davidthomas8779

In an attempt to continue discussion of Atlanta restaurants, I am listing some of my favorites with short descriptions and appropriate links. I have a 5 and 6 year old and accordingly have not explored in depth Atlanta's fine dining scene (although Seegers' and Joel are on my list of places to go). Vietnam House—This Buford highway establishment has what I consider the best Vietnamese in Atlanta and the best I’ve eaten in either Northern Virginia (been to 20 or so) or Atlanta (Outside of pho joints and bahn mi deli’s I’ve eaten here and at Bien Thuy). Bien Thuy gets John Kessler’s mark as the best in Atlanta, but I think that the food and atmosphere at VHU is better. The menu is extensive and the standards are impeccably done. I think that the pork and lotus salad appetizer is an amazing combination of flavors and I never come with ordering one of the fondue dishes (I love playing with food) or one of the large soups. The restaurant has a web page at http://www.vietnamhouseusa.com Oriental Pearl or Happy Valley for dim sum. Both are astounding. Kessler does a better review than me at http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/d...2/12dimsum.html I can’t stand mediocre or boring sushi. I consistently return to both Haru Ichiban http://www.accessatlanta.com/restaurants/c...ning/22962.html and Soto Japanese Restaurant http://atlanta.citysearch.com/profile/2994908/ I’d never go to Soto after 7 because the service gets abysmal because of the small size. I love the food at Madras Saravana Bhavan http://atlanta.citysearch.com/profile/35713000/ it is an Indian vegetarian restaurant with both simple and complex, mild and spicy food. The dosai are amazing

They are faucets for filling pots so that you don't have to struggle back and forth between sink and stove.

If anyone is keeping score, I ended up buying this oven GE Profile Performance Spectra 30 in. Free-Standing Sealed Burner Convection Gas Range JGB920 ( http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Large_Applian...as_Range_JGB920 ) because I got a deal I couldn't refuse ($900 for a perfect condition open box model (black on black). I almost bought the 30" DCS (for $1200 more) but didn't like the size of the oven (it was a little bit small) even though the range had some superior features. My wife and I decided that our next stove is going to be the 48" DCS.

We'll know in just 2-4 short weeks. I've gotten to the point that if something interests me and it's less than $30 I just buy it. I figure it is my reward for not being a smoker or excessive drinker (and I have a 5 and 6 year old so the disposable income that I'd ordinarily spend on my stomach isn't being spent that way) 2-4 short weeks my ass. I ordered on February 10 and my ChefWizards arrived today. I have not yet been home to experiment but I'll have a great time tonight I'm sure.

Oh, the other simple beauty of the Dave Only Eat What Tastes Good And When You Are Hungry Diet (hereinafter, the "DOEWTGAWYAHD") is that you don't know how many calories are in anything.

I'm a big fan of the yogurt in a tube. Yogurt in a tube results in my kids eating yogurt at lunch rather than some kind of school crap. Also, if you freeze the tube-yogurt, it stays cold until it is eaten at lunch time.

One key to me for any dietary modification I do is to stop eating stuff that doesn't taste good (note that bad for you food that tastes good is still ok). There isn't really an excuse for eating more than 2 bites of a mediocre barbeque sandwich. As my good friend Steve has said to me "It's not like you're going to drop dead of emaciation if you put that in the trash". Further, I try to eat fairly slowly so that my brain registers when I full and I don't just shovel in more food. I'm 31 and am currently about 200 pounds, down from 230 last May. I've got another 20 lbs to go before I'll be as healthy as I want and if I get serious again about not eating food that doesn't taste good, I'll do fine.

Is there a good web page or other online resource with information regarding appliances? I'm considering buying a new freestanding gas range (sick of dealing with electric) and would like to obsessively research them before I buy them.

Are preserved duck eggs supposed to smell strongly of ammonia? I picked some up at my local market and they smelled like urine. Couldn't get past the smell to appreciate anything about the taste.

Yes Actually, the fries and blue cheese sauce is at the Buckhead Diner. The Varsity is strictly a drive in, hot dogs, onion rings (awesome ones), french fries, etc.

Ask your fishmonger to cut it in half on his band saw. Rinse off any bits of his finger that remain.

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I'm astounded that you were treated that poorly. My wife and I went to Soto for the first time at 28 and got no trouble. Sat at the bar and had a grand old time. The key is to sit at the sushi bar and to go early (6 or 630) before it gets crowded. There is also an astounding japanese restuarant in Duluth called Haru Ichiban. It is constantly full of Japanese expats.

We'll know in just 2-4 short weeks. I've gotten to the point that if something interests me and it's less than $30 I just buy it. I figure it is my reward for not being a smoker or excessive drinker (and I have a 5 and 6 year old so the disposable income that I'd ordinarily spend on my stomach isn't being spent that way)

I saw an ad within the last 2 months for some kind of combination whisk-tongs-spatulas that is sensitive enough to pick up a penny, yet can be used to pick up eggs also. Anyone know the name?

In fact, there are 8778 other David Thomases. In addition to revolutionizing the fast food burger, our forefather was quite fertile and active*. I'm going to DFM tomorrow and will look for rancid cheese. I always try to go first thing in the morning so that I can get a good selection. I've not yet had a problem with any items that I've purchased being off. I think that DFM has the best produce and meat selection in the greater Atlanta area. I've shopped intermittently at the Whole Foods on Briarcliff and at several Harry's before they were sold to be part of the WholeFoodistan empire but think that the prices are highway robbery and that you are paying extra for packaging and handling of your food. I prefer to break down my own meat and fish and don't want to pay more to have someone make it look pretty for me. Given that Dave The Cook is Dave on Egullet, I'll make this the second place that I'm referred to as David (the first is my mother's house "I don't have any children that I named Daaaaaaaaaaaave [insert sneer as said]") *Note for lawyer running site--This is an obvious joke and Mr. Thomas is a god-fearing and moral man loved by all.

Actually, it appears that there are 3 of us from the greater Atlanta area. I live in the Eastern suburbs (Tucker) and am partial to buying my meat and fish at the Dekalb Farmer's Market.

In addition to the great fun that one can have with a peep and a kitchen torch, I think that this experiment is worth trying at home. http://www.peepresearch.org/smoking.html