Omnivore Atlanta

Cakes and Ale crosses my mind whenever I head to Decatur. I don’t get to dine here as often as I’d like, but to me it’s everything a restaurant should be: chef-driven to the point of eccentric, highlighting seasonal ingredients and giving foremost attention to flavor.

Favorite Dishes: The gnocchi is always reliable – a great dish for showing off those seasonal ingredients. 254 W Ponce de Leon Ave. 404-377-7994. www.cakesandalerestaurant.com.

We will be counting down Cliff’s Top 10 Favorites every day between now and Oct. 21, the day our Food Issue 2009 launches. Check back tomorrow for Number 3.

(Photo by James Camp)

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Cóm is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant. While there are a couple of fancier spots in town, Cóm is inexpensive, informal and mainly quite healthy. Don’t go without trying the house salad, made with green mango, green papaya, Fuji apples, fried onions, roasted peanuts, mint, basil and cilantro. You add the grilled seafood, meat or tofu of your choice.

Favorite dish: My default entrée is usually a bun (rice vermicelli) bowl with la lot leaves stuffed with lamb. 4005-E Buford Hwy. 404-320-0405. www.comgrill.com.

We will be counting down Cliff’s Top 10 Favorites every day between now and Oct. 21, the day our Food Issue 2009 launches. Check back tomorrow for Number 4.

(Photo by James Camp)

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This week has been what Wayne and I call a “Freedom from Food Week.” That means we didn’t have to eat anything for first-time review. The reason is that I wrote the list of my 10 favorite restaurants instead of Grazing for next week’s paper. That put me a week ahead.

By the way, some people don’t seem to distinguish between the “best” and a “favorite” restaurant. A favorite restaurant is one that I go to regularly because the food is consistently good, it’s fairly inexpensive and it’s relatively convenient to where I live.  I would, for example, consider Restaurant Eugene among the best restaurants in the city but it’s not a favorite for regular dining week in and week out.

I’ve had several terrific meals this week at favorites. Above is the gigantic pickle we brought home from the Shed at Glenwood Wednesday night after our usual indulgence of $3 sliders. Wayne asked for an extra slice of pickle and the waiter brought him this dinner-plate-sized monster. It seems owner Cindy Shera bought an entire barrel of them, thinking she was buying the usual size.

We had two excellent newbie sliders — fried oysters and coleslaw, and pork belly with pork and beans.

I lunched Friday with my friend Frank Miller at La Pietra Cucina, where I haven’t been in nearly a month. Our meal was flat-out spectacular, starting with a large bowl of soup featuring octopus and chickpeas with a bit of escarole and delectable Olivastro oil. That was followed by lemony tagliatelle with chunks of Dungeness crab, which was followed by porchetta paninos. No, I did not take a nap in the car after lunch, but I sure felt like it.

Last night, Thursday, I scored a seat at the bar at the always-crowded Dynamic Dish for an amazing-as-usual meal: creamy, slightly crispy aubergine croquettes over San Marzano tomato sauce with steamed kale and crowder peas. I followed that with owner-chef David Sweeney’s interesting take on bread pudding — more like toast pudding — topped with whiskey sauce and toasted walnuts.

Last Monday, I visited the new Antico Pizza for another Naples-style pie, this time the San Gennaro topped with sweet sausage, bufala, cippolini and sweet pickled red peppers. Like the week before, I carried the pizza home in a box and it was way too gooey by the time I arrived, but nonetheless a really stimulating play of sweet flavors. I wish the restaurant included seating — there is one table where you can stand and eat — because the pizza is really not suited for travel. It’s not on my list of favorites yet, but it’s only been open a few weeks and I’ve been twice!

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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The Shed at Glenwood is where I land every Wednesday night. That’s when Chef Lance Gummere prepares an ever-changing menu of fat, delicious sliders that cost all of $3 each. The regular menu includes the delicious novelty of pan-fried chicken hearts and a foie gras torchon with warm fig jam. Go Sunday and you get three courses for $20.

Favorite dishes: Recent favorite sliders have been wild boar with caramelized onions, and one showcasing a thick slice of fried green tomato with goat cheese.   475 Bill Kennedy Way. 404-835-4363 www.theshedatglenwood.com.

We will be counting down Cliff’s Top 10 Favorites every day between now and Oct. 21, the day our Food Issue 2009 launches. Check back tomorrow for Number 5.

(Photo by James Camp)

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Spoon has blown all other Thai restaurants in Atlanta out of the water. Although its menu is a bit limited compared to others, the curry sauces have no equal for their complexity and fiery heat (unless you specify “mild”). I go to the East Atlanta location, but the original is in the Westside.

Favorite dishes: The Massaman curry, to which I add mixed seafood or chicken. The tofu steak is my favorite special. 749 Moreland Ave., 404-624-4713. 768 Marietta Street., 404-522-5655. www.spoonatlanta.com.

We will be counting down Cliff’s Top 10 Favorites every day between now and Oct. 21, the day our Food Issue 2009 launches. Check back tomorrow for Number 6.

(Photo by James Camp)

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Come and get yo soul food, well well
Good old-fashioned soul food, all right
Everythang is for free
As good as it can be
Come and get some soul food

This Atlanta-based group invented the phrase “Dirty South,” which a certain popular blogger has adopted.

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Unbelievable.

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Au Rendez Vous is probably the least expensive French restaurant in town. Kiet Jean-Claude Changivy is its Vietnamese, Paris-trained owner/chef. He serves simple, country-French fare in a dining room that feels makeshift but charms the hell out of you, anyway.

Favorite dishes: I love the cassoulet. Classics like boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin are also quite satisfying.  1328 Windsor Pkwy. 404-303-1968.

We will be counting down Cliff’s Top 10 Favorites every day between now and Oct. 21, the day our Food Issue 2009 launches. Check back tomorrow for Number 7.

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Fritti remains my favorite pizzeria in town despite much hoopla over a few newcomers. Part of its appeal is the starters. The one I order most is the mushrooms fried in rice-flour batter with white truffle oil. (It may be the only place I like to smell truffle oil anymore.)

Favorite dishes: My favorite pizzas are the margherita, the speck and arugula and the Napoli with bufala, anchovies and capers.  309 N. Highland Ave. 404-880-9559. www.frittirestaurant.com

We will be counting down Cliff’s Top 10 Favorites every day between now and Oct. 21, the day our Food Issue 2009 launches. Check back tomorrow for Number 8!

(Photo by Cliff Bostock)

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Whoa! Subway is about to overtake McDonald’s. OK, we’re not talking sales; we’re talking number of locations, but still..:

Restaurant upstart Subway, riding high on the marketing message of healthy fast food, will overtake its titanic competitor McDonald’s in American store locations by the end of 2009, with a shocking total of more than 32,300 outlets.

That’s something few consumers could imagine before the sandwich chain piggybacked on huge weight loss of morbidly obese Jared Fogle — who lost 245 pounds by exercising and eating only its sandwiches, in contrast to Super Size Me’s Morgan Spurlock, who got fat and sick eating McDonald’s grub.

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Ugh. Another Atlanta restaurant bites the dust. This time it’s Fishmonger in Sandy Springs. (Hat tip: Patricia Tinsley)

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I ate lunch and dinner at the new Bocado last Friday. Located in the Westside, across from Octane at the corner of Howell Mill and Marietta Street, this restaurant has a spare, modern look reminiscent of the Globe. The owner is Brian Lewis.

“Bocado” means “mouthful” in Spanish. The accent here is on inexpensive small plates for sharing and sandwiches. However, a few entrees are available at dinner, like this flounder with braised beans, green olives, almonds and capers.

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Check out the Biosphere Farm, which allows you to grow your own veggies and fish in your kitchen:

But perhaps most dramatic is the self-contained biosphere farm, created by Philips, to provide fish and fresh produce 52 weeks a year.

It will also deliver fresh hydrogen, which can be used to power a car, and run on food waste from the kitchen.

The plants produce oxygen, which is fed into the fish tank to keep the occupants happy.

The tank is kept clean by shrimps, which can also be eaten.

I had a similar contraption back in the ’70s to grow, um, herbs. But it didn’t include a fish habitat.

(Photo courtesy of the Mail Online)

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Pura Vida is the stage for recent “Top Chef” contestant Hector Santiago to perform his avant-garde magic with tapas. No other chef in the city gets quite as successfully crazy with the form. Faves have included the duck confit with caramelized plantains and steamed coconut buns filled with pork belly, cabbage and pickled chilies.

Favorite dish: Santiago’s mofongo, a Puerto Rican specialty, was my absolute favorite here for years. 656 N. Highland Ave. 404-870-9797. www.puravidatapas.com

We will be counting down Cliff’s Top 10 Favorites every day between now and Oct. 21, the day our Food Issue 2009 launches. Check back tomorrow for Number 9!

(Photo by James Camp)

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COMBO PLATTER: Royal South Indian thali at Udipi Cafe

Some restaurants get better with time. Some get worse. I’m looking at one of each this week and we’ll start with the one that’s gotten worse.

Udipi Cafe(1707 Church St., Decatur, 404-296-6771) moved a few months ago from its original location on Lawrenceville Highway across the street to the shopping center that houses mainly Indian businesses.

The first shock here is the appearance of the place. The original was a rather picturesque spot – a bit gloomy – with quirky architectural details. This new location is completely undecorated unless you count a color scheme that would never occur in nature. I’m talking orange – OK, maybe saffron – with bright red in equal portions. Even the booths are red. There’s one of those glass waterfall things out front, but not a bit more decoration.

Continue reading Grazing…

(Photo by James Camp)

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File this under “news that totally sucks.” Elisa Gambino (right) has announced the closing of her store, Via Elisa. Although she will continue marketing her sauces under the same name, she will no longer be making her pasta, by far the best available in the city. She writes:

Via Elisa’s store – but not our sauces — will end what has been a glorious seven-year run in Atlanta at the close of business on Saturday, October 17, the latest victim of an unforgiving economy.

Though that will mark the last day we will make our award-winning pasta and the last day our store will be open, I want you to know that we will continue to make our sauces, whose sales have grown despite the economic climate.

Since the line of Via Elisa sauces sold at Whole Foods Markets throughout six states in the South does very well, I will focus on developing Via Elisa as a sauce company. All three of our sauces – Passionately Perfect Tomato, Diavoletta and Sofia’s Sicilian Caper – are available in 16-oz. and 32-oz. jars.

Between the flooding and the economy, there has been much sad news here in Atlanta, and when I think of the loss that so many people have suffered, this bit of news seems trivial in comparison. I am thankful to all of you who have supported Via Elisa since we opened our doors in 2002. I have been overwhelmed by your kindness and dedication to the success of Via Elisa and I hope you will continue to support the sauces as I streamline our business. I have always enjoyed delivering pasta to the people in the neighborhoods, markets and our store. I am confident I will enjoy promoting and selling our sauces as well.

A supply of Via Elisa pasta and ravioli is available at Whole Foods Markets here in Atlanta (as we have just shipped out a fresh batch). You know where to find it! We will also continue to accept your orders until October 16 and I hope you will stock up. Everything we make freezes well.

On a closing note I want to thank the incredible and dedicated staff of professionals who work here at Via Elisa. Without Dave, Tina, Bess, Noe, Maryland, Darnell and Dahlia, Via Elisa would not have been possible. Their dedication to Via Elisa has inspired me daily and has kept me going over the years. Their contribution to the business has been immeasurable. Please thank them when you come to the shop.

And please do come by, say hello and pick up your pasta, ravioli, sauces, meats, cheeses, vinegars and oils at least one last time. The store will be open and we will be here making pasta through Saturday, October 17, and we would love to see you.

As I have always said, a two-pasta day is a good day! And if you are looking for sauce, all of our 16-oz. sizes are still on sale at Whole Foods Markets in the South for only $3.49 until October 13th.

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We visited Udipi last week. The restaurant, once my favorite Indian venue in town, has moved to the shopping center at the corner of Lawrenceville Highway and Church Street.

The menu is the same, as far as I remember, but the experience is generally quite changed. This classic thali (above) was good but a few other dishes were unpleasantly surprising. There was, for example, a spicy puree served with, um, something very much like the bottoms of hamburger buns (right). Yes, chewy, gooey white bread.

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

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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As an ardent observer of Atlanta’s Pizza Wars, I rushed Monday night to try Antico Pizza Napoletana, which Jennifer Zyman raved about here last week.

Her post, which is heavily illustrated and continues on her personal blog, is followed by 40-odd comments. Read them! It is weird how emotional Atlantans get about pizza. When I was critical of Varasano’s (while nearly every other critic and blogger in town waxed orgasmic), I received an avalanche of furious comments. Now, Varasano’s is greatly dissed by commenters on Jennifer’s post and it seems pretty clear Antico is on its way to being the new palazzo di pizza.

The place, located in the old Jaqbo Bakery building, really is like nothing I’ve seen in our city. You can start with the booming opera soundtrack. There’s a big table where you can stand (only) and mix and mingle with Georgia Tech students and foodies while eating the pizza, served hot from the 1,000-degree, wood-burning-ovens.

Standing there, you will get a view of the gigantic kitchen and see that even more people are dining at a couple of large tables inside, within view of the fiery ovens and staff (including Enrico Liberato, who recently departed Fritti). Gazing at the happy seated people, you might feel like a second-class foodie, but you’re not at Antico to burnish your foodie credentials, are you?

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Gourmet magazine ceases publication. The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton closes.

And now French culture completely collapses.

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In case you missed this: I suppose it’s coincidence, but I can’t help but remember that Cracker Barrel is the same restaurant chain that fired all known gay employees around 1991 and provoked a years-long boycott. I wonder why they won’t release the video tape of the race-motivated beating that occurred there last month. In any case, it’s astonishing to see something like this happen now.

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Who will be first? Holeman & Finch or Abattoir? The Utne Reader reports:

You know that funny little red thing on the top of a rooster’s head? It’s called a cockscomb, and as Francine Segan recounts for Gastronomica, it’s very tasty:

What are these morsels that look like the fingers of a doll-sized woolen globe? . . . We take a taste. The spikes are slightly gelatinous, with hints of delicate frog-leg flavor. “Delicious” is the consensus.

Segan stumbles upon this rare ingredient on a trip to the Piedmont region of northern Italy, where cockscomb is a vital ingredient in a stew known as la finanziera, a 200-year-old dish that also utilizes a rooster’s wattles and testicles (among many other ingredients). The cockscomb seems to be the star of the show, though, which makes sense given the amount of work that goes into its preparation.

(Photo courtesy of the Silicon Valley Watcher)

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Another landmark closes, according to Repeat Atlanta:

Following the recent closures of ESPN Zone, Wolfgang Puck Express, Roy’s Hawaiian and the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton, T.G.I. Friday’s on Peachtree has closed too. Located just north of Piedmont Hospital on Peachtree Road, their Buckhead location was one of only a few locations left locally when they ceased operations as of 9/28.

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In case you think the restaurant business is about dead, go to the Real Chow Baby on a Saturday night, as we did this week. The inexpensive stir-fry restaurant was absolutely packed, making it basically impossible to get back in line to exploit the all-you-can-eat deal unless you’ve got unlimited time.

We didn’t. We were on our way to see Grey Gardens at Actor’s Express, which you should see before it closes at the end of this week.  Jill Hames, who plays the dual roles of Big Edie and and the grown-up Little Edie (right)  in the two-act production, is especially brilliant.

There are a bunch of full-service restaurants on Marietta Street and Howell Mill where you can dine on the way to the theater, but our meal at Real Chow Baby was very satisfying. I’m always amazed how I can randomly assemble a bowl of  ingredients, hand it to the chefs and end up with something that makes no sense but tastes very good. …

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At a recent lunch, a friend was complaining that it’s hard to find a hamburger cooked rare in our city, despite the epidemic of new burger joints. According to the New York Times, there is very good reason for that. Today’s paper includes a lengthy story in which the writer, Michael Moss, traces Upton-Sinclair-like, the hamburger whose E. coli contamination left Stephanie Smith paralyzed:

Meat companies and grocers have been barred from selling ground beef tainted by the virulent strain of E. coli known as O157:H7 since 1994, after an outbreak at Jack in the Box restaurants left four children dead. Yet tens of thousands of people are still sickened annually by this pathogen, federal health officials estimate, with hamburger being the biggest culprit. Ground beef has been blamed for 16 outbreaks in the last three years alone, including the one that left Ms. Smith paralyzed from the waist down. This summer, contamination led to the recall of beef from nearly 3,000 grocers in 41 states.

Read the entire article, with its account of slaughterhouses that refuse to sell meat to companies that insist on rigorous testing,  and you’ll never complain again about your hamburger being overcooked.

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I had a uniquely terrific lunch todat at Abattoir with my friends Brad and Frank. The restaurant has a charmingly rickety ambiance during the day that does not really come through in the low lighting at night. The lunchtime menu is the same as the evening one (and both change somewhat every day). That doesn’t mean prices are high. We ate very well for little more than $15 each.

The standout today was this special — a sandwich of rabbit loin on ciabatta with Asian slaw and fries on the side. It was a huge portion (for $10) and, believe me, when Brad complains that a portion is too large, it’s huge.

The restaurant was offering three terrines today — pork, pig’s foot and this rabbit one that Frank chose to eat alongside his hamburger. You can sample all three terrines for $15, and that’s what I’ll most definitely do during my next visit.

My own choice today was an order of amazingly creamy fried chicken livers and a housemade bratwurst with some onions grilled with a bit of stone-ground mustard.

Lunch here could become quickly addictive.

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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