HairIcon's Profile
Need a place for early, casual dinner on Sunday in Sandy Springs
Muss and Turners is only 1/2 mile off I-285, so it would be easy to eat and then get to Sandy Springs. They just opened a new bar that's connected to M&T.
But my choice would be 5 Seasons. It's very close to your movie.
Roswell Road can be a traffic nightmare as they are redoing the bridge over I-285. Give yourself some extra time so you don't miss the start of your movie.
Park 75 chef's table?
I've done it twice. Both in a party of 8.
Both times were entertaining and enjoyable. You are right in the heart of the kitchen and although this is a more refined and not a hectic kitchen, still very interesting.The food was superb, wine pairing was perfect (and they weren't shy on the pour) and the service was outstanding. I think there is a camaraderie and respect between chef, staff and guest when you choose to sit in their environment.
I would highly recommend it, especially for a group.
BTW, The Bar and Lounge at the Four Seasons is also enjoyable for a before or after dinner cocktail.
ATL Chowhound. Atlantis or off resort..................
Hey Chowhounds,
Coming to Atlantis in late February for a conference with my wife. Most meals are taken care of, but Saturday night is free.Should we leave the property to explore something local, or should we splurge and eat at Atlantis?
What would you recommend at Atlantis or what would be a comporable local alternative. I prefer local and authentic. We will not have a car, so figure in taxi costs when making suggestions.
Thanks in advance.......................
Turducken on Thanksgiving ??
Thanks Bill,
I ,of course did a search before posting. Restaurants change so often from year to year that maybe there was a new choice. I always experiment with local cuisine when I travel, sometimes with great results, sometimes not..
On a personal note; I love your insight and high sense of taste and wine knowledge. I look forward to your posts.
Turducken on Thanksgiving ??
Coming to NOLA for the umpteenth time over Thanksgiving weekend. Have my food itinerary already laid out, but I’ve never had Turducken. Thanksgiving Day in New Orleans seems like the perfect time to experience this delicacy. Any Chowhound recommendations for genuine, locally produced Turducken on Thanksgiving Day? The only restaurant I've seen mentioned is Luke, which I enjoyed my last trip. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/649416
I’m staying at a friend’s condo in the FQ, but willing to cab it. Thanks……………
South Boston Street Festival 2010
I’m coming to Boston in September/October to visit my son who’s working at Coppa after just graduating from the CIA. I noticed there was a 10th Annual South Boston Street Festival last September, but can’t find any information for 2010.
Does anyone know the dates for this year?
Is it worth planning my trip around this festival?
Thanks for your help.
NY foodie coming to New Orleans looking for CANT miss places- Help me with my itinerary please
Just got back from New Orleans with no intention but to eat well. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/649416
I would highly recommend the lunch (Friday only) at August. The best food value and service I have ever had. Close second was Cochon.
New Orleans Trip Report! Big Mistake…………….
No, it was on the menu and the Menu Board.
My OP was about an amazing weekend of great food and all you can focus on is PoBoys ???????
New Orleans Trip Report! Big Mistake…………….
I brought my sons, 20 and 22, to New Orleans for their first time this past weekend. My younger son is starting his second year at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and after doing a 5 month externship at Restaurant Eugene and Holeman and Finch in Atlanta under Chef Linton Hopkins (F & W Top 10 Chefs 2009, Finalist James Beard Award, etc.). He had a few days before school started and I wanted to introduce him to the cuisine and culture of New Orleans with the possibility of working here after school. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/624662
WE MADE A HUGE MISTAKE!!
We landed late on Friday afternoon due to a weather-delayed flight and after stowing our luggage at a friend’s apartment on Dauphine Street we quickly walked to our 2:00 PM reservation at Restaurant August.
We unfortunately spent the rest of our four days trying to replicate that meal and comparing everything else we ate over the weekend to the food we saw and enjoyed that afternoon. We set the bar very high from the first meal and never quite got back there again. This meal tainted us for everything that was to follow.
August was phenomenal!! This was only lunch, yet the service and food were spectacular. From the attractive, personable, waitresses to the Amuse Bouche of a perfectly cut egg with savory seafood custard, everything was amazing. The insalata carprese salad was one of the most original presentations I have ever seen as was the Ambrosia desert. I remember many outstanding meals in my life (Babbo, Bradley Odgen, French Laundry), but none had the originality, flavor and exceptional value that this lunch provided. Three course for $20.09 per person. Unbelievable! Chef Besh was kind and gracious enough to come to our table when he heard of my son’s intentions and as we walked away delirious from the restaurant my son was excitedly texting his friends at the CIA” I met Chef Besh”
Friday night my sons partied with some high school friends at Tulane and I had the Barbecued Shrimp and cocktails at the bar at Mr. B’s Bistro. It was just as wonderful as the members on this Board have described.
I went to the Farmers Market on Saturday morning and ran into Chef Besh and the Chef from La Provence. It was fascinating listening to them discuss the local produce and what they would do with it. I told him how much I enjoyed the previous day’s meal and that my son would love to come work for him after graduation and he couldn’t have been more obliging and friendly. You have a great ambassador for your city and your regional cuisine in Chef Besh.
The boys got home Saturday morning in time for lunch at Bayona. What a disappointment! It took two hours for a three course light lunch and every thirty minutes a disinterested waitress would set a plate down with “be careful, the plates hot”. Yet the food was warm to cold, an indication of too much time under heat lights. The restaurants decor and food felt dated and tired and even though I own and use Chef Spicer’s cookbook, this meal was by far the worst of our trip.
Saturday night was my most anticipated experience of the weekend; Cochon. We arrived at 8PM and I had requested a table near the kitchen, we were seated immediately and had a great view into the inner workings of this busy restaurant. This crew rocked and was in total harmony. It was great to watch. After hearing of the intentions of our visit, the chef sent us several special plates including one of the most delicious and decadent things I have ever eaten. Deep Fried Pork Ribs. I will never forget them! Cochon was the only restaurant even close to August, yet with more of a rustic, guttural appeal with August being more refined and elegant. I loved it, especially after the waitress, who was extraordinary, brought us moonshine shots.
Sunday was casual day. Three girls who were friends of the boys met us for lunch at Johnny’s Po Boys in the French Quarter. I felt like I was in the episode of Seinfeld with the “Soup Nazi”, ’ceptin she be da Po Boi Po Leece. The woman behind the counter was discourteous, arrogant, lazy and rude. Why don’t owners put these types of people on the grill and let employees who actually like other people deal with the public. My roast beef and shrimp Po Boy was OK, but the girls from Louisiana said they had had much, much better.
Sunday night was another John Besh restaurant; Luke. We arrived in a driving rainstorm to find the restaurant virtually empty, we again asked for a seat near the kitchen and were shown to a table in a room with the kitchen basically in a Plexiglas box. As we observed the kitchen, my son noticed that one of the Chefs had been in his dorm at the CIA, and sure enough he had just graduated and was heading the kitchen that night. I really liked Luke. The assorted charcuterie plate was exceptional, huge portions, well priced and service, while not professional, was very friendly. I did not understand why it wasn’t busier. Maybe the rain?
Monday we went back to Cochon for lunch. I hadn’t realized that they did not have a separate lunch menu, so it felt like a repeat of Saturday, although the fried Boudin was very tasteful and the Oyster and Bacon sandwhich was very good, but expensive at $14. I wish we had made a different choice for lunch. We visited Cochon Butcher after lunch and brought quite a bit of meats and pates to take home with us. We all agreed that their headcheese was the best we had ever tasted.
You have a great culinary city. There were so many restaurants we didn’t get to try. Brigstens, NOLA, Stella and the many older established New Orleans Institutions. I sincerely hope my son does come to your city and work and that some of you get to taste his cooking. I know he came away with a strong desire to move to New Orleans after school.
A Word of Advise, when traveling to a new city. “Save the Best for Last”.
Has this ever happened to you?
Atlanta without attitude
I would definetly do either Holeman or Finch (Chef Hopkins was Food and Wine's top 10 new Chefs of 2009) or Abattoir.
Both have the same concept, both are exceptional, casual, understated and all about the food.
Forget Dante's, I can't believe that place is still in business.
Atlanta- perimeter area- what's good?
I lived in Dunwoody for the last 12 years and just moved to Vinings to be closer to work.
You have some great suggestions here. My favorites in order are;
1. McKendricks, just a great classic, independent steakhouse.
2. Goldfish, Asian fusion with pretty good Sushi.
3. Seasons 52, even though it is a "corporate" restaurant, I have always enjoyed their food and their low calorie concept and their Bar is also very nice.
4. Joey D's, moderately priced, wide selection, very consistent, good bar.
However, don't neglect to use MARTA. You are only 10 to 15 minutes by train from Midtown and Downtown where your selection increases dramatically and you can drink and not have to worry about driving home. Dunwoody just became a city last year and they have a large police force with nothing to do but pull over potential DUI's. My son, who is a student at the CIA, is here in Atlanta doing his externship at Restaurant Eugene and he has been pulled over 5 times and gone through the entire DUI process 4 times (luckily, he was just leaving work at 2AM, and not drinking) when going back to Dunwoody to see his friends. Be Careful. Take MARTA, it's Smarta.....
Atlanta -- Anything around Druid Hills and 85??
Floataway Cafe is by far the best restaurant of all mentioned.
Your client will love the food, be very impressed that you cared that much, and you will love the cost!
Best Service in NOLA?
I find it so interesting that service runs the whole gamut, from the hostess to the management, sommelier and then to the waiters. And if one part of the chain is broken, you leave with a bad taste in your mouth.
My wife and I celebrated my 50th at Delmonico’s. We brought an exceptional bottle of Champagne with us that we drank at the bar before dinner and ordered a $95 bottle of wine with dinner. Food and service were fabulous; we were the first there and the last to leave. When the check came there was a $35 corkage fee for the Champagne. When I commented to the Manager that I felt by ordering a bottle of expensive wine I shouldn’t be charged a corkage fee the champagne (which of course I shared with the Staff), his response was; “Well, do you intend to return?” To which I answered, “It depends on how you handle this situation!” He did remove the corkage fee and we even received a nice postcard from our waiters when we got back to Atlanta thanking us for making their night (we are rather amusing), but my overall impression of that night, because of one rude, tired manager, was one of displeasure.
Tough business.
Atlanta trip - Craft vs. H&Fitch
H & F and Craft are completely different restaurants. A closer comparison would be Craftbar (you actually walk through Craftbar to go upstairs to Craft) and H & F. Craft is very, very expensive fine dining while H & F is a Gourmet Gastropub with small plates, way less money and a younger crowd. All depends on your budget and what you‘re looking for. If I was on an expense account I would do Craft, if it was my own money; H & F. I enjoyed Craftbar, but I am very biased to H & F as I think the menu is a bit more adventurous and I’ve never had a bad meal there.
As far as a food store you can’t beat Star Provisions on Howell Mill Road on the Westside, it’s not too far from Buckhead.
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Star Provisions
1198 Howell Mill Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
2 nights in Atlanta, need recommendations.
If H&F appeals to you, (as it does to me) you might want to try Abattoir on Friday night. TAP is typical bar food. Abattoir is a couple of weeks old, cool loft space, same offal concept as H&F, just larger, owned by the same people who run Bacchanalia. It may be maybe too similar to H&F, it's up to you. Flip is interesting, trendy, and I guess worth one visit. West Egg, Abattoir and Flip are within a mile of each other and close to your hotel. Have fun and let us know how it goes. Happy Birthday.
Restaurant Recs for current CIA student. Learning experience preferred.
Thank you for all your valued suggestions.
I had already planned to contact the Chefs recommended before we arrive. Most were already on our itinerary for the weekend. His current chef mentor worked at Windsor Court and Mr. B’s Bistro before opening Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta. He’s really excited about August as Chef Besh graduated from the CIA and spoke at his school. Cochon really appeals to us, as does Brigsten's and the Gumbo Sampler at Olivier’s.
I totally get the “chef’s palate” comments. Culinary school only gives you the fundamentals, life gives you the perspective. He was raised traveling, thoughtfully, not touristy. My interest in food led us to many authentic, neighborhood restaurants all across the US and Europe. I hope that is where he developed his interest in food and with any luck; I can encourage his move to the next level. He just better appreciate it and cook for me whenever I want.
Restaurant Recs for current CIA student. Learning experience preferred.
I am taking my 19-year old son to NOLA at the end of August. He is a student at the CIA in Hyde Park and will be finishing an ”externship” at Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta under Chef Linton Hopkins who was a Finalist the last two years for the James Beard Award and Food and Wine’s “10 Best New Chefs of 2009”. Chowhounds, if you are in Atlanta, you should definitely check it out. http://www.restauranteugene.com/
He has worked very hard, with long, long hours, he has learned and grown a great deal and I would like him to experience all the culinary delights of New Orleans but with a slant to continuing his education during our ravenous weekend. And hopefully, maybe he will come work in New Orleans after school is over.
So, my question is not only where to take him to eat for three days, but are there recognized, creative restaurants that have a “Chef’s Table” in the kitchen where he can watch, eat and learn?
Thanks for all your help.
