Cliche Pun on Book Title

January 16th 2012

red iguana (salt lake city)

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,.

June 5th 2011

hankook taqueria

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One of my favorite parts of moving to my new neighborhood has been discovering my new local restaurants. Possibly the best one so far has been Hankook Taqueria. It’s been open for a little over two years now, and they specialize in Korean-style tacos. To the best of my knowledge, the Korean taco trend started in LA with food trucks. Hankook has a food truck here in Atlanta, the Yumbii truck.

So what is a Korean taco? Basically, Korean BBQ meats and lightly fried meats in a soft taco shell with lettuce, cheese, and a special Korean BBQ sauce. The menu is small, just a few tacos, with a nightly special, burritos, and “street snacks.” Stand in line, order your tacos, and take a seat in the unassuming dining room. This place is bare bones, but that makes it feel special, like a secret you’ve discovered.

It’s BYOB with no charge- so bring a six pack to share. I would recommend 2-3 tacos per person and then sharing some of the street snacks around the table. My favorite taco so far was a special- the crispy pork, but they’re all good, and at $2.25 a piece, you can afford to try them all. People rave about the sesame fries, but I found the Ko-Kuma (tempura friend Korean sweet potatoes) to be much better.

(sorry- I ate most of mine before I remembered a picture).

Honestly, I’ve been back once a week since I moved in. I can’t get enough of this place. Taqueria Del Sol will always have a place in my heart, but this is my new go-to spot. It’s cheaper, BYOB, more interesting, and frankly- better.

Hankook Taqueria

http://www.hankooktaqueria.com/index.html

1341 Collier Road

Atlanta, GA

Mondays 11-4pm, Tues-Sat 11-9pm.

Posted at 3:25pm and tagged with: atlanta, collier hills, hankook taqueria, two column,.

December 21st 2010

holiday baking

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After finishing my seminar paper yesterday (the only thing standing between me and Break), I was suddenly surprised by all of the free time I had today. I finished all of the chores I’d been procrastinating, and then decided it was time to do a little holiday baking. My family doesn’t really do gifts for Christmas, so instead, I decided to bake some goodies to take to Florida with me.

On the left, peppermint bark, and on the right, pralines. Both are Paula Deen recipes, and you’ll be surprised to learn I only used 2T of butter between them. And no bacon fat ;)

The bark is stunningly easy to make, as long as you’re familiar with the concept of a double boil. They sell fancy ones at Williams Sonoma, but you can set one up easily by just heating up about 3 inches of water in a large saucepan and balancing a smaller one inside of it. You then put the white chocolate directly in the smaller pan, and the indirect heat gently melts it without the risk of burning the chocolate.

The pralines were a little more complicated. These are praline cluster candies, with a soft sugary texture. You’ll need a candy thermometer to make sure the sugar mixture is at the exact right temperature before you take it off the heat. Also, the recipe says to mix the pecans into the sugar mixture “for a few minutes”…it didn’t take that long. In fact, mine started to set while I was stirring and I ended up with some ugly-looking pralines. The first one I spooned out was the only one that looked nice:

Anyway, I’m off to Florida on Thursday for Christmas with my family. Hope everyone’s eating well this Holiday season.

Posted at 5:58pm and tagged with: baking, paula deen, pralines, peppermint bark, holidays, two column,.

December 15th 2010

Miller Union- lunch

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I felt bad about my first experience at Miller Union. It’s been praised in every publication in Atlanta, yet I still can’t really get behind it. I decided to overlook my initial impression and re-visit for lunch last week.

I arrived before my lunch companion and was seated at an odd table. I’m not sure I can adequately explain it. It’s a hallway with two booths facing each other and four two-person tables in it. It’s the size of an average home’s guest bathroom. And the restaurant expects 8 people to sit comfortably and happily in here? Not even a window? It may be the worst table I’ve ever sat at in a restaurant. I politely asked to be moved, but was told they had no other tables available. I instantly felt awkward as I was basically forced to eavesdrop on the table next to me. I sincerely hope Miller Union will just ditch this seating area entirely. I know every restaurant has good and bad table, but these four are punishing.

We started our lunch with the feta snack. It’s basically some blanched veggies and a feta dip. The dip was tasty, and it was a nice, healthy appetizer.

(Image: AJC)

We also ordered two sandwiches, the fried flounder and the chicken salad. The chicken salad was a little dry, but the fried flounder was exactly what a fried fish sandwich should be. It came with some pretty nice (not excellent, but not terrible) fries as well. I could tell the fries weren’t made fresh to order, and had been sitting under a heat lamp, which I wouldn’t ordinarily complain about- but at this level, it’s a little disappointing.

Overall I had a good lunch, but nothing outstanding. Miller Union is still only an average restaurant to me. I just don’t see the magic everyone else sees, apparently.

Posted at 4:33pm and tagged with: miller union, atlanta, restaurant, two column,.

July 17th 2010

the dish

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So, as you may know, I’m not a runner. But I do occasionally try to get some exercise. This weekend I was walk/jogging around campus, and I stumbled on “The Dish.” I had heard that Stanford owned some land in the foothills, and that it was a good place to go exercise. Well…people weren’t kidding.

So it’s a huge wilderness area. I went around 7pm, just as the sun was beginning to go down. The golden light made the whole area breathtakingly beautiful.

It’s very hilly, and I was impressed by the people I saw running the whole trail. The loop took me about 45 minutes to walk, going at a brisk pace. It was great to just throw an album on my iPhone and enjoy being out in nature. There were a bunch of wild squirrels out looking for food. I even saw a sign warning that I was entering a Mountain Lion habitat.

I absolutely plan to go back, as much as possible in the remaining weeks I’m here. But I can’t go today, as I’m waaaay too sore. I know, I know- weak.

I wish I always had a place this beautiful right by my house.

Posted at 6:48pm and tagged with: two column,.

May 28th 2010

on the road: terminal brewhouse

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I took a road trip two weeks ago to Bowling Green, KY. On the way home, we stopped in Chattanooga, TN for a late lunch. If you know me at all, you know I was scouting locations on my iPhone as we approached the city. I picked Terminal Brewhouse, a local microbrewery.

I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone stopping through Chattanooga. They brew their own beer, and it’s not too bad. But the best part is the beer garden on their back deck.

This photo doesn’t really do it justice. It had a nice view, cool breezes, multiple picnic tables, grass…it was an oasis.

We sampled the microbrews, and I disagree with them as to what makes a witbier, but I was pleased overall with the beer. I LOVED my sandwich, though. A black bean burger with pepper jack cheese and sweet potato fries.

Definitely a step up from stopping at a drive-through fast-food place for lunch on a road trip.

Posted at 12:25pm and tagged with: two column,.

May 28th 2010

bookhouse pub

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I had read a lot of praise for The Bookhouse Pub from some of my favorite food writers in Atlanta. Especially the “Locavore Monday” nights. So I was slightly disappointed to learn that the chef, Julia LeRoy, had left the restaurant before I got a chance to try her food. I don’t know if they kept the same menu after she left, but I was frankly underwhelmed by the food.

I had a starter that was an amazing example of bar food, but not “gastropub” fare. House-made chips with blue cheese and bacon bits were delicious, but not what I was looking for as a dinner item. And that was my main problem with the menu. Instead of being one of those restaurants where everything sounds good- nothing sounded really good on the menu.

However, I will rave about the carrot cake Alex and I split for dessert. It was perfection.

I wouldn’t necessarily go back to the Bookhouse Pub for a meal, but I would definitely return for a few beers. I loved the atmosphere, it was like being in a treehouse. A treehouse with a good draft beer list ;)

Also- be warned, you’re entering an uber-hipster environment. Skinny jeans and flannel are advised.

Posted at 12:19pm and tagged with: two column,.

May 28th 2010

urban pl8

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Fun, but not fabulous. I went to Urban Pl8 a few weeks ago with a group of friends before hitting an art gallery in west midtown. The menu consists of a few starters and then is divided between burgers and main plates. I had the “banh mi” burger, which was good, but not great. It had a few toppings reminiscent of banh mi, but failed to really capture the heart of that dish. We did have a lovely appetizer of fresh tomatoes with ciabatta bread.

The best things about Urban Pl8 are that it’s cheap, and it has a great patio with a big communal table that is perfect for groups.

Posted at 12:10pm and tagged with: two column,.

March 13th 2010

the grange/aka The Marlay

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I went to The Marlay tonight, a bar which until recently was called “The Grange”. This has been one of my favorite bars in Decatur for a while now, but I’m not a huge fan of the name change. It’s still the same place, and I do kind of love that the name change was spurred by a trademark dispute.

They had a bunch of special Irish beers on tap leading up to St. Patty’s Day. If you’re looking for a fun bar to celebrate, I can pretty much guarantee they will have a big celebration.

I like going to the Marlay because they have a good beer list (not as good as brick store/the porter, but definitely decent), the food is good (killer fries), and I like the ambiance. I especially like coming here in the summer for the patio.

(Image from the Marlay website, from February 2010- think I’ll save the patio for summer)

Food I recommend: the fries, burger, brisket plate and any of the beers- especially Rochefort 6 (trappist ale).

Posted at 1:27am and tagged with: atlanta, pubs, the grange, the marlay, two column,.