Holiday Gifts for Foodies: Kitchen Gear

Thanksgiving is over, and that means it's time to start thinking Christmas. (what you thought you had time? Think again!)

If you're like me, you've already been snagging online deals. So here are some of the best gift ideas for the foodies in your life. All of them can be found at great prices in my amazon store!

Kitchen Aid Mixer

The Kitchen Aid mixer is probably one of the most useful tools you can buy. It mixes, it makes sausage, pasta, ice cream...you name it! The initial mixer isn't cheap but the attachments aren't too bad, and in an array of dreamy colors, it actually looks great on your kitchen counter! I especially love the grinder attachment for grinding my own burger meat.

Le Creuset French Oven

Speaking of dreamy colors...the Le Creuset French Ovens come in such gorgeous colors, too, and make cooking feel just a little bit more special.

de Buyer Mandoline

Slicing is a pain. That's why mandolines are so great. Alas mine confuses the bejeesus out of me, but the de Buyer Mandoline looks much more user friendly. And once again, it comes in cute colors!


Mr. AT would never dream of drinking pre-ground coffee. For the coffee purist in you life, check out the Krups Burr Grinder. 

Nuance Wine Finer

The entire Nuance line is gorgeous. It's sleek Scandinavian design for your kitchen, and it makes doing even the most mundane tasks more fun. We love the wine finer for it's ability to help reds breath and be quaffable in no time! Don't miss the equally lovely mortar and pestle.

Nuance Mortar and Pestle

Happy shopping!

Pies, Pies, Pies!

Photo credit: Mikecco

I've volunteered for dessert making duty on Thanksgiving. I love baking, mostly because it's an excuse to eat something ridiculous when all is said and done. But the wealth of holiday appropriate pies is overwhelming. What to pick?

Mr. AT has requested pumpkin, but even that is fraught with options...

Traditional - Pumpkin Pie with Spiced Whipped Cream or Spiced Pumpkin Pie
Chocolate - Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
Salted - Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie
Caramel - Double-Decker Pumpkin Caramel Pie

Current front runner is one of the more traditional ones with a scoop of homemade cream cheese ice cream. Yum!

Angry Chef Dinner at Rosebud

As if being owner and chef at Rosebud isn't enough, Ron Eyester has a new persona - the Angry Chef. Eyester's hilarious rants about the foibles of customers have become all the rage on twitter (follow him at www.twitter.com/theangrychef) and created quite a stir on CNN's Eatocracy blog when he wrote about six ways you can customers can tick off a chef, generating over 1,600 frequently angry comments.

So as a treat for his faithful twitter followers, Eyester hosted a freebie multi-course dinner at Rosebud last night. See he's not that angry!

Actually, he regaled us all evening with angry and hilarious tales of his customer pet peeves, ranging from allergies to asking the restaurant to turn down the music. Heavily peppered with f-bombs, Eyester was on a roll and had the crowd cracking up between the courses. My favorite line of the night? "If I was lactose intolerant and couldn't have cheese or cream, I'd wear an f'ing diaper." That's the spirit!

Our menu was varied and showcased his sense of humor as well as his creativity and the skills of his new chef de cuisine, Nick Melvin, recently of Empire State South. (Sidebar: Does anyone know why Melvin left ESS so fast? The gossip in me would LOVE to know!)

Dinner with the Angry Chef

Amuse: Cured Salmon Tartare

Spaghetti & Lobster Eggroll (inspired by a NYT article on the recent iCarly spaghetti taco craze)

Soup & Salad (san marzanos with saffron alphabet soup)

Beet Risotto

"Steak and Eggs" (a play on his loathing for brunch, brisket and sweet egg)

Some Cheese

Red Hot Candied Georgia Apples

Spaghetti and lobster eggroll

I've always loved Rosebud for it's heartier, cholesterol-be-damned dishes, but the menu's lighter fare was actually my favorite. The soup was cream free and yet was full of rich, spicy tomato flavor. And I've never had a beet risotto before, but Rosebud's take was light and imminently comforting without feeling like a ton of bricks in my stomach.

Beet risotto

The sweet egg was also a delightful surprise. Akin to the sweet eggs you find at sushi restaurants, this square block o' egg was oh so yummy and balanced a fairly salty brisket. And what's not to love about candied apples, especially with a little cinnamon kick?!

"Steak and Eggs," brisket on sweet egg and grits

All in all it was a blast of an evening. We heard stories that quite literally made his former PR gal blush and we got an entire evening of great, free food. Afterwards we popped into his soon to be bar, The Family Dog, in the former Pomodoro and frame shop space. It's not fully built out yet, but the original gorgeous and very high ceilings suggest it could be quite a cozy cool place. Lest you expect something else, as Eyester told us, "it's not going to be an f'ing gastropub. It's a bar....chefs need somewhere to go get hammered." Well said!

Red Hot candied apple

The as of late ubiquitous chef might just be coming to a TV near you. Word on the street is that the queen of late night crude humor. Chelsea Handler, is interested in sharing the Angry Chef with the world. Let's hope that comes to pass, I have a feeling it would be hilarious!

A peek inside the yet-unfinished "The Family Dog"

Rosebud

1397 N Highland Avenue NE, 

Atlanta, GA

(404) 347-9747

News Roundup

Tie on your skates and kickoff holiday season with a spin around the new Rink at Park Tavern launching Monday.

Can't bear to make the turkey yourself? Ted's Montana Grill, Alon's, Ruth's Chris, and Livingston Restaurant are all dishing up Thanksgiving eats.

You're an idiot if you eat an entire artichoke or blatantly plagiarize and anger the interwebs.

I want this for the morning after Thanksgiving breakfast in a bad way. 

Recipe cooking times are bull-honkey

Oh the horror! Dynamic Dish is closing before I ever go to eat there.

La Tavola Brunch

La Tavola is our favorite neighborhood restaurant, and my love for it is well documented. The food is always reasonably priced and scrumptious ,and the service is always friendly and attentive. What more can I ask for? 

Little did I know I can access all that wonderfulness for brunch, too. Mr. AT and I rarely go to brunch. I'm luke warm on egg dishes at best, and I love to hang out in my jammies on Sundays reading the paper and watching Sunday Morning. But we were tempted out of our warm little cocoon with the offer of a free brunch at La Tavola, so we opted to schedule it for our anniversary this past weekend. The celebration should extend from morning to night, right?

The restaurant was busy but not like Murphy's line-apalooza next door. If there's one thing I hate worse than boring omelets, it's lines standing between me and food, so the pleasantly bustling but not packed crowd was just right. They take reservations, too, so you're forever safe from off-putting waits if you can plan in advance.

Mr. AT is always hating on beets despite my love for them, so I snapped up a chance to order a beet salad when I didn't have to worry about what he wanted. The sweet juicy beets were paired with crisp apples, bitter fennel and crunchy pistachios - a symphony of flavors and textures. Even Mr. AT begrudgingly admitted this was one darn tasty salad.

Mr. Fifth Group himself, Michael Erickson, had recommended the Pork Milanese, so how could I say no? The pork scallopine was served with an arugala tomato salad and a poached egg. The egg had a wonderfully liquidy center that burst forth over my crisp and slightly salty meat, adding a richness, while the salad provided an acidic counterpoint.

 

Mr. AT can't resist a good piece of beef, and he virtually never gets it for breakfast, so he chose the flatiron with polenta, broccoli rabe, and a poached egg. The meat was well seasoned and full of flavor, but for me polenta is always kind of blah. Don't get me wrong, there's is quite good, but I ultimately thought I chose the winning dish.

 

It's a nice change of pace to have legitimate dishes to choose from for lunch. If I weren't being tortured by the need to cut back on carbs, tagliatelle or manicotti, two dishes I love on their dinner menu, might have rocked my breakfast world!

As always La Tavola served up a wonderful meal in a pleasant, classy but still neighborhoody atmosphere, and our waiter and the manager were not only cute as can be but also incredibly helpful and warm to boot. My kind of place!

Shhh...check La Tavola brunch out before the eggs and coffee seeking hordes overrun it!

La Tavola Trattoria
992 Virginia Ave, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30306

Richard Blais to open Atlanta Hot Dog Concept

A few weeks back Richard Blais revealed at the Flip media preview that he had a new concept in the works for the Highlands. He announced the same via twitter today and confirmed to Atlanta Magazine that it will be a hot dog concept at the former San Francisco Coffee location in Poncey Highlands.

NY already has some amazing hot dog joints - PDT and DBGB both serve up some epic wieners (yeah, I said it), so I'm glad to see the Varisty is finally getting some competition in the ATL.

Atlanta Restaurant Review: Imperial Fez

Taken while Mr. AT and I were in Fez

I'd always seen Morocco as an exotic dream filled with spice scented streets hidden away in mysterious medinas. Not content to imagine it forever, Mr. AT and I packed our bags and headed to Africa. As it turns out Morocco is one of those rare countries in which the food in large part is not as good as you expect it to be. 

I had grown up enjoying the Moroccan expo at Epcot and found that many restaurants whether in glamorous Marrakesh or tiny desert villages didn't live up to my fond memories. That said there were of course some great restaurants, but the ubiquity of pastilla and fruit inflected tajines eventually wore me down (as did a rather epic bout of food poisoning thanks to Marrakesh's less than stellar food safety standards!), and it's been years since I craved Moroccan cuisine.

So with a groupon in hand, Mr. AT and I headed out to give Moroccan another try and celebrate 4 years of coupledom (a mere 2 days before our 1st wedding anniversary) at the Imperial Fez. I hadn't been there in a decade, but found it just as I remembered it - dark and seductive, with low seating and a warm glow from hanging lamps. Of course it's also jampacked with other celebrating friends and families, so it's definitely not for quiet conversation.

We kicked off our shoes as requested up front and dropped ourselves onto our low seats, which as it turns out can sometimes be more challenging than anything. For instance, it's hard to neatly get food to your mouth when your knees are in the way! Throughout the evening music starts blasting and scantily clad belly dancers head out of the kitchen to entertain the masses. These two ladies could really shake it, and I know from a brief foray into the belly girating arts via Evenings at Emory that isolating all of those muscles is no easy matter. These ladies weren't content to wow us with just run of the mill belly dancing. During later shows, they swirled flowing wings and even danced with swords.

Dinner is multi-course and prix fixe. The only selection to be made is your main entree, selected from among a list of predominantly tajines. I was hoping my favorite - pastilla would be an entree choice, but instead it was an appetizer. These bad boys, known here as b'stella are puff pastry meat pies filled with cornish hen and covered with a dusting of powdered sugar. They may sound strange given their combination of savory and sweet, but Moroccan cuisine is filled with such sweet entrees.

The pace of service is glacial, which ultimately is to be expected at a place where it's all about the experience. There is certainly more than enough performances to keep you attention even when there's a 30 minute break between courses. And some of the greatest pleasures at Imperial Fez are the ritual - such as the rosewater scented water poured over your hands and the super sweet Moroccan mint tea poured from high above your glass. So don't go in a hurry.

The main drawback of the slowness is that it gives you mind time to catch up with your stomach, and by the time my lamb tajine came out, I was full. Looking at the picture again I realize that this dish wasn't much in the looks department. I tend to prefer the look of actually serving the dish in the tajine at least. That said, what little lamb I had room for was succulent, albeit too sweet to eat in its entirety.

For someone who's been to Morocco, the Imperial Fez is more about the experience than the quality of the food. It is no doubt a very fun place to celebrate a special occasion or impress guests, and I'd be willing to bet that those not versed in Moroccan cuisine would find it pretty darned tasty. I for one had a blast with my honey and left with a greater sense of appreciation for the food I ate in Morocco. Perhaps the pastillas really were a bit flakier and the tajine a bit less cloyingly sweet, or perhaps absence just makes the heart grow fonder.

Imperial Fez
2285 Peachtree Rd 
Atlanta, GA 30309

Mirassou Wine Dinner at Woodfire Grill

As a food blogger, I sometimes get invited to free dining events. I consider nearly all free food events to be a win, but every once in a while I get invited to something so spectacular that I'm even jealous of myself!

I had just such an experience when I received an invitation to a free, media only dinner at Woodfire Grill with Mirassou Winery. Six courses of Kevin Gillespie cooking with wine pairings from America's oldest wine-making family? Yes, please!

I went almost expecting for there to be a catch, but fortunately there was none. The event was just as amazing as I anticipated!

Our menu for the night:

Upon arrival we were served a glass of Mirassou's 2008 Chardonnay

Amuse 

Charred local peach, spicy pepperonata, pecorina di puglia

First Course  

Crisp fried laughing bird shrimp with confited shrimp salad, ginger, chile, meyer lemon vinaigrette

2008 Mirassou California Sauvignon Blanc
 

Second Course 

Pan roasted day boat scallop, sweet potatoes, winter squash, black lentils, pear and cashew salad,

green chile jus

2009 Mirassou California Pinot Grigio

Third Course 

Border springs lamb crepinette, cured olive tapenade, lemon cream, mint
2008 Mirassou California Pinot Noir

Taste
Local watermelon "agua fresca" and chile-lime salt

Fourth Course 

Wood grilled local bob white quail and smoked pork belly, roasted local okra, hakurei turnips,
lacinato kale, chicken jus
2008 Mirassou California Merlot

Fifth Course 

Wood grilled border springs lamb leg, roasted local pac choi, mixed young beets, parsnip puree, cardamom lamb jus
2008 Mirassou California Cabernet Sauvignon

Dessert

Peach streusel cake, almond mascarpone mousse, peach puree, peach ice cream, feulletine crumble

2009 Mirassou California Reisling

Woodfire Grill Executive Chef and Top Chef alum Kevin Gillespie walks us through the menu

The last time I had been to Woodfire was before Chef Gillespie blew up on the national stage. Now that he's such a star, I worried he'd no longer be focused on the kitchen, but this meal was in fact even more delicious than the first time I ate there long ago. Gillespie tackled a wine pairing menu with the added challenge of only picking the freshest seasonal ingredients from his farmers. Only once he picked out fall's bounty of squash, scallops, kale and parsnips did he begin the task of pairing it with the Mirrasou wines.

Gillespie walked us through the menu, and it didn't take long to see why he's emerged as arguably the biggest star of his Top Chef season despite not winning. He has a warm presence, due in no small part to his teddy bear like look. But more importantly he displays a passion for food, and an impressive intellect (he did turn down MIT after all). When Kevin Gillespie talks about food, it's poetry, and that fluidity, creativity and beauty comes through in every bite.

David Mirrasou, sixth generation of the Mirrasou wine-making family was there, too, to share his wines with us and entertain us with 150 years of wine-making lore. Turns out once upon a time, the likes of Robert Mondavi, Ernest Gallo and Peter Mirrassou were living it up together in California as they grew an agricultural area into a thriving wine country.

Today Mirrasou makes an array of affordable and quaffable wines. The pairings were universally successful with the food and wine melding in a very happy marriage with every taste.

Amuse: Charred local peach, spicy pepperonata, pecorina di puglia

Upon arrival we were served a Mirassou Chardonnay. So many California Chards are what Mr. AT likes to call an oak bomb, but Mirassou's take was surprisingly fruity with hints of green apple and pineapple. All too often, I'm not enthusiastic about Chards, but this one is infinitely drinkable and would be perfect with or without food.

First course: Crisp fried Laughing Bird shrimp with confited shrimp salad, ginger, chile, meyer lemon vinaigrette

Unlike most of the food, the shrimp in the first course was not local. Never fear, though, Laughing Bird is apparently the most sustainable seafood company around. Wherever it was from, it was incredible - sweet and full of flavor, this dish managed to have layers of complexity despite fundamentally being shrimp with confited shrimp. The citrus of the meyer lemon emulated the grapefruit citrus in the Mirassou Sauvignon Blanc. These dishes were appropriately sized for a multi-course dinner, but oh what I would give for more of this memorable pairing.

Second course: Pan roasted day boat scallop, sweet potatoes, winter squash, black lentils, pear and cashew salad,
green chile jus

We tend to think of seafood as a year round option, but even scallops have a season, and this is it. The earthy ingredients matched the richness of the scallop, while the unique pairing of the wine and lentils' minerality added another layer of flavor. While neither scallops nor Pinot Grigio are my favorites, I appreciated the challenging pairing.

Third course: Border springs lamb crepinette, cured olive tapenade, lemon cream, mint

Up next was a lamb crepinette, a dish I'd never previously heard of. A crepinette is sausage-like, encased in a lacy fat that actually melts into the meat as it cooks, moisturizing it as its fat renders. The crepinette also included pork, which served to mellow the gaminess of the lamb. Once again the pairing was thoughtful - the cured olives were borne out of the same terroir as the Pinot Noir. Also interesting to note is that Mirassou's Pinot is the number one selling premium Pinot Noir in U.S. restaurants and retail. With fruity flavors of cherry and strawberries, and a price tag of only $12.00, nearly unheard of in usually overpriced Pinots, I can see why!

Fourth course: Wood grilled local bob white quail and smoked pork belly, roasted local okra, hakurei turnips, lacinato kale, chicken jus

It wouldn't be a Chef Gillespie meal if there weren't some pork in the mix, so our fourth course was a Woodfire favorite - quail and pork belly, paired with a Mirassou Merlot. As Gillespie told us, "if it grows together, it goes together," so this dish paired local okra, turnips, and kale. These autumnal flavors paired perfectly with the Merlot's dark fruit and velvety texture. This pairing was rich and smoky and oh so good!

Fifth course: Wood grilled border springs lamb leg, roasted local pac choi, mixed young beets, parsnip puree,
cardamom lamb jus

The last savory course, a lamb leg, was prepared in a somewhat unusual way. The muscles of the leg were separated and grilled like a filet, rather than the more traditional roasting method, allowing it to have a more steak-like texture while keeping its lamby flavor. The parsnips were pure bliss -- creamy and redolent of vanilla -- and along with the hint of cardamom in the lamb jus were a great match for the vanilla, dark chocolate, blackberry, and cardamom flavors of the Mirassou Cab. I would like to dive into a bowl of these parsnips. Really.

Dessert: Peach streusel cake, almond mascarpone mousse, peach puree, peach ice cream, feulletine crumble

The last pairing of the night - a peach streusel cake and ice cream paired with a Mirassou Reisling was one of the best. The crisp, sweet wine with an aroma and flavor of peach was heavenly with the cornucopia of peach-inflected components of the dish.

David Mirrasou clearly lives a charmed life. His family has epic tales of immigration, bootlegging and creating an industry, and today he's able to travel the country introducing people like me to his wines. I was impressed with their portfolio, and even more excited to see their incredibly reasonable prices. Everything we drank retails for $12.00 and can be found at your supermarket (even the pathetic Publix wine aisle), and there's no doubt in my mind I'll be trying the Mirassou Pinot, Chardonnay and Reisling again very soon.

Thank you to David Mirassou, Chef Gillespie and the Woodfire team for impeccable service and an epic meal!

Woodfire Grill

1782 Cheshire Bridge Road

Atlanta, GA 30324

404-347-9055

or Opentable.com

Black Friday for Foodies

I'm slammed at work this week and tonight I'm heading to the Food Blogger Social Media Conference event, so forgive me for my lazy posting ways.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and besides eating, that means Black Friday shopping. Hungry after you make your purchases? Check out these options:

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

4 metro Atlanta locations – Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Centennial Park and Kennesaw

www.ruthschris.com

After kicking off the holiday shopping season on Black Friday, November 26, Atlantans can continue the great savings during dinner at Ruth’s Chris by enjoying a complimentary Black Friday petit filet with the purchase of another steak entree. Parties of two to four people will savor one complimentary petit filet with the purchase of at least one other steak entree, while parties of five or more guests will receive up to two complimentary petit filets with the purchase of a minimum of two additional steak entrees. This special offer cannot be combined with any other promotional offers or gift certificates and is limited to two complimentary steaks per party.

The Melting Pot

Four Atlanta Locations

www.meltingpot.com

 ‘Twas ONE WEEKEND ONLY to stuff your stockings full with $100 in FREE fondue cheer! For three days only (November 26-28), The Melting Pot is giving away two (2) $50 “bonus gift certificates” with every purchase of $100 worth of gift cards! That’s double the value right in time for the holidays! For every $100 in Melting Pot gift cards you purchase, you’ll receive $100 in bonus certificates: two $50 certificates to The Melting Pot valid Sunday through Thursday (Valid January – May 2011, and the other bonus certificate valid June – October 2011. Bonus certificates cannot be combined with any other offer, discount or certificate (One bonus certificate redemption per table). Relax and melt away while enjoying fabulous fondue throughout the New Year. Join us for the holidays and purchase your gift certificates now!

Dining for a Cause: 86|HUNGER Nov. 16 - 18

Another excuse to eat for a great cause...

The 86Project announces its first initiative, 86|HUNGER, a three-day dine-out to benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Participating restaurants will donate $0.86 per cover for every dine-in guest from Tuesday, November 16 through Thursday, November 18. 2010. Proceeds will benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Participating restaurants include Aria, Bhojanic, Bone Garden Cantina, Diesel, Cafe di Sol, The Nook, 4th & Swift, Genki, One Midtown Kitchen, Two Urban Licks, Parish, Hudson Grill and Joe’s on Juniper.

For more information about the 86|Hunger Dine.OUT, visit : http://www.86project.com/86HUNGER.html

P'Cheen Turns Five!

Surveying the carnage - Media dinner at P'cheen

Beloved Old Fourth Ward gastropub, P'cheen is turning five. In honor of that momentous occasion, they invited a slew of local  food dorks foodies (including moi) to dinner. If you're not familiar with P'cheen, it's a rather unique establishment for Atlanta - an ambitious gastropub that is NOT focused on Southern farm to table, although they do source locally. In the spirit of European gastropubs, the menu is eclectic and internationally inflected. Think curry trio, fish and chips, rissoto, and yes even BBQ.

House-made andouille

Mike's Bone Lick BBQ is served only on Monday nights, but fortunately for us, they whipped some up on a Tuesday. Ribs are succulent and full of smoky flavor, while pulled pork is served with a variety sauce options, so you're sated no matter what state your BBQ loyalty lies with. I'm a Carolina mustard fan, so I opted for that and only wished I didn't have to split my pulled pork sandwich with Mr. AT! House-made andouille also packed some nice heat.

Mike's Bone Lick BBQ

Always looking for a challenge, the kitchen now offers an appetizer, known only as "Just Trust Us." For $8 you give Chef Alex Friedman free reign to make whatever strikes his fancy. That's right, you don't know what you'll be getting, but they promise it will be delicious and creative, and apparently they rarely make the same thing twice. We sampled meatballs with a ghost pepper sauce, lamb chops, crab salad, and a crispy potato pancake.

Just Trust Us Appetizer - Meatballs and Ghost Pepper Sauce

Little did I know that ghost peppers are very, very hot. My mouth was sizzling for a while after that. This much heat is not for the faint of heart, so it's a bit of a risk for a mystery appetizer, but the other appetizers were distinctive in Atlanta's sea of fried green tomatoes and calamari. For me, lamb was the biggest hit from the appetizers. It was still nice and pink inside and was seasoned with a deft hand.

On Wednesday nights,  P'cheen is serving up a low country boil including fresh Alaskan snow crab legs, shrimp, crawfish, mussels, house-made andouille, red bliss potatoes and corn on the cob served with fresh, drawn butter and crusty baguette for $25. There's just something about a steaming, brightly colored platter of seafood that sets my heart aflutter. There is simply no way to eat this kind of food neatly, but that's half the fun. I've never actually eaten crawfish in the squeeze the tail, suck the head kind of way, but my fellow food writers were more than happy to give me tips on getting it right. Turns out I'm not a big crawfish fan, and I'm just not feeling the sucking seafoody air out of the head thing. Fortunately I am a fan of sweet crab and spicy shrimp! For $25, it is a great deal and is definitely enough for two or more to call dinner.

Wednesday Night Low Country Boil

Next up were some of their regular menu items. The bistro steak a la plancha con chimichurri was my personal favorite dish of the night. The steak was well-seasoned and perfectly grilled. I have a soft-spot for all things Argentine, and this was authentic and oh so yummy. I could definitely eat that again, especially for a reasonable $16.

There are a number of pasta dishes on the menu, and we sampled several. My personal fave? A hearty and warming bolognese, perfect for our newly cold weather!

Amazing that we could find room for dessert, but of course we did. I can't hear chocolate and peanut butter in the same sentence without swooning. Fortunately my fellow diners also dove in heartily, so I managed to get a few bites without going bananas! And yes, it was just as good as I'd hope for with a reasonably light whipped consistency rather than the denseness you might expect from peanut butter.

P'cheen has a dark lounge-like hangout vibe and is home to quirky art and eclectic music from DJ's playing tunes ranging from 80's to reggae to trip hop. Co-owner, Liverpool born Keiran Neely even spins on Saturday nights. So come for the intriguing food and cocktails/beer menu and stay for the vibe. It's the kind of place that breeds loyalty, and I can imagine it could be the kind of place where with time everyone really would know your name.

Happy birthday, P'cheen! It's good to know that Atlantans have a taste for something out of the Southern cookie cutter norm.

P.S. Ever wonder where they got that crazy name? P'cheen is Gaelic for moonshine!

Chomp and Stomp this weekend

Chomp and Stomp, Cabbagetown's annual ode to good neighbors, chili and bluegrass is this Saturday. Want to work up an appetite? Then get your day going with the stomp portion of the day with a 5K at 8 am that day (man, that sounds awful!) I for one will be skipping that whole exercise part and heading straight for the cook-off.

The non-running portion of the day is free and popular so get there early. The fun starts at 11 am and lasts til 6.

Taste of Atlanta

Taste of Atlanta is surely one of the biggest, most approachable food events on the foodie calendar. With restaurants from the white table cloth (Eugene, Pacci) to the decidedly plebian (Waffle House), cooking demos, wine tasting, and local artisan vendors, there was truly something for every taste. Having been to my fair share of events this year, I feel pretty safe in saying that this event attracts a crowd that doesn't typically hit food events. And in my book, it's always a good thing if more people can tap into the wonderful world o' good eating.

I perhaps didn't my due diligence in advance, but I didn't realize how tastings were set up before I arrived. Your $25 ticket got you a book of tickets, which you could use to select tastings from several streets of options. So if you're going for at total bacchanal free-for-all like you find at other events, you'll be disappointed. But at a lower price point than most events, it probably works out to be about the same cost/bite as other events.



The tricky part of that set up is that it encouraged a food snob like me to walk the streets in search of the best options before I made my selections, so there was much doubling back. The other challenge was that on such a gorgeous fall day this event was so packed that some of the more popular vendors were a no-go if you weren't willing to wait in a long line. So no Morelli's or Sound Table for me.

I opted to start out my sampling with fries with truffle parmesan from JCT. For 3 tickets, the serving was HUGE, and was more than Mr. AT and I could justify eating given our day was just starting out. Man oh man they were good though. Perfectly crisp with notable truffle flavor, I'm drooling just thinking about them. Turns out they were my favorite bite of the day.

Local food vendors, such as Coles Lake Dairy were out dishing out there samples for free. I'm always a sucker for crackers and cheese, and these sweet fruit inflected spreads were wonderful.

 

Noon, a sandwich shop I've always wanted to try, but never get to since my office isn't all that nearby, was there dishing up divine fried chicken biscuits. Yes please.




The VIP tent held a wide variety of wines and beers to sample as well as high end bites from the likes of Nava and Dogwood. Oddly enough, the clear tented ceilings meant the tent was actually scorching hot compared to a relatively mild day outside. That didn't bode all that well for the temperature of wines. That said, there was a ton to choose from, and interesting beers such as those from Innis & Gunn especially stood out. My one quibble is that the pours of wine were so very small it was difficult to really get a read on the wines. For $25 extra bucks to get into the VIP tent, methinks a slightly larger pour would be nice. No one seemed to mind, though, and the atmosphere was plenty boisterous, so clearly plenty of drinking was being done!

Way back when, circa 2000, Nava was hot stuff. I never hear anyone talking about it anymore, so I was pleasantly surprised to find their shrimp and grits taco to be flavorful and crisp. In a day chock full o' shrimp and grits dishes, this was one of the best.

All in all Taste of Atlanta can't compete with some of the higher dollar tasting events when it comes to volume and quality of the eats, but at a much lower price point, it's not really supposed to. Rather, it's size and variety makes it the perfect food event for people who don't normally go to food events. And for those who hit all the events, like Mr. AT and me, it's still a relatively inexpensive excuse to get some sun, good eats, and catch demos from a notable lineup of local chefs.