“The Move” is your guide to the top food finds from Senior Editor Beth McKibben, who oversees restaurant and dining coverage at Rough Draft. The guide appears first in our weekly Side Dish dining newsletter. Subscribe for free to Side Dish to get the latest restaurant intel and scoops and to be the first to know where she’s been eating around Atlanta each week. Side Dish drops every Thursday at noon, just in time for lunch.
Springfield BBQ Co.
Metro Atlanta
I began following Springfield BBQ Co. on Instagram a couple of months ago, drawn in by photos of trays of smoked meats, mac and cheese, and black-eyed pea gumbo complemented by bright pops of color from pickled red onions, kimchi, and smoked shrimp salad.
The roving barbecue pop-up, run by Chef Mark Springfield, can often be found at area breweries like Variant Brewing Co. on Norcross Street in Roswell and Little Cottage Brewery on Olive Street in Avondale Estates. His culinary resume includes stints at Table & Main (now a Michelin Bib Gourmand) and neighboring Osteria Mattone in Roswell and DAS BBQ in Atlanta. Springfield has also collaborated with other popular barbecue pop-ups and pitmasters like Brian Keenan of Keenan’s Pit Bar-B-Q.
I recently stopped by Variant Brewing for a beer and barbecue from Springfield, who was popping up in the parking lot beside the taproom. I ordered a meat-and-two tray of pulled pork, caramelized onions and blue cheese sausage, the aforementioned gumbo, and smoked gouda mac and cheese. He threw in some brisket for good measure. The tray comes with both vinegary red sauce and mustard sauce. The latter paired perfectly with the funky tang provided by the blue cheese in the sausage. But I’m all in on Springfield’s red vinegar sauce.
There’s a reason why Springfield BBQ sold out less than two hours after opening. That brisket and sausage were worth the drive from Atlanta to Roswell alone. And for $28, the tray was a bargain for two people.
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Dil Bahar
5825 Glenridge Drive, Sandy Springs
Pakistani bakery-cafe Dil Bahar temporarily closed in Norcross but opened a location in Sandy Springs, and I’m thrilled to have it closer to my home. I’m now within the UberEats delivery zone!
In Norcross, I happily ordered savory chaat of kachori, samosas filled with spicy shredded chicken, or Masala fries with a mango lassi. For dessert, it was always a cup of Dil Bahar’s famous chai and treats like shahi tukray (saffron and cardamom-infused bread pudding).
You’re likely already familiar with owners Azhar and Farah Mehmood, who operate catering company Zafran Kitchen and founded Pakistani restaurant and banquet hall Mughals in 1994. But Dil Bahar is where you feel like you’ve been invited into their home, including being serenaded on occasion by musician Azhar while dining.
I ordered a duo of aloo paratha (herby spiced potato-filled flatbread served with red ginger chutney and raita) and chicken tikka masala. I love Dil Bahar’s tikka masala. It packs some heat.
Scooping up fragrant basmati rice drenched in masala sauce, rice kernels cling to tender chunks of chicken. The signature warm spices of the dish hit the palate first. It’s a satisfying and familiar blend of cracked pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. Then, the subtle slow burn of red chilies creeps in before quickly melting away. I like sopping up leftover masala sauce with pieces of aloo paratha dipped in red ginger chutney.
The entire meal, easily shared between two or three people, came to around $57, with a dozen frozen chicken samosas adding another $15 to the bill.
La Calavera Pizza
1696 Memorial Drive, Kirkwood
Longtime followers of La Calavera need no introduction to this Kirkwood pizzeria, or its owners, Eric Arillo and Dale Ralston. The couple founded La Calavera as a Mexican panadería over a decade ago, popping up at local farmers markets around Atlanta. Their cottage bakery became known for Mexican sweet breads like conchas and Arillo’s sprouted and long-fermented super sourdough.
Arillo and Ralston went on to open a permanent location of the bakery in 2014 on East College Avenue in Decatur. Five years later, they relocated La Calavera to its present location on Memorial Drive. There they’ve faced threats of closure due to the sale of the property and eventually transformed La Calavera from panadería into a popular neighborhood pizza joint.
Born in Huecorio, Mexico, Arillo moved to Atlanta as a child with his family. After working in Atlanta restaurants for years, and completing a culinary program back in Mexico, Arillo began baking professionally. His sourdough now serves as the crusts for pizzas offered at La Calavera, including a choice of classic white sourdough and whole wheat sourdough. There’s also a gluten-free crust available.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: what separates a good pizza from a great pizza is the crust. Carefully caring for and maintaining a happy sourdough starter isn’t for the faint of heart. And using premium quality flour, the right amount of water, and gauging when and how often to fold your sourdough matters, too.
Arillo knows his sourdough.
My favorite pizzas at La Calavera are hands down the birria red sauce pie topped with mozzarella, Guajillo braised brisket, red onions, cilantro, red chili sauce, and the Hola, Aloha topped with red sauce, mozzarella, Mexican chorizo, pineapple, red onions, and pickled jalapeños. I enjoy the interplay of savory flavors and sweet heat.
Pizzas range from $25 to $35 and feed four people (two slices each). You can order for takeout or delivery.
