SURIN OF THAILAND

He says:
If the menu at Surin reminds you of the menu at Harry & Sons, don’t worry … you’re not crazy. The same group owns both restaurants, and even though they are literally 50 feet apart from each other on Highland Ave., every single item on Surin’s menu can be found verbatim at Harry & Sons. Now that’s crazy.

Fortunately for the fans of this oddball duo (and they are legion), both restaurants consistently deliver quick service, fine curries, and a pleasant dining. From my experience, Surin gets the nod for better service. Within five minutes of ordering, the fried egg rolls hit our table. Unfortunately they were bland and generic, with an equally tepid dipping sauce. But this starter was quickly followed by the main entrees, which are stronger in comparison.

The basil duck in red sauce, which I have sampled both here and at Harry & Sons, is a consistently excellent dish. The duck meat, with skin still attached, is fatty, indulgent, and incredibly tender. Swimming in red coconut curry, it is one of the richest Thai dishes you’ll find east of the Mississippi. Hell, it’s probably richer than anything you’ll find west of it too. But I simply adore fatty foods, so that’s A-OK with me.

She says:
The flavors of the basil duck did come together well, although I don’t associate Thai food with fatty meats, and so didn’t love the dish. The Massaman curry, which we ordered with tofu, was very good though. It balanced the flavor of peanuts and coconut milk, and was not overly sweet. I cannot say the same about the Thai iced tea I ordered, however; like Harry & Sons’ version, it’s way too sweet.

The spicy noodles were also well prepared. The noodles themselves were cooked to just the right tenderness, firm and chewy, and had the delicious seared taste that only comes with the very high temperatures of a professional kitchen. And the spice added just the right amount of kick.

We say:
Harry of Thailand, oops, I mean Surin of Thailand, doesn’t compete with the best Thai in America, but it’s one of the better options in Atlanta.



Surin of Thailand
810 N. Highland Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30306
http://www.surinofthailand.com/

RIA'S BLUEBIRD

She says:
Before the mohawked hostess even seated us or brought out a delicious glass of fresh-squeezed OJ, I already liked Ria’s Bluebird. This offbeat Grant Park brunch spot has an incredibly casual and welcoming vibe. In fact, while waiting outside I’d already been befriended by a group of hipsters who seemed to be Bluebird regulars. Once inside, or rather, in the open air patio, we perused our menus to the faint guitars of Sonic Youth beating on the overhead radio.

We had heard that the pancakes at Ria’s Bluebird are the best in town, so I gave them a shot. The buttermilk pancakes are very good – fluffy and very buttery – particularly with blueberries, which is how I had them. I still prefer the pancakes at Sweet Melissa’s in Decatur, but Ria’s are a close runner-up.

He says:
The egg-lover that I am, I went straight for the special of the day. The Bluebird’s version of Eggs Benedict is an intriguing variation of an old standby; instead of sitting atop an English muffin, the two poached eggs lie over potato latkes. Unlike other potato pancakes I’ve had in the past, these latkes used mashed, rather than grated, potatoes, and were fried to perfection. The result, when paired with the eggs and hollandaise sauce, was absolutely sublime. By turns rich, creamy, and tangy, this platter was possibly the best brunch item I’ve had in Atlanta.

The cheese grits I ordered on the side were also good, though not up to par with the Flying Biscuit’s version.

We say:
Head to Ria’s Bluebird for a casually hip vibe and some of the best brunch in town.



Ria's Bluebird
421 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta, GA. 30312
http://www.riasbluebird.com/

CAFE SUNFLOWER

She says:
Café Sunflower was an obvious choice for dinner with Downtown Boy’s vegetarian brother in town. One of the very few Atlanta restaurants that boasts an exclusively vegetarian menu, Café Sunflower gives non-carnivores the rare treat of being able to peruse an entire menu and choose something besides pasta. Situated in a Buckhead strip mall, the restaurant has an unfortunate location, but once inside the airy (albeit bland) space, the parking lots and neighboring laundry mats are forgotten.

The menu has a huge variety of dishes, ranging from fajitas comprised of soy steak to orzo eggplant lasagna. All of the dishes are on the hearty side, with plenty of faux-meat options. This is actually something I tend to avoid… when eating vegetarian, I much prefer creative combinations of seasonal fresh vegetables and straight-up tofu than the inevitable failure of making soy taste like and have the texture of meat.

He says:
I totally agree with Uptown Girl; I want my meat to taste like meat and my vegetables to taste like vegetables. Still, the couscous w/ coconut curried vegetables and tempeh was an adequate entree. The coconut curry reminded me of certain Thai curries, though the sauce lacked the spices to counteract the dish’s overall creaminess. On the other hand, my brother absolutely loved his fake lemon chicken with green beans and jasmine rice, so I suppose Sunflower Café is doing something right.

She says:
I tried the quinoa, which came with a so-so ratatouille and a slice of almond crusted tofu. The tofu was the best part of the dish, the almond crust giving it a crunchy and delicious outer coating. Obscured along one side of my plate was a vegan cucumber cream, which, once discovered, added a refreshing yet garlicky touch to the dish.

We say:
Café Sunflower is doing a decent job of holding its own in a meat-loving town, but a little competition might do it some good and help to sharpen its edges. That said, when other vegetarian visitors come to town, we’ll probably be back.

Café Sunflower
2140 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30309
http://www.cafesunflower.com/

JOHNNY'S PIZZA

He says:
I noted in a previous review that Atlanta has notoriously poor pizza, and our recent experience at Johnny’s Pizza did little to change my mind. It’s too bad, because downtown Decatur would be the perfect place to have a small, neighborhood pizzeria serving New York style slices.

In terms of décor, Johnny’s gets everything right. From the dingy lighting to the red Formica booths and retro shoot ’em up arcade games (1943!), everything about Johnny’s channels the old-school pizzerias I frequented when I was growing up in Brooklyn. Those places had balding Italian men with tomato sauce and grease smeared across their white shirts, and the slices they served were thin, crisp, and piping hot. Johnny’s has a very similar vibe to those pizza parlors of yesteryear, but that’s where any similarity ends.

The plain pizza we ordered at Johnny’s came out smothered with goopy cheese, throwing off the balance required of a good slice. The crust was thin, but incredibly doughy and soft, making it nearly impossible to lift without the slice drooping all over itself. The sauce was run-of-the-mill, and too much dripped down onto the plate.

She says:
My impression… floppy, greasy, and far too cheesy. It’s not a surprise either, given that Johnny’s Pizza is a chain with 41 locations in Atlanta alone.

We say:
You call this New York pizza? Fugghedaboutit!



Johnny's Pizzeria
340 Church Street, Decatur, GA 30030
http://www.johnnyspizza.com/main.asp