Mary Mac's beloved owner Margaret Lupo, who died in 1998

This blog comment just came in from Judith Lupo Wold, daughter of Margaret Lupo, on the Mary Mac’s thread. I wanted to make sure everyone saw it. I know I’ll be thinking about Ms. Wold’s letter this Thursday when I’m snapping green beans, making cornbread and roasting turkey.

John: Since you have not been in Atlanta “forever”, you never had the pleasure of meeting my mother, Margaret Lupo who owned and operated Mary Macs Tearoom from the early 1960’s until her death in 1998. Mother was at the “tearoom” every morning around 6 (not home till 10 pm). She personally tasted everything on the steam table (with clean spoons of course) for quality…she was a hands on owner-operator. My father, who was in the produce business for many years in Atlanta, personally visited the farmer’s market daily, choosing vegetables from “produce row.” String beans were snapped by the bartender, at the bar, during slow hours. …

Continue reading Feel-good Blog Comment of the Day »

I’m starting with dessert first in this blog post because this square of honey-soaked pistachio baklava ($1.49) was:

a) incredibly delicious; and,

b) photographed reasonably well.

See those layers of phyllo? They collapse in crisp snaps as you bite through, like a little jackhammer.

Where am I? At Jerusalem Bakery in Alpharetta, where I have come in search of falafel that some think is the best in the metro area.

This spot is a branch of the original Jerusalem Bakery in Marietta, which sells Palestinian pastries and fresh pita breads both wholesale and retail from a small counter.

The Alpharetta location has a pastry counter, a nice selection of groceries and dry goods, and a quick-service deli counter where you can order all kinds of Middle Eastern specialties (falafel, shawarma, hummus) and pizzas.

Before we get to the falafel, let me show you the shawarma spits:

You can kind of see that they offer both chicken and beef — nice looking whole pieces of seasoned meat stacked up …

Continue reading 30 Restaurants in 30 Days: Jerusalem Bakery »

When I stopped reviewing restaurants for this newspaper in early 2005, Atlanta was a different dining town. Atlantic Station was still a construction site. Decatur had as many dusty gift shops as cafes. The few restaurants operating in the Old Fourth Ward and West Midtown were called “outposts.” Two of the nation’s 14 restaurants that merited five stars from the Mobil Travel Guide Five Star — Seeger’s and the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead — stood 1.6 miles apart and routinely stole each other’s top talent. Both have closed.

Now that I’ve returned to the dining beat, I’m discovering a new spirit in town. Today’s Atlanta is a city of neighborhoods that have been cobbled together from buildings old, new and reclaimed. The city’s mood and ambition have changed: Atlanta is less concerned about being “cosmopolitan” and more eager to come off as “livable.” Nowhere do you see this change more than in the restaurant scene.

Restaurants are more oriented to their neighborhoods …

Continue reading Sunday Column: The Atlanta Dining Scene, Then and Now »

Rice Flour Tamales: AJC Staff

For at least a year, owner Alex Kinjo has been encouraging me to try the pho at Nam, which is his mother’s recipe.

I have always nodded politely and said, “Yeah, yeah.”

When I want pho, I go to a good, cheap pho parlor, such as I did yesterday at Pho Dai Loi #2. When I dine at Nam, I want something more restaurant-y, such as these rice flour tamales served in the shade of an anthurium. With or without the rude flower, they are wonderful.

But when I was making plans to meet friends for lunch in Midtown recently, I remembered Kinjo’s mom’s pho.

The menu at Nam has changed little over the years. This isn’t the restaurant where you go looking for daily specials and seasonal ingredients, but rather where you revisit old favorites.

We began with an order of cha gio rolls, served with well-trimmed lettuce leaves, marinated veggies and herbs for rolling. All the fresh greenery makes the fried crunch that much more satisfying.

This green mango (as in the …

Continue reading 30 Restaurants in 30 Days: Nam »

Granted, I don’t know you. I don’t know anything about you, but I do have a sneaking suspicion that you will like pho if you try it.

There are scores of Vietnamese pho parlors around the city, and I suggest you just walk into whichever one is closest and order a bowl of “pho tai.” This will come with rosy slices of rare beef and none of that tendon and tripe that can put some people off.

Did I say tendon and tripe? OK, please forget about that for now.

Instead, think about these happy words: cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, coriander and star anise. These are the warming, smile-making spices that infuse each pot of limpid beef stock. Imagine a big bowl of this soup, steaming hot, and plumbed with noodles and slivered onions.

Are you hungry yet?

OK, more: That rare beef will come on top, and I suggest you immediately snatch it from the soup and place it on a side dish to keep it from overcooking. You can swish it through the broth later.

Take a sip of the broth and appreciate the …

Continue reading 30 Restauants in 30 Days: Dai Loi #2 »

Today restaurant critic Meridith Ford Goldman reviews Antico Pizza Napoletana and says a wood-oven-fired pie from here (such as the San Gennaro at left) is “one of the best pizzas you will ever eat.”

I also included Antico as one of my “30 Restaurants in 30 Days” selections.

Have you tried it yet? Do you agree with Meridith’s assessment?

Continue reading Restaurant Review: Antico Pizza Napoletana »

My Dearest Rhett,

I have sent Prissy with this letter to inform you of the dire straits at Miss Pittypat’s house in Atlanta. As you know, Miss Pittypat has left to stay with relatives in Macon. Melanie has given birth to her son, Beau, but I fear she is much weakened from the ordeal.

Though resources are scant and Atlanta nearly deserted, we find that the

Yankees who have descended upon our once-fair town come in search of more than the despoils of war. They themselves covet the good food and drink of an era that I fear to say will soon be bygone. Can you imagine such a thing? Alas, Rhett, we take in diners and provide them with the libations and the simple suppers they crave.

Fear not. We do not allow these callers into the upstairs drawing room but rather show them to the root cellar, where they take their meals amidst cast iron farm implements, sprays of silk gardenia and louvered window shades which artfully hide the fact there are no windows. As they descend the …

Continue reading 30 Restaurants in 30 Days: Pittypat’s Porch »

Paul Bocuse (credit: Wikimedia)

If there’s one lesson to be learned from last night’s pen-penultimate episode of “Top Chef,” it’s that yummy always wins. The judges may ask you communicate the principles of Aristotelian tragedy with Fig Newtons and soy sauce, but as long as that piece of meat is cooked and salted properly, you get the first call to judges’ table.

So, as we begin our last day in the suburban McMansion, things are looking up for the remaining five. Jen has apparently discovered a product that combines the best qualities of Xanax and Tresemmé hair conditioner, and she is fine fettle. Kevin misses his wife but is glad he’s had hometown bud Eli for the ride. Eli, for his part, wants to win for his mentor Richard Blais (cue shot of teary, came-so-close Blais). Bryan admits the recession has taken a turn on his business and could really use some winnings.

Are we ready to do this thing? Chefs: start buttoning your coats.

In “Top Chef” kitchen, Padma awaits in the …

Continue reading “Top Chef” Recap: Episode 12, Ballotine Boy »

Good-tasting food has a funny way of staying alive in memory. In your mind’s palate, you start with the flavor, and then fill in the time, surroundings and state of mind.

And so I have a memory of what seemed to be the ideal croque monsieur. This French quick lunch staple is essentially a ham and cheese sandwich that has been slicked with white sauce (béchamel) and lightly broiled or baked. The world is full of lousy ones, as well as a few good ones that turn up in surprising places.

The good one I remember so fondly came on a thick, burning-hot earthenware plate. It was an ugly thing, flat and spotty, the edges of its pain de mie (soft white bread, like our sandwich bread) curled from the heat and tinged with spots of glazed white sauce. A dark ring of near-black sauce surrounded the sandwich. A few sad parsley bits were there for false cheer.

It was a weird mix of crisped crust, lava goo, funky molten cheese, sweet shaved ham. Every bite was rich, different, dangerously …

Continue reading 30 Restaurants in 30 Days: Anis Café & Bistro »

From Darin, who is never allowed to stop commenting on this blog:

Mad Lib for Atlanta-restaurant blog comments:

You think _________ can make good _________ cuisine? Dude, you don’t know what good ________ is!! Get your _________ out of the sand and go visit _________, where I grew up. That’s where the real stuff is! Seriously, you can’t even get a decent _________ in Atlanta.

Continue reading Best Blog comment ever »