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Quote of the Week

Quote of the Week 11/18/13

November 18, 2013

Whoooo! Was that Auburn-Georgia game exciting or what? And Carolina-Florida was pretty intense, too, towards the end. This was definitely a great weekend for college football.

It was also just a really great weekend for me in general. Went to a chicken wing cook off on Friday night, tailgated on Saturday, and then saw Ender’s Game on Sunday! It was a jam-packed weekend, but it was so much fun and that’s just how I like it.

This week’s quote comes from Thomas Keller, and I think it really applies to life. Food just tastes better when people put their heart into cooking it. That’s probably why my mom is such an amazing cook!

“A recipe has no soul. You as the cook must bring soul to the recipe”
–Thomas Keller

This picture makes me want to go put an apron on & cook something. I just want to look that bad ass.

This picture makes me want to go put an apron on & cook something. I just want to look that bad ass.

Quote of the Week

Quote of the Week 7/16/12

July 16, 2012

This weekend I succumbed to spontaneity (and boredom) and drove to Augusta to hang out with Lauren for the weekend. It’s only like a 2.5 hour drive, so it wasn’t bad. After flipping through the radio channels on SiriusXM, I found that Howard Stern was doing an SNL on Stern special, where he compiled segments from different interviews he’s had with SNL cast members over the years and offers a backstage look at the history of the show. Being both obsessed with SNL and history, I’m pretty sure this special was made just for me. I learned a lot about the politics of the show and relationships between cast members that I never knew. It was really fascinating

Speaking of politics, I went into the campaign office with Lauren on Saturday and somehow let her talk me into making polling phone calls for an hour. I made about 50 phone calls and learned that people are really rude and hateful to people they don’t know on the phone. I definitely have some funny stories from it, and I’m glad I did it, but I don’t think I’d ever want to do it again. Now I feel guilty for all those times I went all “Crank Yankers” on telemarketers on the phone.

The campaign also threw a Watermelon and Ice Cream social from 3-5 Saturday afternoon, I went with Lauren under the pretense of helping out, but mostly I just wanted watermelon and ice cream. I got to meet Rick W. Allen and his wife Robin, who were both very genuine and nice, and if I were a registered Republican voter in Georgia’s 12th congressional district, I’d totally vote for him. Even though I’m relatively indifferent about politics in general, I really enjoyed myself at this grassroots political event. I also learned that if I join the Republican Women’s club in Charleston, I might get the chance to one day meet Nikki Haley. Now, I don’t really consider myself one political party or the other, but I LOVE NIKKI HALEY, and I’m not ashamed to admit it, Adrian. What other people are to Dr. Who, I am to Nikki Haley #FanGirlStatus.

But I digress! Sunday we hung out poolside at Lauren’s aunt’s house (whose backyard looks like something out of Pinterest. It’s gorgeous, and I’m super jealous). We spent about 4.5 hours lounging in the sun before hunger overtook us. We had dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings, and then saw Brave before I finally got back on the road for home.

Continuing on the political theme, this week’s quote comes from President Barack Obama’s 2011 State-Of-The-Union address. I love the irony of using an Obama quote in a blog post about hanging out with a conservative Republican all weekend. I was originally going to do a quote from Romney, but it turns out he’s not very funny. Who knew. Plus I know having a quote from Obama in my blog will make that vein in my dad’s forehead bulge out really far, which always makes me giggle.

”The Interior Department is in charge of salmon while they’re in fresh water, but the Commerce Department handles them when they’re in saltwater. And I hear it gets even more complicated once they’re smoked.”

–President Barack Obama

Obama can has cheezburger?

Restaurant Reviews

Eating in Atlanta, In A Nutshell.

January 6, 2012

HAPPY 2012 ERRIBODY! I hope everyone is excited for this upcoming year! I know I am…minus that tiny little detail where “The World Might End in 359 Days”… not that I really believe it. But, you know, it would be nice if it didn’t actually happen. I feel like I’ve almost gotten the hang of this whole “adulthood” thing or whatever.

being-an-adult

This is the side of adulthood I’ve really mastered.

For New Year’s Eve, I travelled to Atlanta to visit my friends, “The Hungry People” aka Sean and Christine where I spent a wonderful span of days hopping from one meal to another. There’s so much ethnic food here. It’s kind of like how I imagine heaven. I was really excited to eat Lebanese food Wednesday with my mom and Sean, but on the way to the restaurant, my mom’s car broke down. So not only were we stranded by the side of the road, terrified that the tow truck would never actually come, we were also hungry because our car didn’t have the decency to wait til after lunch to die. Rude, right? So I’m stuck in Atlanta for another night (or three), and I thought this would be a good time to do a roundup review of all the restaurants I’ve eaten at in Atlanta. However, I’m going to break from my usual style and only do brief summaries of each restaurant, because I ate at so many, it got kind of hard to keep track of it all.

This has been me at every meal this week.

This has been me at every meal this week.

1. Cafe Bombay Indian Bistro

We went to Cafe Bombay on Sean’s recommendation–he’d been there with Thomas for lunch a couple weeks earlier. To be honest, I really hadn’t been in the mood for Indian food that day, but that feeling changed the second I stepped in the door. I could just tell by the scent in the air as soon as I opened the door, that this food was going to be delicious, and I definitely was not disappointed. We were there for the lunch buffet, and let me tell you, this is the biggest indian buffet I’d ever seen (and I’ve been to quite a few). We all know, however, that bigger does not necessarily mean better, but Cafe Bombay definitely knows what they’re doing. They don’t sacrifice quality for quantity even in the least.

Trip 1 of 8 through the buffet.

Trip 1 of 8 through the buffet.

Their paneer tikka masala with their homemade cheese cubes was AMAZING. Usually I don’t care for paneer because it’s usually bland and tasteless, and reminds me too much of tofu, but if I ever go back there, I will order just the paneer tikka masala. Also, they made this chicken that they marinated in cream cheese. That was really good too. Basically everything they made was delicious, and I highly recommend you visit them if you ever have the chance. But, don’t be surprised if you leave never wanting to eat ever again.

#1 indeed!

#1 indeed!

Cafe Bombay
2615 Briarcliff Road
Northeast Atlanta, GA 30329-3112
(404) 320-0229
Cafe Bombay Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

2. Sushi Kiku

So Sean went and woke up (ish) Raina on New Years Day to ask her about a sushi buffet place she’d talked about. She snored out the words “sushi kiku” and Sean decided that’s where we were going to eat for lunch. So Thomas, Sean, Christine, and I ventured out to Buckhead to shove some sushi into our faces. They made about two rolls of each type of sushi at a time, so they really weren’t out long enough to get gross or weird, and I’m pretty sure they changed them out at regular intervals. Every time I went up to the bar, there were different rolls out to try. I was quite impressed.

A very pleasant surprise!

I think they probably had a 9 or 10 rolls total to choose from, and you better believe I tried some of each, and then second helpings of the rolls I liked best. But be warned, their spicy mayo is super spicy. They also had a bunch of non-sushi items for those who aren’t really the lovers of the sushi–steak, salads, fried rice, chicken, pot stickers, cheesy scalloped potatoes (I guess for those people who don’t like japanese food either…I guess no one can say they’re not diverse!), and some dessert items that I couldn’t really look at without feeling nauseous because I’d eaten so much, but Sean assured me they were delicious. I found out that the apartment above Sushi Kiku was for rent, and I seriously considered moving in, dreaming of eating at Sushi Kiku every day…

Because sushi + cats = happiness.

Because sushi + cats = happiness.

You should definitely try Sushi Kiku if you’re into sushi and like variety. It wasn’t necessarily the best sushi I’d ever had, but it was pretty good, and it was cheap for a sushi buffet, like $12.99 per person for lunch. Which is great, because I definitely ate my money’s worth of sushi. Even though it wasn’t my favorite sushi ever, the quality was still very high, and it was good, and the value was great, so I would definitely recommend it if you’re into sushi.

Sushi-palooza

Sushi-palooza

Sushi Kiku
2770 Lenox Road Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30324-6006
(404) 467-4544
Sushi Kiku Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

3. Fat Matt’s Rib Shack

Wednesday was kind of a crazy day. Our original plan was to get some lebanese food with my mom when she came to pick me up, but then the car broke down on 85, which kind of threw a wrench in that plan. We’d had a crazy morning filled with running up an exit ramp against my mother’s wishes, waiting half an hour for Thomas to come rescue us, waiting for the AAA people to figure out what they were doing with the car (which they never ended up doing), etc., before we were free(ish) to FINALLY find something to eat. Only we were so far away from our original destination we were left to answer that age old question “What shall we eat?”

WHY, GOD, HAVE YOU CURSED ME WITH SO MANY CHOICES?!

After driving around for about half an hour trying to figure out what we wanted, Sean finally had the brilliant idea to try out Fat Matt’s, a place he’d wanted to try for a while. We all liked barbecue, and we were half starving to death, so we decided that was where we would eat. The restaurant itself is an unassuming little diner-type building, and the few menu items were written on a board near the ordering counter.

I'll have....one of everything on the menu.

I’ll have….one of everything on the menu.

I ordered the chopped pork sandwich, minus the bun, with a side of macaroni and cheese and collards. Tina got a combo plate of chicken and ribs, with rum baked beans. Sean got ribs with macaroni, and Thomas got the combo plate, but I don’t remember what sides he got. The combo plates came with toast, and the chicken was delicious, as were the ribs. My pork was delicious, and the barbecue sauce was the perfect blend of spicy, tangy, and sweet. The collards were really good, but super spicy, and the macaroni was delicious.

This is some good stuff.

This is some good stuff.

The food was delicious, the atmosphere was comfortable and homey, and the bathrooms were nice and clean. Also, it looks like they have a stage set up for concerts, which I think would be very cool. Check it out!

Fat Matt’s Rib Shack
1811 Piedmont Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA 30324
(404) 607-1622
Fat Matt's Rib Shack Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Restaurant Reviews

The Boll Weevil Cafe and Sweetery, Augusta, Ga

December 18, 2011

This weekend, I travelled to Augusta, Georgia, to visit my dear friend Lauren “the salad eater” and her army of cats. We had a splendid time testing out the area’s bars and restaurants, as well as exasperating their local police force (try and tell me my ID looks fake, see if I don’t put up a fight. When a girl’s gotta dance, A GIRL’S GOTTA DANCE!).

I pity the fool who prevents Lauren from gettin’ her groove on.

After a fantastic night of Wobbling and singing onstage with cover bands, and a productive morning of worship (Lauren) and sleeping in (Sydney), the hunger pangs kicked in and we made our way to downtown Augusta for some lunch. Lauren recommended a restaurant near her office called The Boll Weevil (which makes more sense after you learn that the restaurant used to be a cotton warehouse). I was a little skeptical of the name (the word weevil doesn’t exactly do it for me), but it was a cute little cafe and I was way too hungry to argue about semantics. We sat in a little room with about 6 or so other tables, filled with families dressed in their Sunday best, while I stood out from the crowd in my shorts and tacky sweater (#noshame). Our waiter was funny and super attentive without being overbearing, which was refreshing. For lunch, I ordered the Curious George, which is turkey topped with spinach dip and provolone cheese on homemade honey wheat bread. It was pretty delicious. The turkey was thick cut, definitely fresh, and the toppings were not too heavy. It was perfect. I got the half version of the sandwich and their tomato apple soup, fire-roasted Fuji apples and carrots in a tomato soup. It was an interesting combination of sweet and savory and spicy. I liked it, which is impressive, because I usually don’t care for tomato soups.

It’s Mmmmm, good…. Also, I hate Campbell’s.

Lauren decided to branch out and get the greasy double fried lard burger with extra carbs on the side. hahahahaha, oh wait, who am I kidding? Of course, she got soup and a salad. No branching out for Lala, no way. Specifically she got the greek salad and vegetable soup. That’s right, she got veggies with her veggies. Oh, and how about a side of veggies? Yes. She’ll have them. She’ll have ALL THE VEGGIES IN THE WORLD!!  MUAHHAHAHAHA!!!

She needs to start going to meetings. She has a serious addiction.

Cute waiter also guilted Lauren into getting a piece of cake, apparently because they do cake specials on Sundays, so it was only like 5 dollars for a monstrous piece of cake. She had a hard time deciding which one she wanted to get because she was “SOOO FUULLLLL! I FEEL SO FAT!! I’M GONNA THROW UP IF I EAT ANYMORE” (from a salad… A SALAD). She narrowed it down 3 choices–strawberry, red velvet, and coffee toffee–and told the waiter to surprise her and put a piece in a to-go box. “It’s like Christmas! I don’t want to know what my presents are before I open them!” I’m not one to ruin Christmas, but…

It was the Coffee Toffee. Spoiler alert.

It was the Coffee Toffee. Spoiler alert.

Summary: Get a sandwich and some soup. Unless you’re addicted to salads like La. Also, cake is a meal in itself.

Turning the weevil into a cartoon does not make it any less gross.

Turning the weevil into a cartoon does not make it any less gross.

The Boll Weevil Cafe and Sweetery
10 9th St, Augusta, GA 30901
(706) 722-7772 ‎

Boll Weevil Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato