The best dishes we ate in October 2025

Beth s Best Dishes Patatas bravas from La Metro at Ponce City Sphere Photo by Beth McKibben Patatas bravas at La MetroPonce City MarketPublished in the Oct Family Meal newsletter Resembling thinly sliced steak fries La Metro s patatas bravas are seasoned with garlic salt smoked paprika and fresh parsley The potatoes are parboiled and then hit the fryer just long enough to crisp the outside leaving the flesh inside tender and fluffy While the patatas bravas are good on their own it s the addition of a spicy tomato dipping sauce that gives these Spanish fries an edge If you re not a fan of ketchup but dig romesco or gochujang La Metro s spicy tomato dipping sauce has your back Pro tip A whole bucket of rotisserie chicken from La Metro s online takeout and delivery sibling Chicken Papas includes fries with dipping sauce one side get the dirty green beans and focaccia It costs around A cream tea from Zen Tea in Chamblee Provided by Zen Tea Cream tea at Zen TeaChambleePublished in the Oct Family Meal newsletter When I need to unwind with a cup of tea not in my house I invariably end up at Zen Tea in Chamblee Here I can sip tea and indulge in a scone or two while quietly reading or working Tea houses like Zen are nice alternatives to coffee shops which sometimes are too noisy and distracting At Zen I can pop in for a cup of almond oolong or White Silk Earl Grey and a scone without much trouble Better still Zen Tea is an easy walk from the Chamblee MARTA station But the real move at Zen is the tea and cream for one which comes with a -ounce pot of tea and three seasonal scones accompanied by lemon curd preserves honey and fresh clotted cream For scones I m club cream on bottom jam or lemon curd on top With more than teas to choose from at Zen it can feel overwhelming But don t fret Zen staff members are happy to answer questions and the menu breaks down teas into categories including specific blends and decaf versus caffeinated Take note the greater part of the seating is outside on the covered patio The turkey Reuben from Spiller Park Coffee-South Downtown Photo by Beth McKibben The Reuben at Spiller Park CoffeeSouth DowntownPublished in the Oct Family Meal newsletter When Dale Donchey opened the South Downtown location of Spiller Park Coffee last year he needed the menu to include at least one deli sandwich At this location Donchey s fourth in the city the sandwich menu will eventually expand catering to the Capitol and justice center crowds as well as to people attending games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium across the bridge While Donchey has yet to expand beyond one sandwich the Reuben on offer here is worth the trek to the Mitchell Street coffee shop which is now open on Saturdays Served on buttered rye bread you can order the Reuben with either pastrami or turkey It comes dressed with Swiss cheese sauerkraut and a generous spread of zingy yellow mustard before being slapped on the griddle to toast up I opted for turkey think tangy turkey grilled cheese in the best way viable Sarra s Best Dishes Guajillo coconut salmon with miso-roasted kabocha squash and orange-glazed carrot Photo by Sarra Sedghi Salmon at Danbi Seasonal KitchenBrookhaven Do you ever get blown away by a restaurant even though you already know it s good That s how I felt when I visited Danbi with a friend earlier this month Don t let the Brookhaven spot s fast-casual atmosphere fool you everything except the cookies are made to order and right away delivered to your table This is the type of salmon you want from a restaurant appropriately flavored with a slight bit of medium-rare heat that lets the flesh fall apart in your mouth The accompanying vegetables were all solid I ate all of them with my favorite being the miso-glazed kabocha squash which boasted a rich fermented flavor I haven t experienced since I visited Japan six years ago View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nonna Dora nonnadoraatl Chicken ravioli at Nonna DoraSandy Springs I don t make the rules sometimes you just need Italian comfort food delivered to your door I used my quarterly Uber Eats splurge to try Nonna Dora and ordered the chicken ravioli to get a protein and carbohydrate fix and added shrimp and capers a natural fit to the dish The upshot is a hearty pasta meal that isn t overwhelming Also the creamy Parmigiano sauce is so good you can and should eat it with a spoon like soup Carrot cake from At Heart Panaderia Photo by Sarra Sedghi Carrot cake from At Heart PanaderiaVarious pop-up locations The universe works in mysterious techniques I caught a glimpse online of what ended up being Teresa Finney s final cake for Communidad in the Old Fourth Ward and instantly packed my laptop in a bag and drove to the Highland Avenue taqueria The journey and wrecking my sugar pause were absolutely worth it That carrot cake was pure artistry incorporating flavors I d never think to pair with carrot cake s profile like salted caramel and orange cream And because I am a good wife I brought another slice home for my carrot cake-loving husband Finney and At Heart may be flying solo again but given her cakes cookies and conchas I m nothing but confident for her future in Atlanta The post The best dishes we ate in October appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta