Omnivore - Eating without an agenda

• Cliff Bostock
• Wayne at Daddy D’z displaying murderous fingers

Wayne and I took a few of our much coveted “freedom from food days” during the Memorial Day holiday. Those are days when we don’t have to eat with reviewing in mind. We can skip eating altogether or we can eat cheese and peaches.

I did get a few good meals in, though. Memorial Day is a barbecue holiday and I hit Daddy D’z one night after 10 p.m. I hadn’t visited the Grant Park favorite in quite a while and found it as good as ever. I ordered the crispy-skinned barbecued chicken with blackeyed peas, collards and the sweet cornbread that I always eat like dessert.

I also got a sample of the sweet potatoes and the new beef ribs — meaty, slightly chewy and spicy. I still prefer pork ribs, but give them a try.

Susan and Will, longtime employees there, continue to provide excellent service, even when Ron, the owner, is chilling on his new yacht....

We returned to One Eared Stag for another dinner and it was just as good as my earlier one. The standout was a shared entree of pork milanese with a wonderful piperade. A fried egg topped the dish. I don’t really get the current fetish for fried eggs and this one, a bit overcooked, didn’t add much.

I’ll be writing a first look of the restaurant later this week. In the meantime, please check out Broderick Smylie’s fantastic pictures and commentary....

Two — that’s dos — new cantinas have opened: Big Tex Cantina opened over the weekend in Decatur. The new restaurant by the Fox Bros. guys features “Texas comfort food.” Also check out Broderick’s pictures of the festive new spot....

I still haven’t made it to Riccardo Ullio’s new cantina, Escorpion, at the corner of Peachtree and 5th streets. Friends report good food and mentioned that the restaurant is polling customers for their opinions, apparently before settling on a definitive menu.