Omnivore Atlanta

It’s been a month since my regular Friday lunch bunch visited La Pietra Cucina. We did today and found chef Bruce Logue in an unusually upbeat mood. (Yes, he knows me.) He visited our table wielding this chunk of the highest-grade of Wagyu beef and insisted we each try a skewer of the meat.

I’ve eaten plenty of apparently lower-grade Wagyu over the years. This was completely unique to my taste. The beef, from the hanger cut, virutally had the texture of foie gras.

“This is the best piece of meat on Peachtree right now,” Logue said. “I’m telling the staff tonight they better sell this, because if they can’t sell this, they’re in the wrong place.”

If I were you, I’d get a reservation tonight or Saturday to sample it as a starter or entree.

The rest of our lunch included a round of soup with escarole, white beans and housemade fennel sausage, followed by speck panini for two of us and a chicken panino for another.

Another light lunch.

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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BURGER CLUB: The Artery Annihilator is an 8-ounce Angus patty on two Krispy Kreme doughnuts

It arrived like any other hamburger of its type, crowding the plate, oozing melted cheddar cheese from which lengths of crispy bacon jutted. Above all, it glowed with the nostalgia of every American kid’s favorite meal. The economy has tanked, the plutocrats bid the lawmakers to let us eat cake, the teabaggers exhort us literally to vote against our own interests. The world has gone mad, but we’ve still got hamburgers.

Sort of. I took a closer look, as did those sitting at nearby tables in the bar of the new Burger Club (4300 Paces Ferry Road, Vinings, 678-888-9036). There was a barely discernible gasp. A woman’s hand flew to her chest. “Yeah,” I said, “it’s the ‘Artery Annihilator.’”

The 8-ounce Angus patty’s bun wasn’t a bun at all – it was two Krispy Kreme doughnuts. As my gaze took in the concoction, childhood nostalgia melted – like the sugar glaze on the doughnuts, the globes of fat in the burger, the crystallized fat in the bacon and the drooping fat of the cheese – into an adult’s vision of slow suicide. Why wasn’t it served with Lipitor and beta-blockers?

Continue Reading “First Look: Burger Club and FuzeBurger”

(Photo by James Camp)

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I dined alone at Stella in Grant Park Thursday night. I had a Caesar salad and a white pizza featuring zucchini, bacon and mozzarella, streaked with balsamic vinegar. The restaurant is slated to close and be resurrected as a Doc Chey’s Noodle House within the next few months. (The same people own both restaurants.) Meanwhile, the chef has left the restaurant to open her own venue in Florida.

I asked a server why the owners think Doc Chey’s will do better than Stella and she told me that “foot traffic” is much higher at all locations of the noodle house. She said some limited remodeling will occur before the transition. …

In my quest for new burgers, I dined Monday night at Roxx Tavern and Diner on Cheshire Bridge Road. On Mondays, the restaurant offers a build-your-own-burger special.  You start with a $5.95 Angus beef, turkey or veggie burger and add toppings of your choice.

Weirdly, the restaurant doesn’t offer a list of ingredients and their cost. You just choose whatever you like that is mentioned in the regular menu of kitchen-designed burgers and you’ll have to ask what each ingredient costs. I chose this Angus patty with caramelized onions. feta cheese and bacon. I ended up saving a couple of bucks.  It was quite good, if a bit undercooked. …

Speaking of burgers, the Shed at Glenwood featured a slider at its regular Wednesday “slider night” that included duck confit and fresh cranberries that had been marinated in port wine, jalapeño peppers and cloves. I keep craving it. …

Entice, a “Caribbean tapas restaurant and lounge,” is soon to open on Ponce de Leon Avenue near the Spaghetti Factory. …

Marketing Ploy of the Week: Over the weekend, the Ansley Publix appeared to repackage its small cobb salad in the large container, lowered the price a dollar and claimed it was on sale. Ugh. …

It appears Vesuvius, the new pizzeria on Edgewood Avenue, will not open tomorrow night, Friday, as hoped. Maybe next week. …

So light, so airy, so incredibly fattening. …

So noisy, so airy, so inedible. …

(Photo by Cliff Bostock)

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Hurry and get you a pair.

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OK, there is significant oral fixation on display in this video, but mainly I’m using that meme as an excuse to share some great music by the Danish duo, the Raveonettes.

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Miller Union, new in the Westside and soon-to-be-reviewed-here, has made the Daily Beast’s list of “fall’s hot new restaurants”:

The Buzz: Miller Union is the latest Atlanta restaurant to focus on farm-to-table fare. Led by chef Steven Satterfield, formerly the executive sous chef of acclaimed Atlanta eatery Watershed, Miller Union boasts an upscale Southern menu (beer-braised pork shoulder) built around local produce and a wine list of biodynamic, organic wines. Its atmosphere is meant to feel homey, with leather stools, antique furniture and exposed beams. The favorite appetizer: Farm egg baked in celery cream.

Check it out.

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Breakfast in Sin City:

(Hat tip to Brad Lapin)

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I had my fifth hamburger meal in a row tonight and I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed. The flavors, with a few exceptions, all kind of run together in my memory. But that’s cool, because I’m educating my palate, right? Check out this interview with Richard Blais of Flip on BurgerBusiness.com. I especially liked this question and answer:

By offering so many nontraditional burgers, do you see yourself educating the tastebuds of burger lovers?

Looking at the future, I like to think I’m going to have a lot of restaurants that aren’t burgercentric, so I look at Flip as a sort of training ground for a lot of palates. Sort of disguised under this iconic All-American ingredient, the burger, it is a way to get young people to experience lamb or something else they’ve never had before. But they’re much more receptive to it because it’s a burger.

If I have two teens out on a Friday night date and they decide to order the lamb burger, I’m building clientele for the future. And they’re building their palates.

I don’t feel like what we do is that creative. We just try to look at things a little differently.

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It’s not as weird as the Krispy Kreme burger below, but here’s a novelty at FuzeBurger, another new burger joint. This one’s next to the Krispy Kreme on Ponce de Leon Avenue, but it isn’t featuring the iconic donuts in any of its burgers. (In fact, the restaurant doesn’t offer any desserts at all, weirdly enough.)

The dish above is a starter of fried tofu chips with Thai plum sauce. They’re kind of crispy but melt in the mouth instantly.

Fuze is owned by the same people who owned a Thai restaurant at the same location. Like its predecessor, Fuze has a terrific interior design. Its walls are red and a central focal detail is a long, serpentine, white paper lantern. Its shape is replicated in splashes of white paint on the red walls.

I assume the name, Fuze, is meant to imply “fusion,” and the burgers do indeed have elements of other cultures, from Malaysian to Korean.

More in Grazing later this week.

(Photo by Cliff Bostock)

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Here it is — the “Artery Annihilator,” on the menu at the new Burger Club. This isn’t the first time a restaurant in our city has served a bacon-cheeseburger between two Krispy Kreme donuts, but it was my first experience. And despite what Paula Deen thinks of such a concoction (see video below), I found it pretty nightmarish and in need of emergency tweaking by Richard Blais.

I’ve tried a lot else on the menu and found most of it quite acceptable, including the fried Moon Pie, which is not a Moon Pie at all, but a bakery version of one. I’ll say more about the restaurant later this week in Grazing.

(Photo by Cliff Bostock)

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THREE'S COMPANY: The shrimp, carne asada and fish tacos at Pure Taqueria

Isn’t assimilation a wonderful thing? America wouldn’t be America if we didn’t invite immigrants to jump into our melting pot (unless they happen to look like terrorists, have really dark skin, or expect to do anything but pick our lettuce).

More than half a million Hispanics have settled in Georgia. The state’s Hispanic population increased more than 200 percent between 1980 and 2000 – the third-largest increase in the nation. The 2010 census is likely to report the same kind of growth.

I mention this because a large percentage of the Hispanic population here is Mexican and that poses a perennial question to me: Why is so much Mexican food in our city repulsively malo? I’m not talking about the mami-y-papi taquerias on Buford Highway that cater mainly to Mexicans. I’m talking about the restaurants that attract mainly gringos. Why, no matter the ethnicity of their owners and cooks, do they almost all serve bad Tex-Mex border cuisine?

Continue Reading “First Look: Pure Taqueria and El Toro”

(Photo by James Camp)

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We had a great dinner at Noni’s (357 Edgewood Ave., 404-343-1808) last night. Owner-chef Matt Rupert has added a bowl of squid piccata to the starters and it’s a really refreshing alternative to the usual fried calamari.

Wayne ordered the squid before an entree of farfalle with an anchovy-lemon sauce. I had my usual: a Caesar salad followed by the chicken-eggplant parmesan.

Matt is among the owners of the new Pizzeria Vesuvius (327 Edgewood Ave., 404-343-4404), which is replacing the Bureau in the next block. Also involved are the owners of Grant Central and Thumbs Up, along with Chris Lopez, one of the Bureau’s owners.

They hope to open by next Friday. The restaurant features a wood-burning brick oven. The pizza will be thin-crusted but more mainstream than the pies at Antico Napoleatana, Varasano’s and Fritti, according to Matt. They are targeting students at nearby Georgia State University. Diners will be able to build their own pizzas or order one of the house pies, all of which are named after volcanoes.

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The Yale Daily News reports on some major stupidity in the academy:

When Darra Goldstein proposed writing a dissertation on food and Russian literature, her doctoral advisers were “aghast.” Food, they said, had no place in academia.

At a Pierson College Master’s Tea Tuesday, Goldstein, who is the founding editor and editor-in-chief of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture, spoke to an audience of approximately 30 about her struggle to establish food as a legitimate academic pursuit.

Goldstein, who teaches Russian poetry, culture and art at Williams College, said fellow academics saw food as a visceral pursuit, not an intellectual one. But Goldstein said she couldn’t stop thinking about food.

“If it meant giving up food to be an academic, there was something wrong,” Goldstein said. “There [had] to be a place for people like me.”

Read the whole story...and subscribe to Gastronomica!

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I stopped by the new Painted Table Cafe (465 Boulevard) a few nights ago. The restaurant occupies the space that housed the much-missed Zocalo Taqueria. Unfortunately, a sign announced that “technical difficulties” had emerged during the restaurant’s soft opening, forcing it to close temporarily. It will reopen 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 16, according to the sign. But I’d call ahead (404-622-4353).

Daily Candy mentioned the restaurant recently:

Chef Omega Idolion Angell has taken up residence beneath the Fine Line Gallery, serving breakfast and lunch in a cozy, eclectic space.

A mix of wood, metal, stone, and orange Venetian faux finish make the interior a canvas in its own right. A big band soundtrack and rotating local art up the art house ante.

The far-ranging menu includes aromatic peanut butter and jelly soup, French toast rolled in caramelized Frosted Flakes and served with vanilla-orange anglaise, and pistachio-encrusted red snapper. The selections pay homage to Angell’s work in 92 countries (including stints as an Alaskan king crab fisherman and Flying Biscuit exec chef) and his willingness to play with his food.

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It’s that time again — time to subscribe to Knife and Fork. Christiane Lauterbach, one of the dining critics at Atlanta magazine, has published this monthly newsletter for 27 years and I still regard it as the best dining resource in town.

Unfortunately, Christiane is not interested in the Internet, so to read the newsletter you have no choice but to subscribe. Cost is $26 annually and you can order gift subscriptions for $24 or $22, depending on the number you buy. Call 404-378-2775 for more information.

The latest issue includes positive (2.5-star) reviews of Antico Pizza Napoleatana, Grindhouse Killer Burgers and Leon’s Full Service. There are also first impressions of Bocado (positive) and Iberian Pig (kinda positive). Her “find of the month” is Alosta Bakery and the “traveler’s corner” tours Minneapolis. There’s plenty of gossip and off-the-cuff comment too, like this:

TREND WATCH: Veal breast is the new pork belly. Unctuous, easily caramelized, and of special interest to chefs squeezed by the economy, this inexpensive cut showed up on our plate twice in one week, properly boned, trimmed, and served in a neat square.

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Go ahead. Eat all the pork you want. Just know that you might be eating the pig that could have discovered a cure for obesity or translated the entire opus of Proust into pig latin. The New York Times has the story.

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Those wacky Chinese Southern Belles are doing a series of 20-minute, free cooking demos at Buford Highway Farmers Market (5600 Buford Hwy., Doraville, just outside I-285), starting this Saturday. You can see them at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. Here’s the topic lineup for the first four demos:

Nov. 14  – Express Sushi (veggie only or with fish)
Nov. 21 – Eggrolls ‘n’ Springrolls
Dec. 5 – Asian Noodle Crazy
Dec. 12 – Fusion Favorites

Check out their website for more details.

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Doug Strickland, owner of Eno, sent out this e-mail today, announcing the sale of his restaurant and neighboring market:

Eno was born from the passionate pursuit of a life dream.

As most of you know, we sold Eno and Barrelman to Zaza Pachulia, the center for the Atlanta Hawks.

Living a life dream and having passion in what you do brings many rewards. It allows you to work endlessly and intensely without ever feeling like it is work; in our business, it provides a constant medium for giving to the community; thirdly, it allows you to form many great relationships. I think it is the relationships that I have been able to build that mean the most to me. I am truly blessed.

Some of our regulars and friends in the trade, have asked me to send out a note about what is going on, what’s next for Eno and what’s next for Doug Strickland. This warms my heart greatly. I would love to stay in touch. Thank you.

At Eno, Zaza and his team have expressed a real appreciation for the concept and while there will be tweaks, as I understand it, he does not plan to change much, at least not for now.

As for me, ironically, the sale of Eno has allowed me to more actively pursue my passion for food and wine, stir creative juices and spend more time with my family.

While exploring longer term opportunities on the beverage supply side, I am consulting private collectors, restaurants and hotels in wine and general beverage program management.
If I can be of help or should an opportunity arise that you know about please think of me.

Thank you for helping me live my dream.

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I’m sorry to report the bad news that Geneva Francais died Sunday. I have no details, but received an e-mail from a family member, who was short on details himself. He did say that she had suffered two earlier strokes.

Geneva was one of our city’s true culinary characters. Her restaurant, the African Brown Bag, was among my top favorites during the ’90s. She started business in Little Five Points, preparing a blend of African-French cooking that attracted foodies from all over the city. Later, she moved the restaurant to Ford Factory Square, but it did not last long. I can’t think of another restaurant as eccentrically appealing as the Brown Bag was.

I’ll furnish more details as I receive them. In the meantime, I extend my condolences to her family, especially her daughter Hillary, who usually helped Geneva at the restaurant.

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How’s your gaydar for names? Can you, just by looking at a name, tell if it belongs to a gay bar or a steakhouse? Take the test.

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AMUSE: The charred octopus with seaweed

Certain restaurants evoke sweet memories. One is Anis in Buckhead. I lunched there every Friday for years with friends and still often do. Another evocative one no longer exists — at least not in its original form. I’m referring to Café Diem, which was replaced by Après Diem.

Café Diem was a favorite for light French food and an evening of listening to poetry back in the early ’90s. Created by Andy Alibaksh, it was the city’s most boho setting, and it seems that people enjoyed working there as much as hanging out there. There’s even a Facebook page titled “I worked at Café Diem Atlanta, GA, and still remember some of it.”

Among those who worked there was Arnaud Michel, who went on to open the aforementioned Anis (and several other restaurants) with business partners. Now, he has teamed up with Alibaksh, to open Amuse (560 Dutch Valley Road, 404-888-1890), an Anis-style bistro in the space vacated by Allegro.

Continue Reading “First Look: Amuse”

(Photo by James Camp)

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We checked out the new Pure Taqueria on North Highland in Inman Park tonight and had a pleasant meal. The place was packed, noisy as hell and featured a young, energetic staff that might end up becoming known as the city’s best looking.

The redo of the former tenant’s interior is a huge improvement and has a lot in common with the Taqueria del Sol look — lots of windows, a long bar (above) where you can eat and swill margaritas.  Unlike TDS, however, you don’t stand in line to order. Although,  you may have to wait for a table. We waited about 20 minutes. That’s not an experience one has in Atlanta restaurants much these days, especially on a Tuesday night.

Most of our food was good. Probably my favorite dish was a starter of grilled shrimp with an avocado-habanero salsa (right). For an entree, I tried chicken enchiladas with mole, which, like much of the food here, tasted a lot better than it looked. The mole was quite good, in fact.

As at the new Lupe, tacos are sold three-to-a-plate but you can mix and match. That will drive the price up a bit, since you also have to order side dishes — even the omnipresent rice and frijoles refritos –  a la carte.

A surprise was a tres leches cake made with coconut. It works!

Look for more in a future Grazing column.

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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Atlanta Cuisine is about to take off in some new, pleasingly wacky directions, according to owner Tom Maicon, who sent me the following (edited) e-mail:

In just about 21 days the Atlanta Cuisine website is going to change dramatically in look and feel.  The forum will remain, as it is on someone else’s server (Ninja Post) and they maintain it.

We are moving more towards video — AC Television, which will air 21- and 42-minute segments of crazy investigative restaurant/bar stuff,  including paranormal investigations with real-life local ghost hunters armed with all the necessary equipment….

I just hired the production and camera folks in the last 48 hours and we plan to start shooting in the next 10 to 14 days.  The weekly show will be restaurant/bar oriented but with an investigative angle. Examples include paranormal investigations;  solving mysteries (such as identifying the “gel” that is in an Arby’s roast beef sandwich); a beer documentary covering 15 Southern breweries in five days with a bunch of beer fanatics on an old school bus, pouring beer from two custom-built kegorators; and all sorts of other show ideas I can’t yet mention.

There was no mention of the fate of the site’s monthly tabloid publication.

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The new El Toro on Memorial Drive in Grant Park, my neighborhood,  has opened. It’s located in the building that was occupied by the much-missed Redfish. I presume it is serving the usual Tex-Mex cooking that appeals to many gringos.

Grant Park was home to several completely authentic taquerias just a few years ago, including a couple hole-in-the-wall joints and the more  gringo-friendly Zocalo. The only really authentic Mexican restaurant left is the rather mediocre Mi Barrio, also on Memorial Drive, near Boulevard. And just west of that — on Memorial, at Cherokee — is the fun Tin Lizzy’s Cantina, also serving mainly Tex-Mex border cuisine.

Meanwhile, Pure Taqueria has opened a few miles away in Inman Park.

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Illy, maker of what many regard as the world’s best coffee, is going after the Starbucks crowd, according to the Wall Street Journal:

For more than 20 years the closely held company, based in Trieste, Italy, has sold its coffee in high-end grocers such as Whole Foods and in coffee shops, hotels and restaurants in the U.S. Now it’s expanding its reach by signing contracts with cafes in the U.S. that agree to serve Illy exclusively and allow Illy a hand in quality control.

There are only 28 such stores in the US now and one of them is our own Cafe Nineteen in the Westside:

Cafe Nineteen in Atlanta, which closed temporarily last year, reopened in June, having added an outdoor patio with red Illy umbrellas. Owner Sean Lupton-Smith said he began serving Illy coffee “so we could offer a consistent experience to our customers and be strong enough to stand up to the Starbucks around the corner.”

A 12-ounce Illy drip coffee in a white ceramic cup with the red Illy logo sells for $3 instead of $1.60 for his previously no-name cups of joe. Coffee sales have tripled to $750 a day. “We’re open until 2 a.m. and believe it or not, we sell coffee at midnight,” Mr. Lupton-Smith says.

Personally, I prefer Lavazza over Illy, and I mean the taste — not just the lower price.

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