Each Friday, this list will track five of the best things Heavy Table’s writers, editors, and photographers have recently bitten or sipped. Have a suggestion for the Hot Five? Email editor@heavytable.com.
The Hot Five is a weekly feature created by the Heavy Table and supported by Shepherd Song Farm.
Smoked Whitefish Tartine at Cafe Alma
In a city that is (in this writer’s opinion) woefully short on fishy breakfast delights, the Smoked Whitefish Tartine at Cafe Alma ($10) is a sleeper hit on a daily breakfast menu that has a lot to offer. Perched atop a slice of Alma’s sturdy house loaf is a gently fried egg and a generous schmear of smoky, herby whitefish salad shot through with whole-grain mustard — all of it prettily garnished with a handful of cool, crisp shaved veggies. Get the velvety egg yolk involved, and you’ll walk away happy that such a thoughtfully executed and refined dish is available every morning for so little money.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Peter Sieve]
Homemade Jerk Chicken
Properly made jerk chicken is kind of a production. It involves splitting a whole chicken (we used one from Kadejan), an overnight habanero and herbal marinade, 24-hour-soaked bay leaves and allspice grains (for smoking over the coals), and a carefully built and maintained charcoal fire. Is the effort worth it? Unequivocally, yes. It’s got a beautiful heat and char, and a full, rich flavor, with a nice textural contrast between the crispy blackened exterior and the tender meat. Since making it (using an excellent Serious Eats recipe), it has been reincarnated as two lunches: wrapped up in an Al Amir Iraqi flatbread; and served on a bed of coconut-cream-infused red beans and rice. And we’re looking forward to having it for lunch again, today.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by James Norton]
Sour Soup at Kolap
The sour soup at the increasingly and rightfully celebrated Cambodian hole-in-the-wall Kolap may be one of the best soups in the state. It’s got lovely sour kick, but that note is supported by deep, layered herbal flavor, crisp veggies, and properly cooked shrimp. Stellar!
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted from an Instagram post by James Norton]
Sea Snails with a Nettle Emulsion at Tullibee
Snails, like mussels, are really just a show-offy excuse to eat more butter. Add nettles, and you can almost pretend you’ve ordered a salad. One bite and you know better: This is a creamy pool of risotto that’s more butter than rice, with a generous layer of electric green nettle puree (more butter) and tiny, briny forkfuls of snail throughout. Tullibee’s menu changes daily, inspired by what the butcher likes the look of. If you see the snails, you know what to do.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #2 | Submitted by Tricia Cornell]
Cake Doughnuts from Franke’s Bakery
As much as I love some of the more exotic doughnut offerings around town — I’m talking about you, Glam Doll — sometimes I crave simple. And then it’s the humble Plain Cake Doughnut from Franke’s Bakery in Montgomery that fits the bill. Small, unpretentious, lightly sweet; slightly crispy exterior and a light, melty interior; kind of like a hug from Grandma. Perfect for dunking.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by James Norton]
The jerk chicken really was worth the fussy procedure, thanks for the tip!