Wild Heaven Craft Beers

You can find Wild Heaven Craft Beers at 135b Maple St Decatur, GA 30030 - while this is a Decatur address the location is on the back-side on the border of Avondale Estates and I would consider it more of an Avondale business. Parking is within a small lot next to the brewery or along several streets - there seems to be enough at any time except during festivals.

I've now visited Wild Heaven on several occasions and it's become one of my favorite local brands. Wild Heaven is one of the better reasons to visit Decatur, in my opinion, offering up a really fantastic and friendly brewery experience along with some of the best in craft beer that Atlanta, Decatur and Avondale Estates has to offer. I include all three as I'm sure, with the quality of their product, each will claim ownership - they're just that good.

 On this day I met with friends who share a common UYE managed by Michelle T and Kwame O that focuses on beer and settings for enjoying beer: UYE: Atlanta Breweries #6 And there were about 8 people attending. It also happened to be the day of a local Decatur festival so the place was quite hopping (see what I did there?) with tons of visitors - there was even a shuttle from nearby locations to the brewery as well as some food providers set up in the yard. I managed so run into some other friends at the venue as well.

  The interior of Wild Heaven occupies an old warehouse with plenty of local history and ambience to match. Counters on a long wall allow you to sample using tokens - I'd recommend that you stick with some of the seasonals or rarities as those kegs empty the fastest. As usual my favorites were the high-grav beers and in particular theEschaton, an amazing Belgian Quad and the Civilization, an English Barleywine but even the old standbyes Invocation, a Belgian Strong Golden and Ode to Mercy, an Imperial Coffee Brown Ale are way above average (I've had both of those before so I only sipped from some other glasses). 

Once we got going with a brew or two we sat outside and enjoyed the great weather. We all eventually ordered some food from the outside vendors - the BBQ I tried was OK but nothing special. In all we all had a great time and I'm looking forward to another excuse to visit this great brewery!

(also posted to Yelp)

Zyka - The Taste - Decatur on Scott Blvd

You can find Zyka at 1677 Scott Blvd, Decatur, GA 30033 right at the corner of Scott Blvd and Church St. Look for the modernist church and you'll see once side - parking is either on Scot Blvd or off of Church with more available spaces in the Church St lot.

Zyka has been recommended to me by many Indian and Pakistani friends - I've driven by this place many times and while I've noticed the sign, this is my first visit. I was a bit confused by this place as it looks like a church - turns out the restaurant is in the converted cafeteria for a Montessori school which I believe is still in business? In any case the building is a wonderful brick modernist with an interesting brick textured wall - if you ever get a chance to attend an event in the banquet hall it's inside the main church building and features a wooden  tongue-and-groove ceiling and beautiful curved exposed beams - it's stunning.

Once you enter the building you'll find something a bit food-court-ish or cafeteria-like with simple chairs and tables like you would find in any school. You order at the counter, grab your drink and wait for your name to be called. The smells are wonderful - full of spice and promise, which Zyka delivers in spades. My only objection is the extensive use of styrofoam - wish they would get reusable plates but perhaps the use of disposables are due to some constraints in the kitchen? In any case be careful in your ordering as while the portions look small, the food is very rich and filling.

From a cuisine standpoint the food here taste more Indian and less Pakistani - perhaps more Nepalese, with strong, distinctive flavors and less of the oiliness you find in straight up Pakistani - if you like any of these you'll love the food here. My favorite hands-down is the tandoori chicken - think BBQ with an Indian twist - this is some of the best I've had in Atlanta.

Tandoori Chicken Appetizer - Skinless chicken leg quarter marinated in spicy homemade yogurt and freshly ground spices, skewered then roasted on a chargrill - while not the classic baked in the super-hot tandoori oven, this rendition gains from the grill - nice caramelization on the exterior with a bit of char.

Chicken 65 - this is a great rendition of this classic dish - here it has a bit of a saucy exterior, while deep-fried it's a bit wetter and not as crisp, sort of like a boneless chicken wing but without the wing sauce. Served with fresh sliced jalapeno (yeah I know this latter is a bit weird but seems to be the going thing for this dish in the southeast).

Chicken Biryani - Aged basmati rice cooked over chicken meat marinated in yogurt and spices then flavored with Spanish Saffron - as usual this could use a few more pieces of chicken.

Chicken Tikka Masala - Chicken breast nuggets roasted in a tandoori oven and served in a roasted cashew nut, almond, onion gravy. Very rich and delicious.

Aloo Gobi - Cauliflower florets and cubed potatoes infused with fresh tomatoes, garlic, fresh mint, cilantro and cumin seeds - this is a bit different from what I'm used to  - more wet rather than dry.

Naan - the breads here are just a bit more bread-y along the outside edges - More Nepalese or Bangladeshi - very fresh and property cooked in a tandoori oven.

In all I liked the food here quite a bit - all the flavors were very distinct and authentic to my palate. The service here is also very good considering the cafeteria-like setting. Whether you're new to Indian or Pakistani food or a veteran, I think you'll enjoy Zyka and by the crowds, it has quite a few fans - about time for you to become one too!

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)
 

Mi Taco - Pleasantdale Rd - Atlanta Georgia

You can find this location of Mi Taco at 3201 Tucker Norcross Rd, GA 30084 right where Pleasantdale Rd turns into Tucker Norcross Rd, and just before it in turn changes into Chamblee-Tucker Rd (confusing, right?). It's near the eastern end of a shopping center anchored by a Walmart Marketplace (sort of the standalone grocery part of a Super Walmart). Parking is in the fairly large lot out front behind a freestanding Bojangles near the corner of Tucker Norcross and Britt Roads.

I've eaten at Mi Taco a few times due to the proximity to my neighborhood (Northcrest occupies the area across the street and just south and west of the restaurant's location). Mi Taco pretty much exemplifies the idea of hole-in-the-wall, perhaps not literally but figuratively. This is a small traditional Mexican restaurant that provides excellent corn-tortilla tacos and dishes you may not be familiar with if you've only been exposed to Tex-Mex. This is the real-deal as evinced by all the Latino families you'll see upon entering. Lucky for us the menu is in English and there are photos for reference - also the staff seems to be fairly tolerant of us gringos and helpful in directing us to good meal choices.

When you enter you'll want to walk back to the counter to view the menu, make your selections and pay. From what I recall, at one time you could sit and someone would wait on your table but now they've gone to more of a fast-casual approach. When your items are ready they will be delivered to the table. The menu is fairly large with your typical: Appetizers, Tortas (sandwiches), Fajita Nachos, Fajitas, Huaraches (a bit like an oblong tostada), Quesadillas, Burritos, Mariscos (seafood), Especialidades (special plates), Tacos/Gorditas/Sopes, Postres (desserts), Bebidas and Cerveza (both Mexicana and Americana). There's also a kid's menu.

I've had several of the items and there are some real gems here for value, quantity and flavor.The Nachos here are particularly good, plentiful and super cheap during lunch.

Chips and Salsa - these are very authentic fried corn chips and a salsa that is a bit more Latino than what you'll find in a Tex-Mex restaurant. I spice it up a bit with some Chile Habanero El Yucateco which you'll find on the table. I also like the Cholula Chipotle hot sauce.

Queso Fundido con Chorizo - melted Chihuahua cheese with chorizo on top with corn or flour tortillas - this cheese dip with sausage is pretty awesome

Huevos Rancheros -  Your basic eggs served with beans and rice. You cannot go wrong with this dish, especially at $6.99.

Carne Asada Quesadilla - your basic steak quesadilla served with rice and beans - excellent.

The seafood here is surprisingly good - especially the soups like the Caldo de Mariscos or Caldo de Camarones. I also like the Coctel de Camaron and just the plain fish tacos.


Camarones Chipotle - 18 shrimp slathered in a homemade chipotle sauce with grilled onions, bell peppers and tomatoes. Served with rice and beans. This wasn't quite what I was expecting as the sauce was a bit ketchupy. Interesting to throw into the mix for a change and super affordable at $11.50

El Molcajete - combo of chicken breast, arrachera steak, sausage, shrimp, cactus and queso chargrilled together. This comes on a fajita plate instead of the traditional pot but is still delicious. Comes with rice, beans and tortillas and can feed two - probably the most expensive thing on the menu at $13.99 but super cheap if split between two people.

The service here is always very good though you may need to flag someone down for a water refill. Love this place.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)
 

Fox Bros Bar-B-Q

You can find Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q at 1238 Dekalb Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30307, right on the border of Little Five Points and Candler Park, at the Dekalb Ave overpass across Moreland. This is a stand-alone business with limited parking, fortunately there's a side-street where you can park as long as you're not blocking one of the resident's driveways - you'll see some cones where residents would prefer that you not park so please respect those and you'll be fine (also beware the couple of blank spots near fire hydrants - you have been warned).

Fox Bros as a company has become an Atlanta institution serving ups some fantastic BBQ, originally at Smith's Olde Bar before coming to the current location. I don't recall what was here before - seems like it wasn't a restaurant when I lived in L5P but at some point I recall eating some vegetarian food at the previous joint (Fried Green Tomatoes comes to mind?). I always thought it a bit ironic that it became the home of smoked meats.

This was my first time at Fox Bros actually sitting down and eating as every previous time the wait has been an hour so my party has always gone elsewhere. I have ordered from the counter in the past and my company used to frequently cater from these guys but less so now (most recently a couple of Fridays ago) so I'm very familiar with the food - the quality of the rub and rind here indeed supports the multiple rewards they're received - they usually find themselves in the Top 10 lists of BBQ places in Atlanta and sometimes Georgia. Thinking about the food makes my mouth water, even as I'm writing this.

Yesterday started as a regular get-together as I was with a friend and suggested that we have a late lunch here before hitting Arches Brewing for a talk on local beer history (awesome new brewery in Hapeville, by the way, that you need to try). We came by around 1:30 PM and were told there was an hour wait - as neither of us had breakfasted, we decided to make our way to Krog Street Market then head to the brewery when they opened at 4:30. We were joined by one other and around 6:00 thought we would try Fox Bros again. I guess I had so oversold Fox Bros that they really, really wanted to experience it, even after I suggested we go to the exceptional Pit Boss (also close by the brewery) - I think we got to Fox about 6:30 and figured that we could wait out the 1.5 hour wait-time for a table (and believe me, I never wait more than 30 minutes but my friends really wanted this Q, especially after standing in the smoke-filled air). We ordered a round of beers and waited outside.

When we came earlier in the day it was raining and so crowded that the hostess suggested we could wait on the patio under the umbrellas - since there was a small table unoccupied we set up our wait there and had a beer. By then the buzz from the brewery was pretty much gone - we were just conversing - I asked the server if we could order and were told very politely that no, we had to wait to be seated. No big deal but I had to try, right? After about an hour we were asked to vacate the table - a bit weird as we could have eaten and been gone as we were waiting to be seated but no sweat. We got a second beer and stood near the railing. We were half-way though the second beer when we got the very efficient text notifying us that the table was ready. We walked to the corner and had just been seated when things get interesting.

The manager? came by to let us know that we were cut-off from any more alcohol - that there was some report of an incident and that it was OK for us to eat but no more beer. We looked at each other bewildered and starting asking about what we did? She left for a bit then returned to say that my friend Arvin had threatened one of the servers with his beer glass - what? We told her that there must be some mistake - we were all there and it just didn't happen, but she didn't back down. It was a bit of a "eat and GTFO" moment. So we ordered the bone-on beef rib, the pulled pork, a rack of pork ribs with a side of slaw and Texas toast. Food was awesome as usual but as I sat there I started getting a stomach ache - not because of the food but because I couldn't reconcile the attitude we were receiving from this place of business.

As many of you know, I worked in the industry as a chef for 10 years, retiring after a stint at Indigo Coastal Grill near this very restaurant - I used to bike to work from my house on North Highland and know this neighborhood. Having worked both front and back of the house, I have a keen understanding of the restaurant business and the need for restaurants to protect their staff - I totally get that. But this was just weird. The three of us weren't being obnoxious, weren't loaded or exhibiting anything that would make the business perceive us as being threatening, just a bald Asian, an Indian guy and a Russian who all worked together in the past, having some light conversation and waiting/starving for food. It's my opinion that whoever pointed us out was just mistaken - either something we did was misconstrued (and I was there so I'm not sure what that was) or, more likely someone just mistook our table for another group. The fact that we were so bewildered should have provided some clue to the "manager" that we weren't the right group. We basically ate our food and left.

I can understand if something happened - heck if we were drunk and belligerent I would expect to be thrown out as the actions of one can upset the whole restaurant dynamic. If something had indeed happened, why wasn't the cop stationed in the parking lot leading us off premises? Instead we get an "eat and GTFO"? And herein lies the rub. This whole incident has my gut twisted up as I do love the food here, but the night just rings with a level of arrogance that I don't find very palatable. In fact I don't think I can every come back as the events have ruined Fox Bros for me. To think that my friends were so enthralled by my description that we waited for 1.5 hours to sit when we could have gone to innumerable restaurants elsewhere in Atlanta, only to be treated with suspicion and disdain, speaks of a restaurant where good service has been replaced by ego and contempt for those customers who buy their wares. Perhaps I'm being sensitive? I don't know but right now I'm done with Fox Bros.

-- John

(also posted in a shorter form to Yelp)