I started this blog a little less than 12 months and 150 posts ago. In that time I’ve discovered quite a few people that share a similar passion for food and a willingness to share that passion with the rest of us. After a recent post listing at least some of the local Atlanta food bloggers (here), and a slew of missed encounters at Primal, I realized that I’ve only met 2 local bloggers face to face: Jennifer and Gene – both a pleasure to meet. But food being the social experience that it is, I want to meet more of you.

I started toying with an idea of an “eat up” on Twitter right before Thanksgiving, and it seems to have some acceptance among the crowd there, so as informal as this is intended to be, it seems prudent to give this “eat up” a home.

The What

Your cover is blown. Having collected you in a list, I’ve now taken it upon myself to invite you to meet face to face, prove you exist in the physical world, grab some good food and get to know some of your compatriots. There are some pretty devoted followers to some of our blogs and they’re welcome to join too.

The When

Wednesday, December 2, 2009
7PM – whenever

The Where

Chinatown Food Court
5385 New Peachtree Rd
Atlanta, GA 30341

How Do I Find You?

The food court is an open space, so we’ll just push tables together according to how many people show up. I’ll try to be there a little early – I look a little bit like the scary guy pictured over here. Just say “Hi”, and wander off to find something to eat and bring it back to wherever we end up gathering. That’s what I intend to do…

The Fine Print

The is an open social gathering. There is no planning, management or control. The meeting place is public – the environment is what it is. I’ll hearken back to a post I did a while ago to encourage people to meet for dinner (here). Back then I posted a few rules (some people told me they were pretty harsh), but they were intended to minimize the discomfort of meeting strangers in a strange environment. They don’t all apply here, and I’ve softened them for this “eat up” but some are common sense.

1. Have an open mind and be willing to explore. If you haven’t been to the Chinatown Food Court before (or you aren’t familiar with traditional Chinese food), it may be a bit confusing – some menus are only written in Hanzi. Don’t worry – the vendors are friendly and some of us may be able to help – a bit.
2. Big one here – pay for your own food (BRING CASH!). I’m not providing food, etc. I’m just looking to meet people with some common ground! This event is Dutch. My previous rule was: “If you show up and forget to bring cash – you work it out with the owners/cops – I don’t know you.” You know, as a group we’d probably help you out, but don’t put your new friends in that position… BRING CASH! As far as I know, none of the vendors accept cards of any type.
3. Please no whining. If you like the place and the food (and I hope you do), great. If you hate it – enjoy the company and help me pick out a different place for the next one!

I hope to see some of you there! Ping me on Twitter (@EatBuHi) or leave a comment here if you think you can make it.

I’ll admit it – I’ve never been to Philadelphia, so I’ve never had a “real” cheesesteak. But I’ve been eating at Woody’s since I moved to Atlanta in 1989, so in my mind, this is a cheesesteak. Tucked into an odd split in the road where Virginia meets Monroe Drive in Virginia-Highlands, Woody’s is a shack in the truest sense of the word. The only change I’ve ever noticed was the addition of the deck to provide additional seating (the interior only has 5 or 6 booths fashioned from old school bus seats).

Sandwiches are substantial – sliced steak, cooked on a flattop and tucked into a soft sandwich roll. Everything is cooked to order, so be prepared to wait. Chipped ice in the sodas here is a rare find – I haven’t seen that since I was a kid.

Woody’s Famous Philadelphia Cheesesteaks
981 Monroe Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30308

It’s hard to juggle a DSLR, a wine glass and a plate of pork belly in the dark, so I really didn’t take a lot of pictures at Primal. I’ll be updating this post with more thoughts shortly, but I thought I go ahead and post what I have.

There are a lot of people in Atlanta writing about food – which is good, because there are a crap-ton of restaurants in Atlanta (by my estimation, the exact number lies somewhere between 14 and 12,972 – WolframAlpha was no help…). I’ve met a handful of these bloggers in person, and chatted with a few others online. They all share a passion for food and drink, and fortunately, they’re willing to share that passion with the rest of us.

The list that follows is by no means comprehensive – it’s just what inhabits the “Atlanta Food Blog” folder in my RSS reader. I know there are quite a few more Atlanta blogs, so if you see an omission, please let me know in the comments and I’ll add it. When I feel I’ve got a good handle on this list, I’ll make it a permanent page.

Atlanta Blogs

Adventurous Tastes
Lover of all things delicious. Eating her way around the world one meal at a time.

Amy On Food
“I’m an in-town foodie and adoption attorney, excited to share my adventures with others who appreciate a good meal.”

Atlanta Dish
Nibbles, bites and scoops of all things culinary

Atlanta Ethnic Foods Examiner
“An explorer of worldwide cuisines, Beth travels constantly. When home in Atlanta, she can be found shopping international markets and eating anything off the menu she can’t pronounce.”

Atlanta Restaurant Blog
Atlanta Restaurant Reviews, Food News and Recipes from a Real Foodie

Birchow’s Palate

Chow Down Atlanta
Live * Eat * Blog * Atlanta
“Chow Down Atlanta is about eating good food, whether it is in Michelin-rated restaurants, or whole-in-the-wall or mom-and-pop joints where literally, everyone knows your name.”

Creative Loafing Food & Drink

Cured Meats
The Art and the Craft
Dedicated to making salumi, charcuterie or cured meats.

Eat It, Atlanta
A pleasantly biased view of food & wine in the ATL

Eat, Drink, Man… A Food Journal.
“A 30-something male who enjoys to cook, eat and share culinary experiences with others.”

First Bite
You Only Have One Chance To Make a First Impression

Food and More
with John Kessler

Food Near Snellville
Where to buy food, get food, and food worth cooking in the Snellville GA area.

FoodieBuddha

Fried Chicken Blues
Obsession, gluttony, shamelessness
“A place to document my recipe/eating/diet/exercise successes and failures.”

Heading Upstream
Now where the *!@# is my paddle?

Honey & Jam
Baking + Photography
“I like baking, picture taking, growing vegetables, trees, autumn, irish breakfast tea with honey and just a touch of milk, old crow medicine show, big band and early mornings. I dislike cilantro and mathematics.”

Hopeless Foodie
“Just a girl with a passion for all things culinary”

Insatiable
Thirst + Hunger + Wanderlust

Live to Feast
Feasting my way through Atlanta

Live To Nibble
Experiencing life one small bite at a time
“To live to nibble is to structure an existence around the daily meals, not as chores or routines, but as adventures that tickle the most basic pleasures.”

Mr. Orph’s Kitchen
Seeking Culinary Excellence Through Experimentation
“Passionate about cooking and I plan to share as much as time allows.”

Northside Food
Eating Well in Roswell, Georgia.

OctoSquid
“While I am particularly partial to octopus and squid, I am a lover of all ocean dwellers.”

Running with Tweezers
Tales from the frontlines of food
“An Atlanta-based fashion stylist who has merged her two loves – art and food – to add food styling to her resume”

Savory Exposure
Broderick Smylie Photography

Spoonfed (Atlanta)
“My photographic exploration of the culinary scene in the Atlanta and surrounding metro areas”

Steakhead’s Atlanta Eats Blog

The Low Down on Eating in A-Town
“I am not a refined food critic. I rarely eat French. I don’t do Fois Gras. I have had my last Vegan meal. Heaven to me is a medium-rare 10-oz. filet from the Chops Lobster Bar with a side of lobster tail.”

Suburban Wino
Food, drink, and the ponderings caused by too much of both…

sushiandpassion
“My name is Taka. I own a Japanese restaurant in Buckehad, Atlanta. I’ve been doing this since 2002.”

take thou food
“I started this blog in 2008 to keep track of my journey and to connect with other people who are passionate about food.”

The Blissful Glutton
Your guide to eating in Atlanta
“My aim is to let my readers know about good (and bad) food here in Atlanta and around the world. I simply offer you my perspective on the restaurants I visit in Atlanta and around the world and hope you find it useful.”

The Food Abides
“My soapbox and your guide to all things food”

Tongue Sausage
“A blog filled with good food, good drinks, and good times in the Atlanta area.”

Vintage Victuals
A culinary trip down memory lane

Maybe it’s the narcotics in my flu meds, but these are some of the best commercials I’ve ever seen. Seriously. I want Curry Cheese Noodles in the worst way right now. Seriously.

Oh, yeah – almost forgot: Kikkomaso! Check it HERE

Viet Tofu may offer some of the best deals in Vietnamese food on Buford Highway. Tucked in the back of shopping center that is also home to Hoa Binh (market) and Penang, most food is pre-prepared – this is take out only (no seating). Don’t let the name fool you – while there is a lot of tofu here, they have an extensive variety of Vietnamese meat dishes.

My shrink wrapped tray of bún thịt nướng, complete with an incredibly tasty cha gio and even a fork, set me back a whopping $4.00 ($3.90 if you count the dime I found in the parking lot…).

Viet Tofu
4897 Buford Hwy
Atlanta, GA 30341

During a recent walk through the produce section of the Buford Highway Farmers Market I ran into two women who appeared to be on their first trip through the market. They were obviously overwhelmed by the array of unfamiliar greenery laid out before them – gailan, a-choy, yo tsai, sherlion, kohlrabi, epazote – and they seemed relieved when they finally identified something familiar – ginger. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that it was in fact galangal that they had discovered – not ginger…

We’ve all been there – so I’m starting a series to shed a little light on some of the ingredients that many of you probably have tasted (or will) as you explore ethnic cuisines, but that you may not recognize when you encounter them in the market.

Nira

Nira is known by many names:

• Nira (Japan)
• Jiǔcài (China)
• Buchu (Korea)
• Hẹ (Vietnam)
• Garlic Chive, Chinese Chive (other parts of the world)

What is it?

Nira, as you can see from the photos, is a plant… it’s in the Allium genus (same as garlic), with long flat leaves, 10-15 inches long. It’s easy to grow – my first exposure to it was when I found it growing wild in the backyard of my house. It’s even easier to harvest (with scissors), and like grass, it grows back after cutting.

In the market, you’ll find as many as three types of nira:

Nira is dark green.

Yellow or golden nira is… yellow. It’s actually etoliated – after cutting the green leaves, the plants are covered and allowed to re-sprout in the dark – similar to white asparagus.

Hananira or Chive Flower has the flower bud at the top of the stalk.

What does it taste/smell like?

Hm… This is a similar dilemma to the one I have with fish sauce (nước mắm) – you may love or hate the smell, but it adds a character to foods that is impossible to get any other way. Pungent, as obtuse as that is, is the best way to describe the smell. The flavor is more that of a garlicky onion and much stronger than a regular chive.

What can I do with it?

You’ve probably eaten it before – nira is a common ingredient in Asian dumplings: Chinese jiaozi (being made in the photos), Japanese gyoza and Korean mandoo.  Chinese green onion pancakes, cōng yóu bǐng (蔥油餅), can be made with nira instead of green onions. These are called  jiǔcài you bing (韭菜油饼). Nira-reba is a Japanese dish, where liver is stir fried with nira. Supposedly, this dish will give you “stamina”. Another common Chinese preparation is to scramble eggs with nira (a lot of nira). In the book Oriental Vegetables, Joy Larkcom mentions a tempura preparation, where the leaves are wrapped into bundles, dipped in batter and deep-fried.

How do I store it?

This is important, as once cut, nira does not keep well. Wrap it with damp paper towels and store in the vegetable drawer for no more than 2-3 days (you’ll know when it’s time to go…)

So what’s baffling you in the markets? There’s lot’s more to come in this series, but let me know – I’ll try to push requests to the top of the heap.

Yay

Tacos carnitas – Carniceria Hispaña

OK – I’ll spare you any artificial tension, B.S. or whatever. Carniceria Hispaña. Hands down. So now you don’t have to read anymore – just look at the pretty taco pictures and be done with it.

Tacos al pastor – Carniceria Hispaña

Carniceria Hispaña

Carniceria Hispaña
3258 Buford Hwy NE
Atlanta, GA 30329-1708

Sunday lunch, and HX declared “Mexican”, followed by “tacos”, so we were off. HX has been demanding to eat at Don Taco again since the one time he tried it at their former location, about 4 miles South on Buford Highway. That was 4 years ago – when he was 3. I guess that makes him persistent and me stubborn.  So I caved and we decided to start at Don Taco. We would start with a small order – if it was good (I remembered otherwise), we would stay and order more, otherwise we’d move on.

We ordered 4 tacos – carnitas, barbacoa, and 2 al pastor (my bellweather). After an interminable wait, 4 tiny foil packets were delivered to our table. The foil and steam had reduced the flour tortillas to a gelatinous mess, and in no time my fingers were covered in tortilla, bits of napkin and random flotsam. Al pastor – mealy and flavourless. No amount of tampering from the fixin’s bar could revive this one. Barbacoa – tortilla disaster aside, flavourful and moist – not too bad. Carnitas – again with the tortilla, but surprisingly tasty and tender pork. I could get behind this carnitas, but who knows if it’s consistent… The restaurant is clean (if not reminiscent of a hospital cafeteria from the ’80s) and the staff friendly.

After using the remnants of our rationed glass of water (the drought is over, guys) to soften the wheat paste on our fingers, we decided that round 2 was to be found elsewhere and ventured on to Carniceria Hispaña.

Carniceria Hispaña pretty much does what it says on the tin. It’s a Hispanic butcher shop with a small market and restaurant inside. One guy works the flattop and mans the tiny “kitchen”. You can watch your food being prepared (which I like) or wander about the market until he hunts you down to let you know your order is ready. The $2 tacos are generous (about twice the size of the $1.60 tacos from Don Taco). Double corn tortillas, a splash of lime and chipotle salsa and a tamarind soda got us back on track. The pictures (above) say it all.

Boo

Carnitas & barbacoa – Don Taco

Carnitas, barbacoa, al pastor – Don Taco

Hospital cafeteria – I mean, Don Taco

Don Taco
5884 Buford Hwy NE
Doraville, GA 30340-2422