Owen "shortstack" R.'s Profile

Looking at the posts from other Atlanta-area food bloggers, I can't pretend to have found this one on my own however, earlier this week to Suwannee to experience the ramen at Umaido, as it was a rainy respite from the oncoming summer. Let me preface this with stating that I am a relative neophyte to ramen, my only other in experiences in metro Atlanta being with Yakitori Jinbei, and a small sampling of ramen during a sake tasting at Taka. All three have been unmistakably unique.

We arrived to the location which, not surprising for the restaurants I have been trying lately, is located in the same shopping center as a Super H Mart, a good omen if I have encountered one before. From the front and initially entering, Umaido appears empty, however as you are taken past the open kitchen the restaurant opens up into a few tables and one long communal bench in the middle of the room.

The waitstaff was wonderful and attentive, it must have been apparent that we were new to Umaido; our waitress did an excellent job however of going over the short menu and offering explanations when necessary. The menu is not that much to traverse; only offering a few variations on raman and a few a la carte options. In the two times I have visited I have gotten the spicy tonkatsu ramen both times, Alex has sampled both the seafood ramen and the miso-based broth. I am not a fan of the miso/shoyu ramen as much as the pork-based tonkatsu, however Umaido offers a 'rich-broth' option on all it's items so you can achieve the richness of the normal tonkatsu with any of the selections.

The bowls when delivered are undeniably appealing. I was worried that using just my iPhone to get the photograph of the dish when it was brought to the table would not do justice to the myriad colors coming from the bowl. Looking at what is posted above. The slices of pork are extremely tender, I was unable to resist tasting one as soon as it landed on the table and it was extremely lean yet flavorful, the other two slices I promptly buried beneath the fresh noodles to absorb the flavor of the broth. The soup is garnished with seaweed, green and white onions, garlic, and a soft-boiled egg -- which I have always had an affinity for since having them served for breakfast when I was in grade school. Despite ordering the broth spicier than I thought, it did not out-balance the other flavors in the bowl. The noodles made fresh in house were not all notted up, and retained their own flavors as well. Balance is extremely important to me in any dish, and Umaido definitely does not disappoint in being able to combine all these things together, and not compromising any of the individual aspects of the dish. I am pleasantly surprised; often times extremely wonderful food does not photograph well and loses all it's appetizing appeal once captured on film, I am glad to say I feel the picture above does this one justice though.

My apologies to Yakitori Jinbei, which I still love tremendously for their wonderful in house grilled yakitori, however Umaido, at least for me, wins the Atlanta ramen contest hands down. I have been back once already since originally beginning to write this article and will definitely be making this a regular stop after work; unfortunately it's jus

Amidst myriad rumors of it's closing and even some regarding a forthcoming conversion to a "healthy menu" I am here to properly inform, and dispel any rumors that have been floating around regarding the Atlanta institution that is Woody's Famous Philadelphia Cheesesteaks, a shack perched on the corner of Monroe and Virginia Ave. It seems popularity of this spot has waned recently as concerns mount that it is no longer open, or "not what it once was" however I hope to dispel this; it's still delicious and it will be a sad day if Woody's is ultimately no more.

Down to business, the sign pretty much lists the entirety of this eatery's menu; and in all my times visiting I think I can count the number of times I've seen somebody order something other than a cheesesteak on one hand. Woody's serves Buckhead Beef with a choice of provolone or American cheeses, or for true Philadelphia authenticity they have recently added an option of CheezWiz. Like most sandwiches, a lot of the quality comes not from the fillers but the bread itself (the use of Leidenheimer by po-boy establishments in New Orleans has always been a requirement for any place I'm willing to give a shot.)

Undoubtably part of the appeal for many to this place is the unassuming decor, for restaurants, especially ethnic ones, seems to many to be a sign of authenticity. The inside holds what could be no more than 6 or 7 tables, with nary-enough space between the dining area and the counter from which you order, and watch your food being prepared. The size of the interior makes even the most modest Manhattan apartment seem spacious, the kitchen is about the size of a phone-booth and I've seen people laboring three deep in there even on a 100+ degree summer day. Fortunately, for days like that Woody's also offers delicious milkshakes and malts to help cool off. There is additionally some outdoor seating, allowing for a view of the Grady High School Stadium, Midtown Promenade, and more enjoyably Piedmont Park.

I unfortunately have not known about this place as long as some; having heard stories from those I know who attended Grady High School, I can hardly pretend to be even a regular here, only a mere fan. In the past, my inabilities to eat here regularly were caused by the extremely prohibitive hours the establishment kept (Tues-Sat until 5PM) however under new management, the restaurant is now open 7-Days a week, staying open until 10PM each night except Friday and Saturday's where they stay open until 3AM, ostensibly for those who have spent the earlier hours of the evening in one of the many surrounding spots in either VaHi, Poncey-Highlands, or Monroe. The new owner was nice enough to come introduce himself to me on one of my more recent visits and made it clear that maintaining the integrity of the restaurants authenticity is priority number one for him and his new staff. I definitely got the impression that his involvement was one of hoping to see the location's continued growth and success beyond what the original owners were able to commit too after their years of personal investment into the location.

This is a review I probably should have done long ago, and for no real good reason I have not been eating here as much as I used to however... I digress. Let us talk a moment about an under-hyped Buckhead mainstay. Located behind Pharr Road on quiet Grandview Ave. Located in a small house with an extensive covered porch, Anis is a quaint location that serves lunch and dinner from a small neighborhood location. Even when busy, it never seems to loud providing a wonderful outdoor dining experience, weather permitting. As with any place. Anis does not have the city's most diverse and deep menu however I often find this is the trademark of any serious kitchen. Do a handful of dishes and do them extremely well.

My most recent visit found me at Anis' for dinner, so this review is going to limited to the dinner menu. I started things off with an arugula and artichoke salad, very light fare. I am a much bigger fan of the tomato tartare salad which when delivered resembles a fish tartare or steak tartare but prepared obviously with tomatoes and a heathy slice of mozzarella to top. With the exception of Anis' mussels, the tomato tartare is arguably their signature appetizer. While we are on the topic of the mussels however, this might be the best in Atlanta. Always fresh and always a generous portion, not too rich and just enough garlic. The coup de grâce is the pommes frites, undeniably the best I've ever had. Flip Burger Botique, and Five Seasons, I still love your take on fries... very very much, but these are something you have to try to fully appreciate.

In terms of entree I decided to do something different; ordinarily I am a hard sell off of Anis' steak au poive but as I had a long night ahead of me and needed to feign staying awake for another 4 or 5 hours after a regular work day I opted for lighter fare with the trout, which I have had numerous times but not recently. Fresh, perfectly golden trout topped with leafy greens and more artichokes provided an elegant balance of flavors without a surplus of bones or oil to detract from the enjoyment or flavor. Barely able to finish the plethora of food before me I did not have a chance to sample any of the dessert options at Anis' this visit. I vaguely recall trying them on previous visits but not well enough to warrant any solid review here.

I don't know why I waited so long to try Korean BBQ, and yes I know it's but a small subset of Korean cuisine, but there is something primal for me about cooking meat over fire and putting it directly into your mouth. There is definitely no shortage of Korean BBQ options in Atlanta, and fortunately they all seem to retain a good level of uniqueness between them - and all are memorable for one reason or another.

My favorite destination of late has been Chung Dam, located in the ginormous Super H Mart shopping center on Pleasant Hill Road. Yes, I agree with a lot of people in that Tohdamgol is delicious and unique, despite it's exceptionally 'authentic' decor, Immediately walking into Chung Dam, the sheer cleanliness and organization of the restaurant sets it apart from many other destinations in town. This same mentality is carried over into their food; their meats and banchan are always exceptionally fresh. Tohdamgol definitely has more memorable and unique banchan, but the flavors at Chung Dam are that much more pronounced, making a much more enjoyable dining experience. The meat is definitely higher quality than Iron Age, the bulgolgi I was served at Chung Dam on my most recent visit was nearly melting in my mouth, and the meat is never fatty nor prone to random pieces of connective tissue. Chung Dam also features excellent seafood BBQ options, the shrimp + mushrooms is a regular order for me, and most recently I tried their lobster tail and was admittedly surprised with how good it was. Chung Dam also features a sushi menu, which I have yet to try but those who I have been with who have tried it assured me the quality matches the expectations set through my descriptions above

Each visit there I have receive some form of dessert, even if it is just in the form of fresh fruit, it's an excellent gesture at the end of the meal. Granted, it's not as exciting as a self-serve softserve ice cream machine a la Iron Age but honestly after most visits to eat Korean BBQ I'm lucky to be able to walk to my car let alone consider the possibility of continuing to eat food. If you are looking for something a little more tasteful, both in terms of flavor and appearance in the realm of Korean BBQ, definitely make Chung Dam a future destination. For the quality of the food it is reasonably priced compared to other Korean BBQ establishments, besides - Korean BBQ is all about getting a group of friends together, and gorging as a group and typically ends by 'going Dutch.'

I will champion Buckhead Life Restaurant Group any day of the week, let's be honest -- they manage about half a dozen of what many consider Atlanta's top restaurants. Consequently, I hold their restaurants to a high bar of success, and while the food at BluePointe I had this evening was delicious, unfortunately the difficulty with the service definitely left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I arrived, meeting the remaining members of my party about 5-10 minute before our scheduled reservation time, we were told to go wait at the bar despite seeing a number of available tables in the restaurant as I was assured we would be called "closer to our reservation time." Odd, but not a deal-breaker. My and the rest of my party sit at the bar, and in the time it takes us to order and procure said pre-dinner drinks, the hostess comes over to inform us that our table is now ready, delighted we stand up and make our way to the table soon to realize that no member of their staff is going to offer to bring our drinks over. That's fine if I'm eating at the corner mexican joint, but I doubt anybody in the Karatassos family aspires their wait staff to leave these things to neglect.

We are seated at the table, where the server speaks to only one member of our party about the specials for the evening, which sounded excellent, except the vibrating of his cellphone in his pocket made hearing the second and third items of the evening slightly more difficult to hear.

Upon deciding what we are going to order, a member of the party makes a request that one of the listed side items on the menu be 86'd from her order, which is not too terribly difficult considering it was nothing more than a medley of side vegetables however this was met with some level of push-back from the waiter to the point that the person I was with felt uncomfortable for ordering a dish the way they would like it.

The food was good however, the hamachi appetizer was light and a nice balance of flavor,the grouper preparation sounded phenominal and made me wish I was a grouper eater and would want to order it. Myself, I opted for the atlantic salmon which I had rare. The cucumber salad and sauce balanced the fish well and did not make it excessively heavy, or mask the flavors of the fish.

In short, the food was what I would have expected from any fine Buckhead Life establishment, however the service was absolutely amateur, and I'm sure definitely not what this restaurant group is looking for from anybody. I will definitely go back, but not during the late Sunday shift; that line seems more interested in wrapping up the weekend than being there to service customers.

Believe the hype. Seriously.

Nothing about this place has ever been a disappointment, and that includes my first time eating there, and waiting over an hour to eat a burger! First off, the service is awesome, super friendly and knowledgeable staff. It's reassuring, and unfortunately rare these days to be able to encounter a wait-staff that is as knowledgeable and opinionated on the menu as the kitchen-staff. Don't let the fact that this place markets itself as a "burger joint" turn you off; there are as many, if not more non red-meat options on the menu as typical burgers, and on my most recent visit FLIP received multiple accolades from my vegetarian companion. Yes, you read that correctly; vegetarians love Blais' burgers.

I have yet to try anything on this menu I can honestly say anything bad about. The kobe beef burger is obviously one of the flagship items of this spot; and I'd highly recommend giving it a try on your first, or one of your many return visits. I have also tried the corn fed burger, which is delicious, with the blend of homemade sauerkraut, and being topped off with a fried egg. I was worried about the potential for messiness that might have been added by throwing a fried egg into the mix here however, doubt Blais in the kitchen has always proven to be a losing proposition for me, the man knows what he is doing and is single-handedly redefining my opinions of what can be accomplished between a burger bun. Also, I'd highly recommend giving any of the sides a try; the sweetbreads are wonderful, and the fries are probably among the best I have ever tasted, beating out what I remember about the wonderfulness of In-&-Out Burger's fries, a reassuring notion considering eating at FLIP over In-&-Out is a little more convenient to most Atlantans.

...and the milkshakes. Ordinarily I am not much of a sweet-tooth but I have yet to turn down a milkshake from FLIP. Currently to date I have tried the Krispy Kreme, Mole, Foie Gras, and Nutella + Burnt Marshmallow, with the last being my personal favorite... and yes, you did read that correctly, FLIP offers a Foie Gras milkshake. This might sound odd at first, but intuitively speaking, the consistency of the blended foie gras lends itself to a consistency that suits a milkshake well.

Yes, quite clearly, you can see how FLIP is worth going and checking out for yourself and not subjecting yourself to an afternoon of reading Yelp reviews. Let's be realistic, a gourmet chef who has me writing about how delicious organ meats are *TWICE* in a review for a restaurant that proudly serves Kobe beef? Clearly Blais is doing something right.

I am not ashamed to admit it, but when I'm in the mood for Thai in Atlanta, I typically brave the drive from Buckhead out to Jimmy Carter Blvd for the glory that is "Thai Restaurant of Norcross" however, choosing to meet a friend for dinner one evening meant a change of plans, and returning to an Atlanta institution for the first time in years.

Unfortunately, for King and I, I was reminded of why I have stubbornly stuck by Thai Restaurant of Norcross all these years; and this is not to say that the food or service were bad at King and I; just that I felt like for the same amount of money, I had a lower quality of service, in a restaurant with not near the atmosphere or service as the aforemention Thai of Norcross.

Nothing bad here, just nothing exceptional to report... seems like an average run of the mill restaurant, with no real surprises... good or bad.
Unfortunately, my expectations of eating out require a bit more than this.

After reading a couple of reviews, and realizing I have never tried much yakitori, I convinced some friends who are also fans of Japanese cuisine to meet me up there for dinner last night.

I tried the pork ramen as depicted above in the photographs, and with the creamy broth it was really delicious, the pork was very tender as well, unfortunately the rain and cooler weather has finally ended so eating ramen in 70 degree Atlanta spring may not have been the best time to try it but it was definitely worth trying.

The yakitori was good but unfortunately my number one complaint about this place is the price vs. what I am getting, between a beverage (non-alcoholic) one order of yakitori, and a bowl of ramen -- leaving a modest tip put me past what I would have expected to pay for the meal. Do not get me wrong, it was delicious and I do not regret going however, I would expect a little bit more in terms of flavor and ingenuity for the price I was paying.

One side note here at the end, it is totally unrelated to the food so don't let this alter your decisions on this place but there was one employee staffed as hostess and waitress for the entire restaurant at dinner on Friday night and I think I counted 5 or 6 people in the kitchen working. Needless to say this made locating her, or getting her attention a little challenging at times, I wanted to try more however wasn't ever really able to find her when I needed to. Hopefully they are not always so understaffed.

It's still early, so... I am not aiming to have an incredibly serious and firm review here, instead, these are my first impressions of a place I am sure I will revisit again soon.

HYPEHYPEHYPE, everybody knows the backstory, not filling you in. The salumi plate appetizer was decent, and I feel like I got a fair amount of food for the price I paid for it. The person I went with had the spinach salad; which was my second choice of antipasti from the menu, the fact there was not any left for me to try will lead me to believe it is probably safe to order.

I got the margherita so I could gauge the quality of the Varasano's pie using a good control group. The amount of sauce vs cheese worked very well flavor wise, not too rich, not too runny. The crust, arguably the most integral part of the equation was not quite what I would have expected either in the realm of texture, or in terms of flavor. Flavor wise, it was agreed upon that it lacked any complexity or body and added an almost bland element to a pie that has excellent balance of flavors everywhere else. Additionally, the crust felt just slightly too thick or perhaps just barely not cooked enough on the bottom; it was still a little more doughy than I would have anticipated from my expectations of what Varasano's presented itself stylistically.

Again, like I said, this is my first visit during the restaurant's first week of being open and as such I don't expect stagnation from any reasonable restauranteur in Buckhead. I'm looking forward to round two

As many have stated this might be the best Thai restaurant in Atlanta (excepting Nan, but quite honestly, that is in a different category altogether). I have been eating here for about ten years, and only recently began shifting up on the menu. The chicken and shrimp in the dishes are excellent, the hot & sour chicken soup is an absolute must.

My recent trips I have been fortunate enough to discover the beef jerky which was a surprising hit, and the panang with tofu. If a meat eater will rave about the tofu dishes in the same review recommending the beef jerky then you know it's for real.