Ticonderoga Club Revisit

After letting this joint settle in and absorbing everything that it has to offer... I don't know if being in the KSM does them any justice. It feels like this place belongs not in a mini food court but in it's own stand alone space. It has an unique personality, the food is well executed and the cocktails are a breed of it's own and easily 'best' all of the competition in the KSM. Is it ground breaking and will it change the culinary landscape? Fuck no, but what they do here is from the heart. They believe in it... And you can taste it in their end product. There's no doubt this team has the talent already from their resumes. But how long can this honeymoon really last? Let's go see how they're doing these days... 
The clubhouse/treehouse style is growing on me, I thought it was kinda cheesy in the beginning... But after eating and imbibing on their nosh and slosh, the toy box decor all became just background noise. The menu was perfect for this hidden secret lair with big flavors, bold colors and just tasty ass kibbles that we all want to eat when getting our drink on. You really come here for the cocktails but the surprise here is the quality of the grub which stands toe to toe with the top notch drinks.
I feel like Tony Montana when I'm here because I can't stop over ordering everything... Eating, drinking, fucking, sucking, snorting. Then what? You're 50. You got a bag for a pouch. You got moobs, you need a bro. They got hair on them. You got a liver, they got spots on it, and you're eating this fuckin' dericious shit, looking like these trendy fucking hippies in here...The pouch is so polluted, I can't even have Jell-O for dessert...
Oooo! Look, pretty pictures...

Grilled Foie Gras. I had this before and it was so good, had to have it again. Silky smooth, savory and creamy with the right amount of grilled buttery toast. You know you want it... Git it, git it.

Shrimp in Kataifi. This version would make Joel Robuchon proud... Fuck, I don't want to say this but it could be a tad better than that frog's original recipe. The shredded phyllo crust was spot on in crunch and color, the shrimpz inside were tender and juicy, just a perfect balance between the two. Turns out the yolk and wort (malt) was a nice little dipping sauce, who woulda thunk it?

Fisherman's Friend. Still one of the prettiest dishes around... That vibrant green is not only sick looking but good tasting, too. Yes, there isn't that much seafood in there but after you sop up all the Toxic Avenger's piss with that beautifully toasted crusty bread, your fisherman's net will be more than satisfied.

Vegan Noodle Bowl. Dude, I don't do vegan but since I never had it... I needed to cross it off my list. This was a heaping bowl of noodles and assorted veggies. Ok, this was good and it didn't even have any animals in it.. Couldn't believe it.

Spiced Pork Confit. The masa porridge is ultra smooth and silky but the fork tender pork confit with bits of char and bark melts in your mouth like a meaty Talenti gelato. One of their best dishes.

Cobb Salad. This is what we call in the biz crap in a bowl... But this porcelain god was filled with a bunch of goodies- Avocado, egg, chicken, bacon, onion, tomato, iceberg and Maytag cheez. Eat it deconstructed or mix it all up... Pouch badger don't give a shit because it will all go down to the same place. Cobb salads can be found all over the place but this was pretty impressive in girth and stature... Yeah yeah, that's what she said... And I say, tis was quite a bountiful and dericious dish.

These mofos are kicking so much ass... The menu is creative, bold and vibrant and the cocktail program is one of the best in this one horse town... Keep those Buckskin Playmates coming because those ugly girls in the corner are beginning to look like Playboy Playmates. Nobody puts a hand grenade in a corner. Pump, pump...

Whiskey dick.

99 Krog St NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
404-458-4534
http://www.ticonderogaclub.com/

KFC Nashville Hot Chicken

I have never been a big fan of KFC... The pressure fryer style fwied cheekan is just too soft and greasy while their extra crispy has way too much breading on it. They say it's coated like 7+ times and that's just too thick to try to hide the tiny piece of chicken inside... That's like trying to impress a chick wearing 7 condoms over a Vienna sausage. But no chicken chain has done the trendy hot chicken, let alone a Nashville hot chicken, yet... Until now. I gotta admit, they got some balls to do a promo like this since most pedestrians can't handle heat or spicy of any sort, especially, on a national level. Just for growing a pair and doing something trendy before any other chicken chains, you got my attention and deserve another chance... Even though, they will never top Popeyes no matter what they do. Shit, I'm hoping it sucks ass so I can destroy their ass in the only fashion the pouch knows how... With delicate crass and vulgar verbiage in the most immature nature, of course. Were you expecting a PR fluff piece from a free media event coming from this unrefined face gash?
Ok, enough with the verbal foreplay... Let's just get right down to the chicken fisting. Jesus, that reminds me of this kid in middle school telling me about how him and his cousins would fuck bantams and biddies until they died of a heart attack back in the Dominican Republic... I mean, talk about a hot marinade injection. It still haunts me to know why some kid would risk his developing manhood with large sharp talons flailing around in the general vicinity of his franks and beans. Luckily, these hot cheekans have been declawed and deep fried...

Warning label... "Warning: You are about to taste the BEST SPICY CHICKEN YOU'VE EVER HAD." ...I don't know about that but your fucking coleslaw is pretty damn good, though. Always been a fan of their coleslaw, must be all the HFCS and Molly in it.

Voila! An extra crispy leg and thigh dipped in their "Nashville" hot sauce... You can see some of it pooling in the bottom of the container, perhaps a good sign? These motherfuckers even threw in a few slices of pickles to complete the original look... Except for the biscuit vs. a slice of white bread. I asked them if they just have them by the piece but sadly, they only come in a package deal of 1 breast, 2 piece leg and thigh or a 8 piece mixed. No matter, the leg and thigh is what I wanted anyways. This entire set up was only $5 and change which wasn't too bad... And I'm still staring at the hot sauce puddled at the bottom which was kinda impressive. I rolled the leg around the sauce to give it a nice shiny coating... Took a bite, crispy and crackling crust, the hot sauce was almost non-existent on the first contact and it started to build up a little after a few seconds but it ended up just mildly spicy on the finish. Not that it was bad, it would be spicy to 93% of the population, so it looks like they have done their job on the heat level for the masses. For me, I wanted to add more hot sauce on it but I didn't because I needed to report the truth back to my one reader unadulterated and unaltered... Even though, I prefer my chicks bathe in red hot liquid chicken sex. I gotta admit, it was surprisingly decent for their attempt to reproduce the famed N'ville hot chicken. It's got the look to it but it still fell short on the overall taste and heat level... But they have earned a little piece of my respect back. Not that I would rush back for more but if I was driving by on the same side as a KFC, I may stop in and try the Nashville hot cheekan tenders version... But that's all dependent on how much fucking whiskey I have had already.

Thaicoon & Sushi Bar

I have not been back to this place for many many moons... I remember the inside was so dumpy and gloomy and the food was middling at best, there was no reason to really comeback any time soon... And soon became years. Since, I do like to come back to restos that somehow continues to defy all rationale and stay in business after all these years, there might be something going on since my last visit. The exterior is still the same which looks like a soup kitchen, the bright red sign is still up and glowing... But the inside has been somewhat renovated to resemble a farm to table whitie joint. What the fuck is going on in here? Was this another attempt to crackerize the interior setting to look more attractive to the demographics around this pretty well to do neighborhood? Obviously, Asians are not their primary target audience... But the roundeyes will surely love this place because it will look like the farmhouse style living/dining room/kitchen they always wanted like in an episode of Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines. So, why not make it look like a mini Ford Fry resto inside, shit, he always wanted to open a Thai and sooshee joint, anyways. Instead of Mex-Tex, this was Nip-Siam.
Not only did they renovated the space, it seems like they reworked the menu, too... And it's fucking long as shit. That's usually not a good sign but what can I do now... I could walk out but I really wanted some sweet shrimp with the tasty fried head.
Fuck it, if it sucks, then the pouch will have something fun to write about... Time to feed da pouch.

Soft Shell Crab. They have a few different soft shell crab dishes, but it was a struggle not to order the spider roll... Yeah, I know, why didn't I fucking order it? But this regular SSC app was not too shabby at all. The crust was not overly battered like at most places. You can actually tell it's a friggin crab on the plate while other places look like a friggin chicken tender. It was crispy and meaty. Not a bad start.

Thai Toast. Minced chicken and shrimp smeared on bread and deep fried. Oh, they're greasy and crispy and kinda totally addictive. It's like the worst concept ever but it's so bad they're good. 

Duck Rolls. I always get suckered in for duck deep wrapped up and fried in any manner... They look pretty good but the duck was a bit chewy. So, you get that really nice crispy layer then you're chewing and chewing to work that duck into submission before you swallow it. It's not bad, but the execution didn't work out as planned.

Sweet Shrimp. I love these fucking things... It's one of my all time favorite snack. The fried shrimp head is quite possibly one of the most savory things on earth to put in one's mouth. The brains/tomalley is one of the finest delicacies made by mother nature. I love staring into his black eyeballs before I crack open his head with my teeths. The shrimp was pretty sweet and the texture was very nice, it was pretty fresh overall but it ain't the best I've had in this town. For $2.95, I ain't complaining.

Sushi Special. I know I know what the fuck is the California roll doing on this platter... I just wanted to sample a few selection of their fishies and the cali roll was just an included byproduct. The only disappointment was the fake surimi crab leg, the other pieces of nigiri were fine and average, nothing spectacular... At least they weren't mushy and devoid of texture and flavor like another place I had recently. It ain't gonna blow your mind but if you needed a sooshee fix, it's acceptable.

Pad Thai. This version included chicken and shrimp, that explains why it was abnormally pricey for this simple noodle dish. I must admit it wasn't a bad version of the classic national dish. It need more acidity so ask them for more lime wedges. It wasn't gooey and gloppy like a few places around town. I was totally acceptable and I would get it again.

Miso Soup. This place only gives you one option for the sushi special... Either, miso soup or the salad which was kinda chintzy, c'mon, bro, it ain't gonna eat into your margins if you offered both. But if you had to choose, I would go with the soup since the other apps already included a little salad. The miso soup here was average, at least it wasn't full on instant miso soup from an envelope.

I was pleasantly surprised by this visit years later... It's not the best sushi and Thai in this town but for what it was, I would come back again. The service was good, the ambiance was nice even though it didn't convey the feeling that you're at a Thai/sushi joint, the food was better than average, some dishes were kinda silly but that's ok. Next time, I would sit at the sushi bar and see what magic they can perform for me. But the interior update still baffles my mind... It's so friggin southern farm to table style that I wanted to order fried chicken, collars and cornbread.

1799 Briarcliff Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30306-2142
(404) 817-9805
http://www.thaicoonsushiatlanta.com/

Le Fat Revisit

I had a good visit on the first time around... The food was good, ingredients were quality, cocktails were on par and service was just right. But the menu, while it sounded like something you would find on Buford Hwy, was pretty much adjusted to the gwailo's palates and the food excluded a lot of the scary stuff on a few dishes. I can totally understand why in this part of town... If they didn't do it, they would get no business. I get that but I still think they should have the option to go full ethnic retard if one desires it... But that might be too inefficient for the kitchen and the order would prolly get fucked up anyways. Shit, I can dream, though, right... But even if the menu isn't even 70% authentic, I would still come back here. And so I did... Well, I wanted to check up on Guy and see how the joint was doing and plus, he put the Bun Bo Hue on the dinner menu now. Ok, maybe that's the main reason why I came back. My quest for the best bowl of BBH in this town is never ending because I have yet still to find that perfect balance of spiciness, complex broth, meat to rice noodle ratio, ham hock and the ever important blood cakes.
Let's see what they're up to these days...

Wonton Dumplings. These pork and shrimp wontons were plump and tasty. The skin was a tad overcooked but it was totally acceptable... The only thing that needed help was the chili oil, it needed to be thicker and 100 times more spicier.

Escargot. These little sea snots were pretty tasty. They have a nice bite to them, not too soft and not too chewy, just the right spring to them. Like with the wontons, I wanted them to be a lot more spicy with the sriracha butter... I shoulda just asked them to bring me a bottle on the side to adjust accordingly.

Salt & Pepper Calamari.This is obviously everyone's favorite... Who doesn't like lightly battered and fried squid? This was a tasty dish, I coulda used more jalapenos but that's just me... The only thing missing was the tentacles which I was told that the whities were afraid of them and sent it back, so, now they serve only the tubes. Listen motherfuckers, the tentacles are the BEST part of this dish... Start demanding for the tentacles to be reinstated and man up, grow a pair and eat it like how it was designed to be eaten. 

Shaking Beef. Well, it didn't really come out all sizzling and shit like on a fajita plate... It was more like a wiggling beef. It's still very tasty but the whole idea of a shaking beef is the visual and audio when it comes to table. You know, the whole interactive eating gimmick trick. I like it still but I would like it a lot more if it was on a sizzler plate.

Bun Bo Hue. It's a nice heaping bowl of noodle soup full of lemongrass hints but the broth wasn't as rich or complex as it could have been (as if it was diluted down for the demographics)... It lacked the balance of spicy, sour, salty and sweet flavors. It needed more shrimp paste/sauce and a ton more chili and chili oil. It should have a crisp clean sheen and luster on top. The slices of beef shank were tender and flavorful. The nice hunk of ham hock gave it that touch of authenticity and it was broken down enough to get that wonderful bite of gelatinous skin, it pulled right off the bone with ease. But the most important ingredient to this dish was missing... The magic cubes of blood cakes. The texture and color of these congealed blood cubes are paramount to completing this dish, to me they are the heart of this dish. The rice noodles should a bit thicker for this bowl but now I'm just nitpicking... The standard rice noodles served it's purpose. I can't put this BBH on my best of list but for what it was, this was a great way to introduce the whities to the magnificence and the healing powers of a great spicy bowl of Bun Bo Hue.

Crab Noodles. This is such a classic dish... Crab and noodles full of garlic and fire from the chiles. It's just old school comfort grub. This version was just a bit dumb down to cater to the crowds. It was garlicky enough and it definitely wasn't spicy... But it still had a wonderful crabby flavor to it and that's prolly the most important part. If this was spicy, it woulda been a helluva dish.

Whatever Le Fat is doing, it's working for them... The place was packed and people were genuinely enjoying their meals and drinks. Shit, I was, too. Did I think the food was outstanding? Fuck no, but it totally has a place in this part of town. The menu has a little something for everyone and I mean everyone, it was designed to fit the demographics with little hints of Vietnamese and Chinese ethnicity. But let's also not kid ourselves here, this ain't a destination for ex-pats searching for grub from the motherland but for the hip and trendy, the see and be seen types which has flourished around this little area... This is one of the places to be. 

935 Marietta St
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-439-9850
http://lefatatl.com/

Kobe Steakhouse Hibachi Sushi & Thai

Hibachi joints are scary... Because most places that say they are using hibachi are lying to you. They are not hibachi, they are teppanyaki. Unless, you see a cauldron of hot coals with a grill on top, it ain't hibachi... The flat tops that we're all assimilated to are teppanyaki. No one should ever do teppanyaki unless you're a child under the age of 9 with a limited palate and it's your birthday. The whole "hibachi" gimmick is all about the show (which usually sucks ass, I think they hire retards or ex-clowns) and very little to do with the food cooked on top... And usually the food is totally simpleton garbage like fried rice and some stir fried meats with a side of annoying as fuck clanking, metal on metal noise shit to distract you from what you're shoveling down your facehole. Who ever created the fucking onion volcano should be shot with a surface to air missile... Dear Leader stole that idea from me, the missile not onion volcano, that cocksucker.
So, why the fuck am I here? For your oral pleasure, of course! Only the pouch is stupid enough to even attempt to accept this bout with IBS to entertain and inform my one reader of the local eats. Since, I will not be doing the "hibachi"... Let's take a look at the sushi and Thai cuisines. Yeah yeah, I know that you know that I know that this is gonna be most likely a total shitshow. But shitshows are always good time for the Fwied Cheekan Lipz, they're my specialty...
Walked in, had a really nice entrance set up, around the corner there is a bar out front which looked well stocked. Sat at the bar while waiting for a table... Looked to my right and there were three old broads that took turns going outside to chain smoke. As you can imagine they all had very sexy voices like George Burns... Or they were from Jersey. One hag asked for an Oriental beer since they were in an Oriental resto... The "When in Rome..." philosophy, obviously. The bartender/owner puts a Kirin and Sapporo in front of the ancient beast, she's like "which one is better?". Both are really good, he replied... Good, leave both of them was the answer. This was my kinda skank... If the lights were dimmer, I may have been tempted to slay that raspy dragon in the shitter. But it was bright as fuck, so I asked if my table was ready... Sooner rather than later, pweez. The hostess said, the table wasn't ready yet. I told her there were 9 empty tables right there... She said, but we don't have enough servers tonight because a bunch of them called in sick. You just can't make this shit up...
Oh, did I mention that shitshows were my specialty... 

Sushi & Sashimi. It actually looked pretty decent when it was placed in front of my snout. The presentation, color, assembly, slice size, shiso leaves... All looked to be in order. Could the pouch have been wrong before it even took the first bite? The pouch's gut feelings are usually pretty much spot on but there is always a small margin for an off day. Took a bite of the tuna... Why is it so tasteless and mushy? Took bites of everything else and they were all tasteless and mushy. This was evidence enough that the fish here were frozen, defrosted, frozen, defrosted over and over again until it was devoid of all flavor and texture. The unagi was dried out with a jerky like texture. The ebi nigiri smelled like it was sleeping with the frog from the biology class in a jar of formaldehyde. The sad part was that the spicy tuna roll was the best thing on this priceless plank. They should just put this platter like a plastic display in the front window.

Spider Roll. No one will ever be more of a sucker for a spider roll than this fat slob... I don't know what it is but this shit is like cocaine to me. That shit was even lined up to do bumps already... It wasn't awful but it was like bumping uglies with low rent crack. It looked like Rainbow Brite took a dump on top of this thing and flew off on Starlite to bomb another table. I wonder if they will serve Squattypotty unicorn's rainbow ice cream for dessert.    

Spicy Mango with Tofu. Why do I even bother getting Thai grub here... If you think they can't fuck this simple dish up, you're prolly a fan of this place. The mango, red bell peppers and tofu wasn't the problem... The issue was the fucking "spicy sauce". It was just plain old Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce poured over it... How fucking lazy and unoriginal can you be? I was truly baffled... A 5 year old can make this fucking dish.

Roti Canai. I basically dared myself to order this... Could this be as good as Penang's version? Did I really have to ask that question... The curry/satay sauce was so cloyingly sweet and disgustingly obvious it was from a can. Not one hint of curry in that HFCS glob of shit... Don't expect to find a nice chunk of bone in chicken thigh or leg in there. The roti was basically a scallion pancake without the scallions or just one of the frozen thick ass roti you would find in your grocer's freezer aisle. It wasn't good and no one here would be the wiser if they replaced it with a fucking toasted pita bread. Awful.

Miso Soup & Ginger Carrot Salad. Oh, yes... The perennial starters that comes with all sushi platters. Since everything here was pretty much canned, jarred and instant... Why shouldn't they continue with that theme. Instant miso and jarred dressing with the very classic Japanese romaine, cabbage and carrot salad. Compared to everything else, this was actually average... Which was surprisingly refreshing to have something mediocre in a meal that was so underwhelming, borderline trash.

Looks like I fucked myself again, what a surprise... Are you not entertained? I shoulda did the fucking hibachi side instead, at least I know I would get fucked without expecting a kiss first... The goddamn onion volcano sounds pretty appetizing right about now.

2080 Henderson Mill Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30345
http://www.kobega.com/

Pouch Disposal

A lot of shit goes into the pouch... Sometimes, really worthy tasty morsels and other times, really nasty hamster vomit vittles. But more often than not, it's just pretty much disgusting what this garbage disposal jams down it's hole on a daily basis. I have no shame or dignity... But it's a shitload of fun, though. I don't discriminate on anything that people pitch and dish out as food, I will eat it and report back to my one reader... Because in order to save the world from awful grub, it always starts with a single person. The shit I do for the greater good and I ain't talking about that shitty BBQ, either. Behold... Quick slop bites from around this one horse town...

Simply Seoul.

Mushroom Bun. I always thought these Corean buns were a good idea because whities love this pseudo-ethnic crap, it's not intimidating and safe for their delicate tummies. And it also gives them a sense of being adventurous eaters inside the PCM food hall. This colorful mushroom vegan bun thinger was cute and had some what decent flavors but it was kind of a snoozer... The bun was cold and the filler was barely warm. Let's try the meaty version that seems more ethnic...

Short Rib and Bulgogi Buns. I may have spoken too soon... With all the shit in there how did these buns turn out tasting so friggin bland? I mean bland like no flavor, no seasoning, no nothing. If this was Corean, it might have defected from the North... You know, cuz the North have no seasonings or food for that matter. They may look the part but it was more style than substance. And again, these buns were cold and the fillers barely tepid. I would most likely never come back here again.


Hop's Chicken.

I swear, this will be the last time I get suckered into this fucking fwied cheekan. The last visit late at night musta been a fluke because the wings were big, crispy and sizzling hot, they were really quite nice. But fast forward a week and this is what I get... I knew I got fucked in the drive thru when they handed over a small box vs. the bucket I got last time. 6 wings, both times. The bucket is used if the pieces are larger and can't fit in the small box. The goddamn box was a dead give away. They were cold, soggy and greasy as if they have been sitting there in the corner of the hotel pan where the heat lamp wasn't touching. Biting into them was dreadful, then chewing the semi-dried out flesh along with the greasy skin almost gave you that filmy after taste you get from eating Mickey D's fries and drinking pop from that waxy straw... I felt like fucking Mushmouth. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me but I keep punishing myself with this slop... It's like a crazy ex-girlfriend that keeps showing up, you still want to bang it but you also know you're gonna have to deal with the resentment afterwards along with a side of cuckoos, texts and stalkings. Never again, maybe only really late at night. No, I won't do it. Maybe, if I'm drunk.


Twain's.

Nachos w/ BBQ Pork. I like this place for boozing. They do a good job at getting you hammered. But they do a terrible job at feeding you. I have never been a big fan of their menu, it's the standard pub fare trying to be borderline gastropub... Yeah, people still use that "G" word, just like people still use "speakcheesy"... I mean speakeasy. But anyways, nothing was craveworthy but I still needed something to absorb the toxins in the pouch and this could be the dish to do it... But sadly, just looking at that BBQ pork made me gag and throw up a little in my mouth which I guess did the trick after all to purge some toxins outta my system. It really does look like a freshly laid beaver poop.


Krystal.

Does the pouch have no fucking shame? Don't forget dignity, either... I ain't got both. Who in their right mind would admit to eating a Shrimp Po'boy from Krystal? This fat fuck would and did... Along with two Krystals on the side. Because I have no self-respect nor a sexy body, I'm kinda like a cross between Kanye West and an anteater. So, why even dare to attempt a Krystal Po'boy? ...Because it was there... for a limited time only. And it was as awful as it sounded... It's true, there is "Nothin' like it". And never should be ever again. Mind, you they made these po'boys to order and they still looked like they were a week old. All wrinkled and gooey... I don't know if I'm looking at old people having sex or food that was made for human consumption. I watched 2 minzies of a midget porn once where the little fella hocked a giant loogie in the broad's gash to lube his shrimpmeat... This po'boy reminded me of it. Don't fucking do it... I did it, so y'all don't have to, ever... I'm talking about that porn vid, it still haunts me.


Pan American Bakery.

Empanada and Pastelitos de Carne. For a buck each, these morsels are a no brainer. So freaking good.

Don't be suckered into higher priced subpar tasting Cubans found all over town. If there is lettuce and tomato in that Cuban, pick it up and throw it back at them and tell them that was the biggest insult ever inflicted upon you. For $5 still, this is the best Cuban in all of Atlanta.


Plaza Fiesta.

The taco joints inside this pueblo mall is the real shit. Tacos of all kinds for under 80 cents... And on Wednesday they are like 59 cents. Corn tortilla, grilled onions, cilantro, lime and a large selection of mystery meats... Lengua will cost you a little more but it's worth it. You can sample all of them for like under $10, you can't get 3 fucking tacos intown for that price. This shit is da bomb... Literally, if you don't have a well rounded iron stomach. I have seen gringos puke after inhaling a bunch of these lil bonitas while telling me that they eat Mexican all the time. Yeah, dude, Uncle Julio's don't count... And stop asking them for flour tortillas.

This fat fuck is stuffed... Time to purge out the excess bile byproducts from the pouch... Either, naturally or two finger assisted. Until next time, motherfuckers... Flush.

El Super Pan

The PCM Food Hall looks great for the tourists but most of the eateries in here are just average at best and pretty much all overpriced. No matter where you go to eat, every time you take a bite, you're pretty much paying their sky high rent. But at some places you don't mind paying the premium because it's kinda worth it and you want to support them... ie: El Super Pan. A long time ago, Super Pan was operating a tiny space under Pura Vida (which was good as well) that had some tasty street grub and a decent intown following. Then Hector closed up both shops due to lease issues (you can prolly figure that one out with a successful joint and the landlord) and did some consulting gigs here and there... People were praying and waiting for his comeback. And so he did with locking down a corner spot in the PCM Food Hall. Of all the food options in the hall, ESP is definitely up there on the top of the list. He's expanded his menu a bit with a bunch of tasty options... The coconut bun is prolly the crowd's favorite. Let's go sample a few morsels...

Pork Belly Buns. The steamed coconut bun was good, damn good. The pork belly had a nice flavor to it but it wasn't spicy at all with the supposed sambal in there. It's a bit smokey and a bit sweet. The mound of cilantro slaw was just over kill, no one needs to eat this much bush unless we're in the 1930's. It's a good bun, that's why I got two of them. Piglet.

Smoked Tofu Bun. For shits and giggles, I had to see what this creasture was all about. The coconut bun, of course, was the foundation but the chipotle soy and gochujang gave the tasteless tofu the kick it needed. The pepitas gave it that crunch.

Yuca Frita. These logs of yuca were pretty damn tasty... There's not much else to say except to ask for all 3 sauces.

Brown Rice + Red Beans. Red beans and rice are found everywhere... Even Popeyes has a pretty kickass version. But ESP's version was one of the best I have tasted in a long time. I could eat 3 orders of these but the people around me may not want me to. Take it to go and eat it in your car and roll around in your own greenhouse gas emission funk.

Maduros. Perfectly roasted sweet plantains. If you don't have teeth these would be perfect for you. Gum these babies right down your gullet.. And then come over to my car for some chino maduros.

Cubano Mixto. Pan Cubano, Cuban roasted pork, ham, salami, yellow mustard, pickles, swiss cheese. It's like a fat gluten log. This is prolly the most expensive Cuban I have had in this town. The quality is good overall and the flavors were nice but Pan American Bakery destroys this in taste and for the low price of only $5.

Pan de Jamon y Queso. Spanish foccacia, Serrano ham, manchego, almond-date spread, arugula, piquillo agridulce. Look at that side shot of the thick glutenous bread ends. The meat, cheez and veg to bread ratio is pretty thin. The bread is pretty nice but the filler was pretty much standard issue where you can find similar quality almost anywhere for cheaper.

This is one of the best food options in PCM, you can't go wrong with anything here. The sandos might be a bit on the pricey side but it's worth it. This isn't a place to have a full dinner but for a snack or a lunch, it's perfect. Plus, I rather support Hector than one of those middling celebrity chef spreads in this food hall. If I'm gonna get ripped off, I'm gonna get ripped off by a humble local.

Ponce City Market
675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
404-600-2465 
http://www.elsuperpan.com/#modern-organic-thai

Wahoo Grill

It's been awhile since I made a revisit but all my past visits were pretty decent. It's a reliable neighborhood resto that proved they could stand the test of time and stay in business after all these years. Let's see if they can prove to the pouch if that still holds water... Well, in the pouch's case, it's more like whiskey.
The joint still looks exactly the same as it did and they still get a pretty good crowd. The bar in the back was dark, sad and lonely... I don't know why they haven't moved the bar to the front, it's all about window dressing, make the joint look happening even if it isn't. People like to see a bar from the street while they're driving by... It makes the statement that they have booze. I like booze... And fwied cheekan. They still have both, so, let's go see what the fuck is up with them nowadays...

Fried Calamari.spicy hoisin and mayhaw-citrus sauces, crisp banana peppers. This dish is as old as PEI mussels in some type of wacky exotic broth. It's still crispy, crunchy and a bit chewy. Same as it ever was. It's one of the great gimmick dishes that never fails to sell... In any resto.

Crab Bisque, crab meat blended with cream and a touch of sherry. It's a pretty basic recipe but it works for this hood. The consistency was fine, not too thick and not too thin. It was fine in a generic kinda way but nothing that memorable.

P.E.I. Mussels, chorizo, saffron broth, grilled bread. Speaking of the fucking devil... Here's the motherfucking mussels. In a chorizo and saffron broth no less. A bit small on the size of the mussels but who's expecting plump medium+ sized mussels here. They were average and acceptable, as expected.

Southern Fried Chicken. Does anybody really care if it's from Springer Mountain after it's been fried to hell? It's like a broken record with every place that uses Springer Mountain chicken... The whole organic free range bullshit is out the window once you deep fry that yardbird. Having said that, this fwied cheekan is still decent but not crave worthy enough to make it a destination because it is all white meat, zero dark meat here. The crust/batter was a medium thickness coating which wasn't bad, it was pretty crispy. The white meat, of course, was kinda dry inside. The mound of mash and greens were all filler whether it be on the plate or in your pouch. I rather just get a 8 piece box from Publix and sit on a curb and chow down on that, instead.

Beet Salad, braised beets, goat cheese, walnuts, bacon, sweet onion, spinach, arugula herb-cider vinaigrette. Not a bad looking salad... Pretty decent looking actually. It tasted like how it looked, pretty tasty. At least it's colorful unlike the previous dishes.

Duck. I think this was a special for the night. A decent amount of duck breast fanned out but that arugula salad looked like they just poured it out of the bag, undressed. The duck was cooked pretty much spot on, maybe a tad over but it was still pink so it's ok... But the overall dish looked so damn dry. Undressed salad, not much of a sauce for the duck except that berry compote thingy. It's a very home cook version.

Charleston Shrimp & Grits, sauteed and simmered in a spicy tomato cream sauce over creamy stone ground cheddar grits. Nice plump skrimpz, kinda looks like it's from the shrimp cocktail but the star of the show was just too soupy. I hate soupy grits but people like to call it creamy sometimes when it's been sitting around for too long. This would be a great version if it was at a QT gas station. Ok, it wasn't that bad but it was just so average at best... And how do we know it's really from Charleston? I had some fucking kickass S&G's there, these didn't taste like them...

Brasstown Beef N.Y. Strip, 10-ounce grilled, Wahoo! steak sauce, cajun fries, grilled onion. Why do I wish that the onions on top was a onion volcano instead? Those onions were barely grilled, maybe they wanted it "flame kissed". Nothing like raw crunchy onions to put a film on your taste buds before you bite into a piece of manmeat. The strip was fine, cooked pretty much spot on mid-rare... But overall, it was just so generic looking. Piece of meat, onions on top, fries and sauce on the side... Longhorn's and Outback's does the same thing... Wait, Outback's gives you side options for no additional charge.

Cod. Not a bad looking piece of fish, pretty chunky... Too bad it was undercooked, raw in the middle. Sent it back and it still came out a bit undercooked. Well, it ain't gonna kill you but it may if you send it back for a 3rd time... All I heard playing in my head was "Boogers and cum, how about some feces with your flounder?"

Bliss Cake, a wahoo! favorite! warm, semi-sweet chocolate cake with hints of ginger, cinnamon, red wine, hazelnut whipped cream, chocolate ganache. It looked like it made a Hershey's squirts trail from one end of the plate to the other end. It did a zig zag formation to disorient you, kinda like how you would run away from a alligator. I wouldn't call it a Bliss cake because it wasn't all that joyful in my mouth. It wasn't bad, like everything else it was just average, almost store bought quality if you will.

Even with this lackluster visit, I think this is still a perfectly decent neighborhood resto for this area. I would prefer to go to Dish Dive before coming here but if you have a larger party this would fit the bill fine. The food isn't gonna blow you away, it's standard American fare and it's average. The menu seemed like it hasn't had a make over in years and there is nothing here that anyone would consider adventurous eating, so it's safe. The only thing I wouldn't do again is sit near the open kitchen, I don't know if the vents were working properly that night but you come out smelling like a grease trap afterwards and it took days to get rid of the grease smell from my jacket.


1042 W College Ave
Decatur, GA 30030
404-373-3331
http://www.wahoogrilldecatur.com/