Koji stumbled twice in January, receiving a 45 (U) on its routine exam and scoring a 49 (U) on its first follow-up. Its second follow-up inspection resulted in an 82 (B).

During the two failing exams, the inspector noted that Koji showed “a pattern of non-compliance and obvious failure by the person in charge to ensure employees are complying with the duties listed in the Georgia food code.” The manager declined to comment on retraining or corrective actions.

The restaurant at 4938 Bill Gardner Parkway was also cited for a host of other violations, including “an unsealed opening around the back door,” which falls under good retail practices’ pest and animal control category.

While Koji received a higher grade, it was still cited for several risk factors. According to the report, three of the …

Food & Wine has named a “Best New Chef” every year for the last 24 years. Last year, it introduced a people’s choice component to the competition. And now, pastry gets its due with both a title and a people’s choice award. In an interview with Eater, Food & Wine editor Dana Cowin acknowledged that the pastry competition may not be an annual event, but potentially a biennial one.

Food & Wine compiled a list of 50 nominees divided into three regions: East, Central and West. Each of the pastry chefs included have been in charge of a kitchen for less than five years.

Atlanta’s two contenders, Moxley and Wong, will compete against pastry chefs who have experience in the kitchens of el Bulli, Eleven Madison Park, wd~50, Daniel and other well-known …

Creative Loafing’s

Read her story here.

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Several Christmases ago, my mother-in-law went all out and rented a beautiful house on the north coast of the Dominican Republic for our family holiday. This house not only had a swimming pool and enough bedrooms for the extended brood, it came with a chef.

Review by John Kessler

For the first couple of days he served us the kind of perfectly OK American and Continental meals most guests want — oatmeal for breakfast, gazpacho and beef tenderloin with mushrooms for dinner.

“Could you make some Dominican food for us to try?” I asked him one night after dinner. He was more than happy to oblige.

The next day we feasted on mangú — mashed plantains — with pickled onions, fried eggs and sausage at breakfast. For the evening meal we sat down to sancocho, a soup thick with different cuts of meat and cubed root vegetables.

Chicharron de pollo with plantains and salad (all photos by Becky Stein)

I developed a serious crush on this honest, hearty food at the house and at …

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“Is that Jane Fonda at the next table?”

We steal surreptitious glances at the neighboring group, examining the woman in the black hat pulled low over a pair of glasses. It wouldn’t be unusual to spot celebrities at Buckhead Diner — a place where the walls are lined with framed photos of visiting stars like Steve Martin, Henry Winkler and Kathy Bates.

Review by Jenny Turknett

This is not your typical greasy spoon. I learned this when my boyfriend (now husband) and I first ate at Buckhead Diner many years ago, with only wads of leftover gas money from our parents stuffed in our pockets. After seeing the non-diner prices, we quickly altered our plans and ordered an appetizer and a couple of drinks. We may have been fooled by the cool polished steel exterior, but the luxurious interior modeled after an Orient Express rail car clued us in.

The food, pricing and guest list set this diner apart from its counterparts, as does the level of service, which is customary for the …

Credit: Bravo

So, was it Beverly or Grayson?! Who emerged from the ashes of Last Chance Kitchen for another shot at glory?

Well, looks like Ed is in for a good night, because he wins a pack of smokes and a banana from Sarah as Beverly marches into the kitchen. Sarah is thrilled. I can tell by her pouty face.

The Quickfire is supposed to test a chef’s ability to know their ingredients through touch and smell, rather than relying on their eyes. Beneath their cloches are blindfolds that the chefs must wear while they pick their ingredients, and they must use everything they grab. Of course, the blindfolded chefs could have just been led to a table, but it makes better TV to make them stumble over each other while they try to navigate the pantry blind. I’m surprised they didn’t spin them in a circle five times before setting them loose.

The winner must choose between a new Prius or a free pass to the finals and the rest of the night off.

I wish Padma and Tom hadn’t …

What you see here is a graphical interpretation of how I used to manage my weight (left), and how I currently manage my weight (right). The line running through the middle signifies my numerical weight target (in pounds), which is a combined, simple formula of what the Body Mass Index (BMI) recommends plus what I am personally satisfied with through my own knowledge and/or experiences.

For instance, the BMI calculation thinks that the optimal weight for a male individual of my height should be around 140 pounds. The last time I was in the 140 pound range (besides in high school), I was sick for a straight week and couldn’t hold any food or liquids down. When I finally recovered, I hopped on the scale and weighed around 145-147 pounds. Currently, I am several pounds above that, which places my BMI at the higher end of average but not considered overweight.

The graph on the left-hand side illustrates how I used to manage my weight. It indicates that I peaked at levels …

German Chocolate Pie from Pie Shop in Buckhead

There’s just something about chocolate, coconut and pecans all wrapped up in a gooey cake…

At some point in my history, German chocolate cake became my birthday dessert. It became one of those nostalgic foods that calls to mind fond memories of my childhood.

Except, well, no actual memories spring forth. I can’t quite trace the development of my fondness for the cake. Nonetheless, it’s now the dessert I crave each year on my birthday.

As the official birthday-cake maker in my family, I take the day off when it’s my turn to celebrate. Each year I make the round of calls to bakeries to inquire about German chocolate cake. Did you know that very few bakeries stock this cake? It seems that it’s the red-headed step cake of the pastry world. Some bakeries make them to order, but I have yet to find a rendition I favor.

As the story goes, the German chocolate cake was developed by a Dallas housewife in the 1950’s using Sam …

The well-visited, food-court eatery in Perimeter Mall scored a 95 (A) on a follow-up inspection after dipping to a near-failing score of 71 (C), according to the reports. It had dropped from a 97 (A) – received about a year ago.

During the follow-up exam, it was cited for issues related to its sanitizing solution and the placement of an employee cup in the food prep area. Both infractions were corrected on site, the report showed.

Farmer’s Basket was advised that it should leave the oven on when using it to keep food items warm. The inspector re-emphasized temperature control and date-marking regulations that must be followed as well.

Here are other recent inspection scores from restaurants across the area.

Clayton County

• Great Wraps, 1135 Southlake Mall, Morrow. 93/A
• International House of Pancakes, 1474 Southlake Plaza Drive, Morrow. 97/A
• J & J BBQ & Grill, 1000 Southlake …

Taqueria del Sol (AJC Staff)

I recently found myself on the horn with a friend who was spending a few days in my old hometown of Denver. She loved how clean and friendly the city was, and she had a fine meal at Euclid Hall — a gastropub in a prominent historical building that gets good word of mouth. We talked about a couple of the region’s other top restaurants that she might put on her to-chew list.

“More than anything else, you really, really need to get some green chile, ” I said before we hung up.

Mexican restaurants in Denver hang their reputations on their green chile, which you can get by the bowlful, ladled over a combination plate or smothering an unforgettable pile of yumminess called a “Mexican hamburger.” You haven’t been to Denver until you can feel the green chile coursing through your veins.

The best part about it is that the most dubious green chile in the sketchiest little joint is still pretty good. You don’t have to study one of the many …