant flavor in this mild dish. Whatever it was, it was okay, better than my entree but too heavy on the coconut (and I usually like coconut). Reviewing the menu as posted on the website, I can't tell what Heidi actually ate. Maybe the chicken ceylon, which has shredded coconut? But no, that dish is "mildly hot spicy," and what Heidi had wasn't.

Guess it will have to remain a mystery.

The menu is large, so there are lots of options, including many vegetarian choices. There's tandoori of course, along with dosas, makhni, tikkas, vindaloo and curries. Lots of lamb specialties, if you're so inclined.

So nothing was wrong with the food or service, but nothing was excellent either. The meal was fine, but I don't have any desire to return and try more dishes, or re-order the ones I ate on Friday.

Verdict: Average.

Lime Taqueria

2011-03-18T06:36:00.000-07:00

4600 West Village Place, Smyrna, GA www.limetaqueria.com

Last night Kyle and I had dinner at Lime in West Village Place in the same live/work/play center as previously reviewed Crepe Revolution. A taqueria and tequila bar may seem like an odd pick for St. Patrick's day, but with a name like that, you can count on all the decor being green, green, green. There's a patio, and the interior is playful, with bright paint, paper lamps hanging from high ceilings, faux lime trees in pots, and big stuffed limes lining one wall. It's cute for sure.

They started us out with chips and salsa. Kyle liked the salsa better than I did, but I'm hard to impress when it comes to salsa. The small container had a huge piece of tomato in it which took up about half the space inside, and the flavor was average. The chips were thin and bland.

Kyle ordered the enchilada de pollo (chicken enchiladas - $11). This is a dish of marinated chicken, queso fresco and salsa verde topped with lettuce, tomato and sour cream. He thought it tasted great, but the portion size was a little small. It's a good idea to pair an appetizer with this dish. You may select from the typical Mexican offerings like quacamole dip, quesadillas or nachos, or go with something like the mejillones - mussels sauteed in white wine chipotle cream sauce with toast points ($9). I didn't order this, because Kyle hates shellfish, but it sounds pretty good.

I ordered the agave tuna ($12). It's hard for me to resist pan-seared tuna, especially when it's done up "special", like covered in sesame seeds and tossed with agave nectar and tequila vinaigrette (atop a bed of mixed greens, tomatoes, mango and avocado). The sesame seeds were there in full force, but I couldn't taste anything like agave or tequila. My tuna was also overcooked. This is really a salad - there were more greens than anything, but at least the greens were fresh. The tomato and mango are served in thin slivers, so if you're expecting a lot of those, you'll be disappointed. The avocado is cut up in big chunks, a definite plus. This entree wasn't what I expected, but it was still pretty good.

The coolest thing about this restaurant is the tequila - they have a good selection of brands which you can order by the shot. Depending on how many shots you do, this could get expensive, as the shots range from $8-$12 each. It's a unique idea, though. You can even do a tequila flight for $12, where you get 3 half-shots of any brand, one blanco, one agave and one aged. Kyle ordered this and was finally able to try Don Julio, a brand that's normally out of our liquor budget. I tried the house made pineapple infused tequila (available as a shot or on the rocks for $6). It was nice and sweet, but a little weak. If you want to stick with the tequila theme but are a little afraid of the results, this is the drink for you.

Service was fine.

I don't know what's going on with this restaurant's website. The icons are all out of place, and the main page mentions mojitos, but we didn't see any mojitos on the drink menu last night. Weird.

Ritz-Carlton Buckhead (high tea)

2011-03-11T07:25:00.000-08:00

3434 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA www.ritzcarlton.com

Last Sunday my sister and I took my grandmother to high tea at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead. Tea reservations are available at 2:30pm and 3pm. If you plan to eat dinner that day before 9pm, you should probably opt for the earlier reservation.

I'm saying this because you will completely stuff yourself at high tea.

Each guests gets to order his/her own flavor of tea, with options ranging from classic Earl Grey to green tea passion and African amber. Grandmother and I ordered the vanilla bean, and Sabrina ordered the orange jasmine, both black teas. There aren't as many tea options as you'd find at Dr. Bombay's (previously reviewed) in Candler Park, but there are enough. And unlike at Dr. Bombay's, your personal teapot at the Ritz will seem bottomless. A smiling, unobtrusive server will refill your tea every time you run low.

Along with your tea, you'll get a plate of finger sandwiches in various flavors. All of them were good, none of them excellent. My favorite would probably be the smoked salmon on light rye topped with caviar. Sabrina enjoyed the little cornbread style one. There's also a chicken salad, pimento cheese and (of course) cucumber. I found the latter to be slightly bland. They are lovely things to behold, at any rate.

Please don't fill up on the sandwiches, because you'll next be receiving a multi-tiered silver tray of sweets, and all of these are awesome. On the pic you'll see the uppermost item is glazed lemon poppyseed cake, below which are chocolate financiers sprinkled with powdered sugar, and on the bottom level are scones. And yes, the Ritz provides you with tiny jars of Double Devon (clotted) cream and strawberry jam for your scones. These 2 items are super yummy.

But that's not all. (Yes, I'm serious.) You'll get a second plate with tiny, sweet extras, such as the macaroons in various flavors, a miniature cheesecake topped with a blackberry, and an apple cobbler-like mix topped with cream and a white chocolate stick (all in a square shotglass). Cute, cute, cute!

And if that's not enough, each guest also receives one of the Ritz' "famous" chocolate chip cookies, wrapped in plastic and sealed with a large gold Ritz-Carlton lion sticker. Their intent is for you to take this home, so you can extend the experience with more sugar.

The absolute best thing about taking high tea at the Ritz is the atmosphere. The furnishings are sumptuous and beautiful, the dark woods offset by the cheerful light coming through the large windows. A pianist plays classical music in the background, and people lounge on plush sofas and leather chairs. With a neverending pot of good tea, a plethora of cakes and the soft laughter of happy people around (but not too close to) you, it's easy to forget all your troubles. The Ritz is a veritable oasis in the desert of life - a place where you can't possibly think about soaring gas prices, AIDS in Africa, Sarah Palin or any other tragic subject. There's no TV to remind you of the world's problems. The tea room at the Ritz Buckhead admits no unpleasantness in any form. Crazy mother calling you at all hours? Turn off your cell phone and enjoy the tranquility.

High tea as described above is $34/person, with a more expensive option available if you want fresh strawberries and champagne. How in the world anyone could eat more than I ate on Sunday, though, is beyond me.

It's not cheap, but it IS the Ritz. On the bright side, your server will validate your valet parking. Expect the valet to greet you by name when you leave the sanctuary that is the Ritz Carlton and pull out into Buckhead's not-so-pleasant traffic.

Verdict: A wonderful treat.

Tap

2011-03-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

1180 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA www.tapat1180.com

On Saturday night Kyle and I had dinner at Tap, located on the corner of Peachtree and 14th street in midtown. Tap has complimentary valet parking in a deck below.

Anyone who knows me has observed that I'm not a salad lover, but I was making an effort to eat healthfully enough to balance out the maltodextrin in the beer that night, so I broke down and decided to try the salmon salad ($12). If you have to order a salad, this one is impressive. The miso-soy marinade on the salmon is a knockout, a great complement to the grilled pears, red peppers (very small pieces), sliced almonds, and mixed greens dress with a pear vinaigrette. This salad also supposedly includes sliced red onion, but I ate the entire plate of food and never spotted a single piece. Oh well, I don't really think the salad suffered. It's an interesting twist on the typical, boring grilled salmon salads offered by most restaurants.

Kyle ordered the pub burger ($12), which comes with fries and (surprise!) a shotglass of chocolate frosty-style milkshake. For those of you who have furtively been dipping your fries into your shakes all these years, you're in luck at Tap, where you apparently have a kindred spirit in the chef. Fries were good (I think they taste like larger versions of the ones served a McDonald's - which is a compliment - but Kyle thought they were a cut above the fast food dish), and the burger itself was cooked to order. Kyle's only complaint was that the patty almost overwhelmed the little English muffin that held it in place.

The beer list was pretty good. Tap currently has 32 brews on draft, including 2 wines. They also offer beer from Red Brick, Terrapin, Sweetwater breweries (all local), along with their own Numbers Ale and a very dark selection called Ode to Mercy from Wild Heaven of Decatur, GA. Along with those, you'll find beer on the menu from across the U.S., England, Ireland, Italy and several choices from Belgium. It's nothing compared to the extensive lists of Summits Wayside Tavern and Brick Store (both previously reviewed), but you'll find something you'll like here.

You can also take advantage of one of the 3 flight offerings - flight school (wheat, lager, porter), South Bound (local brews) or Tour of Belgium (pictured above). It's a decent deal at $6.

Our server, Trevor, was excellent. Super friendly, right on time with refills and quick with the check when we requested it.

It was a good experience, made even better by a printed note at the end of our receipt that claims if you bring the receipt to any Concentrics group restaurant, you can save $11 off any purchase of $25 or more. Don't know if the amount you save is based on the amount you spend originally or not, but I'll happily try another Concentrics place.

Verdict: Very likeable. Above average beer list.

Thaicoon & Sushi Bar

2011-03-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

34 Mill St., Marietta, GA www.thaicoonmarietta.com

Last night Heidi, Kyle and I had dinner at Thaicoon in Marietta. It's located just off the square, and the interior is decorated with light-colored wood paneling (maple?), faux potted trees and decent looking drinks bar and sushi bar.

Heidi really enjoyed her appetizer, the basil rolls. For $4.95 you get several steamed rolls with lots of good things inside - shrimp, basil leaves, rice noodles and crap. She called them perfect.

Kyle ordered the pepper steak ($10.95), which was served in a brown sauce with scallions, carrots, onions and a little tomato. He liked it but didn't love it. He mentioned it was very mild.

Heidi ordered the four friends ($10.95), another mild dish that allows you to choose from several meats (she selected shrimp) paired with a white sauce, baby corn, mushrooms, snow peas and carrots. If you've had moo goo gai pan at an Americanized Chinese restaurant, you've had four friends at Thaicoon. She liked it.

I ordered the tofu masaman curry ($10.95). It came in a little heated soup tureen (see above) with rice in its own bowl on the side. Unfortunately "soup" is the appropriate word. The sauce had a great flavor, but it was too watery. In fact, most of what was in the tureen was soupy sauce. There were about 3 pieces of carrot, a dozen cashews, two chunks of potatoes mixed in with a moderate portion of tofu. If you've got a big appetite, there's no way this will fill you up.

So - nothing was bad, but nobody raved about their entrees. The basil rolls seem to have been the big hit of the night.

A few months ago I posted on another Thai restaurant in Marietta, Lemongrass, which is only a few miles north of Thaicoon. Lemongrass trumps Thaicoon in every way except for service, and in that category there's a tie. Portion sizes are larger and flavors are better at Lemongrass.

Verdict: Average Thai food. I would be willing to return, but I wouldn't seek it out.

Cakes & Ale

2011-03-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

254 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, GA www.cakesandalerestaurant.com

On Friday night Kyle and I had dinner at Cakes & Ale in Decatur, and boy are we glad we did!

We began our meal with an order of the gougeres ($5 for 4). If you've never had these wonderful things, they are very soft, eggy round rolls. We liked the little light hollow treats here, but not as much as at some other places, one example being the ones they serve at Fogo de Chao in Buckhead. They were too brown for me, maybe a trifle overbaked, and benefited from the application of butter. Good, just not the best.

Our entrees, though, were a total hit. Kyle ordered the tri-tip steak, fried artichokes & onion rings, little gem lettuce, horseradish sauce ($24). Kyle hates horseradish, so although the chef usually spreads a small amount underneath the steak (which comes in about 5 thin slices, maybe 4" long each), he put it in a small container on the side for Kyle. Kyle tasted it and actually liked it, which says a lot for the sauce. Our waitress didn't ask how he wanted his steak cooked, but it came out medium rare and was excellent. Kyle ate every bite.

We also ordered a side of the turnips and turnip greens ($4). The portion isn't huge, but it's enough to share, and it is incredible! Seriously, these may have been the best greens I've ever eaten. The chunks of turnips were soft (but not too soft), the greens divine. Our other side options were cardamon whipped sweet potatoes or braised cabbage and polenta, both of which sound awesome too. I'd love to go back and try them, but I probably won't get to do so before the menu changes. This officially happens every season, but it's really altered daily to some degree, depending on which ingredients the chef can get super fresh that morning.

I ordered the clams, smoked tomato, red peas, chorizo ($19). I received a decent sized bowl of clams in this wonderful red, smoky broth, full of robust, diced chorizo, dark red peas, and finely sliced onion. I can't tell you how awesome this broth tasted. When I finished off all the clams, they brought me some of their thick, farm-style bread to dip into the broth. I ate all the bread and considered turning up the bowl and drinking the rest of the broth. It's that good.

I only have two complaints about Cakes & Ale. The first is on our dessert, the Phatty Cakes. For $6, you get 3 cakes, which can also be enjoyed at the bar. Each cake is made of two gingerbread or spice cookies connected by mascarpone cheese. The problem wasn't the taste - the sweet-ish cookies are offset by the nice, neutral mascarpone, and make a good combination. Our issue was that the cookies are way too hard. We expected soft cookies, but these are difficult to bite through. They require too much work to eat in my opinion, and they aren't very big, maybe about 2" across at most.

My second issue is with the wait time. Our waitress, who looked like a young Ally Sheedy, was very nice and helpful when we asked questions about wine pairings and needed clarification on some of the entrees. We received our appetizer quickly after ordering, but then we waited a full half hour for our entrees, and the restaurant wasn't terribly crowded. During that time our waitress never reappeared at our table, either to top off our water or to apologize/explain the delay. I'm not sure what was going on with this. While we were thrilled when we finally got our entrees, I don't like feeling that I'm starving to death waiting for them.

Verdict: Excellent food, with a few small issues on the dessert and wait time.

Ceviche Taqueria

2011-02-25T07:15:00.000-08:00

963 Canton St., Roswell, GA www.cevichetaqueria.com

Seems like all I eat these days is tacos, right? Well, I haven't reviewed anything in Roswell in at least 6 months, so here you go.

Last night Heidi, her friend Nikki and I had dinner at this smallish place in historic Roswell. As soon as we were seated we received the old Mexican standby, a basket of tortilla chips and some bland red salsa. We ordered the guacamole appetizer, which I liked although I Heidi and I agree it could have been chunkier, less smooth. I love guacamole, but this was not a large portion and it cost $5.95. We definitely paid too much.

Sticking with the restaurant's theme, I chose the Peruvian corvina ceviche ($10.95). Unlike the guacamole, I got a lot of this - a whole plate of fish, lemon and orange juices, cilantro, garlic, onion, jalapenos, parsley and cayenne with two wedges of lime and some saltines on the side. Since the dish contains both jalapenos and cayenne, you shouldn't be surprised that it's on the spicy side, but it didn't come with that long-term burning-mouth sensation most of us dread.

Heidi got the shredded chicken tostados (also available in ground beef) for $8.15. She really enjoyed the quite crisp, fried tostadas, along with the generous portions of sour cream, lettuce, tomato, cheese and avocado. As you can see from the pic, it's quite presentable.

I also ordered a Texas Margarita with El Jimador Silver Tequila. Not too much sweet and sour, and a good balance between the tequila and Grand Marnier. I thought it was worth my $7.77 (the prices are random here, right?). Heidi and Nikki both had glasses of the the white sangria, and commented on how smooth it was. Heidi liked it even better than the white sangria at at previously reviewed Kiosco in the Marietta Square, and would happily order it again.

On the home page of the website you'll find pictures of both little kids with stuffed animals and cute waitresses downing taquila. Strange combination, right? When I first arrived there at 6pm, the place was full of small children, but by the time I left at 7:30 the crowd had gotten older and a little trendier. Plan your excursion accordingly.

The service was good, our waitress friendly. You can eat inside or dine out on the patio, but if you get there during prime hours you'll likely wait a while, due to the size of the place. There's street parking and a few lots within walking distance.

I liked this place, enough to eat there again if I was in the area, but not enough to go out of my way for a meal or to put it on my regular rotation.

Verdict: A slightly above average restaurant in a cute location. Thumbs up for the white sangria.

Recipe: Spaghetti Carbonara with Green Peas

2011-02-23T09:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spaghetti-carbonara-with-green-peas

For all of you followers who are eagerly awaiting another restaurant review, I'll have one on Friday and a couple more next week. I thought I had one for you yesterday, but then I discovered the Indian restaurant in question was part of a chain, so today you've got another recipe instead.

It's a good one, though.

I've made this recipe from Food & Wine's December 2006 issue 3 times now, and I think I love it more with each bite. It's pretty simple and it's delicious.

Unfortunately it's not particularly healthy. You've got lots of cream, cheese, more cheese, egg yolks, pasta and pancetta, which is probably the world's fattiest bacon. I'm not recommending you make this everyday, but every once in a while won't kill you. I know it would give cardiologists nightmares, but including those two tablespoons of pancetta fat into the sauce sure does make a mouth-watering mix.

If you follow the directions, you shouldn't have any trouble making this correctly the first time around. Food & Wine estimates a half hour cook time start to finish, and I think that's about right, as long as you remember to start boiling the water right away. It can be easily halved, or doubled as needed.

As my friend Danielle pointed out to me, there are lots of recipes for spaghetti carbonara, but not many include peas. I think the peas are a great ingredient here, because the lighten up an otherwise very heavy, starchy dish.

The only thing I would potentially change about this recipe is the amount of cheese. It's a good idea to start with less mixed into the sauce - maybe 1/2 cup as opposed to 3/4 cup - then taste the finished entree and sprinkle more on top if desired. Remember, once all the cheese is mixed into the sauce, there's no going back. Also, if you use cheap parmesan (you know what I mean, the green container rather than the real parmesan-reggiano), you probably won't need to add any salt. Again, hold back until you taste.

Verdict: A great pasta dish, sure to impress.

Recipe: Apricot Chicken

2011-02-17T06:20:00.000-08:00

Several years ago "The Turban Ladies" in the Seeker's class at Oak Grove United Methodist Church in Decatur, GA, published a cookbook entitled Servings From the Heart. Like all church cookbooks, it's comprised of every mother and grandmother's most prized recipes, their "best stuff", which is what makes church cookbooks so great. However, this cookbook is extra special, because the proceeds from the sale of it went to The Turban Ladies' work making colorful silk turbans for cancer patients who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy. Between the awesome recipes an the wonderful benefit to the community in need, this cookbook is a winner.

Kyle and I have made at least a dozen recipes from Servings From the Heart so far, but one of our favorites is Apricot Chicken Breasts by Ms. Dale Smith.

Ingredients:
8 chicken breasts, boned and halved
1 bottle Catalina French dressing
1 medium jar apricot preserves
1 package dry onion soup mix

Combine dressing, preserves and soup in container. Chill several hours or overnight. Bake chicken breasts 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Add chilled mixture and continue baking for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender.

You gotta love a recipe with only 4 ingredients.

Especially one that's tangy, sweet and earthy all at the same time. If you like Chinese sweet and sour sauce, you'll like this recipe. Despite the name, you'll taste more of the Catalina dressing than you will the apricot.

The first time we made this, I forgot to chill the last 3 ingredients overnight. We mixed them together and just allowed them to refrigerate while the chicken was in the oven for the first half hour, then put them on the chicken for the final half hour, and I don't think we sacrificed one smidgen of flavor.

I've also noticed it converts well if, instead of buying breasts, you use chicken tenders. Using tenders means you can cut the cook time down to 15-20 minutes before the sauce, and 20 minutes after. I prefer to go this route because I don't always like to wait a full hour for my dinner.

In this case (using the tenders instead of breasts), your bottle of dressing, jar of preserves and box of dry onion soup mix (usually contains 2 packages) will provide you with at least 2 separate dinners if you're only feeding 2 people. One reason I love this recipe is because after I've made it once, I have all the ingredients on hand in case I need to make dinner without having planned to do so in advance.

To complete your super-easy dinner, serve with a can of Glory Foods' lima beans or butter beans. They're preseasoned to perfection, so you just have to heat and eat.

Good luck obtaining a copy of this cookbook if you don't already have one. It's my understanding that the church has issued two printings and they've both sold out. My grandmother, Nell Braxton, one of The Turban Ladies, is pretty proud.

Verdict: An easy, pleasing chicken entree.

Hankook Taqueria

2011-02-14T07:40:00.000-08:00

1341 Collier Rd., Atlanta, GA www.hankooktaqueria.com

Kyle, Heidi and I had dinner at this hole-in-the-wall Korean taco joint last week, but I've been under the weather ever since, so I'm just now getting to tell you about it. Sorry for the delay in posting.

Yes, Hankook is a Korean BBQ taco restaurant. They also serve burritos and "street snacks," or interesting sides. The tacos range from $2.25 to $3.50 (the higher price is for seafood), the burritos are $6.25 or $7.50 (for shrimp), and the sides are between $2 and $6 each.

Hankook Taqueria may not look like much from the outside, but in the grand tradition of Buford Hwy, it packs a wallop inside. Ignore the hard wooden booths and wobbly tables and chow down.

When I was there last week I ordered the chicken taco, which comes marinated in spicy Korean sauce. I also got the shrimp taco, fried shrimp in a Hoisin tarter sauce. Both were very good, full of fresh lettuce, shredded mozzarella cheese and good meat. I liked the tarter sauce on the shrimp, but would have preferred the shrimp to be grilled or broiled rather than crispy. Still, I enjoyed it.

Next the three of us split an order of the sesame fries ($2) and an order of the Man-Doo ($4), fried pork dumplings with a ginger scallion dipping sauce. These were both incredible. Now regular fries will probably always seem boring to me, and the dumplings were plump and a great deal - 6 of them for $4. You can't beat that.

There are 2 things that are great about this place. The first is that it's different. Korean taco carts and mobile restaurants may be a regular thing in California, but not here in Atlanta. Hankook Taqueria gives southerners a wonderful new combination of flavors to sample. The second great quality is the prices. You can easily get a full dinner for less than $10 here.

Verdict: An excellent find for diners looking for a unique and cheap meal.

Special Feature: Cafe Du Monde's Beignet Mix

2011-02-07T07:20:00.001-08:00

www.cafedumonde.com

Nearly a decade ago I visited New Orleans, which is a foodie trip if ever there was one. One of the city's best and most unique offerings is the beignet, a deep fried pastry/donut that, according to dictionary.com, comes from the French word for bump or lump. Beignets are usually squarish in shape, and lumpy, so this is appropriate. They are usually topped with a hefty sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Anyone who has been to New Orleans will probably agree that no one does beignets better than the famous Cafe Du Monde on Decatur St. They've been serving up beignets and chicory coffee since 1862.

In case you're finding it inconvenient to head on over to New Orleans for breakfast this week, Cafe Du Monde offers the next best thing - their own coffee and beignet mix available via internet and mail order. My great friend Heidi gave me some beignet mix, coffee from World Market and a French press as a wedding gift, and Kyle and I have been putting them to use. Yesterday we made beignets for the 3rd time and I think we have enough left over for one more serving each. Here's what we've determined about the mix:

#1 - It works. I was a little skeptical, especially since I don't have a lot of experience deep frying. It took a little time (maybe half an hour), but Kyle and I made beignets the first time out that looked exactly like those pictured on the box.

#2 - The instructions are fairly simple. Mix 2 cups of mix with 7 oz. of water. Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness on a floured surface and cut into squares. Fry in hot oil until appropriately browned and puffy. Top with powdered sugar and enjoy. And you will enjoy! This supposedly makes 2 dozen beignets. Maybe, if they are really small. I think it makes more like 20. However, if you don't need that many, you can easily cut the ingredients in half. This should be enough for 2 people.

# 3 - The mix is inexpensive. It cost less than $3 on any website I've seen, including the original Cafe Du Monde's.

Some tips on using the mix:

Before you roll out your dough, HEAVILY flour the surface. Otherwise, your dough will definitely stick to the surface and you'll have to start all over.

Also, err on the side of less water, more mix. If the dough is too liquidy, it will become glue-like and stick to your hands, the surface, etc. You'll end up wasting half of it. The best idea is to start with about half the water you think you'll end up using and add a little at a time.

Finally, I would roll the dough out to about 1/2" thick, no thinner. If your dough is too thin, your beignets won't puff up right. Nobody wants flat beignets, which is what I got when I rolled down to 1/4".

If you have a plain, square cookie cutter, you'll probably have the most success. However, Kyle wanted to get creative yesterday, so we used our star shaped cutters and the beignets were quite cute (see above).

Verdict: The best way to recreate a New Orleans breakfast at home, no matter where you live.

Barkers Red Hots

2011-02-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

3000 Windy Hill Rd. SE, Ste. B6, Marietta, GA www.barkersredhots.com

I've been to the Varsity, I've been to Brandi's in Cartersville, and I've eaten countless hot dogs at Braves games over the years. None of these even come close to the dogs served at Barkers Red Hots on Windy Hill Rd. They aren't the world's cheapest hot dogs, but I can assure you they cost less than the dogs at Turner Field and taste far, far better.

On Saturday Kyle and I picked up an order of 1 original red hot ($2.79), 1 original cheese dog ($3.10), 1 jumbo cheese dog ($3.99), 1 large order of onion rings ($3.45 - enough for 2 people) and 1 cookie ($.65). I love the original red hots (pictured on the left). It's a normal hot dog, but it's actually grilled (!) right in front of you on a charcoal grill. Yum. I'm a traditional hot dog fan, so I think charcoal cooking is the only way to go.

The onion rings are phenomenal, and the chocolate chunk cookie was luscious. The cookies are like your mom makes - glistening with what I assume is butter, soft baked and not uniform, clearly homemade.

Barkers also serves sandwiches (including fish), sausages, crinkle cut fries, baked beans and coleslaw. The sandwiches look great in the pictures, but I've never tried them. Once I get inside and smell the hot dogs I can't bring myself to order anything else. There are several other dessert options, including real Moon Pies. If you like soft drinks, they've got something a little different: Crystal Beach Loganberry, available in large and small sizes. It's on the sweet side, but tasty. As for a sample, and you'll get a little cup of it to try before you buy.

Every time you go to Barkers you'll see the same 4-5 people working there. I like that about the place. The employees are cheerful and eager to help the customers. One of them told me that Barkers is in the process of opening up a second location in Roswell, so be on the lookout for that.

Kids will love Barkers. It's set up to look like the northeast sea shore, with extremely cute decorations, a length of high seaters along with regular tables, some outdoor seating with umbrellas, and a combination of "fun" music (think Beach Boys) and "shore noise" - sea gulls, the sound of the ocean hitting the sand. You can't help but like it.

My only complaint about Barkers is a serious one - the hours. You can only eat there from 11am - 3:30pm, Monday through Saturday. The owners say they tried to open for dinner and didn't get much business. Unfortunately it seems like Kyle and I always want a hot dog later in the day. The hours wouldn't be so bad if they were the same all the time. Sometimes we've driven by and seen the restaurant was closed, mainly on Saturdays, for no discernible reason. They are also closed most holidays. It's best to call in advance and make sure Barkers is open before you head in that direction, salivating for a red hot.

Verdict: Best hot dogs in Atlanta.

Recipe: Southwestern Corn & Beans

2011-01-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

Right off I have to warn you about an error in this post - the name of the recipe as listed in the book is incomplete. I got to work today and forgot to write it down. I'll fix it tomorrow, I promise.

As I've said recently, Kyle and I have been using our wonderful new slow cooker on a weekly basis. This is one of our favorite recipes taken from Crock Pot brand's Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes. We've made it at least 3 times now, and I know we'll continue to make it. I prefer it as a lunch dish.

Ingredients: 1 tablesp. olive oil; 1 large onion, diced; 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, diced; 1 glove garlic, minced; 2 15oz. cans light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 1 bag frozen corn, thawed; 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces; 2 teasp. medium-hot chili powder; 3/4 teasp. salt; 1/2 teasp. cumin; 1/2 teasp. black pepper; sour cream or plain yogurt (optional); sliced black olives (optional).

Instructions: Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno pepper and garlic, cook five minutes. Combine onion mixture, beans, corn, tomatoes with juice, bell pepper, chili powder, salt, cumin and black pepper in slow cooker; mix well. Cover. Cook on low 7-8 hours OR on high 2-3 hours. Serve with sour cream and black olives, if desired.

What's positive about this recipe:
1. It's exceptionally easy to make. Several of the items come ready to serve (frozen corn and canned foods), so you'll only have to prep the bell pepper, onion and jalapeno.

2. It's hearty, a great winter dish.

3. Nice for vegetarians. Substantial with protein (kidney beans) and several good veggies, in red, green and yellow.

4. It's visually appealing. All those nice colors!

5. It looks like it contains a lot of ingredients, but you probably already have most of these on hand. Every few weeks I buy a mesh bag full of yellow onions, so I've always got some for the many soups, casseroles and slow cooker recipes that require them. The spices are all common ingredients you would use in Mexican foods or chilis, and what cook doesn't have salt, pepper and olive oil in the pantry? (If you are without these things, don't tell anyone or you'll embarrass yourself.)

What I would change:
1. This recipe serves 6. If you have a smaller family, you can modify it by using only 1 can of kidney beans and half a bag of corn. I wouldn't cut down on the bell pepper though, because it may be the best flavor, and will definitely be your freshest vegetable.

2. You can easily lower the level of spiciness by using only 1 jalapeno or cutting out this ingredient altogether, or raise it by adding a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the mix.

3. You can make this recipe super, super simple by just throwing everything into the pot without cooking the onion, etc. in the skillet beforehand. This will work better if you're going the 7-8 hour low temp route, because after that long, anything is going to be soft and cooked thoroughly.

4. I reduce the garlic by half. A whole clove of garlic? That's just way too much for most people. If you use that much, you won't taste anything else, which would be a shame.

Verdict: Excellent, lively dish that's easy to make.

La Casona

2011-01-25T09:29:00.000-08:00

3820 Stewart Rd., Doraville, GA 770/458-6657

Last night Heidi, Ilya and I dined at La Casona, a Columbian restaurant just off of 285 at Buford Hwy. You won't have any trouble finding this restaurant - you can see it from the highway.

We began our meal with 3 orders of empanadas ($1.25 each). We liked these. They are very deeply fried, with soft beef inside and a nice, slightly spicy sauce. We were also served three very small, condiment-sized portions of sweet rice pudding just before receiving our empanadas. The pudding was good (and complimentary), with a hint of coconut. Like I said, it was good, but you only get about two spoonfuls.

Heidi ordered the Milanese, thin-sliced breaded beef with sides of fried green plantains, a pitiful salad and rice. I say the salad is pitiful because it consisted of two slices of unripe tomato (yes, I realize it's the middle of winter and tomatoes aren't in season, but this was really bad), some sad looking lettuce and two slices of avocado (the one redeeming component). I think the kitchen should have just left this off the plate entirely. I found the plantains to be in dire need of salt, but I often feel this way about green plantains, even at The Cuban Diner in Marietta, where I'm always happy with the rest of my meal. The rice at La Casona was actually pretty good - cooked correctly and quite salty.

I ordered the breaded pork. The menu at La Casona has lots of breaded meats. My pork was better than Heidi's beef, more flavorful and only slightly overcooked. Again, same as above with the side dishes.

I can't find a website, much less an online menu for this restaurant, but I can tell you that the hard copy menu you'll get when you're there is only about 2/3rds translated into English (from Spanish). I remember it lists beef with onion, chicken dishes, and several meat or fish dishes with Creole sauce. I also saw Colombian chicken soup. The average price of the entrees was about $10. Not bad, but then again, the food wasn't all that great.

I say that because there wasn't anything special about it. Nothing had that "wow" factor, nothing was especially fresh or beautifully presented. It was all average, nothing more.

Back on June 27, 2009, I posted a review of another Colombian restaurant called Kiosco, located in the Marietta Square. I have to say that Kiosco serves much better food, hands down. Could it be that an ethnic restaurant in Marietta is superior to one on Buford Hwy? Up until today I didn't think so, but yes, it's true, folks.

Something you should know is that this restaurant has an odd schedule. They seem to open at an early hour (something like 10am), but they close at 8pm every night. You can find an early dinner here, but not a late one. Maybe it's more of a lunch place.

Verdict: A step down from Kiosco in Marietta.

Special Feature: Hop City Craft Beer & Wine

2011-01-21T07:02:00.001-08:00

1000 Marietta St. Atlanta, GA www.hopcitybeer.com

Recently I caught a play at Actor's Express, and happened to notice an interesting ad in their program for a craft beer store - although the ad didn't give an address, website or phone number. Annoyed but intrigued, I later searched online and found out the place was a stone's throw away from the theatre, just off of Howell Mill Rd. on Marietta St. On Wednesday, I set off after work to check it out.

When I entered the store, a bearded man grinned at me and said, "You look like you're thirsty." And boy, was he right. I'm sure he recognized my beer-loving gaze, as my eyes went over the beautiful aisles of beer from all over the world.

There is SO MUCH good craft beer here! The store stocks lots of lots of beers I've tried at Summits Wayside Tavern (which has the best selection of draft beers in GA), such as Weihenstaphaner Weiss (Germany), Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager (Louisiana, USA), multiple selections from Rogue (Oregon, USA). Of course they have all your regular, mainstream but good favorites like Belhaven, Woodchuck ciders, Chimay, etc.

They also have a ton of brews I haven't tried, had never even encountered. A few I noticed were: Lakefront Wheat Monkey (Wisconsin, USA); Ft. Collins Kidd Black (Colorado, USA); Paradox Spreyside from Scotland, brewed in whisky barrels; Dieu du Ciel's Aphrodite, a stout with cocoa and vanilla from Canada; Orange Blossom Pilsner - "Florida's Honey Beer"; and large bottles of various flavors of Honey Sun Iqhilika, a South African mead. !!! I'd pretty much given up on Japanese beer, finding over the years that Sapporo, Kirin and Asahi and their boring, Bud Light-esque flavor was typical of that country's taste. However, Hop City had at least 3 Japanese offerings that were completely unfamiliar to me. Can't wait to go back and try them.

If you're familiar with the liquor store Green's, think of their selection except Hop City has more craft choices. Like Green's, they also have lots and lots of singles, so you don't have to commit to anything. The singles range from about $2.50 up to . . . who knows. I saw some (like the Paradox) for as much as $10, but I'm sure they get more expensive than that. I could have easily dropped $500 in there, if only my budget allowed for that sort of alcoholic splurge.

The website also says they stock 600 kegs. 600 kegs! I'm not in the habit of throwing large parties anymore, but when I did, I could never find a keg of decent beer. Looks like that won't be a problem for anyone in Atlanta now.

The store is halved almost dead center, with the beer on the left and the wine on the right. The wine is divided up along the wall by region, with more selections on racks in the center. The bearded man turned out to be Chris, Hop City's "wine guy", and after he watched me browsing around for a minute he came over and asked if we had ever discussed wine before. When I told him no, he asked how I took my coffee. Apparently the amount of cream and sugar (or lack of it) that you prefer indicates what types of wines you'll want to drink. He gave me a few suggestions, and didn't go straight for the most expensive bottles. I ended up with a bottle of Los Loros Corte Tinto, a red blend from Argentina that Chris claimed is quite popular, for $7.99. Can't wait to try it out.

Verdict: A fantastic find for craft beer lovers. This may be the best beer store in Atlanta.

The Real Chow Baby

2011-01-18T06:22:00.000-08:00

1016 Howell Mill Rd. Ste. A, Atlanta, GA www.therealchowbaby.com

On Friday night Heidi and I had dinner at The Real Chow Baby. I have been to this restaurant about a dozen times, but this was my first dinner within the past year.

If you haven't been to a build your own stir-fry restaurant (and there are several in Atlanta), you really need to get out there and try it. When you're seated, your server will give you a little wooden stick with a place for you to write your name on the end. You'll stand in a line (hopefully short), take a black bowl, and fill it first with your choice of rice and/or noodles, then add whatever vegetables you like from the buffet, then choose any combination of their great sauces. Finally, you'll take a small red bowl and fill it with your choice of meat. You slide your bowls to the end, insert your name stick, and leave it for the cooks to stir fry. Usually you'll wait no longer than 10 minutes for the finished meal to arrive at your table.

There are several good things about this: # 1 - You can control exactly what you get. Your meal won't include any ingredients you don't like, and if you're on a diet you can skip the rice/noodles altogether and go for straight veggies and a low-calorie sauce. Vegetarians can forgo the meat, etc.

# 2 - The sauces are great. The plum sauce is nice, as well as the coconut curry. The Asian peanut pesto is delicious, but has too much garlic for my taste. My favorite is the Thai Cilantro, but I also like the ginger lime basil, red Thai curry and light soy sauce. Chow Baby recommends 2-3 ladles of sauce per order. You can mix and match. Fun!

# 3 - Lots of veggies and meat choices. For the veggies, you'll find everything from cauliflower to snow peas to leeks, with fresh cilantro, basil and mint, and spices like Chinese Five-Spice powder or rosemary. For the meat, you can choose beef, chicken, at least 2 types of fish, and shrimp for an additional charge.

# 4 - Feeling a little overwhelmed by all the possible choices? Chow Baby has some ideas for you, printed on handy little cards at the beginning of the line, and posted above the veggie buffet. You can play it safe with one of their proven combos if you so desire.

# 5 - Not in the mood for stir-fry? You can make your meal a soup, a wrap, or a salad. Each has it's own special colored stick for you to insert in your bowls, so the cooks know what you want.

Oh, and possibly the best thing - you pay one flat price of $7.99 for lunch or $11.99 for dinner, and you can take as many trips to the stir fry bar as you can handle. This is great, because not only will you definitely get enough food, you'll also be more willing to try various combinations of veggies, sauces, etc. If you really screw up the first time around, you can always go back for round two.

Service is consistently good, as are the specialty drinks from the bar. The melon mojito (affordably priced at $6.99) is tops with me. You can get beer, wine, sake (cold or hot) as well.

Chow Baby has also opened up a new location on Ponce de Leon. Hopefully this will be more successful than their last branch, located in the Galleria shopping center in Smyrna. Kyle and I went there once and that was enough for us - it was too big, with super high, warehouse-like ceilings that amplified noise. Not a good combination with the thousand kids suburban parents brought to the restaurant.

Verdict: It may be gimmicky, but I really enjoy this place. Fresh, good food.

Recipe: Egg Casserole

2011-01-14T12:49:00.000-08:00

One of my followers recently suggested that I include an occasional recipe review on Southern Foodie. Good suggestion! When I post these, I'll be sure to make them at least twice beforehand, and they'll come from a variety of sources: cookbooks (old and new, some local), magazines, and shared favorites from friends. Here is the first. Happy cooking!

Egg Casserole - courtesy of Rebecca Abramovich
Ingredients:
12 eggs, 1/2 cup flour, 1 teasp. baking powder, 1 teasp. salt, 10 oz. cottage cheese, 1 stick melted butter, 1 lb. grated sharp cheddar, 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, 1 grated onion, 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms, 1 tomato - thinly sliced, parsley flakes.

Instructions: Mix dry ingredients. Add egg & other ingredients. Pour into 9 x 13 pan. Put sliced tomato on top & sprinkle with parsley. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

What's positive about this recipe:
# 1 - it's delicious! It's sort of like a giant frittata and smells great when it's baking. It's full of good veggies, protein (eggs), and lots of dairy.

# 2 - it's easy. Once you chop up your green pepper and mushrooms and slice the tomato, you simply mix everything together and throw it in the oven.

# 3 - some of the ingredients are flexible. Don't like mushrooms or green bell pepper? Use more onions, maybe some diced tomatoes instead of just one sliced on top, or other colored peppers.

# 4 - it feeds at least 5 people. When Kyle and I have made it, we've eaten it twice for dinner that week and I've taken the remaining portion to work for lunch. It keeps well in the fridge.

What I would change:

I've made this twice now, and I think you can simplify the recipe even more without sacrificing on taste. For example, I wouldn't grate the onion, I would simply chop it. Also, a jar of pre-sliced mushrooms works just as well as fresh. As a matter of fact, they hold up better in the casserole.

Also, I only use about half as much sharp cheddar as the recipe calls for. One 8 oz. bag of shredded cheddar seems like plenty to me. If you use a whole pound, you'll have more cheese than egg, and I like to taste the egg.

Finally, I think it cooks better if you beat the eggs before adding them. Oh, and spray your glass baking dish with cooking spray before you do anything else! Otherwise you'll be soaking that puppy for a week.

Verdict: Great main course breakfast or dinner recipe. Thank you, Rebecca!

Sotto Sotto

2011-01-12T08:20:00.000-08:00

313 N. Highland Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307 www.sottosottosrestaurant.com

On Friday night Kyle, Sabrina, Ryan and I had dinner at Sotto Sotto. This was our belated Christmas dinner, so we had high expectations.

We began with an antipasta misto plate ($17). This was very good, and offered enough for 4 people to enjoy, but $17? The plate included sauteed mushrooms (plump and juicy), assorted olives (always good), a few cured meats like buffalo salami and prosciutto, and a few cheese (a blue, a goat, something similar to pecorino).

Next we each ordered a first course portion of pasta. The first course portion is offered at a lower price than the main course portion, but only the main course price is listed. I selected the tortelli di mele ($16 as a main course/$10 as a 1st). This is Granny Smith apples with sausage filled ravioli, brown butter and sage sauce. Delicious. The Granny Smiths were sauteed until toned down to only minor tartness, which contrasted perfectly with the rich brown butter and sage sauce. The ravioli was soft and the sausage filling was a treat. Sabrina ordered the risotto mantecato (same price as above pasta), a perfectly cooked risotto with caramelized onions, grated Parmesan and a 12 year aged balsamic vinegar. This is a dish that really shows off the glory of good quality, aged vinegar. Very nice. Tasty without being overpowering. And who doesn't love risotto when it's done right?

Both Sabrina and Kyle ordered the poleto al limone ($19) as a main course. This is wood-roasted lemon chicken with roasted potatoes and garlic spinach. I was expecting a breast, but they received several different small pieces, including some dark meat and wings. Kyle was a little thrown off by the lemon. Sabrina enjoyed it.

I loved my main course, the tono agli agrumi for $29. Tuna, cooked either medium or medium rare (I opted for the latter), with lovely white beans, mixed salad and chive oil. I liked the (somehow) very ripe, grape tomatoes, the bright and flavorful chive oil, and the good quality tuna. You should definitely order this when you patronize the restaurant.

Kyle probably had the best dessert, white chocolate bread pudding with brandied cherries and almond slivers (all desserts are $7). It's pictured above, and it tasted exactly as it looks. Yummy.

I ordered the zuppa chocco, or chocolate soup. This was on a recommendation from my coworker Valerie, who says it is hands down her favorite dessert in Atlanta. It really is chocolate soup. Tastes just like Hershey's chocolate syrup, only slightly thinner. It's topped with croutons made of biscotti, I think. Good, but not the best chocolate dessert I've ever had. Maybe it's the lack of work it takes to eat it - no chewing makes for a fast finish.

One thing that stood out at Sotto Sotto was the wine list. It's extensive (4 pages), and is broken down by region of Italy, a nice touch. There aren't very many selections under $42/bottle, and there aren't any half bottle offerings, but what they've got could please anyone.

At some point over the past few years, Creative Loafing, Atlanta Magazine and the AJC have all proclaimed Sotto Sotto as the best Italian restaurant in Atlanta. I think the meal we had on Friday was very good, but I'm not sure about the "best". I've eaten at the Buckhead Life Group's Pricci and Veni Vedi Vici a number of times over the past decade, and sometimes (but not all the time) they have been equally good. I much prefer the big fat booths at Pricci to the little crowded tables at Sotto Sotto. Sotto Sotto is quite loud, so don't expect a romantic dinner if you dine during the 8pm hour. Valenza in Brookhaven (reviewed last month) is probably also as good. However, all things considered, it was a good experience.

Verdict: Very good, upscale Italian restaurant. Great wine list.

Food for Thought: Slow Cookers

2011-01-06T07:02:00.001-08:00

I've been using my slow cooker a lot lately. Lately in this case means the past 6 months. Kyle and I registered for a lovely 3.5 quart stainless steel version from Cuisinart, my favorite cookware manufacturer, and Kyle's mother gave it to us at a shower last summer.

For years I've wanted one of these things, the same way that home cooks always yearn for a new (to them) gadget for their increasingly crowded kitchens. Once I finally got it, I couldn't wait to take advantage of the convenience. And who doesn't love the way a slow cooker creates that falling-off-the bone effect on any meat you place within it? Who doesn't agree that chili tastes better the longer it's cooked? With a slow cooker, there's no need to chain yourself to house while you (impatiently, in my case) wait for your meal. Today's slow cookers are designed to cook anywhere from 30 minutes up to 20 hours, and models like mine have a two hour "warm" setting that automatically switches on once the pre-set time has elapsed. You can't beat my Cuisinart in terms of ease of operation. You choose the cook level (high, low or simmer), set the timer and press on - that's it.

The first thing I did upon receiving my slow cooker was buy a cookbook specific to slow cooker cooking. I opted for "Crock Pot: The Original Slow Cooker - Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes" (on sale right now on barnesandnoble.com for $5.99). This cookbook contains all the old standards you'll remember from decades ago - beef stew, chili, queso dip etc. There are several sections on dinners that favor noodles or rice topped with a bubbling concoction - none of them seem super exciting. However, there's a great chapter called Beyond Basic Soups, with gems like Chicken Fiesta and Chicken and Tofu Hot Pot (beware the Chipotle Black Bean unless you want to burn out your esophagus). We've been especially pleased with a Teriyaki Chicken Wings appetizer and a Honey Chicken main-course dinner that's lip smacking good. Nearly every recipe in this cookbook can be thrown together in the pot within 5-10 minutes at night, after which you can put the pot in the fridge and set it to cook in the morning before you leave for work. This is, of course, the major draw of the Crock Pot - you can come home after a long day and have dinner ready to serve and enjoy.

Pretty soon I plan to graduate to a new recipe source, the cheekily titled "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook" by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann (paperback is $11.47 on B&N's website). Or maybe "Fix-It and Forget-It" by Phyllis Pellman Good (paperback $11.75). This is actually a series, and includes one that might appeal to those New Year's resolutioners: "Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly: Healthy Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker". Quick AND healthy? You gotta love it.

The authors of "Not Your Mother's" state that 80% of American households contain a slow cooker. If you're not in that majority, you should be. Slow cookers are a great investment, not only because of their ability to make hearty, delicious meals that won't overheat your house (like the oven in my former apartment, which would easily raise the inside temp 10 degrees), but also for all the time you'll save in the kitchen. I love cooking a complicated, multi-course dinner, but the fact is that most modern cooks don't have time for that every single day.

If you do have a slow cooker and it's been packed away in your storage closet gathering dust, unearth that thing and get one of the cookbooks mentioned above. You'll quickly remember why you bought it in the first place.

Ca Dao

2010-12-30T14:45:00.000-08:00

4646 Buford Hwy, Suite R, Chamblee, GA

My friend John and I were driving along Buford Hwy on Christmas Eve, determined to randomly choose an ethnic spot for lunch. We passed a shopping center that I thought looked awfully familiar, and decided to go inside.

After about 20 minutes staring at the walls, booths and decor, I realized that this was the former Bamboo Grill & Hot Pot, which I reviewed back on May 20th. Apparently Bamboo Grill closed down in the middle of the summer, which was a real shame, in my opinion. Now the space houses a Vietnamese restaurant called Ca Dao.

We started with some spring rolls. Good, neatly wrapped and a true appetizer for the coming main courses.

For my entree, I chose the # 66, pork rice in clay pot. I loved the rich flavor of the twice cooked pork, and the sauteed vegetables. I also liked the rice, especially the grains at the bottom of the pot, which were cooked the longest and had an almost caramelized brown taste and appearance. However, I was disappointed with the meat & veggie to rice ratio: this dish was probably 70% rice. Fortunately it wasn't too expensive - most of the dishes at Ca Dao are under $9.

John ordered the # 82, a "special combination" of grilled pork and fried shrimp with other fried crispy things (despite our best efforts, we couldn't tell exactly what these things were) inside a rice paper wrap. This dish was very similar to a thick spring roll, about 6 inches long, only with a harder outside and the strange crispy things within. Just because I couldn't identify the ingredients doesn't mean I didn't like # 82. I did. However, I wouldn't consider it a meal, especially if you've got a big appetite.

Besides the clay pot dishes and rice paper rolls, Ca Dao has an extensive menu of pho soup, always a great choice for a cold day. You can get any combination of beef/pork/tripe/shrimp with vegetables and good broth. I didn't order any pho on Friday, so I can't compare it to great nearby restaurants like Pho Bac, but Ca Dao looks right at home on Buford Hwy, so I bet it's pretty good here.

Oh, and the tea is good here. A nice jasmine, not bitter at all, and not sweet.

Service was fine. Good luck to the owners in getting more business. Ca Dao was pretty deserted on Christmas Eve.

Verdict: Worth a stop.

Chocolate Bar

2010-12-28T14:35:00.000-08:00

201 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Suite C, Decatur, GA www.thechocolatebardecatur.com

Last Thursday night Kyle and I visited Chocolate Bar, located in the heart of Decatur. We have been to Chocolate Bar several times, but not recently. I think the last time was about 2 years ago. We loved their inspired desserts and cocktails, but hated the terrible service. And by terrible, I mean THE WORST. Most of the time we were just served incredibly slowly, even when we were the only people in the Bar. One time we overheard two servers, standing about 3 feet away, voicing their desire for all of the customers to just GET OUT and leave them alone. Yes, this actually happened.

However, we bought a GroupOn a few months back and decided to give it another try. Knowing the high turnover rate at restaurants, we figured all of the belligerent staff we encountered before was probably long gone by now.

And to our happy surprise, that was exactly the case. Our waitress, Luba, was great. She whisked away our dirty plates and perfectly timed the arrival of our courses. And she actually smiled at us. Up until now, smiling servers have been noticeably absent at Chocolate Bar.

I ordered the lemon-ginger martini ($9). This is comprised of Grey Goose, "sweet" lemon and ginger. The parentheses are mine - this is not a sweet cocktail. It's very tart, and there's more than a subtle hint of ginger. I liked it very much, but I'm also a big lemon and ginger lover, so I was hoping for a big dose of each. I got it.

Kyle ordered the Grand Manhattan($11). When he took his first sip, his eyes grew wide and he pushed it my way. I took one whiff of it and pushed it back. Whatever infusion the house made, it's a strong one. You'll only need one of these babies for the night.

If you like sweet, creamy drinks, I can recommend the Chocolate Bar and the Mississippi Sidehand from previous experiences at the Bar. Delish.

We also started with a few snacks. I ordered the black truffle popcorn ($5.50), and received a large bowl, complete with shavings of what may or may not have been bonafide black truffle. Whatever it was, it was tremendously salty. This is coming from someone who salts about 80% of her food, so be forewarned. I liked the rich, earthy flavor, but couldn't handle the copious amount of salt and only ate about half of this dish. Next time I might try the Madras curry popcorn ($4) instead.

I also ate the salami ($7), which was thickly sliced and accompanied by some overly crisp chunks of garlic bread. This was average. The bread was barely edible and had a slightly burned smell, and the salami was too strong. It was overpowering, not a good complement to either the popcorn or the dessert.

Kyle and I shared the oreos and milk ($9 on the online menu, but $12 at the Bar????), something we knew in advance was a total delight, and by far the shining star of our meal. This is comprised of lovely dark chocolate souffles about the size of the palm of your hand, with a thick white chocolate center and a small scoop of milk sorbet on the side. The souffles are served warm and soft, and are topped with what I think is coarse rock salt. It mixes perfectly with the sorbet. You'll love it. It's meant for two people, but I saw a couple at another table with one each.

The Chocolate Bar also has a glass counter with various truffles, bon bons and pastries. The selection appeared to be pretty good.

Verdict: Much improved service. Don't miss the oreos and milk. Be sure to check your receipt to make sure you weren't overcharged.

Special Feature: Celso's Cakes

2010-12-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

6070 Dawson Blvd, Ste. C, Norcross, GA www.celsoscakesgallery.com

I heard about this place a couple of years ago from a co-worker of mine who had used the bakery for her wedding. Last spring Kyle and I scheduled a wedding cake tasting and were just thrilled with the absolutely delicious taste of these cakes. Celso's cakes were phenomenal, and at least $1/slice cheaper than the other Atlanta bakeries I considered prior to my wedding.

And our cake came out beautifully. Kyle chose the larger, bottom layer, which was a vanilla cake with white chocolate raspberry fill. I chose the top layer, which was bittersweet chocolate cake with amaretto fill. Our wedding guests had a nice choice and raved about the moist cake, thick icing and true raspberry and amaretto flavors.

Last night I returned to Celso's to pick up a few of their holiday boxes, which come in three sizes and contain pound cake, gourmet cookies and pecan diamonds. Everyone at my wedding enjoyed my cake so much, I decided this would be an excellent gift for several people on my list. Wish I could have picked up an eggnog cheesecake for myself.

While I was there I gazed into the glass counter, which contained all kinds of little goodies. Celso's sells petit fours, mini cupcakes, chocolate napoleons and assorted pastries year-round. The mango mascarpone cake sounds great too, doesn't it?

Chef Celso has lots of experience baking in Atlanta. He's a former pastry chef at the SwissHotel, Grand Hyatt and Ritz-Carlton. He is always on hand to deal with customers directly, and is often accompanied by his lovely wife, Pavla. When brides schedule a tasting, they'll be meeting with the actual chef who will bake their cake. How's that for peace of mind?

Verdict: Make this your first choice for special occasion cakes.

Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party

2010-12-16T10:03:00.000-08:00

1645 McLendon Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA www.drbombays.com

On Sunday my friend Eliza and I had high tea at Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party near Little 5 Points. You can read that sentence again - it is completely correct. Dr. Bombay's is one of the few places in the metro Atlanta area (and probably the least expensive) who still serve high tea. Every single day of the week you can enjoy it from 3:30 to 5:30pm, $25 for two people.

Dr. Bombay's knows how to do high tea. You can expect very sweet, lovely little petite fours, tiny cupcakes in flavors like red velvet, mini brownies, egg salad sandwiches, and huge scones (in different flavors, such as apple cinnamon) aside real clotted green and a small pot of jam. These are all presented on a cute two-tiered serving tray. Each pair of guests will share a pot of tea in the flavor of your choosing.

As for the tea, a blackboard lists dozens of great flavors. You can find the usual suspects like early grey and English breakfast, along with lots of sublime green teas and lovely fruits. I thoroughly enjoyed the peach tea, along with the blackberry sage. A friend of mine likes the apple cinnamon. Regardless of your taste, you'll have no problem finding something you like here.

This was my second excursion to Dr. Bombay's. My sweet sister Sabrina threw me a wonderfully girly bridal shower there in September. Everyone who attended raved about how much fun it was. When you book a large group (call the tea house to do so), they will give you your own space and bring out multiple teas so your guests will have a nice variety.

High tea isn't the only option at Dr. Bombay's, though. You can enjoy a simple cup of tea with or without goodies displayed in the glass case any time. For a light meal, you can choose from sandwiches on fresh bread, small sides or bakery items.

It's an absolutely charming place. All the pots, cups and utensils are mismatched. There a walls full of bookcases containing an array of used books for sale: all profits go to charities abroad. The space works equally well for students with their laptops as it does for ladies in hats and gloves. I had a great time here on both occasions, and I can't wait to return.

Verdict: If you've been searching for a modestly priced, serious tea house in Atlanta, look no further.

Valenza

2010-12-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

1441 Dresden Dr., Atlanta, GA www.valenzarestaurant.com

On Friday night Kyle and I had dinner at Valenza. Well, actually my office hosted their annual holiday party at the restaurant, which meant that we had a limited selection of the menu with which to work.

We began with the calamari, in this case grilled with pine nuts, roasted tomatoes and a hint of lemoncello. A nice combination that's a little off the beaten path. The salumi e forgmaggi, an artisan cheese and cured meat plate, is very good, but pricey at $16. Loved the thin-sliced prosciutto.

My friend Erin tried the merluzzo, a pan roasted silver hake with Brussels sprouts, chanterelles, pancetta and brown butter ($26). In my mind, you can't go wrong with a good fish and brown butter. The pancetta wasn't overpowering, rather it offset the lovely, woodsy chanterelle mushrooms and absolutely delicious fresh, sauteed Brussels sprouts. You won't find bitter sprouts here, folks.

I had the ravioli with butternut squash filling ($16). This was exactly what homemade pasta should be - beautiful, soft, super-absorbent. The squash filling was very good, and the dish was topped with chopped pecans brown butter and sage. The last place where I ordered butternut squash ravioli was Figo, and I can tell you that this may be more expensive, but it was far superior.

Kyle had the C.A.B. ribeye with arugula, nickel filet beans and lemon ($28). He's not a fan of arugula, but other than that he felt the meat was cooked exactly as he ordered and that it was a very good cut.

I was less impressed with the desserts. The crostata di mele, or apple crostada with caramel gelato and sauce, was a little lackluster. The cesto d'espresso (espresso custard with mascarpone cream) was a slightly better, but didn't give me that completely satisfied feeling I expect from dessert. If I return to Valenza I'll probably try the warm chocolate tart, a selection that always makes me happy. All desserts at Valenza are $7.

The service was impressive. Each server was on top of his/her game, keeping the wine flowing and the tables cleared as soon as anyone was finished with a course. The manager, Michel Arnette, personally checked on us several times to insure our satisfaction. He was funny and very approachable.

I used to live within walking distance of Valenza's location, and over the past decade I've noticed this area morphing into a charming place with substance, developing character and culture. The addition of Valenza as a high quality, neighborhood restaurant is definitely a great thing for Brookhaven residents.

Verdict: A neighborhood find.

Social Vinings

2010-12-03T08:19:00.000-08:00

3621 Vinings Slope Dr. Ste. 1100, Atlanta http://www.greatfoodinc.com/Social_Vinings/Social_Vinings.html

Kyle and I had dinner with some friends at Social Vinings, one of the several restaurants around town owned by Chef Paul Albrecht (I previously reviewed another one, Paul's). Social Vinings is located in (surprise) the Vinings area of Atlanta/Smyrna, just off Paces Ferry Rd. There is limited self-parking in a deck behind the restaurant along with valet.

We started with the tuna tartare ($8) and the filet mignon bruschetta ($7.50). The tuna was very good, better than what I had recently at Eclipse di Luna, with a little spicy aftertaste. The bruschetta was stupendous. Kyle wants us to go back and just get about 3 orders of this for dinner.

Next we had a large sashimi platter. Wonderful fresh fish on a cumcumber salad. The yellow tail was especially good, which surprised me since I found this fish at Paul's to be sub-par.

My friend John loved the sauteed calf's liver with caramelized onions (always a good addition), apples, mashed potatoes and crispy bacon ($19). The more he ate it, the more he praised the strong flavor of the liver with the perfectly cooked bacon, creamy potatoes and locally grown (Ellijay, GA) apples.

Kyle had the ribeye filet ($25), and Amr ordered the surf and turf ($38 - filet mignon and lobster tail), and they were both very pleased. Pam and I both ordered the pan roasted sea bass ($29), which came with a juicy tomato risotto and some dynamite brocolli drizzled with basil oil. I don't know if I ever want to eat broccoli without basil oil again. The sea bass was tender and buttery, exactly as I'd hoped.

Last but certainly not least, we indulged in dessert. We tried both the rocky road spasm with Bailey's ice cream and the deep fried oreo cookies. The former is sort of a deconstructed, abstract version of rocky road - chunks of dark chocolate fudge, mini marshmallows, candied pecans and fresh sliced strawberries litter the plate, with a big scoop of absolutely luscious Bailey's Irish Cream ice cream on top. Very good. But the real favorite was the fried oreos. One plate gets you 2. It's a warm, gooey batch of goodness. Pam said she considered it a combination donut and double-stuffed oreo with powdered sugar. Ingy said that if she could eat these every day she would be content to live the rest of her life alone. Guess that makes them the ultimate comfort food. All desserts are $6.

Followers, I have to say that I can't find anything to dislike about Social Vinings. Everything we ordered was excellent and our server was great. If anything, the volume was a little loud for my taste. It's on the pricey side for Cobb county, but it's also far and away a superior choice to most of the restaurants in the area.

A word of advice - this restaurant is the "it" place to eat in Vinings right now. Be sure to make a reservation through Open Table. My friend Amr says the bar is packed solid on Friday nights.

Special Feature: Wolf Mountain Vineyards

2010-11-30T10:01:00.001-08:00

www.wolfmountainvineyards.com

A couple of weekends ago Kyle and I joined some friends for a wine tasting at Wolf Mountain Vineyards. The vineyards are located amidst a lovely woodland setting, and the restaurant and tasting room overlook the Blue Ridge Mountains. Between that and the very good wine, the tasting was a wonderful experience.

Although Wolf Mountain produces a few mainstream favorites, like cabernet sauvignon and claret, they also make lots of interesting blends. For example, the Coupage, a merlot/cabernet sauvignon mix.

Our tasting consisted of six vintages of the Instinct, a "Rhone-style red wine" that's somewhere between and syrah and a cab. Good stuff, my favorites being the 2004 and 2007. Some vintages are French oaked, some are American oaked. We were served generous portions of the wine, along with plates of nuts and cheese beside thoroughly-detailed printed sheets explaining how each vintage was made and their inherent scents and flavors. Exactly the right combination of information and fun for a wine tasting.

Afterwards we went upstairs to the front bar for a second tasting. This one included several different varieties, my favorite of which was the Chanteloup 2004 ($23.95/bottle). Chanteloup is a medium-bodied, French-oaked white. Over the past decade I've gravitated from light whites to heavy reds, and nowadays I rarely choose to pick up a bottle of white from any vineyard. However, I was very pleased with this Chardonnay/Viognier blend.

Apparently we aren't the only ones who liked what we tasted. Our host (Brannon Boegner, the vineyard manager whose father established the winery in 1999) announced that their wine club now has over 500 members. Members can sign up for quarterly wine deliveries, free tastings and discounts. Wolf Mountain now ships to GA, FL, NC, CO and CA.

As a foodie, it shouldn't be news to you that Dahlonega, located approximately an hour and 15 minutes north of Atlanta, boasts about a dozen up-and-coming wineries. The soil in the area was proclaimed by the an expert to be nearly identical in composition to the soil in Tuscany, the Italian wine mecca. If you haven't made it to a (relatively) local tasting yet, make sure you contact the vineyard in question, as they often fill up fast. During the spring and especially the fall, the drive is scenic and the mountain air is smog-free. Worried about driving home after the tasting? You can stay in one of the nearby charming lodges. Why not make Wolf Mountain Vineyards your first stop on your Georgia eco-tourism route?

Wolf Mountains wines range from $16 to about $80.

Verdict: Impressive. A credit to the state of Georgia.

Foodie Event: Anthony Bourdain

2010-11-23T06:35:00.000-08:00

Anthony Bourdain spoke at the Cobb Performing Arts Center on Saturday night. The Southern Foodie wouldn't have missed it for the world. I spent two happy hours watching him pace slowly back and forth across the stage, sipping a bottle of beer and spinning tales of foodie heaven and hell.

Bourdain is well known for poking fun at celebrity chefs, especially those featured on The Food Network, and he began the show with a hilarious Sandra Lee story. Bourdain's acerbic comments and quick wit are his trademarks, and the audience ate it up.

Next he launched into an enjoyable diatribe about what's wrong with food television today, followed by a hilarious explanation of some of his many pet peeves. He eviscerated the Olive Garden chain. He (jokingly) claimed that watching Adam Richman on TV incites middle eastern goat herders to join Al Qaeda. He suggests telling your small child that Ronald McDonald has cooties.

Finally he gave the audience about 20 minutes worth of travel advice, garnered from recent years starring in the Travel Channel's hit show, No Reservations. First off, Bourdain encouraged us to be appreciative of any and every opportunity to travel (example: correct sushi eating etiquette). As Americans, we are greatly fortunate to be able to whip out our passport and know that our government will likely get us out of any scary situation we might get ourselves into. He also commands travelers to be respectful of other cultures, observing their customs and avoiding offense. This may sound pathetically obvious to some of you, but anyone who has travelled abroad has witnessed tourists getting an attitude about the simplest of misunderstandings.

However, Bourdain spent the most time urging travellers to be adventurous, especially when trying new and authentic foods. His only exception is Russia, where he says all bets are off, saying the last time he visited he was forced to admit that any 99 year-old Russian grandmother could drink him under the table. This is coming from a man who was drinking more than 30 shots of vodka every day of the trip.

Bourdain is unapologetically opinionated, and is rarely modest. He recently gave up his long-time heavy smoking habit and is loudly bitter about it. During the Q&A session, he was asked by an audience member why he portrayed a certain low-class area of a South American country. He answer is that he may revisit the region for a future episode of No Reservations and highlight a "better" part of the city, but it's his show, and he'll go where and do what he wants on it, period. This brought wild cheers from most of the audience (including me), but one can't help but see that Bourdain isn't seeking our approval. Another audience member asked about his bottle of beer, which turned out to be Sweetwater 420. Following the vociferous applause from the audience he sneeringly said "it's so easy to pander to the locals." And indeed it is, as it's easy for Bourdain to impress anyone who paid a minimum of $40 for a ticket to hear him talk about whatever he wanted for 2 hours. Some of us have been eagerly reading his books and watching No Reservations for years, and couldn't wait for Saturday's live show. He captivated us from the moment he set foot on stage.

Verdict: A highly entertaining show from a world-class food personality/chef. Worth every penny.

Kuroshio Sushi Bar

2010-11-19T06:37:00.000-08:00

840 Ernest Barrett Pkwy., Ste. 500, Kennesaw, GA www.kuroshioshushi.com

Loathe to return to our regular lives following our return from our honeymoon, Kyle and I had a nice lunch at this sushi restaurant in Kennesaw last Sunday.

The menu for this restaurant is quite long and varied. There are a few temaki rolls (conical shaped hand rolls), traditional maki and , yakatori sticks and tempura, dollar maki and dollar nigiri, a bevy of sashimi platters, as well as non-sushi dishes like teryaki, spicy lemongrass meats, grilled seafood and noodle soups. If you like Japanese food at all, you can find something you'll want to eat here.

If you're into specialty rolls, you'll love this place. The menu features two whole pages of special rolls crammed with every sort of fish and topping imaginable. Most of the rolls have "cute" little names, some of which are locally inspired, like the KSU Owl Roll (lots of crunchy items in this).

I think I may have mentioned in a previous post that I'm primarily a sushi traditionalist, ordering maki about 90% of the time. I don't like hard things like asparagus or "fillers" like cream cheese in my sushi. I think that most sauces mask the flavor of the fish instead of enhancing it. I also think rolls with "cute" names are an unnecessary gimmick, most often employed when the house knows their fish is of inferior quality and wants to distract the naive' American customer. However, I was in a particularly good mood and feeling open-minded on Sunday, so I ordered a special roll. Must have been the post-honeymoon bliss.

I chose the Hip Hop Roll ($12). This is comprised of yellowtail and scallions, topped with super white w/avocado and spicy tuna sauce. While I still believe that plain old maki or nigiri are tops, this was pretty good for a flashy, incongruously named roll. The yellowtail was of good quality, and the sauce wasn't half bad, I just think there was too much of it.

Kyle ordered the Sassy Nana Roll ($11), which is salmon, asparagus and cream cheese topped with bluefin tuna and super white fish, coated with sweet spicy sauce. It was a minor miracle that Kyle even ordered this roll, as he typically turns his nose up at any seafood that isn't canned tuna. You have to take this into consideration when I say that he liked the roll, but didn't love it. I had one piece and pushed it aside, but you also have to consider my early paragraph about hating at least half of everything about this roll.

We also shared a plate of beef fried rice ($9). It may sound a little expensive, but we received a very large portion, enough for a lunch for me later in the week. Kuroshio's fried rice includes chopped zucchini along with the usual vegetables like green onion. An interesting and pleasant addition. This dish keeps well when refrigerated.

Verdict: There is such a good variety of sushi, etc. here that I would definitely recommend Kuroshio to anyone. I think the fish was good for the price, and the service was excellent. I'd definitely be willing to return.

Bistro Niko

2010-11-16T12:51:00.000-08:00

3344 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA www.buckheadrestaurants.com

I can't help but think that this place was opened by the ridiculously successful Buckhead Life Group to compete with Le Pied de Cochon, located right across the street at the Intercontinental Hotel. It's similarly decorated, with a small but lovely patio that sits just above busy Peachtree Road.

Kyle and I ate here the morning after our wonderful wedding, Sunday, October 24th. I've passed the restaurant umpteen times and couldn't wait to have a leisurely brunch on the patio.

And that we did. Kyle ordered the Chantilly Belgian Waffle with maple syrup and fresh heavy cream. ($13. I noticed that this has changed on the web menu to brioche French toast with caramelized bananas and candied pecans, which sounds excellent as well). 4 triangular slices of perfectly browned, crisp waffle lay on the plate, alongside 3 small bowls containing butter, thick whipped cream and rich syrup. It was pure joy.

I ordered a fantastic puff pastry with scrambled eggs, freshly steamed asparagus and sauteed cremini mushrooms. What a fantastic, savory meal! It was luscious, scrumptious, the eggs fluffy and buttery, the mushrooms flavorful and plump, the pastry light and beautiful. It was accompanied by a fresh arugula salad with just the right amount of homemade vinagrette. It was perfect . . . and it's also no longer on the menu. This is a tragedy. I thought about this dish several times when I was on my honeymoon and am very disappointed I won't be able to enjoy it again here.

So, the food was great. But the service was another story entirely. It was terrible. Yes, terrible. Our waitress was both slow and inattentive. There was a 10 minute stretch when we couldn't spot her at any table, much less ours. Patrons at other tables craned their necks searching for her, and when she reappeared she seemed blissfully ignorant of her neglect. As soon as she brought me my coffee (which she didn't do until she brought my entree), I asked her for cream and sugar, and none appeared until my coffee was completely cold. It also took a long time for us to get our check. It's nice to have a leisurely brunch on Sunday, but I was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to make it home.

I have no idea how to rate this place, such was the vast difference between the quality of the food and the quality of the service. I think I'd be more inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt if they wouldn't have removed the exact two items we ordered and enjoyed. Maybe I'll try it again one day, but it won't be the first on my list.

Verdict: Excellent brunch, awful service.

Miller Union

2010-11-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

999 Brady Ave., Atlanta, GA www.millerunion.com

Hello, followers! Just a quick note to say that I'm sorry for the delay in posting. However, I have a good excuse - I was on my honeymoon! Now I am back in town and ready to eat.

I actually ate dinner at this restaurant almost a month ago, before I got married and skipped the country. Consequently I'm afraid the memory of the details of the meal have dimmed a bit. This will be a shorter review than usual.

My sister and I started our meal with the creamy grits fritters, at a very reasonable price of $5. Very good. My favorite thing about this dish is how crispy the outside was fried in comparison to how soft the inside was. This is literally grits with a hard shell. A lovely contrast.

My sister ordered the quail ($22) for an entree. This is currently listed on the website as sauteed with wild mushrooms, arugula and cornbread dressing. A month ago it came with celery and farro. Something you should know right off the bat about Miller Union is that the menu changes regularly, according to what ingredients the chef can get locally, fresh, and many times organically. Don't look at the menu online and get stuck on any particular item, or you'll likely be disappointed when you get to the restaurant.

Which would be unfortunate, because the menu always contains great options.

My sister enjoyed the quail, except with quail you have to keep in mind that half of the bird's weight consists of bones. You'll have to pick your way through to get to the meat, which is fine, if you like dark meat chicken. The farro was tasty and the celery was tender-crisp.

I liked my entree better, a fantastic flounder fillet with a super fresh mixed local beans mix, a little corn, and fresh micro peppercress (yes, peppercress is correct. I had to ask the waiter about this and he gave me the lowdown - $26). The lovely chicken broth base was very savory and a total delight. The flounder was tender and sublime. I would happily order this again any time.

We had the warm plum crisp with custard sauce for dessert ($7). Yum! Subtle and darkly satisfying, although I think tacking on an additional $3 or a scoop of ice cream was a cheap shot.

I was also happy to see a local cabernet on the list, from Dahlonega's Frog Town vineyard (440). A very nice wine. I wish more of Atlanta's restaurants would take advantage of Dahlonega's increasingly good offerings.

Not that I should be surprised. Miller Union with Chef Steven Satterfield (former sous chef at one of my annual favorites, previously reviewed Watershed in Decatur) has been recently touted in Bon Appetit as a top ten new restaurant in the U.S. and also voted best new restaurant in Atlanta magazine. I pretty much knew going in that I was going to be happy with my meal here, and Miller Union didn't disappoint me. I can't say I experience the wow factor of Restaurant Eugene or Woodfire Grill, but I think that the food here lives up to the talk.

Verdict: Hot on the tail of local foodie favorites like Restaurant Eugene, Steven Satterfield has made Miller Union a success.

Eclipse di Luna

2010-10-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

4505 Ashford-Dunwoody Rd., Atlanta, GA www.eclipsediluna.com

First off, I love tapas. I love the whole experience of ordering lots of small dishes to share with a fun group of friends, "fun" meaning people who are open to branching out and trying unfamiliar flavor combination. I've been to several tapas restaurants in the metro Atlanta area over the past decade, but Eclipse di Luna remains my favorite.

Why? For one thing, they have a long and varied menu. On one side of the page you'll find meat and seafood selections, and the reverse is vegetarian items. My problem at Eclipse isn't finding things I like, it's trying to decide how many dishes I can eat without exploding.

This isn't necessarily a problem at a lot of tapas places, either because the offerings are boring (calamari, bruschetta, and more calamari and bruschetta) or because each item is priced at about half the cost of a traditional entree, but in only 1/4th of the portion. The result of eating tapas shouldn't be that you spent twice as much (or more) on your dinner than you would normally, and it also shouldn't be that you leave the table broke but hungry.

You won't have either issue at Eclipse di Luna. The portion size is predictable (usually enough for about 3-4 people to have a few bites each) and the prices are fair, ranging from about $3.50 to $6.50).

You're probably reading this saying, "Alright, already! Tell me about the food!" OK, I've dined at Eclipse di Luna approximately 10 times, so I can't go into detail about each and every item, but here are some highlights.

The ceviche sangrita ($4.95) is one of my favorites. I love ceviche, not just because the citrus flavor pops, but because it's simple and super healthy. Eclipse does a good job with it, and gives you a decent sized bowl of shrimp, scallops and grouper for the price.

Another favorite is the Acun Crudo, Eclipse's version of tuna tartare. I'm pretty picky about tuna tartare, having first been exposed to it at the former legendary Soto sushi restaurant. Eclipse's tuna tartare isn't that good, although it's still a winner and costs about half as much ($5.25) as it used to at Soto's. The avocado gives it a creamy element, the sesame seeds give it depth, and the grape tomatoes keep it fresh and acidic. I could eat several servings of this dish and be perfectly happy.

The queso frito con meil ($4.75), fried goat cheese with caremelized onions and honey, is a good but a little overly sweet for my taste. About 1/2 teaspoon less honey ought to fix this problem.

Love the Aceitunas y Almendras ($3.95), a great assortment of both black and green Spanish olives in a tasty marinade. Often this is served with shiny, slightly oiled marcona almonds, a lovely treat.

In the past I've loved the very crispy fried green beans, but when I ate there most recently (last Saturday - an excellent choice for my bachelorette party) I found the beans to be limp and somewhat unappealing. I hope this was an isolated incident. The carne asada ($5.25) always has a good sauce, but it's also always tough. The hummus is average.

The service, if not especially warm, is very fast, even when the restaurant is packed.

Every time I've eaten here, the restaurant has been loud, sometimes so loud that I've had to shout at my companion throughout the meal. However, I've never yet eaten at a "quiet" tapas restaurant, especially during peak dinner hours, so this wasn't a surprise. The mere idea of tapas encourages lively interaction. Just don't look to Eclipse for a romantic dinner.

Verdict: A consistently good restaurant.
Eclipse di Luna also has a location (the original) on Miami Circle.

Livingston

2010-10-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

659 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta www.livingstonatlanta.com

OK, so I had an experience at this restaurant on Saturday that I don't think is going to give my readers the best idea of what they should expect at Livingston. However, I've never claimed to possess the funds or time of a professional food critic - restaurants normally get one shot with me before I review - so you'll have to read on and draw your own conclusions.

My friend Danielle and I had lunch at Livingston on Saturday. Well, we attempted to have lunch. When we got to there our would-be server informed us that Livingston is offering a brunch buffet ONLY on Saturdays until 3. "Didn't someone tell you?" Well, no. I made our reservation on opentable.com after viewing the lunch menu, which looked very good, and didn't receive any kind of notice that I wouldn't be able to order from it. This includes when the hostess called me that day to confirm my reservation.

The brunch buffet might be great, but it was $20/person and Danielle and I weren't prepared for that expense. I declined on principle - I won't be forced into paying more than I intended. Just when I thought we were going to have to leave, the server told us that they also have a bar menu, which was small but good. We were hungry, so we stayed. The fact that we had already valet parked the car (complementary, but a bit of a nuisance) had something to do with this.

Turns out that the bar menu is very, very small. Meaning you've got about 6 options if you want to eat, and they are all appetizers. Danielle ordered the popcorn shrimp with a mustard/peanut/ginger/cilantro dipping sauce ($9), which is placed on the side. I have to admit it was great. The shrimp wasn't greasy and the sauce was creamy and great, with a little kick. I ordered the Kobe beef sliders with a vidalia onion marmalade ($12). Some restaurants claim the beef is Kobe and I just don't believe them. Not the case here. The beef was very good, cooked just right, and highlighted (but not overwhelmed) by the marmalade. Danielle and I also shared a cheese board ($10). This was fine, not great. The cheddar was boring. The blue cheese was good and almost tangy. It came with peppered crackers (very peppery) and some plain toasted bread. The menu said it also came with rosemary almonds, but we didn't receive any of those. Too bad.

Maybe the best things Livingston has going for it are its ambiance and its location. It's right across the street from the Fox Theatre, in the historic Georgian Terrace Hotel. I love this hotel. The original Gone With the Wind cast party was held here, and if I had an unlimited budget, it would be the site of my upcoming wedding reception. The restaurant itself is gorgeous. High ceilings, two levels, great view of Peachtree and the Fox - everything including the champagne colored brocade wallpaper in the bathroom is beautiful.

Despite this, and my approbation of the few menu items we ordered, Livingston pissed me off at the end. They "cancelled" the reservation we made on opentable, which means I won't get my precious points. I assume this is because we didn't opt for the buffet in the main dining room, but I think that's pretty petty, since we weren't informed in advance that this is all they'd be serving. We still had food and drinks in the bar, so Livingston got our business anywhere, just in the adjoining room.

Verdict: Mixed feelings.

Food for Thought: Fun Food Fiction

2010-10-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

Note to readers: Sorry for the long delay in posting. Due to both budget and diet concerns, I have been in a cooking phase and haven't eaten out in nearly 2 weeks. I promise that I will have at least 2 restaurant reviews next week.

Foodies love to not only cook, smell, touch and taste food, but true foodies love to read about it. Everyone is familiar with the icons of nonfiction food literature: Mimi Sheraton, Jeffrey Steingarten, Ruth Reichl, Anthony Bourdain. But fiction authors haven't missed the culinary boat either. Here is some of my favorite fictional foodie reading.

I have read Gone With the Wind five times – more than any other book I’ve finished in my life – and my favorite part is just before the start of the Civil War, when the Wilkes throw a barbeque at Twelve Oaks. The descriptions of the meat turning on spits will drive any barbecue lover crazy. Another scene detailing the huge daily breakfasts is great too. Scarlett is one of my most beloved heroines of all time for many reasons, one of which is that she doesn’t adhere to the standards of her day which command ladies to “eat like birds,” especially in front of company. Mammy claims that Scarlett gobbles like a pig, which increases her worth in my eyes.

Another one of my top five favorite books, The Count of Monte Cristo, describes several lavish, bountiful feasts within its lengthy but extremely worthy text. The French are not only masters of cuisine, they are also masters at describing it. Page after page of over the top meals awaits you.

Emile Zola’s Nana provides her party guests with a meal of endlessly varied dishes and unbelievable proportions. Nana spares no expense in pleasing the palates of her many guests, creating smorgasbords that require multiple hours to consume.

Accounts of the days leading up to the sinking of the Titanic (either true stories from survivors or fictionalized) always include awed descriptions of the meals served in the dining rooms, including the first class menu which amazed the diners because it included fresh strawberries. Strawberries were out of season at the time. If this doesn’t sound like a big deal to you, please be aware that this was long before the days when food was raised in one country and transported thousands of miles to another year-round.

P.S. My favorite children’s book involving food is Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett. It’s set in the imaginary town of Chewandswallow, where meals rain down from the sky three times each day. It’s a delight for readers of all ages.

P.P.S. Warning – reading any of the above books may cause ravenous hunger on the part of the reader. Place a padlock on your refrigerator door and hide the key before reading. For good measure, throw your credit cards in the freezer beforehand.

Oriental Pearl

2010-09-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

5399 New Peachtree Rd., Chamblee, GA 770/986-9866

Last night Kyle, John, Amr and our new friend Kelly had dinner at Oriental Pearl. John is a huge foodie who will eat just about anything, and he has raved about this place for months. I have been to this restaurant twice in the past, but the last time I was there was at least 4 years ago, so I agreed to start afresh.

Let's start with what I really loved: The grouper. This restaurant knows how to cook grouper, in more ways than one. First there's the excellent grouper with black bean sauce. Tender fish, good vegetables, fantastic black bean sauce. Then there's the grouper soup with 1000 year foo. 1000 years? Surely that's an exaggeration . . . sounds like something Andrew Zimmern would tackle. Anyway, the grouper is in the soup is great, the broth is fragrant and the "foo" (I think this is an egg of some sort) was interesting, in a good way.

Another big hit was the baby bok choy with garlic sauce. Kyle and I prepare a similar recipe at home with Vietnamese stir-fry sauce, and this was almost as good. Almost.

What I wasn't crazy about: the conch with XO sauce. The sauce was very good, but the conch was tough. The spinach with garlic sauce was overly wilted. The pork spare ribs in black bean sauce were chewy, and full of fat. I tasted it and immediately discarded it.

The filet mignon with black pepper sauce could not have possibly been filet mignon, but it was still pretty good. I think renaming it to simply "steak with black pepper sauce" would give customers the right expectations and consequently leave a better impression. John also highly recommends the snow pea leaves, but I can't vouch for this as the restaurant was out of the dish last night.

Unlike John, I don't think that Oriental Pearl is better than Tasty China in Marietta (previously reviewed on 12/29/09). I think the flavors are more intense at Tasty China, and that Tasty has more mouthwatering, memorable items than Oriental Pearl. Don't get me wrong - I liked it, and I liked it better than I remembered from dining there years ago. It's moderately priced, (dishes range from about $10 to $23) and the service is good. And they serve really great, super fragrant jasmine tea. It's just not my favorite.

Verdict: Good Chinese food in Chamblee. Love the grouper.

Kirkwood Public House

2010-09-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

1963 Hosea Williams Dr., Atlanta, GA www.kirkwoodpublichouse.com

Heidi and I had dinner at Kirkwood Public House on Friday night. It's in the same spot on Hosea Williams that Vinocity used to occupy. Parking is a little complicated. You may want to valet to avoid getting towed.

The beer selection was well above average. Kirkwood PH doesn't offer a ton of beers like Summits Wayside Tavern, but the several dozen available are good ones. Left Hand milk stout and Southhampton double white ale are some examples.

The Kirkwood Public House seems to have something special going on every night - Jazz Mondays, Texas Hold 'Em Tuesdays . . . on Friday night there was a sort of bluegrass band. Consequently it was very loud and we chose to sit outside, on the small but adequate patio.

Service was good throughout. Maybe a little slow towards the end of the evening.

Good luck trying to view the menu on the website. It's shown in dark red on a dark red/white background. Look closely and highlight the entire area. It's there. A few noteworthy items are the varied selection of sliders - you can choose lamb, turkey, pulled pork, veggie - you name it. 3 sliders for $9 and so on. Most of the other options are predictable, however. Buttermilk fried chicken, shrimp and grits, vegetarian penne pasta with an option to add meat. Ho hum. But I'm more forgiving of a boring menu if the restaurant has interesting beer, as this one does.

I ordered one of the daily specials, a flatbread with caremelized onions, portobello mushrooms and Parmesan topped with a little pile of arugula. This was OK, not super. The flatbread needed salt, some basil, diced tomato . . . something to give it more flavor. It was too bland, and a healthy dose of salt didn't help. The predominant flavor was garlic, and of that there was too much. The arugula helped, because it was dressed in a balsalmic vinaigrette. Still, I wouldn't order it again.

Heidi fared much better with her order, which was the chicken salad sandwich. The salad contained green olives, toasted almonds, lemon pepper mayo - what a great combination! Kudos to the chef on that one.

Verdict - Getting there with the food. Already a winner with the beer.

Candi's for Breakfast

2010-09-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

660 Irwin St., Atlanta, GA www.candisforbreakfast.com

This morning I went to Candi's for Breakfast. This restaurant is located on Irwin St. near the intersection with Krog. It shares a building with Jake's ice cream and a bakery, along with a couple of other small businesses. Inside you'll find some well worn rugs, mismatched tables/chairs and a small but quaint sitting area in front of a large window.

I ordered the Sop Em' Up Biscuits with sausage gravy ($5). The biscuits were fine, a little above average in terms of good flavor and consistency, and the sausage gravy was moderately spicy.

The al la carte item of 2 eggs any style ($1.95), however, was pretty disappointing. I ordered them scrambled, and am sorry to say they were undercooked, almost runny. I would have much preferred to wait an extra minute or two for my meal than to receive these nearly inedible eggs.

As you can see from the pic, these items were just put on the plate without much regard for presentation. Yes, of course I think that the quality of the food is far more important than the appearance. Presentation shouldn't be totally disregarded though. A few slices of fresh fruit or a even a simple sprig of parsley would have livened up the otherwise unattractive/boring look. The eggs and biscuits were like two half-liquid blobs on the poor plate.

Having only eaten one meal at Candi's, I can't say for sure whether it's good overall or not. There are some interesting items on the menu, such as homemade beignets, stuffed biscuits, and The Big Easy, a breakfast platter of sauteed potatoes, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, ham and sausage topped with 2 eggs any style (steer clear of the scrambled!) with optional sour cream and hot sauce ($8). Maybe one of these selections would have been more impressive than what I ordered today.

Could it be that Candi and her staff are great cooks, they just haven't hit their stride yet or were having an "off" day? Or was this the best they have to offer?

Verdict: Not a great first experience, but I'd be willing to give Candi's another shot. Good service.

Douceur de France

2010-09-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

367 Glover St., Marietta, GA www.douceurdefrance.com

On Saturday afternoon my dad, Vicki, Kyle and I had brunch at Douceur de France. I have eaten at this restaurant at least half a dozen times, but my experiences have been spread out between the past five years. The owners have a second location in Roswell. If you’ve never been there, be aware that the Marietta restaurant is located in an industrial area very close to a train track. When you’re driving there you’ll think you’re in the wrong place, then you’ll see it. Once you’re seated you’ll be treated to the frequent loud noise of a passing train. So loud that you won’t even try to continue your conversation with your dining partner.

Sounds atrocious, right? You’ll likely forget all about that once you start eating Douceur de France’s great food, or maybe even prior to that, when you go inside and view their pastry counter and revolving display holding at least 2 dozen types of tarts, pastries, éclairs and cakes. You’ll be hard pressed to select only one.

Normally I’d be in favor of cake before breakfast (yes, you read that correctly), but I averted my eyes from the sweets counter and headed outdoors to sit on the patio, where the goodies were out of sight. Still on the diet, or at least making an attempt, if you haven’t already guessed.

I ordered the Panini salmon ($7.85). Delicious crisply grilled baguette with two perfectly poached eggs, a fair portion of fresh smoked salmon and Hollandaise sauce. The side dish of hash browns was dynamite and required no seasoning. The portion was good without being too much. My dad ordered the tourte a poulet (chicken pot pie), which had a wonderful, buttery crust and thick brown mushroom sauce, and was a steal at $7.95.

Besides the Croque Madame, which I remember had great deal of melted cheddar along with a healthy portion of turkey ($5.90), I can’t recall everything I’ve eaten at Douceur de France over the years. I do, however, know that I liked everything.

Frankly I was worried about taking my family to this restaurant, because in the past I have had painfully slow, apathetic service. My friend Kelly and I have had at least two lunches here that took nearly two hours on weekdays when we clearly needed to get back to work. The waitstaff is primarily young, female and flippant (or scattered, at best). Even getting a menu has been a chore in the past.

However, I was relieved that the service on Saturday was much improved. Our waitress, though young and female, took our orders about 10 minutes after we were seated (trust me, much better than usual), and delivered our entrees correctly and completely about 15 minutes later. Pretty good considering the restaurant was nearly full. The young woman was polite and actually smiled at us once. I hope this wasn’t a fluke. The reason I haven’t been back to this restaurant in the past year is because the service was so unbelievably bad the last time I ate there. I’d love to think it has turned around.

So for the price of breakfast at IHOP, you can get a lovely French-inspired meal at a cute restaurant. (IHOP is always my standard for comparison when I review brunch, because the food there is consistently average or a little better, and everyone is familiar with the menu and cost of dining there.)

Verdict: Very good French breakfast and lunch. The jury is still out on the service.

London Bistro & Ultra Lounge

2010-09-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

1950 Howell Mill Rd., Atlanta, GA www.londonbistrolounge.com

Last Saturday night Heidi and I had dinner at London Bistro & Ultra Lounge. The name of this place is indicative of the dichotomy the owners are apparently trying to achieve here - in the early hours of the evening you can have a nice, probably quiet dinner, while later the place becomes more club-like as a DJ arrives and a disco balls spins. I feel that my "club days" are likely behind me at this point, so Heidi and I showed up early.

As was the case with previously reviewed P'Cheen, London Bistro was basically empty when we arrived. As was also the case with P'Cheen, the food and service were surprisingly good.

We began with The Castles ($6.95) - Fried green tomatoes with grilled shrimp and remoulade sauce. You get 3 slices of tomatoes, fried but not greasy, with a decent sized shrimp on each and slightly spicy sauce. Liked it.

For her entree, Heidi ordered the chicken tikka masala ($9.95), commonly known as Londoners' favorite dish. She commented that it was mild but tasty, right on target.

I ordered the Oxford Beef, which is oxtails in a red wine sauce with vegetables and coconut jasmine rice ($12.95). I've never had oxtail, so I was taking a chance here (as foodies should). It was great - super tender with a strong beefy flavor. Lots of fat, and good bite-sized vegetables like potatoes and carrots. The small mound of coconut jasmine rice is perfect, with a distinctly coconut flavor that is both delicious and fragrant. It's a nice complement to the beef.

If I have a problem with London Bistro it's that the portions are on the small side. Maybe an extra side dish or appetizer for your party would do the trick.

A word of caution here: The drinks are quite strong. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you should be aware. One cocktail equaled tipsy for us, two equaled borderline drunk.

For my fellow frugal diners out there, look on the website under the "goodies" tab for a 20% off dinner coupon. Must have a party of 2 or more.

Verdict: Better than expected. I'll be back.

P'Cheen

2010-09-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

701-5 Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA www.pcheen.com

Sorry about the lack of pics of the food - the restaurant was dark, and my camera was uncooperative.

On Friday night I had dinner at P’Cheen with Kyle, Sabrina and Ryan. I’ve had a GroupOn for this place for several months now and just hadn’t gotten around to using it, so I called that morning and left a message requesting a reservation (per the instructions on the restaurant’s recording). At 5pm I noticed that no one had returned my call, so I called again. The person who answered the phone seemed unconcerned that I had left a message earlier and been ignored, and took my reservation.

When we got to the restaurant at 7:30, I saw why he wasn’t too worried. The restaurant was virtually empty. Ours was one of only 2 occupied tables.

Usually the lack of patrons on a Friday night is a sign that a restaurant’s food is going to be bad, but not so in this case. 3 out of 4 of us enjoyed our food.

Ryan ordered the risotto du jour ($1), which was heavenly.

I ordered 4 selections ($10) from the artisan cheeses and house-cured meats: the 90-day prosciutto, duck’s breast (tasted exactly like Virginia smoked ham), a blue cheese and goat cheese. This came with several fingers of crusty bread. While I can honestly say that I enjoyed what I ordered, I must also say that the portion size was tiny. There is no way this should be ordered as an entrée – instead get it as an appetizer. I recently had dinner at The Grape in Vinings, and ordered an extremely similar plate, and received literally twice this much food.

The only person who wasn’t very pleased was Kyle, who ordered the Bistro Steak a la Planca con Chimicurri ($15). He thought the grilled angus steak was tough, but he liked the sauce. Sabrina also ordered this and thought it was fine, but she didn’t rave about it.

We all shared a side of spaetzle ($5), which was lovely, warm and crisp. It would have been perfect if the chef would have taken it a little easier with the garlic. Wish spaetzle was on more Atlanta menus.

The beer selection is good, but not great. There are a few interesting choices, but not a broad spectrum. Ryan and I both really liked the McSorley's Irish black lager, at a completely fair price of $5/draft.

The service was great. Our waitress was bright and cheerful, and took good care of us throughout. The manager came by our table towards the end of the meal and checked on us, and was visibly involved in the preparation and service throughout. The atmosphere is part old bar (worn seats and scuffed flooring), part lounge (mood music and lighting).

All in all, it was a good experience. The price was consistent with most of the other restaurants in Virginia-Highlands, and there is also a nice outdoor dining area on the sidewalk. When we left the restaurant there were several more tables of diners, but not enough to make a big difference. I’m unsure of the reason for this – maybe it’s because P’Cheen isn’t the new, trendy place to go anymore? If so, that’s too bad. I think P’Cheen deserves better.

Verdict: A B+.

Food for Thought: How to Ruin a Nice Meal - Cell Phones

2010-08-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

There is almost nothing that can spoil a great dining experience so completely for me as diners’ abuse of their cell phones.

When Kyle and I patronized our beloved Fogo de Chao Brazilian restaurant on Valentine’s Day two years ago, we were confronted with a superfluity of diners yacking away on their cells. As I’ve said, we adore Fogo de Chao and it would probably require several screaming babies and a tornado passing through the dining room to ruin the experience for us, but I was simply appalled to witness so many couples talking on their cell phones during dinner.

This rude behavior also extends to text messaging. The first time that Kyle and I were enjoying an expensive, romantic dinner and he picked up his cell phone to call anyone (and it wasn’t an emergency) he’d find himself eating alone, and I’d expect the same reaction from him if the case were reversed.

Did my fellow diners really endure the traffic jams and the long wait in the lobby that is inseparable from Valentine’s Day just so they could text all of their friends at the dinner table? They were paying almost $50 per person to enjoy some of the best meat that will ever pass their lips on what is supposed to be the most romantic night of the year, and they’re on the cell phone during dinner. If this is you, who in God’s name are you talking to? How important can the conversation be that it can’t be put off for a few hours, at least until the ride home? Unless your occupation is that of a surgeon or secret service agent I just can’t imagine that your job requires you to converse with co-workers during your dinner date.

Having a nice dinner in a restaurant should be a time to put aside all of these unnecessary distractions, breathe a sigh of relief, and enjoy your meal. If you feel compelled to send a text message after every bite of food you can’t possibly be concentrating on what you’re eating. Will you even remember the succulent flavor of that filet mignon you’ve been anticipating all week if you spend your meal arguing with a family member on your cell phone? In the case of our Valentine’s Day cell phone free-for-all at Fogo de Chao, I swear to God that we observed one couple sitting a few tables away from us who were actually texting each other rather than speaking. Is that what dining out, and for that matter, what relationships have come to?