Hot Dish Review

The Kentucky Derby, with its BBQ, big hats, and bettin’, has become a tradition for me and LC. It’s pointless to photograph and write about the horrific food available in the stands at the event itself, (although I am still nibbling on the leftover kettle korn as I write this) nor the enormous grilled crab legs at Sandy’s annual shindig.

But I will tell you about Bob Evans. Although I’m familiar with Bob Evans products, primarily sausage, I had no idea there were restaurants. In fact, there are nearly 600 in the U.S., located throughout the midwest and south.

On the morning of our drive back to Atlanta, LC admitted Bob Evans was one of his favorites during his college years as we pulled into the parking lot, ready to fuel up on a good ol’ Southern breakfast. Our Derby hostess TH and her man D joined us before she headed north on business. The restaurant’s sunny yellow decor was inviting on this rainy morning as we chose a booth just before the crowds arrived.

I strayed from my boring scrambed eggs and ordered them over easy with bacon, fruit instead of potatoes, and wheat toast. However, I neglected to request the toast dark, receiving warm buttered bread in its place (see photo). I’m always baffled when restaurants serve toast that isn’t toasted. The second attempt was much better, although I had asked for dry toast and it was buttered.

No matter, the bacon was chewy, the yolks were runny and we were all set for our six hour drive!

No, that’s not a typo. Breakfast for dinner was the theme of Atlanta Eats’ first media gathering celebrating the conclusion of the show’s first season. The event, held at Room & Board in the Westside Provisions complex, featured restaurants from season #1 of the show including chef/maniac Mike LaSage of Bone Lick BBQ and Tyler Williams, newly appointed executive chef at Woodfire Grill.

About fifty writers and bloggers arrived for complimentary drinks and breakfast inspired dishes, like Bone Lick’s fried quail egg, spicy sausage, pulled pork, and cheese on a mini bagel….finger lickin’ good! I chatted with the show’s founders, Cody Hicks and on-air personality Steak Shapiro while waiting for my first mimosa of the evening.

I also tried a crostini from Salt Factory topped with pimento cheese, crumbled bacon, and an awesome green tomato puree that provided just the right amount of acidic bite. The mimosas went down quickly as we mingled, then sat for a very informal talk from Steak and the chefs.

Myrna from Lotta Frutta was there too, serving mini paletas (popsicles) with frou frou drink umbrellas for handles….so creative! She also had lulo helados, ice cream made with an exotic fruit rich in B vitamins. She is so passionate about fruit, even admitting to chasing customers down the street throwing bananas at them in front of her tiny restaurant in the Old Fourth Ward when she first opened seven years ago. I don’t she has to chase anyone down these days, as she prepares to open a location in Hartsfield Jackson International Airport’s concourse B. That’s B for banana.

Season #2 of Atlanta Eats kicks off on April 6th with segments on Antico Pizza, Heirloom BBQ, and Woodfire Grill, so bring your appetite and tune in to Atlanta’s first and only show dedicated to dining out!

Sure, I could drive to McDonald’s and get a delicious Egg McMuffin any day of the week for $2, so why try to recreate this fast food classic at home? Because I can make mine in my pajamas! (or lack of, as the case may be)

You may remember my discovery of Jimmy Dean’s D’Lights….microwavable breakfast sandwiches with turkey sausage, egg white and cheese. They are a quick, tasty and low calorie alternative to McDonald’s sausage McMuffin with egg. But it was LC’s Mom that introduced me to the homemade Egg McMuffin.

She had experimented with cooking the eggs individually in coffee mugs, then topped them with turkey ham and cheddar, sandwiched between two toasted English muffins halves. Initially there were issues with the egg squishing out, but eventually, she perfected her method.

As with any microwavable food, cooking times vary. So I checked online and found several variations on how to cook eggs in the microwave. One gave a longer cooking time, but at 50% power, so I thought I’d give it a try.

My first attempt looked good, but the egg yolks were very runny and the cheese had melted too much, both oozing out of the sandwich onto our hands and dripping on the floor….messy! On the second go round I adjusted the cooking time, but still had the dripping cheese issue.

The third time was the charm! Here’s how I did it:

Homemade Egg McMuffin

1 Omega 3 egg
1 English muffin, split (any variety)
1 Slice Canadian bacon or ham
1 Slice light cheddar cheese

Spray the inside of a coffee mug or microwave safe cup with cooking spray. Break the egg and cover top of cup with damp paper towel. Cook at 50% power for 1 1/2-2 minutes, checking the yolk for doneness (I like mine semi-soft).

Toast the muffin halves, butter lightly, then melt the cheese on both sides. Nuke the Canadian bacon until warm. Flip the cup onto a muffin half and season the egg with salt and pepper. Top with meat and second muffin half. This method keeps everything in place.

It’s not rocket science, just microwave science. Tasty!

OK, so my cousin RW was not lost, exactly. But it’s been twenty-some long years since we’ve laid eyes on each other. He’s an Airforce guy, living in Japan for ten years where he met his beautiful wife. Now they live in Hawaii.

On his rare visits to the mainland over the years, I have always been out of town or otherwise unavailable, so when he emailed me a couple of weeks ago about his upcoming trip, I was intent on seeing him.

With a 6:50am arrival time, then plans to rent a car and drive to Helen, it was definitely a challenge. Since I live close to the airport, the best option was to meet there for breakfast. So I set my alarm for an ungodly hour, jumped in my car and headed to Hartsfield. Upon arrival, he texted me his location at Atlanta Bread Company in the airport’s atrium. I made my way through the security lines, spotting him clear across the way, which I believe I would have been able to do even without the benefit of the video he sent of himself eating stinky tofu in Taiwan.

We ordered bacon, egg, and cheddar sandwiches, mine on a croissant and his on a sunflower seed bagel. And I added to my caffeine intake for the morning with a large vanilla nut coffee.

It was so great to laugh and reminisce, I hardly noticed how greasy my sandwich was, likely due to the butter in the croissant. And unfortunately, wrapping a croissant in foil softens the delicate, crispy crust. With that said, I love fatty breakfast sandwiches. We polished ‘em off, then asked a chick at a nearby table to take our picture.

I hope we have the opportunity to visit again before another twenty years go by….perhaps in Hawaii.

First of all, let me tell you how I feel about buffets. Once, I was the lucky winner of a Carnival cruise to the Bahamas. Sounds great, right?

Not so much. I dreaded the seven days on this floating Walmart with breakfast and lunch buffets, all contaminated with the germs from thousands of obese hillbillies. I was standing in the buffet line on the third day when one of them sneezed in my ear. I held my breath, then grabbed a ladel to scoop up some flavorless luke-warm scrambled eggs.

The next day I was standing in a torrential downpour in St. Martin and realized I was getting sick. Very sick. The following days were pure misery. When I told my Mom of my misfortune she literally asked “How did you get sick?”, as if I could pinpoint the moment I was infected. So I said “I touched a filthy ladel at the buffet, then rubbed my eye”. Ridiculous, but it could be true.

So buffets make me a bit squeamish. That’s why I was not excited to hear that breakfast at Lake Lanier Resort was buffet style. A group of us had spent the day before on the family houseboat, and LC, myself, and another couple stayed in one of their secluded lake cabins, equipped with a full kitchen, hot tub (which we did not use), and creaky wood frame beds behind paper thin doors (LC and I were oblivious to this, but were informed by the couple staying with us).

Once, I had an amazing breakfast buffet at The Peninsula Hotel in Chicago, so I was hoping (but not expecting) this buffet would be comparable. We met another couple in the dining room off the resort’s lobby. White tablecloths and an omelette and waffle station elevated this buffet above the cruise ship variety. Coffee all around started us off, then we each made our way to the long table of silver chafing dishes. I wasn’t impressed with the omelette fillings, opting instead for the standard scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and fruit. I dropped a half sesame bagel in the toaster on my way, but someone snagged it before I returned, so I promptly toasted another. All edible, but not remarkable.

There were no croissants or English muffins, no lox for the bagels, no grapefruit or fresh squeezed orange juice, no eggs benedict with hollandaise. There was a noticable absence of creme fraiche or macerated figs. And no mimosas!

But of course there were grits, potatoes, biscuits, gravy, yogurt, and cereal….everything you’d expect at a Southern breakfast buffet. I saved my berries for my extra crispy Belgian waffle I had for dessert.

7000 Lanier Islands Parkway, Buford 800-677-5304

My disdain for unhealthy fried Southern food and the restaurant’s hillbilly reputation prompted me to avoid Cracker Barrel my entire life, so it was with reluctance that I suggested we go there for breakfast on Sunday in Cave City. We had already eaten at McDonald’s on Saturday after discovering the complimentary breakfast provided at the motel consisted of Fruit Loops, sausage gravy, biscuits, and watery coffee, so there really was no alternative. And besides, breakfast is best when served up Southern style.

With 600 locations across the United States, Cracker Barrel is one of the most successful restaurant chains in the country….and it’s not a franchise! Famous for their country stores that sells everything from candy to toys, I suspect the markup on those products have kept them afloat during these tough economic times.

Their breakfast menu is extensive with traditional favorites including artery clogging biscuits and gravy. You’ll find an array of pancakes and eggs with sausage patties and thick-sliced bacon. They even offer “healthy” options like egg beaters, paired with unhealthy muffins, of course.

It was Sunday so our party of ten had to wait about thirty minutes….just enough time to buy a bunch of crap at the store.

Service is like clockwork. Our waitress was efficient and courteous, and had several missing teeth….something one comes to expect at a country restaurant.

Despite the countless combinations of eggs, meats, and sides, there wasn’t a specific meal that was exactly what I wanted. Each selection was simply too much, like the Old Timer’s Breakfast: two eggs cooked to order with grits, sawmill gravy, homemade buttermilk biscuits, choice of fried apples or hashbrown casserole, and choice of sausage, turkey sausage, or bacon. Cracker Barrel doesn’t offer nutritional information for their menu, but I found this meal on another website, reported to have a whopping 1292 calories!

So I told our waitress what I wanted, two scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, and wheat toast. I despise biscuits. And grits.

Coffee was good but I didn’t get my regular milk (instead of fake creamer) until after the first cup, and then she brought an entire kid’s carton. I hate to waste anything so I drank as many refills as I could. Meanwhile, our breakfast plates arrived, sans toast. When it was delivered a few moments later, I immediately noticed it was barely toasted (see photo), so I requested a new batch. LC and his family like their toast light, so they were happy with their “warm bread”. The second batch of toast was nearly burnt…OK with me. Lots of gooey melted cheddar was mixed into my eggs which were pretty good with the chewy, thick-sliced bacon.

LC’s cousin DC offered half a pecan pancake which I ate for dessert. Cooked in loads of fat, the edges were crisp and greasy. The kids cleaned their plates and the adults rubbed their bellies, loosening their belts as we prepared to hit the road back to Atlanta. Sadly, everyone agreed this was the best meal of our trip.

While dining at Old Heidelburg in Helen with LC and his parents last year, we saw kaiser schmarrn on their menu. It was listed as a dessert, and although clearly German, my Mom had never heard of it.

We didn’t order it but I have been curious about it ever since. Fast forward to last Saturday. I was visiting Mom in Helen. After lunch at Cafe’ International we strolled through town to a specialty food store called Euro Food where she planned to pick up some plum spread. They carry a strange little assortment of European products, mostly from Germany.

Among displays of chocolates and soup mixes I noticed some large packets….kaiser schmarrn mix with raisins. The shop’s owner described it as a large pancake generally eaten for breakfast. I was eager to try it!

The next morning I carefully read the instructions, which were in German, and prepared the mix with one egg and a cup of Lactaid borrowed from my neighbor LG. I heated and buttered my largest non-stick pan, poured the batter in, and crossed my fingers.

It began to bubble as I pondered how to flip this oversized “pancake”. Before long, it started to smoke so I grabbed my spatula, hoping speed would help it stay intact, and that I could flip it before it was scorched beyond recognition. Success! The next step was to chop it up while it continued to brown. If my German was better I would have realized that the instructions said to cut it into sections, then flip it.

I divided the finished product between two plates for me and LC and sprinkled it with powdered sugar. I served the kaiser schmarrn with turkey sausage patties and fresh fruit. Just slightly sweet, we finished it with a drizzle of faux maple syrup.

All I can say is wunderbar!

Euro Food is located in the heart of Helen, GA at 60 Chattahoochee Street. 706-878-5036

The Kentucky Derby fell on Cinco de Mayo this year….an unfortunate coincidence. LC and I were the only two of our group going to the track for The Derby, however, we wanted to enjoy breakfast with the gang before donning our hats and throwing our (I mean his) cash away.

Our Derby trip hostess TH, a college friend of LC’s, often visits Wild Eggs for breakfast, and suggested we go there. The decor was bright and modern, with a partition cleverly made of plastic eggs encased in glass. We weren’t necessarily in a hurry, but the 45 minute wait for a table was a bit lengthy. The girls enjoyed mimosas and the gentlemen bloody Marys while we waited.

As a regular, TH knew our server well. Once seated, he delivered an enormous complimentary cinnamon roll for us to share, however we had to wait an additional 30 minutes for our coffee. Not a good start.

Folks love to recommend their favorite dishes to me when they discover I’m a food writer. Usually I go with my instinct, but on rare occassions, I take their advice….and then regret it. Unfortunately, my breakfast would prove to be a perfect example of the latter.

Several menu specialties have a Tex-Mex flavor including Kalamity Katie’s Border Benedict which TH said was the best thing she ever ate. I was in the mood for a benedict smothered with rich hollandaise so why not try it with a Mexican twist?

The menu described the dish as “green chili cheddar corn cakes, topped with chorizo, two poached eggs, queso fundido, pico de gallo, sour cream, green onions, and avocado”. Visions of crispy corn cakes, juicy slices of spicy sausage, poached eggs with creamy yolks, and chunks of avocado whirled in my head. I wasn’t sure about the queso sauce, described as “sauce like you put on nachos” by our server so I requested it on the side along with a side of hollandaise.

When the plate arrived, 80% was covered with potatoes. I have no use for potatoes and didn’t realize they accompanied the benedict or I would have made a substitution. Sadly, the corn cakes were thick and dry, there was a tablespoon of very salty crumbled sausage scattered on top, and my poached eggs were overcooked. The bits of avocado could have fit in a thimble and the queso was disgusting but, of course, there was no hollandaise. I had to wait another ten minutes for that. It was impossible to hide my dissatisfaction. Meanwhile, another damn cinnamon roll came out.

Like the horses racing by us at Churchill Downs, much of the food we ate was also a blur. We enjoyed decent boxed lunches from Lotsa Pasta on Oaks Day. During The Derby itself, LC and I got a lobster roll at one of the snack bars near the betting windows. Among all the ladies with hats were a couple of dudes with sombreros, reminding me that it was Cinco de Mayo.

In a futile attempt to have a decent bite of Mexican food, LC and I decided to stop at Senor Iguana’s on the way home. All we wanted was a table outside, a decent margarita and a few tacos. Too much to ask? You bet. There were no tables available on the patio so we sat at a hightop in the bar. LC ordered skinny margaritas, but the bartender had clearly never made one before, filling the tall plastic cup with soda after a shot of tequila and a squirt of lime juice. Horrific.

We fared better with the starters. Chips were quite good dipped in freshly made guacamole and queso (much better than the queso at breakfast) and there was a lovely dish of jalapenos to spice it up. Tacos were not offered individually so we got one order with fish and another with carne asada, all on corn tortillas. I requested cheese on the beef.

Our server brought out pork instead of beef but quickly remedied the error, although the advertised diced onions and cilantro were absent. Each taco was made with two somewhat soggy tortillas. I peeled off the unnecessary tortillas and added guacamole. An unexpected bowl of tasty red chili sauce was served with the carne asada which did a decent job of covering up the chewy, flavorless meat. Shoulda gone to Chuy’s.

Uncharacteristicly, LC didn’t win at the track. And Wild Eggs and Senor Iguana’s didn’t place.

Please enjoy this repost as I am recovering from my trip, and the mostly horrendous food, at The Kentucky Derby:

Half a bag of cheddar goldfish, Fruit Loops and warm beer were the only edible items left in our room. Sounds more like the breakfast of losers than the breakfast of champions.

Around noon, LC and I checked out of the swanky motor lodge on the outskirts of Athens and hit the road back to Atlanta, still recovering from the Widespread show and its aftermath. An hour into the drive and we were ravenous.

Then, just like a mirage, a Waffle House appeared in the distance. It sat alone, perched on a hill at a traffic light in Dacula.

There are two kinds of Waffle House dining experiences….post clubbing at 3:00am and “the morning after” hangover breakfast. Of all the times I have eaten there, the meal has always fallen into one of those two categories.

Friday was obviously the latter, although neither of us was actually hungover. We chose a booth by the window and ordered coffee. I love their kitschy laminated menus with photos of the food…everything looks so delicious!

My regular Waffle House order is like a broken record; scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, raisin toast, and grits on the side. I rarely eat any of the grits, just don’t want them to contaminate my eggs. If I don’t order this I get a fried egg and cheese sandwich with bacon….good stuff.

LC ordered an omelette with onions, jalapenos, green peppers, bacon, and cheese with hashbrowns, scattered, smothered, and covered. He was very pleased with his omelette. In fact, he was still talking about it days later.

The diner franchise is celebrating 55 years in business, with strikingly consistent food from Hollywood to Dacula. It is always exactly the same….just like the pictures on the menu. My bacon was thick and chewy and the eggs were very cheesy. The toast was full of raisins and slathered with margarine. No real butter here missy!

LC and I added sugar, margarine, and black pepper (indeed!) to the grits making them somewhat edible. Another splash of coffee and we were on our way, fueled by fat and caffeine.

It was a good day.

While the storm was raging outside on Sunday, LC and I found refuge at a diner with a retro decor called All American Diner. I was thinking brunch, as in eggs benedict or a nice frittata. What I got was a Waffle House style diner breakfast with the added classy touch of the breakfast buffet.

I remember a time when buffets were popular….when I was a kid. Shoney’s had a breakfast buffet. All you can eat bacon….how could that be anything but awesome?

These days, the word buffet is about as appealing as pork sushi. But not in Florida’s panhandle! Time stands still there, and apparently LC is right at home. He was eager to get a plate full of whatever, while I ordered the standard scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, and wheat toast. Grits came with it despite my objection.

LC came back to the table with a combination of eggs, sausage, grits, and various other indistinguishable items. And what goes better with a breakfast buffet than a fountain Mountain Dew?

He enjoyed it because he got to try everything, then felt sick later. Shocking. Most of the other diners looked like they had been eating at the buffet on a regular basis.

As for me, my bacon was chewy, my eggs were cheesy, and my toast was dark. Good enough.

15406 Front Beach Road 850-233-6007