Search results matching tag 'Lunch'

Taqueria del Sol - NOT Atlanta's Best Kept Secret

sheyl — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:03:00 GMT

I grew up in a era and an area where the best restaurants where the chain restaurants. We would dine at Denny's - alright more like hang out after a late night or grab a bite at Bennigan's or TGI Friday's.

Metro Atlanta has no shortage of chain restaurants, but the city of Atlanta is well know for their unique restaurants. Whenever I have the opportunity to meet someone for lunch in-town I often try to get someone to make a recommendation for a restaurant I have not been to yet.

Today I met a friend at Taqueria del Sol on Howell Mill Rd. We were to meet a little after noon, but my morning meeting ended early so I got there around 11:30 thinking I would grab a table and get a little work done before meeting my friend. Taqueria del Sol is a restaurant where you order at the counter first and then grab a table where your food is served, so I was not able to grab a table yet. I would have sat at the bar area and had a beverage while I waited, but by 11:30am the bar area was already full.

I sat at the bench in the front of the restaurant and began to write notes for my ongoing to-do list. As the time ticked away the line to order food grew out the door and into the parking lot. I called my friend to inquire if we REALLY wanted to deal with this growing crowd. She assured me the food was worth it, that this was why the line was growing. As I sat there I saw someone who I know worked a good 30 minutes away from the restaurant come in.

My friend arrived and we stood in line for about 15 minutes. I ordered two tacos and the guacamole. The service was fast and friendly and the food was incredibly fresh. I understand how Taqueria del Sol, is NOT one of Atlanta's best kept secrets.

Tip - the line was not long from 11:30-11:45 but it stretched out the door until after 2:00.

Noon Midtown

Side Dishing with Mimi — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:06:00 GMT

I love to hear stories about recovering attorneys (thanks Molly for a great term of art) finding a new passion and using their artist side of the brain. Well, Noon is owned by a former attorney, and I am beyond thrilled that she left the legal realm and returned to her passion, food. Noon Midtown, is located in the 1010 Midotwn high-rise, and it is such an unexpected treat--at least the the people that get to venture outside every once and again for lunch.

The concept for Noon came to be during the owner's honeymoon to Italy where sandwiches sent from the God were located (I am so paraphrasing her story here) and decided that Atlanta needed a place like this--trust me, when you go to Noon, you would certainly agree. Noon is the place to be for breakfast and lunch (7:30am- 3:00pm Monday through Friday). I started with lunch (sorry I forget my camera)--Noon serves cold/hot sandwiches, specials of the day, soups--and I must tell you, it is just plain cute. The food, the environment, the quick service is optimum when you have a short lunch break. The place even works when you have leisure time as well. You can either order at the counter or wait for a table. There is also to go and ox lunch options. At any rate, there aren't enough words to describe this sandwich (Portobello Mushroom Panini) so I won't. So, I had to go back, the follow morning with a co-worker (thanks Pea) to check out the breakfast menu. So, as I have stated before, I am a southern girl, and if you find a place that can cook grits, you found a winner--and this place has it! Breakfast items range from hot sandwiches, pastry--and Counter Culture Coffee/Tea. This is a gem of midtown and would suggest this if you are in the area--sorry, it is not open on weekends, so plan accordingly!

Noon Midtown

On Crescent Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street

(404) 496-4891

http://www.noonmidtown.com/files/05-01-09_Menu.pdf

Nava

Side Dishing with Mimi — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:34:00 GMT

I am from the Southwest, born and raised...but Nava is nothing like what Momma used to make. Nava is inspired by Southwest cuisine, but I would define it as Southwest...with a twist. Nava, located on Peachtree Road, in the heart of Buckhead, has been around since 1995, but for some reason I hadn't been until recently. Maybe it is because restaurants come and go so quickly in Atlanta. Maybe because I was a college student and my budget was too limited for Buckhead restaurant life.

I will say that the interior of the restaurant is something right out of a picture book of the Southwest; rustic and chic. Nava has wonderful service, complimentary parking (always a plus in Atlanta), and a patio to watch all the construction and traffic while you enjoy their signature margaritas and fare. Nava also boasts live music on Wednesday evenings.

My dining buddy and I decided on the lobster soft taco, which we were told was the most popular appetizer. It wasn't my favorite; the combination of lobster, spinach shell, Cascabel cream and salsa just didn't blend.

The service was very good, as with any of the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group restaurants, and the server truly catered to our needs. I decided to try the Lemon-Cilantro Atlantic Salmon as the entrée. Salmon is one of my favorites, but I really picked this entrée because our server said it too was one of the more popular dishes. This one was not a disappointment. The fish was perfectly seasoned and cooked and the chipotle potato hash provided just enough kick to balance the sweetness of the mango-lemon mojo.

My dining buddy chose the Ancho-cherry glazed maple leaf duck. From the presentation, it looked as lovely as the salmon. Unfortunately, the duck was not as seasoned as the name would suggest. A true mole dish has the meat cooked in the sauce; this dished used the mole on the side. On a good note, the yucca-potato cakes were nicely prepared and was a compliment to the ancho-cherry mole sauce.

As with any restaurant, there will be highs and lows to the menu or venue. Nava, had more highs though; I certainly would suggest this place to those adventerous Atlanta natives and tourists looking for Southwest fare...with a kick.

Nava

3060 Peachtree Road

Atlanta, Georgia 30305

(404) 240-1984

www.buckheadrestaurants.com/nava/

Where should we meet for lunch?

sheyl — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:10:00 GMT

OpenTable has listed the best places for lunch

Tamarind Seed

The Clubhouse - Atlanta

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood - CNN Center

Agnes & Muriel's

Village Tavern Alpharetta

Personally I like Tamarind Seed, I am not sure I would list it so hight. The Clubhouse is good and a good meeting place. I have also had a really goo experience with them when something went wrong (you can tell more about a business when something goes wrong. )

I have not been to the other three.

What are your thoughts?

Yakitori Jinbei: Smyrna

TheBlissfulGlutton — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:11:00 GMT

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Ever since I returned from Japan, I have been craving Japanese food all the time. I have been making my rounds at the many Japanese restaurants of Atlanta in search of Japanese homestyle dishes--there is so much more to the cuisine than sushi. Yakitori Jinbei had been on my list of places to try after a reader recommended it a while back. I finally got the chance to stop in today for lunch. The restaurant specializes in yakitori, which is pieces of chicken (and other items like quail eggs or Japanese vegetables) grilled on a stick and topped with your choice of sea salt or a sauce. Yakitori Jinbei only serves yakitori at dinner, but the lunch menu has plenty of delicious items like soba noodles and donburi to choose from. Since it was so cold outside, I opted for the bowl of ramen noodles swimming in pork stock and topped with roasted pork slices, seaweed, and green onions ($9 for the soup, salad, and small bowl of fried sticky rice). I rarely see ramen served in Atlanta so I took advantage of the opportunity.

Tonkotsu ("pork bone") ramen

Closeup of the noodles

Fried rice

The soup was absolute heaven. I think I may have actually made some yummy noises out loud. The noodles had the right amount of bite and the bright bursts of green onion and ribbons of seaweed contrasted the rich stock perfectly. That has to be the best ramen I have had in quite some time--it was silky, creamy, and complex...insane. The pork was very tender and sliced into little thin rounds. An overall great soup that is worth the trip. I also spotted a tonkatsu platter passing me by that looked scrumptious. I'll get it next time. And, trust me, there will be a next time.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION:

Address: 2421 Cobb Pkwy, 30080 Phone:(770) 818-9215 Hours: Closed on Sunday Payment: Cash and credit Website

Dynamic Dish: Edgewood

TheBlissfulGlutton — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:10:00 GMT

I am about as carnivorous as a person can get. I love it all-nose to tail. Loving meat does not mean that I don’t like vegetables. I crave greens just as much as a juicy steak. When Cliff Bostock wrote about Dynamic Dish, I was intrigued—especially by the promise of a tagine made with organic veggies. I went for lunch yesterday to counteract the effects of the Korean fried chicken I had the day before. Dynamic Dish is located on the small strip of Edgewood near Café 458. I snagged a primo spot in front of the restaurant using my stellar parallel parking skills that I picked up while living in San Francisco. Upon walking into the restaurant, I was amazed how sleek the interior of the restaurant was. I wasn't expecting it. The owner, David Sweeney, has impeccable taste and all the eclectic pieces and furnishings somehow fit perfectly together. The persimmons tucked into a wire cubby near the cash register really tickled me. The man has a great eye. The menu (located on the chalkboard behind the counter) is small, but it reflects the pristine organic ingredients he has on hand. I ordered the tagine made with pumpkin, squash, tomatoes and other goodies served on bulgur wheat. Moon ordered the arugula sandwich with Emmentaler cheese on buttered whole grain bread. We both got the beet salad. The beverage selection is limited, but I did not mind. Sodas would be out of place here. We decided to share a bottle of sparkling water in some tiny glasses that Sweeney brought to table complete with slices of lemon.

As we waited for our food, I took in my surroundings and couldn’t help feeling like I was in New York or Europe—not Edgewood.

Tagine

Sweeney arrived with our dishes and the colorful food lit up the table. The ingredients of the tagine were very good and the combination just felt like autumn. My only problem with the dish was the lack of salt—I imagine he is trying to keep the sodium content down and I would rather add salt than eat a very salty dish any day.

Arugula sandwich with Emmentaler cheese on buttered whole grain bread

Beet salad

Moon liked his sandwich and I was so tempted to take a bite, but my moderation mantra kept me from doing so. The beet salad was the undisputed star of the meal. The beets were julienne and tossed with dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, a little maple syrup, vinegar, and something else I cannot remember. Just a stellar combination of flavors that exploded in my mouth. I loved it and would go back for that dish alone. Being the shopaholic that I am, I perused the mix of items for sale. Sweeney has some pretty neat stuff that he has collected from estate sales and other sources. I scored a gorgeous crystal dish on a pedestal for a mere $7.50.

Verdict: An adorable spot with some wholesome food that is well worth the trip. I hope that you guys get out there and support a restaurant with loads of heart that won’t be bad for yours.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION: Address: 427 Edgewood Ave., 30312 Phone: (404) 992-2179 Payment: Cash and credit

JCT Kitchen: West Side

TheBlissfulGlutton — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:05:00 GMT

RESTAURANT REVIEW:
I had been wanting to try this place ever since the good folks at Atlanta Cuisine started talking about it. As you can imagine, my list of restaurants to visit is exceedingly long. I got over there at the beginning of the week with a friend. The restaurant is very well-designed-it manages to feel country, modern, and chic with minimal effort--perhaps it is the space, which has inhabited such doomed restaurants as Commune and Sampan. The table settings are simple--they use dish towels for napkins...a design element I always love for some reason. The servers' station (pictured above) is situated in the center of the dining room on top of a rustic table. There is a large pot on top of the table, which holds ice and chilled bottles of tap water-nice touch. The menu is quite extensive and runs the gamut from salads to seafood stew with Georgia shrimp. I ordered the peach/mango ice tea and the fried chicken--I have been on a quest ever since my story for Atlanta INtown Paper. My friend ordered the open-faced pulled pork sandwich.

Fried chicken: My fried chicken had very little flavor--if they brine it, they need to do it a bit longer and the breading needed a bit more seasoning as well. It did, however, taste like they were using fresh oil--a big plus in my book. The mac was more of a cream sauce with very little cheese or seasoning-there were some nice fried bits of crust sprinkled over the mac and cheese. The green beans were perfectly cooked and seasoned. Quite crisp and garlicky.

Smoked pork shoulder sandwich: My friend got the pulled pork sandwich which was very tasty. The bread tasted like it had been made that morning and the pork was smoky, sweet, tangy, and tender--really well done. The fries tasted freshly made-I would go back for the fries alone.

Banana cream pie: The pie was good. Impossibly flaky crust and I liked the bruleed bananas. The filling could have used a bit more bananas, but was pretty good overall.

Verdict: I really like the way the place is decorated. I think they will do well in Atlanta. There were some other things on the menu that looked good.It was all just a smidge above average, but I am not writing it off yet.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION:
Address: 1198 Howell Mill Road
Phone: (404) 355-2252

Asam House Thai and Malaysian Restaurant: Buford Highway

TheBlissfulGlutton — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 23:35:00 GMT

Nam tok

RESTAURANT REVIEW: The New Yorker recently had an issue (in September) devoted to food where many notable writers--like David Sedaris--penned essays. I loved it and have actually read some of the pieces over and over again. One article was about a writer who went to Singapore to explore Malaysian food. Being the food dork that I am, I took notes on dishes the writer's guide took him to try. The issue could not have come at a better time. Asam House, a new Malaysian (and Thai) restaurant, opened in Pinetree Plaza a couple of months ago. After I wrote about Chicago Supermarket in September, Steve Drucker (a local grubber who discovered Tasty China well before anyone else was hip to it) replied to my post on a forum I frequent about a fact-finding side trip to Asam House. With all my crazy travel, I didn't make it to Asam House until last weekend after a fun day at the Annual Castleberry Loft Tour. Armed with my crudely written cheat sheet, I scanned the menu for dishes I had never had before--the menu is actually a mixture of Malaysian and Thai and they have a chef for each cuisine. We ordered 4 dishes (3 Malaysian and one Thai).

We started with the roti canai (pan-fried Indian-style pancake served with a chicken and potato curry). The pancake was heavenly--flaky and not too greasy. The curry had a thick layer of grease on top and the flavor was just kind of flat. Next came the nam tok (grilled beef salad with onions, scallions, cilantro, and spicy lime juice), which was very flavorful and spicy. I liked the way the meat
was kind of dry which allowed it to soak up more of the flavors from the sauce. I would order it again.

I was excited to try the char kway teow (stir-fried flat noodles with shrimp, bean sprouts, and egg in black soy sauce) because the guide from the article said it was a must-try dish while in Malaysia. It reminded me of beef chow fun without the added spice (or beef). It wasn't bad, but it could have used more salt. I would order it again, but ask for it a bit spicy.

The aromatic chicken (stir-fried chicken with dried shrimp and chili paste) was my least favorite dish of the meal. The flavor tasted processed from the chili paste and it was too salty. I also found the use of maraschino cherries for garnish very weird. I only ate a couple of bites and left the rest for my date.

Verdict: The space is very new and clean. Service was friendly and helpful. The menu is huge and it definitely warrants further exploration. I think I will try more of the Thai options next time since I have heard many people say that the Thai chef seems to be the more talented of the two. Was it the best darn food I have ever eaten? No. But, they chefs seem competent and I enjoyed some of the dishes enough to go back.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION: Address: 5285 Buford Highway, 30340 (Pinetree Plaza) Phone: (770) 452-5100 Hours: Open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 pm. Closed on Tuesday. Payment: Cash or credit Website