You could argue that an exceptional burger was programmed into The General Muir's DNA from the very beginning. Both burgers here are so good that you'll find yourself scrabbling after all the bits and pieces of shrapnel. Just remember to add the poutine. More
What's Italian for "sad?" At Cibo e Beve, I ordered a topping as unique as duck and paid 17 bucks for the privilege, but came away with an impression that was no more memorable than "a rich white pie that mainly tastes like smoke." More
In just its third year, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival has quickly blossomed into one of the premier events of its kind in the South. Culinary talent from 12 states handed out samples of everything imaginable... and a few noshes like nothing even we'd ever dreamed of before. More
I'm not sure six strips of bacon versus two really warrants a Superman comparison, but there's nothing not to like here. Except for the silly name they gave to the invented piece of porcine architecture that graces this movie tie-in burger. More
I know. It's a burger on a waffle. Surprisingly simple in its construction. But Dad's Waffle is superb in its execution. I didn't expect to be blown away by burgers at a brunch place, but Buttermilk Kitchen's did just that. More
Cucina Asellina should be killing it in Atlanta. But sadly, their much-ballyhooed pizzas left my palate underwhelmed, and my wallet overextended. More
The our-burgers-are-so-extreme-that-we-have-to-serve-them-with-a-steak-knife-plunged-through-the-center schtick is way overdone, but on my next visit to Wild Wing Cafe, there's a very good chance I'll do another burger. More
The goal at Urban Stack is to let the topping profiles shine on burgers that aren't difficult to eat and don't leave you feeling miserably full afterward. Don't be afraid to go big with some of these crazy combinations. More
No. 246 may not be a "pizza place" per se, but the under-the-radar pies certainly deserve mention when you're talking about the city's finest. More
Of Burger King's new menu items, four are burgers aimed at very different demographics. All are limited-time offerings. At least two deserve to be. More
The new Jim Beam Bourbon Thickburger is a clever twist, sure to excite a certain demographic of young male fast food consumers who will be intrigued simply by the alcohol tie-in. Of course, a little T&A also plays well with that crowd, and Hardee's/Carl's Jr. never disappoints. But how does the real thing stack up to the booze-soaked, high-production-value fantasy? More
The hip Buckhead hotspot has a "secret" burger on the menu that's worth looking into, but judging by how many I saw walk out of the kitchen during my recent lunch visit, the 50/50 Burger may not technically qualify as a secret at all. More
A recent newspaper article singled out Westside Pizzeria as "the kind of place you sort of hate to tell people about." For me, it was definitely a tale of two pies. More
The Hickory Burger has a smidge of barbecue sauce...and a gigantic mound of cheddar. But it's the House-Made Veggie Burger that has inspired legions of fans. More
Hits include tasty Angus beef cooked beautifully, superb buns, and a few of the more conventional $3 slider varieties. But there are misses, too: limp fries, chewy onion rings, and some of the experimental snack-sizers...but that may depend on your opinion of beef tongue. More
Popeyes has long featured cinnamon apple pies and sweet potato pies on their dessert menu, but their new limited time offering puts the spotlight on the official state fruit of Louisiana, the strawberry. (Yeah. Who knew? See, kids, stay in school. Or... get a job eating and then writing about fast food.) More
With regular slices that drape off their paper plates and crazy stuffed pies that can weigh up to sixteen pounds, this may not be the best-known of the local pizzerias trying to mimic the Big Apple...but they may be doing it better than anybody else. More
Chocolate-covered strawberries are the quintessential Valentine's Day treat. So does Dairy Queen's Blizzard version inspire true love or is it an artificial sensation at best? More
Promotional materials tout a "creamy avocado spread" and "zesty avocado aioli." But the word guacamole is nowhere to be found. That being said, I'd order the Avocado and Swiss Whopper again. More
While I don't keep stats on such things, I'm fairly sure I set a personal speed record for inhaling this fantastic burger. More
Molten: Oozing. Flowing. Dangerously hot. Add the word fudge after it, and the mental picture gets exponentially better, right? Sorry. This is a fast food dessert we're talking about. More
It's solid, unpretentious, neighborhood pizza... and if it didn't require circling the block looking for a parking spot, I'd be fine with it being my go-to Friday-night pie. But the real surprise came when I went Sicilian. More
The Jalapeño Turkey Burger is one of the worst burgers I've attempted to eat in recent memory. More
Based on outward appearances, you might not think The Rusty Nail has anything beyond mediocre pub grub. But when it comes to burgers, The Nail unfailingly exceeds whatever expectations you've brought in with you. More
The red and green bits dotting the top of my McDonald's Holiday Mint McFlurry weren't immediately identifiable to me, but they were not the candy cane shrapnel I had assumed I would be seeing. I can't tell you what the hell these things are. That's not to say I don't like them. More
@loki: Ask and ye shall receive. From just over a year ago: slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2012/04/atlanta-totinos-flashback-and-a-pie-for-friday-the-13th-at-jacks-pizza-and-wings.html
@simon: Yeah, well... Live and learn.
@BaristaBoysGirl: Chicken wings, anatomically speaking, are made up of 3 parts, which are usually cut away from each other for serving. The first section between the "shoulder" and the "elbow" is the drummette, which looks like a tiny drumstick or chicken leg. Attached to that is a flat center section with two bones that make up the middle of the wing joint. Respectively, these sections are nicknamed "drums" and "flats" by wing-eaters to differentiate them from one another. (The third section, the wing tip, is rarely served due to the lack of meat on it.)
@sdfishtaco: On the contrary, the rings were outstanding. And again, I'm admittedly not a rings guy...
@Shaby, @nowsonexitmusic, @suddenlyissoon: Tremont Tavern has long been on my list of places to hit at some point in my travels. But when I found that U.S. was literally 2 blocks away from my room at the Choo Choo, I couldn't pass it up. And I'm so glad I didn't...
@andymac73: I've not been through the truck stop yet, but love what Brett does in the mobile unit. You did see that review from this past summer, right?
@hungrychristel: Big A.1. fan myself. I can say this is thinner, with more emphasis on Worcestershire and soy... but those are the only two ingredients I could get confirmed. *Fruity* and *smoky* aren't words I would use to describe this...
@rlp122: Just north/east of Windward Parkway on Hwy 9. Be sure to tell 'em I sent you...
@sourdough & @bobcatsteph3: Interesting. Taco Bell is calling this a "nationwide" rollout on all three items; maybe the empanada has been a past test item in your necks of the woods.
@calicook: Point well taken. But at least they made an attempt by calling it an empanada instead of a pie. I might have cut the cookie a little slack if they'd taken more than half a second to name it.
@rlp122: Thanks. Marlow's has been on my list for a while. I've been pleasantly surprised with the food on my past visits; I'll be doing a proper review in the near future.
@TheKaz: No, that's what I had thought, too. It's not sweet sprinkles. I'm not sure what it is, as I don't do a lot of baking or cake decorating, but it seems to be a product that's strictly for looks, because tasted straight, it was literally flavorless.
@wunami & @Scott569: Yeah, the artwork at The Cowfish is pretty boss. I'm not terribly well-versed in art, so some of the inside jokes and smarty-pants references were inevitably lost on me, but I saw a funky take on "American Gothic" that featured a pitchfork-impaled burger, a Warhol-inspired piece of repeating Technicolor burgers and sushi rolls, and a version of "Dogs Playing Poker" that looked like Picasso had done it. All wickedly cool, like everything else at The Cowfish (even the signs leading to the restrooms... trust me). The Lichtensteinesque work I show in this review was my favorite, and the one I thought AHTers might most appreciate/lust after.
Spectacular read, Jed. Nicely done.
Wow, 1-2 meals and so many recommendations. Some fine choices already here. Your FLIP and Woodfire mentions would suggest you're leaning toward "nicer" restaurants. Actually, if you're into Richard Blais, I'd go to his new place downtown, The Spence, instead. A much broader menu, much better food IMO, and there's a chance you'd actually see him there. STG Trattoria is a nice suggestion, too, for that part of town. The Westside has tons of spectacular options (that's where the excellent JCT Kitchen is) like Bocado and Miller Union, which I can't recommend highly enough. Also in that area, The Optimist, a brand-new high-end seafood place that is currently all the buzz. Watershed on Peachtree is also top-notch. And you really should hit both The Varsity and The Vortex for quintessential Atlanta experiences and solid grub at the other end of the spectrum. And then there's-- oh, wait. You said one to two meals. Hmm. choose wisely... and come on back soon!
@iahawk89: Yes, I know. The shame, the shame. I possibly never made it over to Oakland BECAUSE of one too many late-night Pagliai's visits. I was thrilled to be able to give them a little SE love in our college-town roundup recently. Check it out at http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2012/09/staff-picks-the-real-deal-pizza-in-college.html.
@Erin: You're absolutely right, not a croissant in the true French style... but that is how they're named on the CD menu.
Ehubbard89: Looks like I'm showing my age; neither of those places existed when I was in the IC. Looks like I need to find an excuse to get back on campus...
Kudos, EJax! That top photo is one of the sexier burger shots I've seen lately... And I love me a hidden gem from a completely unexpected location.
@eatitatlanta: You're right, and I hate doing it. But if the alternative is blurry, out-of-focus shots that make the food look bad, I'll shoot first and apologize to the tables around me later. Sometimes it's just a necessary evil, I find.
@Pizzablogger: You're definitely on the right track with the first 2 photos.
@Pizzablogger: I wish I had more detail on the dough recipe. Owner Brian Lewis was a little cagey with the inside scoop, as he believes that STG is the only place in town doing what he's doing with dough and wants to keep the ins and outs under his hat. He specifically noted "fresh yeast," but nothing beyond that. I can tell you that the crust had a sourdough TASTE, and that *sourdough* was a word he himself also used as we chatted. As for the mixer, I got a quick peek... but not a good look "under the hood," if you will, to see the mechanics. It was industrial-looking with European styling, seemed like it could easily handle an enormous batch... and it's definitely an integral part of the dough equation at STG.
@CandiRisk, @futurechef, @Sudenveri: Yep, you nailed it. I was a bit baffled when I first saw those spots - such unpleasant-looking blotches marring otherwise gorgeous wings. The color automatically registered "burnt" in my head; not sure why I couldn't discern what it really was. Harmless as it may be, it is most unattractive and unappetizing. I'd like to think that if Mighty Wings go national, the pointyheads at corporate can figure out a way to prevent that from being a common occurrence.
@Erin Z: How very cool. I prefer to believe that that incredible lady had nothing whatsoever to do with the Pizzabon.
@simon: And yet, you clicked.
@erineats: No kidding. Smaller, more middle-of-the-road markets like Indianapolis and Louisville have traditionally been where more new stuff got tested. I'd be fascinated to hear why we're suddenly the limited-rollout capital.
@jeffsayyes, @Slice Harvest, @Adam Kuban, @lpm421: Reason #4,377 why growing up Indiana instead of New York clearly stunted my gastro growth: no pepperoni rolls. Damn.
@aharste, @morganoliver: Ah, yes. The scent. It smelled just like Cinnabon in that food court, even right up on top of the cash register. There were never more than 4 Pizzabons in the tray while I was there, so maybe there just weren't enough to compete with the classic Cinnabon fragrance. It wasn't until I got my Pizzabon off to a far corner that I registered any pizzalike smells.
@hendrixe: Stay tuned. I'm already on that one, too. It's just taken a bit longer to get it turned around and ready for your curious consumption...
@rhallen: There is a place called Rocky Mountain Pizza Company on the fringes of the Georgia Tech campus. I've not been there.
@JEL: Rocky's Brick Oven Italian Restaurant did have a VaHi location, as well as one on Peachtree in Buckhead. True, the pizzas were ahead of their time, it would seem, but Rocky's was perhaps best known for owner Bob "Rocky" Russo's political commentaries on topics of the day, which he would post on the sign out front for all to see. Russo was a local legend, and his death in early 2003 (self-inflicted gunshot wound after a strange standoff with a SWAT team at his home) was mourned by many. His restaurants closed shortly thereafter; the Buckhead location is now a Mellow Mushroom.
@Ewan: I'm with you, and generally stay away from any form of fried onions as a topping. It never adds much to the party... and can often bring the overall burger down. It actually wasn't offensive here, but it didn't convert me, either.
@texas blues: Always a pleasure to hear from you, sir. Believe me, the heat and humidity take their toll, even on those of us who have been here 15+ years. Not like that "dry-heat" sissy stuff you have there in TX. *wink* Next time, give me a heads-up; we'll find a restaurant with A/C!!
@andymac73: Appreciate the love. I don't make it down to EAV as often as I used to. Or should. I do love me that EARL burger, though: aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/08/the-earl-burger-review-atlanta-ga.html. Thanks for the intel on the Midway. Very intriguing... and now on the list. Mmmm, drippings....
A Midwestern classic. Bonnie Doon in north central Indiana makes a pretty good version, which you can find in their parlors and in some area grocery stores. I've tried several home recipes, but that elusive flavor is never quite right. And nothing begins to compare to SOFT SERVE Blue Moon, which may be all but impossible to find now. (The last place I knew of that served it shut down several years ago...)
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Sorry about that link to Jack's Pizza & Wings, guys. Try cutting and pasting this:
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2012/04/atlanta-totinos-flashback-and-a-pie-for-friday-the-13th-at-jacks-pizza-and-wings.html