Pad Kee Mao (AKA Drunken Noodles)

Pepper Steak

Thaicoon & Sushi Bar 1799 Briarcliff Road Atlanta, GA 30306 404 817 9805

Miso Salmon

With Lemon Sauce And Snow Pea Garnish

Have you seen the 2009 video of Michael Ruhlman responding to Kelly Alexander’s challenge to try the miso salmon at Cheesecake Factory?  We did. (Some time in late 2009) Then, we promptly forgot about it.

Skip forward [...]]]>

Miso Salmon

With Lemon Sauce And Snow Pea Garnish

Have you seen the 2009 video of Michael Ruhlman responding to Kelly Alexander’s challenge to try the miso salmon at Cheesecake Factory?  We did. (Some time in late 2009) Then, we promptly forgot about it.

Skip forward to last week, we ended up at Cheesecake Factory.  One never really sets out to “go” to Cheesecake Factory.  You just end up there, right?  Well, we ended up there the other day.  So, we’re paging through those sticky (Why are they so sticky??) laminated pages and we spot it.  The Miso Salmon.  That’s it.  Decision made.  Michael Ruhlman ate it.  How bad could it be?

Answer:

It’s really not that bad at all.

The salmon itself is quite tasty.  The flesh is moist, tender and flaky.  The lacquering of miso glaze (above) effectively holds in the juices.  The interesting balance of sweet, salty, and savory enhances the meaty salmon.  And, the rice is acceptable.  Now, what about that lemon sauce that Mr Ruhlman refers to as “insipid”?  He’s being generous.  The sauce on our plate was oddly sweet …way too sweet.  The miso glaze provides more than enough sweetness to this salmon dish.  Why would you add another sweet sauce?  It’s a mystery to both of us.

Bang Bang Chicken And Shrimp

This is one rich, gloppy, sweet, crazy heavy, thick-sauced dish.  Are you training for a marathon?  This dish might be for you.  You know those rumors about 2,000 calorie meals?  Now, we’re just guessing.  But, we think this might be one of them.  The curry sauce is heavy.  Couple that with a drizzle of peanut sauce, that’s also sweet and heavy.  Then, toss some toasted coconut and crushed peanuts on top just for fun.  About five bites into this overtly Americanized curry extravaganza, it’ll be nap time.

Cheesecake Factory

Grilled Pork & Mango Salad

It would be silly to complain about the mildest winter in our history of Atlanta winters.

But, we’re seriously ready for spring.

Pork, peppers, onions and mango slices are grilled and served on top of a nice mix of greens.  The [...]]]>

Grilled Pork & Mango Salad

It would be silly to complain about the mildest winter in our history of Atlanta winters.

But, we’re seriously ready for spring.

Pork, peppers, onions and mango slices are grilled and served on top of a nice mix of greens.  The only negative was the salad dressing.  Allegedly, its a creamy mango vinaigrette.  However, it tastes like some sort of Thousand Island dressing.  It doesn’t complement this salad.  AT ALL.  That won’t stop us from ordering this tasty little salad again.  But… Next time, we’ll ask for a plain vinaigrette.  You can be sure of that.

Paella

This dish might be a wee little bit on the simple side.  And, you could say that the mild sausage and shrimp were used a bit too sparingly.  But, for this price, it’s still pretty damn tasty.

They toss you (we almost mean this literally) some chips and salsa, too!

La Fonda Latina
4427 Roswell Road
Atlanta, GA 30342
404 303 8201

Sababa Salad

Cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, and mint are tossed with a lemony dressing.  Then, it’s sprinkled with a nice dose of za’atar spice blend.  (Za’atar is a spice blend of herbs, sesame seeds and salt.)

Shawarma Platter

Hummus, Chopped Salad, Spiced Slivers Of Chicken, [...]]]>

Sababa Salad

Cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, and mint are tossed with a lemony dressing.  Then, it’s sprinkled with a nice dose of za’atar spice blend.  (Za’atar is a spice blend of herbs, sesame seeds and salt.)

Shawarma Platter

Hummus, Chopped Salad, Spiced Slivers Of Chicken, & Babaganoush

Delicious, all.

But, this mound of babaganoush will be the reason for a return visit in the very near future.  It’s rich, creamy, silky smooth, and touched with the perfect amount of smoke.  This lovely touch of smoke adds another level of complexity to an already flavor-rich eggplant dip.

Gyro Platter With Fries

Yes, you can get a gyro wrap, too.

Just don’t blink when you’re driving down Shallowford road, this cute little restaurant is hidden inside a small strip of shops.

Cafe Sababa Mediterranean Grill
4639-D North Shallowford Road
Dunwoody, GA 30338
678 705 8268

Chicken with White BBQ Sauce, Corn Bread Dressing, & Fried Okra

We’ve never had a bad meal at Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q.

As a matter of fact, we’ve never had an average meal at Fox Brothers BBQ.  They’ve been delivering consistently amazing bbq for how many years?  This [...]]]>

Chicken with White BBQ Sauce, Corn Bread Dressing, & Fried Okra

We’ve never had a bad meal at Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q.

As a matter of fact, we’ve never had an average meal at Fox Brothers BBQ.  They’ve been delivering consistently amazing bbq for how many years?  This place teeters near perfection on each and every visit.

Chicken & Ribs with Collards & Corn Bread

And, Brisket Chili

So tender, so moist… so good.

Fox Brothers BBQ
1238 Dekalb Avenue
Decatur, GA 30307
404 577 4032

Black Forest Ham, Smoked Liverwurst & German Bologna

These are perfect fixings for a Super Bowl sandwich platter.  Just add a loaf of your favorite fresh bakery bread and some spicy mustard.

Patak Meats 4107 Ewing Road Austell, GA 30106 770 941 7993

Ribs & Brisket

Tender, Smoky And Delicious…. Again

This is one habit we have no intention of breaking.

Smoked Sweet Potato & Kale

This is always one of our favorite sides at Community Q.  But, this time we both seriously missed the charred [...]]]>

Ribs & Brisket

Tender, Smoky And Delicious…. Again

This is one habit we have no intention of breaking.

Smoked Sweet Potato & Kale

This is always one of our favorite sides at Community Q.  But, this time we both seriously missed the charred edges on the kale.  Normally, we fight over those bites.  Hopefully, we’ll see them next time.  And, we would have enjoyed the depth of flavor a bit more smoke would add (and has added on other visits).

The collards were having a bad day, too.  They were a bit over-cooked and a touch too vinegary.

Chicken, Collard Greens & Potato Salad

This might look like backyard barbecue fare.  But, it is oh-so-much better.  Hidden under that golden brown skin lies white and dark meat so tender that no knife is needed for cutting.  Touched with just the right balance of smoke and spice, this chicken proudly takes its rightful place at center stage.

Come & Get It, Y’all!

Community Q BBQ
1361 Clairmont Road
Decatur, GA 30033
404 633 2080

Lobster Crackers

Hot?  No, Not At All.  Fishy?  Yes.

Now, this is coming from prawn cracker fans.  The fishy taste was bordering on overwhelming in these lobster crackers.  There might have been a tiny hint of lobster flavor hidden in there.  But, the generic fishiness was just [...]]]>

Lobster Crackers

Hot?  No, Not At All.  Fishy?  Yes.

Now, this is coming from prawn cracker fans.  The fishy taste was bordering on overwhelming in these lobster crackers.  There might have been a tiny hint of lobster flavor hidden in there.  But, the generic fishiness was just too much for us.  And, to make matters worse, they were quite hard, dense and stick-to-your-teeth clunky.

Oishi Spicy Prawn Crackers

Now, these were really good.

They might not look like much.  But, there’s a nice touch of spice to them.  And, these crisp airy puffs have a burst of salty, savory crunch with a nice little hint of shrimp.

Hong Kong Supermarket
#A15
5495 Jimmy Carter Blvd
Norcross, GA 30093
678 728 0086

Mixed Seafood Salad

A mix of greens, scallions, white onion, and fine shreds of carrot…

…mingle with tender scallops, calamari and shrimp.

Dressed with a tangy vinegar laced with garlic and spice, it’s just so SO good.  From the freshness of the greens to [...]]]>

Mixed Seafood Salad

A mix of greens, scallions, white onion, and fine shreds of carrot…

…mingle with tender scallops, calamari and shrimp.

Dressed with a tangy vinegar laced with garlic and spice, it’s just so SO good.  From the freshness of the greens to the sweet tender bites of scallop to that touch of tangy garlic-y zing from the vinegar, this is one perfectly delicious way to make a salad.

Spicy Basil Catfish

Spicy Basil Catfish

This deep, dark sauce is full of rich complex flavor.  But, they might ask you if you really want it spicy.

Say yes, please!

Curry Chicken

Creamy, mellow, mild and comforting.

Thai Restaurant of Norcross
6065 South Norcross Tucker Road
Norcross, GA 30093
770 938 3883

Blue Ribbon Grill House Salad

Topped with roasted pecans, gorgonzola, and red onion, this is one satisfying salad.  The assorted mixed greens were dressed with a very nice gorgonzola vinaigrette.

Blue Cheese Burger With Sweet Potato Fries

Loaded with oodles of blue cheese, thin slices of [...]]]>

Blue Ribbon Grill House Salad

Topped with roasted pecans, gorgonzola, and red onion, this is one satisfying salad.  The assorted mixed greens were dressed with a very nice gorgonzola vinaigrette.

Blue Cheese Burger With Sweet Potato Fries

Loaded with oodles of blue cheese, thin slices of red onion, tomato and lettuce, you don’t want to overlook this burger.  That would be a serious mistake.  Blue cheese pairs beautifully with rich ground beef that’s seared over high heat and touched with pink at the center.

Melty cheese, Big Beef Patty & A Sesame Seed Bun

You’ll want one of these.

Ribeye With Fried Onion Strings

We were both impressed with this piece of meat.  Blue Ribbon Grill offers a respectable prime rib, too.  It was that surprisingly good prime rib that made us give the ribeye a try.  Normally, we stick to the burgers and grouper sandwich at Blue Ribbon Grill.  Not anymore, we’re glad we gave this ribeye a chance.  How often do you get the chance to refer to a ribeye steak as a “good value”?  This was a good value and good eats.

It might be a tad beyond medium rare.  But, we barely noticed.  We were too busy commenting on the nice sprinkling of salt and pepper that so often gets forgotten.

The Blue Ribbon Grill has more than its fair share of seniors.  (Or, “Cotton Heads” …That’s an affectionate term we use.  It’s the ex-Floridian within us rearing its silly little head.  In Florida, a “Cotton Head Alert” at a restaurant tends to be a very bad thing.  Frequently, it signals bland and boring food.  Cotton heads have finicky old bellies, dontcha know.)  But, don’t let that scare you away.  There’s some great neighborhood grub hiding out in the lovingly battered dining room that is Blue Ribbon Grill.

The Blue Ribbon Grill
4006 Lavista Road
Tucker, GA 30084
770 491 1570