Atlanta Food and Restaurant Blog
A Farewell to the Gobbler
Oct 14th
My time has come to finally give up the gobble, at least not constantly. If you have learned one thing from me then me work was worth it. I have learned a so much about the food: from the socioeconomic to the spiritually to the therapeutic aspects. Thank you for watching. Now go eat.
Super Pan: Pig’s Head Pizza
Abattoir in Pics
Sep 25th
Sometimes we have to say less to say more. Abattoir makes simple so good:
Apertif
Fried pork ball
Lamb Belly Farro
Tomato salad
Kimchi
Tripe Soup
Go with friends and share the love.
-TCG
#Tidal
Zagat
Big Brother (Top Flr)/ Little Brother (The Sound Table)
Sep 5th
Brothers: sometimes you get Kennedy’s, sometimes you get Cain and Abel, and occasionally you get Menendez’s. It is unreasonable to think brothers will mimic each other; there is always that sibling rivalry that brings out different paths to a parents acceptance. Such is true for the children (Top Flr and The Sound Table) of co-owners Jeff Myers and Darren Carr. My experience at Top Flr (the big brother) was multitudes more enjoyable than at The Sound Table (the little brother). On paper, both are very similar in style, but The Sound Table just did not nail the basics.
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(Left) Sunchoke Puree, poached egg, roasted mushroom, pecorino. (Right) Fried Cauliflower, red chili, peanuts.
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(Left) Lamb meatballs, onion puree, tomatoes. (Right) Tuna Crudo, habanero sesame oil, pineapple.
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(Left) Arbol chile marinated hanger steak, salsa verde. (Right) Grilled Chicken with lemon.
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(Left) Cheese plate, marinated almonds, goat cheese, apricot jelly. (Right) Lemon tart, strawberries.
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(Left) Moscow Mule: Vodka, lime, orange bitters, ginger beer. (Right) Horse’s Neck: Bourbon, bitters, ginger beer.
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(Left) Pea Salad with croutons and bacon. (Right) Arancini, black truffle, pecorino, roasted garlic.
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(Left) Eden farms pork chop, apple cider reduction, sweet potato puree. (Right) Bronzini, crispy sage, apple, butternut squash puree, and brown butter sauce.
My first visit to The Sound Table was a wreck: dishes ranged from too salty to too bland to too under seasoned to too simple. The cheese course brought relief, but I am pretty sure that was just slice and plate for the chefs. The second visit was an improvement, but the price tag was bothersome (20 for a pork chop-no sides and 22 for the branzino-no sides). The pea salad was exquisite and the branzino was paired nicely with the squash puree and crispy sage. Recently, Brandon Keenan has left The Sound Table being replaced by Joey Zelinka and superstar bartender Paul Calvert transferred to Pura Vida. With that said the food and drink menu is soon going to be very different from the menu that generally has not changed much in the last year. Hopefully, this artistic, musically driven eatery can upgrade what comes out of the kitchen .
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(Left) Tuna Tartar , Sardinian Flat Bread, Thai Miso Pesto, Avocado, Lime Aioli. (Right) asparagus, bacon grapefruit vinaigrette.
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(Left) . (Right) Hickory Smoked Duck Breast, Fennel Salt, Lavender Jus.
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(Left) scallops, parsnip puree, pomegranate sauce. (Right) Roasted Baby Carrots, Herbs, Crispy and pickled Shallots..
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(Left) orange tart, coconut ice cream. (Right) panna cotta herb provence tomato chutney.
Top Flr Chef Shane Devereux seems to have a steady grasp of good food at a reasonable price and I don’t believe we will see him depart Top Flr anytime soon. The food is less complicated than The Sound Table, but at least proper technique is followed. The tuna tartar and carrot side were a great balanced of acidity and textures. The only dish that I could understand was the tomato panna cotta dessert. The herb mixture (with strong oregano) and tart tomato jam made more of a cold pizza panna cotta that was one of the oddest things I have ever eaten. Not the worst, just odd. You can test out Mr. Deveruex’s cuisine at the 2nd annual Atlanta Food Rave 2011.
-TCG
Knee Deep in Fine Food at Canoe
Aug 28th
Summer is suppose to be a reprieve; four months of shorts, sun, and sanity. This summer has been the most difficult of time of my life, but what I have learned is that the real test of any entity is perseverance through hard times. Likewise, Canoe’s hard times had them literally underwater from the great Atlanta floods. Insurance probably kept them afloat financially, but the kitchen still keeps going undeterred. One thing that kept me going this summer was the great crops that Georgia produces; the most prevalent on local menus are peaches, corn, watermelon, blueberries, and of course the almighty tomato. Canoe took each of these summer types and prepared some of my favorite meals of the summer.
Yellow Corn Soup with Truffle Cream and Parmesan Wisp
Watermelon and Vermont Feta Salad, Toasted Almonds, Giuseppe Balsamic & Basil Oil
Monkfish with Peruvian White Beans, Caramelized Fennel, Roasted Eggplant Puree, Olive Oil
Slow Roasted Carolina Rabbit with Swiss Chard – Bacon Ravioli, Sweet Potato Hash and Candied Garlic Sauce
Blueberry Tart, Brownsugar Banana Ice Cream
White Peach Sorbet, Brown Butter Streusel, and Basil Syrup
I love Canoe’s center stage approach: let the main ingredient flavor dominate and everything else place back up. Corn soup that actually tastes like corn? Preposterous! A salad where watermelon is at the forefront? Ridiculous! No, Chef Carvel Grant and the Canoe staff source delicious product and put the work into the minor details. What was most odd to me was the swiftness of service. It seemed like no more than 2 minutes after ordering, the plates were place between my knife and fork. Either the staff is that good, or these plate are sitting until an order comes. I hope the later isn’t true, but regardless, every dish was splendid in flavor and balance of ingredients. The monkfish smelled fishy, but did not translate to the taste. Bacon ravioli should be in every Italian restaurant in the south. Recently, Canoe hired a new pastry chef, but if the desserts I had are any indication to future, it should continue to be a part of anyone’s visit (ice cream need less ice, though). In my effort to forever try to get out of valet parking, I have tried to get Canoe to let me dock an actually canoe on the Chattahoochee, but I have not been entertained. Maybe when gas prices get over 5 a gallon they will allow, but for now I must trust that the red jackets don’t steal my car.
-TCG
#tidal
Tasting Aria
Aug 22nd
Attention to detail. A simple concept, but in a restaurant setting, consistency on every single plate is about near impossible when you consider the number of hands that touch the dish. Can a whole group of people constantly be on the same page with their head chef maestro? However James Beard picks their nominees, I wonder if a big part of their deliberation is consistency; Do they test each restaurant more than once? Or do they love em and leave em? Are they just looking for things like tamarind-white chocolate-tarragon bouillabaisse (you never know)? You wont find said dish at Aria, in fact their menu to me seems rather simple. But simple doesn’t mean a dull meal; in fact with enough attention to details like flavor balance, textures, and sourcing, simple can be one of the best meals of your life. That is exactly my experience at Aria.
Seared foie gras, peaches, peach vinaigrette, arugula
Tomato soup, ricotta cheese, basil oil
Fried squash blossom tomatoes, pink peas, corn, arugula, vinaigrette.
Porcini ravioli, english peas prosciutto asparagus basil parmigiano reggiano
Pan seared jumbo sea scallops, crab and corn risotto, bean sprouts
Beef short rib, black truffle polenta young collard greens pickled shallots and ramps
Berry, peach, and lemon sorbets, meringue
Amazing. Every dish I had is something you can find if you point in every direction in Atlanta. Aria was different though. Every cooked meat, every simple sauce, every purposeful vegetable, every garnish meant so much more than “here is what I learned in culinary school”. Chef Gerry Klaskala is much more than a masterful technician, but a guru that can take two sticks and give you fireworks. Hopefully, his new restaurant opening in Downtown does not pull his talents too thin. But I think he knows what he is doing. It is a breath of fresh air that Aria proves that simplicity can be sophisticated.
-TCG
Zagat-Aria
#tidal
Vegging Out in Atlanta
Aug 15th
Meat eating has been around since the dinosaurs. If you are like me, dinner is usually centered around something that once ran the earth. As a kid, I scoffed at vegetarian’s choice to forgo the animal protein, even mocking them with my “bacon is a vegetable” shirt (I promise that clothes is long gone). My sentiments probably developed due to lack of expertly prepared vegetable. While I personally do not believe that a lifestyle without meat will make me live until 120 (the stress will do me in before the diet); I understand the ideologies behind why some people make the switch. If the world ran out of cattle, I believe we can live just fine. Here is why:
Cafe Sunflower
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(Left) Sandy Springs interior. (Right) Quinoa salad w/ house creamy italian.
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(Left) Mushroom caps stuffed with soy, onions and bell peppers with black pepper ginger sauce and broccoli. (Right) Stir Fry: broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, yellow squash, zucchini, tofu, soy ginger sauce with brown rice.
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(Left) Potato Soup. (Right) Lasagna with soy, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell peppers, mild cheddar cheese shallot marinara.
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(Left) Raspberry-acai and pomegranate lime juice. (Right) Gluten-free carrot cake.
World Peace Cafe
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(Left) House salad with strawberry balsamic dressing. (Right) Mushroom, kale, lentil soup.
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(Left) Mushroom frittata. (Right) Veggie burger with rosemary mayo and organic ketchup.
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(Left) Oatmeal cookie with raspberry jam and chocolate. (Right) Kenari- Basil tea.
Soul Vegetarian 2 (Poncey-Highland) – (Black Israelite Run, True Vegan Restaurant)
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(Left) Carrot supreme salad. (Right) Lentil curry soup.
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(Left) Meged Agasheem with pickle relish, tomato, lettuce, and mustard (lentil veggie burger). (Right) “Kale-bone” country fried steak with collards and corn.
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(Left) Orange-carrot-ginger juice and house tea. (Right) Vanilla soy “ice kream”.
What I love most about the vegetarian spots in Atlanta is their commitment to bold flavor. All of the above have also commited to tricking the average meat eaters taste buds into thinking they are ingesting meat. Cafe Sunflower creates this sensation with their soy stuffed mushrooms. World Peace surely has the finest grilled veggie burger in Atlanta. They shy away from detailing the secret patty mix, but I believe it is mostly comprised of lentil, beet, and nuts. Soul Vegetarian caters to southerns soul with their rendition of country fried steak. In a blind taste test of a random southern, they exclaimed, “just like mom used to make.” Maybe moms special ingredient was protein packed “kale bone”? What Cafe Sunflower felt short on was their slightly bland soup. Soul Vegetarian 2 and World Peace Cafe have mastered the art of vegetable soup with their respective lentil curry soup and mushroom kale lentil soup. All of these vego restos provide unpasteurized juices (the best kind) to enjoy during dinner. Soul was my favorite salad dish with their signature carrot supreme salad. The waiter told me the dressing was a tamari sauce based dressing and when I told how excellent the salad sauce was he exclaimed, “Hallelujah”. Indeed, the salad is worthy of praise. Cafe Sunflower is a beast when it comes to dessert despite their food being the blandest of all the above eateries. I usually dislike the texture of making flour based products gluten-free, the carrot cake at Sunflower still maintains the moist, soft character an ordinary carrot cake should have.
My favorite (psuedo) vegetarian:
R. Thomas Grill
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(Left) He tried to convince me to eat Froot Loops. (Right) Potato-corn-dill soup.
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(Left) Busy Bee smoothie (pear juice, mango, dates, local organic bee pollen and honey) and Frosted Champ smoothie (carrot, apple, ginger, lemon and honey). (Right) Lucky Green Tea: quinoa with a sautee veggies and collard kale salad in a green tea miso reduction (also has wasabi).
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(Left) The Southern Vegetarian: collard greens, millet corn casserole, smashed potatoes with shiitake mushroom gravy, butternut squash, mild greens, lolla rossa greens and garlic chili flax dressing. (Right) Ginger Tamari: quinoa, sautee of scallion, zucchini, carrot and blue corn posole in a ginger tamari sauce and dijon hiziki.
As you can see in the Ginger Tamari and Lucky Green Tea dishes, I have failed. I declined the tempeh and put chicken on it. I am weak of mind; I assume that when I see meat it is the same as when Tiger Woods sees the midnight shift at a Kennesaw Denny’s. Meat aside, the vegetable combinations and creative vinaigrettes and sauces really put R. Thomas in to a different level for me. With shakes like the PBJ Plus smoothie (kefir, organic peanut butter, maple, strawberries and flax oil) and Busy Bee (pictured above), I believe R. Thomas is the pinnacle of smoothie and juice at any restaurant in Atlanta. The Southern Vegetarian is my ultimate favorite; paying homage to the great ancestry of the south and melding together well prepared mashes, vegetables, and their signature garlic chili flax dressing. Interesting enough the owner, Mr. R. Thomas, used to be president of KFC and a founder of Bojangles. Now he is consider one of Atlanta’s raw food leaders (make sense?). What is most interesting is that they are open 24 hrs a day for all your 3 am tempeh desires. Check out rawlifehealthshow.com’s interview and review of R. Thomas here.
-TCG
Public Housing at H&F
Aug 10th
No, Holeman and Finch is not renting out section 8 housing. What they are housing for the public is a blend pub, farm, and fine dining. Still keeping strong on my political burger fast (If one more talented chef starts a burger place, I swear…), you will not be seeing any 10 o’clock burgering on here. H&F is more than burger, but flip through a food channel archive and that is what you will see. Meat and bread. I am here to preach the gospel of aged, rolled, and stuffed meat. I am here to praise the almighty farm vegetable. Offal is not awful, my brothers and sisters. Can I get an amen?
Griddled bratwurst, roasted caraway, cabbage slaw, rye bread
Porchetta, rice grits, glazed carrots
Four radish salad with bacon
Heirloom tomato salad, cucumber, vinegar, parmesan
White bean salad, grapefruit, ham chip, buttermilk dressing
Citrus glazed veal sweetbreads, purple top turnips and green garlic chips
Pork bun griddled belly, shredded cabbage, smoked red eye onions
Poached farm egg and griddled bacon johnnycakes and sorghum syrup
Bacon popcorn
H&F should teach classes on charcuterie and meat preparation. Every meat was juicy and tender. The porchetta (roasted pork) was mostly fat, but well seasoned and well-cooked fat, so it wasn’t like eating savory chewing gum. If I could only buy bratwurst as good as H&F’s in a store, my BBQ’s would be legendary. Even more legendary with the accompanying coleslaw, mustard, and rye cubes from the dish. I side with my waiter’s statement about the pork belly buns; ” They are a fat kid’s dream.” Although crispy sweetbread is my preference, H&F’s soft sweetbread had plenty of crunch from the onion, garlic, and radish. What I also prefer is delicious and that’s exactly what it was. With all the meat talk, these dishes could not match the beauty that was the white bean salad. No bean has ever been so satisfying or perfectly dressed with creamy vinaigrette. Add savory ham chips and a slight bitterness from grapefruit and now I am haunted for life by the thought of never having a salad like this again. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the radish salad was not so pleasing. Although my jaw received a Joey Chestnut type work-out, this salad was extremely (literally) tough to eat. The jerk-like, salty bacon did not add any texture balance to the hard, spicy radishes. On the softer side, the heirloom tomato salad (from Love is Love Farms) was H&F’s way of letting me know that they know how to source ingredients. This salad, although simple, let the well-planted tomatoes present their sweet and tangy flavor without being overshadowed by other ingredients. For dessert on the go, bacon popcorn is gourmet road food. Don’t think H&F’s popcorn is a throw away dish; you may be throwing away the opportunity to see what Orville Redenbacher could never achieve: purposeful food.
-TCG
# tidal
Fast to Sophisticated: Some Good Ol’ Southern Food
Aug 7th
What defines Southern Cuisine? A quick survey around my hood brought some interesting results. For the most part the guys thought it isn’t southern unless it is barbecued (men love fire). The ladies most commonly came up with some type of fried item whether it be meaty like chicken or a veg like okra (an influence of Paula Deen, no doubt). A rare few sided with my view of southern cooking as farm fresh produce coupled with use of all the animal after slaughter. I also think of pickled everything when the south comes to mind. Whatever your belief is of food from the south, Atlanta is cluttered with cuisine to satiate your needs from BBQ to vegetarian home cooking. Along the way, recommendations for southern restaurants around Atlanta came by the dozens, but my stomach can only take so much. Here are some that I can recommend:
Leroy’s Fried Chicken
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(Left) Mac n’ Cheese and Collard Greens. (Right) Fried Chicken and Biscuits.
I have not witnessed so much hate for Chef Julia Leroy trying to change the landscape of Atlanta dining, then the hate I have witnessed from the area’s food critics. Sometimes sitting down for 2 hrs to have dinner is not feasible and fast food is the quickest option. So where do you get fast take-out for dinner with ethically raised product? Popeye’s? no. The last time I had Popeye’s, the chicken was drier than a jerky factory. I spent 20 dollars on a 4 piece, 2 biscuit, and 2 side meal that fed two people for two meals. Five dollars a meal is expensive, critics? The chicken was made to order (about 12 min wait), so instead of sitting under a heat lamp to dry out, the lard fried chicken came out juicy like a ripe peach. My greens were well executed with a deep, strong broth. I will admitted that the batter is not what I prefer, but the crunchy skin has a nice spice blend. The large chicken parts come from free range chickens; so critics, does your caged chicken make you feel batter about yourself? Do let your opinion be formed by what you read, let it be formed by what you try. All tongues are not created equal.
Fox Bros. BBQ
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(Left) Brunswick Stew. (Right) Jalapeno Cornbread.
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(Left) Smoked Chicken. (Right) Beef Brisket.
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(Left) Baby Back Ribs. (Right) Smoked Wings.
The big brothers from Texas (I think TX is part of the south) know their way around a smoker. Unfortunately, some asshole recently stole one of their trusty cookers, but they have battled the storm to keep bringing quality cooked meats to the eastside. I think the brunswick stew and ribs are hard to beat here. I always need that jalapeno cornbread, too. Sweet, spicy, buttery…. pretty much sums up what I love in life.
Watershed
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(Left) Pork Sandwich with Fig Jam, Arugula, and a side of Beets. (Right) Truffled Chicken Salad Sandwich.
In an odd move, Emily Sayers of the Indigo Girls decided to close Watershed for a year to move on out the “Deck” (Decatur, Ga). The 2007 James Beard Best Chef, Scott Peacock brought Watershed the fame it has today, but since his departure business may have slowed. I’ve only been able to try the lunch, because their dinner price point discouraged me (may be a cause of lower business). The chicken salad and fig jam pork sandwich were both quite good, but the beets were undercooked. The day I went, the Red Hat Society was in full force, so maybe this can be considered old school southern? No matter the category, hopefully, they can regain the former quality of days I never knew, wherever they land.
Parish
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(Left) Fried Pickles, Cauliflower, Green Tomatoes with Aioli and Sweet Sauces. (Right) Red Wine Chicken Pot Pie (very nice).
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(Left) Loup de Mer, Butternut squash, Vinegared Raisins, Capers, Spinach, and Lemon Brown Butter Sauce. (Right) Crispy Pork, Purple Cabbage, Sweet Potato Puree, and Cornbread.
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(Left) Parish Downstairs Market. (Right) Truffle Balls.
Parish has cycled through some chefs, but I like what recent chef Joe Schafer has been doing since he has started. The frying, baking, sauteing, and aioli-ing is all nicely done. The fish dish had all the components for a balanced, delectable bite. The crispy pork needed more sweet potato, but I’m just being greedy. The store down stairs is relatively tiny with nearby Savi Urban Market near by, but the baked goods or a quick dinner can be picked for home consumption.
Wisteria
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(Left) Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Roasted Corn and Sweet Pepper Succotash, Sweet Potato Chip. (Right) Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs, Pickled Okra and Spiced Pecans.
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(Left) Crab Bisque w/ Goat Cheese Crème Fraîche. (Right) Skillet Fried Chicken, Bacon Braised Collard Greens with Sweet Corn Pudding and Mushroom-Herb Broth.
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(Left) Almond Encrusted Trout, Haricot Verts, Corn, Tomatoes, Fingerling and Baby Red Potatoes and a Bacon Vinaigrette. (Right) Trio of Desserts: Blueberry Tart, Carrot Cake, and Bourbon Bread Pudding.
Of all the high-end, southern inspired restaurants in Atlanta, I had to walk into Wisteria. Or however that line goes. Wisteria puts flavor and execution on a pedastal. The pimento eggs with pickled okra and pecan was such a complete bite with the flavors of vinegar, yolk, and nut playing off of each other. An astounding crab cake can be found here. Jump lumps and fresh corn are the center piece of this dish. The chicken sits in a tasty broth and comes with this amazing corn pudding that soaks up the juices. The vegetable medley and the almond crusted trout were brought together over bacon vinaigrette. hmm. Whoever the pastry chef is loves their bourbon, but keeps sober enough to bake some good pastry. Blueberry tart season is coming to a close, but I will remember Wisteria’s until next year.
Frenching Atlanta: A Few French Restaurants
Aug 2nd
Ah, the French art of food. France is often regarded as the pinnacle of fine cuisine and destination of many a talented culinary student for their foray into French technique, but French restaurants are pretty sparse for a city the size of Atlanta and their numbers are dwindling. The recent closures of Au Pied de Cochon (or as I call it ” I peed in a conch”) and my favorite patisserie Swiss Alpine Bakery (damn you Roswell, Ga) have shown me that French is not Atlanta’s forte, but there are still some options when one gets the craving for a “bon” meal.
Amuse!
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(Left) French onion soup. (Right) Cauliflower casserole.
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(Left) Pan seared trout w/ green beans, potatoes, capers, tomato in a butter sauce. (Right) Veal in a mushroom sauce and arugula salad (day’s special).
Amuse! has been railing hard on the coupon train to get get customers to taste their dishes; they have made several appearances on Groupon, LivingSocial, and Scoutmob. I guess they feel proud of their product to take the coupon financial hit in hopes of return patronage. I have to admit that this meal was while ago, so my experience is outdated, but while the food was satisfying, it didn’t hook me into a returning. The french onion soup was a surprise as it had a tomato base for the soup, which I felt was perfect with the molten cheese and soaked french bread. The dishes seemed to simple for the price range, however (the trout was not a hard dish to recreate at home).
Le Giverny
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(Left) Le Giverny at the Emory Inn. (Right) Crab cake with remoulade/caper sauce.
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(Left) Trout w/ mashed potatoes, asparagus, almonds in a brown butter sauce. (Right) Lamb shank w/ english pea couscous, asparagus and red wine reduction.
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(Left) Quiche Lorraine (swiss cheese and ham). (Right) Granny smith apple tart tartin.
Nestled inside the Emory Inn across from the CDC, Le Giverny showcases by-the-book, old school french recipes. Chef Remy Kerba from Paris runs the kitchen of Le Giverny and doesn’t seem to stray too far away from tradition french dishes; with dishes like the trout in a nice brown butter sauce or the soft quiche lorraine. Chef Kerba seems to have all his techniques down except for braising as the lamb shank was quite dry. The tart tartin was decent and showcased what I love most about Parisian food: BUTTER!.
Anis Bistro
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(Left) Truffle-Honey Scallops w/ mushrooms. (Right) Octopus Carpaccio w/ avocado, fresh lime, extra virgin olive oil.
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(Left) Lamb shank w/ beans and tomato. (Right) Atlantic Salmon w/ roquefort risotto, julienne endive and saba vinegar.
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(Left) Profiteroles w/ vanilla and chocolate ice cream. (Right) Grocery store cream puffs (not far off from Anis’s profiteroles).
In my limited exploits into Atlanta’s French landscape, Anis Bistro in Buckhead has been my most enjoyable experience. The shank at Anis was moist and well seasoned. The tender salmon dish was very enjoyable as a balanced bite with creamy blue cheese risotto and crunchy endive. While the entrees were stellar, oddly the starters set the bar too high in the beginning in what progressed into a totally unsatisfying dessert of stale, Sara Lee-esque profiteroles. The first dish really caused the scale to become unreachable. The light truffle flavor on the honey glazed scallop (tender and no sand crunch) really brought the sweet, fishy, and earthy tones together in this dish. The octopus carpaccio was incredible. Every bite of the soft pulpo with creamy avocado and acidic lime juice made me upset that the dish was getting closer to disappearing. As ate this dish, I overheard the patron next to me ask if she could substitute octopus for tuna or beef carpaccio (not listed on menu), because she was allergic to octopus (code for: I don’t like octopus). Yeah, every restaurant keeps sushi grade tuna and carpaccio grade beef in the back just in case. The server indulged her by asking the chef to substitute, but I think we can all guess what the answer was (NO). I’m glad I’m not a chef: I would have Ron Eyester’d her and gave her a special boiled ham carpaccio (deli cuts from Publix).
Since good patisseries are rare sights in Atlanta, my obsession with French Pastry is fulfilled (almost) every Sunday at Sugar-Coated Radical for Pastry Sunday.
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(Left) Strawberry Fragipagne Pastry. (Right) Gruyere and Spinach Pastry.
Chef Taria Camerino spent some time in France perfecting her baking and sourcing and has been known to make a world renown chef or two jealous of her croissants. No one can duplicate her tart and flaky pastry frangipanes (almond based dessert). Every now and then she will break out her little black book of secret recipes and make a bread pudding that puts the rest to shame. These goodies will be moving to O4W in the next month or so around the corner from LottaFrutta. Check their Facebook Page for Sunday menus and details of the move.
-TCG
The Young and the Restless: Cafe Circa and Urban Pl8
Jul 28th
The odd thing about chefs is that they age much faster then their careers mature. Cookin’ ain’t easy: the constant 14 hour shifts, the health inspections, the critics, the constant line training, and most importantly pleasing the customers can take a mental, physical, spiritual, and any other type of -uals. If I were a young chef, I would want a situation where I have free reign over the menu, which would allow me to take risks and see what menu items stick with the base costumer, but not have to compromise what makes me happy. I believe that there a two young chefs (by young I mean career as head chef), Hopeton Hibbert of Cafe Circa and Betsy Pitts of Urban Pl8, that have been given this opportunity and are using their gifts to make some dishes you can not find anywhere else in Atlanta.
Cafe Circa- Chef Hopeton Hibbert
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(Left) Empanada with red pepper sauce. (Right) Lamb ribs w/ mango barbecue sauce.
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(Left) Stewed Goat Roti- habanero tomato sauce. (Right) Seared Scallop with spinach and red pepper sauce.
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(Left) Ackee and Saltfish- peppers, onions, toasted hard dough bread, and black pepper EVO. (Right) Petite Curried Chicken Roti.
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(Left) Mom’s pound cake- rum soaked with plantain frosting. (Right) The Reserve Rooftop Deck.
Cafe Circa Brunch
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(Left) Plantain Pancakes – rum syrup and coconut butter. (Right) Plantano Maduro – lemon thyme honey.
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(Left) “Cuban Bacon” – pork belly, cilantro cream, roasted pepper, corn. (Right) Jerk Strip Steak- eggs, purple potato hash, roasted red pepper.
My initial impression of the Cafe Circa menu was of Caribbean inspired food with the technique and creativity of a culinary chef. My expectation fell short with the simplicity of dishes like the empanada, BBQ lamb ribs, and the scallops, which didn’t push the dishes to that higher level. What really proved to me that Chef Hopeton has that high level capability, is with the salt fish and ackee (Hopeton’s favorite dish) and the chicken roti dishes. It is hard to find the Jamaican staple of salt fish and ackee (probably because ill-prepared ackee can make you very sick) in the ATL, but Cafe Circa serves it beautifully. The hard dough and soft boiled ackee have a great texture contrast and the salty fish and vegetables round out the flavor. The roti bread that comes with the oxtail stew and petite chicken has a great chew and maintains a soft texture. For brunch, (despite them not having coffee. Really? No coffee for Sunday brunch?) the “cuban bacon” was crisp and juicy with a cilantro sauce that exploded with flavor. As with every young chef, there can be dishes that are utter disasters. The jerk steak had no discernible jerk seasoning or spice. The potatoes were unevenly cut which resulted in under/over cooked hash and the sunny side egg order came out over medium. I can see the delicious vision coming from Cafe Circa, now all that is needed is to tighten up the sous chefs and cooks.
Urban Pl8- Chef Betsy Pitts
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(Left) Asian Beef- hanger steak, red, green, napa cabbage, basil, sambal, cilantro, cashews, green & red onion, peanut sauce. (Right) Parsnip Kale Soup.
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(Left) Jumbo Lump Crabcake: pan-fried zucchini, pico de gallo, mixed greens, remoulade. (Right) Shrimp Sambal: tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeno.
Urban Pl8 Brunch
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(Left) Inside Urban Pl8. (Right) Blueberry Almond Meal Griddlecakes (Gluten Free).
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(Left) Paleo Breakfast Hash: turkey sausage, red peppers, onion, sweet potatoes, zucchini, jalapenos, pico de gallo, eggs (sunnyside up), bacon. (Right) Crabcake and Eggs: poached farm egg, pan-fried zucchini, remoulade, english muffin and side of sweet potato home fries.
Chef Betsy Pitts has smeared her spatula all over Atlanta with stints at Shaun’s, Nickimoto’s, Watershed, Floataway Cafe, and Bacchanalia. With such a great pedigree, Urban Pl8 sprouted on Atlanta’s (still developing) Westside as Chef Betsy’s first restaurant. She has created a primarily gluten-free and paleo-diet (pretend your a caveman) friendly items. I tend to think making gluten dishes un-glutenized always make a bland, mealy creation, but Urban Pl8 has begun to change my mind. The crab cakes are one of those dishes that can change those thoughts on gluten-free. It really works well with the earthy cucurbits and vegetables. I can not think of a better crab cake in Atlanta. The griddle cakes may need more work; they felt like eating corn starch in water. The Asian beef salad is a great concoction, but I prefer a less dressed salad to let the vegetables speak. My biggest qualm about the food is that the cooked vegetables are consistently oily. I really appreciate this “ancient” niche of cuisine from the Pl8, I just hope they go full paleo by using a fire pit that they start with a couple rocks.
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