Alma Cucina

Wow! Move over Rosa Mexicano, there's a new restaurant in town, and it. is. good. Ok, maybe the gaucamole is not as good as yours, but Rosa, you better watch out.

Alma Cucina opened in December in downtown Atlanta. L & I were eagerly awaiting its opening because it is part of the Fifth Group restaurants (which include our long-time fave, Ecco), and we were told it was going to be a high-end Mexican restaurant. And we LOVE Mexican food. So we had high expectations.

We went for the first time one Sunday in January. Unfortunately, I had been sick all weekend and that day was no exception. But I had been so looking forward to brunch, that I dragged my sick, feverish ass out of bed, got all dressed up and went to Alma as planned with my two favorite men. I was too sick to really enjoy much of anything. L immediately fell in love, tho. I think it was the house tequila that sold him. Apparently, the owner flew down to Mexico to try different tequilas and ended up having a tequila made specially for the restaurant. It's a smoky tequila aged in giant barrels. You can't get it anywhere except at Alma and they will not sell you a bottle. (L thinks if he's patient and spends enough money at the restaurant, eventually he will be rewarded with a bottle of their private stock. I'm not so optimistic.)

And the restaurant itself is beautiful. It occupies a space at 191 Peachtree, which formerly housed Il Mulino. It has a cool, comfortable Mexican-vibe. Lots of browns and oranges, bronze fixtures, leather seating. The downtown location (I've lived in Atlanta for 17 years and downtown remains no man's land) and parking are a bit of a pain the ass, but the restaurant itself makes up for those inconveniences.

On that first visit, I had fried avodaco tacos and some delicious lamb meatball soup. All very good, but as I explained, I was very sick. So we went again recently. This time I wasn't sick. Oh man, oh man, oh man! First of all, the drink list is incomparable. Escorpion (another excellent Mexican restaurant in town) may have started the trend of really creative tequila-based cocktails, but I think Alma Cucina has raised the bar (so to speak.) The Najaranita (a blood orange margarita) is, so far, my favorite. But I do intend slowly working my way through that cocktail list, just to be sure.

And the food! I have to tell you that a little pet peeve of mine is when people eat at a
Mexican restaurant and complain that is was "too expensive for Mexican food" because it didn't cost 30 cents for a taco. Yes, we can all agree that, back in the day, when you got Mexican, you expected it to be cheap but decent. Let's face it, tho, it didn't blow your socks off and your chances of getting food poisoning were probably pretty high. And sure, you can still go to those hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants and get good, cheap Mexican food. You can also get a burger at McDonalds for $1.00 or you can go to a more upscale establishment and spend $10.00. It's apples and oranges, people. Not all Mexican food is cheap fast food.

And Alma Cucina is of the fine dining variety of Mexican food. At our second visit (or my second, L had been back several times between my fist and second visit), I came to more fully realize how fantastic the food is. For an appetizer, we got these little mini green chorizo slider thingys, topped with mango. They were little bitefuls of deliciousness. For entrees, L got duck confit chilaquiles (pictured above). Now, you really can't go wrong with chilaquiles, even the fast food variety, but this was so much more than that. OHHEMMMGEEE!! Although the portion size is more than enough for two, L scarfed down the whole thing, just because it was too delicious to stop eating. I got the rock shrimp hurachacha (also pictured above) and I think that may have been one of the best dishes I've ever had. Certainly, a top 2 best Mexican dishes. And those little green wedges you see in the picture? That's roasted avocado. Mmmmmmmmm.

Even A enjoyed it. He had some delicious and creative fruit juice (I think it was lime/rasberry) and a chicken quesadilla. Our child is always up for Mexican food. We have taught him well. A couple mornings later, while lying in bed, A said to me "can we go back to that place where we had lunch the other day? That was so much fun."

Oh yes, A, we sure can!

The Red Carpet

So there we are, walking down the red carpet. Lights flashing, fans cheering. When I hear a sudden commotion behind me, I turn and see George Clooney himself! Suddenly, I'm shaking his hand!!

Wait...what's going on here? Is this a dream? Someone pinch me please! It's not a dream. This is really happening! L & I are walking the red carpet at the 84th Annual Academy Awards. How the hell did I fall down this rabbit hole?

To answer that, I have go back to high school Spanish class. I sat next to a boy named Paul and we became fast friends. Who knew that he would end up being a very successful talent agent in Hollywood! And it was because of him that L & I ended up with tickets to the Oscars and the famed and exclusive Governors Ball. Now, that's a good a friend!

The Oscars were cool, no doubt. Walking the red carpet, even cooler. But the ball...that was a spectacle! About half the Oscar attendees get the privilege of attending the ball. It's in a giant ballroom adjacent to the Kodak Theater. Wolfgang Puck prepared 50 different entrees which were passed around on trays through out the night. Baby lamb chops, pizza topped with salmon and caviar, a baked potato stuffed with caviar, mini kobe beef sliders, lobster tacos, skewered shrimp tempura, lobster with coconut/curry sauce over jasmine rice..to name a few. Upon arriving at the ball, we had some difficulty getting any food (and we were starving after 3 plus hours of Oscar!) But eventually, things settled down and the food started coming quickly. We also found a giant sushi bar with fresh octupus sliced to order (Oh my god, that was cool!) And the dessert bar..whoa! Gold dipped chocolate Oscars, a chocolate mousse dessert done in 3D..that was pretty spectacular. My one regret is that I didn't eat more desserts! (Damn obsession with not gaining weight!!) Of course, the alcohol was flowing. But the best of the drinks was the Moet-Chandon Nectar Imperial! Mmmmmm.

Celebrities were floating around and I was floating on air. Tony Bennett said "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." L & I stayed still the very end and then Paul dragged us to another Hollywood party. This one, not as elaborate but a younger, little bit wilder of a scene.

What a night to remember! What a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I'm not sure exactly what I did in high school to earn Paul's enduring friendship and generosity, but I'm sure glad I sat next to him in Spanish class. Muchos gracias, mi amigo Pablo. I am forever indebted to you!