November was a delicious month at metro Atlanta restaurants. These are some of the tastiest things we tried:
Sushi pizza at Osho Sushi & Hibachi
The real fun at the recently opened Osho is the sushi pizza. It’s round and cut into triangular slices, but it’s more Nagasaki than Napoli.
The base is a rice flour pancake, crispy on the outside, with a chewy interior; it’s sturdy enough for piled-on toppings. There are small discs of onion under a savory, refreshing seaweed salad that’s brimming with notes of sesame oil, rice vinegar and sesame seed. And you choose from a selection of fish: tuna, salmon or yellowtail.
On mine, tender slices of tuna were sprinkled with masago. The tiny, firm fish eggs were slightly sweet and briny. Drizzled atop was spicy-sweet eel sauce.
The dish blended savory, spicy bites with warm and cool elements that were treated with the same precision as sushi rolls or nigiri. It also worked if you took bites separately with chopsticks — first the delicate, clean tuna, then the seaweed and pancake.
The sushi pizza is labeled as an appetizer, but it’s entree-sized.
Osho Sushi & Hibachi. 3499 Chamblee Tucker Road, Atlanta. 470-960-6070, oshosushihibachi.com
Credit: Angela Hansberger
Credit: Angela Hansberger
Chicken and mushroom soup from TGM Bread
It might not cure the common cold, but a bowl of this soup revitalized me and left me craving more.
As much as chicken soup is nourishing and delicious, adding a mix of mushrooms not only boosts the rejuvenating effects but also heightens the flavor.
Chef Todd Ginsburg’s recipe calls for a velouté to thicken a rich chicken broth, which then is finished with a little cream and seasoned just right.
Large hunks of tender, roasted chicken bobbed in the silky-smooth broth. Orzo took the place of traditional noodles. Slightly caramelized, meaty slices of shiitake and cremini mushrooms added an earthy, umami taste. Each spoonful of cozy nourishment was lifted by a subtle tang and the rich, hearty, pure chicken flavor.
A pint comes with a hefty loaf of TGM cranberry walnut levain. The pain au levain makes a better companion, though. The open crumb and golden-brown crust of the tangy sourdough are heightened by a dip in the redolent potage.
Choose the large size; you will want more.
TGM Bread. 1540 Avenue Place, Atlanta. 404-941-9751, thegeneralmuir.com
Credit: Angela Hansberger for the AJC
Credit: Angela Hansberger for the AJC
Fish and grits at the Porter Beer Bar
A bowl of fish and grits at the Porter in Little Five Points is a transatlantic culinary merger, as Lowcountry meets British chippy shop.
A sizable piece of British-style haddock rested on a bed of downy grits smothered in shrimp gravy. The golden-brown, beer-battered fish came fried to a crisp, with flaky, delicate, mild flesh under the brittle crust.
The grits were creamy; I could envision the knobs of butter included and taste the soft bumps of Southern flavor.
The gravy featured a nice, thick roux deepened with the juices of shrimp, spices and parsley, as well as bits and bobs of chive sprinkled on it. Pieces of bacon provided smoky undertones and there was a bounty of tender but firm whole shrimp. Plump cherry tomatoes added pops of acidity.
It all came together in perfect union — the creaminess of the grits, the smokiness of the bacon, the crunch of the battered fish and the sweet meatiness of the shrimp.
The Porter Beer Bar. 1156 Euclid Ave., Atlanta. 404-549-7132, theporterbeerbar.com
Credit: Angela Hansberger for the AJC
Credit: Angela Hansberger for the AJC
Smashburger at Smiley’s Burger Club
When a restaurant is dedicated to one dish, they better have it honed to near perfection. That is the case at Smiley’s Burger Club, a walk-up counter focused on a smashburger available as a single, double or triple (with a free side of good vibes).
A 2.75-ounce ball of beef (with an excellent fat-to-meat ratio) is smashed and cooked on a hot griddle until it is well-done. The smashing and a quick, intense searing make for a greater surface area, maximum crust and the Maillard reaction — the browning that produces a rich, complex flavor. It also cuts down cooking time, so made-to-order burgers come out fast and hot. A stiff scraper is used to lift every last bit of flavor from the griddle.
The caramelized patty overhung a buttered, toasted potato roll on my burger. Yellow American cheese provided fat and moisture in each bite, and the burger also came with Smiley’s tangy sauce as well as house-made pickles that added a savory crunch. For the best combo, try a side of nugget-shaped, fried cheese curds.
Smiley’s Burger Club. 310 E. Howard Ave., Decatur. smileysburgerclub.com
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