El Torero

Here's a realization that I have come to today: I don't think there has been a week in my life where I haven't had Mexican food. Maybe, if you're like me, that isn't such a crazy thought. While often times not the most healthy of choices (who are we kidding, it's never the most healthy of choices...) Mexican food has grown to be my ultimate comfort food. Growing up in Atlanta with its large Hispanic influence, Mexican restaurants are never in short supply and I have dragged Malory to some of the best, and some of the worst.  Now I know that most of the Mexican restaurants (including El Torero) would actually be considered Tex-Mex, but Tex-Mex has become synonymous with what people consider "Mexican" these days.  While we love an amazing, authentic taco joint like the best of them, sometimes it's great to sit, be promptly served endless baskets of chips and  bottomless salsa whilst sipping a quite potent margarita that won't break the bank.  After a quite arduous search, we've decided here at Brookhaven Review, that we declare El Torero at the corner of N. Druid Hills and Briarcliff the winner and go-to spot for "Mexican (or Tex-Mex)" in Brookhaven.

Quite a claim, right? Why, you may ask, is this better than (insert: El____ or Los____ or La____)?  Well it all starts with the service and after 25 years of being in Atlanta, they've gotten it right. Their restaurant is structured so you come in, sit where you please, and the waiters somehow have some secret code to determine who serves you and it seems that no waiter is assigned to one table or area.  The result? Constant attention. And when you're hungry and thirsty on a Friday after work, the last thing you want is a chip-less basket or a near empty beer.

From the refilling of whatever it is you needed, it moves to the food.  That's the most important, right? Well they do it right for the price. They have all your favorite dishes on the menu and they are always prepared exactly as you have grown to know and love. One added bonus is that the food to me is always very fresh. The vegetables are crisp, the chicken tender and the beans... well beany. Above you can see the taco salad I enjoyed with grilled vegetables. This is my staple and I've tried it at almost every Mexican joint around town. Too many times have I had brown, wilting lettuce and soggy vegetables. Being a self-proclaimed taco salad expert, I can't say that I've had much better than at El Torero.

Finally, you always pay at the front which I think is a great idea. It's always as quick as you want it to be, but can be a great spot to enjoy great food and drink for hours if you're so inclined. The only drawback to this location is the lack of an outdoor patio, but I can move past that. It's quick, it's clean, it's cheap and it's good. So next Friday night, when your sensible side says "no" but your stomach says "yes", give El Torero a try.

Ethiopian

In our quest to try everything ethnic in our neighborhood, Ethiopian had always stood out as something exciting and adventurous.  Knowing nothing about the food, or how it was consumed, I read up a little about it to prepare ourselves for the adventure.

Traditionally, Ethiopian food is served on a large platter and there are no utensils involved.  You eat the food with a soft, spongy bread called Injera, which acts as your utensil (pictured below).  The tradition is similar to Naan in Indian and Bangledeshi culture but Injera tastes nothing like Naan.  It is made out of a native grain called teff (which is extremely nutritious with high concentrations of fiber and protein) and it tastes almost like a sourdough pancake.  Reviews and websites also recommended we try the Tej which is a fermented honey wine.  And of course the coffee which orginiated in Ethipoia.  

So we sought out some good Ethiopian places in the area.  Turns out, the majority of the Ethiopian restaurants are around the intersection of Briarcliff and Clairmont.  The first time we went a couple weeks ago, we decided to do the whole experience.  We went to Queen of Sheba on Briarcliff just north of North Druid Hills.  We started with the Tej.  At first sip, it was enjoyable.  A sweet wine with a little more alcoholic aftertaste than regular wine and a syrupy texture.  We should have stopped there, though.  It was an interesting flavor, but not something I wanted a whole lot of and we were all working to finish our glass.  We ordered Sambussas which are lentils packed in a pastry dough and fried.  Then, we ordered the sampler (below).  To be honest, I don't remember all the different dishes that were included.  There was lamb, beef and chicken in a variety of spices and sauces.  The vegetarian dishes consisted of stewed cabbage, chickpeas and a salad among others.  On the menu it said it served 5 people (kind of an odd number for a restaurant, we should have brought one of our single friends to share) and the portions were huge.

Most of their dishes are like stews.  They slow cook meat in a variety of spices and it comes out very tender and flavorful.  Finally, we ended the night with some ethiopian coffee.  It was served in an iron jug and was more like espresso.  It was also served with popcorn to help absorb the acidity of the coffee.

The second time we tried a different place to see if the experience was any different.  We tried Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant.  We skippied the Tej and stuck to beer.  We had the Sambussas again which were even better here.  There was no big combo dinner like at Queen of Sheba so we decided to go with different dishes.  Pictured below is the vegetarian combo that Malory and Stacy shared. 

After the two spots we hit, we've decided that Ethiopian is an adventure we can only handle every so often.  Both Queen of Sheba and Meskerem were good (the latter a little better) but I don't think the food is something we will find ourselves craving (like Indian or Thai).  The food and the experience is a ton of fun, though, and that to me is always important so give it a try.