Mark J. Neal

Tom Colicchio is a very famous man. Even if you don’t think you know who he is, you probably know who he is. So I will spare you the book report on the owner of craft. I WILL tell you he is famous for a reason and you should definitely try out his restaurants…yes, there are two.

The space within craft is actually two restaurants. craft is the more dressed up version and craftbar, craft’s sister restaurant, is more casual. You actually walk into craftbar to get to craft. Anyway, they both present beautiful food and I would suggest both. I will say I prefer the upstairs. The duck confit is fantastic, and the mushrooms may be the best thing in either restaurant…seriously. Pork belly, beef short rib, sweetbreads, foie gras, wagyu carpaccio…I mean, seriously. Now don’t hold me to these items because the menu is seasonal, but you are guaranteed a gluttonous meal at craft.

Tom Colicchio gets it. Exceptional ingredients prepared simply…did I mention the mushrooms??

www.craftrestaurant.com

Atlanta has five million people, four major professional sports franchises, and thousands of restaurants. None of this makes us a REAL ‘big city’.

REAL big cities consist of many small communities that more than adequately serve their small population’s needs. New York is the quintessential example. Within each neighborhood, East Village for example, everything the locals need is steps away…not miles!

Things are changing, however. Atlanta is becoming more and more like a REAL ‘big city’ every day.

A perfect example of this rebirth is Savi Urban Market. Located in Inman Park on Elizabeth Street, Savi focuses on everything a local shopper needs, without the drive across town to Whole Foods or any other national chain grocery store. Savi provides high end products such as artisanal cheeses and breads, alongside everyday necessities such as a jug of Tide and baby food. Delicious prepared meals are a specialty, and the wine and beer selections are excellent.

I really think Savi has captured what in-town folks want. What good is it to live in-town if you have to drive five miles to a grocery store, then only to find you need to go to another store to get everything you need?? Hopefully more neighborhoods will follow this trend. I like the concept so much I am working there part time. Come on in for an espresso and a look around the store and say hello!

www.saviurbanmarket.com

Preface this whole write up with the following disclaimer…These guys roped me in about ten years ago with their ‘Top Five in the World’ belgian bar at their pub, Brickstore Pub, in downtown Decatur. SO, when we went to Leon’s last night for dinner they could have served my wife and I spam sushi for $4o a roll and we would not have complained…especially since I had a Duchesse de Bourgogne in my hand. However, what we ended up having was one of the most creative, reasonably priced, all around enjoyable meal I have had in some time.

Started off with beer, obviously. I had the Duchesse and my wife had a Wittekerke. Beer selection is fantastic and not a reproduction of the Brickstore’s. Leon’s has it’s own identity when it comes to it’s beer selection for sure….I can’t stop talking about the beer…NEXT, we were ready for some pub frites, which they serve with your choice of two sauces. There are a ton of sauces to choose from, and we went with masaman curry and cucumber dill yogurt. Nice complimentary flavors, and the fries…I know I know…frites….are delicious. Frites serve two, and only cost five bucks. We then had all natural chicken liver croquettes, shallot pickles with a tarragon bacon mayonnaise. Now this is creative stuff. Liver hushpuppies, essentially.

Entrees required two fresh beers. My wife had a Blanche De Brux to accompany her crispy skin mt. trout, endive & radicchio, cashews, apricot vinaigrette. I tried a De Ranke Guldenberg for the first time….seriously good beer, and had the pan roasted grouper, spaghetti squash, radicchio, fennel, pistachio, saffron broth. Whoa. Knew it would be good, but I’m not kidding, this is great food…and it is very reasonably priced.

It would be an injustice not to point out the service at Leon’s too. Extremely knowledgeable staff, whether you want to talk food, beer, whiskey…very friendly people who will continually surprise and impress you with their knowledge…seriously….Encyclopedia style knowledge.

All in all, a perfect place to have dinner, or just stop by for a beer. Outdoor seating, indoor seating, a bar (that’s where we have sat both times we have been there), a bocce ball court, and about 50 yards from the Downtown Decatur Marta! Might see ya in there soon….

Restaurant website info below….

www.leonsfullservice.com

The Taste of Atlanta is right around the corner. Tickets are available right now, so don’t be dumb, get ya some! One of the top outdoor events of the year, there is definitely something for everybody at this year’s ‘Taste’. October 10th and 11th, 11:00 am-6:00 pm. See website for all the details. For those of you not in Atlanta, October is arguably the best month of the year here. The mosquitoes are gone, the temperature is perfect, and the smog seems to magically vanish as fall sets in.

http://tasteofatlanta.net/

About the Festival

Taste of Atlanta is a dynamic, flavor filled 2-day outdoor food festival that showcases the diversity of Atlanta’s food scene and attracts food lovers from Atlanta, the Southeast and beyond.

Now in its 8th year, this year’s festival is moving to Tech Square in the heart of Midtown Atlanta encompassing Spring Street and 5th Street. Guests will enjoy:

Good eats from more than 80 of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants

National and Local Celebrity Chefs on the Main Cooking Stage

Farm to Festival Village showcasing the local sustainable movement with live cooking demonstrations and a farmers market filled with locally grown products

Amica Insurance Kids Avenue with interactive cooking demonstrations for kids and hands on activities

Music and entertainment from local and regional artists

Wine and Beer Experience featuring a tasting tents and educational seminars (Admission open to VIP ticket holders only; must be age 21 or older)
Taste of Atlanta – a must eat event!

Buford Highway is a destination street for anyone that likes food from all around the world. Penang might be one of the most notable of these eateries, and for good reason. I do not consider myself an expert on Malaysian cuisine by any means, but I know enough to know it is some of the best tasting, most flavorful food in the universe! Penang will open your eyes to this world immediately. You have to start with a couple orders of roti, and then just take your time with the menu. It is a little overwhelming at first, but just know the best way to eat here, like most restaurants, is family style. Order a bunch of dishes and pass them around. You MUST try the whole, fried fish…this is a good enough reason to live in Atlanta by itself. You probably aren’t getting this dish, this quality, in many places in the South.

http://www.penangatlanta.com/

The island of Penang is one of 13 states in Malaysia. For many years, traditional culinary style is influenced by its three major ethnic community namely Malay, Chinese and Indian. The basic pattern of Malay cooking lies in the preparation of “wet” spices consisting of lemon grass, shallots, ginger, garlic, fresh chillies, and tumeric as well as “dry” spices of coriander, cumin, anise seed, cloves, cinnamon and cardamon.

Malaysian curries are delicately flavored with various herbs and leaves such as pandan, galangal, lemon grass, fragant lime, coriander, and curry leaves. The main stay of every meal is a generous, steaming helping of rice, accompanied by a selection of dishes including fish, vegetables, meat, poultry and sambal (shrimp paste).

Come feast on our wide range of exquisite Malaysian cuisine.

http://www.101concepts.com/

Food 101’s Justin Keith is a fantastic chef, whether he is cooking Duck Pot Pie at the restaurant or bar-b-q three ways for his family and friends. Fortunately, I know this because Justin is a friend of mine. So I guess any opinions I give you about Food 101 are a little biased….so that means you’ll just have to head out Roswell Rd. and try it for yourself! And for those who need a little more encouragement, Justin prepared an extremely successful meal at the James Beard Dinner a couple years back, so expect to be impressed. Check out their Oktoberfest Beer Dinner coming up Thursday, October 22, 2009.

It is Oktoberfest time again! Please Join Us!!
OKTOBERFEST BEER DINNER
~ MENU ~

ROASTED PUMPKIN, APPLEWOOD BACON, & ARUGULA SALAD

Spiced Pumpkin Seed, Aged Parmesan, Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale – Portsmouth, NH

~

CORNMEAL CRUSTED CATFISH FINGERS

Pickled Pepper Chow Chow, Lemon Pepper Aioli

Warsteiner Oktoberfest – Warstein, Germany

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BRAISED SONOMA COUNTY DUCK POT PIE

Parsnips, Peas, Carrots, Sage, Puff Pastry

The Duck-Rabbit Wee Heavy Scotch Ale – Farmville, NC

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ROASTED LAMB BURGER

English Muffin, Melted Feta, Mint Cucumber Relish

Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale – Escondido, CA

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ASSORTED MINI DOUGHNUTS

Dark Chocolate Glazed, Powdered, Sprinkle, Pistachio

Highland Oatmeal Porter – Asheville, NC

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22nd, 2009

$59 per person

Reception 6:45 / Seating 7:00

For Reservations, Please Call (404) 497-9700

Join Us Every Sunday Brunch From 11am-3pm for our Jazz Brunch!!

Every Sunday we will have a small Jazz Band here from 12pm – 2pm as well as a ”Build your own Bloody Mary” Bar starting at 12:30pm!!

Also, don’t forget that we offer Half-Priced Wine all day on Sundays!!

Chastain Bound
Come join us here at Food 101 before heading to your Chastain concert! Bring in your ticket stub for our free feature that night!!
Drinks, Apps, Dinner, and Fun, Guaranteed!!

Another staple for me, Mediterranean Grill is a perfect place for an inexpensive, healthy, delicious meal.  Their success has led to multiple locations from Decatur to Marietta to Midtown, so it is becoming more and more accessible to the masses.   Not a bad idea to call in an order on your way to pick it up, and bring it home for dinner.  Excellent food with no fuss.  I have probably eaten their pita wraps and potatoes more times than I have eaten anything in Atlanta.

http://www.mediterraneangrill.com/

MARIETTA:
1255 Johnson Ferry Rd.
Marietta GA 30068
Phone: 678.996.0045
FAX: 678.996.0071

MID TOWN:
985 Monroe Drive
(at 10th St.)
GA 30308
Phone: 404.917.1100
FAX: 404.477.1169

EMORY/DECATUR:
2126 N Decatur Rd
(at Clairmont Rd.)
Decatur, GA 30033
Phone: 404.320.0101
FAX: 404.320.9425

Taqueria del Sol should be a staple meal for all Atlantans.  Severely addictive and cultish, there is just something about the place that calls my name about once a week….I’m not saying I always act on it, but…

Eat lunch there for under $10, have dinner for the same…if you want to splurge try some good tequila…really good tequila.  And don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations, because contrary to popular belief Patron is not the best tequila in the world…not even close.  Make sure to check the website for hours of operation, because the hours are a little unpredictable if you don’t eat here 52 times a year.

http://www.taqueriadelsol.com/

WESTSIDE
1200-B Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA
404-352-5811

DECATUR
359 West Ponce De Leon Avenue
Decatur, GA
404-377-7668

CHESHIRE BRIDGE
2165 Cheshire Bridge Road
Atlanta, GA
404-321-1118

ATHENS
NOW OPEN!
334 Prince Avenue
Athens, GA
706-353-3890

Kevin Rathbun has taken over a huge chunk of real estate in a great part of town, and created a culinary amusement park for anyone that appreciates great food and wine.  Rathbun has become a household name in Atlanta due to his great concepts and hard work.  I kinda think of him as Atlanta’s true celebrity chef…I don’t know if he would like that title or not, but my intent in calling him that is all positive and complimentary.  You will have a great meal at either restaurant, and the Krog Bar is a great place for drinks and small plates.  Dry aged steaks at Kevin Rathbun Steak  are as good as any steak in town, and the original restaurant Rathbun’s has too many great dishes to try to list here, but make sure you try the Bone Marrow with Fleur de sel and Buttered Brioche and Radicchio Marmalade….what????  Exactly.

http://www.rathbunsrestaurant.com/

http://www.kevinrathbunsteak.com/

http://www.krogbar.com/

Bio:  After thirty years in the restaurant business working and learning from others, in 2004, Kevin Rathbun opened his namesake restaurant, Rathbun’s, then Krog Bar (2005), and then Kevin Rathbun Steak (2007). And today, Kevin continues to be a pivotal and driving force in the local and national restaurant scene.

At Rathbun’s, Kevin incorporated his take on Modern American Cuisine with a menu that expands to over fifty menu items along with specials every night.  His insight to what his guests desire have turned most of the menu items into staples.  His features of raw “crudo” plates were one of the first to be seen in Atlanta, and his listing of “small plates” expands to over fifteen items. His entree consist of “big plates” and “second mortgage plates” and range in menu pricing of $15.00 to $39.00.  The signature items are the scallops, the lobster taco, the 20 oz. Ribeye with blue cheese, and the veal chop with sweet corn Gouda.  Added to that is Kevin’s list of signature side plates that range from the cabbage carbonara to the cauliflower mash.

Since opening, Rathbun’s has garnered awards from Esquire Magazine (Best New Restaurant), Travel & Leisure (Best New American Restaurant), USA Today, Mobil Travel Guide (Three Star Rating), Atlanta Journal Constitution (Four Stars), Zagat Ratings (2nd Most Popular Restaurant in Atlanta, Bon Appetit (Hot 50 Restaurants), Atlanta Magazine (Restaurant of The Year), Creative Loafing (Best New Restaurant), Jezebel Magazine (Best New Restaurant), Georgia Trend Magazine (Top Ten Restaurant in Georgia), Creative Loafing (Best Overall Restaurant and Best Chef), Sunday Paper (Best Chef and Best Overall Restaurant), AOL CityGuide (Best Restaurant in Atlanta), and Kevin has been featured on the TODAY SHOW, The Early Show, Iron Chef America (Winner), Good Morning America, Good Day Atlanta, Better Mornings, CNN, and print media such as Food & Wine, Gourmet, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Veranda, Southern Living, Diversions, Men’s Journal, Miami Herald, The Atlantan, Oprah Magazine, National Geographic Traveler, RAVE, SKY Magazine, GO Magazine, Denver Post, Food Arts, Flavors, and many more.

At Krog Bar, after visiting Spain, Kevin returned with a vision of an intimate wine bar with small tapas plates.  Working along with the restaurant designers and architects, he opened Krog Bar and did just that.  He incorporated all types of Spanish style cuisines into a menu and atmosphere, which has some of the same staples as day one and now features daily specials of hot plates. Krog Bar’s intimate interior adds to the warmth of dining in this award winning Spanish style wine bar.

Since opening, Krog Bar has garnered awards from Travel & Leisure, Atlanta Magazine, Sunday Paper, Creative Loafing, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Citysearch, Points North Magazine and many more.

At Kevin Rathbun Steak, Kevin took on his biggest endeavor to date.  Only one and a half block from Rathbun’s and Krog Bar, Kevin found an old cotton warehouse and turned it into one of the Top Steakhouses in The U.S. (Details Magazine). Kevin Rathbun Steak features Prime steaks from Allen Brothers in Chicago along with a menu that expands to over fifty items. Kevin wanted this steakhouse to have the “new modernized atmosphere and menu” of a steakhouse and he did that by incorporating more seafood, alternative meats, new and creative appetizers and a list of over fifteen sides.  The incorporation of local produce and a completely chef driven menu with organic meats and heritage bred animals has continued to keep this restaurant as one of the top new steakhouses in the United States.

Since opening, Kevin Rathbun Steak has received accolades from Details Magazine, (One of the Best New Steakhouses in America), Playboy Magazine (Best Steakhouse in Atlanta), Everyday with Rachel Ray (Top Eight Steakhouse in the U.S.), Gayot Online (Top Ten Steakhouse in America), Atlanta Journal Constitution (Four Stars), Creative Loafing (Four Stars), Citysearch (One of the Top New Restaurants in Atlanta & Best Atlanta Steakhouse), Atlanta Magazine (Best New Steakhouse in Atlanta), Creative Loafing (Best Atlanta Steakhouse and Best Chef), StarChefs (Restaurateur Award), and Kevin has been featured on the TODAY SHOW, The Early Show, Iron Chef America (Winner), Good Morning America,

Good Day Atlanta, Better Mornings, CNN, and print media such as Food & Wine, Gourmet, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Veranda, Southern Living, Diversions, Men’s Journal, Miami Herald, The Atlantan, Oprah Magazine, National Geographic Traveler, RAVE, SKY Magazine, GO Magazine, Denver Post, Food Arts, Flavors, and many more.

Kevin’s background started in humble beginnings in Kansas City, where he started working as a dishwasher at Sambo’s.

He has worked with celebrity chefs and restaurateurs such as Bradley Ogden, Emeril Lagasse, Stephen Pyles, Ella Brennan and Pano Karratossos and he has perfected not only his technique in the kitchen, but his passion for owning and operating his own businesses.

While Kevin was Chef at Baby Routh in Dallas, it received the DiRona award for dining excellence. His drive and passion landed him the chef’s position at Nava in Atlanta where he brought Southwestern food cuisine to the city of Atlanta. Nava became an instant hit and was noticed both locally and nationally, and since 1995 has been continuously voted one of the top five restaurants in the city.

Earning Esquire Magazines “Top New Restaurant” for Nava was a highlight, as was being the Corporate Chef of the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group. While there, overseeing NAVA, BluePointe, Kyma, and The Buckhead Diner, his list of accolades continued to add up which propelled him to go out on his own.

In May of 2004, Kevin opened his namesake restaurant “Rathbun’s” in Atlanta. It opened to critical acclaim and was voted by Esquire Magazine as one of the “Top New Restaurants in the Country”. Since the inception of Rathbun’s, Kevin has opened a second and third restaurant Krog Bar and Kevin Rathbun Steak. They are located next door to Rathbun’s and a block and a half from Rathbun’s and both have received local and national acclaim.

Kevin Rathbun, along with his restaurants, Rathbun’s, Kevin Rathbun Steak & Krog Bar are proud charitable contributors and Kevin continuously donates his time, energy and food to many charitable events throughout Atlanta and throughout the United States. He continues to be a leader in the charitable community and sits on the board of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Some of the charities he donates to are: Liver Foundation, Share our Strength, Leukemia Foundation, Atlanta Food Bank, Aqua Vino at the Georgia Aquarium, High Museum Auction Donor, Zoo Atlanta, Slow Food Movement, American Cancer Society, Grant Park Conservatory, Serenbe of Atlanta, Hospice of Ohio, Aspen Food & Wine, South Beach Food & Wine Festival, Chrones & Colitis Foundation, March of Dimes, Les Dames D’escofier and many more.

Kevin resides in Atlanta with his wife, Melissa. In his spare time, he enjoys, philanthropy, reading cookbooks, dining out, fine cigars, traveling and humbly admits that in his next life, he would have a passion for restaurant designing.

Cafe Alsace is one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta.  Casual, rich, French food served in a tiny street side cafe in downtown Decatur.  The place is perfect if you like real French food.   No foam here, just hearty delicious dishes. Chicken livers and an assortment of cheeses with a baguette is a great way to start while you are deciding on wine…totally approachable wine menu…sensible prices for quality wines…you can hang out here for three hours if you want and no one will think anything of it.  Very relaxed.  The staff is always very friendly and knowledgeable of what they are selling, which is nice.  If you haven’t been you really should check it out…tonight.

http://www.cafealsace.net/

History:

Cafe Alsace was established in 1997 in the historic square of downtown Decatur. Seating 45 people, the quaint and cozy, family owned restaurant is the closest you can get to France in Atlanta: Antique family photos decorating the walls, traditional pottery, and fabric wall coverings.

French speaking wait staff will warmly welcome you with our extensive menu created by Chef Sylvain Lefort, native of Orleans, France. Menus offer specialty French cuisine as well as original Alsacian dishes. Cofounder, Benedicte Ulsas Cooper is a native to Colmar, Alsace, located on the border of Germany and Switzerland. She will warmly greet you with her distinctive perspective on fresh, homemade, original food, assuring you a unique dining experience.