Atlanta Restaurant Reviews


El Azeteca (multiple locations throughout the Metro Atlanta area)
Dailey's (17 International Blvd NE, Atlanta, GA, 404/681-3303)
Woodfire Grill (1782 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta, GA, 404/347-9055)


A chain of Mexican restaurants that since the early 1980s has crept like Southern kudzu across the landscape of Atlanta and its near and far suburbs, El Azeteca is more of an institution than a mere dining spot. Time however has taken its toll on this youthful favorite of Cafe Drake, with its unappealing sports bar interior makeover, tired and unfriendly waitresses and haggard clientele. (At least it's conveniently located to one of the neighborhood's best liquor stores with a knowledgeable staff.) And while the aesthetics and unappetizing fellow patrons leave much to be desired, the food has survived as solidly as ever - an endless plethora of combination dishes include every possible permutation of a Mexican mixed platter (chulupas, tostados, chiles rellenos, tostaguacs, gorditos, burritos, enchiladas, tamales et. al.). All are quite good and economically priced. Nicely spicy and fresh salsa served with warm tortilla chips are top notch, as are the ubiquitous side of creamy frijoles refritos.

Located on a side street in Atlanta's relatively uncrowded downtown center (and again, populated by eccentric street types straight out of Central Casting), Dailey's is an attractive and well-appointed lunchtime favorite (again of yore). Our first return visit in well over a decade found the delightfully dark and soft dining room (walls covered in maroon paisley fabric, plush carpets, enormous mirrors) untouched by time. The lunch menu rotates daily (a clue to the name?) and is very small; we were well pleased with glasses of an obscure California Merlot ($7 each) and mid-day entrees of a Caesar Salad with Grilled Salmon ($12) and a Vegetarian Stuffed Tomato with Salad ($10). The tomato boasted unexpected bold flavors courtesy of heaps of quality feta and black olives, while the salad was especially creamy, appropriately pungent with anchovies and in general a well-dressed version of a classic too often diluted or bastardized.

Hyped restaurants often have a way of disappointing when visited two or three years after their precocious opening charms have worn off, but such is rarely the case with an establishment helmed by chefs sworn to organic and local produce. Especially if said chefs go so far as to grow their own veggies etc on rural outpost farms; Birmingham, Alabama's Frank Sttitt and New York's Blue Ribbon chef/owner Dan Barber are familiar names that come happily to mind. Joining illustrative company is the culinary mastermind of Atlanta's entirely organic Woodfire Grill, Michael Tuohy.

Sunday night proved lucky for Cafe Drake and our mother (who treated us to this exceptional dining experience), as one entire page of the Tolstoy-heavy wine menu offers 30 or so bottles half-priced on this blessed day of the week only. We began with a simple Gimlet ($11) done right and a house cocktail of lemongrass infusion and aged Dominican rum ($11). A good and generous bread basket (whole grain fruit and nut, focaccia and sourdough) warmed our appetites and tamed the decidedly strong drinks (no small praise for a gimlet mixed to perfection with a fishbowl of Sapphire gin and expert proportions of lime juice and lime syrup. Fellow gimlet afficiandos - Thordis, Jen Lazzaro - know instantly what we're talking about here, as face it, when you order said drink, you want a big glass of cold gin without ice and the hint of a sugar-kissed lime). A shared starter of small-farm raised smoked meats followed ($12) and was enough for two easily, sided with an onion jam destined to accompany such rich delicacies. Our attentive waiter introduced each of the cold cuts presented: a spicy sopressata, a thin-shaved saucisson, smoky Virginia ham and a Georgia-raised and cured prosciutto. Entrees consisted of a whole grilled brook trout ($23), partnered with grits too good to imagine outside the South, ham hock-studded turnip greens, all pooled in a wholegrain mustard butter sauce, and a Halibut Stew ($26) of flaky fish, turnips and parsnips enriched by a deeply reduced broth bursting with fresh herb flavor. Bear in mind that Chef Tuohy changes the entire, page-length menu, set in 8-point type, DAILY, dependant upon what is freshest and available. If you get to Atlanta in the future Woodfire Grill is an absolute must, and if you live there already, or within a hundred miles, for heaven's sake make a reservation tonight!

[As a side note: also worth checking out while Down South is Canton Cooks (5984 Roswell Rd. NE) - our favorite Chinese restaurant in North America and the longtime darling of top chefs and foodies alike since its opening - and in particular the 5-spice braised short ribs, the spicy chile frog legs and off the menu but always available, the salt-and-pepper pork and sauteed snow pea shoots. A half-mile down the road heading north is Mirage (6631 Roswell Rd. NE) , a wonderful Persian eatery with a voluminous menu of Iranian specialities, all delicious but none better than the complimentary appetizer of warm flatbreads accompanied by a mountainous fresh herb salad and marinated onions and lemons. A true dining experience can be had at Imperial Fez (2285 Peachtree Road NE), the regal "event restaurant" with a standard 6-course menu highlighting Morocco's classic dishes given subtle twists by a committed contemporary kitchen. A unique mix-and-match pasta and sauce is the attraction at Figo (1170 Collier Rd. NW), where we sampled an extraordinary lamb ragu over homemade tagliatelle and stellar Salad Caprese. Offbeat but authentic South Indian can be found in nearby Alpharetta's Santor (3050 Mansell Rd.) - okay it's actually a hike to a distant suburb but worth the trek for dishes rarely seen outside of Goa and listed as one of the Top 3 most authentic Indian restaurants by Food & Wine magazine. The venerable Cha Gio (132 10th Street) is always reliable for dirt-cheap but tasty Vietnamese fare in Midtown Atlanta and another old favorite of Cafe Drake's mis-spent youth.

Nostalgic by nature Cafe Drake never forgets, whether it's the pleasures of 8-tracks, 1970s' made for TV horror movies (see sister site Satan's School for Girls at www.70stvhorror.blogspot.com) or 60s semi-starlets such as Honor Blackman and Samantha Eggar (upcoming dinner homage). We'll now lower our heads in a moment of silence for the departed Eat Your Vegetables, once a standby in the boho Little Five Points district; The Abbey, located within a grand Dixie deconsecrated cathedral, run by the father of a high school chum, and Ponce de Leon Avenue's long defunct but not forgotten Isadora's Tea Room, a supremely funky Japanese-meets-Southern Gothic establishment and the site of Cafe Drake's 16th birthday dinner.]

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