Lunacy Interior

We quickly scanned the short menu and decided to order a few of the tapas-style dishes (which makes sense when you know that the chef/owner Paul Luna also runs founded Eclipse di Luna and Loca Luna). I was a little disappointed that they no longer have the slider-sized sandwiches on the menu that I’d heard about since their opening, but what we had to choose from was still a good selection. We probably could even have ordered the whole menu to sample–everything was under $4. You read that right, FOUR DOLLARS. To start, I decided to try the cabbage salad I’d read good things about on Eat it, Atlanta‘s blog:

Cabbage Salad

I thought the salad was decent, but nothing to write home about. However, it probably doesn’t help that I’m not a huge fan of cabbage. Next, we had a plate of the fresh mozzarella, which came with tomatoes, mushrooms, and a balsamic drizzle; sauteed shrimp (no pic); and short ribs:

Fresh Mozzarella

Short Ribs

The fresh mozz was really tasty and refreshing. The short ribs and shrimp were fan.tas.tic. Both came in small bowls with a pool of flavorful cooking liquid underneath, which both Mario and I ended up sopping up with bread. At one point during our conversation, I took a particularly well-seasoned bite of short rib and just had to close my eyes and pause the conversation for about 10 seconds. Mmmm. On top of that, they were quite literally fall-off-the-bone tender. Mario’s shrimp were apparently so good that he could only spare me one bite before chowing down on the rest. No harm done though, I was pretty loathe to share my short ribs as well.

Lunacy Black Market is an awesome lunch spot that is well worth every one of the [very few] pennies they charge. They do also have dinner hours, but are only open Wed-Sun (this goes for both lunch and dinner, dinner only on Saturday). Chef Luna seems intent on integrating the restaurant with the surrounding area and hosts a number of weekly events to cater to neighborhood residents, including “Weekend Wine Downs” on Sundays and “Mozzarella Mondays” where attendees can learn to make their own cheese.

www.lunacyblackmarket.com

Lobby

The purpose of the lunch was to introduce–or rather, reintroduce–new-old executive chef Nick Oltarsh. Oltarsh opened Lobby Bar and Bistro in 2005 and after a stint at Murphy’s in Virginia Highland, he has returned to Lobby. The menu contained a number of “New South” favorites on which I was excited to see Chef Oltarsh’s take, such as shrimp & grits and chicken & waffles. We started out with a variety of appetizers–chicken & waffles, seared tuna, pizzas, and gumbo–and this course included some of the favorites for the day:

Gumbo

Veggie Pizza

Seared Tuna

Chicken & Waffles

I’m always, always wary of restaurant gumbo. For me (and I’d imagine for most people who have gumbo regularly made at home), nothing compares to my mom’s or grandma’s gumbo. However, I was quite impressed by this cup. The broth was tomato-based, which is not how my family typically does it, but I know that many people do and it was actually quite good. Chef Oltarsh later shared that his recipe is courtesy of Chef Nick Melvin (a New Orleans Native) of Parish.

The pizzas were also surprisingly good. We tasted the veggie pizza pictured and a margherita I didn’t get a photo of. The cheese topping each slice was thick and fresh, as were the veggies. If you’re interested in their pizza, I’d suggest stopping by on one of their “All You Can Eat/Drink Pizza Nights” which are scheduled to coincide with Atlantic Station’s outdoor movies on Thursday nights. You can get all-you-can-eat pizza for $10, and complimentary beer and wine with your meal for $15. Pretty sweet deal. The chicken & waffles was also a hit for most of the attendees. I wasn’t really impressed by the chicken strips, which seemed to be more batter than chicken, but the waffles were really, really good. Probably my favorite app!

For entrees, we had a choice of roasted salmon with champagne vinegar sauce, or shrimp & grits.

Roasted Salmon

Shrimp & Grits

I had the shrimp & grits, and my +1 had the salmon. I heard nothing but good things about the latter, and it seemed to evaporate off of the plates of those who had ordered it seated near me. The shrimp & grits though, were only 50% good. The shrimp were very well seasoned and I enjoyed them. The grits, however, were a disappointment. They almost tasted like instant. Improve on those, and this could be a great dish.

For dessert, we had a tray of mini desserts, including eclairs, a lemon meringue tart, and an opera. Unfortunately, I think I was too excited about the sweets to get a photo, but everything I tasted (3/4 desserts–but only halves!) was delicious.

In addition to the aforementioned all-you-can-eat pizza night, Lobby also has a $1 (but, 1 per person) martini happy hour Wed-Fri from 5-7pm. I can definitely recommend trying the pizza and gumbo. And who could complain about a $1 martini?

www.lobbyattwelve.com

Sun in My Belly (via suninmybelly.com)

Sun in My Belly is a full-service catering and event design company that also happens to have both a “neighborhood cafe” in Decatur/Kirkwood and a “garden cafe” at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. We visited the former for brunch on a warm and breezy morning and decided to sit on SiMB’s back porch to enjoy our meal. Both of my companions were in a breakfast-y mood and ordered the Challah French toast (stuffed with honeyed ricotta, served with brown sugar glazed berries and maple syrup), but I was in the mood for a sandwich and decided on the Rose Pistolla with a side of mac & cheese:

Challah French Toast

Rose Pistolla

I didn’t include the description of my Rose Pistolla from SiMB’s website because it doesn’t match what I had. There it describes a hot pressed ham sandwich with pepper jack, chipotle mayo, roasted red peppers, and Dijon served on brioche, but that is obviously not brioche in the picture above. Unfortunately, I don’t remember exactly what was on the sandwich, but I know the main component was indeed ham and that it was quite tasty. The sandwich was hot, the bread crunchy, and they were generous with the cheese and flavorful mayo. The mac and cheese was underwhelming, but I guess I should’ve known when the waiter hesitated a split second when I asked him whether it was good.

I was pretty envious of the French toast my friends ordered and managed to beg a bite off one before they both cleaned their plates. Wow. This dish was really fantastic; the bread was somehow light and dense at the same time and the honeyed ricotta filling was creamy and flavorful. I’d recommend trying this if you’re in a breakfast-y mood too.

I had read some negative comments on Sun in My Belly’s service before visiting, and I will say that it was a tad slow. Interestingly enough, our waiter commented on this when he got to the table and let us know that it was a little busy inside, but he wouldn’t forget about us and wanted us to enjoy a leisurely brunch. He did make sure to check on us a few times throughout the meal, but it got a little unbearable when he hadn’t shown up to run our credit cards 20 minutes after leaving the check. We ended up going inside to the counter ourselves to have it taken care of. I guess if you’re in a rush, let your waiter/waitress know up front so they don’t make the meal a little too leisurely.

Sun in My Belly’s neighborhood cafe is located right down the street from the East Lake Marta Station in Decatur. We had no wait for a table on a Friday mid-morning, but as with most brunch spots in Atlanta, their wait can be pretty long on a weekend. Live to Feast and The Food Abides also have reviews of their meals at Sun in My Belly. I look forward to returning!

www.suninmybelly.com

To me, a Cuban sandwich should be a textural sensation – a mix of slightly crunchy bread, gooey cheese, crisp pickles, and juicy meats. The best one I’ve had in recent memory is from TINY Bistro, so theirs is my “gold standard” for now. A few bloggers (Eat Buford Highway, Foodie Buddha) have lamented the fact that Crazy Cuban’s signature sandwich contains veggies–lettuce, tomato, and jalapenos–which you don’t typically see on a Cuban. I don’t know whether it was due to the bloggers, direct customer complaints, or what, but Crazy Cuban now offers both a “Traditional” and a “Classic” Cuban. I think the Traditional is veggie-free, but don’t quote me on that. Whatever the name, that’s what I ordered (as did Malika), along with a bag of plantain chips and a drink:

Veggie-less Cuban

Crazy Cuban serves 7 varieties of sandwiches and offers chip/drink accompaniments. Though not my favorite Cuban, I can see myself returning for lunch, as it is a pretty short walk from the North end of campus. I’d suggest they start up some advertising around campus too, Tech students are a huge market!

www.crazycubansandwich.com

The anticipation is killing me

The Sandwich

Basically, if you like Chick-fil-A’s classic chicken sandwich (which I do) and you like spicy (which I do), you’ll like this sandwich. The chicken is the same juicy stuff that CFA is famous for, and the seasoning has a slow, creeping heat. By the time I was halfway through I wasn’t sure I’d finish the whole thing without another cup of lemonade.

I’m not sure whether I’d order the spicy chicken sandwich over the original, but I am looking forward to the spicy chicken breakfast biscuit that AJC Food Critic John Kessler mentioned is in development. Check out his experience at CFA headquarters for a taste of the sandwich here.

www.chickfila.com

The Shed at Glenwood via Zagat.com

We thought the entrance was a little awkward, as you walk in and are basically standing in the dining room–no real host’s stand separates the room. A hostess did appear promptly, found our reservation, and led us to our table. You may or may not need a reservation though; while we were there, the dining room remained full, but not crowded. Our waiter brought over an interesting starter for us to share: popcorn! We also got an amuse of parmesean-stuffed dates and an olive:

Popcorn Starter

Amuse

I thought the popcorn was a cool touch, and probably smart on the restaurant’s part because it’s cheaper than bread. The stuffed dates and olive were a tasty snack as well. I don’t know that I’ve ever had a date before, but I am a sucker for a salty/sweet combo and this delivered perfectly. I followed each bite of date with a nibble of olive to achieve the right balance. For our sliders, Mario settled on the Angus and the schnitzel with pear jam, a throwback to his childhood (he’s an army brat and spent many of his formative years in Germany). I decided on the pork belly with baked beans and the pulled pork. We also had a side of fries to share:

Schnitzel and Angus Sliders

Pork Belly and Pulled Pork Sliders

Fries

I think the best slider we sampled was the angus. Melt-in-your-mouth beef topped with a yummy mayo-based sauce made up this little burger. Mario’s schnitzel was also very good, and the pear jam was a nice complement (though strangely, it tasted a lot like marshmallow to both of us). My pulled pork was also melt-in-your-mouth tender, and nicely seasoned. The slider I was most looking forward to and most disappointed by was the pork belly. It was a generous piece of meat, but was a little too dry to be enjoyable. Maybe some bbq sauce or more baked bean juice would have improved it, but as-is I couldn’t finish it. The bread used on all the sliders was also nice–very soft, and a nice bread-to-”stuff” ratio. Just a few days before, I had read this article from Citysearch Atlanta on the best fries in the city, which listed The Shed’s version at number 3. We weren’t disappointed by their execution, which resulted in nicely seasoned, crunchy on the outside, moist (and not mealy) on the inside fries.

The atmosphere at The Shed was one of the best parts of our meal. It seems like it would be a little upscale and stuffy, judging from the decor, the amuse, etc. but it is actually quite relaxed and really does feel like a neighborhood spot. The clientèle was a mix of families, the after-work crowd, and couples. I guess with a weekly $3 slider special, they really can’t be too bourgie though! We really enjoyed our meal there and I’ve been looking for an excuse to go back. I don’t ride out on I-20 often, but this was a lot closer in-town that I expected. And I would looove to live in the Glenwood Park area!

The Shed’s runs a number of weekly specials, which are: Tuesdays, Potroast & Pie ($15); Wednesdays, $3 Slider Night; Thursdays, Harvest Night: 4 Veggie Sides for $10; Sunday Brunch, $5 Mimosas & $6 Moscow Mules; Sunday Supper, 3 Course Prix Fixe ($20). Follow them on Twitter to get updates on what the offerings will be on a particular day, or check out their website, which they also keep updated regularly.

www.theshedatglenwood.com

Farm Burger (via Farmburger.net)

Farm Burger offers a $6 “base burger” to which you can add toppings ranging from free to $3. There are also pre-made selections you can order fast-food number system style. We were told at the counter that all burgers are either cooked medium or well-done, and the cashier suggested everyone try medium to start. I believe this is a departure from the “medium only” rule that Farm Burger started with, and I’m guessing the change is due to customer complaints. Not everyone likes pink burgers. I’m a medium-well kinda gal, but I decided to go with what was suggested and was happy with the temperature of the meat. I decided to order a No. 1, the “Farm Burger” (grafton smoked white cheddar, caramelized onions, FB sauce) to try out the signature offering. Mario put together his own burger with cheddar and bacon:

No. 1: Farm Burger

Bacon+Cheddar

I really wasn’t impressed with my farm burger. There’s no denying that there was a difference in the taste of the beef, and it was really great. If I could afford grass-fed beef on a regular basis, I’d totally get it, and I can credit Farm Burger with changing my mind. But the overall burger just wasn’t that good. Maybe it was the sloppiness of the “Farm Burger Sauce” that rendered the bun and meat a mushy mess, or the fact that sides don’t come with the meal, a la Flip Burger (I don’t know why, but having to order fries separately just irks me). Maybe it would have been a better idea to go with my “go to” burger, something with blue cheese and bacon, instead of the Farm Burger. If I lived in Decatur, I might return to give it a try. But since my meal was mediocre and it’s a little out of the way, I can’t say I’ll be going back.

www.farmburger.net

Crepe Revolution

I was working with a camera phone that night so my pictures are less than stellar, but you can check out some much nicer ones at Atlanta Restaurant Blog and Amy on Food. We started out with a ginger crab roll and white peach sangria:

Ginger Crab Roll

I really liked this appetizer, the crab was plentiful and the taste of ginger very pronounced. The “roll” part stayed crisp throughout its eating, which was great bc there is nothing worse than a soggy wonton. The sauce was yummy too, but mostly just a thinned version of thai sweet chili sauce. Next up, chicken Thai peanut urses with green apple lychee sangria:

Chicken Thai Peanut Purses

This meal, strangely, almost tasted like PB&J to me (which is not a bad thing), maybe because of the sweet sauce that was kind of carried over from the crab rolls. This was another dish that would make a good appetizer; it was good, but not especially memorable. I believe I remember Mr. Sengupta mentioning that this was actually intended to be a new entree, and that the entree portion was larger than what we were given. The next item we were given was our first actual crepe: Crepe del Mar with kiwi grapefruit sangria:

Crepe del Mar

Despite the slightly unappetizing look of the sauce topping these crepes, they were actually quite good, stuffed with fresh, recognizable pieces (very important!) of shrimp, scallops, and salmon, along with mushrooms and goat cheese (also in the sauce). This one was a winner. My first favorite of the night was up next: peppered lamb with cherry reduction crepe with classic red sangria:

Peppered Lamb Crepe

The lamb in this crepe was sooo tender and well-seasoned. The cherry reduction, almonds, and feta cheese scattered through the crepe were perfect accompaniments to the fabulous lamb. Even though I was on the brink of fullness, I devoured this dish. And because I’m more of a red wine drinker than white, the red sangria that came along with the course was my favorite also (although all of the sangrias we had were quite good and came in really interesting combinations).

Finally came the course most people associate with crepes: dessert. For dessert we were served a bananas foster crepe with tableside French-pressed coffee:

Bananas Foster Crepe

Trust me, my picture does not do this justice. Go check out the ladies I linked above for some really mouthwatering photos. This dessert crepe was my second-favorite of the night. Bananas covered in a rich caramel sauce and topped with candied pecans. Yum!!

Mr. Sengupta and his partner, Chef Robert Morneweck, are doing a great job with crepes out in Smyrna. Their restaurant is a “revolution” because they’re doing much more than your typical Nutella-butter/sugar-fruit crepes. Check out their website for great events they put on, like their bimonthly “Battle Wine” and the upcoming, men’s only “Steaks and Stogies” (“Steaks and Stilettos” for the women is being planned as well). The space was nicely furnished, with a lounge/bar area separate from the restaurant, and a large patio.

I really enjoyed my meal here and am anticipating finally making it up for the brunch I had planned. I might be biased because I lived there for a year, but Smyrna really isn’t so far away…and Crepe Revolution is worth the trip!

www.creperevolution.com

The Greek

Free Slice

I thought the pizza was only so-so–decent toppings and slightly dry crust–and also wasn’t too pleased that the owner referred to folks who stopped by for the free pizza he was advertising as “freeloaders” later on his facebook/twitter (come on guy, what did you expect? I did buy a piece of baklava though). Otherwise though, the owner is really friendly and was chatting up customers both on this first visit and when I returned about a week later to try a gyro:

Gyro + Feta

The gyro was really delicious, and they do NOT skimp on the meat at The Greek! I mean I could barely finish the thing and I was famished when I showed up. The meat is well-seasoned and thick-sliced and though the generous helping of tzatziki makes it pretty messy, it was a good accompaniment. I was really pleased with the gyro and may make this my go-to to satisfy my gyro cravings.

The Greek is open Mon-Sat for lunch and offers a ton of authentic salads, appetizers (the stuffed grape leaves looked awesome), gyros, kabobs, and pizzas. Check out Live to Feast and Foodie Buddha‘s reviews of The Greek as well!

www.thegreekatl.com

Hankook Taqueria

None of us really knew what to expect from this strange mix of cuisines, but I had heard great things about the taco stand and they decided to trust my judgement (thanks guys!). One thing I appreciated about Hankook was the friendly girl working the counter. It bothers me when places that serve ethnic cuisine aren’t accommodating to customers interested in trying out something new, but the hostess that day apparently recognized apprehension on my companions’ faces and made suggestions for first-timers interested in something “safe” or in getting a good idea of what a Korean taco stand has to offer. We got a variety of tacos: chicken (“dak gogi”), beef (“bull gogi”), and shrimp (can’t find the proper name for it); along with tempura fried Korean sweet potatoes (“ko-kuma”) and gogi-nachos(chips, jack cheese, & ribeye beef):

Shrimp+Beef Tacos

Gogi Nachos

Korean Sweet Potatoes

These definitely weren’t your typical tacos. My favorite was the shrimp, which were fried perfectly and nicely seasoned, but not with say, they Cajun spices I’m used to. The beef taco I had was marinated in Korean BBQ sauce and was very tender and flavorful. Mario’s business partner must’ve liked the nachos, because he didn’t share He commented that they too were good but different: you won’t find gooey cheese and beans here. We weren’t really sure about the Korean sweet potatoes; their tempura coating was nice and crisp, but the starch inside wasn’t the sweet potato we were expecting. Another flavor that wasn’t bad, just different.

For the price ($2.25/taco, $4/side [except nachos, $6]) Hankook is a great value for the amount of food you get. It’s a departure from the usual, and I decided I liked it for that. Subsequent visits where I’m not thrown off by “different” will likely allow me to better evaluate the quality of the food.

No website