Omnivore Atlanta

The AJC reported recently on developments at Popeyes, home of my favorite fast-food. The new CEO, Cheryl Bachelder, acknowledges that the restaurants’ fried chicken has been a lot better than their service.

Uh, yeah. It’s been months since I visited the Popeye’s on Boulevard at Ponce de Leon Ave. — the one where my car windows were smashed and where my orders were routinely screwed up. So, I’m not sure what the service is like these days, but it used to be literally the worst I’ve encountered anywhere in the world. It was even worse than the service by the waiter in Nice who tried to serve me olive oil in an ashtray.

Joe Guy Collier writes in the AJC:

When Cheryl Bachelder took over as AFC Enterprises CEO last fall, she quickly saw the major draw of the company’s Popeyes restaurants.

The stores spend hours marinating the chicken and stewing the red beans and rice to pack in flavor.

“The treasure of this brand is that slow-prepared food that only grandma herself would take the time to make today,” said Bachelder, a former KFC and Domino’s Pizza executive.

Unfortunately, the chain wasn’t known for delivering its chicken with the urgency required in the fast-food business, she said.

“The corresponding challenge is that we never put as much emphasis on running a great fast-food restaurant system,” Bachelder said. “We would like for our service, our guest experience, to be as sharp as our food.”

The chain has other challenges too. Read Collier’s entire article here.

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Fine dining has arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. One Flew South features — surprise! — a southern menu, but you can opt for sushi if you’re not in the mood for quail or braised Georgia pork.

The restaurant’s menu was developed by Chefs Duane Nutter and Todd Richards, formerly of the Oakroom at the Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, Ky.

Interior design is by the Johnson Studio. Green Olive Media has pictures on its blog.

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I’ve had three, low-to-moderately priced good meals lately. Two of them were in Grant Park.

We are really getting to love Lamplighter. Our most recent meal included braised pork over mac and cheese with truffle oil, the scrapple burger (right) and this very pink pepper mill belonging to Chef Carmen Cappello’s girlfriend. The restaurant will open for lunch soon, featuring a menu that is top-secret for the present.

I’ve had quite a few inquiries about Cappello’s scrapple burger. Here’s a description from the chef’s PR folks:

When patrons come into Lamplighter on Connally Street in Grant Park, most of them don’t even know what scrapple is. Yet, Chef Carmen Cappello (formerly of M!X in Brookhaven and Sweet Lowdown in Midtown) uses slices of this loaf made of offal meat to make a burger that will put you in a food coma while jonesing for another. Cappello uses two patties of ground beef, two slices of American cheese, a fat slice of fried scrapple and, as a garnish: a fried egg with a runny yolk that runs down the side of this pile of heart-stopping goodness – all tucked inside a toasted hamburger bun. Oh yeah…fries come with this Lipitor-inducing plate.

A native Philadelphian, Cappello grew up eating scrapple and makes it in-house to complete his meaty masterpieces. He says that it is regarded as the king of breakfast meats up there. His restaurant has only been open for a matter of weeks and he already has regular customers who come in weekly – some twice a week – for this heady delight. For folks who are curious about this ingredient – think hot dog without the casing – Cappello fries up a slice to induce the craving….

We also continue to enjoy Stella. The most recent surprise on the regularly changing menu was the Capricciosa pizza. It included prosciutto crudo, cremini mushrooms, artichoke hearts, mozzarella, organic tomato sauce and hardboiled eggs.

Hardboiled eggs?

The chef happened to come by our table and I mentioned that I’d never had pizza with hardboiled eggs. She said that it is commonplace in Italy to break a single egg over a pizza before putting it in the oven. When it’s served, the egg is still runny.

But, she said, brief experimentation with that resulted in diners returning their pizzas to the kitchen. So she switched to hardboiled eggs.

“You really have to adapt to people’s tastes,” she said….

We finally made it to Ecco to try the restaurant’s Tuesday-night special of Cocido Madrileño. It’s a $17 bargain ($24 with wine) and is a gigantic serving. This picture doesn’t do the dish justice — the restaurant is too dark not to use the unflattering flash — but, believe me, it’s delicious, especially the house-cured brisket.

I was most surprised by the complex, rich broth. Technically, the soup is a starter, usually served in a separate course in Madrid. Don’t let the server talk you into a separate starter, because you couldn’t possibly finish the dish if you order one.

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Marcella Hazan reflects on the growing use of the word, as well as the value of home cooking.

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Wayne and I had our traditional Thanksgiving this week. In other words, we basically ignored it.

The tradition, which has often extended to Christmas, established itself when we were both writing doctoral dissertations. I finished mine over three years ago, but he’s still at it — in the final throes, thank God. Unless you have been through this nightmare, you probably won’t understand why it makes every holiday an occasion of guilt that can only be assuaged by pretending to write.

Usually, we do go to a Chinese restaurant and enjoy being amid other people trying to hide from the conventional rituals. This year, though, we went to Panahar (3375 Buford Hwy., 404-633-6655), a Bangladeshi restaurant we’ve visited a few times before.

The restaurant was serving a Thanksgiving buffet and I was surprised to see that the great majority of tables had been reserved. Buffets are not my favorite style of dining, to say the least, but the food was great.

Among the 10 dishes offered, was turkey tikka,  chunks of the bird in a sauce of tomatoes, herbs and yogurt that the kitchen makes itself. My favorite, though, was lamb naar-kaylee kola, featuring a sauce made of cream with ground cashews, raisins and bananas.

An interesting starter I’d never had before was browned patties made of tuna fish and chopped mint leaves. I couldn’t stop eating them, drenched in a milky mint sauce. Dessert — a custardy Bangladeshi yogurt mixed with honey — was also notable.

Cost was $20 with all the champagne or beer you could drink. Wayne drank two small bottles of champagne, plus all I couldn’t drink.

If you do visit the restaurant, be sure to try the mango lassi, the best in the city by far.

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Sounds odd, yet, fantastic. Cheese is awesome. So why not have four courses of it?

Shaun Doty agrees, so on Sunday, Dec. 7th, he’s throwing a Sweet Grass Dairy dinner for the masses at Shaun’s. Well, not for everyone (reservations guys, come on!).

Cost is $55-$75.

Menu includes:

Soft polenta with pulled pork, SGD Green Hill fonduta, wild mushrooms

Beer cheese soup, SGD Thomasville Tomme, Well Bombadier beer, rye croutons

Maple-marinated duck breast, SGD goat cheese and onion tart

SGD lumiere goat cheese with fresh chestnuts and chestnut honey

Um. Yay.

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Our friend the Blissful Glutton has a report on yet another new cupcake spot.

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Apparently it died. Who would have noticed?

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1. If you are making instant couscous (and I always do because I am a lazy cook) all you do is microwave water and dump in the grains. After that, leave the work to science and couscous magic. The granules are fast absorbing and in less than three minutes a tasty, fulfilling dish appears right before your eyes! I make couscous almost everyday and the instant absorption never ceases to amaze me. Like, I don’t have to do ANYTHING.

2. It is better than rice. Hands down. Someone should invent sushi wrapped in couscous because it would become more successful and taste one hundred billion times better.

3. Couscous is not thrown at weddings and stepped on. Why? Because it is AWESOME and deserves respect…bitches.

4. The texture: moist, fluffy, rough, ridiculous esophageal fun.

5. You can pair it with most anything; gravies, stews, meat, birds, broth, cinnamon and sugar, and steamed veggies. Scarf it down for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or a midnight snack!

6. There’s a nightclub named after it in Manchester, UK and it is a hit French film.

7. The Egyptians ate couscous. And they built the pyramids.

8. When used instead of beans in beanbags, it produces a softer, safer toy for children to throw at each other, making eye, ear, and groin injuries less frequent.

9. It basically inherits any flavor it’s mixed with, but maintains its individuality with grace.

10. Couscous is universal. Everyone loves it. Moroccans, Africans, Europeans, slacker college students, Democrats, Republicans, the Olsen twins, koala bears, and Thor God of Thunder.

11. I ate it for breakfast this morning and that is why I’m writing this.

(Photos from Wikimedia Commons)

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I wrote not long ago about encountering some excellent new tapas on Eclipse di Luna’s menu. It turns out they are the work of Ben McPherson, who became executive chef recently, after two years as sous chef at the restaurant owned by James Ehrlich and Eric Kline.

The restaurant sent me his bio:

Ben McPherson serves as the executive chef at Eclipse di Luna, where he oversees all operations of the kitchen and creates new dishes that follow the restaurant’s style of Spanish and Latin cuisine using modern techniques. He sought out Eclipse di Luna for a culinary environment that cultivates creativity, first serving as the restaurant’s sous chef for two years.

“My goal in this position is to work with local farmers and purveyors in order to source the best quality products to enhance the restaurant’s menu and make Eclipse di Luna one of the best tapas restaurants in the country,” says McPherson.

A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, McPherson began his career at Magnolia’s in Charleston, South Carolina, where he worked under James Beard Award-winning Chef Donald Barickman, but his worldly culinary perspective originally comes from the time he spent growing up in Germany and Italy as a teenager.

Upon moving to Atlanta in 1999, he served as sous chef and chef tournant at Buckhead Life Restaurant Group’s Pricci and Corner Café for three years. McPherson then moved on to work for Fifth Group Restaurants at La Tavola Trattoria in Virginia-Highland where he contributed to both the regular menu and daily specials as the restaurant’s chef tournant for two years. Following La Tavola Trattoria, he worked as the sous chef at Portofino in Buckhead, where he utilized his extensive knowledge of Italian cuisine to produce monthly regional menus, daily specials and regular menu items.

McPherson’s creations at Eclipse di Luna include spiced venison Carpaccio with Mutsu apples and Valdion espuma; salmon ceviche with mint, lime avocado and crispy yucca; lavender scented lamb with barley salad and saffron aioli; chorizo with bacon and white bean stew; and a roasted chicken and poblano pepper empanada with Manchego cheese and tomato marmalade.

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It’s not the prettiest thing in the world, but Anis has added a thoroughly authentic boudin to its lunch menu (along with some other items). Not to be confused with the popular white Cajun sausage that goes by the same name, this is a boudin noir, blood sausage.

I admit I don’t have much of an appetite for blood sausage normally, although I’ve eaten plenty of it in France. I asked the server if it was typical blood sausage, slightly gamy tasting and “crumbly, weirdly dissolving in the mouth.”

“No,” she replied succinctly.

Wrong. But a few dots of mustard and the mashed potatoes took the edge off the flavor.

During lunch with Brad Lapin there last Friday, I ran into Jean-Frederick Peferttini, one of the owners, whom I haven’t seen in years. Jean-Fre managed Pastis in Roswell, another restaurant he and partner Arnaud Michel owned and sold. They still own Django downtown.

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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I ran into Richard Blais outside the Ansley Starbucks today and he said his new burger joint, FLIP, will be opening next Thursday, Dec. 4, in West Atlanta.

He had just been playing in the kitchen of the restaurant at 1157 Howell Mill Rd. and has added descriptions of a few menu items on his blog. I don’t know about you, but I’ve gone too long without a $28, Wagyu and foie gras burger with shaved truffles.

Read Carly’s earlier post for more information about FLIP.

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Our Special Ale
Anchor Brewing Company
San Francisco, CA

Anchor’s Christmas ale is one I look forward to every year. Although the recipe changes each year, the evergreen hops and winter spices always evoke the best holiday memories. The dark walnut color with garnet highlights and sparkling clarity are typical hallmarks, as is the one-of-a-kind aroma of spruce, allspice, nutmeg and clove. A brown sugar, cola-like base props up the spices. A balanced palate of rich, earthy spices, toffee, chocolate, cherry, spruce tips, juniper, molasses, and a hint of vanilla cascade from beginning to end. The body seems a bit lighter than in years past, with a spicy tingle and a dry, crisp mouthfeel. There’s some orange zest and a piney bitterness in the finish, along with some drying alcohol. This is an iconic holiday beer and is perfect with any kind of meal or with dessert afterward. Aromatic, warming and clean, with just enough sweetness to complement the herbal potpourri.

(Photo by Jeff Holland)

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A beer dinner…yet again. (But they are oh so delicious!)

This time the dinner is at Shaun’s on Thurs., Dec. 18th; holiday themed and fabulous. Supper is four courses paired with pints for the season.

Cost is $45 for non-drinkers (psh) and $65 for the dinner and brew.

Here’s a sneak peak at the grub:

First Course: Benton’s sixteen month prosciutto, local spaghetti squash salad, honey paired with Weinstephan Fest.

Second Course: Heirloom lentil soup, guanciale and marjoram with Sweetwater Festive Ale.

Third Course: Duck choucroute, homemade pretzel, sauerkraut, endive and apples paired with Anchor Christmas Ale.

Dessert: Sweet potato pie chestnut honey, vanilla bean ice cream, with Harpoon Winter Warmer.

To make your reservation, call 404-577-4358 or visit www.shaunsrestaurant.com.

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Here’s a find, a new Chinese restaurant from the folks who own Hae Woon Dae, everyone’s favorite spot for Korean barbecue. It’s Manchunhong (5953 Buford Hwy., 770-454-5640), located in Seoul Plaza.

The restaurant’s extensive menu is much like other Korean-Chinese restaurants in the area. But ask for the special menu and you will be given a list of Sichuan dishes, many of which are not to be found anywhere else in the city, according to Bob Mullan, the foodie who tipped me off to the restaurant.

We didn’t eat anything that wasn’t delicious, including the fish with pickled vegetables (top photo) and the “husband and wife lung slices” (above, right). It’s actually slices of beef and tendon. When I asked our server why it was called lung, she said, “It’s not liver.”

We also had Sichuan soup with pork-filled wontons, lots of chopped peanuts and garlic and a dish of pork belly favored by Chairman Mao.

I’ll have a full report in Grazing soon. Meanwhile, check it out. Just be sure you ask for the special menu.

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Here ye, here ye! Joel is calling all champagne connoisseurs for a cork-popping good time beginning at 6:30 p.m on Dec. 2.

Share a regal Henriot bubbly or two over five courses prepared by Chef Cyrille Holota. Don’t miss your chance to ’tis the season while feeling fizzy!

Call Joel for reservations: 404-233-3500

(Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

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