Omnivore Atlanta

WORTH A MINT: The mint tea at Westside Garden Market

Back in January, I wrote about an odd but quaint grocery that had opened on traffic-congested Howell Mill Road. At that time, Westside Garden Market’s (1954 Howell Mill Road, 404-609-9666, www.westsidegardenmarket.com) owner, Majid Elmaliki, planned to offer a handful of to-go items in addition to his assortment of locally made products and local produce. On a recent visit, I was surprised to find that the market is in fact no longer a market. The shelves have since been replaced by little tables covered in red-and-white-checkered tablecloths and the market is now a full-service restaurant serving Moroccan-inspired home cooking.

As soon as any customer walks in, Elmaliki springs into action. His mix of heartfelt hospitality and genuine enthusiasm to serve will make anyone feel immediately at home. The menu consists of a small collection of recognizable dishes — offered in affordable lunch and dinner options. A hot soup, made with fresh yellow tomatoes (one of the only items not made in house), has a smooth mouthfeel and surprisingly little acidity.

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(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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GRINDHOUSE KILLER BURGERS: The burger and chili cheese fries

To most people, a burger is just a burger — a timeless American treat worth the occasional caloric splurge. Playful flavor combinations and fancy deconstructions are exciting, but there’s something to be said about a spot, such as Grindhouse Killer Burgers (209 Edgewood Ave., 404-522-3444, www.grindhouseburgers.com), that skips the pretense and gets straight to the beef.

Owner Alex Brounstein (a real estate developer and attorney) chose the Sweet Auburn Curb Market as the restaurant’s location for many reasons. The market already has a captive audience of shoppers with food on the mind, and the overhead is much cheaper than a traditional bricks and mortar space. What’s more, the restaurant’s presence helps revitalize a historic Atlanta food-centric landmark.

Amid the hustle and bustle of the market, tucked away in a corner, sits a curving counter surrounded by stools. The seating faces a semi-open kitchen and a makeshift movie theater where kooky action movies such as Kung Fu Hustle are projected on the wall.

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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.

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GOLDEN DELICIOUS: The fried chicken at K&K Soul Food

New restaurants open every day, but no amount of meticulous design can replicate the charm and character acquired with age. Walking into K&K Soul Food (881 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, 404-685-1073) feels like you’ve traveled back in time to a different era in Atlanta’s culinary history. Crudely handwritten signs advertise specials such as pigs feet. The cafeteria-style steam table is filled with so many options your head will spin. Take your place in the curving line and study the menu because while the cooking is simple, deciding what to order is not.

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BIG FUN: The dry-fried beef chow fun at Ming's

Ming’s Bar B Q holds a special place in the hearts and stomachs of many Cantonese barbecue-loving Atlantans. The cooking is consistent and the menu is rife with virtually every Cantonese dish imaginable. The Buford Highway location has little ambiance, however, which makes it a hard sell for less adventurous diners.

This past spring, a new location opened in the emerging Asian culinary paradise of Duluth. The new Ming’s Bar B Q (2131 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth, 770-623-9996) is much larger and the decor is more modern than the original’s. The Duluth Ming’s features a glass-walled room dedicated to barbecue, where rows of Peking duck, Char Siu (honey barbecued pork), soy sauce chicken, and other items hang side by side. The menu has all the greatest hits, plus a new section inspired by the contemporary teahouses of Hong Kong. Look for items such as Chinese-style french toast covered in syrup and butter, baked fish on cream corn, congee, a bevy of tea-based drinks (including Hong Kong-style milk tea), hot grapefruit juice with honey, “French-style” coffee, and Ovaltine for the kiddies.

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On Sept. 13, 12 people competed in the Krystal hamburger-eating contest at Lenox Square Mall. The person who could consume the most Krystal and Big Angus hamburgers in eight minutes won a seat at the final table of the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship Sept. 27 in Chattanooga, TN where the top eaters will compete for $50,000 in cash prizes.

The winner at Lenox Square was “Humble” Bob Shoudt, “Humble” Bob consumed 41 Krystal and 5 Big Angus hamburgers in the eight minutes in a stomach-turning display of eating ability.

After the competition “Humble” Bob admitted to feeling a little guilty that he was not out protesting for clean water for the poor. “The world heath organization estimates over 400 people die a day because of poorly treated water,” “Humble” Bob said after consuming 46 hamburgers, “I feel guilty I am not protesting the use of treated water on soccer and football fields when it could be used to help those who have no clean water.”

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Lunchtime for intown workers looking for a quick fix is a monotonous endeavor. Sandwich. Salad. Burger. Repeat. Most nearby ethnic options are either dumbed down or too fancy for their own good. Kabobee (609 Whitehall St., 404-688-8885, www.kabobee.com) is neither.

Reza Ashtiani chose to open a restaurant specializing in quick and simple Persian cuisine in an odd quasi-residential part of Castleberry Hill. The self-standing building has many large windows that permit the sun to whitewash the already spartan — and kind of antiseptic — space. You will find none of the typical warm colors or cultural accents you see at more upscale Persian establishments. The only color comes from the charmingly cheesy mural of some hip Charlie the Tuna look-alikes leftover from the fish shack that previously occupied the space.

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RIBS FOR YOUR PLEASURE: Smoky goodness at Rolling Bones

When a restaurant changes hands, it’s a tricky situation. How to retain enough of the original flavor to keep loyal customers happy while making the necessary changes to bring in fresh faces?

At Rolling Bones Premium Pit BBQ (377 Edgewood Ave., 404-222-2324, www.rollingbonesbbq.com), the changes made by new chef/owner Todd Richards (formerly of the Four Seasons hotel and Spice restaurant) and his partners are a big improvement. The drive-thru is still there, the retro diner décor is the same, but the food at this “Southern-style” barbecue joint has received a serious upgrade. The menu is more chef-driven and now includes slight gourmet twists such as Benton’s bacon in the creamy potato salad, smoky sweet “Reggie’s baked beans,” and balanced, flavorful mustard greens. The new owners have also started using Georgia hickory and pecan to smoke the expanded selection of meats and side items. Corn is smoked in its husk and slathered with paprika and butter. The new and vastly improved “Memphis-style” barbecue sauces (hot or mild) hint of tomato, spice, sweetness and tang while the consistency masterfully straddles the fence between too thick and too thin.

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SWEET RELIEF: The flan at Little Cuba

Cuban food in Atlanta has its limitations. Yes, we are blessed with spots such as the exceedingly warm Las Palmeras. But Atlanta’s Cuban cuisine scene has taken a big hit in the past year. Havana caught on fire, and the sweet owner of Kool Korners closed his restaurant to everyone’s dismay. Both have since opened in other less convenient locations — Canton and Alabama, respectively.  But that doesn’t help the rest of us folks pining for a little taste of Cuba closer to home.

Little Cuba (3350 Chamblee Tucker Road, Suite D, Chamblee. 770-451-0025) is not a new restaurant, but it deserves a little love for its massive menu of classic Cuban dishes. The restaurant has managed to receive very little press in the 10 years it’s been open. But the seats have been filled every time I’ve dined here, and a wait at lunchtime is not uncommon.

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The morning after I moved to Castleberry Hill, I was jonesing for coffee. Unfortunately, my coffee maker was buried somewhere in a mass of boxes and I was too cranky to hunt for it. I set out on foot to find a coffee spot and came up empty. As the years went by, a few coffee places came (and a few went). But the ‘hood didn’t have a proper place to get a hot breakfast until Johnny Cakes (323 Walker St., 678-705-9759) opened in March.

The owners have made good use of a tri-level space that sits next to a tattoo parlor. The kitchen is located on the lowest floor, the dining room at street level, and the upper mezzanine is converted into a lounge where telecommuting customers can take advantage of the free Wi-Fi. One of the restaurant’s best features is a wall papered in a delightfully trippy assortment of posters, ranging from old-fashioned French bistro to SpongeBob to Reefer Madness.

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TUESDAY TREATS: The crispy garlic flavor chicken at Bo Bo Garden

Movement among the chefs of Atlanta’s Chinese restaurants is quite fascinating and entertaining to follow. Here’s how it goes down: Immediately after a restaurant’s popularity peaks, the chef jumps ship and is suddenly cooking down the street or, in the case of Tasty China’s original chef Peter Chang, another city. Poaching with the lure of higher paychecks is how it’s inevitably done. But you can’t fault another restaurateur for seeking out the best.

Thus, the news that Wan Lai’s chef Danny Ting had moved to Bo Bo Garden (5181 Buford Highway, Pine Tree Plaza, 678-547-1881) was far from surprising. He had proven himself uniquely talented with the Cantonese/Hong Kong-style casseroles he served at Wan Lai along with his 14 years of experience in the industry. But, for now, chef Ting doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. He’s not only the chef at Bo Bo Garden, but also a partner with co-owners Kay Chan and Lynn Ng.

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How did we go from two-martini business lunches to harried fast-food excursions, sandwiches and nuked leftovers while toiling at our desks? Some would argue it’s a budgetary concern. But you deserve the occasional pause, even if it is on the cheap. And there happens to be just the place smack dab in the middle of downtown Atlanta. It offers not only a major deal at $10.95 per person, but also a civilized sit-down meal on an enclosed “terrace” set inside the bustling grand lobby of Peachtree Tower.

You may have heard about Il Mulino (191 Peachtree St., 404-524-5777, www.ilmulino.com/visit_us2.html), the extremely overpriced Italian restaurant from New York, when it opened. The original location in New York is spectacular, but I’ve found that the offshoots — such as the Miami location — just don’t live up to the coziness or immense personality of the smaller Manhattan home base. My curiosity about the Atlanta location was quashed by my reluctance to drop a stack of bills on something I knew didn’t travel well. And I really need a good excuse to switch out my flats for a pair of heels. But rumors of a shockingly cheap lunch buffet enticed me — no torturous footwear required.

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MARINATE ON THIS: The marinated short ribs at Myung Ga Won

It’s some ungodly hour and you need food. Unfortunately, Atlanta’s intown late-night dining options are limited unless you want greasy eggs and something of the scattered variety. You do have options if you deign to drive to Duluth, however. Yes, Duluth, where there is an infinite variety of cuisines, new restaurants opening every day, and plenty of spots that cater to night owls. What more can you ask for? One of my newest finds, Myung Ga Won (1960 Day Drive, Suite 100, Duluth, 770-622-1300, www.mk1usa.com), serves exceptional Korean cuisine and is open 24 hours a day.

Tucked away in a small strip mall just off I-85, Myung Ga Won’s colorful — and slightly retro — façade looks more like a bowling alley than a dining establishment. And the last thing you’d expect is the contemporary décor touches like the lightboxes that pepper the dining room and the retro-modern revival wooden panels in various shades of orange and brown. This has to be one of the most upscale Korean restaurants in Atlanta.

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The gourmet sandwich concept is nothing new, but Atlanta has seen an explosion of such establishments in the past year. Are gourmet sandwich shops this year’s cupcake or fancy hamburger? Trend or not, there’s a need for this type of dining — especially in areas saturated with office workers — and it’s easy enough to conceptualize the menus. Just throw on a few sandwiches, a salad or two, some fancy chips and pricey beverages.

Cafe Mims (659 Peachtree St., 404-897-5000, www.livingstonatlanta.com) is the latest spot to capitalize on the need for speedy lunchtime fare. The food, overseen by Livingston’s executive chef Gary Mennie, is made fresh daily and pre-packaged so you can grab and go. The cafe opens early so you can pop in for some coffee and one of the homemade baked goods, such as the trio of mini bear claws filled with blueberries, cheese and almond paste. Sandwiches are the best thing the cafe has to offer at lunchtime. Each sandwich — with the exception of the grilled cheese — is made with a personal-sized baguette and wrapped in brown paper affixed with a branded sticker. The crusty bread has just the right amount of chew. And the fillings have been uniformly excellent.

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Well before the sushi craze, Atlantans were mad for Thai food. But our interest seemed to wane as Buford Highway grew to include an abundance of options from other countries. Sickly sweet options and a handful of fancier Thai eateries stuck around, but places serving authentically prepared dishes were harder to find. In recent years, however, Thai food has been slowly creeping back into our bellies, and restaurateurs are focusing on more authentic preparations. KoKai Thai Bistro (5495 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross, 770-409-9219, www.kokaithaibistro.com) is one such restaurant that specializes in bringing “the streets of Bangkok to you.”

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The culinary industry is full of career changers. But how often do you hear about someone going back into the kitchen after becoming an attorney? Meet Katie Birmingham, chef/owner of Noon Midtown (1080 Peachtree St., 404-496-4891, www.noonmidtown.com). After seven years in the kitchens of high-profile Atlanta restaurants such as Bacchanalia and Seeger’s, Birmingham started practicing law. But her passion to return to the industry was rekindled when she and her husband encountered restaurants selling simple sandwiches made with premium ingredients during their honeymoon in Italy. Birmingham recognized the lack of such spots in Midtown and set out to build a place of her own inspired by her trip. Two years later, Noon Midtown opened its doors.

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TINY Bistro (1039 Marietta St., 404-745-9561, www.figsandhoneycatering.com) is one of the latest restaurants to open its doors on the booming Westside. The little lunch spot, owned by Karen and Robert Haan, is tucked away behind Octane Coffee. While it’s minimally decorated, flourishes like the ironically capitalized “TINY” sign, faux silver flatware, the vibrant pink floral dining room and the infectiously cheery staff make it exceedingly warm (and kind of precious). In a weird way, the bistro feels like it’s been around forever; this is undoubtedly due to its eight-year history as a catering company (in this same location) whose name recently changed to Figs & Honey Catering.

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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.

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GET IN MY BELLY: The pork belly casserole at Wan Lai

My friend Kit Fenton is an admitted snob when it comes to Cantonese food, which he grew up eating in Hong Kong. So, my interest was piqued when I got an exclamation-point-riddled text about his new find, Wan Lai (4897 Buford Highway, Chamblee, 678-530-0633). Kit called the food “real Cantonese” and said it was “some of the best” he’d had in Atlanta. I naturally accepted his invitation when he told me he was organizing a large group for a family-style lunch — is there a better kind of meal?

The lunch was on a Sunday when every table restaurant was packed. I like to think I’m a seasoned eater, but the massive menu left me in a frantic state of indecision. What had I never had before? What “litmus dishes” should I have? “Why don’t you just order for everyone, Kit?” I found myself saying. He looked shocked that I’d actually relinquished control over ordering then rattled off our order to the waiter in a mix of his native tongue and English.

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Southerners are as blasé about soul food as New Yorkers are about pizza. We like it, we eat it often, but when was the last time you had a plate that actually made you sit up in your seat and say wow? If you can’t recall, you obviously haven’t been to Mae’s Soul Food (34 Peachtree St., 404-525-4557). Mae’s is a little hard to find. The address says Peachtree Street, but it’s actually around the corner on Walton Street — look for the tiny red and white sign.

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DUCK! Winged bacon at Nak Dong Gang

It’s a rare occasion when a food writer is in a position to introduce someone to his country’s own cuisine. But that is exactly the situation I found myself in the other day when brunching at Nak Dong Gang Restaurant (7130 Buford Highway, Doraville, 770-242-0201). One of my companions was Gene Lee, the author of the formidable Atlanta food blog Eat Drink Man … A Food Journal (www.eatdrinkman.blogspot.com). Lee’s pristinely plated dishes, breathtaking photos and steadfast devotion to all things culinary make his site my undisputed favorite in the city. Given his prowess-especially with homespun Korean dishes inspired by his beloved mother’s cooking-I was surprised to learn he’d never eaten Korean-style duck, the specialty at Nak Dong Gang. A visit was in order. So, we bypassed the brunch flapjacks in favor of birds that quack.

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MAKING ENDS MEAT: Some selections from Shield's Meat Market

Knowing the people who grow and sell your food is not a matter of culinary elitism. It’s about cultivating and maintaining a sense of community, something that’s increasingly difficult in this age of convenience. A little love goes a long way when it comes to food. And that’s why it’s such a joyous occasion to discover a gem like Shield’s Meat Market (1554 N. Decatur Road, 404-377-0204). Geoff Irwin’s old-fashioned butcher shop has weathered the storms of “progress” since 1947. The market’s latest location in Emory Village (it used to be in downtown Decatur) is hidden in plain sight, as the signage is quite similar to the adjoining CVS.

The store is stocked with everything you need for dinner: spices, canned Italian tomatoes, a small selection of wine in a range of prices, assorted freshly baked breads from Alon’s Bakery and a pristine selection of produce and cheeses. First-time visitors may wonder, “Where’s the beef?” Don’t fret. Most of the meats are stored in the back and cut to order in the room marked with the funny sign: “Nobody gets in to see the wizard! Not no body, not no how!” Shield’s does this not only to ensure that the choice cuts of corn-fed beef are as fresh as possible, but also cut to each customer’s exact specifications.

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I visited Tandoor Restaurant (279 Powers Ferry Road, Marietta, 678-560-2038) three times before I actually had a meal there. Two visits were on Mondays when they are closed — the signage was slightly obscured — and the other was a quick stop to grab a menu after feasting elsewhere. The seductive aroma of charred bread, dreamy spices and seared meat wafting from the kitchen prompted me to plan my immediate return.

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TAKE THE CAKE: A selection of baked goods at Alpine Bakery

Alpharetta is the last place you’d expect to find a slice of New York. But that is exactly where Long Island native Bill Clementi and his partners, Stephen Bishop and Anthony DeTommaso, opened Alpine Bakery & Pizzeria (295 Rucker Road, Alpharetta, 770-410-9883, www.alpinebakeryandpizzeria.com).

Clementi grew up around dough. Some of his mostly Sicilian family were in the pizza and restaurant business. But it was his grandfather, a baker, who inspired a young Clementi to begin writing and compiling the book of recipes he still uses today. After one too many torturous New York commutes, Clementi moved down to Georgia. He eventually opened a pizzeria with Bishop and DeTommaso, whom he met while serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. But things really came together when Clementi started baking cakes in his basement for a friend’s restaurant. The operation quickly expanded from its meager beginnings into an 8,000-square-foot bakery cranking out cakes for a long list of restaurant clients; the retail location opened some 18 years later.

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“Where ya from?” I ask Kenny Washington, one of the owners of Fat Philly’s Wings & Things (886 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. 404-254-3113. www.fatphillys.net). “D.C.” he says. “What kind of rolls do you use?” I say with my left eyebrow in a slight arch. “Amoroso’s. Why? You trying to see if my cheesesteaks are the real thing?” He laughs and throws me a wink. Before I can say anything else, my boyfriend mentions some Northeastern sports rivalry and they start yapping in unintelligible male-speak. I go into food mode.

It’s Sunday, which means grease is in order and all food (and drink) sins will be forgiven tomorrow. I go for the triple cheese cheesesteak with extra cheese and meat. The man orders the ribs with baked beans and potato salad. As we wait—and wait you will since this place operates at a down-home pace—I scan the digs. The space is quite modern and feels a little like a franchise with its bright blues, brushed metal accents and booming surround sound. The counter is a great spot to see the cooks in action, but the tables give you a prime vantage point for my favorite pastime: theater of the living. A cluster of ever-present policemen in winter garb huddle around a table noisily chatting with their eyes fixated on one of the mounted flat screen TVs. Students from the nearby A.U.C. drift in and out in their just-rolled-out-my-dorm-room-bed best.

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