Everything We Ate.. and Saw in Atlanta.
Slowly getting back to reality after a whirlwind June. I spent two weeks at the beginning of the month in Atlanta for work and was lucky enough that Andrew was able to come spend some time with me during my off-duty hours we could explore. We saw lots of great things around the city, but for the most part we just ate a lot of food. Here’s an overview of our time there!
Westside Provisions: I work for East Fork, an Asheville based ceramics company, and was in Atlanta to do some new hire on boarding and training at their newly opened retail shop in the Westside Provisions District. Lucky for me, this beautiful shopping district is home to some great shops, but more so, some really delicious eats. My most frequented spot in WSPD was Brash Coffee, a boutique coffee shop inside of a shipping container right outside the East Fork store front with a dreamy chai latte - perfect for kicking off your day. For more indulgent breakfasts I treated myself to a delicious donut from Five Daughters Bakery and had to see how the biscuits in Georgia compared to those in North Carolina by going hearty at Holler & Dash. During my stay my go-to lunch spot was Little Star Provisions - a mini market of sorts with gourmet sandwiches and pastries. I enjoyed a loaded burger at Yeah! Burger (a great spot for vegan options) and found out later in my visit that Marcel also does a mean burger at lunch for a hell of a deal. I was fortunate enough to enjoy a delectable dinner at Marcel with my supervisors upon arrival, and what a treat it was. An other worldly steakhouse, with a full service wait staff and maitre d; that Drake’s been known to shut down once in a while. The Sweet Shrimp Scampi and King Crab were superb and could totally make it worth the trip for some pre dinner small plates. And while a beautiful multi course meal is a real treat, one of my favorite spots just down the road was Monday Night Brewing; of course coming from Asheville a brewery just feels like home, and it was a great casual spot to unwind after a long day and enjoy a Currant Events.
Ponce City Market: Even though I was working on the Westside we stayed on the opposite side of Midtown near Piedmont Park. I’m very happy the rental was on this side of town as it is such a great, central location with easy access to so many things, and while in the city it’s nice to be close to a park. We ended up being just around the corner from Ponce City Market, so made a few visits to grab a quick bite and hope on and off The Beltline. The two spots we ate in Ponce were Ton Ton Ramen and Botiwalla - an Indian street food restaurant owned by the same restaurant group as Asheville favorites, Buxton Hall BBQ and Chai Pani. There chicken tikka rolls make for a great lunch option but come back when you’re off the clock to get a taste of their take on a pina colada. We didn’t do too much shopping in Ponce City Market, but my favorite boutique was Citizen Supply which reminded me of a mashup of two of my favorite Asheville boutiques, Ware and Old North, and there’s a plant shop complete with a cute, little greenhouse inside - all my favorite things combined!
Piedmont Park: Such a perfect way to spend the afternoon - a stroll through Piedmont Park and a stop a Busy’s; a retro airstream trailer turned shave ice stand and coffee bar. Perfect for beating the heat in Hotlanta. The park is huge so not only great for walking/biking/running, but has a huge dog park, public pool, farmer’s market on the weekends and endless other activities free for the public.
Spots to Grab a Drink: Atlanta is home to endless amounts of aesthetically fabulous coffee shops, but my favorite we ended up at was Chrome Yellow Trading Co. a boutique and coffee shop filled with live plants and giving me all the Southern California vibes. Not only was their coffee delicious, they make some mean croissants and a perfectly flaky almond one to boot. Another great coffee spot is Chattahoochee Coffee Company, but full disclaimer it’s tricky to find and is located in the lobby of an apartment building so accessibility isn’t the greatest but it’s right behind WSPD if you’re on that side of town. Based on multiple suggestions we stopped by the rooftop at the Hotel Clermont for a glass of rose. We were there on a pretty busy Friday night, and between the heat and the crowd it wasn’t a place we wanted to hang out too long, but the views are worth a visit and it’s probably a great place to pop by in the middle of a week day! Two other breweries we visited while in town were Orpheus Brewing near the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and Wrecking Bar Brewpub in Little Five Points. Orpheus was totally underrated in a wonderful way; the interior is a basic taproom, leaving something to be desired, however they have a two tier outdoor patio that overlooks a huge portion of park and it’s secluded location kept the crowds away. Wrecking Bar is housed in the basement of a historic mansion and has a wide selection of beers, but the real high point for me was their Corn Pups. A delicious upgrade to a corn dog, these lollipop style cheddarwursts are perfectly deep fried in corn bread and served up with a curry ketchup - a tasty little snack for you and a friend to share!
Junk Food: For those who follow me on Instagram (@kirby.wolf) you know that at the end of last year Andrew and I embarked on a self proclaimed World Wide Wiener Tour. On our quest to seek out the World’s Best Hot Dog we find ourselves trying different dogs all over the new cities we visit. A must stop based on a recommendation from my friend Stephanie was of course, The Varsity - the world’s largest drive-in and a fast food joint in the heart of Midtown that’s been running since 1928. These weren’t my particular favorite hot dogs but their frozen orange dreamsicle drink sure was tasty and we enjoyed the craziness of the experience. Another part of being away from home is hitting a great, local diner and we did find a top ten hot dog at the Majestic Diner right down the street from Ponce City Market. But, our absolute favorite casual dining spot was hands down Edgewood Pizza - Asheville just doesn’t make pizza like that and their chicken wings were so good! Their well known King Slices make for a great lunch after touring the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library which are both located right around the corner.
The Beltline: I think we surprised ourselves how much time we spent scootering around The Beltline. Yes, that’s right scootering - being out of harm’s way in traffic, we found renting scooters was a really fun and cost effective way to get around town. With Beltline access nearby we found ourselves frequenting Inman Park to visit Krog Street Market, Little Five Points, and Old Fourth Ward. Probably the best Philly Cheesesteak I’ve had in my life could be found at Fred’s Meat & Bread inside Krog Street Market. I had an incredible salmon benedict at Highland Bakery in Old Fourth Ward. And we found ourselves hanging out outside of Ladybird Grove and Mess Hall quite frequently cause we loved the vibe and of course Andrew was happy they were serving Narragansett Summer Shandy out of their camper out back. I think my favorite meal of the trip was our dinner at Two Urban Licks - where we sat belly up to the kitchen and enjoyed endless wood-fired plates. My number one recommendation is their Salmon Chips - the only appetizer that has steadily remained on the menu since they opened years ago and for good reason!
Shopping: Once again, I didn’t really engulf in too much shopping during my time in Atlanta, mainly just for lack of time and eating definitely being a priority. But based on my current interest in recycled and sustainable fashion I would recommend doing lots of shopping in Little Five Points. There are a good handful of vintage shops packed into just a couple blocks and The Clothing Warehouse was a vintage dream. Not only was it so aesthetically wonderful with it’s color coordination and organization, there was a beautiful selection of pieces and all at a reasonable price.
I honestly feel like we just put a dent into what Atlanta has to offer, and now that I know what a fun and easy to navigate city it is, I can’t wait for my next opportunity to visit and of course eat more food! I already have a list of places I want try, The Optimist for fresh oysters, St. Cecilia for some carbo loading, Barcelona a tapas and wine bar that you can ironically bring your own bottle of wine to and maybe when I’m feeling really adventurous dinner at Tiny Lou’s.
Would love to hear your favorite spots in ATL in the comments below, so I can continue adding to my list!
