Writing and Photography
Dish of the Week: Tom Ka Soup Hotpot at Little Bangkok
Step into Little Bangkok’s small waiting area and you’re greeted with walls filled with framed articles about the restaurant. One particularly amusing review mounted at eye level was written by my esteemed colleague Wendell Brock. He wrote it in 2012. Former AJC Dining Editor John Kessler was the last to cover Little Bangkok in this publication. That was in 2014. Continue reading “Reviewers change, but Thai coconut soup stays the same”
Chef Dieter Quinn gently bumps his black Triumph Speed Triple motorcycle over the curb and onto the sidewalk, deftly wheeling it to an out-of-the-way parking spot. Continue reading “Australian-born chef’s Atlanta empire caters to fraternities, sororities”
Dish of the Week: Chimichangas at Bone Garden Cantina
Monday is chimichanga day at Bone Garden Cantina, the Westside Tex-Mex joint operated by the team behind the Vortex.
The special had caught my eye a few times before, but, until recently, I hadn’t visited Bone Garden on a Monday. When I told the waiter I was considering the chimichangas, his one-word response guaranteed my order: “Smart.” Continue reading “These Westside chimichangas will cure a case of the Mondays”
Dish of the Week: Mirza Ghasemi at Rumi’s Kitchen
In his best-selling, award-winning cookbook “Plenty,” Yotam Ottolenghi dedicates an entire chapter to the “Mighty Eggplant.” In his follow-up book, “Jerusalem,” he refers to the aubergine as “humble.”
Which is it? The beauty of the eggplant is that it’s both: humble in its acceptance of a wide range of flavors and mighty in its ability to fill you up. Continue reading “Rediscover the humble (or is it mighty?) eggplant at this local restaurant”
Dish of the Week: Elote Creamed Corn at DAS BBQ
The elote creamed corn at DAS BBQ isn’t your grandad’s creamed corn. If you think of creamed corn as the watery, bland side dish dumped from a can and sitting untouched on the cafeteria buffet, be prepared to have your eyes opened at this Westside smokehouse.
Continue reading “This Westside barbecue joint brings creamed corn to life”
Let’s stop fighting Valentine’s Day. It’s much more fun to just lean into the stereotype. What’s so wrong with flowers, chocolates and a nice dinner with your significant other? There’s something to be said for sharing an amazing meal with the person you love. Good wine, a beautiful space and thoughtful service don’t hurt, either.
Continue reading on the AJC’s Atlanta Restaurant Blog…
Continue reading “9 Atlanta restaurants offering classic Valentine’s Day romance”
Let’s face it: lamb burgers are in a bit of a rut. They show up often on menus, yet they all seem to pull from the same pool of Mediterranean flavors. Feta, olives, cucumber and tzatziki sauce commonly top lamb patties. These high-potential burgers have somehow been painted into a cultural corner. Continue reading “Lamb burgers get energized at this Ponce City Market restaurant”
DISH OF THE WEEK: Squid Ink Spaghetti at La Tavola Trattoria
Ordering pasta in a restaurant should be approached with a healthy dose of skepticism. Why pay retail prices for something you can boil at home? On the other hand, pasta becomes a must-have and a measuring stick at restaurants that make it in-house – though you’re likely to pay a premium for all that extra effort. Continue reading “Elegant Italian is a steal at this Virginia-Highland trattoria”
DISH OF THE WEEK: Bangers and Mash at Ormsby’s
One of the tragedies of winter in Atlanta is that we are so often deprived of the real thing. Thanks to the gorgeous snowfall in early December, made all the more beautiful by the fact that we didn’t become a national laughingstock that time around, our city got a taste of legitimate winter. A couple of weeks later, Atlanta’s typical version of the season kicked in: a constant temperature of 50 degrees paired with non-stop rain.
Continue reading “Warm up with bangers and mash at this West Midtown restaurant”
Dish of the Week: Cheese Puffs (i.e. Crab Rangoon) at Sushi Itto
The first time we visited Sushi Itto a couple of years ago, my wife looked over the menu in consternation. “They don’t have Crab Rangoon,” she said, obviously dejected. Upon closer inspection, we saw a different dish that looked promising: Cheese Puffs, described as “cream cheese with Krab stick, deep fried with crunch.” The description is apt, and Sushi Itto’s Cheese Puffs are delicious – several steps above any other Crab Rangoon I’ve tried.
Continue reading “This Lavista Park sushi spot redefines Crab Rangoon”