Chow Down Atlanta

I was cajoled by my sister to have a very late lunch here. It was 15 minutes til closing when we came in but we made sure (called ahead) and asked again upon arrival if it was still okay to come in. I’ll leave the pedigree details to all the other reviewers here, here, and here. Great pictures from Ironman Jimmy are here. Let me just tell you about the food.

We started with the Pork Rilette. It was creamy yet still had shreds of meat to render enough texture. It was topped with sweet wheatberries and cucumbers. It was so good I could have eaten it straight from the jar.

My sister’s Pan Roasted Carolina Trout was so fresh and clean tasting and the side of collard greens really rocked.

My Grilled Pork Chop was so fantastic I’m still dreaming of it up to now. It was succulent and so perfectly seasoned. It was topped with a small piece of cider-glazed apple to provide a slight sweetness but not too much to take away from the pure flavor of the pork.  As a friend would say, “It’s crazy good.”  The slightly stir-fried radishes in brown butter vinaigrette was an interesting concept on paper but was amazing in the mouth.  Crisp, buttery, earthy.  It works.  The rice-a-roniesque rice (both in taste and texture) with field peas was the only thing that was weak.

My sister also had the chocolate pudding topped with Chantilly cream. She liked it.

Despite having arrived so late, we were never rushed. Lunch (and table service) is until 3PM, we left past 4. Service was so hospitable and the place was so cozy we wanted to stay and hang out the entire afternoon. Actually, they would have let us. Can’t wait to go back.

Empire State South
999 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 541-1105

Technorati Tags: Midtown, Southern

Quite simply one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in a while: Spring Fettucine. Made with homemade fettuccine and house-made ricotta. With thin strips of asparagus to hold the pasta together as you twirl your fork around. Fresh mushrooms and English peas complete the gang. Oh so unbelievably light and delicious. Repeat: delicious.

But wait. Everything else is good. The Green+Egg+Ham is inventive and outstanding. The 5-minute egg has a crispy shell. Ham is courtesy of Benton’s, while the Green is provided by a creamy veggie puree. Yummy.

The Potato and Manchego Croquettes are balls of crunch and soft. A perfect pairing of opposing textures and flavors.

The usually ho-hum Steak Frites is wonderfully executed. The steak is tender and flavorful and the fries retained their crunch up to the last bite. Need I say more? Go. Now.

More here, here, and here.

Insider tip:
Last time I was there, Chef Katie was fermenting lemons in vodka for 40 days for use in a house-made Limoncello. Go ask. Oh, and my sister swears by their The View From Up Here cocktail. Go try.
Free 2-hour parking.

NOON Midtown
1050 Crescent Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 496-4891

Technorati Tags: Midtown, breakfast, brunch, dinner

If you want good shawarmas, then this is your place. The meat is juicy, not dried out like some places, the tahini sauce is spot on, and the veggie filling is fresh and tasty. The bread is also made in-house. In fact, they are a major distributor of Middle Eastern breads and baked goods here in the South. Shawarmas come in your choice of beef, chicken, and falafel. All are equally good.

If you’d rather prefer to eat you shawarma with a fork, then the plates are for you. Instead of having the filling assembled inside a pita bread, they are laid out on platters, served with a side of pita slices. They’re exactly the same as the shawarmas, just in a different presentation.

The Lamb Kabob platter, which I didn’t see on the menu, but highly recommended by the owner, was quite delicious. The lamb was well seasoned and perfectly grilled. It came with yellow rice, baba ghanoush, hummus, and couscous.

The Baba Ghanoush is mild tasting but good, nonetheless. There is no overpowering garlic taste which allows you to taste the eggplant even more. The consistency is quite good, too, creamy but with enough texture. The Grape Leaves are a little too tart for my taste but they’re plump and fresh. Six pieces will set you back a mere $2.99.

Assorted pastries are made in the bakery in the back and include the usual baklava, harsah, and wabat, as well as muffins, danishes, and croissants. If Middle Eastern fare isn’t what you have a taste for, fear not as they have pizzas, strombolis, and calzones.

Insider tip:
Open daily from 7am to 9pm.
Only the Alpharetta location has a deli.

The scoop:
Jerusalem Bakery (Alpharetta)
4150 Old Milton PKWY
Alpharetta, GA 30005
(770) 777-0193

585 Franklin Road
Suite 160
Marietta, GA 30067
770-419-1666

Technorati Tags: Middle Eastern, shawarma, Turkish food, ethnic grocery, Alpharetta

After undergoing a multi-million renovation, The Georgian Terrace, an Atlanta institution, now sports a more grand, more modern appeal while still retaining its Southern feel.

Included in the face lift is the beautiful Livingston restaurant and bar headed by Chef Gary Mennie. The stylish space includes snakeskin-covered furniture, chrome and leather seats, and floor-to-ceiling windows, among other things. A revolving door was retained from the original design and now stands as a stationary place to showcase wine bottles. It seems out of place, really.

On a recent visit with a regular lunch buddy, we decided to get items from three sections of the menu. We started off with the Wellfleet Oysters Gratin. Served on a bed of rock salt, whole peppercorns and star anise, the oysters are plump, fresh, and briny. The spinach, cheese, and bacon added just a tiny hint of flavor and texture. Great execution on this simple dish.

Next, we went with the Pick-3-for-$15 martini lunch: peeky toe crab salad, white truffle chicken salad, and grilled hangar steak. While the presentation was superb (using stemless martini glasses), the flavor of each item was lacking. As my friend, I also noticed a considerable amount of lettuce in each serving. The peeky toe crab was under-salted which focused on the taste of the mayo instead of the crab. Sad. And such a waste. The white truffle chicken salad tasted about the same. I did like the texture of the chicken which was grilled before being tossed in dressing. The hangar steak was cooked perfectly but sadly, I couldn’t discern any stand out flavor. Meh.

For our mains, we went with the Georgia White Shrimp and a good ol’ burger. First off, five medium pieces of steamed shrimp doesn’t justify $14 in my book. Especially if it’s devoid of any flavor. Although fresh, the shrimp’s simplicity couldn’t be saved by the bland fava bean puree. The bits of ham hock did add a tiny hint of flavor but not enough to elevate the dish. I was totally disappointed with it.

The burger was mediocre at best. I wasn’t too keen on the crumbly, flavorless, dryish bun. Honestly, I’ve had better fast food burgers. Worse, I bit several pieces of hard rock salt in the patty. This just didn’t do it for me.

Overall, a disappointing meal — both in taste and in value. I was hoping Chef Mennie would be more inventive with the food. I’m pretty sure his menu is a work-in-progress.

Insider tip:
Complimentary valet parking — however, you must have your ticket validated.

The scoop:
Livingston Restaurant + Bar
659 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
(404) 898-8316

Technorati Tags: Georgian Terrace, hotel restaurants, bar, Midtown, Atlanta

I love Korean food. In fact, my obvious passion for this cuisine hadn’t gone unnoticed and, thus, I’ve been declared an honorary Korean by none other than Mr. E-D-Man himself. Thank you. I am honored.

This is the third reincarnation of this building. It was first a Japanese restaurant complete with a sushi train and color-coded plates. Cool concept but it didn’t fly. Next, it became a Korean restaurant. High on prices but low on taste. And now, Jang Su Jang. I’ve been to this place for lunch two times. The last time was with the lovely Blissful which was also her second time.

I liked the boiled pork belly. The taste of the meat itself is simple but the kimchi and radish slices it came with made it very interesting. There were also a lot of meat in one serving that it’s really good for two people.

The Dahk galbi (chicken barbecue) was just okay. Although it was flavorful, it was nothing but a Korean version of chicken teriyaki. A good choice for the unadventurous.

The beef noodle soup was awful. It was bland, thin, and watery. It did have a little bit of spiciness, but that’s about all there was to it. I wouldn’t order this again.

The bulgogi was so-so. Flavorful, but lacking in oomph. Tasted boiled, too.

So far, the only good thing on the menu are the dumplings. Oh, are they heavenly. The wrapper is soft, perfectly cooked. The meat inside is tasty. Great as is, but fantastic with the dipping sauce. There are two kinds on the menu, regular and King dumplings. The word King has nothing to do with the size. There is a difference between the two but I just can’t remember what it is for the life of me.

Verdict: I’m disappointed with their food. But I would come back for the dumplings alone. That, and the banchan.

The scoop:
Jang Su Jang
3645 Satellite Blvd
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 475-9170

Technorati Tags: Jang Su Jang, Korean cuisine, dumplings, Duluth, Gwinnett