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Monday, August 6, 2007
Happy Birthday to La Petite Auberge!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I can remember a dinner, years ago, at La Petite Auberge. It was Junior/Senior prom night, and this tiny French restaurant, tucked away in the Toco Hills Shopping Center, was my and my white tuxedo-ed date’s destination. It was 1978, and the first time I had ever eaten quail; I had never seen a creme brulee before. The restaurant had opened a four years prior and had become THE spot to take someone for a romantic dinner. La Petite Auberge is celebrating 33 years of service to the Atlanta Dining community — a milestone for any business, but especially one for a restaurant. From August 16 through September 1, the restaurant will offer a special anniversary menu with classics such as sole meuniere, bananas Foster and bouillabasse. From August 30 through September 8, the restaurant will offer lunch and dinner items for 33% off (with a special coupon soon to be available through the AJC). 2935 North Druid Hills Road, Atlanta, 404-634-6288, www.petiteauberge.com
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Rathbun’s Stake
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A reader emailed while I was away on vacation last week to let me know that his experience at Kevin Rathbun Steak wasn’t worth the four stars I had given it in the paper the week prior. “I’m a huge fan of Rathbun’s (my favorite in town after Bacchanalia),” he wrote, “and Krog Bar. …. I was dying to try this place out. I was hoping months ago that it would be just like the review of yours I read today. It wasn’t for me — not even close.” Truth be told, my first meal at Rathbun’s wasn’t perfect, but with each visit it got better and better. What’s your experience at Kevin Rathbun Steak? Have you been? Do you plan to go?
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What’s your favorite fried okra fix?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s one sure way to get someone to eat a vegetable they don’t like: Fry it. Why else would fried okra be on the menu at so many meat-and-threes this time of year?
Think about it: How often do you see stewed tomatoes and okra, another classic Southern dish, on cafeteria lines? But fried okra is everywhere. (And fried squash, for that matter.)
Tender young okra pods, the best for cooking, are abundant in farmers’ markets now, and in some community-supported agriculture deliveries. We got a small paper bag of okra tucked into our box from Riverview Farms last week. Later in the season, I might try lightly sauteing the okra or stewing it, when the pods get larger and tougher. But with the first okra, I fried. And it was delicious — blanched for two minutes in boiling water first, to partially cook the okra, then rolled in a cornmeal and egg batter with a shot of Tabasco sauce before frying for four minutes. Better than any fried okra I’ve had in Atlanta, although not as good as the whole fried okra with spicy pomegranate ketchup we ate earlier this summer at Guadalupe Cafe, a small restaurant specializing in local foods in Sylva, N.C. But I’m not going to try that at home.
Where’s your favorite place to get fried okra? Do you prepare it at home? If so, what’s your favorite recipe for it?
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