Holy Guacamole!

One of the many things I love about this great city of Atl is the fact that there are so many different areas of the city. You can travel 5 minutes and be in a totally different culture from where you came from.  East Atlanta is one of those neighborhoods that has grown vastly over the past few years and a place that I have come to love for its food and especially its nightlife!  Let me just say Graveyard will take you in and spit you out and leave you wondering the next day what the hell happened the night before, but you somehow know you had a great time.  Sorry, I just had to share my thoughts on Graveyard because I love that place.  Anyway, we did not make it to Graveyard last weekend, but my friends and I did travel to the Eastside to engorge ourselves in some tacos at the taqueria that focuses on using sustainable ingredients, Holy Taco.

We sat outside on the huge patio because it was a cool summer night, and we started off with the guacamole which was so fresh and the chunks of avocado were insane!  Not only was the guac delicious, but the chips were super thick that when you got one stuck in the guac because you were being too greedy (you know what I'm talkin about) not only did it not break, but you came up with a big freakin piece of avocado!  My fav! So of course, like all mexican dinners, I ate so many chips and guac I was practically full before the tacos even arrived, but that did NOT stop me.

I ordered the skirt steak taco with cotija cheese and the fish taco with swordfish, slaw, and chipotle aioli. One of my favorite past times when going out to eat is looking up the restaurant's menu and "deciding" what I will order.  I use quotes because I am so indecisive that I rarely actually decide what I will eat beforehand.  I usually want everything on the menu and make a last minute decision with the waiter standing over me.  So the point of this aside?  I of course looked at the menu beforehand and was rather disappointed that the fish taco consisted of tilapia, but when we got the little paper menus in our hands at the restaurant, low and behold they had swordfish instead!

I really like how they cooked the tortillas.  It seemed they pan fried them which made the tortillas warm and somewhat crispy so they weren't so soft and mushy.  The steak was perfectly marinaded and so juicy.  I think the flavors and spiciness on the steak taco beat out the fish taco; however, the fish definitely stood on its own flavor-wise.  The aioli was perfectly spicy and I just love slaw on tacos.  The breading was great on the fish and it wasn't too heavy or overly fried which I hate when it comes to fried food.  All in all it was a great meal with a yummy margarita (you really think I got tacos and did not order a marg?  You should know better by now) on a great summer night with good people.  My advice: go to East Atl if you have not ventured out there yet.   You will definitely not be disappointed.

Korean in Me

This week I was invited to go to a Korean dinner with some Korean co-workers and while I was very hesitant at first, I conceded and decided I could take my first step towards learning about my roots now rather than waiting til 2018 (See "About Me" post).  So on Friday night I met up with some nice Koreans at a place way down on Buford Highway called Woo Nam Jung.  Since I know nothing about Korean food besides the Korean BBQ tacos I love from Yumbii and I'm willing to try almost anything, I let one of the girls order for me.  We ordered several dishes to share because I wanted to try as much food as possible and Lord did we have a lot of food!

Now I must say every time I asked what we were eating my fellow Korean cohorts would tell me the name of the dish super fast, and I would just nod and say, "OK" having no idea what they just said.  So at the end of dinner, I grabbed a to-go menu and my new friends circled the dishes we had for the little Korean-that-could so I could tell all of my 4 blog readers what we ate.

Dack Dori Tang

Haemul Jongol

The first dishes we had were soups that were served in these big pots atop a burning gas fire that cooked at our table for about 10 minutes.  The Dack Dori Tang consisted of braised chicken simmered in a spicy soup filled with potatoes, onions, and red peppers.  Korean food is known for being extremely spicy; however, I didn't find any of this food to be overwhelmingly hot.  Maybe I am becoming more Korean!  But I did feel all the dishes had a similar spicy taste.  This chicken, though, was so tender and juicy and the veggies were great!  I did like how all the plates had tons of vegetables, so I didn't feel as guilty indulging myself in all this food.   

The second stew we had was a seafood extravaganza!  There were mussels, crab, codfish, squid, clams, shrimp, and scallops all in this one bowl.  I don't know how they fit all those fishies in there but it worked!  The broth all those flavors made was ridiculous!  In the end I just poured the soup over my left over rice because I could just not get enough.  And of course we had to have noodles!  Bibim Nang Myun was a dish of chilled buckwheat noodles with beef and vegetables tossed in a spicy chili sauce.  This was definitely the most spicy entree, but I love me some noodles and devoured it.  

Last were the short ribs!  Kalbi Chim included slow simmered short ribs with dried dates, pine nuts, mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers.  These ribs were a bit different from the fall off the bone ribs I'm used to, but they were still flavorful and tender and of course spicy.

This meal was nothing like I have ever experienced before.  The food was so different than anything I have eaten and giving up total control and having no idea what I was putting on my plate was exhilarating.  I was with such nice, smart people and was so glad I chose to attend and overcome my Asian anxiety.

The Angry Chef

As you have probably noticed, I am a little obsessed with Twitter and one of the people I follow is Ron Eyester or The Angry Chef.  He owns 2 restaurants in the Virginia Highland area, Rosebud and The Family Dog, both of which I love.  The Angry Chef is known for his not-so-nice yet hilarious complaints about his customers and their crazy requests like asking for eggs whites only in their eggs benedict.  I mean if you are tryin to be healthy why you order eggs benedict is beyond me!  Just order a freaking caesar salad and be done with it!  Anyway (people like that annoy me), some people find his remarks offensive because he is legit making fun of the people eating in his restaurants and essentially paying his bills; however, I believe that those rigid customers are most likely not on Twitter and don't know enough to follow Eyester.  What they don't know won't hurt them, and his comments make me laugh, so more power to ya!

Now you may be thinking, who are you to defend Ron and his antics, and I have to admit the only restaurant job I have had was being a hostess at Spondivits Seafood Bar and Grill in College Park.  This was back before a lady died due to their seafood and they went bankrupt (too soon?) when things were hoppin with a 2 hour wait 3 days a week and Ludacris and T.I. were pulling in every so often.  

I also worked through high school and college at retail businesses that required working with customers all day.  Needless to say, I have had my fair share of people being rude and demanding to me while I talk crap about them once they leave, so I can totally relate to Eyester's comments.  He is only saying what every other chef, waiter, bartender, and hostess are probably thinking in their heads.  

Fried Mozzarella at The Family Dog

When I eat a meal at a restaurant, I think of the plates as the chef's work of art.  It's the same as a painting  is to an artist.  It's a person's creative outlet using food to make something beautiful and delicious, so when you disrupt someone's work by asking to remove a certain ingredient, to me it's like telling them to their face, "I don't like your art."  I understand people have different tastes, but when I go out to eat, I put my trust in the chef because I have never been to culinary school, and I think they probably know a whole lot more about flavors than I do.  Eating out to me is about taking chances and trying new things.  I may not like everything, but how will you know if you don't try?  One of my favorite feelings is when you try something new on the menu and are a little timid until your taste buds go into shock at how delicious the first bite is.  Why would I waste my money at a nice restaurant if I just ate food I would buy and cook myself?  I'm just saying, next time you go out to eat maybe just have faith in your chef and let him lead you to something that may be quite wondrous on your palette. 

A Summertime Soup

In order to save some money, I typically bring my lunch to work, but it's just not in me to bring a little turkey sandwich everyday.  Thus, usually, if I'm not watching my DVRed shows I missed during the week or hungover, I spend my Sundays looking up recipes to cook for my lunch during the week.  This week I chose a nice sweet corn summer soup (Like that alliteration?! It's that private school education my friends!).

Soups are so great because they are easy to make and takes only one pour into a tupperware bowl in the mornings to fix lunch for the day, which is great for me as I always have trouble getting to work on time in the mornings.  Getting ready is just so complicated sometimes!  Guys have it so easy.  "Hmm, what color button up shirt should I wear today?" Sorry, I digress.

Back to the soup!  Here is the recipe:

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 of a red onion (yellow works too- I just prefer red in everything)
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups chopped cooked ham
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
• 2 (15-ounce) cans navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chilies, undrained

2 teaspoons of cumin

I tend to find recipes and then change them up a little, so feel free to do the same!  I originally found this recipe on Cookinglight.com, but then I added the cumin and red onion to give it some more spice!   

Start off by dicing the ham and onion.  You can find pre-cooked, thick ham in the meat section at the grocery store, which is what I recommend purchasing for this recipe.  Also, I love me some red onion and use it in almost every recipe I cook, but if that is not your preference, feel free to use yellow or even green onion which is what the original recipe called for.  Once you have your 1/2 onion cut, throw it into a dutch oven with your oil that has already been heating on the stove top.  Another reason why I love soups is because I can usually cook everything in one pot.  I HATE cleaning the kitchen, so it is a huge plus for me!  After a couple minutes, you can toss in your ham.  Since the ham is already cooked, you just want to make the meat brown for added taste (about 5 minutes).

Now, add your green chilies, cumin, salt, and pepper and cook for a minute or two just to let all the flavors marinate.  Make sure you don't add too much salt because the ham and chicken broth already contain a lot.  Just add to taste.  I like things pretty salty, which is why I added more.  Add your chicken broth, beans, and corn and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes.

One thing I want to add about the corn.  Don't be embarrassed if you see "fresh corn kernels" in the recipe and you say to yourself, "for real Ms. Frugal foodie?!"  Go by the freezer section and just get you a bag of frozen corn.  That's what I do, and while fresh corn is probably better, my frugal booty is not buyin and cookin 5 ears of corn for this damn soup.  However, do NOT buy canned corn.  It does not taste the same, and I will be very offended if you buy canned.  Other than that, happy cooking and I hope you enjoy!!

Deal of the Day

Today through Thursday you can get 50% off deals to all the Fifth Group restaurants in Atlanta!  The Fifth Group owns La Tavola, Ecco, El Taco, and South City Kitchen.  All restaurants are great in their own right, so these deals are a must buy!! Get them now before time runs out!

Deal of the Day

If you have seen my Twitter account, (follow me at @frugalfoodieJG!!) then you know how much I love websites like Groupon and Half Off Depot that have deals for restaurants around Atlanta.  I usually tweet deals I see on the many sites I visit daily, but for simplicity sake, I have chosen to post only the best restaurant deals I find.  Not only will I only post the "good restaurants," I have to admit I am a bit of an ITP snob (Inside the Perimeter).  I grew up in midtown and now live in Buckhead; however, it is hard for me to admit that my mother now lives in Marietta (West Cobb, though, which is less suburbia than East Cobb I believe).  But my ITP roots have stayed with me, and I still make fun of my mother for moving out to the boonies and I will probably think lesser of you if you tell me you live OTP.  I am only being honest, and isn't honesty the best policy?  So I am sorry if you are offended, but you will see no such reference to anything OTP.

On that note, the first deal comes from sweetjack.com for Parish restaurant in Inman Park.  For $25 you receive $50 worth of great southern food and drinks at this Concentrics restaurant.  What a deal! Get it now before it sells out!

Atlanta Street Food

I recently went to the Midsummer Music Festival at Candler Park where they lined up the food trucks of Atlanta to feed the drunk and hungry.  It was like Christmas morning for me!  I freaking love food trucks!  The food is quick, cheap, and delicious.  What more can you ask for?!

As you probably have noticed, food trucks have become a new fad born out of California and making its way across the country to Atlanta.  Some people may not like the idea of eating food that was made inside a truck.  They might think it can't be as clean as a kitchen or that there's no way the food can be tasty and exciting.  Well I can tell you this. Some of the best BBQ I have had has come from a little shack at the Greenville exit off of I-65.  Every time my family went to visit my grandparents in Mobile, Alabama, we would stop at this gas station which had a BBQ stand attached to it.  At first you think it was abandoned, but then you see a line of people waiting to order at the tiny window where the little old country woman takes your order.  I would get a huge pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw and baked beans, and we would eat in the car with our dogs going crazy for our food.  Good times, good times.  OK, back to my point...after eating at this place for years as a child, I have always had the opinion that little rundown places can be some of the best food.  They may look dirty as hell, but as long as the food pleases my taste buds and I don't find a cockroach on my plate, I honestly don't care.  While food trucks aren't necessarily shacks on the side of the road, they are little engines that could.  They are a chance to get something different and affordable while gathering with other food lovers.

Take the Pup Truck for example.  They specialize in making fancy dogs and different kinds of fixins.  Now I may have been a couple of beers in at this time, so this was somewhat of an impulse buy, but I have to say the Dalmatian Dog was a little delight in my mouth.  I usually just douse my dogs in ketchup, but with the black beans, onions, and sour cream, nothing else was needed.

One thing I love about Atlanta is the metropolitan feel the Midtown area exudes.  My office is also located downtown; however, I've noticed there are not many places around to eat cheap and quick, which is why I believe street food would do wonders in this ever growing city.  In order to advocate for all street food alike in Atl, a group was formed called the Atlanta Street Food Coalition.  Their main goal is to see to it that we get to enjoy fast and affordable food other metropolitan cities have had for years, like New York and Philly.  Atlanta ordinances have banned street food for now due to health concerns, but advocates are still trying to convince otherwise.  Even the food trucks are limited to where they can park.  In my opinion food trucks and street food are just another way to experience food and be with friends.  I mean, my job is to sit at a computer for 9 hours every day looking at excel spreadsheets, so if I can take 30 minutes out of my day to walk down the street and get me a mighty fine hot dog, I say, "Amen, sister friend!"

Serpas, Oh How I Love Thee!

Now if you have yet to wonder down to Auburn Avenue and indulged yourself in the "True Food" at Serpas, you need to read this and go make yourself a reservation on Opentable.com and get your 100 points because the place is simply divine!  They have already been named one of the Top 10 Restaurants by GQ Magazine and the executive chef, Scott Serpas, who has shown his strength as executive chef at TWO Urban Licks, keeps the menu seasonal and true to his southern American style.  The restaurant sits in the midst of the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood and the building, which was built in the early 1900's, used to be a cotton storage factory.  One of the things I love most about the place is how Serpas kept that old, rustic feel of the warehouse with the brick walls and accented with the brushed metal chairs.  

This was my second time visiting Serpas and because I am still in my mid 20's and want to live it up before I am old and decrepit, I had plans to partake in a gathering of friends and hefty libations in East Atlanta later, so my friend and I ended up ordering apps and zerts only (props to you if you got that Parks and Recreation reference).  

We started off with the shaved calamari dribbled with a chili syrup, and I must say it was some damn good calamari.  Now I love a good marinara dip, but I think my favorite way to have this fried scrumptious squid is with a spicy sauce such as this.  It was sweet and spicy at the same time, and yet the batter was still crisp and delicious!  One thing I can guarantee you is if there is calamari or fried green tomatoes on the menu, I will order it and devour it (probably even if it isn't that great).  Which leads me to our next appetizer!

The Fried Green Tomato!! And yes, it is THAT important to deserve capitalized letters.  Now I have to say some of the best fried green tomatoes I have had are from South City Kitchen.  And while these did not woo me like those of SCK, they still gave my tastes buds a little excitement.  These little buggers came topped with a crab salad and avocado, which was good but I didn't see how the avocado really related.  As my fellow diner was not prone to the veggie I simply ate it by itself without the tomatoes.  When it comes to the crust, I like a thin layer so I can still taste the sweetness of the tomatoes.  I felt the crust on these were a little thick for my taste, but all in all, a good experience. 

Then we came to the crispy duck rolls.  Now this was the best by far! These rolls came with a flaky, delicate crust on the outside with spicy chili sauce to dip in.  I just cannot say enough about them.  They were delish!!

For dessert I had the beignets.  Now let me just tell you.  I had a deal for Serpas that I needed to use, which is why we went, but I had made the reservation about 5 days in advance.  I think I thought about that dessert every single day until I stuffed those things in my mouth!  And they don't give you one or two, but they give you three huge beignets with a delicious caramel sauce.  Needless to say I downed every little bit of those french donuts into my already stuffed stomach.  If only you could get those by the dozen!   

Serpas is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta.  I love the neighborhood, atmosphere, and of course the food is always fantastic!  

About Me

A little about me and my new blog:

Who am I?  I am a 25 year old Asian who loves everything and anything food related.  I was born in South Korea, but I was raised in Atlanta (yes, you have a real native Atlien on your hands) and have pure Southern roots due to my SEC parents (Go Dawgs!).

And while I cook my occasional stir fry and would love to indulge in sushi more frequently than my paycheck allows, my little Asian/Caucasian heart belongs to the Italian cuisine.  I traveled to Italy a couple years ago and learned how to make homemade pasta, drink Chianti like it was water, and just engulfed myself in the rich, Italian culture.

Now I am not saying I deny my Asian roots, well maybe a little, and I may have a bit of identity crisis goin on.  I am just saying maybe my future rich husband will buy me a ticket to the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea and I can work on that then.  But for now, you can enjoy my hopefully convivial, witty and probably somewhat judgmental posts about everything food and not-so-much on Asian culture.

I have to say I was a huge opponent of Twitter a couple years ago, but before I knew it, I had changed my name on my Twitter account my friends had made for me to @frugalfoodieJG and my obsession with Atlanta food blogs and tweets was born.  If you have been to my Twitter account, you have seen I have many a twitpics of food I have cooked or ordered at restaurants as well as deals from any one of the dozens of deal sites I frequent daily.  Spawning from my Twitter obsession, I decided it was about time to start my own damn blog!  I hope you enjoy!