Handheld appetizer offers a blending of cuisines in Atlanta

Botica chef Mimmo Alboumeh often talks of how he loves America’s melting-pot mix of cuisines and cultures. You can taste his own path here — born in Lebanon, growing up in Spain and spending time in Italy — in his hybrid dishes, notably the roasted eggplant empanadas appetizer.

Mimmo blends Mediterranean flavors in a savory handheld turnover that sends you on a taste trip. He firsts roasts eggplant, pulling out meat-like smokiness. Then, he pairs the filling with feta cheese and covers the mixture with pastry dough. After a quick fry, it becomes golden brown, with crispy bubbles, while the filling remains moist.

More feta is sprinkled on top. The flaky crescent moons are paired with a fresh marinara sauce made from olive oil, tomatoes, anchovy (for salinity), Spanish olives and fresh basil.