Hot Dish Review

Few things are as exciting as the first flip flop day of Spring! Margaritas on a patio wearing said flip flops are the next logical step. Although Spring officially began a couple of weeks ago, Monday really felt like it, so LC and I got off work early and headed to East Atlanta’s Holy Taco.

It’s easy to fill up on their housemade chips cut from fresh corn tortillas. When fried, the layers separate, creating pillowy puffs that are perfect for scooping up their guacamole and unique salsas, like the Ecuadorian style that we ordered. But the first order of business was a couple of skinny margaritas with salt. Tastes like Summer!

Enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun, we decided on a few tacos but I also wanted to try something new. Chef Phalen, who also owns One Eared Stag in Inman Park, makes use of unusual ingredients, especially for a tacqueria. In a particularly risky move, we decided on a side dish made with a vegetable I don’t really like….cauliflower. The florets were roasted, accented with green olives and dried dates, then liberally sprinkled with fresh rosemary, a heady combination of salty, sweet, and herbaceous. It sounds crazy and it is….crazy good!

LC ordered two tacos, the brisket and the 12 hour roasted pork shoulder, both of which we’d had before but I couldn’t remember which I preferred so I tried something more adventurous, the young goat, all three on corn tortillas. It’s toppings of sweet onion, guindilla peppers, and mustard salad (you mean mustard greens?) were scarce but luckily I saved some of the guacamole to scoop on top. I still haven’t had the balls (or perhaps enough tequila) to order the taco with fried chicken hearts.

Yes folks, Spring is here, although Mother Nature continues to tease us with cold snaps. But soon, it will be flip flops and margaritas full time!

1314 Glenwood Avenue 404-230-6177

Starting off 2013 with reruns like everyone else!
Chef Robert Phalen’s shrine to the tortilla, Holy Taco is a quirky spot that fits right in its East Atlanta neighborhood. Much like his dishes at One Eared Stag, Phalen makes use of obscure ingredients and offal in dishes like his fried chicken hearts faco and the “Buffalo style” pig tails appetizer.

The expansive patio comprises most of the seating with a long bar inside. Brightly painted brick walls reminded me of Cabo. A nice selection of tequila is available by the shot, but they are just as expensive as the drinks, so we ordered our standard skinny margaritas with salt. By the way, if you are planning to sit on the patio, make sure you wear something long enough to cover your thighs. The chairs and tables are the black wrought iron variety that cause (nearly) permanent indentations.

Although I wanted to order something unusual like arepas, we resorted to our usual chips, queso with jalapenos and guacamole to start. The chips were cut from their corn tortillas, which are not made in house but obviously come from an authentic (although admittedly not Mexican) source, then fried, creating thick and flaky chips. Guacamole was much like mine, just not as spicy. But the bottle of XXXHot Habanero Sauce on the table scorched our tastebuds when added to the queso…ay carumba!

We did venture off the taco trail by ordering the pan fried padron peppers as a starter. Eaten individually or added to our queso, these little boogers packed a lot of flavor, but only about one in ten were hot….exactly like our server said.

However, we were at Holy freakin’ Taco so we had to order tacos! I only wanted one, but it was so hard to choose….young goat or grilled shrimp? In the end I couldn’t resist the skirt steak with cotija cheese, while LC tried the 12 hour roasted pork shoulder and the beek brisket tacos, all in corn tortillas. We also got a side of corn on the cob, described as “streetstall-style roasted organic”.

Every taco I eat is a test of authenticity compared to the God of all tacos eaten in Playa del Carmen. Holy Taco’s tortillas were made of yellow corn (yay!) but were flimsy enough to require two per taco (boo!). Unfortunately, juices from the fillings caused the tortillas to get soggy and fall apart. I enjoyed the steak and the pork, although a liberal sprinkling of cilantro would have helped both. Neither of us cared for the brisket which was accompanied by five pieces of carrot. I couldn’t find the Vidalia relish that is mentioned on the menu. The corn, topped with spiced mayo and queso fresco, was sweet and awesome, but I think it would have been even better with roasted chili butter.

I really wanted to save room for the pan de chocolate or an order of churros, but I ordered another skinny margarita instead.

And that’s how I like my corn. Hardcore.

1314 Glenwood Avenue 404-230-6177

Too exhausted to cook, LC and I often find ourselves in a quandary after late nights at the office. Luckily, I live in the Virginia Highlands with everything from organic burgers to sustainable seafood a few minutes from my condo….as long as we can find parking, that is.

A recent evening found us driving towards my place, him in a suit, me in workout clothes, both ravenous. Often, we end up at Goin’ Coastal or Yeah! Burger, but I was craving something else, something spicy. So we met at El Taco, where the parking is plentiful. The traffic on the way, however, was reason enough to start with skinny margaritas (not like we really needed a reason). An extra shot of tequila on the side hit the spot.

Although LC said he didn’t want to eat many chips, we emptied the basket with the arrival of some queso. A trip to their awesome salsa bar added fuel to the fire (or vice versa) as we dipped into my favorites, their scorching hot habanero mango salsa, roasted tomato salsa, and chopped cilantro.

Rather than our usual tacos, we wanted to try an El Taco original, the Mexican pizza, flipping a coin to decide between homemade chorizo and carnitas. Chorizo won the toss. An enormous super-thin masa crust is covered with black beans, chorizo, queso fresco, jalapenos, avocado, radish, and fresh lettuce and tomato, then finished with a drizzle of crema. It was a delicious mess that would make a great appetizer for a large table or a hearty meal for two. We had to take some home, which was devoured later for a midnight snack.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, the whole clan met at the Botanical Gardens for their holiday light show. It was unfortunately freezing ass cold, so we bundled up, sipped some hot chocolate, then headed to El Taco. It was the day after Christmas and the place was packed. The only table large enough to accommodate our group of ten was on the patio which was surprisingly toasty.

This time we started with a pitcher of skinny margaritas and the standard chips with guacamole, queso, and salsa. I got a little dish of the habanero mango salsa to see if the boys could take the heat. Their mouths on fire, attention was quickly diverted by the announcement that the prize wheel was about to spin. Despite having ten numbered wooden nickles, no free drinks or desserts for us.

Plate after plate of fajitas and tacos arrived. For me, a steak taco and a roasted chicken taco, both requested in corn tortillas, were warmly satisfying. Charred jalapenos and chopped cilantro make these far better than average.

Everyone enjoyed their Mexican meal, from the teens to grumps himself. There’s nothing like some habanero salsa to warm you up on a cold Winter’s night.

1186 N. Highland Avenue 404-873-4656

Maybe it’s a sign of our fear of commitment. Temporary boutiques are popping up everywhere, food trucks roam our streets setting up shop in parking lots, and now there’s a pop up restaurant at Atlantic Station….but only through the end of the year.

After an ill-fated Yelp party located in the vacant former Fox Sports Bar space, BB and I ended up at this foodie find operated by Billy and Jenn Streck of Cypress Street Pint & Plate. Staffed by a hodge podge of industry pros including chef Bart Hibbs who’s worked with such stars as Iron Chef Michael Symon, Hudson North feels as polished as any restaurant in town.

Decor is simple, puncuated by candles in mason jars strung across the intimate dining room abandoned by The Grape. The addition of Christmas trees adds to the Wintery festivity. We chose seats at the bar, always enjoying the entertaining banter of a witty bartender….perfect since this one was a stand-up comedian on holiday. With champagne on my brain, I chose the cocktail made with it, hibiscus liqueur and bitters. Sparkly and subtly sweet.

Although we snacked on a couple of things at the party, BB was ravenous, starting with the pickled plate, an assortment of things like country ham, ricotta, mixed olives, and pickled cantaloupe balls. I hate cantaloupe and actually have an allergic reaction to it as well, but was still tempted to try it pickled. Mistake for me, but BB devoured ‘em. I stuck to the meat, cheese, and olives with toasted sourdough.

Turns out, chef Hibbs had just left, but owner Billy arrived and made up for his absence by sharing his off-menu Brussels sprouts and filling us in on his pop up concept. Sure, I’ll have another cocktail!

We moved on to a couple of shared plates, the shrimp dish at his suggestion, braised chicken tacos at mine. His was better, a thick ragu of cannellini beans and lamb sausage providing a platform for the succulent shrimp. Sections of orange added an acid zing while the mint that usually decorates the top was put on the side to spare me and my distaste for it.

The pair of tacos were overstuffed corn tortillas that became unfortunately soggy due to the ancho chile sauce on the braised chicken. But a crisp root vegetable slaw gave the dish a pleasant crunch and saved the day. Although my choice was twice the quantity of food, it was about half the price of the shrimp dish.

Like a one-night stand, Hudson North will be a distant memory in a few short weeks. Difference is, we’ll actually miss this one.

264 19th Street NW 404-747-2297

Our recent visit to El Porton in Alpharetta was the first time I had dined on their patio, with its furnishings made of huge, heavy barrels. The weather was ideal, plus their menu had undergone an update to include more a la carte tacos and creative appetizers. However, the menu is still the kind with photos of the dishes inserted in heavy plastic binders….appropriately kitschy.

We started with guacamole made tableside and LC blurted out an order of ceviche before there was any discussion. His folks got their usual pitcher of frozen margaritas while LC and I stuck with our usual skinny variety with lime juice and agave nectar.

The serving of citrus-y shrimp ceviche was generous, chopped with tomato, onion, and cilantro, garnished with a big slice of avocado. Tortilla chips were thick and unappealing, keeping my nibbling to a minimum, although I do enjoy their smoky salsa.

The kids split fajitas and me and LC ordered a selection of tacos in corn tortillas. I stuffed mine with cheese, lettuce, cilantro and guacamole….gringo style. They were light and fresh.

We cleaned our plates then worked off the extra chips at the nearby putt putt course.

4902 Atlanta Highway, Alpharetta 678-393-8888

Despite the heat, I love outdoor dining in the Summer. And LC likes to hear live music. So when considering our options for Saturday night, I conjured up a place with a patio and a band….Park Tavern. Plus, I had a craving for their tuna tacos and a bottle of cold unfiltered sake.

With its ideal location on Piedmont Park, the restaurant and its banquet rooms are a popular choice by brides for their nuptuals. We arrived to find a wedding in progress upstairs as well as a wedding reception in a tent by the park. As luck would have it, an entertaining cover band was playing inside the tent, so we chose a hightop table nearby where we could hear the music…and because those tables have comfy padded vinyl chairs.

Our server came by for our drink order and returned with LC’s margarita and hot filtered sake. I didn’t bother to taste it. We ordered edamame to nibble on. Her second attempt was cold filtered sake, so I gave up and ordered a glass of prosecco, which she delivered in a highball glass. Good Lord!

We enjoyed the soybeans, vibrant green against the white dish, as we watched the sunset. A stray bride made an appearance. And so did our order of tuna tacos. These little gems are made with fried wonton wrappers, filled with avocado, jalapeno slaw, and thick slices of seared rare Hawaiian sashimi-grade tuna, drizzled with wasabi mayo and sweet teriyaki. The quality of the tuna is evident….it melts in your mouth. A whisper-thin slice of fresh jalapeno garnishes each tiny taco (there are five per order), adding an extra kick to the sweet, salty, spicy dish. We love them!

When our server returned I ordered another prosecco, this time requesting a champagne glass. We followed up the tacos with a sushi roll called Dyno-mite, with tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, and avocado inside, topped with hamachi, crab, and spicy mayo. I usually shun sushi (say that 5 times fast!) with fried ingredients, but this one contained too many tempting elements to ignore. What goes better with sushi than onion rings? We got a side order, but it was only three huge ones, a little heavy on the breading.

We enjoyed the wedding party’s band and sipped our drinks while we waited for our sushi to arrive. Another bride whooshed by followed by three bright blue bridesmaids. The festivities captured the essence of the evening….romantic and optimistic. The sweet mood was contagious, prompting an impromptu proposal from LC.

So spur of the moment, in fact, that no ring was handy to make the words official. Guess we shouldn’t have eaten all three of those onion rings!

Turns out the tuna tacos aren’t the only thing we love.

500 10th Street NE 404-249 0001

On a recent Sunday, LC and I were on our way to my rental property near Turner Field when I suddenly remembered the Braves were playing a day game, so we diverted off the Boulevard exit and went to Six Feet Under instead. Nothing like a few cold beers to chill out a sweltering Summer day!

It was my first visit to the seafood restaurant with views of downtown Atlanta and famous Oakland Cemetery from their rooftop deck. Does the name refer to the depth of the water where the fish are caught or is it a not-so-subtle reference to the graves across the street? Perhaps a bit of both.

Despite the heat, LC and I chose to sit at the bar on the deck. It felt a little like being at the beach. We ordered a couple of beers and an appetizer called spicy rat toes….three baked jalapenos stuffed with shrimp then wrapped with bacon, plus one habanero (extra spicy rat toe, sold individually for $2.25). My mouth was on fire, cooled off by the Blue Moon draft with a slice of orange….a refreshing twist as well as a clever marketing gimmick.

We followed that up with a cup of seafood gumbo, a spicy roux filled with oysters, shrimp, sausage, and rice, topped with cheese and scallions. Cornmeal crusted okra halves (awesome!) and a subtley sweet cornbread fritter accompanied the gumbo, making it one of the best renditions of this classic I’ve tasted in years.

LC ordered a couple of juicy sliders with a side of killer coleslaw (yes, that is what it’s called on the menu and was also his assessment of it). Having visited with a business associate a few months back, LC recommended I try one of their blackened shrimp tacos, filled with fresh spinach, mixed cheeses, cucumbers, sweet onion relish, and fried leeks, with salsa verde on the side. Intriguing. I ordered one a la carte sans the cucumbers. Six Feet Under doesn’t use corn tortillas so I was stuck with the flour variety. When it arrived, an abundance of shrimp sat upon a bed of vibrant greens, completely covering the tortilla. My first bite revealed a bright freshness that one rarely finds. The kind of tortilla was irrelevant. Not authentic Mexican, but I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the intention. Their list of creative American tacos include fried calamari and grilled catfish, both of which are probably kickass.

In addition to spicy appetizers and tasty tacos, the restaurant has a large selection of steamed or fried seafood and over fifteen sides to choose from, including that awesome fried okra. I shall return!

437 Memorial Drive SE 404-523-6664

Our weekend trip to Smith Lake in Alabama was relaxing. There was no TV or computer at the lakehouse, a bare-bones trailer perched atop a hill overlooking one of the cleanest lakes in the U.S. Normally, this would cause me some angst but I honestly didn’t even notice until it was brought to my attention.

After a night on comfy foam cots, and a day of floating and boating, we drove back into town where our hosts have a lovely house with a pool. We stopped by a Mexican restaurant called Lupe’ on the way. LC and I started with their lime margaritas with Patron, an $2 upgrade to the regular $7.99 price. Our little Mexican server promised they contained no sour mix. When he brought them out they were enormous! Not only that, but very strong and made with fresh lime juice.

We ordered cheese dip and guacamole to start, delivered swiftly with thin hot tortilla chips. The cheese dip was very watery and it was questioned whether or not the guacamole was pre-packaged or made in-house, but I forgave those minor inadequacies after a few sips of my colossal margarita.

I had an unusual craving for enchiladas oozing with cheese. After disecting the lengthy menu, I found they made enchiladas suiza, three for only $6.49. Stuffed with chicken and topped with salsa verde and a smattering of cheese, they simply weren’t as cheesy as I had envisioned. The rice and beans filled the plate, but not my belly.

LC and I also ordered a variety of tacos in corn tortillas, gringo style with cheese. My steak taco was very tasty, topped with lettuce, tomato, and guacamole. LC also requested their hottest sauce, the kind they would serve to their relatives. It was chili-based, and with the pickled jalapenos, added the spice that is often lacking in Mexican restaurants this side of the border.

A couple of orders of fajitas were enough for everyone else at the table to share, with extra to take home. So, if you find yourself hankerin’ for Mexican in Cullman, Alabama, head to Lupe’!

Riding the wave (pun intended) of trendy fusion tacos, this relatively new spot on the square in Marietta marries Mexican and Asian street foods to create a fun and flavorful menu. Think Takorea and Hankook.

The concept is simple, really. Take a typical Asian meat and sauce, like chicken with peanut sauce, and stick it in a flour tortilla, which unfortunately, is the only kind they have at Taqueria Tsunami. Asian is used here in the broadest sense with a variety of cuisines represented, from Korean to Chinese. Other creative dishes incorporate typical Asian ingredients like fried wontons to re-create Tex-Mex dishes like the nachos we shared on our recent visit with TH, our friend from Louisville, and her man D.

Topped with shredded Kogi BBQ short ribs, queso, fresh jalapenos, lettuce, and corn salsa, the nachos were crisp and light. Some cilantro would have made this great starter even better. We took turns licking the plate. We also tried the avocado cilantro egg rolls, a somewhat decadent combination of fatty avocado wrapped in wonton wrappers, then fried. Nevertheless, neither of these dishes was greasy.

We ordered a variety of tacos for our main dishes, thinking we could share them, but alas, they were pretty darn small. TH’s tiny Thai chicken taco looked lonely in the middle of her big plate. LC got the Baja fried fish taco as expected, along with the Aloha chicken because our server said it was the spiciest one on the menu. He also tried the jalapeno cheddar tots on the side. I ordered the Rich Man’s taco filled with grilled steak and the Rising Sun with Vietnamese pork.

Both of my tacos were tasty but didn’t have much zing. I requested a tiny side of guacamole to add depth. The steak would have been better wrapped in a corn tortilla. I made a mental note that a similar steak taco at Bad Dog Taqueria was superior.

Everyone devoured their tacos and guzzled their beers with smiles. None of us was impressed with the jalapeno cheddar tots that tasted of neither jalapeno nor cheddar. In fact, we concluded that both flavors were in the dip….isn’t that queso? That’s cheating!

Enjoying the balmy Spring evening at a sidewalk table, we felt a few drops of rain as we finished off our tacos. No worries, we would head inside for dessert. All three sweets offered sounded yummy. We ended up getting sopapillas to share and two orders of apple pear empanadas. It was sugar overkill, each plate arriving with a full scoop of vanilla ice cream. But we managed to munch our way through the plate of fried wontons, light as air, sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with honey….not your typical sopapillas. Each order of empanadas was not just one but two fried pies, crispy and full of fruit. We were happily stuffed.

With another location in Buckhead, Taqueria Tsunami is a solid contender in the fusion taco wars. So the next time you’re craving Thai food but your hubby wants tacos, you’ll know what to do.

70 South Park Square, Marietta 678-324-7491

The Kentucky Derby fell on Cinco de Mayo this year….an unfortunate coincidence. LC and I were the only two of our group going to the track for The Derby, however, we wanted to enjoy breakfast with the gang before donning our hats and throwing our (I mean his) cash away.

Our Derby trip hostess TH, a college friend of LC’s, often visits Wild Eggs for breakfast, and suggested we go there. The decor was bright and modern, with a partition cleverly made of plastic eggs encased in glass. We weren’t necessarily in a hurry, but the 45 minute wait for a table was a bit lengthy. The girls enjoyed mimosas and the gentlemen bloody Marys while we waited.

As a regular, TH knew our server well. Once seated, he delivered an enormous complimentary cinnamon roll for us to share, however we had to wait an additional 30 minutes for our coffee. Not a good start.

Folks love to recommend their favorite dishes to me when they discover I’m a food writer. Usually I go with my instinct, but on rare occassions, I take their advice….and then regret it. Unfortunately, my breakfast would prove to be a perfect example of the latter.

Several menu specialties have a Tex-Mex flavor including Kalamity Katie’s Border Benedict which TH said was the best thing she ever ate. I was in the mood for a benedict smothered with rich hollandaise so why not try it with a Mexican twist?

The menu described the dish as “green chili cheddar corn cakes, topped with chorizo, two poached eggs, queso fundido, pico de gallo, sour cream, green onions, and avocado”. Visions of crispy corn cakes, juicy slices of spicy sausage, poached eggs with creamy yolks, and chunks of avocado whirled in my head. I wasn’t sure about the queso sauce, described as “sauce like you put on nachos” by our server so I requested it on the side along with a side of hollandaise.

When the plate arrived, 80% was covered with potatoes. I have no use for potatoes and didn’t realize they accompanied the benedict or I would have made a substitution. Sadly, the corn cakes were thick and dry, there was a tablespoon of very salty crumbled sausage scattered on top, and my poached eggs were overcooked. The bits of avocado could have fit in a thimble and the queso was disgusting but, of course, there was no hollandaise. I had to wait another ten minutes for that. It was impossible to hide my dissatisfaction. Meanwhile, another damn cinnamon roll came out.

Like the horses racing by us at Churchill Downs, much of the food we ate was also a blur. We enjoyed decent boxed lunches from Lotsa Pasta on Oaks Day. During The Derby itself, LC and I got a lobster roll at one of the snack bars near the betting windows. Among all the ladies with hats were a couple of dudes with sombreros, reminding me that it was Cinco de Mayo.

In a futile attempt to have a decent bite of Mexican food, LC and I decided to stop at Senor Iguana’s on the way home. All we wanted was a table outside, a decent margarita and a few tacos. Too much to ask? You bet. There were no tables available on the patio so we sat at a hightop in the bar. LC ordered skinny margaritas, but the bartender had clearly never made one before, filling the tall plastic cup with soda after a shot of tequila and a squirt of lime juice. Horrific.

We fared better with the starters. Chips were quite good dipped in freshly made guacamole and queso (much better than the queso at breakfast) and there was a lovely dish of jalapenos to spice it up. Tacos were not offered individually so we got one order with fish and another with carne asada, all on corn tortillas. I requested cheese on the beef.

Our server brought out pork instead of beef but quickly remedied the error, although the advertised diced onions and cilantro were absent. Each taco was made with two somewhat soggy tortillas. I peeled off the unnecessary tortillas and added guacamole. An unexpected bowl of tasty red chili sauce was served with the carne asada which did a decent job of covering up the chewy, flavorless meat. Shoulda gone to Chuy’s.

Uncharacteristicly, LC didn’t win at the track. And Wild Eggs and Senor Iguana’s didn’t place.