Omnivore - Tart up them tater tots

Now, for your eyes only ... Totchos! That’s tater tots impersonating nachos (above). Actually, in this case, they are Cajun in flavor, with shrimp, andouille sausage, grilled onions and peppers all welded to the tater tots with “cheese sauce.”

They are featured at the Nook (1144 Piemont Ave., 404-745-9222). The new pub replaces the Prince of Wales and the owners have done a great job with the space, particularly with the way the inside flows outside to the roomy patio where there’s a view of Piedmont Park across the street.

The Totchos were surprisingly edible. I bet if you drank a few beers, while you eat these, you’d start craving them regularly. There are three other versions.

Our food generally was good, although the place had been hit so hard over its opening weekend that about a third of the menu wasn’t available. Still, it’s great to see them do so well out of the gate.

This dish (above, right) of peanut-crusted scallops over a red-curry sauce, served with green beans, is the most expensive dish on the menu at $16.99. At first, we were told they were out of rice, which I found absurd. And they did indeed produce a bowl of white rice studded with green peas a few minutes after the plate arrived.

I’ll have more to say in my next Grazing column. But here’s something to think about in the meantime: sweet-tea ice cream. It’s creamy, soft-serve ice cream and it beats the hell out of the usual crumbly green-tea variety.

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)