Omnivore Atlanta

RINCON LATINO: Latinos consider chicken soup to be a complete meal. Every country and region has its own version. At Rincon, the caldo de pollo has more of an El Salvadorian slant. A large bowl of clear chicken broth studded with submerged pieces of tender bone-in chicken comes with a bowl of white rice, oversized El Salvadorian corn tortillas, minced cilantro, chopped onion and jalapeño. You can doctor the soup to your tastes or make a few tacos with a juicy chunk of chicken plucked from the broth. 5055 Buford Highway, Doraville. 770-936-8181.

SO KONG DONG: Forget one-dimensional soups when you are sick. Your body needs a jolt, and a bubbling pot of Korean tofu soup from this tofu house — the kimchee style in particular — is just what the doctor ordered. After a parade of panchan (including one of those little fried fish), the waitress rolls out a cart holding midnight black cast iron bowls perched on tiny wooden coasters. Due to the intense heat of the vessel, the soup bubbles and spurts in front of you — too hot to eat even though you know you want to dive in. Take the time to crack a raw egg into the red liquid and watch it cook while the dish reaches a more manageable temperature. Then dig in to the mounds of silken tofu, zucchini and other vegetables as the red broth burns away all that ails you. 5280 Buford Highway, Doraville. 678-205-0555.

Continue Reading “Ethnic Soups”

(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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To all who are interested in showing off their awesome culinary skills, “Top Chef”will  hold auditions here in Atlanta for season seven. This open casting call will be at Craft Restaurant, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., on Nov. 8. Be sure to bring a filled out application, video submission and all other required materials, which can be found on the Bravo TV website.

Also, be sure to brush-up on you pastries and cakes, as a new “Top Chef” spin-off, titled “Top Chef: Just Desserts,” will also be casting at the same audition. The newest version of the show was just recently announced on Oct., 26 and auditions are already underway. The spin-off is said to premiere in 2010.

Craft is located at 3376 Peachtree Road. 404-995-7580. www.craftrestaurant.com.

(Photo courtesy Bravo TV)

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There have been conflicting reports of where and when Havana will resurface. Apparently, two restaurants named Havana are slated to open on Buford Highway in the near future. And two different people — Debbie Benedit and William Benedit — claim they are resurrecting the original “Havana.”

Mrs. Benedit (pictured above in the black shirt) has given me her side of the story. However, I have been unable to reach Mr. Benedit for a comment at this time.

Stay tuned as I gather additional facts and get to the bottom of this.

(Photo from Debbie Benedit’s website, www.havanarestaurantatlanta.com)

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LUPE TAQUERIA: The trio of guacamole

This is a cautionary tale about first impressions and foodies. The protagonist is Riccardo Ullio’s new Lupe Taqueria (905 Juniper St., 678-904-4584). The antagonist is the foodie community, including its bloggers and critics like me.

I long ago learned that a first impression of a new restaurant – the usual subject of this column – is not reliable if the visit turns out to feature extremes.  In such a case, particularly when the extreme is negative, I usually go back, hoping for better. Contrary to popular opinion, most critics don’t enjoy thoroughly panning a restaurant, which is typically a huge investment and provides a livelihood for its staff.

On the other hand, I think the effect any one critic has on a restaurant is short-lived. Of course, if the critic does pan a restaurant that ends up failing, he gets the blame. Typically, though, the restaurateur has not heeded any of the criticism directed his way.

Continue Reading “First Look: Lupe Taqueria”

(Photo by James Camp)

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We dined Thursday evening at Amuse (404-888-1890), the new restaurant in the short-lived Allegro’s space at 560 Dutch Valley Road in Midtown. The owners have improved the interior significantly, turning what was a rather chilly space into a warm, intimate bistro, replete with an instrumental jazz duo. We’d expect nothing less of the owners of Anis (Arnaud Michel) and Apres Diem (Andy Alibaksh) who have teamed up to create Amuse.

The menu by longtime Anis chef Lenny Robinson includes a number of novelties like the appetizer of sliced, charred octopus with pickled seaweed and cucumbers (above). My entree was a chunk of roasted, orange-glazed piglet (right) with shredded, pickled brussel sprouts and a paprika brodo.

Both dishes were terrific, although I thought the pickle flavors tended to overwhelm the octopus, which was sliced from a grilled tentacle. Wayne ordered an interesting appetizer of roasted cauliflower with a cauliflower puree. A bit of chili oil added zing to both forms of my favorite cruciferous vegetable. His entree was crispy mackerel over chickpeas with mint and sultanas.

Dessert: a butterscotch creme brulee with a roasted marshmallow topping for me and two scoops of housemade ice cream for Wayne — one lavender and the other violet.

The restaurant is also open for lunch weekdays and brunch on weekends. Did I mention that portions are huge? Some of the appetizers I saw go by our table looked like entrees, especially one of crispy pork belly over napa cabbage, plum, avocado and yuzu.

I’ll have more to say in an upcoming Grazing column.

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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Here are some events coming up for Halloween and through next week:

Treat Before You Trick at the Melting Pot, Oct. 31. For Halloween, the Melting Pot’s Midtown, Duluth, Kennesaw and Roswell locations will offer a special menu price starting at 1 p.m. You can eat a three-course meal that includes cheese, salad and an entree for $25, which, compared to their normal menu pricing, is quite a deal. If you come dressed in costume you’ll receive a chocolate course for $5 per person. 404-389-0099.

RA Sushi’s Boo Bash 2009, Oct. 31. Starting at 7 p.m. RA Sushi is celebrating Halloween with food and drink specials for the night. The “Boo Bites” specials, the $6 Creepy Cali Roll, $7 Voodoo Roll and $7 Spider Roll, can be paired with some $7 “Potent Potions,” which include Vampire’s Kiss, Bloody Brain and Skullini. DJ Scott will entertain guests with a mix of horror movie theme songs and top 40s hits. There is no cover charge and the kitchen will remain open until 1 a.m. 1080 Peachtree St. 404-267-0114.

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Paul Luna, our city’s first celebrity chef (before there was “Top Chef” and such), was spotted at Atmosphere last night. I have not confirmed that he’s moving back, although AtlantaLatino.com reports that “he is looking to make Atlanta a new home and to teach cooking classes and English.”

Luna has, amazingly, crossed the U.S. on bike to promote his children’s book, Luna Needs a Miracle, an English-Spanish text about bridging cultural difference. He’s recorded his impressions of how Atlanta has changed since his departure on one of his blogs.

Let’s hope the brilliant chef decides to cook in restaurants now and then!

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I guess one good turn, or challenge, deserves a repeat.

Last night’s episode of “Top Chef” Las Vegas was a virtual vegetarian deja vu as the remaining cheftestants cooked up veggie entrees for quirky actress Natalie Portman, taking a cue from last summer’s “Top Chef Masters” where the masters cooked a dinner for quirky vegan actress Zooey Deschanel. While the first incarnation was mostly interesting (Art Smith making vegan food with love, come on!), this time around the majority of the cheftestants served up plates of thrown together veggies and then freaked out about it. The most interesting thing about the meal, aside from Padma and Natalie’s giggle-worthy double entendres, was Michael Voltaggio’s banana polenta, and even that wasn’t his original idea. (more…)

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My latest obsession: The “Burger stack” at Bocado (887 Howell Mill Road, 30318. 404-815-1399. www.bocadoatlanta.com) on the Westside.

Read all about it on my blog, The Blissful Glutton.

(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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It matters, according to new research:

Whether your companions are overweight or skinny and how much they put on their plates can greatly influence how much you eat. New research shows if we eat with skinny people, we tend to mimic their food portions, regardless of how much they take. However, if we eat with overweight companions, we generally try to adjust our portions to be different.

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GET FRESH: Sawadee's laab nuur

There are two types of diners: Those who don’t mind brash service, long waits or odd locales as long as the food is good, and those who prefer a more polished dining experience to feel at ease. If you find yourself in the former group and also happen to love Thai cuisine, you’ve most likely braved the odd yet delicious Panita Thai Kitchen in Virginia-Highland. However, Panita isn’t as odd as you may think.

It’s not uncommon to find yourself standing in the doorway at Sawadee Restaurant (4920 Roswell Road, 404-303-1668) waiting for someone — anyone — to emerge from the dark end of the dining room. But the wait is a nice chance to gawk at the faded opulence of this quirky spot tucked away in the corner of the Fountain Oaks Shopping Center. Cindy, the owner/cook/server will inevitably burst out of the kitchen with a remarkably large presence for such a tiny lady. Cindy likes to chat and has the pleasant habit of lingering near your table as you eat. It was during one of these solo meals with my inadvertent dining companion that I discovered her surprising back-story. Cindy’s Thai name is Panita — the actual Panita after which her husband named his restaurant.

Continue Reading “Sawadee Restaurant”

(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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I stopped at MetroFresh at Midtown Promenade after the gym Monday night, thinking I’d eat something low-calorie. Then I encountered this dish — strips of grilled flank steak over blue-cheese risotto with red-pepper coulis. Sold! Cost, including a cup of Thai coconut-chicken-rice soup, was only $12.95.

This reminds me of the recent study, widely reported, that concluded that if a restaurant advertises healthy food but also offers heavier dishes, people will often choose the latter while congratulating themselves for dining in a health-conscious restaurant.

MetroFresh posts its menu daily and I noticed that tonight’s entrees (Tuesday) include chicken and dumplings. I have to eat elsewhere this evening; otherwise I’d be there.

(Photo by Cliff Bostock)

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Often, people ask me where I get my inspiration. I don’t usually have an answer. I may ramble about the farmers’ market, or detail an epiphany I had while visiting a new city. But it’s very difficult to delve into the process in a few sentences. It’s poetic to talk about inspiration being all around you, and that if you just open your eyes wide enough, you’ll see. Smell the roses … or garbage bin, for that matter.

The romantic notion that inspiration can strike anyone, wildly and without rhyme or reason, simply isn’t true. As with any creative endeavor, inspiration is only useful when you have a firm foundation of experience and technique to filter it through.

But if you have a moment, I’ll walk you through the inspiration behind a dish that I’m doing at a private dinner this month. The dinner happens to be in a graveyard. At night. Outside. In total darkness, except each diner is armed with a flashlight.

I’ll be describing the last savory course of a five-course meal.

Continue Reading “Sacrificial inspiration”

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Ever wonder what goes on inside Anthony Bourdain’s head?

I guess, although Tony always seemed like the kind of guy to just say what he’s thinking. That’s one of the best things about his award-winning Travel Channel show “No Reservations.” That and the look on his face when he’s gotta eat another poop shoot.

But we ask because Anthony Bourdain has a new TV series on the way in 2010, which promises a presumably elusive look into the celeb chef’s mind. The show’s animated and it looks … kinda bad. For “Anthony Bourdain’s Alternate Universe” the well-traveled chef’s animated doppelganger is some sort of too-cool-for-school, brain-eating (see Sandra Lee and Rachel Ray) Dr. Evil type. Sure, the real life Tony is also a too-cool-for-school, brain-eating Dr. Evil type, but the brief Travel Channel teaser makes cartoon Tony look like a bratty, image-obsessed Frankenstein. I prefer the weathered human curmudgeon to the salty, well-coiffed drawing. The teaser’s porn-y music doesn’t help either.

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The newest location of Pure Taqueria — 300 North Highland Ave. — will open Oct. 31. Inman Park residents will be treated to an open house this Thursday night. The new taqueria is in the old Grape location, across from Sotto Sotto and Fritti. …

Check out photographer Mark Petko’s blog Spoonfed Atlanta to see some beautiful shots of dishes at Serpas True Food. Other restaurants he’s featured recently include Top Flr and 4th and Swift. …

In case you missed it, Tom Maicon of Atlanta Cuisine published a great interview with Jeff Varasano, owner of the controversial Varasano’s Pizzeria. Among his comments which have caused further controversy:

The biggest unexpected challenge was the fact that guests eat their pizza with a knife and fork. Coming from NY it’s just a reflex to pick up a slice and fold it. I really want everyone to try pizza at it’s best and a huge part of any food experience is the way it feels in your mouth. A great piece of fresh fried chicken has a nice crunch on the outside that gives way to a juicy interior. Similarly, folding a fresh slice allows you to bite the crust which gives way to the juicy sauce.

This style of pizza has a light crust that is too delicate to retain any crunch after it’s been cut with a knife or if it’s sat too long. We got a lot of early criticism about the texture of the crust and we spent the first two months altering the dough formula to compensate. This was probably our biggest mistake. I know of no pizza with this kind of thin, charred, light airy style that holds up to a knife and fork….

The Cabbagetown Chomp and Stomp is the weekend of Nov. 7. The annual event’s highlight is a chili cookoff. This year’s judges are Shaun Doty, Kevin Gillespie, Linton Hopkins, Kevin Rathbun, Joe Truex and Scott Serpas. …

The Anis and Carpe Diem folks have opened their new restaurant, Amuse, in the old Allegro space on Dutch Valley Road in Midtown. It’s been open a week now. …

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Because there are so many fancy butters on the market, deciding which brand to splurge on is incredibly difficult — and costly.

I assembled five tasters, including myself, for a blind taste test. The butters were chosen randomly based on availability from local stores such as Publix, Fresh Market, Whole Foods and Star Provisions.

All butters were served at room temperature. We started with rolls, but eventually switched to our fingers since the bread got in the way.

Plugrá (Unsalted) $2.99/pound. This butter is a “European-style” butter made by Keller’s Creamery in Texas. It had the creamiest mouthfeel of the bunch. One person remarked it tasted “like butter should taste.” It’s also one of the cheapest on our list and available at most grocery stores. www.kellerscreamery.com.

Meyenberg Goat Milk Butter $7.40/8 oz. The snow-white color of this butter had some of my tasters a bit wary. The goat milk butter — made in Turlock, Calif. — has won four first-place awards at the American Cheese Society’s annual cheese competition. While made with goat milk, the Meyenberg is clean rather than barnyardy. Our tasters called it “cheese-like” and “pleasantly fatty.” www.meyenberg.com.

Continue Reading “Butter”

(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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Andrew Smith, the (amazingly prolific) author of Eating History, will be speaking 7:30-9:30 p.m. Mon., Nov. 16, at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts (1927 Lakeside Pkw., Tucker):

Food historian Andrew F. Smith will recount—in delicious detail—some of the major moments that made contemporary American cuisine, as described in his brand new book, Eating History: Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine, from Columbia University Press. The style of American cooking, along with the ingredients that compose it, has never been fixed. With a cast of characters including bold inventors, savvy restaurateurs, ruthless advertisers, mad scientists, adventurous entrepreneurs, celebrity chefs, and relentless health nuts, Smith pins down the truly crackerjack history behind the way America eats.

The event is co-sponsored by the Culinary Historians of Atlanta, which maintains a Facebook page (e-mail deborah.duchon@gmail.com). There is also a separate Facebook page for this event.

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This is pretty groovy. Illy is marketing cups designed by one of my favorite film directors:

This signed and numbered, limited edition illy Art Collection cup set was designed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar for illy caffè. Almodóvar’s six-cup series – each entry paired with an equally vivid saucer — takes inspiration from six of the famed Spanish director’s most admired films; Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990), High Heels (1991), The Flower of My Secret (1995), Bad Education (2004) and Volver (2006). The individually decorated cups depict his signature themes of love, women — including his favorite lead actress Penélope Cruz — desire, passion and family.

They’re kind of retro-garish and expensive, but if you’ve got money to burn, go ahead and buy a full set.

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We checked out the new Lupe Taqueria (905 Juniper St., 678-904-4584) over the weekend. The new restaurant by Riccardo Ullio is located in the space formerly occupied by Cuerno, his attempt at a Spanish restaurant (something that never seems to succeed in Atlanta).

The new restaurant, named after the Virgin of Guadalupe, features a very straightforward menu of tacos and classics like the chile relleno above and the flan at right. The chile relleno departs from the usual around town by featuring a filling of queso cincho — an aged, firm cheese that does not melt into the creamy texture of chihuahua cheese.

Although it’s completely usual to do so, I prefer my chiles served over the traditional red sauce, not under it, as the chef is doing here. That can easily turn the fried flour-and-egg coating soggy.

I have one major complaint about the restaurant. It calls itself a “taqueria,” but you are only allowed to order  plates of three-of-a-kind tacos with the usual rice and refried beans — no mix-and-match. So, even if you’re tempted to order a $9 plate of tacos as a starter, they all have to be of a single kind.

I’ll have more to say in Grazing later this week.

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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YOU'RE TOAST: Rosebud's chicken liver spread appetizer

It’s the dream of so many young chefs: a neighborhood sidewalk, a random weeknight — Wednesday perhaps — warm light spilling from large restaurant windows, the sound of people laughing. A full bar, the game playing silently on the TVs above. The dining room beyond bustling. A 20-minute wait for a table at 8:30 p.m.

Brick walls. Specials and cocktails written stylishly on chalkboards. An atmosphere that feels neighborly and personal.

But what to call such a restaurant? Something comforting but evocative of individuality. Something that speaks to the young chef’s other loves, possibly something that nods to his taste in music.

Such is the dream-turned-reality of Rosebud, owned by chef Ron Eyester and named after Jerry Garcia’s guitar.

Continue Reading “Review: Rosebud”

(Photo by James Camp)

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Some exciting food and drink events coming up in the next week:

The 42nd Annual Moonshine Festival

Fri., Oct. 23- Sun., 25, 8 am-5 pm

Downtown Dawsonville will be holding its annual Moonshine Festival this weekend. You can come and explore Dawson County’s historical prohibition era, when many flocked to hiding in the Northeast Georgia Mountains to make moonshine. Admission is FREE and all proceeds for the festival go to Kare for Kids. There will be a number of activities, including a tour of an old moonshine still and lots of entertainment.

The Corner Pub’s Butt Cook Off

Sat., Oct. 24

This is Decatur’s The Corner Pub’s Fifth Annual Butt Cook Off. Judging for the cook off begins at 4pm, followed by FREE sampling of the foods. 627 D East College Ave. 404-377-0603.

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LUNCH WITH FRIENDS: Bocado's dining room

Bocado (887 Howell Mill Road, 404-815-1399) is the latest restaurant to open on the city’s Westside. Its location — across from Octane, at the corner of Howell Mill Road and Marietta Street — is the first evidence of the way the restaurant typifies a significant shift in the city’s restaurant community. The Westside is booming — at least compared to more expensive real estate in the city. Lower rent and smaller spaces are essential to most restaurants’ survival in this economy.

And that’s also produced a shift in restaurant appearance. Bocado’s design is by ai3, the people whose first project was the (defunct) Globe, my favorite interior in recent years. They’ve also designed 4th & Swift, Holeman & Finch and the particularly wonderful Flip.

Rather than the theatrical, large spaces that typify the Johnson Studio designs (Aria, Two Urban Licks), for example, ai3’s are spare in utilization of uncluttered open space, but the firm also employs natural (and recycled) materials that conversely add an intimate glow, especially after sunset. Communal tables also seem to be part of ai3’s play with space.

Continue Reading “First Look: Bocado”

(Photo by James Camp)

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Let it ride. Or rather, slide.

Over the past few weeks Jen has cooked through illness and battled anxiety, but during last night’s famous restaurant wars, the lone female superstar actually floundered, serving not one, but two poorly executed pieces of fish. Her sloppy, broken brown butter sauce was uncharacteristic and brought out some pretty harsh words from head judge Tom Colicchio ( “It’s basically grease – her mentor would not be happy with her”). Even her slightly more inspired mussel “consummé” was not up to her usual standards, or Robin’s for that matter, and at the judge’s table she was a literal and figurative mess. At least she (or the editors) got to show off her bikini bod. (more…)

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