November 2010 Issue

Visit us online for our latest printed issue: http://www.thehudspethreport.com/nov.10.album

TASTES, TRENDS & FLAVORS

'Battle of the Burgers,' Best New Restaurants & People's Platelist

The first ever ‘Battle of the Burgers’ inaugural event took place in Atlanta in October at John Howell Park in the Virginia-Highland area.  Showcasing this latest trend, paticipating restaurants included American Roadhouse, Atkins Park, Cafe di Sol, Cypress Street Pint & Plate, Diesel Filling Station, Farm Burger, Einstein’s, Grindhouse Killer Burgers, Highland Tap, Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub, Manuel’s Tavern, Murphy’s, The Nook, Tap Gastro Pub, Ted’s Montana Grill, Warren City Club and West Egg Cafe.  The winners of the day for Judges’ choice ‘Best Burger’ included Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub (Kaleidoscope Bistro and Pub, owned by Chef Joe Riley of Buckhead Diner is set to open this fall on Dresden Drive) and Grindhouse Killer Burgers for a meatless version. The Peoples’ Choice ‘Best Burger’ went to The Nook on Piedmont Park and Atkins Park Tavern for its meatless creation...  More accolades for Miller Union, Westside Atlanta’s celebrated Southern-inspired restaurant, has been honored as one of the ‘Best New Restaurants of 2010’ by Esquire magazine in the November issue along with Buckhead Life Restaurant Group’s newest eatery, Bistro Niko.  Food critic John Mariani, praises Miller Union’s Executive Chef Steven Satterfield’s respect for his ingredients, Mariani puts the spotlight on Miller Union’s signature farm egg baked in celery cream, describing “its richness and its sensual textures” as “beautifully realized.” Expanding on the restaurant’s design, shared dining and “straightforward” menu, Mariani says the elements “coalesce the way biscuit ingredients meld into something wholesome and happy-making.” Mariani’s view of Bistro Niko has him commenting, “Maybe it was inevitable that Pano Karatassos would take a crack at a genre that has never fared well in the city: a French bistro of the kind you find on Montparnasse but not so easily south of the Mason-Dixon. Any skeptic who questions whether the south — which of late has come into its own as a cradle of intensely personal, adventurous cooking with indigenous ingredients — is ready for a serious French bistro should try to get a table on short notice at Niko. Executive Chef Gary Donlick hews to the revered traditions of cuisine bourgeois, and Karatassos has imbued the dining rooms with southern hospitality. Walls glisten with white tile, charcuterie hangs in the open kitchen, and you can see the requisite shiny zinc bar from the street. The menu is a broadsheet of dishes that never have and never will go out of fashion, from hot cheesy gougères puffs to escargots en croûte with garlic butter and a touch of Pernod, from the flaky, gooey tarte flambée with onion, crisp bacon lardons, and fromage blanc to boeuf bourguignon made with Kobe beef cheeks braised in rich burgundy wine. Due respect to Karatassos’s other joints, but he really should’ve opened this one first.”  The Esquire honor comes just in time for Bistro Niko’s one year Anniversary.  Birthday celebration deals run Friday, November 5, through Saturday, November 13, offering a free basket of tasty Gruyeres Cheese Puffs at every table, $5 glasses of Piper Heidsieck Champagne and the 2 oz. or 4 oz. selection of Mock Caviar for half price... In June, ABC’s Nightline launched the People’s Platelist contest -- a search for the best undiscovered chefs in the country. They asked viewers to nominate a beloved local chef for a “Platelist” feature. More than 1,000 viewers wrote in, singing the praises of chefs whose creative and delicious cuisines have dazzled their palettes. Surprisingly, Chef Henry Chandler, owner of Henry’s Louisiana Grill in Acworth, received the most votes from viewers across America to earn the title of People’s Platelist.  “The one thing about food in Louisiana is in good times and bad it pulls people together,” says Chandler, 51. “I love to cook because I love to see my friends, my family and my customers enjoy the food so much.”

Blaisin’...

Local celebrity Chef, Richard Blais (Top Chef, Flip Burger Boutique), recently annouced via Twitter that he’ll be starring on the Science Channel soon in a new cooking show to be called Blaisin’... Another new show debuting soon as well, Georgia Cooks: Secret Family Recipes, will air on Georgia Public Broadcasting in December, naming celebrity Chef Marvin Woods as host. Woods is best known for another popular show, Home Plate.  “I am excited to host Georgia Cooks and share my passion for helping people eat and live better through food,” says Woods. “In traveling the country, I’ve cooked and tasted a lot of favorite family foods. I’m eager to see what secret family recipes come from Georgia kitchens and bring them to the show.”  For more about the show, visit www.gpb.org/georgiacooks... Chef Jamie Adams of Veni Vidi Vici in Midtown and CEO and Founder of Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, Pano Karatassos, appeared recently on the Food Network’s ‘The Best Thing I Ever Ate.’ Sunny Anderson, star of Network’s show ‘Cooking for Real,’ named Chef Jamie’s Agnolotti dish the best thing she has ever eaten ‘Under Wraps,’ the theme of the episode. Chicken, duck and pork straight off the rotisserie are blended with fontina cheese, wrapped in fresh ravioli pasta and accompanied with a savory brown butter sauce with sage and pecans make up the Agnolotti. Check out Veni Vidi Vici’s Facebook page for the video.

Updates...

Spice Market, located inside the W Atlanta-Midtown, is offering guests a tasting menu of Executive Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s signature items.  The menu contains five courses with two different ‘tastes’ per course for $48 per person.  Examples from the most recent tasting menu include avocado and radish with Chinese mustard and tempura onions; chili rubbed beef skewer with Thai basil dipping sauce; wok fried asparagus with lotus root and lily bulb; char-grilled chicken with kumquat-lemongrass dressing and Ovaltine Kulfi with caramelized banana and spiced milk chocolate sauce.  For more information, visit www.spicemarketatlanta.com... Every Sunday at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, a new restaurant located in Phipps Plaza, kids eat free from the restaurant’s children’s menu.  Examples of dishes include a selection of pastas with tomato sauce, meat sauce or butter; macaroni and cheese; fish and chips; burgers with a side of fruit; chicken fingers; braised short ribs with creamy mashed potatoes; and sundaes for dessert.  For more information, visit www.davios.com...  Get up-close and personal with MF Sushi Chef Chris Kinjo for an exclusive Omakase dinner. Omakase is a 16 to 20 course dinner made with the most rare and freshest fish flown in from various Japanese markets. Only for eight guests - the dinner is available on the 2nd and 4th friday of each month. $250 per person includes Sake pairings. MF Buckhead also offers a three-course lunch with 15 different options to choose from - all priced under $20 per person Monday - Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. www.mfbuckhead.com for details... The Original El Taco in Virginia Highlands is now open for lunch on weekends. Dishes include all the favorites, plus a few brunch-like twists such as the ‘Mexican Hangover Cure’ - chilaquiles topped with an over easy egg... You can now experience Farm-to-Table at Buckhead Diner on Piedmont Avenue with a new seasonal three-course $29 prix-fixe menu available every night for dinner. The menu features local produce with choices like the Local Pumpkin Bisque made with pumpkin seed oil and toasted pumpkin seeds as well as the Granny Smith apple & crab salad with lightly pickled cucumber and local radish from new Executive Chef, Charles Schwab. 

Happenings...

On Saturday, November 13th from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m., the Harvest Midtown Wine Experience will come to life as a new food & wine event on Peachtree Street as a walking tour that includes stops at three fine dining restaurants in Midtown, Livingston, Baraonda & Straits. Admission includes a glass of wine & small food plate plus a complimentary wine tasting at each participating restaurant along with live entertainment.  Participants will also be able to enjoy a silent auction benefiting the Ayan’s Fund.  Ayan is a 6-year-old boy from Atlanta who was diagnosed with Pediatric brain tumors two years ago whose family has an enormous amount of unpaid medical bills since he was dropped from his health insurance.  Tickets are $40 in advance & $45 at door and are available now at www.harvestmidtown.com... The Castleberry Hill neighborhood will play host to the annual Chili Cookoff on Saturday, November 13th at 2 p.m. on Elliott Street.  The cost is $5 and benefits the local AFD Fire Station #1.  Judging begins at 3 p.m. For details, visit www.castleberryhill.org...  On Saturday, November 13, football fans can cheer on their favorite team at Deadwood Saloon’s college game day ‘dipping’ party.  From noon to 9 p.m., the newly-opened Midtown watering hole and the folks from Maker’s Mark will be giving away 500 signature wax-dipped shot glasses in each fan’s favorite college team colors. In addition to glasses, some of the fans will win specialty wax-dipped pigskins.  For more information, visit www.deadwoodatlanta.com... Tickets are now on sale for the 2010 Decatur Wine Festival, metro Atlanta’s largest outdoor wine festival. Taste more than 350 wines from around the globe, sample fare from Decatur eateries and listen to live music. The annual event is Saturday, November 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. on the Old Courthouse Square in downtown Decatur.  Tickets are $32 and may be purchased in advance only at www.ticketalternative.com. For more info, visit www.decaturartsalliance.org... Andrews Entertainment Complex has teamed up with Souper Jenny to host Fa la la la la Fabulous Ladies Night Out, Buckhead’s first shopping extravaganza on Wednesday, November 10th from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 56 East Andrews Drive. The Complex will be turned into a fashionista’s playground with a host of local boutiques, jewelry vendors, spa services, a bar set up on the 8 Traxx porch as well as beer, wine and specialty cocktails. The Souper Jenny Flying Soup Mobile, along with fellow food trucks, will offer ladies a variety of flavorful, wholesome and inexpensive fare... The Buckhead Snuggie Pub Crawl is planned for Saturday, November 20th from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Registration begins at 1 p.m. at Gypsy Stag Lounge (down from Red Door Tavern) at 3188 Roswell Road.  Walk to 9 bars in your ‘Snuggie,’ robe, blanket or whatever makes you happy when its cold out. Sample food & drink specials at each stop. The after party is 8 - 10 p.m. at Buckhead Saloon a with costume contest on stage. Participating Bars include Red Door Tavern, Kramer’s, the Pool Hall, 5 Paces Inn, East Andrews, Churchill’s, Tavern 99, Buckhead Saloon and Gypsy Stag Lounge. The cost is $5 Advance, $10 Door.  Visit www.AtlantaBarTours.com for detail.

Traveling with Kevin...

Food enthusiasts hungry for a new travel adventure have the opportunity to experience a taste of Austria.  Chef Kevin Gillespie, owner/chef at Woodfire Grill on Cheshire Bridge will explore culinary Vienna, its neighboring wine regions and Budapest from March 24 through March 31, 2011.  Travelers will have an array of dining experiences from Michelin-starred establishments to Vienna’s most authentic and traditional restaurants.   The trip also includes a hands-on cooking class in the Schoenbrunn Palace, visits to private wineries and a full day in Budapest. “I have always been impressed with Austrian wines and want to share what I think is one of the world’s most brilliant wine regions.  There is so much to see and experience – from the tradition of the Heuriger to the authentic coffee house culture to the traditional culinary artisans.”  For more info, call 404.347.9055 or visit www.woodfiregrill.com.