Hot Dish Review

How do hotel restaurants do it? Breakfast, lunch, dinner, room service…..they constantly crank it out. Getting it done and doing it right, however, are two different things.

It is rare that I get the opportunity to have breakfast at a hotel in Atlanta. More often than not, hotel breakfasts find me in a foreign country like Spain, Mexico, or Brazil. However, after L and P’s wedding, the party continued until the wee hours at AltoRex, the rooftop lounge at the Palomar, after which everyone stumbled to their rooms. I didn’t have much time to enjoy the modern decor since most of my time there was spent asleep, wrapped up in the cloudlike duvet.

But not for long. My lucky ass had to get up early to go to work. But before I took off, LC joined me at Pacci for breakfast. It was 9:00am on a Sunday. Only two other tables were occupied. Handsome young servers greeted us with smiles. The coffee was smooth, and so was the service.

Pacci has a fun “Flip For Your Breakfast” menu. Guests that order off this only slightly abbreviated list get to call a coin toss after their meal by none other than Keira Moritz’ sous chef Aaron Love. Not only that, a portion of the cost of your meal goes to charity, regardless who pays. Classy.

One of my all-time favorite brunch items is eggs benedict. Pacci’s version is made with proscuitto, spinach, tomato slices, with the traditional Hollandaise on top of toasted English muffins. It didn’t come with anything on the side, which is fine with me. I’m not a fan of breakfast potatoes.

LC ordered two fried eggs with wheat toast. His meal did come with potatoes, but no bacon. We ordered a side to split….thick and chewy just the way I like it. If you are not lucky enough to be staying at the Palomar overnight, the bacon alone is worth the short drive for brunch!

My benedict was a solid rendition of the popular classic. I liked the slightly Italian touch with the substitution of prosciutto for the standard Canadian bacon.

It was time to try our luck with the toss of the coin. LC’s a gambler by nature so it was all or nothing. He called heads and our breakfast entrees were free! By this time several other members of the wedding party had made it downstairs to Pacci, just in time to witness LC’s lucky streak continue.

We both cleaned our plates before I sped off in the HotDish mobile. Pacci is in my Top Ten for a reason…..whatever time of day or night, they do it right!

866 W. Peachtree Street NW 678-412-2402

When is a bagel not a bagel? When it is bread in the shape of a bagel like Thomas’ 100% Whole Wheat Mini Bagels.

I knew better when I was buying them. Bagels are hard but these were spongy like regular bread. Nevertheless, I bought them because they contained more fiber and less carbs and calories than the other brands that make mini bagels.

With only 110 calories, each mini bagel contains 22 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fat, they don’t sound half bad. However, despite the decent amount of fiber, they really aren’t as healthy as Thomas’ would have you believe. Sure, whole wheat is the first ingredient, but sugar is the fourth, followed by suspicious ingredients like guar gum, maltodextrin, datem (what?), and algin (what what?).

I thought I could satisfy my bagel craving with a schmear of light cream cheese for a total of only 160 calories. Not so much. Bagels should be chewy and dense, not light and fluffy. Put a sugar glaze on ‘em and they would be doughnuts!

At least they are made in the USA, in Horsham, PA but Thomas’ Bagels still deserves a Knuckle Sandwich, which a schmear.

Ah yes, brunch with the ex. We used to go to brunch most every Sunday when we were together so when SS suggested it I agreed it would be nice, for old time’s sake.

And what better place to go than Ria’s? Back in our punk rock days, she was the big lesbian that would kick any guy’s ass (and I’m sure she still could). Now she is a successful restaurateur….we’re all so proud!

Ria’s Bluebird is in a small building on Memorial Drive, across from Oakland Cemetery. Breakfast and lunch are served daily but it’s her brunch that has everyone lining up on the weekends, from old folks with walkers to tattooed young parents.

The bluebird motif is found throughout the restaurant. A bright blue painted ceiling and matching wood chairs paired with well-worn wood tables give the space a homey, kitschy vibe, perfect for this progressive ‘hood.

A covered patio on the side provides a pretty yet eclectic seating alternative.

Anything but average, Ria’s menu is a combination of Southern and Southwestern flavors with numerous vegetarian options like the country fried tempeh with house gravy, grilled tomato and sauteed spinach atop a grilled buttermilk biscuit. But SS and I are unrepentant carnivores so we opted for hearty meat and egg dishes.

I chose one of the specials, chipotle chicken gravy benedict. It is almost impossible for me to resist benedict, although my preference is the traditional hollandaise sauce. The promise of spiciness from the chipotle plus the sweet potato cake for my side sounded scrumptious. I didn’t realize it was served on a split biscuit when I ordered it, and I’m not a big biscuit fan. The gravy wasn’t nearly spicy enough so I had to request Texas Pete’s, but I loved the sweet potato cake flavored with cinnamon. A dab of the homemade applesauce on the table was yummy with it.

SS wanted something that would stick to his ribs so he ordered the biscuits and gravy. Ria’s gravy is called pepper milk gravy, a vegetarian version of red-eye gravy. He also got a side of two fried eggs and a side of bacon. Ria’s is generally quite affordable but despite being on a budget, with all his sides SS’s breakfast added up to $12, the same as my special. Math was not his best subject.

Other than eggs and bacon a la carte, Ria’s offers an array of unusual sides like spicy tofu cubes, sliced avocado, and a cup o’ beans, allowing guests to be creative. And, according to The NY Times, they serve the “world’s best pancakes”. I saw another diner’s pancakes and they were fluffier than my bed pillow!

The atmosphere alone is worth a visit and if you love biscuits and pancakes, ya just gotta go!

As you all know, I use initials rather than names for my dining companions. Recently, I had an epiphany while driving to work. If I were to dine with someone who’s initials are AM, together we would be SPAM!

And that got me to thinking (a seemingly innocuous activity that often has ridiculous results). I had never eaten Spam. AM was coming to ATL. Bingo!

The next thing I knew I was in the unfamiliar canned meat section at Publix, determined to buy Spam. Turns out there is Original and Lite, which is lower in fat, sodium and calories. Even so, one 2 ounce serving has 8 grams of fat and 580 miligrams of sodium! But only 110 calories so I bought it.

Excited about my Spam experiment, I decided it might make a good breakfast meat, fried up with some scrambled eggs. AM watched, somewhat horrified, as I opened the can and the meat product plopped out. Perhaps an egg, Spam, and cheese sandwich would be good? AM suggested open-faced sandwiches.

I sliced off two servings and browned them in a skillet, then scrambled eggs, made toast and melted cheese over the whole mess. The Spamwich was born! Very salty, but not terrible.

Then I read the ingredients. Pork with ham (with ham?), and before I could even say it, he did….mechanically separated chicken. WTF? We had to know more.

Wikipedia defined it as a paste-like meat product produced by forcing bones with attached edible meat through a sieve to separate the meat tissue from the bones. Yum. It is used in everything from hot dogs to Slim Jims. Then we watched the video on YouTube.

Other ingredients in Spam are salt, sugar, sodium phosphates, potassium chloride, sodium ascorbate, and sodium nitrite. Jesus Christ! Extruded meat and sodium.

I thought I might use the leftover Spam for a lunch or dinner experiment but, as it turns out, I’m rather disgusted by the idea. Sorry I made you eat that AM!

Making a fried egg this morning it occurred to me that I am a racist….when it comes to eggs.

Brown eggs are “good”. I buy Eggland’s Best Cage Free Organic eggs, high in Omega 3 fatty acids as well as a multitude of vitamins. They come in white too, but somehow, brown is better.

I also buy “regular” eggs, the inexpensive white variety at Publix or Kroger for under a dollar for a dozen. When I make egg white omelettes I use these cheap eggs, tossing out their “inferior” yolks.

For my fried eggs, over easy, I use one white and one whole Omega egg. Sprinkled liberally with salt and served with bacon, wheat toast, and berries, they are very tasty and healthy!

I divided the barley I made last weekend into four equal servings for experimentation. Sandy, my holistic nutritionist, suggested I try it for breakfast instead of eating so much breakfast sausage and bacon which are both full of nitrates.

Honey, cinnamon, dried figs, golden raisins, and slivered almonds make a delicious topping for Greek yogurt so I thought it would also be great to flavor the barley. I really like the chewy texture of the grain and it was actually better than I expected with the honey and dried fruits.

Unfortunately, being the reckless carnivore that I am, I ate my bowl of barley with two links of turkey sausage. (sorry Sandy!)

VACATION RE-RUN #3….still addicted to these. Quick breakfast for those mornings when you’ve got something better to do in bed than out of it.

I was amazed to discover Jimmy Dean makes a variety of healthy breakfast sandwiches. Always seeking convenient options for those early mornings when I’d rather sleep than scramble eggs, it’s great to grab a sandwich from the freezer and pop it in the microwave. A good alternative for my man too, when he’s not in the mood for Cheerios.

Easy, yes. But usually not so healthy. Jimmy Dean’s sandwiches, called D-Lights (seriously) are light in calories, ranging from 230 for the Canadian bacon, egg white, and cheese on a whole wheat English muffin to 290 for the turkey sausage, egg white, and cheese on a croissant. They are low-fat, high fiber, with a good carb/protein ratio, and also contain relatively few naughty ingredients like MSG and preservatives.

I’ve tried them all and my favorite is the sausage, egg white, and cheese on a whole wheat English muffin, which I had for breakfast this morning. Trick is to nuke it on defrost per the directions, then separate the components of the sandwich, toasting the muffin separately while heating the fillings in the microwave (see nifty photo). Then just put it together!

Not gourmet…..kinda like McDonald’s McMuffins, just healthier and you can make ‘em in your PJ’s. Try them and let me know what you think!

While writing about Jonathan St. Hilaire’s newest venture, Bakeshop, I was drooling over the menu. One of the breakfast dishes is Eggs Al Forno. Although there was a description, I was unfamiliar with it so I googled it. Turns out it is an egg (or two) baked in an individual casserole dish on top of bread and cheese….how could it go wrong?

With so much bread leftover from my weekend visit to Bakeshop, the ciabatta was begging to be used for a savory breakfast. I found a recipe online, made a few minor revisions based upon what was in the fridge, and voila! Eggs al Forno. It was scrumptious and simple, here’s how:

EGGS AL FORNO

2 eggs (1 omega 3, 1 regular)
1 thick slice ciabatta (or other bread)
1 oz. gruyere, sliced and diced
1/4 C. grated parmesan
1 scallion, chopped, to taste
olive oil
ground pepper and salt

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly oil individual casserole dish with spray. Place bread at the bottom and drizzle with a little olive oil. Scatter the gruyere, most of the parmesan, and the scallions on top of the bread. break the eggs in a bowl. I used the whole Omega 3 egg and just the white from the “regular” one, but you can use two whole eggs if you prefer. Pour the eggs onto the bread and cheese and top with the remaining parmesan, freshly ground pepper and a dash of salt. Bake at 500 degrees for 8 minutes.

Be careful, it will come out sizzling! The yolk will be soft but set. Serve with bacon, berries, and coffee. Enjoy!

 
My days always start with a healthy breakfast.  Egg whites, turkey sausage, maybe wheat toast if I’m doing grains/carbs, and always a cup of berries.  My cat, The Bunny, has recently developed a rather intrusive habit of laying on the table while I am eating breakfast.  In fact, while I am scrambling my eggs she is positioning herself directly on top of my notebook of lists for the day….food lists, chores, goals.  Without it I am lost.  I swear I’d forget to shower if it wasn’t on my list, but that’s a story for another day.

Today I woke up (a good start already), sliced my strawberries, washed some blueberries and put them in their little white bowl on the table.  As I whisked my eggs some commotion was taking place on the table….The Bunny attempting to bury the berries.  I can’t figure out why exactly, as if it’s not bad enough that she has to lay her hairy body on the table, she must also sniff my food and coffee and try to cover them up like piles of shit. 

By the time I sit down with my eggs and sausage, she is happily asleep on my notebook.  I reach for the berries and….huh?  There are only a few pieces in the bowl.  Momentarily perplexed, I’m rather certain The Bunny did not eat them.  I find them, however, strewn about the table.  Under her tail.  Covered with hair.  Best part?  I picked the hairs off and ate the berries anyway!