Hot Dish Review

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!

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!

It had been far too long since my last visit to Dynamic Dish, my favorite mostly-vegetarian restaurant. On Saturday, however, I found myself craving a super-healthy salad or creative sandwich and asked my neighbor LG to join me. With five minutes notice we were on our way to Edgewood.

Owner and chef David Sweeney makes everything with loving care, of the freshest local organic ingredients, literally farm to fork! The brief menu, with only five or six choices, is written on a blackboard behind the counter where guests place their orders.

The space is as fresh and vibrant as the food. I love it there on a sunny day….light pours in through the big windows in front.

Our server brought out a little bread and butter as LG and I caught up on recent drama and trauma.

A brunch dish of farm eggs with feta cheese and scallions served on a thick piece of wheat toast with roasted fingerling potatoes intrigued LG, but she wanted to add something green. Sweeney was happy to oblige with some sauteed Swiss chard in the eggs.

My salad, a variation of the first salad I ate at Dynamic, demonstrates Sweeney’s brilliance and remains one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Saturday’s version was mixed Geogia lettuces (mostly butter lettuce), roasted Vidalia onion, julienned apple, walnuts, and chopped dates topped with a round of warm Bucheron Chevre. The cheese is barely melted around the edges of the rind, cool and crumbly in the center. Every element of this salad is exquisite! Lightly dressed greens provide the perfect bed for sweet, chewy, crunchy, and creamy toppings.

Also offered that day was a roasted tofu sandwich with arugula cashew pesto, avocado and peppers on garlic bread with a side of mango salad and a soup of fennel, chickpea, and cashew topped with quinoa and scallions. The side of the day was creamed spinach.

Vegetarians and carnivores alike adore this place. If you haven’t been….what are you waiting for?

427 Edgewood Avenue 404-688-4344

I’m a Southern girl. Sorta. My Mom is German, my Dad is American and I grew up in a small town in Tennessee.

Although my Dad’s family was poor, they ate remarkably healthy. They grew what they ate….green beans, corn, squash, tomatoes, everything. The chickens that ran around the coop could easily end up on the dinner table, having already provided their eggs for breakfast.

Fast forward to my childhood. My Mom was a health nut, always looking for ways to modify Southern favorites. She substituted low-sodium chicken broth for regular in my Grandma’s cornbread dressing. Later, she started using Egg-Beaters instead of whole eggs. Just suble changes, the same great flavor, better nutrition. We ate from the garden in the Spring and Summer, canned green beans for the Winter. I loved okra, poke salad, fried green tomatoes, and sweet taters….and still do!

So what most folks consider Southern cooking is somewhat unfamiliar to me (by most folks I mean yankees). There were no grits or casseroles in my house, no fried chicken or macaroni and cheese.

What I’m getting at is I don’t like typical Southern food….the artery-clogging butter-laden Paula Deen fare. I tend to avoid any restaurant that is even remotely Southern. However, ST had a nice gift card for Dogwood. I had been wanting to go since they opened, having perused the menu, despite its Southernish pedigree.

The space is beautiful with big photos of Dogwood blossoms, white tablecloths, and soft, romantic lighting. I started with a glass of the peppery Hullabaloo zin and ST got a Negra Modelo.

Their specialty is the grits bar. Not a bar at all, but rather specifically Red Mule yellow stone ground grits from Athen, GA topped with one of three toppings: Brunswick stew, pimento cheese and Benton’s fried ham, or braised mushrooms and shaved parmesan. ST likes grits and I felt compelled to try them so we got the Brunswick stew topped bowl. Super creamy, they seemed to have some cheese in them. I could eat a ton of this stuff!

Another Southern thing I don’t like is biscuits. Dogwood’s bread service was reminiscent of biscuits….kudos for creatively making that connection without serving actual biscuits. The crust was crunchy and it was hot out of the oven, admittedly pretty good, although it would have been better with unsalted butter.

We split the grilled baby romaine salad with smoked bacon, blue cheese, Fuji apples, dressed with a creamy red wine vinaigrette. It was awesome, probably my favorite dish of the evening.

My starter of roasted Georgia quail with cornbread-andouille stuffing with country ham butter and mushrooms was really good. The skin was somewhat crisp, a solid flavorful dish.
ST ordered the crispy gulf oysters with caramelized fennel-onion jam, and fried shiitakes. I’m not a big fan of oysters but tried one of the four. I was a big fan of the sweet caramelized onions.

For our entrees ST ordered the Painted Hills NY strip, medium, served with duck fat potatoes and I had the (no surprise here) local honey glazed Ashley Farms duck breast with sweet potato and poached pears.

His steak was huge and delicious. The leftover meat became steak and eggs for breakfast. My duck was the best I’ve had in a long while and as you all know, I eat a lot of duck. Cooked medium, the skin was crisped, the thick slices displayed atop pureed sweet potatoes and poached pears. The best part, however, was the surprise of a bit of honeycomb. Fucking awesome!

Our dessert was a modern take on s’mores…..chocolate creme brulee with a dollop of torched marshmallow, and a graham cracker biscotti. I didn’t taste much graham flavor in the biscotti, it would have been better with just plain ol’ graham crackers like the ones Grandma used to keep in her cupboard.

Ingredients like Georgia mountain trout, pecans, hominy, pimento cheese, peanuts, and grits sound Southern but don’t let the menu fool you. This is upscale dining. My Grandma never made blood orange fumet or sauternes sabayon.

If Atlanta restaurants keep blowing me away with modern comfort food (like Miller Union) and kickass “Southern” fare, I may just consider myself converted.

565 Peachtree Street 404-835-1410

What could be better on a snowy winter’s night than rustic, organic comfort food? Miller Union delivers as the Westside’s newest darling. The much-anticipated project from Neal McCarthy, former Sotto Sotto manager, and Steven Satterfield, former sous chef at Watershed, serves up locally sourced veggies and proteins, giving the dishes an automatic Southern appeal, with a modern twist.

Of course, I had already checked out the menu in advance. Several magic words appeared…..rabbit, brussel sprouts, bread pudding. B agreed to join me despite the slick driving conditions. We each warmed up with a spicy glass of Maurodos Prima Tinto de Toro from Spain.

The restaurant is divided into several sections, each with a farmhouse decor and simple seating. Our table was one of four in a secluded alcove, with minimal embellishment and dark walls. Even on this wintery night, the place was packed.

Neal himself brought out a snack of feta cheese and three different varieties of radish to dip. B and I settled on three appetizers. Funny how we always agree on what to order! We both wanted to try the melted cabbage and mushroom toast and the Sapelo Island clams with bacon, fennel and parsley. I insisted, mostly due to the rave reviews, on ordering the farm egg baked in celery cream. Our server finally delivered some bread which we demolished while casually chatting about sex and plastic surgery.

Along came the melted cabbage and mushroom toast, which became unfortunately mushy due to its toppings. Nice flavor but no contest next to the clams. Bacon and fennel created a memorable combination. But damn! The egg baked in celery cream was some serious culinary genius. Served with crunchy toasted rustic bread for dipping, the yolk was soft and creamy, not runny. Don’t even think about not ordering it.

Rabbit. Need I say more? Slow braised and served atop wild mushrooms and grits. Slightly stringy and a bit gamey, B and I loved the braised bunny. I can’t imagine how much cream and butter were in the grits but suffice it to say, they were rich.

We also shared the White Oak beef ribeye, medium rare, which was juicy and tender. The creamed turnips provided a pleasantly bitter compliment paired with the sweet grilled vidalias. Plus a side of, you guessed it, brussels sprouts, which I believe were sauteed in bacon drippings.

More wine. Time for desserts. Yes, plural, because we had three! A rustic pear tart was simple and good, served with sugar and spice ice cream. But the aforementioned rum raisin bread pudding stole the show! Dense and rich. B wanted to try the trio of herb ice creams….thyme, rosemary, and sage. Interesting. I liked the sage the best but thought the other two were overpowering.

B and I made our ways home on the treacherous icy streets, stuffed with Satterfield’s comfort food, ready for a long winter’s nap.

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!