Cliche Pun on Book Title

January 16th 2012

cardamom hill

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,.

February 24th 2011

el burro pollo

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I finally visited Hector Santiago’s burrito stand, el Burro Pollo, this past weekend. Unfortunately, Fulton County conducted a bust of the street food vendors along N. Highland that morning. Luckily for us, Hector was still serving, just inside his sandwich shop, Super Pan.

Word has definitely spread about these delicious burritos. We ended up waiting about 30-40 minutes in line. But the wait didn’t seem that bad. It was a beautiful Saturday morning and we had fun chatting with other people in line. Some were regulars and gave us advice on what to order.

Apparently around 7:30 a.m. Hector was outside serving French Toast from his stand (yum!). They also told us that there are usually two burritos available, the standard chicken, and then whatever Hector’s serving that day (for us- tofu). He also sells delicious cookies (we had a chipotle chocolate chip) and agua fresca (like gourmet fruit punch)

(chicken burrito)

(tofu burrito)

The burritos are $5-7 for a regular size and $11 for a large. We got two regulars and it was plenty. He grills the tortillas, which gives them an amazing flavor. They’re filled with veggies you don’t typically see in a burrito (radishes, picked carrots, etc) and then either pulled chicken or grilled tofu. Wrapped in a newspaper, you’re good to go. We took ours outside and continued our conversation with our line-friends curbside.

There was something really awesome about being out on a Saturday morning, enjoying the weather, and sharing a quasi-secret with a bunch of other Atlantans passionate about good food and city life. It sounds cheesy, but I wholeheartedly recommend stopping by next weekend. I know I’ll definitely be going back.

(Located at the corner of Ponce and N. Highland, across the street from Pura Vida, or possibly in the Super Pan sandwich shop)

UPDATE: Apparently the French Toast starts at 10:30am, see this Thrillist post for pictures. Also, check out el burro pollo’s facebook page for the daily specials and other cool updates.

Posted at 12:28pm and tagged with: burritos, el burro pollo, hector santiago, highlands, one column,.

February 4th 2011

krog bar

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It’s been around forever, and somehow I had never stopped in. Krog Bar is tucked away in the same complex as Rathbun’s, and is owned by the same people. It’s a small space, but I liked that it felt like a secret. It wasn’t very crowded on a Tuesday night, so I had no problem getting a table. About half the space is a patio, so if the weather’s bad, it might be tough to get a spot. On the other hand, when the weather turns nice, I’d love to camp out here on the patio for an evening.

Fun wine list where I didn’t recognize a single bottle. They offer everything by the glass, so it’s easy to try a couple different wines. The menu is entirely small plates and I’d recommend just ordering a few things and sharing. I especially liked the flatbread and the charcuterie plate.

Good spot for: parents in town or night out with friends.

Note: they don’t take reservations.

Posted at 2:28pm and tagged with: krog bar, atlanta, inman park, rathbun, one column,.

January 30th 2011

fage yogurt - new flavors!

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I eat this yogurt almost every morning, so I’m excited to see it with 0% fat and some new flavors.

New flavors include: cherry pomegranate, blueberry acai, mango guanabana, & strawberry goji. Yum! I tried the strawberry goji this morning and it tasted like candy. Which sounds gross, but it worked really well with the yogurt.

If you’ve never had this brand of yogurt before, I definitely recommend it. On its own, the yogurt is very sour. But it’s the thickest, richest yogurt available.

Posted at 3:43pm and tagged with: fage, greek yogurt, new flavors, one column,.

January 27th 2011

local three

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I thought I was kind of over the “upscale southern” food trend. But then I went to Local Three. Housed in the former Joel space, the owners have completely transformed the restaurant from a hall of European elegance to a modern barn with velvet Elvis portraits on the walls. The place is a bit hard to find, but was packed when I visited on a recent Friday night.

The thing that struck me the most was our server. She was upbeat, friendly, and helpful. It’s sad that this is so rare that it’s worth commenting on, but she was truly a delight and made our meal that much better.

After perusing their beverage list, I decided to start with an Old Fashioned. The amount of Bourbon they offer (at least 30 bottles, including Pappy Van Winkle) was a good signal that they take their cocktails seriously.

We also ordered one of our favorite bottles of wine, Quivira Sauvignon Blanc. Local Three has a well-curated wine list with some hard-to-find bottles.

We started with the crispy brussel sprouts and the chicken liver pate. Both were excellent. The sprouts were roasted, I think in duck fat, which gave them a rich flavor and a nice texture as well. This was one of the best versions of chicken liver pate that I’ve ever had, mainly due to the house-made marmalade spread on top of the liver. Yum! Apparently they change up which fruit they use fairly often.

(Also note the adorable vintage salt & pepper, they had a different set on each table)

We also had a perfectly nice salad of winter greens. But the standout of the night had to be our North Carolina Flounder with linguine, shaved garlic and lobster butter. The fish was perfectly cooked and lightly breaded. The linguine with lobster butter was one of the better pasta dishes I’ve had at a restaurant. Silky pasta lightly coated in a super rich sauce…I’m salivating just thinking about it. The restaurant was kind enough to split our dishes onto two plates without making a fuss or including an extra charge.

I want to go back and try the Chicken Pot Pie- it’s been getting a lot of buzz as one of the best versions in town. They also have a great cheese plate and a charcuterie plate playfully called the Notorious P.I.G. If you come in for brunch, $18 gets you a pass into the famous $1 Million dollar kitchen for an all-you-can-eat buffet. The placemat is a map of the kitchen.

Considering everything up until this point was great, we opted to have dessert. We chose the chocolate pudding cake with Captain Crunch ice cream and salted caramel.

A perfect end to a nearly perfect meal. Local Three has earned itself a spot on my “favorites” list.

Our meal total came to about $80, but at least half of it was alcohol. Appetizers run from $3-11 and mains are between $10-25. They also appear to have a nice private room for a special occasion. I’m considering it as an option for a graduation dinner :)

Posted at 10:16am and tagged with: local three, atlanta, buckhead, one column,.

January 23rd 2011

snowed in with beer

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I was temporarily confined to the house during Atlanta’s snow storm in early January, but I had luckily just visited Ale Yeah!, so I had plenty to keep me busy. Here’s some of what I was doing:

Hitachino Red Rice is a Japanese beer that tasted unlike anything I’ve ever had before. There’s a strange, but not altogether unpleasant, hint of strawberries in there. Nice and light, very refreshing. I would recommend you try it at least once. It’s not going to be a staple in my life, but it was definitely worth drinking.

A classic. And a *serious* beer. If you’ve had it, you know what it’s about. If you haven’t, go buy one now.

Had this one at the Brick Store Pub during the snow week. It’s another HUGE beer with lots of flavor and alcohol. I had it at the end of my night, and it blew my socks off. In the same way that it’s recommended to do a cheese plate from the most mild cheese to the strongest (ending with blue cheese/rocquefort/etc) I would recommend drinking this one last. Not subtle, but mega tasty.

I’m cheating now, as I had this one last night. Same Japanese brewery as above. This is a dark beer (a stout) with a strong coffee flavor, also some chocolatey flavors in there. Upon doing some research, it appears the brewery uses a Russian Imperial Stout as the base, then adds the espresso beans. This beer would make a nice dessert.

Posted at 5:28pm and tagged with: beer, ale yeah, one column,.

January 23rd 2011

4th & Swift - holiday gift

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When I got home from holiday break, I found this lovely surprise waiting for me. 4th & Swift sent me a present (does that tell you how often I go there?).

They sent me an Indian Spice rub and some Himalayan Pink Salt. Both can be used to season roasted meats or fish. Vert excited to try these out in a recipe soon. Also- wanted to give props to one of my favorite restaurants for showing some customer appreciation.

Posted at 5:09pm and tagged with: 4th & swift, O4W, one column,.

January 16th 2011

fox bros bbq

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This is another review which is completely unnecessary. Fox Bros is an Atlanta institution, and my opinion is just a drop in the bucket. This is, however, hands down the best BBQ I’ve had in Atlanta. (Sorry Community Q, you’ve been bumped).

No pretense here, it’s an old-school BBQ joint, complete with a smoke shack out front. The casual vibe and extensive menu of bbq classics (ribs, brisket) along side crazy experiments makes for a damn good time. I wasn’t adventurous (or crazy enough) to try the Tomminator (it involves tater tots and chili), but I did have some of the specials on the night I went in.

We had a combo plate with (L to R) burnt ends, country-fried ribs, and beef tenderloin. (corn bread and collards in back). The burnt ends and fried ribs blew my mind. Insanely tender meat with a great flavor. I would definitely recommend both.

Also- the collards. Jesus. These were the best I’ve had in Atlanta. Not a trace of bitterness, and properly cooked with pieces of bacon mixed in.

After one visit, I’m dying to go back. And I can’t wait for the Fox brothers to open their Tex Mex place in Decatur (off Ponce, in the old Natalie’s Fish Market spot).

Posted at 5:50pm and tagged with: fox bros, bbq, atlanta, one column,.

December 31st 2010

sister louisa’s church of the living room and ping pong emporium

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If you were to actually design a bar calculated to appeal to hipsters, this might be it. Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium is the newest bar in the Old 4th Ward (Edgewood/Boulevard intersection). They took over the Danneman’s Coffee space (RIP) and have completely transformed it.

The bar is downstairs, along with old high school chemistry tables and kitschy folk art by owner/artist Grant Henry. Every surface is covered in modified religious artifacts or other thrift-store flotsam like the bowling trophies from the 70s. The lighting is dark and red and the drinks are cheap. Sweetwater 420 pints for $3 and when you ask for whiskey on the rocks, you get a full glass.

Upstairs there is an actual ping pong table, along with various tables and couches for relaxing with a drink. We got there fairly early on a Wednesday night (around 10) and scored an elementary school cafeteria table. The bar has lots of seating, a good amount of space, cheap drinks, funky decor, an erratic juke box selection, ping pong…aka hipster crack. Apparently they have plans to offer church organ karaoke in the near future. Like, are you even serious right now?

Posted at 3:18pm and tagged with: O4W, atlanta, bars, sister louisa's, one column,.