Last night Mel and I were invited to a invitation only dinner at the new 3 Angels Diner, located at 2617 Broad Ave, and had one hell of a time. The diner is the new venture for Jason and Rebecca Severs, owners and operator of the Southeastern Italian fared Bari Ristorante e Enoteca. We have been friends with Jason and Becky for years, and have always been a huge fan of Jason's cooking. As a matter of fact, after an afternoon of joking around over beers and the turning of a pig on a spit, I accepted an apprenticeship in the kitchen under Jason's tutelage while I was working on my MFA. I went on to cook in his kitchen for years, and moved my painting studio above Bari to be closer the action, among other reasons. Chef Jason and I have worked with each other in every field from cooking, art, to radio, so I might be a bit biased. However, he has been able to keep many of his ideas on this project that he has been referring to as his new painting when talking to me. He has literally kept me out of the studio while he has been putting his solo show together, but I am brutally honest with him as well as everyone else I encounter. So here it goes.
3 Angels Diner is Chef Jason's take on all the foods outside of the Southeastern Italian based recipes that his Italian mother Rosa (who is from Bari) passed on to him while growing up. Jason is a southern boy at heart, having grown up in Atlanta and East Tennessee, so many of the items have a southern homey feel. The menu offered a bit of everything for everybody, and Jason is staying true to his healthier, fresh, no-nonsense style from the Kitchen at Bari. No extra added crap like butter or unnecessary secret drowning sauces were present on the selections, thank god. Rebecca has been a vegetarian since the day I met her, though she used to have Fish and Chips cravings when she was pregnant. Bearing this in mind Jason has produced a menu that is very veggie friendly, including well portioned salads, veggies of the day, soups, and sandwiches. Oh and just in case you have a fried fish craving too, Fried panco crusted grouper, tartar sauce, and coleslaw are available. The veggies last night included fried green tomatoes, mashed garlic potatoes, green beans, and my favorite a fresh cucumber rice vinegar salad (reminds me of summer at my mom's). Sandwiches on the menu include everything from steamed burgers to hot meat sandwiches. The diner also serves breakfast items including a good looking egg sandwich. Meat and twos are available with side changing based upon ingredient availability. Jason has even included a few of our favorite Mexican recipes passed down to him in the kitchen by a long time friend from south of the border. By the way, if you have sinus problems or a nasty hangover get a bowl of posole, a nice traditional Mexican pork, hominy, chile based soup with uplifting effects. Fried chicken, just like we used to eat in the back of Bari for Sunday Family Meal is on the menu. Jason is even offering up cold leftover pieces the next day at a discounted cost. I love cold fired chicken. Another highlight on the menu was the three cold salad plate featuring all your favorite grandma salads, tuna, egg, and pimento cheese served with crackers. Desserts were available but as I cleaned all the meat from my chicken bones I found myself full, but I did see one hell of a nice looking pineapple upside down cake.
So, what did you have Spillman? Well, I had a couple of pieces of chicken, some mash, and the cucumber salad. Mel had a tofu salad with sliced portabella mushrooms. I ate on hers as well. Its hard to get between me and my fried chicken, so Mel only got a sample taste of mine. Honestly, we had a great time and an awesome meal. I am proud to finally have a place like this in town, and as soon as the beer licensing is through, I will now have a choice of two places to swill a beer. This is going to be a good thing people, so get ready for a new tradition on Broad. Artists are deeply appreciated and welcome in the place, hell Jason's degree is in painting.
For those of you reading this blog, if you go by there after 11 a.m. starting today through the weekend the diner is secretly open. The official opening date is next week, but chef and his new crew are in there and they are cooking. Seriously, they are open to those who are in the know for the next couple of days, but by the beginning of next week you will have to compete with everyone after the opening is announced. The diner is still a work in progress over the next few days, and you might see myself and others running around hanging art and moving stuff around. Don't worry, you will not be in the way. Some menu items are still not present and some are being perfected.
So, go by and tell them Spillmanville sent ya!
(sorry, no special discount included).
Enjoy,
Spillmanville is finger licking good ya'll
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