Chow Down Atlanta

I come from a family of big appetites (thank heavens for good genes or we’d have ballooned popped by now).  After eating a plate of fried chicken, collard greens, biscuits, and muffins last Saturday, we had the audacity to keep our reservations at Shaun’s an hour later. But we never made it. The Inman Park Festival was in full force and no valet, available lot, nor parking spot is in sight. Since mom didn’t want to walk in the area late at night (she’s paranoid like that), we ended up at KRS instead. Where there’s valet.

We were surprised to get a last minute reservation for 7:45pm on a Saturday night and even more surprised to get seated right at once, nabbing a great booth in a restaurant where not a single table was empty when we came in. The vibe was cool and upbeat, the crowd, a gamut from the hip to the oldies.

Since we just had dinner, we decided to go light. We started with the Roast Mixed Beet Salad with Sweet Grass Dairy goat cheese and candied pecans. This is one of my favorite salads and I almost always order it whenever it’s on the menu. The version here is simple and pretty straight-forward — big cubes of red and yellow beets, dollops of creamy cheese, candied pecans. I love the contrasting tastes and textures. It was a good sized salad and possibly good enough for two if you’re having a heavy entree.

My mom got the Bone-in Smoked Beef Rib (her favorite). The smoked rib was literally fall-of-the-bone tender and served in an au jus which is delicious: slight, slight hint of sweet, salty, peppery. This is oh-my-gosh-this-is-so-good at every bite. She never tires of it and neither do I.

My sister and I each had the Prime Japanese Waygu Beef Burger: twelve ounces of heavenly meat, ground as you order, and served medium rare. You can’t get any better than this. Well, not really. The meat itself is top-notch, no doubt, but the reason we’re ranking this No. 2 is because of the bread. It was on the dry side and not enough sweetness to cut through the meaty taste. Which is why H&F is still king. H&F bread on Chef Kevin’s burger meat? Well, that would be a dream.

Side notes:

Mom and sister got the Chocolate Mousse and Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake for dessert. Both were good but it’s evident that desserts are not the major strength here.

Service was impeccable. We had a great kick out of a Hillary Duff dead-ringer for a server who gave us nothing but the best service. My medium burger was delivered medium-rare. No biggie there, I ate it all. Sister’s burger had to be taken back twice (her medium rare was delivered well-done, and very rare on the second try) but the manager handled it so well we didn’t mind the 45-minute wait. Kudos to him for the excellent treatment we were given (just so you know and I must say this, I always dine out anonymously). To top it off, valet had our car ready for us as soon as we stepped out the door. Fantastic.

Insider tip:
A few feet away from Rathbun’s.
They have Anne Amie wine!

The scoop:
Kevin Rathbun Steak
154 Krog St NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 524-5600

Technorati Tags: steaks, Inman Park, American food, Atlanta, Kevin Rathbun

This restaurant offers a more traditional menu and mainly soups but they do have a few items that are not: fried rice, bulgogi, pork bulgogi, and maybe two stir-fry dishes. My choice of dish here is the Galbi Tang (beef rib soup) which I get every time I visit. The broth is very flavorful. The ribs are tender but could have used another 20 minutes in the pot to make them fork tender and fall-of-the-bone. Although the amount of ribs was substantial, they use different cuts of beef making them look like scraps from other dishes. No matter, the soup is very comforting.

The banchan has a good selection and they give you 8 which is standard. I like the soy beans and peanuts, as well as the steamed broccoli doused with kimchi sauce.

One of my quirks when visiting hole-in-a-wall Korean places is that their bulgogi tastes soapy. It’s not the case here. Their version is very flavorful with tender pieces of meat. A great accompaniment to the kimchi fried rice.

The very simple kimchi fried rice is so not worth it for $6.99 because it’s nothing but rice and no meat but the taste is quite okay with a very distinctive eggy taste to it. I don’t recommend eating this by itself (it’s not filling) — you have order the bulgogi with it. For the best Kimchi Fried Rice, you must, must go to Tofu 88.

Definitely a great place for cheap but okay eats.

Inside scoop:
Not a lot of English spoken here. Be ready to point at what you want on the menu or tell them the Korean name of the dish you want.
Sorry, no galbi here.

The scoop:
Jin Mi Garden
2863 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.,
Duluth, GA 30097
(770) 418-9579

Technorati Tags: Korean food, PIB, soups. Duluth, cheap eats

I’ve been going to Sushi Yoko for many, many years — back when it was still called Sushi Yoshi. It remains my go-to place for a great yet inexpensive lunch. Yoshi was really stellar but the owners decided to move it to Spalding Dr. a few years ago, and ended up selling Yoko. As fate would have it, Yoshi closed not too long ago and Yoko, whose owners were smart enough to keep all of Yoshi’s fans is still going strong and has been for quite a while.

Everything here is good and I suggest you go during lunch if you want to eat through the menu at very reasonable prices. You see, a combination of two items costs only $7.50 and includes miso soup and salad. I always get two combinations for a total of 4 items which sets me back a mere $15. Can’t beat that. Sushi and sashimi lunch plates cost the same. Other items start at $6.85 and nothing goes over $10.50.

My favorite items here are: hamachi kama (small but very fresh, seasoned perfectly), broiled salmon, udon (chewy noodles), tempura, katsudon, gyoza (grilled and very good), nikujaga (beef stew, simmered for hours), chirashi, and of course, the sushi and sashimi. The fish here is good quality and always fresh. Be warned, though, as service has never been a selling point here. But the staff is quite responsive if you just make sure you flag them.

Insider tip:
Sodas have NO free refills.

The scoop:
Sushi Yoko
7124 Peachtree Industrial Blvd
Norcross, GA 30071
(770) 903-9348

Technorati Tags: Japanese food, PIB, Atlanta

It took a food buddy (in my case, buddha) to get me into the loving hospitality of Al, owner-slash-host-slash-cashier at Cafe Agora. I don’t exactly know why I’m probably the last person in the city to go here considering I love Mediterranean food and have tried just about every other restaurant offering this type of cuisine; but it doesn’t matter now.

“Have you been here before?” asked Al sizing me up.

“Nope. And I eat everything,” I answered.

With that brief exchange, Al grabs a big plate and decides we should start with the Mixed Maza platter. Fine. I love platters. Of food. Minutes later, a smorgasbord of dips and appetizers (nine, if I counted right) came before our eyes. Not only was the offering beautiful, every single item on the platter was delicious.

The hummus was creamy with just the right amount of garlic and lemon juice, the sour cream-dill dip was divine — thick and creamy. The eggplant salad was very flavorful. I found a new favorite in their Havuc Salatasi (a carrot salad of sorts) with shredded carrots, parsley, dill, yogurt, and spices. It was so good. The tabouli was perfect, as were the babaganush (an eggplant dip), the red bean salad, and everything else on the plate. The grilled pita bread that came on the side was the perfect accompaniment, although the size of the pieces made it very hard to actually get a good chunk of dip onto them. No matter, forks to the rescue and rescue they did.

Starving as usual, FB decided we should get the Mixed Grill platter and a Gyro. I must have looked like I hadn’t eaten in days and seeing how I attacked the Maza platter, he decided to order another Gyro. For himself. Al vehemently said no, that it was too much food and that the platter and the gyro after eating the Maza platter were enough for the two of us. FB relented, “you don’t know this girl”, he told Al who then barks the order towards the kitchen.

The grilled platter came with an assortment of meats: beef and lamb gyros, lamb, chicken, beef, ground lamb. Every bit was as delectable as the next with my mouth sinking into tender, juicy morsels of meat that are full of flavor and grilled perfectly. I haven’t had it any better than this.

But the best came in the form of a Gyro — grilled soft, warm pita bread topped with tender slices of spit-roasted lamb and beef then topped with fresh shredded lettuce and tzatziki sauce. Tasty. Delicious. And the best in town. FB knew to order his own. I finished mine. And even had to make sure his last morsel of meat doesn’t get wasted — into my mouth it went.

I love everything about this place and can’t wait to come back.

Insider tip:
Save room for the complimentary slices of fresh-from-the-oven baklava courtesy of Al who says you must put it all in your mouth, in one shot.
Order and pay at the counter.
Limited street parking

The scoop:

Cafe Agora
262 E Paces Ferry Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 949-0900

Technorati Tags: Turkish cuisine, Mediterranean cuisine, gyro, Greek cuisine, Buckhead

I was one of the lucky ones to have been invited to Jeff’s place where I had 14 glorious slices of the best pizza in town. That was a few weeks well before his joint opened. I was also invited to the invitation-only media event at the restaurant, but, contrary to what one publication butterfly insinuated, no, I was not in attendance. Two weeks ago, I came in unannounced. I did not talk to Jeff Varasano at all (although I did wave at him). Or anybody from his PR staff. I paid for our entire meal and I did not get any complimentary items. Whew. Now that those are out of the way, on to the food…

There were four of us and ordered 5 pizzas: Margherita, New Haven Clam, Chica Bella, Salumi, and Dolce. We also started with a couple of Spinach and Caprese salads. The salads were great starters with the spinach salad having good crunch, the pecans and the gorgonzola cheese adding a variety of textures, and the dressing tempering the slight bitterness of the greens. The caprese salad had thick slices of mozarella and great tasting slices of heirloom tomatoes. I love that they served the oil and balsamic vinegar on the side.

The first pizza that came out was the New Clam pizza. This was my favorite at Jeff’s house. It had clams, mussels, and a good amount of garlic in our chosen white sauce. The pieces of clams and mussels were substantial so you can really taste seafood goodness in every bite. The garlic wasn’t overpowering at all and provided just enough for taste. I was quite disappointed with the crust on this one — as you can see, there was too much charring, to the point of being bitter on some bites. The clams/mussels were also a tad on the salty side. Definitely not the same pizza I had at Jeff’s place. Nevertheless, our guy companions ate everything as expected (they don’t have anything to compare it with anyway), although my sister and were in agreement about the crust and taste.

The Chica Bella is truly a “chick” pizza. It’s my least favorite (even at Jeff’s private tasting) but I wanted to indulge my sister so I let her go ahead and order it for the group. Now, would you believe this is the best vegetarian pizza I have ever had? I’m a self-confessed carnivore and I am known to frown upon greens because to me, it’s such a waste of precious stomach space. I’ve been wrong before and Mr. Buddha sums it up nicely. I have to admit that I’m wrong again this time. The arugula on this pie was very refreshing with the drizzle of lemon bringing out its peppery taste. Truly a great vegetarian pizza. Even the boys in our group ate it all up.

Next came the Salumi pizza. If there was ever a “guy’s” pizza then this one is it. The generous amount of thinly sliced Italian meats, mozarella, and olives gave this pizza a bold taste. It wasn’t salty nor oily. Just meat goodness in every bite. Wouldn’t you know it, the boys in our group loved it and it’s their favorite!

The Dolce pizza is a great dessert pizza. It is gooey and sweet. Too sweet. But very good, nonetheless. I like it a lot. But don’t ruin your dinner by making a mistake of ordering this first. Be sure to order this last or as a dessert. It has tons of dates, fontina cheese, walnuts, and rosemary, then drizzled with honey. We used it as a mid-course to give our palates a breather and cut down the taste of the pizzas we’ve ordered. It worked!

The last thing to come out was the pièce de résistance. The star of the show. The Margherita pizza was THE BEST pizza I’ve had in town.  Ever. It is also the most beautiful pizza I have ever laid my eyes on. It was perfection: the crust, the sauce, the cheese, the char. I had to stop the chatter around me so that I can enjoy this pizza in silence. It was heavenly. I did notice that the sauce is a tad less intense than the one Jeff served at his house but I can only say that because I have something to compare it to.  My 3 companions did not know that difference and the consensus was the same:  the best! Eight thumbs up on this one!

Interesting notes:
There was absolutely no floppiness on all the 5 pizzas we ordered.  All the crust and charring were perfect except for the clam pizza which had too much charring to the point of being burnt and bitter on the edges.  Not a big deal. Fifteen seconds less in the oven should do the trick.

The Dolce is a dessert pizza.  It is way too sweet and rich for a pizza.  Should move this to the dessert section of the menu.

The pizza sauce is perfect — a tad less intense than what was served at Jeff’s private parties — but still great, nonetheless. The perfect amount was used on each pizza which contributed to the no-sogginess factor.

Each pizza is good enough for two if you start with a salad/appetizer. As a big eater, I can finish one pizza on my own. There were 4 of us on my last visit and we demolished 5 pizzas and 4 salads without any problems.

The service was still spotty but should have improved greatly by now.

Verdict
The best pizzas I’ve ever have in town and most beautiful pizzas I’ve ever laid my eyes on. Definitely a must-try.

The scoop:

Varasano’s Pizzeria
2171 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 352-8216

Technorati Tags: pizza, Varasano’s, Jeff Varasano, Mezzo, Atlanta, NY style pizza