Chow Down Atlanta

So you already know by now. The best bagels in Atlanta are not in Atlanta. They’re in Alpharetta. All of them.  These elusive bagels — because if you live in the city, you must fight traffic, make the 45-minute trek up north and make sure you get there before 2PM OR have a good friend named Chloe aka the bagel fairy who makes deliveries to in town friends — are made the traditional, old-fashioned, New York City way. Hand rolled and kettle boiled.  The result is a shiny, chewy bagel that’s dense and firm yet airy and spongy. These unique bagels (the size of a small child’s head) are hand-rolled (and hand-formed), boiled in a kettle, then baked. The boiling process creates a distinct, moist, sweetish crust absent on mass-produced versions. Not only is the process unique, the appearance is, too. Most have completely no holes!

What used to be Bitchin’ is now Bronx. More family-friendly name, I guess. These bagels were started by a couple, the Siinos, who moved here from New York. Their main baker started his craft at New York City Deli & Bagels which was also in Alpharetta. Many years after, in what would be the ultimate homage to their craft, the Siinos took over the NYC Deli location and transformed it into their second BB’s location which just opened recently.

A few miles down the road, another hand-roller/kettle-boiler joint entered the scene about two years ago: Essex Bagels. There has been a lot of denying on Essex’s part but I was told by BB’s baker himself that he makes the dough and hand-rolls them for Essex. I spend a lot of time equally on both places.   Although the appearance and texture are identical, the recipe isn’t exactly the same. BB’s are slightly sweeter.  I like them both.

Every single flavor is fantastic. Chocolate chip and French toast are good enough for dessert. Sun-dried tomato and Veggie both taste like they have tomatoes and veggies in them. The blueberry? Yes, it tastes like blueberries. Salt, Garlic, Pumpernickel, and Everything? Get ready for a sensation of flavors (and scents). Of course, the Plain, Wheat, and Egg are amazing. Their homemade cream cheeses are delicious. Try the scallion, lox, and chocolate chip.

But wait. These bagels on steroids aren’t the only thing good at these places. Breakfasts are, too. Grits are made from scratch, omelets are fluffy, corned beef hash is chunky and tasty, biscuits are flaky. Oh, and let’s not forget about the Taylor ham. A great contender to the Canadian bacon, this pork roll is sliced thin then grilled. Yummy. By the way, try the bagel pizza at Essex. Available only upon request.

Don’t take my word for it. Go for the bagels. And breakfast. Just go.

BB’s Bagels & Diner
Open daily from 6AM – 2PM
2 Locations:
Main:
770 McFarland Pkwy
Alpharetta, GA 30004
(770) 475-1818

New:
10995 State Bridge Road
Alpharetta, GA 30022
Ph. 770-754-9595

Essex Bagels
11030 Medlock Bridge Rd Ste 160
Johns Creek, GA 30097
(770) 476-8214

Technorati Tags: Alpharetta, bagels, BB’s, Scoutmob, Local Scout

Sun in my belly means happy. Magic. I’m constantly inspired to come here by two of my good friends, the Asian Cajuns, who are doubly happy and who constantly rave about this place. You see, they come here a lot! Mind you, for those uninitiated, it’s quite difficult to find the place. No huge signs. No bells and whistles. Just an old, red J. A. Bailey & Sons Hardware letters on the front. It’s very easy to miss, actually.

But what’s not to love? The place is cozy. And hipster. A mish-mash of furniture, old cookbooks on the shelves, comfy couches. Quirky murals. Mason jars. Brown paper table lines. Hipsters. Oh, and the food.

You must, must have the Kirkwood. Soft scrambled eggs: not, I repeat, not the overdone, over-dry ones you see elsewhere — kinda like the difference between over-easy and fried eggs. The large, soft, creamy curds make your mouth happy. Infused with herbed boursin cheese. It’s subtly herby and cheesy and eggy. The honey-glazed bacon will rock your socks off. It’s slightly spicy. Sweetish. And addictive. Yeah, you’ve been warned.

The Challah French Toast? Wow. Delicious. Gigantic. A thick piece of challah filled with creamy, honeyed ricotta and piled with fresh, brown sugar-glazed berries. And a side of real maple syrup. It was the perfect dessert. It was divine.

Mmm. Happy. Sun in my belly.

Did you know? More love here, here, here, here, and here.

Sun In My Belly
2161 College Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30317
(404) 370-1088

Technorati Tags: breakfast, brunch, Decatur, Kirkwood

I was cajoled by my sister to have a very late lunch here. It was 15 minutes til closing when we came in but we made sure (called ahead) and asked again upon arrival if it was still okay to come in. I’ll leave the pedigree details to all the other reviewers here, here, and here. Great pictures from Ironman Jimmy are here. Let me just tell you about the food.

We started with the Pork Rilette. It was creamy yet still had shreds of meat to render enough texture. It was topped with sweet wheatberries and cucumbers. It was so good I could have eaten it straight from the jar.

My sister’s Pan Roasted Carolina Trout was so fresh and clean tasting and the side of collard greens really rocked.

My Grilled Pork Chop was so fantastic I’m still dreaming of it up to now. It was succulent and so perfectly seasoned. It was topped with a small piece of cider-glazed apple to provide a slight sweetness but not too much to take away from the pure flavor of the pork.  As a friend would say, “It’s crazy good.”  The slightly stir-fried radishes in brown butter vinaigrette was an interesting concept on paper but was amazing in the mouth.  Crisp, buttery, earthy.  It works.  The rice-a-roniesque rice (both in taste and texture) with field peas was the only thing that was weak.

My sister also had the chocolate pudding topped with Chantilly cream. She liked it.

Despite having arrived so late, we were never rushed. Lunch (and table service) is until 3PM, we left past 4. Service was so hospitable and the place was so cozy we wanted to stay and hang out the entire afternoon. Actually, they would have let us. Can’t wait to go back.

Empire State South
999 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 541-1105

Technorati Tags: Midtown, Southern

West Egg Cafe has been one of my go-to places for breakfast (that is, the few times I can get myself out of bed early enough). Had a chance to finally go to their new location in White Provisions a couple of months back and I might say, the place is really nice. Funky nice. My visit was the first stop in my usual “food field trip” — several lunches, several dinners all in one day with one of my eating buddies — so we were very conservative in ordering food.

The Georgia Benedict had these savory turkey sausage patties topped with beautiful poached eggs sitting on their famous biscuit. All these were drenched in a turkey sausage gravy that was perfect in consistency (thin enough to go down smoothly, yet thick enough to coat everything). It’s always been a trusted favorite. It was, however, a little floury for my tastes this time around. My eggs came with a side of grits. They serve one of the best grits in town and it didn’t disappoint as usual. It was creamy and the taste of corn really stood out.

The Belgian Waffle was good. It was crispy on the outside. I would have loved it to be chewier on the inside, though. Make sure you substitute regular butter if you aren’t a sweet (honey) butter person like me.

FB’s Blue Plate is a good choice if you want a hearty meal. We’re both huge fans of cheesy eggs and he wanted to get the same effect but they just couldn’t duplicate it. Oh well. It was still good. I do love that the skillet potatoes came with chunks of crusty potatoes. They were peppery and really flavorful.

Other favorites of mine here include the Black Bean Cakes and Eggs (an interesting take on the Huevos Rancheros) and the bacon, eggs, and cheese biscuit (or the biscuit period). Read more here.

West Egg Cafe
1100 Howell Mill Rd NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 872-3973

Technorati Tags: midtown, breakfast, brunch, White Provisions

It’s one of the most underrated breakfast places in town. Did you know? They make the best sweet potato pancakes. They’re soft, chewy, sweet potatoey. They are so good.

But wait, there’s more. They have these humongous biscuits that are also so good. Believe me, the “Flying” version doesn’t compare.

P.S. Try their take on the Huevos Rancheros. It comes with both red and green salsa.

Read more from Gato’s biggest fan here.

Gato Bizco Cafe
1660 McLendon Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 371-0889
Call for hours — can’t remember if they’re closed on Mondays and/or Tuesdays.

Technorati Tags: L5P, Candler Park, breakfast, biscuits