|
|
|
|
This durian pudding with nata de coco (a fermented coconut water and seaweed jelly) had the unusual firmness that is common in Asian jellies and jelly candies. And, with a taste that was more reminiscent of jackfruit than durian, it was surprisingly tasty for such an economical treat ($2.00 for six small puddings). Assi Market
Poppy seed bun, Vienna beef dog, neon green relish, sport peppers, chopped onions, dill pickle spear, tomato slices, mustard and celery salt… whew… is that all? Well, no. There’s always the optional giardiniera relish. This isn’t just a hot dog… it’s a meal.
This Italian beef is topped with fried onions, peppers and more giardiniera… of course.
Mike’s Hot Dogs
Each component of this dish was prepared with skill. But, the pork was utter perfection. Crisp and miraculously tender, I’d love to eat this dish every day. Sadly, I’m not a lumberjack or Olympic swimmer.
So, instead, I steal nibbles off my honey’s plate and order the arepa paisa. An ingenious concoction composed of the same ingredients, but, on a much more manageable scale. Fried pork, steak, onions and peppers are finely minced & stuffed into a fluffy arepa that has been dressed with avocado. Tasty! And, I don’t need a nap afterward. Las Arepas de Julia
Need holiday gift ideas? Check out Jaemor Farm Market. They’re worth the drive… I just hope you have a few hours to spare. Jaemor Farm Market has a wide assortment of fruits, vegetables, nuts, snacks, baked goods, jams & jellies, fruit ciders and juices, preserves & pickles, boiled peanuts, handmade items and other gifts. There is even a small shack selling BBQ. (We’ll be checking that out on our next visit.) The corn field maze & pumpkins for sale (many varieties of pumpkins of all shapes & sizes) in the market are a must for Halloween! They’re open now thru Christmas. (But, they close early on Christmas Eve.) Current Favorites: Jaemor Farm Market
Fish fried to order and speedy (almost instant) delivery of the fried food to your table contribute greatly to the success of Crawfish Shack. For fried food to be eaten at the peak of its perfection, there is a very small window in time. And, the small size of this restaurant aids its success. With each visit to date we’ve been rewarded with steaming hot & crispy shrimp that maintain their tender and succulent interiors.
Breaded with a bit of a heavier hand, this order of fried oysters was still quite enjoyable. Con: They close too early! (Mon-Thur @ 7:00pm & Fri-Sun @ 8:00pm) Crawfish Shack
Enjoyable dining choices keep the Phipps and Lenox malls at the top of our list when it comes to choosing a mall for holiday shopping. The crispy pan-fried trout with goat cheese ravioli and brown butter sauce make shopping more bearable for my honey. The crisp brown bits on the tender trout work beautifully with the tang of the goat cheese and the nutty rich goodness that is brown butter sauce. Sweet red pepper slices, arugula and sliced artichoke hearts round out the dish.
I could happily make a meal out of this soft fluffy bread slathered liberally with basil butter. Soft, easily spreadable butter is a feature to me. I love it. This basil tinted butter was creamy, smooth and soft. I don’t understand restaurants that serve rock-hard butter. Do they expect us to sit around letting the bread get cold as we wait patiently for the butter to reach room temperature?
This dish was surprisingly good. At first glance, I was disappointed to see a cream based sauce. This thought instantly evaporated with the first taste. This large bowl of shrimp, spicy andouille sausage, spinach and tomato was served with a heaping mound of perfectly creamy grits dotted with teeny tiny baby chives chopped finely. I devoured every speck of the grits before giving the shrimp and sausage a second thought. I rarely complain about the window dressing and decor at any given restaurant. But, I must say it warrants a mention in this case. Since our last visit (probably last year), the dining room has grown a bit disheveled. When we saw the dingy menus (downright dirty, to be honest), we almost left without trying the bread basket. We were hungry and gave them a shot. I’m glad we did. The food was quite enjoyable… but, the surroundings need a serious polishing. Seriously. Prime
I wouldn’t call the version of Spumoni (or Spumone) served at Athens Kouzzina traditional. But, all the flavors are there. A traditional Spumone would have a variety of flavors swirled or layered, then dotted richly with candied fruits, nuts, chocolate, and a hint of spice. The version at Athens Kouzzina consists of an ice cream base that’s delicately flavored with pistachio dotted with small pieces of candied orange zest, cherries, and chopped pistachios. No layers or swirls… and no chocolate is present. If the texture were a wee bit smoother and creamy, we’d be in heaven. It’s still close to the the best spumoni gelato we’ve tasted in Atlanta. Athens Kouzzina
This might not be the best cup of coffee in town. But, it’s strong & better than diner coffee.
Some might find this to be excessive potato usage. But, I enjoy simple food for breakfast (especially after a crazy night). So, this was just what the doctor ordered. And, the potatoes were crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. I couldn’t ask for more. The one thing I would ask for next time? Properly cooked poached eggs. Both poached eggs were over-cooked with hard yolks. Mmm… (not) I’m really not a fan of hard-cooked eggs.
Now, these eggs were perfectly cooked. At first glance, they appeared a bit overdone, but, they weren’t. Everything on the plate was cooked beautifully with nice golden brown edges & bits. Even, the black and white puddings were nicely pan-fried and enjoyable. Irish black pudding with the addition of sweet spices is one of the tastiest varieties. The plain white toast was the only disappointment here. We weren’t offered an alternative… I hope there is one. We’ll definitely ask next time. I can assure you… there will be a next time. And, we’ll both be ordering the Irish Breakfast. An entire day’s worth of food on one plate, we love it! Why waste your time eating all day when you can get it all done in one sitting? Ri Ra Irish Pub Hours: Mon-Sun 11:00am to 2:00am
While there is nothing complex about this meal, the fish and shrimp were served steaming hot, super crisp and perfectly cooked. With two frying options, these two plates (above and below) demonstrate the “crispy” fried option. The dominantly cornmeal breading was nicely seasoned with salt and a little bit of pepper. A sprinkle of cajun spice would be nice… or, a simple little dusting of paprika and cayenne as a finishing touch. But, oh well… we can live without it. The one one minor complaint? The potato salad was a bit heavy and sweet. That didn’t stop us from eating every bite. We found ourselves craving the savory/salty cornmeal-crusted shrimp even more with each bite of potato salad.
And, these shrimp are seriously good. No bells & whistles… Crawfish Shack is all about the food. Do you really need anything more? You do? Well, there’s always tomorrow for that. Crawfish Shack |
|
|
Copyright © 2024 Review Atlanta - All Rights Reserved Powered by WordPress & Atahualpa |
|
