Sometimes, I feel a little guilty. I blather on and on about food – ethnic food in particular. I advocate for Buford Highway as a dining destination, a place to explore. People solicit my opinion about the restaurants there. And occasionally, they’ll ask, “What do you think about _____?”. And I have to admit that I’ve never eaten there. “But it’s been there for years – everyone I know has eaten there…”. What can I say?

Stale chips (for the orphans) & a watery graveyard for tomatoes…

So it is that we came to eat at Pancho’s. Pancho’s, in addition to being “Home of the Monster Drink” has the distinction of being the first restaurant you will encounter as you drive North on Buford Highway from downtown Atlanta. And it’s my firm belief that, for many, it may be the only restaurant they will ever encounter on Buford Highway. The clientele seems to be a mix of Buckhead outliers and hipster hippies that desperately need a place where they can smoke while they eat.

Special Dinner

That being said, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with Pancho’s – a lot of people seem to like it. It is what it is – pedestrian Tex-Mex. Lots of melted white cheese and flavorless ground beef. Portions are substantial and they do have a full bar (a rarity on Buford Highway). The “Special Dinner” included a chili relleno, tamale, enchilada, taco, rice and beans. Could be wrong, but I’m guessing the relleno was a bell pepper rather than a poblano and the taco was of the “Old El Paso” variety. Guacamole was little more than mashed avocado. I’m not a fan of guacamole anyway, but this stuff was screaming for some acid.

Tacos al Carbon

Tacos al Carbon were again a substantial portion and wrapped in a proper tortilla, but nothing to write home about.

Probably the biggest draw that I see to Pancho’s, beside the bar, is the large patio/deck out back, graced with a huge, old elm tree (you’ve probably seen this deck from 85 South many a time.

Panchos
2641 Buford Highway
Atlanta, GA 30324

Huitlacoche has a wonderful name in English: “corn smut”. The Aztec word “huitlacoche” is even better: “sleeping excrement”. It’s actually a blue/black fungus (think mushroom) that grows on ears of corn. And with cheese on a grilled tortilla it’s surprisingly tasty. Some marketing geniuses have taken to shilling it as “Mexican Corn Truffle” for $30+/lb…

Sopa de 7 Mares

Now for the boring stuff:

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. El Rey del Taco is spacious and stays open late (might be 24 hours – don’t remember off hand). Plus, they’re used to crowds.

The When

Wednesday, February 15, 2012
7PM – til they kick us out

The Where

El Rey del Taco
5288 Buford Hwy NE
Atlanta, GA 30340

The Fine Print

The is an open social gathering. There is practically no 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 most are common sense.

1. Have an open mind and be willing to explore. If you haven’t been to El Rey del Taco before (or you aren’t familiar with traditional Mexican food), it may be a bit confusing – some things have funny names, it’s definitely NOT Tex-Mex. Don’t worry – this is about exploration. The waitresses 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!). El Rey del Taco 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 or some acceptable way to pay for your meal – 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, tell all your friends. If you hate it – enjoy the company and help me pick out a different place for the next one!
4. One new one – we occasionally end up with a big group. Be patient with the staff – we’ve never had an experience where a restaurant has done anything but bend over backwards for us – and they don’t even know we’re coming! If the kitchen is slow, eat more chips or order another beer (or if you have your food, share some with others – they’ll do the same). Relax, have fun, and make some new friends!
5. Another new one – not a lot of places on Buford Highway have alcohol licenses, but El Rey does. I don’t care how much or how  little you  drink (if at all) – but if you do drink and you’re a sloppy, mean or rowdy drunk – please stay home.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Check out some of our past EatUps:

Chinatown Food Court

La Casona (Colombian)

Shoya Izakaya

Pork Adobo – vinegary & fork-tender

I’ve always been a bit puzzled by the lack of Filipino restaurants in Atlanta. There is a Filipino community here, and the food, while unfamiliar to most Americans, is a delicious amalgam of Hispanic, Malaysian, Chinese and who knows what else.

With the arrival of Fil-Am Star Cafe & Bakery, Atlanta now has (unless I’m mistaken) exactly 1 (one) Filipino restaurant. And I’m glad to say (especially after my experience with the last short-lived attempt at the Hong Kong Supermarket food court) – this is a good one.

Sinigang – Sour tamarind broth

Our meal started with sinigang,  a sour broth flavored with tamarind. I’ve never liked this soup before – it’s always been too sour, even lemony (a shortcut maybe?). Fil-am’s version was dead on and addictive. I’m not much of a soup eater and I kept going back to the bowl.

The pork adobo was my real barometer. Far too often you’ll end up with overcooked, stringy meat and a pasty sauce with the texture of bad rendang. Our pork was fork-tender and moist with just a hint of vinegar – I would have preferred a bit more.

Fried chicken – adobo marinated chicken, deep fried

Fried chicken is a simple preparation – the chick is marinated in vinegar and garlic and fried. No breading. This can result in the chicken getting a little dry, but the sweet garlic dipping sauce makes up for any loss of moisture.

Guisado Monggo – mung bean stew with pork

This is comfort food for many – a simple stew of mung beans (monggo), meat (pork in this case), garlic, vegetables – whatever you may have on hand. Rich, thick and surprisingly tasty, just not my cup of tea. If you’re into lentils, you’ll really dig this.

Fil-Am Star Cafe & Bakery is located in the space formerly occupied by Saigon Cafe in Asian Square. They have a website, but they update their Facebook page regularly with specials, etc.

Fil-Am Star Cafe & Bakery
5150 Buford Highway NE
Suite A-170
Doraville, GA 30340

Beef, lamb and sausage chuanr

I only know a few characters of Hanzi, and this is one of them 串 (chuàn). It has several meanings, but the one that’s important to me is “skewer”. As in, food on a stick.

Chuanr is so appealing to me that I even hunted down and bought a chuanr grill last summer. So I was pretty excited to learn about a new spot specializing in just that.

Even the floor is in Chinese…

The seasoning on the meats is distinctly Northern Chinese/Dongbei, with cumin and chili (they will adjust the level of spice to your taste). I’ve not had a chance to fully explore the menu, but what I’ve tried is good – and cheap. Skewers range between $0.50 & $1.00, with a few hitting $2.00. They also have a few cold dishes and entrees ranging from $2.00 to $6.50 (steamed pork buns, lamb & tripe soup, hot spicy beef tripe, etc.). I’m am, however, thinking of offering to help them with some of their translations (“string” = stick, “Napu” = nappa, “Chicken Jane” = ?, “Mixed Flower Food” = ??, “Rot Bamboo Mixed Decay” = ???).

Shrimp ball, woodear, shiitake

Edamame

Open kitchen

Te Wei Chinese Kabobs
5090 Buford Highway
Suite 103
Doraville, GA 30040
770.455.8388

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! ***

You want to hack me off? I mean, really just irk the crap out of me? Give me a bad taco. Dry, overcooked, stringy meat. Lifeless corn tortillas with all the moisture of a Frito, but none of the taste. Aged limes that may well have been scavenged from a barback at Hooters.

You want to make me happy? Make me dream about tacos? Take me to Don Pepe’s. Juicy meats (barbacoa, cabeza, al pastor…), fresh corn tortillas and simple salsa picante. That’s all. I eat until I’m full, and then I want to go back for more. I can’t think of a better recommendation.

Pickled jalapenos, carrots and onions

Located in the parking lot of Pine Tree plaza – in the crapshack that formerly housed Chef Liu’s – they’ve cleaned it up and removed all traces of the former tenant (other than the directions to the bathroom, which are still in Chinese…). There’s a pretty comprehensive menu of burritos, tortas, salads, pollo asado, etc., but I’ve yet to try any of it. To me, at least, the tacos are that good.

I only wish they had an alcohol permit so you could get a nice Sol or Corona with your meal…

Don Pepe’s Taqueria
5215 Buford Highway Northwest
Doraville, GA 30340

Once again, Atlanta area food bloggers are invited to get together in a casual, informal environment, grab a bite to eat and get to know each other. 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.

This is a free, informal gathering. We’re trying out Eventbrite to see if we can have a better handle on how many people will show up. Please SIGN UP HERE if you think you’ll attend – let me know if you have to cancel (I don’t make reservations, but it will help the restaurant out if I can let them know how many people will be there).

The Where

This time up: Colombian! We’re going to La Casona. The only downside I’ve found to this place is that they close kind of early (around 8PM). The upside is the food – a great introduction to Colombian if it’s your first time. La Casona also serves beer and aguardiente!

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 La Casona before (or you aren’t familiar with Colombian food, or you don’t speak Spanish), 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!

You’ve got to love a good pun – especially one that works all the angles: “Pan American Bakery”. Get it? It’s a Colombian bakery (South American), but it’s in the U.S. (North American) – “Pan American” – get it. And they bake Cuban bread – I guess that’s just “Pan”. Oh, and “pan” is Spanish for “bread” – and it’s a bakery. Get it?

OK, enough ass-hattery for today. Tasty Cuban sandwiches (lunch only, I believe), right off Buford Highway. Go.

Pan American Bakery
3671 Clairmont Road
Chamblee, GA 30341-4907


Niu ruo mein – Ocean Garden, Chinatown Food Court

Sliced fish in chili oil – Delicious Kabob

Torta al Pastor – El Pastor

Deli Manjoo – Buford Highway Farmers Market

Galbi & Mandoo – Cho Sun Ok

Pollo a la brasa – Pollo el Rey

Cha chiang mien – Manchunhong