Happy Noms

I went to Atlanta last weekend and was able to try a couple noms, although these eats were really casual and the short duration of the trip limited me from trying a lot of food. It should be noted, it was disappointing not to see gangstas roamin, nor parties that lasted until 8 in the mornin.

First thing to notice about ATL was that there are a lot of TREES! It’s like a giant city got smashed into half the forest, and then the city planners didn’t know what to do with the other half so they just let it be. Or maybe they liked trees and fresh air, I don’t know. In any case, I walked by a farmer’s market and bought a couple of pears, thinking they must’ve been plucked straight from the backyard. They were labeled “pineapple pears,” supposedly for the hints of pineapple in the fruit. These big ol’ugly pineapple pears did not taste like pineapple though, and it was overall quite a disappointment. Sorry Ms. Jackson, but these are not for real.

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This croissant, on the other hand, is for real. From Alon’s, it’s one of the best I’ve had in recent memory. The pictures of the Alon’s deli counter should show you how great this place is. The meats look well cooked and the crab cakes were a perfect golden hue – none of that stale brown mushy-looking stuff at most delis. The croissants are flaky, crunchy, and buttery – not as light and airy on the inside as I’d like, but I didn’t mind the denseness with everything else done so right. If you ever get the chance to grab one of these babies, tell the b*tch in front of you to move and get out the way.

I also got to take a tour of the Sweetwater brewery and it was fantastic! $10 for a tour, about 3 pints of beer, and you get to keep the glass! The IPAs are really fruity and complex, all I wanted the bartenders to do was to keep bring ’em out bring ’em out.

There was a Chick-Fil-A stop. I really wanted to experience this famous taste of homophobia and intolerance. I ate half a chicken sandwich, then with pain in my chest I wish this establishment the best with a Frack you.  It’s really no better than KFC/Popeyes, and certainly worse than Bon Chon. Not worth it, on to the next.

Last stop of my trip? (Hey) Yeah! Burger. Yeah!Burger is the culinary brainchild of Atlanta restaurateur (this word should really have an “n” before the “t”), Shaun Doty. Apparently he’s a big deal. What you can get, for about $11, is a decent burger and pretty good fries. The burger had a good sized patty (12oz!) and fresh condiments on a soft buttery bun. My minor quibble with the burger was that it was like Shake Shack, only the sauce was too thick and googey such that it created a gross sense of fullness/grease in your mouth. Sauce aside, it’s a great burger. And the fries were as they should be: crispy and salty.

I also got the opportunity to try BBQ at Pig n Chik but I forgot to take a picture because I was too hungry and simply submitted to my animalistic instinct to eat the pulled smoked chicken the minute I got my hands on it. It’s a clever name for a BBQ joint, although they do serve Brisket and I can’t imagine the heifers being too happy about being left out of the moniker. Still, the chicken was absolutely smokey and tender, a definite winner winner chicken dinner. God I hate Guy Fieri for making that phrase so mainstream.

Until next time!