Every Friday, Roots in Alpharetta features an article on food and dining in a series I like to call Foodie Friday.

Let’s get ready to rumble! March Madness is approaching so how about a tournament-style restaurant review contest? I’ll pit restaurants in head-to-head match ups to see who moves on. Don’t expect a full review, but do expect a straight up comparison. The theme… manly food! Here’s how it will shape up and how you can help.

I expect to have a field of 16 restaurants. Sorry, 64 isn’t realistic. Initially the field will be divided into four groups; barbecue, pub food, burgers and pizza. That’s pretty much my four main food groups, right? Each group will have four restaurants seeded based on Urban Spoon rating. A post will be dedicated to each group, pitting restaurants against each other to see who advances in the bracket. At the end, the winners of each bracket will square off for the title of Most Manly Restaurant in Alpharetta.

How can you help? Next week will be our selection show. I need my readers’ help selecting four restaurants in each group. They should all be located roughly in my geographic area; Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek and south Forsyth. I know, there are tons of great eats in Roswell, I just don’t get down that way much. Sometimes I even don’t hit the boundaries of my own area (for example, I almost never get over to Crabapple).

We all have personal favorites in each category, so I want to hear about yours. And being a March Madness theme, I’d like to have a few Cinderella stories thrown in. You never know what’ll happen, right? Let’s go through the categories.

Barbecue

Last summer I published a series of Q reviews. My readers kinda know where I stand on this. But please feel free to suggest something not on this list. The field includes:

• Slopes
• Woody’s
• ‘Cue
• Smokejack
• Jim ‘N Nicks
• Dickey’s
• Shane’s

Yes, I threw Shane’s in there. Perhaps they are the Cinderella story? I’m sure Duke Smokejack will slaughter them in the opening round.

Pub Food

I’m overall disappointed in this category but we’ll include it. First of all, I’m going to rule out  English/Irish joints and gastropubs. Sorry Tifosi’s.

I expect these joints to make a mean chicken wing, know how to fry up some appetizers and have a decent beer selection. I will rate food here only, not atmosphere, games, number of TVs, nightlife, etc. Some suggestions might be:

• Miller’s Ale House
• Taco Mac (various locations)
• Wild Wing
• Buffalo’s Wild Wing
• Montana’s
• Hudson’s
• Mulligan’s
• TJ’s Sports Bar
• Loco’s Deli
• Jeffery’s

Burgers

Everyone has a burger on their menu, but they all can’t make this list. I’m looking for joints where the burger is king on their menu. Here’s the field…

• Cheeseburger Bobby’s
• The Spot
• Scratch Fresh
• BB’s Best Burgers
• The Counter
• Five Guys (various locations)
• Ted’s Montana Grill
• Flippin’ Out

I put Flippin’ Out here to make a statement. Had they not closed last month, I’m pretty sure they would have easily won this part of the tournament (and perhaps the whole shebang).

Pizza

This is a crowded field, I can’t mention them all. I’d like to see pizzerias that crank out some seriously awesome pies. I know my favorites, what are yours?

Here’s the schedule of posts you can expect:

• Selection Show – Friday March 4
• Barbecue – Friday March 11
• Pizza – Friday March 18
• Burgers – Friday March 18
• Pubs – Friday March 25
• Final Four – Friday April 1

So next week I’ll announce the field of 16. I’m sure there will be disappointments. Everyone questions the selection committee, right? Let me know who you think should be included and why. Let the big dance begin!

Every Friday, Roots in Alpharetta features an article on food and dining in a series I like to call Foodie Friday.

We’ve lost two outstanding restaurants recently. I hate to see them go and wish my best to those who might be out of a job. Yet at the same time there are some interesting new restaurants in the works for Alpharetta.

Flippin’ Out – Closed

Easily my favorite hamburger in the area. Flippin Out was the only joint cooking burgers on wood/charcoal and they were amazing. But this joint faced two serious problems. First, their location sucked. They were not visible from State Bridge or Jones Bridge even though they were close to the intersection. Second, service was hit or miss.

I exchanged a few emails with one of the former owners/managers. He suggested that this concept could return if they find better real estate. But in the meantime, they plan to open…

Gorilla Burrito – Johns Creek

Yep. I thought he was kidding at first. Close north Fulton’s best burger joint and open a burrito place? That’s the plan. And from what I’m told it won’t take them long to get this off the ground. Expect it to open in March.

Spice Brick Oven Kitchen – North Point

This one is in the very early stages. I don’t know much about them, except that they have their eye on the old Joe’s Crab Shack location on the corner of Haynes Bridge and North Point.

River Tavern of Milton – Closed?

The restaurant appears to be closed. The windows and doors are covered up with no signs of life. It is possible that renovations are in the works, but I doubt it. I think this gastropub is a goner.

Legends Deli and Cafe – McGinnis Ferry

They are building out in the old Bada Bing Wings location on McGinnis Ferry. Based on their facebook page, it seems they are nearing completion and should be open soon. Expect deli sandwiches, burgers, dogs, etc.

Shiraz Café – McGinnis Ferry

Just down McGinnis Ferry from Legends will be Shiraz Cafe. They are building in a small stand-alone restaurant near Publix. It’s a terrible location really, hidden from the road. I don’t know much more about this place. There was the similarly named Shiraz Persian Cuisine not far from here down Jones Bridge that closed a while back. Not sure if this place is related.

Mango’s Cuban Cuisine – Closed

Thanks to Chris Rouse for pointing this one out to me. I was never impressed with Mango’s. Pretty sad that they couldn’t stand out in the culinary wasteland that is North Point. Adios.

Every Friday, Roots in Alpharetta features an article on food and dining in a series I like to call Foodie Friday.

Big kudos are due to the Georgia Department of Community Health. They finally have an online application to search for restaurant inspections. Oh, you thought this information had been available for a long time? Not really. In March of last year I wrote about how difficult it was to obtain timely and detailed restaurant inspections. As a blogger I wished to write about restaurants earning poor scores. I now have that ability.

The restaurant inspection system in Georgia isn’t perfect. Is it possible for clean and well-managed restaurants to earn a poor score from time to time? Absolutely. Nevertheless, this is the only system restaurant patrons have to rely on.

Thus I introduce the first of an irregular series I plan to write on local restaurants who score poorly on recent inspections. It is only the joints that score a C or lower that concern me. I will note each of these along with the inspector’s raw (and unedited) notes. I promise to offer no other commentary on the restaurants themselves, letting only the facts speak. I will cover restaurants in Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton and Roswell. At this point in time, Forsyth County is not included in this application.

Photo Credit: Gwen Weber

Mandarin House

9775 Medlock Bridge Rd, Johns Creek
Grade: 56 – U on Dec 17, 2010 (note: they were reinspected on 1/19/2011 and received a score of 95 – A)

• No person in charge of establishment.
• Observed raw food being stored directly on top of salad, unprotected.
• Said food volontarily discarded.
• Observed uncovered food in holding unit/dry storage area.
• Potentially hazardous food not held at 135 degrees Fahrenheit or above.
• Ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food prepared on site and held more than 24 hours with not properly date marked.
• Probe-type thermometer not used to ensure proper food temperatures.
• Food not stored in a clean/dry location that is not exposed to splash/dust.
• Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses.
• No chocking sign posted during inspection.
• Areas that previously required the posting of a smoking sign have not posted a smoking not permitted sign.
• Observed equipment in poor repair.
• No chemical test kit provided when using chemical sanitizer at three-compartment sink/warewashing machine.
• Observed wall soiled with accumulated grease.
• Clean the mold from all sinks and redo the seal/caulking properly.
• Clean all sink, remove the standing water under the sink, and redo the seal.
• Observed garbage on the ground and/or pad around dumpster.
• Floors not maintained cleanable and durable.
• Observed roach activity as evidenced by live roaches found

Roswell Mill Club

85 Mill ST STE A-120, Roswell
Grade: 66 – U on Feb 8, 2011

• Observed food with mold-like growth.
• Observed expired food items such as milk, cheese and heavy cream
• Damaged/spoiled/recalled food not properly segregated.
• Observed dirty utensils, plates and cutting board
• Prepared food not marked with date of preparation or date for disposal.
• No conspicuously located thermometer in holding unit.
• Observed plastic cups in the flour.
• Observed wall soiled with accumulated dust.
• Observed dusty ceiling tiles and/or air conditioning vent covers.
• Observed missing tiles in the kitchen.

Madras Chettinaad

4305 State Bridge RD, Alpharetta
Grade: 71 – C on Dec 10, 2010

• Observed dented/rusted cans.
• Observed uncovered food in holding unit/dry storage area.
• Observed buildup of slime in the interior of ice machine.
• Ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food prepared on site and held more than 24 hours with not properly date marked.
• Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses.
• No Heimlich maneuver sign posted.
• Areas that previously required the posting of a smoking sign have not posted a smoking not permitted sign.
• Observed single-service articles improperly stored.
• Food-contact surface not smooth and easily cleanable.
• Observed accumulation of debris in warewashing machine and associated equipment.
• Observed gaskets with slimy/mold-like build-up.
• Clean all walls with molds and redo the sinks seals.
• Bathroom floors not in good condition.
• Covered waste receptacle not provided in women’s bathroom.
• Observed hole in wall.
• Hood ventilation system inadequate as evidenced by grease accumulation on walls/ceiling.
• Observed roach activity as evidenced by live roaches found

Akina Sushi and Grill

5815 Windward Pkwy, Alpharetta
Grade: 79 – C on Dec 15, 2010

• Observed buildup of slime in the interior of ice machine.
• Ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food prepared on site and held more than 24 hours with not properly date marked.
• Probe-type thermometer not used to ensure proper food temperatures.
• Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses.
• Food-contact surface not smooth and easily cleanable.
• Observed attached equipment soiled with accumulated dust.
• Observed floor area(s) covered with standing water.
• Floors not maintained cleanable and durable.
• Hood ventilation system inadequate as evidenced by grease accumulation on walls/ceiling.
• Observed roach activity as evidenced by live roaches found

Every Friday, Roots in Alpharetta features an article on food and dining in a series called Foodie Friday.

Today I’m writing to restaurant owners, specifically restaurants that have loyalty programs. Who doesn’t want to encourage and reward your most loyal customers? It’s not exactly a new concept, it just bugs me to see you spending money on junk like this…

These are all the loyalty cards in my wallet today. I probably could have more if I wished. Notice that I have two cards from Qdoba plus a key chain card. Allow me to make an example out of them. Keep in mind that I kinda like Qdoba. I eat there maybe once a month.

On my second to last visit to Qdoba, the manager gave me my first card. He explained that I can earn points of some kind. On certain days I can earn double points. Sounds complicated. I didn’t think much of it and put the card in my wallet. I don’t really have the time to figure out their system and I probably don’t visit often enough to make it worth my effort.

Fast forward to this week when I was there with my wife for lunch. I pulled out my trusty Qdoba card to earn a few more “valuable” points, right? I was told that there was a new card and system. I could simply go online and transfer my points from one to another using the code on the back. Fail!

I suppose Qdoba’s system is a little more high-tech than a stamp or punch card system that restaurants have used for decades. I just cringe to think of the costs involved to implement something like this. I also don’t like these cards taking up space in my wallet; space that I could fill with maxed out credit cards. How can we fix this problem?

Here’s your loyalty program! Yep, the trusty smart phone. Sure, not everyone has one, but if you’re running a restaurant in Alpharetta then most of your customers have smart phones. This is especially true if your customers are cubicle dwellers.

Before I begin let me say that I’m not a social networking expert. I’m just a fella who observes. Here are some programs I think work and cost next to nothing.

Location-Aware Apps

Fourquare, Gowalla, Facebook Places, Yelp, etc. They all give business owners the opportunity to market to customers based on real-time location. In the case of Foursquare, they don’t charge businesses at this point. Yet from what I’ve read it may take forever to get a check-in program created or updated. But once set up, a Foursquare offer can do everything a physical loyalty card can do, and a lot more.

Show Us Your Tweets

Let’s make another example out of a local business. This time it is Element Coffee in Crabapple. I’ve never been to this coffee shop but I follow them on twitter. Check out this promotion:

Funny innuendo aside, I love this promotion. First, it is completely free to pull off make this happen. It only takes a twitter account. Second, when customers take advantage of this, they tell their followers on twitter. I didn’t tell any friends I was at Qdoba using their loyalty program. Third, it gives Element a way to track customers. They can circle back on twitter and count all the retweets or mentions. They could follow-up with customers on twitter to see if they enjoyed their experience. They could also maintain a list of customers on twitter that have used their specials. In short, it provides analytics and a means to communicate directly with customers. It costs absolutely nothing. And you can say “show your tweets” and giggle like a school boy.

Build Your Own App

There’s some price associated with this approach. How about develop your own iPhone or Android app for your store? If you want to cook a complicated points system into your loyalty program while maintaining smart phone coolness, then this is the way to go. You’re gonna have to find a smart phone developer and pay him handsomely. It’s an approach that’s not for the faint at heart, but could rank high on the awesomeness scale if pulled off the right way.

So to all you restaurant owners… understand that I have a loyalty program already in my pocket. It is just sitting there waiting for you to entice me. It’s also a tool I might use to give you free publicity. Use it!

Photo Credit: Jorge Quinteros