While in Barcelona we hit up Pez Vela, a relatively new paella restaurant at the base of the W Hotel, right on the beach. Ever since, I can’t stop thinking about paella. Has anyone ever had one that was good in Atlanta?

Doing it at home is probably the best option. I have a paella pan I’ve never used, and some recently acquired bomba rice, so a paella party is in my near future.

The fixed paella menu began with the ubiquitous tomato bread, lightly toasted, with flake salt and fruity olive oil that should put Italians to shame.

It’s tough to beat a big, crunchy salad. The olives are so good in Spain. There were many white asparagus appearances too.

We also sampled a potato tapa, I believe they called it patatas calientes. The more common patatas bravas is often served with aioli and/or romesco sauce, but this was paired with something more like a spicy onion soubise, basically a chopped up/melted caramelized onion sauce with some chili oil. This was UNREAL.

The pièce de résistance – squid, shrimp, and clam paella.

The seafood was of course fresh and salty and perfect. But the rice! Oh, the rice! Short, firm, toothsome (did I really just say that?), each grain was a slick explosion of salty ocean flavor. And the thin layer meant almost every bite had a dose of the lustful socarrat, the fought over caramelized and crunchy flavor bits that form on the bottom and edge of the pan. Recalling it now…I think it just moved.

Katie likes dessert. :)

What a view, huh? These old Spanish gentlemen cracked me up. Taking a jog down the beach one morning, I saw a lot of scantily clad men close-talking and helping each other out with sunblock, also many tables of shirtless seniors playing dominos and drinking Dewar’s at about 9:30 AM. The Mediterranean diet, indeed.

Kidding.

Maybe.

So we’re up in Roswell awaiting the start of said game night (side note: holy crap, I’m old now) and we randomly choose to dine at Bistro VG, which is formerly known as Van Gogh’s. You may not believe this, but this apparently super popular suburban restaurant was at the end of a strip mall. We sat at the bar as it appeared that getting a table without a reservation on a Saturday night is generally out of the question, then ordered a few items from the very enthusiastic bartender.

I realize traditionally a cheese course comes after the entree, but we started with three selections from their fairly large list. They really did have some good options. While the soft French selections I chose weren’t quite warm or runny enough, I was quite happy to start with this.

We also shared the beet salad, except, wait a minute… they went RICOTTA! The ubiquitous goat cheese/beet combo does get a little old. The ricotto was creamy and salty and delicious with the earthy beets, and you can’t see from these blurry ass photos, but it was a mix of red and golden beets with the frisee.

The pile of hanger with allegedly caramelized cauliflower was my main selection. The cauliflower were heavy and soft and soggy, far from the rich charred flavor and crispy edges desired from the cabbage relative. The hanger, while overly chewy in parts (I’ve been spoiled by the beautiful Flannery hangers), had the mouth watering game-like flavor I so crave.

Weirdly, some slices were overcooked and others were cooked perfectly. It was probably 75% medium rare slices and 25% well done. I presume the ends of the hanger got overcooked but they threw them on there anways, which ends up looking undesirable on the plate.

There were a few misses, but the people were super nice and prices were about $5-7 cheaper than what you’d see the same entree cost around Atlanta. If you’re OTP I’d definitely give them a shot if the wait at Outback is too long.

Just joshin’, the wait at Outback is always too long, go to Bistro VG.

I stopped by The Sound Table on the way home from SC a few weeks ago. I sat at the bar downstairs. It was fairly dark back there, hence the crazy blurry photos.

My meal began with some champagne, of beers. Good and cheap. High Life really does seem to have a taste of its own. Though these cheap beers are fairly trendy. Did you hear about PBR going for $44 a bottle in China?

Speaking of beer trends, last night at The Shed, Katie tried to order a PBR but was told that they only had Genesee. Genesee is what my grandmother (picture a tiny Irish woman with a cardigan draped over her shoulders, two handing a giant mug of draft beer) in Pennsylvania drinks, and what she has been been drinking for as long as I can remember. And Yuengling is produced in Pottsville, which is forty miles from where she lives and where my father grew up. He tells me that when he was young no one drank Yuengling because that was an old coal miner beer and it was uncool. My how the times they are a-changin’.

Back to matters at hand, I started with the Goi Ga salad, a Vietnamase preparation, which also reminded me of some Thai salads. Small pieces of shredded chicken with cabbage and onion in a soy sauce and probably some sort of vinegar dressing. They also added pecans and mint. Really tasty except that they went really heavy on the soy sauce, so there was a pool of it when I neared the bottom of the salad. I had a glass of the picpoul blanc from the Languedoc. Maybe a little Sauv blanc-ish, the wine had some salty and burnt flavors that went aight with the food.

Next I had the spatchcocked chicken. What is spatchcocked, you and the guy who was sitting next to me at the bar might ask? Ruhlman is here to show you. I wasn’t expecting wings, I guess I had envisioned a whole quarter chicken. The flavor was good though; the singed chicken skin went well with the lemon and herb flavors, as well as with my glass of pinot nero (light Italian clone of pinot noir).

Good stuff overall, fair prices. I look forward to going back.

On the way to see the Cars exhibit at the High Museum, I stopped off at TAP for some lunch. I had never been. Beneath the name TAP on the sign, it says “a gastropub”. Which of course means that they lost Cool points for the explicit explanation of style. A restaurant with no sign and wait staff that answer the phone by saying, “whatever”. Now THAT would be a hip restaurant I could get behind!

I was so hungry I could [insert euphemism here], so I ordered the chips and salsa. A casual twenty minutes later they arrived. Think a spicier version of El Azteca salsa, snazzed up with avocado and queso fresco. $5.

Katie got the vegetarian burger. The bun looked very promising but was dry/stale. The veggie patty was good, as were the fries. Not a bad option, especially if you get a fresher bun.

I had the Cobb salad. The chicken was cooked appropriately, but lacked any flavor. It was weird. The avocado looked sad, and almost every piece of  lettuce tossed in the nondescript creamy sauce had large pieces of rib, not my favorite part of the leaf.

Maybe I’m being harsh, cause it wasn’t bad, but I wanted this. I wouldn’t order it again, is one way to put it.

Lots of people were at TAP, including a few people eating outside in that day’s brutal heat.

The Cars exhibit was great. It was the last day, so if you missed it, sucks for you.

This past Friday I made my third visit to Urban pL8, over on Huff Road between Howell Mill and S. Marietta Blvd. Urban pL8 is really just a stones throw from the heavily trafficked Westside Provisions District, but it feels a bit isolated and this location has been notoriously difficult. They seem to be hanging in there – they had a decent crowd in there for a late lunch. Some of the nearby apartments/townhomes are finally complete, and the new location of the Corner Tavern down the street has opened, so hopefully the continued development will result in an increase in traffic for all the businesses in that area.

Urban pL8 has changed since my last visit. The orders are no longer taken at the counter, it’s all table service. The lunch menu has also expanded to include a larger selection of salads, sandwiches, and entrees. I felt like a sandwich that day, but the only option besides one of the many variations of burgers (bison, veggie, nut, banh mi, regular) was either a chicken or pimiento sandwich. So of course I went with a burger.

Plump, tall, and literally oozing its juices, this well grill-marked burger was very satisfying. Toppings, bun, and the accompanying salad all deserve high marks. The only thing I’d change is the forming of the patty – the beef is packed too tight, which results in a tough and chewy texture, almost like a sausage. This may have been the reason the burger is so juicy (the firm texture locks in the liquid?), so it may be a trade-off that I’m judging based on personal preference.

I continue to hear great things about the nut burger. I think I’ll try that next time.

Lunacy has been open many months now, but this was my first visit to the latest endeavor of Paul Luna (formerly of Eclipse di Luna and Loca Luna) and his silver streaking pony tail. Once parked, and my credit card swiped for the new parking machines, I walked up Mitchell Street a few blocks, through an unfamiliar downtown Atlanta, an area with an often fleeting identify.

After a quick thirty minute, four mile drive, I arrived to the quirky and welcoming interior of Lunacy, which exudes a sentiment somewhere between chic coffee shop and my grandmother’s home. After a quick perusal of the menu, each of us ordered two sandwiches per person, and the same cabbage salad, which arrived first.

The salad was wonderful and mouth-wateringly memorable. It consisted of room temperature ribbons of red and green cabbage, dressed extremely lightly (so as to be damp but not the least bit soggy), mint, walnuts, and gorgonzola. The most balanced and subtly powerful salad in recent memory. Every flavor element played perfectly with the next, as did the textures. I’d bust out the word umami if I hadn’t read it fifty times in the last month.

The sandwiches weren’t as memorable as the salad, but it was a tough act to follow. The meats were tender, the ciabatta like bread firm and fresh, and just a few splashes of flavor from a variety of garnishes and sauces – what’s not to like for a couple of bucks?

Chef brought us out some Sichuan green beans mid-meal. Dude thought the free treat was because I’m big time, but alas I think he made a batch for a friend of his a few tables away, and probably had cooked more than was needed and gave us the extra. Either way, it was a tasty snack. The dry fried technique had been applied very well, better than many Chinese restaurants.

I did not sit here on my man date.

The gift of friendship…as well as a check for $13 for lunch for four sandwiches and two salads. Lunacy is quite the value, and I look forward to going and trying many more dishes. For a chef so well versed in tapas, I should not be surprised at this style, but they’re doing something a bit different here, having no peers in Atlanta for this type of food at this price point.

Read Dude’s account of the lunch here.

Farmer’s market season is (finally) in full effect, and I’m back this year at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. I’m ashamed to say I’ve never even been to the Morningside market, as PRFM is so close to my house. But it’s a very good market and it seems to be getting better too – more vendors, more people…less parking. I took these shots on a visit a few weeks ago.

Surprise, surprise – the city wants more money…, or I guess just enjoys being a pain in the ass.

Souper Jenny out selling her lobster rolls.

The line at Crepe Masters is always 5-10 people long so I’ve never had one, but they must be good.

My favorite vendors include: Native Juices, Riverview Farms, H&F Bread, Pine St Market, Moto Bene, Zocalo Salsa (salsa verde!), and Farmer Jeff’s produce.

Dan Latham (Moto Bene) is making some outrageous pizza from his portable oven. Kessler wrote about him here.

The pies often utilize whatever is in season at the market. This past Saturday I had a pie with ricotta, mozzarella, thin slices of zucchini, breakfast sausage, topped with squash blossoms after cooking. Wow. His end crust is some of the best I’ve had – light, slightly puffy inside, and just crispy enough. Really fantastic. Texturally, it’s somewhere in between Varasano’s and Antico. If and when Dan sets up shop, his pie is going to be formidable. Based on a two minute conversation, he seems to be a nice guy that loves pizza; definitely a welcome addition.

Bought some greens…

Roasted spring onions and cherry tomatoes, bibb lettuce, dandelion greens, homemade ranch dressing

Burgers last night – H&F bread made the burger

After being on the road for 8 days, I’m finally back in Atlanta. The trip was mostly work, though I did participate in a triathlon on Jekyll Island on Saturday (5th in my age group!) and hung out on the beach the rest of the day. Not too awful.

I had lots of good food on the trip. I ate at Noble Fare in SAV on Friday night. Savannah food is sort of a mystery to me. There’s lots of the touristy overpriced garbage, decent and plain seafood, but not much in the way of intriguing, off-beat meals. I think Noble Fare is the best I’ve had in Savannah to date. The tasting menu was missing a little umph, and a few dishes were just a notch or two from being very memorable. But I enjoyed it and recommend it.

My evenings in Charleston on Monday/Tuesday were another matter. McCrady’s Monday night, FIG on Tuesday night. The tasting menu at McCrady’s was my favorite meal there there to date. It’s not cheap, but I felt the price was fair for such a perfectly executed and creative experience. The range of dishes touch so many ingredients and techniques, it was so much fun to see what would come next.

The FIG meal was a little more low key, but equally delicious. A much more comforting meal to me. The largest lump crab I’ve ever seen and English peas in a light creamy broth. Veal agnolotti. Pan sauteed soft shell crab with bitter greens. Warm blueberry and strawberry crisp with a glass of botrytis semillon. I don’t know if it’s a “grass is greener” syndrome, but the meals were more memorable than what I’ve had in ATL lately.

If you’re ever in North Charleston, I highly recommend EVO for pizza. The “pork trifecta” pizza of locally made bacon, homemade sausage/pepperoni was really good. Cool place too.

In related news, check out Besha’s foodie guide to Charleston.

First order of business back in the A; date night at our happy place – Dynamic Dish.

After a week of guilty eating, DD is always delicious and gut friendly. Check out the patty pan’s below!

Tomato/scallion/avocado – so simple

Lentil burger with crispy potatoes, really tasty!

Repast for dessert – ice cream and sorbet. Carrot cake on the right was my jam.

Chocolate terrine, sea salt, olive oil, pistachio

I’m really interested to see how Repast and Watershed develop when Joe heads to Watershed on June 1. I think it could work out very well for both restaurants. The staff I spoke to at Repast last night seemed to be invigorated when I inquired about the change.

Months ago I attended a fantastic multicourse dinner by Decatur Wine and Food Dude, and though all the dishes were impressive, I was blown away by the French Laundry salad of haricots verts, tomato tartare, and chive oil. The concentrated flavor of the tomato is explosive while remaining natural. The cool whipped beans, the glowing chive oil, and the impressive presentation send it over the top. I knew I was going to make this dish someday, and Dude was kind enough to send me the recipe last week.

The tomato confit recipe is readily available online, and you can pretty much follow the complete salad creation process on the French Laundry at Home blog. I didn’t bother with the tomato powder as I didn’t have enough time to experiment with the notoriously finicky process.

This post really only follow the process of creating the tomato confit, which is some incredible stuff that you should try, whether or not you want to make this salad. I used the extra confit as a soup garnish, spread it on toast, and I ate spoonfuls of it by itself. It’s that good. Though tomatoes aren’t in season, the slow roast extracts puckering sweetness from even the blandest of grocery store tomatoes.

Step 1: Beer (name on glass optional)

Step 2: core the stem end, score the opposite end

Step 3: Pour boiling water on the tomatoes

Step 4: Quickly drain and allow them to cool until you can peel them

Step 5: Cut the naked tomatoes into quarters, length wise, and scrape out the seeds and loose flesh

Step 6: Lay tomato “petals” on a line baking sheet, drizzle olive oil, dust with salt and fresh chopped thyme for 2-3 hours at 250 degrees

Step 7: Store the tomatoes in a bowl, pouring the oil from the pan over them – refrigerate for up to 1 week

I used this biscuit cutter to plate the salad, which begins with the chopped tomatoes, shallot, and balsamic vinegar

The beans are blanched and folded into the red wine vinegar laced, lightly whipped cream. The beans are stacked on the tartare, followed by a handful of salad. The plate is finalized with the chive oil, which is simple to make and looks gorgeous.

Since a change at work at the end of last year, I am now in Columbia, South Carolina three days a week, allowing me plenty of time to explore their food scene. Unfortunately I think Columbia has a long way to go, especially compared to Charleston and Greenville, which are both vastly superior in terms of cuisine and weather.

Of course, there are gems, my favorite being Terra just across the bridge from the Vista (downtown). I probably visit once a week. Chef Mike Davis is young, creative, and recently had the honor of cooking at the James Beard house. The menu has some mainstays, but the specials are often the way to go. On a recent visit they were trying out some bar snacks, including lobster “corn dogs”. This was fresh lobster, fried on a stick, with a tempura like texture. It was a little gooey from being undercooked, but showed potential and was a fun attempt, and was worth ordering at $7.

I often end up ordering the wood fired pizzas, as they are too hard to pass up at $10. The pizzas are super thin, very much like Sardinian flat bread, with great toppings. The duck confit and port soaked cherries is my personal favorite, though the carnitas is a close second.

The frisee lardon is also a common order of mine – rich chewy Benton’s bacon, mushrooms, and a poached egg soaked in jus. Sinful and delicious.

Last week I tried the veal hangar steak with risotto. Perfectly cooked veal, wonderful al dente risotto with little cubes of roasted butternut squash, and once again, a good value at $20.

I don’t have a picture of another dish I like, but Terra commonly offers a skate wing appetizer, which is three medium sized pieces of fried skate, with celery root mash, and hericot verts for $8.

On another trip, I ventured towards the east side of Columbia, near the military base, where the best ethnic food can be found. The ladies at Mai Thai near my office, who often day dream about how good the Korean and Chinese food is in Atlanta, sent me over to Pho Viet when I told them I was seeking pho.

Compared to my first pho mission in Columbia, this was stellar, but I’m slowly learning just how good we have it in Atlanta. The broth was decent, though the ribeye wasn’t thin enough, and the brisket was tough and too lean. The omission of Thai basil was also disappointing, I love that stuff.

Last week I decided to seek out tonkotsu ramen. I found it at Inakaya. This was edible, but my heart sank as I realized that this was no Haru Ichiban or Yakitori Jenbei. The broth was too salty and was too thin, and the pork was a major let down. Rather than the thin slice of fatty, falling apart pork, these were three little pieces of tough pork, maybe small slices of roast loin.

The adventure of finding great food in Columbia has been a lot of fun, and as mentioned, only reinforces how good the food is in Atlanta, particularly ethnic food. Terra can be slightly inconsistent in execution, but I think it’s the best food in Columbia, with prices which beat anywhere of comparable quality in Atlanta. They also has a wide wine selection with fair prices.

I’m sure there are other “finds” in Columbia, and my plan is to try them all.