This is the third post in a three-part travel series called Bruce eats New York, where Tiny Bites contributor Bruce Nguyen chronicles his ‘New York virgin’ dining experiences during the summer of 2009.

1. Fried chicken overload at Momofuku Noodle Bar
2. Republic and Viet-Cafe in a Vietnamese showdown! (Pho-down?)
3. From cheesecake to yogurt and everything in between

New York is home to some of the most upscale restaurants in the world but it can also be done on a budget. After all, the foods that bear the city’s name include the bagel, the pizza, and the cheesecake. Speaking of which, let me first state that the advertised “World’s largest cheesecake” really wasn’t all that large.

Below is a selection of tasting notes from the rest of the trip.

Ippudo

Ramen – very tender slices of pork. Noodles were well textured and not overdone. The decadence of eating ramen with what is more ladle than a spoon has to be experienced. Still, it was the pork belly cutlets which really shone. And that’s saying a lot.

Friends appreciated the ramen here more than at that at Momofuku Noodle Bar.

Ippudo
65 4th Avenue | East Village, New York
(212) 388-0088

Cafe Fiorello

Cafe Fiorello was recommended by the same trusted hotel concierge that recommended Ippudo, so our a group of twelve met there with promises of some of the best pizza in town.

Meal post-mortem: preference still leans towards properly prepared Chicago style deep dish pizza. Maybe I just need to try a non-white-tablecloth pizzeria. Their sangria, however, is pretty amazing. Can’t put my finger on what made it stand out…cinnamon and something else that I couldn’t identify.

Cafe Fiorello
1900 Broadway | Upper West Side, New York
(212) 595-5330

Pinkberry

Pinkberry, where the frozen yogurt craze first gained popularity. The plain yogurt itself didn’t have that slightly sour tang I’ve become accustomed to. The toppings I tried (blackberries, mochi, coconut, manga) were all fresh tasting with the mochi winning much praise.

Yes, I realize the picture below is not what I just described above. Blame my horrible photography patience when food is involved.

Pinkberry
330 W 58th St | Columbus Circle, New York
(212) 397-0412

Katz’s Deli

My experience with deli meats are of the cold cut variety. It may have been the glitz of being in New York with some of my closest friends combined with the lack of sleep, but that late-night pastrami seemed like tender cuts of heaven served between two slices of bread.

Katz’s Deli
205 E Houston St | Lower East Side, New York
(212) 254-2246

And there you have it: my effort to eat my way though a weekend in the Big Apple. Throughout this series, I’ve made mention of the eateries that were memorable. The full photo gallery below contains pictures from lesser pit stops, including the not-so-large-world’s-largest-cheesecake.

This is the second post in a three-part travel series called Bruce eats New York, where Tiny Bites contributor Bruce Nguyen chronicles his ‘New York virgin’ dining experiences during the summer of 2009.

1. Fried chicken overload at Momofuku Noodle Bar
2. Republic and Viet-Cafe in a Vietnamese showdown! (Pho-down?)
3. From cheesecake to yogurt and everything in between

Growing up, my family was never very adventurous in our culinary tastes. For each new city we’d visit, while we would try to dine on the local cuisine, by the end of the trip we would invariably end up eating at a local Vietnamese restaurant. The quality would vary, but at least my parents would be darned sure of their opinion. No “that’s was an interesting dish” remarks for us!

Once I was old enough and mobile enough to have non-family travel plans, experiencing new flavour combinations and arrangements would be the new norm. But every now and then, especially on a hectic or stressful day, a restaurant sign with Vietnamese writing would draw me in like a sailor to a lighthouse.

So it’s understandable why, on hearing that I dined at two Vietnamese restaurants during my short stint in New York, people ask if I was homesick or under duress. Believe it or not, neither of these restaurants were my choice but the choice of my dining companions.

I just didn’t complain when they made their suggestions.

Republic

Republic has the byline of “Vietnamese Sandwich Shop” but carries a ranging menu including twists on the standard beef noodle soup (pho). We tried a dish with a seafood base, one with a duck base, and a spicy beef variety, the last being the only traditional Vietnamese noodle soup – Bun Bo Hue.

We also shared a standard Vietnamese submarine sandwich, complete with three types of cold cuts, pate, pickled veggies and cilantro. The pate was not very noticeable and I would have liked a touch more. The sandwich came with a papaya salad pre-seasoned with fish sauce. It was good if not jaw-dropping. What was jaw-dropping, however, was the price. $10 USD for the same quality and quantity of what you can get in Vancouver for $6 CDN – $3 or less if you only want the sandwich.

One thing I must comment on the menu is the inclusion of “Iced Thai Coffee”. With a restaurant byline of “Vietnamese Sandwich Shop” why the insistance on calling it an iced Thai coffee? I tasted coffee, condensed milk, and ice. To me, that’s an iced Vietnamese coffee.

In the end, while I can’t in good faith recommend their sandwiches because of the price, I can recommend their noodle soup. The duck was excellent and the spicy beef and seafood varieties were very good, all of which are beyond the typical fare you’ll find in any Vietnamese restaurant in Vancouver.

Republic
37 Union Sq W | Gramercy/Flatiron, New York
(212) 627-7168

Viet Cafe

Wasn’t much a fan of the veggie spring rolls. They were good but were nonetheless rather standard fare. The pork spring rolls, however, were memorable. Using deep fried rice paper as the wrap gives it a paradoxically crunchy yet chewy outer layer.

The chicken pho was clean tasting without any hints of MSG or added oil. If you’re a fan of ‘dirty’ pho, this particular dish may not be for you. I was a fan.

Viet Cafe
345 Greenwich Street | Tribeca, New York
(212) 431-5888

This is the first post in a three-part travel series called Bruce eats New York, where Tiny Bites contributor Bruce Nguyen chronicles his ‘New York virgin’ dining experiences during the summer of 2009.

1. Fried chicken overload at Momofuku Noodle Bar
2. Republic and Viet-Cafe in a Vietnamese showdown! (Pho-down?)
3. From cheesecake to yogurt and everything in between

Momofuku Noodle Bar landed on our radar because of a celebrity chef, but what drew us in was promise of fried chicken. For my first ever meal in New York, expectations were high and we decided to stick with comfort food.

The reservation process, however, nearly scared us off. In order to have fried chicken at Momofuku Noodle Bar, you need:

1. Four to eight people in your party (no more, no less)
2. A registered account on their website
3. Availability within a small number of pre-defined timeslots available each day.

It’s clear who the alpha dog is in this restaurant-diner relationship. Most restaurants I’ve been to are trying to attract more customers, not create further barriers to entry!

Then again, if we consider the pedigree of Momofuku Noodle Bar, it doesn’t seem that bizarre. This is the first restaurant of New York resident rockstar chef David Chang. Chang’s restaurant lineup includes Momofuku Ko, where reservations are taken exactly six days in advance, online only, on a first-come, first-served basis. No leeway is given to social status or income, which is a blessing since I constantly find myself lacking in both.

As we waited for the restaurant to open, a line started to form outside. It became clear through conversation with other expectant diners that we were the only ones with fried chicken reservations that day. Our reserved table was easy to spot as soon as the doors opened: it was the only one with a protective paper covering. Makes it easier to clear and clean the table, I’m sure. And believe you me, there was plenty of carnage to clean up after this meal.

Our chicken arrived accompanied by mu shu pancakes (think steamed soft taco shells), a selection of house made sauces, and a basket full of a greens including long peppers, red ball radishes, and shiso leaves. Even if the chicken were mediocre, I would still be raving about the accoutrements.

Thankfully, mediocrity wasn’t an issue. We were presented both Southern-styled and Korean-styled fried chicken. That’s two whole chickens for those of you following at home. The former had a buttermilk flavour that penetrated deep into the meat while the latter, triple-fried, had a light, crispy skin. Combining all these ingredients into a soft taco was comfort food at its best.

I enjoyed the southern-styled buttermilk fried chicken more, but overall our group was split… both figuratively and literally. Once we were through, all that was left marking this heroic battle between man and bird were grease stains and burstingly satisfied tummies.

After a meal like this, our only disappointment was that we didn’t have a second stomach to keep on eating! After all, for a place with ‘noodle bar’ in the name, we didn’t actually get to try the noodles. Later on in the trip we did end up trying noodle dishes at various New York restaurants, but that’s a story for another day.

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave | East Village, New York
(212) 777-7773

I imagine that it doesn’t happen often – not unless, like me, you happen to live in one of them and your husband is in love with the glamour of the other.

Here’s our take on the two Daniel Boulud outfits in our hometown of Vancouver and our weekend getaway of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Daniel Boulud Brasserie (Las Vegas)

It was our first night in Sin City and my first day ever in this town of gambling and glitz when we strolled into the plush Wynn for our 6pm seating at DB Brasserie.

The ostentatious luxury that the Wynn oozed was certainly present in this restaurant. We were ushered to a patio table that overlooked a vast pond and an even more expansive waterfall, where we were told by our server, Paco, was the site of a light show and froggy song-and-dance as the evening waned. Puzzled by this description, we shrugged and looked at the menu.

Prices were sky high as to be expected of this town and of a restaurant of this reputation. My husband decided on the 3-course prix fixe. It was affordable at under $40 USD, but the quantities sounded enormous. I opted for 1 dish: a duo of beef containing Boulud’s signature slow-braised short ribs. That alone exceeded Kurt’s order by nearly $10, but I could at least expect to minimize food waste.

I should have just ordered a soup, because the kitchen adorned us with amuses and petit fours anyhow. However, I am incredibly glad that I had ordered the duo, because the short ribs were unbelievably spectacular. Worth every penny that we paid; I only wish it hadn’t been paired with a tenderloin. While clearly of good quality, it was so overwhelmed by the goodness of the short ribs that it somehow detracted from the discovery.

By the time dessert came round, the American portions had gotten to both of us, and Kurt declined the dessert that came with his meal. Paco, perhaps concerned that we weren’t enjoying our food, may have had something to do with the kitchen finding out about Kurt’s 30th birthday and sent him a molten ganache cake with a special message written on the plate. They threw something in for me since I was just sitting there…and then came the petit fours!

Combined with the show on the pond, meeting Chef, and the tremendous customer service of Paco and the rest of the front of the house, we had ourselves a good time indeed.

DB Bistro Moderne (Vancouver)

It was with this extreme experience in our short-term memory that we found ourselves at the Daniel Boulud restaurant in Kitsilano less than 3 weeks later, this time to celebrate our 3-year wedding anniversary in style. [Hmm - that's a lot of 3's.]

Incredibly, DB Bistro held up to its glamourous Vegas counterpart. No crazy hotel or giant pond frog with the voice of Louis Armstrong, but each dish exuded the same quality of taste that we first had in Nevada.

Each dish was again sized for American tastes: much too large for the smaller, multi-course portioning we are accustomed to in the West Coast. For the second time, Kurt declined the dessert that came with his prix fixe menu. For the second time, our server conveyed to the kitchen that we were celebrating our anniversary, adding also that we had homemade pie waiting for us at home.

You’d think that it would cause the kitchen to take a hint and simply send us off with a small plate of petit fours… instead, they chose the lightest of their desserts, wrote “Happy Anniversary” on the plate, and watched as we ate every last bite and thanked them for their thoughtfulness.

One thing’s for sure – if you are in a Daniel Boulud city and you celebrate a special occasion with them, make sure they know of it, because they’ll treat you like royalty.

1. The pizza must be cold.
2. So must the beer.
3. Underwear, but nothing else, must be worn.

Under these conditions, pizza was a god-send. Otherwise? It was either fun event in the kitchen or a quick fix for a lazy night.

It was with these underlying beliefs that I had a transcendant experience in Chicago during last year’s Lollapallooza festival, and no I’m not talking about seeing Radiohead live in concert.

Being my first time in Chicago, there were two things I was told to experience: Deep dish pizza, and delays at O’hare airport.

I ‘succeeded’ on both counts.

The hotel concierge claimed there are three main restaurants that compete for whose deep dish cuisine reigns supreme. We made it to two of the candidates, Edwardo’s Natural Pizza and Pizano’s Pizza & Pasta.

Edwardo’s was up first and the shear weight and girth of the pizza pie was enough to make my jaw drop. Never before had the term pizza pie been so apt.

At Pizano’s, the dish was served in a cast iron skillet.

In both cases the pizza turned out to have surprisingly little grease, and the crust, oh the crust! It’s a year later and I’m still holding on to the flavours lingering in my memories.

To be honest, my expectations coming in were that the stories told would fall victim of overhype and that I would still hold the opinion that pizza, ultimately, is just pizza.

I was wrong. Pizza will never be the same again.

Edwardo’s Natural Pizza
521 S Dearborn St | Loop, Chicago
(312) 939-3366

Pizano’s Pizza & Pasta
61 E Madison St | Loop, Chicago
(312) 236-1777

As for me…I am a Vegas virgin. The debauchery of The Strip is not really in keeping with my life philosophy, but I will succumb to its excesses for one weekend.

My voracity will take a backseat to my husband’s birthday shenanigans, so as much as I would love to try all there is to be eaten in Vegas, I highly doubt that I’ll fully immerse myself in my favourite form of hedonism. I at least did the research, so for those of you who will be heading to Sin City in the near future, I hope you benefit from my what-might-have-beens.

Culinary splurges

A lavish meal at a chichi restaurant is the only way to do Vegas if you love food. If fortune shines upon me, there’ll be a reservation at Joel Robuchon or his less formal L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon plus a $400 credit with my name on it. If not, well, I guess we’ll have to return to Vegas upon amassing a financial reserve for gluttony.

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon by scorbette37 (Creative Commons)

Our first dinner in town offers celebrity chef clout without squeezing us of our dollars so soon out the gate. Daniel Boulud’s spot at the Wynn has a $50 prix fixe menu that already has my husband drooling. Since we have one of his restaurants in town, Kurt suggested that we spend our anniversary at Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne for compare / contrast. I’m not one to argue with that logic.

We won’t be travelling far from our hotel, but I’ve heard that Rosemary’s Restaurant and Lotus of Siam are well worth the trip off the Strip. Any of you tried these?

Culinary deals

Most of the weekend’s budget is earmarked for the casino, so our group of 6 will be skimping on the gourmet in favour of a good price. For many, that means one thing – eating at buffets.

Buffets ceased being points of interest since my friends disbanded the All-You-Can-Eat club in university (thus curbing our frequent visits to and equally frequent boots from Shabusen). I hear that Vegas buffets can be a gourmet experience if you know where to go. The leaderboard of the Vegas buffet ranks those of the Wynn and Bellagio near the top. Spice Market at Planet Hollywood also comes highly lauded. Trade-offs: long lines during the dinner rush and DIY service.

Few places in luxury hotels seem to cater to those seeking a bargain, but there are a few spots that warrant a mention in this category:

• Paris’ Mon Ami Gabi runs a $10-15 brunch with fabulous french toast and corned beef hash. If you are willing to wait for the first-come, first-served patio, it affords one of the best ways to enjoy the fountain shows of the Bellagio. Its value and location has it ranked at the top of the Vegas lists on Urbanspoon and OpenTable for good reason.
• La Creperie at Paris – over a dozen varieties of my favourite French wrap for $8.99.
• Olives at Bellagio – Italian casual dining between $20 – 40
• Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon advertises $5.49 ribeye and eggs between the hours of midnight at 6am. If you are willing to play the tables at Bill’s during the >1 hour wait for this breakfast special (thus spending probably a lot more than you bargained), then go for it. 
• Casino Royale and Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon offer $1 margaritas. They are 2 blocks apart, so the journey from one to the other, with stops to the other dive casinos in between, becomes a lively night out when you are with good company.

If these are still too rich for your blood, consider making a trip to downtown Vegas or go fully off the Strip for cheap eats. 

Non-culinary adventures

No formal plans for the daytime besides getting a few shades darker and drunker by Paris’ pool. My black cherry bikini was underutilized in Asia; I’ve got a poolside regimen in mind to rectify that.

While the boys play at Mandalay Bay’s closed-circuit viewing of the Pacquaio / Hatton fight on Saturday night, I’m in charge of distracting entertaining the ladies with a good meal and some provocative indulgences. My plans involve dinner in close proximity to a bar that knows how to give a woman a good time. Leaning towards the Tao at the Venetian [update - with Tao fully booked, we wound up at Lavo at the Palazzo, the Venetian's new wing. Mediocre food but plenty of beautiful people.].

P1010671 by Spencer Hung (used with permission)

Cirque du Soleil is the one thing I am truly looking forward to seeing in Vegas. We’ve got nosebleed seats for the Sunday showing of O, whose watery theme is amplified by the aquamarines of Bellagio’s O Theatre (shown above). Can’t wait.   

Suggest away!

Does our itinerary have glaring omissions? Steer us towards affordable must-dos by leaving a comment.  Thanks in advance for your ideas.

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