The COOLEST Restaurant Ever

Atlanta has a pretty decent dining scene. And, when I breifly lived in Manhattan, I thought I saw the coolest of the cool restaurants in the world (it was Manhattan after all!). But, I hadn't seen anything. On a recent trip to LA, L & I went to a restaurant that blew all of the others out of the water with its cool factor.

The restaurant was The Bazaar by Jose Andres (yes, that's the full name), located in the uber-swank SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. Paul, my cool Hollywood friend who took me to the Oscars, recommended the Bazaar. He said it was the coolest place in a town full of cool restaurants. And he's a man whose opinion I trust.

When we arrived for our 8:30 reservation, it was still light out, but when we entered the restaurant, it was like it was midnight...and we were in a nightclub. I immediately felt a little disoriented because I couldn't quite process how this was a restaurant and not a nightclub. I didn't immediately see an obvious dining area. What I saw was a very dark open space with a long center high top table and lounge chairs scattered about. Everything was white or black. At the far end, was an illuminated bar. Lots of people were milling about with drinks in hand. We checked in with the hostess and were advised to get a drink a bar.

No problem. At the bar, quite a scene was going on. I noticed what looked like an interesting cocktail in the hand of the beautiful and beautifully-dressed woman next to me. I asked the bartender what it was and he proceeded to tell me it was a specialty cocktail that included a berry grown only in Japan and sold nowhere else in the world because The Bazaar purchased the entire crop. (Note to self: go to Japan and verify this story!) Each berry was marinated in vodka for some ridiculous length of time and then used to make this exquisite martini. So I ordered one of those.

I don't know if L & I actually talked to each other while we hung out in the lounge area. I think we were both too bedazzled by the spectacle unfolding in front of us. I was particularly taken with the roaming bartender who moved about the restaurant with a cart, featuring yet another specialty drink that had some kind of dry ice. Alas, he did not stop near us.

At the perfect time (just as we were finishing our drinks), the hostess appeared to let us know our table was ready. At this point, I still was not entirely clear where the tables exactly were. She led us out of the bar area and around a sort of room divider and there were the tables! Lots of them. And they all seemed to be different looking. We saw all sorts of diners, young, old, families, kids (we could have brought A!), the impossibly rich and the impossibly beautiful. And they all looked to be having the time of their lives.

The two of us were seated at a long table suited for eight. Another couple sat at the far end. This is a restaurant designed for big groups. Slowly, over the course of our dinner, other couples were seated with us. Before we could order food, the roaming bartender appeared and I was finally able to order one of his special drinks. A frozen caipirinha. My favorite drink from Portugal (via Brazil.) It seemed very serendipitous!

And then we got to the issue at hand. Food. It has been my experience that uber cool, trendy restaurants often disappoint in the food area. Not so with The Bazaar. Everything we had was excellent. The menu was all tapas and small plates, divided into traditional tapas and modern tapas. Stand outs were the Iberian serrano, a hard to find (and very expensive) type of Spanish ham, the beet salad, and most importantly the cotton candy wrapped, foie gras lollipops. Sounds weird, doesn't it? Trust me. They were awesome. I don't even like foie gras! This dish was so awesome, in fact, that in the kitchen (which had an army of staff), one person was assigned the sole task of preparing the foie gras lollipops. And she was an expert.

After dinner (and wine), our server asked if we would like dessert. Of course, we replied. She then led us to yet another area of the gigantic restaurant on the other side of the bar (that somehow I hadn't seen at all until that moment!) We were seated and presented with dessert menus. The dessert area was like its own confectionary. We ordered an array of exquisite, house-made truffles.

What a night! What an experience! Next time your in LA, do not miss The Bazaar by Jose Andres.

Hob Nobbing

For A's 5th birthday, I told him we would take him out to dinner at the restaurant of his choosing. Now, my kid is a little foodie in the making, so he thought long and hard about this. Then he said: "Hob Nob, they have milkshakes." Good call, kiddo. Hob Nob is one of our neighborhood joints. It's a place to chill, have a couple drinks, some good grub, nothing fancy, just a good place to hang out. A and I go there fairly regularly on Friday nights when L is working. Nishon, who owns the place with his brother Gilbert (and they own Gilbert's in midtown, too), is an old friend and it's always nice to go there and be treated like family. The night of A's birthday celebration, L was with us. When I told him that A wanted to go to Hob Nob for his birthday, I expected some objection. Don't get me wrong. It's not that L doesn't like Hob Nob. It's just that L really likes fine dining, and I just expected that he would say "awww, come on, how 'bout Bones?" But instead, L said: "Hob Nob, cool. I haven't been there in awhile." And I have to say, that Friday night, L's eyes were opened to just how great Hob Nob is. Nishon was waiting at the door to greet us. (He had seen my name on the book and listed as 3, not 2. He wasn't sure what to make of that. Did L have a Friday night off? Or would I arrive with another man??) We told Nishon how much A was looking forward to a milkshake and the server immediately brought one. With a candle in it, no less! Everything we ate that night was fantastic. We started with the always-delicious hot pretzels and cheese sauce. Mmmmm. Those never disappoint. L had a pizza and couldn't stop gushing about how perfectly it was done. Usually, I can't get past the delicious short rib tacos. But that night, I decided to branch out and ordered a new entree item: lemon herb roasted chicken with coucous and vegetables. Man, it was SOOOO good! I practically licked the plate. A had the kids' chicken fingers and fries. I have to say, Hob Nob has *the best* chicken fingers in town! No lie. The drinks were flowing. The food was awesome. What else could we ask for? Nishon then brought out this crazy delicious dessert. I don't know what the hell it was. Some doughy thing covered in nutella and served with ice cream. Oh. My. God. Tell me again: why is it socially unacceptable to lick the plate?? It was great night. Thank you, Nishon. Can't wait to come back!

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!

Looking Back on 2011 & Forward to 2012

Some great dining memories were made in 2011. For example, every single meal in Portugal, including the unforgettable Gambrinus, where we had the best meal ever. But I also can't forget Cafe Paris in Sintra, where I had a mouthwatering grilled octupus; or the Portuguese stew we had in Belem, and I must give a shout out to the caipirhina and the ubiquitous delicious custard-filled pastry. Mmmm. Portugal was also the place that ignited my love for black pasta. Upon our return to the US, I procured a jar of squid ink and L now makes a fantastic squid ink risotto.

Sure, we had the worst meal ever in Curacao, but the retelling of that particular experience has brought alot of amusement to my friends (and readers.) And the goat stew we had at Jaanchie's in Curacao almost makes up for the worst meal ever.

We also had a wonderful experience at Galatoire's in New Orleans, and what may have been a last supper with friends at Herbsaint. We fell in love with Holeman & Finch in Atlanta, continued our love affairs with La Pietra Cucina, Ecco, and Rosa Mexicano. And, we finally dined at Abattoir. On the home front, I became obsessed with Marcus Samuelsson's African cookbook (The Soul of a New Cuisine) and, I'm proud to say, have learned to make a kick ass Ethiopian Shiro!

At the end of '09, I made of a list of restuarants I wanted to go to in 2010. I didn't complete that list in 2010. It wasn't until the end of this year that I finally made it to Abattoir. And that may complete the '09 list. But I forget all the restaurants on the list, so I'm not quite sure. So what's on the agenda for 2012? Today, we had a spectacular brunch at Barcelona. I expect it to become a regular thing. Hopefully, we can get there at least once during the year for a date night! STK just opened and I can't wait to check it out. It's either going to totally rock or lay a giant goose egg. We will see. I also need to check out No. 246, Cakes & Ale, Local 3, Southern Art, Alma Cucina and I'd like to get back to Bacchanalia & Aria just once in 2012. So, here it is January and my restaurant dance card is already full. Happy New Year to all!

What Is All the Fuss About??

Holeman & Finch, that's what.

This restaurant has had so much buzz for so long that it actually started having the opposite effect on me. I thought it could not possible live up to the hype. And there was the issue with the wait. It is well-known that H&F does not take reservations. And those in the know talk about the wait as though it were some badge of honor. "One time I waited an hour and a half!" "We once waited for an hour and couldn't even get to the bar to order a drink." None of that appealed to me. I don't like to wait.

But we finally caved. (I finally got tired of my friend Brad's endless rants on the virtues of H&F and decided I had to experience it first hand.) We went on a Sunday for brunch. We got there early, or so I thought. Turns out, everyone else got there earlier. So we bravely put our name on the list and prepared to wait.

As I waited (and waited), I noticed something interesting about this tiny restaurant. Every 20something hipster and 50something foodie was there. Kind of an odd mix. And everyone seemed deliriously excited to be there. (Well, the 20something hipster don't really want to show that much excitement, but you could feel if under their unfazed, cool exterior.)

As the wait wore on (we waited an hour), I began to get impatient and then annoyed. But there was no turning back. We had waited too long to jump ship before we reached our goal (of being seated.) At one point, one of the very hip servers walked past me and said "Trust me, it's worth the wait." Somehow, that brightened my mood.

And a few minutes later, we were seated.

Was the server right? Was it worth the wait?

Hell yes! The okra and smoked red pepper appetizer lives on in my heart and I hope to be reunited with it some day. L's burger lived up to its reputation as the best in the city. The cocktails were a whole other area of expertise. I could actually do a whole post just on the cocktails. And the bacon. OMG! I didn't know bacon tasted like that. Everything we had was mouthwateringly delicious.

But what no one had told me, what we found most surprising, about H&F, something that really sets it apart, was how happy the staff was. We learned that not one employee has quit since the place opened. (And the restaurant biz is notorious for high turnover!) Our server (the aforementioned hipster) kept a picture of the burger as his phone's screen saver. He couldn't say enough good things about the food, the restaurant and his job.

Now I know what all the fuss is about. And I've become a convert. Blabbering on to everyone I meet about this great restaurant. And I'm dreaming about the next time I get to wait in line to eat at the exceptional H&F.

The Good, The Bad & The Worst Meal Ever!!

We just returned from a brief vacation in Curacao. It was an interesting island. At the end, L observed "Culinarly, Curacao is in junior high." I would say "stuck in the '70s." But you get the point.

There were a few highlights: the goat stew at Jaanchie's, the banana soup offered everywhere, and the very memorable lunch we had at Perla del Mar, a beautiful restaurant where sat on a deck with waves crashing below. (And La Carretta, the cuban place at the Miami airport was the best food of the entire trip!)

And then there was the worst. meal. ever.

We were in Curacao to celebrate our anniversary (six years of wedded bliss!) I arranged for a sitter for Saturday night. As usual, I spent alot of time and energy trying to find the right place. I settled on Bistro Le Clochard.

It got off to a good start. We were seated in a corner table on the deck, overlooking the ocean. It was dark and the water was pitch-black. The whole scene was very romantic. And at first glance, the restaurant was perfect. A memorable feast was sure to be imminent. But the first clue that things might not be what they seemed was the cocktail list. The drinks listed were things like a "side car," "yellow bird" (a drink w/ rum & galliano), an "old fashioned." Does anyone under 70 still drink these drinks?. Occasionally, a restaurant will have some old school cocktails and it's cool. It's done as a nod to the "Mad Men" era. But this was not done with a wink or a nod. It was clear to me that they had simply never updated their cocktail list.

And so we ordered an expensive bottle of champagne and some appetizers. The apps were good, but not great. Kind of weird. Rock lobster on a bed of kidney beans and escargot served with sauerkraut. For my entree, I was very excited about getting the Dover sole. Lee was equally exicted to try the veal goulash. But when we ordered, our waitress told us that neither were available. She then convinced us to try "La Potence" which she described as pieces of beef served on flaming hot skewers with several "delicious" dipping sauces. Because of the flame, this dish could only be served inside, but she promised to save our table outside for us to return to for dessert. The cost of this entree? $34 per person.

We fell for it.

Inside we went. And, in the light, the restaurant looked as outdated as the cocktail list. Fake ferns adorned the shelves and windowsills. The seat cushions were stained and frayed. the piano player doing a muzak version of Metallica was odd and cheesy. It was all sort of comical, actually.

But we went with it. I felt like I was in a 1970s made-for-tv movie or perhaps, an episode of the "Love Boat." Then they brought out the stupid meat. Yes, it was beef on skewers and yes, they set it aflame. But she neglected to mention the hotdogs on it. Yes, there were dipping sauces but they were far from delicious. No, the dipping sauces were ketchup, tartar sauce, thousand island dressing, and honey mustard. $34 per person? You have to be kidding me. (And just where were the 1970s prices? That was one area they managed to update.)

For some reason, I don't know why, maybe it was because we were in a time warp, we ate the stupid thing. We should have sent it back. However, when the waitress returned, I did not mince my words. I let her know exactly what I thought of that ridiculous meal. Did she offer a complimentary dessert? Did she comp any portion of the meal? No, she did not. When the $300+ bill arrived, my head exploded and everyone in the restaurant witnessed it.

L said we've had alot of hits and were bound to have a miss. This was surely a miss.