FoodieBuddha.com

It’s not unreasonable to say that San Francisco’s Mission Chinese is currently the most buzzed about Chinese restaurant in the entire country.  Seriously!  Head cookmeister Danny Bowien has taken a dumpy, otherwise un-notable Chinese eatery, hidden himself in its kitchen, and promptly turned the food world on its head.

Right around the time I dropped in on San Fran, Bon Appetit declared Mission CF the second best new restaurant in the entire country.  By then, New York based Serious Eats had already gone gaga and the NYT had said its piece.  Long after my visit, Bowien himself showed up in Martha’s kitchen.

As is usually the case before an initial restaurant trip, I had not actually read what had already been written of  MCF.  However, by the time I left Atlanta for my West Coast trip, I was well aware of the chatter.  Mission Chinese was hot … and I knew it … and so I waddled in there (literally in fact) as the clock ticked down on my San Francisco stay.

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It’s Atlanta, it’s July, and it’s tomato season.  That can only mean one thing: it’s time for the annual Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival.  This highly seasonal food festival put on by the fine folks at Georgia Organics returns to the Westside Urban Market and neighboring Westside Provisions District on Sunday, July 17th.  From 1pm-5pm you’ll be able to consume, carouse, and cavort like it’s nobody’s business.

For those unfamiliar with said event, here’s the lowdown.  Basically, a bunch of chefs, farmers, and mixologists get together and put out their best tomato inspired food and drink.  Think of it as the most kid appropriate orgy you will find.

It’s a get it while you can type of event, so I suggest you arrive early and buy your tickets even earlier.  Tickets currently stand at $60 for non-members of GO and $55 for those that do subscribe.  After July 1st, all tickets are $70.

Though prices have gone up since last year, this festival, in my humble and honest opinion, is the best festival in town, bar none.  If that isn’t enough to wet your whistle, check out my recap of last year’s event and/or the Flickr set!

More details after the jump!

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Creative Loafing ran a little bit on a recent article in Bon Appétit.  BA decided to get in on the barbecue debate by naming the America’s ten best NEW barbecue places.  The mention on CL motivated me to revisit my thoughts on the list that was released earlier this month.

Top 10 lists are really hard to do, especially when your sample size is the entire US of A.  Heck, it’s hard enough to name the top 10 in any given city, let alone, the country.  But still … they could have done better.  Is it any surprise to you that I find the list a debacle for several reasons?  Keep in mind, I’ve only hit 3 of these spots, but those trips have told me all I need to know.

First, the list is supposed to discuss new restaurants.  Granted, there isn’t a hard definition for a “new restaurant,” but Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge is anything but.  It’s a gourmet spot that has long been in my Boston rotation.  While I can’t tell you how long they’ve been open, I do know that I’ve had barbecue there as early as 2005.  Same can be said for my beloved Zingerman’s Roadhouse (website).

Second, there’s a difference between a BBQ restaurant and a place that serves barbecue (both of the aforementioned are the latter).

Third, Rolling Bones BBQ is now under new management.  I posted on it earlier today, but I just want to clarify.  I am surprised that it was identified as one of the best in its former incarnation.

I guess the moral of the story is “Be careful what you read.”  You never know how qualified the person behind the list is! (wink) Meanwhile, if you are ever in Cambridge – you must stop in at Formaggio.  Regardless of where you live, YOU MUST try Zingerman’s (via mail order if need be).

You can now get Epicurious on your iPhone, that little gadget that seems to do everything but provide good call quality.  Actually, this is pretty much awesome!  Relying on sources like gourmet.com and bon appetit, you can find many many thousands of recipes on this bad boy.  Heck, the entire Gourmet Cookbook is available!  Supperlicious!

The real cool thing is that this sucker is actually usable.  You can take the recipe and turn it into a shopping list.  I just spent a few minutes playing with the app and think it is not half bad.  There is some room for improvement; but, given that this is free, I can’t complain.  Download it here: Epicurious for iPhone

[via too many sources]

In the April 2009 issue of Bon Appétit, Sotohiro Kosugi’s New York namesake earned top billing as the best sushi spot in the entire country!  No arguments from this foodie … you can read my review here!  Despite Soto’s reputation as a sushi bully (WSJ), few can argue with his culinary prowess.  Rock on Soto!

If you aren’t able to make it up to NYC, fear not … Chris Kinjo’s MF Buckhead also earned a spot on the top ten list.  A top flight establishment, it’s as much show as it is substance.  Some people are turned off by the price point; however, I find it quite reasonable when compared to high-end sushi spots around the country.  I am anxiously awaiting my turn at their new omakase room.

MF Buckhead Restaurant Address & Information:
3280 Peachtree Rd Atlanta, GA 30305 // P: 404.841.1192 // MF Buckhead Reservations // MF Buckhead Website // MF Buckhead Menu

Soto Restaurant Address & Information:
357 Ave Of The Americas New York, NY 10014 // P: 212.414.3088

Hi Everyone – so yesterday, FoodieBuddha.com hit two months!  I know, it’s still early in our relationship; and, we don’t know if we’re ready to take this to the next level or not.  Celebrating two months is a little strange if you ask me, but I really do just want to say thanks!

We like where things are headed (don’t we???).  If we’re going to take things to the next level, I suppose we need to share some more about ourselves (plus – you should keep reading for that nice little treat!).  So here is some more about me and a little bit of thanks to everyone.

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