Omnivore Atlanta

Need a night off? Here’s a cool offer for parents in need of some kid-free fun.

Food 101 and Meehan’s Public House (the Sandy Springs locations) have joined the Chastain School for “Parent’s Night Out” on Friday March 28. This offer extends to anyone in the community looking for experienced child care and a night out.

Parents drop the kids off at the Chastain School (an early childhood development program and preschool) for “engaging activities” such as arts and crafts, games, a pizza dinner (with no soft drinks of course) and an “age appropriate” movie for the kids to fall asleep to. Parents can bring pajamas, toothbrush and sleeping bag so all you have to do is tuck them into bed once you get them home.

Time: 6:15-10:15 p.m. (11 p.m. for an extra $10 per child)

Ages: 6 weeks -12 years old

Costs: $30 per child, $50 for two, $65 for three (children from the same family) Parents can sign up at the front desk. Or call 404.851.0001 to put your name on the list. Visit www.thechastainschool.com for more information. Dinner reservations can be made at either Food 101 or Meehan’s Public House. The restaurants will donate 15% of the evening’s proceeds to the Chastain School.

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Twenty years ago, you couldn’t get a decent chile relleno in our city. When you found it on a menu, it was invariably made with a bell pepper, instead of a poblano pepper. We won’t even discuss the Velveeta-esque cheese typically used. That has changed and now the usually mild, slightly stinging poblano is ubiquitous.

Quality, on the other hand, ranges all over the place. Here’s a case in point. The classic chile relleno (top photo) at the new, gringo-oriented Holy Taco (1314 Glenwood Ave., 404-230-6177) beats the chile relleno at the “authentic” El Rey del Taco (5288 Buford Hwy., 770-986-0032) by a mile (right).

In El Rey’s version, the chile is over-cooked and stuffed with tasteless baby shrimp, then submerged in a tomatoey sauce. Holy Taco’s version, lightly battered and filled with white cheese is just right.

Other experts with poblanos are Eddie Hernadez of the defunct Sundown Cafe and Lucero Martinez-Obregon of Zocalo. Both have on occasion served chiles en nogada — a stuffed poblano topped with white walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds.

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Adam Roberts, the former Atlantan who writes a wonderful food blog, the Amateur Gourmet, has posted about Richard Blais’ appearance on “Top Chef,” and links to an archived post about his 31-course meal at Blais’ short-lived eponymous restaurant. Check out the post here.

Adam has enjoyed great success since graduating from Emory law school and moving to New York to enroll in a creative writing program. He’s now doing a terrific Web show, “The FN Dish,” for the Food Network, and he’s published a book of witty essays that’s been very well-reviewed. Buy his book here.

I used to see Adam and his classmates studying at the Ansley Starbucks frequently. He told me at the time that he had no intention of practicing law but had agreed to please his parents by getting the law degree in exchange for their support of his going on to get an MFA in creative writing. It looks like we’ll never know if he would have been as good a lawyer as food writer!

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Today is the first day of Spring and chefs around town will be debuting their seasonal menus during the next few weeks. We checked out the new menu at the Glenwood (1263 Glenwood Ave., 404-622-6066) in East Atlanta Village last night.

Let’s get the usual explanations out of the way. The gastro pub’s chef, Ryan Stewart, is the husband of our cuisine editor, Besha Rodell. Also, I was recognized. One of the kitchen staff is Angel Sutor (bottom photo), whom I’ve known a zillion years, since she was chef at St. Agnes Tea Garden in Decatur. Angel has been on quite an adventure in recent years, including gigs in Jacksonville and Savannah. Her style and wit seem a good match for the Glenwood’s staff and clientele.

Angel is expected to take a significant role in the Glenwood’s expansion plans. Within the next two months, the restaurant will expand into the adjoining space. The new dining room will include a wine bar featuring charcuterie and cheeses. Stewart’s regular menu will also be served in the new space. Here’s extra good news: the new room will be smoke-free and the music will be turned down low enough to converse without screaming or using sign language.

Honestly, we had a wonderful meal, but by all means check it out for yourself. I’ve been eating a lot of decent but not very creative Mexican food in the last few weeks and I was especially impressed with Stewart’s crispy quesadilla containing a soft-shell crab and fried tomatillo salsa, topped with some salad greens and radish slices (top photo). I also got a sample of the mole he makes (for a dish of duck chilaquiles with orange-braised chicory). I’m not kidding: I don’t know a Mexican restaurant in the city serving dishes of equal quality.

Wayne ordered a bento box containing salmon cured in green tea, soba noodles, wakami (seaweed), dashi and creme fraiche with a bit of fish roe. (Stewart is playing with the classic of lox and cream cheese with this dish.)

For an entree, I had slices of grilled lamb arranged on a balsamic-streaked plate about a mound of ratatouille and a large dollop of sunchoke puree (above, right). The lamb, mildly seasoned and cooked medium rare, was delicious but I’d order the dish again just for the puree. In fact, I want a bowl of the stuff. The ratatouille, a dish that is usually overcooked and overwhelmed by tomatoes, was just as notable. You can actually taste the eggplant!

Wayne ordered a hunk of grilled salmon served over an interesting waffle made of white sweet potatoes and braised baby spinach (above left). Candied baby carrots were also on the plate. Everything was cooked perfectly, but I’ve got to admit the dish — from the glaze of the fish to the glaze of the carrots — was too sweet to our taste. But, hey, I like bitter flavors.

Speaking of sweetness, we shared an absurd dessert — a “smores sundae” made with housemade chocolate-malt ice cream, marshmallow fluff and “brulee bananas.” This joins a dessert menu that also features fried Oreos with vanilla ice cream and rhubarb crisp.

The menu includes other additions like a braised rabbit papardelle with olives and spring vegetables, and parmesan-crusted halibut with artichoke barrigoule and tapenade bruschetta. Stewart uses local, organic produce and meats whenever possible.

If you have tips about spring menus at other restaurants, please email me or use the comments space.

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Sean Brock, executive chef at McCrady’s in Charleston, will cook up a 10-course tasting menu at Quinones Room with chef David A. Carson on March 28.

Brock cooks mainly from his own 2.5 acre farm outside of Charleston that is staffed by the McCrady’s culinary team and supplies vegetables for the restaurant.

Quinones’ chef Carson and Chef Brock will be serving southern cuisine for this intimate dinner, with only 42 seats available for $125 per person plus optional $70 wine pairing, tax and gratuity. The reception will begin at 6 p.m. with dinner seating at 7 p.m.

For reservations call 404-365-0410 or view the website at www.starprovisions.com.

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The tricky five-point intersection that joins Bouldercrest Drive, Fayetteville Road, Brannen Road and Eastland Road would otherwise be a desolate dining dead spot in East Atlanta were it not for the smokehouse of a barbecue joint that is Ms. Betty’s House of Ribs. Equidistant from most viable eating options by a solid mile or so, Ms. Betty’s features some of the most tender barbecue selections in town.

Continue reading Cheap Eats.

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ITVS Community Cinema will host a preview of “King Corn,” a feature documentary written and produced by Curt Ellis, Ian Cheney, and Aaron Woolf, at the Decatur Library on Tuesday, March 25 at 7 p.m.

The film, directed by Woolf, follows Ellis and Cheney, two Yale buddies concerned about America’s obesity epidemic, on a year-long journey in a small county in rural Iowa. They rent an acre of land and grow a “bumper” crop of corn and supposedly discover that the grain is one of the main culprits behind our fast-food nation. They also raise some red flags about how we eat and how we farm.
“For the first time in American history, our generation was at risk of having a shorter lifespan than our parents. And it was because of what we ate.”

—Curt Ellis, filmmaker

www.pbs.org/independentlens/kingcorn

“King Corn” will premiere as part of the sixth season of the PBS television series “Independent Lens” on Tuesday, April 15, at 10 p.m. Check out a promotional clip of the film here.

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Cantina El Tesoro, the long-awaited Decatur hermano of East Atlanta’s La Casita, opens its doors mañana.

According to our sources, the plate is hot, so be careful.

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Kells Irish Style Lager
Rogue Ales
Newport, OR
5% ABV

A bit late for St. Patrick’s Day, but appropriate for the warmer months, Kells is one of the few lagers produced by craft beer pioneers, Rogue Ales. Created for the West Coast chain of three Kells Irish Pubs, Kells Lager was formulated as an American beer that could be used in a half-and-half instead of the traditional Harp Lager. Acidulated malts are used to create a desired apple tartness. Sterling hops replicate the German noble hop varieties, with a floral aroma and flavor with low bitterness. Pale and crystal malts dominate the mild, honey sweetness up front, followed by a bit of sour fruitiness and a grassy hop finish. Head retention is lacking and the tingly mouthfeel starts to fade, so don’t nurse it. Fine for watching the NCAA tournament, but even better if you can find an Irish Premier League match.

(Photo by Jeff Holland)

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I went to Stella Neighborhood Trattoria recently and encountered something strange. The restaurant has an extensive wine list, but has yet to get its liquor license. They allow people to bring their own wine, but they charge a $5 corkage fee.

My understanding of corkage fees is that it protects the restaurant from losing profits when people do not order off the restaurant’s wine list. But if the restaurant does not have a wine list, then what’s the fee for? I could understand if it was a service charge - the waiter still opens and serves the wine, but because no extra wine cost is added to the bill, the server effectively is not tipped for their efforts (something you should keep in mind when you BYOB), but a corkage fee is not a service charge — it goes to the restaurant, not the server.

I find it especially strange in a restaurant that is waiting on a license. If it were a place that was always going to be BYOB, I can imagine a corkage fee for the hassle of buying glassware, etc. But for a place that plans to have wine, and that has not yet acquired the license, not having wine is actually an inconvenience for the customer. Charging them to solve that problem for themselves seems strange.

The restaurant also has a list of “rules” that children who eat there must abide by — no-brainer stuff like not screaming or smearing food around. Having waited on my fair share of badly behaved children, I empathize with the attempt to curtail this behavior before it starts. But I question the hospitality of being presented with a menu that tells you how to act, even if the requests are fair. Apart from that, I’m not sure this tsk-tsking on the menu will actually help with truly badly behaved kids.

It just doesn’t seem like good business to make customers feel ripped off and talked down to before they even get food in front of them. But hey, what do I know? The place was packed!

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I’ve often reported that my favorite taqueria is the one in the back of El Molino grocery store on Cheshire Bridge at Faulkner Road. The store was sold some months ago and changed names to La Sierra. I have only eaten there a few times since. It was obvious that the longtime cook had disappeared, along with his daily specials of home-style Mexican dishes unavailable anywhere else in the city.

I stopped by again recently and found further changes. The taqueria offers a small weekday buffet now, but it looked unappetizing to say the least. Prices on entrees have risen substantially. And, most alarming, the health department report taped to the wall next to the order window shows that the taqueria’s rating has dropped from 97 to 80.

Hasta luego!

I believe we even included the taqueria in the Best of Atlanta, but I can’t recommend the place any more. Major bummer.

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Here are some places you can go celebrate your Irish:

Marlow’s Tavern in Vinings starts the party at 11:30 a.m. and jigs on through midnight with green beer, Guinness brats and Irish cheddar tots at lunchtime and classic Irish cuisine during dinner hours on Monday, March 17. 2355 Cumberland Parkway. 770-432-2526. www.marlowstavern.com

Murphy’s is getting in the Irish spirit for its annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Monday, March 17. Beginning at 5 p.m. there will be Irish fare, drink specials and an Irish dance performance. 997 Virginia Ave. 404-872-0904. www.murphysvh.com.

The Globe will be serving Irish-themed dishes for lunch and dinner on St. Patrick’s Day: sheperd’s pie ($12), fish and chips ($14), corned beef and cabbage sandwich ($10) and bangers and mash ($13). $4 Guinness draught, all day long. 75 Fifth Street, in Technology Square. 404-541-1487. www.globeatlanta.com

Trilogy: from 5 -11 p.m. Trilogy will be serving Irish food specials. Bar opens at 4 p.m. Banks & Shane begins at 8 p.m. $10 cover. 4930 Davidson Road behind the Parkaire shopping center in East Cobb. 770-971-4770. www.trilogydining.net

Woodfire Grill: On Tuesday, March 18, the restaurant’s Cheese Club will hold a cheese tasting of Irish artisanal and farmstead cheeses. $20 per person includes a glass of Irish beer. 1782 Cheshire Bridge Road. 404-347-9055. www.woodfiregrill.com

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What’s that above, next to the spoon? It’s a black metal wire. Nothing you’d notice ordinarily, but, believe me, it’s quite noticeable when you swallow it, or try to.

Saturday, I picked up lunch at one my favorite noodle shops and carried it to a coffee shop with me. Halfway through lunch, I felt something caught in my throat. It hurt! No amount of coughing would dislodge the object. I went to the restroom and literally ran a finger down my throat and eventually extracted the wire.

Obviously, I’m very lucky the thing didn’t make it down my throat. I assume it could do a lot of damage.

I haven’t been back to the restaurant yet, but I intend to drop by and exhibit the wire. I mean, hell, if you can sue McDonald’s for scalding your mouth with coffee, surely I could be a zillionaire in a few months.

Just another hazard in a critic’s life. At least this was over as soon as I dislodged the wire, whereas the case of food poisoning I endured a few weeks ago, lasted much longer.

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The Black Vegetarian Society of Georgia will hold a Vegetarian Food and Holistic Health Fair 2-7 p.m. Sunday, March 16. It’s being held in association with “Meatout,” an international day for abstaining from meat products.

The fair will feature displays, music, educational seminars and demonstrations, ranging from yoga to cooking by local caterers. There will be a body work area for demonstrations of various alternative treatment and diagnostic modalities.

The event will be held at the Atlanta Technical College Academic Complex, 1560 Metropolitan Pkwy. Tickets are $15 at the door, $10 in advance. Call 770-621-5056 for more information.

You can read more about the BVSGA here. Read more about “Meatout,” which is Thursday, March 20, here.

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Lisa Dreyer writes: “My husband and I are interested to know if you are aware of a restaurant in the Atlanta area that serves authentic lamb shwarma.” I referred her to Nicola’s. Other suggestions?

The man needs veggie wheels: Tom Maicon, who publishes Atlanta Cuisine newspaper and operates AtlantaCuisine.com, announced the following in this month’s newsletter.

With skyrocketing gas prices and food costs, it’s more difficult than ever to be a restaurant owner and patron. Costs are up and, let’s face it, salaries are not. In an effort to be even more earth friendly, as well as avoid hiking up our advertising rates, we have decided to tell the gasman to take a hike instead, and finally make the switch to vehicles that run on waste veggie oil for distribution of our papers as well as personal use. We already print on 100% recycled paper. We are currently in negotiations to buy a diesel Mercedes that can be converted to run on waste veggie oil. We haven’t had as much luck finding a diesel cargo van — we’ve been at it for six months already. If you happen to stumble across one please let me know.

Write Tom to sell him a van or subscribe to his newsletter at tom@atlantacuisine.com.

The ultimate bad review: This is from Robin Frazer Clark, concerning my love of a certain fast food: “I noticed your favorite Popeye’s on Boulevard is closed ‘due to fire.’ I know you thought the service was bad…but did you have to resort to arson? (just kidding, ya know).”

Open next week: Vita, the new Italian spot that occupies the old Mick’s building on Bennett Street, will open for lunch Monday, March 17, and will begin serving dinner soon afterward.

Dinner and the theater: Silk restaurant, 919 Peachtree Street, hosts its next Theatre Night on Sunday, April 6. Customers get a three-course dinner and an orchestra seat at the Alliance Theatre’Â’s production of Doubt, winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for drama and four 2005 Tony Awards (including Best Play). Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m.; the play begins at 7:30 p.m. The event costs $56 per person (plus tax and tip), and Silk requires diners to make reservations with a credit card by calling the restaurant at 678-705-8888. To learn more, visit the restaurant’s website he  re.

I’m Mr. Wonderful: Here’s a nice email from Rhonda Moore: “I just read your review of The Depot. I was laughing out loud! You have a fabulous wit! For years, my husband and I have marveled at how “dead-on” your critiques are. Even more so, your reviews are thoroughly entertaining. I adore reading your column, either online or in CL. By the way, how is Wayne after his showdown with the display oyster shooter? I hope he’s fine and I hope you’re having a great day! Thanks for such a wonderful column. Be good!”

Actually, several other readers had written to inquire about Wayne’s health after gluttonously devouring an oyster shooter meant for display. He is no sicker or deranged than usual.

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Oh, this is sweet. WXIA-TV reported yesterday that two employees of Hot Stix Stir Fry Kitchen in Lindbergh City Center — I’ve eaten there! — have been arrested for allegedly using customers’ credit card numbers to, um, improve the quality of their life:

Two employees of the restaurant were allegedly writing down the numbers of customer credit cards and with a friend, charging thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and meals.

“They’re really using the credit card numbers at restaurants where they know somebody, and putting down an excessive tip — like there was $75 for one person, $100 dollars for another,” said (Atlanta Police Detective A.) Thompson. “I mean, who gets that kind of tip?”

Police said they were tipped off when the suspects went to a downtown hotel and tried to use the credit card information. The hotel was suspicious and called the credit card company, and then police. They then held the suspects until officers arrived.

I am actually surprised that this doesn’t happen far more often than it does. I’ve twice had this kind of experience. In one case, someone tried to buy a thousand bucks’ worth of camera equipment on Amazon.com, which actually became suspicious and didn’t authorize the charge. But someone else used my card number to pull a pretty ingenious trick on ebay, involving much more money, and it took weeks to get the problem resolved. Be aware that every time you use a card in a restaurant, there’s not a thing in the world to stop an employee from recording the number and authorization code.

That means, of course, that you should never use a card that doesn’t provide protection if you’re ripped off. Read the fine print of your credit card or debit card agreement.

Oh, Hot Stix has fired the two accused crooks, according to WXIA.

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Michael Tuohy, chef-owner of Woodfire Grill, is maintaining a blog, frontburner, that is a good-read for anyone interested in the organic movement and food politics. I’m not sure why he avoids the use of capital letters, but here’s an excerpt from his (disturbing) Feb. 20 post:

for the past couple of years, i have been on a mission to find local farms that are raising animals, such as hogs, beef, trout, etc. in sustainable and humane ways to supply me. i have succeeded with a couple of farms that can produce for me amazing hogs on a consistent basis, and finally, some decent grassfed beef.

these small producers really don’t have the capability of supplying me with cases of “cuts” read loins, or ribeyes, hangar steaks etc. so, I feel the obligation to purchase the animals whole or in some cases primal cuts. i actually find enjoyment and pride in knowing how to butcher a whole hog, utilize every part for a different process ie; sausage, pancetta, coppa, lardo and other charcuterie.

today, a health inspector said I can’t do this anymore unless i apply for a “special variance” to the code. i cannot serve my house made sausages or cured mea