Omnivore Atlanta

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For this year’s Best of Atlanta Raging Election edition, we are looking for independent voters to act as special CL critics. If your nominations are picked, YOU will be considered a CL critic and given the power to bestow a Critics Pick Best of Atlanta award for 2008. We are looking for picks in all categories, so send us a blurb about what you consider to be the Best of Atlanta and why. Send them to bestofatlanta@creativeloafing.com.

If you haven’t voted, what are you waiting for? And don’t forget to take our exit poll once you do!

We look forward to your nominations!

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My friend Broderick Smylie, a foodie and fabulous photographer, files this report about his recent meal at Maxim Prime in the Glenn Hotel (110 Marietta St.):

I did go to Maxim Prime on Saturday for my birthday dinner with friends. On the whole, I had a very good meal. I had drinks on the rooftop (above), very relaxed in the early evening. The bar area was dark and gorgeous with music videos playing overhead. I guess that was the Maxim influence, with a Hooters-style server flirting with some guys near us. Loved the spiral staircase leading up to the second floor restaurant (quickly found the elevator upon leaving, though)

As for the food, I had the crispy crawfish, which was good. I eyed someone’s “millionaire deviled eggs” (white/black truffle, sturgeon caviar, gold lead), which looked good. For the main course I had the Cuban “threesome,” which consisted of bitter orange/tamarind/honey-marinated skirt steak; lobster tail mai tai; and plantain mofongo with scallions and chorizo (left photo, below).

Loved the flavors in the skirt steak;the lobster tail was good. As a Jamaican who loves plantain, I found the mofongo a bit of a mess, I don’t think you need to add a lot of crap to it to make mofongo taste good. I’ve never been to Cuba, but this certainly wouldn’t fly in San Juan.

The best thing I ate there was the truffled cream corn. I’d go back just for that (right photo, above). The dessert I had was a chocolate-peanut butter concoction served in a martini glass: good stuff.

Ended the night back on the rooftop with hotel-bar prices, but the drinks were strong. It’s a completely different vibe at night — loud music and all, and it was great.

(Photos by Broderick Smylie. See more here.)

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Whoa! Let’s go:

On Thursday, Sept. 4, Eno will host a seven-course benefit dinner by six of Atlanta’s top chefs.

All courses will feature foie gras in some form or fashion. Participating chefs include: Eli Kirshtein, Eno; Richard Blais, Home; Gary Mennie, Taurus; Jeremy Lieb, Trois; Joe Truex, Repast; and Aaron Russell of The Chocolate Bar.

Each course will be paired with a wine selected by Michael McNeil of Quality Wines and Spirits. He is Atlanta’s only Certified Master Sommelier.

The evening will begin with hors d’oeuvres at 6:30 p.m. Dinner will follow at 7:15 p.m. Cost is $165 per person, including food and beverage. Tax and gratuity are not included. Seating will be limited to 40 guests.

The evening is co-sponsored by Rougie, the famous foie gras farm founded in 1875 in the medieval town of Sarlat, France, and Quality Wine and Spirits, Georgia’s premier supplier of fine wines.

Proceeds will benefit The Center for the Visually Impaired, which provides rehabilitation services for blind and visually impaired persons of all ages.

For reservations, call Eno at 404-685-3191.

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When I was little, my mother used to make the same birthday cake for everyone in the family. It was a chocolate fudge cake with pink peppermint buttercream icing. Usually, she would use the brownie recipe from the Joy of Cooking, and make two nine-inch rounds of solid brownie, with the cotton-candy colored stuff in between the layers and stickily slathering the top. I still remember the birthday I had when she picked delicate tiny violets and crystallized them in sugar to top my cake. I think I was 9.

In the following years, our family grew; my brother and I were joined by two younger sisters, and my mother’s cake-making time became less leisurely. My sisters grew up with the same cake but not always with such a time consuming procedure, and the nostalgic birthday cake of their youth involves cake made from a box. But still, chocolate with pink mint icing.

It’s been a long time since any of us had one of those cakes. My youngest sister recently turned 18, and my middle sister, Grace, turned 22 this month.

Grace is in college out of state, but she has lived with me since she was 17, and comes home to my house during the summers. For years I’ve been planning to make her one of those nostalgic pink mint and chocolate birthday cakes, and this year, with three of her friends visiting for her birthday, I decided it was time. I was also making a labor intensive risotto for dinner, so I opted for the cake in a box option. That’s what she grew up with anyway. (more…)

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Firth of Forth Ale
Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #22
Harpoon Brewery
Boston, MA
5.4% ABV

This limited edition Scottish ale was guest brewed by Steve Stewart, who interned at Harpoon in 1998 before returning to his native Scotland and eventually starting his own brewery. Harpoon has released a new beer in this series, so you can find No. 22 on sale at Green’s for a very reasonable price.

It pours a deep chestnut brown with an aroma of sweet caramel malts and some floral hops. The flavor profile emphasizes the bready, caramel malts, along with toffee, maple and weak coffee. A peat-like smokiness and lingering nuttiness add layers of complexity. There’s a whisper of plum/fig fruitiness, but overall the taste is musty rather than fruity. Moderate grassy, earthy hops are just enough to counter the malt. Velvety smooth, substantial without being syrupy, flavorful without being showy, the Firth of Forth Ale is a very pleasant and drinkable Scottish ale. I can imagine tossing back a few of these from a flagon in a dank Scottish castle.

(Photo by Jeff Holland)

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We got lost in Tucker looking for Mint’s Restaurant (more about that in another post) and happened upon Sheridan’s Custard ( 4373 Lawerenceville Hwy., 770-491-1180). This outlet of the Midwestern-based franchise is located in a colossal building with no interior seating but, on a Sunday night, was host to a continual parade of addicted customers, including a cluster of five or six women who all looked like stout replications of Amy Winehouse.

The shop sells only vanilla and chocolate flavors. The gimmick is that you combine the flavors with your choice of a zillion toppings to make a sundae or one of the bizarrely named “concretes,” which blend the toppings directly into the custard. I chose a concrete made with caramel and salty chunks of pretzel. It was actually quite tasty, as was Wayne’s mocha-almond version.

While there’s plenty of good ice cream and gelato inside the Perimeter in Atlanta, it’s apparently necessary to trek to the suburbs to find frozen custard. The Sheridan’s concretes remind me of Zesto’s Arctic Swirls, but much richer. Still, I’ll stick with my Toffee Coffee Arctic Swirls until Sheridan’s moves closer to town. It’s more than a gallon of gas to Tucker and back in my SUV.

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Here’s some good news for East Atlanta and Grant Park. Spoon, the killer Thai cafe in west Atlanta, is opening a new location at 749 Moreland Ave., according to the rumor mill. It will be located in the space vacated by Salsa Havana, behind Azio’s.

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I spoke to Richard Blais on Thursday morning about his experience as a contestant on “Top Chef”. You can listen to a podcast of the interview here.

Also check out the Food & Drink section next week for more of my interview with Blais.

Podcast produced by Alejandro Leal

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In need of last-minute Father’s Day plans for this Sunday? Instead of layering your dad with another flashy tie or trying to guess what gadget he may need, take him to a brunch or dinner designed especially with fathers in mind.

Brunch choices…

All three Atkins Park Tavern locations will treat dad to steak and potatoes. Brunch items include Petite Fillet with two Fried Eggs, Asparagus-Potato Hash and Mustard Hollandaise. For the Virginia Highlands location, call 404-876-7249. For the Smyrna location, call 770-435-1887. And for the Cumming location, call 678- 513-2333.

Atlanta’s beef haven, Fogo de Chao, offers 15 savory cuts of meat, carved table side by request with no limit. The salad bar is also available. Lunch price is $38.50 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. To make reservations, call 404-266-9988.

Justin’s Restaurant, on the cusp of Buckhead and Midtown, is offering a home-cooked soul food menu. The lunch buffet will include traditional soul food cuisine along with steadfast breakfast favorites for $24.95 per person and $12.95 for children. For reservations, call 404-603-5353.

The Sun Dial Restaurant Bar & View will host a Father’s Day Brunch from 11:30-2:30 p.m. The special three-course brunch is $45 for adults and half-price for children ages five to 12. For reservations, call404-589-7506.

Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery in Dahlonega will host its sixth annual Father’s Day barbecue brunch. The cost is $30 per person (excluding wine, tax and gratuity.) The two seating times are 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. For reservations, call 706-867-9862.

Moving on to dinner… (more…)

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We dined at The Feed Store in College Park last Saturday. The restaurant has been open a few years but has gotten a good bit of buzz lately because of its new chef, Peter Golaszewski, who attracted a strong following for his work at the defunct Epicurean.

Golaszewki is preparing “nouveau Southern” dishes like a spread of black eyed peas spiked with a hint of truffle oil (above), offered as an amuse bouche. We also sampled a catfish spread served on a mosaic drawn with balsamic honey and flavored oils (right). Both were yummy.

The most interesting entrée (and the most expensive at $27) was a rich, tender short rib that was batter-fried after roasting. It was served with mustard gravy seasoned with roasted shallots.

All entrées come with unusual vegetables, which can also be ordered on an entrée plate. My favorite was potatoes mashed with mustard greens and pimento cheese — worthy of a 2 a.m. attack of reefer munchies in a trailer park. I also liked the strange, almost excessively sweet beet puree flavored with vanilla and straightforward asparagus. Another side, crawfish pancakes, was also delicious.

I’ll have more to say in next week’s Grazing column.

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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The Chicago Sun has the first interview with the Evil Stephanie Izard, who beat out the Sainted Richard Blais on Top Chef. I almost heard the meowing in this exchange:

Q. Speaking of crazy: Richard made a bacon ice cream. Did you taste it?

A. The pastry chef at my old restaurant used to make it all the time. I love it, but that’s because I love bacon. Bacon belongs on everything.

Read the entire interview here.

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It’s not a coincidence that we’re seeing one food-safety crisis after another, according to New York Times columnist Paul Krugman.

In his column today, Krugman documents the conservative movement’s successful effort to curb federal safety regulation. The argument, as we’ve all heard a thousand times in as many contexts, is always the same: in a “free market,” companies won’t compromise safety that would jeopardize their good standing (their sales) with consumers.

Krugman documents the fiction of that claim and shows how the philosophy of deregulation actually backfires. For example, American beef producers were excluded from foreign markets by several countries because of our lax inspection standards. In order to recover the markets, tougher inspection standards were reinstated, but at least one country, South Korea, still doesn’t trust us.

Meanwhile, having failed to keep pace with needed improvements in safety regulation here in America, eating has become unpredictably risky business.

Read the column here.

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As I noted in Talking Head , the Brick Store will be celebrating its 11th anniversary beginning Saturday June 14th by tapping at least one limited edition keg each day. There have been some changes to the schedule and a few new details, which are given below. The special kegs will be tapped at 3pm daily and Chef Eric Ottensmeyer will be pairing daily food specials to accompany each beer. I am so there:

Saturday June 14th - J.W. Lees Lagavulin Wooden Pin Cask (2001)
- Regenboog t’Smisje Guido

Sunday June 15th - Harviestoun Ginger lime
- Regenboog t’Smisje Catherine the Great

Monday June 16th - Highland Brewing (Summit Dry Hopped) Kashmir IPA

Tuesday June 17th - Terrapin Southern Fried Brown Ale
(Oak aged brown ale w/muscadine grapes)

Wednesday June 18th - Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti w/ Espresso

Thursday June 19th - Oskar Blues Chubbourbon (old chubb aged in bourbon barrels)
- Allagash Rosa (tripel aged in oak w/brettanomyces wild yeast)

Friday June 20th - Victory Wild Devil (Hopdevil W/ brettanomyces)
- Strubbe Double Tripel

Saturday June 21st- Harviestoun Ola Dubh 30 yr
- Alvinne Balthazar

Sunday June 22nd - Avery Uber Svine (dbl. dry hopped Hog Heaven)
- Regenboog t’Smisje Kerst

Monday June 23rd - Sweetwater Brewing Firkin (details to follow)

Tuesday June 24th - North Coast Barrel Aged Old Stock
- Allagash Rosa (tripel aged in oak w/ brettanomyces)

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This sign below is posted at the Five Guys burger joint in Alpharetta.

I’m a big fan of not inadvertently killing children, but this strikes me more as lawyerly ass-covering than a sensible measure to protect children.

Do other peanut-y places do this?

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I received this email yesterday:

The Loews Regency Hotel on Park Avenue in New York City is bringing back the staple TV Dinners of the 1950s, turning retro dishes into chic fare.

Served on traditional sectioned plates, the TV Dinners of the past have been upgraded to satisfy the palates of Loews Regency’s high-powered clientele. Executive Chef Andrew Rubin’s twist on traditional comfort-food brings guests back to a time when families sat around their TV sets, watching the classics and enjoying, pot roast, fried chicken and other favorites. Today, Rubin elevates these plates with upscale ingredients, a spin on side dishes and even a completely new take on the “traditional” – introducing favorites such as salmon onto the sectioned plates for the first time.

These Park Avenue TV Dinners are offered at the 540 Park restaurant, the Library and in-room dining at a cost of $30.

Call me crazy, but I don’t want to go back to the time families sat in front of the tube eating TV dinners of fried chicken (left) and wasabi-crusted salmon (above).

My family never did that — thanks, Mama — and I can’t see a big difference between these supposedly retro meals and the stuff served on airplanes.

People pay $30 for these things?

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I noticed that a “Japanese gastro-pub,” Miso, is opening on Edgewood Ave., not far from Krog Street. (I don’t think Miso is the full name. When I stopped to gawk, rush-hour commuters began honking like hell at me.)…

The Standard continues its Wednesday night special of Korean barbecue. This week’s plate featured especially good thin-sliced beef, strongly marinated, served with rice wrapped in an omelet. A cucumber salad, which I disliked, was also on the plate….

I’ve been back to Cafe Solstice a few times lately. My favorite dish remains the chicken breast roasted with a coat of Ritz crackers and served with a marsala sauce….

Be on the lookout for the opening of Red Salt in Roswell. It’s a project of the owners of the popular tapas venue, Little Alley….

The dates for this year’s Midtown Restaurant Week have been set — August 23-30. All participating restaurants will be offering three-course meals for $25 (excluding tax, tip and alcohol)….

Expedia.com has put together some domestic and international culinary adventures. Actually, they just look like your usual flight-and-hotel discounts in another guise. I’m easy to please. Just take me to Paris. To buy our tickets, click here….

Do you dream of chucking it all for life in Green Acres? Before you do that, read Kathy and Josh Gunn’s story about moving from downtown Atlanta to the family cattle farm in Tennessee, where they are raising grass-fed gourmet beef. The story is in Money Magazine online….

They might kill you! Really, they might!:

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Is the tanking economy eating into your dining budget? Here’s a deal from Sweet Devil Moon (980 Piedmont Ave., 404-347-3600):

The restaurant, which emphasizes Peruvian dishes, has a new menu, too. You can check it out on the website here.

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Beyond the iron bar windows and stark exterior of the Busy Bee Cafe (810 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, 404-525-9212. www.thebusybeecafe.com), you’ll find an exceedingly warm room buzzing with a diverse mix of families, college students and dapper gents chatting up the no-nonsense staff.

Continue reading Cheap Eats.

(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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