Hot Dish Review

For my birthday, B took me to one of our old haunts, Top Flr. We love to sit at the bar, sip a glass of wine and catch up on the drama of our very exciting lives.

Chef Shane changes up the menu occassionally, but a few dishes have remained since the restaurant opened. For instance, the mussels. I love them, bathed in a fragrant broth made with coconut milk, lime juice, and soy with hints of lemongrass, and ginger.

More recently, his addition of tender roasted Brussels sprouts as a side confirmed that he is, indeed, one of Atlanta’s most talented chefs. Their distinctive smoky flavor was so incredible even sprout haters would be enamored with this dish.

So, on my birthday visit I was excited to have those two dishes….mussels and Brussels. B ordered roasted artic char with couscous…too basic for my taste but she enjoyed it. My huge bowl of mussels was amazing as always, served with a big hunk of ciabatta for sopping.

The Brussels sprouts, however, were not the same. This new recipe, described on the menu as shredded, gratin, with bacon, creme, and fennel, featured al dente sprouts. Initially, B and I thought it was a kitchen f*ck up and sent them back. But they came out again, crunchy and covered with browned cheese. I was seriously pissed off.

Despite my disappointment, the flavor was admittedly good, so we ate them anyway. However, it’s not a dish I would come back for.

Top Flr used to own the #1 spot in the Brussels sprouts war, but with this unfortunate turn of events, I must consider their successor. Sound Table served a fantastic roasted version not long ago….hope they didn’t follow Top Flr’s bad example.

Perhaps the best Brussels will be found at a restaurant that is not even open yet….I’ll see you There!

While in Orlando, LC and I dined at a cozy spot on the main drag called Brick House Tavern and Tap. Flattering lighting and a modern rustic decor made it the perfect choice for a casual date night. We settled into a booth next to the fireplace.

Not sure how I missed the overt sexual innuendo on the menu during our visit, only discovering it while reviewing our choices for this post. Items like “three-way chicken wings” and “submissive baked potato soup” make me wonder who thought this was a good idea….and why. I also discovered that the restaurant is part of a chain, with 15 locations from Texas to Florida. I liked the place a whole lot more before I knew that bit of info.

Having eaten at Brick House a few weeks before on a business trip, LC knew I’d love the deviled eggs topped with crispy bacon and roasted jalapenos to start, so we ordered them along with a couple of drinks. That’s when we got the bad news: they were out of bacon. Checking out the entire menu, I noticed that many dishes contained bacon, from the mac ‘n’ cheese to the “bad boy chopped salad”. How the f*ck can you run out of bacon when your entire menu depends on it?

We ordered the deviled eggs anyway, which arrived unadorned, save for a sprinkling of cayenne. I guess without the bacon we wouldn’t want the jalapenos? LC asked our server to bring them. The eggs were good but disappointing without the bacon.

Like all taverns and taps, Brick House offers a large selection of specialty and import beers with twenty served on draught. Man-sized burgers and sandwiches compete with ladylike dishes like “zucchini curls” or the “good girl Caesar salad”.

As we often do, LC and I chose a few items to share. Silver dollar burger sliders were thick and juicy, topped with balsamic caramelized onions and gooey melted cheese. Soft buns were the final component that made these sliders exceptionally delicious.

If she ever was a brick house, she wouldn’t stay that way for long eating stuff like the “big onion stack”. LC demonstrated how it was one continuous piece of greasy, battered onion. I blotted them with my napkin to no avail. Did we stop eating them? No sir!

For a lighter dish we tried the “beefed up steak salad”. Grilled pieces of tenderloin were flavorful paired with grilled red onions. Although not listed, the salad was garnished with tomato wedges and candied walnuts. Creamy balsamic finished the fresh greens.

Desserts are called “happy endings”, of course. We were too full to indulge, but when we got back to our lovely resort we had worked up an appetite for “pleasure pie”.

Sorry, just couldn’t resist.

8440 International Drive, Orlando 407-355-0321

There is no chance I would have ever come across this place on my own, but LC lives in Alpharetta and was at Montana’s almost every time we talked last Summer.

It’s the kind of place with something for everyone, including 27 big screen TV’s for sports fans, and live music on the weekends.

Despite a seemingly pedestrian menu, LC raved about their food. Where the menu lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in flavor, like the surprisingly awesome white bean chili.

He talked me into making the drive north with him a couple of weeks ago. I was craving a cigarette and Montana’s is one of the few places left that allows smoking inside, so I was all for it.

The place is huge, with a small bar in front, a dining area that was totally empty on the night of our visit, and the big enclosed “patio” where the bands set up, complete with neon signs, plastic palm trees, and American flags. This is also the smoking area so we settled into a booth. Nearby I spotted an old friend, EC, who is single-handedly responsible for my love of Braves baseball. I told LC the story as we sipped our beers and I lit a smoke from the pack I found at the Widespread Panic show a couple of days earlier.

We decided to share a few random items, tapas style. First, the white bean chili I mentioned before….a slow cooked specialty made with great Northern white beans, chicken, jalapenos, and cilantro. Damn if it wasn’t kickass! It could have used more cilantro on top, but I can hardly complain. A little heat and a ton of flavor.

Another surprise was the macaroni and cheese. The side dish was made with rigatoni drenched in a rich bechamel sauce, then individually baked to melt and brown the cheeses on top. It would give any trendy in-town restaurant some stiff competition.

LC wanted his favorite, hot wings, so we ordered a dozen extra hot. We were disappointed that they came out with carrots instead of celery as listed on the menu, but the crisp veggie did the trick to cool off our tongues, dipped in their chunky blue cheese dressing after each scorching bite of juicy chicken.

Among other predictable menu items, Montana’s serves burgers, quesadillas, nachos, crab cakes, and BBQ ribs. If our meal is any indication, my guess is that many of these items would be equally impressive.

Another beer, another cigarette, as the band was warming up. No wonder LC likes this place….it’s easy, laid-back. I would definitely recommend a visit if you are in the burbs!

13695 Highway 9, Alpharetta 678-366-8928

For the last several years at my office we have been celebrating our colleagues’ birthdays with Whole Foods’ strawberry cake. It’s become somewhat of a tradition but my disdain for cake has, until recently, kept me from indulging.

This, however, is no ordinary Publix cake with blue frosting. It is made by alternating thin layers of yellow cake with loads of real whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Finally, I relented and tried a small sliver. The cake was surprisingly light and not overly sweet. On the next occassion I opted for a larger slice. Can’t beat real whipped cream!

My colleagues had been forced to come up with an alternate treat on my past birthdays, but yesterday I was the recipient of “the cake”. I was thrilled and took a big slice. Despite its light and fluffy topping, the cake is richer than you might think. It took me several hours to recover from the fat overload, but it was worth it.

Thanks you guys! Guess I can’t say I hate cake anymore.

Now that I have visited my parents in Florida a few times, the dining experiences are already on repeat. The same three or four restaurants appear on my blog every time.

To switch it up a bit, me and my Mom ate at Cafe on the Avenue for lunch rather than dinner, while the guys were still on the golf course.

Cafe on the Avenue is the type of place where you will find “ladies who lunch”. You know the type. They browse the antique shops nearby, perhaps picking up a sweet gift for a grandchild’s birthday.

The atmosphere is casual yet somewhat proper, with copious crown moldings and vintage fixtures. Mom suggested we split one of their huge salads, so we ordered the Avenue Salad, baby greens topped with pears, blackberries, pineapple, mandarin oranges, pecans, and blue cheese with a raspberry walnut vinaigrette. Too much fruit if you ask me. It was $10.25 as is, but I needed some protein, so we added grilled chicken for an extra $3.75 for a subtotal of $14….ouch.

I was hoping the size matched the price as I have no problem putting away a bucket of lettuce. Served in a beautiful blue vintage bowl, the salad was substantial but short of huge. We split it at the table, my Mom taking much of the fruit while I took most of the chicken which was unfortunately dry, like it had sat under a heat lamp for hours. Sweet canned fruit was matched by the syrupy dressing, proving that too much of a good thing is….well, too much. The best part of the salad was the blue cheese that paired well with fruit. Unlike the last time she ordered it, the salad was a disappointing composition.

The restaurant offers several mayo-based salads like smoked turkey, egg, shrimp, and chicken plus a short list of sandwiches including a burger, club, and wraps.

Next time I’ll steal the bowl.

631 N. Citrus Avenue 352-795-3656

Funny how my parents’ favorite place to eat near their home in Crystal River is a dive called The Freezer. Not fancy is an understatement.

I love the place too, with its tiki bar decor and laid back vibe. It’s easy to make yourself at home at the bar overlooking the water or one of the tables inside. There are no formal menus, just a list scribbled on posterboard on the wall. Guests order at the bar and a burly chick yells your name when it’s ready.

Steamed seafood is the specialty, with a few odds and ends thrown in for kids and weirdos. Those squeamish about shellfish need not show up.

My parents, me and LC stopped in for an early dinner last week after our arrival in Crystal River. It was my second visit, nearly a rerun of my first. We ordered the smoked mullet and salmon dip, 2 1/2 lbs. of steamed shrimp, and a pitcher of beer, which turned out to be Bud Lite. I drank it anyway.

There is more than one kind of mullet, especially in these parts. At The Freezer bikers, biker chicks, and the criminally unfashionable all sport the haircut and eat the dip, made with chunks of smoked fish and served with a whole stack of Saltines. To me it had a very fatty mouthfeel, like it was fish mixed with butter or lard. However, my Mom prefers it to the smoked mullet dip at Neon Leon’s and the guys seemed to enjoy it too.

Our foursome enjoyed the plump pressure steamed shrimp sprinkled with their special seasoning. Diners beware, they come out hot as hell so burning your little fingers trying to peel ‘em is likely. The photo of them looks blurry but it’s the steam….seriously! Simple and good, dipped in their spicy homemade cocktail sauce.

After we devoured the shrimp and used half a roll of paper towels, LC was still hungry so he ordered a pound of steamed snow crab legs. Most of the seafood is local but the crab legs come from Alaska. Served with crunchy cole slaw, the legs were yummy dunked in drawn butter. LC displayed his prowess at extricating the meat from the leg in one piece….impressive!

We polished off a second pitcher of beer and headed to Margaritaville for a nightcap. Just good clean family fun.

5590 South Blvd. Dr. Homosassa, FL 352-628-2452

Road trips provide the perfect excuse for eating total crap, after all, there’s no time for fine dining. LC and I drove to Florida last week, making efficient stops that satisfied the three major travel issues all at once….food, gas, and restroom.

Luckily, I drive a hybrid so the cost of gas is minimal. The first tank got us to Gainesville, Florida. We took an exit that displayed the standard fast food fare….McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Chick-Fil-A…but neither of us were craving their cookie-cutter sandwiches.

That’s when he spotted the Pizza Hut, who’s re-branding has turned the once family friendly neighborhood pizza place into a pizza and wings delivery service. Few of the locations offer inside dining, but the ones that do rely heavily on the buffet. It was 1pm, so we thought it would be a quick alternative to a burger.

There were four or five mostly-eaten pizzas on the buffet, plus two pastas, none of which looked very fresh. I should have known there would not be a pizza with the toppings I would order on a buffet. Our server said it would only take about 8 minutes, so we decided to order a pizza off the menu.

Normally both of us prefer their thin and crispy crust, however, I had an urge for something more substantial. When Pizza Hut first introduced their signature pan pizza, me and my Mom would get a personal pan pizza every time we went to the mall. Supreme. The crust was light on the inside, crispy and greasy on the outside….a real artery clogger.

To keep it simple we ordered a medium supreme pan pizza with the addition of black olives. Service was quick enough, but the pitstop ended up taking 45 minutes nonetheless. The pizza tasted just as I remembered, with minimal tomato sauce, a good scattering of toppings and cheese, melted and browned around the edges of the crust. We both added a good dose of hot pepper flakes and parmasan cheese.

I kept my splurge to only two slices, savoring every greasy bite. LC commented that it didn’t have much taste, but isn’t that the Pizza Hut standard? I sorta enjoy the generic flavor.

We took the leftovers and continued on our way, singing along to classic rock tunes and talking about everything. Sometimes road trips are less about the destination, more about the journey.

A tasty morsel from Caryn at the Langston Libby Group:

A LEGACY WITH LAYERS: THE VIDALIA® ONION MUSEUM GRAND OPENING
Famous Sweet Onion Honored with Star-Studded Chefs Luncheon & Ribbon-Cutting This April

Vidalia, GA. February 11, 2011. Soon Vidalia onion enthusiasts around the country will be able to explore the history of Georgia’s beloved state vegetable and the growing region that has made it so famous with the official opening of the Vidalia Onion Museum on Friday, April 29, 2011. The noon event is slated to include high-profile chefs and offers attendees a fascinating look into what makes the Vidalia onion so special.

“We have worked for five years to unearth each unique layer of the Vidalia onion story and then portray those layers creatively for visitors,” says Vidalia® Onion Committee Executive Director and Museum Chairperson Wendy Brannen. “When we first hired a museum consultant, they asked, ‘Really, an onion museum?’ But they quickly realized we’re not just any onion, and this isn’t just any story!” Brannen adds.

The museum is housed in the same building as the Vidalia Onion Committee, Vidalia Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and Vidalia® Onion Business Council and gives guests a truly unforgettable interactive experience. The 1,300-square-foot space is filled with an array of educational exhibits that highlight the sweet onion’s economic, cultural and culinary significance.

In addition to the excitement of the museum’s grand opening, the Vidalia Onion Festival takes place that same weekend. Guests are encouraged to take part in all of the fun festivities including pageants, parades, concerts, car shows, onion-eating contests and arts and crafts. For more information about all of the festival events, visit www.vidaliaonionfestival.com.

The Vidalia Onion Museum is located at 100 Vidalia Sweet Onion Drive and will open to the public on Friday, April 29 at 3 p.m. The museum’s regular operating hours will be Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with Saturday hours available for tours. For more information, visit www.vidaliaonion.org or call 912-537-1918.

The Dinner Party boys, Patrick La Bouff and Darren Carr, managing partner of Sound Table and Top Flr, have been kind enough to give Hot Dish readers a chance to win two seats ($200 value!) at their upcoming Kerala Indian dinner,presented in conjunction with Spice Route Supper Club, this Friday the 18th!

Sounds easy, right? Not so fast! First you have to correctly answer this trivia question: What is the literacy rate in Kerala, India?

Respond via email by 10pm tonight to: labouff.pj@gmail.com for your chance to win. All correct answers will be entered in the drawing with winner announced via email at midnight on Thursday February 17th!

Good luck!

The four of us rolled into Athens like a circus, B wearing a multicolored neon fur. How appropriate that we ended up at a pub called Trappeze for a bite to eat before Widespread Panic.

It also happened to be J’s birthday so we chose a couple of beers, Terrapin I believe, among the pub’s selection of fifty on draft to celebrate. Cheers to another year!

B and I wanted to eat light so we each ordered a mini burger topped with caramelized onions and beer cheese. She added a cup of beer cheese soup made with cheddar and onions. LC tried the roasted turkey and Swiss sandwich with house cut sweet potato fries on the side. Guess who ate most of them. J ordered a big fat bacon cheeseburger with more of those sweet potato fries….nutrition be damned on your birthday!

When the food came out B fixated on J’s scrumptious looking burger covered with bacon and melted cheese and decided she wanted that instead. Her soup was cheesy yet somehow not heavy. I added an extra spoonful to my mini burger which had great beef flavor, especially with the sweet caramelized onions.

LC’s sandwich was fantastic. Roasted turkey, Swiss cheese, housemade guacamole, sprouts, and bacon made a perfect combination on toasted sourdough bread. The sweet potato fries were hot and crispy with a light sprinkling of sea salt. Honey with mustard seeds was provided for dipping.

B ate half of her big burger, washing it down with a very generous pour of pinot noir. The woman’s got self-control, I would have eaten the whole f*ckin’ thing. Service at Trappeze was friendly and fast and the food was most impressive.

Then it was show time!

269 North Hull Street, Suite 6, Athens 706-543-8997