I eat at this place every time I'm lucky enough to be in Asheville, North Carolina and am always rewarded with delicious, well prepared food from a menu that changes frequently and is always engaging. The place is a fairly casual space, in a old house in the historic Biltmore Village area and is crowded at prime time for dinner. I've been here in all seasons, this is actually my first summer visit, and have always seen many other happy diners, on the terrace if the weather is good.
Tonight the amuse was a potobello mushroom and smoked mozzarella relish on a small cracker. It was full of flavor and a great little bite . . . and because of the smoked cheese, it actually tasted like bacon was involved. How can you not like that! My starter was a spicy gazpacho with a cilantro cream that tasted like summer and had some nice heat going on. My only complaint was that the soup was tepid, I prefer my gazpacho chilled . . . really cold . . . and this did not deliver. If it was colder, I think it would have been near perfect. The entree was meatloaf . . . yes, meatloaf . . . made with three kinds of meat and served with three sauces. It was very tasty and there were some pistachios in the mix as well. Accompaniments included wonderful cheese grits and vapid greens . . . the weakest thing on the menu. For dessert a passable key lime tart, the highlight of which was the ginger snap crust, otherwise not remarkable.
I enjoy this restaurant, the service is friendly, the guys working in the kitchen are gregarious and seem to enjoy what they are doing, and the food is good . . . sometimes rising to wonderful. The changing menu will always have something surprising and in tune with the season. Give this place a go and let me know what you think.
EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Atlanta: The Varsity
OK . . . so you know I like just about everything . . . so here's on one the downside of fine dining. A drive in! With car service. In downtown Atlanta. Its an institution, a weird one, but an institution none the less. First of all, its HUGE. Car service for a bunch of cars, then a parking deck and large inside space to eat as well. The food is exactly what you'd expect . . . hot dogs and hamburgers [emphasis on the dogs here], and if you're eating inside, a serving of attitude from the women behind the cash registers waiting to take your order. The car service guys are friendly and great, inside . . . its all business. At lunch the place is hopping with business people, students from GATech and everyone else in the neighborhood. Its casual, fast and . . . well . . . interesting.
My advice would be to stick with the hot dogs, and get them served with stuff. I like the chili and slaw dog the best, but there are a number of variations. The thing to keep in mind here is that the dogs are small, you'll need two at least, its not foot longs at the ball park. The fries are good, and you can get them smothered with chili and cheese too to continue the bacchanal. Then its time for beverages, which of course is all Coke products. But then there is the curious case of the "frosty orange" or "orange frosty", both listed on the menu but when I asked no one could give me an answer as to the difference. I should probably order one of each sometime and do a taste test myself . . . its orange and cold and refreshing and kind of slushy like . . . go figure.
This is a cool place for a quick stop, take the kids and enjoy. Don't expect fine anything, its a drive in for goodness sakes, but its fun. Its been featured in magazines, on the radio and probably TV as well, and is an Atlanta institution worth a visit. Have fun, and if you can figure out the frost conundrum, let me know.
EatHereOrNot: MAYBE
My advice would be to stick with the hot dogs, and get them served with stuff. I like the chili and slaw dog the best, but there are a number of variations. The thing to keep in mind here is that the dogs are small, you'll need two at least, its not foot longs at the ball park. The fries are good, and you can get them smothered with chili and cheese too to continue the bacchanal. Then its time for beverages, which of course is all Coke products. But then there is the curious case of the "frosty orange" or "orange frosty", both listed on the menu but when I asked no one could give me an answer as to the difference. I should probably order one of each sometime and do a taste test myself . . . its orange and cold and refreshing and kind of slushy like . . . go figure.
This is a cool place for a quick stop, take the kids and enjoy. Don't expect fine anything, its a drive in for goodness sakes, but its fun. Its been featured in magazines, on the radio and probably TV as well, and is an Atlanta institution worth a visit. Have fun, and if you can figure out the frost conundrum, let me know.
EatHereOrNot: MAYBE
Atlanta [Decatur]: Watershed
I have heard about Watershed, and particularly their fried chicken, for some time and finally got the chance to check it out. My first piece of advice is to watch carefully as you are driving in the neighborhood . . . we drove right by even when we were looking at the addresses and paying attention. The second piece of advice is that this is not a place to take clients or expect to have quiet conversation . . . the room is very loud. Not that that's a bad thing, but just be aware in advance. The third piece of advice is go! The food was wonderful, southern traditional cooking well executed and plentiful.
So . . . for starters there was a saute of wild mushrooms over toast spread with goat cheese. What's southern about that I don't know, but it was really good, the mushrooms well seasoned and tasting of just a splash of sherry. Then a real southern starter, pimento cheese spread . . . that neon-orange salve so good on crackers, but served here with celery so that it counts as a vegetable. Way to go! [as an aside, I will say that my pimento cheese is better . . . especially now that I'll serve it with celery] Then on to the vaunted fried chicken. And it lived up to the reputation. . . crispy on the outside, moist on the inside and well flavored. Its no surprise that on the days it is available they tend to run out. Also on the plate were perfect mashed potatoes and field peas. And finally biscuits that were some of the best I've ever had. My only complaint was that there was no gravy involved . . . what are mashed potatoes without gravy? And I'm sure, with everything else being so good, the folks in the kitchen would make some amazing gravy. Bring it on! Double chocolate cake for dessert, good but not great. Just get more chicken if you're still hungry.
Overall, this was a great place for a casual meal with friends. Good food, fun atmosphere and, oh yes, cute waitstaff. Its all good. So head to Watershed and have a fun evening . . . and let me know what you think.
EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE
So . . . for starters there was a saute of wild mushrooms over toast spread with goat cheese. What's southern about that I don't know, but it was really good, the mushrooms well seasoned and tasting of just a splash of sherry. Then a real southern starter, pimento cheese spread . . . that neon-orange salve so good on crackers, but served here with celery so that it counts as a vegetable. Way to go! [as an aside, I will say that my pimento cheese is better . . . especially now that I'll serve it with celery] Then on to the vaunted fried chicken. And it lived up to the reputation. . . crispy on the outside, moist on the inside and well flavored. Its no surprise that on the days it is available they tend to run out. Also on the plate were perfect mashed potatoes and field peas. And finally biscuits that were some of the best I've ever had. My only complaint was that there was no gravy involved . . . what are mashed potatoes without gravy? And I'm sure, with everything else being so good, the folks in the kitchen would make some amazing gravy. Bring it on! Double chocolate cake for dessert, good but not great. Just get more chicken if you're still hungry.
Overall, this was a great place for a casual meal with friends. Good food, fun atmosphere and, oh yes, cute waitstaff. Its all good. So head to Watershed and have a fun evening . . . and let me know what you think.
EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Atlanta: FAB [French American Brassierie]
This place was recommended to me by a woman I was sitting next to at Buckhead Diner and she was spot on. I was skeptical when we walked to the place and saw that its in a new building, and upon entering you can see that they have worked hard to make it look "old" and "French" . . . whatever that means. FAB is downtown and within walking distance of the major hotels, so that is a plus for everyone, and they have a rooftop deck for drinks that is perfect. Inside its white table clothes and a more formal service, though not stuffy. The menu is classic bistro fare and the wine list is small but good for a casual evening. And, the food was well prepared and thoughtful, a kind of French version of Buckhead Diner, in the sense that its comfort food and classics.
For starters I had a really well done foie gras terrine, presented with a rhubarb/strawberry compote, savory shortbread cookie and pistachios. It was a small portion and a perfect starter. My entree was a perfect roast chicken [always a good gage of the kitchen] served with duck fat roasted potatoes that were crunchy and melting all at the same time. I needed more of them. Finally, profiteroles for dessert . . . servicable more than good, with a chocolate sauce that I could improve on at home. So, don't go for dessert.
This was a good place for a fun, casual evening with clients. The food straight forward and well executed and the atmosphere pleasing. The one bump in the evening was the service, which seemed to be confined to our waiter [of course] and was completely saved by the waiter from an adjacent table who saw what was going on, stepped in and make everything go well. Congratulations to him for that move and a note to the management: either train the staff you have or get more folks like the guy who used to work for the BD Group. He knew what he was doing and was a great representative of the restaurant.
EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE
For starters I had a really well done foie gras terrine, presented with a rhubarb/strawberry compote, savory shortbread cookie and pistachios. It was a small portion and a perfect starter. My entree was a perfect roast chicken [always a good gage of the kitchen] served with duck fat roasted potatoes that were crunchy and melting all at the same time. I needed more of them. Finally, profiteroles for dessert . . . servicable more than good, with a chocolate sauce that I could improve on at home. So, don't go for dessert.
This was a good place for a fun, casual evening with clients. The food straight forward and well executed and the atmosphere pleasing. The one bump in the evening was the service, which seemed to be confined to our waiter [of course] and was completely saved by the waiter from an adjacent table who saw what was going on, stepped in and make everything go well. Congratulations to him for that move and a note to the management: either train the staff you have or get more folks like the guy who used to work for the BD Group. He knew what he was doing and was a great representative of the restaurant.
EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE
Monday, June 1, 2009
Atlanta: Buckhead Diner
This is a great spot in the Buckhead neighborhood, just off of one of the many streets that bear the name "Peachtree something" . . . how did that happen? The place is silver and seems to glow at night in a welcoming way. Drive up to the valet and head through the doors into a wood lined, clubby feeling space with a great bar, mostly cool waiters and great food. All of the diner standards are here in updated versions, they are justly famous for the meatloaf, with some interesting variations as well.
On a recent visit there was a new twist, a 3-course prix fix menu for $29 that has some excellent options and sounded great. So I went for it and was very impressed with its New Orleans themed offerings. The first course was an excellent sausage and chicken gumbo, flavorful with the right amount of heat and well rounded spicy notes. The second course, corn and lobster fritters, was less successful. They had a somewhat gummy texture, but the flavor was good and the accompanying sauce was well prepared. The highlight was the entree, a roasted chicken breast with an amazing vegetable sauce that had, again, great spices and good heat. I ate it all happily.
This is a quintessential American diner experience, in an upscale kind of way, with familiar food prepared well. It is reminiscent of Fog City Diner in San Francisco, but without the staff attitude. My only real complaint here is that sometimes the service is a little lax . . . long waits to take orders, no water, time between courses . . . but that is not the usual and seems to be more related to individuals than to the restaurant as a whole. I try to make it to BD at least once each time I'm in Atlanta; the bar is a good place to eat if you're alone and for lunch or dinner this is a perfect place to take clients or colleagues.
EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE
On a recent visit there was a new twist, a 3-course prix fix menu for $29 that has some excellent options and sounded great. So I went for it and was very impressed with its New Orleans themed offerings. The first course was an excellent sausage and chicken gumbo, flavorful with the right amount of heat and well rounded spicy notes. The second course, corn and lobster fritters, was less successful. They had a somewhat gummy texture, but the flavor was good and the accompanying sauce was well prepared. The highlight was the entree, a roasted chicken breast with an amazing vegetable sauce that had, again, great spices and good heat. I ate it all happily.
This is a quintessential American diner experience, in an upscale kind of way, with familiar food prepared well. It is reminiscent of Fog City Diner in San Francisco, but without the staff attitude. My only real complaint here is that sometimes the service is a little lax . . . long waits to take orders, no water, time between courses . . . but that is not the usual and seems to be more related to individuals than to the restaurant as a whole. I try to make it to BD at least once each time I'm in Atlanta; the bar is a good place to eat if you're alone and for lunch or dinner this is a perfect place to take clients or colleagues.
EatHereOrNot: EAT HERE
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