Chow Down Atlanta

This is another favorite of mine. Mambo’s Cafe has been around for two years and packs a mean lunch crowd. Formerly named Mambo Jambo, it is located in the space that is used to be occupied by Ya-ya’s Rotisserie Chicken. It is also funny to note that the decor is very similar to Palomilla’s — down to the yellow walls, hanging iron grates, and wood-enclosed bar. But food is much, much better here.

Each table gets a basket generously filled with perfectly grilled sliced Cuban bread and a side or spicy Peruvian aji sauce. The bread is to die for. The aji sauce (made with tons of chiles and jalapeños) is spicily good. It has the perfect consistency — not too runny yet not too thick. Just perfect.

I love Hispanic and Mexican chicken soup and always order it whenever I see it on the menu. Theirs has lots of chicken pieces and noodles but the broth (that tasted like it was from a can) was a little too salty for my liking. A steal at $3 for a big bowl. But will not order this again.

My Chuletas De Puerco Al Adobo — two center-cut porkchops, marinated in garlic mojo, grilled, then topped with grilled onions — was simply superb. The porkchops were thick, juicy, and tender and the flavor of the garlicky, limey marinade was evident all the way through. They were perfectly grilled, too. I love this dish and can eat it everyday.

The Mojo-Grilled Chicken Breast was also fantastic. The flattened chicken breast was big and thick. It was very flavorful just like my porkchops. Definitely a winner.

There are so many things I’m coming back for. Especially the paella which takes 30 minutes to prepare, and the Cuban sandwiches. Prices are pretty decent given the portions you get. My entree was $13.95 and came with fried sweet plantains, rice, and a cup of beans. Sandwiches range from $6-7. Really, I can’t wait to come back.

Insider tip:
Peruvian menu (in Spanish) available upon request.

The scoop:
Mambo’s Cafe
11770 Haynes Bridge Rd.
Suite 601
Alpharetta, GA 30004
770-753-4352

Technorati Tags: Mambo’s Cafe, Cuban cuisine, Latin cuisine, Peruvian cuisine, Alpharetta

Met up with the lovely Bliss a month ago for lunch at La Pietra. My first impression was that the space seemed odd — with this big expanse of dead, unused, warehouse-looking space prior to getting into the small main dining room. They’re supposed to expand but the idea has been shelved for now.

You know the best part of eating with a fellow foodie is that you get to eat many items from the menu and you get to taste each other’s food. We started off with an order of parma and ricotta on flat bread with pineapple mostarda. I loved the sweet, jam-like pineapple mostarda which gave a slight sweetness to the parma; while the ricotta was fresh and creamy. The bread could have used a little more time in the oven but despite of that, we still demolished the entire thing.

Next, we halved an order of marinated eggplant salad which they were nice enough to place on separate plates. It is such a turn-off when eggplants are served so mushy you feel like eating baby food. But these aren’t mushy at all. They had enough texture left in every bite. And the sun-dried tomatoes intensified the taste overall. Really good.

I love risotto and zero in on it whenever I see it on a menu. My seasonal risotto with beets and duck confit started out heavenly: creamy, tasty, perfectly-cooked risotto with the sweetness of the beets balancing the saltiness of the confit. But a few more bites into the dish and the saltiness of the confit became overpowering. So overpowering that I couldn’t finish my entree.

Jennifer’s hanger steak with a salad of pickled chanterelle mushrooms, radicchio, arugula and parmesan salad was fantastic. The steak was perfection and the salad really went well with the steak. I just didn’t like the slightly bitter undertone of the balsamic reduction sauce. Other than that, it was great and we both enjoyed our meal.

LPC definitely warrants a return visit. If you haven’t been already, Chef Logue’s inspiring dishes are worth the trip.

Insider tip:
Valet parking available.

The scoop:
La Pietra Cucina
1 Peachtree Pointe Bldg.
1545 Peachtree St NE.
Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: (404) 888-8709

Technorati Tags: La Pietra Cucina, Italian cuisine, Midtown, Chef Bruce Logue

Last month, my sister an I went to Ecco for their Shop-and-Dine event where you can get a $25-dollar Prix Fixe dinner with 3 courses. Most importantly, we went because it was Spanish Tuesdays. With most restaurants barely making it these days, the place was unbelievably packed when we came in. In fact, there was a considerable wait. Fortunately for us, we were smart and made reservations days before.

We got a good kick at watching handsome Chef Micah doing his magic the entire evening. It was great to see how hands on he was: expediting, tasting, even bussing tables. What a refreshing site to see considering most chefs (especially the celebrity ones), tend to socialize more than get busy in the kitchen. Of course, it also helps that he’s really cute. Really!

My sister went for the 3-course dinner and started with the Roasted Mussels in a saffron-chili broth. (Sorry no picture– the lighting was so bad and the dark color of the mussels didn’t help at all.) The mussels were fresh and the broth was delicious. We needed a whole loaf of bread to sop up all the broth. It was that good. There were about 2 dozen mussels in there which was a lot for an appetizer but great if you’re sharing. I had the Grilled Asparagus and Tomato salad which was very good. The white asparagus were tender and grilled lightly while the tomatoes were crisp. The vinaigrette was very flavorful.

For her main, my sister got the Spolettoni with Mushroom Ragout. This dish was a total let-down. The pasta sheets, albeit house-made, were so undercooked. They were dry and hard. There was a good amount of mushrooms and the sauce was pretty tasty but the dish was lacking in oomph. Perhaps a few bits of short ribs would have made this dish a winner.

I came for one purpose alone: the Cocido. My Spanish-blooded grandmother used to cook this every Sunday while we were growing up. It’s a very laborious dish to make. My mom makes a close-enough version. I wanted to see if Chef Micah can measure up. And boy, he did. It was fantastic. The meat was well seasoned and fork-tender and all the required veggies (cabbage, chick peas, carrots) were present. The broth had the right balance of sweet and salty and tasted bold — like it’s been cooked for hours. The Au Jus sauce served on the side wasn’t necessary at all. The Cocido was already good by itself. Definitely makes up for the awfully and painfully slow service we got.

For dessert, my sister got the Apple Torte which came with her meal, while I got my favorite Blueberry Panna Cotta. The Apple Torte was another blech. It was freezer cold and hard. Whole Foods makes a better version, sad to say. The panna cotta here is heavenly and I never tire of it. It is creamy and has tastes of fresh blueberries in it. Even the non-dessert fan that I am can eat several servings of this.

It was hit-and-miss on this visit. The cocido was amazing and the apps were great but the ragout and apple torte were both forgettable. Our server was totally in the weeds the entire night and a nice lady serving tables near us had to step in many times. With our present economic status, Ecco must step-it up big time on the service department as patrons who now seldom eat out will surely go somewhere else where food and service can be both great at the same time.

The scoop:
Ecco
40 Seventh St NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
Phone: (404) 347-9555
Bar opens at 4pm daily; Dinner starts at 5:30pm until 11pm (M-Th), 12am (F-Sat), and 10pm (Sun)

Technorati Tags: Ecco, Midtown, wood-fired pizza, pasta, bar, Italian cuisine, European cuisine

Sad.  One of my favorite restaurants, Calavino’s at Oakhurst is in trouble.  You can help here.

Calavino is one of the sweetest persons I’ve ever met. I hope she and Calavino’s survive.

I re-visited this place about two weeks ago and was grossly disappointed.  This place used to be so good and I even raved about it here a few months ago when they first opened. But I should have known what was coming — prices of soups have been slashed almost 50%. Tofu and other soups now start at a measly $3.95! You might think, wow, that’s a great price but you know that for that price, something’s gotta give.

I got their $13.95 lunch combo that came with bulgogi and tofu soup. The bulgogi was tasteless and tasted like the unseasoned meat was boiled first then a thin, bland sauce was poured over it. The soup was so watery and devoid of any flavor whatsoever. I felt cheated. There are so many Korean places in Duluth/Gwinnett area that are less expensive yet worlds better. In fact, Super H across the street is hundred times better. Please don’t waste your money here.

The scoop:
To To Wha Catering House
2645 North Berkeley Lake Rd.,
Duluth, GA 30096

Technorati Tags: To To Wha Catering House, Korean cuisine, Duluth