It was a little after 7 on a rainy Sunday night when my husband and I, fresh off a traumatically turbulent flight, dragged ourselves through the doors of Community Q BBQ (1361 Clairmont Road, Decatur, 404-633-2080, www.communityqbbq.com). We were exhausted, hungry and frustrated because the two other places we tried were closed. Since we were so tired, we failed to notice that Community Q also had a “closed” sign on its door. Embarrassed for being one of those types of diners, you know, the kind who swoop into an establishment moments before it shutters for the night — the type of diner I cursed when I used to be a cook — I apologized profusely only to be met with the sweetest words anyone could have uttered that night: “No problem. We’re here for ya, sweetheart.”

That sentiment is at the core of Community Q’s service and intent. Table runners pinch your kids’ cheeks, seem genuinely concerned whether you’re enjoying your meal, and just “get” what it means to make someone feel at home in an establishment. Truth be told, I didn’t always like Community Q. When it first opened and despite its pedigree — one of the owners is David Roberts, a co-founder of Marietta’s Sam & Dave’s — I found the entire experience to be lackluster. The meats were cold and the flavors of most dishes were far from pronounced. About a year after it opened, however, I found myself there for lunch. My experience was entirely different. The meats, sides and service were all exceptional; a perfect example of why you should never write a place off after just one visit.

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The service at Madras Woodlands (2201 Lawrenceville Highway, 404-248-9333) is achingly slow. My friend and I, who have both traveled to India, joke that waiting for our order feels just like being there. Bursts of people — mostly office workers on their lunch breaks — enter the restaurant and sit down, only to jump back up in an instant to hit the expansive buffet, a better option than ordering from the menu if you’re pressed for time. On this visit (and my next) I forgo the buffet because the menu, which reads like a greatest hits of all Indian sub-cuisines, is just too enticing to pass up. There is something to be said for a place where everyone, carnivore and vegetarian alike, can find something they want.

There’s a large selection of chaat (Indian snack food) items to choose from and all of the dishes I’ve sampled have been well-executed. A towering bowl of bhel puri (puffed rice with chopped tomatoes, raw yellow onion and cilantro) is dressed with a tangy tamarind dressing that slightly wilts each football-shaped morsel without making it soggy. The brightness of the sauce and chopped raw produce prevent the dish from feeling too heavy. Medhu vadal look like doughnuts, but these deceptive circles of fried fun aren’t anything like their sweet cousins. They’re savory, lentil-based crunch monsters, but still airy and almost creamy on the inside. The dish comes with a light lentil stew for dipping that’s reminiscent of your mom’s vegetable soup.

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I pride myself on being the type of home cook who can make any recipe you put in front of me. However, Indian cuisine has proven to be my biggest challenge. It’s a beautiful cuisine, but incredibly difficult to master.

As I build my knowledge of the flavor profiles needed to really cook the dishes well, one store has become my favorite place to shop for ingredients: Cherians International Groceries. Cherians offers a dazzling assortment of every product imaginable from the Indian subcontinent.

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One of the main draws for me at the Peachtree Road Farmers’ Market is the H&F Bakery stand where I got this AWESOME pimento cheese, which we used as a dip for these farm fresh breakfast radishes.

We also used the pimento cheese to top some burgers I made using Holeman’s famous hamburger buns and some grass-fed beef from Riverview Farm.

The King of Pops has continued to build its fan base. The little cart is located on the corner of N. Highland and North Avenue on most days.

The King told me the original plans for a shop may be put off, which makes sense since you can find his pops at so many places–like Cabbagetown Market and Irwin Street Market–now. You can find the King on Twitter to follow his schedule and flavors of the day.

Moon and I paid a visit to Iron Age with some of our good friends for a night of barbecue and fun. My review comes out next week in Creative Loafing, but I had to tell you guys about this new beverage our friend, Gene, introduced us to. It’s a rice beer called Draft Makkoli from Korea and it is delicious. It’s slightly fizzy and has a little tang. The restaurant sells each bottle for around $16, but you can get it at Super H Mart for $4.99, which is a steal considering how easily this stuff goes down.

Well, I finally got around to visiting Farm Burger in Decatur. I kept my expectations low because I’m a little sick of the burger fad even though I do suffer from crazy burger lust. The place was bumping. I’m going to withhold judgment until I visit again, but here is a little burger porn for those of you who are curious about the new eatery.

Pickled eggs

Fries and onions rings

My friend’s burger

I paid a visit to Chef Liu with Moon because the dumpling craving was strong. As I was leaving, I noticed Don Pepe’s–the little taco shack in the same shopping center–has moved into Chef Liu’s former space.

I’ve never thought much of Pepe’s tacos, but I’ll give them another try because more space sometimes translates into improved food. Developing….

“Not today,” says the gruff older Indian woman behind the counter at Kusum Foods (2899 N. Decatur Road, Decatur, 404-296-3338). That’s the third time she’s said that after I’ve asked for a specific dish. I’m frustrated and a little embarrassed, so I try to joke about the lack of availability, but her stoicism doesn’t break. I finally select a few dishes with success and escape to my booth in the oddly bright blue room. The woman shouts that one of my orders is ready and I timidly approach the counter to whisk away my chaat, a style of street snack originating in India’s Gujarat state – the birthplace of Kusum’s cuisine. Gujarati cuisine is primarily vegetarian with an emphasis on seasonality.

Many of the chaat use similar ingredients such as chickpeas, potatoes, chutney, yogurt and onion. However, the dishes’ appeal is that they satisfy different textural cravings through different preparations. Bhel puri – a mound of puffed rice topped with mixed diced onions, potatoes, a spicy and sweet chutney, and crispy chickpea flour noodles – is at once sweet, savory, crunchy, tangy and earthy. It is best when eaten quickly since the chutney can make the rice soggy. Paani puri – one of the most well known styles of puri – arrives on a plate with a cup of sweet water.

Continue reading “Ethnic.City: Kusum Foods”….

Your (not mine, yours) Dekalb Farmers’ market is selling it in their poultry section for $1.99 a pound. They are getting it from Crescent Long Island Ducklings that are fed natural grains and not pumped full of hormones or growth stimulants.

Don’t scroll down if mounds of duck fat irk you. All I see is potential. Duck fat fries, eggs fried in duck fat, confit, arteries clogging….yum.

El Taco Veloz: If you’re turned off by loads of filler stuffed into your burrito, head to this favorite of Mexican transplants and lovers of the cuisine. Any taco filling is available in burrito form — minus the rice and other usual suspects. Instead, the soft flour tortillas are packed with nothing but one of the many fillings such as soft shreds of barbacoa (slow-cooked beef) coated in a silky lacquer of its own fat and juices, or a chile relleno filled with gooey cheese. Some of the locations have a drive-thru, but park it and head inside so you can grab a few goodies from the salsa bar to eat with your meal. 5670 Roswell Road, 404-252-5100; and other metro Atlanta locations.

Pura Vida: “Top Chef” contestant Hector Santiago’s pan-Latin tapas restaurant is where the unexpected — especially the recent addition of a burrito to the menu — is commonplace. Click here to read the rest…