Hot Dish Review

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.

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.

Bellisima! MS, my fabulous artist friend has been telling us about Piola’s happy hour for months and we finally had the chance to meet him there on Friday for drinks and complimentary appetizers at the bar.

Piola is an international franchise with US locations in Miami, New York, Naples, Chapel Hill and more. Atlanta’s store is on 11th and Peachtree with convenient parking off Crescent Avenue. Monday through Friday they offer complimentary nibbles at the bar from 5pm to 8pm.

The nibbles are substantial including bread sticks and dips, mini pizzas, olives, bruschetta, gnocchi, and mini sandwiches with copa and cheese. Drinks are yummy including the Brazilian favorite caipirihnia and a delicious kiwi caipiroska.

Piola is a great first stop on a party night. Next door is Ra Sushi (the atrocious, lame, and flavorless chain sushi spot) and Ri Ra, the Irish pub (which I have not yet visited). All in all, this block off Peachtree has become somewhat commercial.

Stop by Piola for a drink and a quick bite before a night out on the town!

This pizza-like tarte has developed a cult following among Trader Joe’s customers. It rocks! Imagine a crispy French pastry topped with ham, sweet caramelized onions, and gruyere cheese. Despite the thinness of the crust, it is fatty at 600 calories for the whole deal.

Split it with your lover with some salad for a lighter dinner. Or eat the whole damn thing yourself! I usually pair it with a bottle of Lambrusco, also from Trader Joe’s….a light, sparkling red wine from Italy (watch for upcoming post!).

HERE’S A RE-RUN WHILE I’M IN RIO!
Top Flr is one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta for many reasons…food, ambiance, price, and service….they shine on all points! Those guys should give lessons on how to run a restaurant. Guests are usually greeted by Darren, one of the owners. Doesn’t hurt that he is English (and hot). The dining room upstairs (top floor) is cozy and they expanded the downstairs space last summer, but I still I prefer to sit at the original bar, although it isn’t quite the same since Adam’s departure. He was one of the original partners and selected the often obscure and wonderful wines on their list. He turned me on to anglianico, a spicy red that I’ve ordered ever since I tasted it.

Diners (and drinkers) are greeted by the smoky aromas of the kitchen….reminds me of a campfire so I especially enjoy eating there in the colder months.

The menu has evolved but several standards remain like the white bean hummus, duck confit pizza, lamb (now pork) skewers, and hangar steak. I can still remember the delicately flavored mussels from my first visit with d. Proteins are mostly a la carte, to be paired with one or two of their terrific sides. Salads are huge and fresh, the pastas are decadent comfort food. The original mac ‘n’ cheese left much to be desired but they have since improved it, and improved it again. It is now one of the best in town, with a creamy bechamel cheese sauce, baked with crispy breadcrumbs on top.

They used to do a duck confit pappardelle, reminiscent of the short rib version at the now-defunct Globe. Duck confit can still be found on a pizza, the current pie topped with pesto, applewood bacon, and grilled portobellos, and some sort of amazing cheese….smoked mozzarella perhaps? An artisan cheese plate is the perfect snack if you are sampling wines at the bar.

Many visits with AG completed my exploration of the Top Flr menu. The boring-sounding-but-surprisingly-not white bean hummus remains one of their most popular appetizers. I’ve had a fabulous scallop dish, a wonderful curry redolent of lemongrass and coconut milk, even the simple chicken delivers a mouthful of juicy, smoky flavor. Having tried practically every dish from appetizers to entrees, I once even ventured to order the tuna tartar flatbread with avocado. I don’t like tuna. I was amazing.

My first dessert there was one of the best things that ever crossed my lips. It was a cold Winter’s evening and me and LC had just stopped in for a nightcap, but my sweet tooth ached for something sinful….the caramelized pear tart with gorgonzola ice cream. Orgasmic.

Friday I introduced Top Flr to my new main squeeze ST. He ordered the salmon (which I admit I did not even try) with the stellar mac ‘n’ cheese (which I scarfed) and I finally had the crispy duck breast. The thick layer of fat left the crisped skin unedible….I wish they had rendered the fat, although the temp and flavor of the meat was perfect. I paired my entree with the sweet potato succhatash with pancetta, roasted peppers, jalapenos, and cream corn. It sounds a bit disjointed and would probably fare better with one less ingredient.

Two glasses of wine later, I craved something even sweeter than ST.
(Remember when Top Flr first opened and they did unusual chocolate truffles with spices and herbs?) Dried mission fig pudding cake (synonymous with bread pudding?) with berry compote….bring it on mama! Kickass.

I could regale you with more tales of Cote du Rhone and the crazy tobacco ice cream they once served, but suffice it to say, I’ve developed a relationship with this place. Is it love? Perhaps. And that just doesn’t happen every day.

674 Myrtle Street, just off Ponce 404-685-3110

IN HONOR OF MY TRIP TO RIO WITH AD! Check out her world tour blog at http://ashleysadventureabroad.blogspot.com

Me and AD went to Fritti last Friday, on one of Atlanta’s last balmy summer nights. I had not visited in quite some time, not since Ricardo hired the new chef, but I’ve long considered his authentic Neopolitan pies some of the best in town.

AD is well versed in wine, having worked for a distributor for over a year. However, neither of us have developed a distinct palette for Italian wines, so we tried a couple and settled on a bottle of Primitivo Salento, Rosa del Golfo. At a mere $36 it was a tasty bargain.

We tracked down Ricardo at Sotto Sotto. It was nice seeing him in a chef’s coat again….back in his element. By the time we were seated outside we were two hungry chicks! I’ve seen Rachael Ray make arancini and wanted to give them a try as an appetizer. Deep fried risotto and sausage croquettes, arancini are served with warm marinara and took the edge off our hunger.

Usually, I order the pancetta, caramelized onion, and hot pepper pie, but wanted to try something different. We opted for two pizzas, the speck e rucola with smoked prosciutto, smoked mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and arugula and the funghi di bosco with crimini and portobello mushrooms and white truffle oil. I had to add some caramelized onions to the funghi making it absolutely amazing! The sweet onions, truffle oil and mushrooms were a great combination. The other pie was smoky and delicious with fresh arugula on top. I added some hot pepper flakes and our fabulous waitress, who used to work at Beleza, grated some fresh parmesean on top.

I like my pizza crust crispy. Crusty. Charred. After a glass of wine I forgot to order them extra done, so there was some unfortunate sogginess in the center of both. But the flavors were as luscious as ever.

AD thought we would have leftovers but that didn’t happen. Our server asked about dessert and when I expressed my uncertainty on which to choose she said the magic words….chocolate soup. Sotto Sotto serves this most amazing dessert which I have not had the pleasure of slurping in at least three years so the moment the words escaped her lips I was already saying “bring it on!”

We ordered a port and a tawny, both very good, to have with the chocolate soup. Ricardo brought over a taste of tawny from Sotto Sotto and we chatted about a new Spanish tapas joint in Decatur.

Before we know it, a chill will be in the air, the leaves will fall, there will be a shadow where there once was sun. And it’ll be too cold for AD to wear that white dress….see, winter sucks!