Omnivore Atlanta

This week’s “Top Chef” certainly clarified that the cast’s brothers, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, are more than just a slick casting call exploited by the show to infuse more drama. Of course, if they were gay, well that would have been network gold I’m sure! Happily though, they are short on controversy and big on talent.

Our industry has some significant brother combinations. There are the Adria brothers, and the famed Troisgros family. Even though the latter is more like a Jackson family phenomenon. And even as you’re reading this I’m sure you’re noting many more from your own local scene. Here in the Southeast, the Rathbun brothers come to mind.

I started to think about who they collectively remind me of, and lo and behold, it was made clear on Sunday. The Voltaggio boys are seemingly on a course to become the Manning brothers of the “Top Chef” universe. (more…)

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HE PUT HIS HEART INTO IT: Pura Vida's Hector is the first Atlantan to go home

Nothing’s better than bacon jam.

In last night’s episode of “Top Chef” Las Vegas, hometown hero Kevin Gillespie became cheftestant royalty as he sat down for dinner alongside a panel of crazy famous French chefs, including the chef of the century “unicorn” Joel Robuchon. Kevin’s take on snails paired with southern inspired bacon jam (“I think you could put bacon jam on anything and you’re golden”) won him the affection of guest judge Daniel Boulud and, in a very cool twist, the opportunity to clean up, don a suit (production actually bought him a new one), and eat rather than cook during the elimination challenge.

Bacon didn’t work as well for Frenchman Mattin, whose embarassing bacon infused veloute landed him at the loser’s table. While it was too obvious Mattin would fail the challenge (just how much country-pride pressure can you put on one neckerchiefed man?), it was surprising that he didn’t take more heat, or responsibility, for his role in the dish. After lying at judge’s table about his level of input on Ashley’s ideas (he volunteered his disapproval of the asparagus, but didn’t cop up that he vetoed putting it in the sauce, a suggestion Tom had liked), Mattin showed that even in a challenge geared towards his strengths (“I think they make a challenge just for me”), he wasn’t much of a chef. At least Robuchon complimented his French. (more…)

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Foodies have watched sadly as Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazines, both published by Conde Nast,  have shrunk drastically during the last year. This morning, the New York Observer, printed a story about a consulting firm’s work at Conde Nast and predicts a not so rosy future for the two magazines:

Within the building, one buzz term that keeps popping up is “frequency reductions.” The epicurean titles, Gourmet and Bon Appetit, are most commonly mentioned as candidates for reduced publishing schedules. There is also the possibility that the two staffs could be streamlined.

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In the third episode of “Top Chef”: Las Vegas, both winning teams use one common ingredient. A very common ingredient, but one that I consider quite special.  It’s probably sitting on your shelf right now. A container full of swagger and an essential, go-to-bottle for your next company quickfire.

Mustard.

In any form.

I consider it to be in the list of top five things to always have on hand in your pantry.

And as condiments go, it’s the R rated version to ketchup’s PG rating. The beer to soda pop. For that matter, alternative music to pop music…sex to making out. And the reasons why are pretty simple from a pure flavor standpoint. (more…)

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Today, all around the country, folks are gathering for picnics to support better food choices in schools. Slow Food has organized the picnics, with much help from friends, in Atlanta including Georgia Organics and rogueApron. Atlanta’s picnic will take place from noon-3 p.m. in Piedmont Park on Oak Hill (near 10th Street & Piedmont Avenue). Here’s the latest e-mail from rogueApron:

Food loving Atlantans are gathering to show their support for Real Food in Schools. Over 300 picnics are happening nationwide – but ours is rumored to be among the biggest and most grand – with Slow Food President Josh Viertel choosing Atlanta as the place to deliver his national address. (Neat, huh?)

The affair is BYO-Picnic, picnic gear, and a sign illustrating your support for Real Food in Schools.

rogueApron will be setting up Tent City, with shade and water for participants. So come say hi, and enjoy a spontaneous urban gathering!

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Your influence on pop culture is virtually boundless.

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Take that, Michael Isabella.

In a “Top Chef” first, cocky and “freakin’ livid” cheftestant Michael Isabella faced the judges at both the winner’s and the loser’s table last night for his watery greek salad, the third undercooked shrimp dish of the season. He didn’t have to pack his knives (damn it!), but he managed to commit two “Top Chef” sins with one bad salad: riding on the chef-coattails of another contestant and making a second dish just for “the heck of it.” He even got a rise out of usually level-headed Padma after admitting he wasn’t sure he should have served the dish at all. Let’s hope that confrontation keeps his ego in check, at least for an episode or two – after all, it’s not that hard to beat out someone who defends sad-looking pasta salad with even sadder flavors. (more…)

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In Episode 2 of “Top Chef”: Las Vegas, there were a few obvious, spirited political issues included in the plot. One was whether or not a girls versus boys challenge is sexist. And of course the legalization of gay marriage.

You’ll all be glad that I’m not going to discuss those issues in this column. OK, well, for the record, I think people should be able to wed whomever they want.

But, what I felt was the biggest controversy of the episode was the comment made that the boys’ food was “contrived” and that mass appeal is as important as the judges’ opinion.

These are both issues I take pretty seriously. The former is an issue we battle every day in my kitchens. (more…)

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Oops, she did it again. And she really, really shouldn’t have.

In last night’s Vegas style battle of the sexes, the girls served up a heaping helping of repeats – an impressive feat for the second episode – practically handing fuel to Michael Isabella’s fire. Eve, the midwest complicated/simple girl, served the judges and a cabana full of bachelors underseasoned and over complicated (not to mention over cooked) shrimp, this time with salsa instead of curry, and still couldn’t explain a lick of it. Jesse came up with another decent idea for chicken and did everything wrong again. Not even Jennifer’s snotty octopus ceviche could save the day for the girls’ team, no matter how much I was rooting for them.

Thankfully, Atlanta fared much better than the ladies, with both Eli and Hector winding up at the top during judge’s table. Despite missing out on the elimination challenge victory (it’s pretty hard to beat a macaroon filled with guacamole after that many shots), Hector’s tequila lemon-lime tofu proved he still had plenty of huevos, earning accolades from the judges and even more sighs of envy from my couch. Fellow Atlanta representative Eli also scored with his thai-inspired tuna tartar with wild rice, winning over Gail Simmons and the bevy of “so hot” bachelorettes (Thanks, Mattin). (more…)

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As I cover Top Chef Season 6 in Las Vegas for Bravo, I take a few seconds of action each week and throw it under the microscope. I often find one or two moments each episode that either reveal a industry insider’s secret or, as a former competitor, something I have a behind the scenes take on.

In episode 1 of Las Vegas, both of these moments came together in the same sequence. It was the kiss that Jennifer Carroll gave Tom Colicchio. And the facial expression that Tom made immediately following.

I’ve read on a few blogs that some people feel the kiss was inappropriate.

I don’t think so. (more…)

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Anyone who has spent significant time struggling with weight will tell you how pervasive and frustrating that internal voice can be. The voice that tells you you’re ugly. The voice that chastises you for enjoying food. The voice that congratulates you for abstaining, that picks apart every culinary decision, that fixates on clothing sizes, that wears you down until you hate yourself for being so predictably sado-masochistic.

It’s this voice we become privy to in Frank Bruni’s new memoir, Born Round: The Secret History of a Full Time Eater. Bruni, who has spent the last four years as restaurant critic for the New York Times, has written a book that chronicles in detail his lifelong tussle with his weight. Bruni recounts every self-doubting thought, every fluctuation in pants size, and the tortured conflict of emotions surrounding every mouthful of food.

In many ways, it’s a powerful story, highly relatable and familiar to many of us. But the book belabors in 368 pages what we know in the first few chapters – this man has a fraught relationship with food and self-image. The meticulous detailing of that relationship seems self-indulgent at best, at worst an unhealthy excuse to feed his neuroses.
(more…)

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GO TEAM! Kevin Gillespie wins the first elimination challenge

Score one for Atlanta!

In a sea of tattoos, piercings, and un-shucked clams on last night’s debut of “Top Chef Las Vegas” (at first, I thought I might have accidentally been watching a new episode of “LA Ink”), Atlanta’s three resident cheftestants managed to make quite a splash. Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill, who came off with an odd mixture of arrogance and good guy charm, won the season’s first elimination challenge for his procrastination-inspired arctic char and turnip salsa verde, winning over guest judge celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck and tough guy Tom Colicchio.

Kevin was definitely the star of the evening, but my heart already lies with Hector whose accent and cooking motto (“I cook with heart and balls”) are setting him up to be this season’s gentle giant. I was a fan the minute he complemented Padma without just calling her hot, although I’ll admit I’m still wrapping my head around the deep fried steak dish.

As for Eli, Atlanta’s third representative, I’m pegging him as this season’s class clown. His commentary (“I cook ’cause I’m a fat kid”) and faux-cocky attitude (which appears to be about as tough as his faux hawk) are funny without going the way of, say, “Top Chef” New York’s Stephan. Stephan’s honor I’ll reserve for Michael Isabella, whose own cocky attitude and sexist comments put him as the prime suspect for season villain. Preeti may not have been able to shuck clams, but she does know what seitan is — take that, Jersey boy! (more…)

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Hector Santiago

When Richard Blais made his now legendary run on “Top Chef” Season Four, it captivated Atlanta audiences in a way basic cable rarely does: We became enthralled as a community.

This season, we have even more reason to tune in. Three Atlanta chefs, all of them fairly prominent, compete in the sixth season premiering Wed., Aug. 19: Pura Vida’s Hector Santiago, Woodfire Grill’s Kevin Gillespie and Eno’s Eli Kirshtein. Anyone who cares about food and restaurants in Atlanta has most likely eaten in at least one of these guys’ restaurants. And while none of them may be as well-known as Blais (who riled up the passions of foodies long before he was on “Top Chef”), they each bring a set of strengths and challenges to Las Vegas that will be fascinating to watch.

I spoke to all three chefs last week, and while they aren’t allowed to talk about what happened on the show in any detail, I was able to find out a little about how they went into the competition and what their strategies were once they arrived.

Continue reading “Atlanta’s Top Chefs”

(Photo by Trae Patton)

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Pura Vida's Hector Santiago

It’s time to unpack your knives. “Top Chef” is back and it’s more local than ever.

The new season of “Top Chef,” this time set in glitzy Las Vegas, starts this month, and, as previously unveiled, will include three Atlanta chefs, the most of any season: Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill, Hector Santiago of Pura Vida, and Eli Kirshtein of Eno.

Gillespie, Santiago, and Kirshtein are just three of the 17 cheftestants featured on the upcoming season. Others include the executive chef for Google, a Frenchman from Biarritz, and a finalist for the James Beard Best New Restaurant award. My biggest question leading into the series (other than how the economy has affected Padma’s wardrobe) is how well the locals will fare against the rest of the competition. Past chefs have gone to both extremes: Atlanta-based chef Nimma Osman was the first to pack her knives on the Chicago edition of “Top Chef” while Richard Blais made it to the same season’s finale. How well do you think Gillespie, Santiago, and Kirshstein will fare? And will any of their restaurant’s dishes wind up on the judges plates? (more…)

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David Aferiat is an Atlantan and semi-finalist for the second season of the PBS reality series, “The Winemakers.” The first season debuts next month.  Check out Aferiat’s blog and watch his video below.

Can Atlanta produce another national wine star like Hardy “Dirty South” Wallace?

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Outgoing New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni gives Eleven Madison Park four stars. He philosophises a bit more losely about the descision on his blog as well.

Read the transcript or listen to the podcast of yesterday’s “Talk of the Nation” from NPR, where Phil Vittel, the Chicago Tribune’s dining critic talks about irritating menu phrases.

The AJC’s John Kessler reports on a conference call with “Top Chef” judges Toby Young and Gail Simmons.

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This question was posed to the Concierge blog on the New York Times site:

I consider myself a fairly responsible type: I won’t be installing my air-conditioner this year, I recycle, I call my mom on Sundays. Still, I’m finding all the recent focus on locavores and sustainability and all that a bit much. These days, when I walk by the Park Slope Food Co-op, I want to buy the gas-guzzlingest S.U.V. on the planet and drive to a McDonald’s I could have walked to. I guess this is a long way of asking: where I can get a cheeseburger or some pasta that tastes good and won’t kill me or the planet but that’s served without a side of virtuousness?

The Concierge provides the reader with a list of suggestions in New York. Can anyone answer the same question about Atlanta?

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Bon Appétit has named Decatur’s Cakes and Ale one of 2009’s top 10 best new restaurants:

At the age of 27, Billy Allin gave up his job as a money manager and enrolled in culinary school. After graduation, his cooking skills landed him gigs at renowned restaurants, including Chez Panisse in Berkeley and Watershed in Decatur. With his farm-to-table cooking philosophy fully established, Allin and his wife, Kristin, decided it was time to open “the restaurant where we would want to eat,” he says.

That restaurant is Cakes & Ale (from a phrase in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night meaning “the good things in life”), located east of downtown Atlanta. The couple’s ideal restaurant turns out to be a 50-seat neighborhood spot where the kitchen staff often answers the phone when you call to make a reservation, and a chalkboard announces the daily menu, which features simple, precise dishes like braised rabbit grits with saba vinegar and spring onion; buttermilk-rhubarb fool; and the addictive arancine here.

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Woman sees Julie & Julia and decides to try three of Child’s recipes herself, including one that requires her to boil bacon and then cook it in butter.  Very fun post by Katey Richey. I can’t wait to see this film.

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SPLIT SCREEN: Meryl Streep as Julia Child

Julie Powell’s blog-turned-memoir Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen blended two unlikely ingredients: gourmet cooking and online journaling. The venture originated in 2002 as “The Julie/Julia Project,” with Powell recording her attempt to cook all the recipes in Julia Child’s landmark cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking within a year. Sharing food, like posting a blog entry, can provide a way to connect creatively with people, but otherwise, the two activities seem unrelated.

Julie & Julia’s film version equates eating and cooking with living. The movie implies that blogging amounts to a pale imitation of life, but that’s not writer/director Nora Ephron’s aim. The creator of toothless romantic comedies such as Sleepless in Seattle, Ephron offers a well-intentioned chick flick that focuses on food and joie de vivre, rather than the tired tropes of courtship and clothes. In depicting the relationship between two women who never meet, Julie & Julia makes Julie look less like a pupil than a shadow of Julia. It’s like comparing beef bourguignon to marshmallow fluff.

Continue reading “Meryl Streep sizzles in Julie & Julia“

(Image courtesy 2009 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.)

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Fail blog is by far my favorite mindless means of distraction these days. So I was happy to see our own Nuevo Laredo represented this morning. Although, I think Fail Blog may have … uh … failed to get the joke?

(Thanks to Jim for the heads up)

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This morning on the Village Voice’s Fork in the Road blog, Voice critic Robert Sietsema asks whether “Top Chef” is ruining cooking in America. His post suggests that flashy cooking is what’s rewarded on the show – and the photo chosen to run alongside the post is one of Richard Blais. Sietsema doesn’t call Blais’ cooking out in the text, but the context would have us believe that the kind of “garish” cooking he’s talking about is represented by Blais.

I’m not sure I agree with the basic premise of Sietsema’s post – inventiveness has certainly been rewarded on the show, but so has straightforward, unpretentious presentations. Both styles represent major movements in American cooking. Last season’s Stephan nearly won with totally straightforward European cooking. And Hosea…what did he cook again? I can’t remember. Not tofu marinated in beef fat, that’s for sure. So, yeah, maybe Blais-ian nuttiness is what we remember from the show. But it’s not always what wins.

As to Sietsema’s point, that we can’t actually taste what’s on the plate, well yes, that is the major flaw of all food TV. But we watch for the same reason we read great food writing. Good food TV should be evocative, descriptive. Can we trust the judges? As much as we decide we can or can’t trust a critic like Robert Seitsema (or me, for that matter).

And in Atlanta this season, we are in the very lucky position of being able to go out and taste three of the contestant’s cooking, if we want to.

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Tom Maicon, the owner of Atlanta Cuisine, announced earlier this week that he was eliminating the site’s  forums. He has now changed his mind:

Earlier this week I announced my plans to shutdown the discussion board.  I had every intention to do so for several reasons I won’t get into here.  However, due to the plea and heartfelt response from our members I’ve decided to keep the forums, but a much abbreviated more focused version.  And for those concerned, we do plan to keep the board running as long as this website is alive.

So, despite what you read on Urban Spoon and CL and where ever else, the AC discussion board will return Tuesday, July 28

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You’ve probably read about the South Carolina woman who has been charged with criminal neglect because of her 14-year-old son’s obesity. The boy, who weighs more than 550 lbs., is now in foster care.

CNN interviewed the mother’s attorneys yesterday. …

Another Wednesday, another absurdly inexpensive meal of Chef Lance Gummere’s designer sliders at the Shed on Glenwood. I notice that in my original post on Omnivore, I suggested that the $3 treats were big enough that two would fill the average diner. The last two weeks, I’ve ordered three and Wayne has had four — and not because they’ve grown any smaller in size. Addiction. …

Blogger Amy Wallas hits Varasano’s: “We tried the salumi and the white clam pizza. The salumi was tasty, with good fresh mozzarella and Italian meats. The char on the pizza gave it flavor and body as well, but to be honest… .”

Gidget, Taco Bell’s mascot, gives up the ghost at 15. …

How to make a smoothie with your feet. …

Photographer Broderick Smylie checks out the action at Noon in Midtown. I may be mistaken, but I believe Broderick hit Noon after leaving another nearby restaurant still hungry. …

Steakhead has been quiet lately but he likes Teela Taqueria in Sandy Springs.

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Tom Maicon, the founder of Atlanta Cuisine, has put up a post today announcing that the discussion forums on that site will be shut down at the end of this month.

Atlanta Cuisine has long been a virtual gathering spot for Atlanta foodies. When I first arrived in town I relied heavily on its posters to let me know what I should be checking out. I have many of the posters there to thank for directling me to many of the great meals I’ve had in Atlanta.

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