Short takes #03

Compact appraisals of things I've eaten

This edition of short takes consists almost entirely of food, mostly carbs, since I haven’t covered it lately and because I’ve yet to see Zendaya and her twinks in imax. Admittedly I’m not too enthused about it, as a Luca Guadagnino is not my cup of tea, but strong opinions are all but ensured.

I did manage to catch CIVIL WAR and was underwhelmed and temporarily outraged. The silly movie is so ungrounded it’s not worth getting into a tizzy for. Garland attempts a feeble backhanded exploitation game with jarring needle drops, hiding behind the objectivity of his journalist characters as a crutch. it’s not even considered enough to be trolling. In other news…

• I talked to Joan Chen and managed not to bring up Twin Peaks even once. The focus was her directorial debut Xiu Xiu from 1994. 

• I talked to filmmaker Ken Loach about his final film and inevitably the conversation turned to Thatcher, as is his wont.

• I wish I was in California so I could check out the traveling art exhibition JINEN, which I wrote briefly about for T: Magazine.

• A devotee of NINETYNINE’S (99) cream-based dessert, I pounced at the opportunity to get profiteroles, a true treat as pastry chef extraordinaire Mina doesn’t make them as often as she once did. The XL cream puff was filled with luscious vanilla diplomat anddraped in black sesame sauce + roasted peanuts. It was divine, but might have been outshone by the subtly mind-bending crème brûlée, where coconut custard and Thai sticky rice (!!!) take the place of the usual vanilla base.

• On a bleak April morning I found the cure for seasonal affective disorder in a pair of cardamom buns. They were from DER PIONEER and I may have Door Dashed them to my bed along with a cafe au lait. (I loathe delivery; I left a hefty tip.)

  

  Polenta cakes and pizzelles at Gigi's ATL

• Based on a few visits, A&C SUPER is a seemingly slept on bakery/morning goods spot. They’re turning out sweet pastries and top-notch sandwiches. Take for instance, the baguette jambon beurre and patty melt. The beef is more put together than I’d like—I’m looking for an oozing mess—but makes for better handheld fuel.

  • They also sell Westbourne avocado oil, of which I’m a fan. The distinct (robust) taste will single handedly alter your dish. I like it in desserts, brownies especially, as an alternative to olive oil.

• The French-style banana bread at LA CANTINE is 75% chocolate. I will say no more.

• I stopped at APOLLO BAGELS on a whim before the friday farmer’s market and waited a mere 15 minutes. A building inspector objectionably sneered at the queue as he sauntered down the street and a natty older local told the owner he would never wait for breakfast. (respect until he revealed his loyalty to Black Seed.) Inside Apollo, everything was hush hush and church-like. The bagels were good, stellar even, and best with as little toppings as possible. Inevitably though I’m reminded that I’m not a bagel person. Too much bread, too much chew, and sourdough runs the added risk of an exterior too hard on the teeth. There are many a thing I’d rather eat in the morning. For instance…

  

•  … a biscuit. All iterations at BOMB BISCUIT CO. in ATL are worthy of your time, and the hot sauce is unwarrantedly fiery. Make a reservation though. We had to sit at a counter with mismatched stools two-feet too high. I stared longingly at the empty tables, never filled, which nearly ruined the mood…

• At another Atlanta spot, GIGI’s ITALIAN,  I discovered my ideal snack: fried blocks of polenta decorated with squiggles of crème fraîche and showered with pearls of salmon roe and caviar. (Preferred foundation for such over a chicken nugget). Another delicious novelty: pizzeles, those lacy Italian crackers, topped with smoked grouper and radish slices.

•  For the last month I’ve been eating Z’s “award-winning” SFINCIONE, which I suggested he make as an alternative to pizza for his office bakeoff. (He’s a strictly savory kind of guy.) This precursor to the grandma slice is as umami forward as you can get, skipping mozzarella in favor of more salient cheeses, like an aged caciocavallo, and anchovies—quite literally part of the secret sauce. Maybe a pop-up is on the horizon.

• At home I made Susan Spungen’s rendition of the ZUNI CAFE ROAST CHICKEN with panzanella aka bread salad. The recipe is for two, so do yourself a favor and triple it, putting the entire loaf to good use. Radicchio season is over at Campo Rosso, *the* purveyor of bitter greens, so I made do with their fava leaves and a conventional bunch instead. The dried currants (which I assume to be zante currants, essentially raisins, not to be confused with the unrelated black currants) reminded me of the Cornish hen I had at LA’s Horses. RIP. I haven’t dared set foot at Froggies; have you?

Springtime at Gem Wine

I steered clear of this place once known for being run by a precocious teen (he’s still there, but no longer a teen obviously) only to find it serves up precisely what I’ve been looking for lately: seasonal, inventive, but still approachable and low-key.

Their menu changes nearly daily and it’s the most delicious way to cash in on spring. Last week I had morel schnitzel, where the mushrooms are tucked in-between cabbage leaves, rye-glued/battered/fried, and blanketed in an egg yolk sauce.

a lovely shallow bowl of mussels and asparagus in varying guises made me gasp and wonder why springtime stews aren’t a thing. it’s aromatic, velvety, and broken up by shards of fried sourdough.

there was no chance I wouldn’t enjoy the ramp lasagna, long planks of pasta flanking slivers of spring’s early offerings. My brother and I ate through half of it before realizing the green goop plated underneath (not pictured below) was a sorrel sauce, offering a perfect touch of brightness.