Barbecue outtake: Staq’s “Mess”

Our big ol’ Barbecue Issue will be out in a couple weeks, but here’s a preview of the quirkiest dish I found on my hunt (mentioned in the issue but not pictured). It’s served at Staqs BBQ in Smyrna, a woman-run joint in humble digs on a rather lonely stretch of South Cobb Drive, not too far from Windy Hill Road. The staffers are sweet and doting, and as I scanned their menu, I saw a dish simply called “A Mess: Waffle, Pulled Pork, Slaw.”

Where Wheat St. Garden Apartments stood, a new garden grows

In the vacant lot at the corner of Hilliard and Old Wheat streets in downtown Atlanta, you can still see the concrete pads where the Wheat Street Garden Apartments—a low-income housing project built by the historic Wheat Street Baptist Church—once stood. But just a few days after the announcement of an exciting new project, the pads were already covered with raised garden beds filled with rich earth.

Home-milled flour: If you can’t grow it, grind it

Here in the Southeast, we locavores have it pretty good. In a land where a bounty of food grows year-round, it’s a heck of a lot easier to eat locally than it is in, say, Minnesota. Even so, there are some foods we just can’t reliably produce here. Coffee comes to mind. And lemons, bananas, artichokes, cherries, avocados (the good kind), cocoa.

MSG, umami, and the foods you love that contain them

You’ve seen the signs — “NO MSG” or “We don’t cook with MSG.” — and you’ve probably only seen them in Chinese restaurants. The irony, however, is that despite what's posted above the fish tank, the kitchen is probably still using the flavor-enhancing additive. Is this a bad thing?

PodPonics sets sights high

Vertical farming was a hot agricultural topic before the recession. What better way to provide produce to an urban society than to grow it out of specially commissioned skyscrapers? Then economic realities set in. Enter Atlanta-based PodPonics.

By the ounce, the cost of cupcakes

Abstract: Cupcakes: Can’t stop, won’t stop. But just when you think Atlanta might be sick of frosting, another Crayola-colored cupcake bakery opens it doors. A chain out of Beverly Hills, Sprinkles at Lenox Mall is the latest of the batch. On a recent visit I had hoped to grab a dozen for the office, but I burned those plans when the clerk said that a dozen costs $42. Between the ten or more employees shuffling behind the counter, the swirly mountain of icing on each cake, and the cupcake ATM machine that operates 24/7, running this place isn’t cheap. Somebody has to pay.

On caterers’ menus: Brussels sprouts, beets

When Cathy Conway (pictured) founded Avalon Catering in 1992, not too many clients were demanding locally sourced ingredients for their special events. But that’s all changed now.

A visit to Maison Robert’s new location

While driving around the Chamblee area doing research for our April Cheap Eats issue, I was struck with a craving for the chocolate-covered coconut macaroons at Maison Robert. I drove by the old location on North Peachtree off Peachtree Industrial and panicked—the sweet little house that formerly housed the business was empty. A quick iPhone search revealed I was out of touch: Last July, the business a moved a five-minute drive away to 5256 Peachtree Road, in a new building among the older shops in historic Chamblee.

Getting goat meat to a clamorous public

You may not be aware of it, but the demand for goat meat in this country far exceeds the supply.As ethnic populations in the United States grow—and as the traditionally bland American palate grows more adventurous—interest in this global staple has grown too. The most widely consumed meat in the world, goat (aka cabrito, capretto, chevon) holds a place of honor in many cuisines, including Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Jamaican, Greek, and Persian. Problem is, there’s not much of it available in the United States. Most goat meat sold here is imported, frozen, from Australia and New Zealand. Americans who raise goats—for show, dairy or meat—are accustomed to calls from consumers in search live animals for slaughter.

Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival this Sunday

They’re big, red, and juicy and headed straight for Atlanta.The fourth annual JCT Kitchen Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival is this Sunday, July 22, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Chefs, farmers, and mixologists are banning together to benefit Georgia Organics and celebrate a dedication to locally grown produce.

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