Chow Down Atlanta

It’s one of the most underrated breakfast places in town. Did you know? They make the best sweet potato pancakes. They’re soft, chewy, sweet potatoey. They are so good.

But wait, there’s more. They have these humongous biscuits that are also so good. Believe me, the “Flying” version doesn’t compare.

P.S. Try their take on the Huevos Rancheros. It comes with both red and green salsa.

Read more from Gato’s biggest fan here.

Gato Bizco Cafe
1660 McLendon Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 371-0889
Call for hours — can’t remember if they’re closed on Mondays and/or Tuesdays.

Technorati Tags: L5P, Candler Park, breakfast, biscuits

One thing you must eat at this Little 5 Points institution: garlic fried rice. It goes so well with their curry dishes.

I also love the naan here. They’re buttery, yeasty, and has just the right amount of char. Believe me when I say I eat two orders of it all by myself. P.S. The garlic naan is sooooo good.

The menu here is all over the place, having both South and North dishes, with not one particular specialty. Taste-wise, they’re pretty good — as good as any Indian in town can be — but with fresh, quality ingredients to compensate. Case in point, they use real paneer in their Saag Paneer (though, the one at Tandoor blows everyone away). Their creamy curries are respectable but lack the appropriate heat I long for when spicy curry cravings hit. Still, it’s worth a try. Other notables include the creamy Chicken Tikka Masala and the über tender and moist Tandoori Chicken.

Can’t decide what to get? Go for the set dinner menu ($19.99 for one person) with its assortment of dishes.

More pictures here.

Planet Bombay
451 Moreland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 688-0005

Technorati Tags: Indian, L5P, Atlanta

We were originally going for some cult burgers. But before I can even step out of my car in the parking lot, I got a text and then a call from Broderick: “It’s CLOSED!!!” I could not believe my eyes. And ears. So we ended up at The Porter in Little Five Points. One thing about this area is that it is quite difficult to find parking space. We did manage to snag one a couple of blocks away. I love cold weather but the blustery 18°F weather made it painful to walk to and back.

I remember when this place used to be Bridgetown Grill (they had those awesome pineapple bread straight out of the oven!) It has evolved a few more times but the place looks exactly the same, save for a few knickknacks as decoration. As a beer bar, they have pages and pages of all kinds of beer available. I am not a big drinker — three sips of wine or alcohol literally knocks me out (yeah, I know, I am a cheap date). But Broderick liked his Belgian and my sister loved her German. Do not ask me what they were. I can not tell you. I did find something that looked delicious in print: Hitachino. It has 12.5% alcohol content. I hate to imagine what that will do to me.

Let me just say that all the dishes that Broderick and my sister picked were fantastic. As for me, well, I must have been wearing a “Hate Me” sticker on my forehead…

The duck prosciutto with poached eggs and greens (sorry, not a salad fan) was really great. The duck was very tender with a saltish flavor that went well with the egg and greens.

The Belgian fries were outstanding. The garlic in the oil used was quite pronounced but not in an aggressive kind of way. The charred onion mayo dipping sauce was creamy and oniony. Better eat these fries while hot and crispy as they became soggy as soon as they cooled.

My not-so-good luck started with the mains. Broderick and I both wanted the pork chop but since he called first dibs and they only had one left (it was after 10PM after all), I had to choose something else. A clear winner, the center-cut pork chop was thick and juicy and perfectly grilled. It had a clean, simple salt and pepper flavor all the way through. The pasta and mushroom provided texture and the pan jus made it a really great dish.

My sister’s Kraut and Beer Brats was also good. The homemade bratwursts had a nice snap to them. They had a slight herby taste that I really liked. The sauerkraut could have used a little more acidity but it was a good accompaniment, nonetheless.

So just my luck, the half-pound cheeseburger that I got was a total let-down. Although cooked medium in the middle, it had a hard, dry, dark, well-done crust on the outside. It was also flavorless. Even the good, soft and buttery tomato focaccia it came in could not save this failure. (For the record, that side salad of greens and pickled beets went to my sister.)

Now for the best part… Totally disappointed and still hungry, I decided to get their banana crepe. Visions of Paris and the crepes we got there from the street and cafes at every visit played in my mind. I just knew it was going to be good. I mean, how hard is it to mess up crepes?

I wanted to cry so bad when it was set in front of us. What came was what looked like banana slices swimming in dark brown gooey soup. Banana soup? Did they think I would not notice that this (insert your favorite expletive here) does not even look remotely close to a crepe? I felt so offended. It was so gooey. It was sickeningly sweet. It. Was. Not. A. Crepe!!!

I hardly have disappointing meals. In fact, I can only think of one in the last couple of years. And now this. You know, to me, you only get one chance to make a first impression.  Especially if it costs me $60.  I had to make a 2AM run to Krystals just to erase the memory from my mind. And mouth.

Many thanks to Savory Exposure for the pictures.

The Porter
1156 Euclid Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 223-0393

Technorati Tags: Little Five Points, beer, beer bar, gastropub

I love food so much that I try to find a saving grace when bad meals happen. This time, I could not find any. In fact, I have to say I am offended. With this:

Care to guess?

Details to follow…

Sometimes, it’s good to go to a place where everyone’s been but you. That way, most inconsistencies have been worked out. My second trip to FBB was this Saturday for a family lunch. My first trip was a blur but this second one was more memorable. I was really lusting for The Lopez, but I came late and my folks have already finished with their appetizers so I didn’t think it was fair to make them wait any longer. It’ll have to be another time.

Adoration came in the form of the special of the day: Beef Ribs. This scary, intimidating, monstrous dish looked depressing — it was covered in black crust. But it was the softest crust, more of a coloring than crust, really. First bite and it was barbecue heaven for me. It was oh so tender, moist, and very, very flavorful. It was so good by itself but a few douses of the sweetish barbecue sauce made it ever more wonderful. A winner!

My sides of collards and fried okra were good, not impressive, but better than most. The greens didn’t have the offensive bitter taste and the fried okra were battered lightly and fried golden. Both good choices. The jalapeño corn bread was just so-so. It was dryish and not enough heat.

My sister’s sliced brisket was also quite delicious. The meat was so tender and moist. Overall great barbecue meats. Her Brisket Chili was amazing. It was flavorful with lots of meaty goodness. I didn’t care much for the onion rings as they were just pedestrian. The Brunswick Stew was good in flavor but just didn’t do it for me. The Mac-n-Cheese was meh. It was gooey and starchy. Quite a turn-off.

The best barbecue I’ve ever had was at my uncle’s. A Georgia transplant who’s lived here most of his life, he prides himself in slaughtering a whole cow and making the best bbq ever. No place has come close. When I was younger, we used to go to Austin at least once a month for barbecue. But that got old. I’m so glad FBB came into our chain-laden scene. We now have another choice and no longer have to put up with chains who come and go.

Insider tip:
The parking lot is tiny but street parking isn’t difficult to find.

The scoop:
Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q
1238 Dekalb Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 577-4030