I was escorted to the centre of the humongous hangar-like dining space where the Chef’s Bar is situated. The floor to ceiling sconces and red cloth lanterns that were hung everywhere warmed the otherwise industrial feel of the place and lent it a Pan-Asian flare. From my seat, I had a fantastic vantage point for watching the sous chef, Daniel, and chefs de batterie Spence, Dave, and Alonso at work.

Observing their teamwork and getting the chance to chat with them and my server Joanna was the highlight of the night. Dave and Alonso were gracefully in sync and seemed to really enjoy what they were doing. I watched them churn out dish after dish, often building it in front of me, before handing it over to Daniel for the finishing touches. They were having so much fun and were so willing to attend to my questions that I completely forgot to feel self-conscious for dining alone yet another time.

First up: a pear and pomegranate salad with blue cheese and watercress. The pears were poached in vanilla and were incredibly sweet, almost candied. It seemed a little early for this much sugar. The bitterness of the watercress managed to balance it out somewhat. The rest of the flavours were muddled together when I expected the pomegranate to jump and the blue cheese to hit me like a ton of bricks. Instead, the cheese was so mild and white that I mistook it for goat’s milk in my notes. I don’t know that I’d order this again, but the concept is interesting enough to try it in our kitchen one day.

As Dave and Alonso prepped my main course, Alonso mentioned that his lawyer brother in New Jersey was thinking about starting up a food blog. If you guys are reading this: do it! It took years before I separated my food articles from my personal blog, but once I did, things had a funny way of clicking into place. Getting to know the people behind the food that you buy and eat is one of the best ways to get inspired in the kitchen and discover restaurants that you may have never found on your own.

Um, Karen. Get back to the food.

Right. So the main I chose was a somewhat local redfish, caught off the Gulf of Mexico. It was seared to a fantastic crisp on the skin side yet remained wonderfully creamy and slightly rare in the centre. That made me a happy camper, as I cannot abide an overly cooked fish.

The chile rice was very mild for a chile rice. It reminded me of paella without necessarily having that oozy risotto-y texture. Went very well with the redfish. The best part of this dish was the charred tomato vinaigrette. Mutedly tart like a good malt vinegar, with the darker profile of roasted sweet tomato. Daniel explained that he took the tomato broth used in the bronzed scallop dish, which was smoked with red onion on their wood grill, and reduced it further with red wine. He even gave me a sample of the smoked tomato broth to compare the two sauces.

Dave was also kind enough to let me sample the NY baked cheddar macaroni that he and Alonso would tag-team on. It was undeniably well made, unlike the craptacular twisted mac & cheese I had earlier in the day at the Hard Rock Cafe. I asked after their smooth and creamy cheese base: it is a variation on the classic Mornay sauce, subsituting the usual gruyère with NY white cheddar.

I wrapped up my meal with a cheese plate consisting of 4 types of Spanish origin. I wasn’t a fan of any of them, unfortunately. The Valdeon Blue was minty and alarmingly rancid (bottom left). The drunken goat cheese, bottom right, was the most palatable of the four. In general, the selection was too similar to each other, and there wasn’t a truly soft cheese offered (Daniel tried to find me some but they were plain out). Looks like the good folk at Salt ruined yet another cheese plate for me!

The Verdict

If you are in the Atlanta area and like me, are a little uncomfortable with dining alone, try eating at the Chef’s Bar at Two Urban Licks. I hope they keep you entertained like they certainly did for me, and that in the process, you learn a little more about the inner workings of a professional kitchen.

Two Urban Licks
820 Ralph McGill Road | Atlanta, GA
+1 (404) 522-4622

Bacchanalia’s format is unusual but simple. Reserve a table to enjoy a 4-course prix fixe menu (which at the time of this writing runs you $72 USD a person). If you can’t decide on a bottle from their extensive wine list, you can opt for the food and wine pairing for a total of $125. That’s what I went for. I figured that the alcohol would help me ignore the “poor girl!” stares that I was getting from other tables as they observed my lone self at a table for two with no companion save my camera and notepad.

It took me twenty minutes to figure out what to order. Everything sounded so appealing. Oysters with lemon mignonette caviar or foie gras terrine with strawberries and almonds? Pork trio or lamb trio? Strawberry souffle with salt (!) ice cream or asparagus cake with lemon gelato? Dare I try sweetbreads for the first time? The mind reeled with possibilities.

Luckily, I was bombarded with dish recommendations by my server (Julie), the sommelier, and even other wait staff who noticed my indecision. Everyone seemed to be dropping by and ready to help. The attention made me feel like a real food critic, or a hotshot VIP, or both. Perhaps I shouldn’t have disclosed that I was a visiting foodie with a camera and a food blog!

Enough with the preamble. What about the food?

I was given bread for my bread plate, which remained untouched thanks to the parade of indulgences that descended upon my table. First up were a pair of gougères, compliments of the chef, made of puff pastry and stuffed with warm, oozy bechamel. A nice start, though they were on the threshold of being oversalted.

Chilled asparagus soup was the next “chef’s gift”. Just enough to fill a sake cup. Beautiful emerald colour and a clean springtime taste. Enjoyed the crunch of what I believe was minced pickled asparagus sprinkled atop the soup.

At this point, I began to anticipate the arrival of my adventurous appetizer choice (veal sweetbreads, here I come!). To my great surprise, the appetizer that arrived was this one:

A full serving of their Gulf crab fritter with Thai pepper essence. Again, compliments of the chef. It was the appetizer that sounded the least appealing to me when scanning their menu. In actual fact, the fritter is Bacchanalia’s most lauded appetizer offering. People pay extra to have this as a 5th course. I thought the kitchen had made a mistake until my server assured me that my sweetbreads would follow the fritter in due time.

Am I ever so grateful that someone wanted me to try this dish. It was simply mindblowing. An Anton Ego revelation. The sweet heat of the Thai pepper essence, combined with the citrus pop of the grapefruit, really did trigger a flashback to my childhood when my dad would carve me a grapefruit splashed with vinegar and Tabasco, supposedly to prevent or heal winter sniffles. From my table, I peered through the windows of their open kitchen to see whether a Pixar-animated chef/rodent was indeed readying my sweetbreads.

The fritter was filling and I devoured every last morsel. It was kind of the kitchen to give me 15 minutes to digest it all before the next item arrived. Was it my sweetbreads? No, it was another indulgence! This time, two pieces of pork rind (yes, pork rind) sourced locally by Star Provisions. Compared to the war-rations variety, these were airy, delicately salted, crunchy to bite and yet melts on the tongue. Think of it as bursting edible bubble wrap in your mouth. Very fun dish.

Ahhh…here we go. My first taste of sweetbreads (from the thymus?). Seared to a golden brown, lightly nutty with a buttery / starchy mouthfeel. There was some resistance to the bite but it wasn’t tough, chewy, or rubbery. Perhaps best described as a portobello consistency. I enjoyed this filling dish very much, but I didn’t want to get full after only the first official course. So I left the last few bites in the bowl and awaited my spring lamb trio.

It was almost too pretty to eat (almost). Cooked medium rare, erring towards rare. Just how I like it. The lamp chop was by far my favourite. The sausage was decent but I didn’t like the casing; the loin was a little too gamey and texturally uninteresting. The braised fennel was superb and is something to recreate in our kitchen one day soon.

This dish ranks second for me (the crab fritter being the clear favourite). The name is a misnomer: it should be called “Beets and Contrast” instead of “Cheese and Contrast” for how truly the beets steal the show. To be fair, the fresh, smooth, and sharp goat’s cheese was of excellent quality. But it was the combination of crisped raw yellow beets, succulent roasted red beets, and the nearly-neon-pink beet sorbet that contributed to the glorious variety in texture, colour, and salt.

The indulgences re-commenced as my menu transitioned into dessert mode. The next one was a hibiscus rosewater panna cotta with strawberries and caramel dust. It looked so mouth-watering that I actually forgot to take a photo before digging in.

Then the worst happened: my camera battery died. Horror of horrors! I wish I could show rather than describe how my coconut tres leches with meringue looked like a seared white chocolate Hersheys Kiss. Or map out the miniature cuteness that was the tasting trio of coconut macaroon, chocolate pecan truffle, and strawberry cream cheese shortbread. Or portray the simple simplicity of the coffee madeleine that rounded off the evening.

Instead, I will end my gushing and implore you to try Bacchanalia for yourself. Order the things I didn’t and report back to me. I want to live vicariously through your tastebuds. Don’t forget to try the Gulf crab fritter. It will take your breath away.

Bacchanalia
1198 Howell Mill Road | Atlanta, GA
Prix fixe 4-course menu for $75
With wine pairing, $125

I know that some of you are eager to hear about the Vancouver places we’ve enjoyed since my return from Atlanta. I’m also eager to write about them! So here’s the deal: I’ll condense my Atlanta dining observations into 3 more posts (2 restaurants, Bacchanalia and Two Urban Licks, deserve greater attention) over the next 3 days, and then it’s back to talking about Vancity.

Where I Ate

These restaurants are ranked by my desire to come back for seconds. Bacchanalia and Seasons 52 are highly recommended. Wouldn’t go back to the bottom 3 on this list.

Click through for more tantalizing visuals.

Bacchanalia

Best. Restaurant. Experience. Ever. Spent $165 after tax and tip. Worth every penny. Especially if you are a jet-setting foodie.

Seasons 52

Seasonal, health-conscious, irresistible mini desserts. A must-try if you’re in the Dunwoody area or following a shopping session at Perimeter Mall.

Two Urban Licks

Had a highly enjoyable and educational dinner sitting at the chef’s bar. Dishes were hit and miss for me.

Food 101

Virginia Highlands restaurant with patio overlooking the Morningside Farmers Market. Enjoyed my breakfast of biscuits and gravy and hope to re-create it at home. Wish I could have visited again for dinner.

Six Feet Under

Lively Southern eatery across from the Oakland Cemetery. From the outside, it looks like a truck stop; inside, it is vibrant, loud, great for people watching, with lots of good fried fare. Recommended food stop for visiting photographers (unfortunately, the thunderstorm prevented me from my plans to shoot the Oakland Cemetery).

South City Kitchen

Beautiful space. Beautiful presentation. Taste? A let-down personally; trout was bland and soggy and the chicken livers were forgettable. Everyone else enjoyed what they had. One even played with his food (apparently buttermilk fried chicken likes to dance).

The Ship & Anchor Pub

After-work hangout in Sandy Springs. Great patio. Passable pub appetizers: buy 3 and pay only $20.

Doc Chey’s Noodle House

Across the street from Food 101. Very disappointed by their dumplings, which were dry and rubbery.

Los Arcos

Mexican restaurant in Stone Mountain. My coworker swears by their beef fajitas. Here was my first encounter with flautas. I have had better in Vancouver (and our city sorely lacks good Mexican cuisine).

Hard Rock Cafe Atlanta

I didn’t want to be here and I regretted going…but I literally couldn’t walk another step after 7 hours of sightseeing. Should have timed my visits better so I could have left for Two Urban Licks straight from my last tourist stop. Oh well. My husband now has a souvenir glass to add to his beer stein collection.

What I’d Try Next Time

Quinones at Bacchanalia

Sister to my now beloved Bacchanalia. Prix fixe tasting menu of 8-10 smaller items, which appeals to the nibbler in me.

Trois

Part of the Concentrics restaurant group that is responsible for Two Urban Licks and One Midtown Kitchen (Get it? 1, 2, 3…).

Eclipse di Luna

Tapas and lounge in Buckhead that is also popular for post-work drinks. I hear the tapas is excellent.

Recommendations from Atlantans

Still want more? Browse through Creative Loafing’s Atlanta Urban Explorer or check out these places that food-minded bloggers, colleagues, and taxi drivers have suggested:

• Rathbuns Restaurant
• Highland Bakery
• Cafe di Sol
• Nuevo Laredo Cantina
• Soul Vegetarian
• Nikolai’s Roof
• McCormick and Schmicks
• Goldfish
• French American Brasserie

My experience with open markets had been limited to the sprawling Granville Island Public Market and the warehouse-sized Calgary Farmers Market. It was a bit jarring to arrive at this one and realize that there were only about a dozen stalls, all fitting into a lot that was smaller than your average gas station.

Many of the stalls sold much of the same: a handful of produce, fresh cut flowers, potted plants. The ones that held my attention were those that had an obvious specialty. First stop was Crystal Organic Farm, where I bought sweet-smelling white turnips and brussel sprouts on the stalk.

Next door stood Margaret of Hazelbrand Farms, displaying her array of wonderful smelling organic soaps. It was clear that Hazelbrand had a loyal following. One regular took the time to point out her favourites to me. I picked up a scoop of lavender bath salts and 4 different bars as souvenirs for home.

Last was the stall for Ziu Mico’s Garden, a purveyor of artisan pasta, sauces, antipasti, and Italian flatbreads. I showed Domenico the produce I had just purchased, and he suggested his salsa dipomadori, spicy crostate di pane, and what I think is tagliatelle, in order to make a nice pasta primavera back at the hotel.

The pasta was a simple affair. I had no access to butter or olive oil, so I simmered the brussels and its stalk leaves, along with the greens from the white turnips, in with the salsa dipomadori. The tagliatelle was so recently made that it was under 3 minutes to al dente. Topped it all with slices of raw turnip, a side of spicy crostini, and washed it down with the St. Francis merlot that I still had on hand. Not bad at all for a hotel dinner using a bare-bones kitchenette!

If you’re looking for a farmer’s market the next time you’re in Atlanta, visit Morningside or try these others scattered about the metro Atlanta area.

Morningside Farmers Market
1393 N. Highland Avenue | Atlanta, GA
Every Saturday from 8:00-11:30am

Looks like we’re one step closer to Harry Potteresque imagery =) It’s great timing for yours truly, as I took a handful of short video clips while in Atlanta and was thinking about how nice it would be if I could store these clips in context with their photos.

Here’s one of the bar ambiance at previously reviewed Seasons 52:

And another of the Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Atlanta:

I think I’m gonna like this new feature…

Seasons 52 is located just outside of Perimeter Mall, but don’t label it as mall fare. The Mall’s proximity to the Concourse, one of the larger and more upscale industrial parks in the city, seems to have created a market for nearby dining establishments where one can impress visiting VIPs.

This restaurant caught my eye during my first visit to Atlanta last year. At the time, I opted to try next-door neighbour Wildfire instead, which drew me in with promises of prime rib (it satisfied my carnivorous cravings splendidly). Wanting to try Seasons 52 this time around, I polled colleagues and looked for reviews online. Concerned to find that there was not much buzz. I looked up their website for more information. There, I discovered that the restaurant focuses on seasonal, healthy dining, where each item on the menu is under 475 calories. The diet gimmick didn’t get to me but the seasonal gimmick did. One scan of the appetizing PDF menu and I was sold.

First up: a glass of Trevor Jones’ “Boots” Grenache, from a little Aussie place called Barossa Valley. It was served up in a wine glass etched with “52″ that fascinated me to no end. Not much to sniff at, austere at the sip, but oh, the mouthfeel! It felt like velvet that had been stripped of its fuzz. I enjoyed rolling its rich viscosity around with my tongue until it was time to take a reluctant swallow. This slow savour of my glass meant that it lasted through my entire 3-course meal.

Next was a small offering of spring vegetables for $4.75. A pleasing medley of snow peas, sugar snap peas and its tendrils (which I had for the first time – fantastic), and pearl onions. Each ingredient leant the dish its own brand of sweetness. The highlights were the novelty of the tendrils (quite like a more structured spinach) and the burst of the sugar snap peas as you crunch through its shell.

Chose the caramelized sea scallops for my main, which came highly recommended by my server, Janessa. The scallops were rare (just how I like them) with gorgeous criss-crossings seared into the flesh. Asparagus was sliver thin and deliciously fresh. The pearl pasta was another new experience. It calls to mind the starch of the peas in the previous dish, blended with a tapioca-like resistance to the bite. Couldn’t really taste the caramelization that was advertised. And I’m not typically a fan of sundried tomato. All the interesting textures in this dish made up for the blandness of the scallop of the presence of sundried tomato.

Dessert was presented in a most irresistible fashion. Janessa walked out with a tray full of rectangular shot glasses, each filled with $2.25 morsels of sweetness such as tiramisu, german chocolate cake, and key lime pie. I couldn’t help but order two: the mango-strawberry cheesecake and the red velvet cake. Both were rich, indulgent, magnificent, and for the first time, Karen-sized! It took 4 or 5 of my bites to finish off each one. That probably translates to a couple spoonfuls for you =)

With my meal complete, I thanked my server for graciously attending to my questions and photography, especially when she let me have a few minutes of alone time with the dessert tray while I set up this shot. My ride called to say he was going to be a half hour extra. So I mosied over to the bar from where strains of jazzy piano seemed to emanate.

I settled into a seat at the bar that was directly across from the evening’s piano player. Sipped at a lovely Pacific Rim Gewurtzraminer from Japan while listening to the live music and taking in the elegant ambiance. The bar was patronized by a seeming regular Wednesday night crowd. One of the couples stood up to slow-dance dreamily to Rocket Man. At another point, the pianist sang a custom ditty about the people around him; from his lyrics, I guess his name is Dave and that it was 10:45pm. Soon after, my ride came to whisk me back to the hotel.

Sigh…what a wonderful way to spend a Wednesday night after a long day at work. I understand now why I couldn’t find any reviews of this place—its fans want to keep it a secret! Perhaps I shouldn’t have written this review. Perhaps I should hide this page from Google. But this was too good a place to hide from you, dear reader. Hope you get the chance to try Seasons 52 one day, whether it’s this one by Perimeter Mall or one of the handful of locations scattered throughout in Georgia and Florida.

Seasons 52
90 Perimeter Center West
Dunwoody, GA 30346
(770) 671-0052
www.seasons52.com

Raincity Grill does a fantastic job of showcasing the cuisine of the Pacific Northwest while being conscientious of how its operations, supplier relationships, and menu selection impact the environment. Its involvement in the community and its green policies are evident in nearly everything they do. Just take a look at what they’ve got planned over the next few weeks (from Raincity’s March Newsletter).

Upcoming Events at Raincity Grill

Un-Sprung menu: March – April 2008

Featuring “100 Mile” vegetables, Organic Ocean’s wild salmon, and Sloping Hill’s pork, this menu showcases the very best of the bounty of the Lower Mainland. This $90 nine-course menu is available Sunday through Thursday until April 15th.

Dining out for Life: March 27, 2008

“Dining out for Life” is on today, and I’m sad to be missing it. 25% of all food revenue from meals sold at Raincity will go to A Loving Spoonful and Friends for Life, Lower Mainland charities supporting local people living with AIDS.

Tiny Bites note: Hundreds of other restaurants are participating in this fundraiser. For full details, visit the Dining out for Life website.

Earth Hour: March 29, 8-9pm

Raincity Grill will be observing “Earth Hour” on March 29th. Dinner is served by candlelight as the lights are shut off across Raincity Grill, Nu, and C Restaurant from 8 pm to 9pm in tandem with cities across Earth. Enjoy the ambience and be a part of the powerful message about the need for action on global warming.

Quick Atlanta Update

The Atlanta restaurant suggestions have been pouring in from colleagues, Flickr, and the prior post. Thank you and keep them coming–I’m here till April 3rd.

Had a terrific time at Seasons 52 last night. As its name suggests, the menu varies with the seasons. Their seasonal focus is to promote healthy eating as opposed to green eating, but I think they accomplish both. I’ll write up a full review with pretty pictures by the end of the week.

Tonight is happy hour with work followed by a field trip to the Stone Mountain area for some Mexican food. Can’t wait!

As my five six-hour flight starved me of any real nutrients, I was looking forward to a nice meal Atlanta-side. That didn’t work out either. The kitchen at the hotel was closed and all the decent restaurants within a mile from here were shutting down. Wound up having a rushed dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, which is sort of like our Red Robin’s, but with a cheesecake fetish. I hope to avoid such chain restaurants for the remaining 2 weeks in Atlanta.

Do you know of any places that I should check out, food or otherwise? Already on the list are the Georgia Aquarium and JOËL Restaurant. I’ll supplement your suggestions with my research from Foodbuzz and The Blissful Glutton.

Thanks, and good night for now!