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April 2008
Chicks in the city, fresh eggs in the pan
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My niece kept three chickens for a while, first in an apartment where they had access to a sunny courtyard, then in her Cabbagetown back yard. She got daily rewards of fresh eggs and hens tame enough to let her pick them up and nestle.
Other Atlanta and Decatur residents are keeping hens, too, as unlikely as it seems in such an urban setting. City codes allow it. (Many counties and municipalities don’t, imposing requirements for two acres or more to house livestock.)
If you’ve thought of keeping chickens and live in an area that allows it — a good way to know is to check with your county or city’s code enforcement office — you can see how others are raising hens in an urban setting at this weekend’s Chicks in the City tour, sponsored by Georgia Organics and the Oakhurst Community Garden. The tour is self-guided, with maps to homes where chicken owners will show off their coops and talk about their birds.
If you’re going to the Chicks tour, tickets are $15 for members of Georgia Organics and the Oakhurst Community Garden; $20 for others. Children are $5; children younger than 8 are free. Tickets can be purchased on the tour web site, or by phone at 678-702-0400.
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Devilish Eggs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The towering deviled eggs (con bacon) at Bricktop’s in Buckhead.
Photo: Becky Stein/Special to the AJC
“Who can help loving the land (France) that has taught us 655 ways to dress an egg?”
Thomas Moore apparently agrees with me: There are few things on the planet as good as a deviled egg. Who knew taking the yolk from boiled egg and mixing it with relish and mayo ( the “devil” comes from the use of Tabasco or paprika) would be so darned much fun and taste so danged good? I know people who will fight over them.
And everyone makes them just a little differently. Some use mustard with their mayo. Others only dill pickles. Some whip the yolk mixture until it’s almost souffle like. But until now, they were hardly something to find on a menu at an upscale restaurant.
But chefs love huevos these days. Some add groovy ingredients like black truffles or truffle oil, as they are served at Maxim Prime downtown. Some take the whipped mixture and pipe towering swirls into the half-white, as is done at Bricktop’s in Buckhead. At Cakes & Ale in Decatur, chef Billy Allin makes them straightforward, Southern style, with a side of house-made pickles. Oh yum.
What restaurant makes the best deviled eggs in the area?
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Where’s the Rice?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rice is like water — we assume there’s an endless supply of it when, of course, there isn’t.
My colleague, Liz Lee, is following a story on world rice shortages. This from her:
“Rice prices have shot up 70 percent in the last four months, and worldwide stocks are at their lowest level in nearly three decades. Some countries like India, Egypt and Pakistan, concerned about shortages of the dietary staple, have stopped or limited exports of rice. India is the world’s second-largest rice producer, and has stopped exports of all but its basmati rice.
The United States isn’t likely to face a shortage. Most of the rice consumed in America is grown here, except aromatic varieties like basmati and jasmine. Just 8 percent of rice eaten in the United States is imported, much of it basmati from India and Pakistan, or jasmine from Thailand.
But higher prices and tighter availability of those grains, popular in ethnic restaurants and with many Americans, is starting to show up. Sam’s Club and Costco put some purchasing restrictions on rice sales last week, for the big bags popular with restaurant owners.”
She asked me today if I’d seen a difference in the local dining scene in regard to rice. I haven’t seen any chefs in the city taking the stance that they might not be able to buy rice at a reasonable price in the next few months. In other words, things seem about the same.
Have you noticed a difference anywhere? Who serves your favorite rice dish? Is it the arancini at Maxim Prime? The forbidden rice at Beleza? Or the rice pudding at Palomilla’s?
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Big weekend for local food
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If there were ever a weekend to show just how far the local food movement has come, it’s this one. Farmers markets in Alpharetta and Carrollton open for the season on Saturday, joining the Peachtree Road Market, the Morningside market, the Serenbe market and the Decatur market. In early May, markets at Spruill Gallery, Marietta, and East Atlanta Village open.
Strawberries are available for picking on Saturdays (closed Sundays) at Washington Farm in Loganville and Watkinsville, and at other nearby berry farms. You can search for farms near you at Georgia Market Maker.
Also on Saturday, cattle rancher Will Harris of White Oak Pastures opens a processing facility on his Early County farm. It’s significant because it will give not only Harris, but other farmers nearby, a larger facillity to send cattle to be slaughtered and sent to local customers. That will given them easier access to markets in Atlanta, rather than having to sell young cattle to feedlots out West, where they’re entered into the conventional meat system and fetch a lower price for farmers.
Harris’ White Oak Pastures grass-fed beef, which is certified humanely raised by Humane Farm Animal Care, is available ground at Publix, and in whole muscle cuts at some Whole Foods Markets and Harry’s Farmers Markets. With the opening of the processing center, the beef should be more readily available. Harris currently trucks cattle 100 miles from his Bluffton farm to be slaughtered, at a small facility that isn’t able to handle as many cattle as he has ready for market.
And on Sunday, there’s a benefit for Slow Food Atlanta at Glover Family Farms in Douglas County, just over the border from Fulton. Sous chefs from some of the city’s top restaurants, including Repast, the Hil, Woodfire Grill and Restaurant Eugene, will prepare the meal from food raised primarily on the farm. Tickets are $45 and include the family-style dinner and drinks. The farm is at 3260 Highway 166 in Douglasville.
So … are you planning on going to a farmers’ market this weekend, or a you-pick berry farm? If so, where are you headed, and what are you planning to buy?
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Who Grills Your Cheese?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BY ANY OTHER NAME: grilled cheese comes in many forms, like this Monte Cristo sandwich from the Glenwood
Photo: Becky Stein/Special to the AJC
I can’t believe that it’s April 25 and I haven’t mentioned a thing about grilled cheese. I mean, dang nab it: April is grilled cheese month, after all.
Oh, you didn’t know? Did you know that April is also Florida tomato month? No? Obviously we’ve all been hiding under rocks. It should come as no surprise, even to us rock-hiders, that February is chocolate month. Duh. And July is National Ice Cream Month. A given, n’est pas?
Every week I’m inundated with one pitch or another touting “official fill-in-the-food month.” But grilled cheese I’m falling for. In the USA, we butter it and grill it on a skillet. The whiter the bread the better. In El Salvador, soft, mild cheese is melted between thick corn gorditas and called a pupusa. The UK serves the cheese goodie open-faced and calls it a toastie. And the French, well — they go all out: A croque monsieur dips the bread in egg batter first, then slams ham and cheese in between before grilling the whole thing in butter. The sandwich is often blanketed with bechamel for a truly delicious fat fest. Add a fried egg, and you’ve got a croque madame. The Monte Cristo is similar, with ham and cheese dipped in egg batter and fried.
Au Pied du Cochon makes a mean croque monsieur and I love the pupusa at Tierra. The Glenwood in East Atlanta rocks with a Monte Cristo served with syrup and strawberries for brunch — but I’ve yet to find the perfect grilled cheese in Atlanta. Where do you go for great grilled cheese?
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Good Eats?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HE’S JUST here for the food: TV’s Alton Brown
Photo: Dan Workman
I hate to admit this, but I really don’t like to watch cooking shows. My whole life is cooking and food and dining, and if I ever get a chance to sit in front of the television, I’m either watching a movie or a “Code Lyoko” episode with my daughter.
Rachael Ray is just obnoxious. Tony Bourdain has gotten too weird, even though I used to kind of dig him. Martha makes me mad. I hear the cake decorating show, Ace of Cakes, is good, but I haven’t checked it out yet. Even with Richard Blais on Top Chef, I’m rarely enticed to watch it. And I HATE Gordon Ramsey. If he ever worked in my kitchen, I’d fire him.
But local love Alton Brown rarely ruffles anyone’s feathers: He’s smart, cute, and “Good Eats” combines a lot of pop culture with good common sense. He’ll be speaking about his new book, “Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run” at the Variety Playhouse in L5P on Thursday, May 8 at 7 p.m. There’s a Q and A with Brown, who’ll talk about the book, which follows a motorcycle-mounted crew from the Mississippi Delta to the great river’s headwaters in Minnesota. It takes a look at eateries and the folks who make them what they are, from ice cream parlors to an alligator farm. The event is brought to the Variety by A Capella Books. For ticket info, call the store at 404-681-5123, or go to Ticketmaster.
Do you love or hate food shows?
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Where do you go for lox and bagels?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One Atlanta restaurant receives a weekly shipment from one of the main suppliers of most New York delis and slices the fish bellies on site. Another makes sure the toppings stay fixed to the cream cheese for the commuter in a hurry.
Where do you go when you’re In the Mood … for lox and bagels.
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Zucchini Blossoms and Other Longings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chicken isn’t the only thing good for a skillet — zucchini blossoms make for good frying.
Photo: Chris Walker/KRT
A late posting today, but I’m glad I waited: it gave me time to catch Antica Posta owner Marco Betti’s email about spring specials going on at the Buckhead restaurant. Among spaghetti al pomodoro paired with Chianti for a mere $19, the restaurant returns to its Italian roots with flash-fried zucchini blossoms. Go to Antica Posta for more information.
Oh yummers. When I was reviewing restaurants for The Providence Journal in Providence, RI, the “Little Italy” of that city along Atwells Avenue (natives call it “the Hill”) always had a springtime festival with fried zucchini blossoms — called fiore di zucca. Here they fried them stuffed with a cheese — usually mozzarella — as they do in Lazio, the region just below Tuscany and above the Amalfi Coast. They are a way to salute spring and say hello to early summer, and tastes as if warm weather popped open in your mouth.
Another warm-weather ritual happening soon is Tiger Mountain Vineyard’s annual “awakening of the vines” on Saturday, May 17 from noon until 3 p.m. They’ll be roasted sausages, artisan cheeses and breads and of course — wine tastings. A bonfire of winter prunings will take place at 1 p.m. It’s $40 for the general public, $20 for members.
Do you have a special place you go to each year as warm weather returns? A favorite patio? A traditional pub with an outdoor seat just for you? A special place to picnic?
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Why Did Emeril’s Close?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: Sure, it’s big enough. But what about the food? Emeril’s in Buckhead is closing April 30.
Photo: Becky Stein/Special to the AJC
The rumors have been flying for several months, but Emeril’s has finally pulled the plug on its Atlanta location. Read Richard Eldredge’s story about it here. Friends and editors are this morning asking me “why?”
How could a restaurant with the kind of big-money, corporate backing and star-chef recognition of Emeril Lagasse’s empire fail? I’ll tell you how: The super-chef’s presence was missing far too often in Atlanta and more important, the food wasn’t very good.
It’s obvious that someone with restaurants in five other cities can’t be at all of them at once, but there was no sense of the super chef in the Atlanta location, ever. It was trendy at first, then wavered after everyone figured out that the food was overpriced and sub par. The food, Emeril’s mix of New Orleans nuance, lacked “bam!”.
Atlanta chef Tom Catherall has signed a deal to take over the property when it closes on April 30. He will concentrate his efforts on a new Asian concept.
The tale is woeful, especially at a time when big names are blowing into the city stronger than the tailwind of a Delta jet. Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market, Jeffery Chodorow’s Maxim Prime, Laurent Tourondel’s BLT and Tom Colicchio’s Craft are all either open or scheduled to open later this year. Does this bode well for the big boys?
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Birthday Bash
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
These gum paste flowers are lovingly made for wedding cakes at Sweet Dreams Bakery in downtown Norcross.
Photo: Vino Wong/AJC staff
My weekend was a complete blur — I took the day off Friday to finish my daughter’s 11th birthday cake: a “fairy” cake with a flower fairy enameled in chocolate with gum paste flowers, covered in rolled fondant, surrounded by white chocolate petals. For someone who used to make cakes for a living (blast, I even made my own wedding cake the first time around…) this is the only professional style cake I do anymore. It’s just too stressful and time consuming (though it’s worth it to see her smile).
There are lots of bakeries in town that specialize in this sort of cake, but I’d say the style that best exudes my own as a pastry chef is Highland Bakery, though their stuff is a little funkier than mine. Sugar Cakes on the Square in Marietta has a refined European style that I admire a lot, too.
Even though I’m exhausted today, I still would never let anyone make her cake but me. But my sore feet got me wondering: if I did want to buy a high-end birthday cake, where would I go? What bakeries are the best at specializing in pastillage, fondant, and other sugar arts?
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Yearning for Something Slavic
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: Chocolate cake, cherries, whipped cream — kirsch. That’s a dang good piece of Black Forest Cake.
Photo: Louie Favorite/AJC staff
First, a peaceful Passover to those who celebrate this holiday that begins tomorrow at sundown.
lived in New York when I was younger, back before the earth’s crust cooled, and my boyfriend at the time had a handle on all the spots of the Lower East Side (long before it was fashionable), from Gus’ Pickle Stand to a Hungarian restaurant that used to rest on the corner of 2nd and 7th (I’d tell you the name, but I can’t remember. And I’ve tried, believe me.)
It served incredible peirogis and blintzes, and even after I moved to New Jersey (hey — the rent was cheaper) I would venture back there just to get some potato-and-pea soup.
And after 16 years in Southern New England, I got a pretty good idea of how to make caldo verde. And Portuguese-style paella.
I miss these foods so much. Atlanta has missing pockets of food culture. Other than a few spots, I can’t think of any really great Portuguese restaurants here. And other than Slovakia in Marietta, you’ll be hard-pressed to nibble on a peirogi anytime soon. Istanbul in Decatur helps bridge the gap, but we need so many more like it.
I’ve made a list of the cuisines I wish there were more of in the ATL: 1. Eastern European — Hungarian, Slovakian — even Turkish. I could go for a cheese blintz and some chicken paprika.
Russian — ditto, and add some borscht. And yes, I know we have Nikolai’s Roof. I want more.
Portuguese — hellooooo?? Where the heck is my bacalhau? My botelo?
Spanish — Riccardo Ullio’s Cuerno fills a huge gap, but again, I WANT MORE.
German — one of the heartiest cuisines in the world. I could go for some schwarzwalderkirschtorte right now.
Do you agree? What cuisine(s) would like to see more of in Atlanta? Do you know of restaurants where we could find these foods?
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Where’s Your Favorite Coffee Shop?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company, a new spot for java jive.
Photo: Amrish Patel
Americans are as into coffee shops now as the French were in the 1800s. We use them as pit stops, wi-fi connections, meeting places and chill joints. Atlanta has a plethora, and my favorite by far (at the moment, and I change on a dime) is pristine Bakery Cafe Maum on Buford Highway in the Global Forum shopping center.
Inspired by Japanese and French patisseries, Korean bakers have developed a love of all things made with eggs and flour, and the phenomenon has made its way across the continents and landed, remarkably, in this lovely Doraville shop. Beautifully baked treats, from delicately sweet and light green tea and coconut buns to a pizza bread spread with a naughty conglomeration of cheesy mayo, some funky version of Vegall bits and a Spam-like meat, as well as gorgeous French-style cakes and pastries are the draw here. And there’s a cozy fireplace. Bakery Cafe Maum, 7130 Buford Highway, Suite A180, Doraville, 770-263-7447, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. daily.
A new shop has popped up — this one originating on this side of the pond: Florida. Tampa-based Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea Co. has opened it’s first location in the Atlanta area, on Virginia Ave. in the brand-new Virginia Marquis Shopping Center near the Landmark Diner.
Amita Patel opened her doors back in November, and offers a full sandwich menu in addition the Joffrey’s coffees and teas. It’s full service, and to go with that “Italian job” sammie (fresh mozz, tomato, green tomato and basil oil) you might want to save room for the house-baked goodies such as sweet potato cheesecake. Fruit tea smoothies are a Joffrey’s specialty. There’s a fireplace for flirting (or … whatever), and a cozy sofa and chairs interspersed with dining tables. 1155 Virginia Ave., Atlanta, 404-530-2666.
Everyone has their favorite place to grab a cup of joe. Where’s yours?
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Do Diners Exist Down South?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ABOVE: The newly remodeled Marietta Diner, now showing on the Food Network.
Photo: Marietta Diner
Yes, we have Waffle House. And we have our ever-lovin’ meat-n-threes, which can’t be duplicated above the Mason-Dixon Line.
But we don’t have diners.
Wait — we have one: the Marietta Diner on Cobb Parkway. Stepping into this joint is like stopping at an exit on the Jersey Turnpike and finding one of the many diners that dot that roadway. It’s a real yankee-fied diner, dang it. And a real slice of Americana.
That’s what Guy Fieri thought, too. He’s been busy filming in and around Atlanta with his Food Network show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” (I mentioned his visit to Cabbagetown Market on and earlier blog post). Now, he’s been out to Marietta, and his diner of choice is just a few “blocks” down from the Big Chicken. Apparently, Guy feels that the Marietta Diner is the “real deal, Holyfield.”
The diner is owned by Gus Tselios, who drove down from New York to open it 14 years ago. Since Gus and his family are Greek, the menu offers goodies like “spinach pie” and baklava cheese cake, plus American classics like black-and-white cookies and burgers. Like a true diner, it’s open 24/7.
According to Tselios, the first showing of the episode was last Monday, but more shows are scheduled through April. Go to Food Network.
Is there a diner in your neck of the woods? If so, let me know about it. I’m dying for some fries with gravy.
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In the mood for fondue? Where do you go?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fondue, the Swiss custom of dipping morsels in boiling hot sauces — especially cheese or chocolate — has bubbled up from time to time in the U.S. Hardly a wedding was complete in the Sixties without at least three gift fondue pots for the happy couple. Dante’s Down the Hatch made fondue part of the fine dining experience of the original Underground Atlanta, and kept the home Sterno burning after moving to Buckhead. (Owner Dante Stephensen is not Swiss, but Danish ancestry puts him pretty close.) See our latest In the Mood for a look at Dante’s and some other Atlanta restaurants offering fondue as a main attraction.
Do you fondue? When you’re in the mood for fondue, where do you go?
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World food goes down-home at Glover Family Farm
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Food and farm pairings don’t get much closer than a benefit planned for April 27 at Glover Family Farms, in Douglas County just over the border from Fulton.
Much of the meal, which celebrates the immigrant heritage that has shaped Atlanta’s foodways, will come from food raised on the farm. Sous chefs from some of the city’s top restaurants, including Repast, the Hil, Woodfire Grill and Restaurant Eugene, will prepare the food. The benefit is sponsored by Small Farms CSA, a community-supported agriculture program for Jenny Jack Sun and Love is Love Farms.
The meal benefits Slow Food Atlanta. A silent auction will raise funds for the community garden at Refugee Family Services, a Stone Mountain nonprofit that helps immigrant women and children move toward economic self-sufficiency.
Tickets are $45 and include the family-style dinner and drinks. The farm is at 3260 Highway 166 in Douglasville.
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Today’s Special Is…..?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: Scott Peacock fries up a batch of buttermilk-battered fried chicken at Watershed in Decatur. It’s only served on Tuesdays.
Photo: Louie Favorite/ AJC staff
It’s Tuesday. Anyone living in or around Decatur knows that Tuesday night is fried chicken night at Watershed. Scott Peacock doesn’t offer his slightly crunchy, slightly salty take on one of the South’s iconic dishes any other night of the week — only Tuesday.
Weekly specials are a great idea, actually. From a marketing stand point, they generate interest during a time of the week when folks might opt to stay home. Of course, the kitchen has notoriously based week-day specials on what’s left over from the busy weekend. It’s a way to utilize what would otherwise go to waste.
We’re looking for weekly specials in your area. Does your favorite watering hole have a Wednesday night bleu cheese burger that kicks booty? Does your neighborhood joint cook up a mean coq au vin? Where are the best week-day specials?
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Are Gas Prices Keeping You at Home?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: GOING, GOING, GONE — Is the price of a gallon cutting into how often you eat out?
Photo: Hugh E. Gentry/AP
It’s the question everyone’s asking: Is the price of gas keeping you at home these days? Is filling your tank cutting into your disposable income for dining?
Frankly, I eat out several nights a week, and I haven’t noticed a drop in clientele at local restaurants at all (of course, how packed a place is depends on the place.) Last week the scene at the new W Hotel in Midtown (where I had a nice first taste at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market) was more mob than ever. And it’s not just high-end; neighborhood spots like Stella in Cabbagetown/Grant Park are packed, too. These are both new, and curiosity might be a factor in the flocks of folks coming through the door. Still, an old favorite like Taqueria del Sol on the West Side was doing steady mid-week business last week.
But are you staying home more, rather than dining out? If not, have you changed your habits because of higher gas prices? Do you go to cheaper spots to make up the difference? If so, where?
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What’s the best meal you ate over spring break?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some of the most memorable parts of a vacation are the meals.
We traveled to North Carolina and Tennessee last week, visiting relatives and catching up with old friends. We tried amusement park chow at Dollywood (bad barbecue, greasy potatoes and onions and fabulous kettle corn), California-style burritos at Mamacita’s in Asheville (yum) and cooked many meals ourselves. Gas prices really cut into what we could spend on food this trip, so we prepared many meals ourselves.
And of all the meals we cooked, the best was a simple chicken that my husband grilled the last night of our trip, seasoned with a dry barbecue rub and cooked over indirect heat. We finished the meal with homemade chocolate chip ice cream. It was a lovely, relaxing end to a great vacation — unlike the restaurant where we ate last night, where two children and a doting father, or maybe uncle, shrieked and sang right by our table, so loudly that even my rambunctious 8-year-old complained about the noise.
What about you? If you took a trip over spring break last week, what was the most memorable meal? If you stayed in town, were the restaurants quieter than usual?
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Who Needs Pillsbury? We’ve got Shorty’s
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: NOW that’s a pie: Rosa’s Pizza on Broad Street downtown makes the best pie in town.
Photo: Phil Skinner/AJC staff
As the Pillsbury Cook-Off gets off the ground today, it seems appropriate to announce a baking contest a little closer to home.
Shorty’s, the neighborhood pizza joint in Atlanta and Tucker, has announced their first “inaugural pizza design pro-am” contest.
Here’s a (short) list of the rules:
Anyone can enter as many times as they like.
Each entry costs a buck.
Bootlegging recipes from other pizza joints is okay. (This one really disturbs me in the originality department, but it’s not my contest.)
The pizza name must have street cred. (I’m not sure what they mean by this one, either — does this mean the pizza name should be recognizable, or that is should sound like a rapsta? Since all — or most — of Shorty’s pizzas are named after rock stars, maybe that’s what they mean.)
Write neatly. (This one cracks me up. But if they can’t read it, they can’t judge it.)
Max number of toppings allowed is five.
Pizzas are judged on name, originality, appearance, taste and here’s the best one — food cost. (So don’t go thinking this is the time to introduce that foie gras pizza you’ve been working on to the world.)
Competition begins now and ends on June 6 at midnight. Ten finalists will be announced on June 10. Final judging and awards will be given on Sunday, June 6 at 2 p.m. at the Tucker location, 3701 Lawrenceville Highway, 770-414-6999. The prize? The winning pizza will be put on the menu at both Shorty’s locations.
More info? Call Bryan Wilson, 404-315-6262, or Brian Hogan, 404-285-7234.
So here’s the real question: Who makes the best slice in Atlanta? My vote, as I’ve stated, many, many times, goes to Rosa’s Pizza downtown. Second would be Floataway Cafe. Third - Baraonda in Midtown.
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Got Grits?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Does the Flying Biscuit in Candler Park make the best cheese grits? (Photo: Joey Ivansco/AJC)
What did civilization do before the discovery of the New World brought us corn?
We’re going gonzo over grits! To celebrate the Grits Festival this Saturday in Warwick, Ga., we’ve got grits by the gobs. The festival takes place April 12, starting with a breakfast (with grits, of course) at 7:30 a.m. The festivities, which include a corn-shelling event, an eating contest and a grits-making contest, end at 5 p.m. For more grit goodies, check out accessAtlanta.
What are grits, anyway? I’m sure there are those uninitiated in the know-how’s of one of the South’s greatest breakfast commodities, so here’s a 411:
Grits are eaten with butter and salt. They are NOT eaten with sugar.
Really fancy folks make their grits with cream or broth (or both) and butter. Some folks, like chef Joel Antunes of Joel in Buckhead (who is French and must like all that fancy schmancy stuff) even put truffle oil in their grits. That makes them taste really, really good.
Even more fancy folks have gone back to using stone ground grits rather than quick or instant grits. Instant grits are for sissies and folks who live above the Mason-Dixon Line (see note #1 above on sugar in grits). Quick grits are for moms whose 11-year-olds love grits so much they will eat them off the floor, so they better not take six hours to cook. Two local mills with great grits are Anson Mills out of Columbia, S.C. (whose grains are organic), and Red Mule Grits from Athens, Ga.
Grits are basically nothing more than a coarse meal ground from dried hominy (which is white or yellow corn kernels that have had the hull and germ removed). Yellow grits (something Italians call polenta) include the whole kernel; white grits use hulled kernels. The hulls, FYI, are usually softened with lye to help in their removal. (Grind grits into a fine dust and you get masa for making tortillas, tamales and the like.)
Southerners don’t just eat grits for breakfast. Depending on the region, we eat them with everything from shrimp to sausage; ham, cheese and fried fish. We argue over how to make them and where to get them as if they were as prized as French truffles. To us, they are.
This recipe is from Sallys-Place.com, and combines milk and water for a creamy, porridge-like bowl of grits.
BREAKFAST GRITS
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup stone-ground or other good quality grits
2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter
In the top of a double boiler, stir the milk into the grits, then add the water and seasonings. Stir well, cover tightly and place over the bottom, filled with an inch or two of boiling water. Cook over low heat anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half, or more, depending on the coarseness of the grind. When the grits are soft, add butter and serve. Serves 4
Now it’s your turn. We want to know: 1. Where do you get the best grits in Atlanta? and 2. What’s the best recipe for grits?
Here’s a map to some places that serve great grits. And here are more recipes for grits.
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Fried Coke? C’mon…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s a killer for the taste buds: fried Coke.
Adventurous eaters can taste the real thing this weekend at the Georgia Renaissance Festival, according to accessAtlanta reporter John Kessler, who writes about the crispy treat (click here for the story).
Kessler writes fried Coke won a “Creativity Award” at the Texas State Fair. Thanks, Texas.
The recipe includes Coca-Cola infused batter, cola syrup, whipped cream and more.
Just thinking about it brings to mind another oddity: fried candy bars. Not necessarily stomach turners, just different.
Does the thought of fried Coke tickle your taste buds? What other weird foods have you eaten?
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What Were They Before?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: The view at Murphy’s in Virginia-Highland wasn’t always this breezy.
Photo: Nick Orroyo/AJC staff
We were yammering on a few days ago about how Rhode Islanders give directions: they basically give no street names whatsoever, and use directionals that USED to be there, but are something else now. I really have no idea how they all get around, but the state is so small you could drive the whole state line and be back in time for lunch.
Anyway, it got me thinking about the changing skyline in our lovely city, and how different things are than they were even five years ago. Then I started thinking like a Rhode Islander — remember the vegetarian restaurant that used to be where the Vortex is in Little Five Points? I do. It was called “Eat Your Veggies.” That was back when Sevananda was on Euclid Avenue…
Remember the dessert shop that was where Noche is in Va/Hi? It was called the Dessert Place and had a really moist, nutty carrot cake blanketed in tangy cream cheese frosting (there was another location in Buckhead), probably the best in the city at the time. It was just a few doors down from a restaurant called Chow, long gone. And just down the street was a breakfast spot called Eats-n-Sweets. Chico’s occupies it’s spot now. Heck, Murphy’s used to be behind the hardware store!
And this is just two neighborhoods….
What favorite restaurants do you remember that are gone now? What’s in their place today?
AT RIGHT: It’s a health food store AND a co-op! Remember when Sevananda was on Euclid Avenue? it moved to its present location on Moreland back in 2002…
Photo: Nick Arroyo/AJC staff
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Where do you go for fried green tomatoes?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fried green tomatoes used to be something your mama chopped up and mixed in with the okra when you couldn’t wait for the fresh tomatoes to turn red in the spring. Now they’re dragged through panko crumbs or decorated with goat cheese to be served up at the finest restaurants. See our latest In the Mood for some great places to get them — adorned and unadorned. Regardless of how they’re fixed up, fried green tomatoes remain a peculiarly Southern delicacy. Even if you’re not from around here, where do you go for your fried green tomatoes?
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Eat Your Veggies
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: Eating your veggies is easy at Restaurant Eugene, where the season brings a bounty of yummy offerings.
Photo: Joey Ivansco/AJC staff
A vegetarian colleague recently related a bit of a nightmare to me. It wasn’t about giant vegetables trying to eat her while she slept. It was worse: There really just aren’t that many great places to get a vegetarian meal in Atlanta.
And even worse than that, nice restaurants don’t offer vegetarian meals as an option. Okay, okay. Pipe down. I know the old “there’s-not-enough-veggie-joints” argument is so 70s, but the truth is — there aren’t.
Think for just a moment: if you, for whatever reason, don’t eat meat, what are your options at an upscale restaurant? Most veggie dining options in Atlanta, as my friend rightly pointed out, are ethnic options: South Indian cuisine, Thai cuisine, mezza, certain Latin options. Terrific, but every now and then a gal wants to go platinum.
Where’s the “V” in upscale dining? Why must vegetarians be relegated to ordering a series of side veggies as their meal (where half the time they’re brought to the table in succession, rather than as an entire meal, so you get to eat a bowl of mashed potatoes, then ten minutes later a plate of asparagus. Then ten minutes later a bowl of green beans).
Two excellent exceptions are the vegetable plates at Watershed, where creamed corn and spoon bread make a regal showing, and Restaurant Eugene, where the seasonal inspirations from the kitchen are highlighted by a spoonful of grits. Both are wonderful reasons to go to the restaurant, and exude the personality of the chef as much as any of the meat dishes.
Where’s good upscale vegetarian cuisine in Atlanta? Why isn’t there more of it?
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Dude, Where’s my Tam Tams?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: Tam Tams are not part of the Seder meal, but they make great Kosher snacks during Passover
Photo: William Berry/AJC staff
The AJC recently ran a wire story about the shortage of Tam Tams this year for Passover.
According to a story from the San Jose Mercury News on April 3, there will be no Tam Tams on grocery shelves due to a manufacturing glitch. The kosher little cracker will not be available in time for Passover, which begins this year at sun down on April 19.
Holy Moly! This is SUCH a big deal. Manischewitz, the manufacturer who makes the yummy, crunchy crackers, says they will appear on shelves later this spring. I mean, it’s sort of like Easter with no chocolate bunnies. According to the article, this is the first time since 1940 that the crackers will not be available in time for the holiday. Losses? Purported to be between 1 and 2 million bucks. Ouch.
Personally, I don’t need Passover as an excuse to eat these bite-sized babies — I love them. I’m just wondering what Jewish families around the Atlanta area are planning to do? Do no Tam Tams make a difference to you? Or will your Passover plans remain unscathed?
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Where’s the Best BBQ in Georgia?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
RIGHT: BBQ in Georgia means pulled pork sammies
Photo: Phil Skinner/AJC staff
A new book, “BBQ Joints: Stories and Secret Recipes from the Barbeque Belt” (Gibbs Smith, $15.95, April 2008), takes a good look at the South through one of its favorite pastimes — barbecue.
Author David Gelin is not a Southerner, but since he travels back roads with his dog Buddy, he seems to think he’s qualified to comment on one of the greatest rites of passage of being Southern: understanding barbecue and where to get it.
The book is filled with amusing anecdotes from folks all over the so-called “barbecue belt,” and many share secret recipes like Cajun red beans and rice from Danken Trail Bar-B-Q in Monroe, La., and the brew for concocting Georgia’s own “Mountain Man” Don Bryant’s boiled peanuts (the secret? use a stainless steel pot).
Tales and recipes from Texas, Oklahoma (who said that was the South?) Louisiana, Arkansas (see note on Oklahoma), Missouri (they’re kidding right?), Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina and our own dear Peach State.
From Georgia, the following ‘cue joints are featured: B-B-Q King in Albany, Bubba’s Ribs & Q in Tifton, Fincher’s Barbecue in Macon, Melear’s Barbecue in Fayetteville, Mountain Man Bar-B-Que in Flowery Branch, Oinkers Family Restaurant in Clayton, Shack by the Track in St. George, Williams’ Barbecue in Danielsville and Wynnton Pitt B-B-Q & Restaurant in Columbus.
Well, I thought I knew my ‘cue, but I’m sorry to report I have never eaten at ANY of these places — though I can’t wait to give them a try when I’m in their areas. IF I’m ever in their areas. Two others I’ve heard are great and haven’t gotten to are Beaver Creek Biscuit Company in Lithia Springs and Sugar Ribs, which is actually in Chattanooga.
Have you been to any of these spots? What did you think? Where’s the best BBQ in Georgia?
Still need more ‘cue? Portraits from Gelin’s book will be on exhibit at the University of South Carolina’s McKessick Museum from May 10 to July 19.
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What Do The Candidates Eat?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Every morning while I’m warming up on the treadmill before my workout, I’m bombarded silently with the presidential race via CNN. We’re all bombarded, though the gym is the only place I can count on to have the volume turned down.
And with no sound, my mind wanders as the sweat begins to bead: What do the candidates eat for breakfast? I mean, it’s the most important meal of the day and all, and since their days are so full of, well, whatever a presidential candidate’s days are full of, they must need some sort of power fuel.
Right: I love the smell of Cornflakes in the morning…
Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP
McCain has always sported that tough-love vet look, and recent pictures like the one at right prove that he’s still at least close to his fighting weight. His mystique, if that’s what it can be called, teeters between a teddy bear and chipping paint. His breakfast (as per my imaginings): After a round of old-fashioned calisthenics (that cross-fit crud is for sissies), he sits down to a bowl of true Americana — Cornflakes. Yep, cornflakes, whole milk (see the sissies’ note on cross-fit in regard to skim milk), a few berries because some assistant insists, and an entire pot of coffee (from a 16-cup coffee percolater), black. Yes — you guessed it — cream and sugar are for sissies.
ABOVE: Sure, they look good — but what did they eat for breakfast this morning?
Photo: Rick Bowmer/AP
Hillary Clinton doesn’t seem to have the same penchant for fast food as her burger-eating husband, but it looks as if she’s puffed up a little while on the campaign trail. Very little sleep, even less exercise — all of a sudden those tweed suits are a little more snug than they were in January. Of course it’s so much harder for a woman, since she’s judged just as much for her looks as her brains. Hillary’s breakfast is a little like her ever-changing hair style. One day it’s a bowl of Grapenuts with skim milk, the Times, and a brisk walk followed by yogurt and fruit. Another day it’s three (two eaten in the bathroom) Krispy Kreme doughnuts downed with a super-sized Vault (in and out of the bathroom).
It’s easy to imagine what Barack Obama eats for breakfast. He’s fit-looking, and wears those fabulous suits and lavender ties like a coat hanger. Only his ears are out of sorts with the rest of his sleek, “I’m so together” look. He downs an energy drink fortified with vitamins and minerals he makes himself in a mini blender that he carries with him everywhere. By mid-morning he supplements with a half-grapefruit and a boiled egg, followed by a quart of bottled water.
Me, I’d rather go to Ria’s Bluebird for a biscuit. Where would you suggest the candidates eat breakfast while in Atlanta?
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Hell’s Kitchen: Does Gordon Ramsey make you hurl?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Hell’s Kitchen” returned last night on Fox with a new season of wannabe chefs ready to endure months of humiliation for a shot at a $250,000 job running British chef Gordon Ramsey’s new L.A. restaurant.
About 20 years ago, when I thought of becoming a chef, line cooks endured months of humiliation for a shot at a job paying barely above minimum wage. We had it easy compared to where our chef had apprenticed, he always told us. He’d worked in France, where they really know how to teach an aspiring chef about his place in the pecking order (as low as you can imagine).
So when Gordon started the usual string of expletives, no big surprise. Every season on Fox, he becomes more and more a caricature of himself (check out BBC America for a more restrained version).
But then, while tasting the contestants’ specialties, he grabbed a trash can and started throwing up. Granted, scallops with caviar, white chocolate and a few other implausible ingredients might make you want to barf, but on a cooking show?
Bad enough, but the cooking and contestants were just plain boring.
Did you see “Hell’s Kitchen” last night? Think Gordon was really sick to his stomach, or just ramping up his naughty boy act?
Bravo’s “Top Chef”, with another episode at 10 tonight, is much more interesting, from the cooking to the drama, with a parade of top-notch chefs as judges. So far this season, along with the usual hosts, judges have included Wylie Dufresne of New York City’s wd-50 and Rick Bayless of Chicago’s Frontera Grill. And, of course, Atlanta chef Richard Blais, who’s hung in through several elimination rounds.
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I Say Now Ladies…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AT RIGHT: Jenny Levison of Souper Jenny. She’s once, twice, three times a lady — the soup lady.
Photo: Sara Hopkins/Special to the AJC
Girls rule, boys drool right?
Atlanta has a lot of great women chefs — Anne Quatrano of Bacchanalia et al, Carvel Grant Gould and Robyn Mayo at Canoe, Kat King at Aria, Marla Adams at Babette’s, Nan Niyomkul at Tamarind Thai and Nan, Jenny Levison of Souper Jenny. There’s a wealth of female talent out there.
If you’re a young lady looking to get a foot in the kitchen door (or just some financial aid for culinary school), the Atlanta Chapter of Les Dames D’Escoffier (LDEI) is offering scholarships to qualified applicants.
This, from their press release: “LDEI, a worldwide society of women in food, beverage and hospitality field, sponsors the LDEI scholarship. The Les Dames D’Escoffier Scholarship for Education is given to qualified FEMALE applicants pursuing full time culinary, beverage or hospitality coursework. The amount of each scholarship given is a minimum of $1,000. The following criteria must be met by students applying for this scholarship.
The applicant must be a legal resident of the State of Georgia or nominated by a LDEI Atlanta Chapter Dame.
The applicant must be enrolled in, or accepted to a full time culinary arts, beverage or hospitality program for professional development.
The applicant must submit a completed application along with the required essay.
The applicant must demonstrate at least one year’s experience in the foodservice industry by submitting a biography or resume documenting such experience.
If currently enrolled in an educational institution, the applicant must submit a copy of their transcripts with this application.
In addition to foodservice experience and academic excellence, the financial need of each applicant will be considered.
Completed applications must be submitted no later than May 1 for consideration in that calendar year. Successful scholarship recipients will be notified no later than July 15 and funds will be sent directly to the named educational institution no later than September 1.
To apply for the scholarship, please contact Silvia Riedel at 770-565-7881, or visit the website at les dames for an application or contact the financial aid offices at local culinary institutes. For additional information, contact Silvia Riedel at silviariedel@bellsouth.net.”
So girls, go for it! Carpe diem for goodness sake!
Who’s your favorite female chef in Atlanta?
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Buckhead farmers market opens for the season
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Spring is here. What more proof do you need than the slow rollout of farmers markets?
The Peachtree Road Farmers Market is the first of the seasonal markets to open this spring. Farmers with early crops, along with local artisan food producers and artists, will be on hand from 8:30 to noon starting Saturday, April 5.
Regulars of this market, in the parking lot of the Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road N.W., know to look for fresh pasta, sauces and cheese from Via Elisa; baked goods from Sweet Auburn Bread Company; locally roasted coffee; and produce from several area farms.
Later this month, look for the Cotton Mill Market in Carrollton to open. Farmers from West Georgia and East Alabama will start selling on April 26.
And if you’re in the market right now for some local food, Whole Foods Market is supposed to get a shipment today of organic strawberries from Alan Miles of Miles Berry Farm in Baxley. An 8.8-ounce container will go for $4.99. (Yes, that’s about $9 a pound. They’re still expected to sell quickly, since there’s a limited amount.)
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