🦃 Thanksgiving hot takes

Table Talk Edgewood Avenue bar demonstrates love thy neighbor in real time Nov Happy Tuesday and welcome to the table The New York Times published Thanksgiving hot takes last week asking staffers like Kim Severson along with recipe developers and restaurant folks their opinions on everything from the optimal time to serve the holiday meal p m to the best side dish cranberry apple sage stuffing to whether lasagna is an acceptable main yes All hail the comments section on this story As for my Thanksgiving hot take If the cranberry sauce doesn t include ridges from a can get it out of my sight and off my table Now on to this day s Family Meal which includes dining reporter Sarra Sedghi s story on Edgewood Avenue bar Our Bar ATL s annual Thanksgiving Eve charity event in Sweet Auburn Plus I tell you why you should absolutely order the North Georgia mountain trout cru the next time you dine at Avize in Atlanta At last per a Rough Draft reader request Kyma shared its recipe for the restaurant s eggplant stew with onions and Greek tomato sauce Cheers Beth Our Bar ATL s Hug the Block More Than Just a Thanksgiving Charity Event Photo by Anitra Isler Hug the Block a meal celebration and act of amenity rolled into one returns on Nov for its sixth year in Sweet Auburn In what s become a yearly tradition for Our Bar ATL the Edgewood Avenue bar closes to the citizens the night before Thanksgiving and throws an event specifically meant to assist the area s homeless population Since opening in Our Bar has had an intimate relationship with the Sweet Auburn and Old Fourth Ward unhoused communities The bar opened right before the COVID- pandemic Faced with a desire to serve amidst a lockdown the staff at Our Bar pivoted to making brown bag lunches for people in need We d go to Mr John s store down the street and just pass out sandwiches to whoever mentioned Sarah Oak Kim Our Bar ATL co-founder and co-owner Then it turned into this social distancing assembly line of workers where we would just make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a day Word spread Oak Kim revealed and it wasn t long before people began approaching Our Bar staff about acquiring a brown bag lunch The demand was consistent and Our Bar s staff grew familiar with the nearby homeless population certain of the hardest hit people by the pandemic shutdowns As time passed and Atlanta s restrictions lifted in the bar s charitable endeavors within the public evolved Dez Luecke part of the opening staff at Our Bar and founder of Misfit Love Mafia took bagged lunches out into the population As the weather cooled Our Bar stocked an outdoor table with a self-serve noodle coffee and tea bar People donated socks mittens and hand warmers Again word spread amongst the unhoused locality in and around Sweet Auburn that Our Bar offered a place for them to warm up That Thanksgiving in we longed to do something special I was like man it d be nice to throw them a party Oak Kim mentioned That s the human part of hospitality right That s the whole point You want that operation you want that bonding you want that entertainment you want that companionship Luecke s wife an actress reached out to production companies for shower trailers to place in the back lot of Our Bar From there more helpers donated items including clothing and wigs and grooming services such as hair cuts makeup and manicures Chefs offered to donate food or even cook at the bar Luecke now works at Leftie Lee s in Avondale Estates which donated its kitchen space to help prepare meals for Hug the Block this year Now we let them come inside We re dancing we re intonating we re partying we re playing bingo we re giving out prizes We have essential stuff and blankets whatever they need and then they can have a really good night Oak Kim explained of providing not only services but dignity for the unhoused people who attend Hug the Block each year In the need is great The current financial sector is straining Atlantans which has contributed to an uptick in people who are newly or not long ago experiencing homelessness And while the dining and hospitality industries are changing things up on menus to include budget-friendly options multiple customers may not have as much threshold to give back as in previous years Last month for example Oak Kim noticed more children attending the bar s trick-or-treating event which provides free candy snacks pizza and slushies to local kids We were so worried because even with donations like school supplies and the candy drive we could tell this year was going to be rough she declared So little donations came in which was a good indicator of how bad people were struggling this year Instead of cutting their biggest region operation project Our Bar prioritized Hug the Block over the end-of-year awards event they usually host It costs us a lot of money so we agreed to not do the awards this year and use that money towards buying whatever was missing for Hug the Block Oak Kim disclosed Our Bar and Misfit Love Mafia have already paid for everything provided at this year s event Oak Kim stressed however that Hug the Block will continue accepting donations from the community through Wednesday and that Misfit Love Mafia who sponsored the majority of the event is seeking donations year-round People can bring supplies to Our Bar tonight starting at p m Both Oak Kim and Luecke reported the greatest need right now are for blankets and outerwear Large outerwear winter coats and rain gear is the greatest need Other clothing can be used for layering Our Bar requirements volunteer sorters to organize donations ahead of Wednesday s event Misfit Love Mafia also accepts donations via Venmo Hug the Block begins setting up Nov at a m That afternoon from - p m Hug the Block will provide a light breakfast showers makeup and nail services haircuts and a clothing drive Then from p m until the last guest leaves Our Bar ATL will host a dinner party games and live music indoors Our Bar ATL Edgewood Ave Sweet Auburn Nourish a Neighbor In the present day SPONSORED BY OPEN HAND After multiple rounds of chemotherapy Ammy lost feeling in her fingers and cooking became dangerous Everything tasted like paper she mentioned The first thing I could taste again Open Hand I ll never forget Living with multiple cancers Ammy depends on Open Hand s meals to stay nourished and strong But as grocery costs rise so does the number of Georgians in need Reach out an Open Hand and help us deliver meals to neighbors in need like Ammy by the end of this year Give currently The Move North Georgia Mountain Trout Cru at Avize Photo by Mothers Best Zip zing zest all in one bite That s how I d describe the North Georgia mountain trout cru at Avize on Brady Avenue Though dainty in appearance Chef Karl Gorline layers in just enough texture and combination of flavors as to not overwhelm this petitely portioned dish Tender slices of North Georgia trout come marinated in yuzu semi-sweet Asian citrus topped with teeny dollops of diced celery the zip A thin celery ribbon provides soft crunch followed by pops of salinity from trout roe and hints of savoriness from blistered shishito the zing The cru is finished table side with fermented apple cider ponzu the zest and zing In one little raw dish Gorline harnesses the seasonality of fall in the South and packages it beautifully Yuzu celery and fermented apple cider ponzu the trinity I didn t know I needed Recipe Kyma s Eggplant Stew Photo by Madelynne Grace Bites and Bevs This week per a Rough Draft reader request we re sharing Kyma s recipe for eggplant stew with onions and Greek tomato sauce Kyma Chef Pano Karatassos announced that eggplant stew has thousands of years of history the vegetable originated in East and South Asia and traveled westward over time Karatassos added that Greeks consider this stew a main dish Greeks don t eat protein every night he announced Traditionally the diet centers on vegetarian dishes bulk days with fish a couple of times a week chicken once a week and red meat only about once a month The Greek island Ikaria is one of the world s five blue zones where people live longer-than-average lives so clearly the traditional Mediterranean diet is doing something right At Kyma however eggplant stew is served as a meze or a side Karatassos recommends pairing the stew with bread and cheese or cheese saganaki flaming Greek cheese If you d rather have the stew as a side Karatossos suggests pairing it with grilled steaks lamb chops salmon or snapper This recipe calls for Greek tomato sauce which can either be purchased at a specialty area or online Karatassos cookbook Modern Greek Cooking also includes his recipe for the eggplant stew When cooking eggplant remember that it will absorb as much oil as you give it Karatassos noted For first-timers the key is to add the oil gradually as you cook Feed the oil to the pan not directly to the eggplant until you achieve the color and texture you want While the Kyma recipe is written as part of a main program it can be adjusted for a meze Karatassos recommends splitting the ingredients between two -inch cm round shallow baking pans to make the stew feel more like a meze Serves Ingredients cup ml canola oil pounds g small Japanese eggplants sliced crosswise on the diagonal inch cm thick Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste thyme sprigs garlic cloves crushed medium Vidalia sweet onion halved and thinly sliced cup ml Greek tomato sauce Chopped parsley for garnish optional Directions Make the eggplant Heat the oven to F C Line a baking sheet with paper towels In a large skillet warm tablespoons of the oil Add half of the eggplant slices season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat turning occasionally until browned and tender to minutes Add thyme sprigs and garlic cloves toss with the eggplant to mix and cook stirring for seconds Transfer the eggplant to the prepared baking sheet discard the thyme and garlic Repeat with tablespoons of the oil and the remaining eggplant thyme and garlic Add the onion In the same skillet warm the remaining tablespoons of oil Add the onion season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until lightly browned to minutes Remove the skillet from the heat Layer and bake In a medium baking pan spread cup ml of the tomato sauce Layer one-third of the onions one-third of the eggplant and cup ml of the tomato sauce on top and repeat two more times finishing with the tomato sauce Cover with a lid or foil and bake until very hot about minutes Let stand for minutes then garnish with parsley if desired and serve hot warm or at room temperature If you know somebody who would like to receive our dining newsletters Family Meal Tuesdays and Side Dish Thursdays please have them subscribe at this page The post Thanksgiving hot takes appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta