Each week, AJC dining writers seek out the Dish of the Week, something so yummy and enticing, you must try it. We’ve compiled a few of those here, to give you a taste of what can be found in the Sunday Living & Arts section starting in June.
Stuffed French Toast at Sun In My Belly
Sun In My Belly’s stuffed French toast seems like something you’d enjoy at 10 a.m., and regret at 11. There’s a lot going on in this dish and every component is indulgent.
It starts with a springy slice of challah so thick it really can’t be called a slice. Call it a wedge. A hunka chunk. A brick, though one that’s light as air.
This bread is egged up, then fried into French toast. After that, it’s slit down the middle and clamshelled around a cloud of ricotta and a tumble of berries.
That aromatic sweetness you detect in the fluffy cheese? That’s honey. There’s also a pot of maple syrup and the whole plate is liberally dusted with powdered sugar.
In short, this is confection-as-breakfast.
Eating this assemblage is deliciously slow business. It’s worth it to make sure every forkful is triple-loaded with custardy challah, tart juicy fruit and creamy cheese.
And then — you brace yourself for the logy, leaden aftermath of a carb bomb explosion.
But what’s this? Your sugar crash never comes. You waltz out onto College Avenue feeling nothing but happily sated. Somehow, this sweetheart of a dish lands as lightly as, well, sun in the belly.
Maybe your post-toast sprightliness comes from the protein in the eggs and ricotta.
Perhaps you can credit SIMB’s whimsical décor — all pastel-painted mason jars and tattered fringe garlands.
Whatever the reason, eating this Sun In My Belly staple feels — wonderfully — like getting away with something.
Sun in My Belly, Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday 6-9 p.m., and Friday-Saturday 6-10 p.m. 2161 College Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-370-1088, suninmybelly.com.
Elizabeth Lenhard
Camarones a la Diabla at El Mexicano
You know us — those masochistic foodies who want the heat level on their food to turn their mouths into something that resembles the sixth circle of hell.
When I tell servers at Thai restaurants to make my pad see ew “Thai hot,” they give me a look that says, “As if you could handle it,” and then return amazed when they see I’ve essentially licked my plate clean.
So it was to my delight when I asked my server at El Mexicano, a charming dive located in southeast Atlanta, for the spiciest thing on the menu, and he didn’t hesitate before pointing at the Camarones a la Diabla.
Roughly translated to “Shrimp of the Devil,” El Mexicano’s version of the staple includes eight plump, tail-on sauteed shrimp drenched in a spicy, smokey chipotle sauce that was hot enough to make my eyes water in the best possible way.
Any hot food aficionado knows reaching for the water is the worst thing to do to tamp down the heat — luckily, the dish is served with rice, beans and a side salad with a creamy dressing, perfect for cooling off your palate after downing the punishing shellfish. If that’s not enough, there’s always the basket of perfectly crisped and salted tortilla chips to munch on.
Finishing the plate is a test of your endurance, but if you can make it through, you’ll be richly rewarded.
It hurts, but it hurts so good.
El Mexicano, Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. 1341 Moreland Ave. S.E., Atlanta, 404-622-3501.
Yvonne Zusel
Gold N’ Crisp fried chicken sandwich at GA Chapter Room
First, I got lost.
I was trying to find GA Chapter Room, the speakeasy-like restaurant located under Taco Mac at The Prado in Sandy Springs. But GA Chapter Room is not just a basement; it’s a full-fledged public restaurant (until recently, it was members only) serving a smattering of shared plates and main courses. Once I stumbled upon it, I realized how much of a treasure the restaurant — and its menu — is.
Second, I had to press a button to get inside. Once the hostess opened the door, I walked into a large, dimly lit room with dark brown velvet curtains separating tables for, you know, privacy. I sat down, ordered and received a plate that runneth over with Springer Mountain fried chicken breast resting on a soft Holeman & Finch brioche bun. There was also a side of truffle fries and cole slaw. But back to the main event—the chicken sandwich. I took a bite. It was fried to perfection and flavorful, surprisingly reminiscent of mustard. When I checked between the buns, there was no mustard. I continued to eat the chicken sandwich, and with each savory bite, guessed at the seasonings and wondered if someone’s Southern grandmother was in the kitchen frying up batches.
Eventually, I asked Adam, the beverage director, who was at Chapter Room that night, about the seasonings.
“It’s a secret,” he said.
Later, he came over and whispered, “The mustard flavor is from a sprinkle of dry mustard seed spice.”
That’s what gives the Gold N’ Crisp fried chicken sandwich so much flavor — the mustard seed spice, which heats and highlights the other ingredients.
While it’s no secret that there’s an abundance of good food throughout metro Atlanta, GA Chapter Room tops the list when it comes to a finger-licking good chicken sandwich. And, the entire plate is only $9. Privacy included.
GA Chapter Room, Monday-Thursday 5 p.m.-1 a.m., Friday-Saturday 5 p.m.-2 a.m., and Sunday 5 p.m.-midnight. 5600 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, 404-941-1503, www.gachapterroom.com.
Carolyn Desalu
