Chow Down Atlanta

My sister and I went opening week for a quick lunch and fell in love with the food. There are so many amazing restaurants in Decatur and this is one of my many favorites.

The one thing you should not miss here is the agnolotti. The house-made pasta tossed with oyster mushrooms and roasted sweet corn kernels in a corn milk broth then topped with tarragon and a dollop of goat cheese is pure genius. A big order for $14 gets you 6 pieces of agnolotti and is big enough for sharing when you get other items, while the $8 smaller order with 4 pieces is good enough as a solo appetizer.

The other thing you should get is the meatballs. You can either get it as topping on a toast or as a sandwich during lunch service. Oooh, the meatballs are fantastic. They aren’t packed tight so they’re so juicy and tender. They’re made with a delicious San Marzano tomato sauce that has the right consistency — not too soupy, not too dry. Sandwich plates come with garlic fries or a small rocket salad.

The chicken paillard sandwich comes with crispy chicken pieces that are battered perfectly and fried golden. They are very tasty and juicy. The rocket leaves topping in a lemony dressing makes it a grown-up sandwich, although some simple lettuce and tomato will do, as well.

Want something sweet after your meal? You’d love their zeppole. I mean, fried dough then drizzled with espresso ganache, what’s not to like? The picture above was taken during Taste of Atlanta 2011 over this past weekend. Those were topped with a nutella chocolate sauce. Mmm.

Everything here is good. The carbonara, roasted chicken, and pan-roasted grouper are all delicious choices. You can’t go wrong with anything from the menu. If you haven’t been, go now!

No. 246
129 E. Ponce de Leon Map
Decatur, GA 30030
(678) 399-8246

Lunch Everyday 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Dinner
Monday to Thursday 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday and Saturday 5:00 – 11:00 pm
Sunday 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Technorati Tags: Decatur, Ford Fry, Drew Belline, Italian, tidal

My dear friend Patricia Tinsley took me here around the time they opened almost a year ago and we literally ate the entire menu. There was this squash ravioli and gnocchi that we had and I was completely impressed from then on and I’ve been back a few times. Everything here is made in-house. Everything. Even the cheeses. And the pastas. And the gelato. Chef Michael Bologna, who also dabbles as a professor of culinary arts at Chattahoochee Technical College, even built his own pizza oven!

I really mean it when I say everything on the menu is just spectacular. Because everything is made in-house, you must try at least one item from every section of the menu. First stop, the Mozzarella Bar. Made with whole and buffalo milks, I highly suggest you go for the Grand Tasting to get a sampling of what they offer: Latte, Burrata, and Bufala are all included with roasted sweet peppers, Pantelleria capers, Cerignola green olives, roasted Taggiasche black olives, and field greens. The mozzarella are creamy beyond belief. I particularly loved the bufala and burrata.

Have you ever seen a more beautiful pizza than this? Pizzas take center stage here. All ingredients come from Italy. Including the water. They are baked for about a minute in the high-temp oven. The resulting crust is charred and crispy. The sauce spells perfection. The toppings are top-notch. My all-time favorite, the Margharita, has slices of bufala that slides into your mouth. Believe me, the swoon factor is off the charts.

The Fig and Prosciutto pizza is a great play on salty and sweet. The fresh figs were a perfect accompaniment to the slightly salty prosciutto and neither overpowered each other. The Regina with latte fresco mozzarella, housemade sausage, and wild mushrooms is fantastic as well. If you love white pizza then the Quattro Formaggi is for you. It’s got all the cheesy goodness: gorgonzola, provolone, mozzarella, and fontina. The real problem is choosing which pizza to order because they’re all so good.

Pastas rule here, too. You get a choice between flour, egg, and gluten-free. Egg is always the right choice. Only because you seldom see it offered anywhere, and, they are made in-house. They are delicate and light. There are no stickiness and mushiness here whatsoever, just enough bite. The sauces are all fantastic. They taste fresh and delicious. The trusty, simple Pomodoro e Basilico with tomatoes, garlic, and basil never disappoints. So does the Fruitti di Mare (seafood in white wine sauce) and Con Vongole (clams in spicy red sauce). The Al Forno with housemade sausage, latte fresco mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh ricotta is one of my favorites. The Campagnola with artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and basil is surprisingly a very hearty dish. The Rustica with Roma tomatoes, Pantelleria capers, and Taggiasche olives is a refreshing yet filling dish. The Lasagna, when offered, is a fork-tender sensation. Even the simple butter and olive oil on pasta is fantastic. Sauces usually get muddled, but here, I love that you can discern the flavor of every single ingredient. I never miss the chance to get pasta as a side to my pizza.

Should I even tell you to get the Gelato? Because you should. The Pistachio and Dutch Chocolate are to-die for. That’s coming from someone who isn’t really into ice cream or desserts. The Flourless Chocolate Cake is lighter than most I’ve tasted and goes well with espresso or capuccino.

You must, must visit Vingenzo’s if you haven’t yet. Trust me, it will save you a trip to Italy. Unless, of course, you want to join Chef Michael for a culinary tour.

Vingenzo’s
105 East Main Street
Woodstock, GA 30188
(770) 924-9133

Technorati Tags: Woodstock, Italian, pizza, pasta, gelato, mozarella

Remember Genki in Buckhead? Well, they gave up half of their space to this new Italian restaurant/wine bar. Decor is the usual Buckhead type bar/restaurant — yellow walls, dark woods, shiny floors, cozy booths, not to mention a humongous patio which is great for people watching or catching some rays. They have a pretty long wine list and the usual beers (including Fat Tire).

I was surprised by the pizzas which are actually pretty good — the crust is sweetish, thin, nicely charred. The pizza sauce is very good: fresh, not runny, not paste like. I had the Margherita (they use ricotta cheese but I prefer mozzarella), Pepperoni (I like that it wasn’t salty), and Cheese.

The Meatball Stomboli is also very good. I love its yeasty dough filled with lots of mozzarella cheese.

The Cheese Ravioli with its creamy sauce is also a good choice. The pasta is perfectly cooked, just the way I like it — right in the middle of al dente and mushy.

This is another good addition to the area.

Insider tip:
Valet parking and street parking.

The scoop:
Villa Vino
3188 Roswell Rd
Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 228-3934

Technorati Tags: Italian, Buckhead, Fat Tire, bar

The Vietnamese stall inside Super H Mart in Johns Creek closed two months ago. A new European stall has opened in its place. My curiosity got piqued when I saw gulasch on the menu board. I mean, gulasch in a food court? I’m so there. But what really won me over was the picture of the bread dumplings next to the gulasch. When I was in Prague last year, I ate bread dumplings 3-4 times a day. The entire week! Bread, in an form, is my absolute weakness.

So I ordered a couple of things — the gulasch and the frikadellen. I should have known it wasn’t gonna be authentic after I found out that the Korean grandmother hostess was none other than the cook. She is the nicest, sweetest grandmother, though, and fed me like a starving granddaughther who hadn’t eaten in days. She also kept pushing food at me from the kitchen, just like a real grandma.

The gulasch, as expected, tasted more Korean than Czechoslovakian. It was really Korean stew, if anything else. It did taste bold and flavorful, and the meat pieces were very tender. Unfortunately, the bread dumplings are only for photography purposes as I learned they’ll never have it available. She gave me steamed rice instead (although I could have very well gotten fried rice).

The frikadellen (German meat patties) were as delicious as the German version — meaty with spinach, carrots, and a bit of cilantro (for that Korean touch). All meals come with a side of salad (and soup if requested; she gave me both).

This is a good place to eat homecooked European meals with a touch of Korean. Meals start at $5.95 and portions are huge. Other menu items include pasta bolognese, schnitzel, Asian noodles, fried rice, fish, chicken tenders. Where else can you order gulasch (or any European dish) with fried rice?

Insider tip:
Located inside Super H Mart in Johns Creek (141/Peachtree Parkway)

The scoop:
O My Food
10820 Abbotts Bridge Rd
Johns Creek 30097
(678) 474-0315

Technorati Tags: Super H Mart, Johns Creek, Italian, Chinese, German, Eastern European, Korean

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