Take a gamble...

Hey y'all! Another super weekend in the Atl. The weather was perfect for getting out and exploring the city. We must admit we veered off our twenty this weekend, but it wouldn't be an adventure if we stayed on one path!

Saturday errands led us to the question, what's for lunch? We had just finished up trying out a dog park, so with Izzy the wonder doodle in the car with us, we couldn't go in just anywhere. So Shawna came up with the brillant idea of trying some local street food! I know many of you are probably thinking- seriously street food- isn't that reserved for late night indulging after you've hit the watering holes? But we're not talking about about a somewhat questionable hot dog that you'd only eat at 2AM when your judgement is impaired. We're talking street food extraordinaire!!!

For those who watch Bravo's Top Chef, you may remember Hector Santiago. On the weekends you can find Hector Santiago's burrito stand, located on N. Highland Avenue. The stand opens at Noon and rolls until they run out. Go early and treat yourself to a heavenly burrito!!!As described in the AJC: "The namesake menu item is a fat burrito filled with shreddy, stewy, spicy chicken in red chile. But this is no Chipotle-style tube-o-starch. Santiago begins with a grilled-charred flour tortilla, sheer and bubbly, and fills it with plenty of saucy chicken, a bit of tomatillo salsa, a bit of Mexican crema, and a fresh garnish of paper-thin carrots, radishes, onions and cilantro." OMG never has a burrito tasted so good. The spicyness of the chicken against the crisp coolness of the carrots, radishes and cilantro is a culinary treat. Did we mention the burrito is HUGE? We split the burrito, which was more than enough for two.It was the best $10 we spent all weekend!

The crowd at the stand was very diverse, folks from all different backgrounds, ages, couples, singles, families- some stood around enjoying their burritos, others grabbed a seat on the curb and some like us took the burritos home. We enjoyed ours on the porch while enjoying a picturesque Saturday.
The combination of the gorgeous fall day and the gourmet street food lands Hector Santiago's burrito stand our highest rating: Five Peaches!!!!!

Sunday found us enjoying another lovely morning, we took Izzy for a leisurely stroll and enjoyed the colors of the fall in Inman Park, hit our local coffee shop the Inman Perk- chatted with some neighbors about how much we enjoy the neighborhood and all it is has to offer! We attended a great service at Inman Park United Methodist Church, our day was off to a fantastic start. After the service we decided to check out Candi's for Breakfast in our neighboring neighborhood the Old Fourth Ward. We were greeted immediately and seated outside. The staff was very friendly, but somewhat frazzled. But it was Sunday and we were in no hurry- we both ordered water and coffee- coffee was good. Candi's for Breakfast is known for their stuffed biscuits. Shawna has been craving eggs benedict, so when she she saw Southern Benedict which takes fresh homemade biscuits topp'ed with ham and golden fried eggs, then dresses it up in a tart and creamy hollandise sauce- she was oh so excited! I opted for French toast and turkey bacon.  The server was friendly but clearly overwhelmed. We saw many folks getting up and going inside to get what they needed- hotsauce, sugar, etc. But we still held out hope- while waiting for the food we read the Sunday paper, finished our coffee, I finished my water, updated some pictures on my facebook page and surfed the web on my phone.

Finally food arrived, Yippee... my french toast came out with no butter or syrup. Shawna couldn't wait to try her food and much to her surprise when she bit into the food- it wasn't what she had ordered. Eventually our waitress came back, I asked for syrup and Shawna explained that there must have been a mix-up with the order. After waiting at least 5-10 mins. I finally got syrup and then Shawna got her food. Ready to dig in. The french toast was fine, it probably would have been really good if it had butter and was served hot. Shawna's Southern Benedict, was one of those dishes where you didn't really like it, but it was kind of interesting so you ate some of it to figure your true feelings. True Feelings after three bites= NOT GOOD. Unfortunately for our taste, it was over seasoned and had TOO much going on. When the check came, the waitress didn't charge us for Shawna's breakfast, she was super sweet and apologetic, the bill was only about $8.00. Candi's for Breakfast is located in a funky and artsy space in Irwin Street Market, it was very cozy & cute inside and everyone who worked there was SO nice. Unfortunately, the food was mediocre at best and it took forever. Sadly, based on this experience we give Candi's for Breakfast one and a half peaches.

Stay tuned for the holiday week which will bring our first SPOTLIGHT guests and our next spots on the twenty must try places in Atlanta!

Happy Eating Y'all!!

Downtown Decatur

Yesterday we posted about LEONs Full Service located in Decatur, GA. Decatur is located just minutes east of downtown Atlanta, minutes west of Stone Mountain, and the MARTA rail station is right under our downtown square.

Decatur Square is picturesque! Lots of great local shops,pubs and restaurants. The streets are tree lined and bustling. But upon closer investigation of this little gem- you realize how precious it really is. Decatur is as funky as it is charming. The streets are hopping with all types of people- it's downright quirky. The square area made us feel like characters on the Gilmore Girls!

Upon further research of Decatur it has a calendar full of fun events that should appeal to a wide range of people. There are concerts, holiday happenings, service projects, beer & wine tastings, a farmers market, the list goes on & on. We think the Decatur website nailed it with the description-"You'll find a traditional small-town atmosphere--and the sophistication and excitement of a college town--along with all the benefits of living in a major metropolitan area." If you ask us it's the perfect the combination!

If you live in the Atlanta area or if you come for a visit make sure you spend some time in Decatur- we're pretty sure you'll love it!

For more information on Decatur check out their website: http://www.decaturga.com

Happy Adventures Y'all!

LEONs FULL SERVICE

 

www.leonsfullservice.com

Well we did it- started our latest adventure- causing many of you to say to yourselves "those girls". After driving around searching we finally found LEONs- so glad we started here.  The restaurant and staff were warm and welcoming windows wide open- people inside and out.  As soon as we sat down- Brooke arrived with a smile on her face.  When she asked if we would like something to drink we off course ordered the House wine of the South-sweet tea.

We asked Brooke if people had been coming in from the Southern Living Article- at this point not a lot but a couple of folks.  Sissy and I then proceeded to tell her our plan of tackling the list and tasting our way through the city and would chronicle each tasting via picture and blogging.   Brooke joined right in with enthusiasm to help us start the journey.  For this tasting I ordered straight from the suggestions offered in the article. Thank goodness because everything on the menu sounded delicious. 

Sissy on the other hand tackled the menu choices with gusto. After great discussion she made her choice.

 

 

Me: Small plate bacon peanut butter, crispy frites horseradish mayo, & farmhouse bread with radishes & butter. Bon Appetit!!!!

 

Sissy: bistro steak, Gruyere, charred red pepper, baby arugula, horseradish mayo and brussel sprout hash, fuji apple, pine st. bacon, sweet onion. This was the kind of good that you wanted to prolong the ending of your food. YUM YUM YUM.

 

 

During our meal the manager or owner- we aren't positive, came over to talk to us about "the list" Our wonderful server Brooke had obviously shared what we were doing. He was great- gave us a lot of information about the concept behind the restaurant, the food, the chef, the area, etc. When you go

ask for: Brooke incredible server. She was helpful on the adventure offering great suggestions!!! Who would have thought peanut butter & crispy frites!!! Delicious 

 

The folks at the restaurant were excited about what we were doing and treated us a little like rock stars! The stellar service combined with the ridiculously good food led us to give LEONs FULL SERVICE an almost perfect rating of 4.5 out of 5 peaches.

( FYI- since we are in Georgia we decided to use peaches instead of stars)

 

Until next time Happy Eating Y'all.

 

How this started.

A little background on how this blog got started. It's a simple story, two sisters on an adventure called life. My sister Shawna & I had been living in New Orleans and like most New Orleanians became quite passionate about our food. One of the great things about local restaurants besides the obvious yumminess and being great for a community,  is the window the restaurant gives you into the neighborhood in which it represents. If you pay attention you will learn the good, the bad and the ugly in addition to getting a great meal.

About two months ago my sister & I started a new chapter in the book of life. Shawna got a kick butt career opportunity in Atlanta, GA. So with a slightly heavy heart to leave New Orleans- a city who embraced us as much as we embraced it we packed up the cars and headed back to the East Coast. About a month into this new city, I was desperately missing my Big Easy way of life, somewhere around week 6 we got the November issue of Southern Living and things started looking up.

In the November 2010 issue of Southern Living there's an article titled: "20 Places Everyone Should Eat in Atlanta" Over a bottle of wine, Shawna proposed a new idea to combine our love for discovery and food. So we pulled the magazine article out, posted it on the fridge and decided we would hit all 20 recommended spots, and at least one of us would order what was suggested in the article. Having a lot of informal foodie friends, Shawna shared this idea on her FB status and received great response and lots of requests to keep people posted on our findings. So we decided to do what all the cool kids are doing these days and blog about our experiences. And so our blog is born! We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we are going to enjoy doing it!!!

If your ever in Atlanta, let us know we'll make you our "spotlight" guest at one of the 20! And if you have any recommendations, let us know. Until the next blog.

Bon Appetit Y'all!!!