Home > Table Talk > Archives > 2008 > February
February 2008
Growing your own: Hobby or necessity?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Our responsibility for producing food has changed so much over the years, from the backyard gardens that many of our parents and grandparents tended, to the pots of tomatoes that food lovers still cultivate in summer, regardless of whether they’ve got any other vegetables growing.
In the next few years, more of us might be adopting the foodways of our grandparents, predicts George Siemon, who leads the Organic Valley cooperative.
Siemon showed his version of the food pyramid to the Georgia Organics convention on Friday night, one that shows an evolving organic food movement. At its base is the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program — an underpinning that’s still controversial among many long-time sustainable farmers — and progressing through an increasingly personal connection with food. Buying from a farmers market or from a community-supported agriculture program were almost at the top.
And at the peak, the ultimate evolution of organics? Growing our own food.
As we look into the future, Siemon said, it’s something people need to do. That’s an interesting thought, coming from a guy who not only leads a large dairy cooperative, but also one that sells produce, juice and meat. After all, if we’re all growing our own (maybe not dairy, though), why buy from Organic Valley?
I like growing a small garden in the summer, mostly for the juicy tomatoes and fragrant basil. But it’s not something I feel like I need to do. I like to support the work of local farmers by buying what they produce. I don’t like to weed, especially in July and August.
On the other hand, food prices and food scares are going up. More produce is imported. And although it seems like more farmers are joining the growing network around metro Atlanta, there still are nowhere near enough to feed its 4 million residents.
So — do all of us need to start a garden and plant enough to sustain ourselves and any family? If you’ve got a vegetable garden, what do you plant, and why?
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Local Food
A gathering to inspire eaters and farmers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Farmers who are familiar faces at Atlanta’s farmers’ markets are gathering through Saturday in Dalton to network, check out other farms and pick up tips on everything from greenhouse management to building their own Web sites.
The Georgia Organics conference is sold out, with more than 600 people signed up for three days of farm tours and workshops. They’re not all farmers, but many of those I spoke with today are dreaming of growing organically, whether starting a dairy, as one couple hopes to launch in Taylor County later this year, or simply to improve a home garden while avoiding pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers. With so much momentum, who wouldn’t be inspired?
We started the day Thursday at Sequatchie Cove Farm, about a half-hour west of Chattanooga. It’s an idyllic setting, ringed with mountains and cut by a clear spring. Bill and Miriam Keener, with the help of Miriam’s dad Jim Wright, an engineer; her mom, Emily; and the Keener’s children, Ann and Kelsey, have built the family’s homes on the land, and a large studio where we gathered to hear more about the sustainable farm that they’re developing. They grow the foods they love to eat, like shiitake mushrooms and strawberries, and over the past decade of farming have built up an operation that produces pasture-raised pigs, chicken and cattle along with enough produce to supply a 90-member community supported agriculture program.
Their next step: Producing raw-milk cheeses in the French style, but with the terroir of their Tennessee cove. The Keeners raise rare livestock breeds like Ossabaw pigs and their cows are no exception: Small but sturdy Milking Devons, dark cows that produce a rich milk and well-marbled meat.
Nathan Arnold is handling the cheese program, and spent a few weeks in France last summer studying cheese-making. If everything goes as planned, Sequatchie Cove cheeses could be in stores by this time next year. And unlike most of the farm’s production, which is available only in the Chattanooga area, the cheeses are aimed at a wider audience. Even among experienced farmers, dreams keep growing.
Check back Saturday morning for another update. I’m visiting two farms in Bartow County on Friday, and going to a four-hour workshop on square-foot gardening that I’ll write about for the AJC closer to summer vegetable planting season.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Local Food
Your Thoughts On the New Floataway Cafe
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: Cutie pie Drew Belline is Floataway’s talented chef de cuisine
Photo: Renee’ Hannans Henry/AJC Staff
Today’s review of the newly renovated Floataway Cafe prompted interesting response from readers (you can read the full review at ajc:
From Mike Glennon (who’s wife, Amy, works for the AJC): “Very nice review today of Floataway. It has long been one of my favorite restaurants in the city. I think the makeover was long overdue and has noticeably improved the restaurant. Two things I thought you missed on the review, however (I apologize for criticizing in my first email to you, I’ve read all your reviews since you came to the ajc): the wine list has deteriorated noticeably in the makeover and the soft-serve ice cream dessert didn’t get a mention either.
The wine list used to be a wonderful collection of old and new world wines. Always something interesting and very reasonable. Now, it is almost exclusively american, not nearly as interesting, yet still reasonable. Of all the changes, that was the one that sounded the wrong note. When I mentioned it to our server last time we were there, she said not only that she felt the same way, but that many of her customers had similar comments as well.
The soft-serve ice cream is my favorite dessert in Atl. The olive oil with sea salt on vanilla ice cream is just inspired and certainly unique, which is why I thought it might get a mention in your review. The caramel with sea salt rocks as well.
Just some random thoughts from a reader. Keep up the good work.”
Mike makes some very valid points, especially about the soft serve ice cream, which I tried on one visit, but just couldn’t fit into the review. It comes with three soft servings of vanilla — chocolate sauce, caramel and olive oil — all three crowned with a tiny dash of fleur de sel, which provides a really cool contrast to all that sweetness.
On the flip side, this from a reader who wishes to remain anonymous:
“I am very sad to say I’ve eaten at Floataway 3 times in the past two months and have found the service and the staff to be one of the worst in the city … While it pains me to say this, that was and will be the last time I eat at Floataway. I will miss the food and I doubt they will miss my business but I can’t help but wonder, why has service become so far down on the list?
I get that you are a foodie, I’m so not a foodie, atmosphere and service are as if not more important to me, but it doesn’t seem to ever be the priority anymore.”
I had one incident of bad service at Floataway, over the course of three visits, so I felt the hand was tipped in the direction of giving them the benefit of the doubt.
Who’s been since the renovation? Do you agree or disagree that the new space is much warmer, with lots more ambience?
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
Chima Churrascaria
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: Atlanta loves its meat.
Photo: Jean Shifrin/AJC staff
Another churrascaria has opened in Atlanta, this one an extension of the family-owned Chima Churrascaria located in Uberlandia, Brazil. The Atlanta location (the flagship is located in Ft. Lauderdale, and there is another location just outside of Washington, D.C, with Philly and Charlotte, N.C. to come) will be a 350-seat eatery offering 16 kinds of meat, ranging from filet mignon, pork loin, lamb chops, chicken and salmon. And of course all will be served by marauding (well, maybe not marauding) gauchos.
The whole cutting-meat-from-a-spit-thing is authentically referred to as rodizio, which includes all the meats and salad bar, or diners can choose the salad bar option only.
All this makes Chima (say Shee- Ma) different from every other churrascaria in Atlanta in …. absolutely no way at all. These steakhouses seem to pop up here as easily as Waffle Houses. Look closely at the leases in the next strip mall you pass — you’re likely to find one.
Atlanta loves meat. What’s your favorite churrascaria? Have you been to some of the smaller, less ostentatious Brazilian steakhouses like Red & Green on Buford Highway? What do you think?
“Americans have gotten themselves a reputation as a carnivorous people.”
— Wolfgang Puck
Chima is located at 3215 Peachtree Road NE, (404) 424-8281, www.chimasteakhouse.com.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
Au Revoir to Joel
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: Joel Antunes. He’s good looking AND he can cook.
I’m sad to report today that Joel Antunes, chef and restaurateur of Joel, will be leaving Atlanta for New York. He has accepted a position at the Oak Room, inside the Plaza Hotel. He will leave sometime mid-summer, to start when the Oak Room reopens, according to an article in the New York Post. The Oak Room owners are apparently trying to spit shine the antiquated Oak Room’s dusty reputation as one of the city’s dinosaurs of dining.
The 45-year-old chef won the James Beard award in 2005 for best chef Southeast, but his restaurant has never met the numbers anticipated by him and his partners. Joel recently underwent a massive renovation that literally cut the size of the space in half, but created a dining room with something Joel hadn’t experienced before — warmth. Menu changes made the food more approachable, too. So much so that in a rereview of the restaurant last fall, it finally garnered a fifth star from me.
The plan is for Joel to remain open, under the same name, with Cyrille Holata, Joel’s right hand man for 18 years, at the helm in the kitchen. Nicolas Sangros, the restaurant’s general manager, will remain in the dining room as well.
God I will miss this man’s cooking. Here’s a snippet from last fall’s review: “buttery pink salmon, beautifully sliced, rests over a small square of rice in a milky dashi broth, with a bright quenelle of mustard ice cream to offset texture, temperature and flavor. One small bite feels like a small, tasty firecracker wrapped in velvet went off in your mouth. But then homier sides of buttered parsnips, beautifully dressed with salt and butter in a tiny copper pot, are unbeatable —- and the grits? Made with cream and truffle oil, they’re the height of indulgence —- such a seemingly effortless dish elevated so simply to creamy, savory transcendence. A bowl of fleshy chestnuts with porcini ravioli in a light cream sauce seem like the evening’s peak, until a tiny tian of meringue arrives swimming in a creme anglaise (like a tiny oeuf a la niege).”
Why is Atlanta losing its best chefs to New York? I’m beginning to feel like we’re the NYC farm team for the restaurant industry — first Soto, then Seeger and now Joel, who is, like Seeger, one of the most talented chefs in the country. It’s no surprise that he might seek out greener pastures elsewhere. But what does the exodus of these three talents say about the Atlanta dining public?
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
Do batter-dipped green beans count as a vegetable?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I went to a school food vendor show yesterday in Cobb County. Makers of barbecue and whole-grain French toast, chocolate-chip cookies and trans-fat-free biscuits, were handing out free samples of their food and talking with children, parents and school lunch administrators about what made their product special.
Many of the vendors talked about working to reduce sodium levels, or adding more whole grains to products. I munched on delicious 100 percent whole wheat cinnamon rolls and talked with a pork processor who’s experimenting with a lower-sodium barbecue. I saw turkey sausage and chicken egg rolls, fizzy juice and water drinks that are low in sugar and high in juice content, and other steps toward meeting tougher nutritional standards. I wondered where the fruit and vegetables were in this array of corn dogs, pizza and chicken nuggets.
Then I saw the batter-coated green beans. A sign at the booth noted that they could be fried or baked.
They were soggy and salty, and tasted nothing like green beans. Yet, according to a story that colleague Dianne Stepp wrote in today’s AJC, kids loved them.
Some adults view this type of product as a good way to get kids to eat vegetables. I looked at the sodium content - 620 milligrams per serving, about 26 percent of an entire day’s allotment - and checked again to make sure I was reading it correctly. It’s higher than some entrees I saw.
Green beans are so bland, that even many kids who don’t like vegetables will eat them. Why is it necessary to disguise them under layers of salty, onion-battered breading?
Of course, it’s not just salt. This morning I’m testing a carrot souffle dry mix that lists sugar and flour as the primary ingredients and calls for a half-stick of butter, which works out to about a tablespoon a serving. The label promises that kids will love these carrots. I’m sure they will; they’re closer to carrot cake than a vegetable.
What does it take to get children to eat vegetables? Have you found a secret to convince picky kids to try an unfamiliar vegetable? Or does it really take a spoonful of sugar (or salt) to get the healthy stuff to go down? If you want to weigh in on what foods schools serve for lunch, feel free to leave your comments here, or check out the Get Schooled blog, which also addresses this topic today.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Food
Getting ready for spring, and farmers’ markets
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As the weather starts to warm, farmers are preparing for spring’s market season. I’ve already heard about community-supported agriculture shares going fast at Cane Creek Farm in Cumming — late summer shares were still available, but in short supply, last time I checked, and the spring/early summer season is sold out.
Spruill Green Market, in Dunwoody, plans to open on Wednesday, May 7. But connected local food lovers know they can still buy eggs from Garmon Family Farms there every other Wednesday or so, in the late morning (Corinna Garmon will be there on Wednesday, Feb. 27), and perhaps find a few other farmers and a smattering of produce. (If you want the eggs, go to the market and get on the Garmon mailing list; email’s your best shot at reserving a carton, which might be all committed by market day.) The Marietta Square Farmers Market has pegged May 3 as its opening day, and promises to be larger this summer.
Meanwhile, if you want to buy directly from a farmer before the spring growing season kicks in, you can head to three markets that operate year-round in metro Atlanta: the Morningside organic market, on Saturday mornings; the Decatur organic market, on Wednesday afternoons; and the produce stall just outside of Star Provisions in west Midtown, on Fridays and Saturdays.
Thinking about joining a community-supported agriculture program next spring? Most CSA programs serving Atlanta start in late April or early May. If you’re interested in joining a program in 2008, you can search for one near you at Local Harvest, or by looking in the local food guide from Georgia Organics.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Local Food
Is There Creole in the ATL?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: Chef Lenny Robinson plates a salad at his downtown restaurant, now called Fleurs de Lis Creole Eatery
Photo: JESSICA MCGOWAN/SPECIAL to the AJC
“I don’t work out. If God wanted us to bend over he’d put diamonds on the floor.”
— Joan Rivers
Downtown friends and colleagues were petrified a few weeks ago when the windows of one of our favorite eateries, Fleurs de Lis, closed its door and shuttered its windows, then hung them with butcher paper.
The butcher paper is a good sign of a renovation, I told them. Wait and see. The restaurant is owned and operated by chef Lenny Robinson who up until recently offered some of the finest French fare around. The problem was that Robinson, who one colleague aptly dubbed “grumpy-olicious,” was doing all the cooking and his wait staff was, well, a little out to lunch in a non-literal way.
Since the butcher paper came down a couple of weeks ago, the lines have been out the door during peak lunch times. Robinson streamlined the fussiness of his French offerings into standard Creole dishes like seafood gumbo and shrimp etouffee. Go early. He runs out of stuff quickly, and the gumbo is as good as gumbo gets — a clear, spicy broth made with brown roux and lots of seafood and rice (watch for crab and shrimp shells). Everything is now under $10, and it’s handed to you in a brown paper bag. You can sit at one of the cozy tables, or take your gigantic roast beef po’boy with gravy to go. Outrageous. 57 Forsyth St., Suite R-8. 404-230-9151, fleurs de lis
Where do you go in Atlanta for great Creole?
Permalink | Comments (37) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
Who’s Your Favorite Caterer?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: Cakes From the Heart catering co-owner Paula Felisma ices a cake
Photo: RENEE BROCK / SPECIAL to the AJC
“Nothing helps scenery like ham and eggs”
— Mark Twain
A dear friend is getting married and she asked me to recommend a few spots that might do a smallish wedding. The particulars? She wanted a restaurant, not a caterer, to do the event. She was hoping to sort of “rent out” the restaurant space.
Oddly enough, few restaurants do that sort of thing. Sure, many restaurants cater to add some cash flow to the till, but rarely do they offer their services on site — it’s usually up to you to provide the spot.
There are several well-respected caterers in town: Affairs to Remember and Proof of the Pudding (one of my former employers) come easily to mind.
I’ve also come across a new website for folks, like my friend, who are looking for the appropriate caterer for their event, whether it’s large or small. It’s called BidGourmet. It provides an online culinary matchmaking network that connects the right catering professional to a variety of events. Launched in August 2007, the site helps consumers match the perfect expert to their upcoming event by engaging in a competitive auction with a range of companies.
It seems to work a little like e-Bay for catering: users provide the date, time, place and budget and targeted catering partners respond with a bid. Within hours, users will get an email message, letting them know that quotes are in. Using their rating tools, consumers can review the bidder’s profile, including descriptions of past events, customer references and reviews from previous clients.
I haven’t had a need for it yet, but was wondering if anyone has tried it? What caterers do you like to use in the Atlanta area? Why?
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
Guys bake cakes, and size does matter
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Earlier this week, my husband and son got a notice about a father-son cake baking contest for a Cub Scout banquet this weekend.
The rules: No women can help.
The prize categories: Enough to ensure almost everyone will get a prize, but a couple that you’d see only in a guy contest: Biggest cake. And flattest cake. (If it were a mom and daughter contest, on the other hand, I’m sure there would be a prize for prettiest cake.)
OK, enough with the size-matters jokes. This is a guy cooking contest, after all. But why the assumption that guys can’t put a cake together without a woman in the background showing them how to crack an egg into a box mix? It would seem, in 2008, that we’re beyond that kind of stereotyping.
If you’re a guy, is baking something you’re comfortable with? Or is the assumption true, that guys in the kitchen are totally inept, especially when it comes to batter and cake pans?
Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment | Categories: Food
A New Ice in Town
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: I can’t wait til summer! Enjoying an Italian-style ice
Photo: Gavin Averill/Special to the AJC
“Enjoy your ice cream while it’s on your plate — that’s my philosophy.” — Thornton Wilder
Rita’s, the Philly-based franchise offering ices and soft custard ice creams, has been open since last October in the Midtown Promenade shopping center. Franchisees Rashad and Charlett Hodge will open two more locations in the area in the next two years — one most likely in Camp Creek Marketplace and another in the Georgia Tech area.
The pristine shop, decked out in checks of blue, cream and red offers Philly-style ices and soft-serve ice cream in cups or with cones, but the real treat here is the “blendini,” a Blizzard-like concoction that super swirls an ice flavor together with one of the frozen custards and a cookie (Oreos or Vanilla Wafers). I tried the power-packed punch of mango ice with vanilla custard and was knocked off my you know what — yummers. I can’t wait to go back and blend the chocolate custard with mint-chocolate chip ice, or vanilla custard with cherry ice.
If you’re not accustomed to Philly-style ices, they may seem a little different than their Italian-style counterparts, which are smoother and less icy than Rita’s (gelati and sorbetti traditionally have more overun, or air, spun into them during churning, making them extremely smooth and light.)
Who’s been to Rita’s? Did you like it? Where’s your favorite spot for ice cream or gelati?
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
What’s Your Take on Take Out?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: Alon Balshan has opened a second location of his famed Morningside bakery near Perimeter Mall in the old Eatzi’s space. Photo: David Tulis/AJC staff
“The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight.” — M.F.K. Fisher
Friday’s Living section offers my take on takeout ( and EveningEdge.com has an online version, but I left out one obvious option for taking food to go: Alon’s Bakery.
The Morningside maven of all things from the oven finally opened it’s much-awaited second location Tuesday, February 12. Housed in the old Eatzi’s locale, the popular intown bakery has a lot more room OTP — more than 11,000 square feet. Right now the space seems a little sparse and lacks the kitchy, cozy crowdedness of the original, but there are advantages to its size, too.
For one thing, there’s room for gelati making, and since the closing of owner Alon and Janine Balshan’s Scoops a while back, the city has been aching for a really good ice cream spot. As with his breads and pastries, Alon is a master at making gelati and sorbetti. The pristine station located in the center of the room is a welcoming harbinger of all good tastes to come, flanked on the back side by a chocolate praline station.
Another great addition is the glass encasement of the bakery, where a gigantic work bench is visible and you can actually watch the bakers roll out dough and shape the breads.
And the cheese selection seems almost twice the size as the Morningside location. There’s also room for fresh-cut flowers and a larger wine area. If I lived in the area, I’d frequent this Alon’s often. And of course the sandwiches and prepared foods are ready for their closeups.
What’s you take on takeout? Do you have a favorite take out spot? What types of food do you like to get to go?
Permalink | Comments (11) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
Would You Give Up Sex or Alcohol?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At right: The hard tacos at Chipotle on Ponce de Leon. Joey Ivansco/AJC staff
“When he is late for dinner and I know he must be either having an affair or lying dead in the street, I always hope he’s dead.” - Judith Viorst
“Which would you rather give up for six months: sex or alcohol?” That’s one of hundreds of questions asked in a new book called “Barguments” by Doug Hanks, a writer for the Miami Herald (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, March 4, 2008, $9.99).
Hanks defines a “bargument” as “a debate with no right or wrong answer that must be uncomplicated enough to discuss after three beers.” The whole book is simply a compilation of 274 questions that are unanswerable but highly debatable. Hanks, of course, lays out a few ground rules for getting started: 1. There is no right or wrong answer. 2. Barguments can only involve the most important of all topics, which are, according to the author: television, drinking, food, “Star Wars,” and sex. Topics like capital punishment and war are NOT allowed. My list would have to add movies and books, as well as shopping. And music. And bugs. And shoes. I’m assuming most folks would want sports in there somewhere, too.
Here’s a good one, for instance, from page 251: You have to eat lunch at the same restaurant for the next six months. What do you pick?
For me, it would be Chipotle or Lotta Frutta. Where would you pick? And remember — you have to foot the bill.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
Do You Dine At the Bar?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Photo: Renee’ Hannans Henry/AJC
Eating at the bar at Shaun’s in Inman Park
“The trouble with the world is that everybody in it is three drinks behind.” — Humphrey Bogart
A recent email from reader Patti Crenshaw of Atlanta poses a perfect question about a growing segment of the hospitlaity industry: Bar eaters. No, they don’t eat the bar — they eat AT it. Here’s what Ms. Crenshaw asked me:
“Ms Ford -
My friends and I were at Sotto Sotto last Saturday and while I can sometimes enjoy eating at a restaurant’s bar, there was absolutely nowhere to sit or stand or order a drink because every space was taken with diners. I am just wondering where it is one drinks anymore since everyone at the bar is eating. I know that I wouldn’t want someone’s drinks being ordered and delivered over my shoulder while I am trying to enjoy dinner and if I am drinking I would really like a place to sit or at least place my cocktail while I wait for a table.
There are times that I am dining alone or in a bit of a rush the bar area can be great for that - usually the staff or the person next to you will talk to you and it is not quite as glaringly obvious as eating at a table by oneself. However, I try to pick places with a large bar area on quiet nights so that everyone can enjoy their bar experience. It just seems more and more common for people to dine at the bar because the wait is long or they didn’t make a reservation and those who want to use the bar for its designated purpose are out of luck.
I am curious as to your thoughts on this matter - is a designated eating area at the bar the answer? My favorite restaurant in St. Simons has tables that are first come, first serve at all times for this purpose - I wonder if more places could exercise that option? I guess I just want it all - a bar for drinking and for the occasional meal if it doesn’t intrude on someone else’s restaurant experience. Is that too much to ask?
Patti Crenshaw”
I like Patti’s idea of having a designated area for folks eating without a reservation, but a lot of restaurants just don’t have the space for that sort of thing.
And color me guilty: I love to eat at the bar, especially if it’s just me or me plus one.
What’s your take? Should the bar just be for drinks, should there be some section of the bar just for drinks, or is this just another fight that has no winner?
Looking for great bar perches? Check out Bob Townsend’s picks from last fall’s access atlanta.
Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
Dining Out? NOT
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
photo: Elissa Eubanks/AJC staff
“She was a butterscotch sundae of a woman.” — A.J. Liebling
I just returned to my desk (and Atlanta restaurants) after nearly a week with this awful flu that’s going around. My poor daughter had it the week prior, and I thought I was free and clear. Then POWEEEEE! I got walloped. No details, but it wasn’t pretty, and included a delusional moment on the bathroom floor when I thought I was Edith Piaf.
I also didn’t want ANYTHING to eat. All my dine outs were canceled. All I wanted was ice cream. I had a strawberry shake from McDonald’s (it tasted like a poptart) and half of a halfgallon of vanilla from Mayfield’s (both brought to me by my loving, adorable BF). I never tasted anything quite as good as that first bite of vanilla.
I miss Scoops. I enjoy Paolo’s. But nothing really hits it like a small vanilla cone dipped in chocolate from Dairy Queen. I like Yoforia, but I wish they had better toppings, though I kind of dig the Captain Crunch. I loved Hank’s before it moved to Riverdale, and now I never get there anymore (it used to be the reason my daughter and I went to the zoo, other than the flamingos). Hank’s was the only place to get black walnut ice cream.
What do you crave when you’re not craving anything? Does your girlfriend head to Chipotle and get you a bean burrito? Does your husband know you’ll take nothing but Jelly Bellies?
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
A new spin on chicken and waffles
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gladys Knight and Ron Winans have got some competition in the chicken and waffles game. Mrs. Winner’s, known for its chicken and biscuits, added a Belgian waffle to its menu earlier this month. The waffle, a thick, salty round, comes with two big, peppery chicken strips or three wings, and your choice of dipping sauce and a side of syrup.
Chicken and waffles have gradually been moving from their origin as a late-night snack (made famous by a Harlem restaurant) to a wider audience. From Roscoe’s in Los Angeles to Gladys and Ron’s restaurants in Atlanta and Washington, to winning the $1 million grand prize in the 2006 Pillsbury Bake-Off, they’re finding new fans with the sweet/salty/crunchy combo. (Here’s the winning recipe for Baked Chicken and Spinach Stuffing, which uses waffle sticks for the stuffing.)
Now Mrs. Winner’s is taking the combo to the quick-serve crowd. It’s all part of the chain’s efforts to remake its image to focus on fresh, best-in-its-class food, two of the new owners told me this week. So far, that’s included switching to 100 percent arabica coffee, introducing white chicken chili for winter, adding a spicy chicken choice, and switching late last year from frozen to fresh chicken for its strips and boneless wings that’s breaded and seasoned in the stores, a practice that Chick-fil-A has followed for years. They’re planning many more changes over the next few months.
What do you think of chicken and waffles? Have you tried the Mrs. Winner’s version yet? How does it stack up to what’s offered at Glady Knight and Ron Winans Chicken & Waffles?
Permalink | Comments (16) | Categories: Dining
Heart-shaped pizzas: Lovable or lame?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So it’s come to this. Short on energy and time, my family is going to eat takeout pizza on Valentine’s Day. So much for trying to make it special; we’re just phoning it in.
And apparently we’re not alone. Papa John’s is serving heart-shaped pizzas through Feb. 17 in honor of Valentine’s Day. Mangia of Austin, Texas, which ships frozen deep-dish Chicago style pizzas around the country, also offers a specially shaped pie, in spinach, pepperoni or veggie versions. So somebody must be ordering them. (Not us; we’re picking up from the excellent Blue Moon Pizza in Smyrna.)
When the moon hits your eye like a big heart-shaped pizza pie, that’s amore … or at least a gimmick that pumps up pizza sales and quells any worries about garlic breath.
Has anyone tried the Papa John’s heart-shaped pizza yet (it’s been available all week)?
What’s the most romantic Valentine’s meal you’ve ever eaten? The lamest?
Permalink | Comments (22) | Categories: Dining
Waiter You’re a Fly in My Soup
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Photo: John Spink/AJC staff
“Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.”
— W.C. Fields
Something disturbing happened to me at dinner recently. We were a party of four, and I was relating a story that included a quote, like the one above, I recently used on another blog post.
Our waiter was pouring wine and seemed completely anonymous until he piped up a politically correct slap on the wrist in my direction for what I was talking about. I was so shocked I could hardly speak (luckily my boyfriend defended me in a gentlemanly way.)
I find this kind of involvement by a waiter in what goes on at a dinner table completely reprehensible. I wish I could have said something right then and there, but it would have called too much attention to my identity. I’m not eating at a restaurant to hear what a waiter thinks of my politics, or anything else for that matter. I try to be unendingly polite when I dine out; I waited on tables for years and know how it feels to be treated nastily by surly customers expecting too much for too little. But I never inserted my opinion at the table.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? Do you agree or disagree that a waiter’s place is a silent one?
Permalink | Comments (47) | Categories: Dining
Changes coming for school meals. But when?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s been three years since the federal government issued its most up-to-date nutrition advice. And after a couple of years spent looking at how to work those guidelines into the school meals program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has called in Congress’s independent medical advisers to help.
What that means for children: Another two years before the department is likely to issue official rules to schools about how to change their menus. In the meantime, the department is encouraging schools to start following them, as much as possible, within current rules. (Here’s the memo, with suggested changes.)
Among the thing they’re suggesting: children should be able to pick both a fruit and a vegetable at lunch, choose from milk with a fat content no higher than 1 percent and select foods that are high in whole grains.
What do you think of the nutrition quality of the foods served at your child’s school? Have you seen changes in recent years to make meals more nutritious? How do you think some of these recommendations will go over with children? With school meals administrators?
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Food
What’s the best fast food or quick service restaurant?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Quality and fast food aren’t always hand-in-hand. Still, most of us have our favorites. A new survey of customers of fast-food and quick service restaurants across America placed several restaurants with Atlanta outlets in the top 10.
Some of them are easy to find, like homegrown favorite Chick-fil-A, which came in at No. 5. Others with many local outlets include Panera Bread, at No. 3; Firehouse Subs and Starbucks.
But some have just a few outlets in metro Atlanta or around the state, like Ledo Pizza, with stores in Norcross and Duluth, and Raising Cane’s, a chicken finger spot with locations in Athens and Augusta.
Here’s the top 10 from the Sandelman & Associates Quick Track awards. (In-N-Out Burger, based on the West Coast, usually tops the awards but this year, Pei Wei, a quick-service restaurant from the folks behind P.F. Chang’s, took the top spot.) Neither have Atlanta locations. 1. Pei Wei 2. In-N-Out Burger 3. Panera Bread/St. Louis Bread Co. 4. Raising Cane’s 5. Chick-fil-A 6. Firehouse Subs 7. Chico’s Tacos 8. Ledo’s Pizza 9. Starbucks 10. Imo’s Pizza
If you’ve been to Ledo or Raising Cane’s, what do you think? What’s your favorite fast food restaurant or quick-service place, and why? Do you agree with the rankings on this list? Who got left off the list that deserves Top 10 status?
Permalink | Comments (21) | Categories: Dining
Food Network Comes to Cabbagetwon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Photo: Inside Cabbagetown Market and Little’s Grill, where one of things you can buy is raw milk… Louie Favorite/AJC staff
Calling all foodies and Food Network chowhounds: Cabbagetown Market and Little’s Grill, owned and operated by Lisa Hanson and Maria Locke, will be featured in an upcoming episode of the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” hosted by the whackily tattooed and coifed Guy Fieri. The show features forgotten-but-revived slices of culinary Americana, and Little’s fits the bill, having been a grocery and sandwich grill in Cabbagetown since 1929.
Hanson would like to “fill the store” with local folks for the taping, which takes place this Thursday, Valentine’s Day, beginning around noon. Hanson and Locke will be preparing the Grill’s famous fried pickles alongside the grass-fed beef burger with pimiento cheese and the store’s legendary Lime Rickey, but don’t expect a full lunch menu if you decide to go: the menu that day will be limited due to the taping. So go for the taping to support our local food scene!
198 Carroll Street Atlanta, Georgia 30312 404.221.9186 Cabbagetown Market and Little’s Grill
Permalink | | Categories: Dining
Classes introduce kids to growing veggies, fruit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The farm to school movement is picking up steam in Atlanta, with schools like Trinity, High Meadows, E. Rivers, Cascade and Morningside Elementary introducing children to growing food.
If you’re interested in getting more hands-on with the movement, or simply want to learn more about gardening as a family, there are a couple of opportunities coming up.
The Georgia Organics convention, Feb. 28 to March 1 in Dalton, offers a daylong farm-to-school workshop for children on Saturday, March 1. The program, for children ages 5 to 12 and a limited number of adults, includes a session on making bread and butter, another on planting seeds and composting, along with music and art activities. For adults, there are lessons in incorporating the activities into their children’s schools. The fee is $30 for children who aren’t members of Georgia Organics; $20 for members’ children, and includes a Friday night banquet.
Farmer Lynn Pugh, whose Cane Creek Farm community-supported agriculture program was profiled last summer in the AJC, is branching out beyond the organic gardening classes she offers to adults with a new offering for families. Pugh, a former teacher, is setting aside 16-square-foot plots for those enrolling in a three-hour class she’s teaching on Saturday, May 3. Families can work in the plots on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the growing season. Pugh will provide information on plant selection, soil development and harvesting. To register for the $50 class, contact Pugh through her web site. There’s a limited number of garden plots available.
Permalink | | Categories: Local Food
Absinthe Shines On
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“The Absinthe Drinker” by Edgar Degas 1875-76 Musee d’Orsay, Paris ©Photo RMN/Herve Lewandowski
“After the first glass, you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally you see things as they really are, which is the most horrible thing in the world.” - Oscar Wilde
The moonshine cocktail piece that covered the AJC’s food section yesterday ajc.com garnered a few interesting stories from readers, including this one from Riley O’Connor of Brookhaven:
“Oh, it’s just not the same, being able to just walk down to the local store and buy a bottle of moonshine. Non-tax paid liquor represents a long and wonderful tradition.
At Christmas, I had a contact in North Georgia who would run off a batch of the stuff for his friends. The product was distinctive because it came in two-quart jars instead of the more common one-quart (and later the plastic bottle). You’d take a slug and say to yourself “Hey, there’s nothing to this.” And then the fires down below would begin to burn. After several slugs, everybody would be doing their Tom Shane: “Now you have a friend in the moonshine business.”
Nor is this confined to the United States. Irish poteen is a long standing way to avoid British taxes. And, I remember sitting at the Drei Kröner restaurant in Uetikon, a suburb of Zurich, sampling what I have come to call “Farmer Steiger’s Rocket Fuel”. During the day, while the tax authorities were present, the product of local vineyards was turned into brandy. After hours, when the doors were locked and the tax boys were safe at home in their beds…”
What struck Rich Eldredge and I the most when writing the story was that the bartenders were completely unaware of the fact that moonshine was sold legally. And everyone, like Mr. O’Connor, has their own “connection” for the stuff.
Another libation once banned for consumption in the United States that is now available again (though not in its truest form) is that gloriously green bohemian liqueur, absinthe. Originally banned in 1912 (production of the anise-and wormwood-laced liqueur had been banned in its home country of Switzerland several years earlier), absinthe was purportedly the liquid equivalent of dropping acid.
A few liquor stores in the area are carrying the new brands of absinthe, but I’ve yet to see it on any bartender’s shelf. The ritual for preparing it for drinking is involved — it’s traditionally served over a glass with a special slotted spoon crowned with a sugar cube to dilute it. Which makes it primed to become the latest cocktail craze.
Have you tried absinthe? Do you know of any bar in the area that serves it?
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Dining
Low Carb Sushi and Chinese New Year
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
photo: Charlotte B. Teagle/AJC staff
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR: 2008 is the Year of the Rat. Cool.
“Jews know two things: suffering, and where to find great Chinese food.” - Benjy Stone, as played by Mark Linn-Baker in “My Favorite Year”
As if sushi wasn’t already low carb enough… now restaurants are serving maki rolls made with Chinese forbidden black rice (which is super good for you, anyway), cutting the carb grams virtually in half.
I haven’t experienced this in Atlanta yet, has anyone? Have you tried it elsewhere?
Permalink | | Categories: Dining
Suspect beef: In your child’s school lunch?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it was placing a hold on beef from a slaughterhouse that appeared to be processing cattle too sick or injured to walk. The industry term for these types of animals is downer cows, and they’re excluded from the food supply because they’re considered at higher risk for transmitting mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy).
Undercover video taken by the Humane Society of the United States last fall, at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. in Chino, Calif., shows workers ramming old dairy cows with forklifts, prodding them with electric shocks and pouring water into their nostrils in what appears to be an attempt to get them to rise. HSUS also contends the animals pose a higher risk of picking up bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses like E. coli 015:H7, because they’re not able to stand, and are lying in feces in pens.
Westland shipped about 420,000 pounds of beef to Georgia; 40,000 pounds to a destination in Atlanta, and 378,000 to a USDA warehouse in Cedartown. The meat sent to Cedartown was then sent to food manufacturers for further processing, such as adding to spaghetti sauce or cooking for taco filling, and then shipped to Georgia school districts. Westland shipped 27 million pounds to federal nutrition programs in 2007, to 36 states.
Where is it now? School officials are searching for the beef, distributed here between October 2007 and January 2008. So far in Georgia, just Fannin County has found some of the product, 15 cases of beef crumbles and spaghetti sauce, and put them on hold. The state, which emailed school districts starting last Friday to alert them to search for the food, is waiting to hear from other districts. (Other companies besides Westland also supply beef for use in Georgia school lunches.)
Products made from the meat include spaghetti sauce, taco sauce, beef crumbles, hamburger patties and taco filling, according to the state Department of Education.
Some of the meat would have been distributed through the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which the state Department of Human Resources oversees. No word yet on what they’ve found.
The USDA hasn’t recalled this meat; rather, it is on hold while the allegations are investigated — click here for a transcript of a press conference about the beef. It’s unclear whether the beef might be released back into the school food supply after the investigation concludes. USDA officials suggested during the press conference that the animals in the video may not have been downers, or may not have entered the food supply. If that’s the agency’s finding, it could lift the hold. Meanwhile, the USDA has pulled its inspectors from the plant — effectively shutting it down — until a plan for handling cattle humanely is developed.
This is the second time in recent weeks that high-profile allegations of inhumane treatment of food animals at slaughter have surfaced. Do these videos affect what you buy? What do you think of the latest round of allegations, and the ties this company has to the federal school lunch program? Have you noticed unexpected menu changes at your child’s school since Thursday?
Permalink | Comments (22) | Categories: Food safety
Abby Normal Eating
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“I won’t eat anything that has intelligent life, but I’d gladly eat a network executive or a politician.” — Marty Feldman
Grasshoppers. Fish eyes. Jellyfish. Roasted guinea pig. Snakes. And yes, politicians. We’ve all seen Anthony Bourdain do it, but what’s the WEIRDEST thing you’ve ever eaten?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Dining
Stinky Cheese
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A cheese shop in Lucca, Italy
Photo: Catherine Fox/AJC staff
Quote of the Day: “How can you be expected to govern a country that has 246 kinds of cheese?” — Charles de Gaulle
When my boyfriend and I schlepped to Athens to review the National, one of the things we enjoyed most about this homespun spot was the honest approach chef Peter Dale has with cheese and meats.
We really enjoyed, for instance, the chorizo with caramelized apples and the restaurant’s small but sufficient selection of fine cheeses. Many, like Manchego, were mild and easily enjoyed with a glass of bold tempranillo. But when my boyfriend tasted a small, oozing sliver of morbier, he grimaced, puckered, then remarked, ‘It tastes like I just ate a piece of Morticia Adams’ dress.” Morbier is definitely a stinky cheese.
Cheese plates are becoming part of dining room necessity, and I can think of no other in the area with a better selection than Bacchanalia and Quinones at Bacchanalia, since the selections are grabbed from Star Provisions. Nobody has a better selection than this, from ripe morbier to more tame comte, to bold Stilton and bell-shaped clochette. Restaurant Eugene runs a close second.
What’s your stinky cheese story? And where’s your favorite stinky cheese selection in the city?
Permalink | | Categories: Dining
Life Gave Us Lemons and We Made…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Photo: Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times
An evening at Woodfire Grill always brings pleasant surprises, and a recent dinner there brought a real treat: warm lemon pudding with lemon curd and sweet biscuits.
Lemons, along with other citrus, are at their peak in mid-winter, so now’s the time to utilize them in cooking and cocktails.
Chef Ford Fry tells me that he’s just added Meyer lemon doughnuts to his dessert menu at JCT Kitchen. I’ll need to get by to try them ASAP. Has anyone tried them yet? Where is your favorite lemon-inspired dessert?
Though it’s hard to get Sorrento lemons from the Amalfi Coast to make limoncello, now’s a good time to try to make your own version of this Italian liqueur (why should Danny DeVito and George Clooney have all the fun?), using domestic lemons. Here’s a recipe, reprinted from my cocktail column in the AJC’s food section:
Limoncello
This liqueur, made from alcohol, lemons, lemon zest and sugar, is a traditional after-dinner digestif that hails from Italy’s Amalfi coast, where Sorrento lemons are used to give it a puckering, but smooth, punch. Using pure alcohol is best (because it absorbs the oils from the zest and gives a smoother flavor), but vodka —- especially a high-proof one —- will do the trick nicely. Take advantage of citrus season —- try it with limes or oranges, too. This recipe, adapted from www.whatscookingamerica.net, is a good starter recipe that yields about two quarts.
15 lemons
2 (750 ml) bottles 100-proof vodka, divided
4 cups granulated sugar
5 cups water
Wash the lemons, then carefully zest so there is no white pith on the peel. (The pith is bitter and will spoil the limoncello.) In a large glass jar, add 1 bottle vodka; add the lemon zest. Cover the jar and let it sit at room temperature for at least 10 days (or up to 40) in a cool, dark place. Don’t stir. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water; cook until thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Let the syrup cool before adding it to the limoncello mixture, then add the additional bottle of vodka. Allow to rest for another 10 to 40 days. After the rest period, strain and bottle, discarding the lemon zest. Serve very cold.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Dining
Mexican Mania
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chile Relleno at Mi Barrio
photo: Jenni Girtman/AJC staff
Quote of the Day: “You’re either a guitarist. Or you can dance. Or you’re Prince.” M. Goldman, aka “Bud Man”
The heat goes on: I’m still getting tons of email regarding my review of Nuevo Laredo Cantina, which when I had the chance to read over again last week, just wasn’t that scathing. It was actually pretty positive in spots. If you missed it, read it now.
But the influx of emails has sent me looking for Mexican in places other than my favorite haunts, among them the food court at Plaza Fiesta on Buford Highway, El Cabrito and my pick for the absolute best, La Oaxaquena Taqueria in Jonesboro (which is actually better than many of the meals I’ve eaten in Mexico).
Mi Barrio, on Memorial Drive on the outskirts of Grant Park, is an intown find. Family run, the place is relaxed and carefree, with decor ranging from a widescreen TV the size of a small house and bright Mexicana bric-a-brac from hanging sombreros to ceramic jugs.
The food is a mix of Guadalajaran goodies, from ceviche to birria (birrieria — traditionally made with goat but here made with beef because, according to one of the waitresses, no one would order it with goat.) It is an incredibly savory stew with shredded chunks of beef served with corn tortillas, refried beans and rice. The tamales are dry, but tacos adobada (pork stew) and gorditas brimming with chicken, beans, shredded lettuce and sliced tomato with avocado are pure joy. The staff treats everyone like regulars, and there’s an array of Mexican beers to partake of, though I didn’t bother with a margarita. On the weekends, the kitchen offers posole. It truly feels like mi barrio (or tu barrio, depending on your perspective). Mi Barrio, 571 Memorial Drive, Atlanta, 404-223-9279
Have you tried Mi Barrio? What did you think?
Permalink | | Categories: Dining
Costco gets into the beer business
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A couple of years ago, Sam’s Club and Costco commissioned private label wines. I’ve tried a few of the Kirkland Signature wines from Costco, and before Christmas, picked up a bottle of the warehouse club’s French Champagne. (Good Champagne, but there’s something about the words “warehouse club Champagne” that doesn’t jell.)
Now Costco’s striking a deal for private label craft beers — you can read about it on BrewBlog, from the Miller Brewing Co.. They’re looking at a hefeweizen, a pale ale and an amber ale. According to the blog, the company is also looking at a private label single-malt Scotch. Trader Joe’s is another retailer that’s moved heavily into private label wines and beers.
What do you think of store-brand wines and beers? Got a favorite? How does it compare to the big guys on price and taste?
Permalink | Comments (8) | Categories: Food
