Cliche Pun on Book Title

January 16th 2012

Quick post with two interesting meals I had recently. The uni carbonara at Octopus Bar has received a lot of rave reviews lately. After catching a show at the Earl on Friday, our group decided to grab a bite at Octopus Bar. While this was certainly an interesting take on carbonara, it didn’t wow me. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I prefer the braised rabbit cavatelli that we had the first time we came in. Still, if you’re in East Atlanta late at night, and you’re hungry, Octopus is a must.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Rosa Mexicano at Atlantic Station is a chain restaurant at a mall. But it’s wonderful. The tableside guacamole is some of the best guac I’ve ever had. They make their own tortillas in house. And this steak sandwich had delicious short ribs, crunchy bread, and addictive sweet potato fries.

Posted at 10:20am and tagged with: octopus bar, uni carbonara, rosa mexicano, atlantic station,.

January 16th 2012

cardamom hill

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This is the latest hot restaurant opening in Atlanta. Chef Asha Gomez turned her Spice Route supper club into a restaurant focusing on South Indian cuisine. It’s located in a stip mall off of Northside Drive, but she’s made the interior feel much more luxe. It smells like an upscale spa when you walk in to Cardamom Hill, and the hostess is extremely soft-spoken. The message is clear: relax and enjoy.

We visited within a week of opening day, and the restaurant clearly has some kinks to work out. The point of sales system was on the fritz, so it was cash or check only. Their liquor license hasn’t come through yet, so it was BYOB. The bloggers and critics are split on this issue: half are focusing on the food and ignoring the hiccups, while the other half are calling foul for opening the restaurant before it’s ready.

The cash only aspect is a bit annoying, but we actually like BYOB, so it worked out fine. Also, the hostess called ahead to notify us of the issues, so we were prepared.

On to the food:

For an appetizer, we chose pork vindaloo. It came with this excellent spongy bread that was crispy around the edges and soft in the middle. The pork was well-spiced and accented with bright hits of veggies.

I ordered the veggie plate for my main dish, eager to try a couple different plates. Clockwise, from top left, this featured vegetable pilau, sweet potato verka, an Indian soup, and beet pachadi. The sweet potatoes reminded me of a healthier version of a french fry. The beets had a dollop of yogurt sandwiched between the layers. Chef Gomez carefully layers spices in her dishes to create complex flavors that seem to unfold further with each bite.

This was the reason for our visit. Kerala Fried Chicken. The new KFC. Spicy, crunchy, moist chicken goodness. I feel bad for the chef, because this dish is clearly such an all-star that the other menu items will likely get ignored by 80% of diners. As we scanned the menu, we promised we’d come back to try some of the other dishes, but I can’t help thinking that when I return I’m going to be unable to resist this chicken.

Overall, the restaurant clearly has some work to do on the service side. But the food is on point, and really, that’s the most important thing. Considering this place is about a ten minute drive away, I can easily see myself returning whenever I get a craving for Indian food.

Posted at 10:13am and tagged with: cardamom hill, indian, atlanta, asha gomez, one column,.

January 16th 2012

vino

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Alex built a wine cellar in our basement this past fall, and we’ve started to amass quite a collection. To help fill the cellar, I joined a wine club at Perrine’s Wine Shop. Each month we get four wines from her, along with tasting notes, recipes, etc. This chardonnay from Italy was one of the first wines we’ve tried from the wine club. I haven’t ever had an Italian Chardonnay, so this was a surprising find. Very rich without the buttery-ness of California chards.

Some friends of ours brought the next wine to a dinner party we had recently. They had the wine at Cakes & Ale and loved it so much, they bought a case of it. It’s a Spanish Garnacha made with 100% Garnacha Tintorera grapes. It had a deep, rich flavor that complemented the pork chops Alex grilled.

Posted at 9:52am and tagged with: chardonnay, garnacha, wine, one column,.

January 16th 2012

red iguana (salt lake city)

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My family often heads to Utah in the winter to ski. We prefer Salt Lake City (we like to ski at Alta- no snowboarders). We stay down in the valley, and love trying new places around town. A new favorite this year is Red Iguana. It’s no secret- it is listed as one of the top restaurants in the city on Yelp. Phenomenal Mexican food in the heart of SLC, yes please!

When we got there, there was a line out the door. Sign #1 that things are about to get tasty.

The place is small, and covered wall to wall in kitsch.

We had a tough time making a decision as the menu is enormous. I opted for the cochinita pibil- slow cooked pork seasoned with lime, vinegar and achiote. The flavor was out of this world.

chiles rellenos

enchiladas verdes

enchiladas amarillas

The food had a little more heat than your average Mexican restaurant, which I enjoyed. Portions were good-sized and prices were reasonable. My only real complaint would be the Margaritas (overpriced and weak).

If you’re ever in the SLC area and looking for a good, casual meal, check out Red Iguana.

Posted at 9:44am and tagged with: red iguana, salt lake city, utah, mexican food, two column,.

November 20th 2011

octopus bar

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Ok, bear with me on this one. This is a restaurant inside of another restaurant. It’s only open from 10pm-3am, Monday-Saturday. It has no sign. And it’s amazing.

Octopus Bar is a partnership between Angus Brown (formerly at Miller Union) and Nhan Lee (the chef at So Ba, where Octopus Bar is housed). The food was described by one blogger as “Restaurant Eugene meets Buford Highway.” There is no cohesive culinary style. It appears the kitchen is just cooking whatever they think might be good.

Their instincts are spot-on. This is definitely one of the more interesting places I’ve been lately. We started with two cocktails- serviceable, but not outstanding. Really, you’re here for the food. We ordered:

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Maine Lobster Roll

Braised Rabbit Cavatelli

Hazelnut Peanut Butter panna cotta

The shrimp were intensely spiced with salt, pepper, and some Asian peppers. Almost numbingly hot- I tried to avoid those. We were instructed to eat the shrimp with the shells on. They had been cooked in a way where this was possible, but I had trouble with it and kept feeling like I was doing something wrong. The lobster roll was buttery goodness. Glorious chunks of lobster, drawn butter, chives, mayo…be still my heart. I think my favorite dish was the rabbit. The pasta appeared to be house-made. It was firm and chewy. There was a fun contrast between the bright escarole and the rich rabbit. This is a dish I’ll be craving.

We loved the panna cotta dessert. A perfect end to a deceptively simple meal. The prices here (as you can see on the menu) can’t be beat. Part of me wishes this was a full-time restaurant I could enjoy any time, as heading to East Atlanta is a bit of a trek, and I’m not a night-owl. But I’ll definitely be making the trip back to Octopus Bar, and I highly recommend it if you’re hungry in East Atlanta late at night.

Posted at 12:40pm and tagged with: EAV, east atlanta village, octopus bar, so ba, two column,.

November 20th 2011

Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner at The Porter

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After thoroughly enjoying the last beer dinner we attended at The Porter, we were quick to make reservations for the Sierra Nevada event. This time, all of the beers came from one brewery. They were showcasing some of the special brews they made for their 30th Anniversary.

(The menu)

(First beer of the night, with swag in background)

Overall, our impressions of this beer dinner were more balanced. The portions were more reasonable, as was the amount of beer. If the theme of the last dinner was excess, this one reflected sensibility. That being said, the last dinner included more stunning highlights. This one was solid, but nothing really stood out.

(Amuse)

(Boudin Noir)

(Duck Confit)

(Dessert)

My favorite dish was probably the boudin. The potatoes that came with it were simply heaven. I found the duck confit a bit disappointing, and I could have done without that mound of cabbage. The dessert was lovely, but the only novelty with it was the cereal milk ice cream (which I’m assuming is a nod to Momofuku).

Still, I highly recommend these dinners. At $45/person, it’s one of the best values in town.

Posted at 12:26pm and tagged with: the porter, sierra nevada, beer dinner,.

November 20th 2011

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Cakes & Ale has been one of my top 5 restaurants in Atlanta for a few years now. They recently moved across Decatur to a larger space. The new space still has the same gorgeous ambiance, with a few additional tables. I got my favorite cocktail there (Pineapple Habanero gimlet) - it’s no longer on the menu, but they’ll make it if you ask :)

My mom and I had a very lovely dinner. The only downside to the new location is that Cakes & Ale lost its pastry chef, Cynthia Wong. She’s now cooking in Midtown at Empire State South. And she took her phatty cakes with her.

Posted at 12:12pm.

October 19th 2011

bootleg beer dinner at the porter

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This past weekend I went to a beer dinner at The Porter. The theme of the beer dinner was “bootleg beer” which meant The Porter was serving beer that isn’t distributed in GA. The Menu:

Starter Beer: 2nd Self Beta Red

Amuse Bouche: Salmon Tartare (Skull Coast Scallywag Pale Ale)

Sweet Potato Soup (Short’s Humalupalicious, Strawberry Short Cake, Black Substanace)

Grilled Hanger Steak (Caldera IPA)

Chocolate Fondant (Cascade Kriek)

I didn’t know exactly what to expect with this dinner. I love going to the Porter, and I’ve been consistently impressed with their specials, but I wasn’t sure how they’d handle a prix-fixe menu. No need to worry- it was professional. We couldn’t believe that we were enjoying a meal of this quality at our favorite beer bar. For example- the amuse (above) had passion fruit, pink pepper and fried garlic in the tartare. The fried garlic gave it a nice crunch. It was a fun, bright start to the meal. We also got bread and butter- but not just any bread- the Sweetwater bread.

This soup was probably my favorite course of the evening. Uber-flavorful. And I could *literally* eat pounds of the pecan bacon brittle sprinkled in the soup. Also- I thought the beer pairings for this course (three different Short’s beers) made the most sense.

(The Short’s beers)

My one complaint of the evening was that the portions (both food and beer) were too large. When doing a tasting menu, typically restaurants will scale down the portions. Here, you can see the full serving of steak, pile of fries, bone marrow and bernaise sauce (foamed across the bottom of the plate). This was a super-rich course (oh, you don’t say, bone marrow and bernaise sauce are rich?).

By the time we got to dessert, we were all exhausted. And not necessarily in a good way. Though- to his credit- our waiter did a great job pacing our courses. (Neal or Nealan…not sure which) had the perfect demeanor. He gave us helpful tidbits about the beer and food, but didn’t hang on our table lecturing us about each element.

So, the dessert- fondant with brandied cherries, white chocolate mousse and chocolate sorbet- was actually not overpoweringly rich. I especially liked the brandied cherries with the kriek (a sour beer). I’m not normally a fan of sour beers, but this one might change my mind.

Overall it was a great evening. I just wish I hadn’t left feeling like I was about to birth a food baby. I would definitely recommend attending a beer dinner at The Porter, and I’ll probably be at the next one!

Posted at 8:59am and tagged with: the porter, beer dinner, atlanta,.

September 5th 2011

no. 246

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Decatur has received an unfair share of the latest “it” spots to dine. The most recent opening: No. 246, a collaboration from Drew Belline (formerly of Floataway Cafe) and Ford Fry (owner of JCT Kitchen). The restaurant is a loose adaptation of Modern Italian housed in a bright black and white space with huge windows overlooking the street.

The space (formerly Eurasia) has been re-configured so that you walk in directly to the bar. I would recommend ordering one of the excellent cocktails from this bar. I tried the sangria cocktail and loved their take on the drink (lots of berries).

We began our meal with the “toasts” appetizer. Your server brings a small wooden trough to your table filled with small slices of toast and various spreads. Local critics have been quick to point out that this dish is copied from Jean-Georges Vongrichten’s ABC Kitchen. I’m not going to get into the politics of intellectual property and restaurants at the moment. Suffice it to say, this is a great appetizer to share, and one you should definitely order if you visit. I do, however, wish the actual toasts were a bit less toasted- some pieces were downright sharp.

For dinner, there are a variety of main plates consisting of whole fish and large protein dishes. We chose to explore the portion of the menu titled “flour and water,” which included house-made pastas and pizzas. Not all of the pastas are made in-house, so be sure to ask your server to guide you.

I tried the tagliatelle with clams. The pastas can be ordered in two sizes, the smaller is plenty if you’ve ordered an appetizer or plan to have dessert. While I enjoyed my pasta, I think my dinner companion’s was superior- she got the agnolotti with sweet corn and morels.

I’ll definitely be back to re-evaluate no. 246 when the restaurant has been open a bit longer. Very much enjoyed my first meal there and am looking forward to seeing the place grow and mature.

website: No. 246

Note: the restaurant doesn’t take reservations.

Posted at 10:53am.

September 5th 2011

cakes & ale moves

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Cakes & Ale (one of my top 5 restaurants in Atlanta) has moved. It’s still in Decatur, but now it’s directly on the square, adjacent to the MARTA station. I went in last week to check out the new spot.

They now have a bakery in addition to the restaurant. Dave Sweeney (formerly of Dynamic Dish) has taken over the operation. They offer sandwiches and salads for lunch, as well as a wide variety of pastries. The sandwiches weren’t ready yet on the day I visited, so I settled for a gougere and an iced Americano.

They even warmed up the gougere for me!

The space is gorgeous. I kept up with the renovation on the restaurant’s blog and was charmed by the story of the painting on the wall. During demolition and construction, the restaurant owners discovered that the space used to house a bakery. They restored the vintage painting on the wall.

If you’re on the Decatur square and looking for a lunch spot, I absolutely recommend Cakes & Ale (or for dinner, for that matter). I think it’s time for me to re-visit and check out the new dining room.

Posted at 10:39am and tagged with: cakes & ale, decatur, bakery,.