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

I made a loaf of anadama bread from the King Arthur Flour recipe with some changes in the name of expediency. Rather than grind 4 ounces of whole wheat flour I substituted bread flour. I also added three tablespoons of vital wheat gluten; I typically add only one tablespoon to a whole wheat loaf. The result was very tender spongy with a densely packed crumb. I was surprised by the large difference made by the vital wheat gluten.

Classic German Baking has several apple cakes. I decided to try the one known as Wednesday cake for its mid-week simplicity. The yeast dough with butter came together fairly quickly. I topped it with three sliced apples---no cinnamon involved. Here is the result. It was very satisfying. The cake reminded me of Mom's coffee cake even though she used baking powder rather than yeast. I may try cinnamon and sugar as an alternate topping on my next batch to eat as coffee cake.

I was in the mood for a traditional breakfast before I boarded my plane back to Atlanta. I headed to M&D Pancakes & Waffles, a very traditional Formica coffee shop. The windows were large and sunny. The staff was very friendly and kept the coffee coming. Here are my veggie omelet---no cheese---and a waffle. Simple and satisfying.

A brief trip to Fayetteville NC gave me the chance to enjoy an excellent meal at Mac's. It seems to have had its roots in a motorcycle parts shop. I didn't see any auto parts but it did seem very biker friendly. The staff was great. Everything on my plate was excellent. The pulled pork was tender and sweet. The greens were also excellent, with a kiss of pork and that sweetness that comes from excellent collard greens. The cheese grits were creamy and very comforting.

Steuben's is an enjoyable spot for hip, reimagined diner food. It took a couple of tries to get my burger protein style but the results were worth the effort. The patty was nicely juicy, the cheese rich and slightly biting. The lettuce leaves gave me the handheld burger experience.

I enjoyed a hearty and satisfying breakfast at the Delectable Egg. The atmosphere is inviting and unfussy. Most people there seemed to be either actively conducting business or getting ready for a business day. I went for something a little different with the huevos rancheros, something you don't often see in Atlanta. The pork was moist with a fairly subtle green sauce. The potatoes were very hearty. And the coffee kept coming.

Cathy and I decided to conduct our evening discussion over an excellent meal at Domo. It is located in a fast-changing neighborhood near Auraria but the restaurant still conveys, despite being in the middle of the city, some of the peace of a quiet Japanese inn. The food is very Japanese but also very different from the typical Japanese food one sees in American restaurants. The menu is inspired by country cooking and is very hearty. The meal started with an assortment of appetizers. A few were vegetarian but many contained meat. Cathy ordered this excellent pork katsu. The photo of my noodle soup didn't come out but the dish was very hearty with meat, mushrooms, egg, and vegetables in addition to thick udon noodles.