White Mulberry Preserves
We found Gobal Food & Nuts a few weeks ago. And, we were happy to find a source for green almonds, high quality nuts, and preserves. Finally, we’ve had a chance to open a jar of their white mulberry preserves. And, it is unbelievably good… ok, it’s awesome. At the time, one of our purchases was a nut blend with cashews, pistachios, dried chickpeas, four kinds of raisins, walnuts, a mix of dried fruits (including dried mulberries). We instantly noticed that the dried mulberries reminded us of a sweet & tender dried fig. In the preserve, that taste is magnified. It tastes of caramel and sweet figgy mulberries. In fact, the sugars are so deeply caramelized they taste of honey. It’s ridiculously good. If you like fig jam, you’ll love mulberry preserves! Seriously. And, I know it will be one of our pantry staples for many many years to come. White mulberry preserves might just be our favorite for all time.
Love it!!
Global Food And Nuts
11235 Alpharetta Highway
Suite 111
Roswell, GA 30076
770 619 2966
Hotate, Ikura, Uni & Unagi
Sushi Yoko is an old standby that we’ve been visiting for too many years to count. The presentation is simple. But, the fish is always fresh.
Oshinko
Pickled vegetables
Kaibashira Fry
Served piping hot and super crispy, we really enjoyed this dish. The scallops were sweet, fresh and tender.
And, one more bite of uni ends the meal. Rich, yet delicate… like buttery essence of crab that melts away to nothing in your mouth. It really is shockingly delightful.
Sushi Yoko
7124 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Norcross, GA 30071
770 903 9348
Buckhead Bread Company and Alon’s are our go-to spots for bread. But, we were happily surprised by this French style loaf from White Windmill Bakery. The crust was still crisp when we arrived home. But, by dinner time it lost its crunch. Luckily, we were using this loaf as the bread for our grilled hamburgers. Toasted on the grill, this loaf was great. The smoke added amazing flavor, while the high heat gave the thin crust the perfect crunch. The outermost layer of the crust flaked off in thin, delicate sheets with every bite. We might just use this bread every time we make burgers on the grill.
These were the best home-made burgers of the year. ( …so far)
White Windmill Bakery
5881 Buford Highway
Doraville, Ga 30340
678 887 5200
Nón lá (Leaf Hat)
These hats are genius. We bought one. Within minutes, we were fighting over it. It’s light, practical and highly effective. For $3.99, it’s a bargain. And, we’ll be back for another one… soon.
Cassava Chips
While the actual chips are much smaller than those illustrated in the above photo, they’re quite interesting. They taste like a cross between Pringles potato chips and Funyuns. We devoured the whole bag trying to decide whether or not we liked them. I think that means we like them. But, we really should buy another bag… just to be sure.
Hoa Binh might not be the prettiest Asian market in town. But, it’s a snap to get in and out… quick! We stocked up on a dozen or so pantry items…. including some of the most gorgeous (and fresh) chrsyanthemum tea blossoms. And, we were out of there in 10 minutes. Try doing that at Buford Highway Farmers Market.
Hoa Binh Market
4897 Buford Highway
Atlanta, GA 30341
770 457 3383
Mofongo with Spicy Shrimp
As you can see, the plantains are cooked to perfection. And, that’s no exaggeration. (My pictures were better last time.) The blend of crispy bits, caramelization, and creamy mashed plantain work in delicious harmony. The crispy crumbs of deep fried pork in the center are an added bonus. Served with close to a dozen large shrimp, this meal could easily feed two people. We’re in love with this dish.
Chicken, Yellow Rice and Plantain Mash
Diced skinless chicken breasts, yellow rice and a mashed combination of plantain & root vegetable offer a slightly healthier alternative. But, the serving size is equally giant-sized. Be prepared to take a mountain of leftovers home with you. Or, you might fall into a carb-induced coma.
Versase Dominican Restaurant and Bakery
510 Pleasant Hill Road
Lilburn, GA 30047
770 931 8412
Figs Stuffed with Caramel
Don’t feel guilty. There’s a fig wrapped around your caramel. I love these individually wrapped candies. One makes a perfect little treat.
Walnut!
Creamy walnut pops… genius! Love them!
Juice of the Cashew Fruit
I’ve found frozen cashew fruit (cashew apple) on Buford Highway. But, the flavor is significantly better in this juice.
Super Mercado Jalisco #5
440 Pleasant Hill Road
Lilburn, GA 30044
770 381 9215
Wise Guy
When visiting Colorado, we don’t always have time to seek out the best restaurants. Sometimes, we’re forced to rely on easily accessible food. Spicy Pickle makes a great sandwich. And, we don’t want to forget about them… or their pickles. (picture “borrowed” from Spicy Pickle’s website)
Spicy Pickle
Tasty Over-Stuffed Cannoli
Also, tasty… lobster tails
But, we thought there was a bit too much whipped cream in the pastry cream filling. (Lobster Tails, also known as Sfogliatelle, traditionally have a cannoli-like ricotta and semolina filling. We both prefer them that way.) Both of our purchases were good… not great. We’d have a hard time justifying the drive to return and try the cheesecake. If we’re in the area, we might give them another try. They also have a large assortment of showy cakes, cream pies, tarts, and cookies.
Alpine Bakery
Kantola
Patel Brother’s new space a few doors down from it’s old location is larger, easier to navigate, and stocked with tons of fresh, new stuff. The produce was incredibly fresh. The ginger was some of the freshest I’ve seen in a grocery store. And, the kantola gourds (pictured above) were new to us. So, we thought we’d give them a try. In a way, their flavor is similar to that of a bitter melon. But, they’re much more mild… a bit like a bitter zucchini.
Mace
The powerful scent of this mace was evidence of its freshness. I predict spice bread in our near future.
Pakistani Pink Salt
We also purchased a large bag of pink salt crystals for $3.99. Doesn’t this look remarkably similar to the pricey Himalayan Rock Salt being offered for sale at a number of high end markets around town? It’s lovely… and salty.
Patel Brothers
Suite F
1709 Church Street
Decatur, GA 30033
404 296 2696
Betty invites you in. (One of us loves Betty. Cleary, someone at Smokejack does, too.) We found Smokejack by chance about 2 years ago. We’ve been loving it ever since.
Fried Pickles
We’re not usually fans of fried pickles. But, these were really good. Part of this dish’s success comes from the pickles. They were closer to a deli-style garlic pickle than the bottled grocery store variety. They were mildly spicy with loads of garlic flavor. Fried crisp in a not too heavy batter, they were a great start to the meal. Eat fast, though. They get soggy pretty quick… like all fried veggies with a high water content.
KC BBQ Ribs, Chicken, Corn Pudding, & Collards
It’s hard to judge the size of these ribs. (They filled a standard take-out box from corner to corner.) Every portion on this huge platter is more than generous. But, if the quality wasn’t there, it wouldn’t matter. No worries, though. Every element was near-perfect. The corn pudding was fabulous. The collard greens were solid. (Not as good as Fox Bros., though) Chicken and ribs were both outstandingly good and cooked to perfection. The chicken was crisp at the edges and moist & tender inside. Loved it! And, we love their bbq sauces. They have a Carolina mustard, a KC style, and a pasilla pepper sauce. They’re all good, but, we’re particularly fond of the Kansas City style.
Shrimp & Grits
We were happily surprised by this dish. We ordered it a bit hesitantly. But, the super smoky bacon makes this dish fit right in. Large shrimp, peppers, onions and slow-cooked grits… all of the expected elements are represented. It’s a good dose of skill that sets this dish apart from all the rest. The brown sauce has a lovely depth and complexity to it. We’d order it again eagerly.
Habanero Hot Sauce with Garlic
Oh, yeah… they make their own habanero hot sauce. I dare you.
We love Smokejack a little bit more with each visit. And, the temptation of chocolate pecan pie will have us returning sometime soon. (Very, very soon) One of these days we’ll make it to dessert.
SmokeJack
29 South Main Street
Alpharetta, GA 30009
770 410 7611
|
|
