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September 2008
This Just In …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just as Atlanta winds down from the fallout of the city’s own Richard Blais making it into last season’s “Top Chef” finals, we get set to gear up for more. “Hell’s Kitchen,” FOX’s sometimes sizzling, sometimes silly look into chef and host Gordan Ramsay’s demented way of running a kitchen (last season he threw up in a trash can after tasting a contestant’s food), is having an open casting call here.
If you’re a chef, cook or otherwise culinary-related professional, you’re eligible to take your chances at the show’s open call at Artistry restaurant in Midtown, October 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“We’re trying to focus more on established chefs this season,” said Louis A. Caric, “Hell’s Kitchen” casting producer, “but of course we welcome any Cinderella stories out there.” After all, Atlanta-area resident Julia Williams, a Waffle House cook, made it all the way to the top four in season four.
What will it take to feel the heat of Ramsay’s wrath? Show up with “experience and personality,” said Caric, who added that the prize for this year’s winner is “one of the biggest ever.” The open call will consist of an application and verbal interview; those winnowed from these will be asked to callbacks soon after, though Caric would not specify as to when.
Artistry is located at 942 Peachtree Street, N.E., in Midtown. For more information, got to www.fox.com/hellskitchen.com, or call 424-21-2880.
Will we have another ‘top chef’ on “Hell’s Kitchen?” Who would you choose?
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What Do You Do When You Never Get Served?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WOULD YOU LIKE SOME SERVICE WITH A SMILE?
Photo: Cheryl Gerber/AP
A reader wrote to let me know that during a recent dine out, she and her dinner companion(s) tried a new spot I had recommended.
Trouble was, they were never waited on. They watched as others around them were brought plate after plate, and even remained patient after they were told by several servers that the kitchen was “very busy.”
After 40 minutes — and no attention — they walked out.
What would you do in this situation? If you had partially been served, would you leave enough money on the table to cover costs (this is my recommendation) and leave? Would you throw a fit? Would you jump over the kitchen line and make your own dinner? Or would you just walk out?
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This Just In …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CO-OWNER LISA HANSEN AT THE COUNTER OF CABBAGETOWN MARKET & LITTLE’S GRILL IN CABBAGETOWN.
Photo: Louie Favorite/AJC
From Lisa Hansen, co-owner of Cabbagetown Market, featured recently on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”:
It’s the “Eat Local Week Pig Roast” at Cabbagetown Market
Farmer Mike Aiken will smoke and serve one of his Tamworth pigs from 12-6 on Saturday, September 27th.
Cabbagetown Market will make sides from local produce.
Local music and local beer.
Plate & 2 sides: $10 Sandwich (on Breadgarden brioche) with 1 side: $7.50
I had a blast at this event last year — my then-boyfriend-now-husband played as part of the local music and the pork was downright incredible — from head (which was saved for last) to pied.
Cabbagetown Market and Little’s Grill is located at 198 Carroll St., Cabbagetown. 404-221-9186
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Where’s Your Favorite Chinese?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CAFE 101’S GROOVY INTERIOR IS JUST ONE REASON TO VISIT THIS VERY GOOD CHINESE RESTAURANT
Photo: Becky Stein/special to the AJC
Atlanta isn’t exactly known for its Chinese restaurants, but we have our few. Today’s review takes a look at a very good Chinese restaurant on Buford Highway, Cafe 101, which specializes in Chinese, Szechuan and Chinese-American dishes.
There are others: Canton House, Tasty China (my vote for #1), Chef Liu (great dumplings), China Delight. Finding Chinese isn’t what’s hard. Finding good Chinese — with authentic dishes — is the challenge.
What’s your favorite Chinese restaurant in Atlanta?
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My Top Tips for Dining Out
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WANT A TIP FOR BETTER DINING OUT? RELAX AND ENJOY YOURSELF
Photo: Joey Ivansco/AJC
I’m not sure the world (and certainly me) is ready for another “I’m just a regular guy/gal and I’m going to write a book about my secret relationship with ___ (fill in food word here).
But here comes another one: “The Amateur Gourmet” (Bantam Trade Paperbacks, Oct. 7, 2008, $13) by Emory law grad Adam D. Roberts, who hosted “FN DISH” on Food Network and created the popular website www.theamateurgourmet.com. All the praise for this one, from Times’ critic Frank Bruni to foodie brothers Matt Lee and Ted Lee, is raving about the candidness of the book, which includes shopping tips from Times writer Amanda Hesser and the “ten commandments of dining out” from the great one herself: former Times critic and editor-in-chief of Gourmet Magazine Ruth Reichel.
Reichel has lunch with the author at Esca in New York, and over king crab and water she spills her tips for dining out, from making yourself a regular at a good restaurant to sharing your food, to her final testament that there are no testaments.
Some I heartily agree with: making yourself a regular, asking for help from the wait staff, knowing to order what you are hungry for, sharing your food, eating only until you are full, knowing the 411 on where you are eating to her final exclamation that “there is no should when it comes to dining out!” Her proclamation that you should wear whatever you want, I don’t — you should dress for the dining room you are eating in, whether it’s BBQ or chateaubriand.
I have a few of my own, some similar, others not:
If you can’t get reservations online for the number in your party, book the reservation for one person less. The day of the dinner, call the restaurant well in advance and let them know you’d like to add one person to your table. Rarely will this pose a problem.
Becoming a regular is a grand idea — it’s the best way to endear yourself to the restaurant’s staff. That is, if you’re a nice regular. If you continually prove to be a pain in the rear, it’s not going to get you anywhere, which leads me to:
Don’t be a pain in the rear to get what you want: know the restaurant’s specialty before you go and ask pointed questions so that the staff knows you are serious about your meal. But don’t expect unlimited time with your waiter — he has other tables, too. And remember what you learned in kindergarten — play nice. Treating staff as if they are less than you is a great way to get the “one minute rule” treatment in the kitchen (you don’t want to eat a steak that spent time on the floor, do you?).
To really enjoy yourself, share your food. Get over your anal self and switch plates. Order lots of stuff you’ve never tried before. Explore. Taste. Critically evaluate and move on. Relax. It’s food. Nobody’s curing cancer here.
Get your money’s worth: don’t accept something you feel is of inferior quality, or something you didn’t order. Politely ask for the right thing. How you ask helps, since being a bully never got anybody anywhere.
Don’t overstay your welcome — when it’s time to go, leave.
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This Just In …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ANNE QUATRANO RACKS UP ANOTHER AWARD
Photo provided by the Reynolds Group
Congratulations to chef Anne Quatrano of Bacchanalia, Floataway Cafe, Quinones at Bacchanalia, Provisions to Go and Star Provisions for receiving the Golden Whisk award from Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR) at their annual awards gala in New Orleans this past Sunday.
The award is given to women who have demonstrated excellence and innovation in the culinary profession. As a Golden Whisk award winner, Quatrano is acknowledged as “a woman whose passion and excellence as a chef or cook serves as a role model for others.”
Kudos to Quatrano, who with husband Clifford Harrison, won the James Beard award for best chef Southeast in 2003. She has continuously and tirelessly remained dedicated to Atlanta, and the couples’ famed Bacchanalia has been recognized internationally as one of the best restaurants in the world. It has topped Zagat’s list of bests every year since 1996.
Look for the couple to open Abattoir in the White Provision complex being built on the West Side within the next year.
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Would You Donate Breast Milk to Make Ice Cream?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BREAST IS BEST — BUT NOT FOR BECHAMEL
Photo: Laura Noel/AJC
Okay, here’s one for the record books. The crazy courier. The whack-a-doodle times. Honestly, I’ve been laughing out loud: There’s a press release going around purporting that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has petitioned Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream to use human breast milk instead of cow’s milk in their famous ice cream.
According to the release, a restaurant in Switzerland called Storchen (sounds an awful lot like ‘stork” eh?) in the prestigious Winterthur resort (read a related article, here will be serving soups, stews and sauces made with at least 75% human breast milk.
Did aliens just land from outer space and no one told me? What planet were these folks raised on? Forget the lactose-intolerant-dairy-free-or-die debate. My biggest question for the chef, Hans Locher, is where the heck is he getting the milk? That’s an awful lot of breast milk. Apparently he’s offering “just over three pounds” (that’s about $5.40) for 14 ounces. Women of Switzerland: Unite! Use those breast pumps! You can make a fortune … or maybe just a few extra quid for the moo-vies. Do you know how hard it is to pump 14 ounces of breast milk?
Has anyone told this guy, a so-called “gastronomist,” that human breast milk has a completely different physical and chemical makeup than cow’s milk? That it will react very differently when exposed to heat and cold than other mammal’s milk? I guess so, because apparently he’s supplementing his use of breast milk with “whipped cream.” Oh. Well then. That must go under the same “what’s the point” heading as a rum and Diet Coke.
Whether or not the letter enclosed in the release is authentic or not is uncertain. It is signed by Tracy Reiman, PETA’s exec VP, with a cry for giving “cows and their babies a break and our health a boost by switching to breast milk in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
This brings a whole new meaning to Chunky Monkey.
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Is Beer Becoming the New Wine?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
TWAIN’S IS SERVING UP MORE THAN BEER THIS WEDNESDAY
Photo: Renee Hannons Henry
The nose is just a little bit forward, with a heavy finish towards the back of throat — effervescent, with lots of caramel. It should taste wonderful with roasted pork shoulder and braised winter vegetables. It would be equally as good with a bit of chocolate cake.
No, it’s not wine — beer has become the hip drink to pair with foods these days. Consequently, beer-pairing dinners are popping up all over town.
Twain’s in Decatur will host a pairing with chef Rob Atherholt, the brains and brawn behind popular Crescent Moon, helming the brew-pub’s kitchen for Wednesday evening, September 24. Reservations for the $45 dinner (not including tax and gratuity) are being accepted for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 404-373-0063. The menu? Four courses start with roasted rainbow trout stuffed with smoked oysters and bacon over sweet potato hash and crispy fried leeks, paired with Twain’s Autumnfest, a German-style malt. To finish — An oak-aged sour Kristall Weizen with dark chocolate Chmabord mousse and caramle-sugar wafer.
Is beer becoming the new wine?
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Where’s Your Favorite Korean Tofu Soup?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
SO KONG DONG’S TOFU SOUP: It’ll cure what ails you.
Photo: Kimberly Smith/AJC
Tom Sietsama, the dining critic for the Washington Post, once said to me that a chef’s efforts with soup would reflect upon the entire menu. In other words, if ya can’t make good soup, how good are ya?
Today’s dining review takes a look at some of my favorite spots in the city for a bowl of something warm and comforting. From summery corn soup at 4th & Swift to a bowl of Brunswick at Harold’s, stews, soups and curries are all cups of what cooler weather has to offer — and it’s just around the corner.
I left out Korean tofu soup. Don’t ask me why. I think it was because I was readying myself for matrimony and got a little lightheaded. So here goes: my favorite bowl of soon dubu is at So Kong Dong on Buford Highway.
Every culture has its chicken soup, and Korea’s version comes to the table like a volcanic eruption of peppery vegetables mixed with the silkiest tofu imaginable. The tofu here is made fresh daily, although not by So Kong Dong. Crack an egg into the soup before it stills itself, stir it under … and presto! Yummy, hearty soup love.
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Restaurant Inspections, Part II
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
DUCK’S COSMIC KITCHEN IN DECATUR rated a 99 on a health code inspection report back in 2006…
Photo: Brant Sanderlin/AJC
Since counties (excluding Fulton) now post restaurant inspection reports online, I’ve been getting a lot of emails about restaurants that get a grade of “U” (unsatisfactory — a failing grade).
Some readers have noticed that I not only have reviewed some of these spots, but recommend them. They want to know how I can recommend restaurants that I know are “dirty.”
This is a very good question, and one that isn’t in any of the “dining critic’s code of ethics” guides I’ve seen. First, let me say that in 10 years of reviewing restaurants, I’ve only gotten food poisoning once (it was a verified account, and I have the medical records to prove it).
Second, and this will ruffle feathers: As I see it, it’s not my job to rate a restaurant based on the state’s health code. It’s my job to assess the food (and the service and decor of the restaurant, which would include cleanliness) based on the knowledge I have as a critic. Would I recommend a restaurant that I thought was filthy? Probably not.
Georgia’s newest health code for restaurants, which was enacted earlier this year, is the strictest yet. Interpreting it is a particular problem for ethnic restaurants, where cultural differences can prove difficult. But some chefs I’ve spoken with (including Michael Tuohy, formerly of Woodfire Grill) say that understanding some of the newer restrictions is formidable at best, confusing at worst.
I don’t think a review should be based on a health code score. But I do think posting a link to the website for readers to assess for themselves is a good idea. What do you think?
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Something Old, Something New
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HIGHLAND BAKERY: It should be known for more than just the sweet potato pancakes.
Photo: Becky Stein/special to the AJC
I’ve never understood the “something blue” part of that old wedding saying, but I guess that’s something for Google.
I’ve been away, and for a very good reason: this past Saturday, I got married. Between gowns and rings and champagne toasts (made by my 11-year-old daughter, who was stellar throughout), a few cakes were made, and they were both so gorgeous, and so different.
The first was part of an all-girl celebration at the nail salon, where we all did the works on hands and toes. Amid wine, cheese and some darned good sopressata supplied by my incredible sister, mom and sis-in-law, the girls at Highland Bakery made some magic of their own.
You may be familiar with Highland as a hip breakfast eatery on the outskirts of Inman Park in the Old Fourth Ward, where owner Stacey Eames serves up sweet potato pancakes alonside white chicken chili faster than you can say “I do.”
What you might not realize is that behind the hippy-esque store front is a pastry chef/cake designer who is one of the city’s greatest hidden treasures. Karen Portaleo’s work with fondant and gum paste place her way above the pack in the pastry department. And underneath that mantle of fondant is a cake that tastes really, really good, whether it’s chocolate chocolate or red velvet or coconut.
Mine? A precious tower of “pillows,” perfectly placed on top of each other — one chocolate, the other red velvet, blanketed in fondant to look like purple lavender pillows. The top was crowned with a shoe (since my motto is ‘change your shoes, change your life’) fashioned from purple iris petals and flower stems made from gum paste, a kind of sugar “dough.”
Trust me, I used to teach this stuff. It couldn’t have been lovelier.
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What’s Your Favorite Korean Bakery?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
KOREAN BAKERIES: Delightful, delicious, delovely!
Photo Kimberly Smith/AJC
Today’s dining review explores a funky, fun spot in Duluth called Honey Pig, specializing in Korean samgyeopsal jip — pork belly barbecue. The restaurant owners claim it’s not a franchise, but it bears remarkable resemblance to several restaurants (one with the same name) in Los Angeles and its surrounding areas.
The Korean community has built a reputation for some of the best dining in the area — from tofu soup houses to barbecue (galbi) to the exquisite bakeries that have popped up across Gwinnett County.
One of the best is Bakery Cafe Maum, which has opened a new location on Steve Reynold’s Blvd. in Duluth. Korean bakeries delight in the art of French pastries and cakes with a Japanese influence, but often use rice flour in addition to wheat flour, which makes the crumb of cakes and breads super fine and delectable, but seemingly refined compared to hearth breads. Others I love: Mozart Bakery, newly minted Shilla Bakery & Cafe in Duluth (next to Honey Pig) and White Windmill Bakery on Buford Highway.
Which is your favorite Korean Bakery?
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Eat Your Way Through the World … From Your Computer
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Photo: David Hecker AFP/Getty Images
Ever wanted to visit the Perigord region of Southwest France and forage for truffles? Eat your way through the vast regions of Mexico? What about exploring all the wonder of Andalusia, Spain?
We’ve all trusted National Geographic for years to bring us magazines and films that scope the world’s treasures; now the earth-loving mag has launched Foods of the World, a website dedicated to bringing specialty foods and artisan products (that all support the Slow Food Movement) from 30 countries around the world.
From the press release: “Foods of the World is designed as a shopping resource for consumers interested in receiving fresh, high-quality foods from around the world. While online, consumers can share recipes from their own travels or culture, participate in community discussions and delve deeper into the origin of the site’s food offerings by accessing maps and feature stories about their region of choice from the National Geographic archives. As the site evolves, consumers will also be able to post photos and videos of their own travels and favorite real-world culinary destinations.”
The featured destination right now: Latin America. The site is gorgeous, with all the color photography we expect from NG. I’m headed to Portugal right now. Where will you go?
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Deliver Me With Some Take Out
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This past weekend had me nursing a head cold and a bad case of the mean reds (that’s a big case of the blues, for those of you who don’t read Truman Capote). The last thing on earth I wanted to do was go out to eat (though I rallied for my mother’s 82nd birthday at Watershed, where the vegetable plate and all its wonder — field peas, creamed corn, fried okra and butterbeans — made the hurt stop hurting for at least as long as it took to butter my cornbread).
It’s nights like these when take out is the next best thing to an alternative fuel source. (Believe it or not, I’ve gotten Watershed’s veggie platter to go). But the best take out when you don’t want to have to face the rest of the world is the kind that comes to you — the delivery man.
Almost everywhere has great take out, but not all of them deliver (even some pizza joints can’t make a profit margin from delivery, so they don’t). Who do you rely on when you don’t want to get out your pjs and off the couch?
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