Hot Dish Review

Following my haute dog lunch, I continued to celebrate my birthday with food and wine at Barcelona Wine Bar. It’s the hottest new restaurant in town, experiencing its 15 minutes of uber-trendiness, making it nearly impossible to get a reservation.

You might expect this place to be the brainchild of one of Atlanta’s genius restaurateurs, but in fact, it is the seventh location, with the original six strewn about Connecticut.

Each with a vastly different decor and layout, Atlanta’s Barcelona is made for partying, with a lively bar on one side, rows of tightly packed tables on the other, and a patio with communal seating and a fireplace. Wood plank walls give the space warmth and provide a rustic contrast to the industrial white tiles with black grout that surround the open kitchen. Lighting is perfect for a sexy rendezvous.

Having been to Barcelona, Spain, a few years ago, I was expecting plates of fried seafood laden with grease, lots of boring potatoes, marinated baby fish, and meatballs with tomatoes. I know, the food in Spain is supposed to be amazing, but that’s just like saying the food in New York City is amazing. Sure it is….if you know where to go. Even with the best advice, I stumbled upon some rather unappetizing dishes in Barcelona.

But the reviews said otherwise. Me, B and C squeezed ourselves into a tiny corner table, birthday gift bags in tow. C kindly agreed to be our designated driver, so B and I began scouring the wine list for an appropriately spicy bottle of red. Perhaps a malbec or temperanillo? B asked our server to recommend one that would suit our taste and pocketbook, but he insisted that we would not be happy with the less expensive bottles and finally persuaded us to go with a Spanish cab. It was rather tasty.

We decided to order a selection of tapas to share. B and I love Brussels sprouts so we started with a bowl of them, grilled until tender with crispy charred edges. Then the octopus arrived, prepared with peppers and fingerling potatoes….great flavor.

A dish of chorizo with sweet and sour figs was certainly more sweet than sour, but delicious nonetheless. I wasn’t as impressed with the chicken empanadas or the grilled hanger steak, but B and C enjoyed them. Our final dish of mushrooms with herbed goat cheese was sublime but turned out to be one dish too many….we were stuffed.

But that didn’t stop us from ending my birthday dinner with, not one, but two desserts. Dulce de leche crepes with chocolate sauce was an enormous portion and the fleur de sel vanilla ice cream that topped them tasted like plain ol’ vanilla. A bucket of churros with chocolate dipping sauce were etherial in their lightness despite being fried dough.

Our tapas experience was just the tip of the culinary iceberg at Barcelona. Offerings include an entire selection of charcuterie and Spanish cheeses, medium plates like lobster risotto and rabbit roulade, and entrees ranging from serrano ham wrapped monkfish to pepper-rubbed filet mignon. Paella for a table of two to six is also available.
And yes, of course the restaurant serves crispy fried calamari, marinated boquerones, traditional albondigas, and patatas bravas.

It could take me a year to work through this menu. Thankfully, the fervor will have subsided by then and I will likely be able to walk in without a reservation at all.

240 N. Highland Avenue NE 404-589-1010

Intriguing reviews and rumors surrounded the opening of One Eared Stag, the neighborhood eatery by chef Robert Phalen located in the space that formerly housed Shaun’s….somewhat ironic as it was Doty who mentored the young chef prior to his opening of Holy Taco in East Atlanta.

Stag’s decor is mostly unchanged, save the multiple animal heads adorning the white-washed brick wall opposite the bar.

Atlantans have a hunger for new dining experiences, devouring animal parts once considered trash, like Phalen’s fried shrimp heads at One Eared Stag or his tacos filled with chicken hearts at Holy Taco.

It had been far too long since I broke bread with B. Having just returned from Mexico, the last few days had been a whirlwind of drama and I needed her sympathetic ear….or a valium drip. I wisely chose her ear, and the Stag’s ear.

I had to park a block away and walk in the pouring rain, but once inside, the fragrant aromas emanating from the open kitchen were immediately comforting. We were seated by the front window near the bar where the noise level was high, providing a welcome buffer to my cursing.

B ordered a glass of temperanillo, not the oh so predictable Stag’s Leap, and I stuck with the Guinness that had smoothed out my mood at home earlier. We had an unusually difficult time agreeing on dishes to share from the menu comprised of mostly small plates with a short selection of entrees. In the end, B landed on a dozen oysters to start. Sticking with the seafood theme, she ordered the fish stew as her entree. I would have liked to try Phalen’s foie gras but the accompanying pineapple turned me off, especially with its $21 price tag. Having been informed by our patient server Justin that the short rib was sold out, I opted for the mussels and Brussels.

Turns out breaking bread at One Eared Stag will set you back 50 cents. I can afford it but damn, really? Two kinds of oysters topped with bits of this and foam of that comprised B’s appetizer. I tried one and was unimpressed, however, she enjoyed the remaining eleven.

Quite some time passed before our entrees arrived. Her stew, topped with bright orange roe, was full of shrimp and fish. However, it was so hot that it burned her mouth. Even after twenty minutes, the temperature of the broth was scalding. Nonetheless, she liked the flavor of the tomato-based stew. My disdain for tomatoes with fish remained intact following a taste.

My serving of mussels was substantial, however lacking in broth. Our server requested extra broth which contained whole sprigs of thyme and several dried red hot chili peppers often found in Chinese food….the type they warn “vely hot, do not eat”. Guess what, I always eat ‘em! The broth was otherwise mild, flavored with bacon and leeks…good for dipping the grilled bread.

Brussels sprouts were unfortunately not roasted, but rather steamed, with the addition of bacon providing most of the flavor. Nevertheless, I would like to revisit the Stag, especially in the Spring when the secluded patio out back promises to be lovely.

1029 Edgewood Avenue 404-525-4479

A holiday rerun for your enjoyment (or disappointment, whatever the case may be):
Coming off a six year media love-fest, the guys at Muss & Turner’s, Todd Mussman and Ryan Turner, expanded to Joel’s former space, calling it Local Three. The third partner is chef Chris Hall, a self-taught cook and Atlanta native.

First, I must tell you the directions on their website are completely confusing. I was pretty sure I knew how to get there off I-75, remembering my two visits to Joel years ago. But admittedly, I have a condition I call “direction dyslexia”, so I can’t trust my instincts where directions are concerned. B was meeting me there and helped me get to the parking garage, along with a security officer. Once at the right building, we still had a hard time finding the restaurant. It was a little frustrating.

All the frustration melted away as soon as we walked into the warm and inviting space. There was no hint of its former stuffy self. Taupe and deep purple walls are a soothing backdrop to the rustic wood furnishings, a trio of pig paintings, a velvet Elvis, and soft, flattering lighting. It is gorgeous.

The trio’s sense of humor is immediately evident, not only in the kitschy decor but in the hilarious menu descriptions, like the “chicken liver mousse a.k.a. meat butter”. I love it that they don’t take themselves, or the food, too seriously.

Like at M & T’s, these boys use as much locally sourced produce and meat as possible. From the design of the space to the menu, it’s as if Abattoir and Miller Union had a precocious child. You will notice that every price on the drink menu ends in a “3″.

B and I were excited about our dining experience, having heard only good things about Local Three. We wanted to start off with a glass of red wine, both of us choosing the Guenoc Victorian Claret, described as “a Big One”…..no surprise there!

On to appetizers, we tried a couple of cheeses and two selections of charcuterie because they were made in-house by Mussman and listed under the heading “Notorious P.I.G.”. Gotta love it. Served with pear compote, honey, and crisp flatbread, I liked the presentation, and it was just perfect with the wine.

With the current battle of the Brussels sprouts in full swing, we ordered their crispy Brussels, listed under “snacks”. Stay tuned for a separate post on those.

B became fixated by the menu’s section called “Today” featuring items that are limited in quantity. In particular, she had her heart set on the salad of Hammock Hollow Farms baby Spring lettuce, radish, Blue cheese, and herb croutons. It didn’t excite me, but the salad of Winter greens on the regular “Appetizers” section certainly did. I make my own Winter greens salad so I was curious to see how Local Three’s version would compare.

A compilaton of frissee, dried apricots, cherries, raisins, toasted walnuts, and blue cheese, it was not as good as it sounded due to the salty, lackluster dressing. My salad kicks their salad’s ass. B’s greens also suffered under a over-salted dressing she described as juvenile. Both servings were large enough to share.

For soups we again chose one from “Today”, an irresistible dish called “Hot Crab on Crab Action”, Charleston she-crab soup topped with Alaskan King crab claws. If you are unfamiliar with she-crab soup, it is made with the roe from the female crab (hense she-crab), cream and sherry. The soup is usually rich and creamy but I found this version to be somewhat lighter with an abundance of crab meat, both in the soup and on top. I thought it was very good but B was not impressed.

We also ordered a soup from “Appetizers”, the creamy sweet potato soup, a disappointing puree that B compared to baby food. The smoked bacon, peanuts, and scallions on top did little to salvage it.

B tried the Chesapeake Bay wild striped bass for her entree, while I went with the grilled Cervena venison. Her fish, served with honey roasted turnips, rutabega, escarole, lemon, and dates, hit all the right notes. It was a fantastic dish.

I ordered my venison medium-rare. With black pepper spaetzle, spring Vidalia onion and huckleberry jus, it was a hearty plate. My meat was, unfortunately, on the rare side, and not as tender as one would wish for. A solid Winter dish.

Chef Hall stopped by inquiring about our meal. He’s a big dude. I’m not sure if he knew we were food writers but chances are, he would have visited either way.

B and I rarely skip dessert, this time sharing the pecan pie. My first impression was that it was more crust than filling. A few nibbles of it with the vanilla ice cream on top was more than enough sugar.

I wanted to love it, I wanted the three local pigs to wow us. No doubt, I will try Local Three again, if not only for its owners’ sense of humor and commitment to quality. To quote the menu “you can’t argue with delicious”.

But you can argue with mediocre.

3290 Northside Parkway NW 404-968-2700

As promised, I’m dedicating a separate post to the Brussels sprouts B and I shared at Local Three. Described as crispy, I was anticipating the dreaded al dente preparation before we even ordered them.

Our server delivered the small bowl of Brussels with our cheeses and charcuterie. I breathed a sigh of relief as they were clearly roasted, the edges charred to the point of crispness. The sprouts were perfectly tender.

One would think B and I had found a replacement for the dreamy roasted Brussels sprouts we had adored at Top Flr. Unfortunately, the simplicity of the preparation lacked creativity. The veggies were tossed with olive oil and an uneven sprinkling of salt and pepper prior to roasting, causing some sprouts to suffer from too much salt while others were perfectly seasoned.

There was no pancetta, no vinegar, no pinenuts, no surprises, and thus, no prize.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sample a meal from Good Measure Meals, a local company that prepares and delivers healthy gourmet meals.

They offer several calorie options and plans, from dinner only to a full day’s worth of meals and snacks. The best part is that 100% of the profits go to Atlanta nonprofit Open Hand. Seriously cool.

My dinner selection was chicken roulade Florencia topped with mushroom sauce, served with bulgar and lentil pilaf with caramelized onions and Brussels sprouts. Part of a 1200 calorie plan, the meal had 380 calories made up of 11 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbs, and 29 grams of protein. It was relatively high in sodium, 800 mg, compared to many frozen entrees I purchase that hover around the 600 mg mark.

Although a typical dinner that I prepare myself is closer to 300 calories, being lower in carbs and protein, I was pleased with the quality and flavor of this meal. As the name suggests, the chicken was a thin breast piece, rolled up with a spinach filling. The Brussels sprouts were steamed tender but lacked excitement. Bulgur and lentil pilaf was earthy with a nice toothsome quality, contributing to the whopping 11 grams of fiber in the meal. It was hearty and satisfying.

If I were a busy dieter, I would definitely consider using Good Measure Meals. They are fresh and creative, plus I admire their efforts to give back to the community.

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!

You know I love Brussels sprouts….even enough to spell it correctly. In fact, my friends B and BB share my love for the bitter vegetable. We order them every time we see them on a menu.

Some of the best ever were at AOC in LA…..baby sprouts roasted with pancetta. In Atlanta, Top Flr’s Brussels still take first place, with Sound Table’s coming in a close second. I really like the vinegary flavor of Bocado’s Brussels but find them a bit too al dente. And then there are the ones that find themselves on your plate, undercooked, underseasoned, unappreciated.

A couple of months ago I started roasting my own with shallots. In an effort to make them as healthy as possible I only used a tablespoon of olive oil for a large casserole dish of sprouts. The result was tasty but dry.

All this talk about Brussels sprouts has evidently sparked some debate among local chefs. What is the best method to prepare kickass sprouts?

BB, a CIA trained chef, decided to do a little experimenting with the vegetable. I took a few notes as he explained his method. First he blanched them in homemade chicken stock (seriously….homemade stock!). Meanwhile, he browned some diced pancetta in olive oil, removing the cooked bits, then browned the Brussels sprouts in the pancetta fat. Pinenuts, finely chopped shallots, dried cherries, and capers in white balsamic vinegar were added, each element meant to balance the other.

He lost me somewhere amidst the deglazing of the pan with aged balsamic or perhaps it was while he was reducing the stock. I do remember he added a sliver of foie gras butter and some shaved pecorino at the end.

I would not attempt to recreate his Brussels sprouts, the method too tedious for my ADD brain. But I was truly excited to eat them! How lucky that I had a leftover duck breast. The pancetta, dried cherries, and pinenuts were abundant, creating a sort of chutney that was the perfect match to the rich duck. The sprouts themselves were tender….just damn delicious.

There is a very good chance these Brussels will end up on the menu at his place opening later this year, giving Top Flr (and everyone else) some competition.

So….kudos to the chef! And Happy Birthday!

Open just over a month, Joey Riley’s new bistro in Brookhaven has quickly become the neighborhood hotspot, with its casual atmosphere and fusion menu. The warm golden walls are virtually naked but one hardly notices beyond the well-heeled crowd.

My dining companion was BB, the obvious choice given his history with the chef owner. BB will be opening his own restaurant and bar nearby in a few months so it certainly doesn’t hurt to know the competition, friendly or otherwise.

The place was packed as we waited for a couple of seats at the kitchen counter. I love eating at the bar, but I really love eating at a counter where the line cooks’ performance is the entertainment.

A few moments later, Joey brought out a small bowl of house roasted cashews and peanuts, spiced up with Thai chili and scallions. They went well with BB’s beer. He also gave us a bowl of spicy Berkshire pork rinds, a.k.a chiccarones, that were greaseless and crisp….an ironic but weirdly good pairing with my glass of Laurent Perrier champagne.

The third small plate we sampled was the pub fries served with duck fat mayonnaise. I’ve long preferred mayo over ketchup, and Riley’s housemade mayo was particularly tasty for dipping his crunchy fries which were not at all greasy.

Riley also sent out a bamboo steamer with two Chinese steamed buns, a starter listed under “First Impressions”. It made a good one. Pork belly, pickles, and hoisin sauce on soft, piping hot buns could have only been improved by adding cilantro.

Both of us enjoy a good glass of red wine so we decided to get a bottle of Syrah called 6th Sense. This is one of the best wines I’ve tried in recent memory….vanilla and nutmeg on the nose and smooth despite a peppery kick. I’ll be looking for it at retail, should be affordably priced around $15.

As we sipped our awesome wine we watched as the line cooks put up dozens of burgers, many of them doubles. You may remember chef Riley won the Battle of the Burgers a few months back before the restaurant’s doors were even open with a pimento cheese, slaw, and green tomato chow chow topped burger, now available all the time at Kaleidoscope.

We could have stopped there but decided to continue through the menu, ordering the Thai style beef jerky, pieces of lean dried beef enhanced by a zingy dressing made with fish sauce and lime juice.

There’s a good bit of Asian influence on Riley’s menu. Rumor has it he studied in Asia prior to landing at The Buckhead Diner. There is also a strong dose of good ol’ Southern cooking. Start with the ahi tuna tartare and follow it with shrimp ‘n’ grits. Why not?

Following our array of appetizers, BB and I decided on two entrees, the sage roasted pork porterhouse and the skillet fried chicken breast, mainly because I wanted to try all the sides that came with them.

The pork porterhouse, an enormous slab of swine, was cooked to medium at the chef’s recommendation. Some folks might be squeamish about undercooked pork but it doesn’t really phase me, as long as it is a quality sourced meat such as Berkshire pork used by Kaleidoscope. It was served with fingerling potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

There’s an ongoing drama with Brussels sprouts dating back to an experience we had at Bocado. Prepared with pine nuts, parmesan, tiny croutons, and a good dose of vinegar, the flavor of their Brussels is fantastic. They are, unfortunately, al dente, and I prefer most of my veggies cooked until soft. I’m from the South after all. BB, on the other hand, is a Yankee and likes them al dente. And that is how they are at Kaleidoscope. I didn’t care for them.

I rarely order fried chicken. By rarely I mean never. However, chef Riley serves his with local collards and baked mac ‘n’ cheese, both of which I insisted on trying. The airline breast had a good amount of breading but it needed a bit more seasoning. Some portions had become slightly soggy, others slightly greasy, but the chicken beneath the crust was seriously tender.

I may not be an expert on fried chicken but I damn sure know my collards. You might even say I’m a collards sommelier! The collards at Empire State South were perhaps the best I have ever tasted, but these were a close second, simmered in chicken stock (according to BB) and flavored with pancetta.

The mac ‘n’ cheese was not quite as stellar. Although it is finished in the oven with some crisped breadcrumbs on top, the sauce that coats the corkscrew pasta is rather thin.

Dessert? Of course. Our server rattled off at least ten options. It’s hard for me to remember a verbal listing, but luckily we both fixated on the same one….the s’mores brownie. Toasted marshmallows are good on just about anything.

I’ll be back for the burger.

1410 Dresden Drive 404-474-9600

Months following our first visit to The Sound Table, B and I stopped in for a late dinner after our official Christmas celebration….yes, two weeks late. We chatted with owner Darren Carr, then took the only table available to find an (almost) entirely revamped menu, due to new chef Brendan Keenan. Chef Shane Devereux developed the original menu with lots of Asian influences but is now spending more time at Top Flr.

A few original items remain such as the popular Oaxacan hanger steak and Spatchcock grilled chicken, most likely because they have cool names (LOL!). Seriously, the steak is killer. Me and B could not resist its tender temptation, pairing it with Brussels sprouts. At Darren’s suggestion we tried the sunchoke puree. A new dish, the grilled quail, also got my attention. We decided to split the four.

They closed the upstairs dining room early so this would be our first time eating downstairs. I really like the minimalist space. We started with a glass of red wine each, B choosing the better of the two, then laughed about the Christmas gifts we exchanged earlier in the evening as we waited for food to arrive.

A small square cast-iron dish was delivered, full of Brussels sprouts roasted with shallots, Benton’s bacon, and sherry vinegar. Damn. Who would have thought that Brussels sprouts could be orgasmic? As good at Top Flr’s, no doubt.

We ordered our steak medium rare, and like last time, it was on the rare side. Arbol chili marinated, and served resting in a pool of pico de gallo, there is no shortage of flavor here.

The grilled quail, however, was an odd bird indeed. Puzzling how it was listed under salads. Three slices of the quail’s leg and thigh were devoid of skin and served on a crispy grits cake that was substantial yet somewhat flavorless. Wilted greens alongside looked and tasted like bok choy and a sauce described as pomegranite balsamic wasn’t much more than a smattering of seeds. The sum of the parts was less than I expected.

Sunchoke puree sounded like an offbeat dish that would elicit oohs and ahhs much like Miller Union’s farm egg in celery cream. The poached egg was there but that’s where the similarity ends. There was a strange aftertaste that reminded me of dishwater, but B didn’t seem to notice. Perhaps it was the earthiness of the roasted mushrooms?

This new menu shares a lot of common ground with Top Flr’s quirky small plate concept yet lacks that definitive wow factor. One thing’s for sure, music is still on the menu. They were crankin’ up the funk as we were checking out.

483 Edgewood Avenue 404-835-2534

I’m trying to kick my sugar habit. For the time being, no caramel corn, mocha popsicles, Clif Bars, or even fruit. Instead of berries with breakfast I add in veggies, making a delicious Southwest omelette this morning, with avocado, tomato, cilantro, and pepperjack cheese.

As with any change in diet, ya gotta keep it interesting or you’ll quickly slip back into old habits. I went nuts in the produce department on my last visit to Whole Foods, buying organic squash, zucchini, a poblano pepper, cippolinis, the avocado, hericot vert, tomatoes, and a bag of Brussels sprouts.

I love Brussels sprouts, usually cutting them in half and sauteing them with some onion and lots of fresh black pepper. But this time I wanted to try roasting them with the cippolinis and some shallots.

Here is my experimental recipe:

16 oz. baby Brussels sprouts
2 shallots
2 cippolini onions
2 cloves garlic
1 tblsp. olive oil
Nature’s Seasoning, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Salt, use common sense

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with oil. Wash the Brussels sprouts, trimming off the ends and cutting the larger ones in half. Peel the shallots and cippolinis, cutting them in half. Mince the garlic with a press and add. Drizzle with olive oil (could easily use 2 tblsp.) and seasonings, and toss to coat the veggies evenly.

Roast for about 35-45 minutes, depending on desired tenderness. I took them out and stirred them around a few times, adding additional seasoning, and continued putting them back in the oven for a total of 45 minutes. Next time I may increase the heat to 425 and see if that shortens the roasting time.

They were delicious! I served them with tilapia for dinner and divided the remainder into two servings, one for lunch the next day and the other didn’t make it past midnight….they were that good.