Kids are back in school, but that doesn’t mean that summertime adventures have to be over. Here are three ideas for weekend food explorations in metro Atlanta
Lunch and an air show
In mid-June, I noticed excited chatter on Nextdoor: Downwind had reopened.
Located on the premises of DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, Downwind had stayed shuttered for 16 months due to the pandemic. I didn’t even know it existed.
Its bar and grill fare — plus a couple of Greek items (gyros and Greek-style spaghetti), in deference to the owner’s family roots — is approachable for all ages. Among handhelds ($6.50-$14), popular picks include burgers (an 8-ounce patty unadorned, or with American, Swiss, feta or bacon) and an overstuffed turkey club.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
There’s always a featured fish or two. The day of my visit, it was flounder and mahi-mahi. I ordered the former, grilled, and had no gripes with the execution. The plate gets rounded out with your choice of coleslaw and fries, or a salad.
Any salad — $4-$10 for Greek, Caesar or house — can become a meal when you add a protein for an upcharge.
There’s also a full bar, but the real appeal is the setting: a close-up view of propeller planes and corporate jets taking off and landing at the second-busiest airport in Georgia.
Dining also is available outside on the deck, but if carryout is more your style, you can picnic on the adjacent greenspace that includes a playground and a pavilion (complete with restrooms) designed to look like an airplane hangar.
Downwind. DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, 2000 Airport Road, Atlanta. 770-452-0973, facebook.com/downwindpdk.
Credit: Paula Pontes
Credit: Paula Pontes
The quest for a vegan Cuban sandwich
Locals have fallen hard for Cubanos ATL since the Cuban sandwich shop debuted in Sandy Springs a year ago. A second location opened in Cumming in May, and a third joined the stalls at Chattahoochee Food Works this summer.
The original address is the one that comes with eclectic charm. It operates out of a tiny house in a Roswell Road strip mall that shares acreage with a BYOB make-your-own terrarium place and an axe-throwing entertainment venue, among others.
The new vegan Cuban is what prompted my recent excursion to the dinky casa and its umbrella-covered picnic tables. Mojo-seasoned, shredded jackfruit takes the place of roasted pork, while a soy-based ham replaces the real thing. The sandwich also is topped with vegan Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles.
Credit: Paula Pontes
Credit: Paula Pontes
Funnily enough, my slight gripe was with the bread. Although this plant-based Cuban is made with the same pan that Cubanos ATL uses for the rest of its sandwiches (it hails from the century-old La Segunda Central Bakery in Florida), the bread wasn’t toasted enough compared with its counterparts for carnivores. Why? The vegan rendition is wrapped in foil before getting heated, to keep things separate from the meat sandwiches.
When I took it home and gave it a few minutes in the toaster oven, the bread crisped right up. The texture of the plant-based fixins improved, too.
If you’re on the hunt for inspired vegan eats, it’s worth checking out.
Cubanos ATL. 6450 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 404-889-8948, cubanosatl.com.
New American in old Roswell
The rise of the highly contagious coronavirus delta variant derailed plans to dine indoors at A-Street, the upscale new American cuisine restaurant that opened this summer in historic downtown Roswell.
The patio won’t seat customers until fall, so I walked my carryout order down the hill to Old Mill Park, which flanks Vickery Creek. (Someday, I’ll tell you about my kayak disaster on this body of water.) There, you’ll find plenty of spots to picnic while watching rushing water or couples and families shooting photos.
Credit: undefined
Credit: undefined
A hearts of palm salad with a tarragon dressing ($11) was a nice change-up from typical green leaf offerings. Lightly fried gnocchi ($11) and chorizo-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon ($14) both were flavor-filled, shareable starters. The former, especially, is an order I would repeat.
Among entrees, the grouper remains memorable for its hash-brown crust, flaky-moist flesh and tomato-coriander broth. I’ll bet this dish looks beautiful when plated, instead of boxed as a to-go order. Regardless of service method, it costs $36. That is expensive, but the price is justified.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
The takeaway from this $108 takeout experience: Expect to start paying more for quality restaurant meals. Dining out — even when the food is consumed on a park bench — is a true luxury.
A-Street. 605 Atlanta St., Roswell. 770-910-7639, astreetroswell.com.
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