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In Milton lies a fruitful garden, 3 years old and almost an acre in size. A cottonwood tree grows in its center surrounded by purple and red salvia, anchoring the space. The bounty of this garden includes micro-mustard greens, five varieties of heirloom tomatoes, three types of okra and Silver Queen corn.

Review by Jenny Turknett

The garden, tucked just out of view behind the 150-year-old farmhouse that is Milton’s Cuisine and Cocktails, ignites the passion of the restaurant’s chef, Boyd Rose. During a conversation with Rose, all paths lead back to the garden.

He says, “When we started the garden three years ago, it transformed me as a chef.” His connection with the garden likely played a role in his cooking style, which has him cooking “more simple, basic food . . . not as froufrou as what [he] made at Rainwater.”

Rose categorizes his food at Milton’s as new Southern cuisine, Southern cooking with a twist. The twig-bound clipboarded menu features Southern comfort favorites …

Continue reading Milton’s Cuisine and Cocktails restaurant review, Milton »

It was only last month that I called all the local pizza places with delivery to find just one offering gluten-free crust. We were organizing a pizza party for a Girl Scout event and had one gluten-free family. My calls were met with confusion, “Gluten what?” Domino’s Pizza was one of the places I called.

It seems that I was just a few weeks too early. Last week, Domino’s announced that it now offers gluten-free crusts. They contain no wheat, rye or barley. Instead, the ingredients include rice flour, rice starch, potato starch and olive oil.

While we have some wonderful independent pizza places making gluten-free crusts in Atlanta, Domino’s is the first large-scale pizza chain to offer them. This signals the recognition of the trend towards gluten-free products for those with Celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity. Domino’s, however, introduces its gluten-free crust with a disclaimer: it is not recommended for individuals with Celiac disease.

The new crusts are made in the …

Continue reading Domino’s adds gluten-free pizza crust »

Upon returning from last weekend’s Atlanta Food and Wine Festival, Josh Ozersky took to his weekly column on Rachelray.com and made some grand, and complimentary, observations about the festival and about the Atlanta dining scene in general.

Now, I know that there are few things that Atlanta foodies enjoy more than bashing our own city and spewing vitriol over how we are light years behind New York, San Francsico, Chicago, etc. I’m sure some of you are going to scan this post, and copy and paste the same tired comments ripping on Atlanta that you have posted on other blogs. And any mention of the AFWF will surely draw comments about how expensive it was, at least one post including the phrase “in this economy”, and an example of how many five dollar foot longs one could eat for the price of a ticket.

Haters are gonna hate, I guess, but I’m more of an optimist than that. And it is always nice when an out-of-towner pays us a compliment.

In his post, titled “What I Saw In …

Continue reading Ozersky raves about Atlanta after Food and Wine festival »

Who wants to be on TV? What about with Gordon Ramsay?

If you’ve got skills in the kitchen and a thick skin, you’ve got a chance to be on “Hell’s Kitchen” with Gordon Ramsay. The show’s casting directors are hosting an open call in Atlanta on June 2. They will be casting for both Seasons 11 and 12 of this famous trial-by-fire cooking competition show. A total of 50 people will be selected from across the country to fill the spots.

Those attending the casting call should take a photo of themselves and a completed application. The interviews will be taped, so no video submission will be necessary if attending in person. If you can’t make it, you can submit your application and video online.

After the initial casting call, up to 25 people will be called back each day for three days for follow ups.

Anyone plan to try out?

2-6 p.m. June 2. Fado’s Irish Pub. For additional information and application, see the show’s casting site.

–by Jenny Turknett, Food and More blog

Continue reading ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ casting call in Atlanta »

Chef Hector Santiago and wife Leslie close Super Pan but have plans for future relocation.

Super Pan Latino Sandwich Shop, the lunch-only spot that sits just behind Pura Vida Tapas on Blue Ridge Avenue, announced that it plans to close its doors as of today.

Despite the high praise the restaurant received from diners and critics alike, it didn’t receive enough business to sustain it. According to the press release, “the foot traffic in the area is not enough to support the high labor, high food cost concept in its current location.”

If you’re already missing the Medio Dia, Chef Hector’s popular take on a Cuban sandwich, don’t despair. Owners Hector and Leslie Santiago, who also own Pura Vida, hope to reopen Super Pan in a new location with space for a full Latin bakery and coffee shop and, of course, the sandwiches for which Super Pan is known. The plan is to have a place that will be open for coffee, breakfast and lunch, with a possible dinner option. The Santiagos are …

Continue reading Super Pan to close, possibly reopen in larger space »

Chicken at Little Alley Steak

When I reviewed Little Alley Steak last week, I didn’t fully express my geek admiration for the exemplary Springer Mountain chicken the kitchen prepares. The white and dark meat arrive fused together, perfectly juicy without being pink, and wrapped in perfectly crisped skin.

Think about it: have you ever made chicken that looks like this? It’s no simple recipe.

For starters, the kitchen uses a daub of transglutaminase — a binding agent for protein that chefs have dubbed “meat glue” to make the boneless dark and white meats adhere together and to a wrapping of chicken skin.

Next, the chef seals the chicken in an airtight, vacuum sealed plastic bag – a technique known by its French name, sous vide. The sealed bag then cooks gently in hot water, which is agitated and heated with an immersion circulator until it cooks thoroughly.

Before service, a cook removes the chicken from a bag and pops it into a fryer to crisp the skin and heat the interior. …

Continue reading Better cooking through science »

In an effort to help Fulton County restaurants and the public understand food safety regulations, the Georgia Restaurant Association has scheduled a food code briefing for Fulton County food service establishments.

The event will be held 2-4 p.m. Wednesday at the association’s office, located in Piedmont Place, 3520 Piedmont Road, Suite 130, Atlanta.

Georgia’s code requires restaurants to have a certified food safety manager on staff to ensure that all employees understand and practice the regulations. The code also defines how often restaurants are inspected and what constitutes a violation against the rules. Health services educators will provide general information and answer questions, said Ryan Costigan, GRA’s manager of membership.

Rachel Mathews, marketing and communications coordinator with GRA, said although the event is open to the public, seating is limited. She encourages people to register online at tinyurl.com/bsh9o3a to ensure spacing is available. If not, …

Continue reading Restaurant inspections, Public food code briefing »

Ford Fry talks about his lard cookies

“Don’t you want to just sit down and enjoy that?” my chewing partner asked.

My friend, a  magazine food editor who had come down from New York to attend the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival this weekend, and I were making the rounds of the tasting tents on Saturday afternoon. We has perfected a system. Take the proffered food — a tamale, a barbecue slider — nibble from opposite corners, and throw the rest away.

But we had come upon the fried chicken “trail” — i.e., a collection of tables where chefs from around the South were handing out crispy pieces. And after each taking a bite of a perfect drumstick from Roswell’s Table & Main, we decided we each needed our own. And a seat. And a minute or two of silence to sit and appreciate it.

It was like a wine tasting. Once we tasted the simple pleasure of this drumstick, we were then ready for the more complex stylings of Rosebud’s smoked, cornflake-breaded chicken leg with cucumber salsa.

I had a …

Continue reading Atlanta Food & Wine Festival wraps up »

credit: Green Olive Media

The Georgian Terrace announced recently that Proof & Provision, a new speak-easy-style spot occupying the lower level of the hotel in the former Basta restaurant space, will open early next month. Chef Zeb Stevenson, of the Georgian Terrace’s Livingston Restaurant and Bar, will also head the kitchen of this spot.

Stevenson says that the idea was to “create something that stands in contrast to what’s happening at Livingston, something more relaxed, more down-to-earth.” The menu will be composed of standard tapas, dishes with which people are familiar, made with high quality ingredients. Stevenson says, “We will pour our efforts as a team into the best products we can get and let that tell the story.”

The menu will offer snacks, charcuterie, sandwiches and French bread pizzas. Think deviled eggs, chicken liver mousse, hot pretzels with mustard and cheese sauce, grilled cheese and a take on pigs in a blanket. It was designed to complement the beverage …

Continue reading Proof & Provision to open next month and other news »

We have movie tours, ghost tours, Segway tours and culinary tours. Now, Atlanta can boast of another tour: a beer tour.

Dan Fontaine, a home brewer and self-proclaimed “beer dude,” recently started Atlanta Beer Tours, which seeks to “connect people who love craft beer with the best brewers.” Noting the popularity of all manner of tours in Atlanta, Fontaine realized that no beer tour yet existed. He set out to remedy the situation, modeling his tours after those in Asheville.

Fontaine says, “The craft beer scene in Atlanta is exploding. People are starting to explore beer more and I wanted to make it easier for them.” Atlanta Beer Tours will give participants an insider’s view (and taste) of breweries like Sweetwater, Burnt Hickory and 5 Seasons.

Typical tours will last four to five hours. Beer aficionados will meet in the lower lot behind Hop City and head off on a beer-themed adventure. Most local tours feature three breweries with flight tastings at each location. Water and …

Continue reading New tour in town: Atlanta Beer Tours »