Abattoir, the new meat-centric restaurant from Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison of Bacchanalia fame, opened last night in the White Provisions building on Howell Mill Road. The Blissful Glutton gives us a sneak peek from her opening-night meal. I’ve seen the menu and it looks awesome. Tripe stew and lamb liver fritters? Yes, please.
PRETTY IN GREEN: The dining room at WaterHaven
It’s hard to believe that restaurants are still opening in Atlanta. The withering economy has devastated many, especially fine-dining spots, but newcomers keep popping up.
Two such restaurants are WaterHaven (75 Fifth St., 404-214-6740, www.waterhavenatl.com) in Technology Square and 5 Seasons Brewing Westside (1000 Marietta St., 404-875-3232, www.5seasonsbrewing.com). Both feature menus of “contemporary American” cuisine at fairly moderate prices. Both make noises about organic food and sustainability. And both were open less than two weeks when I visited.
I’ll save the best for the last. That means I’ll start with 5 Seasons, which is the spawn of a popular restaurant and brewery of the same name in Sandy Springs. Owner Dennis Lange and chef/owner David Larkworthy, with the help of brewmaster Crawford Moran, also opened a location in Alpharetta two years ago.
Continue reading “First Look: 5 Seasons Westside and WaterHaven”
(Photo by James Camp)
Larry Bell at his Michigan brewery
The craft beer industry is full of colorful characters from Dogfish Head’s extreme beer advocate Sam Caliagione to Lagunitas’ Zappa fanatic and cannabis apologist Tony Magee. Between those representing the East and West coasts respectively, you’ll find self-described eccentric Larry Bell, founder of Bell’s Brewery of Kalamazoo, MI. From selling homebrew cooked up in a 15-gallon soup kettle, Bell has become a leading brewer in the Midwest, moving into a new facility in 2003 that’s already been expanded twice and now has a capacity of 140,000 barrels. Over 110,000 barrels were brewed last year, making Bell’s the 13th largest craft brewer in the country. Bell’s is now distributed in 17 states, including Georgia, where it’s rolling out this week.
With the tagline “Inspired Brewing,” Bell’s emphasizes its dedication to craft beer excellence. Batch numbers printed on the bottle can be entered on the company’s website to get information on brewing and bottling dates. The brewery turns out 7 year-round beers and 10-12 seasonals, along with one-time releases such as the Batch series of commemorative beers. In the first round of shipments, Georgia will see the Amber Ale, Porter, Pale Ale, Third Coast Old Ale, and Kalamazoo Stout from the year-round stable, along with the wildly popular wheat ale, Oberon, which is the company’s only summer release and accounts for close to half of the brewery’s output. Because of the shortage of particular strains of hops, the Two-Hearted Ale, a brisk, hoppy IPA, will not make it to Georgia until later. “In the summertime we’re so busy brewing Oberon that it’s tough getting to those other specialties. Come September we’ll be able to offer up a little bit larger portfolio,” Bell says. (more…)
Real-life battles re-enacted with fast food. You can get details of each battle represented by clicking here. The nationalities represented by each food are listed here. (Hat tip to Larry McGoldrick)
Could this happen at Varasano’s Pizzeria? From a NBC News affiliate:
Today’s Stupid Criminal comes from Croatia where police say he tried to rob a pizza shop but forgot one thing – to leave the scene of the crime.
The suspect told a pizza clerk to make a half dozen pizzas and then pulled out a knife and took cash from the shop, but the lure of the food proved too much and the world-be robber stopped to eat.
He was quoted as saying he knew he should have left, but the food was too good.
I received this e-mail from a reader who visited P’cheen Monday for the weekly “Mike’s Bonelick Barbecue Night,” which I recently recommended:
You weren’t kidding about P’Cheen. We had pulled pork sliders and chicken straight from the smoker. It was wonderful! I would like to let you know that the prices of the drinks were outrageous. I happen to work in a pub. One beer that we serve for $6.50 (for the same oz.) was $10. I understand that different places have different prices, but for a two-mile trek down Dekalb I can save $3.50 a beer. Is their food worth it? Undecided.
Actually, I do recall Wayne being startled by the cost of his own drink during our first visit. Y’all should drink water and stop complaining. Just kidding! Sort of. …
The “SFoodie” blog of the San Francisco Weekly has identified “the 10 coolest specialty food and drink magazines.” I’ve seen at least one issue of most of these and my favorites are the same as writer Tamara Palmer’s — Gastronomica and Meat Paper, although I like the former better than the latter:
2. Gastronomica
Published by UC Berkeley Press, Gastronomica is the leading American publication for intellectual musings on food, yet it’s rarely eggheady enough to alienate the enthusiastic general reader.1. Meatpaper
Another broad subject given the artistic treatment, Meatpaper is a journal of fabulous flesh. The mag also does a good job reaching out to readers through its wonderful Meat & Greet parties, always packed to the gills with hungry piggies.
Meanwhile, as Tamara reports, Gourmet and Bon Appétit teeter on the verge of extinction.
A few weeks ago, I reported that Top Flr had a new chef. This week, I got an e-mail from owner Jeff Myers saying the news was a tad premature (they did confirm the new chef, although they were reluctant to, seemingly for good reason). Anyhoo, here’s the scoop on the newest new chef, from Myers’ e-mail:
Originally from Philadelphia, PA. Shane Devereux discovered his passion for cooking as a child working in his family’s kitchen. The difference for Devereux was that his family was Vietnamese and this brought an element of diversity into meal time, which continues to influence Devereux’ cooking style. His culinary career began with a position of pantry cook at a local private club outside Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He then moved on to work for three of Philadelphia’s most well-respected certified French Master Chefs: Dominique Filoni, Jean Marie LaCroix and Jean Francois Taquet. Two of whom, Filoni and Taquet, where the youngest French Master Chefs in the United States.
He moved to Atlanta and found a home at Peasant Group opening a new venture in Peasant Bistro. We are so excited to have Shane on board…
The AJC’s Meredith Ford Goldman gives Nikolai’s Roof an affectionate 3 star review. I’ve never eaten at this Atlanta dinosaur, but from this piece it seems worth the visit, and for more than the kitsch factor.
On the Atlantic’s food site, Carol Ann Sayle asks whether small farms can feed the world.
In the New York Times, John T. Edge writes about the origins of and American devotion to Sriracha, the chili sauce known to many as “rooster sauce”.
She’s been talking about retiring for years, but yesterday Peach Buzz reported that Miss Ann is planning to sell.
I passed this billboard at the corner of Juniper Street and North Avenue yesterday. It promotes PETA’s claim that milk consumption causes autism:
Atlanta — In light of two scientific studies that link milk consumption to autism in children, PETA will display a new billboard that parodies a ubiquitous milk ad. The ad shows a bowl of milk and cereal next to the tagline “Got Autism? Studies have shown a link between cow’s milk and autism. Find out more at GoVeg.com.”
The bad news is that data from a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that metropolitan Atlanta’s rate of 7.6 cases of autism per 1,000 children is one of the highest among the 14 areas studied. The good news is that a study conducted in Norway found a major reduction in autistic behavior in children who were put on a diet free of casein–a component of cow’s milk. Another study conducted by researchers at the University of Rome found a “marked improvement” in the behavior of autistic children who were taken off dairy products. Both studies present compelling evidence that should give parents pause the next time they’re inclined to say to their kids, “Drink your milk.”
Actually, this campaign by PETA, while new to Atlanta, has been around a while. The claim is controversial, to say the least.
The restaurant industry is usually one of the first casualties of a recession. Eating out’s a luxury many people forsake as soon as money gets tight. When folks do eat out, value becomes a key factor: People return to the ethnic favorites and the family restaurants they already trust.
In Atlanta, restaurants have closed down as a result of the recession (the Globe), projects have been put on hold (Buckhead Life’s signature restaurant in the St. Regis Hotel), and other restaurants are struggling to get customers in the door.
Continue reading the food feature on Atlanta dining deals.
(Photo by James Camp)
We visited WaterHaven, the new restaurant where the Globe used to be, Saturday night and had an excellent meal, including this sumptuous dish of oxtails with asparagus, turnips, carrots, fava beans and fluffy herb dumplings.
It was only the second day of the restaurant’s operation and we weren’t expecting the high quality of service and food we experienced. The Globe was one of my favorite restaurants for lunch, so I’m glad WaterHaven has turned out well, despite a name that sounds like it might belong to a cemetery.
The new tenant has warmed up the Globe’s interior with olive-green paint but left most of the architectural features intact. The library is gone and is now a dining room. Executive Chef Chris Lee’s menu is not very adventurous but provides some great, surprising tastes here and there — like fenugreek and chimichurri in a shrimp starter.
Read more about WaterHaven in Grazing later this week.
(Photo by Cliff Bostock)
5 Seasons Brewing has opened its third location on the Westside, at the intersection of Howell Mill Road and Marietta Street. Judging from our visit Friday night, the place is going to be a hit. Open only a week, it was packed.
And here’s a warning: It may be the noisiest restaurant I have ever visited. We were seated in the back, in a corner, so maybe that contributed to the literal echo effect. But I’m not exaggerating when I say we could not hear our server and he could not hear us, unless he squatted between us.
My favorite dish was this starter of scallops, spring peas, bacon and blood-orange vinaigrette. My least favorite was this dessert, a Coca-Cola/rum pecan tart. The pastry tasted stale and the filling was virtually flavorless except for a generic sweetness.
My honest appraisal is that you should wait a few weeks before visiting or go on a weeknight. I’ll say more in Grazing later this week.
(Photos by Cliff Bostock)
I’m a big sports fan. I’m the type of person, when I have tickets to a game, I show up three hours before kick-off. It’s not that I want to reserve my space, or tailgate, or heckle the opposing team. It’s because I’m almost as interested in what happens before the game as I am in the final result. Actually, I’m usually bored and off to the parking lot before the final whistle. Way before it.
I swear I’ve said it a thousand times: A professional kitchen is like a sports team. And each night’s service is very similar to a competitive game.
My favorite part of any sporting event is the moment where the teams enter the field: the team huddle, the players getting themselves prepared. The coach may be yelling. He may be singling people out. In sports, and maybe kitchens as well, this is motivation. The team gives the last rallying cry and soon after the drums and fireworks, run full speed onto the pitch. In a restaurant, this happens as well, sans fireworks and drums.
It’s called lineup. (more…)
SOUPER JENNY: Owner Jenny Levinson’s fruit salad is a tart and slightly sweet mix of pineapple, strawberries, mangoes, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, which she keeps at room temperature to amplify the flavors of the fruit. But the thing that makes this salad destination-worthy is the dollop of thick and creamy Greek yogurt and drizzled honey that crowns the whole mix. 56 E. Andrews Drive. 404-237-7687. www.souperjennyatl.com.
(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)
Mark Kurlansky has a knack for making unusual food writing, such as a global history of salt or a comprehensive biography of cod fish, breeze along at the pace of a best seller. Despite those talents, he’s resigned himself to editing in his latest, The Food of a Younger Land, letting writers such as Nelson Algren, Zora Neale Hurston and Eudora Welty do the talking. Kurlansky has collected essays and recipes once intended for America Eats, a never-completed, Depression-era volume that documented local foods and eating habits prior to the advent of fast-food chains and interstates. America Eats is an unintentional holy grail for locavores, an unpublished archive focused on regional, seasonal and traditional food choices.
Continue reading: Author Mark Kurlansky has some food for thought
Frank Bruni just put up his first blog post since yesterday’s announcement that he’s leaving the job as restaurant critic for the New York Times. In it, he describes the well funded and well respected status he’s enjoyed from his employers. Aw.
If you’ve missed it, the food world has gone totally rabid with the news of Bruni’s job change. Eat Me Daily has a good roundup of Eater’s excellent coverage of what they’re calling Bruniocalypse.
Decisions, decisions: Taco Mac is tapping special beers all month.
New beers are popping up all over this month, from new-to-Georgia breweries, to special casks and limited edition releases, to spring and summer seasonals from local and national breweries. It can be a bit overwhelming. I suggest you you just take it One Beer at a Time.
Bell’s Weather. Monday marks the Georgia debut of beers from Bell’s Brewery, and a number of local bars have events to mark the occasion. The Brick Store Pub will have a rare cask of HopSlam, the brewery’s much-drooled over double IPA, which will not be part of the regular Georgia portfolio until next year’s release in January. There will also be a keg of Special Double Cream Stout. Starting Tuesday, Taco Mac will be tapping Bell’s Amber Ale, Pale Ale, Porter, and Oberon, with a sixtel of HopSlam and Expedition Stout at the Kennesaw location. Check with your neighborhood store to see what is pouring. The Porter Beer Bar in L5P will host a Bell’s Beer Dinner on Tues., May 26. Check their website for details. Look for a full story on Bell’s next week.
More, more, more. Speaking of Taco Mac, there’s enough new stuff rolling out at their stores to keep you half-lit well into June. This weekend was the debut of Terrapin’s 30 Strong Ale, brewed especially for Taco Mac’s 30th anniversary. Thirty years is a long time in the restaurant business, and Taco Mac certainly deserves a special toast for turning its little Va-High pub into a beer bar empire. I remember experiencing some of my first world-class beers at that original store back in the early 80s when I didn’t know a hefeweizen from a doppelbock. Terrapin’s 30 Strong has a ridiculous 30 ingredients that includes 19 kinds of malt, 8 varieties of hops, water, and yeast, and is aged on oak spirals. It clocks in at 8.8% ABV. Now that’s extreme! (more…)
In this economy, nothing succeeds day-to-day like the formula of the neighborhood pub: good food, low prices and lots of booze.
That — and quite a crowd — is what you’ll find most evenings at P’cheen (701-5 Highland Ave., 404-529-8800, www.pcheen.com). The restaurant opened three and a half years ago and, in retrospect, probably deserves classification as one of the city’s first gastropubs.
(Photo by James Camp)
Frank Bruni is quitting the dining critic’s job at the New York Times and moving to the newspaper’s Sunday magazine to work a broader beat.
Now is the time for Bill Addison, who moved from Creative Loafing to the San Francisco Chronicle to the Dallas Morning News to Atlanta Magazine in a few years, to dial up Bill Keller, the Times‘ editor: “Yo, Bill, it’s Bill. I’m there.”
OK, that’s not quite true – there was a small segment at the beginning of last night’s show that was about the White House press conference cell phone debacle. But apart from that, it was a food-heavy episode last night, with outrage over the proposed soda tax, dining and dashing on $1000 meals, and an interview with Michael Pollan. My favorite part? Watching Colbert snort 24 carat edible gold. Just in case you missed it, here’s the episode.
As a child of Mexican immigrants living in the States, I learned about the importance of food — especially sweets — during our visits with family in Mexico. My grandmother always insisted on taking us to Sanborns — the Denny’s of Mexico — for a breakfast of pan tostado con azúcar (butter- and sugar-coated toast) and chocolate caliente. My grandfather would take me to panaderias and let me hold the tray as he grabbed various pastries from the display case with long aluminum tongs. And my father would get as giddy as a chubby schoolboy as he sampled the cloyingly sweet homemade candies of his youth.
(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)
Here it is! I couldn’t resist going back to the Shed at Glenwood tonight for the $3 sliders but I also had to order Chef Lance Gummere’s pan-fried chicken hearts over “egg in a basket” — a fried egg inside a slice of toasted brioche.
I could easily become addicted to this. As I wrote last week, when I was a kid, my father and I competed for the heart and gizzard when my mother fried chicken. She would sometimes throw extras into the pan , so we could both get a fix. I told one of the servers tonight that I have only seen chicken hearts on one menu in my life. That was at a soul-food cafe in downtown Augusta over 25 years ago.
I also ordered two sliders. One was a burger made with Wagyu beef. The other featured goat cheese and crimini mushrooms. Both were killer but the Wagyu bordered on trance-inducing.
(Photo by Cliff Bostock)
I made it to “Mike’s Bone Lick BBQ” night at P’cheen Monday and I suggest you do the same next week. Sous chef Mike Lasage is dry- rubbing various meats with herbs and smoking them until tender. This is the three-meat combo with chipotle chicken, baby back ribs and pulled pork. Collards and mac-n-cheese are on the side.
The meats are nearly perfect just as they are when they come out of the smoker, but you get your choice of Mike’s Carolina-style mustard- or vinegar-based barbecue sauces. There’s also a ketchupy, sweet Kansas City one.
Look for more about P’cheen later this week in my Grazing column.
(Photos by Cliff Bostock)
