FoodieBuddha.com

View Larger Map

The intersection of Fort St and Irwin Street may not be the most welcoming intersection in Atlanta.  However, it has become a point of interest for yours truly.  You see, I drive on Fort St. quite a bit as it serves as an access road to I-75/I-85 thru Downtown.  Much to my own shame, I have perhaps stumbled upon something illicitly tantalizing only to pass it up (for reasons unbeknownst to me).

Here’s the low down: Numerous times during the last year I have passed by a complex that sits on Fort St just south of the Irwin St intersection.  During three of those drives, I have seen a small gathering of people huddled around a long smoker hitched to the back of a pickup truck.  A rolling barbecue pit no doubt, these are the elements of street food that do catch my attention so!

I have never been quick enough to pull out my camera nor smart enough to pull over and ask what’s what … but I’ve seen it with my own eyes.  Maybe it’s my version of sasquatch or perhaps proof that somebody’s Inceptioned my ass!

I have no recollection as to the specific times of my drive-byes (all were around 11pm though) nor even a guess as to what day of the week(s) it just so happened to be.  So what’s what people?  Has anyone else seen this?  Is it street food at its finest or random and semi-frequent gatherings that deserve no further attention?

Chef Cyrille Holota, formerly of the defunct JOEL Brasserie, has just been named the new chef at French American Brasserie, colloquially known as FAB.  It’s a somewhat interesting union, as both the restaurant and the new chef have been witness to a metamorphosis or two.

Holota, who appeared in an early rendition of Inside the Chef’s Kitchen, took over the helm of highly regarded JOEL after Joel Antunes, the restaurant’s namesake, left for the Big Apple.  Under his watch, JOEL transformed into JOEL Brasserie, a more toned down version of its predecessor.  Unfortunately, the restaurant died just a few months ago amidst a swirling of rumors.

Meanwhile, FAB has its own notable history.  For many years, a restaurant by the name of Brasserie Le Coze was a mainstay of the French culinary scene in Atlanta.  Stationed in Lenox Square, the restaurant operated from 1994 until 2007 (or thereabouts).  Operating under the ownership of Fabrice Vergez since 2003, BLC closed when Niemen Marcus went gang busters in Lenox.

It will be interesting to see how things change at FAB as the Holota signing seems like a bit of a coup.  In addition to several confirmations from people on the periphery, a call to the restaurant confirmed that Holota was the new chef.  However, the gentleman who answered the phone did not seem to have any more information for me.  I’ll see what else I can shake out.

The Fifth Street Café, the newest endeavor for Hawks center Zaza Pachulia and the ADI Restaurant Group, is opening today at 800 Peachtree Street.  In supplanting ENO, the space has been completely reworked and as the picture above shows [viar facebook album], the interior looks a lot more like that of an ultra-lounge than that of a café.

The opening chef is Ian Winslade, whose name might ring a bell with those who visited Bluepointe a few years back.  The English national also spent some time at Shout, Prime, and TomTom (All Here2Serve concepts). Winslades’ last job was as the chef de cuisine at Vongericthen’s Spice Market.  Currently, Winslade also runs things over at Buckhead Bottle Bar, a new joint from the same group of guys.

The 5th Street website isn’t much more than a landing page at this point.  As such, I’m not entirely sure what the menu will look like; however, I’m guessing it will be progressive American cuisine.  I’ll see what I can come up with in the next few days.

That’s right people, another year … another opportunity to skedaddle to Downtown Atlanta for some dining deals.  Starting tonight, and running through August 8th, 27 restaurants are serving up prix-fixe menus that give adventurous eaters the opportunity to eat on a budget.  For the most part, each meal includes an app, an entrée, and some dessert.  You will have to shell out a few more bucks if you want something to drink.  In addition, I suggest you tip your server.   Details after the jumpage!

Continue reading…

Last we heard, Athens’ culinarian Hugh Acheson was expanding his empire to the Capital Peach.  This past April, he hoped to open Empire State South.  Things didn’t go as planned and the space (located at 999 Peachtree St) is still under construction.  Today, in Hugh’s post about bocce ball, Acheson mentioned that things might be ready in August.  Time will tell … stay tuned!

Though I don’t have an exact date, Republic Social House is set to open in the not to distant future in Grant Park, just across from Oakland Cemetery.  Located in the Jane Complex at 437 Memorial Drive, you’ll find them next to the original Six Feet Under.  Like most every restaurant in the area, Republic will be a neighborhood bar that serves food.  Thanks to their location, they were able to include a rooftop bar that overlooks Downtown …

Details are still a little sketchy at this time (seeing as their website is still just a landing page); however, there is a facebook page, so not all is lost.  It appears that the menu will include a handful of flavored buffalo wings, some pizza, and deli style sandwiches.  As it seems, there will be a walk up counter for ordering with food runners and cocktail waiter/waitresses to keep you lively.  Lost somewhere in the mix, there is reason to believe that there either was or still are plans for another one of these on Piedmont Road, but I can’t quite nail that down just yet.  I’ll update the blog once I can nail down some of the details (like menu and service style).

Republic Social House Restaurant Address & Information

437 Memorial Drive, Atlanta, GA 30312 // Republic Social House website // Republic on facebook

Hotel dinning can be the ultimate example of the slippery slope.  On the one hand, many of the best chefs end up running those kitchens, so you get top notch talent.  On the other hand, the chef’s id and ego are often held in check by the the massive corporation holding the checkbook to their livelihood.  At Park 75, the centerpiece of the Four Seasons in Atlanta, executive chef Robert Gerstenecker seems to have enough freedom and a high enough acumen to keep his puppet masters at bay while maintaining enough of himself in his art.

Gerstenecker, who recently made an appearance on ITCK, has been at the helm of Park 75 for a handful of years.  It seems he has found home.  At a restaurant known for it’s tea service and brunches, Gerstenecker has brought out progressive American cuisine with a foundation in contemporary Southern cooking.

So it was with this mindset in hand that I set out one lovely afternoon for lunch with a favorite family friend.  Having not ventured into this particular dinning space in some 24-months, I made it a point to meditate on my present and hand my brain a blank canvas to paint on.  Needless to say, it didn’t stay blank very long.

Continue reading…

Sauced, Ria Pell’s new fusion soul food venture in Inman Park Atlanta, has been motoring along for several months.  Though the restaurant came up for a brief breath of air in 2009, it actually opened for real in early 2010.  Soon after, Spark Plug and I made it the appetizer stop on one of our habitual dinning excursions.  Though it’s taken me a while to recap the less than stellar experience, ATLiens have been treated to several reviews during my hiatus thanks to some of our mainstream media brethren (linkage at the bottom).  It seems I’m not alone in my total lack of fandom for Sauced.

Sauced itself is Pell’s attempt to offer entry-level fine dining.  After building up her eponymous Ria’s Bluebird to the point where it’s one of the more well-known breakfast places, Pell is now serving "inspired” soul food in the midst of a late 60’s-esc dinning hall.  I use the words inspired here loosely because the only true inspiration seems to be coming from the servers.  In the world of take it or leave it, this grub is definitely a leave it.  To put it another way, it’s never a good thing when someone spends the first part of a review talking about something other than the atmosphere or the food itself.  In the case of Meridith Ford Goldman, she talked about the bathrooms.  Not a good sign.

Continue reading…

Just a short time ago, The Sweet Auburn Curb Market (SACM) in Downtown Atlanta was an afterthought in the cityscape.  Then, late in 2009, Grindhouse Killer Burgers got things rolling.  Since then, SACM hasn’t looked back.  In the midst of this buzz, The Greek Gyros and Pizza has hopped on the wagon and opened its countertop restaurant.  As dumb luck would have it, they opened just a few hours before the dude who feasts and I showed up.  I’d like to say that our visit was entirely impromptu, but alas, it was not!  We had planned this excursion late last night.  We both think it fun to see where things stand from the get go.  So far, the Greek is looking pretty good.

Continue reading…

Todd Richards is fairly well known around these parts. Richards’ restaurant group (Lush Life Group) is the driving force behind Rolling Bones BBQ and One Flew South, that high-end restaurant located in Hartsfield-Jackson’s E-Concourse.  However, his notoriety isn’t limited to the Capital of The South.

Mixed in with his stay in Atlanta, Richards spent time in Chicago, in Nashville, and in Palm Beach as the chef de cuisine at the Ritz-Carlton.  In fact, all that work even earned him a spot on an episode of Iron Chef America.  Nowadays, you’ll find him sticking close to home as he works on a bounty of different projects.  One of the most accessible is his blogs, which is one of the better chef scribed blogs to come out of Atlanta.

But of course, Richards still makes time for we poor plebeians of the pen with a stopover for Inside The Chef’s Kitchen.  So on this Friday of beautiful weather and happenings, take a peek at what Chef Richards has to say.  If you take a liking to Richards’ humor, be sure to check him out on twitter @Rollingbonesbbq. And with that, welcome to ITCK!

Continue reading…