Sweet Potato Fries, Vanilla Ice Cream & Caramel Sauce
(AKA Sweet Vanilla Haystack)
Did you ever dip french fries in a vanilla milkshake in high school? This is better. The sweet potato fries were perfectly crisp and drizzled with caramel sauce. We both simultaneously commented that we would have been happy with the caramel drizzled sweet potato fries. The ice cream was an added indulgence. Trashy bar food? Yes, but, sometimes we’re in the mood for something a little trashy.
Fried Scallops, Shrimp, Clam Strips, Fish Fingers, & Hush Puppies
This was a solid plate of fried bar food for the price… even if the scallops were a bit overcooked.
Fish & Chips
Another plate of fried fish… also, nicely done. We don’t even feel guilty. After spending nine hours in the blistering heat, we eagerly gobbled up almost every bite.
Miller’s Ale House
10750 Davis Drive
Alpharetta, GA 30004
678 277 2581
Fried Honey Chicken on Brown Rice
Normally, we pride ourselves on our ability to focus on the positive. We’re two “glass half full” types. (most of the time) Why focus on the negative when there is so much good food to be eaten? Well, this meal was so ridiculously bad that we never want to forget it… or accidently order it again. Ever.
This “lunch” was approximately $9. We received 6 small nuggets of chicken coated in excessively heavy breading… and a bowl of flavorless brown rice. There was no sauce for this unseasoned rice… and, not so much as a single floret of broccoli or sprig of parsley to garnish the plate.
Where did we stumble upon this remarkably bad meal? Well, the restaurant’s name starts with a P. & an F.
Homemade BBQ-grilled Burger on Mini Ciabatta
Another visit to Alon’s… and we made another great find.
We were browsing with some interest at a rather nondescript vacuum-sealed package of ground beef.
Three-Cut Ground Beef of Hanger, Chuck, & Brisket
And, one of the Alon’s friendly staff volunteered a bit of information. The package was a house-ground blend of hanger, chuck & brisket. Then, he mentioned that Creative Loafing did a write-up. And, it’s been a great seller. We we were sold. We grabbed a pack of 2 burgers ($9) and a few mini ciabattas.
An hour later…
Sha-zam! …quick week-night dinner.
It might not be our all-time favorite ground beef blend. But, it’s REALLY good. Creative Loafing mentioned a good amount of fat. But, our meat was surprisingly lean for a burger (yet, still full of flavor) and tender.
Yummy. We’ll definitely be buying these again.
Alon’s Bakery And Market
4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road
Atlanta, GA 30346
678 397 1781
Zaxby’s Birthday Cake Milkshake
For a fast food milkshake, this is really quite nice. Birthday cake? Not really. But, we both agreed that it did taste of vanilla pudding. You know the sort of vanilla pudding you see at a cafeteria? Creamy vanilla pudding layered with ‘nilla wafers and whipped cream… That’s exactly what the Zaxby’s birthday cake milkshake tastes like.
Zaxby’s
Gokul’s Vada Club Sandwich
We’re huge fans of Gokul Sweet’s vada pav. So, when two of these club sandwiches appeared in error, we didn’t mind at all. As a matter of fact, we were happily surprised. At first glance, this might appear to be an odd interpretation of a club sandwich. But, it all works together quite nicely. Ordinary white toast becomes something quite special filled with one big ball of spiced potato fritter. Two chutneys, thin slices of onion, tomato, cucumber and American cheese only work to make it better.
The one truly odd touch is the slice of American cheese. At first, we thought of discarding it. Instead, we just went with it. We’re glad we did. This sandwich is a great summer meal. The veggies add an amazing touch of lightness and freshness to this carb-heavy sandwich. With a little sweetness from the tamarind chutney and a burst of fresh green goodness from the cilantro chutney, this sandwich is a real winner. We both love it.
Pav Bhaji Dosa
Perfect, once again… Richly spiced vegetables and fresh cilantro fill this gorgeous dosa with crispy, crumbly edges. And, a bit of sweetness from the coconut rounds out the spice.
Yum!
Chandrakala & Khajur Roll
We couldn’t leave without adding to the list of pastries that we’ve sampled at Gokul Sweets. Both of these were great. Seeing fresh, vibrant green pieces of pistachio peeking out of the khajur roll, they were destined to come home with us. But, we both fell in love with…
These are absolutely and utterly divine. They’re like India’s answer to baklava. Pastries doused in syrup and filled with nuts, these are dangerously addictive. I want more… now!
Gokul Sweets
763 Dekalb Industrial Way
Decatur, GA 30033
404 299 2062
Gouda Fritters
…Or, deep-fried gouda balls
The outside is crispy and crunchy. The inside is filled with warm and gooey gouda begging to be devoured. They’re easy to love.
The Bread Basket
Warm barely sweet corn muffins & tender baby biscuits… Both were tasty. But, when the second half of my corn muffin lingered briefly on my plate, it was snatched at light speed.
Friday Night Fish Fry
I wish could say this was a perfect dish. But, I can’t. The catfish and shrimp were just about perfect. Both had perfectly crunchy cornmeal coatings with tender properly cooked interiors. Unfortunately, the crab ball was quite greasy (bordering on soggy from oil). And, the hush puppy was incredibly bland.
We’ve had many (many) great meals at South City Kitchen’s midtown location in the past. This was our first meal at the Vinings location.
Fried Catfish Reuben
This sandwich was fine. But, the coleslaw was incredibly wet and drippy. Meanwhile, the fries were room temperature and getting soggier by the second from the coleslaw’s drippings.
Hopefully, our next visit will be better.
South City Kitchen
1675 Cumberland Parkway
Smyrna, GA 30080
770 435 0700
Dark Chocolate Covered Goji Berries
With a hard texture that is tougher to chew than your standard raisinette or chocolate covered blueberry, we can’t say they’re our favorite chocolate covered berry. But, they are interesting. Some of the goji berries are crunchy… others are chewy. It’s a bit disconcerting. They all do have one thing in common. They’re all more than a little bit sour. The one positive? We enjoyed the way the sour berries brought out the flavor of the dark chocolate. (even if it wasn’t the best chocolate) Clearly, this isn’t a glowing recommendation. But, we’re willing to give them another chance. Right now, though, I’d rather have a package of dark chocolate covered blueberries.
We also bought a bag of Next Organics’s dark chocolate apricots. (7 apricots in a $6 bag) They didn’t win us over either. We weren’t crazy about the chocolate. It was rather bland and mild with an almost carob-y flavor. We both prefer very dark bittersweet chocolate. We definitely won’t be buying the apricots again.
Avocado Oil Potato Chips (Barcelona BBQ)
Now, these we both loved. I don’t know why they’re called Barcelona BBQ. They tasted just like every BBQ potato chip we’ve ever eaten. And, since we love BBQ’d potato chips, we loved these. The one negative? They’re a bit too salty. But, that didn’t stop us from devouring the bag. (serves 5… HA! But, the bag did serve two very generously.)
Beanitos
The Beanitos got a mixed review. One of us loved them. (He did.) One of us… eh, not so much. (She didn’t.) They were interesting. They really did taste like black beans. The texture of the chips was surprisingly light and crisp. They had a delicate tender crunch that crumbles easily in your mouth. But, there was an unpleasant aftertaste. (She said.) We ate them plain. With dip, this might not be an issue.
Alon’s Bakery & Market
4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road
Atlanta, GA 30346
678 397 1781
Pistachio Croissant
Yes, it’s as good as it looks. Honestly, it’s probably even better. Perfectly crisp golden brown layers crackle delicately under your bite. The interior layers are soft, tender, and buttery with a fresh ground pistachio center as an added bonus. Yum.
Plum Galette
We were very early. This wedge was still warm from the oven. The plum slices were tart with just the right amount of sugar added to bring out their natural sweetness. The pastry base was light, crisp, and tender adding delicate structure without taking away from the flavor of near-perfect plums. I’m not sure how this galette would have faired if we’d arrived later in the day. But, it was a stunner fresh out of the oven.
Alon’s Bakery & Market
4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road
Atlanta, GA 30346
678 397 1781
Mast Brothers Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs
There were some serious imperfections with our bar.
Either it was tempered improperly or it experienced some form of mishandling in distribution. This bar was badly discolored with crystallization and tasted more than a little bit stale. It was mealy and crumbly with no snap at all. A serious disappointment for an $8.50 bar of chocolate. We’ll probably give them one more chance to win us over in the future.
Zingerman’s Original Zzang! Bar
What’s the easiest way to describe this bar? It is everything I’ve always wished a Snickers bar to be… but, isn’t. The nougat was fluffy and super soft. It melted almost instantly on our tongues. The nuts were nicely roasted. And, it’s all coated in a tasty dark chocolate shell. Yum. We’d happily buy this candy bar again.
Star Provisions
1198 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA 30318
404 365 0410
Simply Delicious… The Lobster Roll
One whole lobster (shelled, obviously) is tossed in a simple dressing and heaped into one little toasty Holeman & Finch bun. The lobster was so tender it was a pleasure to eat. Apple slaw on the side was a lovely balance of crisp apple and fresh green cabbage sliced into the finest shreds. As if that weren’t enough, the towering mound of fries were impossible to finish. This is one great sandwich.
Shrimp & Oyster Po’ boy
The combination of fried shrimp and oysters add even more interest to this already outstanding sandwich. The roll is fabulous, the greens are lightly dressed for a hint of vinegary bite and the bun has a nice swipe of creamy remoulade. Every element highlights the perfectly fried shrimp and oysters. The breading was simultaneously light and crisp without a hint of oil. And, both shrimp & oysters were tender and full of flavor. It’s hard to believe. But, this sandwich might even be better than the lobster roll.
We already want another one. But, the question is… which one?
JCT Kitchen & Bar
Suite 18
1198 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA 30318
404 355 2252
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