|
Hey guys, I just moved to Atlanta from Asheville, NC a few months ago, where we have a pretty nice culinary scene. I'm helping some friends open a restaurant in downtown Decatur called Chai Pani. It's going to be next to Farm Burger, where the old Watershed restaurant was (West Ponce). Renovations are about done inside. What is it? High-end 'street food' from India. This isn't your northern style party ghee-heavy dinner curries with rice, naan, etc that everyone thinks of when they hear "Indian". This is another whole beast Atlanta hasn't seen yet. Yes, there are some real crappy chaat houses around, but this is all made-in-house everything from scratch. The current chaat joints use all pre-made foods from NYC. The chefs are all trained in India, use local farm fresh ingredients, etc. As in, they'll buy a whole goat and made burgers out of it; bushels of Okra to make crispy fries, etc. --- I'll also be checking this thread for other restaurants. So far been to Leon's, Cake and Ales, Eugenes, Desta (my fave!), Chef Lu - all really good. Landrobot fucked around with this message at 07:02 on Feb 27, 2013 |
#
¿
Feb 10, 2013 20:18
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 13:51 |
|
|
mindphlux posted:yeah, I feel a bit disappointed by them too - but not usually because of the food itself, more just the concept. I loved blais for his earlier restaurants where he really took some risks (and I guess failed because of them) - I always cite Element as my favorite. a burger joint and a hotdog joint? sellout! maybe the rest of atlanta wasn't ready for your food blais, but I was... =( I'd rather go to Farm Burger where they don't smother your food in tons of grease (Flip!). I went to Blais's older restaurant called 'Home' a number of years ago (east andrews/w. paces ferry) and remembered it was amazing. I don't think it lasted very long though, not sure why... One of my new favorite places is called F&B, near Phipps. It's next to Tomo. I live right around the corner and we eat at F&B often. It used to be called FAB in downtown, and also used to be that French place at Lenox many years back. The food at F&B is awesome - Mediterranean French cuisine. The cocktails, wine, everything is really good. A very small menu selection, which I prefer, as opposed to a large half-assed offering. The value and portion sizes are appropriate, so I'm pretty happy spending $30-40 a person. http://www.fandbatl.com/
|
|
#
¿
Feb 17, 2013 17:50
|
|
|
A quick head's up: Chai Pani's grand opening at the old Watershed location (downtown Decatur) is this Friday, March 1st. Farm-table Indian Street-Food from Asheville, NC. I'll be there and will buy drinks for any goons that show up. I'll be there at the soft-opening earlier this week and will take some photos and such. The food is loving awesome and you should be here. This is unlike any other Indian food you've had, unless you've been to India of course. Just PM if you plan on making it. http://www.facebook.com/chaipanidecatur
|
|
#
¿
Feb 25, 2013 16:50
|
|
|
Picture from the soft opening of Chai Pani tonight. Kale Pakoras - really drat good!
|
|
#
¿
Feb 28, 2013 05:37
|
|
|
venutolo posted:I went to Chai Pani for lunch Saturday Glad you liked it! The Bhel Puri is a must-have menu item. My suggestions for those not familiar with the menu: any of the sandwiches or wraps are good. Be sure to sub the Okra fries, as they're incredible. The Sambar soup is probably my favorite side dish. Corn Bhel is really tasty (for warm weather). The thali plates are good, but they're similar to what other places serve, so I'd rather stick with the street food. The samosa cholle is killer. The specials are also good, usually. Plus, the prices are pretty low, so you can get stuffed for under $10-15 a person easily. Unlike Cardamon Hill, where I spent over $100 for two of us, the two times I went. Plus the food at Chai Pani is better. more info http://atlanta.eater.com/archives/2013/03/01/10-things-to-know-about-chai-pani-opening-today.php For other places: I found this list of 38 must-try restaurants in Atlanta. Since I just moved here not too long ago, is this is a good place to start? I bookmarked a few of them as must-tries. http://atlanta.eater.com/archives/2013/01/08/the-38-essential-atlanta-restaurants-january-13.php MISO IZAKAYA and NO. 246 look pretty cool. The http://sevenlampsatl.com/ is new and looks good. Has anyone been?
|
|
#
¿
Mar 4, 2013 22:05
|
|
|
Safety Dance posted:How is the food as far as takeout goes? It's street-food, so it's perfect for takeout. I would encourage it, as their Asheville location does an incredible amount of takeout for all the local office workers on a daily basis. They will separate the foods if it has a curry or sauce accompanied with it, putting it in a plastic sealed container separately from the dry dish, so it won't get soggy. The fried foods won't keep that long obviously. mindphlux posted:I went and checked this place out a couple weeks ago. Thanks for the head's up. I can't stand it when new places botch the service up that badly. Did they not hire experienced waitstaff?! Seven Lamps is really close to my house, so I was excited to see this place open up. But I also have Tomo and F&B nearby, so we're a little spoiled. Also, if you're in Brookhaven, Kaleidoscope is pretty swell for a gastro pub. The patio is great for outside dining. Just ignore the ex-UGA alumni d-bags and focus on the food and drink. http://www.k-pub.com/ the chili grits are very addictive. I'm just impressed Atlanta is offering so much in the way of good food here.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 5, 2013 03:45
|
|
|
mindphlux posted:I smell divorce :< ^^^ LOL People in Cali love "authentic" southern cooking, so I guess they want Richard to come out there and set something up.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 14, 2013 03:46
|
|
|
For Chinese, I really like Chef Liu's off Buford Hwy. My Chinese friend introduced me to the place recently. The place is a mixed bag full of hipsters and Chinese patrons, but the food IS authentic and really good. I have spent time in China and can verify this. Service is a little wonky, but it's cheap as hell, and everything is made in-house. http://www.yelp.com/biz/chef-liu-atlanta
|
|
#
¿
Mar 15, 2013 15:58
|
|
|
I was just at Ria's Bluebird today, for my first time, with an 8-top. Luckily for me, they all waited in the rain for over an hour, while we drove up and sat immediately (we were running late).  The food is pretty darn good! The pancakes loaded with butter are the best I've ever had. I'm not sure why ALL breakfast/brunch places always have waits, you'd think someone would eventually open up a place larger than 1200 square feet.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 24, 2013 18:35
|
|
|
Omerta posted:I've gone there three times already. IT OWNS IT OWNS IT OWNS. I can't recommend it enough. The cocktails were very reasonable and very good. I had the bourbon sour; the foam from the egg white was the right consistency and I liked the added chili powder to balance out the sweet/sour flavor in a normal sour. Glad to hear it! I agree, the food is stellar. I'll let the owners know what you said. The reception in Atlanta has blown away their expectations, with tons of local celebs, chefs, etc all eating here. It's very busy, but they have awesome staff to take care of everyone, and they're killing it. It's one of those restaurants that's cheap enough to eat at all the time, yet has enough quality selection to try different things at each meal. If anyone has a spare minute, do a Yelp review, the owners LOVE reading them, and appreciate any kind words.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 26, 2013 05:11
|
|
|
venutolo posted:Again, Chai Pani is great. I really love it and have been very pleased in my half-dozen visits. The only issue is the parking. I wanted to go eat lunch there this Saturday, and arrived at about 11:40 hoping to beat the lunch rush by a bit so I could get a parking space, but every space was full. It was sort of a miserable day, so I didn't feel like parking elsewhere and walking over. I will be eating dinner there Thursday, and look forward to trying more of the menu. There's always tons of parking just down the road, where the houses are, turn right at that light. Just don't park in the residence reserved area, but the rest is fair game, and usually where I park. The Batdorf coffee shop across the street is killer too.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 26, 2013 21:48
|
|
|
venutolo posted:Which light are we talking about and from what direction? Northern Ave, or Montgomery (google map it). Just don't park under the red residence only area, but the rest is a-okay. Even at peak, there's tons of available parking, albeit a short walk. I don't even bother trying their parking lot anymore. The parking in downtown Asheville was 10x worse, so finding a free spot in Decatur is nothing for us. edit: AJC just wrote up a nice article. Check out the food picture on the left, it'll give you an idea of what they make. http://www.ajc.com/news/entertainment/dining/first-look-chai-pani-decatur/nW4Br/ Landrobot fucked around with this message at 22:18 on Mar 27, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Mar 27, 2013 18:48
|
|
|
Wow, everyone came out to try Chai Pani! Awesome! I had a small part in getting them here to Atlanta, so I feel very happy with the warm welcome everyone here has given them. I'm so glad you goons love it! If anyone is interested, I could arrange a goon dinner meet / reserved table there? I could get the head chef, my friend, to come out and give a small speech about the foods possibly, along with a special selection of nearly everything on the menu. I would also be able to pay for a decent chunk of the dinner/drinks, since I have food credit there  Mindphlux, the food price points are less than Wisteria or other 'dinner' places by a long shot. For under $20 a person, you will literally get stuffed. Or usually $14 is about what I spend on a meal + drinks. You can also spend about $10 and still get a full meal too. Once they open up the patio area, the sound should be lessened a bit. The levels are no where near Wisteria, Rathbuns, etc. Also, Saravana Bhavan is gone unfortunately. It's some other place now, who knows how good it is. I've recently made buddies with the guy that used to be the general manager from a couple years back.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 9, 2013 04:30
|
|
|
Cool, glad so many are interested! I will try to get a table in about 2-3 weeks, if that works for everyone? It'd be best to have it mid-week, since the place gets absolutely slammed on the weekends - meaning I won't be able to get the head chef out or anything on the weekend, but it's possible. PM me or post here if you can't, any days or times that work best. I'm thinking a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday at around 8:30pm - and depending who's working what shift. There'll be a little white card on the table that says, "reserved for the internet"
|
|
#
¿
Apr 10, 2013 04:47
|
|
|
Chai Pani - I'll make arrangements soon and post the plans/time sometime next week. Sounds like a lot of people are interested, very cool!
|
|
#
¿
Apr 11, 2013 05:00
|
|
|
The Chai Pani dinner is on! I talked with my friend, so we're good to go. Plan on April 23-24th or so 8:30pm+. I need to see when my friend and head chef is working that week, to make sure he's there (final time is dependent on his shift). He'll come out and talk with everyone once it slows down a little bit (after 9?). He's spent a lot time in India working at various restaurants, kitchens, etc - refining his techniques. He's also a tall, blonde, white guy that's fluent in Hindi. I'll also buy a few large rounds of apps for everyone, so you can try nearly everything on the menu. I figure about 12-14 of us are going, but more are welcome.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 14, 2013 17:45
|
|
|
I usually park just west of the restaurant, to the right on the residential street. Never had a problem on the weekends. At odd hours, you can find parking in their lot too. Also, who all has gone to Paper Plane? I'm thinking about going there this weekend to check it out.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 15, 2013 04:39
|
|
|
CHAI PANI DINNER is on, this Thursday (April 25th) at 8:30pm. Meet either in the lobby area or Bar area. I'll get there a little early to secure our table, depending on how many of us are going, we'll probably just grab all the tables in the bar area. It should be pretty easy to spot all of us goons. Head chef Daniel Peach will come out and meet with us and maybe join us for some food if it's not too busy. Depending if the other owners are there, they will do a meet and greet as well. I'll probably grab an entire round of random appetizers for everyone, maybe some drinks too (I have random food credit to use up). Bring a friend or lady-friend as well. Should be a fun time! PM me if you have any questions or such.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 22, 2013 03:44
|
|
|
Safety Dance posted:Woohoo! Do you need some form of official RSVP? If so, count me in + a lady friend pretty please. Everyone post here who's going, so I can get a head count. This is pretty informal and probably won't be more than 12 people anyways. But if it's bigger, that's cool too! There may be a little bit of a wait for our table(s) after 8:30pm, but I can pull some strings to speed that up, only if it's slammed with a line out the door. Otherwise, we're good.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 22, 2013 04:10
|
|
|
Chai Pani Dinner update: there's about 15 of us going so far, anyone else want to confirm or not? I talked with them tonight and they will have us at two 8 person tables, or more if needed, maybe around the bar area. The head chef will be joining us at the table(s) to eat and talk about the food, India, travels, etc, while one of the owners will be hanging out as well. If possible, can we push the time back to 8:45pm, or is this too late for everyone? They're just slammed busy at dinner time and want to make sure we have a good table. So, I'll be there at 8:30pm in the lobby area, having a fine cocktail, if anyone is cool waiting around. The tables should be ready soon after that (8:45 or so), depending on how busy they get. We're in no rush to leave if we run late into the evening either. This is a special dinner
|
|
#
¿
Apr 24, 2013 02:15
|
|
|
wtf, $880,000 for a restaurant startup? Is this some 'Buckhead Life' joint or something?! Seems to be more obsessed with the location than the purpose of the restaurant, which they could do in another location for a shitload less money. But if it's not your money, who cares right?!
|
|
#
¿
Apr 24, 2013 04:43
|
|
|
We still have around 12+ goons tonight. I'll be there at 8:30pm in the lobby area, but our table probably won't be ready until 8:45pm+, so show up late if you want (8:45). Plan to meet in the lobby area, grab a drink, hang out until we sit.. See you all tonight! edit: This just got published http://clatl.com/atlanta/kale-pakoras-at-chai-pani/Content?oid=8004952 Landrobot fucked around with this message at 17:40 on Apr 25, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Apr 25, 2013 17:28
|
|
|
If parking is a pain, I'll probably be on the residential street nearby (google maps, Northern or Fairview Ave.). There's plenty of parking if you dig around.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 25, 2013 19:18
|
|
|
Glad everyone had a good time and enjoyed the food! Try different small dishes at the top of the menu, like 2 per person, and experiment. They're ALL really good. I'll pass word on to the owners about the noise level, as I've experienced this before too. If anyone wants to organize another dinner somewhere new, I'd be game.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 26, 2013 17:29
|
|
|
Damnit, this thread made me crave Korean tonight. Since I didn't really know where to go, we ended up at Cho Dang Tofu House on Buford Hwy. http://www.yelp.com/biz/cho-dang-tofu-house-atlanta No frills interior, food was great and cheap as hell. We were craving stone-bowls, otherwise I may of tried that BBQ place you guys talked about one block away (can someone post a menu of it?).
|
|
#
¿
Apr 29, 2013 03:30
|
|
|
mindphlux posted:
Agreed. I'm pleasantly surprised by all the new creativity in the Atlanta scene. I went to Seven Lamps in Buckhead a couple of nights ago, awesome food and great portion sizes (farm-table, organic, craft cocktails, etc). Miller Union is on my to-try for list next week if I can swing it.
|
|
#
¿
May 3, 2013 06:37
|
|
|
deep13 posted:Just found out my in-laws are coming up tomorrow for Mother's day brunch - any recommendations? Preferably someplace where we won't have to wait three hours to get a table for six. Ria's Bluebird. fake edit: j/k There's a very nice place near my house that no one knows about for Sunday brunch, with never a wait. Although, I would call for reservations for six: http://www.havenrestaurant.com/default.htm I don't understand how decent brunch places get so drat busy...
|
|
#
¿
May 11, 2013 16:36
|
|
|
I was a server at a few Atlanta places back in the day... I usually tip even more than usual, than if I paid its full price, when comped. Then the servers/bartenders will continue to comp you in the future because of your kind tip
|
|
#
¿
May 12, 2013 01:34
|
|
|
mindphlux posted:finally made it to chai pani - it was good! Glad you enjoyed Chai Pani! Their pickle is jar bought, but it's a really awesome brand. Patel Brothers and others sell another kind that's more lemony. They made some from scratch once, but it only lasted 36 hours before everyone devoured it. Pickle is great to add to the Daal soup when it's not salty enough. Otherwise, it's a total-sodium-overload! I'm reading a book on how to make authentic Indian Pickles (learned from the S. Indian Food thread), Usha's Pickle Digest (delivered from Chennai). It's crazy stuff, but hopefully I will make some batches.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 12, 2013 18:53
|
|
|
mindphlux posted:that's funny you should mention, my single complaint (if I had to be really, really nitpicky) about the entire meal was the daal soup was really underseasoned. didn't think to add the mango pickle! out of curiosity, what is the brand y'all buy? There's like 50+ employees, so it really depends on who makes it. But yeah, it can be a bit watered down sometimes. Drop a spoonful of mango pickle in the daal and you'll be in heaven. That's really what's made for, to add flavor or kick to a bland dish. The pickle brand, I can't remember off the top of my head, but it's for sale up in the front retail area. Next time you go, get a bowl, or ask for a cup, of Sambar soup. It's made with 18+ ingredients from scratch. We can always do another goon-meet there if everyone is interested? It was quite successful last time
|
|
#
¿
Jun 14, 2013 04:27
|
|
|
Mammon Loves You posted:
I'm in, let's get the freakin' chefs table. Five more goons needed!
|
|
#
¿
Aug 4, 2013 16:21
|
|
|
venutolo posted:I get a laugh out of clueless Yelp reviews. I remember reading an Yelp review of Antico that criticized the fact that they don't serve buffalo wings, which every good pizza place should have. hehe
|
|
#
¿
Aug 4, 2013 22:36
|
|
|
Chinese: Chef Liu is really good and authentic off Buford Hwy. It's homemade food; not Chinese food wholesaler crap like 99% of the Chinese restaurants around. http://www.yelp.com.sg/biz/chef-liu-atlanta I've love to know of some nicer places in town as well.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 8, 2013 15:23
|
|
|
venutolo posted:The General Muir (my favorite place) and The Optimist are included in Bon Appetit's 50 nominees for best new restaurant. I've been trying to get reservations to The Optimist for weeks, but need more notice it seems for weekends. We're going to King + Duke instead this weekend. Anyone been?
|
|
#
¿
Aug 9, 2013 05:04
|
|
|
venutolo posted:I went to King + Duke about a month ago. I sort of had mixed feeling about it. Some of the food we had was great, and some was just okay. One of our desserts was exceptional, and the other was a complete mess. It is very Buckhead-y, which I hate. It is the type of place I might visit two or three times a year. I agree. The food was really well executed, nothing wrong per se. It was all good, but missing the giant WOW factor in its flavor profile. The food was definitely not something I've now got a craving for. I think we all felt this way. It was a cool place though, along with the awesome wood grills in the open kitchen. Does anyone have any seafood suggestions? We went to Goin' Coastal last week and want to try more places like that (aka, no lovely Atlantic Salmon joints).
|
|
#
¿
Aug 17, 2013 05:38
|
|
|
mindphlux posted:yuck, horrible experience at flip westside this evening. hadn't been in 6-8 months. the menu got even dumber, prices had been edged up, the place was relatively empty (I think 6 tables?) food was as mediocre as ever, and had some hilariously bad service - the kind you can't even get remotely upset at because it's just too absurdly funny. Agreed! Last time we went, it was 70% empty, and you're right about the dumber part. The food was more reminiscent of a 'state fair carnival' than a cutting edge burger joint. Besides the greasy as hell food, it was so-so. There's no reason to go here anymore, as Farm and Yeah Burger blow this place to bits. venutolo posted:I imagine it is highly unlikely anyone has an answer to this... Norcross lunch places are not foodie havens, as we both know. ha! However, this place probably serves some Sysco gnocchi if you're in the mood: http://www.mamboitaliano.net/ Figo by Perimeter Mall would be the best choice, but it's not that close. For Norcross, check out this Indian buffet place that opened less than a year ago. It's stupid authentic, tiny hole in the wall, and very good (all veg). I also built the temporary website, so go here goons! http://www.rajdhaniatl.com/
|
|
#
¿
Aug 27, 2013 06:17
|
|
|
The Optimist is great, nothing wrong with it. I'd eat there again, sure! However, we've been going to Lure in midtown, which is loving incredible for seafood/fish. It's similar in price, but the service and food is outstanding. Like, so good, you crave it all the time and want to go back. They make virtually everything in-house, fillet their own fish, etc... They make shrubs. They have their own smokers (cold and hot). They make insane butter for their bread. The portions are worthy of man appetites. It's also a lot smaller than the Optimist, which is this giant-rear end-loud-room, like every other "Atlanta style" restaurant. I don't get it... it's such an Atlanta thing to do in restaurant design (think loud Rathbuns, etc...)
|
|
#
¿
Sep 23, 2013 16:48
|
|
|
venutolo posted:Would anyone be for a goon dinner at The General Muir sometime? I think the Chai Pani dinner a few months back was a success and I'd be down for organizing it. Yup, I'm in! Haven't been to the Muir yet either. Crab reuben sounds good
|
|
#
¿
Sep 25, 2013 05:12
|
|
|
venutolo posted:
bah, just set it up for the 16th and we'll all come I'll totally get the crab rueben, but I'd like to order from the entire menu as well.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 29, 2013 23:35
|
|
Goon Dinner @ The General Muir
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 13:51 |
|
|
venutolo posted:Based on the responses, it is looking like November 2nd. I'll probably leave the form up for a few more days, then set a final date and get in touch with the people at The General Muir and go from there. I live close to the Muir, so I'm in for Nov. 2nd or later. It'll be a crab reuben extravaganza + booze!
|
|
#
¿
Oct 5, 2013 23:37
|
|