FoodieBuddha.com

Last night, I posted on a troubling website that was trying to sell reservations to some of Atlanta’s most notable restaurants.  Well, a lot has happened since then.  Thanks to some amazing internet word of mouth, 911Reservations.com went offline within a few hours.  Then, the owners tried to get another scam site up under a sub-domain at mybigcommerce.com, but that too was soon killed off.  Not be be deterred, the owners still have a another site up, but it’s thin on the reservations (see below).  However, the story isn’t done there.

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Here To Severe restaurants is continuing on the trend that started with Trois, continued with Cuerno, and even hit Stella.  Kess is reporting that instead of an outright closing of Lola Bellini Bar, Tom Catherall is shuttering the space after New Years with intentions of “re-concepting” the restaurant.

There’s no doubt that traffic for this cougar-iffic hotspot has dwindled significantly in the last few months.  Time will tell if the redeux will fare any better.

[via food and more]

It’s amazing what you miss with a few days out of town.  Posted over on the Biz C site, and reiterated by the venerable JK, Atlanta’s own Shaun Doty is ready to hop on the burger trend that is frankly … a little tired by now.  That’s not a harshing on Shaun, he should give the people what they want.  Rather, it’s just a lament on the trending of the restaurant business.

Anywho, with help from Erik Maier, the duo is scheduled to open their burger joint over in the Westside’s White Provision complex.  However, here are a few pieces of info that haven’t been printed yet.  First, the establishment is RUMORED to be called Good Burger.  Second, my understanding is that they will take over the space occupied by The West Egg.  Fear not my eggheadian friends, TWE is supposed to move into the new high-rise just behind their current location.  Again, I won’t say that’s an absolute fact … but I’ve heard it from more than a few people.  Just another feather in the hat that is Atlanta’s most trending neighborhood.

Today is a busy day for me, so I don’t have time to pen a review.  However, that doesn’t mean I’m completely disconnected from what’s going down in the 404 (or 770 … or even the 678).  Here is a snap shot of some stuff that I’m checking out.

30 Restaurants In 30 Days: Much to the delight of foodies around the city, John Kessler is pumping out some new content.  The AJC’s food blogger extraordinaire is currently hitting 30 restaurants in 30 days.  He’s already dropped in on La Pietra Cucina, Mary Mac’s Tea Room, and a few other places.  You can follow the action over on the Food & More blog.

Hardy Gets A Visit: Top Chef contestants and Atlanta chefs Eli Kirshtein and Kevin Gillespie took a trip out to Healdsburg, CA to visit the Murphy-Goode Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent (no really, that’s the title!).  That just happens to be Atlanta superstar Hardy Wallace.  You can find details of the event over on the trueslant.com blog.

Martha Stewart Charity Dinner: I may be the only person in this world that doesn’t have a soft-spot for Martha Stewart.  That said, this is pretty cool.  You can bid on the Martha Stewart Dinner Party (currently just shy of 3k).  It includes a gourmet dinner for six at Cantitoe Farm prepared by Pierre Schaedelin, chef at famed Benoit and one of Martha’s favorites.

As bloggers, we all try and do something to stand out.  Creative juices flow and the result are things like Tami’s Eat On 30, Jimmy’s pizza thang, and Kessler’s new found 30 in 30 (note: that’s a link to twitter and it should fill in as the days pass).  Those all require a lot of work, heavy organizational skills, and a lot of time.  I wanted to go for something a little more lighthearted and a little less time intensive.

As a result, starting this week, I’ll be running the first post in a series I’m tagging as “Inside The Chef’s Kitchen.”  Though the name isn’t super original, many of you may make the immediate connection to the über cool Bravo TV show – Inside the Actors Studio.  At the end of each episode, host James Lipton prods his guest into answering the following questions:

1. What is your favorite word?
2. What is your least favorite word?
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
4. What turns you off?
5. What is your favorite curse word?
6. What sound or noise do you love?
7. What sound or noise do you hate?
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
9. What profession would you not like to do?
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Borrowed from French talk show host Bernard Pivot, the list is essentially a twice removed take on the Proust Questionnaire (wiki).  Using that as the inspiration, I’m going to track down a few chefs from the Atlanta area (and nearby), and put them to the task (with a modified list of course!)  Hopefully, I’ll be able to do this every Friday … so we’ll see how long I can stick to that.  You’ll be able to follow the action on the blog or via my twitter account using the hash tag #itck.  Meanwhile, if you’re a chef or if you know a chef, feel free to contact me!  I can always use the people.

Last week, I mentioned that a well respected NYC foodie and a local heavyweight were scampering around town to try some of the best Atlanta has to offer.  Yesterday, Ed Levine, the NYC dude of Serious Eats fame, posted a writing by John Kessler, the AJC’s food dude.  Topics included the delicious pizzas that we all talk oh so much about.  Yes, that’s Varasano’s, Antico Pizza, & Fritti, for all you rock dwellers.  Though there isn’t a great deal of “review” details in the post, the article does seem to tip its hat in the direction of Antico.

Kessler goes on to discuss Atlanta’s burgeoning farm-to-table scene, BuHi’s Korean BBQ and ramen, and checks out with a tip of the hat to Woodfire Grill’s Kevin Gillespie and The Hil’s Hilary White.  I’m not sure if Levine actually went anywhere other than Antico and V’s, and his opinion is notably absent from the piece.  Still, it’s great to see Kessler pushing us on the national scene, and it’s a well-written summary piece for anyone trying to get a lay of the land.

[via Serious Eats]

Yesterday was a culinary gold medal for me.  First up was lunch at Myung Ga Won, one of the best Korean barbecue joints in the city.  Dinner was an off the hook meal at MF Buckhead.  We managed to score a pair of seats to one of Chris Kinjo’s omakase meals at MF Buckhead.  Truly an awesome experience.  While I work on the posts, check out Kessler’s thoughts on one such meal from a few months ago (as well as here).  While our ticket blew way past Kessler (in part because of the sake we ordered), I agree with him: it’s a meal I’ll never forget.

Shoya Izakaya opened late last month to a good bit of fan fare.  I’ve been once (but haven’t chatted it up yet), Kessler dropped in, and Eat, Drink, Man quickly shared his thoughts.  Shoya has already given Miso Izakaya more than it can handle.  While MI seems to be failing (only just now obtaining a liquor license), SI is off and running. I’m gonna get back this week and then do a more in depth post; however, I wanted to drop a little 411 real quick.

Per the title, this place doesn’t offer lunch.  In addition, they aren’t open Mondays (which is a good thing … but more on that … probably late today).  Any who … 5pm daily.

Shoya Izakaya Restaurant Address & Information

6035 Peachtree Road, Doraville, GA, 30341 // 770.457.5555 // Shoya Izakaya Website

Here’s something that will spread like wildfire amongst us local Atlanta bloggers: The Oak Room in New York finally had enough with the bad reviews (he’ah and he’ah).  While Frank Bruni may not deliver the apocalypse in all walks of life, as far as the NYC dining scene goes – he might be the one most likely to do just that.   According to John Kessler, Joël Antunes recently joined the rank and file of the unemployed.

I hate to say it folks; but, the idea that a highly regarded ATL chef didn’t pan out in New York is not a surprise.

John Kessler, one of Atlanta’s more well known foodies, recently took a trip to the much discussed omakase room at MF Buckhead.  For those unfamiliar, MF restaurants are known around town as much for their price point as they are for their food.

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