PANAHAR

She says:
It seems as though everyone in Atlanta either loves or hates Panahar. Reviews on CitySearch range from calling the Bangladeshi restaurant “homey” and “one of the best restaurants in Atlanta” to warning: “If you or your parents are from the Indian subcontinent or ANYWHERE in South Asia (or just know authentic when you taste it) DO NOT GO HERE!!!” Similarly, reports on the service either tout it as incredibly attentive or excruciatingly slow.

First conclusion: the service is excruciatingly slow. We arrived on a Saturday evening around 8:00, assuming that a restaurant in a Buford Highway strip mall wouldn’t have a problem finding seats for two. Guess we assumed wrong. The owner chided us for not making reservations. But he also said he could seat us in 15 minutes. After 30 long minutes we were finally seated. (During this time we came to our second conclusion, that the irate CitySearch reviewer’s warning had in fact been heeded: there was no one of South Asian descent anywhere near this place.)

But Panahar’s service is also incredibly attentive. Almost to a flaw. The owner, Mirza, is a tad on the overbearing side, and, acting as host, waiter, and your new best friend, is hard to avoid. When I asked what type of sauce had come with our appetizer, he elaborately described exactly how the sauce was made, detailing each of the 10 or so ingredients. Later on, as we paid our bill, he presented us with a coupon and proceeded to explain no fewer than 6 times that it could be used unlimited times. This type of service can go either way – it’ll either make you feel right at home or slightly violated.

He says:
Personally, I’m offput by Mirza’s enthusiasm. The first time I ate at Panahar was a slow Wednesday evening when he hovered over our table, insisting we order mango lassi and lauding the deliciousness of his chicken curries. I find this strange since curries are where Panahar stumbles the most; all the ones I’ve tried are goopy and generic. On that first visit Mirza also insisted that we order the cheese naan (a truly horrendous suggestion by the way – slices of American cheese baked onto naan? WTF?!), and afterwards he stood over our table for a good 45 seconds grinning like a fool while we sampled it.

Fortunately I find Mirza handles certain dishes better than he does personal space. On Saturday we started with an appetizer plate of pakoras, chicken shingaara, and vegetable shingaara (shingaaras are similar to samosas). The chicken shingaara lacked real flavor, but the vegetable one had a tasty potato, pea, and herb stuffing with an outer shell fried to a pleasant crisp.

For the main course I ordered the chicken tikka, which comes sizzling on a cast iron pan with a generous helping of onions. Indian restaurants often over-grill their breast meat, leaving them dry and tough, but Panahar got it just right. The meat is seasoned as well as one can hope for, neither too mild nor too hot.

She says:
I was happy to see one of my favorite Indian dishes on the menu, Matar Paneer, which I had been craving for weeks. Although I’ve had better versions, I’ve also had far worse. The sauce was creamy and pleasantly seasoned, though it was a little heavy on the peas and light on the cheese.

We say:
Panahar’s food is nothing mind blowing, but since options for South Asian food are limited in Atlanta (and since we have a coupon we can use unlimited times), we might go back. After making reservations, of course.

She says:



He says:
Because of Mirza …



Panahar
3377 Buford Hwy. Suite 1060, Atlanta, GA 30329
http://www.panahar.com

TIN SHED

He says:
Pop quiz, fellow food-lovers:

When you sit down for a hearty Sunday brunch at Portland’s famous Tin Shed, do you order:
a) Potato pancakes
b) Scrambled eggs
c) Biscuits and gravy
d) All of the above

If you chose D, like I did, what you get is the “Roll Over,” the most over-the-top breakfast entrée I have ever come across. The potato pancake is 1-2 pounds of grated potatoes mixed with herbs and cream, perfectly seared crunchy on the outside and tender within. On top of the potato pancake, the crazed chefs at Tin Shed heap an entire pan of scrambled eggs. But they don’t stop there … that would be too modest. On top of that, they pour a generous helping of applewood smoked bacon gravy, and throw a buttermilk biscuit on the side for good measure.

Call it messy. Call it obscene. Call it an affront to healthy eating. Call it what you want, but it is hard to deny that this breakfast smorgasbord is anything but delicious. Who knew that a gigantic mix of eggs, potatoes, and gravy could be so damn good?

She says:
I have to add that no hash browns or herb-roasted potatoes can ever compete with Tin Shed’s potato pancakes. They are absolutely to die for. Along with the potato pancakes (every last bite of which I scarfed down like a starving Irishman), I had the “Sweet Chix” – scrambled eggs mixed with chicken-apple sausage, sweet onion, basil, and roasted red peppers, and topped with brie and green apples. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. The chicken sausage really made the dish. How fabulous that they offer chicken sausage!

He says:
Obviously the proprietors of Tin Shed are onto something. Their philosophy is that food delivers not only caloric energy, but spiritual energy as well, and to that end they emphasize fresh, organic ingredients throughout their voluminous menu. All of their chicken, beef, and eggs are free-range. Coffee is shade-grown. Milk is hormone-free.

She says:
This same energy pervades the entire café, which is an actual tin shed on Alberta Street. We arrived fairly early on a Sunday morning, and the sidewalks were already overflowing with patrons sipping on cups of free coffee and mingling in small groups. The café attracts a young crowd, mostly hipster and/or crunchy customers with babies or dogs or hangovers in tow, and sometimes all three at once. The most coveted spots are the café’s outdoor patio (complete with a bricked fireplace) and lovely garden area, but the shed’s indoor seating is a fun, chaotic whirl of waitresses balancing platters and cooks flipping pancakes. You really can’t go wrong no matter where you sit.

We say:
If you can’t tell by now, we love this place. If you live in Portland, go there now! If you don’t, start looking for plane tickets…



Tin Shed Garden Café
1438 NE Alberta Street, Portland, OR 97211
http://www.tinshedgardencafe.com/index.html

KISAKU

She says:
In Seattle, there exists a little-known neighborhood called Tangletown. In that small neighborhood, you can find all the Pacific Northwest basics – an independent coffee shop, a brewpub, a donut shop, and, of course, a sushi restaurant.

Kisaku means “frank and easy going,” and is clearly striving to be a true neighborhood joint… no more, no less. The restaurant is much nicer than your typical hole-in-the-wall, but it also avoids uber-trendy touches, so in terms of ambiance, it lives up to it’s aspirations as a friendly neighborhood haunt.

He says:
Since sushi dinners often leave me hungry, I usually order the largest platter possible. On this occasion I opted for the Sushi Combination M, 8 pieces of sushi (tuna, salmon, yellowtail, white fish, shrimp, scallop, surf clam, and octopus), a tuna roll, and miso soup. Aside from the shrimp and octopus, which I found slightly rubbery, the fish was very good. The tuna was easily the best, packing the freshest flavor in each morsel.

She says:
My mom and I sampled several of the rolls, although none of them wowed us. The spiciness of the spicy tuna roll overwhelmed the actual flavor of the tuna; similarly, all I could taste in the Kisaku roll (consisting of scallop, crab, mayo, and flying fish eggs) was the mayo. The Alaska roll, with grilled salmon skin, didn’t come with high expectations, so it was fine. The best, and most balanced, was the Green Lake roll, since none of the ingredients – including salmon, fish eggs, asparagus, avocado, and marinated seaweed – dominated the roll.

We also sampled two types of nigiri. The eel was sweet and tender. The Otoro (very fatty tuna) tasted like a big bite of fat. I think that’s the point, but neither my mom or I were into it – we wanted to taste the tuna flavor, which was notably absent.

He says:
I agree, Kisaku’s Otoro didn’t carry enough “tuna-ness” to balance the fat. I have had excellent Otoro in other sushi restaurants though, and believe me, when that fat melts and mingles on the tongue … all I can say is “Wow!”

We finished dinner off with two desserts. The first was sweet potato that had been pureed into a thick, orange custard and deep-fried in wonton shells. Served hot with ice cream and red bean paste on the side, this was an innovative and delicious dish.

The second dessert was a bland cake roll, filled with fruit and whipped cream. You can find this type of cake in any mediocre Chinese bakery… what such a disappointing dish is doing in a Japanese restaurant beats me.

We say:
If we lived in Tangletown, we’d definitely stop at Kisaku for some nigiri and warm sake. Just skip the cake!



Kisaku
2101 N. 55th St. #100, Seattle, WA 98103
http://www.kisaku.com

RED MILL BURGERS

He says:
It seems every major city has at least one legendary burger shack, and in Seattle that place is Red Mill Burgers. Red Mill occupies a cozy, two-room space on Phinney Ridge, where the only decoration in sight (aside from the first-aid poster on how to help choking victims) is a famously bad painting of a red windmill that looks like it was salvaged from a junk yard. Like most of the best burger restaurants in America, Red Mill doesn’t worry too much about its decor. That’s because their food more than makes up for any deficiencies in interior design.

The double bacon deluxe cheeseburger I ordered was sublime. The two quarter-pound patties were greasy and delicious, with the salty crunch of pepper bacon, the ooze of American cheese, and the smoky flavors of the “secret” Red Mill Sauce all coming together in a gastronomic union far exceeding the sum of its parts. To top it off, the bun is toasted; it’s a small touch I always appreciate.

The only drawback, in my opinion, is that the burger patties are thin and thus not cooked to order. I asked for my hamburger rare and it came out medium. The patties were still plenty juicy though, so this is a minor quibble.

She says:
The trip to Red Mill Burgers, if you couldn’t guess, was for Downtown Boy’s dining pleasure. (Don’t worry – we have an equitable relationship… following Red Mill, we toured Seattle’s fabulous new chocolate factory, Theo Chocolate.) There’s just not that much to say about veggie burgers… they’re either disgusting, or pretty good. There’s not a lot of “gastromonic union” happening with veggie burgers. So the verdict on Red Mill’s veggie options – pretty good.

I will rave about the milkshakes. Thick, creamy, and made with real ice cream, my chocolate milk shake improved this dining experience ten-fold.

He says:
My Oreo shake was delicious as well. The onion rings are too donut-like for my tastes, but they round out an artery-clogging meal quite nicely.

She says:
Good burgers, but not nearly as memorable as the chocolate factory.



He says:
Head to Red Mill Burgers for some of the greasiest – and best – burgers in America.



Red Mill Burgers
312 N. 67th Street, Seattle, WA 98103
http://www.redmillburgers.com/index.htm

COUPAGE

She says:
My first visit to this charming restaurant in Seattle’s Madrona neighborhood was in early August, to celebrate my dad’s birthday. Following a fabulous dinner, I knew that I had to take Downtown Boy back. I was sure that he would love it as much as me (and GQ magazine, which recently named it the restaurant to dine at on a weekend getaway to Seattle). Luckily for us, the stars aligned…

The restaurant itself is delightful. The cool blue walls are warmed by booths the color of red wine, and a black and white mural covers the upper half of one wall with Parisian-style sketches of couples in a swirling café. It’s a small space, and both times I was there it was relatively empty, which made it feel all the more intimate.

Coupage is French for “blending,” which is exactly what the chef, Thomas Hurley, does with his flavors (largely Asian) and cooking techniques (mainly French). The result is a menu full of unique and delicious items.

He says:
We started dinner off with the pumpkin custard crab cakes. The freshness of the crab came through easily enough, but I had difficulty registering the pumpkin. Perhaps the palettes of those with finer sensibilities can glean the pumpkin flavor in the custard, but I couldn’t. To me it simply tasted like a pretty good crab cake.

She says:
On my first visit, I had roasted duck breast that was cooked to perfection – juicy and tender, with a slender line of fat bordering each slice of meat. The details of the rest of my meal are hazy to me now, but I remember being incredibly impressed by the side dishes as well (look at the picture and use your imagination to fill in the details).

My second time around, the menu had changed with the season, and I have to admit to being rather disappointed. It seemed heavily weighted toward beef and pork, neither of which I eat. Even the duck dish contained venison sausage. In this situation, I would normally choose a fish dish instead, but the offerings included Chilean sea bass, which is a big no-no according to the venerable Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Fortunately, my mom agreed to split the Apple Wood mesquite smoked chicken, which serves two. As far as chicken goes, this is probably as good as it gets. The meat was incredibly soft and not the least bit dry, and was saturated with complex smoky undertones. The chicken liver fried rice that came with was a little overpowering, mainly because I don’t like the taste of liver.

He says:
I ordered the famous “Coupage burger,” a freshly ground short rib patty served with seared foie gras, red onion kimchi, and tomato confit on a kaiser roll. It also comes with three different dipping sauces. I’ve had chichi burgers in the past, and this is one of the best of that fashionable genre. The meat was perfectly grilled, and the kimchi’s bite offset the richness of the foie gras – an excellent pairing. Still, when it comes to burgers, I believe simplicity rules. At the end of the day, I prefer a bold, juicy cheeseburger from Red Mill or Bartley’s over the subtle elements of a “glamburger.”

She says:
Over the course of my two visits to Coupage, I managed to try five different desserts, all of which were very good. My favorite was the opera gateau, whose distinct orange flavor, combined with rich chocolate and light layers of cake, really made it stand out.

Dinner at this enchanting neighborhood spot is not a cheap endeavor, but it’s worth the splurge. Although the menu could use some fine-tuning to be more environmentally friendly (not an unreasonable request in Seattle), the food itself is fabulous.



He says:
Without question Coupage has got it going on. But I’d need more than a fancy hamburger to give it five forks.



Coupage
http://www.coupageseattle.com/
1404 34th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122