El Taco - VA Highlands

Roasted chicken taco, fried chicken taco and side of grilled corn in chili-lime mayo.

We had not been to El Taco since it changed hands and joined 5th Group. We started with the lime-salted corn chips and house salsa. Paying for chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant is one of my pet peeves, but how can you pass up chips and salsa?! I also found it odd that although there is a nice salsa bar in back, you can't get the "house salsa", which I liked a lot, unless you order the chips. I enjoyed trying the various salsas available at the bar but would like to see slightly larger cup size available so the salsas could be more easily dipped and shared.

I ordered two tacos (fried chicken and roasted chicken) and the side of corn. The corn dish and the fried chicken taco were my favorites. Something about the chili-lime mayo on the corn really adds a wonderful flavor. Calvin enjoyed his short stack with pork also. The short stack includes open-faced corn tortillas, red and green chili sauces, refried beans, Mexican cheeses, sunny-side-up egg plus the optional pork.

El Taco has a varied and interesting menu and it would be fun to try some of the other items like the fajitas, the Mexican pizzas or the shrimp del diablo. I very much want to try 5th Group's newest Mexican restaurant, Alma Cocina - hopefully you'll read about it soon in a new post!

El Short Stack + pork carnitas.

Hankook Taqueria

I finally made my first visit to Hankook Taqueria although I've eaten from the related Yumbii food truck several times. This place is very popular for lunch and I found it a bit tricky to find parking. You order at the long counter and then your food is brought out to your table - if you can find one! We ended up sharing a table with another twosome since the place was so packed.

I tried the Bibim-bop, one of my favorite Korean dishes and shared the above sweet potato taquitos as well. The taquitos were tasty and flavorful, with a nice sour cream dip on the side. The Bibim-bop was a bit disappointing, probably because I usually have it way out Buford Highway at more full service Korean restaurants, but I enjoyed it all the same. While I love spice, the amount of hot sauce here was a bit much - I think they would do better to serve it on the side. Hankook is known for its tacos and burritos and the ones I've had from their Yumbii food truck have been quite tasty. The sesame fries are also very good. This combination of Mexican/Korean is certainly an interesting one and another more upscale restaurant venture of the same ownership/genre called Takorea has now opened in Midtown. This is a fun introduction to Korean tastes for those who are not familiar and a fun lunch meeting spot.

Bibim-bop with lots of spicy hot sauce!

Rosa Mexicano's Winter Eclectic Cuts Menu

Carne Asada con Tamarindo - Tamarind Barbecued Tri-Tip Steak with roasted root vegetable mash, crispy kale and tamarind salsa. This is one tasty steak!

Earlier this week I was invited to check out Rosa Mexicano's unique Winter Eclectic Cuts menu at the Atlantic Station location in Atlanta. This special menu is available from now until March 11. The menu is termed "eclectic" because it features underutilized cuts of meat not often seen in mainstream dining establishments. For full menu, see below. We started wit a taste that's on the regular menu - scallop and pork belly tacos - these were really delicious and packed just the right amount of spice. We also had the famous guacamole, which is made table side - hard to come here without getting this!

We tried both the starters on the Eclectic Cuts menu as well - the veal tongue tacos were tasty with a sweet fruit glaze and avocado rounding out the flavors. The crispy sweetbreads had a nice salsa verde served on the side.

Scallop and Pork belly tacos.

Awesome guacamole prepared table side.

Veal Tongue tacos.

Crispy Sweetbreads.

For our entrees we tried both the tri-tip steak (top photo) and the braised pork cheeks with organic grits (below). Both entrees were really outstanding. I love the tamarind sauce served with the steak and the steak itself was really outstanding - I'm not a steak person so this is really saying something!

Braised pork cheeks and soft corn tamale grits - tender and delicious.

In addition to trying the prepared by Rosa Mexicano's chef, you can also purchase the eclectic cuts raw to prepare at home - a neat feature to this very unique menu.

For dessert we opted for the tres leches cake although the Meyer lemon frozen souffle on the special menu sounds delicious as well.

Eclectic Cuts Menu
Appetizers
Veal Tongue Tacos ($8)
Seared veal tongue hand tacos with a winter fruit glaze and molcajete salsa

Crispy Sweetbreads ($10)
Crispy fried sweetbreads with fresh Burns Farms huitlacoche and poblano sauté, cabbage escabeche and salsa verde

Entrees
Braised Pork Cheeks and Soft Corn Tamale ($19)
Ancho chile braised pork cheeks with a soft tamale of organic grits, red wine and roasted tomatoes

Tamarind Barbecued Tri-Tip Steak ($24)
Tamarind barbecued tri-tip steak with roasted root vegetable mash, crispy kale and salsa tamarindo

Braised Lamb Neck Tinga Enchilada ($17)
Two soft corn tortillas filled with spicy braised lamb topped with creamy roasted tomato chipotle salsa

Dessert
Meyer Lemon Souffle ($7)
Creamy, frozen meyer lemon souffle with warm raspberry-pomegranate compote, toasted meringue and a crispy Mexican sopapilla

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

Kettlebells, the Paleo Diet and Caramba Cafe

Poblano Verde from Caramba.

For some time I've meant to post on a category very much related to food: exercise and diet. In particular, I want to highlight kettlebell strength training and the Paleo diet. Kettlebells are a great overall exercise - I can personally attest to that! I discovered kettlebells here in Atlanta at Delaine Ross' Gym Condition where Delaine and several other instructors use kettlebell training to provide a great workout including cardio and strength training all in one 45 minute workout. With more than 30 classes per week at various times of morning and evening - plus some special lunch time classes too - there should be no excuse not to try out kettlebells. I actually used a kettlebell routine to prepare for my wedding last April. I attended 3-4 times per week and I noticed a recognizable difference within just a few weeks. Check out Gym Condition's website to learn more. And - don't worry if you are not in great shape or can't lift heavy weights. The bells vary in weight from just a few pounds all the way up to giant weights you can marvel at other people lifting! As you work out using the kettlebells you will be able to increase the amount of weight used.

A typical kettlebell class in progress.

If you can add the diet element in as well, you will see serious results fast! Recently I dined with Delaine to learn more about the Paleo diet, which is considered by some to be the most helpful in slimming down and staying that way. The diet includes vegetables, meats, eggs and small amounts of fruits and nuts. Paleo excludes dairy products (although some schools of Paleo thought allow dairy), sugars and grains and beans. Processed sugars and grains are particularly off-limits. Interestingly, bacon fat and coconut oil are preferred over vegetable or olive oils for cooking. This is because many vegetable based fats break down and interact with your body in a different way. So if you are following a Paleo diet it is better to use that bacon grease to cook your vegetables instead of the olive oil you thought was so good for you! Olive oil is allowed in salads, however. Click here for lots of recipes and Paleo resources and here for Paleo 101 and additional resources. Additional reported benefits of the Paleo diet include better respiratory health (less congestion) and healthier skin.

There are several area restaurants offering Paleo-friendly fare as well. Delaine and I met at Caramba in its new location in the Pencil Factory lofts. Although it was difficult to skip the chips and salsa the above poblano verde was excellent with rich flavor and a tangy sauce. Delaine ordered the special chicken soup which was also delicious. In lieu of chips and salsa we had veggie dippers and salsa - nice to have a substitute so you can snack on something! Urban Pl8 also has Paleo items on its menu. Where else have you tried Paleo-friendly food in Atlanta?

Sopa de Pollo "a la Mia".



Veggie dippers with salsa and hot sauce.

Red Pepper Taqueria

Delicious chicken mole!

I was recently invited to check out the newly opened Red Pepper Taqueria located in the old Artuzzi's location at the corner of Briarcliff and LaVista. Red Pepper opened just after New Year's and it is evident that a lot of thoughtful work was done to prepare the space prior to opening. The interior has changed significantly for the better - it's very festive with an open feeling, although it is quite loud when full (a common problem). A full bar has been added and get this - there are beer taps at the tables in the bar area. That's right, you can pour your own! We didn't try it but it looks like a lot of fun for groups or parties.

We did try quite a few of the dishes on the menu including the above signature chicken mole dish. Mole sauce can come in many forms but it usually includes several types of chili peppers, ground nuts, dried fruits and sometimes even unsweetened chocolate. In some cases mole can have as many as 25 - 30 ingredients! The chicken mole here is a stellar version that I recommend for those who have never tried mole sauce - it is a bit spicy, just the way I like it!

Chips and salsa - I like the green tomatillo best. The chips were warm and had good flavor.



Made to order guacamole - you can get it mild, medium or hot - yum!



My 2nd favorite dish after the mole - the tuna crudo in citrus marinade - this is so good I would have it all on its own for lunch! Can't wait to do that sometime.



Prickly pear juice (left) and LaVista martini (right) - both tasty - the juice by itself was too sweet but I added soda water and then it was perfect - a nice cooling drink to go with the spicy foods we tried. Calvin liked the martini too!



Tacos: carne asada, organic tofu and grilled trout - neat that they have so many fish and veggie options. You can have either corn or flour tortillas.



Flan - my favorite dessert of the bunch: creamy, sweet and delicious. It's also gluten free.



Churros with chocolate sauce - love the presentation here! I'd love to see the addition of a darker chocolate dipping sauce. The churros themselves were really tasty - sweet and fried to perfection.



El Pastel AKA Drunken Cake.

Red Pepper Taqueria is a welcome addition to the Druid Hills/Toco Hills area. Try it and let me know what you think! Judging from the crowd we saw on our visit this place is going to do very well!

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

Uncle Julio's New Guacamoles

Pineapple Bacon Guacamole.

I was recently invited to come in and try three new flavors of guacamole at Uncle Julio's. The pineapple bacon guacamole pictured above was my favorite of the innovative new varieties. It has an intense flavor with the smoky bacon playing nicely with the fruit. The other two: roasted corn and lump crab guacamole and spicy three pepper with diced jalepeno, habenero and red bell peppers were fun to try as well. The spicy three pepper is actually really spicy - I was impressed they did not hold back! But that pineapple bacon - definitely the one I recommend most! As a bonus we were offered sopapillas - hot, sweet and tasty.

Crabmeat Guacamole.



Spicy Three Pepper Guacamole.



Sopapillas.

Disclosure: The meal reviewed in this post was complimentary.

Bad Dog Taqueria - Emory Village + Morelli's

Love the unique chips & salsa: Chips – Mix of Yucca, Plantain, Boniato and Corn Chips
Served with three salsas – Salsa Fresca, Plantain Pineapple Serrano, Fire Roasted Tomato.

After hearing a glowing review of Bad Dog Taqueria from my cousins Joanne and Craig, I met friends for lunch here one day. Somehow we all ended up with salads, which were tasty enough and served with creative dressings like pineapple plantain, tomato cumin, creamy cilantro and avocado tahini. The tacos, although I have not had a chance to try them, look very interesting, with brisket, Korean pork belly, portobello pushroom and filet mignon on the list of taco fillings. Hopefully I will have the chance to experience the tacos soon.

Although the construction around Emory done on the side near Bad Dog, parking is still an issue. I advise coming at an off time to avoid waiting for a spot - or walk if you can!

"Tastes like Chicken" salad.



"Go Fish" Salad.



"Chickpeas in a Pod" salad.



The menu.

Bad Dog also serves Morelli's ice cream, which is reason enough to visit. I've recently enjoyed visiting Morelli's second location on Caroline Street, sampling flavors like salted caramel, rosemary (which I replicated recently at home) and maple bacon brittle. They also offer some pretty outrageously wicked sundaes as well as homemade waffle cones.

Chef inspired sundae options.



Options at Morelli's new Caroline Street location. The Moreland Ave. location is still going strong as well.

Poquito - Latin American Cuisine in San Francisco's Dogpatch Neighborhood

Churrasco - most delicious steak EVER! Grilled beef with a fried egg on a bed of rice, sweet plantains and spinach salad.

While in the Bay area recently, I truly enjoyed my visit to Poquito, a Latin American Tapas Bar in San Francisco's Dogpatch neighborhood. Poquito was a highlight, not only because of the unique Latin American flavors but also because of the excellent service and variety of dishes offered. The above steak was excellent, something I would order again in a heartbeat and I am not usually a steak person. The sweet plantains and Spinach salad with cheese and dried fruit only added additional bursts of flavor to the mouthwatering steak, paired perfectly with a fried egg and delicious rice. Yes even the rice was better than usual.

L to R: Habas Fritas (fava beans, fried and salted); Chulpi (Ecuadorean corn kernels); Tostado (crunchy corn kernels, the Andean version of popcorn). Order one of these for an authentic South American start to the meal - great paired with drinks also.



Street sign.



Full bar.



Dining room.



Arepa con relleno - plain arepa topped with pork fritada, green onions, sweet plantain, cheese and white beans. Cheesy and delicious.



Shrimp tacos on jicama wrappers with pickled slaw and guanabana balsamic reduction. I LOVE the use of jicama instead of a tortilla - makes it healthier and adds a wonderful crunch to the delicious shrimp taco.



Homemade Hibiscus Cooler - yum. Other non-alcoholic drinks offered: Guanabana, Blackberry, Guayaba, Naranjilla or Lucuma smoothies as well as Hibiscus soda and Guava and Mango Nectar. Poquito has a full bar as well.



Shrimp Ceviche, Ecuadorean style. I love ceviche and this did not disappoint. The Eduadorean style was full of tomatoes and adding popcorn and tostado enriched the crunch factor.



Empanadas: 3 varieties are offered. These cheese and bean ones were delicious.



Empanadas de Aire con guayaba - sugar crusted empanadas with guava & cheese filling. Although stuffed I had to try these and again, a new delicious flavor. These would be great for breakfast with a cup of coffee!



Yours truly with co-owner Jason Yoo. Richard Vila is the second owner. If you live in SF or if you are visiting, this is a really neat place to try. I look forward to visiting again someday.