“The Move” is your guide to the top food finds from Rough Draft Dining Editor and Editor-in-Chief Beth McKibben. The guide appears first in her weekly Family Meal newsletter on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. Subscribe for free to Family Meal, which includes exclusive Q&As with Atlanta chefs and bartenders, Beth’s latest dining excursion for The Move, a recipe, and other subscriber-first stories. As a subscriber of Family Meal, you’re automatically signed up for Side Dish, the Rough Draft dining team‘s Thursday newsletter dropping at noon rounding up the week’s Atlanta food news.
Pata Negra
1777 Peachtree Road, Brookwood Hills
For $22, the three hand-made corn tortillas for the tacos barrio bravo served during weekend brunch at Pata Negra come loaded with a jumble of savory scrambled eggs, spicy chorizo, and home fries. Think breakfast hash in a taco garnished with crumbles of queso fresco and a dollop of avocado mousse. The tacos are served with a side of house-made red salsa, packing a little heat. You can easily share these tacos, especially when ordered with other dishes, including the passionfruit and cream-filled concha and the tiny trio of fried corn masa panuchos topped with shredded pork, black beans, and pickled red onions.
While a mezcal cocktail is typically my move for dinner here, at brunch, I opted for the daily agua fresca (watermelon and mint for $6).
Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pata Negra validates parking for up to three hours, but make sure to check in at the host stand before you’re seated.
Bey Mediterranean
1035 Alpharetta St., Roswell
At first, the dome of brown rice didn’t look like much when it hit the table. Only flecks of bright green parsley at the crest of the rice mountain broke up the monochromatic color palette of the dish. But as is the case so often with food, looks can be deceiving.
When I ordered the lamb pilaf ($34) from Bey Mediterranean in Roswell, I did not expect the fragrant mound of basmati rice cooked in lamb jus, spiced with cardamom, and laced with sweet sultanas. The rice comes crowned with shredded lamb shank, fresh parsley, and slivers of shaved almonds. A ramekin of savory lamb jus accompanies the dish, meant for pouring or drizzling over the rice like gravy. It was a parade of textures and flavors. Had I eaten nothing else but the lamb pilaf, dinner that night would have been a great success.
Owned by Chef Marc Mansour and Chaouki “C.K.” Khoury, both from Lebanon, Bey Mediterranean is a family affair. I met the matriarch by chance as I was leaving. When I told her how much I enjoyed the upside-down lamb pilaf, she beamed with pride. Clasping her hands together, she thanked me and said, “That is my recipe.”
Halfway Crooks Beer
60 Georgia Ave., Summerhill
There’s a new martini ($12.95) at Halfway Crooks Beer in Summerhill, created for the brewery by Kimball House partner and veteran bartender Miles Macquarrie.
Made with Atlanta-based Murrell’s Row Gin Gin, Macquarrie plays up the martini’s classic proportions (a 2:1 ratio of gin and dry vermouth) by adding Cap Corse Blanc. The bittersweet aperitif sports light minerality and soft, silky floral notes with pops of citrus, providing a little zhuzh to the martini while keeping it low-key casual enough to sip in a brewery taproom. But adding Cap Corse Blanc isn’t just for show.
The addition of Cap Corse Blanc gives the cocktail the backbone needed to cut through the fattiness of Halfway’s caramelized onion cheeseburger ($15.95) and the ability to stand up to the carby fried funk and heat of a trio of pork schnitzel sliders ($16.96) slathered with horseradish mayo and Brussels sprout kimchi.
The Cuban Diner
1484 Roswell Road, Marietta
I stumbled upon The Cuban Diner during a restaurant scouting weekend in Marietta. Located in the East Marietta Shopping Center on Roswell Road, I ordered a medianoche (midnight sandwich), often my go-to at Cuban restaurants during lunch. The pressed sandwich ($12.99) comprises roast pork, ham, mustard, Swiss cheese, and pickles served on sweet, crusty bread. But one other dish caught my eye on the Cuban Diner menu: the mojito chicken ($16.99).
A tangy, garlicky citrus bomb marinated half a bone-in chicken. Lightly fried, the skin delicately clung to the meat, allowing the marinade to seep through, seasoning the chicken further as it fried and then rested. The mojito chicken comes with a choice of two sides, including moros (rice and black beans spiced with cumin and oregano) and tostones (crispy fried green plantains). Add a side of the Cuban Diner’s savory and soupy black beans, which I discovered were also perfect for dipping tostones.