Prawn Crackers with Malaysian Pork Jerky
We lived within a handful of blocks to the Toco Hills location of Top Spice for many years. (This was over 5 years ago.) Some weeks, I believe we ate there more often than we ate at home. It was our favorite spot of a quick weekday meal. Over the years, we’ve probably ordered just about everything on the menu. I can easily say we’ve never had a bad meal. The food might be a bit on the mild side. But, it’s consistently good. There have been a few glitches here and there. For example, on this visit, the prawn crackers (above) were a bit on the greasy side, but still enjoyable.
Penang Char Kway Teow
The squid in this dish were cooked perfectly. They were so tender they almost melted in our mouths. There was a nice amount of shrimp and squid tossed in with the flat noodles. And, the hint of burnt caramel adds a nice sweet and savory note. Though, I’d enjoy a bit more heat. (That’s my one chronic complaint.)
Masaman Chicken with roasted cashews
The avocado is hidden in the sauce. But, there was a generous number of large slices. And, the cashews were nicely roasted. This is one of our favorite comfort foods… Southeast Asian style.
Top Spice
3007 North Druid Hills Road
Atlanta, GA 30329
404 728 0588
Kimchi Dumplings
Kimchi (or kim chee) dumplings are one of our favorite items from the prepared foods section of Buford Highway Farmers Market. They disappear fast. So, they’re usually still piping hot in the package. After fighting the crowds, these mildly spicy dumplings make a great quick lunch.
We also found some gorgeous fruit:
Golden Berries
Slightly sweet, golden berries (cape gooseberry) have a taste that is a cross between a fruity tomato and a sweet & sour kiwi. The texture is similar to a tomato. They’re quite unique.
Dragon Fruit
Why don’t we buy these gorgeous fruit more often? Ah, yes, I remember now. They have very little flavor. This pretty package offers little in the flavor department. It’s actually amazing that something so pretty could have such a boring flavor. My honey describes the experience to be like “eating water”. The flesh is soft, smooth, and juicy with a watery hint of sweetness. The seeds resemble those of a kiwi. They pop interestingly between your teeth. What little flavor this fruit does have seems to come from the seeds. They offer a burst of barely-there freshness. Two large dragon fruit cost $15 dollars ($5.99 a pound, I believe.)
Buford Highway Farmers Market
5600 Buford Highway NW
Doraville, GA 30340
770 455 6701
Cheesy topped popovers
What’s not to love? Crispy cheese topped popovers were served warm with sweet cream butter and sea salt. They were simple & delicious.
Black Angus Burger with double wood smoked bacon
The high quality angus beef shines in this burger. And, nicely charred grill marks underline the rich beef flavor. Interestingly, we both thought the real star of this burger was the double wood smoked bacon. We also appreciated the grill-marked bun. A toasty bun adds nice crunch and a bit of needed structure to this big burger.
From the sesame bun to the iceberg lettuce, this is a great old school burger. We’re eager to return when a gorgeously ripe tomato slice will add the finishing touch to this classic burger. Tomatoes at this time of year do a disservice to this burger.
Lamb with spicy eggplant
This picture doesn’t do justice to the real winner of the day. This perfectly prepared (medium rare) lamb with spicy eggplant sandwich was divine. We both found this sandwich to be the real standout. The complex flavor of lamb complemented the eggplant and spices to perfection. This sandwich is truly memorable. It’s worth every penny. And, it will be the impetus for a return visit… very soon.
Warm Mushroom Salad
This salad was a perfect jolt of pepper and acidic tang. The chevre rounded out the tang with a bit of creamy smoothness. Chock full of arugula, chevre, and an assortment of barely warm mushrooms including hen of the woods mushrooms, this is a perfect balance of flavors. From savory richness, to its peppery bite and creamy buttery cheese, it finishes with a burst of fresh bright green flavor to remind you that it is a salad.
BLT Steak
The W Hotel Downtown Atlanta
45 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd.
Atlanta, GA 30308
404 577 7601
Stimulus Tuesdays @ Carmike: $1 caramel popcorn
We’ve been known to drive significantly out of our way for the chance to have a little caramel popcorn with our movie. They’ve offered a few interesting varieties (chocolate & blue raspberry), but, the real winner is the buttery original.
Carmike Cinemas
St Louis cut ribs and pulled pork
Now open for about two weeks, Smokin J’s dished up this well-prepared plate of St Louis cut ribs and pulled pork. The ribs were a gorgeous shade of pink. They had a great smoky flavor made even better by the carefully charred exterior. The pulled pork was exceptionally tender. We did notice less char on the pork, but, condsidering the buttery tenderness, we didn’t mind the lack of crispy char (bark).
You can see the extremely moist & tender pulled pork chunks. (above) We enjoyed tearing up the large chunks of pork. I believe the large-sized chunks helped to maintain the buttery tenderness.
This plate of pulled chicken and pork demonstrates again the large chunks of meat. The chicken was melt-in-the-mouth tender. We really enjoyed the tender hunks of chicken as much as the pork. And, I’d have to say that’s quite a feat. Usually, the pork always outshines the chicken.
There were several noteworthy sides. The pineapple express (a casserole of pineapple chunks and shredded cheddar baked into a caky batter) was a pleasant jolt of sweet against all the smoky meat. And, the mac & cheese was extremely rich, creamy and cheesy. The above photo doesn’t do it justice. It appears to be drowning in sauce. But, it’s almost pure cheese. Heavy in cheddar and mozzarella, we both loved it. Even if it was deadly rich, we were playfully fighting over the last bite.
It’s hard to believe they’ve been open just over two weeks. They’re dishing up quality bbq. I hope they can maintain this level of quality. We’ll be adding Smokin J’s to our bbq restaurant rotation list. Thanks to Thrillist Atlanta for the tip.
Smokin J’s BBQ
2145 Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30062
770 973 1003
Mystery Chocolates
Shopping for chocolates at New Odessa can be a bit of a mystery. I love marshmallows. And, the above photo depicts a marshmallow… yes? Yes. But, it also illustrates a plum or a grape or… maybe a fig? A jelly-filled chocolate? I was hoping for fig in some form. Nope, it’s not fig. It’s a whole prune stuffed with marshmallow. What sort of twisted humor causes a culture to wrap yummy chocolate around such an odd little dried fruit? I’m not a huge fan of the prune. I can take them or leave them. But, what an evil trick to play on an unsuspecting chocolate lover. Mmm… chocolate. Bring chocolate home. Bite into chocolate.
“This fig has a strange texture.”
“Honey, what is that?”
“It’s a prune.”
“Ohhhh… bummer.”
Prunes… Seriously?? Very disappointing. Oh well, we live… we learn.
Most of the wrappers are labeled in the language of their homeland. With a couple dozen bins of chocolate, the search for winners (pistachio, vodka, cherry with brandy, advocat, more brandy… mMmm) can be fun. But, be warned. Random prunes are hidden behind some of those purple wrappers.
Walnut Cookies
The real find of the day…
Walnut shaped cookies filled with nut paste. Again, YUM! (I believe peanuts are one of the nuts in the paste… if you’re allergic… be warned and inquire about this if you need to) One small case with baked goods has a very limited selection. But, the walnut cookies made this visit worthwhile. They certainly made up for the unfortunate prune incident of 2010.
Another find? Eucalyptus Honey
New Odessa
2793 Clairmont Road NE
Suite C
Atlanta, GA 30329
404 321 3544
Buffalo Burger & sweet potato with cinnamon butter
I can’t tell you why. But, I really really want to like this place. Maybe it has something to do with the incredibly friendly staff and charming surroundings. For me, stepping into Ted’s Montana Grill feels like stepping onto a movie set. The set design? …Steakhouse circa early 1900’s (1920? maybe). From the intimate booths to the more casual wooden chairs there are touches of simple elegance. And, a trip into the bathroom completes the journey back in time. Marble, brass and a powdered hand soap that leaves no doubt of the experience they are trying to create for us.
Sadly, the food is the weak link. Maybe that’s too harsh. The burgers are the weak link. (We saw a number of gorgeous-looking steaks on other tables.) We’ve both ordered burgers on three separate occasions. That’s six burgers in all. And, somehow they managed to overcook each and every one of those burgers. Given this fact, it speaks to the quality of the meat that they were still full of flavor. But, an overcooked burger is a very sad thing.
Buffalo Burger with tomato slices
Under normal circumstances, if we’re given two bad meals in a row, you don’t get a third chance with us. Why did we give this place a third chance? I just don’t know. Even more bizarre… I still want to like this place. I must be in a very masochistic mood. But, this is it… one more chance. We really mean it this time.
Ted’s Montana Grill
5165 Peachtree Parkway
Suite 205
Norcross, GA 30092
678 405 0305
Camarones Brochettes
How do you make shrimp even more yummy? You stuff it with cheese & jalapeno then wrap it up like a package in bacon. And, just to be sure you don’t mistake this for a healthy food, they brush each bacon-wrapped shrimp with melted butter. These gigantic shrimp were delicious. I know we’ll be craving them again… soon.
Matamoros
Mesquite grilled frog legs, tender skirt steak and chicken were brushed with butter on the grill. And, more melted butter (Why? We just ignored it.) was presented with this nicely grilled trio. Clearly, this wasn’t a light meal. But, we loved it. Mesquite grilled frog legs… brilliant.
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Dark roasted tomatoes and onions add a ton of flavor to this salsa. Cilantro is used wisely. Personally, I’d enjoy a bit more heat. But, this is shaping up to be one of our favorite salsas.
Uncle Julio’s
1140 Hammond Drive NE
Sandy Springs, GA 30328
678 736 8261
Bread Basket
Foccacia dusted with a nice blend of herbs and generously covered in coarsely grated cheese that was roasted to a nice nutty crispy brown. What’s not to like?
Gratinato with bacon
Super-rich and buttery cream sauce covers this dish of roasted potatoes, mushrooms, onions and sun-dried tomatoes. Two eggs are added before the dish is covered in cheese and golden brown bacon is added to reach an even more delicious state of deep brown under the broiler. This decadent meal was perfect fuel for a crazy day of demolition in my kitchen.
Lombarda Pizza
And, the Lombarda pizza rounded out the meal. Tasty. Clearly the theme of this meal is — cheese, it does a body good. (Or, is that milk?)
Osteria 832
832 North Highland Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30306
404 897 1414
Pulled Pork Sandwich with sweet potato fries
The Pork
The tender, succulent interior is perfectly crusted with a nicely charred shell of smoky deliciousness.
The Sweet Potato Fries
Close to perfection — I think these are the best sweet potato fries in Atlanta right now. The salt, pepper and spice mix sprinkled on top of these perfectly browned fries push them to to top for us.
Carolina Spare Ribs & Chicken with creamed corn
This picture really speaks for itself. The ribs were perfectly luscious and tender with gorgeous smoky char. The chicken was melt-in-our-mouths tender. And, yet, it is still infused with a perfect amount of smoke. It’s just about perfect. And, the spicy BBQ sauce was pleasantly well-rounded. It had a bit of tang, a bit of sweet, and a bit of spice. (A bit more spice & heat might be better. But, it was enjoyable.)
The one thing they could fix… the sweet BBQ sauce. We weren’t loving it.
Bacon Bourbon Manhattan with maple syrup
We were pleasantly surprised that this works in the real world as well as it does on paper. Thankfully, the maple syrup is used frugally. A heavy hand with the sweet element could have easily ruined this. Instead, the high alcohol content cuts the heavier notes.
For us, right now, DBA Barbecue is proving to be Fox Brothers’ biggest competition.
DBA Barbecue
1190 North Highland Avenue, NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
404 249 500
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