Omnivore Atlanta

I received this review of Varasano’s on Facebook. It’s from Steve Harper:

I convinced Ken he needed an adventure, and we hoofed it into Buckhead tonight (Friday) from Alpharetta to visit Varasano’s for the second coming of pizza.

I have to say…what we ate was terrific, and we had a great time.

The place was packed, and we were told we would have a twenty-five minute wait, which I expected. After about that length of time, the hostess asked if we would like to sit at the “pizza bar,” and we did.

This turned out to be a bit of luck, as the kinetic craziness of the folks in the kitchen was a show in itself. We had full view of nearly every aspect of the pie-making that was going on for the restaurant. It was interesting to see staff training each other, offering suggestions and support, and keeping their heads as they attempted to work together against the potential melee of a million pizza orders.

So, the food. We started with delicious spinach salads with candied pecans, raspberry vinaigrette, and little bits of mozzarella. Basic, but quite delicious.

One great thing about this new restaurant for vegetarians (one of us) is that there are several equally interesting options. We decided to share two veggie choices, the caramelized onion pie with emmenthaler and the “dulci” with mission figs and walnuts.

Both were delicious. The CHAR (as mentioned by some reviewer this week) was indeed, charry, in a lovely way. Crunchy, slightly “burny” on some bites. I was amazed at how many different flavors came out of both pies, which were well-layed with the various ingredients. (It was fun watching the fellow do the layering right in front of us.)

The onion pie was slightly sweet and savory, but the fig pie, I think, would make a better dessert offering than the free doughnuts we received for a minor glitch from our otherwise excellent server.

Jeffrey Varasano. seemed relatively calm as he surveyed the profitability.

Ken, who (bless his heart) can be both loud and honest, made a comment to me about the cleanliness of the pizza cutter and a certain rag on the counter, and what do you know! The super-friendly staff were really trying to please (and vegetarians are, after all, a little crazy, in my estimation),

We made a game of guessing which pies we were seeing constructed, and I can tell you, I would like to eventually try them all.

Eat on!

Bookmark to:

Where are you?

You’re already showing up at Brasserie, Café Centro and Brasserie 8½ in New York. What about us? Huh? What about Atlanta?

Bookmark to:

Now, for your eyes only … totchos! That’s tater tots impersonating nachos (above). Actually, in this case, they are Cajun in flavor, with shrimp, andouille sausage, grilled onions and peppers all welded to the tater tots with “cheese sauce.”

They are featured at the Nook (1144 Piemont Ave., 404-745-9222). The new pub replaces the Prince of Wales and the owners have done a great job with the space, particularly with the way the inside flows outside to the roomy patio where there’s a view of Piedmont Park across the street.

The totchos were surprisingly edible. I bet if you drank a few beers, while you eat these, you’d start craving them regularly. There are three other versions.

Our food generally was good, although the place had been hit so hard over its opening weekend that about a third of the menu wasn’t available. Still, it’s great to see them do so well out of the gate.

This dish (above, right) of peanut-crusted scallops over a red-curry sauce, served with green beans, is the most expensive dish on the menu at $16.99. At first, we were told they were out of rice, which I found absurd. And they did indeed produce a bowl of white rice studded with green peas a few minutes after the plate arrived.

I’ll have more to say in my next Grazing column. But here’s something to think about in the meantime: sweet-tea ice cream. It’s creamy, soft-serve ice cream and it beats the hell out of the usual crumbly green-tea variety.

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

Bookmark to:

Varasano’s Pizzeria opens Tuesday night … or maybe Wednesday. Yes, Wednesday. (Unless it’s Thursday.) The anticipation is unbearable. Foodie bloggers, many of whom have sampled Jeff Varasano’s pizza at his home, are twittering like starving pigeons in Vatican Square. Honestly, I hear the face of the Virgin Mary appears regularly on Varasano’s pies.

Anyway, the latest announcement really is a Wednesday opening. Y’all go and let us know if the pizza is as polyorgasmic as the worshipful claim.

Bookmark to:

I’ve been writing at the Ansley Starbucks today, as usual. The baristas tell me that one of the regulars here grabbed their tip jar, containing about $75, and bolted out the door. How rude.

Bookmark to:

The much-awaited Varasano’s Pizzeria is on the verge of opening in Buckhead. Staff has been training and cocktails have been tested (tonight!), according to gossip on Facebook. The hysteria is building. Soon, Flip will be so yesterday. It’s all about pizza now, baby.

Bookmark to:

I had dinner tonight at Solstice Cafe on Boulevard and discovered that Erick Newman, owner of the original Lamplighter in Grant Park (and last seen waiting tables at Serpas), has become a partner in the restaurant with owner Sean Germain.

The new chef is Stephen McGuffin, most recently owner of Vine and chef at Dish before that.

Erick said the restaurant is plannning a weekly event he has tentatively named Proletariat Night, featuring the “common” food of three different nations. We were a bit concerned that the name might imply the restaurant is a front for a socialist underground. He is still working on the name. Feel free to make suggestions.

Bookmark to:

ARDEN’S GARDEN: While you’re probably familiar with this Atlanta-based juice company’s bottled products, its stores are worth the visit for the exclusive juices—like wheat grass—made with a cloth-filtered hydraulic press so the juices don’t lose any of their nutrients by being exposed to air, etc. Hardcore juicing enthusiasts will adore the “Grand Slam” a sequence of mini shots—wheat grass, ginger, lemon and cranberry—with a pineapple chaser. No matter how skeptical you may be, the sensation as each juice infuses the body does leave one feeling cleaner. Jack LaLanne may actually be onto something. 1117 Euclid Avenue. 404-827-0424; and four other locations. www.ardensgarden.com.

Continue reading Mouthful.

Bookmark to:

Savor, the popular gourmet grocery and sandwich shop, has added panini to its menu, according to Brad Lapin, my perennial Friday lunch companion. …

Cafe Lapin (no relation to Brad) has opened in the same shopping center. You can order breakfast, lunch or dinner there (no dinner on Sunday). …

AJC critic Meredith Ford Goldman’s review of La Pietra Cucina is due out this week. Brad and I lunched there Friday (surprise!) on arancini (below) suffused with marjoram and a seafood risotto (above) turned velvety black with squid ink. It contained snapper, rock shrimp, mussels and calamari.

Members of the Atlanta chapter of the Accademia della Cucina Italiana ate at La Pietra recently and grilled Chef Bruce Logue within an inch of his life, since his cuisine neither complies with usual notions of authenticity nor regionality. He calls his cooking “progressive Italian,” since he must depend on locally available ingredients. …

Serpas has begun serving Sunday brunch, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: “Menu items include New Orleans beignets with confectioner dust, house made granola with yogurt and fresh fruit, cast-iron sunny-side up eggs with hashbrowns and andouille, raspberry marscapone-stuffed French toast with crispy bacon, slow-roasted pork loin with smoked cheddar grits and creamy collards and fried oysters-eggs benedict with Tabasco hollandaise.”

(more…)

Bookmark to:

The what’s-next-for-Joel saga continues. Overseen at Lola yesterday.

UPDATE: The two were also seen this morning (Thursday) enjoying each other’s company over breakfast sliders at Flip.

Bookmark to:

Two days after a glowing article in the New York Times travel section, Nick Melvin has resigned as chef of the Farmhouse restaurant for a chef job elsewhere. His last day is March 22. No word yet on where he’s headed, or who will replace him at Serenbe.

Bookmark to:

We joined the crowd Sunday night for the launch of Shaun’s “Family Pasta Night.” For $12, we received a chopped salad, a big plate of pasta and a small cup of vanilla gelato. It really is a spectacular bargain and it’s available 5-9 p.m. every Sunday. I’ll say more in my next “Grazing” column.

As it happens we were seated next to Mitchell Anderson, the actor turned owner of MetroFresh, and his partner, Richie Arpino, owner of the city’s premier hair salon and a gifted photographer. (He declined my invitation to photograph the spaghetti and meatballs for me.)

Mitchell told me that his restaurant in Midtown Promenade is now serving and selling the bread from Holeman and Finch’s former baker. I found this on his website:

Eli Kikove Bread Company
Retail Bread Items at MetroFresh
(All items not available each day.  Call 404-724-0151 for more information on daily retail selection)
French Baguette $4
Special Baguette $6
Bone Bread $6
Special Bone Bread $8
Challah $6 (Friday Only)
Ciabatta Rolls $3/half doz
Special Rolls  $3.00/ half doz.
Pitas $1.00
Crostini $4-$6 (Special Order)
Items change daily
Special Orders accepted
Allow 48 hours

Mitchell also told me he is expanding his patio and planting an “edible garden.”

I asked Mitchell how the neighboring Nam is doing, now that a new Starbucks has been built basically in front of it, blocking the view from the street. He declined to confirm the rumor I’ve heard that the restaurant’s owners are trying to break their lease. I don’t want them to close but I don’t blame them for being pissed.

Bookmark to:

This just in from the PR folks representing Joel (the restaurant, not the guy):

JOËL: CHEF HOLOTA WEIGHS IN ON FRIEND’S CONTROVERSIAL DEPARTURE
Chef and Managing Partner of JOËL Restaurant Announces Reaction from Chef Antunes Leave from The Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel

ATLANTA (Mar. 2, 2009) – JOËL Restaurant’s Executive Chef and Managing Partner, Cyrille Holota, sets the record straight regarding the future of Joël Antunes’ eponymous restaurant, JOËL. Over the last two days numerous media outlets have reported that Chef Joël Antunes has stepped down as Executive Chef at New York’s lauded Plaza Hotel’s Oak Room, leaving many to wonder if he will return to his namesake restaurant in Atlanta. Holota confirms that Antunes will not be returing to JOËL Restaurant and is not affiliated with the restaurant any longer.

Antunes announced his move to the Oak Room on February 26, 2008 and named longtime friend and Chef de Cuisine, Holota, Executive Chef of JOËL.  The restaurant’s ownership was so pleased with Holota’s impressive performance that he was named Managing Patner in the following months. Antunes departure from the Oak Room has no relevance to the happenings of JOËL Restaurant in Atlanta.

“Joël was and always will be a magnificant chef and friend. My staff and I wish him the best of luck in whatever he does in the future. I am very pleased with the new direction that JOËL has been going and I believe that we have added menu items that will please guests,” says Holota.

Bookmark to:

After the announcement that Maxim Prime would be moving from its spot in the Glenn Hotel, little was said about what restaurant would replace it (one of the reasons given for the restaurant leaving was to give the Glenn more meeting space). I’ve learned however that Concentrics plans to open a restaurant in the space called 30 Tables. This hasn’t been confirmed by Concentrics, but 30 Tables already has an OpenTable page.

In other new restaurant news, Micropundit reported last week on Atlanta magazine’s blog that Gary Mennie, formerly of the recently closed Taurus, has signed on as head chef at the new restaurant planned in the Georgian Terrace hotel. The restaurant will be called Livingston.

Bookmark to:

I cain’t hardly believe the Wendy’s drive-through folks don’t understand this dude’s language.

Bookmark to:

Thanks to Frank Bruni at the New York Times for this one (I found this link through his blog): The most disgusting internet ad ever! On a food story! Watch as they crawl all over Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant!

The Atlanta Business Journal reports on Maxim Prime’s departure from The Glenn Hotel.

Hardy over at Dirty South Wine talks about the glut of corporate wine bars, as well as the wine bars in town that make him happy. And he links back to me!! So of course it’s worth reading just for that … but seriously, we share a frustration about the many crappy wine bars cropping up like mad.

Also, check out the Blissful Glutton’s first impression of BLT Steak.

Bookmark to:

I haven’t confirmed it, but I heard from a reliable source this evening that the Holy Taco folks in East Atlanta Village have inquired about taking over the Grant Park location that was most recently Lamplighter. The source said Carmen Cappello, the chef-owner of Lamplighter, will not be reopening at the location, despite earlier announcements he would start a burger operation…

Speaking of burgers, Richard Blais reports that three new locations of Flip will open in the next year — one in Washington, DC; one on the east side of Atlanta; and one in another city yet to be determined.

Bookmark to:

THE THE: A selection of tacos at the Original El Taco

“Consulting chef” is a slightly confusing term. Generally, it means that the chef in question has designed the menu and perhaps spent some time training the kitchen staff on how to execute his dishes. It rarely means that the consulting chef is actually spending any time in the kitchen during service. But the question is, if a good chef consults, can we expect the food to be on par with what that chef would deliver in his own restaurant?

Shaun Doty, arguably one of the city’s best chefs, is making a cottage industry out of consulting at other people’s restaurants. Last year he put his name on the menu at Midtown’s now defunct Spotted Dog. I stopped in there one afternoon and had a somewhat sad version of Doty’s East Village-style chicken livers, which resembled the original in concept but not execution. He is currently acting as consulting chef at the Original El Taco, Fifth Group’s new Tex-Mex restaurant in Virginia Highland (although the restaurant’s website lists him as Executive Chef), and there’s talk of other consulting gigs in the works.

The Original El Taco (roughly translated to “The Original The Taco”) has been an instant hit — there’s a wait for tables almost any time of the night on any night of the week. The crowds bring a party atmosphere, ramped up with large, well-made margaritas. There’s also a colorful mural painted by SCAD students that depicts, among other things, somebody who looks an awful lot like Hitler carrying a giant taco on his back.

You can see Doty’s touch on the menu of tacos, “Mexican pizzas” and Tex-Mex entrees: a pork belly taco here, a fried egg atop a stack of tortillas and chili there. But can you taste his influence? (more…)

Bookmark to:

GATO BIZCO CAFÉ: It is easy to overlook this tiny spot with that winged biscuit franchise in such close proximity, but in-the-know locals head here for the homey ambiance and cozy comfort food. The sweet potato pancakes draw raves, but this purist orders the plain pancakes for their pitch-perfect density, fluffiness and subtle sweetness that isn’t cloying when syrup is added to the mix. 1660 McLendon Avenue. 404-371-0889.

JAVA JIVE COFFEE HOUSE & CAFÉ: People love this Ponce de Leon breakfast hangout for its retro kitsch, gorgeous biscuits, house blended coffee, and wonderful waffles. But the pancakes, ranging from plain to sweet potato to those made with nutty wheat germ, rarely get the praise they deserve. They look and taste as a pancake should – not too brown, big or gummy. 790 Ponce De Leon Avenue. 404-876-6161.

THE ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE: This classic chain earns props for longevity and its incredible breadth of offerings. No matter what kind you crave, OPH has you covered from tiny silver dollar pancakes you can dip in syrup, to pigs in a blanket, to the dutch baby—a pancake cooked in a cast iron pan until it resembles a mushroom cloud before it deflates into a sunken surface blanketed with powdered sugar. 2321 Cheshire Bridge Road. 404-633-5677. www.originalpancakehouse.com.

(photo by Jennifer Zyman)

Bookmark to:

Congratulations to one of our favorite bloggers, Steakhead, at Atlanta Eats. He is the father of a new son, Reece Colin Griffith.

Bookmark to:

Tom Colicchio, Top Chef judge and owner of Craft restaurants, is battling the courts for allegedly violating the federal Fair Labors Act and the New York Labor Law by withholding tips from servers, ignoring overtime compensation for hourly employees, and refusing to pay the standard minimum wage.

The suit was filed by former Craftbar service worker, Nessa Rapone, taking the case against Mr. Colicchio and Craft Worldwide Holdings straight to federal court. Rapone states that in addition to unfair employee treatment at Craftbar, she was quickly terminated in response to her complaint in May 2007. More details about the case in this article from International Business Times.

Bookmark to:

Who hasn’t felt the urge to be picked up in a Mercedes Benz, taken to an upscale restaurant of your choice, have appetizers and drinks pre-ordered and arranged at your table upon arrival, and all the while assured the trusty Benz will retrieve your drunk ass at the end of the night? Sounds like a Cinderella story with a DD, no?

The Buckhead Restaurant Chauffeur Service (BRCS) brings the fairytale to life; large, in charge, and luxurious, right outside your front door for $75 Tues.-Sun., round-trip. No glass slippers required, unless that’s your thing. And with BRCS, there’s no midnight curfew (ahem, 2 a.m., actually) and your car won’t de-Benz into a gourd, guaranteed.

BRCS has already formed partnerships with the Here to Serve Restaurant Group, owned by Tom Catherall, and Mercedes Benz of Buckhead.

Read about the A-list celebs riding around town with BRCS.

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Bookmark to:

TROIS’s former chef, Jeremy Lieb, is heading to Cincinnati after leaving TROIS a few weeks ago. When asked if Lieb would be returning to TROIS, a source from the restaurant replied, “Jeremy has moved on.” Now, running the kitchen is Todd Ginsberg, chef of sister Concentrics gastropub, TAP.

Lieb has moved on, indeed. “Culinary legend,” Jeff Ruby, has invited Lieb to jump start his new downtown Cincinnati tapas eatery, Bootsy’s. Lieb will also be in charge of Ruby’s other restaurants in the area, but won’t be revamping the menus.

According to Ruby in a quote from The Cincinnati Enquirer, Lieb’s purpose will be “helping to individualize the restaurants” rather than turning things around, because honestly, “the food is already great.”

Bookmark to:

…possibly Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill or maybe the personal pick of the Chicago Tribune’s critic….

Bookmark to:

OMG, BLUE LOBSTERS!

A Scottish fisherman spares the lives of these multicolored bottom-dwellers.

Bookmark to: