Omnivore Atlanta

THE OFFAL TRUTH: Foie gras and buttermilk pancakes at Home

We love lists – especially at the end of the year. And so, in no particular order, here are my top 10 picks for the best dishes I had in 2008.

The almond croissant at Parish.

Mussel and salami salad at Cakes and Ale.

The Proscuitto de Parma at La Pietra Cucina.

Fesenjan stew at Falafel Café.

The vegetable plate at the National in Athens

Buttermilk pancakes and foie gras at Home.

The burger at Holeman and Finch.

Apple and beet soup at Dynamic Dish.

Korean BBQ at Hanil Kwan.

Monkfish liver at Sushi House Hayakawa.

(Photo by James Camp)

Bookmark to:

After a spring and summer that seemed like one long stampede of high-end restaurant openings, it’s nice to remember that Atlanta’s true culinary treasures are often well-hidden and underexposed. If you’re in need of an antidote (as I often am) to the expensive meals found in the gleaming towers along Peachtree, check out Falafel Café, hidden behind a Waffle House on Cobb Parkway in Marietta.

Falafel Café’s endurance is a hotbed of contradictions. The impossible-to-locate location is only the beginning. What was once a campus take-out joint mainly patronized by Life University students is now a family restaurant serving hearty Persian cuisine. That change took place years ago, when current owner Reza Gharaat took over. But still, the restaurant was reminiscent of a poorly lit, slightly grubby dining hall.

That space still exists, but two years ago, Gharaat expanded, adding a swanky dining room with brocade-covered chairs, chandeliers and a large TV that inexplicably plays a constant rotation of fashion shows and random red-carpet moments. The newer space is hardly slick, and looks as though its main purpose is to hold wedding receptions, but it’s a nice upgrade from the drab room adjacent to the kitchen.

Read more here. 

(Photo by James Camp)

Bookmark to: