Hot Dish Review

Road trips provide the perfect excuse for eating total crap, after all, there’s no time for fine dining. LC and I drove to Florida last week, making efficient stops that satisfied the three major travel issues all at once….food, gas, and restroom.

Luckily, I drive a hybrid so the cost of gas is minimal. The first tank got us to Gainesville, Florida. We took an exit that displayed the standard fast food fare….McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Chick-Fil-A…but neither of us were craving their cookie-cutter sandwiches.

That’s when he spotted the Pizza Hut, who’s re-branding has turned the once family friendly neighborhood pizza place into a pizza and wings delivery service. Few of the locations offer inside dining, but the ones that do rely heavily on the buffet. It was 1pm, so we thought it would be a quick alternative to a burger.

There were four or five mostly-eaten pizzas on the buffet, plus two pastas, none of which looked very fresh. I should have known there would not be a pizza with the toppings I would order on a buffet. Our server said it would only take about 8 minutes, so we decided to order a pizza off the menu.

Normally both of us prefer their thin and crispy crust, however, I had an urge for something more substantial. When Pizza Hut first introduced their signature pan pizza, me and my Mom would get a personal pan pizza every time we went to the mall. Supreme. The crust was light on the inside, crispy and greasy on the outside….a real artery clogger.

To keep it simple we ordered a medium supreme pan pizza with the addition of black olives. Service was quick enough, but the pitstop ended up taking 45 minutes nonetheless. The pizza tasted just as I remembered, with minimal tomato sauce, a good scattering of toppings and cheese, melted and browned around the edges of the crust. We both added a good dose of hot pepper flakes and parmasan cheese.

I kept my splurge to only two slices, savoring every greasy bite. LC commented that it didn’t have much taste, but isn’t that the Pizza Hut standard? I sorta enjoy the generic flavor.

We took the leftovers and continued on our way, singing along to classic rock tunes and talking about everything. Sometimes road trips are less about the destination, more about the journey.

One of my most popular posts…..and our dinner last night!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!).

We tried to go to Sound Table. Really, we did. But our friend CL was out of sorts and swore I said Top Flr. So, of course, that is where we ended up.

It was late-ish and I was hungry-ish. B and I made our entrance, said our hellos, and quickly ordered some wine. Quick, however, wasn’t the manner of delivery. It wasn’t N’s fault, all of the glasses were dirty. My lack of patience made the wait seem like forever but it was probably only ten minutes.

Once we each had a glass of Bordeaux, we were ready to order food. The roasted chicken and kimchee plate at Taste of Atlanta had me craving the actual dish. B decided on the pappardelle, the current version with mushrooms. Both of us love Brussels sprouts so we had the Brussels au gratin and the irresistible mac ‘n’ cheese on the side.

As is often the case, seated at the bar, meals at Top Flr become a communal experience. Folks show up, pull up a chair and by the end of the evening you’ve sampled food from friends and strangers alike.

PLB was there with his awesome wife J. JM was running the show. O popped in and joined us, ordering the mouthwatering duck confit pizza. Our entrees and smoldering sides came. My chicken was a tiny little thing, more like a Cornish game hen, however, the portion was rather large. Its crispy brown skin covered the succulent dark meat (did I have three leg quarters?) atop a soy reduction, paired with perfectly spicy kimchee made with Brussels sprouts.

The other preparation of Brussels sprouts, gratin with bacon, cream and fennel was one of the most amazing dishes I’ve had in recent memory. O took a bite and said “I got a big chunk of pork and it was goooooood!” I commented to Dinner Party sommelier JD who was working the bar that I could eat a bowl of it for breakfast and he concurred.

B’s pappardelle was the very definition of comfort food, rich and earthy with chanterelle, oyster, and lobster mushrooms in a creamy truffle jus. The simplicity of the pappardelle belies the hours of labor it takes to make it in-house. It is easy for diners to take the flawless pasta for granted.

An acquaintance of O’s was seated an few stools down from me and we got to chatting about our mutual love of food. Later he offered me a taste of his roasted squash.

My least favorite dish of the evening was the mac ‘n’ cheese. It was a little drier than usual. O shared his duck confit pizza which was as decadent and delicious as ever.

Sound Table, sorry we stood you up. We’ll be back soon, I promise!

674 Myrtle Street 404-685-3110

After racing home from work to meet B Thursday evening, the two of us hopped in the HotDishMobile, dressed in our hot pants and halters, to check out my good friend BH’s party at his boutique.

A little free cheap red wine and catching up with old friends like RD and LB was fun, then we were on our way to our regular haunt, Top Flr, for a bite to eat and a lot more wine, of the not-so-cheap variety.

Our friend CL was outside with one of the owners, JM and his wife. I needed a drink so I sat at the bar inside and ordered a glass of red, a blend I recognized from my trip to the Priorat region of Spain.

The bar at Top Flr can be a communal experience. B was still outside visiting with JM and CL so I was left to chat with my neighbors, on their first date and things weren’t going too well. He gave me a bite of his duck….great flavor but the skin isn’t rendered, leaving a pretty thick layer of raw fat.

Having skipped a proper dinner, I was thinking I would order my usual mussels in coconut soy broth. There are perhaps only two or three dishes on Top Flr’s menu that I have not tried. Although Shane makes changes to dishes based upon seasonal availability of produce, much of it is static, which is quite alright with me. It’s nice to know you can count on the mussels or mac & cheese when the craving strikes.

On Thursday, however, there were a couple of new items, one of them taken straight out of my culinary wet dream….duck confit, stewed figs, and frissee. Shut the f*ck up! I decided to try the other new dish as well, quinoa with tomatoes. The salad was awesome but the quinoa was dry and a little boring, most of it eaten by the crazy dude next to me….with his fingers.

About that time B checked out. A chick named Anna took her seat to my left and we eventually decided to split a dessert, bread pudding with pan-fried bananas. I’m not a fan of banana desserts so the fruit was thankfully not incorporated into the pudding itself, but rather, served on the side.

Next up, three guys from Chicago in town for business. The concierge at The Georgian Terrace recommended Top Flr….a surprising response given the restaurant’s underground vibe. On my second glass of wine, I was more than happy to offer my opinion on what they should order to eat, despite the fact that they had already eaten dinner.

White bean hummus, the mussels, and duck confit pizza are three of Top Flr’s standout dishes. The guys ordered all three, and two of the pizzas.

Drizzled with chili oil and served with crisped pita, the hummus is fragrant and slightly spicy. A tiny dish of olives on the side adds a salty note. The mussels rest in a dreamy broth, redolent of coconut milk, soy, and fresh cilantro. A huge chunk of crusty bread comes alongside for dunking. Duck confit, applewood smoked bacon, portobello mushrooms, pesto, and gooey melted cheese top a flavorful hand-tossed pizza crust….absolute comfort food.

Seated in the middle of the group, I gleefully helped myself to some of everything. About half of one of the pizzas ended up going home with me, making a scrumptious lunch the next day.

And for dinner I would be attending a Dinner Party at the guy’s potential new space, with their new chef! More on that tomorrow….

It wasn’t enough to eat white trash wings at the Holiday Inn on Capital Avenue. No, we had to take the junkfoodmania one step further and order a pizza at my place.

This is no simple task. I rarely order pizza delivery, for three reasons:
1) The driver can never find my condo.
2) It’s cold by the time it arrives because of reason #1
3) After all that hassle, it’s not even good!

Pizza Hut has delivered edible pizza in the past. I usually get a thin crust veggie with ham or some other made-up variation with onions, black olives, and ham. It’s around $10 for a medium….not too shabby.

But for some reason LC suggested Domino’s and I agreed, despite my lifelong boycott of the anti-choice Christian fanatic company. I went online to get a phone number and check out the options. Pan pizza sounded good but he wanted thin. I ordered a thin supreme….or I think they call it extravaganza or something.

When I want pizza, and I mean good pizza, I go to Fritti. Although I’ve heard great reports, I’ve yet to visit Antico….but it’s on my to do list!

Back to the Domino’s delivery. About 40 minutes after I ordered, I got a call from the driver. He couldn’t find my place. Shocking! My condo is impossible to locate, even with GPS. I walked outside but didn’t see him, yet tried to guide him in the right direction. After about ten minutes of this nonsense, there he was, walking up my sidewalk, cold pizza in hand.

Poor dude, it wasn’t his fault so I tipped as I normally would. The damn thing was $16 so I gave him a $20. When I got it upstairs, LC was asleep. More for me!

And isn’t that what everyone wants? More half-ass pizza! Sausage, pepperoni, ham, black olives, onion, green peppers, mushrooms, and cheese on a flavorless crust that (I’m guessing) tastes about like the cardboard box it came in. The addition of fresh grated parmesan and hot pepper flakes did little to redeem the disc of dough that, despite being thin, was still not crispy. An abundance of mediocre marinara added insult to injury.

Next time I want to do something ridiculous like order pizza delivery would somebody please just say no?

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!

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