tahCha Teahouse - whimsical but confusing...

Went to sip some tea at tahCha Teahouse on Chamblee Tucker last night. I have very mixed feelings about this place. With a wide selection of creative beverages, a super inviting environment with plenty of comfortable seating and colorful art and trinkets for sale around the room, it has great potential. However, I was immediately taken aback by the teahouse’s lack of a menu, “because it changes every day.” Surely not everything changes every day! Instead of a menu, they had little canisters of tea on the counter that customers can look at and smell. Clearly you need all day if you really want to know everything they have, since if one person is already engaged in the process, it’s kind of awkward to join him/her hovered over the tray of canisters. They did have the kinds of teas hung on the wall behind the counter as well, but I have had Lasik twice and I had trouble seeing them.

In addition to a large array of hot/cold teas served by the pot, tahCha also offers some funky drinks like bubble tea, a marteani and the frostea, as indicated by a chalkboard. Unfortunately, you have to ask the servers what such concoctions are, and the available flavors are not listed anywhere. The two women working there also seemed very confused and hesitant about what they offered. Per one of their recommendations, I finally ordered a peach frostea (tea with ice cream). Unfortunately my friend gave up on this process and didn’t bother ordering anything after being at the counter for at least five minutes, maybe more.

I have to admit that despite my lack of confidence, my frostea was quite delicious. It tasted like a less-sickly-sweet version of a milkshake, and you could even taste the tea in it, which was cool. After the ordering rigamarole, I actually found my time at tahCha to be quite pleasant and relaxing as I sat on a comfy couch and sipped my pretty beverage. Even though there was a book club meeting going on right next to us, it remained fairly quiet. I also appreciated the fact that, unlike most places in Atlanta, tahCha had a few overhead fans blowing instead of blasting the AC to the point of freezing me to the bone. Yay!

Besides expecting them to have a menu and a simpler means of ordering, I also thought tahCha would have some sort of Asian flare to it since ‘cha’ means tea in Chinese. Alas, it did not. Despite these points of confusion, though, I will most likely find myself back there someday when I am filled with patience and have a lot of time to kill. In addition to the vast array of teas, tahCha also offers a select amount of sandwiches and pastries that I’d like to sample.

Westsiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide

There were a couple of places I’d been dying to get to on the Westside for some time now, so I decided to take advantage when I had a dance class to go to over there.First stop, Star Provisions. Yes, I know I am probably the last food lover in all of Atlanta to go there, but what can ya do. Having been fantasizing about it for a few years, I always pictured it to be a massive place along the lines of my beloved Alon’s. I was quite shocked that it was so small.

Tragically, I wasn’t too hungry when I went there (damn 95 degree weather!), so I mostly just wandered through it. I’ll admit it was a bit intimidating. While I enjoy cooking, I am by no means a gourmet, and the place specializes in top-of-the-line meats, cheeses and seafood that I know very little about and wouldn’t necessarily go shopping for unless Rachael Ray told me I needed them for a recipe and I couldn’t find them at Kroger.

In addition to the counters of high-quality ingredients, the market also sells a cute collection of kitchenware. While I liked a lot of it, it just felt too fancy for me to actually purchase.

I felt a bit more at home at the prepared foods counter, which serves up a variety of hot and cold dishes, breads and sweets. If I’m back in the area again (I live nowhere near it), I will have to stop by and give this counter another go. I particularly had my eye on the house cured salumi stuffed bread. Alas, on this sweltering hot day the only thing I could fathom ordering was their soft serve. Lucky for me, one of the topping options was – get ready for it – olive oil and sea salt!

Knowing my tastes for the unusual, I knew I’d enjoy it, but didn’t know how much. The flavor combination of the sweet vanilla and the savory oil and salt was out of this world! I only wish they’d layered in the oil and salt instead of putting it just on top because after a few blissful bites I was left with just a plain old cup of vanilla ice cream. In any case, this was so amazing I am definitely going to try to recreate it at home ASAP.

I also felt a little uncomfortable when it came time to eat the ice cream. I didn’t want to go outside and pass out, and the inside boasted some large picnic tables, but I wasn’t quite sure if they were just for looks or not. Luckily, the woman who rang me up read my mind and assured me I could sit there. Even though people were browsing and shopping around me, I started to feel a bit more comfortable as I sat and savored my treat. Being such a sophisticated establishment frequented by foodies from near and far, I had expected the service to be pretty stuffy, but everyone was very friendly and helpful.

Star Provisions is located in the Westside Urban Market, which also contains the glitzy restaurants, Bacchanalia, JCT Kitchen and Quinones, as well as the more casual Figo Pasta and the ever-yummy Taqueria del Sol. It is also next to a funky, industrial development called White Provision, which mostly contains a slew of fancy art galleries and furniture stores, as well as another high-end restaurant, Abbatoir.

Overall, this area (with the exception of Figo, which I don’t really like, and Taqueria del Sol, which I love), is just a bit too fancy for me to visit regularly, but I imagine it’s quite the dream come true for the gourmets out there.

My post-dance class stop was more my speed – very bare bones. Korea meets Mexico at Hankook Taqueria – or does it? Having an overwhelming love of both Asian and Mexican fare, I was ready to be blown away by this place. I have to say, however, that my beef taco tasted much like any other taco I’ve had before. I wasn’t really hit by any obvious Korean flavors. The sesame fries, though, were quite interesting. I wasn’t really sure where the sesame was going to come in, but basically these were French fries cooked in sesame oil – very delicious and unique flavor! While the melding of Korean and Mexican flavors promised by the restaurant’s menu didn’t quite come to life through my taco, I will definitely be returning here to try a few more items. I’m way too curious, and the food is way too cheap, to not give some of their other offerings a go. The atmosphere is great too. No frills, no fuss, diverse crowd, solo diners to large groups and everything in between. Stay tuned...

Cafe 101 – Pretty Darn Basic

Considering the funky digs and quirky menu, I expected to be surprised and delighted by Cafe 101. However, as the name suggests, it was pretty basic and, unfortunately, not busy at all on a Saturday night. In the span of 10 minutes, my dining partner and I were asked no less than six times if we were ready to order (by about four different individuals), even though our faces were clearly still planted in the lengthy menu.

When we were finally ready, we settled on the mapo tofu, basil chicken (recommended by one of our many waiters) and dan dan noodles. The tofu, very soft and in a red sauce with tiny bits of pork, was perfectly fine but lacked zing. The basil chicken had great flavor, but lots of fatty, unsavory bits that turned me off. For me, the dan dan noodles took the prize for the tastiest dish on the scene.

While I’ve typically seen dan dan noodles filled with lots of good stuff including pork, scallions, chilis, etc., these noodles came quite naked with just a thin red sauce. Fortunately, their flavor made up for the lack of ingredients. This was one of those dishes I could have easily hoarded for myself and went to town on until sick to my stomach. But again, it’s just a bowl of noodles, pretty basic stuff.

One of the things I’d heard touted a few times about Cafe 101 was its great selection of shaved ice desserts. While the online menu boasted several pages to choose from, the restaurant now only offers a few choices, displayed by a very sad-looking menu on each table. After carefully reviewing it when we first arrived, and then again when we were finished with the entrees, I decided to take a pass.

On the way out of the restaurant, I spied a large party sharing some of my other faves from China – namely, bitter melon soup and salt & pepper pork. However, considering the uninspired service and lack of consistency, I think I’m going to continue shopping around for stellar renditions of these classics instead of returning to Cafe 101.

(I am happy to report that the leftovers did taste a bit more full-flavored the day after, having had a chance to marry and marinate. But with so many restaurants I still need to try in Atlanta, they really need to get it right the first time to garner my repeat business.)

A Sandwich at Savor

I will make this one short and sweet. I tried a sandwich from Savor today. It was called The Toscano and included "fennel seed salami with Tuscan olive chutney, provolone, mayo and local greens." The sandwich was good and it was kind of entertaining to look at their random assortment of gourmet groceries, cooking utensils and books while I waited. The little boutique store, Festivity, is also right next to it if you want to browse at more random stuff - cook books, jewelry, sundresses, etc. However, I say if you have a hankering for a fancy gourmet sandwich surrounded by a menagerie of other culinary items, go Alon's all the way. It's tastier, bigger, more happening, has more goodies and a lot more outside seating (at least the one in Dunwoody, I haven't been to the one on North Highland). Lastly, when I have a special sandwich I like to accompany it by an equally special drink - alas, Savor did not have any. Just a neglected looking fountain soda machine. Alon's has a coffee bar, and usually some flavored lemonades. Just sayin'. 

Tasty China Takes Me Back

Chinese salad

Since I left Harbin, China in 1999, I have been desperately missing and pining over the amazing jiachang liangcai, which was a staple of the many meals my study abroad friends and I shared in this northern city. Consisting of a magical medley of cold vegetables, pork strips, tofu, cilantro and noodles spiced and sauced to perfection, this dish was by far the most memorable thing I consumed during my five months in China. The crunch of the vegetables, squishiness of the noodles, firm bite of the tofu and unmistakable zing of cilantro made for an addictive combination in every bite. That is why when I was casually glancing through a write-up of Marietta’s Tasty China one day, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the words “Chinese Salad.”

Described by the writer as a bit mysterious, I knew the concoction being served by this authentic Chinese restaurant had to at least be a distant cousin of my beloved dish. While not exact, the Chinese Salad at Tasty China was indeed close enough to jiachang liangcai to light me up like a Christmas tree when it arrived at our table. It was missing a few of the more gelatinous components featured in the original, and was a hell of a lot spicier than I recall, but all of the key flavors were there. After more than 10 years, jiachang liangcai has come home to mama! Thank you, Tasty China!

Steamed dumplings

The steamed dumplings we ordered were also eerily reminiscent of the baozi we would buy on the long walks to class in Harbin. While they were never my favorite thing to eat there (simply the most convenient since they were sold on the street), the Tasty China version was definitely decent and it was fun to taste these little guys again after so many years.

Other selections we tried at Tasty China included beef and cilantro in chili oil and kung pao scallops. The beef was paper thin and melted in my mouth while pelting my taste buds with the distinct and welcome taste of Chinese five spice powder. The scallops tasted like butter, a flavor that never disappoints (at least not when it comes to my palate).

Kung pao scallops

The servers at Tasty China are sweet, but a little scattered. The menu is colossal. And most importantly, everything on it is polka dotted with chili peppers and is fire engine hot! While the heat (somehow) did not scorch out the other flavors, my mouth was a raging inferno from the first to the last bite. You have been warned!

I will obviously be returning to Tasty China whenever I need my Harbin fix, but I am also looking forward to trying some of the other myriad delights offered by this inconspicuous suburban mecca of Chinese flavors.

The Best Pizza in Atlanta

So it was a tad annoying that it was a Sunday night (not Friday or Saturday), I had a reservation for 7:30 pm and didn’t get seated until after 8:00 pm. However, I had to keep in mind that I was at one of Atlanta’s “destination” restaurants. I’d been to Fritti once before and remember it being only moderately occupied, but that must have been a weeknight because on Sunday night the atmosphere was on and poppin’.

Luckily we were able to find some seats at the tiny little bar area while we waited, because it was a bit too chilly for me to wait outside. Which is why when we were finally led to a table, I was quite disappointed to find that it was practically on the street with nothing shielding it from the elements. “Focus on the deliciousness you are about to consume,” I said to myself, as the gracious hostess went off to find us another table.

Finally seated inside, I was overwhelmed by my inability to focus on anything but the two conversations happening on either side of us (the tables are about a foot apart), but I soon settled into the “destination dining” atmosphere and the surrounding conversations dulled into fairly unnoticeable background noise.

There with my boyfriend, we decided to get a healthy sampling of menu items. We decided to split the Crocchette di Melanzane (fancy for eggplant, mozzarella and roasted pepper croquettes), Caesar salad and the spicy salami and black olive pizza. This is the second time I’ve been underwhelmed by one of the fried appetizers here. As I expressed in a previous blog posting, the Sicilian risotto and sausage croquettes were virtually tasteless, and these croquettes were slightly more flavorful but still lacked pizzazz.

The Caesar salad, on the other hand, was on point, and the pizza was TO DIE FOR. I have not yet tried Varasano’s, the pizza joint that has Atlanta buzzing and even obtained accolades in Rachael Ray magazine, but at this point I am officially declaring Fritti the best pizza in Atlanta. It simply has the most flavor. The best pizza I can recall having ever was at Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn, and I dare say this is close. It is definitely better than the pizza I spoke of in my last blog posting from Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, which Rachael selected as the best pizza in the country. Considering I waited two hours outside at both Grimaldi’s and Bianco, I shouldn’t really complain about a half hour wait at the bar for Fritti.

As a side note, Fritti also has the best wine I’ve ever had – called Lambrusco. It tastes like someone mixed sparkling cider with wine, which is an amazing combination. I was also impressed with the prices at Fritti this time around. For some reason I ended up spending a lot more my last go-round, but this time, two drinks, a salad, pizza and appetizer was only $45.00, and it was plenty of food for two. I was actually uncomfortably full when I left, but what else is new for me...

Despite my distaste for dealing with crowds, loud noises and an overall “scene,” I’m going to go ahead and say that I still love Fritti. After all, all of the Riccardo Ullio’s restaurants are like this, and you have to wonder if they’d have the same draw if they weren’t – sadly, probably not. Overall, the space is what it is, the crowds are what they are and the staff is pretty good about recognizing that fact and accommodating guests as best as possible. I might suggest, though, at least asking people if they mind sitting outside, because even though it is covered, much of the seating is essentially out-of-doors.