Atkins Park Brunch | Atlanta Restaurant Review

I've been living in Virginia Highlands for over four years now, and I can honestly say it would never have occurred to me to eat at Atkins Park. When I think of Atkins Park, I picture my 20-something self prowling the bars along North Highland. Now that I've got a husband and baby in tow, spots like Atkins Park, Hand in Hand, etc., never hit my radar.

So when I got an invite to check out the new brunch menu at Atkins Park, my interest was piqued. Brunch at a bar? When I'm looking for a brunch spot, I only ask for a few things: No long waits, outdoor seating, breakfast cocktails and something more interesting than an omelet or pancakes on the menu. Well check, check, check, check...Atkins Park has it all.

To start with, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had outdoor seating in the little alley next to it. Inside would be a bit dark for my taste on a sunny Sunday morning, but outside was perfect and baby and dog friendly to boot. Service was also friendly and attentive.

Little apple fritters to start were ridiculously delicious. Not exactly diet food but hard to resist. My short rib and poached eggs were hearty and far more upscale than I was expecting. It was a good sized portion of meet and the eggs were nice and runny. Salmon and potato pancakes sounded interesting but didn't quite do it for me. I was expecting more of a Hannukah style shredded potato latke, but instead it was a soft and perhaps too soggy more traditional style pancake made with potatoes. 

Baby G approves of the Atkins Park Patio

The kids meal yielded tasty and well priced french toast and grits for Baby G. The serving of grits is perhaps too big even for a grown man, so it can easily be shared by the table.

Brunch isn't complete without a cocktail, and my spicy bloody mary was a great addition to a very pleasant meal. All in all a very nice surprise in the hood! I may not hit the bars of Va-Hi at night any more, but it's nice to know there's still something for me at Atkins Park!

*Full disclosure: Although my first meal was comped, I always endeavor to offer my unbiased opinion of the experience! 

DBA Barbecue Sauce Making Class

I was lucky enough last week to get a preview of DBA Barbecue's new barbecue sauce making class recently. Here's the gist, you're welcomed with a cocktail and then DBA's very personable chef will hold your hand through the process of making your very own barbecue sauce (well not literally. It would be hard to make sauce with only one hand).

You have an array of ingredients to choose from to customize the sauce to your particular preferences. Sweet and zesty? Carolina style mustard-based? Everyone's got a favorite style, and they have the fixin's to make yours just the way you like it.

Once you've got the sauce to your liking, you can enjoy it on a sampling of DBA's meats, while you dig into a platter of ribs, brisket, wings and pulled pork. You have to wash all that meaty goodness down, so you also get to try a flight of bourbons and moonshines.

I'm a sucker for mustard based Carolina 'cue, so I whipped up a spicy and not too sweet version that tasted oh so good on pulled pork.

Just going out for dinner and drinks gets kind of old, right, especially if like me you've been going out to dinner with the same person for 7 years. Sometimes you need to spicy things up (see what I did there?!), and this class is just the thing. DBA's Barbecue Sauce Making Class is perfect for a first date or for an old married couple's night out! For $40 you get plenty of tasty grub, booze and a life skill that will come in handy next time you have a hankering for some pork. That's quite a deal in my book!

The Dish: The Optimist's Whole Haddock

I ordered the whole haddock at the Optimist this past weekend. Now I knew a whole fish would be big, but this bad boy was crazy big. Big enough that I was a little embarrassed to be dining with two men and have a dish at least twice the size of either of theirs. If you can get past his ugly mug, this dish is pretty darn tasty.

With perfectly crisped skin and a bold sweet and spicy sauce, this dish was full of flavor. After an app and one of their delectable pullman rolls, I was pretty full, so my two dining companions were able to have a substantial portion of my dish, too. Since my dish turned out to be the best of our three, that was a nice bonus. So go hungry or bring friends!

Quick Bites: Canton House for Dim Sum

I love me some buns. Preferably of the barbecued pork variety. So it was with visions of char siu bao dancing in my head that I headed to Canton House on Buford Highway. We usually get dim sum at Hong Kong Harbor, which is super close by and does the trick but isn't on anyone's short list of the best dim sum in town. Little did I know that Canton House has a way bigger selection including a number of dishes I've never seen at a dim sum spot before.

I've been missing out all this time! I was settling for just shumai and char siu bao when I could have been indulging in litchi buns and something our waiter called little footballs that involved a gelatinous wrapping around a delectable porky interior. Everything we tried from the typical to the exotic was delish. Granted, the way we do dim sum is a bit carb intensive, but oh those fillings are hard to resist!

The food came fast and furious, and our hipster dim sum waiter was surprisingly friendly compared to the typical aloof dim sum service. Within an hour, we were stuffed silly and had only a $28 bill to show for it. So if you're craving dim sum, Canton House is definitely worth the hype. Just be sure to get there early. They were jam packed by the time we were leaving around 12:30 on a Sunday.

Canton House
4825 Buford Hwy NE  
Chamblee, GA 30341

The Dish: Ria's Pancakes

It's been a great week for marriage equality! So with marriage on my mind, I have something to share. I want to marry the pancakes at Ria's Bluebird. Yes, they are so good that I would like to be permanently joined to them in a lawful union of my hunger and their immense deliciousness. 

I am of course already married, and pancakes can't actually consent or reciprocate, so mine is a forbidden love. I will have to settle for living in sin with my beloved pancakes.

Sure, I like plain pancakes, but I love pancakes with chocolate chips and caramelized bananas. That's a breakfast item I can commit to. The cakes themselves are fluffy with a nice crackle of sugar. The chocolate chips naturally make everything even more decadent. And the sweet, sweet bananas are the food equivalent of a cozy Sunday morning spent in bed, only they're the perfect excuse to drag your butt out of bed early to beat the worst of the crowds at Ria's. 

Will this dish send you into a diabetic coma? Perhaps...but what a way to go.

Ria's Bluebird

421 Memorial Drive SE

Atlanta, GA 30312

King + Duke vs. Gunshow

King + Duke and Gunshow are two of the buzziest restaurants to open in Atlanta in ages. When Ford Fry and Kevin Gillespie cook, Atlantans and even the national food press pay attention. So we lured my parents ITP to take care of our little bean so we could head out on a couple of date nights recently to check them out.

If you're anything like us, you have to choose your special nights out sparingly, so you might be wondering, which one do I go to first? To answer that question, we've put them head to head to see which is most deserving of your date night money and time.

Decor

King + Duke's bar

King + Duke took over the Nava space but doesn't resemble the much loved Southwestern spot at all. Instead it looks like a hip library your rich uncle might have in his home. Think high ceilings and dark walls and lots of wood and exposed brick. I loved the little touches like the cocktail menu that came bound like an old book.

King + Duke's cocktail menu

Gunshow is comparatively undecorated. It's a big airy room with lots of windows and exposed duct work. If you're looking for a setting as sexy as your date, King + Duke wins this round hands down.

Crowd

Being in Buckhead, King + Duke naturally attracts a more Buckhead Betty crowd. Gunshow is in a part of town that many OTPers or even in folks Buckhead never venture to so you get more of a hipster or at least hip crowd. That said, Gunshow isn't set up to have a bar scene, so if you want to pick up vs just ogle the crowd, you should choose King + Duke. But if you just want to soak in the coolness of your dining compatriots, then Gunshow all the way.


Concept

Both restaurants have somewhat unusual concepts. When I first heard that King + Duke would be "early American" I imagined cooking over an open flame and dishes like pheasant. That's not too far off, but the reality is less crazy than you might have guessed. Yes, there is an open hearth and lots of grilled meats. But the menu is still decidedly modern. It's different enough from anything else in Atlanta to be exciting but not so different that you're left hungry or confused.

Gunshow is quirkier. Think dim sum but not Asian food, Southern but not the farm-to-table upscale Southern you might be used to. Gillespie was inspired by his own trailer park childhood, but it was tough for me to tell how that actually manifested in the menu. I may not have seen anything I'd expect to find in a trailer park, but it definitely felt substantially different than more mainstream upscale Southern spots like JCT. The dim sum concept is relevant because you don't order. Rather, chefs and waiters come around with dishes that the kitchen has prepared and offer you some. You pick what you want and get charged based on what you choose.

The dim-sum style service sounds like more fun than it was. I definitely like that you are eating what the chefs were inspired to make that day based on what's fresh and piquing their interest. But the reason dim sum works is because the kitchens are cranking out food so you can pick from an array of options rather quickly. You receive a menu upon sitting down so you know what will be on offer, and we were told the whole experience should take about an hour.

West-coast burger at Gunshow

However, the reality of the service during our visit to Gunshow was plates coming out at a glacial pace so that you're sometimes left twiddling your thumbs for an awkward amount of time. And more frustrating is that by the time they'd get to our table, they would often have only one small plate left. When you have five people at a table, one tiny plate of anything isn't going to go very far. I literally had a single bite of some of the dishes because we couldn't get our hands on any more. In the end, two hours passed without several of the dishes ever coming by the table.

I'd suggest at Gunshow that you go with a much smaller group than we did. We went big because we thought that would be a good way to try more, but I'd prefer next time to have fewer dishes but leave fuller. I'll be curious to see how this restaurant evolves. Having chefs out on the floor serving food is cool because you get to interact with the likes of Kevin Gillespie, but personally I'd rather he and the rest of his team cook more so they can get more plates out on the floor faster.

Gillespie serving up tostadas at Gunshow

Gunshow wins for originality but King + Duke wins for execution. I'd prefer a well executed concept to an original but at times annoying one, so the edge here goes to King + Duke.

Food & Beverage

This is clearly the most important category, and both restaurants fared well. Every single dish I had at both restaurants tasted great. Even the bread plate and King + Duke, which was popovers rather than rolls, was the business. Seriously, these things are good enough that we had seconds.

King + Duke's popovers

Roasted marrow is rarely found on Atlanta menus, and King + Duke had an excellent appetizer. We shared three entrees- the roasted duck with plums, the pork roast with sour cherry and charred kale and the lamb saddle chops with potatoes and minted salsa verde. I liked each so much, I couldn't pin down a clear favorite. Each dish was deeply satisfying with just a hint of smokiness, and I loved the use of fruit to balance the hearty meats.

Marrow appetizer at King + Duke

As we've come to expect from Ford Fry restaurants, the cocktail list is pretty darn compelling. Inspired by old timey cocktails, this wasn't your typical cocktail list. The black + brown featured rum, Watership brown ale, lime and velvet falernum (a spicy Caribbean syrup). I appreciated the spiciness and unique flavor combination, but this definitely isn't the kind of cocktail I could have more than one of in a sitting.

Black Forest at King + Duke

Desserts at King + Duke were simple but oh so delicious. Dates + ale combined sticky toffee pudding and a pleasantly bitter sweetwater IPA cream to balance out the sweetness. The black forest paired a chocolate cake with smoked cherries and black pepper ice cream. It's rare to get sweet, smoky and spicy all in one bite on a dessert, and this dish nailed it.

The only flaw with food at Gunshow is that I wanted more of it. Their take on the In-n-Out burger was a divine mess (although ours is just as good!) and fried quail and a chicken mole tostada were highlights. Dishes are relatable but creative.

As I mentioned above, some dishes on the night's menu never made their way to our table. We tried repeatedly to come by the pork skin risotto to no avail. We mentioned it to every waiter who came by and were promised it would be out at some point. When it finally did come out towards the end of our meal, we were understandably frustrated that it ran out before coming to our table. Gillespie himself promised us he'd fire up some more of it for us, but then a few minutes later our waiter came by to say it wasn't happening. Imagine our dismay when we left moments later and saw them coming by our table with a plate of it through the window. Guess our waiter didn't get the memo. I get that at dim-sum you get what you get when you get it, but it would be nice if you could get a little more clarity about when you might get your hands on something.

Ribs at Gunshow

It's wine and beer only but there are plenty of well priced and interesting options. We never saw any desserts come by so we missed out on that. Although I liked his Southern riffs on global cuisine, I left hungry and headed to Morelli's to top ourselves off with some ice cream. It was just too hard to get my hands on what I wanted to eat in a reasonable time frame. In terms of quality, it's a draw, but since I left more satisfied, point to King + Duke.

Value

We actually spent more money at King + Duke but for the reasons listed above, I felt like it was better value. I had the sense as I was eating that Gunshow was more expensive because the small plates are pretty pricey for their size, but in the end we actually had a hard time spending a lot for 5 people because we were never able to get more than two plates of anything at the same time. Not sure how our table was always last in line? Neither restaurant is cheap, but $26 for a hearty portion of duck felt like a better deal than $11 for a cheeseburger with no sides.

Lamb saddle at King + Duke

And the winner is...

So in the end, King + Duke wins a clear victory. I admire Gillespie's originality, and I'm so glad to have something generating national buzz, but I think they need to work out some kinks in the concept before I'd be ready to go back. If I were going to return soon, it would definitely be at a table for two.

Roasted duck at King + Duke

King + Duke, on the other hand, is totally ready for primetime. Everything from the setting to the service to the entire menu is topnotch and totally worth splashing out on a babysitter. Throw in a hot chef and you've got yourself something special! All of that said, Gillespie is both affable and insanely talented, so he's the type of guy you want to see succeed. I suspect that given some time, Gunshow will become not just a must-try restaurant, but a must-return-to restaurant.

Your Opportunity To Help Staplehouse & The Giving Kitchen Become a Reality

As I shared last week, Empire State South's Ryan Smith is joining the Hidinger's in opening Staplehouse. Turns out it will be a fully purpose driven business. Here's the scoop on their unique funding and business model:

The outpouring of love and support during Ryan Hidinger's battle with cancer has led them to update their dream for Staplehouse. With help of friends, they have started a non-profit called, The Giving Kitchen, an Initiative that will help support the metro Atlanta restaurant community by helping industry members dealing with medical or other unanticipated hardships.

This is a pretty unique opportunity to help someone achieve their dream and support those in need at the same time. Plus who doesn't want another top notch dining option in Atlanta?

From their site:

"Staplehouse is now the flagship of The Giving Kitchen, a casual fine dining experience with a purpose. A restaurant dedicating all (after tax) proceeds to The Giving Kitchen Initiative, a 501c3 organization dedicated to providing financial assistance to those in the hospitality industry, who find themselves in crisis.

The operation will be managed by seven Partners, Chef Ryan & Jen Hidinger along with Chef Ryan Smith and Kara Hidinger (Ryan's sister).  The business will be supported by Ryan Turner, Chris Hall and Todd Mussman and managed by the Unsukay back office support system called Basecamp.  For more info click here.

A beautiful and historic 2-story brick building (formerly a residence, never a restaurant) located in the heart of the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood of Atlanta, will house Staplehouse downstairs, a cozy 50-seat restaurant focusing on sustainable, local ingredients, simplistic cocktails and an approach on hospitality like no other.  Upstairs will house the tGK office and a Foundation Function Room where guests can share dinner privately away from the hustle and bustle of the main dining room.  For photos of the space click here.  For a Square Feet Studio rendering of the main dining room click here.

This is the chance to be a part of building our dream restaurant Staplehouse, a purpose driven, world class restaurant built by the restaurant community for the restaurant community.

We have many options for you to contribute and be recognized as being a "founding member".  Donations can be made in many increments ranging from $10 for Founding Member name recognition on our website, all the way up to $1,500 for your name engraved on one off our few bar and Chef's table stools!

Any money raised over our project budget that is not needed for building Staplehouse will go directly to The Giving Kitchen. Your money will go to a good cause no matter what!

What We Need From You

$651,035.60 to turn our dream building into a purpose driven restaurant serving the people of Atlanta and the mission of The Giving Kitchen Initiative.

You can contribute in any denomination you woudl like!  Whether you can give $1 or $100, every dollar counts. Please give what you can!

Summary Construction Budget Breakdown by Brian Bollins of Choate Construction, a Company which is providing their services pro bono.

General Condition = $60,077.70
Demolition = $22,215.60
Concrete = $7,570.80
Masonry = $4,680
Steel = $37,908
Rough Carpentry = $59,698.80
Millwork = $29,047.50
Therm / Moist Protection = $1,350
Doors / Windows = $28,867.50
Drywall = $26,964
Flooring / Tile = $24,550.20
Painting = $22,860
Specialtes (Fire, Toilets) = $2,745.90
Plumbing = $63,000
HVAC = $94,500
Electrical = $61,862.40
Grease Trap = $22,500
Building Permit = $3,684.60
Expeditor Fee = $1,350
Builder's Risk Insurance = $252
Sub Guard = $7,575
General liability Insurance = $4,322
Contractor's Contigency = $59,580.90
Performance & Payment Bond = $3,872.70

Total = $651,035.60

What We Need From Others

We will be seeking our sponsorships from equipment manufacturers and reaching out to the non "crowd funding" crowd for the remaining contributions. Any money raised over our construction goal will go towards these expenses.

Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment
Refrigeration Units = $26,105
Storage = $1,465
Cooking Equipment = $31,925
Cleaning & Dish = $4,287
Disposal / Recycling / Compost = $2,674
Containers = $1,209
Smallwares = $4,611
Food Prep = $7,048
Service Opening Stock = $7,695
Office = $8,604
FOH Opening Supplies = $43,758

Total plus Taxes = $150,532

*We can also explore leasing equipment if need be.

Pre-Opening Personnel Salaries & Wages = $28,865
Landscaping = Volunteer Project
Opening Inventory = $11,000 (it is likely many of our suppliers will provide this for free or at a deep discount)
Communications & Branding Package = $3,750
Liquor License = $10,000

Total = $53,615

Our Skin In The Game: Already Covered from Pre-Diagnosis Staplehouse Contributors

Design & Architecture = Pro Bono courtesy of Square Feet Studio
Structural Drawings = $4,000
MEP Drawsing = $7,000
Filing Fees = $500
Reimbursables $750
Signage = $1,500
Legal Fees = $4,000
Lease Security Deposit = $5,310
Utility Deposits = $2,500

Total = $25,560

Total Project Budget = $880,742

Between the discounted services of our vendors and your contributions we can build this together!

What You Get

A chance to be a part of building our dream restaurant Staplehouse, a purpose driven, world class restaurant built by the restaurant community for the restaurant community.

We have many options for you to contribute and be recognized as being a "founding member".  Donations can be made in many increments ranging from $10 for Founding Member name recognition on our website, all the way up to $1,500 for your name engraved on one off our few bar and Chef's table stools!

The Impact

Comforting aromas, gurgling pots, a taste from a spoon—kitchens are a beating heart. In our communities, the professionals who work in restaurant kitchens draw from their own memories of childhood home kitchens. They learn the craft of cooking and make the choice to work hard, and turn their passion into service by deciding to labor in a professional kitchen. Delivering a delicious plate of food is their job but it’s also a reflection of care and hospitality with roots based in the heart of the home. Restaurants are the community places we, as customers, gather when we want to celebrate, work out business deals, gather with friends or for many of us, where we eat more often than at home. Each year, our restaurant community partners with dozens of incredible causes to raise a lot of money to take care of those in need. Staplehouse will be the economic engine and flagship to tell the story of The Giving Kitchen.  While we continue to help in raise money for so many others, it is now time to also take care of those in our restaurant community who face crisis.

Any money raised over our project budget that is not needed will go directly to The Giving Kitchen.

Your money will go to a good cause no matter what!

Restaurant Review: BurgerFi

Just when you think Atlanta couldn't possibly sustain another burger place, another one crops up. This time in the form of BurgerFi, a franchised chain out of Florida. Usually the word chain is an immediate turn-off to me, but when I hear things like "all-natural, grass-fed beef" and "environmentally sustainable" stores, my ears perk up.

You see, BurgerFi isn't your run-of-the-mill burger joint. Not only is it more eco-friendly and humane, but it offers plenty of ways to snazz up your meal. In the pantheon of Atlanta burger joints, it's most similar to Yeah Burger but with lower prices (The BurgerFi cheeseburger is $5.97 vs. $8.49 for a comparable Yeah Burger).  BurgerFi isn't just burgers either. They also boast a fairly wide variety of hot dogs and shakes/concretes with plenty of ways to dress them up, too.

Burgers range from traditional (BurgerFi® Cheeseburger - Double Natural Angus burger, double American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and BurgerFi® sauce) to haute (Brisket Burger - Double natural 28 day dry aged ground brisket, Swiss cheese, blue cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and BurgerFi® sauce) to the downright decadent (B.A.D. (Breakfast All Day) Burger - Natural Angus burger, American cheese, hickory bacon drizzled with maple syrup, fried egg, hash browns, grilled diced onions, and ketchup). There are vegetarian and no-bread options as well as plenty of toppings you can add-on as well.

Everyone has a secret menu these days as well, and BurgerFi is no different. Not sure how secret something is if it's printed on their website, but it's still nice to have some additional options that don't appear on the menu at the counter. I opted for a burger off their secret menu, the Supreme Burger

with grilled mushrooms, hickory bacon, and American cheese. This burger was stacked so high I couldn't actually take a bite of the whole thing without making a mess, but that's what napkins were invented for, right? The burger was juicy and delicious, and for me a single patty would have made for a satisfying meal.

Kobe Hot Dog Served Texas Style, Supreme Burger and Onion Rings

The Mr. went for the Brisket Burger, which to be honest didn't taste that different than my regular beef burger. That being said, it was also quite good, and blue cheese always makes for a compelling burger in my book. We also ordered the onion rings and the Urban Fries from the secret menu, which are topped in parmesan and and herbs and served with a garlic aioli. Both were nice and crispy and the portions were huge. I definitely recommend getting the garlic aioli with the fries as they take the already delicious parmesan and herb topping up a notch. The photo of the onion rings is not an optical illusion, the large is really that ginormous. It would be more than enough for two people even with no other sides. You can get other toppings for your fries or onion rings like salt and vinegar or hot cajun spices, but we stuck with just the plain onion rings.

We also tried a kobe hot dog served Texas Style with BurgerFi® chili, cheese sauce, and hot sauce. I didn't have a regular hot dog to compare it to, but I'm not sure I can discern a big taste difference between a really good regular hot dog and a kobe dog. But I am sucker for a good chili dog, and this one didn't skimp on the chili or cheese. I was running out of room by the time I got to the hot dog, but I would definitely go back to BurgerFi next time I have a chili dog craving. 

Brisket Burger and Parmesan Herb Fries served Urban Style

All of that is enough to make it a worthy addition to our burger scene, but the concretes are where this place really blew my mind. What's a concrete, you ask? According to Wikipedia, a concrete is "a specialty style of milkshake, the 'concrete,' was '...a milk shake so thick that the server hands it out the order window upside down, demonstrating that not a drop will drip.'"

BurgerFi makes them with custard and all-natural ingredients, and they are crazy good. We sampled the Red Velvet Concrete (vanilla custard layered with red velvet cake), the Key Lime (vanilla custard layered with key lime pie) and the O.M.C. (chocolate custard, peanut butter, brownie, chocolate chips, and chocolate sprinkles). I loved that they had big chunks of their ingredients in them. All were delicious, but it was the O.M.C that blew my mind. Is there anything more sublime than chocolate and peanut butter together? It was good enough that we might have pretended that we hadn't sampled it yet so that we could sample it again! On the website, every dish includes its calorie count, and I would suggest turning a blind eye when it comes to the O.M.C's whopping 1440 calories because it's totally worth blowing your diet for. Or maybe you could just share it with a couple friends?

I'm really liking the Emory Pointe development, which also includes the General Muir, La Tagliatella, a Loft store and free parking, and I love that BurgerFi has a friendly staff and a nice big patio for pretty spring days. We even brought little Gemma with us to sit on the patio, so I can definitely see adding BurgerFi to my list of family friendly options nearby.

Locations in Alpharetta and Kennesaw are coming soon, too!

BurgerFi

1520 Avenue Place, Ste B-140

Atlanta, GA 30329

Phone:  404-665-4400

*Full disclosure: Although my food was comped, I always endeavor to offer my unbiased opinion of the experience!

Restaurant Preview: Chai Pani

The popularity of Cardamom Hill notwithstanding, most Indian food in Atlanta tends to be of the Northern Indian variety (think biryani, chicken tikka and samosas), so it's exciting to have a new Indian option of a different ilk. Husband and wife team Meherwan and Molly Irani have now brought their popular Asheville Indian street food spot, Chai Pani, to Decatur.

Before the restaurant opened last Friday, I had the chance to check out the redecorated spot and try some of their signature dishes. The dining room is now a far cry from the subdued days when it was Watershed. Now the walls are a riot of color with photography and street murals in keeping with the street food menu and laid back vibe.

Menu options range from “chaat” (small plates) and a line-up of “greatest hit” Indian street sandwiches, to “uttapam” (Indian crepes), “thalis” (traditional entrees), desserts, beverages and signature cocktails.

Station serving Sev Potato Dahi Puri

Sev Potato Dahi Puri are little flavor bombs made with puffed flour crisps (puris) stuffed with potatoes, onions, cilantro, crunchy chickpea noodles (sev) and topped with sweet yogurt, tamarind and green chutneys. I loved the contrast of creaminess and crunch and of savory and sweet. I've never heard of these before, but I would most definitely seek them out again!

My favorite dish of the night was the Sloppy Jai (Kheema Pav), a ridiculously tasty combination of spiced lamb hash simmered with tomatoes, ginger and aromatic spices, green chutney, sweet yogurt and toasted buns. It certainly evokes a traditional American sloppy joe, but it is infinitely more complex in its flavoring and delicious in its result. We may have gone back for seconds of these bad boys!

Another sandwich option, the Vada Pav, included a spicy potato dumpling fried in curried chickpea batter topped with green and tamarind chutneys. It was hearty and flavorful enough that it may even convince me to renounce my meat eating ways once in a while.

Station serving Bhel Puri and Corn Behl

Bhel Puri, another street food classic that I've never even heard of consisted of puffed rice, flour crisps (puris), crunchy chickpea noodles, potatoes, cilantro & onions tossed with tamarind and green chutneys, while Corn Bhel combined fresh roasted corn, cucumber, cilantro, tomato, onions and flour crisps tossed with cilantro-cumin-lime dressing. These light, vegetarian-friendly dishes, offered a fresh alternative to the richer food we were stuffing our faces with.

Matchstick okra fries are apparently one of Chai Pani's signature dishes. If you like okra, you'll probably love them. I for one am not a fan of that particular vegetable, so while I liked the dish far more than the more typical slimy preparations, they still weren't my fave.

Better was the Kale Pakora (batter dipped and fried kale). It was addictively crunchy and salty - a worthy competitor to the humble potato chip or french fry and probably a heck of a lot healthier.

Kale Pakora

There were Indian-inspired specialty cocktails on offer for the non-pregos in the bunch, but I stuck to the classic Mango Lassis. Damn, these were good! So creamy and sweet, and compelling enough to pull me back for seconds just a few minutes later.

Clearly, I was impressed by what I found at Chai Pani. The vast majority of the menu are dishes I've never had before which offers a fun change from the usual curries, and just about every single thing we tasted caused me to exclaim, "oh that is so good!" to the Mr. 

Little known fact - women who are 9 months pregnant, as I am, have stomachs that are compressed to bird sized. It is a testament to how good this food was that I tempted fate by continuing to eat to the point that I groaned from fullness for the rest of the night. Totally worth it!

Chai Pani 

406 W. Ponce de Leon Avenue in Decatur 

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for lunch and 5:30 to 10 p.m. for dinner. 

*Full disclosure: Although my food was comped, I always endeavor to offer my unbiased opinion of the experience!

Restaurant Review: Brunch at Lure

Brunch can be a rather boring affair. Social drinking in the daytime is fun for sure, but how exciting can an omelet or a french toast be? That's why I'm so excited to find a much more unique and delicious brunch option at Fifth Group's Lure.

A fish-driven restaurant wouldn't usually be on my brunch radar, but it turns out there are plenty of tasty, morning-appropriate things you can do with seafood.

Coo Coo for My Coco Made with Snow Maiden with
Unfiltered Sake, Crème de Cacao, Orange Bitters

Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Shrub

Let's start with cocktails - they are one of the best parts of brunch after all. I, of course, am off the booze at the moment, so I was very pleased that they had compelling alcohol-free options. I chose a strawberry balsamic shrub. Shrubs are all the rage at upscale bars these days. If you aren't familiar with them - they are made with vinegar, fruit and sugar, and in this case, it made for a very refreshing mocktail. 

The Mr. started with a Breaking and Entering, made with bourbon, ginger, lemon juice and cassis and then moved on to a rather unusual cocktail, the Coo Coo for My Coco, which is made with unfiltered sake, creme de cacao and orange bitters. He preferred the former as it was sweet but subtle. Although the Coo Coo for My Coco was highly recommended by our waiter and was indeed tasty, it tasted predominantly of sake, which wasn't his thing for a mid-day cocktail.

Fried NC Catfish Biscuit, Tomato and Crystal Mayo "Frazie Style" with Fried Egg and Cole Slaw

Brunch at Lure is not necessarily diet-friendly, but it is really damn delicious. A fried catfish biscuit is made even better when served Frazie Style with a fried egg and cole slaw on top. The fish is perfectly crispy and well-seasoned, and just about everything is better with a fried egg on top. This dish is a mess to eat and best split if you're planning on having room for anything else, but oh so worth it!

Hangtown Fry - Egg Crepes Filled with Leek, Spinach, Bacon and Fried Oysters

The Hangtown Fry is composed of a fairly mild-mannered egg crepe with leek, spinach and bacon, but it's taken to the next level with the addition of fried oysters. Lure excels at fried oysters, and these meaty little suckers put typical brunch proteins to shame. Sausage, who?

Lobster Benedict - Spinach, Tomato, Tarragon, Slow Cooked Egg and Sauce Cardinal

And how could we resist the lobster benedict? Lure didn't skimp on the lobster either, so I couldn't even finish my half of the portion. This is rich, don't eat for the rest of the day brunch food, but it is combining two meals into one, so that's totally cool, right?

Guava & Coconut Bread Pudding Creme Anglaise and Hazelnuts

You wouldn't think we'd have room for more, but Guava & Coconut Bread Pudding sounded pretty intriguing. The tropical flavors kept things light, and I loved the crunch of the hazelnuts and the tang of the Creme Anglaise. Well worth finding room for!

All in all, we were quite impressed with Lure's brunch. I'll definitely be back, especially when I can indulge in the cocktails and raw bar offerings, too. Why wait in line at some overrated traditional brunch option when there are such delectable seafood options at Lure? And with a lovely dining room, friendly service and free valet parking, Lure makes a very good case for changing up your weekend brunch routine

Lure 
Brunch: Sat and Sun 11-3

1106 Crescent Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
Phone:(404) 817-3650

*Full disclosure: Although my meal was comped, I always endeavor to offer my unbiased opinion of the experience!

Atlanta Restaurant Review: Seven Lamps

Much of Buckhead's dining scene seems designed for Buckhead Betties or is otherwise overwhelmingly "meh" (the top notch H&F notwithstanding). So I was very excited to find recently that the Seven Lamps (opened in December) is actually pretty hip and certainly appropriate for date night.

Tucked away in the Shops Around Lenox complex next to Tootsies, Seven Lamps fills a much needed gap in Lenox Mall dining options - a genuinely cool option with high quality food. According to Eater, Seven Lamps is "named the restaurant after art critic John Ruskin's principles of architecture: sacrifice, truth, power, beauty, life, memory, and obedience" which Chef Drew van Leuvan, formerly of One Midtown Kitchen, believes applies to the kitchen as well.

Our supremely enthusiastic waiter clearly loves his job and thinks very highly of van Leuvan. He was attentive and happy to offer glowing recommendations. Instead of the ubiquitious bread basket, he started us off with pickled veggies and buttered radishes. I love me some pickles, so I enjoyed this amuse bouche, and particularly liked the veggies dipped in an anchovy mustard.

Head "Mixtress" Arianne Fielder, most recently of Southern Art, has divided the intriguing cocktail menu into categories like Beer-tails, Classically Inspired and Drinkable Desserts. Alas, I'm off the booze, so I settled for one of their artisanal sodas while the Mr. sampled the Red Derby, made with Bellemeade Bourbon, blood orange, Savannah Bee Co. honey and tarragon. He reports it was well balanced with just enough sweetness and booze kick. I didn't love my tropical tasting jerk soda, but the particular one I had appears to no longer be on the menu. The Dr. Paz sounds pretty compelling though, with dark berries, barks and spices, so I might give that a go next time.

An earthy and delectable appetizer of stuffed mushrooms is not on their current menu. Fortunately for you, the buttered lobster bun is still on the menu and is ridiculous (in a good way). For $9 they don't skimp on the lobster, and it's as good as many of the lobster rolls I sampled in Maine this summer.

Van Leuvan is known for his handmade pastas, so we opted for appetizer portions of two of them. The gnocchi in particular was unusual in all the best ways. Made with baby spinach, d'anjou pear, gorgonzola, and gingerbread, the cheese lends it a pungency that works so well with the pillowy gnocchi and the sweet pears.

Our second pasta, Agnolotti stuffed with aged fontina and ricotta, served with pancetta, sofrito and asiago, was more traditional seeming with a fairly straightforward red sauce. Definitely tasty, but, I'd go for the gnocchi if I could only have one.

It's not that much of a secret, but there's also an off-menu burger to consider. Made with half brisket, have top round, and topped with Thousand Island, caramelized onions, pickles, and cheese, this burger is a worthy entrant to the city's burger wars. It was meaty and perfectly cooked with enough yummy toppings to keep things interesting. The seasoned cottage fries were an awesome accompaniment. They're crisp on the outside and fluffy inside. I thought I was too full to eat this before it came, but it was so good, I found room for my half.

Overall, I was quite pleasantly surprised by Seven Lamps. It's upscale quality in a casual but still stylish atmosphere with plenty of interesting options to make return visits appealing. It just might give me a reason to drive up to Buckhead more often and has given me a new go-to recommendation when people ask what's new and worthwhile.

Seven Lamps
3400 Around Lenox Rd
Atlanta, GA 30326

*Full disclosure: Although my meal was comped, I always endeavor to offer my unbiased opinion of the experience!