Hot Dish Review

When I learned that David Sweeney would be closing his wonderful cafe, I was shocked and saddened. On my last visit with my Mom a couple of months ago, Sweeney was upbeat, having recently completed renovations including more bar space in anticipation of finally getting his liquor license.

What happened, you ask? The exhorbitant cost, government red-tape, and ultimately the legal bullshit involved in getting, or rather not getting, his liquor license.

Thankfully, I found out about the eminent closing in time to have one last lunch. Sweeney’s final service will be on Thanksgiving day, a gracious way to thank the neighborhood that has supported him throughout his 3 1/2 years in business.

The small space was full when I arrived at 1:30pm on Saturday. I chose a seat at the bar and started snapping pictures. Seated next to me was a chick who was also taking pictures. Turns out she is a personal chef and big fan of Dynamic Dish too.

Menu selections didn’t disappoint, in fact, with only six or seven choices, it’s amazing how difficult it always is to decide. Each of Sweeney’s dishes exemplifies his idealism. Flavors are clean and vibrant, each ingredient in perfect harmony with the others on the plate.

There was a creamy carrot and sweet pepper soup, a sandwich of taleggio, Bartlett pear, almond butter, scallions, and cranberries on fresh bread baked locally at Magnolia Bakery. A bowl of coconut chickpeas with quinoa, sweet peppers, scallions, and cilantro was offered as well as a brunch dish of farm eggs with roasted potatoes….vegan, vegetarian, just plain good.

I was having a hard time deciding between the two salads on the menu….one with endive, chicory, and almonds, topped with an individual round of Bucheron Chevre, broiled until it just starts to melt. I’ve had variations on this salad with the chevre in the past and they were kickass. But Saturday I chose to try something new, the salad composed of mizuna, avocado, sweet sesame, daikon radish, cilantro and grilled meaty oyster mushrooms. Sweeney is a master of texture and flavor combinations that please every sense….crunchy, sweet, bitter, creamy, all in one amazing bite.

As predictable as I can be with food, Dynamic Dish is (was) the sort of place that forced me to be spontaneous. You just never knew what Sweeney had in store when you walked through the door.

David and I chatted briefly about his future plans. He said he would most likely return to catering, staying here in Atlanta. He brought me a sweet treat, an almond stuffed date, with my check.

It is the only restaurant on my Top Ten list that is mostly lunch and vegetarian. I will sorely miss the welcoming staff, the sunny little space, and most of all Sweeney’s dynamic dishes.

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!

Serving up love in the Old 4th Ward! The restaurant is hard to find, in what is still a relatively sketchy neighborhood, but I always leave happy that I came.

Each of my visits have been solo for lunch. It was probably Cliff Bostock’s rave reviews that peaked my interest in visiting a vegetarian restaurant because I am certainly a carnivore. But it sounded as though the chef/owner David Sweeney was a daring entrepreneur who’s reinterpretation of vegetarian dishes was vibrant and creative.

His dishes are made with meticulous precision. You will never find limp greens in your salad or less than perfectly ripe pears, apples, or flavorless tomatoes….locally sourced, impecably prepared. The prices reflect this diligence, but as is so often the case, you get what you pay for.

Last Friday found me in the neighborhood so I stopped in. I particularly love the space on a sunny day given the entire front is windows. It feels so fresh, clean, healthy. Every table was occupied by two diners but it is commonplace to share here, so I sat with a couple of guys that said ‘fuck’ even more often than I do (if that’s possible).

Never knowing what will be on the menu I was thrilled to see Sweeney using every Fall ingredient I love, making my decision a difficult one. I could not pass up the sweet potato soup with chestnut, coconut, and cinnamon raisin croutons. Brought out by my favorite server (Stephen?) with a piece of fresh bread from Magnolia Bakery, unfortunately with caraway seeds, but I still nibbled on it anyway. I was hoping the soup would have a bit more sweetness, especially with the addition of coconut, but it was the cinnamon raisin croutons that really made it for me.

Along with the soup I had half a salad of radicchio, frisee, escarole, Gala apple, sunflower seeds, spring onion, and feta. In hind sight I would have just had a whole salad, it was fabulous! Different than other salads I’ve had at Dynamic, this one was almost a chopped salad, every component perfectly intregrated and balanced.

My first meal here was a salad of arugula, pear, and candied pecans topped with a mini round of warm Bucheron. That was probably over a year ago and I still remember it! Damn, it was good. I really need to get my ass over there for pizza night on Saturdays….I hear reservations are necessary, keep in mind the space is quite small.

Due to the seasonality of the menu, it changes daily to include what’s at market. Sweeney’s background in catering healthy meals in Germany translates here into a concise blackboard menu of a salad (sometimes two), a sandwich, a bowl or plate of vegetables, a soup, whatever works best with the ingredients at hand. There are some sweets like dark chocolate, almond stuffed dates for a dollar and a small selection of organic cookies, some wheat-free options, coffees, and teas.

So go……you’ll feel good inside and out!

427 Edgewood Avenue Closed Sundays & Mondays 404-688-4344 www.dynamicdish.net