Stories and recipes from Atlanta’s legendary Buckhead Diner
Every long-suffering Braves fan recalls where they were on the evening of Oct. 14, 1992, when Sid Bream made that historic slide into home, securing his team a spot in the World Series. Former Star 94 “Steve and Vikki in the Morning” host Vikki Locke was high atop a billboard overlooking the Buckhead Diner, when the car horns began blaring below. The stunt was a weekslong public display of support for the former baseball basement dwellers.
“I wasn’t even listening to our station!” Locke recalled with a laugh. “I was listening to Skip Caray call the game on a tiny radio I had up there with me. I celebrated with a piece of the Buckhead Diner’s white chocolate banana cream pie. I’m in shock that the diner is gone now.”
The diner had been shuttered for more than a year because of the pandemic, and, since the announcement last month that the property at 3073 Piedmont Road has been sold for $6 million, folks across the city have, like Locke, mourned the loss by recalling their favorite times at the 34-year-old pink and blue neon-accented stainless steel landmark.
Buckhead Diner was opened in the fall of 1987 by Buckhead Life Restaurant Group’s Pano I. Karatassos, the successful restaurateur behind the city’s white tablecloth hits Pano’s & Paul’s and the Atlanta Fish Market. The 110-seat stainless steel Orient Express rail car, designed by Patrick Kuleto of San Francisco’s Fog City Diner fame, served upscale interpretations of diner food at a price point most Atlantans still could afford.
Gerry Klaskala, the chef-owner of Aria, down the street on East Paces Ferry Road, was lured from Savannah by Karatassos in 1987 to be Buckhead Diner’s opening chef and managing partner. Many of the menu’s best-loved dishes, including the famed veal and wild mushroom meatloaf and the white chocolate banana cream pie, were developed by Klaskala and the opening team.
“It was like having a Saturn booster rocket strapped onto your back,” Klaskala said about how his stint at the diner influenced the trajectory of his culinary career. “The Buckhead Diner was such a transcendental restaurant, not only here in Atlanta, but across the country. It was the busiest restaurant per square foot in the nation. When you walked in, you knew you were at the party. Somehow, glancing over and seeing [R.E.M.’s] Michael Stipe sitting at the counter having lunch became normal. It was always busy, but then it got even busier, which was the crazy part.”
Assisted by word of mouth generated by Elton John, when the freshly sober global pop star moved here in the early 1990s, the Buckhead Diner became a magnet for celebrities over the years, with the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jordan, Mick Jagger, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jennifer Aniston, Regina King, John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr., Ryan Gosling, Jennifer Holiday, Robert Duval, Justin Bieber, members of One Direction and Philip Seymour Hoffman all angling for a cushy booth, perhaps next to yours.
In 1991, when Klaskala got word that Sir Elton was on his way to the diner for the first time, he sent a waiter out for three different kinds of whole-wheat bread, the singer’s preferred variety. The diner ended up fueling the Rocket Man on many other occasions through the years, as he created the music for future Broadway hits “The Lion King” and “Aida,” and his “Peachtree Road” album, recorded here. John felt so at home in the diner that, in 1992, the formerly balding piano man debuted his luxurious new hair (a transplant estimated to cost $27,000) while dining there in a black and white jumpsuit and black ankle boots.
“It would take less time to list the celebrities who didn’t eat at the diner over the years,” Klaskala said. “One night, Michael Jordan was having dinner with Moses Malone and, on another night, ZZ Top would be there. Every year, Food & Wine brought the Best New Chefs in for a meal. Elton John was on a first-name basis with our entire management team. If you were coming to Atlanta, you were going to the Buckhead Diner. It was quite the scene.”
In 1988, when the diner was selected as the best full-service restaurant in the International Restaurant and Hotel Design competition, designer Kuleto remarked, “I wanted to make the Buckhead Diner the most luxurious diner in the world.”
By 1990, according to Restaurants & Institutions magazine’s annual ranking of the country’s 100 top-grossing restaurants, the Buckhead Diner was bringing in more than $5 million in sales yearly.
As the ultimate power lunch spot (and one that traditionally did not take reservations), regulars developed intricate strategies for scoring a table.
“I always made sure I was there before 11:10 am,” Locke recalled. “If you got there before the valets set up for lunch, you could park yourself and go right in. If you got there after 11:20, forget it. It was just wall-to-wall people.”
“I always ordered the same thing,” remembered former Atlanta Journal-Constitution Fashion Editor Marylin Johnson, joking that she felt a longtime affinity with the space, since the address was the former home of a stand-alone Gap clothing store. “I always had the four-cheese grilled cheese and tomato soup, and I took half the sandwich home with me, so I could order the white chocolate banana cream pie for dessert. I didn’t take any of that home with me. There was never any left.”
Klaskala still remembers the origin of that famed grilled cheese sandwich. He was staying with Karatassos in 1987, as they wracked their brains to come up with the diner’s menu, when Pano came home late one night, hungry. “He went into the kitchen and made us those grilled cheese sandwiches,” Klaskala recalled. “It was so great, I told him we had to add it to the menu.”
And, it turned out, another menu favorite, the veal meatloaf, doubled as diet food. “When I took over the Buckhead Diner kitchen in the early 2000s, I lost 130 pounds in eight months,” said Kevin Rathbun, nowadays the chef-owner of Rathbun Steak. “I ate that veal meatloaf every day.”
Rathbun believes it was the variety of the diner’s food, coupled with impeccable service and affordable prices, that kept people coming back.
“You could be the richest guy in Atlanta, or an average Joe, and you could still afford to go there,” he said.
Added Klaskala: “It had a great look, with those marble floors, all that beautiful mahogany wood and those light fixtures. It captured your imagination when you walked in. It demanded that you stare at it. It was just transformational. Every restaurateur I knew came in to check it out.”
Rathbun and Klaskala agree that one of the driving forces behind the restaurant’s three decade-plus run was its attention to service.
“From the beginning, the diner was going to be a casual restaurant, but the service wasn’t going to be,” Klaskala said. “There weren’t going to be any gum-snapping waitresses from a TV sitcom. We were hellbent on doing things well.”
For Rathbun, consistency in the kitchen, and in the front of the house, were two keys to the diner’s longevity. “Pano and the team were tried and true to their staff,” he said. “You had kitchen staff and servers who had been there for decades. People were treated well. That’s the reason restaurants stand the test of time.”
While Klaskala said the announcement of the restaurant’s closure in August was disheartening, he is hoping it’s not the end of the line for the train car-shaped eatery.
“I keep hoping that the developer who gets his hands on it has an idea about what the Buckhead Diner means to people,” he said. “It’s like when your grandfather gives you that classic car. Are you the guy who says, ‘I don’t want that,’ or do you see the value?”
Richard L. Eldredge contributed to the AJC’s Peach Buzz from 1993 to 1996, and was head writer of the daily column from 1996 to 2009. Buckhead Diner celebrity sightings were an almost daily occurrence in the column. Since 2015, Eldredge has served as founder and editor-in-chief of the digital arts magazine Eldredge ATL.
By the numbers
1987
the year Buckhead Diner opened
110
number of seats in the diner
1991
the year Elton John first visited the diner
4
number of cheeses inside the famous grilled cheese sandwich
1988
the year Buckhead Diner was selected as the best full-service restaurant in the International Restaurant and Hotel Design competition
RECIPES
Veal meatloaf, white chocolate banana cream pie and Maytag blue cheese potato chips were Buckhead Diner menu favorites, among celebrities and locals alike, during the restaurant’s more than three-decade run.
Buckhead Diner Veal Meatloaf, Lone Star Gravy and Celery Root Mashed Potatoes
Chef Gerry Klaskala recalls longtime Atlanta food writer Jane Garvey interviewing him when the diner was about to open, “and she said, ‘Gerry, this is supposed to be a diner, but there’s no meatloaf on the menu.’ Off the cuff, I said, ‘Well, I’m working on one and this is what it is.’ I completely bluffed my way through it, and then had to go into the kitchen and create it.”
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
- ½ pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 3 eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1½ tablespoons minced chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 pounds ground veal
- 2 cups fresh bread crumbs
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes until the shallots begin to soften. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft. Set aside to drain and cool.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, mustard, chives, thyme, parsley and Worcestershire until well-blended. Put the veal in a large bowl of a mixer with a dough hook and process on medium-low speed for 3 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture and egg mixture and continue to mix until just incorporated. Slowly add enough bread crumbs to stiffen the mixture. Shape into two loaves and place in a large roasting pan. Cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an extra 15 to 20 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Serves 10.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 300 calories, 31 grams protein, 16 grams fat (percent calories from fat, 47), 8 grams carbohydrates, 184 milligrams cholesterol, 234 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2½ pounds chicken bones
- 1 cup Shiner Bock beer (available at liquor stores)
- 4 to 6 cloves garlic, cut in half
- 1 bay leaf
- 1½ teaspoons whole juniper berries
- 1½ teaspoons whole black peppercorns
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven until almost smoking. Add the bones and sear without stirring or turning, for about 10 minutes.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake until the bones are dark golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, pour off excess grease and place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Deglaze with the beer. Add garlic, bay leaf, juniper berries, peppercorns and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer about 1½ hours. Strain the stock and discard the bones.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Stir constantly until golden. Add cream and whisk to combine. Slowly whisk in half of the bone stock. Add this mixture to the remaining stock. Place on the stove over medium-low heat and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 3½ cups.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per ¼-cup: 98 calories, 2 grams protein, 8 grams fat (percent calories from fat, 75), 5 grams carbohydrates, 21 milligrams cholesterol, 57 milligrams sodium, trace fiber.- 3½ pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut in large dice
- ½ pound diced celery root (about 2 cups)
- ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup whole milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well and mash. Repeat this method with the celery root.
- In a small saucepan, combine the butter and milk over medium heat and cook until the butter is melted and the mixture just begins to boil. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mashed potatoes and celery root. Mix in the milk mixture gradually, until smooth and creamy. You may not need to add all of the milk mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 6 servings
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 380 calories, 4 grams protein, 26 grams fat (percent calories from fat, 62), 34 grams carbohydrates, 71 milligrams cholesterol, 62 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie
“We were in the dessert phase of the menu, and I was wracking my brain for a pie,” Gerry Klaskala remembered. “I had the ingredients in my head, and just went into the kitchen and made it. When I served it to [diner designer] Patrick Kuleto, he said, ‘This is it.’”
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup plus 2½ tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- ½ pound unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 3 eggs, divided
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ¾ cup half and half
- 10 ounces shaved white chocolate, divided
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 6 medium-ripe bananas, cut into chunks
- 1 tablespoon banana liqueur
- 1 tablespoon creme de cacao
- Cocoa powder, for garnish
- Prepare the tart shell: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour and ½ cup sugar on low speed. Add butter and process until the mixture begins to resemble crumbs. Add 1 egg and vanilla and increase the speed. Process until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Remove the dough, form a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours.
- When ready to bake the tart shell, arrange a 10-inch fluted tart pan in a rimmed baking sheet. Heavily grease the tart pan.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and knead it on a lightly floured surface until it has softened slightly. Roll into a circle ⅛-inch thick. Gently transfer to the prepared tart pan. Press the dough into the corners and trim the edges. If the dough tears, patch with extra dough. Chill the prepared shell at least 2 hours before baking.
- When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk 1 egg to make an egg wash.
- Brush the prepared shell with egg wash and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing the shell from the tart pan. Gently place the tart shell on a cake board or serving plate. It may be wrapped airtight and prepared up to one day ahead.
- Prepare the pastry cream: In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg, 2½ tablespoons sugar and cornstarch.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the half-and-half to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and slowly whisk in the sugar mixture, whisking continuously. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in 2 ounces white chocolate. Set aside to cool.
- Make the filling: Whip cream with the remaining ½ cup sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the prepared pastry cream. Add bananas, banana liqueur and creme de cacao, being careful not to deflate the mixture. Spread the filling in the prepared tart shell. Cover with the remaining white chocolate shavings and sprinkle lightly with cocoa. Serve within the hour. Serves 12.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 626 calories (percent of calories from fat, 58), 6 grams protein, 62 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 42 grams fat (25 grams saturated), 154 milligrams cholesterol, 46 milligrams sodium.
Potato Chips with Maytag Blue Cheese
“If you looked across the restaurant, it was the appetizer on every table,” recalled former Star 94 morning co-host Vikki Locke. “I would always say I was only going to have two. I’m not sure it was humanly possible to only eat two of those things. They were instantly addictive.”
- 6 to 8 large potatoes
- oil for frying
- kosher salt
- For the Bechamel Sauce:
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 5 ounces grated Parmesan
- 5 ounces crumbled Maytag blue cheese (about 1 cup)
- 4 cups crumbled Maytag blue cheese for sprinkling
- Peel the potatoes and slice thinly with a mandoline. Wash the potato slices to extract starch. Drain the slices and deep-fry in oil in small batches, until crisp, at 350 degrees. (Do not fry too dark, as the chips will be baked in the oven later.) After frying, drain the chips and salt them immediately with kosher salt; set aside.
- To make the sauce: In a large saucepan bring the milk and cream to a boil. Remove from the heat; add butter and cream cheese, Parmesan and 5 ounces of blue cheese, whisking constantly, until melted. If lumpy, mix in the blender until smooth.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour 2 to 4 tablespoons sauce on an 8-inch oven-proof plate. Mound chips high on the plate and cover with about ½ cup sauce, or to taste. Generously sprinkle with Maytag blue cheese and bake for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Any leftover sauce or cheese can be used on baked potatoes or pasta. Makes 12 servings (1 quart of sauce).
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 555 calories, 42 grams fat, 106 milligrams cholesterol, 1,024 milligrams sodium.Note: Maytag blue cheese is available at some specialty markets and supermarkets with well-stocked cheese shops. It also can be ordered online at maytagdairyfarms.com.
Crab Cakes
These crab cakes were on the menu at the Buckhead Diner for many years, and they’re a collaborative creation of many. Chef Charlie Schwab suggests you use a Chardonnay when you’re preparing the mustard sauce. He also suggests that if you’d like a gluten-free version, you reduce the amount of the lemon juice/spice mixture and eliminate the bread crumbs or panko.
You may not use all the base when mixing up the cakes. Leftover base would make a great dressing for a potato salad.
These crab cakes are served for both lunch and dinner. At lunch, a serving has one crab cake. At dinner, two.
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Coleman’s dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- ¾ pound jumbo lump crab meat
- 3/4 cup soft white bread crumbs or panko (about 1 1/2 slices sandwich bread)
- 1 egg
- Vegetable oil for sautéing cakes
- Mustard Sauce (see recipe)
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Make base: In a medium bowl, stir together lemon juice, dry mustard, white pepper, salt, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne. Stir in mayonnaise and scallions. Set aside.
- Carefully pick through crab meat, discarding any bits of shell and cartilage. Put crab in a large bowl. Add bread crumbs and egg and toss gently to combine and not break up crab. Gently fold in enough base to make a mixture that will just hold together. Mold into four cakes.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly film skillet with oil and brown cakes on both sides. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Serves: 2
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 880 calories (percent of calories from fat, 67), 40 grams protein, 33 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 67 grams fat (10 grams saturated), 258 milligrams cholesterol, 2,288 milligrams sodium.Mustard Sauce
Serve with the crab cakes for an indulgent, savory treat.
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ lemon, sliced
- ½ shallot, sliced
- 4 black peppercorns
- ¾ cups heavy cream
- 6 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into small dice
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- salt and white pepper to taste
- In a small heavy saucepan, combine wine, thyme, lemon, shallot and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and cook until wine is almost completely reduced. Add cream and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until cream is reduced by half. Remove from heat and add butter, whisking until butter is melted. Strain mixture into a small bowl. Add mustard and taste for seasoning. Makes: 1 cup
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1-tablespoon serving: 122 calories (percent of calories from fat, 96), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 13 grams fat (8 grams saturated), 39 milligrams cholesterol, 18 milligrams sodium.
Mahi Mahi
This perennial customer favorite was often offered as a special. It’s the creation of Chef Charlie Schwab. In our photo, the grits and mahi mahi are sitting on a bed of fire-roasted tomato salsa.
- 1½ cups water
- 1 cup cream
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste Smoked Tomato Puree (see recipe)
- 1 cup stone-ground grits
- Salt
- 4 6-ounce fillets mahi mahi
- Adobo seasoning
- Vegetable oil, for sautéing
- Guacamole and chopped cilantro, for garnish
- In a large saucepan, combine water, cream and half-and-half and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in Smoked Tomato Puree and tomato paste and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in grits and reduce heat to low. Cook until grits are tender, about 20 minutes depending on grits. Season to taste. Keep warm.
- When grits are ready, sprinkle fillets lightly with salt on both sides and sprinkle presentation side heavily with Adobo seasoning. Lightly film a large skillet with vegetable oil. Sear fillets presentation side down over medium-high heat, cooking until fillet is about 3/4done. Time will vary according to thickness of fillet. Do not crowd pan. Turn fillets and finish cooking.
- Divide grits between serving plates and put fillets on top. Garnish with guacamole and cilantro. Serves 4
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 597 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 43 grams protein, 46 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 26 grams at (14 grams saturated), 137 milligrams cholesterol, 164 milligrams sodium.- 3 large (about 1 1/2pounds) tomatoes, cored
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, cut into small dice
- 1½ teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ medium jalapeno, seeded and cut into small dice
- 1½ teaspoons tomato paste
- Cut tomatoes in half, season with salt, place on plate and refrigerate overnight, unwrapped, in the refrigerator.
- The next day, smoke the tomatoes for one hour using heavy smoke.
- While tomatoes are smoking, in a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno and cook until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Set aside until tomatoes are ready.
- When tomatoes are done, return saucepan to burner and stir in smoked tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer 20 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Move mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. If not using right away, cool and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Makes 1½ cups
Butternut Squash Soup
Chef Charlie Schwab created this recipe while working on seasonal additions for the menu. He experimented and came up with this version, which he then tried on the restaurant’s ultimate taste tester, Buckhead Life Restaurant Group chief executive officer Pano Karatassos.
The recipe produces a beautifully colored soup with a creamy texture and no cream. Fresno peppers are hot, significantly hotter than jalapenos. We adjusted the number of peppers down from the original. Try the soup after it has simmered 30 minutes, and add another pepper if it’s not hot enough for your taste. The recipe makes a gracious plenty. Whatever you don’t eat right away will freeze perfectly.
At the restaurant, the soup was topped with crème fraiche garnished with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups chopped onions (about 3 medium)
- 2 cups diced carrots (about 5 medium)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 large butternut squash, peeled, cut in half, seeded, diced (about 4 1/2 pounds yielding 12 cups chopped)
- 1 red Fresno pepper, stem and seeds removed, chopped
- 10 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- White pepper, honey and Tabasco
- In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add onions, carrots and garlic. Sauté 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add squash and pepper and cook until vegetables just begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and salt, and adjust heat so soup is simmering.
- Make a bouquet garni by wrapping thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, bay leaf and peppercorns in a small square of cheesecloth. Drop into soup. Simmer 1 hour. Remove bouquet garni.
- In the jar of a blender, or using an immersion blender, puree the soup, then strain through a sieve. Season to taste with white pepper, honey and Tabasco. Makes 20 cups
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 144 calories (percent of calories from fat, 22), 12 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 5 grams fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 1,114 milligrams sodium.Steak Sauce
This is one recipe where the right ingredients really make a difference in the final flavors. Use Chef Charlie Schwab’s favorites, Cattleman’s mesquite-flavored barbecue sauce and A-1 steak sauce, if you want to match what was served at the Buckhead Diner.
- 1 cup steak sauce
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
- In a medium bowl, combine steak sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Whisk thoroughly to combine. May be made ahead and refrigerated up to two months. Makes 3½ cups
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 4-tablespoon serving: 41 calories (percent of calories from fat, 15), 1 gram protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 1 gram fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 518 milligrams sodium.
Yellow Corn Muffins
Chef Matt Harris was happy to share the recipe for this signature item. He serves these tasty miniature corn muffins nestled next to herb breadsticks in the bread baskets. Dotted with kernels of fresh corn, jalapeno and green onion, the muffins get their unique flavor from buttermilk. The following recipe uses a more readily available regular-size muffin tin, but you can make them in mini-tins; simply reduce the cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes. The yield will be about three times as much.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups fresh yellow corn (about 3 ears)
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
- 4 green onions, finely sliced
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups buttermilk
- ¼ cup (½ stick) butter, melted
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter two standard muffin tins.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add oil. Saute corn, jalapeno and green onion until softened. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda, sugar and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add buttermilk and butter and stir to combine. Add to the dry ingredients and gently combine. Add reserved corn mixture and stir to combine.
- Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes or until just golden and a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean. Makes 20 servings
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 161 calories (percent of calories from fat, 23), 5 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrates, 2 gram fiber, 4 grams fat, 26 milligrams cholesterol, 452 milligrams sodium.
Fried Calamari with Pepper Jelly
Chef Tony Pope added his own twist to this ever-popular appetizer. Deep-fried calamari is tossed with a sweet jelly with flecks of red bell pepper and spicy jalapeno or small, spicy, red Thai chiles for a bit of heat. The jelly coats it with flavor but doesn’t weigh it down.
- For the jelly:
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vinegar
- ¼ cup jalapenos or other chile peppers, seeded and diced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 packet gelatin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- For the calamari:
- 14 ounces calamari, cut into rings
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Canola oil
- To make the jelly: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine water, sugar, vinegar, chile and red pepper, gelatin and salt and cook for 10 minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar and gelatin. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours until set.
- To make the calamari: Coat calamari in milk, dredge in flour and shake off excess. In a deep fryer or skillet, heat canola oil to 375 degrees. Fry calamari (you might need to do it in two or more batches) for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown. In a mixing bowl, toss hot calamari with 6 tablespoons of jelly and serve immediately. Makes 2 servings
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 556 calories (percent of calories from fat, 50), 34 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 31 grams fat, 464 milligrams cholesterol, 198 milligrams sodium.
Rocky Road Creme Brulee
Chef Kevin Rathbun said this recipe was developed by sous-chef Cameron Thompson during a brainstorming session. They were thinking of new ideas for the menu and thought of combining a favorite ice cream flavor into a more sophisticated dessert.
Rathbun explains the importance of tempering the egg yolks. Slowly adding hot cream to the eggs prevents their cooking too fast when added back into the custard. Rathbun uses 6 1/2-ounce ramekins, but you can use what you have; just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- 5 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ vanilla bean, split
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 7 egg yolks
- ¾ cup toasted, skinned and chopped hazelnuts
- 1 cup mini-marshmallows
- ¼ cup Sugar in the Raw (turbinado sugar, available at most grocery stores)
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- In a saucepan, bring the cream, granulated sugar and vanilla bean just to a boil. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch and the yolks together. Whisking constantly, gradually add 1 cup of the hot cream mixture to the eggs. Repeat with a second cup of cream. Add the egg mixture back into the cream and cook for 30 seconds, whisking frequently. Strain the mixture into a bowl and place bowl in an ice bath. Whisk custard occasionally for even cooling. Add the hazelnuts and stir to combine.
- Pour the custard into individual ramekins. Sprinkle with marshmallows. Place in a water bath, cover and cook for 35 to 40 minutes or until set but the center gently jiggles when lightly shaken. Refrigerate for 4 or more hours. Sprinkle creme brulees with Sugar in the Raw and broil or use a torch until sugar has melted. Makes 10 servings
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 647 calories (percent of calories from fat, 77), 6 grams protein, 31 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 58 grams fat, 312 milligrams cholesterol, 53 milligrams sodium.Zinfandel Braised Short Ribs
The Buckhead Diner served its ribs with Portobello Mascarpone Rice, butter-braised carrots and spinach. Be sure to cover the pan very tightly with foil to keep liquid from evaporating. Check midway through cooking and add additional broth if necessary. If veal stock isn’t available, use all chicken stock.
- 6 pounds beef short ribs (if ordering from butcher, ask for a 3-inch cut)
- Coarse salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 2½ cups zinfandel
- 2½ cups chicken stock
- 2½ cups veal stock, chicken stock or demiglace (see note on recipe for Tom Valenti’s Braised Short Ribs)
- 4 bay leaves
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees on the convection setting, or 325 degrees if non-convection. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, add oil. Sear ribs until golden (you might need to do this in 2 batches). Transfer seared ribs to a large roasting pan. Add carrots, celery and onions to the skillet. Cook until tender. Deglaze vegetables with zinfandel. Add chicken and veal stocks, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper. Transfer vegetables and sauce to the roasting pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until ribs are fork-tender. Remove ribs from braising liquid, strain liquid and chill. Return ribs to roasting pan and cover with foil. When liquid has chilled, remove fat from stock. Reduce stock to sauce consistency (by about 2/3). Add sauce to ribs. Warm in a 250-degree oven until ribs are warmed through, 15 to 30 minutes. Serve rib meat on or off the bone. Makes 6 servings
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 316 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), 26 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 20 grams fat, 73 milligrams cholesterol, 1,226 milligrams sodium.
