Food Trucks

If you have been following my blog/are friends with me, then you know how much I love the food trucks of Atl.  While my work usually hinders me from being able to venture to the food trucks for lunch in midtown and at the Stoveworks, I finally was able to find time to go to the truck stop in Virgina Highlands.  A couple months ago the trucks started gathering every Wednesdays in the parking lot right next to the CVS and across from the American Roadhouse on North Highland, and last Wednesday a few friends and I met up in said parking lot to feed our faces.

We started off at Yumbii (the old faithful) because they really are the first food truck I knew of in Atl before the fad exploded in this city.  I am such a fan that I tweeted them almost every day for a few weeks or so to try and get them to drive waaaaay OTP to John's Creek where I work, so I could get some yummy tacos, but unfortunately my witty, charming tweets was not enough to haul ass out to the JC.  So after Yumbii's brutal game of playing hard-to-get, I finally conceded and came to them and got me a pork taco. And boy was it delicious.  I honestly don't remember what all was on the taco because I was soo hungry and as you can see above the line was insanely long, so by the time I ordered, was complimented on my ring (smile), and rushed to get my taco when I heard my name called I devoured my food just slow enough to savor the tastes.  The marinade on the pork was so sweet but also spicy and I added some extra sriracha to kick it up a notch.  It was a simple pork taco but with such deep flavors that made me want 5 more tacos, however, I had other trucks to go to and only so much room in my stomach, so I powered on!

The next truck we tried was new to the lot and called Ibiza Bites.  From what I could tell by the menu and obviously the name, this place had a Spanish influence.

My eyes immediately went straight to the fried green tomatoes on the menu, but after we stood in the second long line of the night and we were 2 people away from ordering, the dreaded "Sold Out" sign was laid over the FGT, and I about cried!  So I pulled myself together and decided to order the Ibiza Signature Bite which was basically some beef brisket over some yummy, creamy stone ground cheddar grits.

I have to say the dish was much more than a "bite," which was good since I paid a whopping $7 for it, but it wasn't the best brisket ever.  Everything was cooked perfectly, but I think it could have used a little more spice and the grits could have been a little more cheesy.  I like my cheese grits super cheesy and creamy like one of my favorite restaurants in Athens, The Last Resort, which has some of the best grits I've had and these just did not cut it.  But next time I would REALLY like the try the FGT.  Let's make that happen people!

So of course the next stop was dessert and I really wanted a cupcake, but that food truck was all sold out too!! Not a good night for me, but again I sucked it up and headed over to Honeysuckle to get some gelato.  I got a scoop of the Dock of the Bay which was salted caramel and a scoop of the Chock Full which was roasted hazelnut gelato.  I liked both, but you just can't compare to the salted caramel from Morelli's.  There is simply nothing else like it.  Period.  But I still enjoyed the gelato and finally had to stop eating because I was so full.

I hope to have another food truck night out soon and next time I will have to get there early to avoid the crazy lines and to get the food that I want!

The Chicken and the Egg

I know I have my reservations about anything OTP, but since my mama lives in Marietta and a girls got to eat, might as well try and eat right while venturing to the great suburbs of America.  There has been a lot of talk about this place called the Chicken and the Egg in West Cobb, so mother and I decided to go for lunch, and I especially liked that it was seconds from her house.

We arrived and walked into a very large waiting area, which I guess was good for my friend who had previously visited for dinner and had a rather long, arduous wait.  Luckily, we did not and were seated immediately at a table.  I really liked the farmy, down home feel of the restaurant.  Everything was very Country Living with large wooden tables and antique trays and even chicken type decorations; however, I didn't notice many eggs around.  I guess the chicken came first in this case.

Like most new restaurants now a days, the Chicken and the Egg focuses on using sustainable foods from local farms around the area.  Their lunch menu was loaded with southern style dishes, like smothered chicken, which is what mother ordered, fried pork chop, and shrimp po boy.  To start with, though, we of course ordered some fried green tomatoes.

As you can tell by the picture, the fried crust was so flaky and thin just the way I like it! These FGT came with country ham and tomato jam all atop a pimento cheese fondue.  Simply delicious! The tomatoes were so sweet and combining the flavors with the cheese that was made into a sauce and the salty ham and the sweet jam- it was a grand slam said Sam I am!  Sorry. Back to the non-rhyming food.  While we were enjoying our first bites of the FGT, our bubble was burst with the early arrival of our main courses.  We literally had 2 bites of our appetizer and had to awkwardly make room for our entrees whilst in mid-chew.  Needless to say, not the best timing.

In order to get the most food for the best price we each ordered a Blue Plate Special which comes with a choice of meat (choices change daily) and 2 veggies.  My mother chose the smothered chicken with lima beans and mashed potatoes and I chose the catfish with green beans and mashed potatoes (yes, we are a tater loving family).

My catfish, I have to say, was a little bland.  Even though my mother said she had previously ordered their catfish for dinner and thought it was over cooked, I stuck to my guns and ordered the fish anyway.  Lord knows have I not learned to listen to my mother because she was exactly right.  It was slightly dry for my taste and was just not very flavorful.  I was so much not a fan that I uncharacteristically left almost all of the fish on my plate.  Sad day in my eating diaries.

On a brighter note though, all the veggies were extremely fresh and delicious and were much more flavorful than my catfish!  The mashed potatoes were so creamy and mashed to perfection.  My green beans were cooked with ham-bone, which I could tell from the big ass bone in my bowl of beans!  They tasted so meaty I didn't ever want to find the bottom of that bowl.  My mother's lima beans were amazing.  So fresh and cooked until they were just the right consistency.  All in all, great southern veggies!

Mother's main course was the smothered chicken. Even though I was expecting it to be fried, I was amazed at how tender the chicken was and the gravy was delicious too.  It wasn't too thick, so the meal didn't feel quite so heavy had it been fried and smothered with gravy (which sounds way better to me!).

This was a good experience, but I still think the meal was quite pricey compared to the restaurants in the surrounding area.  I have to say, I will probably stick to the West Cobb Diner as the place in Marietta to get my southern veggies. The portions are bigger and the prices are lower.  I hope the Chicken and the Egg can compete but as they are currently living in a space that was previously an over priced Italian restaurant that failed, they have a lot to live up to.

Serpas, Oh How I Love Thee!

Now if you have yet to wonder down to Auburn Avenue and indulged yourself in the "True Food" at Serpas, you need to read this and go make yourself a reservation on Opentable.com and get your 100 points because the place is simply divine!  They have already been named one of the Top 10 Restaurants by GQ Magazine and the executive chef, Scott Serpas, who has shown his strength as executive chef at TWO Urban Licks, keeps the menu seasonal and true to his southern American style.  The restaurant sits in the midst of the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood and the building, which was built in the early 1900's, used to be a cotton storage factory.  One of the things I love most about the place is how Serpas kept that old, rustic feel of the warehouse with the brick walls and accented with the brushed metal chairs.  

This was my second time visiting Serpas and because I am still in my mid 20's and want to live it up before I am old and decrepit, I had plans to partake in a gathering of friends and hefty libations in East Atlanta later, so my friend and I ended up ordering apps and zerts only (props to you if you got that Parks and Recreation reference).  

We started off with the shaved calamari dribbled with a chili syrup, and I must say it was some damn good calamari.  Now I love a good marinara dip, but I think my favorite way to have this fried scrumptious squid is with a spicy sauce such as this.  It was sweet and spicy at the same time, and yet the batter was still crisp and delicious!  One thing I can guarantee you is if there is calamari or fried green tomatoes on the menu, I will order it and devour it (probably even if it isn't that great).  Which leads me to our next appetizer!

The Fried Green Tomato!! And yes, it is THAT important to deserve capitalized letters.  Now I have to say some of the best fried green tomatoes I have had are from South City Kitchen.  And while these did not woo me like those of SCK, they still gave my tastes buds a little excitement.  These little buggers came topped with a crab salad and avocado, which was good but I didn't see how the avocado really related.  As my fellow diner was not prone to the veggie I simply ate it by itself without the tomatoes.  When it comes to the crust, I like a thin layer so I can still taste the sweetness of the tomatoes.  I felt the crust on these were a little thick for my taste, but all in all, a good experience. 

Then we came to the crispy duck rolls.  Now this was the best by far! These rolls came with a flaky, delicate crust on the outside with spicy chili sauce to dip in.  I just cannot say enough about them.  They were delish!!

For dessert I had the beignets.  Now let me just tell you.  I had a deal for Serpas that I needed to use, which is why we went, but I had made the reservation about 5 days in advance.  I think I thought about that dessert every single day until I stuffed those things in my mouth!  And they don't give you one or two, but they give you three huge beignets with a delicious caramel sauce.  Needless to say I downed every little bit of those french donuts into my already stuffed stomach.  If only you could get those by the dozen!   

Serpas is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta.  I love the neighborhood, atmosphere, and of course the food is always fantastic!