Omnivore Atlanta

I mentioned a few days ago that Aja has opened and that owner Tom Catherall is scheduled to be among four restaurateurs to be roasted for a good cause next Monday.

It appears that Tom will be preparing to be roasted in style. This image of him as Elvis was included on an email announcement that he will personally be kicking off Aja’s regular karaoke night this Sunday at 8 p.m. Besides getting to hear him croon “Burning Love” (or whatever), you can throw back $1 shots of Status Vodka.

The new restaurant, whose opening last week was packed, according to friends who attended, will also debut its dim sum brunch, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. All dim sum items are $5.

Peanut butter, burnt bacon and banana sandwiches are not on the dim sum menu.

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You live in, say, Paris and you are planning a trip to Zee Atlanta. You are curious what the International Herald Tribune has to say about dining on a budget in Margaret Mitchell’s hometown. This is what you find, as far as restaurants go, in a Nov. 6 story entitled “Best of Atlanta is free history”:

FOOD: What is a trip to the South without finger-licking soul food? Try Mae’s Soul Food at 34 Peachtree St. NW. The mac and cheese and fried chicken is just like your momma’s (that is, if your momma could cook).

Dine at Six Feet Under at 437 Memorial Drive SE, a seafood restaurant and pub that overlooks the Historic Oakland Cemetery, http://www.sixfeetunderatlanta.com.

Ru San’s 1529 Piedmont Ave. NE has weekday lunchtime all-you-can eat sushi buffet, complete with miso soup, fried rice and stir fry, that is more than worth the price of $8 per person.

DeKalb Farmer’s Market at 300 East Ponce De Leon Ave. in Decatur is the best place for an afternoon snack. Sample exotic foods in the 140,000-square-foot (13,000-square-kilometer) international grocery store or dine in the Market Restaurant where the buffet is charged by the ounce, http://www.dekalbfarmersmarket.com.

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Besha Rodell is trying to get me fat. I don’t think Besha fully understands the extent of my fried dough addiction because she sent me to Sublime Doughnuts, a new independent bakery near Georgia Tech (535 Tenth Street, 404-897-1801). And I went on a doughnut buying spree as expected. Owner Kamal Grant, who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, is making some pretty delicious—and cute—doughnuts. Get the full scoop in my “Cheap Eats” column on 11/26.

(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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I’m not sure how I missed this, but Ecco is now serving cocido on Tuesday nights. Cost is $24 with a glass of wine and, if you dine 6-8:30 p.m., you’ll also get an earful of live Spanish guitar music.

“Cocido” means “stew” and I’m not clear exactly which regional variety Ecco is offering. I’ve eaten the most famous version, Cocido Madrileño, three or four times in Madrid — but always for lunch around 2 p.m., so I could run back to my hotel room and nap for an hour or two. I have never managed to finish the entire serving. (And that’s something for someone who once prompted a server at the old Green Shutters in Clayton to say at the end of my meal, “I’ve never seen anyone eat all of it before.”)

In Madrid, the dish is usually served in two or three courses. The first course is the “caldo,” the soup, which is the broth in which the meats have been cooked. Next are the vegetables, principally chick peas, followed by the meats — chicken, chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage), ham and beef. I prefer the vegetables and meats served together.

I also ate the dish in Sevilla once. It was, as I recall, topped with scrambled eggs.

Unfortunately, Tuesday is the one night of the week dining out is just about impossible for me, so I’m unlikely to get to sample Ecco’s version. I’d like to hear reports, though.

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Yay for food sex!

Mary Mac’s cures (apparent) hangovers.

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(Photo from Cache Halloweenmart)

All ya’ll pimps grab yo ho’s for the Atkin’s Park Tavern Player’s Ball on November 20th. DO NOT come as you are, seriously. There’s a “pimp” and “ho” costume contest.

The Tavern is only accepting the freshest of the fresh, so if you aren’t ready to tilt your fedora and back it up, take your broke ass home.

Reservations are requested for the private cocktail booths, but otherwise, you’re welcome to just roll in and roll out. 404-876-7249.

www.atkinspark.com.

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Zagat has released its 2009 guide to the country’s best restaurants. You can find its Atlanta listings on the popular guide’s site.

Zagat’s polling of readers turned up a lot of interesting information about dining out during the present economic downturn (a.k.a.”recession”). Among the findings:

Service and Tipping: If restaurants want a remedy for the slowing economy, they should teach their staffs to be nicer. When asked what irritates them the most when dining out, a staggering 68% of surveyors said service. Noise/crowds (13%), prices (6%) and food (6%) complaints follow. Despite poor service, diners in recent years have become increasingly generous. The nationwide average tip is now 19%, having inched up from approximately 17% ten years ago.

For the full story about Zagat’s findings on dining habits, go here.

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“Top Chef,” the hit TV series that exploits the usual drama inside restaurant kitchens, has launched a restaurant finder, with reviews from the show’s participants. Atlanta has not yet made the list.

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The Grape’s parent company files for Chapter 11.

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I’ve had the cold from hell for a week, so I’ve only eaten comfort food like Dynamic Dish’s stew of great northern beans and heirloom peas from Whippoorwill Hollow Organic Farm. I drank a glass of freshly made carrot-ginger-Fuji apple juice with it.

We ate at the restaurant’s new bar counter. It has five seats and, at least to me, is more comfortable than sharing the end of a table whose other end is occupied by complete strangers. Here, you can eat with strangers, but stare at the cookies and dates stuffed with chocolate and almonds between intervals of conversation.

David Sweeney, the restaurant’s chef/owner, says he’s not going to open for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Bummer.

Brad Lapin and I made our weekly trip to La Pietra Cucina where I ate short ribs over mashed potatoes. Brad ordered this (more photogenic) fish stew. Being sick, I figured I deserved the dessert, a chocolate-mousse-like concoction with hazelnuts. We’re returning for dinner this week with a visiting foodie friend from Rome.

I ran into Jennifer Zyman, CL’s cheap-eats writer, at Pietra. She reports on her own meal on her blog. Jennifer and her dining companion find certain flavors — salty and bitter — too strong in two dishes. Bitterness is a flavor I can’t get enough of, generally. (No comment necessary from the sweet peeps.) But I’m hypersensitive to saltiness and don’t recall getting an over-salted dish at Pietra.

I gave Jennifer a hug. I hope she didn’t wake up with my cold.

My final comfort food was pizza at Stella. The fall specials menu includes this white one topped with smoked prosciutto and streaked with balsamic reduction. I mainly enjoyed it, although too much of the prosciutto was stringy.

Wayne ordered another special pizza, featuring cherry tomatoes, anchovies and capers — similar to Fritti’s Napoli, but with a crispy crust instead of the billowy, melt-in-the-mouth one at Fritti.

I also sipped a good bit of juice from Arden’s Garden. During the sore-throat phase, the straight-up ginger- root juice was almost anesthetic. Of course, the price, over $10 for 10 oz. or so, is kind of numbing too.

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The Atlanta based Southwestern eatery, Taqueria del Sol, opens its fourth location in Athens tomorrow to eager crowds. (Thanks to Molly for the heads up.)

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

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Aja, the latest Tom Catherall restaurant, opened Nov. 7 in the space formerly occupied by Emeril’s (3500 Lenox Rd.). Catherall has hired William Sigley, who has worked at Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois and Todd English’s Olives, as chef.

The menu is pan-Asian. You can find more details on the Here to Serve website. I can’t wait to see the 10-ft. brass Buddha.

Speaking of Catherall, I found this on his blog:

For the first time ever, four distinctive Atlanta restaurateurs – Pano Karatassos, Bob Amick, Tom Catherall and George McKerrow – will be roasted and toasted at 4 Legends of Atlanta Hospitality Roast on Monday evening, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m. at the Atlanta Community Food Bank. They are all sure to feel the heat, but they know it’s for a tremendous cause – to support the hungry and the work of the Atlanta Community Food Bank this holiday season.

Following a cocktail reception, foodies, philanthropists, and socialites will be treated to a delectable three course meal and dessert reception, prepared by four-star chefs Peter Kaiser, Jamie Adams, Carvel Gould and Jonathan St. Hilaire, each adding their own special flair and elegance to the evening. Atlanta magazine restaurant critic Christiane Lauterbauch will provide the evening’s introductions, and Carolyn O’Neil will emcee the Roast.

For more information, sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets, visit www.ACFB.org/ROAST or call 678-538-9000.

Tickets are $300-$500.

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The guys over at Refuel Biodiesel are looking for restaurants to donate their used cooking oil to be turned into biodiesel. From their website:

Used Cooking Oil Collection
We provide the same high quality service expected of used oil haulers, at a comparable or lower cost. Our clients receive collection containers that are serviced regularly and carefully to prevent spills. We are reachable daily for service calls, and our locally based management ensures prompt, reliable customer service. Furthermore, we abide by all local and national regulations regarding grease collection, hauling, and processing activities.

By choosing Refuel for oil collection, you help:
•  Increase national energy independence and decrease dependence on foreign oil
•  Increase national security
•  Decrease local and global air pollution
•  Mitigate global warming

Supporting restaurants receive recognition on our website and at press events, and we provide window stickers to advertise your support for clean energy.

And if all that wasn’t enough, because we are a non-profit, your facility may be eligible to write off the used oil we collect as a tax-deductible donation.

Interested restaurants should contact Refuel at this email address: Atlanta@RefuelBiodiesel.org

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Just received a press release from our friend Hardy over at Dirty South Wine. Seems he’s planning a pairing challenge:

Atlanta, GA — Dirty South Wine, Atlanta’s top wine blog, has announced the 2008 “Riding Dirty” Atlanta Wine Pairing Challenge.  Fifteen of Atlanta’s top  restaurants will prepare a wine and food pairing to be served at their bar for under $25.  The goal of the challenge is to showcase the restaurant’s skill and creativity in wine pairing, while presenting incredible, affordable combinations for  the Atlanta dining public.   Restaurants must choose a glass of wine from their current list of by-the-glass  wines, and the food may be either a small plate or appetizer from their standard menu. The pairings will be served to the judges at the participating restaurants and will be evaluated based on three criteria:  taste, creativity and value.    The judges are:   1.  Matt Richardson (aka Rowdy Food) 2.  Broderick Smylie (ATL photographer http://broderickphoto.wordpress.com/) 3.  Hardy Wallace (publisher of www.dirtysouthwine.com).

All pairings will be chronicled and written up on Dirty South Wine.  At the end of  the challenge, an overall winner will be named, and the 2008 “Riding Dirty” award presented.  Along with the overall winner, several subcategories will be announced as well.   The following Atlanta restaurants have agreed to participate:   Holeman & Finch, Joel, ARIA,  ENO, Woodfire Grill, Toulouse,  VITA, Repast, La Tavola,  Top FLR, VINE, Canoe,  Dogwood, ONE. Midtown kitchen, and the ISAW charity  (International Society of Africans in Wine).  The tastings will occur throughout the month of November, and winners announced on December 3, 2008.  Progress in the “Riding Dirty” Challenge can  be followed at www.dirtysouthwine.com, and updates and news can be followed on Twitter under #dty (for Dirty).

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Jennifer Levinson, owner of Buckhead’s Souper Jenny, is releasing her first cookbook Souper Jenny Cooks. A launch party for Souper Jenny Cooks will be held on Dec. 11th from 5-10 p.m., which just happens to fall on Jenny’s notorious Grilled Cheese Night at the Buckhead hotspot.

Jenny’s father, Jarvin Levinson, authored the cookbook and included several of Jenny’s quick and simple recipes for the healthy eater.

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Goodbye Big Mac, hello FLIP.

Restaurant industry veteran, Barry Mills teams up with Richard Blais (former chef of HOME and “Top Chef: Chicago” contestant) at Atlanta’s new “burger boutique,” FLIP. As creative director, Blais’ modernized burger menu is chocked full of unique twists on the American classic, creating sandwiches that can only be described as elegance on a bun. Here’s a sneak peak at a few of Blais’ featured burgers:

Po “boyger” with grilled shrimp, fried lemon and spicy tartar sauce

Lamb burger with green olive relish and raisin ketchup on a rosemary bun

Kobe burger, utilizing fresh beef from Japan, dressed with herbal butter, red onion marmalade and blue cheese.

The burgers are made tiny in hopes of encouraging diners to sample more than just one. And there’s even a MILKSHAKE BAR. Check out these milkshake flavors: Krispy Kreme, Peach and White Chocolate, and Sweet Tea?!

For the restaurant, Mills envisioned an ultra-hip space that “doesn’t take itself too seriously,” and enlisted design firm ai3, Inc. to deliver. FLIP is slated to open in late November.

FLIP is located on the west side of Atlanta at 1587 Howell Mill Road. Open for lunch and dinner Sun.-Thurs., 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m., and Fri. & Sat., 11:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m. www.flipburgerboutique.com.

Read what Blais has to say about FLIP on his blogsite.

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

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Our friend and contributer the Blissful Glutton has made what looks like a great Korean discovery in Duluth.

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