Chow Down Atlanta

Thanks to one of my readers, Bill Petrosky, who sent me an email the other day tipping me of this new seafood/po’boy place in Duluth. It is located a few doors down from What The Pho and Cafe Tohdamgol. Opened just two weeks ago by a Vietnamese family, it is really more of a seafood place than an eating place.

As a seafood store, they only have a few basics as of yet: shrimp, fish fillets (tuna, salmon, catfish, tilapia,) scallops, crab legs, mussels, and craw fish. I did not see any fresh oysters in the cases but there are fried ones on the menu.

As a take-out joint, they have lunch specials with fried catfish or tilapia, shrimp, and oysters with two sides that start at $5.99. Po’boys start at $3.99 with a choice of shrimp, catfish, tilapia, oysters, sausage, or calamari. They are sandwiched between a fresh loaf of Vietnamese baguette then dressed with mustard, mayo, and butter, then topped with lettuce and tomatoes.  I love the butter part!

The Fish-N-Shrimp lunch special comes with 2 fish fillets and 7 jumbo shrimp. The fried catfish is delicious — clean taste (not muddy). Shrimp are peeled and de-veined. Both are perfectly dusted with Cajun seasonings, very lightly battered,  then fried golden.

There are two tiny tables and a total of 4 chairs if you care to eat-in. I only came in for a quick stop but I will be back tomorrow to learn more about this place and try the po’boys. I will let you know how that goes.

Insider tip:
Everything is cooked to order so be ready to wait a good 10 minutes for your food.

The scoop:
New Orleans Seafood
2442 Pleasant Hill Rd., Suite 8
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 474-0064

Technorati Tags: Duluth, seafood, grocery, po’boy, cajun

I have been to Prime twice before a long time ago and all I can remember was that it was pricey and the service was painfully slow. So it was never put on our rotation of mall dining choices. A few days ago, we saw a sign indicating early dinner specials so we decided to try it. From 5 to 6:15PM, three types of steaks are half price. It is really a great deal considering a rib-eye steak here can set you back $36 without any sides included.

We tried the chicken and andouille gumbo and Octopus Tiradito for starters. The gumbo was a little on the salty side but negligible. It had lots of chicken and sausage and the broth was good overall. The tiradito, a form of ceviche, had thin slices of fresh octopus, cilantro, long slivers of carrots and beets, and cucumber slices. It was in a sriracha-yuzu soy-based sauce that leaned more on the salty than citrusy instead of a balance of both . Good, but get the sauce on the side instead.

We settled on the boneless rib-eye steak for our main dish. An impressive piece of meat came before us: 14 ounces of thick, juicy, tender, well-seasoned rib-eye, perfectly grilled to our desired temperature, all for $14.50. A steal if you ask me.

We were told that the $5 sides are served family style and big enough for sharing. Wrong. Really. I finished the tiny order by myself. My chosen side was the Truffled Creamed Corn that was just fabulous. It is made from freshly-cut kernels, with most of them still sticking to each other. It is creamy, buttery, cheesy, mushroomy. Really, it is very, very good. The fries were forgettable. They were so soggy.

The $17 Wagyu Kobe Burger is a waste of money. Although it was served at medium (as requested), it was very, very dry. It was so dry I had to have a gulp of water after each bite to get it to go down my throat. Disappointed and left untouched after the second bite. Total waste of money.

Overall, the steaks are a great deal. Take advantage of the specials while they have it. Service is impeccable and the servers really knew the menu well.

Insider tip:
Located on the second floor at the entrance of Lenox Square mall.

The scoop:
Prime
3393 Peachtree Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 812-0555

Technorati Tags: steak, sushi, seafood, Buckhead, H2S

I apologize for the lack of posts. I spent last week in Florida with my brother and his family. Being New Yorkers, a beach vacation is a must for them. We did the Disney parks, the beach, and the nightly trips to Ghirardelli. It was too short but fun. I am now in the DC area this whole week for a certification class. I should be back this weekend. For now, I leave you with this:

Tonight’s dinner was courtesy of Bethesda Crab House. It was a super duper fantastic dinner. The blue crabs were huge, fresh, and sweet tasting. If I were to choose my last meal on earth, it would be blue crabs. These crabs were so huge the meat was equivalent to 4 regular blue crabs. I finished all 6. That’s like eating 2 dozen crabs. All on my own. Time to take a nap.

Be back soon!
–Chloe.

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Technorati Tags: blue crabs, Maryland crabs

I’m not really big on buffets. There are only three places I (and my family) ever go to where buffet is the norm: Fogo, and the brunch at the Ritz and the Renaissance Waverly hotels. But my mom is a big hot pot fan and Grand Buffet has been the place we’ve been going to for many years. It is also one of the oldest places to offer it.

Grand Buffet is a Chinese super buffet. The have tons of food including king crab legs, whole steamed fish, sushi, and fresh oysters aside from the usual Chinese fare. But we only go here for the hot pot alone. Sadly, the atmosphere became unbearable as years went by. Serving utensils are greasy, the floors are wet and slimy, the smell is dank, the carpets are moldy, and the tables are sticky. Just thinking about it grosses me out. So we stopped going all together.

But last Friday, my mom insisted we give it another try. We were doing the no-meat-on-Fridays during Lent and seafood hot pot seemed like a good idea. I wanted to go to Mini Hot Pot but my mom wanted all the fixings that were only available at Grand Buffet. Besides, she contended, we were going to cook our own food anyway so we know it’ll be clean. It’s hard to argue with her so we let her win.

Well, what a surprise — the place was immaculate! The floors were scrubbed clean and spotless, the serving utensils were all clean, and the food were neatly and nicely placed in their steam trays. I was literally astounded. The food has also tripled in quantity: there were lobsters in ginger/scallion sauce, barbecue duck, crawfish, frogs legs, Chinese barbecue, and even dimsum! We didn’t touch any of the buffet items so I can’t comment on the food. But the hot pot items have expanded: fresh shrimp, blue crabs, Manila clams, crawfish, giant clams, mussels, fish, oysters; assorted tofu, dumplings, and fish cakes, plus various green leafy veggies, and several kinds of mushrooms. You can really go overboard with your hot pot fixings here.

A welcome surprise — the place is spotless, the quantity and quality of food have improved, and service is outstanding. I’d put this place back on my rotation for hot pot. Incidentally, the place is under new management. I’ve seen this place get a score as low as 70 on their health inspection. This visit, they’re at 92.

Insider tip:
Located off Shackleford Rd. next to Home Depot and Oriental Pearl.
Buffet: $12.95 (daily)
Hot Pot: $14.95 (available during dinner on Friday, Saturday, Sunday)

The scoop:
Grand Buffet
1825 Liddell Ln
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 279-0606

Technorati Tags: buffet, seafood, hot pot, Duluth, Gwinnett, Chinese super buffet, sushi, dimsum

Back in maybe 1997 (or 98, I can’t remember exactly), a friend of mine who grew up in Texas called me from her cell phone, literally, from the sidewalk of Windy Hill. Except there is no sidewalk on Windy Hill.  That time.

“I am on Windy Hill, jumping up and down! (sounds of cars honking in the background) Guess what they’re building? (dead silence) PAPPADEUX!!!”

And I’m like, what’s the big deal? So when Pappadeux finally opened, we had to go on day one.

There are several reasons why chains are generally more successful than independent restaurants. The most important one is that the taste of the food is always consistent: consistently good or consistently bad. The fact is, their recipes are kitchen tested and most food arrive at the locations pre-cooked or pre-prepared (at least, for the lower-end ones). The menu, also, is set for most of the life of the restaurant. So, you can visit 10 years from now and the menu has hardly changed. Pappadeux has been successful all these years for their consistency in the the taste and quality of their food. Although portions are no longer gigantic (a crowd-drawer for sure), they are still big enough to warrant to-go boxes.

My favorite here is the Crabfinger Dinner or Appetizer — tasty crabfingers with a light dusting of batter; they are good-sized, too. The Seafood or Pappadeux Platter is a great way to have a taste of everything. But the most surprising thing here are the crab cakes. They are fantastic. They have just a tiny bit of filler to hold the patty together. The lemony creamy crawfish sauce is just so delicious and complements the sweetish crab meat. Really, I thought I was in a high-end dining spot for a while there! I never fail to order this every time I’m here.

Another solid item here are the seafood entrees. I love the fried oysters and fried catfish and even the broiled fish dishes. Entrees come with their seasoned fries but I go for the more hearty dirty rice. The rice is slightly spicy and peppered with bits of sausage. It’s really good.

Pappadeux aims to bring New Orleans to Atlanta and succeeds in quite a few ways. Including the noise level.

Postscript: This post is dedicated to one of my ‘bestest’ friends, MSB, who passed away in 2006 due to breast cancer. The very same one who called me from the sidewalk of Windy Hill. She would have been 37 this year. I must have been nostalgic today. Will have to eat at Pappadeux this week in her honor.

Insider tip:
Lunch buffet available weekdays at the Alpharetta location. Incidentally, this is the location where there’s hardly a wait during peak times although they are always crowded.

The scoop:
Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen
3 Metro Atlanta locations. Click here for more info.

Technorati Tags: Pappadeux, Pappas, seafood, Cajun cuisine

Had a girls’ night out in the burbs recently and decided to hit Norman’s Landing. If there’s anything that really stands out about this place, it’s the service. We came in on a busy, jam-packed Saturday night. Our server, Terry, despite the chaotic atmosphere that night was absolutely magnificent. She was calm, very attentive, and very efficient. Drink orders were taken less than a minute after we got seated, delivered 2 minutes later, and dinner orders taken a minute after. Eager to please, she even suggested to give us separate checks after the meal (there were 7 of us; and on a very busy night, too). I have nothing but praise for Terry. She was terrific.

Norman’s Landing has been a Forsyth County institution since 1995. The few times that I’ve been, it has always been packed, both for lunch and dinner. Wooden floors, tables, chairs, and booths give it a casual, homey feel. The menu is extensive and while seafood is the specialty of the house, there are plenty of other alternatives for the non-seafood fan such as steak, ribs, and chicken.

I settled for the grilled Cajun scallops served with two of the special sides of the day: macaroni-and-cheese, and grilled asparagus. Although the scallops were perfectly grilled, juicy, and tender, the Cajun seasoning was a bit much. To say they were salty is an understatement. Too bad, they would’ve been quite delicious. The macaroni and cheese were the clear winner of the evening. This version’s very, very creamy, tasty, and a perfect description for comfort food. It was so good, I could’ve easily eaten a huge bowl. The grilled asparagus was a little on the wilted side but still a good choice nonetheless.

The kitchen must have had a heavy hand on the salt and seasonings on this particular night. A friend who ordered the country fried steak gave up after a few, very salty bites; although others on the table had favorable experiences including one whose blackened grouper was outstanding. Overall, a dependable place for good, fresh, quality seafood this side of town. Portions are big. Prices are decent (seafood averages at $15; steaks/chicken start at $12, all for dinner). Service is always stellar.

Insider tip:
Located just off the exit ramp on Exit 13 on Ga 400 across from the newly built The Avenue Forsyth outdoor mall.

The scoop:
Norman’s Landing
365 Peachtree Parkway GA 400 Exit 13 (Rt. 141)
Cumming, GA 30041
(770) 886-0100

Technorati Tags: Norman’s Landing, Cumming, Forsyth County, seafood, steaks, chicken, ribs, daily specials, The Avenue Forsyth

I’ve passed this place countless times especially when I used to live in Duluth but never got the chance to try it. Until a friend who happens to know the chef over at their Lawrenceville location told me about some new menu items they’ve unveiled. So off I went. Except my navigation kept directing me to an office park. I kept going back and forth on Lawrenceville Highway trying to find it and after doing this for 30 minutes, I gave up. Tired and hungry, I ended up going to the Duluth location instead.

Boudreaux’s has been a popular hangout by locals in Duluth as evident by the customers who are first name basis with everyone during a busy lunch hour. It is located in downtown Duluth, which, I still think, has the best city leaders (they spend their money wisely). But anyway, I came in to what looked like a hole in a wall. Literally. I went up the counter not knowing if there was table service, perused the menu, and settled on an Oyster PoBoy and a cup of seafood gumbo.

The PoBoy was a pleasant surprise. It was huge. With even bigger, lightly-battered, golden brown oysters. Tons of them! Piled high on a toasted hoagie roll with crispy lettuce and tomatoes. The oysters were succulent and tasted like the ocean (read: fresh). The lady boss handed me a few plastic squirt bottles of cajun sauce, mayo, tartar sauce, and cocktail sauce. I tried the cajun sauce, found it to be a little bland for my taste but it was a good relish to my gigantic sandwich. At less than $11 this was a very good, very inexpensive sandwich.

My gumbo was also good. It was chunky — with rice and lots of big pieces of seafood: shrimp, oysters, scallops, crab. The soup was very satisfying with the broth having just the right amount of salt and spices. A few drops of Tabasco and it was kicking!

As a no-frills joint, expect no fanciness anywhere. Soups are served on styro bowls and eaten with a plastic spoon. Sandwiches are on red plastic baskets and sauces are communal from plastic squirt bottles. They have a large selection of soda including my favorite rootbeer. Just grab one from the chiller case along the wall. Now plop down on one of the comfy chairs and listen to the blaring television.

Insider tip:

Grab some fresh seafood on your way out. Daily specials listed on the board. Table service is offered. Spices and marinades available for purchase.

The scoop:

Boudreaux’s Cajun

3067-A Main Street,
Duluth, GA 30096
770-814-8388

860 Highway 120,
Suite 450
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
770-236-8585

Open Daily from 10am

Technorati Tags: Boudreaux’s Cajun, fresh live seafood, poboys, gumbo, seafood, Duluth

The best, unforgettable peri-peri chicken I’ve ever had was during a vacation in the Middle East two years ago — I tasted it in different places in two different countries and they tasted very similar to each other. Piri piri (or peri peri) is a small spicy pepper grown in South Africa and its neighboring countries which is also known as the African bird’s eye chile. Peri-peri chicken (or shrimp) is grilled chicken (or shrimp) marinated in peri-peri sauce made with peri peri, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, olive oil, and salt. The taste is distinct and totally different from Jamaican jerk chicken.

Boneheads, a quasi fast-food place which is part of Raving Brands (think Mama Fu’s, Moes, doc green’s, Shaun’s) specializes in piri piri chicken. Their piri piri chicken comes in three sizes: whole, half, or breast, and in different flavors: lemon & herb, medium, hot, or very hot. I love spicy food and am known to squeeze raw bird’s eye chili peppers (both African and Asian varieties) into my food. So I tried the hot flavored half chicken which came with seasoned rice, a choice of side (Asian cole slaw), and a topping (I chose cucumber lime and yogurt).

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