So where to begin? It’s been a busy Spring (that’s me under the CAFE sign there) and I’ve had a hard time keeping up with the bloggin’. So here’s the quick rundown, complete with oversights and omissions and quite a few crappy phone pics….

Thiên Thanh

Clowns make me sad (and freak me out quite a bit). Now, unfortunately, Thiên Thanh (where the above clown now resides) makes me sad as well. I wrote about Thiên Thanh a while back and was excited about the promise this placed showed. No more. A. & I stopped in a few weeks ago for a quick lunch and were shocked to find that the Vietnamese menu (and my beloved bún mọc) had been replaced with “Cajun” seafood in an obvious attempt to follow in the footsteps of Crawfish Shack. Disappointed, we left and found solace elsewhere (Bo Bo Garden, across the parking lot). Feeling a little guilty, I returned for dinner recently with my buddy @TowerATL in tow. I feel bad saying it, but the best part of the meal was strategically choosing a table so that the Creepy Clown was looming over @TowerATL the entire time. The food wasn’t bad, it was just “sad” – mealy, damp crusts and off-flavors. I want my  bún mọc back…

Cafe Sinaloense

Tasty, competent pollo asado are what Sinaloense is all about. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if their location (in the old El Mustacho space next to Cafe Mozart) is a great one. The spot has been empty (or a scary biker bar) for so long that I’m not sure that it will capture attention…

El Rincon Latino

Tasty mojarra frita for dinner one night. Definitely going back for this – in my mind it’s every bit as good as the whole fried catfish Tom Catherall sprung on us years ago at Azalea, and that’s still making the rounds (Kaleidoscope in Brookhaven has it on their menu).

Loroco

Not really a revelation, but I was happy to stumble across a 2 lb. jar of loroco at Carniceria 3 Hermanos on Roswell road. El Rincon Latino (above) makes pupusas stuffed with cheese and loroco. Tasty.

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

I was privileged to lead a tour of Buford Highway for the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. As such, they let me run amok through the festival. I only took a few pics as I was too busy eating. Can’t wait for next year!

The Rathbun brothers cooking steaks (would have been quicker to throw them on the pavement – was about 900 million degrees out there…).

Kevin Ouzts of Spotted Trotter gave a fantastic presentation on charcuterie as well as a great sampling of his work.

Cooking

Yes, I’ve been cooking quite a bit recently. Still working on refining my pollo a la brasa recipe. Getting it right is a royal PITA.

And here’s the fishy ribs (brined in fish sauce & palm sugar). I really like this. A. can’t stand it…

Bibim Bowl

A. & I hit up Bibim Bowl for a quick dinner one evening. Not bad for fast food Korean.

The fried mandoo were tasty. Definitely worth a visit.

North Georgia Wine Country

Did a research trip up to North Georgia Wine Country for Atlanta Culinary Tours along with @FoodGodtess & @Suburbanwino. Beautiful, early Spring weather, too much wine and a stop for lunch at La Vigne (Montaluce Vineyards).

Cauliflower Soup

Smoked Trout

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich

Dessert – I’ve forgotten what it was, but I loved it…

Moon Pie with RC Cola Shooter

Another dessert I can’t remember…

Beer

I’ve also taken to drinking a lot of heavy, pricy beers lately…

This post was originally posted on Naked with: Cooking 2/1/2010. Am I being a tad lazy by reposting it here? You bet. But I kind of liked this post…

My kitchen kind of looks like this right now – only not really….
I’m moving into a new house soon and I find myself dreading one thing more than any other – packing my kitchen. Every time I move find myself putting it off until the last minute. I keep convincing myself that if I pack something too early – my world will collapse. I just know that in the next two weeks, in spite of my packing, errand running and collapsing on the sofa with a beer and fast food because I’m just too damn tired to cook – I will absolutely, definitely, with no doubt whatsoever need the ceramic-bladed truffle slicer that I haven’t used in the two years since I bought it. Never mind that I don’t have any truffles.

I used to think I must have some kind of disorder, but this seems to be a rather common problem. I’m thinking that it must have something to do with the kitchen defining a particular place as your home. There are plenty of places you can sleep at home – in the bedroom, on the sofa, in the backyard. When we travel, we sleep on planes, trains and in cars. We rent hotel rooms to sleep in – but we never think of them as home. (Sleep is an unconscious activity – as long as you feel safe, you can pretty much sleep anywhere.) But when it comes to our food – where we keep it, clean it, prepare it, even create with it – our kitchen and the things in it seem much more personal. The kitchen is usually our first destination after waking and the last before sleeping (I’m trying to keep the bathroom out of this – that’s for another blog). It’s where (as people with food problems) we have some great successes and disappointing failures, where we often take bigger risks than we will elsewhere in our lives. It can be the most public place in the house and the most private. I think I just need to accept that this place will no longer be home – time to pack. [image: Rick McGinnis | via BlogTO]

So you want to know how lazy I’ve become? I visited Heirloom Market BBQ for the first time a couple of weeks ago and took my time writing about it. Then one Tuesday morning I decided that I’ve become too lazy and I set about working on this post.

Not 10 minutes later, Gene over at the AJC posted on their Korean barbecue pork sandwich and I decided “eh”. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not Gene’s fault – it’s just when your enveloped in a shroud of ennui, it can get the better of you.

That being said, I can now get over myself. So – HX and I ventured out one evening and with only one misstep found our way to Heirloom Market. I won’t get into their backstory. Their website paints the picture. We decided to share the unfortunately monikered Texas Trinity – brisket, ribs and sausage (…you ain’t got no horns…). I’m not much of a brisket fan, but I’ll admit – this stuff could convert me. I’m not sure how they go about cooking it, but it seemed to me a combination of a braise and smoke. Don’t know, but it was moist and tender – very different than what I’ve had before.

Ribs were tasty, if a little dry – but I’m not blasting them on this. I’ve mentioned many a time before how hard it is to hold ribs at serving temp without them dying out. I’ll have a better idea after another visit (yes, I’m going back).

Sausage… HX wanted to try the Texas smoked sausage, and all I can say is that it struck me as an overcooked, oversized, too-smokey hot dog. Pick a different one…

This place is tiny – one communal table in the middle and some narrow ledges along the windows. It’s also a bit hard to find (look for the Akers Mill Food Store sign) - but do look for it. A fine addition to the local barbecue scene (don’t doubt me…).

Heirloom Market BBQ
2243 Akers Mill Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30339

Gai Yang (BBQ Chicken with sticky rice)

You may well know that I’m a PITA about Thai food. I’ve pretty much given up on thinking that there is anything even passable as Thai in Atlanta. Years ago, a Thai friend pointed out that Thaicoon had a special Sunday “brunch” menu of actual Thai street food. Skeptical (go figure), I checked it out and found the food I had been missing.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I ventured back and discovered that they still offer the Sunday menu – a pretty large selection of “street food” and “authentic” Thai dishes that you just won’t find anywhere else. I’m still shocked that they don’t offer this type of food all the time. Even the waitress got excited when describing the dishes. All I can say is give Thaicoon a try on Sundays (special menu is here). Ask for the pandan tea as well.

Moo Krawp (Crispy pork belly with basil leaves)

Thai dumplings (หอยจ๊อ – translates as “Shell Jordan”?)

“Three Friends” – fish (smelt?), squid and crispy pork skin salad

Melon with tapioca pearls

Thaicoon & Sushi Bar
1799 Briarcliff Rd. Atlanta, GA 30306
(404) 817-9805

The following is a guest post by my friend Beth Robinette. She writes for Examiner.com as the Atlanta Ethnic Food Examiner, contributes a vast majority of the content to Naked with: Cooking and is an experienced world traveler. I haven’t had a chance to chime in about it too much yet, but she and I have just launched Atlanta Culinary Tours. We’ve got a lot of exciting plans and hope you’ll join us for a tour soon!

Atlanta isn’t known as a walking city. But that just proves that sometimes what is believed is often just plain wrong. There are plenty of neighborhoods that are completely “walkable.” And what’s more, many of these communities within and around the Atlanta Metro area are filled with history, local artists, interesting architecture, and wonderful restaurants and markets. That’s why my partner and I hit upon the idea of Atlanta Culinary Tours.

Our very first tour will focus on Inman Park and the Old Fourth Ward areas rich in history. Inman Park was the first planned suburb in Atlanta, a garden community with curvilinear streets and an electric trolley to take homeowners to downtown Atlanta. Before that it was the site of the Civil war Battle of Atlanta. Before that, it was home to Cherokee and Creek Indians. The Old Fourth Ward, on the other hand, is known as the birthplace of the Civil Right movement and the home of home of Martin Luther King, Jr. This area is also on the new Beltline Project and the proposed Historic Fourth Ward Park. In the midst of all this history is a vibrant culinary scene as well.

This is your opportunity to experience the community while sampling from some of Atlanta’s finest restaurants and markets. It’s an easy stroll, mostly on sidewalks, about a mile and a half. The first two Saturday afternoons to schedule a tour are November 20ith and December 11. We will take only 12 on each tour, so don’t delay if you want to be part of this fun event. Eat your way across Inman Park, learn this history along with insider food finds, all for just $39!

As an Examiner reader, you get 40% off! Use discount code ACT2010 at checkout.

Here are some of the businesses featured on the tour, though we will likely pick 5-6 of them for any given week.

* Savi Market
* The Park’s Edge
* Parish
* P’Cheen
* Across the Street
* Sno-Flake

And more businesses are showing an interest. Sign up now. More neighborhoods are planned!

You know, I’ve been holding back my opinions on the blog a bit lately, because sometimes, being a “food guy” (again, do not EVER call me a “foodie”) gets to be a bit much – for me and everyone around me.  Sometimes, you just need to sit back and let yourself be tard happy.

A recent visit to Miami’s Cafe Versailles (actually two visits in the same day) was a tard happy experience, starting with Cuban bread, cortaditos, frituras de bacalao in the morning and ending with Pollo Versailles and more cortadito in the evening. I’ll let the pictures speak….

Versailles Restaurant
3555 SW 8th St
Miami, FL 33135

A recent weekend in Miami resulted in a whirlwind tour of Cuban food, in restaurants, fruterias and home cooked. As I’d never had a “true” Cuban sandwich – only what I had been assured were Atlanta’s half-assed attempts – I was shuttled to El Palacio de Los Jugos to experience the real thing.

Needless to say, I didn’t photograph the actual sandwich as it didn’t last too long, but I can now say that I understand. El Palacio de Los Jugos (they have multiple locations) is a whirlwind of people and food of such variety that it would take weeks, if not months to sample everything.

Conveniently located too frickin’ far from Atlanta, but worth looking for if you’re in Miami.

El Palacio de los Jugos No. 1
5721 W. Flagler St.
Miami, FL

Roasted Garlic

More pics from an afternoon in Inman Park – these from Park’s Edge, a little spot hidden away on Bernina Avenue, overlooking Freedom Park. Chef Jorge Pacheco turns out an eclectic array of small plates and entrees.

Crispy Wontons with Chevre & Spinach

Asiago Pressato, Proscuitto, Lomo

Park’s Edge
913 Bernina Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307