So-So Sandwiches

I had read good reviews about Noon Midtown and so when my friend Teresa suggested lunch, I suggested Noon.  We walked in, placed our order after some deliberation, and seated ourselves.  The restaurant's decor is modern and minimalist but not lacking warmth.  It is, however, quite loud when packed at lunch.  We didn't have to wait long before our food arrived on shiny, metal trays.  I had a cup of smoky tomato soup and the roasted eggplant panino.  My friend had the grilled cheese and potato soup.  We dove in trying to eat and talk at the same time.  I ordered eggplant because cool weather has finally arrived in Atlanta and for local eaters at least, eggplant will soon be a past summer memory.  Also, the other vegetarian options seemed to rely more heavily on various cheeses and not too much on vegetables.  Back to my panino - the eggplant was accompanied by sun-dried tomato, goat cheese, and a balsamic glaze - a pleasing combination but hardly innovative.  The filling was tasty but the bread was a bit dry and bland.  The warm tomato soup was indeed a bit smoky but also salty and the consistency was almost smooth but not quite.  I kept trying to find some highlight of this meal but came up empty.  While the quality of the ingredients seemed high and portions adequate, there was nothing that made the sandwich or soup special.  My friend remarked that her meal was quite average as well.  If comfort food is what you seek, Noon may fit the bill.  For me though, there are more exiting options around town.

Pizza Redemption

Pizza was ubiquitous during a large portion of my life.  Four years of college followed by many company lunch meetings provided countless opportunities to experience mediocre, greasy, and just plain awful pizza.  But I kept on eating it primarily because it was free.  Eventually I swore off pizza.  If I was going to take in a huge amount of calories, what I was eating had better be worth it.  Fast forward a few years to recently when I discovered Fritti.  Their pizza looked good enough to make me give it another shot.  Fritti serves Neapolitan-style pies so the crust in on the thin side while still chewy.  I tried the Carciofi e Olive (Artichoke and Olive) and Robiola e Pesto (Goat cheese and Arugula Pesto).  Both were tasty although the olive one was a tad too salty.  My daughter, who is an olive aficionado, thought it was heavenly.  I preferred the other pizza.  The goat cheese was slightly tart and was topped with sweet sun-dried tomatoes and dollops of pesto.  The arugula pesto was so fresh tasting that I wanted to run home and whip up a batch to eat on everything.  There are quite a few other vegetarian options and even a vegan choice on the menu.  Even though I don't plan on eating pizza as often as I once did, if I eat at Fritti, there should be no regrets.

Tofu Two Ways

Chef Hector Santiago has been quite busy this summer with his two new ventures.  The first, El BurroPollo burrito stand, is located in the Pura Vida parking lot.  It is open only on Saturdays and Sundays from noon until supplies run out, which can be as early as 1.30 pm.   Luckily, apart from chicken, there is a tofu option.  Overall, this was a pleasant change from the standard burritos all over Atlanta - no rice, black beans, or cheese - just chargrilled goodness.  The tortilla and the tofu were both grilled to give both a smoky taste.  The tofu itself was not brimming with additional flavor but the lettuce, carrots, radishes, cilantro, and special sauce made the combination both tasty and refreshing.  The burrito costs $6 but chatting with the amiable Chef Hector and the fun, messy eating comes at no additional charge.

Super Pan Latino Sandwich Shop just sounds like somewhere I want to visit.  Finally I made it there around 1pm one weekday (only open Tuesdays to Fridays for lunch).  It was busy but no long line.  I ordered the smoked tofu buns, the only vegetarian sandwich available.  The smoked pilon sugar tofu was topped with cabbage, cilantro, tamarind sauce, and a spicy sambal-like sauce.  The bun itself was a soft, white pillow tasting of coconut.  I practically inhaled the first bun (luckily there are two per order) due to hunger.  I had to make myself eat the second one much slower.  It was amazing that in one bite I could identify all the contrasting flavors - the smoky tofu, sweet coconut, crunch cabbage etc.  Then I realized that the sauce had a kick - just enough to make my tongue tingle but not too much to make my nose run.  Luckily, I also bought the 'farm egg' flan which was just sweet and creamy enough to reduce the burn and leave me happy.