Chow Down Atlanta

I love bakeries and specialty food markets. I place Star Provisions on top of my list followed by H&F Bread Company, and Alon’s Bakery. While I do believe that Star Provisions has the best baguettes in the city bar none, the ones at Alon’s are pretty good contenders. On a recent visit, I got these amazing Chocolate Chunk Pecan bites for $7.99 a pound. These are like chocolate chip cookies but on steroids. They are simply heavenly. I also got some chocolate croissants (again, Star Provisions’ croissants are better), a loaf of sourdough bread, and a slice of some chocolate cake that I forgot what it’s called (delicious, nonetheless). I also got some house-made chocolates but I couldn’t resist and finished all half a pound on my drive home.

I grabbed a quick lunch of Chicken Pesto sandwich that was really delicious. I’m not a fan of pesto but theirs is so mild and tasty. It was the first time I’ve had this sandwich and I was really impressed with it.

Alon’s is a good place to get artisan breads baked on the premises, assorted hand-made chocolates by the pound, cookies, pastries, cakes, salads, sandwiches, cheeses, and other specialty food items.

Insider tip:
There’s a coffee bar inside.

The scoop:
Alon’s Bakery and Market
North Highland: 1394 N. Highland Ave, Atlanta, GA 30306 – 404.872.6000
Park Place: 4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, GA 30346 – 678.397.1781

Technorati Tags: Alon’s Bakery And Market, Dunwoody, Highland Avenue, Perimeter, specialty market, gourmet market, bakery, lunch, sandwiches

I am very sad. This place has closed as of May 22, 2011.

I’ve been to V1 BBQ more than six times since it opened in August including a Saturday night when there was a 20-minute wait for a table. Although no one beats Hongkong BBQ when it comes to roast meats, V1 is a great contender and a much cleaner place. I actually went to Hongkong BBQ for a late lunch today and further realized no one can trump their roast pork. But I love V1 and have become friends with the staff who give warm and friendly service.

Hainanese Chicken is my favorite Cantonese chicken dish. It’s the national dish of Singapore which they have adopted from the Chinese. I’ve had Hainanese chicken in hundreds of places; all over Singapore, Hongkong, and China. I’ve had it in Chinatowns in NYC, Toronto, San Francisco, and here. V1 has the best Hainanese Chicken outside of Asia. Simply put, their Hainanese chicken is superb — it’s clean: the chicken doesn’t smell fishy, it is steamed perfectly (cooked all the way through), it is not fatty, and there are no traces of dried blood inside. It is seasoned all the way to the bone so each bite is as fantastic as the last. It is so flavorful, succulent, tender, and juicy. I love it.

The roast pork, roast pig, and roast duck are all also good but, like I said, Hongkong BBQ still has the best. Not even Ming’s BBQ can come close to Hongkong BBQ. The roast pork here at V1 just doesn’t have the requisite texture and crunch. Theirs is a little on the soft side.

Possibly the best Malaysian dish on the menu, the Homemade Noodle soup is fantastic and definitely a must-try. It’s a soup made with tasty chicken broth added with fat, chewy house-made noodles, pieces of Chinese broccoli, ground beef, then topped with crispy fried small fish. It is comforting and plain delicious. This is one of my favorites here.

I recommend sticking with V1′s Cantonese dishes. Their Malaysian dishes seem novice. These dishes are usually bland and the sauces are thin. Despite that, I do think they make great roti canai pancake. The pancake is flaky yet so chewy inside. But curry dipping sauce just doesn’t have that simmered-for-hours taste and is on the thin side. The bubble teas aren’t as good as other places either and they don’t put as much tapioca.

V1 is a must-try for their Cantonese dishes and competitive roast meats. The place is spotless and doesn’t give off a cheap Asian fast-food joint.

Insider tip:
Rice plates with two or three roast meats are a great sampler.

The scoop:
3940 Buford Hwy NW
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 623-1896

Technorati Tags: V1 BBQ, roast pork, roast duck, roast pig, roti canai, Cantonese cuisine, Malaysian cuisine, bubble tea, Duluth

Flying Biscuit Cafe has been my favorite place for simple breakfast or brunch.  I’ve been going for a while since before they became a chain and remember seeing famous celebrities all the time, including Justin Timberlake recently, who patiently waited in line outside for a good hour to get seated.  Or Toni Braxton (at least, while she was still popular) who was so low key.  I went to their newly-opened location in Norcross (across from The Forum Shops) last weekend and had to wait a good hour at 9am in the cold!  I guess nothing has changed despite the takeover — the lines are still long and the food still tastes the same.

My favorite breakfast here is the High Flyer. I hardly ever get anything else. It comes with two eggs, chicken sausage, grits or potatoes, an oatmeal pancake, and a flying biscuit. It’s like a sample platter. The chicken sausages are deliciously flavored with rosemary and not salty at all. The grits are creamy and has just the right consistency. The pancakes are fantastic — organic oatmeal topped with housemade peach compote. Really, this is the best pancake. The compote is not too sweet with the peaches still having a good bite to it. And the flying biscuit — it’s slightly flaky on the outside and soft on the inside. Not only are they so good, they’re ginormous! They’re probably a good 4 inches thick! The apple butter is so good with them.

Another favorite here are the French toast. They’re these soft, thick slices of bread topped with raspberry sauce and créme Anglais. I usually get the raspberry sauce on the side because although it’s delicious, it takes away from the real taste of the toast. No matter, it gives the toast a nice sweetish touch.

Notice how huge the biscuit is above? Anyway, they really have good food here. I love all the omelette especially the Clifton Omelette made with three large farm fresh eggs with goat cheese, mushrooms & fresh basil, topped with spicy tomato coulis. The Egg-ceptional Eggs with two fried eggs on black bean cakes topped with tomatillo salsa and sour cream is also a great option. For a heavier alternative, you must try the Turkey Meatloaf and Pudge. The meatloaf is so flavorful. And the pudge is a great accompaniment (it’s their recipe for mashed potatoes with sundried tomatoes, basil and olive oil.) One last thing, the Fried Green Tomato BLT is also a must try.

For simple breakfast and brunch, my favorite places are the Flying Biscuit and the Original Pancake House. Food is good and always made with the freshest ingredients.

Insider tip:
Cookbook by April Moon now available.

The scoop:
Flying Biscuit Cafe
Several locations.
5270 Peachtree Pky NW, Ste 120
Norcross, GA 30092
770-407-5885

[tags]Flying Biscuit Cafe, Delia Champion, flying biscuit, breakfast, brunch, lunch, The Forum Shops, Peachtree Parkway[/dinner]

My mom, sister and I had a girls night out last night and JCT Kitchen was the chosen place. I haven’t been in a while and was curious to see if the food has gotten “better”. I had gone a few times before when it first opened and thought the food was just okay. If anything else, I loved the decor and ambiance — floor-to-ceiling curtains that double as privacy screens, white farm tables, towels for napkins.

We started off with the Sweet Corn soup. It was smooth and velvety and had the taste of sweet corn. This is one good soup, although, I would have loved to see some kernels of corn in it. The toasted peanuts were a unique and nice touches. The Pork Belly Sliders were good but the slices of pork belly were way too small for the plump bread. They got completely overpowered by the bread after a while. Add another slice of pork belly and these would have been a winner.

JCT is famous for their fried chicken and I’ve ordered this a couple of times in the past. While my previous experiences with the fried chicken haven’t been favorable (too bland), I really wanted to find out if anything has changed. This time, it was spot on (at least, my order; my mom’s, on the other hand, was on the bland side so she didn’t like it as she likes her fried chicken to be more flavorful). The skin was crispy yet still chewy enough. The meat was moist and tender and very flavorful — all the way to the bone! The accompanying garlicky green beans were garlicky and crunchy. The huge bowl of macaroni and cheese was a lot better this time around. The cream sauce is a lot cheesier. I honestly like Chef Ford Fry’s version of fried chicken better than at Home.

My sister’s All-night-Braised Short Ribs was amazing! The short ribs were fork-tender and so flavorful. I particularly loved the assortment of vegetables that came with the dish — sweet turnips, crunchy green beans, some creamy starch that I can’t remember if it was potatoes or something else. I love this dish and would definitely order it next time.

My sister ,who has a sweet tooth, wasn’t in the mood for dessert last night (a surprise in and of itself) and I’m not really a dessert person so we both decided to forego dessert. My mom isn’t also big on dessert but she has a weakness for pistachio ice cream so she decided to taste the Pistachio Ice Cream Sandwiches: house-made creamy, not-too-sweet pistachio ice cream sandwiched between a pair of homemade chocolate chip cookies. They were outstanding (and that’s coming from somebody like me who doesn’t really eat dessert). It came with a demitasse of hot cocoa topped with a toasted marshmallow. This was a great dessert.

The verdict

I love Southern food and Chef Ford’s creative take on it is refreshing. I know it’s not how your momma used to make it but his take is healthier and more exciting. I really love how he uses fresh ingredients in season. I also like that the prices are friendly — they fall comfortably between inexpensive and upscale. Best of all, the casual yet modern feel make this place a great place to take friends from out-of-town for some uniquely good Southern food.

Insider tip:
Check out their cool, rooftop bar.

The scoop:
JCT Kitchen & Bar
1198 Howell Mill Rd NW
Suite 18
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-355-2252

Technorati Tags: JCT Kitchen & Bar, southern cuisine, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, Howell Mill, West Midtown, Chef Ford Fry

I am laying off meat for a while.  I ate way too much meat this weekend including non-stop bingeing for 6 hours on Saturday morning courtesy of the Big Green Egg. This is a yearly event that is attended by thousands of people. The event kicks off the night before with a catered dinner for 500 guests at $25 per person. On the buffet were grilled lamb chops, pork loin, ribeye steak, grilled salmon, an assortment of salads and cheeses, veggies, and a dessert station. It also includes all you can drink beer and wine plus sodas and water in 20-ounce bottles.

The main event starts Saturday morning at 9am when tourist buses begin bussing people from a nearby parking deck. Only 1500 tickets are sold each year. This year, there were 1000 people on waitlist and no one cleared. The cost is $40 per person with all you can eat meat, fish, poultry, plus all you care to drink beer, sodas, and water. Each attendee gets a t-shirt and a goodie bag.

There were 300 brand new Big Green Egg grills that were used for this year’s event. There were 100 stalls/cooks participating. Unlike other festivals where you get taste coupons, here, you are free to eat as much as you want from all the stalls. In addition, you get 20-ounce bottles of sodas and water. And all the beer you care to drink.

BGEs never go on sale ever but these once-used grills go on sale for 10% off after the event. What’s notable about this event is that 80-percent of the attendees average in the 50+ age group. And the rest, like me, are the children of these mostly silver-haired adults who are forced by their parents to tag-along. My parents are long-time owners of BGEs so we have to tag along every year.

More pictures here.

Technorati Tags: Big Green Egg, Eggtoberfest, meat fest