Hipster Barrista Works at Octane

Somehow I'm always last to the party on memes. I didn't know about planking until I saw it on Tosh.O and friends had to turn me on to Foul Bachelor Frog years after it hit. Fortunately Eater turned me on to Hipster Barrista as the meme was on the rise, and lo and behold, he's not only a surly looking hipster wearing a scarf, but he's also local!

Turns out this pic is from Octane's own website and Dustin Mattson is one of their barristas. Octane is a seriously cool coffee shop, and when I used to work on the westside, it was a perfect place to get some work done or meet friends. I don't know Dustin personally, but his comments upon realizing he's a meme have shown a certain lack of humor that coincides nicely with his photo.

Being a meme must be horrifying, so the only way to deal is to laugh about it (while potentially crying inside)! I do feel bad for the fella, but man these are funny.

Figo's New Meatball Menu

As an avowed carb-nazi I rarely eat at Figo, the local make your own pasta chainlet. That's why I was so excited to learn they have amped up their protein offerings with a new meatball menu!

We were lucky enough to attend Figo's veritable meatballaplaooza to sample their new meaty wonders. The Howell Mill location where we dined has an actual meatball bar, a creative twist on the mozzarella bar (if you've never been the the Osteria Mozza version, you're missing out!). At the meatball bar, you can choose from five meatballs and five dipping sauces, such as peperoni gialli, salsa verde or balsamic barbecue.

When Figo's charming owner and honest to goodness Italian, Sandro Romagnoli, told us we'd be stuffed when we left, I figured that after a few plates of meatballs I would indeed be pretty full. And as we plowed through plate after plate of all five meatball bar menu varieties, I tried to pace myself.

My honey, the grandson of Italian immigrants makes a damn fine meatball, so I have pretty high expectations in that department. Surprisingly, my favorite choice wasn't very Italian at all - the Ya'll, a combination of pork and bacon sausage, corn, bbq sauce and collard greens. Dip that in some barbecue sauce, and you're in business.

Just when I thought I had done a very reasonable job of not getting too full, more plates started arriving. Turns out you don't have to go to Howell Mill to get meatballs, there are also meatballs available on the regular menu, it's just not the same meatball platter and sauce set up. The main menu includes a more classic take, the Nonna Maria and one of my personal faves, the Alba, a beef meatball with potatoes, onions and white truffle. I loved the rich truffle flavor which took an already hearty dish to another heavenly level.

You talkin' to me?

Wow, Romangnoli warned us, but I could never have imagined that we weren't even close to done. Out came steaming platters of pasta, heaping bowls of salad, bruschetta, and even multiple kinds of cake. By the end, I'm ashamed to admit, I couldn't even complete entire meatballs. I just had to nibble to get a sense for them lest I explode into a meat-flecked heap.

I'm on a list kick lately, so here are the top five things I love about the meatballs at Figo experience:

1. Romangoli is legit Italian. Yes I am the kind of snob who likes Figo better now that I know that, and the fact that he's totally charming helps, too. Turns out he initially swore that he'd never do meatballs since they're largely an American invention. So glad he changed his mind!
2. There's something for everyone (in a good way). They stick to what they know (casual Italian) but vary it enough with other influences (see Ya'll meatball above) that you can enjoy a meal there even if you're not really feeling Italian that day.
3. The price is right. At $3.95 for 3 or $6.95 for 7 (one meatball and two dipping sauces), you can get a good sized meal that will please just about anyone without breaking the bank.
4. You don't have to commit to a full meal. The meatball bar is perfect for meeting friends or just having after work nibbles. Grab a pitcher of sangria and some mix and match 'balls and sauces and enjoy.
5. Their desserts are no joke. I have a long standing hatred of lemon-flavored desserts, and even I was impressed by how light and lovely the torta della nonna was, a pastry topped with lemon pastry cream, pine nuts and almonds. If I could just have that same dish in say almond or vanilla flavor, it would be heaven!

Figo

1210 Howell Mill Rd
Atlanta GA 30318

News Roundup

Prepping for the hurricane? 5 things you need to know about eating in a hurricane

Bon Appetit names the 10 best new restaurants in America and my desire to eat at Husk continues to grow!

Cakes and Ale is open in its new location, and there's a bakery that involves something called rosemary monkey bread. Yes, please.

The pizza wars continue, this time in Decatur

Local ice cream geniuses, High Road Craft launch in Whole Foods, and Angry Chef Ron Eyester has created a flavor for them - chocolate peanut butter pretzel. Yum!

Bruni gets in on the latest Anthony Bourdain fight

Atlanta Restaurant News: Yum Bunz to open this winter

 Be still my beating heart, I don't get excited about fast casual concepts all that often, but this one has visions of cha siu baau dancing in my head. Better known Americans as pork buns, these are my favorite reason to go out for dim sum.

Now courtesy of Mike Blum, founder of Big Chow Grill and Real Chow Baby, we can sample all variety of bao (steamed buns filled with meat or veggies) at any hour of the day. Opening this winter, Yum Bunz will feature a variety of inexpensive bao (just $1.59 for one), as well as rice and noodle dishes and various and sundry other Asian accouterments.

Not only are bao totally delectable, but these are all steamed and nothing on the menu is over 200 calories (although given how addictive bao are, I'm sure you'll eat enough to tip the ol' calorie counter notably higher than that!)

Can't wait until winter? Get your bao on at our fave local dim sum joint - Hong Kong Harbour. Keep an eye here and on their facebook page for opening updates!

Holy (Taco!) Robert Phalen Arrested

Uh oh spaghetti-o, someone did not have a good night this weekend!

Phalen is accused of some pretty unfortunate things. I just met him recently at the Gilt launch party at One Eared Stag, and he seems like a nice guy, and lest we forget, he was also once an Adventurous Tastes nominee for hottest chef. Here's hoping that things aren't quite as bad as they seem from these initial reports


I love a good drink as much as the next person, and car chases are certainly a staple of summer entertainment, but they most definitely do not mix. Let's all repeat after me - Don't Drink and Drive (and definitely don't damage property and lead police on a chase in the process)
 For more info go here.

Recipe: Miso Black Cod

Miso black cod had its moment circa early 2003 or so when Nobu and then every other Asian influenced restaurant in creation put it on their menus. It's sweet and almost buttery. When done right it practically melts in your mouth with sweet/salty goodness.

Black cod is hard to come by, so this weekend we found escolar, a Hawaiaan fish, at the Dekalb Farmer's Market. It's also a rich, oily fish like black cod, so it was a reasonable stand in. Apparently escolar can cause some rather, shall we say explosive, results. After reading more about it, I do not recommend taking the chance! The dish we made with escolar was easy to make and totally delicious, but you're taking your life into your own hands if you use that as a black cod substitute!

Miso Black Cod
Adapted from Food & Wine

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons mirin
3 tablespoons white wine or sake
1/2 cup white miso paste
1/3 cup sugar
12 oz of escolar or black cod (or another rich and oil fish)

DIRECTIONS
Bring mirin and white wine (or sake) to a boil in a small saucepan. Whisk in miso until dissolved. Add sugar and cook over moderate heat, whisking until dissolved. Transfer the marinade to a baking dish and let cool. Add the escolar and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400. Scrape the marinade off the fish but don't rinse. Broil or grill fish for approximately 5 minutes or until caramelized on top. Put in oven and bake until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees, approximately 10-15 minutes.

On the Menu: Upcoming Atlanta Dining Events

El Taco's King Chili Pepper Menu - August 17-21

Our favorite neighborhood stop for fried chicken tacos, margaritas and strollers (if you go before 7) launches its five day King Chili Pepper special menu starting Wednesday and running through August 21.

While King Chili Pepper may sound like the title of a movie available behind a beaded curtain at the back of a video store, it's actually chef Scott Keefer's showcase of the versatility of chilies.  Some highlights from the menu include fried panela cheese with mirasol chili sauce and corn salsa; salt cod croquetas with aioli, capers and pickled cubanelle chilies; grilled swordfish pinchos with orange and cascabel chili sauce; and chocolate and ancho chili creme brulee for dessert.  Yum!

Hit up El Taco's website for directions and reservations.   

Caruso and Minini Wine Tasting at Double Zero Napoletana - August 23 @ 7pm
Stylish Sandy Springs Italian newcomer Double Zero Napoletana hosts Leonardo Nicotra from Caruso & Minini winery for a four course dinner with wine pairings for $39.  Check out their facebook page for all the details; at $39 this sounds like a deal!

BYOBakeshop Dinner w/ Dogwood Chef Shane Touhy - September 1 @ 7pm

Midtown's Bakeshop, better known for great baked goodies, sandwiches and coffee, continues its series of fun, family style BYOB dinners.  In this spotlight this go-round is Shane Touhy from the late Dogwood serving up roasted pork racks with succotash and tres leches cake.  Hors d'oeuvres and three courses for $40 including corkage, tax and tip.  
Email bakeshopatl@gmail.com to book. 


South City Kitchen (Vinings) - Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Dinner - September 1 @ 6:30pm
If BYOBakeshop isn't for you but you still want to ring in September in style, head over to South City Kitchen's Vinings location for a four course dinner featuring wines from one of Washington state's oldest and largest wineries, Chateau Ste. Michelle.  $65 includes a reception, an impressive menu with wine pairings, tax and tip. Visit their facebook page for more information.  

The Dish (Seattle Edition): Kalbi Burger at Revel

When I researched dining options in Seattle, Revel's name came up time and time again. But alas it was too far from my hotel to be feasible without a car or a hefty taxi fare, so we didn't plan to go there.

On our last morning in Seattle we picked up a car to drive to Portland. Since it was still early, we figured we'd head over to Fremont for its Sunday market and grab some breakfast there. Well lucky us, Revel is open for brunch, so we got to check it out after all, and man I'm glad we did.

Revel is known for its Korean influenced food, so I wasn't quite sure how that would translate into brunch. Turns out it Korean tinged brunch is quite a bit more exciting than pancakes and omelets will ever be.

The Kalbi burger served with an egg on top, bacon, and a pickled pepper was quite simply divine. Kalbi is a Korean-style marinated short rib. I'm not exactly sure how that translated into a burger (were short ribs ground with regular beef?) Whatever it was, it was flippin' awesome.

The sweet Asian glaze balanced the savory and fatty burger, bacon and egg, and runny yoke makes everything better. Even better, there was no wait for brunch and the open kitchen had seating reminiscent of eating at the counter in someone's home kitchen, which was pretty darn cool. Revel is exactly as hip as you'd hope something in the funky Fremont 'hood would be.

I would like to have a burger like this all the time - is anyone in Atlanta making burgers like this? Considering the burger overload here, you'd think, but I can't think of one off the top of my head.      Upon some research, there is an entire chain of burger restos in LA called Kalbi Burger.  Color me jealous. I can't find a recipe online but here's a marinade for Kalbi that you could use on a burger if you can't get to the west coast!                                                                                                       

Revel

403 N 36th St., Seattle, WA 98103
(North 36th St. & Phinney Ave.)

Adventurous Tastes Giveaway: Free Eversave Deal for Rick's Smokin' Pig BBQ

The folks at Eversave have been kind enough to once again provide a great prize for Adventurous Tastes readers. Today through the weekend you can purchase $15 of BBQ for just $7 (includes food and non-alcoholic beverages only) at Rick's Smokin' Pig BBQ. Not familiar with Rick's? It's way OTP in Gainseville, but it's perfect for your next jaunt up to Lake Lanier.

Enter to win by commenting here before the end of the weekend! Want to buy the deal yourself? You can get it here.

Like Eversave Atlanta on Facebook

Follow @EversaveATL on Twitter

Atlanta Dining Round Up

Lots of fun dining events coming up...

Support one of Atlanta's coolest hoods at the Inman Park restaurant crawl on Aug. 13

Get your swine on at Diesel's Tiki themed bacon and beers event on August 30 from 6-10. Enjoy smoked pig, bacon inspired boat drinks and a classic surf rock.

Enjoy Montaluce's inaugural vineyard dinner on Friday, September 9. For $110 dine amongst the N. Georgia vines on a five-course meal celebrating the areas harvest with dishes including vine smoked sunburst farms trout with shaved fennel, boiled peantus preseved lemon and whipped sweet tea. There will of course be local wine pairings, too. For reservations call 706-867-4060. 


Or live it up at a poultry fueled evening at Empire State South's Sunday Chicken Dinner on September 11. For $85 enjoy an epic sounding menu including unusual items such as confit of neck and gizzards, chicken oysters (anyone remember Blais being robbed by Mike on this cut in Top Chef?), and farm egg sorghum custard in a jar. Unique wine pairings spanning the globe included. Call             404-541-1105      

for reservations.

Seattle Trip Report - Part 1

Things have been so hectic that it's been a month since our trip to the Pacific Northwest, and I haven't written much about it yet. So here goes part one of my trip report. It was a vacation even in the blogging since, so we didn't take many pictures of food, so I'll just throw in some vacation shots for a little color!

Let me start by saying that Seattle was awesome. It was perfect 70 and sunny weather which can make anywhere seem pretty great, but we were struck by what a beautiful and hip city it is.

Quinn's


A hipster and meat lovers paradise, Quinn's is Seattle's Holeman & Finch. We couldn't resist trying a dish called pig face fritters, which are surprise surprise actually made of a pig's face. Alas, they just tasted fried, but how can you pass up a dish with a name like that? Wild boar sloppy joes were just as messy but infinitely tastier than the cafeteria classic. As we'd find throughout the city, there was a great beer selection and a cool vibe.



Pig Face Fritters

Anchovies & Olives



We liked Anchovies & Olives even better than Quinn's. Their menu featured a number of Mediterranean influenced seafood heavy small plates. Since we don't get much of that in Atlanta, it was a very nice change of pace. Hamachi with apple, rhubarb and mustard seed was a startling combination after years of only Asian influenced hamachi dishes. Strozzapreti combined tuna with spicy tomato, currants and olive. Turns out I don't love fish in my tomato based pasta but Jeff loved it. Oysters in several totally different preparations were more my speed.

Tavern Law
We don't go out for drinks all that often (drinking at home is so much fun!) so when we do, we like to do it in style. Tavern Law is the perfect place for old school cocktails, complete with the requisite hipster mustachioed bartenders and faux speakeasy vibe. I'm always tempted to try egg white based cocktails but I always chicken out. This time the bartender recommended one, and I loved it. I wish I could recall which one it was, but I'm a naughty blogger and have forgotten. That said, I loved the subtle sweetness and light foamy texture. Plus any bar that gives those delicious brandied cherries is AOK in my book. Alas we couldn't go to the not-so-secret upstairs lounge because they were all booked up.

So that's it for part one...lots more to come!

Doppleganger Dinners

What a cool idea - a dinner for omnivores and veggies at which the meals look identical but are made of completely different ingredients.

I always feel guilty when I dine with one of my veggie besties. I eat something awesome and she a weird amalgamation of side dishes. This is a much more civilized approach!

With all the underground supper club activity in Atlanta as of late, is a doppleganger dinner next?

More at Edible Geography

Tasty Goings-On at No. 246

I've been a naughty little blogger this week. I've been working my little hiney off in NYC so I've been a bit remiss at posting. I have however been eating well at a few fun spots - The Breslin (lousy service but still worth dining in for the hipness factor), hipper than thou sub shop, No. 7 Sub (brisket sub, yum), heavenly Cambodian sandwiches at Num Pang and trendy upscale Mexican at Empellon.

So here's a little scoop on a couple of things I haven't gotten to check out just yet at my new fave No. 246.

Spaghetti Supper
On Mondays from 5-10, enjoy a $24 4-course spaghetti dinner at No. 246.The menu items will change depending on seasonally available ingredients. Below is an example Spaghetti Supper menu from Executive Chef Drew Belline:·

• Toast with two spreads: wood oven roasted eggplant with chilies and mint and cannellini beans with braised cavolo nero and Parmesan (served family-style)
• Local greens salad with lemony garlic vinaigrette, breadcrumbs, blue cheese and radish (served family-style)
• Choice of one of the following spaghetti combinations: Clams, garlic, parsley and lemon; No. 246 meatballs, Parmesan, San Marzano and basil; Carbonara with bacon, crispy farm egg and soft herb
• Choice of one of the following gelato selections: vanilla, espresso or mint

Chef's Table

Get up a front row seat of Chef Draw Belline cooking at one of four chef's table seats. For $50 you get a 5-course tasting menu specially prepared by the chef, and you get up close and personal with the heart and soul of the restaurant.

For more info, go to www.no246.com.

Have a delicious weekend!

I'd Like a Box of Your Finest Wine, Please.

It seems that every few years, wine lovers are promised that the newest and latest crop of boxed wines are actually going to be good and worth drinking.  With the promise of a wine that's not only drinkable but actually enjoyable seemingly on offer, I've ventured to try a box on a friend's recommendation or a favorable review and have always come away disappointed.

Without a doubt, boxed wine has progressed past the days of the Franzia you may remember (or be trying to forget) from college.
Times wine critic Eric Asimov reviews a roundup of some more recent offerings in the boxed wine arena and comes away . . . meh?

Though he gives the winning Côtes-du-Rhône three stars, his description doesn't exactly sound like a ringing endorsement:

A juicy, pleasurable wine, it would be good for gulping uncritically but offers enough interest to satisfy people who care about what they are consuming.

That is how I would describe probably 50 percent of the bottled wine you can purchase for $10-$12 at your local supermarket (the other fifty percent bear names like Turning Leaf and Yellow Tail).  Granted, I'm not Eric Asimov, but I've encountered many a bottle of "juicy, pleasurable wine" in the bargain aisle at Kroger.

Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt the general tenor of the article, namely that boxed wines sold in the U.S. are by-and-large improving in quality.  That said, it's easy to improve when you have nowhere to go but up.

I want boxed wines to improve to the point that they are a real alternative to inexpensive but good quality bottled wine.  Why?  Mainly because of the host of practical advantages it has over bottled wine.  It's cheaper to package, cheaper and more environmentally friendly to transport for both wholesalers and consumers, and once opened can last for weeks versus a couple of days for bottled wine.  Unfortunately, it's damned by a self-fulfilling prophecy: consumer perception is that boxed wine is inferior to bottled wine, and since it's perceived that way, producers don't want to waste good wine by putting it in a box.

I can only hope that perhaps this time, at long last, boxed wine has improved to the point that consumers will be tempted to put aside their prejudices and give them a shot.  Hey, it's happening with screw caps, sort of.