Omnivore Atlanta

The latest entry in the city’s pizza war is Nonna Mia (980 Piedmont Ave., 404-532-2815), a Sicilian-inspired café that’s part of a new chain out of New Orleans.

The restaurant has taken over the space last occupied by Sweet Devil Moon and many others before that. In the 1970s, when I lived a few blocks from there, it was the original location of Proof of the Pudding, now a huge catering company, which at the time also served unique sandwiches and salads.

In my recollection, the longest-lived restaurant here after Proof moved was the Big Red Tomato, a New York-style Italian café with an entertaining vibe and fairly good food. Nobody has succeeded with the location since.

I might as well say at the outset that the pizza here simply does not measure up to the standard prevailing in the city now, thanks to Varasano’s and Fritti. We ordered one of the signature pies, the Siciliana, which is topped with roasted red peppers, prosciutto, kalamata olives, mozzarella and tomato sauce. Sounds great, eh?

Continue reading “Grazing: First Look at Nonna Mia”

(Photo by James Camp)

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Have you driven all over Atlanta in a desperate attempt to find the raw foods you crave? Chef Jenya simplifies your search in the video above.

Do you cook? Then you’ll like this new website, Good Bite.

Do you love the recession? Perhaps you need to open a pizzeria.

Didn’t anyone tell Indigo Girl Emily Saliers that meat is murder? Check out her favorite Atlanta restaurant (after Watershed, of which she is part owner).

Popeyes’ sales are up (even though I haven’t eaten there in many months). But overall profits are down. Meanwhile, Arby’s and and Wendy’s are invading the Middle East.

Who’s (finally) taking over the Clubhouse location at Lenox Square?

La Tavola is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a prix fixe menu of all-time favorites. Hurry. It’s only available for a few more days.

Optimism is epidemic in Midtown!

Teens go wild in Johns Creek!

Do some yoga and eat something organic at the Go Green Expo this weekend.

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The Fifth Group Restaurants are offering recession-buster specials. I’ve tried the Tuesday-night cocido at Ecco and liked it very much.

TGIS AT ECCO

Every Sunday night at Ecco, guests can choose a plate of pasta or a wood-fire pizza and a glass of wine or bottle of beer for only $15/person (plus tax and gratuity). Special is available at the bar or in the dining room. Reservations are recommended but not required. 40 7^th St., 404-347-9555.

TUESDAYS IN SPAIN AT ECCO

In Spain, it has long been a tradition to gather with friends and family each Tuesday to enjoy a glass of fine wine and cocido, a hearty Spanish stew. Ecco now brings this charming custom to Midtown for only $24/person (plus tax and gratuity). Special is available at the bar or in the dining room. Reservations are recommended but not required. 40 7^th St., 404-347-9555.

MOLTO MONDAYS AT LA TAVOLA

Every Monday night at La Tavola, guests can choose a plate of pasta and a glass of red or white wine for only $15/person (plus tax and gratuity). Special is available at the bar or in the dining room. Reservations are recommended but not required. 992 Virginia Avenue, 404-873-5430.

BEER & BBQ AT SOUTH CITY KITCHEN Midtown & SOUTH CITY KITCHEN Vinings

Join us at South City Kitchen in Midtown and Vinings every Sunday night for a celebration of traditional BBQ. From slow-smoked-all-night-long brisket and pork to tender dry-rubbed ribs to delicious days-gone-by sides and fresh biscuits and cornbread with every order—it’s finger-licking, mouthwatering, “More napkins, please!” good. Plus, locally brewed Sweetwater beers are only $3 all day Sunday, too. 1144 Crescent Ave., 404-873-7358; 1675 Cumberland Pkwy., 770-435-0700.

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As Besha reported recently, Hardy Wallace of Dirty South Wine is challenging Atlanta restaurants to create their best pairings of wine by the glass and food for under $25. Mr. Dirty is being assisted by video artist Matt Richardson of RowdyFood and photographer Broderick Smylie.

So far, I’ve found the video of La Tavola the most entertaining. It features Vajra Stratigos in a virtual poetic fugue as he riffs about his wine choice, Enzo di Sette Rue Primitivo, to accompany Chef Craig Richards’ orecchiette with house-made sausage and rapini. You’ll definitely want what they’re drinking and eating:

You can find other videos on Dirty’s site.

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La Tavola (992 Virginia Ave., 404-873-5430) announces its sixth annual Tomatofest, July 30-Aug. 9:

This 11-day fete features seasonally-inspired Italian dishes created by Executive Chef Craig Richards using locally grown heirloom tomato varieties from Georgia’s own Dillwood Farms.

Tomatofest offers a specially crafted menu that is available à la carte or for the prix fixe cost of $39 per person (a wine flight is also available for an additional $16). Prices on the Tomatofest menu range from $6 to $21.

Appetizers include an heirloom tomato tasting with Sicilian sea salt and Affiorato extra virgin olive oil; tomato, peach and fennel salad with mint vinaigrette; octopus carpaccio with tomato, basil and pickled red onion salad; and bruschetta with charred tomatoes, cannellini beans and speck.

The Tomatofest pasta selection presents Malloreddus pasta with tomatoes, housemade fennel sausage and ricotta salata; spaghetti alla chitarra with tomatoes, olives, capers and anchovies; and ravioli of tomato conserva and ricotta with almonds and marjoram.

Entrée options include grilled flatiron steak with roasted plum tomatoes, sunchokes and green beans; crispy bone-in pork chop with marinated tomatoes and soft polenta; braised rabbit with tomatoes, rosemary, Taggiasca olives and new potatoes; and roasted hake with eggplant, zucchini, capers, basil, Brandywine tomato vinaigrette.

For dessert, sweet tomato zuppa with basil granita and crisp almond biscotti provides a sweet finale to the tomato tasting menu.

I’ve enjoyed several Tomatofest dinners over the years. I plan to go again, even though eating a tomato has become risky business.

(Image from askville)

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Fifth Group Restaurants is doing its share to conserve water during our record drought. Effective Monday, Oct. 22, the company’s restaurants will no longer offer water to customers unless they request it. They are also lowering the cost of bottled water by $1.

Fifth Group operates South City Kitchen (Midtown and Vinings), Ecco and La Tavola.

Good for them. Maybe other restaurants can do like Seeger’s used to do — automatically bring bottled water to the table and charge you $6 or $7. Remember that?

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I’m pretty well known for avoiding brunch. It’s a meal that seems to pile on needless calories, lasts too long and often turns up absurd concoctions. Well, that’s what I always say on the way to brunch, but once I’m there, I often enjoy it.

Such was the case Sunday when I joined two friends at La Tavola (992 Virginia Ave., 404-873-5430). The restaurant had a 15-minute wait for inside tables and we weren’t about to roast on the back patio. We landed three seats at the bar and decided to eat there. Lucky for us. The generous and funny bartender, Alli (above), attempted to placate Gregg by giving him his own wine tasting when he complained that they were no longer selling the particular wine he likes. Alli also gave him a sample of chicken sausage when he carped that sausage should be made from pork.

The meal was great, especially my starter — a beet salad (left) with goat cheese, shaved fennel and luscious slices of nectarine, whose natural sweetness worked well with the beets’ own acidic sweetness. The nectarine substituted for the usual Granny Smith apples. Gregg ordered a Caesar salad and Adam ordered bruschetta.

For an entree, I had French toast made with challa (below). It was topped with blueberries and blackberries, along with some honeyed mascarpone. True comfort food. Adam ordered the day’s frittata and Gregg had two tennis-ball-sized veal-mushroom meatballs atop spaghettini with a tomato sauce.

We were too stuffed to order dessert but enjoyed watching a marathon runner at the end of the bar devour enough food, including what seemed to be two desserts, to feed an army of Fire Island brunchers.

By the way, there is valet parking in the bank lot across the street from La Tavola. If you don’t use it, you’ll be circling the block for quite a while.

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