Atlanta etc.: Marilyn Wolf's Food Blog and Restaurant Blog

After spending an afternoon around downtown Asheville, I was in the mood for a homey dinner. Favilla's more than satisfied me---it is an outstanding exemplar of the neighborhood New York pizza place, more authentic and homey than anything I can think of in Atlanta. Our server explained to me that the owner moved to Asheville from Brooklyn five years ago and found "nothing" in the way of pizza. A second location is now on the way. The atmosphere is comfortable and inviting. The only thing it lacks is a photo of Sinatra. Here is a medium pizza with pepperoni, mushroom, and tomatoes. The pepperoni was great, with that hint of fennel that makes it more than just meat. The sauce was just right, with a clear tomato taste not masked by false sweetness or excessive acidity. My only small complaint was that the crust wasn't quite as tender as I would like, but that didn't seriously detract. This stand is a demonstration of Favilla's authenticity. Real piz...

Chorizo is located in the charming Grove Arcade, an early 20th century shopping center in downtown Asheville. The restaurant is easily accessible from the sidewalk. The decor is eclectic and charming. Here is the chicken enchilada, served with a nice dollop of fresh avocado, rice, beans, a slice of fried plantain (!), and salad. I managed to mess up my photo of my vegetarian paella. This was an intriguing idea that I had to try. As one could imagine from the name, it was a stew cooked in rice with tofu substituting for seafood, along with a selection of vegetables. I'm not sure what they used for as a broth to cook the stew. As with the enchilada, it came with salad, fried plantain, and beans. The black beans were extremely tasty and rich, the real hit of the meal.

Asheville has an amazing number of chocolate shops. The Chocolate Fetish is probably one of the oldest and best known. It's right in the middle of downtown. The store has a half-dozen cases with chocolates of every variety. A few tables are available to enjoy your treat on the spot, although most people seem to carry theirs home. I sampled several types: an almond rocher, candied ginger, and salted caramel. The candied ginger was wonderful with a great zing. I ordered the salted chocolate with a dark chocolate coating, which had quite a bit of cacao in it. The creaminess of the caramel contrasted perfectly with the salt, although perhaps a little less salt would have been ideal. The almond rocher had a firm texture and plenty of almonds.

Biscuit Head is an outstanding practitioner of the find Southern art of biscuits. Being in uber-hip West Asheville, they also offer trending alternatives like tempeh. But I think it's safe to say that most of the dozen or so people who stand in line at any one time are waiting for biscuits. Here is a biscuit au naturel. It's known as a cats head biscuit because it is the size of the head of a cat (and a scarily large cat at that). A large toppings bar provides a selection of fruit preserves and other toppings. Here is a biscuit with their pork sausage gravy, one of about a half-dozen varieties of gravy they offer. The texture of the biscuit is a little hard to parse out with the gravy but I suspect that these are of the beaten variety. Mine certainly gave a very tender, soft texture when I cut it with a fork. As you can see, the sausage comes in healthy-sized chunks. The sausage itself isn't your standard supermarket variety; both the color and the taste are very...

Cinnamon Kitchen is off the tourist trail in the suburban area of Asheville, up the road from the Vanderbilt mansion. I had a very enjoyable meal and the chance to get away from the crowded downtown area. The service was extremely courteous and helpful. Papadum are obligatory and always enjoyable. These were very flavorful. The lentil flavor came through very clearly. I'm not sure of the identity of the green vegetable but it provided a good complementary note. The meal started with a selection of fried vegetarian appetizers, all very tasty. Here are the main courses. Top is chili paneer. The paneer had a wonderful texture. I asked for spicy; the result was attention-getting but not tear-inducing. The sauce was shiny with cornstarch, perhaps a Chinese influence. The bottom photos are chicken tikka, served with sauce on the side, something that I've never seen before. The vegetables served with the chicken also reminded me a bit of a Chinese presentation. Ga...

The Fortune Cookie is a beneficiary of the strip mall makeover that brought The Fresh Market to North Druid Hills. The decor is brand spanking new, nicely traditional. I sat near the door and heard the owner chat with customers as they entered and left. She seemed to know everyone. The menu is retro Chinese-American, as you can see from this sample page. But the food was pretty good. This restaurant is not an exotic food museum but it does serve a satisfying meal. Here are sesame chicken and spicy eggplant. In my hunger, I forgot to take a photo of the fried vegetarian dumplings, which were crispy on the outside and full of vegetable flavor on the inside. The sauces on the main dishes were a little sweet but not overpowering. These dishes disappeared quickly.

Garden State Diner is in Terminal B of Newark Liberty. It's on the opposite side of the terminal from where I usually fly, so it's a new experience for me. The service was very friendly but the kitchen was very, very slow. I ordered the japapeno veggie griller. Its texture was pretty soft but that is a common complaint with veggie burgers The taste on the other hand, was great. Even without the japapenos it had a nice little bite of spice along with a variety of other veggie-friendly flavors.

Terminal D has always been the worst of the terminals at Hartsfield-Jackson. The gates themselves are still narrow and crowded with passengers spilling out from the gate into the hallway. But the central food court has received a wonderful makeover as you can see from the photo. The space is light-filled, high-ceilinged, and attractive. The restaurants include both fast and more leisurely choices. The area also includes several shops.

An outing gave me a chance to try Mason Tavern in Decatur. It's in the same shopping center as Community Q. It has an extensive drink menu, as befits the name, but a casual upscale decor and an interesting menu. We started with some outstanding onion rings. The crust was rich and stood on its own, sheltering the onion. I ordered the roast chicken for my main course. The meat was very juicy and tender with a nice brine touch. The skin was just a little spicy and very flavorful. The greens were IMHO not cooked enough and a little hard to eat---there's a reason that Southerners cook their greens to death. These mussels and their broth looked great. We ended with the apple pie. As a nice change of pace, the apples were diced into small pieces. A bit of ginger set them off perfectly.