Atlanta Food Trucks-Here at Last!

Do you like street food? Have you even had street food? If you live in the South, chances are you haven’t.

Well, that is all changing, now. For the past several Thursdays, I have made the 8 block trek from my home in Midtown, Atlanta to the street food trucks that gather across from some of Atlanta’s high-rise businesses.  Finally, I feel like we’re living in the “real world”, and have more options in dining besides the myriad of over-priced sit-downs or crappy fast food restaurants that we have relied on for a meal out.

When HK and I travel, especially out of the country to parts of the world like Asia or Latin America, we love to immerse ourselves in the throngs of locals who order from a free-standing vendor, then take our meal and sit somewhere nearby to catch a glimpse of the community vibe.  OK, there have been the few occasions when the cuy perhaps wasn’t so fresh, or the kanom jeen a bit ripe, but for the most part, out experiences have been positive.

Roasted Cuy

Asian Food Stall

Atlanta’s local permitting process seems to have had some glitches, and some (most) food trucks were forced to close up shop at the Atlanta Food Truck Park, although none of the closures had anything to do with food safety. (It was a bunch of bureaucratic bullshit, according to at least one vendor.)

Anyway, I’m thrilled that we are catching up to the rest of the country (and world) in finally getting what I think is gonna be an Atlanta tradition.

 

Happy Spring

It’s springtime in Atlanta, although it really feels more like Summer! Along with the warm sunshine and clear blue skies, the pollen has also made a madcap entrance here in the South.

The forecasters have announced that nearly everything from foliage to pollen to bird migration has occurred about a month early this year. We have experienced the warmest spring ever on record.  And I have seen those signs first hand.

Typically, late March to early April brings the return of the Great Blue Herons to Lake Lanier. They spend weeks building their nests atop the pine trees on what HK and I call Heron Island. Then, around the middle to end of April, the babies hatch. It is such a joy to watch them grow in fledglings and test their wings before continuing on the journey North.

This year, however, two oddities have occurred. First, very few arrived. Maybe a quarter to a third of the typical flock. Studying the tops of the trees for signs of nests, we realized that the density of the trees on Heron Island has thinned substantially. This is possibly due to a growing infestation of pine bark beetles, which can eventually cull large swaths of pine forest.

Second, the Herons arrived early. Really early, and have already hatched their babies. Some have already left, which usually happens in June.

What is migrating right now are the crowds of locals to our favorite Atlanta park, Piedmont Park in Midtown Atlanta. We took a fun bike ride the other day and loved seeing all the folks taking advantage of all the beauty of an Atlanta Spring day.

I hope that all of you are enjoying Spring, and whatever it brings.

 

Thinking Inside the Box (or frame)

Eddie Ross

Hey, peeps, i just got this cool, cool, coool invite and am passing it along to my Atlanta readers, esp those of you who want to try their hand at some artistic creativity this year.

On Saturday, jan 9th, the mulit-talented (and adorable) Eddie Ross is offeringan art and framing workshop in Atlanta.  Hosted by Larson-Juhl, there will be wonderful munchies (catered) and tea as well as wine, mingling with other like-minded creators (or wanna-be’s) and an afternoon of fun! I am attending, and hope that you will join me there.  Click here for info and to register.

The best news is that it is ONLY $10.00, or, if you’re a blogger, it’s free!!!!!!!!

So get off your butt and head OTP for a great way to kick-start the new year!!! Happy 2010!!!

 

Share the Food-Share the LOVE

Cooks Warehouse Midtown

Ok, so last night was a really fun girl’s night out at the brand-spanking new Cooks Warehouse in Ansley Mall. After seeing the movie Julie and Julia this summer, I organized a group of fellow foodies to partake in a cooking class featuring a few of Julia Child’s well-known recipes.  Mmmmmmm…it was good. And fun.  We all brought our own wine, donned our aprons and set to work in teams in the new, huge, 5-station kitchen. There were several assistants on hand to help out with technical details such as how to turn on the newfangled stovetops, where to find the correct pots and pans, how to remove the covers off the knives, and proper band-aid placement. (true to form, i was the first (only) one to cut myself–a PAPER CUT-how humiliating).

After an hour or so in the kitchen, we were seated and served the fruits of our labors, starting with a Frisee Salad w/ bacon and croutons. The main course was

 

Where We Gonna Eat? (in Atlanta)

Photo from Gayot.com

Wow! Ever since my Good Eatin’ in Atlanta blog, I’ve become enlightened to many new or new-ish restaurants in the ITP area! (That’s inside the perimeter, in case you didn’t know).  I’ll share some that we’ve either tried or heard about, but what I really need is your help to make my list more complete.  So please comment here, on this blog, so that my other readers can hear your thoughts. Thanks!

Right down Piedmont, in the old Prince of Wales spot (right across from Piedmont Park), The Nook has opened. HK and I love the patio scene, and for fairly simple tavern food at very reasonable prices, I’m already a fan. They also have

 

Good Eatin’ in Atlanta

Pad Thai

This weekend, after a nice hike with our pups, HK and I took advantage of the fabulous weather (70), and sat on the rooftop deck of one of our fave restaurants for beer and oysters. The moon was in the sky, the sun was about to set, and it was pretty close to perfect. We started talking about restaurants in the ATL, and, having lived in the city for 13 years now, figured we’d like to try something different.  So here’s what i’ve come up with.  I’m gonna tell you our favorite 10 places to eat in the city, and we