Spoon

 

The Westside branch of Spoon is a modern, trendy space located near Georgia Tech.  I went there for lunch around 1pm one day and is was half-packed.  The menu is fairly standard for a Thai restaurant - curries, stir-fries and noodle dishes with some seafood specials thrown in.  I won't go on about how authentic the cooking is but the family who runs Spoon is from Bangkok, so that should mean something.

My friend and I split the tempura veggies to start.  The dish contained a healthy (or not so healthy) portion of battered and fried onions, sweet potatoes and summer squash.  The batter was not as light as Japanese tempura I have had and slightly greasy.  The veggies were tasty though and we managed to eat them all.

Panang curry is one of my favorites but I decided to try something new.   I went with the Ginger Stir Fry plus extra vegetables and tofu.  I also requested that it be a little spicy.  When my lunch was served, I was pleased to see the amount of different vegetables included - broccoli, carrots, squash, mushrooms and onions.  Slivers of ginger added extra ginger flavor beyond the sauce and the chili level was low.  The texture of the tofu was mushy rather than chewy but I guess it was just quickly pan fried.  The portion size was perfect for lunch and I would have been full even without the starter. 

Spoon is a decent lunch option and the price is fair.  At dinner, the prices are higher and specials are closer to $30.  Their menu is available on their website although some of the information about the restaurant is not accurate due to some errant cutting and pasting of content and a failure to edit.  

*Disclaimer - I failed to ask if my dishes contained fish sauce but the cooks are willing to accommodate dietary restrictions.

Sufi's

Sufi's is a fairly new Persian restaurant in Buckhead.  I went for dinner on a Saturday night and it was packed.  The interior is very lovely and the ceiling is draped in fabric.  There is a small patio but some of the tables are too close to busy Peachtree Rd. for my taste.  The hostess seemed to be having some trouble and I had to wait thirty minutes to be seated despite having a reservation.  I was with friends though and we were offered some tea while we waited, so I didn't mind.
The appetizer list was intriguing.  All but one of the offerings are vegetarian and aside from the standard hummus, I wanted to try all of them.   I decided on the Mast Spinach (yogurt with cooked spinach) and the Mirza Ghasemi (smoked eggplant with tomatoes and garlic).  These were served with large triangles of pita.  Everything tasted great but I'm a sucker for smoked eggplant so the Mirza Ghasemi won the first round.
The entrees were less vegetarian friendly.  It was a choice between vegetable kabobs and a veggie stew.  I chose the stew which was a spicy tomato based stew with chickpeas, potatoes and more eggplant.  The stew was good but the best part was the fluffy, saffron basmati rice which must have been coated with substantial butter because it was heavenly. 
The portion sizes are quite large so I was full.  Some friends got dessert but they weren't appealing to me - sponge cake roulade and cheesecake.  I might have made room for some killer baklava but that wasn't an option.  Overall I had a wonderful time at Sufi's.  The food was different and delicious although next time I might stick to appetizers and a rice dish.  The atmosphere was transportive and there was even some live music crammed into a corner that wasn't too loud.  There is no alcohol served yet but you can bring your own without having to pay a corkage fee.  As you can imagine, the bill remains pleasantly low this way. 

Niramish

It was a cool, rainy day and I was in the mood for something warm and spicy.  I decided on Niramish, a small Bangladeshi/ Indian spot in Little 5 Points.  I had actually visited Niramish over a year ago for dinner and remembered it was pretty decent.  Of course, things change.

Niramish means "Vegetarian" but this restaurant has plenty of meat dishes.  This was just the first thing about this place that did not make sense.  To be fair, there are many vegetarian options and a vegetarian lunch special for $5.99 which sounded like a good deal.

The special comes with a soup, spring roll, naan, rice and your choice of two vegetables.  I chose the saag paneer (creamy spinach with indian cheese) and the aloo kopi (cauliflower with potatoes).  My meal was served quickly and looked good.  I tried the tarka dal soup first.  It was thin but tasty and the lemon gave it a bright touch.  Unfortunately, that was the highlight of the meal.  The saag paneer was more cream sauce than spinach.  It was also surprisingly sweet.  Not sweet and spicy - just sweet!  The naan also, while soft and fluffy, tasted sweet.  The aloo kopi was thankfully not sweet but just lacking in flavor.  The rice was cold and clumpy and I don't even understand what the egg roll was doing on my plate.  I tasted it to see if it was a special Indian egg roll but no.  I would have preferred a samosa or pakora but maybe egg rolls are vogue in Bangladesh these days.  Anyway, I had to ask the server for some type of chili sauce so I could add some flavor and mask the sweetness.  He brought me a hefty amount, which was quite tasty, and I proceeded to add it to everything.  I managed to finish my naan and about half of the vegetables.  I didn't bother with most of the rice.

I couldn't believe I was about to leave an Indian restaurant hungry.  However, I paid my bill and headed back out into the rain wishing I had just gotten some frozen Indian naan and chana masala from Trader Joes.

El Taco

Sometimes food is not the only reason for going out.  Sometimes you want to go somewhere with a festive decor and slightly loud music so that your kids seem less annoying.  In a sea of Tex-Mex eateries, El Taco in Virginia Highlands is worth a visit for it's combination of decent food and fun vibes.  Early in the evening the place is packed with young families.  Later on, margarita imbibing adults can be found mingling and watching sports on several of the TV screens around the restaurant.  There is also a drawing held once an hour to win free prizes which seems to make most people excited because everyone wants to win something, even if it's a cheese dip or cheesy t-shirt.

The menu at El Taco contains standard fajitas, tacos and chips, which are not complimentary.  I tend to favor the Oaxacan inspired dishes for something different.  If you want an appetizer, skip the boring chips.  I had the tamale special which had peppers and squash embedded in the masa.  The tamales were a bit bland but the accompanying tomatillo sauce was delicious.   For my entree I got the Mexican "Pizza" which is a grilled, corn flatbread with refried black beans, corn, lettuce, avocado, radish, two Mexican cheeses, hot peppers, crema and sunflower sprouts.  If it sounds like a huge mess, it is - but it's a tasty mess.  It is really a filling salad with black beans served on a giant corn chip.   The ingredients taste fresh, especially the sunflower sprouts, and the corn base is very light.  The pizza ($10.75) is large enough to be shared if you order an appetizer as well.  El Taco also has a free salsa bar which contains several salsas and pickled vegetables.  These condiments can further add some heat and flair to your meals.  The spicy pickled vegetables are my favorite.  I didn't have dessert at El Taco since I was quite full and thought I'd quit while I was ahead. 

Broadway Cafe

Upon perusing my Scoutmob coupons, I saw one for Broadway Cafe.  I flashbacked to my college days and a dinner I ate there with a vegetarian friend.  I even remembered what I had ordered - an eggplant curry.  Did I remember because the food was stellar or just because I could afford to eat out so rarely back then?  Whatever the reason, it was still open and with a 50% discount, I thought I'd check it out.  I wanted to look at the menu beforehand so I searched online for the restaurant.  I thought Google had failed me and finally had to call the cafe to ask if they had a website.  No website!  What?!   Even the guys who sell popsicles down the street have a website.  The woman I spoke with did offer to email me a menu and promptly did so.  Still, wouldn't a website be easier?

My trusty lunch companion and I met at the corner of Briarcliff and Lavista.  Broadway Cafe would be easy to miss in a nondescript strip mall.  The inside looked clean and cheerful with wooden tables and booths.  Luckily I had looked over the menu because there was a little of everything including pizza, pasta and sandwiches.  The entree list is a (mostly) vegetarian trip around the world - Mooshu Vegetables, Thai Stir-fry, Jambalaya, Quesadillas etc.  I chose the Mumbai vegetables (a chef's speciality) and my dining partner chose the Middle Eastern Platter.

When our food arrived, I thought my vegetables looked great while the color of my friend's dish seemed a bit muted.  Her hummus was a bit gray, the salad wasn't vibrant and her pita looked a bit dry.  Mine looked very colorful and was chocked full of cauliflower, zucchini, potatoes and more over brown rice.  Alas, the color did not make up for the lack of seasoning.  It needed a bit more salt and spices.  As I ate, I got bites of ginger which perked up my taste buds but overall the dish was lacking flavor.  I also had a bite of hummus which was very stodgy and could have used more tahini and lemon.  The falafels were pretty good though.  Our meals had appeared fairly healthy, so of course we thought we deserved some beignets for dessert.  A large bowl of powder-sugar coated mounds appeared in front of us.  As fried dough goes, I've had better.  These were soft and sweet but not up to New Orleans' standards.  It satiated my sweet tooth but I wasn't compelled to eat more than a couple.

It is nice that Broadway Cafe has so many vegetarian and vegan options (they also serve fish).  If you eat out a lot and in search of some healthier options, this is a good place to try.  If you're like me and force your family to eat quinoa and kale on a regular basis, Broadway Cafe may not be different or exciting enough.