Chow Down Atlanta

You just have to love this cute doughnut shop. It reminds me so much of San Francisco: from the concept, down to the store colors. Even the mascot is super cute.

Doughnuts are made in-house by hand daily using nothing but top notch ingredients — Valrhona, Tahitian, Canadian — are just some of the catch words thrown around at this place. Proprietors Arpana and Martin (both of whom are professionally-trained chefs), are both veterans in the restaurant industry, with stints at Mesa Grill and Craft, to name a few. I came in one morning, a week after they opened and saw Chef Martin busy making the dough for the following day. I love the bakery smell that permeates the place which is just pleasantly intoxicating.

There are about 20 types of doughnuts in any given day including the regulars, and a few specials that change daily. The doughnuts here are yeasty, dense, and resemble bread more than pastry. They are thicker in size, yet soft, with an inside that is airy and springs back up after each bite. They are good. But in a yeasty, bready kind of way. I like it that they are not cloyingly sweet either.

Insider tip:
Check website for daily flavors.

The scoop:
Dutch Monkey Doughnuts
3075 Ronald Reagan Blvd Suite 502
Cumming, GA 30041
(404) 432-5130

Technorati Tags: doughnuts, Cumming

I attended the baptism of a good friend’s baby a couple of Saturdays ago and the reception was held at Quanto Basta Ristorante. First of all, this place is far. It’s on Exit 14 off Ga-400. I usually draw my limits to traveling for food to Exit 11 which is Windward Parkway (a bustling area with lots of places to eat) but I’ll have to add this one to my far-away jaunts.

Usually closed until dinner on Saturdays, my friend got them to open for lunch for us that day and provide catering for 40 people. Food was served family style. First off — bread. They were baked in-house and were very good. Asking for seconds meant waiting a good 10-15 minutes as they are baked to order. I liked that they also served small side dishes of parmesan cheese and roasted garlic with the bread. Next came the Fried Calamari. They were very fresh, lightly battered and fried to perfection. A great starter although I really want to try the prosciutto-wrapped figs next time. The ceasar salad was also good and fresh. The Caprese was the usual beefsteak tomatoes topped with basil leaves and mozzarella cheese then drizzled with good balsamic vinegar. Overall great appetizers.

For our main entrees, we had the Lemon Caper Chicken, Chicken Marsala, Penne Pasta in Marinara Sauce, and a side of roasted potatoes. The chicken was nicely pounded flat yet still meaty then topped with a lemony caper sauce. It had a good balance of sweet and tart and the sauce was just the right thickness.

The Chicken Marsala was absolutely delicious. Each flat chicken piece was layered with a thin piece of eggplant parmigiana then topped with cheese. The mushroom-marsala sauce was just divine and the clear winner of the meal. I would order this again next time. The marsala wine was very apparent but not overpowering. The mushrooms added a nice earthy flavor.

Another winner, the penne pasta was among the best pasta I’ve had Simply put, it’s just perfect. I could have eaten a huge bowl of this. The sauce was the right consistency and clinged just enough to the pasta just as it should. I don’t like it when pasta swims in sauce. I could still feel the texture of the fresh tomatoes in the sauce and the taste is just spot on.

I’ve come back a second time since my first visit and everything is still on point. Service is great, bread takes a while (a plus since you don’t really want stale bread), and the food is consistently good. A must-try.

Insider tip:
Located in a new shopping plaza on the intersection of Buford Hwy/Ga-20 and Windermere Pkwy. Windermere Pkwy intersects 141/Peachtree Parkway and then turns into Jones Bridge Rd.

The scoop:
Quanto Basta Ristorante
2980 Buford Hwy
Cumming, GA 30041
(678) 455-3444
Tusday - Thursday: 4:30pm- 9:30pm
Friday & Saturday: 4:30pm - 10:30pm
Sunday & Monday: Closed

Technorati Tags: Quanto Basta, Italian cuisine, Cumming, Forsyth County

Here’s another chain for you. This time, barbecue. The first time I got introduced to Jim ‘n Nick’s Bar-B-Q was about three years ago during Taste of Atlanta. They had a line literally a mile long.

They have this thing on the menu called Mr. Jim’s Deluxe Combo that serves two people. I’m all for combos like these because they allow you to get a taste of a bunch of things in one sitting. The deluxe combo here comes with a half-rack of ribs plus an additional 3 barbecue meats and 4 sides. A great deal for two people sharing. We decided to go for it and had spicy sausage, brisket, and chicken with mac-and-cheese, coleslaw, fries, and collard greens with the half-rack of spare ribs which have more fat than the regular baby back ribs.

The ribs had a lot of meat around the bones and were tender and moist. The spicy sausages were really, really good with a good amount of heat in them. The brisket, likewise, was moist and tender; as well as the chicken. Their barbecue sauce is a bit on the thin side. Taste wise, they’re just, well, okay. Not fantastic but not bad either. I much prefer Fox Bros or One Star Ranch. The sides were all okay, too. I did like the collard greens which weren’t bitter at all.

They also have these heavenly cheese biscuits that taste like sweet, cheesy muffins. They are to die for. I’d go back for these biscuits alone.

Anyway, there’s really nothing special about this place, in my opinion. Just a popular chain where you can get okay barbecue.

Insider tip:
Located at The Avenue Forsyth. Check website for other locations.

The scoop:
Jim ‘n Nick’s Bar-B-Q
3130 Ronald Reagan Blvd
Cumming, GA 30041
(678) 845-1565

Technorati Tags: Jim n Nick’s, barbecue, Cumming

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as much as I did. Now back to regular programming.

I’ve been eating at chains the past week and one of the stops I made was at Red Robin up in Cumming at The Avenue Forsyth (a brand new outdoor mall). It’s fascinating to note that every single food establishment in and around this mall is packed to the rafters every single weekend. Packed.  With 45 minute waits. Every single one of them. Even the yuckiest of them all. If I was gonna open a restaurant, it would be here. It’s a gold mine.

But back to my chain dining… The place looks like a chain, smells like a chain, even sounds like a chain. As with any other chain, it’s bright and it’s loud. Really loud. With a bevy of over-eager teen-aged servers.

My order of choice was obviously a burger, seeing that it’s their specialty. There are quite a few burger choices on the menu but I settled for a cheeseburger since it’s easier to compare with other burgers. Burgers here come in two temperatures: “pink or no pink”; which is their chain speak for your preferred doneness. They also come with bottomless steak fries.

The burger was meh. In fact, I wanted to shout, “where’s the beef?” I could not taste the beef at all with the large amount of toppings. First of all, the beef patty was tiny and the buns were huge and tasteless. Then, it didn’t help that it also had a whole handful of shredded lettuce, two huge slices of tomatoes, 2 slices of cheese, 7 onion rounds, 4 big pickle slices, and 3 teaspoons of mayo.  It’s like eating a salad sandwich. And although the steak fries were steaming hot, they were limp and bland. For around $10 I prefer to go to Five Guys where I can get 4 burgers which are far more superior in taste and quality.

Inside scoop:
Flavored teas have free refills

The scoop:
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Spirits
370 Peachtree Pky
Cumming, GA 30041
(770) 781-0200
Sun-Thurs: 11a-10p; Fri-Sat: 11a-11p

Had a girls’ night out in the burbs recently and decided to hit Norman’s Landing. If there’s anything that really stands out about this place, it’s the service. We came in on a busy, jam-packed Saturday night. Our server, Terry, despite the chaotic atmosphere that night was absolutely magnificent. She was calm, very attentive, and very efficient. Drink orders were taken less than a minute after we got seated, delivered 2 minutes later, and dinner orders taken a minute after. Eager to please, she even suggested to give us separate checks after the meal (there were 7 of us; and on a very busy night, too). I have nothing but praise for Terry. She was terrific.

Norman’s Landing has been a Forsyth County institution since 1995. The few times that I’ve been, it has always been packed, both for lunch and dinner. Wooden floors, tables, chairs, and booths give it a casual, homey feel. The menu is extensive and while seafood is the specialty of the house, there are plenty of other alternatives for the non-seafood fan such as steak, ribs, and chicken.

I settled for the grilled Cajun scallops served with two of the special sides of the day: macaroni-and-cheese, and grilled asparagus. Although the scallops were perfectly grilled, juicy, and tender, the Cajun seasoning was a bit much. To say they were salty is an understatement. Too bad, they would’ve been quite delicious. The macaroni and cheese were the clear winner of the evening. This version’s very, very creamy, tasty, and a perfect description for comfort food. It was so good, I could’ve easily eaten a huge bowl. The grilled asparagus was a little on the wilted side but still a good choice nonetheless.

The kitchen must have had a heavy hand on the salt and seasonings on this particular night. A friend who ordered the country fried steak gave up after a few, very salty bites; although others on the table had favorable experiences including one whose blackened grouper was outstanding. Overall, a dependable place for good, fresh, quality seafood this side of town. Portions are big. Prices are decent (seafood averages at $15; steaks/chicken start at $12, all for dinner). Service is always stellar.

Insider tip:
Located just off the exit ramp on Exit 13 on Ga 400 across from the newly built The Avenue Forsyth outdoor mall.

The scoop:
Norman’s Landing
365 Peachtree Parkway GA 400 Exit 13 (Rt. 141)
Cumming, GA 30041
(770) 886-0100

Technorati Tags: Norman’s Landing, Cumming, Forsyth County, seafood, steaks, chicken, ribs, daily specials, The Avenue Forsyth

Deep in the bowels of the BOA area between Cumming and Alpharetta lies a rustic-looking white house typical of old southern homes. Step inside and you’re bound to feast on real southern cooking. The Midway Meal House offers southern breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

Raring to eat breakfast, I was sorely disappointed to find out we missed it by 5 minutes. No concessions. Breakfast is served til 11am daily. Moping and ready to leave, a basket of bread appeared and being the bread person that I am, couldn’t resist and grabbed one immediately. The freshly baked biscuits were fluffy and milky. Enough reason for me to stay.

So I had to order lunch — grilled chops and two sides while my eating buddy had Chicken Livers. The grilled chops were tasty and well seasoned, albeit a little on the thin side. With too many sides to choose from, I settled for the fried okra and broccoli casserole. The fried okra were fried to perfection. While the casserole looked better than it tasted (think baby food consistency). I would have liked to see more solid bite-sized bits of brocolli.

The Chicken Livers were outstanding: lightly battered, well seasoned and perfectly fried. The mac-n-cheese was creamy and cheesy.

All in all, it was a good lunch. I can’t say I was floored, but enough to make me come back the next time I’m craving for a decent southern meal. Service is great and the kitchen is fast. Expect to wait on weekend mornings.

Insider tip:
Breakfast daily until 11:00AM. Repeat, 11:00AM.
Daily specials available.

The scoop:
Midway Meal House
5150 Atlanta Hwy.
Alpharetta, GA 30004
770-442-3738

Technorati Tags: Midway Meal House, Alpharetta, Cumming, Highway 9, southern food, meat + two, chicken livers