The 6 best dishes we ate in June 2025

Beth s Best Dishes Cochinita pibil and al pastor tacos from Machete Taco Factory in Atlanta Photo by Beth McKibben Huevos motule os and tacos from Machete Grill Taco Factory Shallowford Road AtlantaPublished in the June Family Meal newsletter Located in the Publix shopping center off of Shallowford Road Machete Grill Taco Factory might easily be overlooked sitting beside a hair salon and a UPS store The compact Mexican restaurant opened earlier this year in what was Ms Ruby s Peach Cobbler Cafe Walking in you re greeted by friendly staff who have you grab a seat and promptly deliver a menu along with a basket of fresh tortilla chips and salsa On this particular Saturday afternoon margaritas were and a taco brunch was on my mind Plans hurriedly changed however when I saw that Machete Grill served huevos motule os a traditional breakfast dish from the Yucatan I had yet to try in Atlanta Think souped-up huevos rancheros which sees two fried tortillas layered with refried beans chunks of ham peas salsa and queso fresco topped with a fried egg and served with fried plantains We also ordered an al pastor taco highly recommend and a cochinita pibil taco equally recommend which come with salsa verde and salsa roja While tacos cost each the bulk days on Tuesdays that price drops to each Biryani hot wings fuchka butter chicken Chicken and naan from Al-Falah Restaurant Photo by Beth McKibben Tandoori hot wings and naan from Al-Falah Supermarket and Restaurant Buford Hwy ChambleePublished in the June Family Meal newsletter Located on Buford Highway in Chamblee Al-Falah Supermarket and Restaurant resides next door to the bustling City Farmers Realm complex home to popular restaurants like Best BBQ Dish Korean and Food Terminal The family-owned establishment took over the Miller s Music and Pawn Shop space last year The restaurant side of the business serves halal Bangladeshi dishes including shorshe ilish hilsa fish in a spicy mustard sauce moglai parata flat pastry stuffed with eggs savory minced meat and spices and fuchka a mixture of white peas potatoes and suji spiced with tamarind and chaat masala used to fill panipuri We ordered fuchka tandoori hot wings butter chicken chicken biryani and a trio of super fluffy butter garlic and peshwari naan The latter is laced with coconut sultanas and almonds lending a subtle sweetness to the flatbread The peshwari naan was my serving implement for scooping up heaps of rice and butter chicken and then sopping up remnants of the creamy tomato gravy left on the plate The greater part surprising however were Al-Falah s tandoori hot wings grilled crispy in a tandoori oven Served with a sweet and sour sauce I couldn t stop dipping the garlic naan in it after we finished off the wings The whole meal which easily fed four people came in just under There were also plenty of leftovers At lunch I hear there s even a buffet for around per person Say less I m there Al-Falah is now on heavy rotation in my household Pesto spaghetti from Nonna Dora in Sandy Springs Via Nonna Dora Facebook Pesto Pasta from Nonna Dora Hammond Dr Sandy SpringsPublished in the June Family Meal newsletter To me pesto is the underrated hero of Italian sauces It s fresh bright and herbaceous and the perfect springtime or summertime sauce to toss in your favorite pasta especially if you incorporate seasonal vegetables like greens beans peas or tomatoes Originating from the Genoa region along the northwest coast of Italy the traditional ingredient base for pesto includes basil leaves garlic pine nuts olive oil and a tangy hard cheese such as Parmesan Unlike vodka sauce or carbonara the texture of pesto tends to be unevenly blended giving it a chunkier more paste-like consistency rather than smooth and creamy Over-blending can make pesto taste bitter leading to the sauce losing its signature fresh herbaceous flavor profile Located on Hammond Drive in the Publix shopping center Nonna Dora Grandma Dora has its savory Pesto alla Genovese on lock The petite family-owned Italian restaurant took over the space formerly occupied by Buon Fornello Cafe another super low-key Italian restaurant once popular at the complex Slightly al dente spaghetti comes tossed in pesto speckled with ground pine nuts and basil leaves given a bit of crunch from crispy string beans Nonna Dora opts for Grana Padano rather than Parmesan a crumbly cheese with a robust bite buttery texture and nutty flavor For this pesto pasta easily fed two people We also added a Diavola pinsa oblong-shaped Roman flatbread topped with mozzarella and spicy salami for Paired with a full-bodied ros or chillable summer red this pesto is a chef s kiss More Best Dishes from May April March February January Sarra s Best Dishes Two grilled chicken enchiladas from CT Cantina in Dunwoody Via CT Cantina Taqueria Facebook Enchiladas from CT Cantina Taqueria Perimeter Center Pkwy Dunwoody I don t know how else to say this maybe it s because the cocktails at CT Cantina in Dunwoody are potent but sometimes you re just craving a floppy enchilada CT Cantina s house-made tortillas which are revealed everywhere from the main dishes to baskets of chips make an ideal foundation here particularly when partnered with the filling of your choice fresh queso salsa verde and an enthusiastic helping of sour cream The texture even held up after the leftovers were reheated at home I tried the grilled chicken enchiladas but CT Cantina also offers smoked barbacoa al pastor grilled salmon vegetables and even potatoes Smoked duck breast braised chard and a buckwheat waffle from Beksa Lala Photo by Sarra Sedghi Southern Krakow duck from Beksa LalaPolish pop-up various locations More than a year and a half in Polish pop-up Beksa Lala still finds avenues to surprise diners like me Take June s Monday residency at Tio Lucho s for example my personal favorite on the menu was the Southern Krakow duck a smoked breast that somehow tastes like sausage atop a mild buckwheat waffle served with fenugreek whip bilberry syrup and braised chard The tart bilberry syrup plays up the savory notes elsewhere in the dish so go ahead and pour it over everything For those curious it also pairs well with the kielbasa and the country rye bread Strawberries and cream cake from Your Dekalb Farmers Field Photo by Sarra Sedghi Strawberries and cream cake from Your Dekalb Farmers Region YDFM E Ponce de Leon Ave Decatur On my majority latest YDFM run I impulsively picked up a pre-made cake for my Babajoon s father birthday dinner I chose the simple strawberries and cream cake to reflect my Persian family s international tastes and it was the correct call The cake itself was effervescent spongy and minimally sweet and perfectly complemented by the whipped cream and top layer of strawberry segments an excellent ending to a kebab-heavy dinner celebrating with family The post The best dishes we ate in June appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta