Dirty + Rowdy … it’s a bromance, it’s a style, it’s a way of life, and it’s also a wine. This tag team endeavor comes courtesy of Hardy Wallace and Rowdy Food, two ATLiens who do it for the love, not the money.
So why do I mention this here and now … well, because I’ve got two Dirty & Rowdy Wine T-shirts and they’re just absolutely burning a hole in my T-shirt drawer. I kid actually, these are brand new shirts as it just so happens – so no cooties will be transferred. But anyway, I’m giving them away FOR FREE!!! However, you do have to do a little bit of work to earn your keep. Read on to find out how to win!
Peter Chang is easily the most talked about Chinese chef over the past few years to plant a flag in Atlanta. His work is a thing of legend and is the single biggest reason Tasty China caught the attention of so many Chinese food fanatics (myself included). According to Tom Maicon of Atlanta Cuisine, Chang is back with a vengeance.
After departing our fare city for Nashville, and after a short stay in West [Note To Self: Richmond is not in West Virginia] Virginia (from what I hear), Maicon has confirmed that Chang is back in the Dirty South. In the short term, PC is setting up shop at TC. However, Tasty China owner Dahe Yang plans to open a new restaurant with Chang somewhere in Sandy Springs.
One heck of a weekend if you ask me … lots of football, lots of food, and lots of food news. What else is there? Here are just a few of the rumblings and grumblings that got tossed around this weekend.
Top Chef: Las Vegas Reunites In The Dirty South
Several of the contestants on Top Chef: Atlanta Las Vegas were seen in town this weekend. The group, comprised of ATLiens Kevin Gillespie and Eli Kirshtein, included out of towners Jennifer Carroll, Bryan Voltaggio, and Mike Isabella. The gang was spotted at the Falcons game sucking down some buzztastic grub from the new “it” barbecue joint … known round these parts as Community Q. Speaking of which, I grabbed a meal there last week, and I’ll definitely share in the next day or so (if not sooner).
The fun didn’t stop watching our beloved birds get tarred and feathered. To get the full Atlanta experience, the kiddos spent a good amount of time sampling ATL’s food. They took a trip to Flip Burger Boutique to see TC alum Richard Blais, to Holeman & Finch for some libations, to Pricci, and to each of TC:LVC Atlanta restaurants. UPDATE:Atlanta’s best BBQ blogger was kind enough to recap the events on his blog, pictures and all! Enjoy!
Holeman & Finch To Open Liquor Store
Speaking of H&F, long-standing rumors seem to be getting a little more traction. Several “reliable foodies” have mentioned that the group behind ATLs most notable “gastro bar” are going to expand into the liquor store business. All signs point to Bottleneck as the name of the establishment. Andy Minchow, one of the proprietors of H&F, is scheduled to take the reigns. For all you mixologists-in-training, this will most certainly be your store of choice. The former Repast barista will be there to help you with recipes, ingredients, and drinking gadgets. Atlanta’s masked videographer Rowdy just posted a clip of Andy … check it:
Some Bar In Some Place Opened
Some people just don’t “get it.” They somehow take the idea of underground coolness and screw it up by going the snobby/elitist route. Here’s what I’m talking about:
Everyone wants to be “Milk & Honey” but no one has the balls (or apparently the brains) to actually pull it off the way M&H did. A bar hoping to copy take inspiration from the NYC underground destination is doing its best to do everything Milk and Honey did not. It starts with the press release.
In this waste of digital paper, the owners were kind enough to provide the name of the bar. Then, they told you what area of town to find it (no specific information – just a generic address – it’s a phone booth of sorts btw). Oh, last but not least, they were nice enough to give out the name of their master mixologist (which everyone in the foodie circle already knows). The cherry? There’s a password to get in. However, they won’t give it out.
One of the reasons why M&H succeeded is because they played the game. They weren’t pretentious about what they were, and they didn’t try to have their cake and eat it too. This establishment seems to want its feet on both sides of the line. Not gonna happen here … You want to put out something in a press release … than do it … but don’t half ass it. As such … not even a name mention from yours truly. If you’re reading this and don’t know the story behind Milk and Honey … feel free to email me and I’ll elaborate. And if you’re dying to know what I’m talking about … search some of the more notable food blogs here in town … you’ll find the 205.5 without too much difficulty. They have a website already and … of course … A FACEBOOK PAGE!!!!!! The website actually tells you where it is. Grrrr …
This past Sunday, Adam and I went to Rathbun’s in Inman Park for their farm-to-table cooking class. There is a whole lot to say about this as I have about 200 pictures and a notebook full of scribble. Luckily, the two videos I shot came out half-decent. While they are nothing close in quality to the videos put out by Rowdy Food, I was reasonably pleased that my camera skills didn’t completely suck. As for the audio … well … it is what it is.
While there is a whole mess of stuff to say on this (so be on the look out), I thought we’d start ya’ll off with a few short videos. The star of the shows is chef Adam Williams, a 24-year-old wunderkind, who helped take Team Two to the promise land. In his spare time, Williams serves as one of Kevin Rathbun’s devout minions chefs. Enjoy!
With the days winding down until the October 1 closing of The Dining Room, there is no doubt that a number of people won’t have a chance to get their fix before the Buckhead hallmark says adios. Luckily, former blogger Rowdy Food took the time to photo-document his recent trip to see Arnaud Berthelier at The Ritz-Carlton. The pictures from the meal are very well done and the video won’t take much of your time. If you like what you see (and you should), I suggest you check out Rowdy’s youtube stream. He’s got quite the collection.
Ah, the joys of being an independent blogger with no editor, no boss, no financial obligations, and nobody to answer to but myself … let’s embrace it!
If you haven’t figured it out yet, let me tell you that I am indeed a fan of Top Chef. While there is plenty of bullshit that goes on behind the scenes, it seems to be one of the only (if not the only) reality show with some actual street cred. That it’s about food is just an added bonus. Actually, scratch that – because it’s about food AND since it seems at least quasi legit – I like it. Because it’s “usually” well done means I really like it.
As luck would have it, it seems that I’ve stumbled upon a little bit of information about the upcoming season. Before we begin, let us get a few things straight. A) I’m not going to tell you how I found out. B) I will tell you that this information did not come from anyone in the restaurant biz nor from one of my fellow bloggers. C) I wouldn’t be writing this post if I was completely full of crap. That said, I may be wrong here. So proceed at your own risk. If it turns out I’ve been misinformed, well – I warned you.
Keeping that in mind, if you want some “off the record dirt,” then read read on. If you like surprises, well, I suggest you stop reading now.
