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Dell’z Uptown

March 14, 2014

One of my favorite places to order from for lunch or stop by late night after the bars close, is Dell’z Deli. Dell’z specializes in delicious healthy fare and it is spot on every single time I visit. When Naomi came to visit, I was excited to take her to Dell’z Uptown to try some of their vegan specialties. I’m neither vegetarian nor vegan, so I was a little worried about a meatless menu, but I put my faith in Dell, and boy did I make the right decision.

I mean, people this beautiful couldn’t possibly make a bad sandwich. Photo from Dell’z Website

So let me preface this by saying that Naomi, Lily, and I went to Dell’z 2 days in a row, and Naomi and I got Dell’z late night a 3rd night, and we probably would’ve gone a 4th time if Dell’z had been open on Sunday. It’s that good. On day 1, we started with an order of the black bean hummus (topped w/ fresh veggies. served with garlic pita chips, drizzled w/ lime & avocado, $7), which is definitely in my top 3 favorite foods of all time. I’m not even exaggerating here. I don’t think I can accurately describe what makes it taste so good, so you should probably just go order some for yourself. You can thank me later.

Seriously. Go order it right now.

For my meal the first visit, I decided to try something new and ordered the Lucky Bowl (black eyed peas, red and green peppers, red onions, creole, turnip greens, brown rice, vegan bacon crumbles, $9) because it looked delicious. And boy, was it. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the vegan bacon, but it added a good level of smokiness to the heat of the creole spices. I would order this again for sure.

Plus I love those marinated tomatoes they put on everything.

For their lunch on day 1, Lily and Naomi both got the acorn bowl (sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, quinoa, and onions served inside half an acorn squash, $12 I think), which was on special. I don’t usually like mushrooms, but this dish was so delicious. Naomi and Lily were basically licking their plates by the end of the meal.

This picture is from the Dell’z Uptown Facebook page

On day 2, Naomi, Lily, and I decided to try out the vegan nachos, despite the fact that Naomi kept saying that “vegan cheese is nasty” and that we probably weren’t going to like it. Boy was she wrong. In fact, if I didn’t know otherwise, I never would’ve guessed that it wasn’t real cheese. I think we polished these off in less than 5 minutes.

Next time, I want to try the vegan spinach & artichoke dip.

For our entrees on day 2, Lily and I both went with my usual Dell’z order, the Hummer wrap (black bean hummus, cilantro, salsa, tomatoes,
sprouts, cucumbers, carrots, avocado, fresh field greens, drizzled w/ fresh lime, $8). When I order from Dell’z Deli, I usually add chicken, but it’s just as good without the chicken, I promise.

Gosh it’s so beautiful.

Naomi decided to try the My Thai Bowl (zucchini, squash, vegan sausage, brown rice, cabbage, spinach, pasta, topped with mango salsa, $10) for her entree the second day. It was a really interesting combination of flavors: smoky, sweet, spicy, and savory all at the same time. The “pasta” that they mention is Thai-style rice noodles, which I thought really added another level of dimension to the texture. I don’t know that I would order this again, but if I was with someone who did, I’d definitely steal a forkful (or two!).

And it comes served with pita wedges!

After spending a few days eating at Dell’z with Naomi, I came to the conclusion that I could definitely become a vegan, and even enjoy it, if I could eat at Dell’z for every meal. So if you haven’t stopped by Dell’z Uptown or Dell’z Deli yet, you’re really missing out. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some black bean hummus to order.

I don’t remember what used to be here, but I definitely don’t miss it.

Dell’z Uptown
511 Rutledge Ave
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 641-0352

1 Comments

Charleston, SC Restaurant Reviews

Crave Kitchen & Cocktails

March 29, 2013

The first time I visited Crave was June of 2011 with my mom for Sean’s birthday (and because I had a Groupon). I remember it was really delicious, so I don’t really know why it took me so long to go back again. Probably because it’s all the way out by the Isle of Palms connector and I rarely venture out in that direction if I can avoid it. Both Crave and its executive chef, Landen Ganstrom follow me on twitter, and tweet at me pretty much anytime I post anything food related, (ie “Looking for somewhere to eat lunch in Charleston,” etc) with suggestions, which can be really helpful.

Plus, those are some excellent suggestions.

After I saw that Crave won “Most Life-Changing Mac and Cheese in America” from Esquire Magazine, you can bet they shot to the top of my list of restaurants to try. I had their mac and cheese at the Mac Off in October where they won People’s Choice Best Macaroni and Cheese, and it definitely stood out from the crowd.

It’s especially good with pulled pork or brisket!

So I dragged Becca out there last Saturday for lunch to try it for ourselves. I started with the Macaroni and Cheese, which I reluctantly shared with Becca, and I have to say, it was pretty damn delicious. It reminded me of that Mitch Hedburg joke “Fettucini alfredo is macaroni and cheese for adults,” because it had a similar flavor. I was almost tempted to cancel my entree and just get another order of the macaroni, but I had just enough self-control to resist.

Creamy, cheddary, deliciousness.

Becca got the Greek dip to start (Creamy garlic hummus and Mediterranean olive tapenade, served with flat bread and mixed greens topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese), which I gladly shared with her. We were surprised at how good the hummus was. For some reason, I was expecting it to be really generic tasting, but it was actually really yummy. I don’t do olives, but Becca said she loved the olive tapenade.

Gosh, I love hummus.

For my entree, I went with the turkey club (oven-Roasted half pound turkey club served with toasted ciabatta bread, apple wood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and cajun remoulade), which was outstanding. You could really tell that the turkey was fresh and not lunchmeat out of a package. It was thick and flavorful and so good. I also love that the bacon was nice and crispy. I hate when restaurants serve chewy, rubbery bacon. This was perfect. And the cajun remoulade was the perfect condiment. The sandwich just went together really well. I got a side salad to accompany my club (to try and cancel out some of the damage I did with the Mac), with the lemon vinaigrette which was good also. It had olives, feta cheese, and cucumbers on it, and it was really good for a side salad, but I wouldn’t say that it blew me away at all. Then again, it’s really difficult to get me excited about a salad, no matter how good it is.

I wish they delivered downtown. I’d eat that sandwich every day.

Becca got the “Wedge salad” (local Butter lettuce with Humbolt Fog Blue Cheese, Duroch pork lardons, crisp fresh red onions, apples and a cracked black pepper and dill dressing), which more accurately should be called a “butter lettuce salad with a wedge of bleu cheese.” She liked it, but was a little disappointed that it wasn’t actually a wedge of lettuce.

I, however, think all “wedge salads” should actually be a wedge of cheese and a side of lettuce.

For dessert, I was really excited to try the Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake that they tweeted me about a couple weeks ago when I was looking for a dessert place in Charleston. It’s a “rich Gluten-free chocolate cake with salted homemade caramel butter crème and sea salt chocolate frosting topped with caramel drizzle.” It was, in the words of my mother, “The Bomb.” It was so yummy. I don’t think I would’ve known it was gluten-free if they hadn’t specified it on the menu. I loved that it was sweet without making me feel like I had diabetes by the second bite (I’m looking at you, Applebee’s). They have a bunch of other desserts that look good, too, like Baked Alaska, Seared Pear, Hot Fudge Snickers, Coconut Cake, and an array of ice cream. I definitely know where to go next time I’m looking for dessert.

Omigosh, it’s so good.

I also see that they have a bunch of options that are gluten-free, paleo, and cross-fit friendly for people like me who are trying (keyword here being TRYING) to eat healthier. Despite the fact that our service wasn’t really that great and I really wish they had a better website, the food more than made up for any issues I may have had. I highly recommend stopping by Crave whenever you’re out in Mount Pleasant or Isle of Palms.

Now, I’m CRAVING Crave! hyuck hyuck

Crave Kitchen & Cocktails
1968 Riviera Dr
Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 884-1177

1 Comments

Charleston, SC Restaurant Reviews

Ali Baba Mediterranean Cuisine – CLOSED

January 18, 2013

I love Mediterranean food. I could eat it every day of the week. My favorite Mediterranean restaurant in Charleston (and probably all of South Carolina) is Ali Baba Mediterranean restaurant in Mount Pleasant. It’s awesome, and really reasonably priced. I thought I really liked Pomegranate in Greenville, but Pomegranate can’t even hold a candle to Ali Baba (and Taziki’s shouldn’t even be considered “Mediterranean food.”)

That’s like calling Taco Bell “authentic mexican cuisine.” The only difference being that Taco Bell is delicious, and Taziki’s is not.

We always order the Ali Baba dinner for two, which is an appetizer sampler platter, a meat sampler tray, tons of rice, unlimited delicious pita bread, and a dessert sampler for $39.99. Really there’s enough food for 3/4 people, because we always have enough leftover for dinner the next night. Which is really good, because I’m super lazy and it’s gosh darn delicious.

I am the person equivalent of a cat.

The interior of the restaurant is nothing fancy. White walls, some mediterranean-inspired artwork hanging, hookas lining the bar area (I’m assuming you can smoke hookah there, but I’ve never done it), some clutter around the bar area… It feels like you’re eating at someone’s home, rather than in a restaurant, which I personally like. And now to the food. The appetizer plate consists of hummus, baba ganoush, falafel, tabouli, and Jerusalem salad (cucumber, tomatoes, onion, green peppers in tahini). The hummus is awesome, and the falafel is the best I’ve ever eaten. I don’t really love baba ganoush, but I actually like it at Ali Baba. As for the tabouli, I just am not a fan of it on its own, but I think it’s okay on stuff. To each his own, I suppose.

Also, the falafel is amazing. Seriously amazing.

Barely got a picture before it was all gone.

The meat plate is my favorite thing. It’s what I imagine they serve in heaven. Shawirma, kibby, kofta, grape leaves, and even more falafel served over a huge mountain of curried rice. It’s seriously good. I always ask for a side of tahini, and then build little stuffed pita sandwiches out of everything on the tray. It’s the best. The shawirma is amazing, it’s unlike anything I’ve had elsewhere.

This would be part of my last meal request.

We also order the stuffed zucchini plate, which is zucchini stuffed with rice and beef in a tomato sauce. It’s so yummy, and I love having that tomato sauce to dip other stuff into (especially the grape leaves). It’s my mother’s favorite thing to order. I think it’s really interesting as it’s unlike anything else I’ve had before (and I mean that in a good way!)

That sauce is amazing. I have no idea what it is, but it’s delicious.

The desserts are good, but they’re not my favorite. There’s the baklava (which I like best of the two), which is filo dough stuffed with pistachios, cinnamon, and honey sauce, and the Burma, which is noodle strings filled with pistachios and honey sauce. They’re yummy, I’m just not a huge fan of pistachios.

Forgot to take a picture, so I stitched 2 of them together from Google Images.

I definitely recommend Ali Baba if you enjoy Mediterranean food. If you’re not hungry enough for the dinner for two, you have to at least order the shawirma and falafel. Those are the best things.

Probably my #3 favorite restaurant in Charleston.

Ali Baba Mediterranean Cuisine
920 Houston Northcutt Boulevard #2
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 388-0683

3 Comments

Charleston, SC Restaurant Reviews

Taziki’s Mediterranean Café

December 7, 2012

Yesterday for lunch I decided to try Taziki’s, the (relatively) new mediterranean restaurant that opened up on King Street where Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream and Sandwich Cafe used to be. I was craving hummus and falafel, and now that Patat Spot is closed, I had to try someplace new. I’d heard relatively good things about Taziki’s, and it had pretty good reviews on Urbanspoon, so I had high hopes going in. The space is unassuming, not a whole lot going on in terms of decor. The layout of the restaurant is a bit cramped. While waiting in line to place my order at the counter, I was sandwiched in between two tables of people having lunch. It was uncomfortable and I was so close to them, I might as well have just grabbed a chair and sat down to join in on their conversations.

Hello new friends, wonderful to meet you!

After about 8 minutes of waiting in line, I finally made it to the counter. I ordered a Mezedes Platter (Hummus and Taziki dips served with Dolmades and pita) and a grilled lamb gyro (Taziki sauce, tomatoes, lettuce, and grilled onions) with tomato cucumber salad on the side. Not a hugely comprehensive order, but somehow it still took them 25 minutes before my to-go order was ready. Granted, they were pretty steadily busy, but I was there after the lunch crowd, and only maybe 5 people placed orders after me. The lady who handed me my food was very apologetic for the wait, which was nice.

Pretty accurate.

When I finally got back to work to eat, I was ravenous and slightly annoyed, but still excited for lunch. I love mediterranean food. However, I was very disappointed. The hummus was almost watery and a little too citrus-y, the taziki dip was a really weird consistency, the dolmades, although quite large, were dried out and quite tasteless. And, to top off my disappointment, they served it all with pita chips and not the warm, soft slices of pita bread I was hoping for.

PITA BREAD > PITA CHIPS

The lamb gyro was also subpar. It was good, but by no means would I say that it was better than any other restaurant’s lamb gyro. Maybe I’m just spoiled by all the really outstanding mediterranean food I’ve had, but the lamb itself was nothing special. It tasted processed, and it was very dried out. The pita bread that it was wrapped in was yummy, which made me sad that I got shafted with the pita chips in the appetizer platter. The tomato-cucumber salad was good, though, so at least the meal wasn’t a total loss.

More like “grilled disappointment gyro”

All in all, I was pretty disappointed with the whole experience. I’ll never go back. If you’re in the mood for really good mediterranean food, I suggest you try Ali Baba Mediterranean Cafe in Mt. Pleasant, because it is outstanding. Some of the best shawarma and falafel I’ve ever had.

I really have no idea how they got that many votes.

2 Comments

Restaurant Reviews

Avery Provision Co., Boston, MA

September 19, 2012

Avery Provision Co is this awesome little specialty food cafe next to Naomi’s dorm. They offer To-go sushi made daily to order, fresh cut deli meats and cheeses, dolmades, falafel and hummus, hard boiled eggs, salads, sandwiches, macaroni and cheese kits, pasta, and sauces, soups, and salads.

Yes. All of it. In my face.

We ordered the prosciutto caprese sandwich and Israeli couscous salad, which was absolutely amazing. That was possibly the most delicious sandwich I’ve ever eaten, which is surprising, considering I don’t usually love prosciutto. The couscous salad was also delicious.

This sandwich was amazing. I don’t even have anything clever to say.

So, if you’re in Boston, somewhere near the Paramount on Washington St. and you want a delicious sandwich, I definitely recommend stopping in and grabbing something delicious from Avery Provision Co. Naomi has no idea how lucky she is to live next to such an amazing little place.

Avery Provision Co.
581 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111

2 Comments

Restaurant Reviews

Pomegranate On Main

June 14, 2012

Our visit to Pomegranate didn’t get off to a great start. When my mom called early that day to increase our reservation from 6 to 7, the hostess got all flustered, like we’d asked her something totally insane, like “Hi, I’m going to need for you to find me a chair made out of pure gold, because my badonkadonk is too high class to be sitting on anything less.” She chastised us over the phone “Ok… uhmmm….. let me see what I can do… I just…. this is really…. uh. It might be a bit of a problem. But. uhhh…… hold on [1 minute of silence] Ok. You have to call us if anything changes, because we were only planning for six of you. So let us know if you get any more or any less, because we might have to switch tables, which can be a problem… so…. just make sure you call us.” I’ve changed the number of people on a reservation a hundred times. I know for a fact that’s something restaurants deal with on a daily basis, so spare me the lecture and just add an extra chair to our table. It’s really not that big of a deal. Especially since the restaurant was half empty the entire time we were there. It’s not like people were fighting over seats. But, I digress.

God, I HATE IT when people actually make me do my job!

Everything was fine when we got there, no issues over seating or numbers, which was good. Tina and I ordered their signature pomegranate martini, which is very, very strong, and very, very sweet. It was good, but it took me the entire meal to finish. We started out with an appetizer trio sampler, because we’re indecisive and hungry so we couldn’t pick just one thing. You can customize your trio based on what appeals to you, so I picked the Mast Khiyar (mixture of freshly diced cucumbers, yogurt, raisins, walnuts and fresh herbs), Borani Spinach (blend of sauteed spinach, onion, yogurt and garlic), and Hummus. Tina was apprehensive about the cucumber thing because it had raisins in it, but it ended up being her favorite of the three. It was almost like tzatziki, and you really couldn’t even tell that there were raisins in it. I think we made good choices (especially since the other options were all eggplant based, and I don’t really do eggplant). The hummus was good, although it didn’t compare to the hummus we had at the Moroccan restaurant in Duluth, which is the best hummus I’ve ever had. The spinach thing tasted a lot like the Palak dishes you find at indian restaurants. The appetizers were served with fresh, hot pita bread, which was delicious, and a tray of mint leaves and fresh feta cheese. All the mint ended up going in our water, because we’re school children who can’t behave ourselves in public.

Ben got all excited to arrange his plate all artistically so I could take a picture of it. It really doesn’t take a lot with him.

For my entree, I ordered a Chinjeh Soltani, which was a combination plate consisting of one Koobideh kabob (blend of ground tenderloin and ground chuck, seasoned and charboiled) and one Chinjeh kabob (cuts of tenderloin, marinated in a saffron yogurt combination, charbroiled). The dishes were all served with a grilled tomato and complementing rice dish. Even though mine was just basic basmati rice, it’s probably the most flavorful rice I’ve ever eaten. You’re supposed to squish up the tomato and mix it in with the rice and then squeeze the lime all over it. So I did that. It was so good. Everything was delicious. The piece of meat that’s cut up in the picture is the Chinjeh, and the long stick is the koobideh. I can’t really say which one I liked better. They were both so, so good.

I mean, who doesn’t love a good stick o’ meat?

Sean and Ben both got the same thing, the Torsh Soltani, which was one Koobideh kabob (blend of ground tenderloin and ground chuck, seasoned and charboiled) and one Torsh kabob (cuts of tenderloin, marinated in a zesty sweet and sour Pomegranate sauce mixed with walnuts, charbroiled). Sean ordered special rice with lentils and golden raisins, which was also really freaking delicious. Ben got the same rice as me, so I’m only going to show a picture of Sean’s, because even though they ordered the same thing, I thought Sean’s meat tasted better (that’s what she said?). Christine decided to be different and order a chicken kabob. It wasn’t that interesting, and neither is she (jk jk! I love you Christinalena!). You can see it in the background of Sean’s picture.

“Special” rice for a “special” little man.

Tina and Jenn got a chicken soltani, which was one chicken kabob (marinated in a lemon saffron sauce, charbroiled) and one barg kabob (tenderloin, marinated in a traditional Persian marinade of onion and saffron, charbroiled). I liked the barg, but I still think the torsh was my favorite. Tina’s came with basmati cranberry rice which was probably my favorite of all the rices I tried. It had that great balance of savory and sweet and tart. It was awesome. The chicken was good, but I don’t think it could even hold a candle to the beef. All of the beef dishes were absolutely outstanding, but the chicken was just kind of…. chicken. I mean, it was good, it just didn’t blow me away like the beef dishes did.

Now I’m getting hungry and can’t think of anything funny to say. Boo.

Dad decided to be unique and get something completely different from everyone else. He opted for the rack of lamb (marinated in a rosemary sauce, charbroiled), and lorded over it like a troll guarding a bridge. He reluctantly shared with us after we berated him enough, and I have to say that the lamb was pretty fantastic. I’m picky when it comes to lamb, because a lot of times lamb can be fatty and tough, but this was tender and lean, and the flavor was really outstanding. His came with the same rice as Sean’s (basmati rice with lentils and golden raisins).

Pictured: Why you shouldn’t get gremlins wet.

We opted out of dessert, mostly because we were all stuffed, but also because they didn’t really sound that great. Even though it’s not the best middle eastern food I’ve ever had, it’s definitely the best middle eastern food in Greenville, so if you’re not afraid of GIANT STICKS OF MEAT, then I highly recommend you check it out.

Order the beef or the lamb with cranberry basmati rice. Also, be damn sure how many people are coming with you before you make a reservation, lest you give the hostess a brain aneurysm.

Pomegranate On Main
618 S.Main St
Greenville, SC 29201
(864) 241-3012

2 Comments

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.

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.

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.

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!

Cafe Bombay
2615 Briarcliff Road
Northeast Atlanta, GA 30329-3112
(404) 320-0229

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.

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 Kiku
2770 Lenox Road Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30324-6006
(404) 467-4544

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 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.

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