Omnivore Atlanta

Here are some events coming up for Halloween and through next week:

Treat Before You Trick at the Melting Pot, Oct. 31. For Halloween, the Melting Pot’s Midtown, Duluth, Kennesaw and Roswell locations will offer a special menu price starting at 1 p.m. You can eat a three-course meal that includes cheese, salad and an entree for $25, which, compared to their normal menu pricing, is quite a deal. If you come dressed in costume you’ll receive a chocolate course for $5 per person. 404-389-0099.

RA Sushi’s Boo Bash 2009, Oct. 31. Starting at 7 p.m. RA Sushi is celebrating Halloween with food and drink specials for the night. The “Boo Bites” specials, the $6 Creepy Cali Roll, $7 Voodoo Roll and $7 Spider Roll, can be paired with some $7 “Potent Potions,” which include Vampire’s Kiss, Bloody Brain and Skullini. DJ Scott will entertain guests with a mix of horror movie theme songs and top 40s hits. There is no cover charge and the kitchen will remain open until 1 a.m. 1080 Peachtree St. 404-267-0114.

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“Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” our server yelled. She had just dumped a glass of water on our table and it was trickling into my lap to produce that unmistakable look of adult incontinence.

“Don’t worry about it,” Wayne said as about five men attacked our table with their rags.

“She told me she was going to do that,” one of them said.

We laughed. Ha ha. The server was still pleading for forgiveness. We told her not to worry. Mistakes happen. “We are amused.” I asked for some tonic water. She left to fetch it.

We were seated on the patio of the new RA Sushi (1080 Peachtree St., 404-267-0114). Open about three weeks, the restaurant already seems to be something of a hit. The vibe is youthful, the look is Disney-meets-Vegas-in-Tokyo. This is part of a chain out of Arizona and it seems to be quite popular in all nine states where it’s opened.

Continue reading “Grazing: First Look at RA Sushi”

(Photo by James Camp)

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We visited three-week-old RA Sushi (1080 Peachtree St., 404-267-0114) last week. The instantly popular spot is part of a chain out of Arizona. It serves some Asian specialties, like the pork gyoza above, besides sushi. In fact, these dumplings were better than most of the sushi we sampled.

I have to say that the salmon skin in this hand roll was much better prepared than you find at most sushi bars, probably because it was made to order. It was exceedingly crispy and flavorful. Personally, I like this dish made with some Japanese mayo, but only soy sauce was offered to moisten the roll.

The decor of the two-level RA is kind of kitschy, but mainly pleasing. This painting of a naked woman using a dangerously pointy phallic symbol to scratch her back is in the private dining room.

I’ll have a full report in Grazing later this week.

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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I stopped in the relatively new Chocolate Coffee (1159 LaVista Rd., 404-327-6060) today. Actually, I have no idea if it’s actually spelled Chocolate Coffee, ChocoLaté Coffee or Chocolatte Coffee. Literally all three spellings are used on the shop’s website. (This is a local chain of three cafes.)

In any case, I skipped the numerous chocolate-and-coffee concoctions and had a good espresso macchiato. Pastries looked better than average.

One sort-of complaint: The shop offers free Wi-Fi and in fact is an advocate of free wireless everywhere for everyone, according to its website. Why, then, are you limited to an hour of service at the shop and why do you have to enter a code to log on? It took me some time to get my iTouch to work and the barista told me she had given up on getting her own iPhone to work there.

This isn’t unique to Chocolate Coffee. It costs practically nothing for businesses to provide free Wi-Fi. Why the time limits, the codes and the log-on pages full of advertising?. …

We ate at — you know where — the Shed on Glenwood Wednesday night, having become totally addicted to the $3 sliders. Last night’s delicious newbie was one of ratatouille topped with goat cheese. We also ordered this plate of onion rings. The damn things were as big as the sliders, tasted sweet and almost tempura-crispy.

The Shed began a Thursday-night special this week too — a plate of four fresh vegetables for $10. This week’s choices were sunchokes, organic tomatoes, Swiss chard, arugula and sweet corn. I hope to get there next week. …

We indulged our addiction to Spoon in East Atlanta Thursday night. The restaurant now has its pouring license, so you can dull the fiery curries by numbing your entire head with liquor. As usual, I trotted across the parking lot to Morelli’s for ice cream — one scoop of ginger-lavender and one of goat cheese swirled with figs.

Morelli’s is featured in the current issue of the Porch Press, by the way. That’s the monthly newspaper for Grant Park and East Atlanta Village. The article’s not online — none of the paper is, incredibly — so you’ll have to find a copy to read it. Writer Darin Glass reports that business has been crazy at the shop since Bon Appetit cited it as one of America’s top 10 ice cream shops. …

Name Change: Food 101 Morningside becomes Rosebud on July 6. This follows purchase of the restaurant by Executive Chef Ron Eyester, who has been with the restaurant as a co-owner and chef since it opened. So, there won’t be any significant changes in the menu. A press release explains the new name:

So, why Rosebud? Well, as any “regular” will tell you, Chef Eyester’s second love (aside from food) is music. An avid fan of bands such as The Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, and The Allman Brothers, Eyester has built a reputation for offering unique music tribute dinners throughout the year. Fittingly, Rosebud is the name of one of Jerry Garcia’s custom made guitars.

Newbies on my list: RA Sushi, Evos, Nonna Mia, Midtown Mediterranean Diner, Teela Taqueria, Nectar, Noon Midtown and Bistro in a Box. I also hear stuff’s happening at Saba. Any reports on any of these?

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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Restaurants are closing, restaurants are for sale and restaurants are opening too.

The folks developing 1010 Midtown, the residential first phase of a larger development called 12th and Midtown, announced today that they have signed leases with four restaurants. These will be located in the Cypress Street-side of the 35-story building. Three of them are upper-end chain restaurants. An early 2009 opening is expected.

The new restaurants, according to publicity material, are:

Ri Ra Irish Pub: Ri Ra is constructed from materials salvaged from famous, old pubs. Each pub is unique. Authentic furnishings and appointments are imported directly from Ireland to create a genuine Irish atmosphere where patrons experience the real flavour of Ireland. The name Ri Ra is derived from the phrase “Ri Ra agus Ruaile Buaile,” which translates roughly as “celebration and good fun.”

RA Sushi Bar Restaurant: The stylishly edgy sushi bar and restaurant currently has 20 locations across the country. An unconventional dining concept, RA blends fresh sushi, hip music and contemporary décor all rolled up into one flavorful experience.

Piola: This unique pizzeria from Italy with locations in São Paolo, Buenos Aires, New York and Miami’s South Beach features authentic thin crust, wood-fired brick-oven pizza and Italian cuisine that is simple and healthy.

Noon Midtown: Noon Midtown offers sophisticated sandwiches, soups and salads, as well as pastries and breakfast items, with a focus on locally grown produce and sustainably raised meats.

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