Recently I had the opportunity to try out Two Urban Licks, a restaurant owned by the same folks that run One Midtown Kitchen and Trois.  Self described as ‘fiery American food,’ Two Urban Licks offers a diverse menu that changes daily, and offers hearty seasonal dishes with options that even fill up gluten-free bellies.

I went with a group of friends on a Friday night to Two Urban Licks and it was quite a happening place.  With high ceilings, live music, full tables, and the kitchen located in the center of the restaurant, surrounded by glass, there’s action everywhere.  Being that it was a weekend night, it was particularly loud and I was glad that our table was far away from the band.  (Does that make me old and lame?)

Since I was flying back from Virginia that afternoon, I went to Two Urban Licks with no information about the restaurant and whether they would be able to accommodate my gluten-free needs.  We had friends in town and another member of our group suggested we go.  I had heard great things about the trio of restaurants and was eager to check one out.  After glancing at the sample menu online, I figured the chef would be knowledgeable about gluten and its hidden sources, and it seemed like a nice enough place that would work hard to avoid contamination in its culinary preparation.  Fortunately I was proved correct!

                                                                                                               (photo by cflashman)

We were smart enough to make dinner reservations and were immediately seated once we handed off our car to the restaurant’s complimentary valet service.  Our waiter was quite attentive from the beginning and you could definitely tell that he had “drunk the kool aid” at Two Urban Licks.  He loved everything about the place and was great at selling the food and beverages.  There’s no doubt that he knew what celiac was but he was a bit judgmental at first about my disease.  It would be putting it mildly to say that our waiter did not hold back.  He openly told me that it must suck to be gluten-free and celiac is the worst disease.  Well, I informed him, that’s not really the best way to look at it since I don’t have much of a choice about the whole situation.  He also told me that celiac is today what ADD was in the 90s.  This isn’t really the best way to win over your clientele, but after my husband and I informed him just how seriously sick I would be if I consumed gluten, he seemed to get the picture and took good care of me.

While I was initially very wary of our server, he definitely redeemed himself over the course of the night.  He took the paper menu to the kitchen for the chef to mark up so that I knew exactly what I could and couldn’t eat.  I love having a full list of food options placed in front of me instead of having to engage in a  back and forth between the waiter and the kitchen in order to figure out what items are ‘safe’ for me to eat.  He also told me about certain items on the menu that could be slightly modified to be made gluten-free.  There were many entrée options for me on the menu, but I had to avoid most of the appetizers and small plates.  The lack of gluten-free apps is not unique to Two Urban Plates.  Most restaurants are lacking in the appetizer department for us celiacs, but I’m alright with it because it just means I have more room for my entrée.  Some times I order a salad but after a lot of holiday eating, I chose to just stick with the main course.  I must say the empanadas looked delicious and my dinner group definitely enjoyed those morsels of doughy goodness.

                                                                             (from the tinybites.ca review)

All of us loved our meals at Two Urban Licks.  Apparently the mac ‘n cheese at Two Urban Licks is incredible and my dining companions would have to agree.  In our party of six, four ordered the ‘Beef rib with mac ‘n cheese’ which is so big, it looks like it could be a dinosaur limb.  I selected the braised lamb shank with white beans and roasted root vegetables.  My dish was so tender and the meat fell right off the bone.  The lamb and veggies was a perfect meal for a cold, rainy Atlanta night.  It felt so hearty but there were no heavy sauces to leave me feeling too full and uncomfortable after the meal.  The perfect amount of food for me and I ate every bite.

In a city full of breweries and craft beers, the wine selection at Two Urban Licks is a gluten-free girl’s dream.  They have an insane number of wines literally on tap at Two Urban  Licks and you can order different amounts, depending how much you want.  Our waiter gave us good advice, however, to go with a bottle as opposed to wines on tap in order to get better value and taste.  He was very helpful in selecting wines and did not turn his nose up at us because we weren’t ordering the most expensive bottle on the menu.  Our chatty waiter did voice his disdain for people who order beer, which only encouraged the guys in our group to get beers with their dinner.  I had to agree with our waiter on this one.

Overall, I enjoyed our lively experience at Two Urban Licks and I will be checking out Trois and One Midtown Kitchen soon.  Even our strongly opinionated waiter grew on me as the night continued.  All of his advice was well informed and proved correct.  I love going to a restaurant where its clear that all of the employees believe in the place and truly care about the food and beverage.  While a little on the pricier side, I enjoyed the atmosphere and cuisine.  Definitely worth the trip to Two Urban Licks for a fun night out.  A word of warning, it will be loud as there is live music and some of the trendy horse shoe tables make it difficult to engage in conversation with more than the person next to you.  Otherwise, a great gluten-free dining experience!

About the Author

Betsy Metcalf is a gluten-free foodie who loves to cook and eat delicious food.  She is also a consultant for people with celiac disease and for people with gluten allergies who enjoy cooking.

You can find her cheerful writings on her blog about gluten freedom.

Atlanta Foodies on 2UL

• First Bite on 2UL (10.13.09)
• Blissful Glutton on 2UL (07.05)

Two Urban Licks Restaurant Address & Information

820 Ralph McGill Blvd NE, Atlanta, GA 30306 // 404.522.4622 // Two Urban Licks reservations // Two Urban Licks website // Two Urban Licks menu (pdf)

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I love people who are kind enough to help me out with my blog.  It usually results in the ideal combination of less work for me + great content.  What’s not to love?  When fellow foodie and blogger Michael Fenster (Doc) offered to chime in with a review of the lauded Bone’s Steakhouse, I was all over that like white on rice.  What follows is Doc’s recap of a recent trip.  Doc didn’t have a camera, so that juicy steak appears courtesy of the Bone’s website

Being in Buckhead and desirous of steak, it seems only logical to visit the place in which steak is the signature item-and shares the name of the good doctor of Star Trek fame, Leonard “Bones” McCoy. There’s just no way for that to be bad. Even a place named Klingons might imply good meat, if not some issue with next day disposal of said product.

Nonetheless we boldly strove into Bone’s. It was very packed for a weeknight. The atmosphere was classic 1960-70s steakhouse. The service was courteous and we were quickly seated (we did have a reservation). My dinner partner and I scanned the menu and ordered. The menu was as expected; featuring steak with some classics sides served “family style”.

First course was lobster bisque and the crab and lobster napoleon with chardonnay cream sauce. The bisque was good; creamy, rich with a hint a sherry and well seasoned. The warm bread was soft and a tasty complement. The napoleon, I assume was “deconstructed” because it lay all over the plate. Perhaps a better analogy is demolished. The crab was clearly out of a container and the chardonnay cream was bland and very thin. But hey-it’s a steakhouse, right? Shame on me as I should have stuck with the beef appetizer. Let’s move onto the meat of the evening experience.

I ordered the aged bone-in rib eye. My dinner guest had ordered the Wagyu strip steak. Wagyu, while not actually Kobe beef, is from the same breed that is used to produce Kobe beef and tends to be much more richly marbled, thus producing a juicer, more tender steak with superior flavor. The “sea breeze” potato was a baked potato. The spinach was properly cooked, if a bit under seasoned. Adequate, not spectacular. My steak was perfect; a 10 out of 10. It was cooked perfectly (medium rare) juicy as it had obviously been well rested with a perfect sear on the outside. It was tender, juicy and flavorful. When cutting into the steak (a nice about 1 ½ inch slab) there was very little grey at edge, just basically the sear then the perfect red-pink perfection. This indicates a knowledgeable grillardin. Unfortunately, he must have left his little retarded cousin cook the other steak-it was everything my steak was not. It too had been ordered medium rare. It was about half as thick as my steak. It was grey (well done) about 1/3 through from each edge with some pink in the middle. Where I come from that’s medium well. Pretty clear both steaks had been fired at the same time-rookie mistake. The Wagyu should have been scrapped and another re-fired halfway through the cooking of the first. If you run a steakhouse there is no excuse-this is what you do.

So there you have it. I would say given the price of the steaks, you should not have to worry about hit or miss grill work. The upside is when it’s right, it’s great. When it’s wrong, you’ll just have to have Scotty beam you up-or re-order.

About The Author

Michael Fenster, colloquially known as Doc, is a Board Certified Interventional Cardiologist. Working professionally in kitchens prior to entering medical school, Doc maintained his passion for food and wine throughout his medical career. He is a certified wine professional & professional Chef (with culinary degree!). 

With a heavy hand in home cooking, you can find his musings on his blog, aptly named What’s Cooking With Doc.  From time to time, he also updates his twitter account, so give him a follow.

Bones Restaurant Address & Information

3130 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA 30305 // 404.237.2633 // Bone’s online reservations // Bone’s website // Bone’s menu

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If you read this blog with any regularity, then you are well aware of my absolute idolization of former Atlanta resident and world-renowned super chef Sotohiro Kosugi.  Kosugi crushed us all when he took his game to the big apple.  As it turns out, some people who read my review decided to stop in on Soto on a recent trip to NYC.  What follows is a recap of their trip to his namesake sushi bar.  While they are most definitely fond of food, I think it’s nice to get some perspective on here from people who aren’t “foodies.”

Soto Heaven

“Everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die.”  So do the next best thing: treat yourself to a dining experience at Soto in the West Village of Manhattan at 357 6th Ave.  The building is minimalist white with some straight black lines and no sign, just the street numbers, as if to discourage the unworthy.  Inside is a modest version of Japanese Moderne with soft woods and good lighting.

The food, however, is anything but minimalist or modest.  The menu apparently changes daily but for first timers I would recommend the name-your-price Omakase, or chef’s choice.  What followed in the next hour was a parade of incredible tastes and textures.  There were about fifteen or sixteen different items but I will describe just a few highlights.  Our first item was the ‘goma tofu,’ a black and white sesame tofu with the texture of a crème brule and a subtle soy and sesame flavor.  Later the ‘kampachi tar tare’ or chopped Hawaiian amber jack with wasabi tobiko and pine nuts was served with a soy foam that was light and airy, melting on your tongue.  Another dish mixed chopped fatty tuna with an avocado coulis, garnished with caviar and chives in sesame ponzu sauce, a virtual symphony of flavor.  Other remarkable elements of dishes include:  steamed lotus root, braised black cod, sashimi sea trout, and more.  The desert was red bean ice cream encased in a doughy ‘skin’ that offered a taste, texture and temperature experience in one mouthful.

The next time you want to take Japanese cuisine to a higher level, beyond sushi and sashimi, try this place, the food’s ‘to die for.’

Fred & Kathy Marks

Soto Japanese Restaurant Address & Information

357 Ave Of The Americas New York, NY 10014 // 212.414.3088

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Last night was date night. Since it was restaurant week (3 courses for $25 at participating restaurants), we decided to hop on MARTA and head over to BLT Steak for dinner. After a quick 2 stop jaunt on the train and a 1 block walk to the W Downtown, we arrived at our final destination. We were briskly seated at our table and presented with two menus. The regular menu and the abbreviated restaurant week menu (entrée options included hangar steak, roast chicken or wild salmon).

We started with a glass of Prosecco to cool us off, and were given an amuse-bouche of chicken liver pâté with country bread. The pâté was warm and delicate with none of the unwanted flavors most people associate with chicken liver. I still prefer Abattoir’s chicken liver/foie gras concoction, but this was lovely in it’s own right.

After the amuse, we dove right into the first course, we each had the gazpacho with Tabasco sorbet and ordered a side of a 1/2 dozen raw oysters. The gazpacho was perfect. Great subtle flavors with a hint of spice from the frozen Tabasco sorbet. It was the type of dish I could eat over and over. The bread service consisted of freshly baked popovers. As someone who makes popovers on a regular basis, as an aside popovers are the perfect quick bread—they can be mixed in a blender, I was quite impressed with their take on the classic. The recipe was elevated by the addition of gruyere cheese, which added an extra note of flavor that really worked well.

For the main course I ordered the hangar steak with a side of jalapeno mashed potatoes, and my wife ordered the chicken with spring peas in a morel mushroom sauce. The steak was cooked perfectly, but a bit under seasoned (even with the addition of the compound butter provided). The chicken on the other hand was a bit over seasoned. However, these minor infractions didn’t stop us from cleaning our plates.

Dessert consisted of a ginger carrot cake and a peach/blueberry cobbler, as well as a couple of small bites from the pastry chef. The carrot cake was delicious, and the cobbler was what one would expect.

As far as the rest of the dining experience, the interior is well designed with oversized lamps reminiscent of JCT kitchen (although thankfully minus the echo of JCT). The waitress was brisk, friendly and efficient. The vibe was approachable without the least bit of pretentiousness. My only negative comment would be that the music selections sounded like they came off of a greatest hits album of wedding dance songs.

Overall, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend BLT Steak to anyone looking for sophisticated steak house fare (especially at restaurant week prices).

NOTE: You can also read Foodie Buddha’s First Impression from March, 09

BLT Steak Restaurant Address & Information

45 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd, Atlanta, GA 30308 // P: 404.577.7601 // BLT Steak Reservations // BLT Steak Website // BLT Steak Generic Menu (PDF – not specific to ATL)

About The Author

This guest post was written by Adam Harrell, a local foodie and interactive marketer. You can find him at www.neboweb.com/blog/.

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When I first heard about the documentary Earthlings, I have to admit, I immediately assumed the worse. The fact that Joaquin Phoenix is on the cover and Moby provided the musical score brought to mind images of Pamela Anderson screaming meat is murder. I expected a greatest hits film of animal suffering with little subtlety and a complete lack of nuance. Unfortunately, that’s mostly what this film offers.

Since this is a food blog, I’ll naturally focus on the aspects of the film that relate to food production. The core flaw of this film is that Earthlings too often presents a flawed practice as the only possible alternative. They take the classic arguments of “Animal Liberation” and remove all the subtlety. They start the film by equating modern day human society with Nazis because of our treatment of animals. Instead of Jews, it’s Animals that we kill needlessly in a holocaust of massive proportions. The idea being that like the Nazis, human society has systematically built a world in which animals are tortured and eliminated because of their identity as the other.

The film takes this same approach to food production. It implies that if we want to eat meat, then animals will be treated cruelly in factory farms. That there is no other way. It’s an all or nothing approach, that while appealing to PETA members, won’t change the way most people relate to their food. It may guilt trip a few people into becoming vegetarians, but for the rest of us they offer no answers to the problem of large scale animal suffering.

I agree wholeheartedly that practices such as “tail docking” and the countless other atrocities that take place on factory farms need to stop, but the greater question is how can we truly reduce the overall level of animal suffering incurred by our food system. And, that’s where I think this documentary fails. By presenting the problem from the urban, narrow viewpoint of animal rights activists, they’re ignoring too many aspects of man’s complex relationship with animals.

The film features a quote from Jeremy Bentham, the philosophical godfather of animal rights, who said the single most important question is not “Can they reason?” nor “Can they talk?”, but rather “Can they suffer?” This argument is often seen as the cornerstone of the animal rights philosophy. The irony of this quote is that Jeremy Bentham actually saw nothing wrong with eating meat. He ate meat once per day. But, he lived by the code that man should seek to give farm animals a decent life, and strive to offer the animal a death that was less painful than what would have awaited them in the natural world.

Animal suffering is perhaps one of the most complex ethical questions of the 21st century and it should be treated accordingly. It doesn’t deserve to be simplified and robbed of all nuance. To pretend that going Vegan will eliminate the animal suffering caused by our modern society is ridiculous. It’s the balm of self-righteousness. Every acre of soy that is planted requires the death of hundreds of small rodents. Field mice are shredded and baby deer are crushed underneath advancing tractors. Our end goal as a society shouldn’t be to eliminate the consumption of animal meat (leather is a byproduct of meat processing here in the states, not a separate industry as shown in the film’s clips from India), but instead we should to try and reduce the net amount of animal suffering that is incurred by our food production.

A pig who lives happily rooting in the woods until he’s killed at the hands of his farmer is most likely happier than one who dies in the wild at the hands of a bear. Man’s relationship with domesticated animals isn’t as one sided as it’s presented in this film. Farm animals have prospered by partnering with man. Chickens are more numerous than any other bird in the world. They are arguably the most successful species of their kind. However, their success shouldn’t doom them to live a life of squalor in tiny cages. Chickens deserve to roam, peck and kill bugs. Chickens should live their lives as chickens. Fortunately more and more farms are taking this approach, and realizing that the end product is better as a result. Grass-fed beef and pasture-raised poultry products are better for us health-wise than their corn fed brethren (higher levels of good fats/lower levels of bad fats), and have the added benefit of increasing the quality of life for the animal.

The real question about these these farming practices is, can they be adopted on a massive scale? Right now it’s a luxury that I can drive to Stockbridge to pick out my chickens, or buy a heritage turkey straight off the farm. However, the simple fact that I have to buy an entire 1/2 of a grass fed cow directly from a farmer (300 lbs at a time), instead of just picking up steaks at the super market, shows how far our food system really has to go. Ethical food has yet to move into the mainstream. And till it does we need to shine light on the worst aspects of our food system.

Since the best way to combat animal cruelty is to shine a light on the practices, this film does accomplish some of it’s goals. But, I’m left with the feeling that Earthlings was in the end a wasted opportunity.I don’t want to call it vegan propaganda, as the creators obviously had good intentions, but I feel that it could have been so much more than it was. Instead of taking the opportunity to create a film that looked at the complex relationship that human’s have with animals, with the intent of ending needless animal suffering, they decided instead to make the equivalent of a snuff film in the hopes of shocking people to adapt to their belief system. Peter Singer’s philosophy deserves to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same of this film.

P.S. — If you’re looking to buy products from farms that treat their animals ethically, there are two approaches: Number one, meet your farmer and connect with your food. Visit their operations and see what really takes place during processing (Localharvest.org is a great place to start). Number two, seek out products labeled “American Humane Certified.” This American Humane Society certification ensures that animals are treated ethically and humanely on the farm.

About The Author

This guest post was written by Adam Harrell, a local foodie and interactive marketer. You can find him at www.neboweb.com/blog/

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Interior & Location: They’ve completely overhauled the interior space. It’s opened up nicely, flows well and is designed to create a calming atmosphere. It’s a much more pleasant interior than the former restaurant (the globe) that occupied the space. 

Food: As expected on a soft opening, the kitchen is still working out it’s kinks. The fried green tomato appetizer was good. It featured goat cheese, roasted red peppers and a sunflower seed pesto. Subtle flavors, but good. The tomato soup was rich and had a good kick of spice. The soup was probably the most pronounced flavor we tasted all night. The trout entrée was a bit disappointing. It was a beautiful fillet of Georgia trout with a bacon topper, but didn’t live up to it’s appearance. Amazingly it needed more seasoning, particularly more salt, as the bacon was very mild. Some sort of acid, lemon perhaps, would’ve helped as well.

The side of mushroom lasagna was very rich. Overall the dish had potential, but it could’ve used a contrast in texture to go with the mushroom lasagna and stronger flavors for the trout (in my humble opinion). The side of macaroni and cheese had great texture, but was once again a bit bland. It used the same bacon as the trout, so I think the kitchen was afraid to add additional salt to any of the dishes containing this amazingly mild bacon. The halibut was well executed. It was perfectly cooked and featured subtle flavors. It was served with cannellini beans in a mild broth with capers and roasted peppers.

The first dessert was a medley of fresh berries with liquor and whipped cream. Deliciously simple. The other dessert was a classic crème brûlée. The custard was a bit runny and the flavors a bit off.

Service: Overall the service was top notch. The kitchen was a bit slow, but that was to be expected on a soft opening. The server was really knowledgeable and truly excited about the restaurant concept (farm to table with dash of environmental friendliness).

Overall: The menu plays it pretty safe. It’s features contemporary takes on classic and trendy dishes. The combinations aren’t new (beet salad with goat cheese for example), but the ingredients are fresh and the execution mostly on par. For a soft opening they handled themselves incredibly well and all the dishes showed potential for improvement as they have a chance to refine. This restaurant should do well. It reminds me of JCT or Dogwood in terms of type and quality of food. It’s a welcome addition to Technology Square and should turn into a good option for midtown diners.

WaterHaven Restaurant Address & Information

75 Fifth Street, Suite 170, Atlanta, GA 30308 // P: 404.214.6740 // WaterHaven Website // WaterHaven Menus

About The Author

This guest post was written by Adam Harrell, a local foodie and interactive marketer. You can find him at www.neboweb.com/blog/

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Food is like a religion in many respects. Foodies worship at the table of various high priests, inspired by their personalities as much as the cuisine which they promote. The examples are numerous— the locavore inclinations of an Alice Waters, the authentic Italian flavors of a Mario Batali, or the balanced French & Japanese fusion of a Soto Soto. These people are not just chefs. They’re prophets who espouse a viewpoint that colors the way you view the world. You’re either with them, or against them. The hype they generate rarely lives up to the food they serve.

The high priest of Varasano’s Pizzeria is a man by the name of Jeff Varasano. He is the leader of a movement expounding a scientific approach to pizza. Equal parts Alton Brown & Cooks Illustrated—Jeff Varasano believes that perfection of a seemingly simple dish such as pizza is not only possible, but just around the corner. In his eyes—the perfect pizza is easily recognizable. Crisp yet fluffy. Thin yet substantial. It’s a pizza that brings forth child hood memories, but is sophisticated enough that it inspires the respect of the culinary elite. 

His wants everyone to understand that his pizza is the process of years of experimentation. The fruit of numerous travels to the best pizza restaurants in the world. It’s the product of a single minded determination towards improvement of a single item. Anyone that reaches the top in any field (even a Rubik’s Cube competition) possesses the ability to focus intently on their craft. It is this dedication that is most apparent when you first meet him.

Once he realizes where you’re from, conversations will revolve around pizza joints in your home town. The next topic will be the pizza resting on your plate. The bubbles in the crust and black markings signify that the oven is at the proper temperature. Thank god he says. They were having trouble with maintaining a proper temperature just last week. The basil leaves are from a new supplier, but he’s still not happy with the quality. He’s contacted a new farmer to grow his herbs. An important items like basil can’t be left to chance. The conversations are a bit forced and awkward. Almost like he’s trying to prove his expertise to a skeptical audience.

The stresses of opening a restaurant for the first time are clearly visible in his eyes. And the insecurity that comes from being presented with direct criticism is noticeable. In what occupation other than the restaurant world is the judgment so sudden and so harsh. The hype this little pizza place has generated may be great for business, but it also means that expectations are set so high; disappointment will often be the result.

Asked about the response he’s gotten from some of the local community, he seems baffled by the vitriol that he’s inspired. Why would someone be angry that they couldn’t place a to go order by phone—after all, that’s what the Tavern at Phipps does? What right does someone have to judge me after just a single meal? These question arise from the part of the mind that helps rationalize failure. They help to plaster over the doubt that starts to seep in the mind of one who is criticized suddenly, and harshly for something that everyone else has praised him for throughout his life.

But, enough about the man. Even though this restaurant currently seems to be more about Jeff and his story, than the food he serves. The focus will eventually shift—and the food will have to stand on it’s own. Luckily for Jeff, it does. The reality is that Varasano’s Pizza serves a damn good pizza. Whether or not he deserves the hype associated with him shouldn’t be the question of the day. The question should be, does he serve food that is worthy of being noticed, discussed and enjoyed. And on this question, the most important question, the answer is clearly yes. And for that—he deserves our respect.

While Jeff may think he needs the confirmation he currently craves, his insecurity will soon pass. Before long he will gather enough true believers in his approach that his beliefs will be validated. The life of a prophet is never easy. Some people will always view you as a heretic. Even if all you’re preaching is a different approach to pizza.

Varasano’s Pizzeria Restaurant Address & Information:
2171 Peachtree Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30309 // P: 404.352.8215 // Varasano’s Pizzeria Website // Varasano’s Menu

About The Author

This guest post was written by Adam Harrell, a local foodie and interactive marketer. You can find him at www.neboweb.com/blog/

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Follow up to How to Sharpen A Knife: A Good Demonstration

To be honest the home cook rarely needs to sharpen (once to twice a year for even the most active home cooks) — if they properly care for their knives. I would also recommend leaving the knife sharpening to the professionals (Alton Brown is with me on this one). It’s relatively cheap and it’s rarely needed.

However, honing regularly is a necessity and every cook should master the honing technique. The other thing to realize that a department store is no place to buy your knives, and they should never come in a block. It’s a recipe for disappointing knife-ware.

For those that want great, but affordable knives I highly recommend: Victorinox Forschner — they’re consistently rated top end for lower cost knives by Cooks Illustrated. I love my Global knives, but the reality is that they’re a big ole waste of moola. Although they do feel great in your hands and give the best blisters with heavy use (sarcasm on the blisters).

Couple of key knife keeping tips:

-Never wash your knives in the dishwasher.
-Always thoroughly dry your knife after use. Never let it sit wet. Wet leads to dull.
-Never use a glass, granite or hard surface cutting board. Will ruin your edge quicker than a dishwasher

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My Favorite Roast Chicken Recipe 
(derived from America’s Test Kitchen’s High Temperature Roast Chicken)

Everyone has their opinion on the best roasted chicken recipe; whether it’s multi-day involvement of the Zuni recipe, the classic simplicity of Thomas Keller’s take, or this quick version from ATK – they all have one thing in common: small roaster chickens & high temperatures. The ATK version below is my personal favorite. The potatoes cooked in the rendered chicken fat are delicious. It’s also perfect with a side of roasted brussel sprouts; just put a sheet pan of oiled & seasoned brussel sprouts into the oven halfway through the cooking time.

Ingredients: 
1 roasting chicken, 3.5-4 lbs 
1 cup kosher salt 
1/2 cup brown sugar 
1.5 Tablespoon olive oil

2.5 pounds roasting potatoes sliced thinly 
Salt & Ground black pepper 
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Compound butter:
4 Tablespoons butter 
1 clove garlic, mashed 
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard 
1 teaspoon minced fresh herbs of choice 
ground black pepper

Brine chicken in solution of water with 1 cup kosher salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar dissolved in it for 1 hour.

Thoroughly dry the chicken with a towel. Butterfly the chicken by removing the backbone. Push down firmly on the breast bone to flatten.

Make compound butter. Using the tips of your fingers, gently loosen skin on the chicken while avoiding tearing it. Smush compound butter under the loosened skin to coat. Rub oil over chicken outside of chicken.

Thinly slice potatoes and toss with oil, salt and pepper. Layer potatoes evenly onto a aluminum foil covered sheet pan.

Place grilling rack over potatoes. Arrange chicken on top, folding drumsticks inward to cover the breast. Roast at 500 degrees until the internal temperature in breast is 160-163 degrees. Approximately 30-45 minutes.

Remove from oven and rest for a few minutes. Pat excess oil off of potatoes, and remove from foil. Plate potatoes & top with chicken.

Serve & Enjoy.

(Note — the garnishing is pretty weak, but just a simple bundle of rosemary along with a half of lemon on the plate would have made a big difference visually.)

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Foodie Buddha would like to give a warm welcome to Adam H!  In addition to being a general fan of the culinary arts, Adam is an accomplished chef and skilled writer.  He’ll be dropping in from time to time to say hi and share with us some good ‘ol foodie tips.  Be on the look out for his first post which should land sometime tomorrow in the AM.

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