Inman Park and Parish

    Yesterday Brian and I went to Inman Park for the street fair that's
held there every year.  The neighborhood is located just east of
midtown and south of the Virginia Highlands neighborhood.  It's a nice
urban neighborhood with bungalows and victorians lining the tree shaded
streets with many uneven brick laid sidewalks.........lots of charm.


The street fair was pretty massive and incorporated several blocks within the area.  Lots of food vendors selling the traditional fare but I also stumbled upon a fried seafood booth that looked really tempting but I decided to hold off  to try a New Orleans style restaurant on Highland Ave. within walking distance of the fair.


After walking around for a couple of hours and seeing all the artists' wares we headed over to Parish.  This  restaurant is operated by owner / chef Nick Meloin.  From what I've read he's originally from New Orleans.  I couldn't wait to sample some of his Big Easy bites.
  We arrived there around 2:30 pm and I was excited to examine the menu and make a selection and be treated with some good old fashioned New Orleans food.  Unfortunately, the brunch menu was all there was to offe, I was told as we were seated.  My heart sank.  The brunch items looked inviting but I really had my taste buds ready for something more traditional to the New Orleans scene.
    The server saw my disappointment and suggested we go downstairs to their marketplace where they have an ongoing menu of sandwiches including poboys and muffulettas.  I perked up.  I decided this would be adequate for a late lunch and we hurried down the stairs to this exposed brick room with a coffee bar, small pastry counter and tiny selection of fresh vegetables  and wines for sale.  At the end of the room there stood a counter with a handwritten chalkboard menu with their selections.
    Brian decided right away he was having the fried oyster poboy.  I saw muffuletta written on the chalkboard and the satisfying taste of Central Grocery filled my head.  That bubble quickly burst when I saw listed as an ingredient of the sandwich.......gardenaire.  Gardenaire?! OMG, if this New Orleans chef is listing gardenaire as an ingredient on his muffuletta and not olive salad, I'll pass.  Would the bun be a kaiser roll?  I wasn't taking any chances.  I chose the fried green tomatoe BLT.
     When Brian placed his order, the clerk asked what would you like on it?  Brian responded....."dressed".  The guy looked at him as if he were speaking Latin, so Brian calmly said lettuce, tomatoe and mayo.  Maybe Nick needs to give a New Orleans food lesson 101 to his staff.
     Our food came and it was good.  Brian's oysters were nicely fried in a cornmeal batter on a french roll - not true french bread but it was good.  Mine was served on grilled white toast.  The bread was a little too delicate for this sandwich and couldn't hold up to the fried green tomatoes, bacon and fresh tomatoes.  All in all it was tasty.  Each sandwich came with a few slices of half-sour pickles, which was a nice treat.  I want to go back for dinner and see if Nick has brought the right style from New Orleans with his dinner menu.

Thunder

    Last night a thunderstorm moved into the Atlanta area which will bring a rainy weekend to enjoy.  Sometime during the night I awoke briefly, just enough to lift me into a somewhat state of awareness but not enough to be fully awake.  As I was contemplating the time and thinking it was time to get up and enjoy a cup of coffee that is the highlight of getting out of bed, I heard a roll of thunder.   This comforting pleasant sound instantly pushed all thoughts of getting out of bed and quickly pushed me back down into the blissfulness of a protective sleep. 
    Thunder for me is like the gentle rocking a mother gives her infant child to soothe them into a lullaby of sleepiness.  I have a sound machine that plays a rolling thunderstorm that I turn on every night when I turn off the light.  Having lived in the mountains of Colorado for the past four years the true thunder has been non-existent or so rare and short lived it was just a tease.  There is no substitution for Mother Nature.  Mankind can never duplicate the trueness of nature and how it can alter your mood, change one's thinking or bring a smile to your face in a split second. Thunder is another gift from Mother Nature having returned to the South that I will cherish always.  I love the rain and thunder.

Pork Loin Roast and Risotto

   
      Yesterday I did some more food store hopping around after I met Brian for lunch at a Sushi place in Buckhead.  RuSan's was the recommended place from several people.  We decided to try it out.  They have a lunch buffet with selected entree's, sashimi, sushi, soup and salad.  Overall it was okay.  This was recommended by two different people but I just didn't quite get into it. I'll have to go back and try something off the menu.....maybe that's the trick.
     Anyway, after lunch I popped over to the Buckhead Whole Foods to check out their selections.  This store is bigger than the one I have been frequenting and carries alot more inventory.  They had sea bass on sale so I bought some thinking this would counter balance having mediocre sushi for lunch.
     On the way home, I stopped at Kroger to pick up a few items and stopped at the "manager's specials" section.  This is where meat is discounted as it's sell by date has been met or nearing.  I found a nice looking pound and half pork loin roast for just over 3 dollars.  What a deal!
     For dinner I made a pea and leek risotto from Martha Stewart's Everyday magazine.  I love that magazine.  Every issue always has something that is quick, easy and good to prepare.  I made up a "glaze" of stone ground mustard, red wine vinegar, sage, garlic powder and black pepper and smeared it all over the pork loin roast that I stuffed with slivers of fresh garlic.  It roasted in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes and came out perfectly cooked.  The meat was tender, moist and had just a slight pinkness to it.  It was yummy and there's plenty left over for tonight's dinner ( which I love).
    The risotto was nice as well.  Brian is not a big fan of rice dishes but risotto tends to cloak it's "riceyness" and just becomes immersed in all the other flavors that are added to it.  It's always an easy type dish to make if you just don't mind doing a little stirring for about 30 minutes.

Rainy Day Gumbo

     Today I drove Brian to work since he turned in his rented 2010 Subaru Outback last night because his car would be ready for pick up today.  As we left for the drive to his office the rain was coming down softly.  It felt  like one of the cozy days that you feel like not going to work and preparing some type of comfort food.  Guess what, I didn't have to go to work and as I drove down Roswell Rd. to Buckhead "gumbo" filled my thoughts.  Gumbo was in the forcast as much as the all day rain was in the Atlanta weather's forcast.
     As I was driving to the grocery store thinking of what I needed to make my gumbo, I recalled years ago living in the French Quarter across the street from my good friend Bonnie.  She was my first introduction into cooking and showed me how to make gravy.  Her philosophy was " if you can make gravy, you can make a meal."  How true.  I was so excited when she taught me how to make gravy steak.  It was so easy. 
     One night she invited me over for some of her homemade gumbo and a little lesson on making a roux.  Normally a roux conjures up a tedious task of labor and fear of burning it, not with Bonnie.  Her style of making a roux is best compared to that of an artist.   Her canvas is the heated pot, her paints are the oil and flour which she meticulously blends together until the masterpiece is created. 
     She never stands laboring over the stove but rather pulls up a bar stool with a glass of chilled chardonnay within reach and sips and stirs until the perfect dark, dark, brown color of the "painting" is achieved.  The gumbo's flavor is all about the darkness of the roux.  I still have not been brave enough to get to that dark chocolate color for fear of burning it and having to begin the process all over but I inch a bit closer with every new pot I make.

Vinaigrette and Peppers recipe

At Debra's request for her update on vinaigrettes, I don't rely on a recipe.  I just kind of wing it every time but the basis is always the same:
1 part vinegar
3 parts oil
dried herbs
mustard
salt and pepper

I always use a mix of balsamic and red wine vinegars and a mix of cold pressed olive oil and canola oil.  I place these in a bottle (I've saved a store bought salad dressing bottle soaked it in hot water, and removed the label) and add a dollop of stone ground mustard ( you can use regular yellow or dijon, this helps to emulsify the oil and vinegar combo) add a pinch of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic and onion powders, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  I shake and shake the bottle.  I test it on a lettuce leaf and adjust seasonings to taste.  You can get creative and add chopped roasted peppers, pesto, olive tapenade or anything you find stashed in your pantry of fridge. 

For the peppers, I used 1 cup of quinoa and cooked  in 2 cups salted water (as you would if you were making rice).  I cooked 1 cup of polenta in 1 cup milk, 1 cup chicken broth and 1 cup water with salt and pepper to taste, stirring the entire time.  I cooked about 1/2 pound of ground pork sprinkled with dried sage.  I mixed the quinoa, polenta, cooked pork and I added some leftover crabmeat that I had to it, mixed it all together and added 2 green onions chopped with grated parmesean cheese ( I just grated until it looked like enough to me......probably about 1/2 cup.
I stuffed 3 small peppers that were cut in half so I had six halves.  I boiled these peppers for about 8 minutes until they just began to soften and then filled the cavity halves with the stuffing.  I placed them all in a baking pan and filled it with water so the water level just came up about 1/4 of the way on the peppers, covered the pan with foil and baked in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.  I stuffed the peppers the day before and pulled them out the next day to cook.  This is a good meal to have plenty made and freeze for a future meal.  They freeze well.  Just thaw overnight in the fridge and cook as stated above.

Dogwood Festival

This weekend was the Dogwood Festival held at Piedmont Park in Midtown Atlanta.  After a slow moving morning we got dressed and headed over to the Medical Center Marta station about 8 blocks from our house to take the red line train to the Park.  This was my first encounter with riding the Atlanta "subway" system.  It's really efficient for taking you to points in Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown, airport and other parts of the city I'll eventually get around to exploring.

The park was very pretty and had great views of the midtown skyline bordering the east side of the park along Piedmont Avenue.  The outer walkway that encircles the park was filled with artists' selling their handmade crafts and food vendors set up at each corner of the park.  The food was the typical festival / carnival fare........hot dogs, corn dogs, gyros, kettle corn, grilled chicken, etc.  I bypassed these and opted to grab a bite to eat and one of the many dining options around the park.  After overhearing a recommendation in the Outwrite Bookstore on 10th and Piedmont, we strolled over to Joe's for a quick bite to eat.
                                                                                                                                               
 Joe's was packed.  After all, it was a perfect day to be out and about and the restaurant offered an outdoor patio overlooking Juniper St. shaded by the many trees that lined the street.  We had a simple lunch of burgers and fries.  I couldn't just order a plain old burger so I chose the Wisconsin blue cheese burger.  It was pretty good.  The fries were nothing spectacular but still tasty.  The dusting of spiced seasoned salt helped to add to the flavor.        
            
Skyline view of Midtown Atlanta from the open play area at Piedmont Park.




Brian remembered this artist at a street fair in Miami and bought one of his pieces while we were there..........so naturally he had to buy another piece at this festival.

Taqueria Del Sol

Debra's last full day in Atlanta was Friday. Debra remembered eating at a Mexican inspired restaurant with Rachel years ago but could not remember the name or location. Rachel's memory of this place wasn't much better other than the food being outstanding but she did remember it being called Taqueria Del Sol but couldn't remember the location but she said it was near a toy store and kitchen shop that served dessert.

Debra's CIA personality surfaced which I haven't seen in a while. It came in handy on this trip and she discovered the exact locale of the three in the metro area by using her skills that she has finessed over the years just using the bits of information that Rachel could deliver.

After a brief shopping stop at Buckhead Station we headed to Atlanta's West Side for lunch. It was absolutely scrumptious. We arrived to find ourselves having to wait in line. No problem. This gave me time to decide on what I needed to order. I chose the Nutty Shrimp taco and Beef Brisket enchilada with a side of turnip greens. Debra opted for three tacos.......Nutty Shrimp, fish and the Memphis. We began our indulgence with a starter of Salsa Trio and guacamole.

The salsa trio consists of a nice, fresh, mild, and chunky style salsa. A roasted tomato salsa and a tomatillo salsa. My favorite was the fresh mild salsa. When I say it tasted fresh.........it was as if they plucked the tomatoes straight from the vine out back and blended onions, lime and cilantro to create a salsa that would be satisfying as a meal......with tortilla chips of course. The guacamole was just as fresh tasting and yummy. I would have been content just eating salsa, guacamole and chips for lunch.

The highlight was the deep fried nut crusted shrimp filling the flour tortilla and lightly coated in a honey-habanero mayonnaise. The mention of habanero invokes images of burning, stinging, torture but this was not the casea. With some hidden magical talent this mayo was infused with flavor and not the dreaded fire breathing dragon that habanero's are famous for. The enchilada was just as tasty with the beef red chile sauce, once again loaded with chile flavor and just the right amount of heat........just as the spring day it was in Atlanta.....the right amount of heat.

It was so yummy, I took Brian there for lunch today as well. He loved it and thought the Nutty Shrimp taco topped the list as well.

By the way, the "kitchen shop" located nearby was awesome. Not only do they have an assortment of nice bowls, plates, and other kitchen items but an artisanal cheese shop, butcher shop with italian meats and sausages and a small prepared food selection that serves their homemade fried chicken. This chicken was a true southern style fried chicken. First they brine it for a day and then marinate it in buttermilk for a day before coating in flour and deep-frying it. I discovered this after Debra and I finished our meal and I had to try it.......just one fried chicken leg. It was just as though I was transformed to a Southern Belle's plantation kitchen eating what the kitchen staff prepared for dinner on Sunday afternoon.


Salsa Trio

Atlanta Fish Market

Since Thursday was spent running around Atlanta on food shopping trips we decided, at Brian's suggestion, to go out for dinner. That was a great idea since Debra and I didn't even get home until after 5 p.m.

We waited for Brian to arrive, piled into his car and headed to Houston's on Lenox Ave. in Buckhead. Once we arrived we noticed groups of people milling around the front door. Thinking the place is packed, as usual, we asked the valet attendant if he could check the wait time. He came back with the disappointing news of 45 min. to an hour. We chose not to wait and headed over to the Atlanta Fish Market on Pharr Rd. in Buckhead, home of the giant metal sculpted fish which has become as big an icon in the city as the big chicken at the KFC in Marietta.

The restaurant is all about fresh seafood. The menu is 95% seafood with just a tiny small section dedicated to those carnivores that can't manage to adjust to the "When in Rome" attitude when dining at a restaurant dedicated to the bounties of the sea........you're missing out people!

We began our feast with a raw oyster sampler consisting of four types of oysters from the North Atlantic area, Blue Point being my favorite. Other regions included were Prince Edward Island, Island Creek, MA and Pickle Point, MA. In addition to this sampler appetizer we also indulged in fried Blue Point oysters. Crispy, light and fried perfectly with a nice spicy remoulade sauce for dipping.

Our next round included two salads to share between the three of us.... the Atlantic Fish Market "Chopped Salad" and the iceberg wedge salad. The Chopped Salad was a mix of greens and veggies finely chopped and tossed with a creamy basil ranch dressing. The wedge salad was nicely prepared with the lettuce wedge leaves separated so the spiced creamy blue cheese dressing filled the crevices so every bite was coated with this flavorful goodness. Diced tomato and bacon adorned the leaves for added flavor and texture. I thought the wedge salad was tops in the salad category.

Our main entrees arrived. Brian ordered the flounder stuffed with a seafood combination of shrimp, crab and scallops mingled with mushrooms and moistened with a white wine sauce. It was delicious. Debra's delight was the jumbo sea scallops sauteed and served on a bed of spinach nestled in a bath of their signature Hong Kong sauce. This Asian inspired broth was a nice blend of sherry, soy, ginger and julienned scallions. My meal included two smaller fillets of Chilean Sea Bass and Atlantic Salmon both prepared in the Hong Kong style and served on top of a bed of sauteed spinach as Debra's scallops were and as equally delicious. The spinach served a meaningful purpose as a sponge to absorb the broth and add flavor.

After all this, we had no room for dessert, but maybe next time.


Pictures from top to bottom are:
AFM's "Big Fish"




Salmon and Sea Bass with Spinach and Hong Kong Sauce



Iceberg Wedge Salad

Harry's Farmers Market

Thursday morning Debra and I had a leisurely morning drinking coffee on the patio before getting dressed before making a trip to Harry's in Marrieta, guided by my trusted GPS friend Samantha.

We arrived without incident and strolled into the spacious building. We entered the market and Debra kept commenting this looked different and a bit "re-arranged". We finally realized after she finally made contact with Rachel, her daughter who once lived in Atlanta, this was the wrong Harry's they would frequent. The more familiar one and the market that Alton Brown, from the "Good Eats" show on the Food Network, does his shopping is actually located in Alpharetta. Despite the confusion of stores, I enjoyed my trip there.

Harry's has been bought out by Whole Foods, so the look and feel of Harry's has lost it's down home unique charm, as I've been told. The store appears to be a "Super Whole Foods". It's massive and every department is enormous and includes single aisles dedicated to ethnic foods, which was interesting. I found canned goods imported from the UK which are specifically produced and packaged for the tastes of people in that region of the world. I found some orange gummy candies imported from Asia and tossed that into my basket for a treat later.

The seafood and meat departments were abundant as well. I picked up some black forest bacon at the butcher counter to fry up for breakfast Sunday morning.....with eggs fried in the bacon drippings, of course. In the produce section I found some baby napa cabbages that looked extremely inviting for my next dinner salad.

The next trip will be to the Alpharetta store with a hope of running into Alton Brown in the produce section while he's on his next shopping venture to film another episode of his show.

Quinoa stuffed Red Peppers

My sister, Debra, arrived this past Wed. around lunch time via the Marta train. I met her at the Medical Center Station and since we both had not eaten lunch and she's a light lunch eater I suggested we pop over to Sweet Tomatoes for an all you can eat lunch buffet. I don't feel quite as guilty eating at this type of buffet since I'm pigging out on greens and veggies. I just love this concept and the fact that I can walk out of the restaurant full but not stuffed and I've done my body good.

We came back to my house and sat on the patio and chatted until Brian got home and we popped open a bottle of wine and chatted more as the sun went down and the day began to cool off. It was very nice.

Along around 9:00 p.m. and an empty wine bottle later, we decided to eat. Earlier that day I prepared red bell peppers stuffed with a mixture of quinoa, polenta, crabmeat, ground pork, green onions, parmesean cheese and sage. I mixed about equal parts of cooked quinoa and polenta and added the other ingredients to mesh together into a nutritious and healthy stuffing.
Mixing the polenta along with the quinoa provides a nice flavor but best of all it becomes the glue that binds the stuffing together to really just mold this into every crevice and nook of odd shaped peppers.

I served this along with stewed fresh green beans that were simmered in a mix of onions, stewed canned tomatoes, garlic, thyme and tasso. I have not been able to get my hand's on tasso since leaving Louisiana, so I was so excited when I found it after moving to Atlanta. Tasso adds that little zing of flavor to cooking that really bring out a flavor only found in Louisiana style cooking. I've discovered that green beans and tasso were just meant to be together. The two flavors meld together and create such a harmonious marriage.

Stuffed Poblanos

I headed out early this morning making my way through a series of shopping stops. I began my spending spree at Trader Joes picking up some produce and then made my way over to Whole Foods. I was on a mission at this stop for granola, polenta, quinoa and some dried bulk herbs (which this store only stocks bottled herbs).

Everytime I pop into Whole Foods with the intention of picking up only what is on my list, I undoubtedly see something else I just have to have. In this case it was a clump of fresh basil with the roots still intact that I thought would be delicious in my salad tonight. I can plop this into a glass of water to keep fresh and sit on the kitchen counter as a temporary live plant.........until it's totally consumed. I bought it and chopped a few leaves into my salad.

The next stop was Target. It's an easy stop for me, usually in and out in minutes. I picked up a couple of rugs for our entryways and a new water bottle for Brian. I'm never tempted to linger and browse in a department store. I suppose if they had a gourmet food section I would have to take a stroll through it.

Onto Kroger for cleaning supplies, paper towels, crabmeat and a survey of the produce section to compare Trader Joes prices. I did good.

Since Whole Foods didn't have the bulk spices I wanted, I decided to make one added stop that wasn't part of the itinerary to Fresh Market. This is another challenging place for me to pop into and pick up only what brought me there in the first place. I bee-lined to the bulk spices without grabbing a shopping basket, found what I needed and as I turned the corner to head to the cashier, there it was, the bulk sections of nuts, snacks, dried fruits and candies. As I saw all those wonderful bins filled with yummies I instantly turned into one of the kids with the golden ticket entering the Willie Wonka factory for the first time. I made my way over to each bin deciding which of these treats was coming home with me. The winner was a trail mix blend. I justified this added purchase by saying that I would mix it with the granola I bought from Whole Foods.

As I headed home the clock in my car was reading 12:13pm. I am kind of hungry I thought to myself. As I was driving down Roswell Rd. my car seemed to begin steering out of control and drove right into a Popeye's parking lot. Isn't that a coincidence. I haven't eaten Popeye's since I left New Orleans in June of 2003. I went inside, ordered a two piece with cajun rice, sat down and scarfed it down in 2 minutes. It was heavenly. Just as I remembered. Playing in my head was the jingle from the 80's " Love that chicken from Popeyes's".

I made it home, did some work around the house, and then prepared dinner. I stuffed some Poblano peppers with a cilantro rice, crabmeat, cumin, roasted garlic powder and some diced applewood smoked cheddar. I topped it off with some mild wisconsin cheddar and baked it in the oven. It was really good. I'll have to do this again.

Springtime is Grill time

I think for most people living in Atlanta and for that matter all of the south, this time of year evokes fabulous weather, no humidity and flowers in bloom.



But the real joy is getting that BBQ fired up for some old fashioned, good for the soul, chargrilled hamburgers with of course a toasted bun from the grill and dressed! Yes, I can now say this because this is how people in the south serve their burgers........dressed. I love this term. I grew up with this simple statement to emphasize how I wanted my sandwich, po-boy or burger........dressed.

I've evolved a bit since my youth where dressed meant mayo, iceberg lettuce and tomato. Dressing a sandwich involves a much more robust blend of flavors at this time in my life. My burger tonight will incorporate a nice slather of mayo on the top half of the bakery fresh kaiser roll, whole grain dijon mustard on the bottom half, spring mix of lettuces, sliced tomato and a thinly sliced sweet onion. The burger wouldn't be complete without a cold brined pickle spear on the side.

Just to put this meal over the edge, I prepared a yukon gold potato salad with finely chopped green onions, pickles, olive salad, bacon and pickled green tomato. I'm loving life.

DeKalb Farmer's Market

I was told about this international food shopping mecca while still in Colorado and I would salivate with the thought of such an immense shopping venue offering an enormous selection. Today, we drove to Decatur where this world market has been created.

First off, the place is huge. The center of the building is dedicated to fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood, meat, breads and pastries. The outer edges are lined with canned and bottled goods imported from all over the world. There is an extensive wine selection, bulk spices, deli, dairy, and even a cafeteria to grab a bite to eat.

As I walked through the produce area, I noticed many odd looking vegetables and some fruits which I had never heard of before. I was in awe. Around the corner I turned into the seafood section. Another massive space with rows of shrimp, mussels, clams, octupus and squid. If it lives in the sea, it has ended up at this food emporium. I passed section after section of all types of fish. There is filleted fish, whole fish ( which they gut, clean, and fillet for you on the spot. There are even fish tanks where you can have them pluck one right out of the water and clean it for you. Bins of live crawfish, tanks of lobster, blue crabs, dungeness crab. It was just overwhelming and the place was packed. Free samples scattered all about.

I am already planning another trip there.........without Brian. He tends to rush me and this is one place that you just don't want to be rushed. Like drinking a glass of expensive wine, you need to sip it slowly and savor the flavor and goodness. I can't wait for my next trip.

Crawfish Shack

Today was Brian's first day off after his first week at work, which went very well. We decided to drive around the city and see more of it. We drove through the Chastain neighborhood.......very nice and headed over to the Buford Hwy. to get our hands dirty eating Louisiana boiled crawfish.

We arrived there around 1:00pm. The restaurant is located in a strip mall a few blocks from Dresden Rd. It's not your typical sit-down eatery but a counter where you place your order and either stand to the side if it's to go or have a seat at the somewhat small eating area with 6-8 tables and 6 or so picnic tables.

We ordered a minimal amount of crawfish at Brian's suggestion fearing this establishment may not be up to par with preparing crawfish to Louisiana likings. Our order finally came and we dove in. We both nodded our heads in approval while saying "these are pretty good".

We finished off the 3lbs. quickly and Brian wanted more. I thought we should move on to our next destination and grab a bite to eat there...........DeKalb Farmer's Market.

Pho Bac - Buford Hwy.

I finally purchased a GPS device and decided to give it a test run by having lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant on the Buford Hwy. A long section of the Buford Hwy., not far from I-285, is jam packed with a variety of Latino and Asian eateries, markets and bakeries.

Last night I was scouring the April issue of the Atlanta Magazine whose cover story was about good and cheap eats. There was a section listing the best places to get pho (fuh), a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup. I fell in love with this concoction after tasting it in Boulder for the first time in my life.

Around 10:30 this morning the gray skies let loose it's moisture and it began to rain. The weather forecast predicted a gray rainy day..........just perfect for making a trek out to Buford Hwy. and enjoying a bowl of noodle soup. I was ready with my new best friend and navigator, Samantha. This is the choice I made on my GPS of the 4 selections I could choose to "speak" turn by turn directions. It worked. Samantha delivered me right to the restaurant's door even though I did make a wrong turn but she quickly put me back on track.

Upon entering, I was immediately greeted by one of the uniformed wait staff holding up a single finger indicating that I needed a table for one. I nodded yes, realizing that communication would only be in two forms..........Vietnamese or hand gestures. I was seated at a table designed for four in a large open dining room reminiscent of a high school cafeteria with bright overhead fluorescent lighting. Not the perfect ambiance I was looking for but the place was crowded so the food must be as good as the review in Atlanta Magazine stated.

The waiter came over dressed in his appliance repairman looking uniform and I asked for an iced tea. He pointed to the menu at #19 ( I guess iced tea and nineteen sound similar for someone who doesn't understand American English. I pointed to the list of beverages and he responded sweet or unsweet in his broken English.............unsweet please.

As I waited for my Pho to arrive I glanced around the restaurant looking at the clientele, mostly Asian with some Americans scattered throughout. There was Asian music playing over a PA system drowned out by the chatter of Asian dialogue filling the dining room. I was feeling at home. I can't believe I lived in a yuppie, all white, Stepford wives community of over 100,000 people for almost 4 years........My God! Life is too short to surround yourself with your own kind as a permanent living situation. No offense Boulder.

Anyway, my bowl of Pho arrived. I realized I didn't have any utensils. Sitting in the middle of the table is an assortment of sauces.......soy, house made chile sauce, bottled Siracha and hoisin along with napkin dispensers, wrapped chopsticks and the ornate Asian soup spoons. I grabbed a spoon and took a sip of the broth. It was very warm having been slightly cooled by the thinly sliced pieces of raw steak they submerged before serving this delicate wonder which cooks the meat instantly. The only pieces to remain pink are the ones supported above the broth line by the thin and extremely long rice noodles hidden below. The broth was perfectly spiced. I could taste the ginger, star anise and green onions used to flavor this liquid from the Gods.

A garnish plate consisting of bean sprouts, green peppers, lemon, fresh mint sprigs and one other leafy herb which I didn't recognize but had a taste and look similar to that of a bold green leafy lettuce. I added bean sprouts and mint to my bowl and swished it around so the mint released it's oils and flavored the broth to an even higher level.

Another glance around the dining room showed that most patrons were drawn here for the Pho. As all were hunched over their bowls sipping the soothing broth and slurping up the noodles as I understand is the custom in Asian communities............never twirling the pasta around a fork as we Americans do. I joined in and did the same. It was a great experience. Good food and the right to eat it the way it was intended.........slurping!!

Another trip to the grocery store

I think I have made a run to the grocery store every morning for the past five days. It's always just to pick up one or two items that we need and I end up pushing the cart down every aisle to see if something pops out at me that I just have to have..........and it always does.

This morning I started my day visiting the State Farm agent to transfer our car insurances from Colorado to Georgia. I had a list of listerene, flax seed, and oats (all for Brian) to pick up on my way home. As I was leaving the agent's office the little voice in my head told me that there was a possibility that Kroger woudn't have flax seed and I should go to Fresh Market and I could pick up the oats and mouthwash at Kroger. I argued with this voice and finally gave in knowing that a visit to Fresh Market is like opening presents on Christmas morning. Luckily, I miscalculated which block Fresh Market was and realized this when I approached Kroger. For a split second I debated turning around but responsibility slapped that thought right out of my head and I turned into the parking lot confident that I would find flax seed ( which I did.)

I decided this visit would have more of a purpose than just picking up some items for Brian and made a survey of the store. I examined the produce section to see what selections they stocked, seafood (the gulf shrimp were a dollar cheaper per pound that Publix) and pickled items -- no pickled asparagus, but they had pickled tomatoes and Gambino's olive salad ( which I bought). I haven't seen olive salad in a grocery store since I lived in New Orleans.

On my way out, I picked up a fried chicken thigh ( just to test it). I ate in on the drive home and finished it off in the garage since my drive home is about 2 minutes from the store. It was delicious! Nicely golden brown, crispy skin, moist meat and just a tad greasy for that extra burst of flavor. The batter was mildly spiced but had a really nice flavor. As you know I love fried chicken and these southern Atlanta girls in Kroger on Roswell Rd. know how to cook it.

Brian wanted me to meet him for lunch today. I drove down to his office building and picked him up out front and we headed over to Corner Bakery on Peachtree Rd. in Buckhead. A real charming little cafe very similiar to La Madelaine's. All they offer is freshly prepared salads, pastas. and sandwiches. I ordered the grilled panini reuben. Rye bread with your traditional corned beef, sourkraut, and thousand island dressing served hot off the panini press with a spring mix salad drizzled with balsamic vinaigerette. The sandwich was huge. It could have easily been split between two people, but it was so yummy I ate the whole thing. They also make pastries which looked really good but I chose to just look at the selections and make a mental note to come back to try these delectables.

Things are coming together

I think we have unpacked most things we need to carry on life as near normal as can be. Most of the boxes filled with stuff we have collected since New Orleans are going to remain packed and hopefully purged over the next year that we are living in this townhouse. What I thought was a nice huge empty basement doesn't feel so large now. Thank goodness for that empty space for us to use as storage.

I've contacted a doctor near our house to schedule appointments for both of us after May 1 when the new insurance begins. I've also reached out to State Farm to have our insurance transferred over to a Georgia agent. I've pretty much stocked up on some grocery items so our refrigerator looks like people live and eat here.

This morning after running around I thought I would have lunch at Popeyes. I can't recall the last time I had a piece of Popeyes spicy fried chicken breast with a side of their creamy red beans or zingy cajun rice. I decided to stop home and drop off the groceries and decided I would just make myself a sandwich instead. There's plenty of days ahead for Popeyes. Besides, yesterday I bought some thinly sliced mortadella with pistachios and black peppercorns at Fresh Market and it called out to me as I was putting away the groceries. I love mortadella!

I still haven't planted the tomatoe and pepper plants that Brian bought me. I will do that tomorrow morning first thing. I did pick up some sunflower seeds to plant along the back fence. I bought the gigantic kind that grow to about 16 feet. That should make the birds happy.

Alon's Bakery

This morning after coffee on the patio and watching our next door neighbor hiding Easter eggs in their backyard for their daughter we decided to head over to Alon's bakery for an Easter morning brunch. Alon's is an Israeli bakery and marketplace. Upon entering the premises you are greeted by a homemade dessert case featuring small single serving sizes of a decent selection. I had my eye on the peanut butter mousse cake for a future visit.

There is a pastry case with danishes and the like, artisan bread station, local and imported artisan cheese case, a vast assortment of house made gelatos and a grocery store sized prepared foods case which I made a bee-line to ( I'm always looking for a quick plan for dinner when I don't feel like cooking ). This prepared foods case offered such yummies such as salmon wellington, veal and wild mushroom meatloaf, polenta cakes with shitake mushrooms and honey smoked duck. There was also a selection of prepared salads with the usual chicken and tuna salads, hummus, tabbouleh, and a shrimp curry salad.

At the far left of the prepared foods case lies a counter where you can order cooked to order meals and sandwiches. Brian opted for an omelet with artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and feta cheese.
I chose the cornbread and crab meat eggs benedict. Two squares of homemade cornbread topped with sauteed spinach, lump crabmeat, two poached eggs and drizzled with an Old Bay seasoned hollandaise sauce.

The cornbread was speckled with kernels of real corn with a chewy texture on the inside and crusty on the outside. The eggs were poached to a soft boil stage although I would have preferred a nice runny yolk that would ooze all over the cornbread when pierced with a fork like lava flowing down a mountain side. All in all it was good.

Brian bought himself a small bottle of whole milk to go along with his omelet and after opening the bottle discovered a somewhat thick consistency. No sour aroma was noticed. The manager on duty told him that all the milk was like that. Is that what really fresh milk straight from the udders looks like? He chose not to drink it.

McKendrick's birthday dinner

Last night was my 46th birthday..........My God! I just can't believe that I am sliding right out of my 40's and making a big belly flop into the 50's. I guess that's what it is because I have already begun sprouting the belly for the big 5-0 flop. All these restaurants I have to try in the Atlanta area will not help to keep my belly from growing, but that's okay because I love food more than I care about carrying around some added weight. Besides, eating high calorie food ladened with butter and fat is just so tempting and extremely satisfying.

Anyway, last night Brian took me to McKendrick's Steak House. It's located right across the street from the Perimeter Mall. I haven't dined at a steak house in quite awhile and since it was my birthday, well that was just a good excuse. To make my self feel better about the bounty of food I was going to enjoy I skipped lunch, which probably wasn't the best thing to do because that just made me all the more eager to gorge. Steak houses are notorious for serving large portions and I was up for the challenge.

We were seated at a booth designed for four people. Steak house booths are large. I guess you need all that room on the table to fit each a la carte item that is ordered while salivating and eating a loaf of bread before the appetizer arrives.

I ordered a glass of Californian pinot noir to get the engine fired up while I perused the appetizer selection since I knew this would be a time consuming venture deciding on which salad, steak and side items to finalize on, so I wanted to give the waiter a little bone to justify him returning to the table inquiring if he could take our order.

Brian told me to order whatever appetizers I wanted and he would share it with me. Okay, so this really turned into a died and went to heaven kind of experience. Now I decided to have an appetizer, soup, salad, steak and two side items. Dessert would not be left out even if I had to carry it home and eat it later.

I started off with the baked oysters and seafood chowder. I told the waiter to bring them at the same time since Brian would be "helping" me. The oysters were served hot out of the oven on a bed of salt topped with diced tomato, onions and maytag blue cheese melted all over it. The chowder was, of course, a cream based soup with finely chopped sauteed tomato which blended nicely into the cream and gave it a pinkish color with diced potatoes, salmon and shrimp. Both were excellent.

The next course was an iceberg wedge salad ( Brian's choice.....I would have opted for the spinach salad with warm bacon dressing but I wasn't going to play the birthday card for every course.) This was just as good. It was huge even after the kitchen split the salad into two servings so we each had our own plate. Once again maytag blue cheese and tomatoes with a sprinkling of applewood smoked bacon. That combination of blue cheese and smoked bacon is Y-U-M-M-Y.

For our entree we both had a 16 oz. boneless ribeye steak chargrilled medium rare. I just don't know how they do it but it was perfect. It tasted just like I thought it would as we were driving to the restaurant and I daydreamed the whole way there about that grilled flavor and the texture of a steak as you take that first bite through the grilled, crusty exterior and then sink your teeth into the melt in your mouth juicy interior as tender as a stick of butter at room temperature. I ate the whole thing.

Our side items included sauteed mushrooms in a red wine reduction, garlic stir fried spinach, and a baked potato that was as big as one of those trimline phones from the 70's. The mushrooms were humongous as well. I tried to eat my half of the potatoe but only accomplished part of it and had to leave the rest of the salted skin behind.

After all this I was stuffed more than a cornbread dressing filled Turducken is at Christmas dinner. I just couldn't do dessert but Brian insisted I pick one out to take home. We both were given dessert menus to look over the selections. I did my usual elimination technique to decide which one to carry home. After I decided on the coconut cream pie I turned to Brian to ask him which one he would choose if it were his birthday. He said the coconut cream pie. Everyone can have their own entree but by the time dessert rolls around you need to be in sync with your partner because desserts are meant to be shared.

Exhausted

I have been going non stop since Wed. morning. I was up at 5am on Wed., had coffee, breakfast, took a shower, loaded up the car and headed to our new house to meet the realtor and movers. I began trying to unpack that afternoon as the movers were finishing up and haven't stopped until now except to go out to eat and get a few hours sleep. Whew!

Today I feel as though I can slow down a bit and start living somewhat normal. Brian decided to fill up the propane tank for the grill and stopped by the grocery store and picked up some chicken and zucchini to grill tonight. The weather is so nice and we've been spending the afternoon sitting on the patio and deciding where is the best place in the yard to plant a couple of tomato and herb plants. This will be my task tomorrow.............finally something fun to do.

Our landlord stopped by today. He's really nice and told us to make ourselves at home and feel free to do as much gardening as we wanted. He's also gay. He and his partner live in a loft above the Fox Theater in Midtown.

Brian's car arrived today, so we need to take it to a body shop tomorrow so the repair can begin. Everyday another little job is complete. I won't feel like everything is done until the house is in order and I have new plates on my car and Georgian drivers license........in time.