Friday, February 27, 2015

Chicken Little Pouch Part 2

"Oh, wings are very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore them. They think the cheekan is a righteous dude."

See, everyone does love wings... Let's not dick around and go straight to the fowl action with the pouch's second round up of wings around town. Behold, Chicken Little Pouch Part Dookie... Splash.

Fork & Juniper.
Coca-Cola Flats. After a kickass modern renovation at the new Hyatt in midtown, wings would be the last thing you would think to see here. But the Gods blessed us and put wings on the menu. Medium minus size wings, fried spot on but the Coca-Cola honey glaze wetness wasn't all that. Edible but not as good as it sounds.

Buffalo Flats. Ok, same wings, different sauce. There's only one hot sauce option, Buffalo. They were tasty but very mild if not timid in the heat level. But these are way better than the gimmicky Coco-Cola ones. These would be great for a wing eating contest, good size and goes down easy. Three more orders were had... Do I look fat in these pajama jeans?

Rusty Nail.
Naked. Perfect medium size. Crispy and juicy. A very respectable wing but the hot sauce was monotone. Work on the different heat levels and this could be a destination for wingz.

Lemon Pepper. Y'all, knew this was coming... Definitely, peppery and salty but lemony was a side note. They give you more drumettes than flats which is kinda shitty, should be half and half.

This dump is like Clermont #2... It sure is priceless. Love it.

Popeyes.
"Taste the mystery" it says... It's no mystery what's inside, there should be spicy ass wangz in there. Let's take a peek... I'm so nervous and excited! I hope I don't pee my diaper, I just put on a new one.

Voilà! ...and I hear the sound of a loser on the Price Is Right. That fucking Bob Barker fucked me again! 6 wings and a biscuit is what's inside... They don't look so spicy to me. I have always been a huge (no pun) fan of their regular spicy cheekan but their wings not so much. They always seemed kinda chintzy to me. The crust was good, crunchy, crispy, flavorful but where the fuck is the ghost peppers? Not even a hint of it. A few red spots that give the illusion that it may contain ghost peppers but I tongued it and nothing. I stick my tongue in a lot of things and I usually get some kind of feedback in return but these wings were weaker than an 80 year old hag... And no, I didn't stick my tongue anywhere near that dried up old thing. But the biscuit was warm and buttery.

Community Smith.
Chicken Wing Confit, black garlic sweet & sour. I am a sucka for wing confit, hell, I'm a sucka for any type of cheekan. The flesh came off the bone with ease, a sure sign of confit done right. The sweet and sour sauce was acceptable, it had a small vinegary finish which I found interesting yet weird at the same time. Keep them drinks coming, things are tasting better.

Fork in the Road.
Honey Garlic Pepper and Bombay Bomb with ghost chili sauce (caution: extremely spicy)... Yeah, I can't believe they would even attempt something like that but I'll be the judge of that. They are small wings but they are juicy and not dried out. The honey garlic pepper sauce is sweet as expected but nothing that special. The Bombay Bomb didn't look that spicy. First bite, the heat was a mild to medium at best and it peaked after the first wing. I'll give them a little something for the effort but you won't receive total consciousness after eating these wangz.

Tin Roof.
Lemon Pepper and Extra Hot Wings. I'm just a glutton for punishment... Well, mostly just a glutton that gets punished for shoveling crap from a plastic picnic bowl into the inner recesses of my volatile bowels. This pairing has been the standard for the pouch. Maybe I'm just trying to see what real lemon pepper wings taste like from a place that actually makes it... And these ain't it. The extra hot wings were medium hot once again. The size of the wings were acceptable, just a tad smaller than the robust medium wings that I expect.  

The Grove.
Lemon Pepper. I have never been in here before. But I'm glad I did because it's full of old people. I love that shit, watching how the geriatric underworld operates at night. Where do they keep their Rascals and is there a supply of Fixodent behind the bar? I never really got the lemon pepper concept, it's never real lemons, just some powder mix of chems and stale black pepper tossed to coat after frying. They seasoned these very lightly and it didn't have the lemony, peppery kick that it should. The wings are pretty good but the mix was middling.

Naked. Sauce on the side. Thank god, I usually order it this way because they have only one sauce. If you want medium, they pour a lil in and toss. If you want hot, they pour a lot of it in and toss. What a crock of shit! I kinda like their thinkin', though... People are pretty stupid they wouldn't even notice. The "hot" sauce tasted like a mix of Cholula and Texas Pete... which is mild-medium at best. The naked wings were spot-on medium size, crispy and juicy. No complaints on the wings, just the stupid hot sauce.

 Wings N Grill.
This dump is in a corner of a K-Roger strip mall somewhere in Indianville off the Scott Blvd area. The wings are tiny and the extra extra hot sauce is weaker than Stephen Hawking doing curls with a Bic ball point pen. The other flavor was honey BBQ which was HFCS heaven... Shit went straight to my ass and taint for a reach around. Look away and keep moving.

Mamak.
The wings were super crispy and had a orangy hue to it, they marinade it in something but it's very faint. Need to ask them next time. Good wings but $7 for 5 drums and flats doesn't make it so great. 

Napoleon's.
Smoked Chicken Wangz. Sounded great on paper. Looked nice when it came out. The outer part was smokey for sho' but when you get to where the meat touches the bone.. It was game over. The wings were parboiled and then smoked. A lot of places do this but most people wouldn't even notice it sober but the pouch's awareness amplifies with booze... Especially with wangz.

El Rey Del Taco.
The first thing you always order at a taco joint is the hot wings, naturally. Seriously, when you have been boozing all night, wings are a godsend... Hell, wings anytime is a godsend. Mexican hot wings aren't as crispy or spicy but they did the trick.

Craft Izakaya.
Fried Chicken Wings. If there's fwied cheekan on the menu, it's going in my pouch. They tell me these are some of the best wings in town if not the best... That's a bold statement to say it in front of my marsupial pouch. He takes that as a challenge. The batter is well seasoned, crunchy and breaks away pretty easily while it does it's job on sealing in the juices inside. These were pretty good but Sobban's KFC wings still the king of the wings. The spicy sauce was nice but not hot enough. I would prolly not get these again because it was quite pricey for four wings at almost $9.. You know how many pieces of incredible cheekan I can get at Popeyes for nine-friggin-dollars!!

Blue Ribbon Grill.
Jumbo Buffalo Wings. Nice that you can split the style of wings to be had on a 10 order. Spicy hot wasn't all that spicy, it was pretty pathetic actually. I think it was carrot puree sauce. The other was lemon pepper, if you wanna call it that. It was like under seasoned dry fried wings with a squirt of lemon from a bottle with a couple flakes of black pepper from the paper packet you get with to-go orders. The wings weren't jumbo but more the standard mid size. It's pretty pedestrian but I ate it all anyways. I'm such a careless fat fuck... But I did really enjoyed the rest of this dump.

 Sweet Auburn.
Smoked Wings. I woulda gone with anything besides the BBQ sauce (spicier the better) but my buddy wanted BBQ sauce instead... Wow, what an adventurous eater. Dick. Who am I kidding this guy would eat cardboard and tell me it was good. Besides the boring as shit BBQ sauce the wings weren't half bad. Plump, tender and a hint of smoke... Or was that just the smelly hobo sitting a couple chairs down from me? They were not fully smoked, more like finished off in a smoker. But at the end of the day, I would order more of these with a different sauce.

Quickly.
I can't end the round up without including my favorite Taiwanese nugget joint... They are still the king of spicy cheekan nuggets... And don't forget to be a man and get them full on spicy all the way. SO GODDAMN GUUD.

Burp.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Coco Cabana

Drove around for awhile and I couldn't find a place worth eating so this joint was kinda a last minute thing. I was always curious about this space and since I was up this way in the rural country, I figured I see first hand what the fuss was about. Ok, there isn't really any excessive excitement about this place, it's just a very large strange space to me... Reminds me of a Laser Tag arena from 1986. I was curious to see how the Latin underworld operated at night. When you walk in, you kinda expected to see Tony Montana sitting in a giant red velvet chair smoking a Romeo y Julieta double corona behind a mound of nose candy... But instead you get Felipe from Jack's Bistro giving free salsa lessons while older gringos sip on college spring break themed drinks. The 80's is still alive and well in here... Is that Crocketto and Tubbos in the corner booth? I did see a white Testarossa body kit on a Fiero outside, it was sa-weet!
As with many ethnic restos nowadays, they try to infuse some hip modern aspects to show that they are down with the times or OPP (other people's pouch). The modern bar with neon blue lights that you usually find under import tuners stretches the entire length of the back wall feels out of place as with the late 70's kung fu movies being shown on the TVs during my visit but I have a feelings this is an ongoing program. C'mon, they want to be hip like Victory or Grindhouse, can you blame them.. In reality, this place is an interior designer's worse nightmare but I am digging the shit outta it for some fucked up reason... Maybe it's my low rent NYC upbringing and I also feel very comfortable and welcomed surrounded by a sea of well upholstered muffin tops. Speaking of which, it's time for a fill up...

Empanadas, Pollo, Carne and Queso. The bubbles on the dough always reminds me of the shitty Americanized eggrolls you get at any corner American-Chino dump. These are the Cuban version of it. But they are not half bad because they were fried to order. The fillings were just OK, shredded orange colored wet chicken, ground beef a la Manwich style filling but less flavorful and the queso was gooey inside only on one side, if you cut that in half to share, someone is SOL. The pink thing inside the covered petri dish is still a mystery to me.

Sandwich Cubano and Tostones. For the price this was a hefty portion. At first glance this was no Pan American Bakery's Cubano (the best in the city) but this thing didn't look wack either. They do pile it up with a good amount of standard issue Cubano filler but they put way too much mustard in it. The flavors were acceptable but it could have been flattened just a tad bit more in the press. Tostones, not all that but they could be useful in moving furniture around.

 
Chuletas de Cerdo. What is this? This ain't no pork chops. Looks like the mud flaps on the 1987 Isuzu Pup pickup the pig came in on... She told me not to order these. Did I listen? Noooo and I'm stuck with these paper thin meat skins flapping in the wind. This entree has got to be a joke.. I know a great vaginal rejuvenation surgeon that can fix this. The goddamn chopped parsley a la Emeril still exists? Did they not get the memo from 1989? Chopped parsley on the rim of a plate makes me wanna punch a Brazilian guinea pig in the nads... Before they roast it, of course.

Black beans, "yellow" rice and maduros. Where's the feather quill pen and parchment? I have to draw up the Bill of Rights and send it in to the Continental Congress... Could that bowl of black beans be filled with anymore canned juice? Standard issued black beans drowning in it's own funk with minimal seasoning. The orange rice would be a hit at Panda Express along with their orange cheekan. The maduros weren't half bad.

Their cocktail menu was straight from a Myrtle Beach college bar during spring break back in 1990. The first drink on the list says it all... 

As cheesy as this place was, I kinda liked it. The food was pedestrian as fuck but they make up for it in the entertainment department... I have never seen so many middle aged hillbilly gringos embracing the Latino culture via the terrible free salsa lessons by Jimmy Rumba with music by John Legend singing All of Me in half English and Spanish. It was like a chicken truck wreck that you can't look away but enjoyed every minute of it. Next time, I need to stay longer when it turn into a night club after dark. It must be epic. Olé!

4073 Lavista Rd
Tucker, GA 30084
(770) 723-0331
http://cococabanarestaurant.com/

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Twin Smokers BBQ

Does anyone (meaning my one fan) find it strange that almost every review on this place is from a complimentary media event... I'm sure all those 5 stars were earned based on the quality of the grub and not the gratis entrance fee. These "real" reviews proclaim the most amazing and best BBQ they have ever had. Shit, if it's that good, the pouch must make a visit... Maybe in about a month to see what the fuss was about after all the oohs and aahs have died down and the freebies dry up, hopefully, not the BBQ, though. It's baffling to think anyone is dumb enough to believe any of these reviews to be 100% truthful based on free PR swag (shit without a gun) even if they disclose it on their blog. The pouch on the other hand does not give a hamster's pebble shit about these show and tell events where the gullible wannabe gourmand thinks they are VIP but none the wiser are used for free PR on the interwebs to push the biz. I love reading all the bullshit because it gives my purple obeast ass something to write about while my Ferrari red Rascal is being charged.

So, the Legacy group is taking over this entire pedestrian block of tourism in true Atlanta mafioso style with Der Biergarten, Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria, STATS and now... Twin Smokers BBQ. We all know how middling the other three are, no need to reopen those depressing repressed memories. This new BBQ joint on a recent friday had the same excitement as the sushi dump here last... It didn't give me a rise. The staff's initial attitude felt like they were doing you a favor for walking into a dead place. The que joint didn't smell like smoke but it did have a plethora of chopped wood for decor against the wall. The lack of the beautiful smokey aroma that one would expect is due to the high tech Oyler Pit smokers where the smoke evacuation system purges the authenticity right out of the kitchen... I hope my evacuation system doesn't purge prematurely after eating these highly prized meats. Let's take a looksie..

They say they have a great bourbon/whiskey selection... I say I have more bottles in my personal collection. How is that possible? Oh, I know... because it has something to do with me being an alchie. So, I bypassed the standard issue snoozer selection of the brown juice (there were a couple decent ones like Whistle Pig and Koval) and got me a Hopsecutioner while I waited for a lil chicharrón snackery... I guess it was self serve on the pig skin since it was just sitting on the trays at the end of the bar. Classy.

3 Meat Combo. Brisket, pulled pork, beef sausage, mac n cheez, burnt ends chili. Brisket had a nice bark, no smoke ring and the meat itself peeled apart in layers like it was steamed from too much moisture in the high tech smoker hence no smoke ring. The meat didn't have much flavor and the bark was lightly smokey. Best brisket in the world like some said? Yeah, on what planet, Pluto? I hate to chop up brisket but this woulda been better off chopped up and mixed in with some burnt ends and sauced all over. The pulled pork was ok but with these smokers and the smoke evacuation system, it just does not do the meats justice. Maybe they are not setting it correctly, who knows. The beef sausage was absolutely horrid, grainy, crumbly and totally dry inside. It was literally like eating cat litter in a dried up crusty used rubber. They're lucky this was not in NYC or else you might find one of these tied to a hand rail on a subway. The mac had a gluey taste to it, Elmer's perhaps. The burnt ends chili was quite a specimen, something you find in a lab to see where it originated from because I could not to begin to guess where they got the recipe for this gruel, possibly from a mudslide. It was like steak sauce with bits of meat like substance swimming around in it. I inquired about a Brunswick stew and they said they have never heard of it. Everything was made at the bar via an assembly line style set up with steam trays, nothing says authentic BBQ like a Golden Corral style buffet. Wait, I take that back, GC has some decent stuff at the buffet. I just don't get it, maybe it's just me and the need to see brisket sliced to order. The sauces were all too sweet, cloying and tasted all the same after awhile. The cute gimmick here is the dinosaur beef rib, a massive over the top piece of rib... I saw it close up and it looked dry as hell. It's all you, bro.

Banana Pudding. I don't know why I'm a sucker for this jizzlobbery at BBQ joints but I have been comparing all others to Community Q's version which is really tasty. This specimen was acceptable but won't be seen on my check again because I probably won't be back anytime soon.

J&R is not just the greatest music store in the world, they also make smokers. These high tech smokers are basically like Ron Popeil's Showtime Rotisserie... Where you "set it and forget it". They are not bad smokers just not what real BBQ enthusiast uses, it's for commercial high volume applications. I think this one was playing "Maneater" from the built in stereo system on the back.

At least that's real ash in that pan... But from where is the question, either the smoker or the dishwasher taking a smoke break.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this joint will probably do well in this tourist central area which is walking distance to all the attractions. I talked to a couple self proclaimed "BBQ connoisseurs" next to me that were in town from Boston (known for their incredible BBQ of course) and they were wetting themselves over the brisket until they saw the leftovers on my tray. They still got it anyways. Tourists.

300 Marietta St. NW
Atlanta, GA 30313 
404-698-4707
http://twinsmokersbbq.com/

Friday, February 6, 2015

Grub Burger Bar

I don't usually fall for chain/franchise burger joints... Especially, Shake Shack. I ate there once at the original shake in Madison Square Park years ago. Let's just say it was an hour and half of my measly life that I will never get back. I am having an extremely difficult time processing how many pedestrians are raving about the new location in Buckhead. I know I will have to eventually make a visit so I can shit all over it on here so my one fan can get a quick laugh. But anyways, I was hankering for a burger real bad and I even thought about going to Steak 'n Shake, the horror... Then I realized that this joint just opened up in the old Lettuce Souprise you space. I didn't even look at the menu online, I didn't give a shit, I just needed a burger STAT.
The space is quite large for a burger joint, I like the wrap around bar which you can put your order in vs. standing in line, order and find a seat/table. The bar is always the best seat, booze is at arms reach and I don't have to wait in line. Sweet. Then I see the Ghost burger made with ghost chili sauce and jalapeños on the menu... The rest they say is either history or down the toilet. Place your bets...

Ghost. Pepper Jack cheese, ghost chili sauce, grilled jalapeños, lettuce and tomato. I'ma skeered! It looks diabolical. My bowels are screaming for mercy already. Ok, let's eat some skinny fries first... They are not bad, not bad at all. Let's cut the burger in half and see what falls out.

Medium well is their standard practice, so, I naturally ask for medium rare just to bust their balls... And they did it! No fucking way! And it was pink in the center... No double fucking way! I'll tell you what, the ghost chili sauce is a lot spicier than I thought, it's probably the peak for most average palates which means most people will not be able to handle it. Me on the other hand, I'm a sick bastard, I like super spicy shit because I am a man. The jalapenos gave it a small boost to the heat level. The meat is ground daily per disclaimer and the meat was pretty juicy but it needed more seasoning even with the ghost chili sauce and japs on top. The bread supposedly is made in house as well and it did it's job. But overall, I am totally ok with this "spicy" burger. I probably won't order it again until I have sampled every other one first.

The Front Porch, sweet potato fries,sprinkled with rosemary dust. With the plain burger, you can see exactly how it's cooked on the flat top. It had nice char and crusty bits which is real nice. This was also cooked to temp, medium rare as requested. That is pretty impressive, two in a row. The sweet tater fries were decent, needed a lil more time to crisp up in the fryer. The magic mary dust was non-existent. It is a decent burger. 

Chipotle Ketchup, Jalapeño Ranch, Mississippi Comeback sauces. The ketchup was ok, the ranch was nice and the comback sauce... C'mon, stop that donkey shit.

Harlem Chicken Tenders, Dr Pepper BBQ sauce, Mississippi Comeback sauce. I saw the guys next to me eating this and I had to have it... Even though I just inhaled those burgers and fries. Look at that portion for $7.50 with fries! Damn, I'm such a fat piece of shit with no shame. The crust was crispy and full of little nooks and crannies and the cheekan inside was tender, juicy and piping hot. I don't know what the fuck a Harlem chicken is but I'll take it. The BBQ sauce was ok and the Comeback sauce, well, you know... It can suck a fat donkey sauced dick. For the price of admission, this could be a full meal.

Nutella Handspun Shake. And of course, you can't leave without getting a Nutella shake... Ready for this? This shake is from a soft serve ice cream machine blended up with your choice of topping and flavor. That is some lazy ass shit but I gotta admit tis was pretty good.

I can't believe this place didn't get destroyed by the pouch on the initial visit. For being opened for a very short time, they actually got more than half their shit together. I would come back to try out the other burgers and items for sho'... The onion rings looked pretty decent. Next time bitches.

2470 Briarcliff Road
Atlanta, GA 30329
678-254-0930
http://www.grubburgerbar.com/druidhills.html

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Community Smith

So, looks like this cursed location has a new toy to play with... The previous restos (Briza and Pacci) were high on style and low on substance. Shit, who am I kidding, Pacci had the ugliest decor inside. They disappeared quietly into the night without anyone even noticing. There were no missing photos of dishes posted on the side of a milk carton and I didn't get any annoying Amber alerts on my phone throughout the night.
Now, they have overhauled the entire space with a fresh and clean interior that's a mix of NY chic and Hannibal style. There is a ton of subway tile up in this piece which I like a lot. Then there's this cage like contraption in the middle that would make Dr. Lecter proud. Where be the Chianti at? Seriously, who drinks that shit anymore, time to sample some grub...

Crispy Squid, smoked paprika, tahini, green olive. The ubiquitous "calamari" dish found at low end chains to high end destination spots alike... But make no mistake this isn't calamari, it's the cheaper squid. Some places kill it with the use of ass kicking exotic spices and others serve it with your run of the mill jar marinara sauce. This version had more breading than the actual taste and texture of the squid. It was fried nicely but the lack of cephalopods really disappointed... I guess if you closed your eyes and eat a green olive right after you could trick your brain into thinking it was a squidbilly. The two sauces were neither visually appetizing nor tasty...But I kept dipping the lil critters in them every time like muscly arm memory. Goes to show y'all that I ain't equipped to think for myself.

Chicken Wing Confit, black garlic sweet & sour. I am a sucka for wing confit, hell, I'm a sucka for any type of cheekan. The flesh came off the bone with ease, a sure sign of confit done right. The sweet and sour sauce was acceptable, it had a small vinegary finish which I found interesting yet weird at the same time. Keep them drinks coming, things are tasting better.

Wild Mushroom, bone marrow, scallion. Great idea, ok execution. As you can see it's watery, it's not a shroom stew is it? The shrooms were nice and plenty but the watery concoction diluted the bone marrow so much that you can barely taste a hint of it. A couple scraps of bread is not enough for this soup.

Oxtail Toast, gouda, piri piri. This was pretty tasty. Oxtail has gotten so expensive in the markets now since everyone is on the oxtail train... Now, it costs me like triple to make a decent pho broth, so I have stopped making them at home and just goto a pho joint for it now. Thanks fuckers. But this dish had a good amount of shredded tail meat there to even share with a few peeps.

Braised Pork Shoulder, tomato, fennel & basil. Thoughtful idea but this just came out really boring. I mean even the basil leaves were just cut in half and tossed on there like someone throwing a snot rag out of a window. The pork shoulder was fork tender but the watery tomato juice was just weak and uncanny... Wait, it coulda been from a can.

Pan Roasted Monkfish, smoked bacon, turnip, lemon & chive. Don't get tricked by the turnips for taters! You'll be like WTF kinda spud is this?! I love monkfish, it's called the poor man's lobster.. Yeah, maybe back in 1985 when this fish was used for chum. But the prices of this hideous fish has gone up and up. So, why on god's green earth would you cut this beautiful piece of fish into mismatched shapes and sauteed? Look at it, it's just a fugly ass plating only a mother could love. The fish came out over cooked and rubbery. The idea for a great dish is there, just poorly thought out and executed.

Roasted Lamb Shoulder, toasted coriander, strained yogurt, feta. People think lamb is gamey, I think those people need to be hunted down like wild game. Lamb shoulder is good eatin'... The color was bright but this kinda cut usually contain a good amount of cartilage and needs to be roasted for a good bit for the cartilage to melt. There's no way you can cook a piece of any shoulder mid rare-ish and not be chewy from the cartilage and connective tissue... Unless he developed a new technique. I'm not yet sold on this.

Beef Bavette, herb salsa, queso, cilantro. Asking them for a temp on this was like pulling teeth. But they pulled it off and got me some pink in the stink. I love how restos these days are using the fancy word "bavette" like it's a real cut of meat. It's basically unwanted flap meat... I know a few girls who suffers from this. But anyhoo, this wasn't half bad.. Not a difficult feat but appreciated nonetheless.

Porchetta, slow cooked pork belly, sweet pepper relish. I love me some porchetta. What came out I don't... It almost reminded me of something like a Puerto Rican chuleta can can but not as good. If this belly was slow cooked, most of the fat woulda been rendered off. It was crispy and had nice char spots but it was mostly fat. Another idea that coulda been good but sometimes sticking with the classic porchetta is not a bad thing, just add your personal style to it.

Turnip Greens, chicken fat, bird chili, panela. I see bird chili, I'm already drooling to get some sweet heat from something tonight. Too bad this wasn't it. I mean this was not spicy in the least. It's ok, though, I'm always prepared for disappointment kinda like my entire life's path.

Rosemary Elote, roasted corn, pepper aioli, parmesan. Everyone loves a good tasty elote. But we know you ain't gonna be eating this carnival street food with your hands since it's not on the cob. I just don't see the markings of a true elote, the kernels do not have the signs of being sliced off the cob. They are too whole as if were from a can. It wasn't a bad side dish, just not as expected.

Bulger Salad, cucumber, heirloom tomato, lemon & parsley. It's basically a couscous but this salad form was a let down. It looks just so amateurly home cookish.

Braised Carrots, brown butter streusel. Carrots were well prepared and executed, the streusel would be better off replaced by fried shallots or garlic with a standard brown butter sauce. And it needed more seasoning.

Old Fashioned. I was baffled when this came out in a Collins glass with a handful of chipped ice. What were they thinking? They said they could pour it into another glass but I told them forget it, I drink fast enough that it wouldn't even matter. Pine cones go in here, party liquors comes out here.

The interior space is worthy of a destination spot, the menu and execution needs to play catch up. The service was great as expected from a place of this perceived caliber. Most of the mains that came out seemed sloppy and lacked the finishing touches. I know Micah can cook, I know this from his previous places... But he needs to keep an eye on what's coming out. So, in the meantime I'll be keeping an eye on this joint because it totally has the potential to kick ass... Maybe I'll sneak in one day for the burger and see what's up. I hope the curse doesn't put them to bed in a dirt nap.

866 W. Peachtree St.
Atlanta, GA 30308
678-412-2402
http://communitysmithatl.com/