Employees at Cafe Bombay, 1622 Woodcliff Drive, Atlanta, were careless about washing their hands and keeping the sink clean, and that cost the Indian restaurant a passing health score.

A DeKalb County health inspector noted separate incidents of employees talking on a cell phone, adjusting clothing and preparing tandoori chicken, and none of them washed their hands before putting on clean gloves.

In addition, the hand sink wasn’t being kept clean and maintained, the inspector said. Raw meat pieces were on the faucet handles. The restaurant scored a 65/U.

A manager at Cafe Bombay said a lot of points were taken off for minor details, but other than that there were no major problems during the routine inspection.

Points were also deducted because some food items were stored uncovered and subject to contamination. Sliced tomatoes and tandoori chicken were uncovered in a cooler, and meatballs, a dessert and samosa were all uncovered in the freezer.

Other prepared foods were not …

Continue reading Restaurant inspections, Cafe Bombay »

Chef Benjamin Castro, credit: Pavel Kuznetsov of VK Photography

I recently reviewed The Mill Kitchen & Bar in Roswell. During the course of the review process, I learned that chef Marc Taft, who opened the restaurant, no longer has any affiliation with it. Owner Scott McCray said they were “holding over” a chef de cuisine of Taft’s until a new chef was found.

A new chef has been found. Benjamin Castro stepped into the position last week. This Athens native and CIA-trained chef has worked with Hector Santiago at Pura Vida and Doug Turbush at Bluepointe. He’s also spent time at Bistro VG and comes most recently from the very newly opened NOCA. Castro explained he “didn’t see eye to eye” with the owner at NOCA.

Castro says he immediately identified the consistency issues at The Mill and is working to get the kitchen refocused and to correct “bad habits.” He will spend the next few weeks retraining the staff and formalizing systems to ensure consistency.

Once …

Continue reading New chef at The Mill Kitchen & Bar, Roswell »

While in town last week to promote his show “Road Trip with G. Garvin,”  the celeb chef and Atlanta native visited several area spots on a quest to find the best Southern food.

Chef Garvin also sat down in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution studio to discuss restaurants,  his favorite food cities, cooking and life.

Garvin gave shout outs to Kyma and Tomo Japanese Restaurant, which both made our Atlanta 50 Spring Dining Guide.

“Road Trip” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on Cooking Channel.

– Jamila Robinson/ Video by Ryon Horne (AJC)

Continue reading Three questions for Chef G. Garvin »

Seven Hens, the battered-and-fried, schnitzel-style chicken concept in North Decatur Plaza, has a new craft beer-pairing program created in a collaboration between owner Michael Gurevich and Atlanta-based beer blogger, Dennis Malcolm Byron, AKA Ale Sharpton.

Find Georgia beers from Red Hare, Terrapin and Wild Heaven, paired with international schnitzel flavors of “The Italian,” “The Chinese” and “The American.”

Have you tried any of the Hens beer and chicken pairings, yet? What did you think?

2140 North Decatur Road, Decatur, 404-633-3000, www.7hens.com

— Bob Townsend, for the AJC Food and More blog.

Continue reading Seven Hens Craft Beer Pairings »

In addition to being the unofficial kick-off to the beginning of summer, next weekend’s Memorial Day holiday marks the beginning of another very important time of year – Barbecue Season.

For many, myself included, Memorial Day acts as the opening bell for months of early Saturdays filled with slow roasting meat and hickory smoke, and smokers and Big Green Eggs across the city will get their official dust-off of 2013. Of course, at my house, The Egg is a year-round fixture, but this is the beginning of the high-season.

Me? I’m trying to justify to my wife that I need a special “big smoker” since she won’t let me build a permanent in-ground brick pit in the back yard. Because sometimes, especially if we are entertaining a large enough group, even a BGE won’t cut it. I mean, how else am I supposed to smoke another whole hog next weekend if she thinks the cinder-block pit I used last time was too much of an eye-sore? On a regular ole’ smoker?

Please…. I think I …

Continue reading Countdown to barbecue season »

The health score of Abdullah the Butcher in southwest Atlanta dropped sharply during a recent inspection because there was no sanitizer in the facility. None of the equipment or food contact surfaces had been wiped down with a bleach solution to kill bacteria, the inspector said.

Points were also deducted when an employee was seen handling barbecue ribs with bare hands instead of wearing gloves or using utensils.

The restaurant at 2387 Fairburn Road was given a 66/U, down from previous scores of 91/A and 99/A.

An employee at Abdullah’s said Monday the restaurant was expecting a follow-up inspection later that day. All the problems had been taken care of and they anticipated getting the score back to an A, he said.

Among other code violations during the routine inspection, cooked chicken wings and rice were out of temperature range. The food had cooled down too much after being left on the kitchen prep table away from temperature controls.

Points were taken off because an …

Continue reading Restaurant inspections, Abdullah the Butcher »

King + Duke, the much anticipated new American tavern-style restaurant from Ford Fry (JCT Kitchen; No. 246; The Optimist), is open for lunch and dinner in the former Nava space in Buckhead.

The concept showcases primal wood-fired cooking on a 24-foot open hearth filled with hot coals. The menu from executive chef Joe Schafer features grilled and roasted meat, fish and fowl, with entrees such as a kilo of bone-in ribeye for two.

Tumble to the menu here: kinganddukeatl.com

3060 Peachtree Road NW, 404-477-3500.

— By Bob Townsend, AJC Food and More blog.

Continue reading King + Duke Now Open »

Ecco in Concourse F (photos by Becky Stein)

The next stop is Concourse E, Concourse E as in ECHO.

Keep riding, because the stop after that is Concourse F, Concourse F as in ECCO.

The reproduction of Ecco, Midtown’s Mediterranean restaurant and wine bar, in the Maynard Jackson International Terminal gives travelers another higher-end option when they find themselves with time to kill. Cheeses, cured meats and goat cheese fritters with a glass of great wine to knock back: ain’t nothing wrong with that. If you want a full-meal entree, I can attest to this grilled pork chop with green farro, fava beans and orange.

Generally, though, I’m of two minds about eating in the airport — those two minds being the ones that belong to my id and superego. The id goes for a Popeye’s chicken biscuit or a clamshell filled to bursting with totally ratchet Chinese food. The superego favors salads with strips of wan chicken breast and pouches of fat-free dressing. I’m not sure I do myself any …

Continue reading Checking out the restaurants on Concourse F »

Items like the trout with crispy skin appear on the ever-changing menu. (photo by Becky Stein)

We all know it for the bakery, but Joli Kobe has become more than just a place to feed your sweet tooth.

In February, the restaurant rebranded as Joli Kobe Kitchen and moved closer to a fine dining format complete with a thoughtful sake and wine list. It brought in chef Mihoko Obunai, a classically French-trained Japanese chef. Obunai’s ever-changing menu is seasonally focused and reflects her training as a certified macrobiotic chef.

Read the full review here.

–by Jenny Turknett, Food and More blog

Continue reading Atlanta revisit: Joli Kobe Kitchen restaurant review, Sandy Springs »

Lucero Martinez-Obregon and Richard Sandoval

Richard Sandoval, chef-owner of Richard Sandoval Restaurants, has added Zocalo in Midtown Atlanta to his restaurant group’s roster of over 30 locations.

On May 4, Zocalo debuted new upscale Mexican food and beverage menus, plus new decor and tableware.

Executive chef Lucero Martinez-Obregon will continue to head the kitchen, a role she’s filled since her family opened Zocalo in 1995. Since 2009, Martinez-Obregon also has been chef de cuisine at Sandoval’s Pampano in New York City.

Last week, Sandoval was in town for a few days, and joined Martinez-Obregon for lunch at Zocalo.

Over queso fundido, cochinita pibil with habanero salsa, and caramel flan with pineapple-strawberry pico, they discussed their partnership and plans for the restaurant.

“Lucero had been working for me for almost four years and I never knew about this place,” Sandoval said. “She came as a sous chef and I really loved her work. We talked about …

Continue reading Zocalo joins Sandoval Restaurants with new menu, look »