Omnivore Atlanta

It’s not one of the restaurants I’ve been hearing are on the verge of closing, but I received this discouraging email from a reader today:

Have you heard anything about Sala in VA HI? It has a sign that it is closed but nothing about when it is going to reopen. Sucks because I have two $50 gift certificates that have to be used by August 3. They were selling $50 gift certificates for $12 and I thought it was a deal. Apparently not!

When I called the restaurant, I got a recording that said the phone was “temporarily disconnected.”

I’m afraid we are going to be seeing more and more of this.

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If you’ve spent any time in Mexico, you’ve run into street vendors selling elote — roasted corn on the cob, usually served with your choice of sauce. I’ve been checking out Mexican restaurants this week and have run into the dish at the new Holy Taco in East Atlanta Village and at Sala in Virginia-Highland, which I haven’t visited since it was sold and hired a new chef.

Holy Taco, located in the building that housed Iris and Haas, serves the deliciously messy version of elote with an aioli-like mayo with queso fresco (above), while Sala shaves the roasted corn off the cobb, blends it with some spicy mayo and serves it with chips (right). Messy or neat, both versions are tasty.

Our meal at Holy Taco was a mixed success. A chile relleno starter was decent, but tacos were bland and weirdly served with no salsa at all. Moreover, they were made with a single corn tortilla, instead of the usual two, so they fell apart easily. Grilled, Peruvian-style roasted chicken was spicy and juicy, but served with absolutely nothing else on the plate.

Our meal at Sala went mainly well. I especially liked the roasted pork with a tomatillo sauce combined with cascabel chiles. It was topped with radishes and melted cheese. We also ate more elote in the form of a corn cake.

A question. There are now three Mexican cafes in East Atlanta Village, none of them doing anything very unusual. Why in the world would three Mexican joints open within blocks of one another in a neighborhood that seems to pride itself on its diversity and eccentricity? This, among other questions, is pondered on the East Atlanta gossip site, eavbuzz.net. Check out three threads on the new restaurant here.

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Local Internet foodies are reporting that Frank Ma’s is reopening tonight, Monday, Jan. 7, in Chinatown Square in Chamblee. Many regarded the Taiwanese and Shanghainese restaurant as the best in the city. The original, located on Roswell Road, was one of the city’s most “exotic” restaurants of its time, dating back to the ’70s, if I’m not mistaken. Check out the gossip about it on AtlantaCuisine.com.

Chloe Morris, author of the Chow Down Atlanta blog, has been stuck working at City Hall East and has inventoried the haute cuisine to be found along Ponce de Leon Avenue, including the Varsity, which she reviews. (Hey, Mitt Romney loves it.) Farther away, out on Roswell Road, she also reviews breakfast at Goldberg’s, whose bagels have long been regarded as the city’s best. Check her blog out here….

Jennifer Zyman, the Blissful Glutton, checked out the chef hired by Sala’s new owners. She reports:

Went to check out the new chef at Sala in VaHi for a couple of quick bites after a movie on Saturday. We only ordered a few items–ceviche, elote and enchiladas with chicken–which were all pretty average. I wasn’t blown away, but I am a tough critic when it comes to Mexican food. The elote was very good–couldn’t stop eating it or the homemade tostadas that came with it. The enchiladas were not that great–think it was because there was so much stuff piled on (chunks of radish, cheese, shredded lettuce, etc.). Not bad, but not great either. The ceviche was decent, but lacking any real pop. The key lime margaritas were excellent and served straight up in a martini glass. My friend and I had 2 each. I would like to go back and try more dishes. Not passing out a verdict quite yet. Stay tuned on this one.

Jennifer also features a post about a local documentary film about the late Edna Lewis, who was mentor to Scott Peacock of Watershed restaurant. His recipes are featured in the current issue of Gourmet magazine, which is all about Southern cooking. The film, titled Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Pie, may be viewed on Gourmet’s and Georgia Public Broadcasting’s websites.

Actually, I have it in mind to review this issue of Gourmet….

Here’s a great new blog for wine drinkers, DirtySouthWine.com. This guy has an amazing nose, palate, wit and practical mind. By way of introducing his blog, he writes:

When I write about wines, I don’t assign points, stars, etc.– just really how willing I’d be to buy it again. Along with that, my enthusiasm can be gauged in just how “dirty” I feel the wine is. The dirtier, the better. As a note, my level of excitement will always take value into account. A $10 bottle that drinks like $50 makes me spit rhymes like a player. A $100 bottle that drinks like $40 makes me feel like a total sucker.

If you have a favorite food blog or news you want to share, please post it in the comments section or e-mail me at grazer@mindspring.com.

(Photo of Varsity chili dog from RoadFood.com.)

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Two months after Jeff Smedstad, the chef who turned Sala-Sabor de Mexico into one of the best modern Mexican restaurants in the city, left to return to Arizona, the restaurant has been sold. Fifth Group, the company that also owns Ecco, La Tavola, the Food Studio, and South City Kitchen, has sold Sala to the folks who own Vine, Twelve Grapes LLC.

Fifth Group also recently announced that the Food Studio, located in the Westside’s King Plow Arts Center, will undergo a face-lift and menu revamping.

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First the bad news: Renowned chef Jeff Smedstad, who turned Sala into the best Mexican restaurant to ever operate in our city, has announced his departure after less than six months. He’s going back to Arizona. No replacement has been announced.

Smedstad formerly owned Los Sombreros in Scottsdale with his wife. After they divorced, he sold his interest to his ex and moved to Atlanta.

We are really sorry to see him go but wish him well. Fifth Group Restaurants, owners of Sala, will have a helluva time finding anyone up to Smedstad’s quality.

Now the good news:

Red-meat eaters are rejoicing. Kevin Rathbun Steak has opened at 112 Krog St. in Inman Park.

The new restaurant, designed by the Johnson Studio to have a “speakeasy feel,” is chef Kevin Rathbun’s third venture. Rathbun’s and Krog Bar are both within a block of the new steakhouse.

From press materials:

“Introducing his version of the modernized steakhouse, Kevin’s menu includes U.S.D.A prime steaks, smaller half-steaks, and prime steaks for two, three or four that will be sliced and served tableside. The menu also has a mixture of Italian, Creole and Asian items along with fish, soups, salads and sashimi. He has blocks of fish that he calls “slabs” and an extensive list of sides and hot and cold small plates. He also has classics like Steak Diane (his mother used to do this tableside), seafood gumbo, scallops Rockefeller, and crabmeat imperial.

“Keeping sustainability in mind, there are local organic ingredients on the menu that include Georgia lettuces, beets, onions and radishes. Alternative entrée selections include braised short rib, a ribeye burger, roasted chicken, vegetarian dishes and a pork porterhouse. For the worldwide wine selection, there are 28 by the glass; 85 percent of the wine list is available for under $100.”

Check out the website, www.kevinrathbunsteak.com, for more information.

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