Hot Dish Review

Hot Summer days are best chilled down with a refreshing ice cold Miller Lite. After a few of those one might get a hankerin’ for a greasy cheeseburger.

Me and JD enjoyed a casual afternoon at Moe’s & Joe’s where the beers are cold and the burgers are better than standard bar fare. The place is a Virginia Highlands institution, complete with retro red vinyl booths (not out of intentional coolness but simply because they’re old) and wood paneling covered with graffiti. Its kitschy appeal draws a freakish variety of patrons, from rowdy college kids to sketchy neighborhood drunks. And us.

The Mo Jo Burger is their original burger, advertised as “served since 1947″ on the menu. It’s on the small size so it’s perfect for a snack, made with a juicy patty topped with melted cheese on a soft bun. Lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo complete the sandwich. I ordered mine with onion straws which were crispy and addictive.

Another Miller Lite, and another. Summer is awesome!

1033 N. Highland Ave. 404-873-6090

Looks like I’m making up for lost time! Seems like I haven’t made it to more than one game per season the last few years. This season I’ve been to three…..so far.

LC invited me to go to the game and since he does business with The Braves organization, our seats were in their suite. I was expecting it to be a deluxe suite but it wasn’t any different than the others I’ve been in.

The suites are catered. Standard fare is pizza kept warm under a heat lamp, hot dogs and chips and salsa. In addition, there was barbecue last night, served on a slice of cornbread with crunchy fries all around it. LC tried the Q. He really liked it so it was probably better I can vouch for as I’m not a fan of the Q. I found myself grabbing a few of the crispy fries every time I walked by them.

Turner Field’s salsa is very good and spicy. In fact, better than most I had in Mexico last week….go figure!

A cooler of beer and softdrinks are there for the taking. They serve Budweiser products, unfortunately, so I had several of the Bud Limes. They also had sliced turkey breast which was actually quite tasty. I had a slice with a small salad topped with crumbled chewy bacon, blue cheese, cubed ham, and diced tomatoes. Yeah, it was iceberg, but I would eat anything with bacon on it.

I also had a small slice of the cheese pizza. Just OK. I really like toppings on pizza. But the crust was sufficiently thin and the edges almost crusty. Hey, can’t complain about free food and beer, right!

The best part is The Braves beat the Brewers 2 to 1.

Did someone say tequila? While I’m enjoying a shot or two in Cabo, I hope you get a chance to visit Pure….their shots are the best priced in town!
Birthdays and tequila go together like PBR and tattoos. So I recommended we try a new taqueria down the street called Pure on ST’s birthday.

Located in Inman Park across from Fritti in The Grape’s old space, the vibe is cool and casual, trendy. The building has been renovated to look like a renovated garage, complete with big garage doors and vintage-looking signs. Retro 60′s formica tables complete the kitschy decor.

We started with a shot of Herradura silver, shaken with salt and lime. Smooth. I always get a Corona Light chaser. It was late, nearly 10pm by the time we got there (ay, caramba!). I was hungry and the tables are so close that I considered reaching over and sharing our neighbor’s chips, salsa, cheese dip, and guacamole, but our waitress came by so I ordered our own set.

Although slightly watery, the salsa provided an adequate kick. The “gringo” cheese dip was perfect with a dollop of jalapeno puree on top. These days it’s hard to find bad guacamole, unless it’s the pre-made crap at the grocery store. Most restaurants have figured out the standard formula, especially where they make it tableside, leaving little room for ridiculous Americanized variations with mayo or sour cream. Good, but not as good as mine! What was not to love here? The thick, boring chips.

Other appetizers that will cross my lips on future visits? Ceviches, chipotle steamed mussels, and crab fritters. I ordered a margarita with salt and enjoyed the atmosphere and the company.

Pure’s menu creatively covers all the bases without getting out of hand. Trios of tacos and entrees are served with arroz (rice) Mexicano and your choice of refried beans or “frijoles charros”, beans in a soupy broth. I’ve heard the pescado Veracruz is fabulous, but I’d probably be more apt to try the torta Cubana or quesadillas made with corn tortillas and sweet onions.

ST and I decided to split the gorditas de puerco. Two crispy corn-masa cakes stuffed with red chile shredded pork, queso fresco, and salsa verde. The meat was tender with plenty of cheese and salsa….really very tasty.

I can’t wait to return to try the homemade corn-masa tortillas with carne asada. I’m obsessed with finding tacos like the ones in Playa del Carmen a few years ago. The corn tortillas were kickass and the beef was insanely tender, topped with queso (at my gringo request), freshly made guacamole (just like mine), and a handful of cilantro. Perfect.

The staff and service at Pure was great! Our chick even brought out a complimentary birthday dessert, pineapple flan, for us to share. Sweet.

Now for the bad news. Just when you think you’ve discovered a quirky little taqueria, a funky little neighborhood spot….you find out it’s a franchise. There are only three now, but soon like will be multiplying like cucarachas!

The good news is, it made a pretty fuckin’ good first impression.

My first visit to The Porter last August was short and sweet, so I was excited to return on Friday, not only for the tremendous beer selection but for Nick Rutherford’s way-better-than-bar-food menu.

And who better to delve into The Porter’s lengthy beer list with than AM. He is really into specialty beers, even brewing his own. We met at the bar where I started with a tasting of three dark beers available on draught, the Weyerbacher Fifteen, Southern Tier JahVah, and Great Divide Claymore Scotch. Of the three, I liked the Fifteen the best, but honestly, I didn’t love any of them. I did, however, love the way they were served, in three little jars set in a wooden tray.

With 29 beers on draught, most of them unfamiliar, choosing is difficult. Eight pages of bottled beer makes ordering feel like studying, although it is very helpful to have a flavor description below each selection. I zeroed in on the Delirium Nocturnum, described as dark and delicious, black raisins, dried figs. AM agreed it was a good choice for me.

The only food I had tried on my first visit was the mac ‘n’ cheese and goat cheese fritters, both amazing. This time AM and I started off with the goat cheese fritters, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with black pepper, creamy and delicious.

AM got a Caracole Ambree, a Belgian strong ale with hints of caramel spice, cinnamon, and apple. In the mood for a stout, I ordered a Ten Fidy, described as “love in a can” with flavors of chocolate, coffee, leather and caramel. Now we’re talkin’.

More food was in order so we shared the house-made bratwurst and sauerkraut. Organic Fuji apples were listed as well but I failed to find any hint of them on the plate. The sausages were perfectly seasoned and delicious with the classic kraut pairing.

We moved on to Nostradamus, Podge Belgian Imperial, Koningshoeven Triple, and more. I lost track to say the least.

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: RECYCLING
After six months I find myself recycling everything from eggs cartons to magazines, I just can’t stand to throw these things in my regular garbage. It’s become a habit that I can feel really good about!

Occasionally, although it is rare, someone has a positive influence on me. My neighbor LG recycles. She has offered numerous times to take my bottles to our condo’s recycling bins but I’ve always refused. I just couldn’t ask her to carry my bag of bottles down the stairs while my lazy ass sat on my kitty-shredded sofa!

January 1st, however, all that changed. Well, sorta. Among my New Year’s resolutions was that I would recycle glass bottles, beginning with the wine and champagne bottles from that night’s celebration. They sat on my kitchen counter for weeks, the collection growing larger and more unmanageable by the day.

It took a man to carry them down….finally. And the same man then proceeded to assemble a new collection every day. Looking at it, I felt good knowing all of this glass wasn’t going to add to the mountains of trash in the landfills. He even began including plastic….why not? Pisces are so conscientious.

The photo above is of my current collection awaiting delivery to the recycle bin. Much of it was from last night’s Superbowl. I wonder who I can coerce into taking it downstairs?

One of my other New Year’s resolutions was to post a certain amount of blogs each month. I hit my goal in January, hurray! The beauty of a blog is that one can say whatever they wish. There is no censorship on a blog. But I do employ a bit of restraint (more at some times than others), unless I’ve consumed a bottle of wine, which brings me to the title of this post (which was originally “Don’t Drink & Blog”)

Apparently I responded to a few comments while under the influence last night. I just hope there weren’t any typos.

PS – The OJ wasn’t mine, I never touch the stuff.

There was a time when hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jack were synonymous with baseball, because that’s all they served at most stadiums. These days pizza, pasta, burgers, just about anything, is available at ballparks nationwide.

LC took a bunch of us to the game last night. It was a sweltering 90 degrees as we arrived and immediately took the elevator up to the 755 Club. All the chicks had to hit the restrooms, of course.

Miller Lite, my traditional game beer, was refreshing as we made our way around the air-conditioned, fancy-pants club level. With the variety of food available everyone wanted something different. Little TC got a slice of cheese pizza, LC ordered a Philly chicken cheesesteak and fries. The rest of us went with the traditional dog.

Regular hotdogs are called super, while footlongs are called jumbo. I was tempted to get a bratwurst but went with the jumbo dog with onions. I can eat chopped raw onions on a dog, but these were sauteed Vidalias….awesome! Good ol’ yellow mustard topped it off.

Initially LC wasn’t happy about our seats which were supposed to be behind the Braves dugout, but with the a storm threatening, we were happy to have a roof over our heads.

Me, TC, and LC shared Cracker Jack and cotton candy for dessert. The kids got ice cream too and we couldn’t resist snagging a few spoonfuls of TC’s birthday cake flavored scoop. Yum!

The Braves kicked ass, beating the Tigers 3 to 1 with two exciting solo homers….still first place in the National League East! The rain never came. Fireworks lit the sky over Turner Field as we all walked to the car. Spectacular.

Looks like LC is luckier than he thinks.

I’m such a sucker for tradition. I always drink sangria at Pura Vida, a real martini at The Highland Tap, and margaritas or a Corona Light with lime at any Mexican restaurant.

So what would I drink at Meehan’s? Guinness, of course! I love it’s rich flavor with hints of caramel and coffee. DB and I met there recently to work on our writing projects, but without his laptop it was like making pizza without a crust.

No worries, it was 100 degrees and I was ready for a refreshing beverage! Full of bad ideas, I couldn’t resist starting off with my favorite Irish appetizer, the traditional Car Bomb…..a shot of Jameson’s Whisky and Bailey’s Irish Cream dropped into half a pint of Guinness, making for a whopping 9 ounce shot. And yes, you drink it all at once.

Anyone who can optimize their time is my hero but with my apparent ADHD I was finding myself a wee bit distracted, staring at the Guinness our server delivered, preoccupied by its pretty head. Is it OK to stare? At saucy spaghetti, sexy sausages, perhaps. Pisces are so superficial. Back to reading (note the manuscript nearby).

What will you have with your Guinness…..reality or fiction? My reality is increasingly crazier than fiction. It’s becoming a tradition I like.

Congratulations to the Atlanta Braves for sweeping the Phillies in a four game series! Me and my work colleagues attended the last game on Wednesday and although it wasn’t a nail-biter, it was lots of fun!

As we made our way to our seats KMA spotted hot boiled peanuts. Neither of us could resist them. They would be especially tasty washed down with my fourth Miller Lite (I had three before we got there).

The peanuts were briny and warm. Very good but not as good as Dale’s. Our seats were thankfully in the shade as we watched and cheered on the Braves…..now first place in the National League East!

I always get a hot dog at baseball games, but not this time. KMA and Q got some hot and crispy fries that we all shared. As is often the case, I wish they had been cut a bit skinnier, I loves me some shoestring fries.

They stop selling beer in the bottom of the 7th (what if the game goes extra innings?) so there just wasn’t enough time to drink or eat more…. guess I’ll just have to attend another game soon for that wiener!

The last time me and ST went to Taco Mac it was for the NFL playoff games at the new Prado location. We ordered Three Mile Island wings which were hot and delicious! But we swore to order the hottest of the hot, Death, the next time.

Last weekend, at the original location in the Virginia Highlands, we ordered half TMI and half Death. Looked like Death just has some extra sauce. They were indeed crazy hot, but not too hot for us! Our lips were on fire, cooled off by the chunky blue cheese dressing and celery, followed by the ubiquitous Miller Lites. Fantastic crispy onion rings completed our dinner.

Try ‘em. I double dog dare you.

JUST IN FROM CAREN WEST PR:

DAD’S GARAGE THEATRE PRESENTS THE 10TH ANNUAL BACONFEST ON SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2010

Annual Fundraiser Will Feature Local Bands: Futureshock, Mike LaSage and the Stumbling Troubadours, The Jaguars, Nine Inch Neils, Baron Saturday of Judi Chicago DJ Set, and Performances by Dad’s Garage House Bands, The Fingering Brothers and Bases Loaded

Tickets On Sale Now

A Limited Number of $45 VIP Tickets Available

All Proceeds to Benefit Dad’s Garage Theatre Company

Atlanta, Georgia (March 4, 2010) – The 10th Annual Dad’s Garage BaconFest, a one-day event featuring live music, improv, games, beer, bacon and more, will be held on Saturday, March 27 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Dad’s Garage Theatre Company in Inman Park. A neighborhood tradition, each year Baconfest raises funds for the treasured mid-sized theatre that is devoted to elevating awareness about the arts in Atlanta.

Founded by Dad’s Garage co-founder George Faughnan in 1995, the meat-centric festival has grown to cult-like status, attracting a diverse and devoted legion of Atlantans each year. Building its following off a simple foundation of combining bacon, beer and bands, the festival also includes nonstop games. Past favorites include; Hunt an Improvisor, Guitar Hero Challenge, fortunetelling, X-rated face painting, and a malt liquor taste test challenge. Live music performances at this year’s event include local artists: Futureshock, Mike LaSage and the Stumbling Troubadours, The Jaguars, Nine Inch Neils, and a special DJ set by Judi Chicago’s Baron Saturday. Dad’s Garage’s house bands The Fingering Brothers and Bases Loaded will also make appearances.

In addition to the fun and games at BaconFest, festival goers can bid on an array of silent auction items donated by local businesses. This year’s silent auction will feature items donated by Dad’s Garage, Alternative Apparel, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Only You Tattoo, Third Half Studios, and many more.

www.dadsgarage.com