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!!
Very interesting! And I have to commend you for being honest and still being gentle with your negative review. Your voice really shines through in a good and positive way!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the feedback! We really want to be as positive as possible in this process but we want to be as honest as possible-sometimes a diffcult balance, so knowing how it's received is SO helpful. Thanks again for the feedback & your support!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteOh...I want one of Hector's burritos! I could taste that. One of my former's was Mexican and when I went home with him...I found the food so very different from what we eat here. I suppose had I gone to Japan or Vietnam, I would have found the same. Enjoyed the review of the sisters Shield.
ReplyDeleteI was al excited for you two about the breakfast place. Sorry it didn't work out. But next time I am in Hotlanta, I am TOTALLY hoping to get one of those DEE-licious sounding burritos!
ReplyDeleteThat's ALL. ALL excited. Sigh.
ReplyDelete