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Tales of Tails? My Top Five Weirdest Things to Eat In Atlanta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HE SMOKES, HE DRINKS, HE EATS WEIRD THINGS. DO YOU EAT LIKE ANTHONY BOURDAIN?
Photo: Louie Favorite/AJC
The gooey responses from the blog on Monday about finding horrific things in your food really brought out the Tony Bourdain in me.
Mr. Bourdain spends a lot time carousing and drinking while finding some of the weirdest, uckiest thing to eat on the planet on his Travel Channel show, No Reservations. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to eat the fried grasshoppers (called chapulines, they taste a little like crunchy, hairy peanuts and show up every now and then at Tierra).
Bizarre foods in Atlanta? Here’s my list:
1) Sea cucumber at Nam Chun Hong: Is it a plant? No. Prized by the Chinese as a delicacy, this weird little creature that basically does nothing but slurp up scum from the bottom of the ocean takes some getting used to. Sliced and swimming in a salty sauce, the texture and flavor give you the feeling that Mr. Sea Cuke might actually still be alive.
2) Jellyfish at Hong Kong Gourmet: Perhaps more of a treat for the Japanese in the form of sunomono (pickles), this little goodie is served up at this Chinese restaurant in a mound of glory with what tastes like rice wine vinegar, soy and a bit of vinegar. The look? A little like flat rice noodles. The taste? Salted air. The texture? Rubber band, man.
3) Hong Kong offers frog six ways to Sunday, but if you want just the meatier portion of legs, you’re not going to get them, even if the menu says you are. Here, they serve the whole frog —- chopped up —- which means you’ll be picking through a lot of cartilage in your stir fry flavored with bean sprouts. The dish is a mellow blend of garlic and leek flavor, with shreds of fresh ginger (and yes, frog does taste pretty much like chicken).
4) Happy Valley has the best chicken feet of most of the Chinese spots that offer dim sum in the area. The feet have more meat and lack the characteristically sinewy texture of most. They’re braised and gooed up with a black bean sauce that tastes like a crazy cross of hoisin, black bean and barbecue.
5) The souse at Holeman & Finch Public House, even tho it’s not always available. This isn’t the gelatinous, head-cheesy mess pig’s head usually ends up as —- this is tender meat boiled with a seasoned broth, then mixed with capers and house-made mustard and a bit of hard boiled egg and topped with bread crumbs from the house-made hamburger buns.
So get your Bourdain on: what/where’s your favorite bizarre food experience?
Permalink | Comments (30) | Post your comment | Categories: Dining
Comments
By George Smeltzer
June 25, 2008 12:59 PM | Link to this
Meridith—-You forgot to mention my favorite, the pig’s foot or trotter at Au Pied de Cochon!
By Stephanie
June 25, 2008 1:14 PM | Link to this
Interesting, but not appetizing….did you follow up on the falafel article…about finding the best in Atlanta? Just curious, we tried the place, can’t think of the name off the top of my head, but it’s across from Whole Foods on LaVista, they were pretty darn good. I really like Med. Bakery off Chamblee-Tucker for grape leaves, but their falafel tastes like it’s from the box. REALLY enjoyed Zaya’s, we ordered 2 veggies plates, all with different items….everything was fantastic.
By Stephanie
June 25, 2008 1:19 PM | Link to this
Sorry Mr. Smeltzer, I confused you with Mr. Kessler’s article. My apologies.
Stephanie
By Stephanie
June 25, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this
Let’s try this again….my apologies to Miss Ford, for thinking the article was Mr. Kessler’s, then Mr. Smeltzer. I’m not totally with it today and I’m currently working on getting with it…LOL! Sorry for all the confusion…but for what it’s worth…do you, Miss Ford, have any favorite falafel places around ATL?
By Meridith Ford
June 25, 2008 5:54 PM | Link to this
Hi Stephanie: I liked Zaya, too. You might try Falafel King in the Emory area….
By Mike
June 26, 2008 10:50 AM | Link to this
I read the original review of Holeman and Finch with complete revulsion. They’re celebrating parts of the animal so disgusting that you couldn’t give them to the maid to give to the homeless guy who rifles through her garbage to give to his dog. Blech!
By Yosef
June 26, 2008 12:42 PM | Link to this
Pita Palace is the name of the Falafel Place across from the Whole Foods on LaVista Road.
By Yosef
June 26, 2008 12:46 PM | Link to this
Pita Palace is the name of the Falafel Place across from the Whole Foods on LaVista Road.
By kellyc
June 26, 2008 12:50 PM | Link to this
Has anyone else noticed? Bourdain doesn’t seem to be smoking anymore!! And he’s talking about his “kid”. What’s THAT all about?
By DSTENZ
June 26, 2008 2:17 PM | Link to this
Yeah- I saw an interview with him- he quit smoking b/c he and his wife had a kid.
By DSTENZ
June 26, 2008 2:19 PM | Link to this
Yeah- I saw an interview with him- he quit smoking b/c he and his new wife (divorced his first wife in 2007) had a daughter in April of 2007.
By Amber
June 26, 2008 2:34 PM | Link to this
My favorite falafel definitely comes from Mediterranean Grill. They have 2 locations - near the Trader Joes in Ansley and on Clairemont and N. Decatur Road in the Emory area. Their hummus is amazing as well.
By Amber
June 26, 2008 2:36 PM | Link to this
My favorite falafel definitely comes from Mediterranean Grill. They have 2 locations - near the Trader Joes in Ansley and on Clairemont and N. Decatur Road in the Emory area. Their hummus is amazing as well.
By Tommy
June 26, 2008 6:18 PM | Link to this
the fish and fur-burgers at the Clermont Lounge… too exotic for my taste!…
By Amy
June 27, 2008 8:11 AM | Link to this
Stephanie, the place you are thinking of for the best falafel in town is Nicola’s, and I would say it’s quite possibly the best artichoke’s too!
By Amy
June 27, 2008 8:12 AM | Link to this
Stephanie, maybe the place you are thinking of for the best falafel in town is Nicola’s, and I would say it’s quite possibly the best artichoke’s too!
By T
June 27, 2008 8:22 AM | Link to this
Anyone know any good places to take someone that is new to the area?
oh by the way Tommy
I hear that the Clairmont has bugs in their food.
By Rachel
June 27, 2008 8:26 AM | Link to this
You know what weird food I miss? The Luther Burger and Hamdog at Mulligan’s. Mmm. That stuff was like a heart attack waiting to happen.
By Truth B Known
June 27, 2008 8:57 AM | Link to this
Everyone needs to try the Majestic on Ponce. The food is diner style but the real treat are the people that eat there. If you can go on a Friday or Saturday night really really late - 2am to 4am. The people in there are not violent but the people watching is funny beyond words. Take my word for it…I am a Paramedic that worked for Grady for 10 years and ate there every Friday and Saturday at 3am. It is great.
By Jenni
June 27, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this
Another great place is R Thomas on Peachtree St. It looks really interesting, but the food is incredible—and it’s all organic.
By Pat
June 27, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this
In Der Spiegel; German Newspaper, I get online………I read about a chain of restaurants in Berlin which specialize in animal penises, elegantly decorated with carved beet roses etc. The article stated there was one in Atlanta Ga. Yes? No? ?????????????
By T
June 27, 2008 9:22 AM | Link to this
Pat
I hope not. EEEWWWWWWW
By Papaya King
June 27, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this
Mr. Smeltzer, you don’t have to go to Au Pied de Cochon for pig’s feet….just go to Big Mama’s house on a Sunday afternoon
By Token Gringo
June 27, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this
The true shame is that you cannot get Tiger Penis Soup here in the ATL.
By COW TONGUE
June 27, 2008 1:06 PM | Link to this
Has anyone tried cow tongue, in like soup or tacos??
By Mark Davis
June 30, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this
Hey - any of you Falafel fans know where to get really good Shwarma in Atlanta? I had some over in Europe, but haven’t been able to find any here :(
Thanks!
Mark
By Mark Davis
June 30, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this
Hey - any of you Falafel fans know where to get really good Shwarma in Atlanta? I had some over in Europe, but haven’t been able to find any here :(
Thanks!
Mark
By Rebecca
June 30, 2008 11:14 AM | Link to this
Great Falafel: The Local (on Ponce)(unexpected, but excellent) Great Hummus: Marlowe’s in the Plaza Tower Midtown. Odd food: Fried Pickles (at Smith’s Old Bar)
By I_love_Bourdain
July 18, 2008 4:04 PM | Link to this
Re: Bourdain:
Divorced his wife, Nancy a few yrs ago-and claimed he was broken-hearted…they’d been together for a very long time. He said when he filmed the episode in Italy when he cliff jumped, he didn’t care if he came up or not!
Met a younger woman, they had a child in April. He said it was not worth walking down 11 flights of stairs from their NYC apt. just to smoke…..so he quit. They have a little girl.
He now qualifies as one of the world’s most perfect men! (at least in my book)
By Андреич
July 31, 2008 2:35 PM | Link to this
Отлично. Ждем новых сообщений по этому же поводу :)