Monthly Archives: December 2013

Ammazza

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Ammazza, Old Fourth Ward

Ammazza is amazing. Well actually I wouldn’t go that far since I still think Antico’s has better pizza but after establishing that the comparisons end. Ammazza has good pizza plus a satisfying selection of wine and beer along with an assortment of hipsterrific cocktails. I would say it you don’t mind super dark restaurants, want to drink a lot, and still eat pizza Ammazza is your place. I went with four friends so we were able to get a variety including two pizzas and a calzone, which they call pizza fritta. We got the Ammazzare, topped with Italian sausage with roasted red peppers, vidalia onions, fresh basil and house mozzarella, the Margherita and the Carnosa, which was packed with Italian sausage, pepperoni, and homemade meatballs– a true carnivores dream. We ate, drank, and over all had the merriest of times! When you get right down to it what more do you need on a friends night out?

Brick Store Pub

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Brick Store Pub, Decatur

Their motto is “drink good beer” and if that is what you want to do go no place else. While eating and drinking here can be delightful if you have a large group or come here at prime time the wait can be long. Although if you happen to be patient or go early no need to worry. The first bar has too many taps to count but are from everywhere in the USA. The upstairs bar, the Belgian Bar, as you might have guessed is dedicated to beer that is from Belgium.

At my last visit I went strategically early so I could get one of their Chicken Pot Pies. It comes in a skillet with a dense buttery crust and once uncovered one will find only the savoriest peas, carrots, and chicken in a wonderfully thick and creamy gravy. It was a hardy dish but I became a member of the clean plate club as it was too good not to finish! My first ale was from Colorado, Great Divide Hibernation, which warmed you right up from the rain. My second was from Belgium, St. Bernardus Christmas, which cheerfully put me in a Christmas state of mind.

You can’t really have a crummy experience since all the beer and food is delicious. I could seriously go on about what else I have had the pleasure of consuming but I will refrain and instead just tell you to go to Brick Store and enjoy it for yourself.

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen

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Desta Ethiopian Kitchen, North Druids Hills

My first experience with Ethiopian food!! I was so pumped when my friend Marge suggested this place. It was the first time in a good while where I had a question about everything on the menu! I was most curious about the honey wine, which contrary to its name is not overly sweet. Marge was an old pro and taught me her ways so I basically copied what she ate. I ordered the Kitfo [very rare] and a side of Shiro, At first the waitress was stunned that I ordered my meat that rare, I actually had to convince her rare/ under-cooked/ raw meat doesn’t scare me! I was expecting something cold but it wasn’t. It was very spicy though! Thank goodness Injera, which is Ethiopian bread, was there to save me. And one disclaimer the shiro while made out of chick peas is nothing like hummus.  I was in no way disappointed by this but I was just once again reminded you can’t always assume! I think next I will want to try the tibs, which were raved about online. I can’t say this place would be for everyone but if you’re up for something different, like sharing, and using flat bread as a utensil I would highly recommend this place.

Swallow at the Hallow

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Swallow at the Hallow, Roswell GA

Ribs are great. If I was writing this post as a younger version of myself I would probably say ribs are a food group and eating them a couple of times a week is a good thing. However, I now know eating ribs multiple times a week isn’t all that good so I now choose to eat them when I know they are going to be good. I heard about Swallow at the Hallow on two different occasions from two different people and both recommended the ribs and both said the drive would be worth it. Since there wasn’t much discrepancy on one rainy Saturday my friend Joel & I drove out of the city, into the burbs, and ordered enough food for a family of four. We first shared the Fried Green Tomatoes and Corn Bread. The tomatoes had an equal breading ratio to tomato thickness so neither covered the other, which I was a big of! The corn bread wasn’t actually on the menu but I asked for it regardless. The server said they did at their other restaurant but didn’t mind running over to get it. I tried telling him not to go through the trouble but I just wasted my breath since it ended up at our table just moments later, southern hospitality at it’s finest! I ordered the Half Rack Baby Back Ribs with Three Bean Baked Beans and the Mac & Cheese. Joel ordered the Chopped Pork with Collards and the Mac & Cheese. Now there was seriously no room at the table. The ribs, which came with the red BBQ sauce were tender and not at all dry. The chopped pork was good and mixing the red and spicy vinegar was a tasty combination!  The mac & cheese was also wonderful and it was very creamy. After eating as much as we could we slowly exited promising to return again.

DeFazio’s Pizzeria

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DeFazio’s Pizzeria, Troy, NY

After hearing my Dad talk about DeFazio’s serving one of the best antipasto salads he’s ever had and terrific pizza I asked if we could go while I was home over the Thanksgiving holiday. This joint is small, there are four tables in total, but I never underestimate unassuming locations since I like to think the smaller the place the bigger the magic. And I will give them credit they do take reservations. With no discussion we order the DeFazio’s Italian Sausage Antipasto Salad, the salad came cluttered with goodness– homemade sausage (yes, cooked hot sausage), roasted red peppers, and fontinella cheese were the clear winners if I had to choose. Next we ordered the Puttanesca Pizza, which was topped with artichokes, fresh mushrooms, Kalamata olives, capers, mozzarella cheese and spices. The olives were real and the capers added to the salty goodness that was this pizza. The crust though was what solidified me as a bona fide fan. It was thin and chewy but still had the brick oven bottom. Finally it was cannoli time! Around this time you can either choose regular filling or pumpkin filling plus you have the option of having the shell covered with chocolate or plain. It must have taken a good five minutes before I knew which one I wanted but after much debate I got a Chocolate Covered Cannoli with regular filling. It was freshly filled so no soggy shell here! I was stuffed but that didn’t stop me from eating the whole thing and not sharing… not even one bite. It’s true there is great pizza everywhere these days but there is something about Pizza in New York that no other state manages to achieve.

Timone’s

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Timone’s, Morningside

The chef from Rosebud & The Lost Dog bring Morningside a local pizza joint and while I love the concept I wasn’t too impressed with the eats. To be fair I didn’t order pizza but rather the Garlic Knots and Meatballs. The garlic knots were okay and I was digging the whole gloves of garlic but as a whole they didn’t really knock it home for me. And the meatballs were pretty bland, however, the sauce was nice and tomato-y. One cool thing is that they do have four wine varieties on tap so you can order a glass or a full carafe. This restaurant is still relatively new and since I didn’t try their pizza I won’t completely turn away from the this place but after enjoying many dishes at both Rosebud & The Lost Dog I was pretty disappointed.

Yum Bunz

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Yum Bunz, The Westside

I didn’t think fast and fresh dim sum that is awesome was possible but lo and behold my expectations have been surpassed. I was driving past but rather hungry when I decided to stop. It’s menu is kind of eclectic including popular dim sum dishes, Pho and other Asian favorites. When I first walked in I noticed how clean the restaurant was saw their mission statement front & center. They’re focused on crafting good food with natural meat, local vegetables, and steam– the key ingredient to a lot of their food. On my recent trip I ordered one BBQ Pork Bao (steamed bun) and six steamed Pork Dumplings. I only wish I had more time to devour my food so I could really enjoy it. Often times after Chinese I feel tired but not after this meal! Clearly they really do stand by their mission and use fresh ingredients and healthy oils. There were a couple different Bao options but holding true to my traditional dim sum up bringing I stuck to the classic, however, the other choices looked good particularly the yellow curry chicken.  When I go next I will definitely check out a bowl (you choose the sauce, protein, and base)! While I was hesitant at first about fast food dim sim I stand corrected.

The Pie Shop

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The Pie Shop, Buckhead

If you love pie (as all the best people do) The Pie Shop is not a place to be missed. Although fair warning if you do not know Buckhead well it might be hard to find as it is in the back off a building and the driveway is not so obvious. However, once you do find it and enter the ever so quaint location you will know the scavenger hunt was well worth it. All pies and crusts are baked fresh every day and if you choose a pie with whipped cream they make it fresh for you. Their menu includes sweet & savory pies and have a pie happy hour (January – October 6:30-8) which is BYOB, it might possibly be the happiest of happy hours. Additionally their menu changes every two months to harmonize with the seasons. I’ve tried Rhubarb in the spring, Peach in the summer, and Chocolate Ganache not so long ago.  The ganache pie is probably what they are most known for and if you want an hour of chocolate indulgence this is the pie to order. It’s very rich but super satisfying. The two other pies that I’ve had were also excellent because this shops knows that fillings don’t have to be complicated– a single fruit can be all that you need since it won’t get lost with anything else. This could be because I’m a pie purist at heart but so be it. Next I suspect I’ll opt for a savory pie, since winter is coming up they will be hard to resist.