Friends! Como estan? I hope you find yourself in a great place, with positivity surrounding you y future travel plans making their way BACK onto your calendars! It’s been 7 meses de Covid, but collectively we are slowly creeping back into travel, and I for one am very happy about that. Mainly cuz travel CAN be done safely, especially if we commit to doing it on a smaller scale. A great way to experience new places cautiously, is to take weekends trips… pequeno getaways. You go to a rad city, rent an airbnb, spend tons of time outdoors, and ORDER from some of the best restaurants around the city. Boom! Best getaway ever!
And* in case, you need a suggestion for the PERFECT city to try first… Atlanta is a fantastic option. It’s beautiful and BURSTING with comida deliciosa. Let’s pretend for a second that all you have a solid 24 hours in A-town, I’ll give you MY recommendations for every single meal of el dia based on my previous travel experiences. How bout that? π Preparense! Loosen your belt buckles, unfasten your pants… let’s dive into the ATL food scene!
Brunch
Assuming que we are waking up at decent hours, and not at the buttcrack of dawn, lemme start my ATL food list with a brunch recommendation! Lo he dicho antes, I’ve said this before, but brunch is my favorite meal of the day so I’m being the MOST careful with this particular food pick. My favorite pre-lunch spot en Atlanta has ambience, it has style, and it has DAMN good food. The name of the charming French-themed cafΓ© is “Bread and Butterfly” and it’s located in the Inman Park area of town. This place is down-right whimsy. Las decoraciones y el lugar are so beautifully adorned; every little piece feels intentional. The food, IMHO, is the main event, though. Every pastry tastes freshly baked, every cup of cafΓ© is expertly brewed, and the meal plates are as pretty as they are tasty. Make a reservation, put on something cute, and go enjoy a tasty brunch at Bread and Butterfly’s outdoor patio. Te prometo que you’ll love it!
“Well, southerners like to eat well. You see, it’s an event when it’s done right.”
-Stan Shaw
Lunch
You really shouldn’t leave ATL without stopping by the Krogg Street Market. It’s this dope, historic food hall filled with every hipster’s dream food right off of the famous Atlanta Beltline. No te miento. Artisan fruit tarts, authentic Indian cuisine, a brewery, a wine and cheese shop, handmade Mexican chocolate… you get the picture. Hay muchas opciones, but I’d like to direct you to my FAVORITE spot in all of the action: Yalla. Yalla makes comida from el Middle East. We’re talking delicious shawarma, falafels, and kebabs… the last of which I’m particularly obsessed with. The chef is a James Beard Southeast finalist, if that tells you anything about the quality of the noms. Oh, and it’s all cooked and prepared RIGHT en frente de ti. You can literally watch the magic happening. There are tons of vegan and vegetarian options, so it’s really quite perfect for everybody and anybody. Si quieres comer super bien, if you wanna eat REALLY well, try the “Minute Steak” in a Laffa and you’ll reach that heavenly place that only good food can take you to.
Second Lunch
Alright, So I couldn’t choose between my lunch options. Los dos son deliciosos, so instead of selecting only one, you guys are gunna get to do lunch the “choose your own adventure” way. Mi segundo almuerzo suggestion is The Nook on Piedmont Park. Here’s why I love it: it’s a gastropub that’s literally ON Piedmont Park and the food is yummy comfort food. That’s it. Y con eso es suficiente. Listen, a day in Atlanta’s biggest park is just a tremendous joy, but walking through the park can work up an ferocious appetite, and knowing there is a great place to dine only steps away… that’s GOLD. Once you are in the cozy, familial spot, the food options are plentiful. If I may, quiero que pongan atenciΓ³n, I’d like to recommend the Tachos (tattertot nachos) for your consideration. In particular, the Buffalo Tachos (pictured). They are a flavorful carb-overload, yes, but you will have burned enough calories in Piedmont Park to make it all balance out! Jaja! Verdad que si? Also, the cocktails are inventive, the burgers are juicy and fantastic, and the mac and cheese is legit famous. Need I say more? Keep The Nook on your list of possibilities, for sure!
“In the South, first we eat, then we do everything else.”
-The Southern Weekend
Afternoon Tea
If you are a tried and true follower of my blog, tu sabes, you KNOW how I feel about afternoon tea. I’m obsessed and I’m not afraid to admit it. It’s not the kind of “problem” I want to fix! Jaja! Anyway, I found the perfect spot for a cuppa tea in A- Town. It’s called: Just Add Honey Tea Company y es un lugar encantador. It’s enchanting, y’all. This tea spot is poppin’, as it’s right off the Atlanta Beltline and very popular. You have to make an appointment for a full afternoon tea experience, pero you can also drop in for un tazo if that’s more your speed. Las seleciones de teas are next level… so many flavors, it’s hard to choose. Every single one I sipped was better than the last, but my favorite was the Earl Grey Cream. The food was a close second to the tea, if you’re wondering. They dont serve those thin sammies you see everywhere, they’ve got fully loaded sandwiches packed with flavor and seasonings! Y those lemon bars, I’d fight for those lemon bars! Deveras! π If the food and tea aren’t enough to bring you in, though, lemme just say the owner (a boss babe of color) is muy, pero muy friendly AND the merch design says “Pot Head” (with a teapot under it). Adorbs, no? Trust me on this place!
Dinner
A veces, when you visit a new town, people and food guide lists will keep throwing the same place at you over and over, saying it’s an “institution”. A lot of times, you can disregard that noise cuz “institution” doesn’t always mean tasty. This is not one of those times. Me OISTE? Hops Chicken is an institution for a friggin reason, a damn good one….. it’s DELICIOUS! It’s the lugar perfecto para dinner, because it’s located inside the Ponce City Market (an Atlanta must- see) and because it’s authentic, southern comfort food, done really well. The menu is simple and muy facil to navigate, its basically fried chicken…. with a biscuit, in a sandwich, on a salad, or by itself. No need to make things complicated, it’s fantastic fried chicken…and it’s quick! Mi orden favorito es: 2 drumsticks, a biscuit, some Frim Fram sauce (trust me…YUM), a Mexican Coke, and a fried apple pie. That’s the shit right there. OlvΓdate de calories for one night; walk over to the Hops counter at Ponce City Market and live a little. The moans that involuntarily leave your mouth as you bite into that fried pie and that juicy chicken will make it all worth it!
Appetizers and Drinks
Everybody knows that dinner isn’t the end of your travel food day. No uh. Despues de cena, you go live it up a little and nibble here and there… amiright? Claro! So assuming que quieres a good time and yummy eats for the remainder of your Atlanta night, The Painted Pin should be your next pit stop. Que puedo decir, this upscale bar and entertainment center is F-U-N! It’s a whole ass vibe! Super trendy decor; I’m talking gold, chandeliers, mood lighting, and velvet. Tremenda musica and a variety of adult games to enjoy with your friends. I played bocce ball, I bowled, I shot hoops… all of it was dope and it was only made better by the food and drinks I had throughout the course of the night. Es un upscale bar, so the cocktails son magicos; they are center stage! At The Painted Pin, they’ve created yummy drinks like the Dark and Stormy, the Bee’s Knees, and the Moscow Mule Slushy (be careful with that one, it goes down quick but packs a punch) that basically dance a jig on your taste buds. And those drinks pair nicely con la comida that comes out of the kitchen. They got everything from apps to pizzas to tacos but I personally don’t think you need to look farther than the Cajun boiled peanuts and the cheese plate. Finger licking good, mi gente. Such an enjoyable place, you have GOT to go.
” I’ve always liked Atlanta. And not just for the strip clubs, but the shopping and the food.”
-Jon Stewart
Night Cap
Atlanta nightlife is NOT to be missed, amigos. Places to get a lovely night cap abound. Hay nightclubs como el Havana Club in Buckhead or secret lounges like 12 Cocktail Bar in Ponce City Market, pero if I had to pick just one, I’d go with Cook Hall. It’s a cozy gastropub nestled on the side of The W Hotel in the snazzy Buckhead area of Atlanta. Sounds like just another bar right, NOPE! Este lugar tiene algo especial, it’s got something special, live jazz. Well, live jazz AND delicious libations. They are fully stocked with all of the booze that you might need, and then some. My personal cocktail of choice, the Cook Hall Old Fashioned, paired suberbly con la trumpeta of the band. I aint kidding, y’all! When was the last time you sat down and heard a live trumpet blowing, a brilliant saxophonist riffing, a man SCATTING? It is glorious to behold. Live jazz es un experiencia que… well, it shakes your bones and touches your spirit. A good night cap in hand, the company of tus queridos, and truly great entertainment… that’s the dream! If you’re looking for a fantastic way to finish off a travel day in Atlanta, Cook Hall is it!
Querida Fam! I hope you enjoyed my little Atlanta food tour, and that you’ll saved these options for a full 24 hours worth of yummy eats in the area. These are the best of all of the food experience I’ve ever had in Atl., the cream of the crop! I hope they become some of yours too! Holla at me si visitas un lugar, I wanna hear about your experiences! Keep traveling safely, loves!
Con mucho carino,
Joana
2 Comments
Tatanisha R Worthey
Great photos! I love Atlanta! I’ll have to remember this post when I go back. Ponce City Market is definitely a must-visit!!
Joana
Thank you for your comment, dear one! Atlanta crept up on me. It might be one of my new US faves! Yummy food EVERYWHERE.