Chow Down Atlanta

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

I’ve never really been on a diet. But I’ve been eating sensibly lately (thanks to two weeks of holiday bingeing). Tired of sensible eating, my sister and I ended up at Portofino Bistro in Buckhead the other night. It’s in a small house — casual yet chic. I love the unpolished wood floors.

The menu is extensive. Ravenous, we wanted to eat everything. We finally narrowed down our choices to the Butternut Squash soup, the Fritto Misto, and the Shortrib Bruschetta for starters. The squash soup was light and smooth. I liked that it wasn’t as sweet as most versions. The Fritto Misto was a big serving of lightly battered and fried seafood including calamari, shrimp, scallops, and octopus. All tasted fresh and tender and the accompanying puttanesca sauce was really good. The Shortrib Bruschetta was a surprising hit. Two big slices of ciabatta were covered with heaping amounts of fork-tender pulled shortribs that were simmered in a stew-like sauce. It was filling and very, very good.

For our mains, we had the Veal Scalopini and the Seafood Risotto. The veal scalopini was delicious. The angel hair pasta had sopped up the mushroom marsala sauce so each bite was really fantastic. The Seafood Risotto was so good I’d order it again next time. The Cajun-seasoned scallops and shrimp were grilled to perfection and were unbelievably fresh and sweet; while the mussels and clams (both in shells) were steamed in a white-wine sauce that were simply delicious. The bed of risotto they came with was creamy and gave the perfect richness to the seafood.

My sister must have dessert and ordered both the Tiramisu and the Molten Chocolate Cake. The tiramisu was quite good — not too sweet, not too soggy — and was creatively served in a glass. Really neat. The chocolate cake came topped with Caramel gelato which we both wanted to try and it didn’t disappoint.

Overall a wonderful dinner. Service was impeccable, atmosphere was great, food was good, and prices are very reasonable (our tab came to $120 before tip which included 2 glasses of red wine, a big bottle of sparkling water, 3 apps, 2 mains, and 2 desserts). A must-try if you haven’t been.

Insider tip:
The tight parking lot can be tricky to get out of. Try to back into your spot, if you can, so you can easily get out.

The scoop:
Portofino Bistro
3199 Paces Ferry Pl NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 231-1136

Technorati Tags: Portofino’s, Italian cuisine, American cuisine, Buckhead, Atlanta

Met up with the lovely Bliss a month ago for lunch at La Pietra. My first impression was that the space seemed odd — with this big expanse of dead, unused, warehouse-looking space prior to getting into the small main dining room. They’re supposed to expand but the idea has been shelved for now.

You know the best part of eating with a fellow foodie is that you get to eat many items from the menu and you get to taste each other’s food. We started off with an order of parma and ricotta on flat bread with pineapple mostarda. I loved the sweet, jam-like pineapple mostarda which gave a slight sweetness to the parma; while the ricotta was fresh and creamy. The bread could have used a little more time in the oven but despite of that, we still demolished the entire thing.

Next, we halved an order of marinated eggplant salad which they were nice enough to place on separate plates. It is such a turn-off when eggplants are served so mushy you feel like eating baby food. But these aren’t mushy at all. They had enough texture left in every bite. And the sun-dried tomatoes intensified the taste overall. Really good.

I love risotto and zero in on it whenever I see it on a menu. My seasonal risotto with beets and duck confit started out heavenly: creamy, tasty, perfectly-cooked risotto with the sweetness of the beets balancing the saltiness of the confit. But a few more bites into the dish and the saltiness of the confit became overpowering. So overpowering that I couldn’t finish my entree.

Jennifer’s hanger steak with a salad of pickled chanterelle mushrooms, radicchio, arugula and parmesan salad was fantastic. The steak was perfection and the salad really went well with the steak. I just didn’t like the slightly bitter undertone of the balsamic reduction sauce. Other than that, it was great and we both enjoyed our meal.

LPC definitely warrants a return visit. If you haven’t been already, Chef Logue’s inspiring dishes are worth the trip.

Insider tip:
Valet parking available.

The scoop:
La Pietra Cucina
1 Peachtree Pointe Bldg.
1545 Peachtree St NE.
Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: (404) 888-8709

Technorati Tags: La Pietra Cucina, Italian cuisine, Midtown, Chef Bruce Logue

Last month, my sister an I went to Ecco for their Shop-and-Dine event where you can get a $25-dollar Prix Fixe dinner with 3 courses. Most importantly, we went because it was Spanish Tuesdays. With most restaurants barely making it these days, the place was unbelievably packed when we came in. In fact, there was a considerable wait. Fortunately for us, we were smart and made reservations days before.

We got a good kick at watching handsome Chef Micah doing his magic the entire evening. It was great to see how hands on he was: expediting, tasting, even bussing tables. What a refreshing site to see considering most chefs (especially the celebrity ones), tend to socialize more than get busy in the kitchen. Of course, it also helps that he’s really cute. Really!

My sister went for the 3-course dinner and started with the Roasted Mussels in a saffron-chili broth. (Sorry no picture– the lighting was so bad and the dark color of the mussels didn’t help at all.) The mussels were fresh and the broth was delicious. We needed a whole loaf of bread to sop up all the broth. It was that good. There were about 2 dozen mussels in there which was a lot for an appetizer but great if you’re sharing. I had the Grilled Asparagus and Tomato salad which was very good. The white asparagus were tender and grilled lightly while the tomatoes were crisp. The vinaigrette was very flavorful.

For her main, my sister got the Spolettoni with Mushroom Ragout. This dish was a total let-down. The pasta sheets, albeit house-made, were so undercooked. They were dry and hard. There was a good amount of mushrooms and the sauce was pretty tasty but the dish was lacking in oomph. Perhaps a few bits of short ribs would have made this dish a winner.

I came for one purpose alone: the Cocido. My Spanish-blooded grandmother used to cook this every Sunday while we were growing up. It’s a very laborious dish to make. My mom makes a close-enough version. I wanted to see if Chef Micah can measure up. And boy, he did. It was fantastic. The meat was well seasoned and fork-tender and all the required veggies (cabbage, chick peas, carrots) were present. The broth had the right balance of sweet and salty and tasted bold — like it’s been cooked for hours. The Au Jus sauce served on the side wasn’t necessary at all. The Cocido was already good by itself. Definitely makes up for the awfully and painfully slow service we got.

For dessert, my sister got the Apple Torte which came with her meal, while I got my favorite Blueberry Panna Cotta. The Apple Torte was another blech. It was freezer cold and hard. Whole Foods makes a better version, sad to say. The panna cotta here is heavenly and I never tire of it. It is creamy and has tastes of fresh blueberries in it. Even the non-dessert fan that I am can eat several servings of this.

It was hit-and-miss on this visit. The cocido was amazing and the apps were great but the ragout and apple torte were both forgettable. Our server was totally in the weeds the entire night and a nice lady serving tables near us had to step in many times. With our present economic status, Ecco must step-it up big time on the service department as patrons who now seldom eat out will surely go somewhere else where food and service can be both great at the same time.

The scoop:
Ecco
40 Seventh St NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
Phone: (404) 347-9555
Bar opens at 4pm daily; Dinner starts at 5:30pm until 11pm (M-Th), 12am (F-Sat), and 10pm (Sun)

Technorati Tags: Ecco, Midtown, wood-fired pizza, pasta, bar, Italian cuisine, European cuisine