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Thursday, December 28, 2006
Squashed
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Word was getting around that Hector Santiago had changed his menu at Pura Vida, the tapas bar he and wife Leslie own in Poncey-Highland. I chose Pura Vida as the AJC’s first Restaurant of the Year in the 2005 Fall Dine Guide, so it’s no secret that I’m in love with just about anything Santiago decides to take his tongs to. I couldn’t wait to try his new menu, but nearly had a heart attack when there, in the lower left hand corner of the menu, I noticed they were missing. My calabaza squash rings. My heart sank; I nearly fell off my chair in anguish. How long had I loved them? Those thin-cut rings, deep-fried in a nutmeg-laced tempura batter sprinkled with mild queso fresco and crema Mexicana? It happens. Chefs move on. And we need to let them, of course. But they need to remember what our favorites are —- those signature items that everyone wants when they walk through the door. Pura Vida’s calabaza squash rings. Seeger’s coddled egg (which we’ll never eat again, unfortunately). The tlayudas at La Oaxaquena Taqueria. Nam’s lemongrass tofu. Chocolate cheesecake at Aria. Pavlova at Joel. Butterbean hummus at Watershed. Rosca bread at Pao de Mel. Cuban sandwiches at Papi’s. Cha jang mein at Nam Chun Hong. The ribeye at Bones. That’s just a handful. What’s your favorite dish in the ATL?
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