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

I see Chinese buffets all over town, but I noticed a Mexican buffet while I was running an errand in Norcross. Being in the market for a quick and easy lunch I decided to try it. This is simple, basic food but I had a nice meal. They did have some Chinese food on the buffet---isn't multiculturalism wonderful? My favorites were the pork in green sauce and the plantains. They had a number of other items on the buffet, including fajitas.

Roswell Road near the Perimeter hosts a big string of middle Eastern restaurants. I've sampled a few (that I didn't yet review, in case you're wondering) and I am slowly working my way down the road. The other night it was Fanoos's turn. I enjoy middle Eastern food because it offers interesting flavors in lighter forms. My appetizer was a tomato concoction served with a flat bread very reminiscent of an Indian naan. It was accompanied by cheese, walnuts, and olives. None of the food at Fanoos is heavily spiced. My entree was a chicken skewer and rice with cherries (!). I ate the chicken and rice separately. I probably should have deskewered it, cut it up, and mixed it with the rice.

BBQ1 was featured in Atlanta Magazine's recent BBQ issue and I've also talked to people who know their food. It's on Lower Roswell Road in Marietta. Although there is the usual new construction in this area, BBQ1 is in an older, nondescript strip mall entirely appropriate to a BBQ place. I ended up at the takeout window because the dining room isn't open for Sunday dinner. I drove my rib plate home; the aroma gave an air of anticipation to the drive. I really enjoyed the ribs. I find them to be more traditional and authentic than some of the rib places inside the perimeter (it seems that I can learn to overcome my ITP snobbery). They were just a little toothy to give a nice texture but still moist. They weren't slathered in sauce as a finishing coat, allowing me to add the amount of sauce that I wanted. The sauce itself was very subtle---flavorful but not trying to be over-the-top on heat or anything else. The beans and cole slaw were both excellent.

Yeah! Burger (don't forget the !) opened a few weeks ago in White Provisions on Howell Mill Road. It's a relatively large place with a great space---very lighton the inside and a large patio. I tried a beef burger (grass fed) with bleu cheese on whole wheat and a half-and-half (fries and onion rings). The burger itself was a twin-patty rather than one thick patty. Restaurants generally do this to speed cooking but I find one thick patty to be a much more sensual experience. The burger was fine but the taste of the meat didn't really come through as much as I would have expected. The fries and o-rings were also good but not spectacular. The fries had a little bit of skin, which I like, but both had been sitting around for a few minutes before they arrived. I couldn't help but compare the place to Zesto. The menus and quality of food are fairly similar, although Yeah! emphasizes organic ingredients. But Zesto is at least as fresh and tasty and it's a little cheaper...

I've been curious about Joey D's since I moved here. It's near Perimeter Mall, so I drive by it regularly, and the thought of an Italian steak house is always tantalizing. This is part of a chain, not family owned, but I came away very satisfied nonetheless. The decor is steak house moderne---more light and air but still with the wood theme that we see in so many steak houses. My salad was very enjoyable; I think it had some pignoli in it, among other items. I was a little surprised that they didn't have a wedge salad on the menu, though. My ribeye was great. It was a very nice cut, just enough char, and it was perfectly done. For dessert, I had their cheesecake which comes from Carnegie Deli in New York. Too many cheesecakes are gelatin-heavy but a proper cheesecake is very cheesy. This was a proper cheesecake---wonderful and big enough that I couldn't finish it.

Glenn introduced me to Piola, a new spot in the upper part of midtown. It is a small chain that started in Italy and then branched out to the U.S. It has a modernist decor and music. The music was loud and not conducive to conversation; this place is for people you want to be seen with, not people you want to talk to. I ordered a pepperoni pizza. It's a traditional thin-crust pizza (although not as thin as some of the pizzas I've had in Italy). It was a reasonable pizza but not spectacular. Glenn and I both decided to have the chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert, which turned out to be a brownie with ice cream, which was slightly disappointing.

Macy's was kind enough to invite me to a bloggers' reception for Chef Tyler Florence at Lenox Mall today. Our reception was held in Macy's secret blogger den located far below Atlanta. (I'm sworn to secrecy, so I can't tell you where it is, but I can tell you it's very near the Bat Cave.) He answered some questions from us and I was quite impressed by his seriousness and commitment. He first explained that his job is to come up with recipes that we can use to put dinner on the table---interesting and good but also feasible for one person to make in an hour or so. He explained that restaurant chefs work under very different circumstances: they cook in large batches, they can make components like stocks that take days because they will be used continuously, and they have large staffs. His goal is to translate the intent of a restaurant recipe into something that can be made at home. When he spoke about the trend away from complicated food, he said that many...