Chow Down Atlanta

A friend has been having cravings for Varsity burgers since last week so I agreed to go provided he drove. He did. Today. We went. The place was packed. There were tons of kids on a field trip. And yes, the little old lady is still there yelling at the top of her lungs: “Whaddayougonnahave, whaddayougonnahave?”

I forgot to charge my camera battery so I had to use my phone…

I had the Combo #2: Glorified Bacon Cheeseburger with onion rings and a drink. While I’ve never been wowed by their burgers despite their ‘always-fresh-never-frozen’ claim to fame, going to Varsity, an Atlanta institution since 1928, is an experience nobody should miss. It’s something about the deafening and chaotic atmosphere that just draws people in. So my burger was okay. Nothing fantastic, just a greasy burger with bacon, cheese, lettuce, and tomato, hence the term glorified.

But let me tell you about the onion rings. Gigantic home-grown Vidalia onion rings so greasy your cholesterol shoots up a hundred points just looking at it. But the taste — there is no oniony taste in these onions, just sweet, sweet onions. For those who aren’t familiar, Vidalia onions put Georgia on the map, so to speak. Grown in Vidalia, Georgia, (including a specific Georgia southeast region) these onions are sweet and void of the spicy taste that makes onions, well, onions. I kid you not, you can actually eat a Vidalia onion like you eat an apple.

Back to my onion rings. Would you believe they were fried in no-cholesterol Canola oil? And they now use Kraft Lite Mayo in their chicken and egg salad? Really, you have to try The Varsity at least once.

Insider Tip:
Better be ready with your order when you walk up to the counter or they’ll yell at ya!
You must, must try the onion rings and the frosted orange. Must!

The scoop:
Nothing beats the original Varsity on North Avenue
The Varsity
61 North Avenue,
Atlanta, GA 30308
Sunday-Thursday 10:00am-11:30pm
Friday-Saturday 10:00am-12:30am
404-881-1706
Six other locations. Check their website for addresses.

Technorati Tags: The Varsity, Vidalia onions, onion rings, frosted orange, glorified burgers

Five Guys Famous Burgers And Fries has been taking the Southeast area by storm. Touting fresh burgers made-to-order, they pride in not ever freezing or microwaving anything on their menu.

I love 5G because of their unpretentious attitude. They’re not trying to be an upscale restaurant. If you can remember that and think of it as a walk-in only, step-above-”fast-food”-joint where you can get cooked-to-order juicy burgers, then you’ll have a grand time at this place. And if that’s not enough to wow you, then have a taste of their fries and you’ll know what I mean.

While a bit pricier than your average hamburger fast-food joint, 5G seperates from them by starting with freshly-ground beef and hand-cut fries. The burgers are really good and the fries are out of this world. Although all burgers are cooked well-done, you’ll hardly notice because of it’s juiciness and tastiness. And with 15 toppings to choose from, you can have your perfect burger. The fries, cooked in peanut oil, are peeled and hand-cut every morning. They are fried to perfection with the necessary crispiness on the outside. So go and get yourself a 5G burger and fries and see what the rage is all about.

Insider tip:

There are complimentary jumbo peanuts to munch on while waiting for your food. The regular serving of fries is good enough for two people. Try the Cajun — it’s delicious.

The scoop:

Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries
Open daily from 11AM

Technorati Tags: Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries, burgers, hotdogs, fries, fast food

The best, unforgettable peri-peri chicken I’ve ever had was during a vacation in the Middle East two years ago — I tasted it in different places in two different countries and they tasted very similar to each other. Piri piri (or peri peri) is a small spicy pepper grown in South Africa and its neighboring countries which is also known as the African bird’s eye chile. Peri-peri chicken (or shrimp) is grilled chicken (or shrimp) marinated in peri-peri sauce made with peri peri, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, olive oil, and salt. The taste is distinct and totally different from Jamaican jerk chicken.

Boneheads, a quasi fast-food place which is part of Raving Brands (think Mama Fu’s, Moes, doc green’s, Shaun’s) specializes in piri piri chicken. Their piri piri chicken comes in three sizes: whole, half, or breast, and in different flavors: lemon & herb, medium, hot, or very hot. I love spicy food and am known to squeeze raw bird’s eye chili peppers (both African and Asian varieties) into my food. So I tried the hot flavored half chicken which came with seasoned rice, a choice of side (Asian cole slaw), and a topping (I chose cucumber lime and yogurt).

Boneheads version vs. the Middle Eastern version I had
I was totally disappointed with Boneheads’ piri piri chicken. Although well cooked and juicy on the inside, the taste was

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I went to Super H Mart on Pleasant Hill Rd in Gwinnett to get a huge bottle of Kimchi. I used to get my Kimchi at Han Gang Korean Grocery on Steve Reynolds Blvd in the early 90s. It was the first big stand-alone Korean grocery store in Atlanta where they sold meat and seafood aside from the usual fresh veggies, canned and dry goods, and also had a food court inside although very small. Since that has closed, I’ve been going to three other places.

At Super H today, they had three different kinds of fresh firm tofu: Plain, Carrot, and Spinach. The carrot tofu had only the slightest hint of carrot taste in it. Not overpowering. Just a tad carrotish if there’s even a word. The spinach tofu is equally awesome, with just a slight infusion of spinach so as not to kill the true taste of the tofu. These faintly flavored tofu aren’t really the type you’d use in cooking. Instead, you eat them as they are, cut up into cubes and drenched lightly with Korean sauce made with soy sauce, peppers, scallions, sugar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. They’re great in salads, as appetizers, or as an accompaniment to grilled meat and seafood. By the way, these gems are less than $2 per block.

Technorati Tags: Super H Mart, flavored tofu, tofu, spinach tofu, carrot tofu, plain tofu, Pleasant Hill Road, Gwinnett, Korean grocery, food finds Atlanta, Atlanta, kimchi

If there’s such a thing about fast food being comfort food then Chick-fil-A is it. It’s been an Atlanta institution for the past six decades and the only one who can actually claim inventing the chicken sandwich. A very yummy chicken sandwich. It’s made with real chicken breast fillet perfectly seasoned with the right blend of spices, ever so lightly breaded, then fried golden brown. There’s nothing quite like it. And you must, must, try their chicken nuggets — tender morsels of nuggets that are made with, well, real chicken. Not formed chicken. They’re great dipped in Polynesian sauce (their version of sweet and sour sauce) and accompanied by waffle-cut fries and the addicting freshly squeezed lemonade.

Insider Tip:

You can trade the kiddie meal toy for a small serving of soft-serve ice cream.

Heard somewhere that there’s a branch at the NYU food court. I can’t confirm. I’ll have my brother check it out and report it here.

All locations are closed on Sundays.

Some locations accept orders made online.

The Scoop:
Find a location near you

Technorati Tags: Chick-fil-A, fast food, chicken sandwich, chicken nuggets, Atlanta