EliseT Hits Hotlanta

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (RedPatti)

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 04:13:28 GMT

Absolutely fabulous. I love your photographs and your enthusiasm.

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (mr chips)

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:44:13 GMT

A great report, Elise. It's always great to read of your adventures and after your visit with me in portland i can attest to your energy level and sense of adventure.

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (CajunKing)

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:39:59 GMT

Elise
Another fine report of Hotlanta. I do miss driving through there.... well not the drive as much as the food.
The varsity should be experienced once. On home games for GA Tech you should plan to come another time cause even at 2 + acres and all that room, it is PACKED!

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (billyboy)

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 23:56:10 GMT

Great stuff, Elise! Makin' me hungry! Must...fight...urge...to...take...subway...to...Harlem...! Chicken & Waffles! Drool!!

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (leethebard)

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:25:58 GMT

Enjoyed your report.....great food and great friends always make for a special day!!

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (lleechef)

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:27:12 GMT

As always, nice report Elise and beautiful, enticing pictures. You narrative though, never fails to crack me up. Keep it up, my friend!!

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (EliseT)

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 15:29:49 GMT

HOTLANTA MONDAY

Gladys Knight and Ron Winans opened their Chicken & Waffles with her son Shanga Hankerson. Shanga, who started out working in his father’s butcher shop, continues the tradition today.

The decor is upscale coffee shop, and the clientele is diverse, from tourists to a big, hunky sports team that I got caught in the middle of as we squeezed through the front door. When they realized they were bouncing me around like a pinball and apologized, I was breathless, “That’s OK. I can probably stay here for about 5 more minutes.”

Once I had settled in and cooled off with an unsweetened tea, I ordered the Midnight Train: Four southern fried jumbo chicken wings and one Original waffle. I call these giant soul food chicken wings “bat wings”. The catfish and shrimp and grits both looked tempting, but if you are in a restaurant named after a dish, you should probably order that dish.

The chicken had that same Atlanta-greasy-but-in-a-good-way crunch. But I am an LA hometown girl and I have to say Roscoes has the better waffles. Although the imprint was pretty cool. Golden Malted.

Monday night there was going to be a birthday party for a friend of mine. I hadn’t heard from anyone, so after awhile I gave up and went to a nearby brewery that had piqued my interest. I had been eating so much soul food I thought I could get something healthy and grilled. After a brunch of chicken and waffles I had vowed not to eat any more fried food.

I don’t drink like I used to, but it was a brewery after all with their very own brewmaster, John Roberts. I tend to like ambers and reds. Upon the server’s recommendation I tried Max Red “A vibrantly red Vienna-Style lager, Max Red is a mild blend of a rich toasted malt character and subtle style but spicy hop finish.”

The 100-year old brick building is decorated in a simple but modern pub style, a nice place to while away an evening. The servers were friendly and service was prompt.
I had noticed that there were 2 main fish dishes in Atlanta – catfish and salmon. When people asked me which I suggested, I would try to reply with more charm than sarcasm, “That depends, are we in Seattle or in the South?” Locally sourced food is big in California, and their menu did mention Neiman Ranch steaks. But when I asked where the lamb was from, the waitress looked at me like she wanted to say, “I think it went to Harvard.”

Since I was looking for something local and the fire on the open grill made the whole room smell good, I started with the wood-grilled Georgia quail with honey balsamic glaze, bleu cheese grits, and pecan pesto. A very modern dish. The quails were succulent – I know it is an overused word, but there is nothing to describe how juicy and sweet the breast meat was. The grits were properly cooked, even though I am not big on blue cheese. When I remember Atlanta, this dish is one that I know I will return to order.

My main dish of shrimp was delicious and the truffle grits were much more to my taste. Mid-way through the meal I got a call to go to the birthday dinner, so I sort of rushed through the dish and ran off to meet my friends.

There was quite a buzz around town about the newly opened Mexican restaurant, No Mas. Even Alatese, my taxi driver had suggested we check it out. But i come from Los Angeles, land of burritos, and I couldn’t imagine a Mexican restaurant in Atlanta coming close. No Mas turned out to be the site of my friend’s birthday party, and we all piled into a line of cars, even stuffing people in the hatchbacks like teenagers.

I suspect a lot of the hype around No Mas was a result of their super-hip and colorful decor. It was definitely a nice party venue. Since I had just eaten, I chose to have a liquid dinner – a passion fruit margarita. That’s probably another reason for the hype – who has ever heard of a passion fruit margarita?

I can’t really comment on the food, since I didn’t eat any. Everyone seemed satisfied but not impressed. The cocktails were really the star of the show. I stole a sip of my neighbor’s tortilla soup, and it was your standard generic tortilla soup – nothing wrong with it, but nothing to crow about. The combo platter looked downright unappetizing, so I won;t assault your senses with that picture. Instead, here is a close-up of the nachos, the ultimate drunk food.

But this night was not so much about food as it was about good friends

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (agnesrob)

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 07:58:19 GMT

I made this tomato pie last week. Sooo rich. It was unlike anything I've had. I'll make it again!

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (edwmax)

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:24:17 GMT

hatteras04

I agree about the tomato pie and i think this recipe I found and tried is pretty accurrate. It at least satisfied a craving:

http://www.atlantamagazine.com/southernrecipes/sides/story.aspx?ID=1274565

Thanks for the link; I just added this to my notebook and will be serving Tomato Pie in a few weeks to a group I cook for.

Thanks Elsie for the report, although I lived in Hot-Lanta for 18 years ... 70's & 80's

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (eruby)

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:46:18 GMT

Excellent report! Been quite a few years but always love Atlanta!

"What'll ya have?!"

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (Shara)

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:10:26 GMT

Your trip reports are always more than enough to pull me out of lurk mode to say, "Yay! An Elise T report!

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (HDtravlr1)

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:58:35 GMT

Fantastic trip report!
Thank you

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (tcrouzer)

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 07:02:49 GMT

But where is the sugar in that Tomato Pie recipe? Any type of tomato pie or casserole I've ever seen come out of the South had some extra sugar thrown in!

Great trip report, Elise! Your experience with the cabbie goes go to show that often people are good at heart. I try to look for that as much as I can.

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (EliseT)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 23:06:12 GMT

Ritz crackers!!! There was something familiar in that tomato pie topping and it was driving me crazy. They just said "breadcrumbs". The mystery is revealed!

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (Heartbreaksoup)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:51:26 GMT

I am really looking forward to reading days 3-7. Even the ones stuck in conference will be worth it.

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (hatteras04)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:12:36 GMT

I agree about the tomato pie and i think this recipe I found and tried is pretty accurrate. It at least satisfied a craving:

http://www.atlantamagazine.com/southernrecipes/sides/story.aspx?ID=1274565

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (carpwidow)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:35:38 GMT

Great report! I lived in Atlanta for 15 years and have wonderful memories of my crazy early years when we used to go to the Varsity on Sunday MORNINGS to eat my favorite chili dogs, burgers and of course piles of their greasy, wonderful french fries and onion rings. In all those years, I never visited Mary Mac's. Looks like I need to visit some relatives and rediscover my old stomping grounds. Thanks for the blast from the past!

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (mar52)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:47:27 GMT

You are a brave woman.

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (TJ Jackson)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:45:55 GMT

so did you make it to Varasano's?

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (EliseT)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:31:57 GMT

Thanks, everyone! I flew in Sat afternoon and flew out the following Sat morning. A few days were lost attending the conference I was there for, but I managed to make the most of my free time.

As for my aggressive friendliness , LA is a megalopolis, so it really depends on what neighborhood you are from and what crowd you run with. And good genes. My mom grew up on farms in Alberta and always knew every neighbor between our house and the church.

-adds Chatanooga to my must-visit list

...I would never have ordered tomato pie if Michael Stern hadn't raved about it, and as always, he was right.

Every time I fly into a new town I question the cabbies to find out where they are from, and if there are ethnic restaurants or local gems around. When I find a cabbie who is a foodie, I offer to buy them lunch if they pick the place. They always turn off the meter, and someties I make a new friend.

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (mar52)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:30:54 GMT

Elise, you already know I love your reports.

This one did not disappoint.

Welcome back!

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (kland01s)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:08:32 GMT

Great report Elise! I wish I could find a cabbie that's up for adventure like that!

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (wanderingjew)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:57:15 GMT

Elise

Great report. I hope to return to Mary Mac's next year when I detour to Atlanta after seeing the new ballpark in Miami.

I haven't been to Mary Mac's since 1994 and I'm obviously way overdue for a return visit.

Wish I could say I have a desire to visit The Varsity (i've never been), but I don't.

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (Nancypalooza)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:52:35 GMT

TOMATO PIE! I got that the last time we were at Mary Mac's and now it's on a very short list of stuff I must have again soon. I'm glad I'm going back there in October. It sounds like you had a wonderful couple days out, and Alatese is a sport. :)

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (tiki)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:48:16 GMT

elise--once again--killer report!

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (hatteras04)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:41:25 GMT

We had a day very similar to your report a few years ago. We went to the aquarium, then the Varsity for lunch and then Mary Macs for dinner. We had good experiences at each place as well.

If you like aquariums, have been to the one in Chattanooga? We thought it was one of the better ones we've been to.

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (Ralph Melton)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:40:33 GMT

I'm quite enjoying this report.

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (ScreamingChicken)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:36:19 GMT

Great start, Elise! 2 days in...how many more to go?

When you described yourself as aggressively friendly I checked your location and was surprised to see you live in Los Angeles. Where are you originally from?

Brad

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (ChiTownDiner)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:32:04 GMT

We have family in Atlanta and visit often...your pictures are SO clear...love your report...many of our 0ld favorites!

Re:EliseT Hits Hotlanta (agnesrob)

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:14:45 GMT

Wonderful report Elise! Sounds like you had fun!