Bistec a Caballo – La Casona

La Casona is one of my fallbacks – solid comfort food and a friendly staff make it an easy choice when a day has been too long. Their Bistec a Caballo is quickly climbing my list of great dishes along Buford Highway (no, it’s not horse meat…). Carne asada topped with tomato sauce and fried eggs are perfect for the pseudo-winter we’ve been having around here.

Platanos maduros – Las Casona

“Mini” Bandeja Paisa – La Casona

Yeah, that’s the “mini” version of the classic Colombian Bandeja Paisa – a multi-thousand calorie (a full badeja paisa averages around 3000 calories) gut-bomb suitable for hangovers or bad days in general. Carne asada, chorizo, chicharrone, arepa, platanos, avocado, frijoles, arroz…

Pollo Asado & Frijoles Charros – Home

Home. Like, at my house. Like, yes, I do eat this way every day.

Pico de gallo w/heirloom tomatoes – Home

A quick salsa fresca seems to go with anything coming off the grill (see Pollo Asado above).

Rescoldo – Home

I love grilled meat so much that we’ve been toying with the idea of a trip to Argentina to truly experience cooking a la parrilla. I’ve cooked rescoldo (burying food in embers) in the past, even though I didn’t know it had a name. That pile of coals is hiding an eggplant, onions and sweet potatoes.

Cơm đặc biệt – Pho 24

Another go-to place, made especially handy by being one of the few 24 hour restaurants on Buford Highway (I have a reputation of getting kicked out of restaurants along Buford Highway at closing…). Cơm đặc biệt (đặc biệt = special) is a sturdy offering – Vietnam’s answer to the Bandeja Paisa of Colombia.  At a minimum it includes thịt nướng xả (grilled pork chops with lemongrass), cơm tấm (broken rice), chao tom (shrimp on sugar cane), bi (shredded pork skin w/toasted rice powder), bi cha (steamed pork cake),  do chua (pickled daikon & carrots), fried eggs and I’m sure a few other things. Pho 24 does a respectable Ga Xao Xa Ot (chicken with lemongrass and chilies) as well.

Lahmajoun – Mediterranean Bakery

I won’t even try to place a nationality on lahmajoun, as pretty much anywhere in the Middle East will claim it, but I know it as a Turkish thing. Minced meat, onions, peppers and other good stuff on a thin crust. A squeeze of lemon gives it just the right about of sourness.

Fatoush – Mediterranean Bakery

A simple salad with fried pita bread, but fair warning, Mediterranean Bakery occasionally goes a bit too far with the sumac and this salad can become way too sour.

Pulled Pork – Home

I’ve been smoking quite a bit of meat over the past couple of months – trying to revive a family tradition. Boston Butt, spare ribs, chicken, bacon.

Pulled Pork Sandwich – Community Q 

Spare Ribs – This Is It!

Ponkan

What the hell is a ponkan? I asked the same thing, and I’m from Florida – where this specimen likely originated (obviously picked too early). Ponkans are a variety of Mandarin oranges – more closely related to the tangerine. Beautiful fruit – keep your eyes open for it.

Am I a slacker? Yes. Yes, indeed I am. We haven’t done an “EatUp” since September, 2010. So where to this time? Pho Dai Loi #2 is my go-to for a quick Vietnamese fix. Yes, there are probably “better” Viet restaurants for specific dishes, but PDL2 has a lot going for it. Good pho, tasty cơm, rocket fuel cà phê, a paint scheme that screams “Vietnam”. Even better, the last time we went, A. said it “smelled good”.

This is a free, informal gathering. I’m not going to ask people to sign up – but if you think you’ll attend please let me know in the comments. It also doesn’t matter if you’re a blogger, a reader, or just curious. Pho Dai Loi has a ton of room and there are some pretty long table setups, so I don’t think space will be a problem. Plus, they’re used to crowds.

The When

Wednesday, October 26, 2011
7PM – til they kick us out

The Where

Pho Dai Loi #2
4186 Buford Hwy NE # G
Atlanta, GA 30345

The Fine Print

The is an open social gathering. There is very little planning, no management and no control. The meeting place is public – the environment is what it is. When I did the first dinner I posted a few rules (some people told me they were pretty harsh), but they were intended to minimize the discomfort of meeting strangers in a strange environment. They don’t all apply here, and I’ve softened them for this “eat up” but some are common sense.

1. Have an open mind and be willing to explore. If you haven’t been to Pho Dai Loi #2 before (or you aren’t familiar with traditional Vietnamese food), it may be a bit confusing – things have funny names, there’s weird Portuguese letters interspersed on parts of the menu, multiple menu items have identical descriptions. Don’t worry – the waiters are friendly and some of us may be able to help – a bit.
2. Big one here – pay for your own food (CASH is ALWAYS accepted!). Pho Dai Loi #2 accepts cards, but cash is king. Also, I’m not providing food, etc. I’m just meeting people with some common ground! This event is Dutch. My previous rule was: “If you show up and forget to bring cash – you work it out with the owners/cops – I don’t know you.” You know, as a group we’d probably help you out, but don’t put your new friends in that position… BRING CASH (or some valid form of payment)!
3. Please – no whining. If you like the place and the food (and I hope you do), great. Even better – write about it. If you hate it – enjoy the company and help me pick out a different place for the next one!

Check out some of our past EatUps:

Chinatown Food Court

La Casona (Colombian)

Shoya Izakaya

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…

I’ve rambled on about my love for Vietnamese food for years now (more than 3 years on this blog). I’m drawn to the contrast in the way meats are treated – either raw meat, sliced thin and quickly cooked in flavorful broth or marinated with intense ingredients (dark soy, fish sauce – nước mắm, lemongrass, garlic, rice vinegar…) and grilled,  seared or even served raw (bo tai chanh – raw beef salad).

It really wasn’t until recently that I began cooking Viet at home. It’s just too easy (and cheap) to get good Vietnamese food in Atlanta, and living within couple of miles of Buford Highway has made dining out my go-to option. But I’m starting to learn that it’s pretty easy (and cheap) to prepare at home as well.

I’ve played around with suon nuong xa (grilled pork skewers with lemongrass) and do chua (Vietnamese pickles) with great success. Other attempts, like the fish disaster that reeked-out the entire neighborhood, have not fared so well…

Suon Nuong Xa (skewered pork belly with lemongrass)

So, to the point. Thit bo luc lac (shaking beef). I love this dish. Almost everyone loves this dish. This is one of those dishes where very familiar ingredients (garlic, oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy, rice vinegar) come together in a way that is unexpected.

Thit bo luc lac is painfully simple to make and there are a plethora of recipes on the web, almost all close enough to be identical. The best I’ve found are:

RasaMalaysia (this is a guest post by Ravenous Couple. Both are favorite destinations for all sorts of Asian recipes)

Viet World Kitchen (my go-to source for Vietnamese recipes)

Just don’t be afraid to get your wok “Petey Wheatstraw” hot…

Wok

Petey Wheatstraw, the Devil’s Son-in-Law

I’d started to think things were getting a little boring with the Vietnamese restaurant scene around here. The old favorites were still there – Quan Ba 9, Yany Express, Phở Dai Loi, Phở #1, but I was craving something new… The problem with that is that with Viet cuisine, “new” often translates to “more of the same”.

My first impression on walking in to Thiên Thanh (blue sky), was “more of the same”. Phở, phở and more phở. Then I found myself knee deep in the hủ tiếu section of the menu and I knew this place had the potential to get on that list of favorites. I’m not going to even try to give an accurate definition of what hủ tiếu is. The term is used for multiple things in Vietnamese cuisine (dry noodles, soup noodles and just the noodles themselves).

What caught my attention was the variety of proteins:

Hủ Tiếu Đặc Biệt: Noodle soup with shrimp, squid, pork meat, pork heart, pork liver & quail eggs.
Bún Riêu: Spicy vermicelli noodle soup with pork blood, pork foot and crab meat.
Chao Long: Rice soup with pork blood, heart and liver.
Bún Bò Huế: Two ways – “Vietnamese style” and “International style” (with blood & feet or without).

And on and on…

Now understand – I’m not a huge fan of offal. I’ve tried quite a bit, but I’m big enough to admit that it’s just not my thing. But I do know that guts and gore require a bit of skill to cook well, so when I see  them on a menu I take it as a good indicator that the rest of the menu may bode well.

So I went for the bún mọc – vermicelli noodle soup with pork sausage loaf, pork paste balls and pork spare ribs. The pork broth was a welcome change from phở and not gamey, as I expected. On the side was bean sprouts, lime, Vietnamese mint and shredded pork skin. Lots of porky goodness. A. went for the phở gà (chicken noodle soup) and I’m assuming it was good, as she killed everything in the bowl…

We also tried the bánh mì thịt nướng (grilled pork sandwich). I’m definitely going back for verification, but this may be my favorite bánh mì yet. I’ll have to grab one from here and one from Quốc Hương soon to do an A/B test… I’ll get back to you on that one.

Of note, the menu also has a pretty extensive section of “Mon Nhau”, or “Drink-Friendly Food” and Lẩu (Vietnamese hot pot):
Xoài xanh: Green mango salad.
Chim cút rô ti: Soy sauce quail.
Cánh gà chiên nước mắm: Chicken wings.
Ruột Heo Xào Cải Chua: Pickled vegetable with sausage.

Thiên Thanh
5219 Buford Hwy NE
Doraville, GA 30340

*** Added bonus – Open 24/7! ***

Lately I’ve been working on refining my recipe for thịt heo nướng (Vietnamese grilled lemongrass pork). So when my friend Beth (@foodgodtess, NakedwithCooking.com) came by for Sunday dinner a few weeks ago, I decided that rather than just eat the stuff straight off the chaunr grill like I had been doing, we should class it up a bit and make bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwiches.

Note that the French-style bread used for making bánh mì is called, appropriately enough – bánh mì).

I’m not sure who had more fun at the first Si Fang Cai (Secret Supper) – me or the guests. The menu was based (mostly) on Asian hawker food – or “street” food.

The weather cooperated, allowing for drinks and cooking outdoors, before moving inside for an intimate dinner peppered with great conversation.

Hawker Menu

Cocktail
Basil Watermelon Caiparinha *

1st Course
Bulgogi Wan-ja with Tamarind Ssamjang (Korea)
Butabara Kushiyaki – Shio & Tare (Japan)
Xinjiang Chuanr (China)

2nd Course
Dan Dan Mein (China)

3rd Course
Gado Gado (Indonesia)

4th Course
Gang Ga-ree (Thailand)

Dessert
Turon w/Macapuno Fozen Custard (Philippines)

Beverages
Cha Yen (Thailand)

Beer
Tsingtao (China)
Chang, Singha (Thailand)
Kingfisher (India)
Kierin (Japan)

* The basil-watermelon caipirinha is from No Recipes.

Atlanta area food bloggers (actually, it doesn’t matter where you’re from) are invited to get together in a casual, informal environment, grab a bite to eat and get to know each other. Pretty much a similar deal to the last one, just a different location and I’m no longer using the words “Eat Up” (this was co-opted by someone else after our last event :< ). This isn’t limited to just food bloggers – we’ve got some devoted followers and food fanatics that hang out with us online and you’re welcome too.

Details are after the jump…

The What

Again, you’re invited to meet face to face, prove you exist in the physical world, grab some good food and get to know some of your compatriots.

The When

Wednesday, April 21, 2010
7PM – whenever

The Where

Doh! We have changed venue. It appears that Bamboo Grill is closed on Wednesdays (probably explains my inability to get a hold of them on Wednesday…). We’re going to invade Shoya Izakaya!

Shoya Japanese Restaurant
6035 Peachtree Road
Suite A-101
Doraville, GA 30360
http://www.shoyaatlanta.com

One of the great things about Shoya – it’s an izakaya, meaning we get to do some mid-week drinking!

How Do I Find You?

Because this is an informal gathering and I’m not holding your feet to the fire, I don’t make reservations – I’m just not sure who’ll show up. If you guys are all really good and confirm through the comments (and don’t back out at the last minute ;>), it will help. I’ll let management know we’re there and I’ll try to be there a little early – I look a little bit like the scary guy pictured over here or here. Just walk up and say “Hi”.

The Fine Print

The is an open social gathering. There is no planning, management or control. The meeting place is public – the environment is what it is. I’ll hearken back to a post I did a while ago to encourage people to meet for dinner (here). Back then I posted a few rules (some people told me they were pretty harsh), but they were intended to minimize the discomfort of meeting strangers in a strange environment. They don’t all apply here, and I’ve softened them for this “eat up” but some are common sense.

1. Have an open mind and be willing to explore. If you haven’t been to Shoya before (or you aren’t familiar with Japanese pub food), it may be a bit confusing/overwhelming. Don’t worry – the proprietors are friendly and some of us may be able to help – a bit.
2. Big one here – pay for your own food (BRING CASH!). I’m not providing food, etc. I’m just looking to meet people with some common ground! This event is Dutch. My previous rule was: “If you show up and forget to bring cash – you work it out with the owners/cops – I don’t know you.” You know, as a group we’d probably help you out, but don’t put your new friends in that position… BRING CASH! The restaurant accepts cards, but don’t make them run a bunch of small transactions. Just bring cash and make it easy on everyone.
3. Please no whining. If you like the place and the food (and I hope you do), great. Even better – write about it. If you hate it – enjoy the company and help me pick out a different place for the next one!

I hope to see some of you there! Ping me on Twitter (@EatBuHi) or leave a comment here if you think you can make it.

A couple of things have stopped me from visiting Crawfish Shack until now. I spotted it pretty early on, even before they opened, but by the time they did open it was off my “route” along Buford Highway. Then the levee broke (no pun intended – really, I didn’t catch that until way after I wrote it) and the hype machine started. And nothing says “stay away” to me more than overblown hype (especially if the Yelp-weenies are behind it).  So I gave it some breathing room and after some of the noise subsided it was back on my list. Then came what is probably the biggest problem I can find with this place – they close at 7PM most days. When I leave the house to hunt for dinner at 6:30, I’m just not going to pick a place that will be kicking me out 15 minutes after I arrive.

So on a recent Friday afternoon, I found myself working from home and decided it was finally time to give Crawfish shack a try. The menu reminds me of the fish camps we used to frequent when I was a kid in Florida and South Carolina. Fish, shrimp and oysters, either fried, fried or broiled. Hushpuppies or fries. Place your order and sit.

The grouper was fried perfectly, the hushpuppies were tasty, if small, and the shrimp were a bit overcooked. But I’m not complaining. A large group (10+ people, maybe more) was noising up the place and acting like boors (even asking for a discount, as it was their first visit!), but the staff continued to smile and remained attentive to every customer there. Pretty amazing, all things considered…

Have yet to try the chả giò (this place is Vietnamese, by the way). Saving that for my next visit.

Crawfish Shack
4337 Buford Highway
Atlanta, GA 30341

Com Ga Thailan

In chasing ethnic food along Buford Highway (or anywhere for that matter), one thing that I have difficulty with is that restaurant owners are often afraid to break the boundaries of what they think people expect.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my tacos carnitas, phở tái, niu ro mien and char kway teow, but damn it, I’m paying you to cook, not think! I’ll do the thinking around here – you get back in the kitchen and cook like your frickin’ mother…

Cha ram nem nuong

Fortunately, I’m starting to see a few places break away from the mold and differentiate themselves, cooking the food they like to cook. Bamboo Grill & Hot Pot is a newcomer to Buford Highway, and is broadening the offerings seen on most Vietnamese menus in the area. The big standouts on the menu are lau (Vietnamese hot pot – hence the restaurant’s name), and a few claypot dishes (Cơm Tay Cầm Do Bien, Com Ga Thailan). Lau is a big, cook at your table affair – it ‘s a lot of food. The clay pot dishes are served in a pot that is reminiscent of  Chinese clay pots, but the dishes themselves remind me more of Korean dolsot bibimbap – crispy rice and the vegetables still sizzling in the bowl when it comes to the table.

Bun Thai

A few other ingredients caught my eye on the menu as well – duck being the one I’m going back for (bun mang vit – duck bamboo vermicelli soup), snail paste – the one I’ll pass on for now.

In a slightly eerie strip mall near the CDC on Buford Highway, Bamboo Grill is located in the space formerly occupied by Pho Pasteur.

Bamboo Grill & Hot Pot
4646 Buford Hwy NE
Chamblee, GA 30341