Milt
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Posts posted by Milt
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Last Monday a new Vietnamese restaurant opened in Sandy Springs. RiceSticks is at 5920 Roswell Road B-113 between Hammond and I-285. My wife and I had dinner there last night and it was fantastic. We shared an order of Shrimp Spring Rolls, then she ordered Chicken Curry as her entree and I ordered Braised Tofu and Mushrooms as mine. For dessert she had Lemon Flan and I ordered Pear Jasmine Sorbet. I went in to a brand new restaurant hoping that the food was decent and the service not too harried. Service was exceptional - helpful, pleasant, but not hovering. We never felt ignored or rushed. The food was beyond my dreams for a new venture. They obviously hired qualified, experienced, capable staff. Even the young man bussing the tables was impressive. The decor is beautiful. Kevin Tran, one of the owners, told me that his sister (an artist) worked closely with their architect to achieve the results we observed.
Check them out now, before they are discovered. They are closed on Sundays.
www.ricestocks.com is their website.
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A few years ago we visited New Iberia and toured the Konriko rice mill and then Trappey's cannery (it has just sold a month or so before, but was still operating under the Trappey's name), as well as the Tabasco plant. The Tabasco tour had more polish and glitz, but the other two were the more enjoyable. They were very hands on - we were allowed to be on the production floor. Trappey's was processing chopped jalapenos the day we were there. Konriko was packaging rice cakes.
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We have a trip planned which will take us from Atlanta along I-20 to Shreveport, then north into Arkansas. What would you recommend along the way? We will be in travel clothing, so places convenient to the interstate and reasonably casual would be appropriate. We eat anything. Quality is far more important that atmosphere or what type food or cuisine.
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We will soon be leaving on a trip which will take us west along I-20 through Alabama and Mississippi. What "must eat" places are convenient to the interstate? We will travel in casual clothing, so fine dining is out of the question. Except for fine dining in a very relaxed atmosphere. We eat anything - barbeque, catfish, southern - what else is there in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi?
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I equate Hamburger Helper with a lot of fast food chains. It isn't bad food, it just isn't really good food. There are so many better and cheaper alternatives - like using ground meat, pasta, sauce and seasonings from a recipe.
We ate quite a bit of Helper type meals a few years ago. My wife (traditional as she is - felt she should work full time, do all the laundry and prepare all of the meals) finally had a year where she felt overwhelmed. She asked that we all help with the meal preparation. Our ten year old daughter prepared one evening meal per week, our fourteen year old son prepared one, I did two, my wife did two, and she and I went out on Friday nights - as we have done for years. Friday night started out as a way to be alone without the kids - just some time to ourselves. Now the little ones are twenty and twenty-four and we still eat out on Fridays. Anyway, the ten year old usually used a dinner shortcut like Hamburger Helper and it helped her gain confidence in the kitchen. She is an excellent cook today and those early responsibilities must have helped. I am proud to say that we have not had Hamburger Helper for several years now.
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I have thought about visiting RuSan's on Windy Hill Road in Cobb County many times, but it is less than a block from Umezono - which is excellent. Umezono is so enjoyable, that RuSan's always comes in second.
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Davidson County's solution is so very simple. They must relocate their air monitor. I am sure the Chamber of Commerce would support this solution.
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A wonderful topic. Thank you all for your contributions. First, a little personal background, which probably means nothing. I enjoy history. I majored in business so I could get a job, and I minored in history bacause I love it. I enjoy eating in non-chain restaurants around the country (I have been in 44 of our 50 states plus several provinces and estados) and have for years before I found any of these message boards. These message boards seem to have been designed for me even though I had nothing to do with the development of any of them.
One observation from all of this is that many of us seem to equate Mom's cooking and the local cuisine as the best, and the rest is interesting, but not quite authentic. This is especially true with barbeque. I have lived in Oklahoma City for 5 years, New Mexico for 21 years, Kansas City for 13 years, and Atlanta for 22 years. That is 18 years in beef country, 21 years in sheep country and 22 years in pork country. Every one of those areas seems to think that they have a lock on the preparation of REAL barbeque.
With keeping an open mind, one can enjoy fine barbeque and tremendous variety. For several years in Kansas City, I was privileged to be invited to a friend's goat roast. Here in Georgia, for several years, I was a part of an annual pig roast. Both were wonderful experiences. I love barbeque of all kinds, including chicken and turkey - which historically don't belong at all. The myriad sauce choices in the local grocery stores is incredible. The mathematical possibilities with the various meats, various ribs, various birds, various sausages and all of these sauces is mind boggling. I can't keep track of what I haven't yet tried.
Some (my youngest daughter is a prime example) find something they enjoy and then eat it ad nauseum. I tend to choose whatever I have never tasted before choosing a familiar item. Most people seem to be somewhere in between my dauther and me - and none of those positions are inherently wrong.
My background always taught that barbacoa was the origin of our word barbeque. Now, I am not so sure. It seems apparent to me that many people and groups of people have contributed to the evolution of barbeque - and that is wonderful. Now that bison, emu and ostrich are available in markets, they seem like wonderful meats for barbecue. Has anyone tried any of these? Or any other exotic meats? Wild game seems perfect for slow cooking - venison, elk, bear. I am excited about the continuing possiblities and the continuing evolution of barbeque.
If we (whoever we are) didn't own barbeculture originally, we certainly can claim partial equity now.
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I hadn't looked at their site in probably a year or more. It still has a long way to go before I can make much use of it. The lack of information on the various restaurants and festivals makes the site of modest value. I applaud their attempt to list the various food related festivals throughout the southeast. That is something I have been looking for. Unfortunately, they provide little in the way of contact information - and no dates beyond the month. Third Saturday in June would be very helpful and wouldn't have to be changed annually.
Who provides their reviews when they have them? Maybe I just didn't look far enough. To be a helpful site, there should be a way to provide update information. It may be overwhelming to open up to all of the potential input that the web can provide, but it also seems vital to their viability/survival.
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The concept you are describing is alive and well in the southeastern states. Here in Georgia, the Smith House in Dahlonega serves several meats and several vegetables family style at long tables. The Dillard House in Dillard does similarly. This approach works particularly well in an area where the typical traditional southern restaurant serves a choice of a meat and a choice of a couple of vegetables along with biscuits and/or cornbread and, of course, sweet tea.
The other place where I have been served family style at long tables, along with whomever happened to be seated alongside of me, was at the Maifest in Hermann, Missouri. I am not Catholic, but I always ate at the Catholic church in Hermann during the Maifest. They served wonderful food family style until we couldn't move, and then said - over there on the bleachers are an assortment of pies and cakes that the women of the church made and brought in. Go help yourself. We left the Kansas City area in 1978. Is the Maifest still held? Does the Catholic church basement still offer a wonderful family style meal?
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But did you like the pickle???
Yes I did. Of course you are speaking to a pickle fanatic. I pack the overhead compartment with Mt. Olive Pickles everytime I travel south of the Mason-Dixon line. Love the pickled okra and bread and butter.
Suburban Atlanta is considerably below the Mason-Dixon line, and Mt. Olive pickle products are readily available at the chain grocery stores around here.
I just looked at my jar of Mt Olive bread & butter pickles and realized that they are themselves a product of the south. Mt Olive pickles are produced in Mt Olive NC, according to the label.
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But did you like the pickle???
Yes I did. Of course you are speaking to a pickle fanatic. I pack the overhead compartment with Mt. Olive Pickles everytime I travel south of the Mason-Dixon line. Love the pickled okra and bread and butter.
Suburban Atlanta is considerably below the Mason-Dixon line, and Mt. Olive pickle products are readily available at the chain grocery stores around here.
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Isn't this located in a fairly rough, bring-your-own-gun type neighborhood?
I must admit I was more apprehensive about the neighborhood before eating Iris than afterward. It is very convenient to I-20 and valet parking also helps greatly, although I parked at the curb on the side street immediately across from the Iris valet parking sign.
When I mentioned the service station, it was with utmost respect and awe. I love the concept of rehabbing structures rather than razing them only to replace them with something no more impressive. My wife didn't recognize the restaurant building's past life until I pointed it out to her. I suspect she was paying more attention to the art on the walls. That always turns her head.
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Milt, what does the waiter have to do with food quality? Isn't the tip in payment for the waiter's service?
On occasion, the waiter does have control of the food quality. The most obvious example is when they don't serve the food promptly enough after the kitchen has prepared it. An otherwise delicious meal can be ruined when it arrived at the table at room temperature.
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This thread caused me to remember years ago when I attended the Maifest in Hermann, Missouri. A vintner there provided a tour of their facilities followed by a tasting of several of their wines. It caused me to buy several and not buy several others. Since moving to Georgia, we have stopped at that same winery's retail store for a case of wines that we can't get in Georgia.
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Last evening a group of 18 of us, at the last minute, decided to get together at Iris, 1314 Glenwood Ave SE in East Atlanta for dinner. Chef Nicholas was very accommodating.
We first gathered in the bar to await the arrival of all in our party. While drinking whatever we chose, we shared bread and tappenade and cheese, olives, pickles, ceviche and oysters. After deciding that we would all go with the prix fixe menu, we adjourned to our dining room.
Remembering all that we were served is beyond reason, but at least the following courses are recalled: beef carpaccio, lobster ceviche, lobster bisque, foi gras, wolf fish with white asparagus, lamb with mashed potatoes, carrots and fried sweet potato chips, and finally individual cheese assortments and coffee. Chef Nicholas prepared salads for those who did not care for foi gras, and served crab cakes to those who did not eat red meat. Such accommodation and flexibility is not often found. Chef Nicholas and our server, James, treated us as wonderfully, as professionally as I could imagine. Our water and wine glasses were constantly being refilled, our tableware was constantly being replaced. We always had the appropriate clean dinnerware for the next course.
The most amazing thing to me is that every single item served was excellent. Zola, in north Alpharetta, is the only other place I have eaten in the Atlanta area in recent years where I can honestly say that happened.
A natural question for many of you is cost. Our share (we asked for, and received individual checks) at the bar and in the dining room, including tips, came to $104 for the two of us.
It is amazing to see what can be done with a neighborhood service station.
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Various ground meats are sold here in round patty form. I have bought beef, lamb, bison, and ostrich in this manner, maybe other meats as well. Whatever form, I view it as ground meat and make cooking decisions based on that. Sometimes it is burgers, but it may also be meatloaf or chili. The possibilities are endless.
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My thoughts on this subject have already been expressed far better than I am capable of doing. Then why am I responding? To agree on a couple of important issues. Comps are the prerogative of the house. It is their call entirely, or it wouldn't be a comp. This is true even when the kitchen, or other staff, has screwed up royally. My tip is always based on the total value of what has been served, including comps, including coupons, or anything else of value. It is my role to evaluate the food quality, service quality, ambiance, etc. relative to the cost of same. Then I decide whether to return and how frequently to do so.
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I have been sampling whatever is offered for many years - more than I care to recall - and have had no ill effects ever. I have, however, found some items that I decided to buy based upon having tasted the sample. I have also decided against some fresh fruits for the same reason.
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Gifted Gourmet mentioned that I had not praised Mi Pilon on eGullet. Apparently she is correct. CoolPapaBell made brief mention above in January, so I didn't elaborate. Mi Pilon is a great place for under $10. It is a Dominican restaurant on Buford Hwy @ Mitchell Rd - about a half mile north of Jimmy Carter Blvd. The plantains stuffed with beef brisket are superb - but not always available. The stewed goat is also a favorite. For those less venturesome, there are several beef, pork and chicken dishes to choose from along with red or black beans and rice or yuca. I particularly enjoy their homemade lemonade. They also serve a good Dominican beer. They are open seven days a week - I think from 11:30am-9pm, but check first if the hours are important. Spanish is the language of choice, but the two sisters who own Mi Pilon speak excellent English when that ability is needed.
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My current favorite is a considerable drive from home (forty minutes). It is a Dominican restaurant where my favorites are plantains stuffed with beef brisket or stewed goat accompanied by black beans and rice.
If you are that impressed, a fellow Atlantan would love to hear the details of this restaurant in the Southeastern Forum of eG ....
I thought I had already told everyone possible, but if I missed anyone - Mi Pilon on Buford Hwy @ Mitchell Rd just north of Jimmy Carter Blvd in metro Atlanta is a superb Dominican restaurant.l They serve beef, pork, chicken, goat, rice, yuca, homemade lemonade and more. More than one version of several of the above dishes. Hours are something like 11:30am-9:00pm seven days a week - I think. Check to be certain. The language of choice in Mi Pilon is Spanish, but the sister's who own the place speak excellent English, if you need for them to do so.
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Twenty-seven years later, she is still accompanying me to restaurants that she would never have chosen - and she is still finding something on the menu for herself.
hopefully she gets to choose the restaurant once every other year milt :-)
Actually, we have taken turns for years. She chooses where we eat as often as I do. It's just that her choices are mainstream enough that there is no challenge in finding something to eat when she chooses the restaurant. My current favorite is a considerable drive from home (forty minutes). It is a Dominican restaurant where my favorites are plantains stuffed with beef brisket or stewed goat accompanied by black beans and rice.
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Now we have a daughter who is interesting, bright, articulate, pleasant and more. There are whole classes of foods that she won't try, because she might not like them if she tasted them. When I cook, she automatically gets a pizza out of the freezer. When we go out, she orders chicken or shrimp. That is progress. For the first fifteen years of her life she only ordered chicken fingers. Now she will even order a dinner that includes a salad. She won't eat it - but she will order it.
There's hope, though, Milt. . . my parents STILL love to tell people about my yearlong french fries and bacon phase. I pretty much eat everything now. . . but wonder whether my earlier poor diet stunted my growth! (Hey, this just occurred to me: was I the earliest-ever adopter of the Atkins Diet?)
I hope our daughter's diet hasn't stunted her growth. She just admitted last week to have reached 6'1". Think what good nutrition could have done.
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When dating ( a long time ago) I looked for women who were interesting, bright, articulate, pleasant, etc. When we had a date, I began to see that some of them were not as adventuresome as I when selecting a restaurant. There were a couple of times that I stopped dating simply because I felt we would be too far apart too much of the time around restaurants - or what is eventually fixed at home, if the relationship ever got that far.
I finally found a woman who is interesting, bright, articulate, pleasant, and more. We even share most of our religious and political values. And she will try just about any restaurant that I want to visit. She is not nearly as adventuresome as I, but she knows that she can find something on the menu that she will enjoy. Twenty-seven years later, she is still accompanying me to restaurants that she would never have chosen - and she is still finding something on the menu for herself.
Now we have a daughter who is interesting, bright, articulate, pleasant and more. There are whole classes of foods that she won't try, because she might not like them if she tasted them. When I cook, she automatically gets a pizza out of the freezer. When we go out, she orders chicken or shrimp. That is progress. For the first fifteen years of her life she only ordered chicken fingers. Now she will even order a dinner that includes a salad. She won't eat it - but she will order it. On the other hand, our son (who prefers simple traditional foods) will try anything. He loves my pot roast - but he has tasted everything I have cooked and just about everything I have ordered at a restaurant. Aren't kids amazing?
We have friendships with couples where one party is a picky eater, but I can't imagine having to deal with two like that. What a challenge and what a tribute to those of you who endure such tastes and invite them over anyway.
Colorado Mexican Favorites
in Southwest & Western States: Dining
Posted
You bought back some memories from long ago. I grew up in Farmington, New Mexico - not too far south of Colorado. A woman from Blanco (and sometimes her youngest daughter) came by our shop and sold homemade burritos from the trunk of her car. She had two options - hot and mild. They were to die for. Evidently, others in the community felt as I did. She put all twelve of her children through the University of New Mexico with the proceeds of those burritos being a significant part of the story.