Hey there. Been a minute. Here are some things which are delicious I’d like to talk to you about.
The Red Eyed Mule in Marietta. One of the best southern breakfasts in town. The grits are cheesy and creamy, sausage is flavorable, and the biscuit is the wonderful sweet, fluffy type that puts Chik-Fil-A to shame. A visit to this quaint, little place is worth the drive from in town.
Wings at Eleanor’s inside of Muss & Turner’s in Smyrna. It’s a dry rub of Ras el hanout, “head of the shop” aka top shelf spice blend, with tzaziki dip, and it’s a great wing change of pace. This place is like the Smyrna version of 2009 Holeman & Finch and I like it.
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Speaking of M&T, I went by there recently for lunch and was desperately craving a good fried chicken sandwich. Alas, I found they removed the “never on Sunday” from the menu, as they had lost a fryer and didn’t want to cross contaminate with gluten. With my head hung low, I walked out at the news, only to have the staff come out to the parking lot to let me know they would make me one. It was the best I ever had at Muss & Turner’s, no hyperbole. Just a wonderful fried chicken sandwich.
A couple weeks ago I finally attended the “Foxeria del Sol” event on the Westside, a collab between The Fox Brothers and Taqueria del Sol. It exceeded expectations. I brought my little boy and he loved it. Even my vegetarian wife loved it, though I didn’t have the heart to tell her how much chicken stock was in the creme of hatch chile soup, which was outstanding. Almost as good as the plentiful, fried chile rellenos abounding the outskirts of the event.
Next up, Umaido in Suwanee. It’s the best, most consistent ramen in the Atlanta area, though it’s really forty-five minutes out of town. I’ve never loved their noodles, but every other bit about it is a head above.
Finally, here’s some pasta I made with some nduja recently. My parents ordered it online from Zingerman’s. Cook some pasta in really salty water. Saute some onions in olive olive. Add the almost cooked pasta with a few splashes of that starchy water. Add a few splashes of water and a few tablespoons of the nduja and stir until it melts. Give it a few good tosses. Practice that pan toss, it’s essential for pasta. Then I added some diced pickled vegetables from my garden – carrots, thai chiles, habeneros, and jalepenos in this instance because I’m a fuckin’ urban gardener. A touch of cheese, in this case feta because the Parm had run out, adds some texture and color and saltiness. It’s a beautiful pasta dish for cured meat and chile heads.