mad with power

Happy 4th. Peachtree didn't kill me either, so I am now convinced I'm invulnerable to harm. That'll be handy!

I figure I owe a rapid-fire ATL restaurant roundup:

Ritz-Carlton. The renowned Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead was closed for the holiday, but we did have a fantastic breakfast in the Cafe. Of course the service was impeccable, the atmosphere elegant with a bit too heavy Victorian and floral tones, just as one might expect. We chose a simple breakfast, but even in something as simple as a bowl of grits they created a masterpiece, heavy with cream and a tangy cheese bite. I'd wager parmesan and white cheddar. Quite untrue to form -- and worried about losing my breakfast at 14000 feet -- I chose the Swiss Muesli. Instead of a simple dry cereal, it was premixed with cream and softened, then mixed with dried cherries, candied pecans, and Asian pears. And then topped with fresh berries for an extra kick. Delightful, and apparently a good choice, as my skydiving partner lost his Waffle House special somewhere around 2000 feet.

The Landmark. For years this was the famous Dunk 'n' Dine, affectionately known by the city's gay population as the Dunk 'n' Dyke, the place to be seen at 3 in the morning after an unsuccessful rough night of clubbing. I was disappointed about the name change but pleased to see that the restaurant had survived. The food was a step or two below the aformentioned Waffle House fare, but honestly, one goes for the atmosphere. After an excellent if underattended show by Leadcar Holiday at the Relapse, the Landmark's questionable hashbrowns hit the spot.

Prime. When I first heard there was a Prime in Lenox Mall I was ecstatic -- until I discovered it has absolutely no relationship with L.A. Prime, nor the Prime Steakhouse in the Bellagio in Vegas. By that time we had already made the reservations and decided to gamble. When we arrived, the restaurant did its best to discourage us... "Half price steaks before 6:30pm" with the specials on a laminated piece of paper. "We also serve sushi" in the menu. There were even tables open to the second floor promenade in Lenox Mall, in case you like the feeling of being in a food court while having your steak. All in all, I was greatly regretting having passed on Emeril's just up the street.

But I must admit they impressed me. The service and atmosphere were passing, but the food was surprising. The sushi menu was creative and well delivered; I had a salmon roll with roe and a dab of hot sauce. The rice, which is the mark of any sushi restaurant, was simply passing, but overall I was pleased with the course. The ribeye was approachable, and a definite steal for the price. My entree was sushi-grade salmon perfectly grilled to medium rare, served with white cheddar grits (yes, I love grits) and spinach sauteed in a sweet chili sauce. Another entree was two tempura lobster tails with a mild wasabi dipping sauce, served with an asian slaw that hinted of tahini. I've only had tempura lobster once before, from a true master, and while I can't say this reached those levels it was quite delicious.

Some Italian restaurant. Like an idiot, I failed to record the name of the Italian restaurant where we celebrated Ed's birthday. Guess I'll save the review for now, and just say that the company was worth the trip.

Cedars Lebanese. This was a real gem my father knew about on Lenox Road. With the "Lebanese" signs I was hoping for a new experiene, and I was somewhat disappointed with the simple decor and very straightforward Mediterranean menu. Luckily they delivered quite well on all fronts for a good dinner. Good hummous, excellent oversized greek salads, and fine kabobs. Strongly suggest the chicken kabobs, which were large portions, very tender, and standard lemon and parsley flavors; the beef kabobs unfortunately had the life cooked from them. I also enjoyed Almaza beer for the first time. Almaza is a crisp lager, not unlike Singapore's Tiger beer. It did seem out of place in a cool restaurant with hearty garlic dishes, and really needed a sweltering day with mouth-melting spicy dishes.