November 2007 - Posts

The Blissful Glutton

• Yakitori Jinbei: Smyrna

  RESTAURANT REVIEW: Ever since I returned from Japan, I have been craving Japanese food all the time. I have been making my rounds at the many Japanese restaurants of Atlanta in search of Japanese homestyle dishes--there is so much more to the cuisine than sushi. Yakitori Jinbei had been on my list of places to try after a reader recommended it a while back. I finally got the chance to stop in today for lunch. The restaurant specializes in yakitori, which is pieces of chicken (and other items like quail eggs or Japanese vegetables) grilled on a stick and topped with your choice of sea salt or a sauce. Yakitori Jinbei only serves yakitori at dinner, but the lunch menu has plenty of delicious items like soba noodles and donburi to choose from. Since it was so cold outside, I opted for the bowl of ramen noodles swimming in pork stock and topped with roasted pork slices, seaweed, and green onions ($9 for the soup, salad, and small bowl of fried sticky rice). I rarely see ramen served in Atlanta so I took advantage of the opportunity. Tonkotsu ("pork bone") ramen Closeup of the noodles Fried rice The soup was absolute heaven. I think I may have actually made some yummy noises out loud. The noodles had the right amount of bite and the bright bursts of green onion and ribbons of seaweed contrasted the rich stock perfectly. That has to be the best ramen I have had in quite some time--it was silky, creamy, and complex...insane. The pork was very tender and sliced into little thin rounds. An overall great soup that is worth the trip. I also spotted a tonkatsu platter passing me by that looked scrumptious. I'll get it next time. And, trust me, there will be a next time. RESTAURANT INFORMATION: Address: 2421 Cobb Pkwy, 30080 Phone:(770) 818-9215 Hours: Closed on Sunday Payment: Cash and credit Website Posted Nov 28 2007, 08:11 AM by TheBlissfulGlutton with no comments Filed under: Lunch, Dinner, Ramen, Noodles, Japanese

• Dynamic Dish: Edgewood

  I am about as carnivorous as a person can get. I love it all-nose to tail. Loving meat does not mean that I don’t like vegetables. I crave greens just as much as a juicy steak. When Cliff Bostock wrote about Dynamic Dish, I was intrigued—especially by the promise of a tagine made with organic veggies. I went for lunch yesterday to counteract the effects of the Korean fried chicken I had the day before. Dynamic Dish is located on the small strip of Edgewood near Café 458. I snagged a primo spot in front of the restaurant using my stellar parallel parking skills that I picked up while living in San Francisco. Upon walking into the restaurant, I was amazed how sleek the interior of the restaurant was. I wasn't expecting it. The owner, David Sweeney, has impeccable taste and all the eclectic pieces and furnishings somehow fit perfectly together. The persimmons tucked into a wire cubby near the cash register really tickled me. The man has a great eye. The menu (located on the chalkboard behind the counter) is small, but it reflects the pristine organic ingredients he has on hand. I ordered the tagine made with pumpkin, squash, tomatoes and other goodies served on bulgur wheat. Moon ordered the arugula sandwich with Emmentaler cheese on buttered whole grain bread. We both got the beet salad. The beverage selection is limited, but I did not mind. Sodas would be out of place here. We decided to share a bottle of sparkling water in some tiny glasses that Sweeney brought to table complete with slices of lemon. As we waited for our food, I took in my surroundings and couldn’t help feeling like I was in New York or Europe—not Edgewood. Tagine Sweeney arrived with our dishes and the colorful food lit up the table. The ingredients of the tagine were very good and the combination just felt like autumn. My only problem with the dish was the lack of salt—I imagine he is trying to keep the sodium content down and I would rather add salt than eat a very salty dish any day. Arugula sandwich with Emmentaler cheese on buttered whole grain bread Beet salad Moon liked his sandwich and I was so tempted to take a bite, but my moderation mantra kept me from doing so. The beet salad was the undisputed star of the meal. The beets were julienne and tossed with dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, a little maple syrup, vinegar, and something else I cannot remember. Just a stellar combination of flavors that exploded in my mouth. I loved it and would go back for that dish alone. Being the shopaholic that I am, I perused the mix of items for sale. Sweeney has some pretty neat stuff that he has collected from estate sales and other sources. I scored a gorgeous crystal dish on a pedestal for a mere $7.50.   Verdict: An adorable spot with some wholesome food that is well worth the trip. I hope that you guys get out there and support a restaurant with loads of heart that won’t be bad for yours. RESTAURANT INFORMATION: Address: 427 Edgewood Ave., 30312 Phone: (404) 992-2179 Payment: Cash and credit Posted Nov 28 2007, 08:10 AM by TheBlissfulGlutton with no comments Filed under: Lunch, Dinner, edgewood, Vegetarian

• JCT Kitchen: West Side

  RESTAURANT REVIEW: I had been wanting to try this place ever since the good folks at Atlanta Cuisine started talking about it. As you can imagine, my list of restaurants to visit is exceedingly long. I got over there at the beginning of the week with a friend. The restaurant is very well-designed-it manages to feel country, modern, and chic with minimal effort--perhaps it is the space, which has inhabited such doomed restaurants as Commune and Sampan. The table settings are simple--they use dish towels for napkins...a design element I always love for some reason. The servers' station (pictured above) is situated in the center of the dining room on top of a rustic table. There is a large pot on top of the table, which holds ice and chilled bottles of tap water-nice touch. The menu is quite extensive and runs the gamut from salads to seafood stew with Georgia shrimp. I ordered the peach/mango ice tea and the fried chicken--I have been on a quest ever since my story for Atlanta INtown Paper. My friend ordered the open-faced pulled pork sandwich.       Fried chicken: My fried chicken had very little flavor--if they brine it, they need to do it a bit longer and the breading needed a bit more seasoning as well. It did, however, taste like they were using fresh oil--a big plus in my book. The mac was more of a cream sauce with very little cheese or seasoning-there were some nice fried bits of crust sprinkled over the mac and cheese. The green beans were perfectly cooked and seasoned. Quite crisp and garlicky.     Smoked pork shoulder sandwich: My friend got the pulled pork sandwich which was very tasty. The bread tasted like it had been made that morning and the pork was smoky, sweet, tangy, and tender--really well done. The fries tasted freshly made-I would go back for the fries alone.   Banana cream pie: The pie was good. Impossibly flaky crust and I liked the bruleed bananas. The filling could have used a bit more bananas, but was pretty good overall. Verdict: I really like the way the place is decorated. I think they will do well in Atlanta. There were some other things on the menu that looked good.It was all just a smidge above average, but I am not writing it off yet. RESTAURANT INFORMATION: Address: 1198 Howell Mill Road Phone: (404) 355-2252 Posted Nov 28 2007, 08:05 AM by TheBlissfulGlutton with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Lunch, Dinner, Sandwiches, Bliss' faves, Southern, Westside, Fried Chicken