Canton Cooks - Sandy Springs GA at Hammond Rd and Roswell Rd

You can find Canton Cooks at 5984 Roswell Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30328 in the Exchange shopping center anchored by Whole Foods, at the intersection of Hammond and Roswell roads. You can also find two of my favorites, Hearth Pizza and Mike's Hotdogs in the same shopping center so there are several alternatives if you're not in the mood for Chinese food.

Since the restaurant is in the middle of a strip-mall, it doesn't look like much - you'll find it from the octagonal window and red double-door entryway.  

I've been coming to Canton Cooks for many, many years and it's identified as a favorite by Sandy Springs locals. While it's not exceptional swag (aka Americanized) Chinese Food, it does have all your basics and does them well - it's also been very consistent throughout the years I've visited, that's been at least 10 years and introduced by my friend Alec P (who's now off in LA producing movies). Besides consistency and convenience, Canton Cooks also offers incredible value for the food it produces, especially during lunch. It's really the only decent Chinese restaurant within several miles and much better than Chin Chin 5 down the street.

The interior is larger than you would expect, but a bit dowdy/dated (the place has been here for some time and could use some freshening). Don't let that scare you off though as the food is good.

Most recently I visited with my usual lunch crew - we were greeted with a half-filled restaurant (we were early) and immediate seating. The food came out fast and blazingly hot. Lunch comes with your choice of hot-and-sour or wonton soup plus a spring roll and crispy chicken wing. Lunch prices here are way cheap, between $6.95 and $8.25.

I think Sangam and I had the hot-and-sour soup (Sid passed due to the chicken broth) - it was good but nothing special. It came with fried wontons, your basic bowl of deliciousness we all know we shouldn't eat but do anyway.

My eggetarian friend Sid ordered the veggie egg foo yung. It was good but next time he say's he'll get it without the brown sauce. Fried rice for him and of course, sans wing.

Sangam and I both ordered the Kung Po Chicken - the chicken was flavorful but a little bland - nothing that a spoonful of chili oil can't fix. Plenty of veggies and peanuts. We both opted for steamed rice.

The food was tasty and well done - the portions were large and the service exceptional. For all you Chinese food snobs, this place isn't bad at all and for Sandy Springs, well worth trying out.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp in slightly shorter form)

Norman's Landing - Cumming Georgia - Peachtree Pky and Brannon Rd

You can find Norman's Landing at 365 Peachtree Pkwy, Cumming, GA 30041 near Brannon Rd right off of Exit 13 from 400. This is the last bastion of decent eating in this rather restaurant desolate area (and yes, I know that there's tons of building going on so that description won't last for long). The restaurant is on the left as you head East from 400.

I've eaten at Norman's Landing several times and have always had good food and service. This is an interesting restaurant with all the feel of a restaurant you would typically see along a lake or seaside bay, only without the expansive patio view or smell of briny water. The interior is all exposed wood and rafters with water-sport artifacts on the walls or hanging from the ceiling. While it's a bit kitchy, that's quite OK as the food more than makes up for it.

I can see that this is a popular spot for locals - plenty of people at the bar enjoy libations even if this last time I visited (a sleepy, Sunday night) there were few at the dining room tables. I can imagine myself enjoying a beer or specialty cocktail here before dining, or even just hanging out and talking about fishing. I do miss the coastal bars I frequented while living closer to coastlines - this is about as good as it gets without actually being on water.

The menu has several items that looked interesting and has a simple approach - you can basically get just about any of the fresh catch broiled, fried or grilled (with some exceptions). You can also get steaks and chicken if you're along-for-the-ride and don't really like seafood. There's an assortment of appetizers and plenty of sides so you're certain to find something to satisfy you - I come here with some very picky eaters and haven't heard any complaints, which is rare indeed.

The previous times that I've dined here I had salads or something with few or no carbs, as I was doing more of an Adkins thing. This time I went for a seafood combination with scallops, shrimp and fish, all fried, with collard greens and sweet potato fries on the side.

Also at our table, was a crab-stuffed flounder accompanied by beets. I'm not a huge fan of beets, but the entree was quite good - the lemony piccata-like sauce included capers and was just dandy to enhance the flavors inside.

In all, the combination of ambiance, the great service and the good food put me in a reminiscent mood for the sea. Funny how that works - maybe it'll do the same for you?

-- John

(shorter version of this review also posted to Yelp)

The Greater Good Barbecue - Tucker Georgia on Hugh Howell Rd

This location of The Greater Good Barbecue can be found at 4431 Hugh Howell Rd, Tucker, GA 30084, near the Eastern end of Tucker but more on the Mountain Industrial side. This large location has been a few different restaurants but I'm happy to say that as a barbeque restaurant its finally found its true calling. This isn't far from the old location of Handy Hardware, for those of you who are familiar with the area.

 The restaurant is large will expansive southern-style decks and room interiors. The building itself has very little to identify it as a great BBQ place - instead there's a large sign out-front near the road that has "BBQ" in neon and "The Greater Good Barbeque" beneath. The entry is expansive and has plenty of access for those less able to move than you and I. There are American flags on either side and a prominent neon "Open" sign in the window.

The interior has plenty of space for regular diners plus a huge wrap-around style porch so you can enjoy the evenings outside will nibbling on smoky delicacies. There's also a large room that can be used for parties and get-togethers - it was there that I was introduced to this restaurant for my friend John S.'s birthday party, when and where I was able to sample quite a few items - especially the pulled pork and chicken. Most recently I dropped in on weekend afternoon and sampled a two meat platter - pork ribs and brisket. I had heard that the brisket was good here and wanted to compare it to my favorites.

I thought the ribs very good with an appropriate infusion of smokey flavor - this is open-pit style BBQ which happens to be my favorite. The brisket was juicy but sliced thin - I'm not sure if they'll slice it thick - personally I think brisket is better served up in slabs, but that's just my opinion. I had trouble with the variety of sauces on the table as none of them matched what was on the ribs - I found out that they were "St Louis" style and that I could have asked for that as they keep it in back. It's definitely the best sauce here in my opinion (didn't care for the mustard sauce - it tasted a bit too much like Sonny's).

I also ordered the turnip greens and slaw as sides. The slaw is good but nothing special - it is a very solid creamy slaw that'll work well on any sandwich if that's your style. The greens, on the other hand, were some of the best I've had in Atlanta, filled with smokey chunks of meaty goodness. I could make a meal out of a bowl of these - just add a slab of corn bread and you're good to go.

I deferred on the beer since it was still so early in the day but noticed several local craft that would be on my list, including the Terrapin Rye Pale Ale - great selection here. Instead I ordered up a glass of unsweet tea (yeah, I know, a shame but regular sweet tea just seems to sweet to me and I always feel like I'm imposing when I order half-and-half). My glass was frequently filled and the server was very attentive.

Overall the experience here is a great one with very friendly, accommodating staff and delicious smokey barbeque. The restaurant was very clean and brightly lit and there's plenty of room for large groups. Now all they need is a monthly classic car rally and we're all set.

--- John

(shorter review posted to Yelp)

Chat Patti - Church St near Patel Bros - Decatur Georgia

You can find Chat Patti at 1707 Church Street Suite C7, Decatur 30033 in Patel Plaza, the same shopping center anchored by Patel Bros. This is a new location for the restaurant formerly off of N Druid Hills Rd. The sign from the street is quite large - hard to miss.

This restaurant specializes more in what you would find in India as vegetarian street food - the prices are very reasonable and the food very good. A chat or more commonly chaat is a snacky food you would buy from a roadside vendor. It usually starts with a bit of fried dough, samosa or similar and then is made more flavorful through an assortment of toppings, veggies like onion, chick peas, fresh herbs, curries, chutneys and sauces.  The variation is endless and it's hit the US like wildfire as the flavors are multi-level, changing with every bite (sweet, savory, salty, spicy, the list goes on). I saw puris and regular vegetarian dishes as well so the restaurant is fairly well rounded.

Chat Patti is basically brand-spanking new on the interior with festive, modernist elements that would make any US fast-casual restaurant proud. This place stays busy and it can be hard to get a table, especially on the weekends but you should order anyway as most of the people eating finish up fairly quickly. Ordering is done at the counter and they bring your food to you at small tables. There are convenient photos of dishes on the wall and the employees were really knowledgeable and spoke good English. I found the service quite good with the various employees very attentive.

I like to sample a lot of items so I chose the veggie thali plate - if you haven't tried one before you should as these offer small dishes on a large oval or round platter with an assortment of foods - I saw some during my stay in India that were massive with a dozen or more items. I thought this massive platter (15 or so inches in diameter) had some awesome variation including 3 curries, soup, a chaat, rice, papadum, chapatis and a bit of dessert. It was quite good and extremely filling.

We also ordered one of my favorite dishes, a Masala Dosa. This is a thin crepe-like pancake rolled over a compote of curried potatoes, served with coconut chutney and sambar. They had several variations so I'm not quite sure what we received. When I was visiting India I ate one of these just about every morning for breakfast. In the South they are traditionally served on a banana leaf - you don't get that here (I'd be surprised if you got that anywhere in the US), but the flavors and size of the Dosas at Chat Patti are superb. 

We made quite a meal out of these two items and left very stuffed indeed. The flavors were spot on and the prices super reasonable (especially when compared to one of my favorites, Chai Pani in downtown Decatur). What are you waiting for?

Kripyā bhojan kā ānnaṅd lijīyai!

-- John 

(shorter version of this review also posted to Yelp)

Minato Japanese Restaurant - Smyrna on Spring Rd

You can find Minato Japanese Restaurant at 2697 Spring Rd SE, Smyrna, GA 30080 near the intersection of Cumberland Blvd and Spring Rd, just Northwest of the Perimeter. This terrific restaurant is very under-the-radar, mostly due to its difficult-to-find location - it's in the basement of a short shopping center that holds Papa Johns Pizza, with access from the back (you drive around the side to see a bright red sign, the business extends to form an inviting entry.

I was led to Minato via my friends and neighbors, Adrienne and Lin, who raved about this place. Honestly, I don't get to this area very often so the last cuisine I would be looking for in Smyrna is sushi - rather I would eat at Swapna or Sri Krisha Vilas for moderately good Indian. Lucky for me that they were persistent as I found some of the best sushi I've had in Atlanta in this tucked-away corner of the world.

Minato takes itself seriously as a Japanese restaurant, outwardly by the Japanese entryway and inwardly through the use of stone as a natural material and the use of the grotto-like sunkin dining area, complete with fountain and plantings to provide a wabi sabi dinner setting. We of course sat at the sushi bar because that's what we were here for - it's all about the sushi. I could have forwent the flat panel TV above the bar, but understand why it's there - from one end it wasn't too obnoxious so we effectively ignored it to focus on the food. This place gets very busy so if you're planning an evening visit you'll want to call ahead - try to reserve a place at the sushi bar for the best experience (unless you're a huge party of drunks - for you guys you'll want to sit away from the chef).

The menu is your typical list of available common catch and an accompanying stand-up with both sides covered by rolls - I didn't see anything too unusual there. First a bit about my philosophy when it comes to sushi - for me it's all about the quality of the rice and the freshness and portions of the fish. Yeah I know it's a modern trend to have all sorts of funky rolls, made with progressively maddening ingredients, but those types of flavor combinations are fleeting at best. Nothing, and I mean nothing, beats extremely fresh fish when it comes to sushi, and Minato has that in spades. I rate the fish quality here as equivalent to my other two favorite sushi restaurants, Nakato and Sushi House Hayakawa. The fish here is just exceptional. That's not to say that all other sushi restaurants suck, it's just a "you get what you pay for" type thing. I'm perfectly happy at Nori Nori, for instance, as a buffet with cheap fish and rolls it can't be beat - however at Minato you get that rare combination of superior quality combined with moderate pricing. This same fish would be one-and-a-half to two times more expensive elsewhere.

Pickled Ginger Shoots

I won't evaluate everything we had when it comes to the sushi - take a look at my photos and you'll get all the answers you need -  but will highlight a few things - we also ordered the himachi jaw/cheek - I've never understood why this great piece of fish is treated so poorly by Americans. Lucky for us that Minato saves some from the cat-food bins (which is what happens to most of it) to serve it up as a delicious grilled entree. Next, try the cowboy and cowgirl hats (the first is a fried scallop-over-crab-salad on a rice wafer, the second is a mix of spicy tuna and salmon on a rice wafer) - they aren't on the menu but worth giving a whirl. Whatever you do, save your meal for the fish - anything you get here will be way above average and delicious.

Cowgirl Hat

Cowboy Hat

Hand Roll

 

Himachi Jaw (cheek)

The service was very good, as is typical of sitting at the sushi bar and I enjoyed the chef quite a bit. Add in a little beer and you're in for a fantastic time. When you look around online you see a huge variation in the reviews - it's almost like there are two different restaurants being described. All I can say is that my experience was fantastic. Perhaps it's more about what people expect than not - for me it's about the fish, and Minato does it right.


Kanpai!

-- John

(shorter version of this review posted to Yelp)