Category Archives: dine in

2.67-meh, 3.5-much better than meh, 4-nice!, asian, chicken, dine in, East Asian, food, take out

Eastern Food Express

Eastern Food Express
Inside Nam Dae Mun
5138 Memorial Drive
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
404-399-0245

Welcome back to the Memorial Drive OTP Food Blog with our first entry since “the covid”! Tracey, Tom, and Calvin are back on the road testing the victuals that line that much-maligned so-called highway of questionable cuisine. Many people poo-poo the provisions that are available on Memorial Drive East of the perimeter, so we continue our quest to quench the culinary thirst for good food on Highway 10-outside the perimeter. We each give our own review of the experience. Buon appetito!

Calvin, Tom, and Tracey

Calvin: Eastern Food Express is located in the new food court of Nam Dae Mun. So far it is the only restaurant in the new food court. Nam Dae Mun has recently undergone a facelift and is brightly lit, seems roomier, and played classic rock. It is always fun to peruse kitchen items because they carry so many useful tools.
Eastern Food Express, located near the wine and bakery areas, serves South Asian Indian cuisines. They have been open for three weeks and are still working out a few kinks, such as no ice and less than cold can drinks. But they were very nice, served dishes on paper, not styrofoam, and comped us a sour and spicy soup! The menu was clear and concise, the restaurant clean and we were given chopsticks and forks. I ordered the Famous Indian Style Goat Meat Curry that came with a plate of rice. Unfortunately, the Goat Meat Curry did not have a strong curry flavor but was seasoned with star anise and that added a light fennelish flavor. It had a rich, thin gravy and the meat was tender and tasted wonderful with the rice. The complimentary soup had a thin base with cabbage, carrots, and cilantro and was delicious and spicy! the price for the meal plus a can of diet Coke: $11.87. I give it a Meh! rating of 4, Nice!

Tracey: It was wonderful to continue our restaurant review mission of Memorial Drive after a 2-year hiatus. We landed at the Nam Dae Mun Farmer’s Market which has recently opened a small restaurant inside the doors near the bakery section. At first glance, it seemed like a typical Chinese food court option. There are prepared dishes ready to be scooped up if you want to grab a quick lunch to go or dine in.

But there is a very diverse menu that can be prepared for you as well consisting of gravy dishes, curry dishes, and various noodle dishes. I chose the Ginger  Shrimp Gravy. Served over rice, the brown gravy has a ginger base and is loaded with large shrimp, green peppers, and onions. Warm and spicy with just enough ginger to give it that extra zing. The portion size was perfect. The hot and sour soup was on point and better than most I have had at our nearby Pine Lake restaurants. I tasted my companions’ meals and found the Singapore Bihun to be on par with the Tin Drum dish.

The ambiance is lacking, but it’s convenient for a good lunch and then doing some shopping. I grabbed a 10-pound bag of extra-long basmati rice on the way out along with some fresh bakery pastries. If you are only visiting the Dekalb Farmer’s Market, you should really take the time to drop in at Nam Dae Mun and see what you can find. I also found the cutest measuring cup that measures milliliters, tsps, tbs, and ounces.

I would give this a 3.5 out of 5 on the meh scale. I will definitely return and most likely place an order to go after shopping. As always, my companions were pleasant, witty, and entertaining.

Tom: On the road again with Calvin and Tracey, in search of new dining opportunities along the Memorial Drive Corridor. The Tres Amigos visited Eastern Food Express, inside the Nam Dae Mun Farmers Market. As a virgin to this market, I was blown away by the breadth of offering. This place was spotless, and well stocked with a great variety of fruits and vegetables, grocery items, fresh fish and meat, and a bakery! 

Eventually, we did discover the food court and our destination, Eastern Food Express! I’m so glad we did.

The menu was great, with a nice sampling of dishes from a number of East Asian countries, including China, India, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Offerings included curries, noodles, and dishes with ginger or garlic-based gravies with beef, chicken, lamb, or shrimp, over rice.

I was happy to choose the Singapore Bihun with chicken. Bihun is a rice-based vermicelli style noodle, very thin and delicate. These noodles absorb the flavors of the vegetables and meats with which they are cooked.  My dish contained onions, bell peppers, scallions, bean sprouts, and chicken.  Everything was cooked to perfection. I was excited to wield my chopsticks as I dove into the full plate of light Anders fluffy noodles with chicken and vegetables. I ordered the non-spicy version because, when trying someplace new I like to start with a baseline and work my way up on the heat. I will definitely be back to step it up to the next level.

As Calvin noted, we were surprised with a complimentary offering of soup. It was savory, light broth, almost sour but not quite, and full of vegetables. Delicious!

I will save some room next time to try some of the Fried Rice and Dumplings. 

Eastern Food Express gets a 2.75 on the “meh” scale. It’s a great place to have lunch while exploring the fabulous Nam Dae Mun Farmers Market!

2.94-a little better than meh, african, beef, chicken, dine in, lamb, take out

Le Nouveau Maqui

Le Nouveau Maqui
5064 Memorial Dr
Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083
(404) 784-2471

A review from three perspectives: Tom Ramsey, Tracey Brantley, and Calvin Burgamy (image gallery below-click on the “i” for image titles)

The Store in which is the restaurant
The Store in which is the restaurant
Aperture: 2
Camera: iPhone X
Iso: 20
Orientation: 1
« ‹ of 12 › »

TOM:
On the road again again with Calvin Burgamy, exploring the depths of Memorial Drive cuisine. This time we took along Tracey Brantley to keep us in check, just as she has always done at our monthly PLAIN Meetings.

Calvin choose the location for lunch this trip, Le Nouveau Maquis, in the Citadel Square Shopping Plaza (think Office Depot). You would think the three highly intelligent characters like ourselves would have no trouble locating our destination, but alas, the location eluded us. There was an African grocery store sitting where our lunch spot should have been. Being the galant types we are, Calvin and I let Tracey check it out further. She came back with great news, she had located the restaurant at the back of the grocery store!

A few small tables and a bell to ring for service. We seated ourselves and out came Rosie, to serve us. She kindly explained some of the menu items to us, and we ordered!

I ordered the Joloff Rice with Turkey, the turkey was very tender dark meat from the leg, simmered in a thick tomato based sauce. It was spiced perfectly, but mild, not hot. The joloff rice was very tasty and quite filling. It reminded me of jambalaya, but with a richer blend of spices and it accompanied the turkey perfectly.

We finished off our meal with Plantains and Fufu. The plantains were pan fried to perfection with a touch of salt, giving you a wonderful blend of salt and the natural sugar of the plantain.

Rosie explained that Fufu was a mashed yam, from Ghana, folded into a log shape, that could be dipped in one of their savory sauces. When Calvin queried why it was white, and not yellow or orange, Rosie giggled and emphasized that it was a Ghana Yam, very different from what we locals are accustomed to seeing. We happened to spot some Ghana Yams in the grocery store on the way out, they are about the size of a football. It reminded one of a very smooth, mashed potato with a little extra starch for texture as shaping.
Plenty of free parking. Service was good, and the food came out as each dish was ready. The water was cold and bottled by Nestle. Nothing available for dessert. Quite a few folks were ordering food for take out while we were having lunch. The seating area was clean and neat and staff was helpful and courteous. The food was quite good. Overall, I would give it a neutral 2.5-3 on the meh scale ☺

TRACEY:
It’s hard to live up to or add much to Tom’s thorough and eloquent review of Le Nouveau Maquis, but here goes. First off, I was very pleased to tag along on their bro’ date. Upon entering, you will find the restaurant at the back of the grocery store in a narrow, approximately 10 by 20-foot space. Seating was set up for tables of two, which I guess could be joined. But don’t expect to bring a large group here for a sit down lunch. 

I ordered the peanut soup with lamb and chicken. I do not like lamb, but when I asked, I got the impression lamb was already in there and I could add other meat. Other meat options to add were goat, oxtail, tripe, beef, and maybe turkey. I added the chicken. 

As a lover of peanut butter, let me say that this was excellent. I would have been happy with just the sauce over the white rice, which was perfectly cooked with a hint of butter. I would describe it as more of a stew than a soup. All the items arrived at different times, which was a little confusing, but we adapted.

We shared Tom’s plantains, which were just a hint of savory and salt. All in all, a unique and very pleasant meal. I would, however, save the 5 bucks and not order the FuFu again. Drinks are from the grocery store and included some tropical juices and soft drinks (no diet coke). Overall, I would give this a 2.75 on the meh scale. Rosie was very nice and friendly and my two lunch companions were very pleasant and entertaining

CALVIN:
Le Nouveau Maqui, a small West African restaurant tucked inside a small African grocery store which is tucked in a small strip shopping center two doors down from Office Depot  in Citadel Square. As best as I can discern Le Nouveau Maquis translates to “the new resistance”. If you know differently let me know. Like a lot of the strip malls along Memorial the parking lot is worn and pitted and not very inviting. I highly recommend that owners of these properties start with sprucing up the parking lots. Can I get an amen?

But enough about the parking lot. Lets get on with our culinary adventure to West Africa. The caveat is we’ve never been to west Africa and we don’t really know what to expect except what we’ve seen on the world wide interwebs. What we do have is a willingness to go there and check it out. So…

In the back of the grocery store is the 6 or eight table restaurant. We didn’t realize when we got there and settled in but there is a couple of bells by the kitchen door that customers ring to let the staff (Rosie) know you are there. Another customer took pity on us and rang it and our waitress Rosie sprang into action and brought our menus.

One of the items I wanted to try was the Jollof rice. I did a little research and watched an interesting NY Times video on how to make Jollof Rice with Yewande Komolafe from Nigeria (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul5WBj1m_Xg). Wonderful video and I was ready to try the dish. You may also find her article on the top 10 Nigerian dishes packed with info if you are wanting to explore other African restaurants on Memorial Dr.

I ordered the Jollof rice with beef in a tomato sauce. The beef was a bit tough and hard to cut especially since the only utensils we had were a spoon and a fork so I proceeded forthwith and tore the beef apart with the spoon. I thought the rice and tomato sauce was a bit lackluster until I added an extra dose of the side chili sauce. The chili sauce is tasty, zesty,  and spicy!

My mind and eye soon wandered to thoughts of Tracey’s peanut butter soup with chicken and lamb. You have to admit peanut butter soup is an interesting meal yes? I cadged a taste of the soup and Yum. I think it was the best dish and recommend it above the Jollof rice  with beef. 

Also we ordered plantains and FuFu. I would recommend the tasty fried plantains and would urge an arched eybrow on the FuFu – pounded Ghana Yam and doughy textured with the taste of mild potato. I urge the arched eyebrow not that FuFu is bad but visually it is a bit lumpy and is more of a vehicle to be dipped in a sauce or gravy. See Tom’s description of FuFu somewhere in this review. I would ditto Tom and Tracey’s rating and give the Le Nouveau Maquia 2.75 on the meh scale. Go there and check it out. Let us know what you think.

4-nice!, delivery, dine in, seafood, take out

Prime Seafood

Prime Seafood
6049 Memorial Dr.
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
(678) 974-5000
Mon. – Sat. 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sun. 12:00 PM – 8:30 PM

A review by the erstwhile duo Tom Ramsey & Calvin Burgamy.

Calvin:
A few days ago Tom Ramsey asked me how my food blog was going. I had to admit it had been lying dormant for quite some time. In the course of a few minutes Tom revitalized the blog with the idea of both of us visiting Duckanoo on Memorial Dr. It was decided we would have lunch there but on the appointed day I happened to look at their schedule and they didn’t open til 5pm. Turns out they are kind of a sports bar which stays open til 2am. Maybe its more than sports bar/restaurant but that will have to wait until another day. Tom suggested one the seafood restaurants on Memorial Dr. so we decided on Prime Seafood. It has only been open 9 months.
So off we went. Walking in the first thing we noticed was that it is very clean and neat. It is mostly takeout but has 4 or 5 tables if you want to eat in. The woman behind the counter is cheery and friendly and told us about their fresh seafood. However, we were there to eat lunch. Looking over the menu I opted for the fried shrimp with french fries…the basics. Tom was more adventurous and ordered gumbo, corn, a crab cake, and hush puppies.

Man, I really enjoyed my fried shrimp! Lightly battered with a bit of pepper these 12 decapod crustaceans were crunchy, firm, with a crisp texture, and I relished every bite. My only complaint is they gave me too many french fries. The horror! So they are easy to get to, have good food, and the prices are reasonable. Using the highly scientific “Meh” rating system I give my fried shrimp a “4”-Nice!

Tom:
As Calvin has already noted, we two, semi-retired gray beards neglected to check the Duckanoo website for hours of operation until 30 minutes prior to our intended lunch. Aren’t all things supposed to be open when we need them? A philosophical discussion for another day.
I have been considering trying out Prime Seafood for the last few weeks, and now thanks to the inconvenience of the Duckanoo hours of operation, the perfect opportunity was at hand.
It was easy to find, on Memorial Drive just east of Hairston. The signage is visible from Memorial Drive and they offer plenty of free parking. The place is spotless, and would easily pass a white glove rest!
I have a few measures of my own for rating seafood joints. Working within Calvin’s “meh” scale, I consider those special items that for me make difference between average and superior. Those items are gumbo, hush puppies and crab cakes.
The gumbo here was good, with lots of shrimp, sausage, crabmeat and okra. It was fresh and homemade, but the roux was a bit bland and creamy for my taste. Still quite good, though.
The cornbread hush puppies were off the charts fantastic! Fresh, crispy outside but tender inside with great texture and fresh corn kernels, too.
The crab cakes, like the hush puppies, were crispy outside and moist and tender inside. Very little in the way of fillers here, just enough to hold it together. The nice woman behind the counter told me it was greater than 65% crab meat. I would concur! A great choice.
The corn on the cob was great, done just right and slathered in your choice melted garlic butter or Cajun butter. I chose the garlic butter and was not disappointed!
Some other menu items to come back and try are the low country boil and soft shell crabs, fried or steamed shrimp.
I would agree with Calvin, this is a 4 out of 5, Nice!
They also have a raw seafood market that looks great, and they offer all the typical grocery staples needed for a nice seafood dinner. You will find rice and beans, dirty rice and jambalaya mixes, starters for making roux, gumbo or soup. Cocktail and tartar sauces by the jar.
A place I’ll be beck to visit soon.

2.94-a little better than meh, delivery, dine in, pizza, wings

Pizza Walley

Pizzeria turning out basic pies plus comfort-food staples such as wings in an unassuming setting.
4763 Memorial Dr, Decatur, GA 30032
(404) 297-1960
Sunday 11AM–11PM
Monday 11AM–11PM
Tuesday 11AM–11PM
Wed 11AM–11PM
Thurs 11AM–11PM
Friday 11AM–12AM
Sat 11AM–12AM
google reviews
menu
map
(click on any photo for a larger view)

This review was an accident. We were trying to order pizza delivery from Marco’s in Scottsdale because we like their thin crust  but they weren’t delivering on Saturday.  Go figure.  So I decided to try Pizza Walley on Memorial Drive and then I could add it to my reviews of restaurants on Memorial Drive which I have neglected of late.

I went to my trusty  iphone and downloaded the EAT24 app, ordered a medium Greek pizza for 12.99 and went for pickup instead of delivery to  check out the place.
Pizza Walley (great name, yes?) is located just west of Rockbridge Road in a series  of small strips of stores. It is nestled a little uncomfortably amidst  Chinstar (not Chinastar)  Asian Cuisine, an insurance office, All-Island Jamaica Restaurant, an eyeglass biz

and the Scooterman and so on. It’s mostly another Memorial Drive visually dreary scene but beauty is in the eye of the beholder is it not?

Pizza Walley I am proud to report is also a pleasant place to do business. The women behind the counter were super nice, had my order ready, and I was out the door in no time. It was probably 30 minutes between the time I ordered and the time I picked up.
The pizza was a good basic no frills pie with a medium crust, ground beef, green peppers, black olives, onion, layer of feta cheese sliced tomatoes. Not a fantastic pizza but a good pizza to sit it front of the tv and tune into a little Netflix.  The next time  I will try the delivery and get a few wings and report back. If I had to base the rating of Pizza Walley on just the pizza I would give it a meh rating. However, since the service was
so good, the people so nice I have to give it — 2.94-a little better than meh. (Meh rating explained: click here

Thanks Pizza Walley for a good pizza pickup experience!

Addendum: Stray cat alert! There was a beautiful, healthy looking yet skittish cat lingering outside Pizza Walley.  

4-nice!, asian, cater, chinese, dine in, hamburger, North American, take out

Red Chili Cafe

Address: 5653 Memorial Dr, Stone Mountain, GA 30083
Phone: (404) 698-3158
Menu: redchilicafe1.com
Order: chownow.com
Hours:
Monday- Thursday: 11:30am-10:30pm
Friday – 11:30am-11:00 pm
Saturday-12:00 pm-11:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm-10:30 pm
click on images for larger view

I’m a day late and a dollar short on this review. By now I believe everyone has already found out about this little gem on the corner of Hambrick and Memorial. I’ve heard from several people that they really enjoyed Red Chili Cafe. (see also reader reviews, click here) We have now been there 3 or 4 times and I’m just now getting around to writing a review.
Let’s just check the positives right off the bat:
1. The owners are friendly and will be more than glad to chat with you about the food, the Christmas decorations, or the time of day.
2. The place, a former Wendy’s, is clean, neat, spacious, and nicely decorated.
3. The music is good. I’ve heard jazz, classical, and pop.
4. Alcohol…yippeee!
5. Plenty of free parking
6. Bus drivers eat free (just kidding)
7. The food is good!

Zha Jiang Noodles

Dan Dan Noodles

Since going there my wife Tina and I have had the Hibachi Chicken Bowl w/Sweet & Spicy Sauce, Chicken Fried Rice, Veggie Fried Rice, Cajun Fried Rice, Dan Dan Noodles, and Zha Jiang Noodles.  We have really enjoyed each meal with my one exception the Zha Jiang Noodles (see photos, click on them, enjoy them) and that, I believe, was just a matter of personal taste. The noodles were excellent but I did not care for the hoisin, a thick pungent fermented soybean sauce. Tina loves to experiment and I said “What the heckinger. Give me something I haven’t had!” So I encourage someone to try it and let me know what you think. Tina had the Dan Dan Noodles which is a nice spicy dish with meat sauce and the same egg noodles I had.  I had a bite and it was delicious and Tina liked it as well.  Plus we had a great time discussing the dishes with the owner, John. He encourages us to try his burger and steak and he is adding Salt & Pepper Calamari to the menu soon. Because John is so nice and excited about his menu offerings we will definitely try these items in the near future.
The other three or four times (had to be four since we’ve tried so many dishes) we’ve been there have all been good culinary and social experiences. It’s just around the corner, the prices are very reasonable, and people are friendly. If you are a bus driver, let me know if they let you eat free!  Rating: 4-nice! (see rating system)

4-nice!, cater, dine in, eggs, food, Mexican, Salvadoran, sandwiches, take out, total digression

Rositas Taqueria y Pupuseria

img_5551









Rosita’s Salvadoran Cafe
4121 Stone Mountain Hwy (78) Lilburn, GA 30047
770-979-2900
Facebook
10am-6:30pm Mon-Sat

Rosita’s Cafe! Technically Rosita’s is not on Memorial Drive. (For new readers my area of reviews is supposed to be Memorial Drive from I-285 to the Stone Mountain/Memorial Drive intersection). However if you keep going on Memorial, it will merge into 78 and if you imagine real hard you will see that it is an extension of Memorial Drive so keep going until you get to Home Depot. Memorial Drive, for you history buffs, is state road 10 (SR10) and runs concurrently with 78 all the way to Athens and Augusta. But once again I am divagating. Let me merge back onto the main point–Rosita’s Cafe.img_5553
Rosita’s is a small family run Salvadoran restaurant and grocery. It has 3 or 4 tables up front along with typical tourist items like purses, bracelets, and calendars for sale and a  grocery in the back. The cafe is comfortable, clean, and cozy. We’ve been there two times (and will be going back many times)  and the same 3 women and young boy have been there each time
img_5557They do dine in, take out, and cater as well.


One of the many dishes served is the pupusa which is a very simple ethnic Salvadoran dish. It is usually a  thick corn tortilla stuffed with a variety of ingredients, such as shredded cheese and pork.  You can see in the photo that they serve a variety of Salvadoran and Mexican dishes. At our first visit back in April we had  lunch and the other day we had breakfast to gird our loins before going to Home img_5549










Depot for household necessities like a hard hat, ear plugs, a screw driver, and  safety glasses for a light day of cleaning and buffing the silverware.
The gist of the matter is that our food was simple, delicious, inexpensive, and thoroughly enjoyable and  in the company of the friendly family owners.  Breakfast was Mexican Tipico (fried eggs, beans, rice, and salsa verde) and Salvadoran Tipico (scrambled eggs, beans, and avocado).  Rosita’s has red and green salsa at the tables and the red salsa was so good we asked for  a container to take  home. The red salsa is made with roasted tomatoes and is thin so it can be used as a sauce.img_3948










So the next time you need sheetrock, a five gallon bucket, or a couple of nails go to the Home Depot on Hwy 78 and pop into Rosita’s.  You will be glad you did, they will be glad you did, and we will be glad you did. Win/win/win. Rating: 4-nice!

4-nice!, breakfast, chicken, dine in, southern

Good Times Country Cookin’

Good Times Country Cookin’
449 N. Indian Creek, Clarkston, GA
404-292-4711
facebook
click on photos for larger view

“Ain’t no cookin’ like country cookin’.” Bubber

My diet has been better than usual lately.  I’ve been laying off sugar, trying to eat right, and getting a little exercise.  But then comes the call of duty of my OTP Memorial Drive Food world wide inter web site. Sometimes a man has  gotta do what he has to do.

click for larger photo

I was asked by a neighbor (if you read this please remind me who you are, por favor!) if I had eaten at Good Times. I had not. It is not quite on Memorial Drive.  I’m never sure where the exact boundaries are that I’m supposed to be reviewing. Does a restaurant have to be sitting right on Memorial Drive and outside the perimeter.   So I thought about it  and figured — close enough for for government work.  Is it so wrong?
Tina, my wife who has been reluctant to accompany me to some of  the more gastronomically questionable restaurants, came along. I think the rational, reasonable part of her brain was affected because she  was groggy from  a cold. But I was very glad she went.
Good Times is right at the intersection of Rockbridge and Memorial but actually on Indian Creek if that makes any sense.  It is decorated with bright yellow signs with a smiling emoji.  Once inside Tina asked an elder Clarkston citizen who was eating what Good Times used to be and was told, “Donnies” and the img_5195small exit sign confirmed it. I think it was something img_5196before Donnie’s because it looks kinda like a Wendy’s or McDonald’s design. Maybe an Arby’s or the Hamburger Wagon.
Any-who it is now Good Times Country Cookin’. Why Good Times? We got a hint by the pictures on the bulletin board.  Photos of the actors and actresses from “Good Times.”   And a very neat bulletin board it was. All the pictures, signs (This restaurant only uses 0% trans fat frying oil for your health), and menus neatly pinned to the cork.  The proprietor is Korean and the women who worked there Burmese. So do the math: Good Times + Korea + Burma + Clarkston + southern food = this is probably going to be good.img_5188
And the cookin’ was country. It is cafeteria style that serves turkey, sweet potato dressing, fried fish, fried pork chops, rice,  mashed potatoes, collards, broccoli, and corn muffins. At the end of line are chopped onions and lemon wedges. Asking price for meat and 2? $6.54 with tea! Looks like a good deal but is it?
Yes. I had the fried pork chops, mashed potatoes/gravy, collards,

Paramedic tells Tina he eats here often.
Paramedic tells Tina he eats here often.

and a corn muffin. Tina had fried fish, broccoli (which was steamed and crunchy!), sweet potato dressing, and a roll (more on this roll later).
I report to you that this is fine comfort food and you deserve to drive over to Good Times Country Cookin’ and indulge yourself especially if you have had a hard day and people have  been less than kind or  you happen to feel   physically, emotionally, or intellectually a little pewley (sp?).   Plus Good Times  serve such big portions that you will  have comfort food at your next meal (unless you are totally out of control and right on, no judgement in that). They gave me two pieces of pork chops and Tina three fried fish.  The crust on the pork chop was crispy, crunchy, and tasty like Mee Maw or Big Big or Nana served upimg_5193 back in the day way back yonder and over there in them somewhat fictitious good ol’ days . Yum. And the collards? They are good and cooked with little or no meat. Tina’s fish was delicious but I liked my fried poke chop better. She got the best side dish  with the sweet potato dressing which she topped with chopped onion.  So we were stepping in high cotton. But my friend I will tell you straight out the glass was 99.5% full. The roll was  straight out of a Costco package blah kinda of thing. It’s a little img_5190unkind to even mention it except I do have my reviewer credo that I must live by:  semper nasopharyngialibus non punchibus — always never get punched in the nose.  No wait, that is my comedy credo.  My reviewer credo: semper dicere verum — always try to tell the truth. Just remember Good Times Country Cookin’ — 99.5%  delicious. I gotta give Good Times Country Cookin‘  rating of 4-nice! (rating system explained)  I’ll be back for breakfast and then dinner again. But I’m spacing out my visits because of my diet. Hopefully I will have this eating  extravaganza worked off in a few days and then bring it on bang a gong!

3-better than meh, dine in, Jamaican, take out

Juci Jerk

5503 Memorial Dr
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
(404) 508-2140
open Wed – Sun
web site
click on photos for larger view

“I cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food.” -W.C. Fields

juci jerkJuci Jerk  is  rated 4 out of 5 stars in Yelp and Google reviews. I wonder how much should we  really trust those reviews? It is pretty  easy to have friends and family post a great review (and enemies to post bad reviews).  However, I am also skeptical of the negative reviews, not because I don’t believe them but because anybody can have a bad experience at a great restaurant.  But 4 out of 5 stars would indicate some pretty darn good food and it sets a pretty high standard for those going based on the reviews.  As for me, I like to read them just for the fun of it.  For instance from Yelp: “This place however is AMAZING! Their dry rub IMG_4585it great. The meat is extremely tender (ate here with braces).”  I guess I could infer that you can’t eat tough meat with braces? Perhaps I should start a niche braces friendly restaurant review web site? That could be where the money is.

SoIMG_5008 I went to Juci Jerk this past Saturday with Chloe, daughter of our good friends Kristine and Rob who live over yonder on Spring.  It was about 2pm and we had just exited The Secret Life of Pets,  a very funny animated cartoon. I was hungry, Chloe was tired but willing to go.  When we got there several people were ahead of us but the line moved pretty quickly and soon we ordered a small order of white chicken  for Chloe (no sides) and a small pork rib plate for me.  Also on the order was a champagne Kola for Chloe (water for me).  My ribs came with the standard Jamaican issue of rice with peas and a side of cabbage.  The rice had IMG_5012a delicious sweet sauce on it and was perfectly cooked (as I have said before I like rice perfectly cooked). The cabbage was cabbage. Boiled like cabbage. Talked like cabbage. Walked like cabbage. So I said “this is cabbage.”  The ribs had a nice rub and were delicious, moist, and tender. Great if you wear braces!  We also had their very hot, very spicy IMG_5013sauce and the regular sauce. Both with hints of mustard and tasty. The hot is hot! But I like it hot.  Chloe’s chicken (came with a side of one slice of white bread) had a nice rub on it but was very dry.  It had to be dipped into the sauce.  Would not IMG_5011recommend the chicken if you wear braces.

I would like to say also how very nice  were the people who ran Juci Jerk.  The two women were so pleasant (and efficient!). We did not have to wait long for our order and we ate inside. There were only two tables so it is mainly for takeout. IMG_5014Also of note is  Juci Jerk will be in the 2016 Jerk Fest (no not the Jerk Off)  in Conyers this weekend, Sept 4. Click on the picture on  the right for info.  Chef Donald Roberts of Juci Jerk won the 2014 Jerk Fest.
My rating for Juci Jerk: 3-better than meh. (rating system explained) I definitely want to go back and try other items on the menu.  Try and let me know what you think.IMG_5016

 

 

2.67-meh, chinese, dine in, food, take out

Best China

IMG_4786Best China
Memorial Bend Shopping Center (behind IHOP)
5260 Memorial Dr #1205a, Stone Mountain, GA 30083
(404) 296-0405
Monday – Sunday (that’s everyday isn’t it?) 11AM–10:30PM

Best China is a small restaurant with a very friendly staff.  The woman who took my order was all smiles.  I ordered the Kung Pao chicken and had my choice of an egg roll or soda. Egg roll, qing.  Did I want it spicy? Yes. Eat here or takeout? Takeout.
While waiting I took a photo of the wall menu (which was in addition to the traditional printed Chinese food menu)  and it was heavily tilted toward chicken and even more heavily toward chicken  wings. IMG_4785If you are wing person may I suggest Best China? I didn’t try them but if you do let me know.
A super friendly gentleman who looked like he might be the  cook came out with my order. I sprang to the counter and he smiled and opened the styrofoam container to show me my meal. It looked wonderful and to myself I said, “How nice was that?”  And for only $5.95!
I jumped on my scooter and headed home to taste my piping hot Kung Pao chicken.
IMG_4787Home I dove right in. First impression: not very spicy. I really wanted to like this dish because the people were so darn nice.  But I am sad to report that overall it was pretty ordinary.  The vegetable were ok, the sauce ok, water chestnuts tasted of the can, and the rice, dammit!, was just ok. I love a good dish of rice and so I  must say ok almost means not ok, but it was ok.  The egg roll also was not memorable (crunchy on the outside, meh on the inside)  but you may  like to know that the chicken was good. Small strips of tasty chicken if you wrangled them separately from the vegetables. And that in a nutshell is the best I can say of the Kung Pao chicken at Best China.  Add some soy sauce and sriracha  and it definitely improves. So, it’s ok enough for me turn on John Oliver and have an ok meal. So ok already. Rating for Best China’s Kung Pao chicken? 2.67 – meh. (rating system) Please go there and get something and let me know what you think. They are SO nice!  OK? OK.

The History of Kung Pao Chicken (click Kung Pao or just read here)

Kung Pao Chicken (called 宫保鸡丁; Gong Bao’s Diced Chicken in Chinese) is named after the dish’s most famous fan, or at least that’s how the story goes. At the beginning of the 19th century, a boy named Ding Baozhen fell into a river. He couldn’t swim, and would have drowned were it not for the intervention of a passing stranger, who managed to drag him to safety.

Ding grew up and attained the rank of Gong Bao at a government post in Sichuan province. While there, he thought to visit the home of the man who rescued him as a boy to pay his respects.

At the man’s home, he ate a remarkable dish with diced chicken, peanuts, and Sichuan peppercorns, among other ingredients, and liked it so much that he asked for the recipe. Thereafter, he ate the dish often and served it to all of his guests, thus spreading its popularity around the province. He was such a fan that the dish came to be referred to as “Gong Bao Chicken”; a reference to Ding’s official rank.

Kung Pao Chicken is, for reasons explained above, considered part of Sichuan cuisine, but these days you can get the dish at most restaurants in China, and almost every Chinese restaurant outside it. Chinese people often chuckle at foreigners’ reliance on the dish — Kung Pao Chicken is a veritable staple at the tables of most China expats — but the fact is that Ding Baozhen was right to promote the dish so widely two centuries ago; virtually everyone agrees that it tastes great.

There are big differences in how Kung Pao Chicken tastes depending on where you eat it, though. Generally, the dish is spiciest in its native province of Sichuan, where chefs often insist on using only local (and very spicy) peppers and peppercorns in the recipe. Outside Sichuan it is often milder, as most people don’t like quite as much spicy heat in their meals as the Sichuanese do.

 

dine in, food, take out

Red Chile Cafe Update

Menu/Red Chile Cafe

From Joe “Pepe” Paban: This time I went with my friend David and  we wanted to eat in instead of takeout. As previously mentioned everything is cooked to order so be prepared to wait. We decided to split an order 10 wings as appetizer and same as my previous visit the wings were good, I ordered the honey barbecue sauce. Since they were stingy with their celery in my previous visit I made sure to ask for extra celery this time.  See entire  review at Reader Reviews.