Chow Down Atlanta

I took the pork fat drippings and drizzled it over my rice. OMG.

I eat Korean all the time. There was one week in May last year that I ate it 7 times in a week. Crazy. I’ve been here many times. But the other night was the best Korean dinner I’ve had this year. We demolished everything in front of us. The boneless galbi and pork belly rule here. And the delicate chawanmushi is to-die-for. (What happened to the pictures, FB?)

Oh and I almost forgot… I became a Korean last year. Thanks, Gene.

More here and here.

Open later for dinner on weekdays than weekends. (Does that make sense to you?)

Cafe Todahmgol
2442 Pleasant Hill Rd, Suite 3B,
Duluth, GA 30096
770-813-8202
Mon-Sat: 5PM-2AM
Sunday: 5PM-12Midnight

My first taste of Chef Steven Hartman‘s food was during a wine conclave. There was a lot of swooning that happened then (of course, mainly from me, although the other guys around me did so, too, with the dessert). I wanted to find out if that gastrorgasmic experience was only a fluke. So I went back one weekend.

We did my usual stealth-dining-tactic (especially because I knew they would recognize me) — reservations never under my name, corner table, back turned to the public, paid in full… the worst part: no pictures. Okay, except for two crappy ones taken with my iPhone. But here’s one that I swiped from Steven’s blog:

photo courtesy of Steven Hartman

Here’s what happened:

Cauliflower + White Chocolate Soup Chocolate is tops in my book. This one was so creamy but with just the right amount of richness. You can taste the white chocolate in the background. The taste of cauliflower stood out but not enough to be offensive. The crumbled almonds gave an explosion of texture in the mouth. Swoon Factor: 10

Lamb Sweet Breads Tender pieces. Not gamey at all. Apples and watermelons were not too sweet as to mask the taste of everything.

Berkshire Pork Shank The entire Twitterverse heard me moan. The pork melted in my mouth. Most everyone pairs pork with apples. Lame. Steven’s use of huckleberries gave an interesting note of sweetness to cut through the rich meat. I got giddy as they popped in my mouth. The rice grits and brussels sprout leaves tied everything together. Moan and Swoon Factor: 10+

Beef Confit I honestly don’t remember much. I know it was really good as well, but I was pre-occupied with my dish.

Apple & Whiskey Fried Pie This isn’t your momma’s apple pie. The crust was soft and flaky. It wasn’t cloyingly sweet. It was delicious. But I wasn’t really paying attention at this point because…

Butternut Squash Cup Custard This had me in ecstasy. And I don’t even really like desserts. But this. This was happiness in a jar. You have to go taste for yourself. Moan and Swoon Factor: off the charts!!!

Verdict: best non-Ethnic meal ever. Chef Steven is a genius. Go now!!!

Le Vigne at Monteluce Winery
501 Hightower Church Rd
Dahlonega, GA 30533
(706) 867-4060
Twitter: @hogballs @montelucewine @MVineyards

P.S. Happy 3rd Birthday to me!

I am so humbled and honored by all your love and support. All of you, and all your words mean so much to me. THANK YOU. Food is my crack passion and I get a natural high just by the sheer idea of it. (You can just imagine the swooning and moaning that happen when I encounter good stuff.) This past two weeks of not writing about food has actually been fun and liberating. Don’t get me wrong, though, I’m still eating (a whole lot of great meals) and taking pictures of my food like any other day. Wanna know how many food pictures I have on my iPhone alone? How about 1,515? And that’s only from the last 2 months and not including my other cameras!

So I’ve been thinking really hard about all this blogging thing. A good friend asked me the other day, “Why do you have CDA, anyway?” Why? Because without CDA, it’s like talking to myself. No fun. If a tree splashes into the ocean and no one is around to see/hear it, did it really splash? (Sorry, the forest thing has been taken so I had to think of something original.) I talk and think incessantly about food and if people do not see, hear, or taste what I’m talking about, then it’s just like talking to myself. Which brings me to the writing thing…

The first program I ever wrote for school was Hello World. The class was CSC 2010. I was 15 which is like 85 in today’s techie terms. I heard 1st Graders are already coding these days, and in object-oriented languages, too!

int main(){
printf(“hello, world. i love food”);
return 0;
}

I was so giddy when I saw the output on the screen. It’s the same feeling I got when my first blog post appeared on GeoCities in 96. Same exact feeling when this blog was created. Chow Down Atlanta’s birthday is next week. During dinner the other night, my sister and I looked at each other and we both blurted out, “Let’s kill this 3-year old!!!” I know, you had to be there.

Major props to the great friends who took the time to knock some sense into my stubborn head: you guys know who you are. A huge thanks to all my fantastic readers and the awesome people who don’t tire of reading CDA and was nice enough to comment (and offer solutions): BBQGeek, k, aaron, MVineyards, helen, FnS, Amy, Sean M, Carrie, Dee, my homie Troy, Andrew P, Martin, pointedview, Benjamin M, Tanline, Tina, and my boy Eli. You guys all rock!!!

Oh, I forgot I had I point… no untimely death for now. But a new approach down the road. Stay tuned. And follow me on Twitter to see what I’ve been eating: @chowdownATL

Last but not least… a piece of me to you. It’s about time, no?

Love you guys,
~C.

The tiny bánh mis here have a character of their own. Their one-of-a-kind grilled pork has flavors of lemongrass, a surprising treat. The baguettes they use are small — about 2 inches smaller (and skinnier) than other places and they are chewy without any flaky crust. I do love that they use a butter-mayo spread (you know me and butter.) The meats do border on the salty side but not so much as to offend. Don’t discount this easily-forgotten spot and give their bánh mis a try.

Saigon Deli
5150 Buford Hwy NE
Doraville, GA 30340
(770) 452-9460

Technorati Tags: banh mi, Buford Highway, Atlanta

I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’ve been lazy about writing posts these days. I have, like, a dozen or so drafts but no focus nor determination to finish even just one. I think I’ve done everything there is to do with this blog. I’ve become great friends with some really good people. I’ve gained so many eating buddies. I’ve met so many cool people. I’ve had the best meals these past two months. Should I throw in the towel or take a break? Perhaps I just need a new approach…

This expires in 4 days. Any takers?

www.ChowDownAtlanta.com

~C.