Bishoku - Sandy Springs Atlanta Georgia

You can find Bishoku at 5920 Roswell Rd NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30342 in the shopping center between Clifton and Hammond, sort of on the backbone of Whole Foods. Nearby is the excellent Egg Harbour Cafe and Chef Rob's Caribbean Cafe and down a level towards the back is one of the few remaining Lefont Theaters.

I visited Bishoku with my friend Steven F who asked me about the restaurant - seems he had a conversation regarding the chef (who was looking at fish in a large seafood market) and was curious about the quality of the restaurant - of course my response was "Let's find out!" so we planned for a lunch outing.

This shopping center is quite busy during lunch but there still seemed to be plenty of parking - it is a bit odd in that it's divided down the center and there are two lanes going down each row that loop around in the back. There are also speed bumps that you don't typically see in a parking lot, but I believe they are more for pedestrian access than anything else - still a bit odd.

Bishoku can be found on the southern end of the rows of buildings that line the three sides of the "U" shaped center - the marquee features "BISHOKU" in tall letters that is hard to miss. The interior is very old-school and reminds me of some of the more traditional restaurants I visited while in Japan. We sat at the bar and looked over the menu - mostly sushi options and since I had no expectations I choose a bento box, as this usually provides the most variety and in general lunch bento boxes are a good deal.

I selected the Bishoku Bento Box which included assorted sashimi and tempura - it also included soup, salad, rice and dessert at $16.95. Steve selected a Lunch Deluxe Combination (pick two items, comes with soup, salad, rice and dessert) with Grilled Salmon and a Spicy Tuna Roll at $13.95.

I thought the salad quite good with a mix of spring greens - better than the usual mix you find in sushi or hibachi restaurants - the ginger dressing, more of a puree with light salad oil, was very rich with flavor, if a bit heavy handed. The miso shiru was good and freshly made.  My bento seemed a bit light on the sashimi, however the quality was exceptional. I also liked the tempura quite a bit. Steven was quite satisfied with is combo and mentioned that he would be bringing his wife here.

In all, a decent lunch with very good service (which you usually expect when sitting at a sushi bar). The chef didn't have much to say to us and pretty much ignored us - oh well, I guess we aren't regulars and it was a rather sleepy weekday.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)
 

The New York Pizzaria - Chamblee at Chamblee Tucker Rd

You can find The New York Pizzaria at 3354-D Chamblee Tucker Rd, Atlanta, GA 30341 in the North Hills shopping center anchored by Big Lots. This was the original location of the nearby Kroger and home to several other good restaurants including Heart of India and The Mediterranean Bakery. The center is behind the McDonald's and right off of I285 - you basically hit the Chamblee-Tucker exit and swing to the west-southwest (the road starts out east-west then bends toward the south to intersect with I85 and beyond). Parking is in the large lot out front.

This Pizzaria is quite near my home so I've experienced it pretty much from inception - the guy who originally owned it now owns another pizzaria - I had heard he opened this one, decided to sell and retire, then got bored and opened another. I learned all this by visiting one night when I was on my own and wanting a couple of slices. This is the closest pizzaria to my Northcrest neighborhood that sells individual slices at all times. The current owner has kept the same interior and pretty much the same ingredients on the pies. 

 The restaurant is tucked right in the corner of the "L" shaped shopping center and has put up a banner with some of the offerings. The interior still has the same quaint chefs painted along the walls and was quite busy while I was there - this was around 7:00 PM on a weekday night. New York Pizzaria has an unusually large selection of beer held in two locked cases - your choice for $3.50 - quite reasonable in my opinion. I drank a couple of Torpedo's while enjoying my slices.

The style is very reminiscent of the pizza you find in New York so the restaurant is quite aptly named. I think if anything the ingredients are a bit better with the newer ownership - the sausage previously were the little pellets - now you have quartered slices. The crust was perfect and one of the reasons I like slices so much over individual pies - this is the type of pizza that just works better when reheated with additional ingredients added (my biggest complaint of Felinni's  Pizza - the slices are so much better than the whole pies - the same applies here).

While I was there I think 3 different groups of neighbors came by - I hadn't realized it was still so popular but I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. If you like NY style pizza, you should be satisfied by the flavors and crust at NY Pizzaria.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)
 

Eclipse Di Luna - Miami Circle -

You can find the original location of Eclipse Di Luna at 764 Miami Cir NE, Atlanta, GA 30324 near Lindberg. It's way in the back in an area known for Home Design and as the epicenter of ADAC and beautiful interiors all over the US.

It had been many, many years since I've visited the original Eclipse Di Luna and when it was suggested by friends that we congregate for a birthday I immediately said "I'm in!" - well, any excuse for a party but more than that, I was a bit curious to see how this location has fared over the years. I work closer to the Park Place location and eat there often - I don't believe I've been to the Miami Circle location in at least 10 years.

As you would expect, the feel of this location is a bit different than the Park Place location - perhaps a bit more cramped and raw. The exterior is smaller and much cuter, with tons of tropical plants delivering more of a home to the Tapas served. Love the vibe.

The early evening we visited the place we arrived early and were immediately seated. Soon it was fairly packed. I think there were about 8 or more of us, all seated around a long table. As you can imagine, the drinks were flowing with a focus for me on beer (typically it would be on the classic mojito, which Eclipse handles quite well).

There was a little bit of snacking but for the most part we were here to drink. The bar was to one side and about three deep with people ordering drinks - it's quite a bit smaller than the other location. The bartenders here are a hoot, frequently putting on props and making announcements or doing other impromptu acts to get the merrymaking started. Singing, horns, music, the works. We had a fantastic time and the service was very good, even with the rowdy crowd.

-- John 

(also posted to Yelp)
 

Morelli's Gourmet Ice Cream and Desserts - Dunwoody Atlanta Georgia

You can find this location of Morelli's Gourmet Ice Cream and Desserts at 4514 Chamblee Dunwoody Dr, Atlanta, GA 30338. Morelli's shares the same space with Farm Burger in the same Georgetown Shopping center anchored by Kroger. Parking is out front or around the corner (but much easier to access from out front as this is a very busy shopping center).

Morelli's features some really interesting combinations that you won't typically find at other custom Ice Cream places - the product is super creamy with intense flavors, more like gelato than the stuff at Baskin Robbins. Of the local brands I rate this up there with Jenni's. The nice thing about this location is how they share the space with Farm Burger - it invites many options beyond your typical burger and fries solution to lunch - here you can order a nice milkshake or root beer float (Farm Burger has root beer on tap) or a boozy float (beer and ice cream - it may sound odd but with a nice stout it can be amazing).

Beyond your typical scoops Morelli's also offers malts and a few specialties like the Mexican Malt, the Mud Slide and the Chocolate Chimp. For Sundaes they have a really delicious Strawberry Pound Cake (and offer pound cake by itself as slices) and a Brownie Sundae that's very good. They also have an amazing Banana Split.

I tend to order ice creams with some type of nut or coconut ingredient and have been rewarded at Morelli's several times with combinations like the Pistachio Cherry - delicious. I also like their spicy ice creams like the Spicy Dark Chocolate (make sure you taste before selecting).

Service here is very personable so be patient when ordering. There's usually only one person behind the counter so it can get backed up a bit, but for the most part they haven't kept me waiting too long. So what are you waiting for? Load up on a delicious grass-fed burger and enjoy a scoop to top off an amazing lunch!

-- John

(Also posted to Yelp)


 


 

Alon's Bakery and Market - Across from Perimeter Mall - Dunwoody Georgia

You can find Alon's Bakery and Market at 4505 Ashford Dunwoody Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30346 in the Park Place shopping center across from the main Entrance of Perimeter Mall. Parking is in the lot out front if you're lucky or to the sides and back if you're not - this is quite a busy center with lots of traffic, it can be a bit difficult to navigate during prime hours but especially during closing hours.

I've known about and visited Alon's for many, many years as I worked at Indigo Coastal Grill back in the day, which was right across from the original, North Highland location. Alon's has always been my go-to place for delicious cakes and especially sheet cakes, most of those I've ordered for pick-up or delivery (they're good about catering and we've used them at our office location for several years). I've only visited the the Perimeter location for an occasional lunch.

This location has an awesome patio where you can sit, enjoy the Mall traffic and have a light snack or lunch. The interior is really mostly an amazing mix of market and prepared foods. You would think a bakery would be about all baked items, especially desserts, but this one offers so much more. I especially like the sandwich or salad options or a mix of the two. You'll also be able to observe some of the local fauna - I'm referring to the Dunwoody housewife - in all her ALTA glory. Quite funny actually - many of those visiting Alon's fit right into the stereotype and would fit right in at the local Whole foods.

Alon's also has a fantastic wood-fired oven and makes some good neapolitan-style  thin-crust pizzas and has a daily hot special. I've had less luck with these as the kitchen takes a really long time to get any hot food to you. In general if you stick with the sandwiches, soups, salads or prepared foods you'll do fine. With hot foods you had better have a lot of time for lunch or you will be late returning to the office.

For dessert, you'll like many of the cakes that Alon's features but my favorite is the Midnight Cake - try it and you'll see why.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)