Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Deadlines, Fried Green Tomatos and One Perfect Dish

So, I'm on a crazy deadline. (A friend of mine recently said "You're *always* on a crazy deadline," so maybe I've got to quit oversharing.) Still, it's true. Plus, it's summer, and the last place any of us want to be in this great weather is sitting in a restaurant with our hands wrapped around a glass of wine. But, last night, needing a break, I took myself out to dinner. I don't have a three latest and best for you this week (although I could do a whole list of "Two Minute Warnings" from last week. This means you, Noah Grant's.)


So my one latest and one best is possibly the one perfect dish I've had in the last few months. If you eat nothing else that personifies summer in the next week, take yourself to L'explorateur for the Fried Green Tomato -- thick cut, breaded in cornmeal, and perfectly crispy on the outside. Served with a hefty dollop of Trader's Point Cottage Cheese (loaded with salt and pepper, just like mom used to serve it!), then topped with a generous portion of fresh tuna tartare -- perfectly spiced with the right amount of tang. This dish has it all going on -- cold and hot; crunchy and soft; savory, sweet, and tangy. All mixed up with great memories of hot, childhood lunches.

Their whole menu is comfort food right now, perfect for summer, and I daresay the portion sizes are coming up. (After an appetizer and entree, I was *stuffed*.) Neal, your southern roots are showing, and they're terrific.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Alright Braingirl, as soon as you get time I want to hear your scoop on Noah Grant's. We have been a couple of times and it has been really hit or miss. The hits keep us coming back but I don't know...

braingirl said...

"Hit or miss" was our entire experience. My entree was terrific, my companion's was inedible. Apps were OK, sushi had weird sauces, everything else was sort of just nothing special. Service was not fine dining. Wine list is so-so. Not cellar temp. Nothing special, not a repeat for me. (Did I mention?
*really* annoying service.)

Anonymous said...

Not sure what happened, but it seems your RSS feed crashed on Google Reader...I just realized I hadn't seen an update in a couple of weeks.

Resubscribed, though and all is well.

Thought you might like to know.

braingirl said...

Thanks! I *knew* I had something hinky with the feed a couple of weeks ago. All should be well now.