One minor frustration in blogging – this really, really is a first-world problem if ever there was one – is that sometimes, people mistake our enthusiasm as though we’re shooting for authority. I’ve actually been asked for suggestions quite a few times with this sort of lead-in: “Say, you’re the barbecue expert, where should I…” or “You know everything about Chattanooga, right?” No, and no! Marie and I, we’re no experts, we’re just enthusiastic learners. And sometimes, we make mistakes. Ridiculous mistakes. Like the time last month when we accepted an invitation to sample a new bottled vodka soda on the eve of its launch in Atlanta and Los Angeles, having no idea whatsoever what vodka soda actually is. Continue reading “Jane St Vodka Soda”
Takorea, Dunwoody GA
Talk about brand confusion! Tomas Lee started his little mini-empire of food trucks and restaurants in 2009, operating with three different names: Yumbii, Hankook Taqueria, and, in 2011, Takorea. They all serve approximately the same food, but for some goofball reason, he decided to give each entity separate names. Now a second Takorea store has opened, in the former home of the dearly missed Guthrie’s in Dunwoody, and the experience is apparently not very much at all like the the first store on Juniper Street, but rather more like Hankook. Continue reading “Takorea, Dunwoody GA”
Lobby Bar and Bistro, Atlanta GA
A couple of weeks ago, Marie and I were invited to visit Lobby Bar and Bistro, an interesting little space in the Twelve Hotel on 17th Street in front of Atlantic Station. Bearing in mind that we’re awfully low-maintenance when it comes to hotels, and, apart from a morning bowl of fruit and glass of juice, never dine in their restaurants, we just about never see spaces like this. So I was very interested to learn that this restaurant – originally called Lobby at Twelve some years back – has actually been racking up a sizable number of awards. It’s on Conde Nast Traveler’s “Hot List”, Atlanta Magazine‘s “Best Hotel Dining,” and one of the AJC’s “Top 50 Restaurants in Atlanta,” and they have a brand new executive chef. Continue reading “Lobby Bar and Bistro, Atlanta GA”
Blind Pig BBQ, Jackson GA
You know, any excuse for a celebration works for me, which is why we love hitting some kind of centennial – any kind will do. But we’re especially pleased to announce that, with today’s chapter, we have written about 300 barbecue restaurants in the southeast. Two or three of our peers and friends in the hobby have done more, but I’d like to think that we’re in a pretty small group to have visited and documented so many. And through the end of the year, we hope to add more than a dozen to that total. There are always more places to find and we can’t wait to sample them! Continue reading “Blind Pig BBQ, Jackson GA”
Catty-Cornered ‘cue in Conyers GA
A few weeks ago, I was driving through Rockdale County and saw the original location of Pippin’s Bar-B-Q. I chewed on the possibility of stopping for a moment. It was true that I did not particularly enjoy their satellite store in Covington when I stopped there in November of last year, but I reasoned that some places are better at the original than in secondary shops. Also, I’m almost never in Conyers, so I might as well pull over. Continue reading “Catty-Cornered ‘cue in Conyers GA”
The Summer of Many Jams
This is Marie, contributing an article about jam. Jam has occupied a fairly prominent place in my summer, to the extent that our easily embarrassed teenager has decided to become mortified about the number of jars in storage. She claims to be alarmed that we could never eat that much jam. First, much of it has been all along intended for gifts, including a good many that went out to friends for taste testing; and second, I can eat an astonishing amount of jam. Thirdly, if it’s at all important, some got diverted to a yard sale. Continue reading “The Summer of Many Jams”
Erawan Organic Thai Cuisine, Sandy Springs GA
Since beginning the blog, we’ve happily learned about how traditional, authentic Chinese cooking is not a great deal like the suburban Golden-This-Happy-That places that shovel out Kung Pao chicken. But what about Thai cuisine? There are many similarities between American-Chinese cuisine and what we see in Thai restaurants around the Atlanta area. Most Thai restaurants have that same “please everybody” feel, with deep menus. Many of the same dishes appear on every one of their menus. Satay chicken is as predictable an option at a Thai restaurant in Atlanta as sweet and sour chicken is at a Golden-This-Happy-That. While we’ve enjoyed several good and several pleasing meals at Thai restaurants over the last few years (here are a few), I’m not sure that we’ve found a genuinely authentic experience, but, instead, we’ve found very tasty compromises made for the American market. Continue reading “Erawan Organic Thai Cuisine, Sandy Springs GA”
Marie, Let's Eat! 