Henry’s Hard Soda
Ginger Ale
The first word that springs immediately to our mind is mild. Yes, we’d say this is mild and mostly pleasant. The sweetness hits first. It’s clearly present in that way that full sugar sodas tend to be. But, it’s not too overpowering. The light(incredibly mild, timid almost) flavor of sweet, candied ginger ale follows. There’s a very (VERY) light touch of ginger beer bite buried in that sweetness.
If you’re looking for a mild( again, emphasis on mild), sweet ginger ale with a barely there misting of alcohol, you’ll like this. The flavor is so fleeting, it’s impossible to hate.
Henry’s Hard Soda
Tipsy Pig BBQ
Tender, smoky, moist, and delicious….
…AGAIN
Every time, they’ve been well-worth the drive.
The smoked chicken wings with hot BBQ sauce on the side were divine, too.
Tipsy Pig BBQ
3020 Five Forks Trickum Road
Lilburn, GA 30047
770 885 5313
Camarones a la Parrilla
Gorgeously grilled chile-crusted shrimp, charred corn, guacamole,
pico de gallo, charred tomatillo salsa and chopped cilantro
Corn Masa Cakes, Too
This is easily the best dish we’ve ever been served at a Pure Taqueria. Is it the location? While we’ve only visited this location once, they do seem to have it all together. So, maybe, it is.
Burrito Americano Pollo
We’d definitely re-visit this location.
Pure Taqueria
405 Chambers Street
Woodstock, GA 30188
770 952 7873
Chaat Ka
Chaska Indian Street Food
Huge Murals…
…And, Food Carts Decorate The Space
Plain Dosa
(With Sambar (or, Sambhar) And Cilantro Chutney)
Samosa Chat
All of the flavors you crave from this dish are present. But, the spices lean a bit to the mild side. These moderately spiced versions of the dish allow you to taste all of the individual elements.
Incredibly generous serving sizes put a stop to our exploration of the menu on this visit. On our next visit, we plan to arrive on the verge of starving. We’re eager to explore the rest of their menu.
Masala Chai
The masala chai was a touch too creamy for our taste. Still, the tea was lovely.
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in the distance makes a unique view.
Chaat Ka
Chaska Indian Street Food & Sweets Of India
375 Rockbridge Road
Lilburn, GA 30047
678 585 4842
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
Hidden In The ‘Burbs
Everyone Is Welcome
Turkish limestone, Italian marble, and Indian pink sandstone become one huge work of art.
Beauty, peace, and tranquility lies within. No photography is allowed inside the mandir. Since this is a place of worship, that’s understandable. And, we’d say this carved monument deserves to be seen with your own eyes. 34,000 pieces of stone were hand carved to create this mammoth gem. It’s nothing short of breathtaking from top to bottom. Inside and out, this stone temple will overwhelm your senses. You’ll want to marvel at the countless carvings at your leisure.
Gughra
Don’t forget to exit through the gift shop. There’s an assortment of books, postcards, incense, and more. Most importantly, there’s a lovely collection of snacks! We left with one big container of gughra pastries, Shayona Hot Mix, and spiced cashews. The Shayona Hot Mix is a blend of deep fried dough pieces shaped into an assortment of thick and thin noodles, green peas, lentils, and peanuts spiced with red chili powder, black pepper, cumin, fenugreek, coriander, black salt, and a blend of other spices. The cashews are one of our all-time favorite snacks. For even more snacks, check out their nearby restaurant.
On this day, the gughra topped our favorites list.
What’s in there?
It’s a blend of white poppy seeds, coconut, cardamom, nutmeg, and sugar artfully hand wrapped in a tasty pastry shell.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
Collet’s Berry Eclair
Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries…
….and perfectly ripe blueberries overflow their crisp, airy shell.
Actually, all of the berries were perfectly ripe. Their tartness underlined the sweetness of the pastry cream in the best possible way. Who can resist a pastry that’s overflowing with berries?
This cafe jams a lovely little selection into their intimate space. The sweets and pastries are limited to one chilled case and a small selection on a nearby counter. A handful of tables dot the indoor space. This invites you to devour your purchases immediately.
Two outdoor tables allow you to enjoy this gorgeous weather. If we’re in the area, we’d be tempted to return and enjoy the day from one of those tables.
Collet French Pastry Bakery & Cafe
2225 Old Milton Parkway
Suite 100
Alpharetta, GA 30004
678 770 6066
Your Pie
Are you in the mood to be creative? Or, do you need a quick meal?
Build Your Own
For just under $8, you can. It’s super quick and easy.
Taste? It’s pretty darn “ok” with bonus points added into the speedy eats department.
You’re in and out in no time flat.
Your Pie
123 Perimeter Center West
Atlanta, GA 30346
470 336 7574
Historic Lawrenceville
It’s a charming little spot that can’t help encouraging you to wander.
Should we eat, then wander…. or wander, then eat?
Let’s eat! (With A View)
With a view like this, we can plan our wanderings. Scotland Yard Antiques gets added to the top of our list. That little spice shop on the right gets added to the bottom of the list for a fun and snack-filled last stop before the long drive home.
McCray’s Tavern
Just look at those deep, dark golden brown house-made chips!
Yes, we’d like a burger with our giant platter of chips. Topped with one fried egg, pimento cheese, beautifully browned bacon, lettuce and tomato, it’s food for a day (and a half).
Get a look at that bacon. It’s equally gorgeous and delicious.
Fried Chicken BLT
On a ridiculously fluffy slab of bread, this fried chicken BLT was a challenge to get it into our mouths. Don’t worry. Somehow, we found a way to manage.
Fries & A Dill Pickle Spear, Too
In the end, we were both after those dark golden chips. Still warm and brittle to a crisp, these chips will guarantee a return visit to McCray’s Tavern in the very near future.
McCray’s Tavern
100 North Perry Street
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
770 407 6754
Next time, we’ll plan our wandering ways with more care. On more than one Sunday visit, we forgot that Exhibit A(le) is closed on Sundays. Grr, Argh!
Note to self: We need to make a visit to Exhibit A(le) on a day other than a Sunday.
Exhibit A(le)
Dai Nam
From start to finish, we enjoyed every bite.
Tender Duck
Duck & Bamboo Noodle Soup
This was another divine bowl of soup at Dai Nam. From the thin rice noodles on the bottom of the bowl to the herbs on top, each element adds to the richness of the broth. Slivers of garlic fried to a deep golden brown, scallion slices, and chopped cilantro find their way into each spoonful.
Dai Nam exceeded our expectations, again.
House Favorites
Mi Quang
This rich broth transforms into something even greater when generous amounts of pork, shrimp, Vietnamese sausage, deep fried garlic, hard boiled egg slices and herbs find their way into the bowl. And, we haven’t even mentioned the noodles in Dai Nam’s Mi Quang.
These are Dai Nam’s House-Made Noodles.
Let’s say that again…
Dai Nam’s Mi Quang Is Served With House-Made Noodles.
Without a doubt, we’ll be back for more.
Period.
Dai Nam Vietnamese Restaurant
1210 Rockbridge Road
Suite H
Norcross, GA 30093
770 680 4987
Angry Whopper
Is it the angriest whopper, really? We hope not. That’d be sad.
Is it a bun? Or, is it play-doh?
The bun glows an unnatural shade of red. It’s denser than a standard whopper bun. But, it’s not that horrible… for a fast food burger. It’s just a frightening shade of red to use for a food that humans will consume.
We’re sure of one thing. That day-glo red bun won’t last. Edible, it’s not a word that we would use to describe that frightening color. Nope, it’s the opposite. Call us old fashioned, we prefer to eat food that looks edible.
We believe tales of this Whopper’s (“The Angriest Whopper”) spiciness are vastly overstated. We both thought that this burger hovered somewhere just over mildly spicy and merely teased somewhere on the outskirts of spicy territory.
It’s a whopper. You know where to find ’em.
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