Roasted artichokes, patty melt empanadas and more dishes to try in October

Coal-roasted artichokes at Krog Bar Coal Fired Pizza
There is primal pleasure in a plate of coal-roasted artichokes at Kevin Rathbun’s new pizza spot. Pulled from the same oven that bakes a perfect Neapolitan pie, the plate of artichokes was a study in rustic perfection — simple yet unforgettable.
The outer leaves were kissed with a smoky char, imbuing the edible thistle with aroma and earthy flavor. The interior was meaty but delicate. Each tender bite was nutty and vegetal-sweet. The slight bitter notes of the char were brightened by a squeeze of fresh lemon and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Sprinkled over the artichokes was pangrattato — seasoned breadcrumbs cooked golden brown for flavor and as a textural element. In Italy, they are called “poor man’s Parmesan,” but here the kitchen adds Parmesan and parsley, as well.
It’s the perfect complement to the anticipation of the rich, yeasty pizza to come, preparing your senses for more flavor arising from the radiant embers of the oven.
349 Peachtree Hills Ave., Atlanta. 404-301-7146, krsteakbar.com/krog-bar-coal-fired-pizza

Patty melt empanadas at How Crispy Express
There is nothing like a skillet-cooked patty melt, the diner classic with ribbons of caramelized onions, well-seasoned beef, oozy cheese and griddled bread. That’s what I thought before I ordered the empanadas at How Crispy, but they enhanced the textural contrast in a more structurally sound, less messy and adorably delicious hot little packet.
Three to a serving, the empanadas are perfect for sharing (but I didn’t).
They came with burger sauce, but they needed no flavor enhancement. The exterior was flaky-crispy and golden. The interior was juicy and hot, with a familiar diner perfume.
Instead of the usual layers of a sandwich that you need to keep together as you eat a patty melt, you get bites of seasoned ground beef with the tangle of buttery sweet onion, the gooey, melted cheddar cheese and teeny bits of chopped pickle. You can taste the ground pepper and addition of Worcestershire in the meat and the slow caramelization of the onion.
It feels like cheating or nostalgic magic — all of the flavor of a patty melt tucked neatly into a hand pie.
71 Georgia Ave., Atlanta. 678-705-3531, howcrispy.com

Dong Po pork at Masterpiece
A thousand years ago, the Sung dynasty ruled China, and a celebrated poet and gourmand developed a slow-cooked pork dish that now carries his name. I can tell you that the Dong Po pork belly at Duluth’s Masterpiece is worth the journey.
After sinking my teeth into its alternating layers of fat and lean meat, I understood Su Dongpo writing an ode to the dish. As I tasted it, I imagined the earthenware pot and precise, low heat over which a sauce of soy, ginger, scallions and rice transformed humble hunks of pork into meticulously cut and lacquered cubes. The dense layers of fat dissolved on the tongue, silken and buttery.
An ideal bite included gelatinous skin, pillowy fat and tender meat bathed in a russet-hued umami glaze that was as aromatic as it was deeply comforting. Sweet, savory and almost Jell-O soft, the squares were less like a meal and more of an experience.
3940 Buford Highway NE, Duluth. 770-622-1191, masterpiecerestaurant.com

Beef tartare at Staplehouse
Beef tartare is a punch of pure, unadulterated meat flavor. Somehow, the team at Staplehouse makes it even better, adding beets, salsa macha and vermilion-tinted Jimmy Nardello peppers — a profound combination that never would have occurred to me.
The beets’ earthy sweetness and chewy smoothness were the perfect foil for glistening, iron-rich raw beef that had been diced finely. The pickled Jimmy Nardello peppers were thin-skinned, sweet and not spicy, adding fruity citrus notes. The salsa macha — made with various chiles, seeds and garlic — coated everything with good heat and contrasting textures. It was smoky, nutty and complex.
A genius move was ditching toast points and serving the velvety mound with the cool snap of little gem lettuce cups as the vehicle. The funky, savory richness of the tartare — combined with lettuce that was satisfyingly crisp but also tender — created a three-bite explosion.
The dish was skillfully concocted and plated with Michelin elegance, but I enjoyed it while wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and sitting at a picnic table in a sunny courtyard — a bit of the Staplehouse magic.
541 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-524-5005, staplehouse.com