Atlanta food and restaurant blog | The Blissful Glutton » Edgewood

Miso Izakya: Edgewood/Fourth Ward

blissfulglutton — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:50:11 +0000

I went to Miso Izakaya twice after it opened. I can’t sugarcoat the experience with niceties because it just plain sucked. The fact that they didn’t have their liquor license forever only compounded my frustration with the new restaurant. So, I chose to hold off writing a review. I can’t say it was out of fairness. My reticence was more about hope. The place had to improve. Intown needs a decent Japanese restaurant that isn’t an overpriced sushi spot or bastardized noodle shop. After hearing murmurings that Miso was better–good even–I dragged Moon for dinner one Saturday night not too long ago. Every seat was taken. The room felt alive…fun.

The drink menu–especially the shochu heavy section–is phenomenal. Love that they have stuff like Hi-sour you can use as a mixer or just drink straight up.

Gorgeous gyoza: This was a true surprise. I don’t know if they make the dumplings fresh or what, but they tasted homemade. I love it when a dumpling skin melts in your mouth. I bogarted these like any good dumpling fiend.

Marinated and grilled squid with Japanese mayo. Love this. The squid was super tender.

Tonkatsu sandwich: This brought back fond memories of quickie lunches in Tokyo. The pork was still juicy and the coating crisp without any traces of oil. There’s a little dab of tonkatsu sauce and shredded cabbage inside as well. Very good.

Nobody in town makes Chinese buns right. Seriously. They are always woefully heavy without the requisite pouf. Color me happy when I bit into this duck bun. It was so good, we ordered another round. The pork is good, but the duck is better. Can’t wait to explore the bun section more thoroughly.

The only disappointment of the meal: an assortment of sushi. It was watery and lacking any real flavor. You know the sushi is no good when I leave uni and toro on the plate. What a waste of tummy space and money.

My favorite dish of the meal: A soy-poached egg served over a crispy rice cake. Swoon-worthy.

Verdict: Miso is much much improved. The extensive drink menu and wide assortment of delicious dishes are good reasons to go to this energetic intown Japanese fusion spot. Just stay away from the sushi. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

Cheap Eats: Grindhouse Killer Burgers

blissfulglutton — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:29:00 +0000

To most people, a burger is just a burger — a timeless American treat worth the occasional caloric splurge. Playful flavor combinations and fancy deconstructions are exciting, but there’s something to be said about a spot, such as Grindhouse Killer Burgers (209 Edgewood Ave., 404-522-3444, www.grindhouseburgers.com), that skips the pretense and gets straight to the beef.

Owner Alex Brounstein (a real estate developer and attorney) chose the Sweet Auburn Curb Market as the restaurant’s location for many reasons. The market already has a captive audience of shoppers with food on the mind, and the overhead is much cheaper than a traditional bricks and mortar space. What’s more, the restaurant’s presence helps revitalize a historic Atlanta food-centric landmark.

Amid the hustle and bustle of the market, tucked away in a corner, sits a curving counter surrounded by stools. The seating faces a semi-open kitchen and a makeshift movie theater where kooky action movies such as Kung Fu Hustle are projected on the wall. Click here to read the rest…

Cheap Eats: Rolling Bones Premium Pit BBQ

blissfulglutton — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:38:00 +0000

Photo courtesy of Green Olive Media

When a restaurant changes hands, it’s a tricky situation. How to retain enough of the original flavor to keep loyal customers happy while making the necessary changes to bring in fresh faces?

At Rolling Bones Premium Pit BBQ (377 Edgewood Ave., 404-222-2324, www.rollingbonesbbq.com), the changes made by new chef/owner Todd Richards (formerly of the Four Seasons hotel and Spice restaurant) and his partners are a big improvement. The drive-thru is still there, the retro diner décor is the same, but the food at this “Southern-style” barbecue joint has received a serious upgrade. The menu is more chef-driven and now includes slight gourmet twists such as Benton’s bacon in the creamy potato salad, smoky sweet “Reggie’s baked beans,” and balanced, flavorful mustard greens. The new owners have also started using Georgia hickory and pecan to smoke the expanded selection of meats and side items. Corn is smoked in its husk and slathered with paprika and butter. Click here to read the rest...

Lunching at Dynamic Dish

blissfulglutton — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:37:00 +0000

I took my sister over for her first visit yesterday. All of the food had great flavor combinations but I did have a few minor complaints.

Beet, horseradish and chevre pate with apples and cucumber salad: Great flavor but a bit of a mess to eat. The bread was not toasted–I am sure there is a reason–so the pate flopped onto the plate after every bite. I do have to say that I found the $10 price tag a bit hefty for what was essentially pate on toast.

Cucumber salad

Another thing that has irked me about this adorable eatery is the service. I don’t mind waiting around for good food and having a lazy lunch, but this is the second time I have not received an item that I ordered. And, though I have forgiven it in the past, when I am paying a for an entire bottle of Perrier, please chill it. To her credit, our server did chill it for us after we asked but that should be a no brainer.

Dynamic Dish: Edgewood

blissfulglutton — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 01:51:00 +0000

RESTAURANT REVIEW:

I am about as carnivorous as a person can get. I love it all-nose to tail. Loving meat does not mean that I don’t like vegetables. I crave greens just as much as a juicy steak. When Cliff Bostock wrote about Dynamic Dish, I was intrigued—especially by the promise of a tagine made with organic veggies. I went for lunch yesterday to counteract the effects of the Korean fried chicken I had the day before.

Dynamic Dish is located on the small strip of Edgewood near Café 458. I snagged a primo spot in front of the restaurant using my stellar parallel parking skills that I picked up while living in San Francisco. Upon walking into the restaurant, I was amazed how sleek the interior of the restaurant was. I wasn’t expecting it. The owner, David Sweeney, has impeccable taste and all the eclectic pieces and furnishings somehow fit perfectly together. The persimmons tucked into a wire cubby near the cash register really tickled me. The man has a great eye.

The menu (located on the chalkboard behind the counter) is small, but it reflects the pristine organic ingredients he has on hand. I ordered the tagine made with pumpkin, squash, tomatoes and other goodies served on bulgur wheat. Moon ordered the arugula sandwich with Emmentaler cheese on buttered whole grain bread. We both got the beet salad. The beverage selection is limited, but I did not mind. Sodas would be out of place here. We decided to share a bottle of sparkling water in some tiny glasses that Sweeney brought to table complete with slices of lemon. As we waited for our food, I took in my surroundings and couldn’t help feeling like I was in New York or Europe—not Edgewood.

Tagine

Sweeney arrived with our dishes and the colorful food lit up the table. The ingredients of the tagine were very good and the combination just felt like autumn. My only problem with the dish was the lack of salt—I imagine he is trying to keep the sodium content down and I would rather add salt than eat a very salty dish any day.

Arugula sandwich with Emmentaler cheese on buttered whole grain bread

Beet salad

Moon liked his sandwich and I was so tempted to take a bite, but my moderation mantra kept me from doing so. The beet salad was the undisputed star of the meal. The beets were julienne and tossed with dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, a little maple syrup, vinegar, and something else I cannot remember. Just a stellar combination of flavors that exploded in my mouth. I loved it and would go back for that dish alone.

Being the shopaholic that I am, I perused the mix of items for sale. Sweeney has some pretty neat stuff that he has collected from estate sales and other sources. I scored a gorgeous crystal dish on a pedestal for a mere $7.50.

Some of the goodies for sale

Verdict: An adorable spot with some wholesome food that is well worth the trip. I hope that you guys get out there and support a restaurant with loads of heart that won’t be bad for yours.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION:
Address: 427 Edgewood Ave., 30312
Phone: 404-688-4344
Payment: Cash and credit