Review Atlanta

Bacon Wrapped Crust Deep Dish

Little Caesar’s
Bacon Wrapped Crust Deep Deep Dish

We’ll admit this right up front. We bought this freak show of a pizza with the sole intention of making much fun of it. But, for a fast food pizza (Let me repeat this part. This is for comparison to fast food pizzas only.), it didn’t suck. Did you know that you could walk into Little Caesars and walk out with a pizza in about a minute? We did not know this. This pizza was fresh-out-of-the-oven hot. And, we were out the door in less than 5 minutes total. Seriously, we paid our $12 and walked away with a pizza (Actually, for the $12 bacon wrapped crust special, there are two pizzas with four pieces each) in about 2 minutes. To err on the high side, let’s say 3 minutes. This was a first for us. This was fast food that was actually fast.

Crispy Bacon On The Side

Since it’s wrapped all the way around the crust with bacon, the bacon got VERY crispy. That super crisp bacon was actually much tastier than we expected it to be. And, it was easily our favorite part of the Little Caesars pizza experience.

Lots Of Pepperoni, Bacon, & Cheese

Low fat, this pizza is not.

So, yeah, it was more than a little bit salty and quite greasy. But, it wasn’t horrible. And, 2 pieces made a ridiculously hearty meal. We’d probably choose this over a bunch of other fast food… in a fast food emergency situation.

Little Caesars

Memphis BBQ Co.

Memphis BBQ Co.

Complimentary Table Bites

We were given a small mountain of these super crispy and delicately airy rinds with a touch of Memphis BBQ’s sweet and mildly spiced rub. A blink or two later, there were four broken pieces and an empty basket. We could have made a meal out of these. (And, we thought we didn’t really like pork rinds.)

Pitmaster Sampler
(With Dry Rub Baby Back Ribs, Brisket, & Pulled Pork)

The brisket was meltingly tender and powerfully beefy.

And, this is the other side of the plate.

That’s some seriously gorgeous dry rub barbecue.

And, it’s incredibly tasty, too. The spare ribs were out of this world. Smoky, a nice edge of dry rub and so tender tender, we loved these ribs.

The pulled pork wasn’t our favorite thing on the plate. But, it was still quite nice. Yes, it was moist, tender and smoky. Next to the near perfection of the brisket and baby back ribs, the pork got neglected.

Dry Rub Spare Ribs
(With BBQ Spaghetti And Mac & Cheese)

Tasty Cornbread, Too

Mugshot IPA
(Jailhouse Brewing Co.)

Mugshot IPA — Nice hops (but, not too hoppy) with a fresh bite of tingly citrus.

Next time, we’ll be skipping the mac & cheese. Make no mistake, there will most definitely be a next time. This was one fabulous meal of barbecued meats.

The brisket, baby backs and spare ribs were all stellar. For a side, the turnip greens were a real standout, too. (And, we had leftovers for days.)

Memphis BBQ Co.
4764 Ashford-Dunwoody Road
Dunwoody, GA 30338
770 394 7427

East 48th Street Market — Italian Beef

East 48th Street Market’s Italian Beef
(The #26)

Since our very first visit, we’ve loved East 48th Street Market. Today, it’s just as great as it ever was. As a matter of fact, we probably love it even more today. It’s a seriously sentimental all-time favorite.

Italian Beef

It’s very generously stuffed with thinly sliced beef.

With Hot Giardinera And Dip On The Side

We love the hot giardinera (There’s a mild option, too. But, we only have eyes for the hot.) on the side. We can add hot peppers to our taste and nibble up the remaining few with the crispy, flaky heel at the end.

The #23 Hero

The #26
Portabello Mushroom, Mozarella, Roasted Peppers,
Tomato, Basil, & House Vinaigrette

S.Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa
(Blood Orange Juice And Sparkling Soda)

We love every little thing about this place. As always, it was warm, comfy and cozy on this cold winter’s day. It just feels like home.

East 48th Street Market
(E48thStreetMarket.com)
2462 Jett Ferry Road
Atlanta, GA 30338
770 392 1499

Death & Co.

Death & Co
Modern Classic Cocktails
By David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald, & Alex Day

Illustrations by Tim Tomkinson
Photographs by William Hereford

There’s so much to love about this book. Food and drink both taste better when you know the story that comes with each of them. This book genuinely does just that. There’s a splash of history. (History about the drinks and the bar are in there. Would you like a peek at a day in the life of a Death & Co bartender? It’s in there.) And, a world of specifics. Would you like to take a peek? Or, a taste? Or, in this case, how about a sip?

This work of art tops our must taste list:

Oaxaca Old Fashioned
Phil Ward

1 1/2 ounces El Tesoro Reposada Tequila
1/2 ounce Del Maguey San Luis Del Rio Mezcal
1 teaspoon agave nectar
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
orange twist, garnish

Stir all ingredients over ice. Then, strain into coupe glass. Flame orange twist. Then, drop it into the glass.

Cheers!

(For the history behind this drink. Grab your own copy. You won’t regret it.)

This bible of cocktails will have you eager to try each and every one of the 500+ beautifully constructed classics and modern classics…

The Brooklyn

The Sangria Swizzle
Thomas Waugh, 2009

Heart-Shaped Box
Brad Farran, 2013

Death + Co

Still hungry for more?

Check out this insightful documentary on bartending:

Hey Bartender
(2013)

Grub Burger Bar

Grub Burger Bar

Voodoo Burger

Absinthe mushrooms top this burger along with swiss cheese and Tabasco mayo. We immediately broke into a discussion about the possibility of a perfect grilled cheese topped with those fabulous absinthe mushrooms. This was a good burger topped with incredibly memorable mushrooms.

The menu states that all burgers are cooked to a juicy medium well. But, they will cook to your preference. We requested medium rare. This burger was quite close to that. Good beefy flavor, but, it was a bit too fat rich. A meltingly tender beef patty was the result. So, we might be willing to take the good with the bad.

Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

Crispy outside, tender and sweet inside… that’s everything a sweet potato fry should be. But, these were very heavily salted for our taste.

The Guacapotle

We requested medium rare for both burgers. This one arrived to our table cooked closer to medium well. But, that rich fat content kept the burger juicy. Still tasty, but we would have preferred medium rare.

Onion Rings

Super crisp and very VERY heavily breaded, we’ll be sticking to the sweet potato fries on our next visit. This was breading overkill.

Crawfish Pistolettes… that will surely tempt a return visit.

Ghost Burger…. maybe next time, too.

We had to flip a coin to decide between the Bourbon & Caramel and the Nutella milkshake.

Nutella won. This was a very fluffy shake with loads of whipped cream. We’d guess that it was at least 50 percent whipped cream. And, it was still quite tasty. But, that’s just too much whipped cream for both of us. Hopefully, this was a fluke.

Grub Burger Bar
2470 Briarcliff Road
Suite 47
Atlanta, GA 30329
678 254 0930

Red Velvet Oreo

Limited Edition Red Velvet Oreos

We confess. Oreos are one of an extremely short list of packaged cookies that we will buy at the grocery store. Yes, it’s definitely a very rare occasion… maybe once or twice a year we’ll buy a package. Sometimes, we just can’t resist them. But, we just don’t make a habit of it. Oreos and ice cold milk are a guilty pleasure of ours. Oreos and strong mug of coffee work for us, too. Some might be deterred by the words “ARTIFICIALLY FLAVORED” blaring unapologetically across the top corner. Or, maybe the smaller print stating “flavored creme” under the words cream cheese might give you pause. But, no not us. We will not be dissuaded. We like Oreos. We really do. And, these two packages are coming home with us. Two cookies weigh in at 140 calories. They’re a guilty pleasure… a very rare occasional indulgence.

These packages are smaller than the regular Oreos. Each package contains 21 Oreos. And, when you crack open this package the scent of something reminiscent of cream cheese frosting hits your nose. Eaten as a whole, the cookie is quite nice. It tastes a bit like a significantly sweeter Oreo with a milder crisp chocolate cookie and a super sweet butter-y and more vanilla rich cream. If you’ve ever tasted cream cheese frosting out of the plastic tubs sold near the cake mixes (Bleh, cue shiver.), it’s a bit like that… but slightly better. There’s a delicate tang. Then, there’s that inevitable and unmistakable processed aftertaste. The fault of a large dose of fat? Probably. But, paired with the slightly bittersweet chocolate cookie, it’s not that bad. The crispy reddish brown chocolate cookie is very tasty without the cream. While eating our second cookie, we scraped the cream out. Mmm… much better. The crispy cookie is always the best part of an Oreo anyway.

Better than the original? Never!

Would we buy them again? Maybe. We would have to be craving an original Oreo. And, the original Oreos would have to be sold out.

JR’s Log House

Cornbread

Again, quite nice. It’s dense (but not too dense), delicate and crumbly.

Fried Catfish, Okra, & Collards

Again, its served piping hot straight out of the fryer. Every time we’ve entered JR’s thinking, “Eh, I’m just not crazy about catfish.” But, we leave saying, “That was really good.” And, that goes for both of us.

Smoked Turkey Salad

It’s a very simple salad of chopped romaine, smoked turkey breast, shredded cheese (We’re guessing that it’s white American cheese. We’ve never asked.), and about six dill pickle slices. The smoked turkey breast is clearly chopped just before serving. It’s moist and tender with a nice touch of smoke. This is old school diner meets the smokehouse. The charm of that is almost irresistible.

JR’s Log House
6601 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Peachtree Corners, GA 30092
770 449 6426

Penang

Sambal Petal

Tender Shrimp, Green Beans, Red Pepper, And Onions Sautéed In A Richly Flavored Sauce (With Mild Heat) With Shrimp Paste

We love this dish. It’s an all-time favorite.

Penang Atlanta’s Assam Laksa

Spicy Hot, Sour, & Savory

This bowl was filled right to the brim. Piping hot, spicy lemongrass broth will soothe you with it’s bright warmth. And, a multitude of powerful flavors will jolt your taste buds to vivid attention.

To quote Grosse Pointe Blank:

“It’s a swift, spiritual kick to the head that alters your reality forever.”

– Debi Newberry

Isn’t that exactly what you’re craving on a wickedly cold winter day like today?

Penang Atlanta
4897 Buford Highway
Suite #113
Chamblee, GA 30341
770 220 0308

Wild Heaven — Eschaton

Wild Heaven Craft Beers
Eschaton
(Belgian Style Quadruple Ale)

Rich dark caramel-y malt, complex dark fruits, dried cherries, pleasantly sweet vanilla oak, it’s packed full of lovely layers of flavor that come together in a unique way.

We loved our first taste of Wild Heaven’s Eschaton. And, we’re still loving it today.

Wild Heaven Craft Beers

Whole Foods
(We found ours at Whole Food’s Briarcliff location.)

Southbound

Wood Grilled Salmon With Black Trumpet Mushrooms…

Fregula, Fennel Fronds, Pickled Peppers & Celeriac Puree

Touched with smoke and gorgeously tender, this divine piece of salmon was a delight topping buttery, toasty fregula. But, the deep dark woodsy appeal of those beautiful black trumpet mushrooms deserve equal attention. This was a heavenly rich meal on a cold winter day.