Full DISHclosure

Monday Bloody Mary Monday at 7 Lamps

Lying flat on the floor, I vowed to be better. It was the final shavasana of my Monday morning hot yoga class, a 90-minute detox that left me horizontal in a puddle of sweat where I earnestly vowed to live purely and healthfully from then on. That intention lasted until lunchtime; almost two whole hours. That was when I met the Kimchee Mary at  Seven Lamps, and now I have seen... Read More

Starlight Dining at Caliza

It may be on the Florida Panhandle, but the Antiguan-style architecture at Caliza Pool transports diners to far away places. And that’s what a destination restaurant should do. The award-winning setting of this small pool-side eatery in Alys Beach is so transformative it could overpower the food. But it doesn’t. Our group of six was busy enjoying highly allocated wines... Read More

Briefly at Bocado

Sometimes the simplest things make the strongest impression. Like the combination of bok choy and sesame in a wintery salad of crisp radishes and bold Bing cherries that we happened upon at Bocado last night. We’d just ducked in for a couple of cocktails to escape the dreary fog that seemed to smother the whole city, and were pleased to see other discerning Atlanta diners,... Read More

Nibble at Cardamom Hill

Since the night I sat down on Asha Gomez’s spotless living room floor and enjoyed a lively Sadya dinner knee-to-knee with other Spice Route Supper Club goers, I’ve longed for another taste of Asha’s expertly prepared Southern Indian fare. So, when her new restaurant, Cardamom Hill, opened last night in Atlanta’s Berkley Heights, I was among the first to the table. I admit,... Read More

Tailgate Tip: Bourbon & Spicy Ginger Soda

How to Score Big on Game Day? Garden and Gun Magazine went to the South’s starting lineup of culinary pros, Chef Hugh Acheson, for this updated take on the classic bourbon and ginger ale. (Photo byMargaret Houston) “This is a play on the classic spicy ginger ale and bourbon, but we are making our own ginger syrup. The simple way of making a syrup can be stretched into... Read More

Graveyard Shift: Supper at Oakland Cemetery

A chilly October mist settles over us the minute we step into the graveyard, making us a little unsure about having agreed to dine with the dead, but Esther Andrew and Chef Evan Cordes are about to shift our way of thinking. Photos by Kitty Ray Swain. In the three years since Andrew founded For Foods Sake supper club she’s treated invitation-only members to culinary experiences... Read More

Millennium Restaurant: It’s About Time

What is the country’s most indulgent vegan dining destination? Many would say Millennium in San Francisco, so we traveled across time zones to decide for ourselves. We landed at Millennium’s zinc-topped bar at 9 p.m. on a Monday night, and the place was buzzing with a fit-looking, multi lingual crowd mingling by the light of eco-correct deconstucted paper chandeliers.... Read More

Dinner with an Edge

Good food and good story-telling often go together like butter and biscuits. (That is, unless your diet is dairy-free and gluten free.) And last night, story-telling flowed as freely as the “Co-cola” and bourbon-inspired refresher at Restaurant Eugene’s Author Dinner Series with John T. Edge, director of the Southern Foodways Alliance. Edge told the tale of Frank’s... Read More

Lady Finger Balacan at Penang

Anyone in the mood for Salted Cabbage with Pork Intestines? Maybe Assam Fish Head or Squid in Lemon Grass broth, Duck Congee (porridge), or Pork Stomach Soup? Me neither. But, having ventured to Kennesaw, GA (of all places) to check out Best Penang, I almost wish I had an adventurous, carnivorous palate. On the plus side, my aversion to such things made the Lady Finger Balacan,... Read More

A Changien is Born

Cult followers of “the disappearing chef,” Peter Chang know he’s constantly on the move bringing Szechwan specialties, like his semi-famous Scallion Bubble Pancakes, to random restaurants across the southeast. Chang once cooked for Chinese president, Hu Jintao before moving to the U.S. to work at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. From there, he’s... Read More