Way back when, I decided to reinvest the ad revenue that we earn from this blog into fun two-day trips, just driving around eating about every nine months or so. I call them circumnavigations and, last month, I went out on my fourth. I’m going to report this one a little differently than the first three (Alabama, South Carolina, the Tennessee River Valley), because when I started writing these up, I was concerned about the chapters that we post appearing much later than the visit. These days, I sort of enjoy the posts appearing several weeks later, and so there’s no need to hurry along through longer chapters incorporating several places. Continue reading “Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge, Shelby NC”
La Tagliatella, Atlanta GA (CLOSED)
Recently, the local PR team for La Tagliatella reached out to us to see whether we’d like to give one of this very large chain’s two Atlanta stores a try. We were certainly aware of the company’s entrance into this market in 2013, but never found time to visit. Atlanta, after all, has lots and lots of restaurants. I was curious about the chain, and, looking around, see that not too many other local writers have visited. Is it because, in Europe, La Tagliatella is a huge chain? Would bloggers in England balk if somebody opened an Olive Garden there? Continue reading “La Tagliatella, Atlanta GA (CLOSED)”
Wingstop, Kennesaw GA
Not too many weeks ago, I was idly clicking around one of those Wikipedia boxes about, ahem, “chicken-based restaurant chains” – how glamorous does that sound? – and read about the Texas-based chain Wingstop for the first time. The first store in the chain of 600-plus stores opened in Garland twenty years ago. I was surprised to learn they had a presence in Georgia, and even more surprised that there was one just on the other side of I-75 across from Kennesaw State. Continue reading “Wingstop, Kennesaw GA”
Gio’s Chicken Amalfitano, Atlanta GA
A few Saturdays back, Andy from Burgers, Barbecue and Everything Else suggested that we meet up with him and his wife at one of Giovanni Di Palma’s restaurants. He opened Antico about five years ago to near-universal acclaim and out-the-door lines that have just continued to grow. In late 2012, this sister joint called Gio’s Chicken Amalfitano, and a companion place to get sandwiches and gelato that you can visit through an adjoining door, joined it. As if parking for Antico wasn’t already enough to make a man weep. Right now, early Saturday nights require an off-duty cop and at least two fellows in yellow vests to direct everybody. And Di Palma has his eyes on neighboring buildings for additional restaurants. Continue reading “Gio’s Chicken Amalfitano, Atlanta GA”
Photo Post 16: South Cobb Drive
There used to be a great site called Not Fooling Anybody. It’s been stuck on this “Please Stand By” page for years, but some of its backmatter still exists if you play on the Wayback Machine. Our friend David recently reminded us of this hobby that we love – spotting and documenting conversions of old restaurants and businesses – when he found a newer, similar site, Used to Be a Pizza Hut. I figured there were a couple of converted Pizza Huts that I could shoot for these guys. Then I figured that a few more things stood out in my memory, and they’re all on the same stretch of road. Well, almost. Continue reading “Photo Post 16: South Cobb Drive”
Back to the Sweet Auburn Curb Market
I genuinely was not planning to pop back down to the Sweet Auburn Curb Market on this warm March Friday – here’s the story of my first visit, with all the attendant background – but darned old Atlanta Magazine messed up our plans. See, Marie had the day off and she was going to bring the toddler downtown to play, and then we were going to have a picnic lunch from a favorite place on Marietta Street in Centennial Olympic Park. Then Christiane Lauterbach wrote a story for the magazine, and there she went and mentioned Marie’s greatest weakness: crepes. Turns out, Christiane wrote, that Gwen Denninghoff and her mother Christine Taylor opened a creperie in the market just two months ago. They have savory crepes. The picnic was off. Continue reading “Back to the Sweet Auburn Curb Market”
Umezono, Smyrna GA (CLOSED)
There’s a strip mall at the intersection of US-41 and Windy Hill in Smyrna that’s been there forever. It’s been home to many things over the years, including at least one strip club, a venerable country-western bar called The Buckboard, and the Lionel Play World which, one fine day in 1982, received a gigantic truckload of three year-old French-Canadian Mego superhero dolls and priced ’em for $1.89 apiece (happy days!). Continue reading “Umezono, Smyrna GA (CLOSED)”
Marie, Let's Eat! 