Review: The Flying Biscuit Cafe

It is my new secret ambition to be a food critic. Actually, it's no longer a secret ambition: my new ambition is to be a food critic. When you think about it, there are very few better jobs. Job description:

• Go to fancy restaurants; eat for free
• Decide if you liked the food or not
• Write it down

That's it! Perfect job. You basically just eat and write! Also, I believe that I have a fairly discerning palette. This doesn't mean that I only like expensive restaurants, but I have very little tolerance for middle-of-the-road culinary fakery. For instance, I avoid places like The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's, etc. at all costs because: one, the food isn't great, two, if I'm going to get mediocre food, I'd rather do it at Quizno's and not feel like I'm getting ripped off. So, those are my credentials. Here is my review.

THE FLYING BISCUIT CAFE

Basically, The Flying Biscuit Cafe is a breakfast-all-day place. The original restaurant was in Atlanta, but it has expanded to multiple locations, including the one here in Cameron Village. I trust in your Google proficiency and will therefore eschew any further introduction of the restaurant. Let's talk about the food.

THE FOOD
Rochelle ordered the fried green tomato BLT, with a side order of "moon dust" potatoes (I am not making that unfortunate name up). I had the Egg-ceptional - two eggs (I had mine over-medium) served over two black bean cakes and garnished with feta cheese, a tomatillo sauce, and sour cream, with grits and the famous flying biscuit as sides.

The BLT was good. If you've never had a fried green tomato, it is tangier than a normal tomato, but this tanginess was complimented by the pecan-jalapeno garnish and was, overall, a simple, tasty take on the BLT. Her potatoes, on the other hand, were fairly disappointing. The "moon dust" potatoes had a lot of potential. Who doesn't like roasted potato cubes? The seasoning was fine - about what you'd expect, salty with some rosemary - but the cubes were too small. Am I being picky? No. See, a larger cube can withstand more cooking, allowing the inside to stay moist while the outside becomes crisp and toasted. These cubes were stranded between roasted potatoes and home-fries and just ended up being limp on the exterior and dry in the middle.

My meal, on the other had was quite good. Anyone who is familiar with Mexican cuisine (if the restaurant has combos 1-25 listed on the menu, it's probably not authentic Mexican cuisine) will be familiar with my meal. Fried eggs, beans, cream, and tomatillo sauce - classic and tasty. The primary difference between my meal and the Mexican dish is that this one wasn't spicy at all. The grits turned out to be the highlight of the meal for me. They were nicely textured, creamy, and perfectly seasoned. The biscuit, I was surprised, wasn't exceptional. It was one of the better biscuits I've had in a restaurant, but it was a little denser than I would have liked. My ideal biscuit is light and flaky with a slight buttery flavor, and this biscuit, while good, was not quite there.

THE PRICE
It was reasonably priced. Prices on the breakfast-all-day menu ranged from $5 -$10. Some of the dinner-style entrees were a bit more, but I would say that $10 per person is a reasonable estimate of what you'll pay.

THE RECOMMENDATION

• Can't Miss
• **Good Bet**
• I'll Pass
• Don't Go There
  

THE LAST WORD
Reasonably priced and tasty, I would go back, although next time, I think I'll try the french toast.

Been to The Flying Biscuit Cafe? Have an opinion? Think you'll try it? Leave your comments below.