Some people plan trips around visits to museums, local places of interest, architectural walks, and spiritual pilgrimages. I have my own idea about what is interesting about a place ... the food. I buy travel guides to study the most historical and popular restaurants and bars and, when I arrive I try to go to places that are not on the list - local haunts mostly. Generally there are more places to eat than meals in a day. So, I eat snacks, too.
Just recently I went back to a place that is near and dear to my heart - the South - Atlanta, Georgia. The thing I love about the South is their lack of Political Correctness. Folks in the South are polite and all, Miss Charlotte, but there are no pretenses. And when it comes to eating, Southerners do not pretend that a salad is a meal.
The basic rule in the South is anything good is better fried. Anything fried is better smothered. Anything smothered is better with gravy. It's amazing that there are not more Southern politicians... I digest, I mean, digress.
First stop, off the plane, was Six Feet Under. Across the street from the Oakland Cemetery near the lofts that got cropped from the recent tornado, this local spot is about Fried Shrimp and Catfish, the best juicy burger in Atlanta (besides Anne's Snack Bar), and a really great selection of beers. I had to have the Catfish with hush puppies and a Stella Artois.
On Sunday we had brunch at Murphy's with grits and biscuits, followed by Mimosas made with Chandon's Reserve Brut. Dinner was Roasted Chicken that we cooked on the barbecue, a gathering of old friends, and wine - Flowers Sonoma Coast and Failla Pinot from Santa Rita Hills, and one that we did not get to drink, the Capiaux Widdoe's - the singular casualty from cross-country transport.
A particularly memorable day included Battered and Fried Bread and Butter Pickle Chips with Blue Cheese Dip. Only people who really love food, and have no regard for any semblance of dietary guidelines, can come up with something... so bad good. Eating food like that is reckless. We did what any crazy food lovers would do - we ordered more. Pimento Cheese came next with some crispy flat bread to spread it on. I ordered the 2006 Honig Sauvignon Blanc which pairs well with most cheeses. Though not a perfect pairing, it was pretty damn good. That night we capped it all off with steaks at Chops and a bottle of 2004 Merus Cabernet. The wine was really big - a fruit bomb - and I enjoyed it. But, the wine won't last but a few more years - and really is ready to drink now.
Ok, we did a couple of other things besides eat - a trip to the High, a tour of the Tornado damage, and an hour or so checking out the ubiquitous World of Coke. Art and Pop Culture notwithstanding, the highlight of any trip (including this one) is always the food.
My daughter, a chip of the proverbial block, is still asking me to find those Biscoff cookies they served on the plane...
You go girl. And you are absolutely right, a salad is not a meal where I come from.
Posted by: Angela Wilson Gyetvan | April 04, 2008 at 02:53 PM