Earlier this year, I was approached by a publishing company, Globe Pequot Press, and asked if I was interested in writing a Food Guide book for Atlanta. I practically jumped out of my skin, I was so excited that they picked me. My publisher just sent me the cover of the book (pictured above) and I wanted to share it with you.

I’ve had so much fun over the last several months visiting restaurants around Atlanta and talking to staff and chefs. It has been a wonderful experience writing the book and I definitely have a new appreciation and respect for both authors and editors.

As you are reading this, I’m down in Florida for a short break and celebrating finishing the book!

Cheers!

I trekked out to Spoon recently and met up with a friend for lunch. This small restaurant does a bustling lunch crowd. Or was is the Scoutmob? My guess is that there is a big lunch crowd due to the fact that they have very tasty food at reasonable prices. Lunches are only around eight bucks. There was a wait for a table when I visited and it did take some time to get our food. So be prepared that this isn’t the spot to hit up if you’ve got to stick to a one hour lunch.

We started things off with the scallop special. An appetizer of seven scallops, they were perfectly prepared with a slight kick but not too hot and spicy. The cilantro on top was the perfect finish to them. It was a lovely start to our meal. Luckily, neither one of us was in a hurry as we wouldn’t have had much time to eat as our meals took quite a while to come out. This is kind of surprising as Spoon has somewhat of a limited menu at lunch, so it would seem they would be able to churn out meals much quicker than what I experienced.

Not having had anything spicy in quite a while, I opted for the green curry (hot). Note that your choices are medium, hot or Thai hot. I found the heat level to be just fine. However, I took my leftovers to Mr. ARB who promptly broke out into a sweat as he started eating them. So, if you want to play it on the safe side, opt for medium.

My lunch date, Kim, got the cashew chicken and enjoyed every bit of her lunch. The portions were rather large and you could easily make two meals out of lunches. With a scallop appetizer and two entrees out pre-tip total was only $16 with Scoutmob. I would love to return and sample their lamb or other special dinner entrees and specialty desserts.

768 Marietta St Ste A
Atlanta, GA 30318
404 522 5655
Website

There is free parking in the lot next to the restaurant.

These sweet treats come in unique flavors – green tea, chocolate and coffee – and hold coupons for everything from a 50% discount at Spice Market to a free night’s stay at the W Atlanta-Midtown to a complimentary Bliss Spa treatment. This offer begins on Tuesday, June 1, and will continue through the end of August.

I was invited to try out the new Bento Box lunch at Spice Market Restaurant, which is located in the W Hotel in Midtown. It was a bright, sunny day as I made my way into the crowded Colony Square parking deck. I could have valeted but I hate valet, so I chose to park in the deck, thinking it would still be cheaper than the $6 mandatory valet. Have you picked up on my foreshadowing yet?

But back to lunch. I walked through the food court of colony square and made my way into the W Hotel. The entrance to Spice Market is a bit awkward. You must walk around the staircase that leads to Whiskey Park – the hotel bar, and Spice Market is around back.

Once inside, I was greeted by the hostess who sat us at a comfy table with a great view of the entire restaurant. The Asian influenced Spice Market exudes an atmosphere of relaxation and peacefulness.

So back to the bento box lunch. The idea is that you can have a tasty, hearty lunch in an upscale atmosphere in a jiffy (20 minute express lunch is what’s noted on their menu). Here’s the deal: they offer a bento box lunch for $16 per person. The lunch comes with chicken coconut soup, choice of salad, appetizer (meat skewer), entree, and dessert (ice cream or sorbet).  And you are supposed to be able to get in and out quickly. I’m sure you can but we were having a leisurely lunch, so didn’t rush the service or enjoyment of our lunch. Or watch the clock.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the lentil crackers with dipping sauce. Think of it as an Asian “chips and salsa.” But like the best salsa you’ve ever had. It is spiced just right, making my nose run but not so much so that I can’t enjoy it. We devoured 2 of the small bowls of chips with “salsa.”

I could have easily started on another bowl, but thought better of it in order to save room for the Bento Box lunch. Shortly after, our lunches arrived. I loved the avocado and tempura fried onion salad, definitely different but a great start. My chicken coconut soup was peppered right – I felt the burn in the back of my throat as it went down, but there was a heavy hand with the salt, which is too bad, because chicken coconut soup is a must-have at any Thai restaurant for me.

Moving on to my lamb skewers, I did like them but was surprised the taste was more Mediterranean and I was expecting more Asian spices. The beef skewers were more Asian served with a creamy basil sauce. Beef was the better choice of the two, as it ended up being more flavorful than the lamb.

For mains, neither of us could resist the cod. Other choices were salmon or chicken curry. The round filet was presented on a bed of Malaysian chili sauce and I hear it is a specialty of the restaurant. It was perfectly prepared and just the right portion.

At this point, I was ready to wrap it up but had forgotten about our sorbet dessert. The manager actually brought us a specialty – exotic fruits in coconut ice cream. Think mango, papaya and pommegranite seeds. Oh, how absolutely delicious. They thoughtfully boxed our ice cream for us as there was no way, we’d be able to eat it after the large bowl of this exquisite dessert.

So, I know this is supposed to be a quick, in and out lunch, but honestly, it is so relaxing in Spice Market, you won’t want to leave. I didn’t. But I did. And upon leaving the parking lot I was thrust back into reality – $10.50 to park my car for 1.5 hours. Whaaaa??? Yep, that’s right. Colony Square has complimentary parking after 6 pm but before then they are gonna stick it to you.

I thought Spice Market’s Bento Box lunch is very tasty and offers a lot of bang for your buck. My feeling is the Bento Box is a great option if you work nearby and can walk to Colony Square. Or, if you are a hotel guest attending a conference and don’t want the crappy box lunch, slip away to Spice Market and opt for the Bento box. But paying over 10 bucks for parking? At lunch? Um, no thanks. There is the hotel valet for $6, FYI, but still not my cup of chai…err..tea.

188 14th St NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
404 549 5450
Website

Since I like hot and spicy foods, I always tend to just stick with water for my drink as I know I’m going to drink a ton of it. Siam Square flavors their water with cucumbers which is extremely refreshing. So, on that first visit, I did have the spicy chicken and it was extremely flavorful. Since returning, I’ve sampled the drunken noodles – perfectly spiced and definitely hot enough to clear out those sinuses.

On my most recent visit, I had my favorite of all meals. First we started out with basil rolls and winter rolls. Winter rolls are fried basil rolls. What I liked about these was not just the fried part, but the sauce was more sweet than the regular basil rolls. Definitely a standout among the appetizers. We also tried the papaya salad. I don’t know if they made a mistake, but this is crazy hot. There should be some sort of warning just how hot and peppery this salad is. It was like eating a tsp of wasabi. Still tasty, but could have gone a little lighter on the heat.

For our entrees we had two terrific dishes: the green curry peppery catfish and the masaman curry with beef. If you like to share your meals so you can sample a couple different dishes, this is a great combo. One is hot and the other is pretty mild. The catfish was the hot one chock full of catfish nuggets, bell peppers and and eggplant, it was absolutely delicious. They also had lightly fried basil leaves that added yet another dimension of flavor and quality to the dish. And the beef masaman had a great flavor combination that runs circles around almost any other masaman curry I’ve had.

Our server was excellent! He was always around if we needed something but not pushy. Overall the staff seems very attentive about accommodating everyone’s special requests.

Siam Square is definitely a hidden gem in the Windy Hill area. While the prices are a tad higher than other Thai spots in Cobb (Lemon Grass, Fuji Hana), the quality cannot be matched by these other establishments.

1995 Windy Hill Rd SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
(770) 333-1700

Extras: I’ve been there for lunch and it is a great spot if you need to get in and out quickly.