Saibal and I went for lunch to Livingston, the restaurant in the Georgian Court Hotel. My seat had a beautiful view of the marquee of the Fox Theater. The atmosphere in the restaurant is elegant and the service was attentive without being fussy.
This is a shrimp tempura appetizer. The sauce in particular was excellent; it featured a green chile base, some vinegar, and just enough sweetness to balance everything else.
I was a little disappointed with my beef short ribs. They were actually a boneless preparation so I didn't get the beefy carnivore experience. The sauce was pretty standard stuff; I didn't find any hint of the moroccan spices that were promised on the menu.
I visited La Cazuela in downtown Lawrenceville. As you can see, it's in an old building on the main square, a very picturesque location that I really enjoyed. They seem to be a small chain with several locations, including Buford Highway.
I decided to try the grilled chile poblano, a green chile split open, stuffed with shredded chicken and cheese and then grilled. I was expecting a little more cheese, but perhaps that's my ignorance, and this preparation was better for my health. The salsa was smooth, not chunky, and unfortunately I am a chunky salsa bigot. Overall, the food was competent, the service pleasant.
Category: Atlanta Chinese favorite Verdict: Worth a drive.
Tasty China, and more particularly its chef, have received a great deal of attention from both the Atlanta foodie world and the local Chinese community. I've eaten there a couple of times myself. More recently, Yu, Fumin and I had dinner there together. That allowed us to try more dishes and me to avail myself of their expertise.
On my solo visits, I was drawn to the "Hot and numbing" dishes, such as hot and numbing beef. This is clearly not a name bestowed by a restaurant marketing consultant. These dishes were fascinating and something I hadn't tried before. The beef had a crunchy crust and was served with whole red chiles. The complete dish looks like this: http://www.tastychina.net/wordpress/ I really enjoyed it.
But I wanted to try more. We tried several things, including a bean curd soup (very good), beef with chile (good), and my absolute favorite, tea smoked duck. The duck was succulent and the smokiness came through perfectly---an excellent counterpoint to the duck without being overpowering. Overall, Yu made an interesting point: Mexican hot food has a long burn while Sichuan hot food has a burn that goes away in a few minutes. Yu and Fumin agreed that the menu tries to please both Chinese and American palates, which is a good thing in my book. The choices are unusual even for a jaded Chinese food-addicted programmer.
Leslie came through again with Holy Taco. It's near the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Flat Shoals Avenue. I have no idea what this neighborhood is called but it seems very hip in an unspoiled way. The atmosphere is casual but nice. You order from a waiter rather than standing in line as at Taqueria Del Sol. The menu is small plates, which is a natural for tacos, but they have several items that don't fit the standard Mexican food categories.
Christine and David joined us, which allowed us to try a wider variety. Leslie and Christine model the guacamole, which is always a good way to start off a Mexican meal. The chips were very handmade and were made of two layers. They were very fresh but beware, they are greasy.
David models his chile relleno. I didn't sample it but he said it was quite good. David and Christine also ordered this non-typical Mexican item, which is a has cheese, Mexical-style sausage, anchovy, capers, and cilantro on a bread base.
Here are a pair of beef brisket tacos and a side of black beans. I also had the free range chicken taco. The free-range chicken has a pretty subtle taste, and although it was very good I got a little more kick oujt of the stronger taste of the brisket. The beans still had some tooth to them, which is the way they're supposed to be, so far as I am concerned.
This dessert is another item that has Mexican inspirations but isn't really Mexican food. It has plums and other fresh fruits on top of a pancake. It goes great with coffee. Don't worry, we didn't actually put the hot sauce on the dessert.
I was in Buckhead yesterday and in the mood for a quick dinner. I decided to try Jalisco, a small restaurant in a rather reserved strip mall in south Buckhead. It turned out to be a surprisingly good choice. It has the feel of a neighborhood Mexican restaurant. The staff was entirely Hispanic, which isn't exactly what one expects in Buckhead. The atmosphere was low key. I ordered a plate with an enchilada, a tamal, and a chile relleno. All three were good, with the chile relleno being my favorite. This is a nice, homey place with good, satisfying food. It's a pleasant change from the foodista atmosphere that one often finds in Buckhead.
