Bludso’s BBQ, Atlanta GA (CLOSED)

Is it possible that Atlanta’s actually transitioning from a pork town to a brisket town?

Yeah, I know, and the next barbecue joint to open will be serving unicorn meat on solid gold plates. But we are certainly seeing at least a little evidence of this. Honestly, and I say this as somebody who’s been championing the quality of Georgia barbecue as loudly as I can for years, I’ve had a surprising amount of downright average pulled pork in the Atlanta area in the last twelve months. Some of these meals were at newer restaurants which got a little bit of a grade on a curve for being new. Blue Sky in Woodstock and Anna’s in Kirkwood come to mind. I’ve also stopped by old standards like Pappy Red’s and Bub-Ba-Q to see that the quality had dipped a lot, and some joints, like Pigs-N-Heat in Kennesaw, were so disappointing that they weren’t worth the time to write about them. Continue reading “Bludso’s BBQ, Atlanta GA (CLOSED)” →

10th & Piedmont, Atlanta GA

Last week, Marie and I were invited to 10th & Piedmont to meet Executive Chef Javier Rivera sample some of this two year-old restaurant’s popular menu items. It’s in a really lovely space on the corner of… well, you know… in the former home of a bookstore, OutWrite. It’s more than just a restaurant; every other Wednesday evening, they open the huge windows and move some of the tables around for a painting class! Co-owner Gilbert Yeremyan was there to talk with us as well, His company, Communitas Hospitality, also owns two sister restaurants in midtown: Hobnob, which is on the corner of Monroe and Piedmont, and G’s, which is in the space next door. Continue reading “10th & Piedmont, Atlanta GA” →

The Brickery Grill and Bar, Sandy Springs GA (take two) (CLOSED)

Last spring, Marie went to a media event at The Brickery in Sandy Springs – here is her story about it – and while it’s a bit outside our neighborhood radius and while we really don’t make anyplace a regular haunt, we’ve made a couple of trips over there since, for their terrific onion rings and fried chicken. Bruce and Sally Alterman, who met in college at The University of Oklahoma in the late 1960s, opened their first restaurant in Atlanta in 1988. It was called Perimeter Cafe and was just a couple of exits over from where they would launch The Brickery in 1992. Continue reading “The Brickery Grill and Bar, Sandy Springs GA (take two) (CLOSED)” →

Nick’s Food To Go, Atlanta GA

“Be careful of this guy,” cautioned a lady in the very small ordering room at Nick’s. Referencing Seinfeld, she whispered “He’s the souvlaki Nazi.” You sort of wish the writers of that show had come up with just about any other nickname for their pastiche of Al’s Soup Kitchen International. Continue reading “Nick’s Food To Go, Atlanta GA” →

Yalla! and Fred’s Meat and Bread, Krog Street Market, Atlanta GA

Since opening several months ago, the Krog Street Market has caught the imagination of many writers in our hobby. While not at all identical, it’s a similar set-up to the long-established Sweet Auburn Curb Market, offering stall spaces, and, in a couple of cases, full table service opportunities to local chefs with neat ideas. One of Ford Fry’s concepts, Superica, has a packed patio, The Cockentrice has been getting rave reviews, Gu’s Dumplings is providing temporary relief for people who are still bereft that the Bistro on Buford Highway closed and hasn’t yet formally announced its relocation, and Craft Izakaya is also drawing in crowds and mobs. Continue reading “Yalla! and Fred’s Meat and Bread, Krog Street Market, Atlanta GA” →

Big Al’s Gourmet Butter Burgers, Atlanta GA

My friend David works a mile and a bit south of a burger place called Big Al’s, which opened at the beginning of the year, and told me that it’s so popular at his work that nobody’s having lunch anywhere else lately. One Friday in April, I figured that he’d sold me and met him at the space, which is on the ground floor of a parking-crunched two-story retail center on Peachtree, along with a Firehouse Subs and a CamiCakes. Continue reading “Big Al’s Gourmet Butter Burgers, Atlanta GA” →

Pijiu Belly, Atlanta GA

This is Marie, contributing an article about Pijiu Belly, a pub-type Korean-American fusion restaurant with some really interesting blends on the menu. I went with some foodie friends to have an evening there and we all had a blast. I’d had some worries that I might have to pull out but made it, and I’m glad; it was one of the most cheerful evenings I’ve had in a while. Continue reading “Pijiu Belly, Atlanta GA” →