Donuts, Sushi, & More From "The List"
Over a year ago I started working my way through Creative Loafing's 100 Dishes to Eat Before You Die, aka "The List." If you click on the tag box on the lower right of this page, you can scroll through the dishes we've tried. Most of them have been worth the trek, and the entire experience has been worth the adventure. At this point I have 20-ish dishes to go, so the updates will come in dribs and drabs.
This installment's odd assortment starts with Sublime Donuts in downtown. (If you click on the link, you'll see a fun time-lapse video of them making donuts!) The subtitle of the shop is "Eat One That's Worth It," and they aren't kidding. Sublime Donuts won Bake Magazine's "Best Bakery" competition in 2012, and I promise that one visit to Sublime will ruin you from eating donuts anywhere else.
The List sent me there for the Orange Dream Star. This donut has an orange zest frosting and is filled with an orange zest cream cheese icing. I think they call it a "Dream Star" because you will find yourself daydreaming about having another. If this kind of deliciousness isn't your thing (who ARE you?), there are plenty of other options that will delight and amaze you. (Maple & Bacon donut? Toasted marshmallow? Reeses Peanut Butter donut?)One restaurant/pub downtown, Cypress Street Pint & Plate, loves these donuts so much they use them for the "buns" on their hamburgers! I am fortunate Sublime is so wildly inconvenient from my home or I would have a serious obsession! You've been warned...
Next from The List is an "International Snack" from Sushi House Hayakawa on Buford Highway. This spot has already become one of our default spots for a great meal. The menu item from The List is Ikura Don. Ikura is Salmon Roe, a large variety of fish egg. Even if you're not a huge fish egg fan, the flavor of this dish is so mild and delicious, it's worth trying. Equally as exciting to me about Sushi House Hayakawa is their amazing take on Mochi, one of my favorite after-dinner treats. While Mochi seems like standard fare in New York sushi bars, I rarely see it in Atlanta (though Trader Joes carries Mochi in their dessert section). It's worth a try.Not far from Sushi House Hayakawa is another fabulous find, Gu's Bistro. John Kessler gives a full review of the restaurant (here - he's a fan), but I was there for the Chengdu cold noodles. While the dish doesn't look particularly amazing, the flavors were scrumptious! Slightly sweet, but with an onion and garlic kick that made this dish not only enjoyable, but a "must order" for any return visit.
On this particular day I was dining with my friend, Susanne, and she had heard that Gu's had incredible dumplings. We added that to our feast and were as equally impressed by this dish. NOTE: if you work in an office with people or plan on being around anyone whose company you enjoy, it would be wise to remove some of the piles of garlic!! The flavor is great, but you could slay vampires after eating these dumplings.I'd love to hear if you make it out to some of these restaurants. Let me know what else you enjoy!!