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

One word: Pork. Three words: Braised Pork Belly. Enough said.

Available during lunch only. Braised for 6 hours and they only make one pot daily. Comes plated with perfectly steamed Jasmine rice and a fried egg. I ate it 3 days in a row two weeks ago. It was greasy, fatty, tender, delicious. It is deadly. And all for $4.99.

Next best thing: Fried Chicken. Double-fried. Crunchy. Tasty.

Third best thing: hot pots. I’ve been waiting for this joint to open.  I even sent Sean when he was home during his winter break to check it out one day but they hadn’t open yet at the time.  The hot pots are just like from her older sister on BuHi. And same owner.  But it’s nicer here.  And bigger. They have lunch meals, not just hot pots.  It gets ridiculously busy during lunch.  Go now!

P.S. Get the spicy broth.

Mini Hot Pot 2
2174 Pleasant Hill Rd., Suite 101
Duluth, GA 30096
678-417-8888

Technorati Tags: hot pot, Duluth, soups

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

The city of Duluth‘s extensive downtown renovation created not only a live, work, play community, but a quaint yet modern Main street lined with locally-owned businesses. In the midst of this historic area is a row of commercial town houses, one of which is home to Chocolate Perks, a casually elegant coffee-slash-ice cream-slash-cupcake-slash-sandwich shop.

Owner Marsha Anderson Bomar, who also happens to occupy a seat in the City Council, offers a place to hang out, relax, and eat breakfast, lunch, or snack. While there are daily sandwich specials offered, the staples here are paninis: grilled cheese, beef and cheddar, Cuban, chicken salad, and ham and cheese. Each order comes with crunchy pickles and prices average at $6.

clearly, presentation is an issue here — the soup was sloppily served that way — drippings and all

I’ve had two of the soups (both very good) and three of their sandwiches here: the grilled cheese with turkey, ham and cheese, and beef and cheddar. I was a bit disappointed with the value of the Grilled Cheese because it came with two slices of regular white bread, 2 slices of cheese, and 2 thin slices of deli turkey. I thought the $6 price tag was a little steep for the simpleness (in taste and creativity) of the sandwich which I can very well get in another deli for a buck less.

The Black Forest Ham and Smoked Gouda panini was a much better value. The sourdough bread was sizable, the ham was tasty, and the cheese was fresh. Overall, a much better choice.

My Beef and Cheddar on my third visit yesterday was another simple sandwich. The brioche was buttery and sweetish as it should be but was clearly ruined by over-toasting (or over-pressing). I know some folks like their bread on the dark-toasted side but it should not be the default. Instead, people should be permitted to have the choice. I wonder why they even allowed this to be served — they probably thought I wouldn’t notice? That or they are just indifferent about the quality of the sandwiches that come out of their kitchenette. This disappointment plus chips set me back $7. Although, I have no qualms whatsoever paying good money on food, it has to have value — portion size, price, creativity, cooking method (was it cooked over heat or was it sourced elsewhere then assembled), and taste. Incidentally, a can of Diet Coke was an additional $1.75. Pretty steep for a canned drink, no?

Aside from coffee and sandwiches, Chocolate Perks also serves ice-cream and homemade cupcakes, muffins, desserts, and chocolate truffles. The red velvet and chocolate mini-cupcakes were good in a fresh kind of way. They are not too sweet and you can tell good ingredients were used. But the best part of these cupcakes were the icing. I don’t eat icing but their butter cream concoction is just so good. The chocolate muffin is by far, my favorite. It is moist, chocolaty, dense, and delicious. Pair that with a cup of coffee and you have a power breakfast (or snack) in your hands.

This is definitely a nice addition to the area for a quick breakfast or lunch or simply for whiling time away. But what would be nice is for them to offer a simple Sunday brunch. And a soda fountain machine.

Insider tip:
Join their mailing list or Facebook group page for info on their daily specials.
Free wi-fi.
They use Counter Culture coffee.

The scoop:
Chocolate Perks
3160 Main St.
Suite 200
Duluth, GA 30096
770-342-0037
Hours:
M-F: 7AM-9PM
Sat: 8AM-11PM
Sun: 11AM-6PM

Technorati Tags: Duluth, GA, sandwiches, coffee shop, ice cream, cupcakes, breakfast, lunch

I have a standing weekly date with a longtime friend who lives in Cumming.  We have breakfast, lunch, brunch or coffee one morning at least every week.  Braving the 17-degree weather, we ended up at The Red Hen Cafe on Windward Parkway.  It’s on the Deerfield office plaza next to an Italian place that I can’t remember the name of right now.

The place is small but cozy.  The decor screams Virginia-Highlands-slash-Buckhead and seems out of place in its chosen area.  But it works.  It’s actually a breath of fresh air amid impersonal office spaces.  I love the bright and cheery walls.

My friend had the house-made corned beef hash plate.  It came with 2 eggs, a choice of toast, french toast or pancakes, and a choice of grits or fresh fruit.  Substantial amount for a breakfast plate.  Her scrambled eggs are a little overdone for my liking. But the corned beef hash was nicely seasoned and had a great chunky texture.  I’m all for chunky rather than mashed which is what most breakfast places serve.

My ham plate was so-so but nothing really jumped at me when I looked at the menu so I settled for the boring Red Hen Breakfast plate.  I did like the thick french toast that came with maple sugar and maple syrup.

Verdict:  it’s good that there’s another choice for breakfast in this part of town but I seriously don’t think they can beat The Original Pancake House (a personal favorite) and I know it’ll be nearly impossible to compete with the forever-full Cracker Barrel next door.  However, service is great.  It’s just not enough to get me out of bed on a cold 17-degree morning ever again.

The scoop:
The Red Hen
5310 Windward Parkway
Alpharetta, GA 30004
(678) 297-0200

Technorati Tags: The Red Hen Cafe, Alpharetta, Windward Pkwy, breakfast, brunch, lunch