A celebration

As of two weeks ago, I'm a doctor!!!! Well, not the "real" one, the medical kind, but a doctor of philosophy: I got my PhD in pharmacology. The final requirement was an oral dissertation defense, and I passed it two weeks ago. To celebrate, I knew I had to go eat at a nice restaurant. I had wanted to try The Spence for a while now, so passing the defense was the perfect opportunity. It is owned by Chef Richard Blais, who won TopChef Masters and likes to experiment with molecular gastronomy.

Because of the importance of the occasion, I went to The Spence with my parents, who were treating me to the dinner. My parents are the "quantity is more important than quality" and "if there's not a pile of meat, the dish is not good" type of people, so I was very worried about how they'll like a sophisticated restaurant where the emphasis is on quality of ingredients and preparation. Well, my fears were founded, as it turned out, but I was determined to enjoy the dinner no matter what. I started with a drink that is not on the current (frequently changing) menu :( So, I can't remember everything that was in it or even its name :( I did remember that it contained a type of alcohol starting with "B." After a lot of googling (which did involve the search phrase "alcohols starting with "b"), I finally fount it!! It's called Fernet Branca: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernet. The waiter did warn me that the drink has a very distinctive flavor, and that was definitely the case. I can't really describe it. It's bitter and aromatic at the same time, strong, but not overpowering like absinthe. The other ingredients in my cocktail weren't as interesting, but the end result was delicious.

One of the reasons I wanted to go to The Spence was to try bone marrow - which I've never had despite being somewhat of a foodie ;) My dad insisted that he wanted fish, but didn't want to pay for the branzino. I warned him that the sashimi (of kampachi) probably won't be enough for him to fill up, but he wanted it anyway. Even my mother, who can usually try new foods without immediately hating them, was overwhelmed by the menu. Too many unfamiliar tings to her, so I eventually ordered the tagliatelle. I hoped that the flavors would be similar enough to what she's used to that she would like it. We also got the fried Brussels sprouts. I knew very well that the portion sizes would be small and the quantity of the food won't be enough for my carnivorous parents, but they refused to get anything else. My dad was SHOCKED when he saw his sashimi - simply four pieces of fish. There was nothing I could tell him about the quality to make him less mad :( On the bright side, he ate the Brussels sprouts to make up for it. I did try a piece, and they were amazing! My mom seemed to like the pasta, but I think she was also disappointed by the size. I did try a little bit of the pasta, and it was really good, maybe even a little too rich (buttery) for my taste. But I did love the buttery flavor of the bone marrow :) The description that people use, that it's like melted butter, is spot on. Imagine roasting a rack of lamb and then dipping your bread in the drippings: that's what bone marrow tastes like. Just a little salty, with a rich roasted/browned flavor. The bone marrow came with a piece of toasted bread and diced tuna. The tuna was great, but I wish there was something even more light and fresh to balance the marrow - maybe even some celery ;)

(A side note: I know that plates at the Spence are meant to be shared and that they're small on purpose. Even though Bulgarian culture is huge about sharing and family-style eating at home, the opposite is true if you eat out. My dad thinks people will laugh at you if you try someone else's food. So, we all ended up eating a single dish.)

And to finish the celebration, we ordered two desserts: the pistachio shortcake and the ricotta cheesecake. The shortcake was really good. It was point and light, with pronounced (in a good way) pistachio flavor. The whipped cream was light and not too sweet. However, I was completely blown out by the cheesecake. It was really really REALLY OUTSTANDING. It honestly tasted more like ricotta mouse than cheesecake. I've never had a cheesecake as light and fluffy as the one at the Spence. Man, I wish I could eat that every single day! It even made my dad forget that he was mad at me for taking him to this "horrible" restaurant. That's what I call a good dish :P

Global seafood kitchen

Pappadeux, a chain with locations throughout the South, claims to be a seafood kitchen that draws on many cultures. Cajun dishes (etouffee, gumbo, alligator) are prominent on the menu. There are also interesting dishes from around the globe, from Southern America to Asia. Of course, there is a fried food section. So when I friend of mine suggested that we meet up for dinner there, I was up for it.

I'm fortunate to have been to New Orleans several times, so I stayed away from any of the dishes typically associated with the city. Maybe the etouffe or the gumbo at Pappadeux are amazing, but it will be really hard to make them the same as in New Orleans itself. I didn't feel like having something heavy, either, and butter seemed to be a prominent ingredient on many of the dishes. Instead, I decided to try how good the fresh seafood at Pappadeux was.  To do that, I simply ordered the half a dozen oysters and half a dozen chilled shrimp. They turned out to be even better than expected! The oysters were HUGE, but more importantly, FRESH. The chilled shrimp was perfectly cooked, and not rubbery at all. I enjoyed both very very much. My friend only got the dozen oysters, so nothing new to describe here.

And because I couldn't be completely healthy, I also got a pina colada :) I think I've had pina colada once or twice in my life before, but I was really craving it. Just like the food, the drink was excellent. It wasn't overly sweet, did taste like real fruit, and I could taste the alcohol, but it wasn't too strong. Overall, very satisfying. Pappadeux is making me re-think my conviction that chain restaurants are evil ;)

Eating my way through Cleveland

I have exciting news: I'll be moving to Cleveland!! The date is not set yet, but tentatively, it will be in the middle of October. Luckily, I've heard that Cleveland is becoming a foody town. I got to see this for myself last weekend when I was there to look for a place to live.

As soon as I arrived on Saturday afternoon, I headed to downtown and the East 4th St. area. This is a cute area, a couple of blocks long, but lined with many restaurants and bars. You've got everything from more casual bars to upscale places. I was getting cold in the chilly northern nights (compared to Atlanta!), so I got really happy when I saw a Vietnamese restaurant called Saigon. I was craving pho anyway, and it sounded even more appropriate for the cold night. Yet, something I cannot resist when I see it on the menu is lotus root and shrimp salad. I got that first, and then I got the pho with rare beef. The salad really surprised me when it arrived. The lotus leaf wasn't shaved into matchsticks - which has been the case with all the other lotus root salad's I've had. Instead, it was cut into offset cylinders that resembled penne pasta. The other thing different from the classical version was the absence of fried crackers. I'm used to placing pieces of salad on the crackers and eating them. The crackers add a nice crunch, but the salad at Saigon was still great. It had the same flavors that I'm used to. Eventually, I also warmed up to the strange shape of the lotus root. It was whimsical and interesting, and it was easier to pick up with chopsticks. But I had to pack up most of the salad to go, and enjoy the pho. I'm not a pho specialist, but I really enjoyed the one at Saigon. The broth was flavorful and the beef was thin. My only complaint is that it didn't come with basil, but that's a minor thing.

The next day I checked out another popular area: Cedar Fairmount. It's the intersection of Cedar and Fairmount streets, on the east side of the city, where the suburbs start. The area has several restaurants and local hang out spots. I went to one of those - Nighttown - which is also known for its amazing brunch menu. The Dublin Layer, which is a lobster and mushroom dish, has been featured on Food Network. That's actually the reason I went to Nighttown. But as I was deciding what to have, I saw the people on the table next to me receiving theirs. It's probably really delicious, but it looked simply like a stew to me. So I got the lobster eggs Benedict instead. I'm so so happy that I got it! It had huge chunks of delicious lobster, and also Canadian bacon in between the eggs and English muffin. The Hollandaise was really good, too, with a tangy flavor. And while I was enjoying the delicious food, I was also sipping on a great Bloody Mary. I think it had more vodka than mix ;) But it was perfectly spicy and flavored :)

Later that day, I met up with a friend in Cleveland, and we went to Sushi Rock, which was close to where I was staying. I ordered the Golden Dragon roll (sorry, no picture :( ). It had shrimp tempura, tuna, salmon, crab and avocado inside, and thinly sliced mango on the outside. It was topped with red roe. The roe and mango did make it look like a golden dragon :P I admit I was nervous about having sushi in Ohio, a state that is not next to the ocean, but I was pleasantly surprised. The fish was fresh and tasty. And I actually loved the combination of crispy shrimp tempura and raw salmon and tuna. After dinner, my friend and I decided to get ice cream at Mitchell's. I've read that it's a good ice cream place with interesting flavors, but I never expected to be blown away. The have a pretty long flavor list, each one sounding amazing. I somehow settled on the S'mores ice cream (roasted marshmallow ice cream with graham crackers and chocolate pieces) and lemon and black raspberry frozen yogurt. I really liked the roasted marshmallow ice cream, but it was waaayyy surpassed by the frozen yogurt. I mean, WOW! It is probably in the top 10 (maybe 5) things I've ever had! The balance of tart and sweet is so good. I can't even describe it. But I loved it so much, I went to Mitchell's the next day to get more. I didn't even try any other flavor. If you know me, you'll know that I'm the "always try something new" person. So it's a huge thing to have the same thing twice. And by the way, it was after a large dinner that made me stuffed.

So the dinner in question was at The Melt Bar and Grill. Again, it's been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on Food Network. When I went there, they had a pig roast special that included chipotle pulled pork, fried sweet potatoes, and corn on the cob. I love both sweet potatoes and corn, so having them in one dish was too irresistible. Overall, I wasn't that impressed by the meal. I guess I expected more of a grilled cheese sandwich, with lots of cheese and maybe some meat, but I got the opposite. And I couldn't even taste the sweet potatoes. On the bright side, the charred corn was amazing :) So I ate half of the huge sandwich and the corn, had a 21st Amendment Watermelon Ale and went to get some more lemon raspberry ice cream :)

Based on my short experience with dining in Cleveland, I can't wait to move there! Is it October yet?

Exotic Ethiopian

There are four different Ethiopian restaurants within 3 miles of where I live - no exaggeration. Three of them are at the same intersection, too. And yet, I have been to an Ethiopian restaurant only once in the last 11 years in Atlanta. That was a long time ago, when I was a really picky eater. Not surprise that that I didn't like it then... But now, I love trying new things, so I decided to give Ethiopian one more chance, with Snooki as my partner in crime.

When it came to deciding where to go, our thought process went exactly like this: (1) Which places have Scoutmob? (2) Which of the two options has the better reviews on Yelp? The result was Meskerem, and that's where we went. I wish looking at the menu had been part of the thought process, though. Snooki and I were hoping to see some kind of sampler platter, but there weren't any :( The closest thing we saw was a mixed lamb/chicken dish with two vegetable sides - we chose the lentils and split peas. We also got the beef spare ribs because I (goren tibs) because I thought it might be like Korean-style spare ribs. And they both came with the traditional Ethiopian sponge bread.

My first impression of the goren tibs was really got. It was brought to the table in an iron skillet and sizzling, similar to fajita filling. But unlike fajitas, the beef then was poured over the sponge bread. I guess that was good. I didn't even get a chance to burn myself on the hot skillet ;) However, once I tried the beef, I was rather disappointed. It didn't have any of the flavor of Korean beef. It didn't have any Ethiopian spices either. Instead, the only seasoning it had appeared to be salt! The char on the beef was really nice, but that's the only good thing I can say about the beef.

Snooki, with her mixed meat platter, had many more options of what to eat. Both the lamb and chicken were covered in a tomato-based sauce. Somehow, though, they tasted completely different. The chicken was bland, but the lamb was so flavorful! I definitely wish I had ordered it. The same thing happened with the lentils and peas too. Peas: blahhhh. Lentils: spicy goodness :)

I don't know how the things in the platter could be so different. I wish there was a little more consistency in tastes. This is one place where "hit-or-miss" appears to be the best description. The things that were good were really good. But unfortunately, getting those is all about luck. Overall, not a good place to just try new things.

As a post-script, here are some random notes. The Ethiopian bread is definitely very different. It's very moist (almost soggy), with a slight acidic flavor. I kind of like it, though. And note 2: we weren't even offered regular silverware. We had to eat everything with the bread and our fingers. That was OK while we were eating, but became a problem later when we were trying to pack up the leftovers to go. It was a pretty messy ordeal. I'm all for having an authentic cultural experience, but some things are a little hard to pass over (for example, utensils) when you're used to them since birth.

Brunch on the patio

The beginning of summer is the time of the year when we all flock to pools, parks, and patios. [Ha, they all start with a "p"] It's not too hot yet, and we're sick of spending time indoors. Well, it's been a tricky summer here in Atlanta, raining pretty much every single day for as long as I can remember. But Snooki and I had a deal for brunch, so we chose a not-too-rainy Sunday to use it. And yes, we chose to sit on the patio :) What could be better to start a Sunday that fresh air, coffee and a nice breakfast at half the price :)

The aforementioned brunch deal was for Olmsted, a relatively new restaurant in Midtown. The deal included bread and a meat platter to begin, one mimosa or bloody Mary each, and an entree. Unfortunately, we didn't think ahead and went there early on Sunday morning when you can't buy alcohol. That's the South for you... Well, the server was nice enough to let us use our cocktail credit for coffee drinks. And well, that was one of the few things about the service. It took forever to order and get our food even though the restaurant was pretty much empty when we got there. Also, we never got silverware when we were seated. We had to ask for it after the food was brought to us. By the time we started eating, it was already getting cold.


So now to the main point, the food. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything special either. I was very disappointed by the bread platter that we were supposed to share. I expected several types of breads/muffins/maybe cornbread/scones. Instead, we got four dainty pieces of zucchini bread. The meat platter was ok. It had sausage, ham and bacon. But it's really weird to eat greasy meat by itself. It would have been much much better with some bread.

For the entree, I got the Yet Another Shrimp and Grits, Snooki got the Eggs Savannah, and her boyfriend (BrayBoy) ordered the fried chicken. Yes, "Yet Another Shrimp and Grits" is the name of the item on the menu, and that's exactly what it was. I have definitely had much better shrimp and grits before, and I can make better ones myself. There wasn't any flavor on them. I was hoping that the name was just a joke, but unfortunately it wasn't. Snooki's  dish was good, at least. The crab and shrimp cakes weren't overflowing with flavor, either, but there was a good amount of crab meat in them. The hashed potatoes were crispy, as they should be. BrayBoy was happy with his dish, though. It was definitely a guy's portion, with a huge chunk of cornbread that was the size of half a loaf. On the bright side, he had leftovers.

I guess the best part of the meal was sitting outside. But once it started drizzling, we were ready to go and I don't think any of us would be going back.

Taste Test: Exotic Fruits

Despite my love for food, I refuse to drive for more than 5 minutes to go to a grocery store. That means that trips to the farmer's market, which is 20-30 min away, are a very rare occurrence for me. But when I go, I make it an occasion and buy a bunch of things I don't usually get. At my last trip to the Asian farmer's market in town, I decided to try fruits that I have never had before. I went all out and picked some things that I hadn't even heard of and some fruits that I have always wanted to try. My selection is pictured here:

Top (left to right): Thai guava, zapote, cherimoya
Bottom: dragon fruit, kumquats

The first to go were the kumquats. I don't know if the rinds are edible, but I did eat them. The kumquats did have a pretty acidic flavor, reminiscent of oranges, but a lot more acidic. The rinds weren't bitter. I found this fruit very refreshing and delicious. I loved how they little pieces exploded in my mouth after biting into them.

I was very curious about the zapote and cherimoya because I had never even heard of them. So, I cut into them the first day. The cherimoya was soooo good! I read that it's also called a custard apple, and I see how it gets its name. It is very soft and melts in your mouth. The taste is sweet, but not cloying. It does feel like eating pudding, but with even better, fresher taste. Unfortunately, I was kind of disappointed from the zapote. The one I had was half ripe, half too hard. I couldn't even cut into the unripe part, and the rest was on the point of being mushy. The taste was kind of bland too. But I made the best of it by mixing it with the cherimoya in a fruit salad :) The two different tastes balanced each other very well. In the picture above, the cherimoya is the white mush on the bottom, and the zapote is the orange pieces.

(Important note! I did look up all fruits before I tried them. Turns out the seeds in the cherimoya contain toxic compounds and are inedible. I made sure to remove all of them. If you do decide to try any unfamiliar fruit, please look it up before tasting it.)

At that point I was also anxious to try the dragon fruit. Just like I had heard, it looks pretty, but it has a very mild taste. It indeed is pretty, with its black seeds and bright magenta outer pulp. The texture has some bite to it, it's not all mushy and soft. So I added it to my fruit salad to add almost like a little crunch to the soft cherimoya and zapote. The final product was delicious!

A couple of days later I tried the guava as well. The Thai variety has white flesh, while the Mexican variety is pink. The Thai guava didn't impress me at all. It was very bland, with a slightly tangy flavor. I was hoping to something sweeter and resembling the guava candy they give out in some Asian restaurants. I just want to point out that my guava was ripe to the touch, so the lack of flavor is not due to it being unripe. But now I'm really curious to try the pink guava, which is supposed to be sweeter. Maybe I'll pick it up during my next trip to the grocery store, along with more cherimoya :)

Seafood Streak

Pumpkin was in Atlanta recently! And the only reason I was excited about that was because she had said she would go eat crawfish with me ;) I had restaurant.com coupons for both Crawfish Shack and Fontaine's Oyster House, so we made a seafood weekend out of it. We went to Fontaine's on Friday and Crawfish Shack on Saturday.

I've been to Fontaine's several times, but every single time I order the Hot combo platter. You get one pound of shrimp, one pound of snow crab legs, mussels and clams, and one dozen steamed Gulf oysters. Well, we always ask if we can get the oysters raw rather than steamed. Every time they say, Let me check with the kitchen. They have been able to accommodate our request every time :) But now to the food. My favorite thing on the platter are the shrimp because of the spices they are cooked with. Most pronounced of these is cumin (I think), and it gives them a flavor I normally associate with my mother's meatballs rather than shrimp. The crab legs are generally of great quality and taste fresh. I don't think Pumpkin enjoyed them too much because of how hard they are to crack. She needs more practice! And even though she was afraid that we didn't get enough food, we were both stuffed by the end. This platter is a perfect portion for two people.

The very next day we were ready for more food at Crawfish Shack, and Snooki tagged along as well. Of course, we got crawfish (3 lb of it!). Snooki wasn't too eager to eat the whole crawfish, so she opted for a shrimp po-boy.  The coupon I had required us to spend at least $45, and we made up the balance by loading up on sides: Cajun fries, sweet potato tots, herb-roasted red potatoes and corn nuggets. The crawfish was fresh and spicy - just the way it was supposed to be. The "Cajun" fries, though, had NO seasoning on them, not even salt, let alone Cajun spice. Well, maybe a tiny bit of salt, but you get my point. They were so plain, they were impossible to eat. But we were too lazy to return them and had plenty of other things to make up for the fries. The roasted red potatoes were also rather plain. The only seasoning they had was a little butter on the bottom of the dish and hard to get to. The sweet potato tots, though, were just what I expected from them and still retained their flavor after frying. What I was really impressed by were the corn nuggets. I LOVED them. We couldn't imaging what they would be before ordering, but I'm SO glad we got them. They remind me a little of arancini balls, but with corn instead of rice and flattened. The corn kernels are still whole inside and so sweet when you eat them. And overall, all the fried sides did help to counteract the spicy crawfish :)