Omnivore Atlanta

Lisa Dreyer writes: “My husband and I are interested to know if you are aware of a restaurant in the Atlanta area that serves authentic lamb shwarma.” I referred her to Nicola’s. Other suggestions?

The man needs veggie wheels: Tom Maicon, who publishes Atlanta Cuisine newspaper and operates AtlantaCuisine.com, announced the following in this month’s newsletter.

With skyrocketing gas prices and food costs, it’s more difficult than ever to be a restaurant owner and patron. Costs are up and, let’s face it, salaries are not. In an effort to be even more earth friendly, as well as avoid hiking up our advertising rates, we have decided to tell the gasman to take a hike instead, and finally make the switch to vehicles that run on waste veggie oil for distribution of our papers as well as personal use. We already print on 100% recycled paper. We are currently in negotiations to buy a diesel Mercedes that can be converted to run on waste veggie oil. We haven’t had as much luck finding a diesel cargo van — we’ve been at it for six months already. If you happen to stumble across one please let me know.

Write Tom to sell him a van or subscribe to his newsletter at tom@atlantacuisine.com.

The ultimate bad review: This is from Robin Frazer Clark, concerning my love of a certain fast food: “I noticed your favorite Popeye’s on Boulevard is closed ‘due to fire.’ I know you thought the service was bad…but did you have to resort to arson? (just kidding, ya know).”

Open next week: Vita, the new Italian spot that occupies the old Mick’s building on Bennett Street, will open for lunch Monday, March 17, and will begin serving dinner soon afterward.

Dinner and the theater: Silk restaurant, 919 Peachtree Street, hosts its next Theatre Night on Sunday, April 6. Customers get a three-course dinner and an orchestra seat at the Alliance Theatre’Â’s production of Doubt, winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for drama and four 2005 Tony Awards (including Best Play). Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m.; the play begins at 7:30 p.m. The event costs $56 per person (plus tax and tip), and Silk requires diners to make reservations with a credit card by calling the restaurant at 678-705-8888. To learn more, visit the restaurant’s website he  re.

I’m Mr. Wonderful: Here’s a nice email from Rhonda Moore: “I just read your review of The Depot. I was laughing out loud! You have a fabulous wit! For years, my husband and I have marveled at how “dead-on” your critiques are. Even more so, your reviews are thoroughly entertaining. I adore reading your column, either online or in CL. By the way, how is Wayne after his showdown with the display oyster shooter? I hope he’s fine and I hope you’re having a great day! Thanks for such a wonderful column. Be good!”

Actually, several other readers had written to inquire about Wayne’s health after gluttonously devouring an oyster shooter meant for display. He is no sicker or deranged than usual.

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It’s been quite a few years since I ate at Nicola’s (1602 Lavista Road, 404-325-2524). This Lebanese restaurant was among the first to serve Middle Eastern food in our city, I believe, and, if our visit Saturday night was any indication, it’s still going strong.

We arrived late, about 9:30, and I confess I agonized about going in when I saw a sign on the window announcing belly dancing — a spectacle that, to me, ranks only slightly higher than watching dental surgery on someone who hasn’t been given Novocain. Wayne knows this and, to annoy me, always begins rifling through his wallet for dollar bills to insert under the waistbands of dancers as they undulate tableside.

Since the sign said the show was at 7:30 p.m., I convinced myself that the belly dancers had left. Chef Nicola, a man with an obviously large heart, was in the parking lot bidding diners goodbye but assured us he was still open. You know the rest of the story. We hadn’t been seated five minutes when the weird music began and two dancers, members of the Nazeem Allayal Belly Dance Studio, appeared in the center of the restaurant. Wayne frantically went through his wallet and I snapped a few pictures.

I’m not exactly sure what it is I dislike about belly dancing. It’s not the worst. Mimes, of course, are the very worst. But I don’t like mariachi bands, either. Once, in Istanbul, we tipped a very bad band playing by our table in an empty restaurant. The musicians communicated their disgust — “not enough money” — and played louder. “Fine, play all night,” Wayne said.

Anyway, as belly dancing goes, the flat-out gorgeous dancers at Nicola’s were obviously better than average and the mainly older crowd enjoyed them. Indeed, after the dancers finished, four diners got up and danced in a circle. Chef Nicola darted in and out of the kitchen during the evening, clapping his hands and greeting diners.

The food? It was really good … and inexpensive. I ordered the menu’s most expensive item, the lamb shank, at $12.95. The meat, slightly garlicky and juicy, was served off the bone with lemony rice, the best stuffed grape leaf I’ve eaten in memory and some sauteed vegetables. A great bargain. Wayne ordered a mezze platter of hommos, baba ghanoush, fattoush, grape leaves, tabbouleh, artichokes and spinach pie for $9.95.

If you haven’t been here in a while, it’s time to return. The belly dancing takes place Friday and Saturday nights.

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