Hot Dish Review

The days leading up to my trip to Louisville were filled with pink dresses and frou frou hats. I was on a mission. Now all I had to do was find silk flowers, ribbon, and bits of crafty stuff to attach to the hats to make ‘em worthy of the Kentucky Derby.

After a rather brilliant hat purchase at Ross, I found myself ravenous. It was nearly 3:00pm and I just couldn’t imagine dealing with Michael’s without a bite to eat first. Luckily, there was Smashburger nearby, one of many, many new burger joints I had yet to visit.

Much like Yeah! Burger, guests order at the counter, however, the menu is a bit more limited….and less organic. It offers a few regular selections or you can build your own sandwich with an Angus beef pattie or a chicken filet with a variety of toppings to choose from. Too hungry to be creative, I went for the tried and true burger with cheddar, bacon, lettuce, and mayo.

It was hard to resist the sweet potato fries, but I kept myself in check. And thankfully too, since they are sprinkled with garlic. Why? I was given a number and took a seat in a booth. The bare-bones red and white decor fits the burger chain’s casual atmosphere. My burger arrived open-faced, all smashed flat and gloriously greasy, draped with melted cheese. Two thick and chewy slices of bacon formed a cross on top. After a couple of bites I discarded half the bun to save more calories. Make sense? If not, you are not a chick.

Good and fast….isn’t that what fast food is supposed to be? My last trip to McDonald’s drive-through (which by the way is the epitome of laziness) got me a dry, tasteless, filet-o-fish. If I stop by Smashburger again I’ll try the Spicy Baja burger or the Avocado Club. But before I do that, I need to try Five Napkin, Burger Tap, Grindhouse, and Farm Burger. Heck, I haven’t even made it to Ann’s Snack Bar and it’s supposed to be the best burger in the damn country!

With a burger in my belly, my visit to Michael’s was a success. The next day we were off to the races!

2625 Piedmont Road NE 404-237-2374

After a lengthy liquor license wait, There officially opens its doors tonight at the Town Brookhaven development. LC and I stopped by last night for a sneak peak and to sample the goods from chef Ryan Hickey.

The alligator and boar sausage and the smoked trout deviled eggs were already sold out, but luckily there was plenty of the smoked oyster chowder that proprietor BB had mentioned earlier in the day. Chowders are often cream based and heavy, but we found Hickey’s version incredibily light, full of house-smoked oysters perfectly diced potatoes, carrots, and a little bacon.

LC ordered his standard vodka martini, proclaiming bartender Craig to be fantastic upon his first sip. A quick perusal of the wine list provided multiple choices by the glass, especially in the deep red category, a favorite of mine and BB’s. I started off with the peppery Woop Woop Shiraz.

A bowl of smoked almonds kept us happy as we awaited our bison burger, a tall stack of deliciousness reminiscent of the sandwiches at Bocado, where Hickey served as sous chef under Todd Ginsberg. Although I failed to order the burger medium as I would normally do, the meat was very juicy. I had to unhinge my jaw to take a bite of the colossal burger, topped with chef’s signature roasted poblano peppers, melted white cheddar, avocado, red onion, and spicy mayo. LC loved the flavor. Crispy house-cut fries came alongside.

When the full menu is available (soon!) you’ll find me There, eating the duck salad on mesclun greens with apple, pear, watermelon radish, spice peanuts, and dressed with housemade peach balsamic vinaigrette.

305 Brookhaven Avenue 404-949-9677

Any afternoon with sunny blue skies is a delight, but one at the end of January is particularly delicious. And it was Friday. A brief lunch escape from the office would do me and LC good.

We went to Mazzy’s down the street….a cavernous sports bar with more space than personality, and a staple of my coworkers. Dart boards and pool tables are ready to provide amusement to guys that have no chance of gettin’ laid.

It had been a super-stressful week, so an ice cold Miller Lite was in order. Mazzy’s menu didn’t hold any surprises. Appetizers like chips and queso, quesadillas, and chicken wings are expected at any sports bar, but ’90′s throwbacks like loaded potato skins and fried mozzarella sticks made me chuckle.

Sandwiches, burgers, and a short selection of entrees (items used to make sandwiches, served on a platter without the bun) make ordering pretty simple. I chose a turkey burger with jack cheese and fries. LC duplicated my order, except with cheddar.

Our burgers were gigantic and covered with melted cheese. We dressed our buns with mayo (served in to-go packets), and each took a big, juicy bite. Skin-on fries could have been crispier, but they did the trick nonetheless.

There was nothing to complain about at Mazzy’s, likewise nothing to rave about. I guess that’s the definition of suburban mediocrity.

7160 Jimmy Carter Blvd. 678-822-9888

LC and I made a dinner pit stop at the Yeah! Burger in my neighborhood after a meeting late one evening last week. I love the burger joint’s modern kitsch decor and chef Doty’s religious use of organic ingredients.

Having just received our horrific cholesterol test results, we both opted for turkey burgers rather than beef. Despite my health and fitness habits, I’ve managed to have the overall cholesterol of an obese 80 year old man.

Truth is, I make some pretty mean turkey burgers at home, so I was curious to see how chef Doty could inject flavor and keep them juicy at the same time. LC topped his burger with cheddar, mayo, lettuce, and grilled onions, while I didn’t stray far from my regular, with pepper jack, mayo, lettuce and grilled onions, both on wheat buns. We split an order of house made sweet potato fries and their almost-famous bacon jam.

Our burgers were enormous rough, hand-pattied monsters, full of grilled flavor. No dryness here, they were likely soaked in butter. So much for watching our cholesterol! The sweet potato fries were, not surprisingly, fried, so we didn’t win any points there either. Although I love sweet potatoes any way you slice ‘em, these fries were not very crispy, and therefore not very impressive.

Although it’s nearly impossible to spend less than $30 for two burgers, a side, and 2 beers, there’s no doubt that Yeah! Burger serves a tasty product that’s worth a few extra bucks.

1017 N. Highland Avenue 404-437-7845

LC and I were determined to make the best of our beach vacation, despite the lingering tropical storm. While looking at a map of the nearby attractions, he stumbled upon a racetrack in Ebro. Not exactly Churchill Downs, it was a greyhound track. But the place is full of TV’s showing all the horse races throughout the country and patrons are there for one reason….to bet.

Food is not the focus here, but gamblers gotta eat! An abbreviated menu of standard bar fare was enough to keep ‘em alive so they could place their bets.

No stranger to horse racing, LC was practically giddy. Ironically, the birthday card I gave him had lucky numbers inside. We played them on some races and did quite well. But he missed the big money when he failed to bet on a longshot….one of the lucky numbers.

We didn’t let the dogs chase the bunny for nothing, but dogs are much harder to predict than horses. So we drank a few Miller Lites and studied the racing forms. With five tracks running all day, as soon as we bet on a race, another was set to go off minutes later. Non-stop action!

After a couple of hours of betting, it was time to get some lunch. LC ordered a chicken sandwich on a croissant, while I played it safe with a bacon cheeseburger. Both of us substituted potato chips with fries.

His came out in about ten minutes. Mine came out thirty minutes later….no joke. I was not impressed with LC’s sandwich, however, my burger was fatty, juicy goodness. Unfortunately, they use crinkle fries which I despise….they always have a mealy texture on the inside.

The following day we awoke to more rain, the wind creating a mini-tornado in the courtyard between the condo buildings. Another stormy day, another day at the track.

There was no live doggie action, but a couple of horse tracks kept LC happy while I perused the menu again for the least offensive item. I chose the hot wings, sauce on the side. Eight fat and crispy wings arrived, fried with expert skill. The wing sauce was thin and hot as hell. My mouth was on fire, cooled off with celery dipped in blue cheese dressing and a gulp of Blue Moon.

LC is a wing fanatic so I was shocked that he didn’t rave about these. I thought they were just about the best I had ever eaten.

And that’s why I ordered them again the following day. Sad but true.

6558 Dog Track Road, Ebro, FL 850-234-3943

As usual, LC had the hookup on all access passes to the PGA Championships last week. He had coordinated much of the transportation for the event and I had worked with several groups as well, so it was both business than pleasure.

The Atlanta Athletic Club hosted the event and I spent a solid nine hours there on Friday, entertaining clients and hanging out with friends and colleagues. There was so much going on that I completely forgot it was August 12th….the second anniversary of this blog!

I arrived with friend BG, the searing heat prompting us to head straight for the clubhouse where we ordered a couple of Corona Lights. It was a beautiful day so we strolled the course for a bit, taking in a few choice shots, but the stagnant heat soon overtook us and we made our way to the next venue, the Wanamaker Club, a vast super air-conditioned space with a centrally located bar, tons of flat-screen TV’s, and a variety of fast food for purchase in the back. It’s hard to fathom how many striped polos I saw in that place!

Having a shiny, all access laminate is nice. For instance, they didn’t search my bag and make me check my camera. Photos were not allowed during the tournament, but I did manage to snap a few of the course, and most importantly, the cheeseburger that BG and I split. It was your typical food stall burger, slapped together with little care. Cold cheese didn’t melt, especially against the cold lettuce and tomato. The bun, however, was expertly removed from the bag. I squirted some mayo from the institutional bucket on the bottom and used lettuce for the top, as always (apres photo).

Shortly after we finished our cheeseburger, BG had to go, but CF was not far behind. She is our marketing guru, and as I found out, can really put away some pulled pork BBQ nachos, made with the sterotypical institutional corn chips and bright orange “cheese” sauce. At least they had jalapenos on them. I ordered a Blue Moon with a slice of orange and a hot dog, simply dressed with mustard. The bun was stale so I used it primarily as a holder for the dog.

By the time LC showed up I was ready to go. One more Blue Moon at the Wanamaker club and a bag of jalapeno kettle chips to complete my day of dietary disaster.

Last weekend was little T’s last in town before going back to school in Texas, so a herd of us went to Zoo Atlanta for some good, smelly fun.

It was lunchtime and some of our group had already eaten while the rest of us were at the mercy of what the zoo had to offer. You can’t expect much from any theme park when it comes to food. There are always burgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers, pizza, and quite often turkey legs.

Unfortunately, Zoo Atlanta doesn’t have turkey legs, unless you’re counting the ones walking around in their habitats. The choices were meager, at best. LC popped into a tiny to-go place, getting a droopy, greasy slice of pepperoni pizza. I was hungry, but not enough to take the bite he offered.

I waited. After the reptile house, the gorillas, and the pandas, we finally found a free-standing cafe. We were ecstatic, mainly because it offered a break from the ridiculous humidity outside.

Most of us chose the cheeseburger basket, while LC got another slice of pepperoni pizza, with pickles of course. Although not pretty, once decorated with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles from the toppings bar, and slathered with mayo, my cheeseburger was actually pretty good, served with relatively crispy shoestring fries.

Meanwhile, the animals that live at the zoo are thriving on gourmet cuisine prepared behind the scenes specifically for their species. And that’s a good thing. I don’t think those hairy orangutans would be too pleased if they were served that pizza.

Now I know why they say “don’t feed the animals!”

A Memorial Day weekend repost, in honor of my first return visit to the boat!
Day three of LC’s birthday/Labor Day weekend bash found us at Sunset Cove at Lake Lanier. Our group was supposed to dock there the night before but there were no spots big enough for the Cooper boat.

So after a day and night on the water me and LC planted our feet back on dry land and headed for the manmade beach at Lake Lanier Islands for a drink. Which turned into five or six, of course.

Frozen pina coladas with Myers rum floaters made for low-brow deliciousness as we celebrated the gorgeous weather on his birthday.

Drinkin’ makes us hungry! Burgers are required eatin’ on Labor Day weekend but first we were craving something spicy. LC wanted the firecracker shrimp. A plate full, butterflied and fried with a coconut breading then drizzled with a cloyingly sweet sauce with a little kick. Decadent for all the wrong reasons, these shrimp contained the trifecta of food addiction: fat, salt, and sugar. Served with celery and blue cheese, we cleaned the plate.

Sunset Cove is relatively new, just up the beach from the masses of houseboats full of bikini-clad chicks, dudes with mullets, and the professional partiers keeping their boats afloat in a lake of liquor, luring all the unsuspecting barely-legal dudettes with the promise of free shots. Sorta reminds me of guys with shag carpet and panelling in their vans. I can just hear ‘em now….”I got a cooler full of cold beer in the back!” Indeed.

As we walked to the restaurant we noticed several stands with drinks and one that offered burgers and brats. Once seated at Sunset Cove I figured we’d get a burger off the menu. But LC couldn’t resist a second appetizer and bought a brat on his way back from the long trek to the restroom.

This is all before the burger, which thankfully we split. Covered in cheese and caramelized onions (not shown in photo due to their late arrival), it was juicy, messy goodness. Onion rings were awesome, just not plentiful enough.

There is a huge bucket that slowly fills with water suspended menacingly above the waterslide next to Sunset Cove. If you wait long enough it’ll tip over, splashing (or drenching) everyone below. The path to the car went around the waterslide’s bucket but LC and I went under it, of course. Then to the car to throw on my swimsuit. How dare I put on a bikini after the meal I just described? Insanity perhaps.

We took a stroll down to the sand, got our feet wet, and made some new friends before making our way back for round two. Not remembering how we ended up at a table with some pretty cool people isn’t too surprising. I think they bought us margaritas. A stage was set up in the water and the band began to play as the sun set on a fun, spontaneous day at Sunset Cove.

The last time I ate at a Ted’s, I was sitting with Ted. It was only the chain’s third location, in Norcross, and I was there for the media dinner. He and his business partner, George McKerrow, were doing interviews. So there we were, the three of us in a booth with a big bison steak on the table. Surreal. Later, Ted described this new venture by saying “We’re like a juggernaut….nobody can stop us now!” Man, he was hot. But who the hell says juggernaut?

Fast forward to Friday night. B wanted to grab a bite to eat downtown before the Black Crowe’s show at the Tabernacle so we stopped in at Ted’s. It was packed. We got lucky and found one bar stool, basically in front of the kitchen. The guy next to us gave his seat to B upon his departure.

We quickly ordered two Coronas with lime and salted glasses. Having checked out the menu online earlier in the day, we didn’t need to consult a menu to place our order. B trusted my judgment so we decided to split a “green and hot” bison burger, the “green” being guacamole, and the “hot” sliced jalapenos. Monterey Jack was melted over our thick burger that was cooked through, although I had requested it medium. Shredded lettuce, pickles, and a slice of tomato came on the side, along with crispy skin-on fries. The burger was seriously juicy, but the guacamole could use some work. It was more like cubes of avocado. I did appreciate that the jalapenos were fresh, not pickled.

B ordered a small Caeser salad on the side. Seated next to the bowls of hot fries and onion rings at the pass, we coerced one of the line cooks to snag a couple of the big fat onion rings for us to snack on.

In our haste I forgot to photograph our food. But I did manage to get some shots of their popular sliders and steaks as they were coming up. Now that Winter is upon us I hope to visit Ted’s to warm up with a bowl of the bison chili soon (like within the year).

Some years have passed and those three Georgia locations have grown to forty-seven in sixteen states. Seems Ted’s prediction has come true. The old boy’s still got it.

133 Luckie Street NW 404-521-9796

Hot Summer days are best chilled down with a refreshing ice cold Miller Lite. After a few of those one might get a hankerin’ for a greasy cheeseburger.

Me and JD enjoyed a casual afternoon at Moe’s & Joe’s where the beers are cold and the burgers are better than standard bar fare. The place is a Virginia Highlands institution, complete with retro red vinyl booths (not out of intentional coolness but simply because they’re old) and wood paneling covered with graffiti. Its kitschy appeal draws a freakish variety of patrons, from rowdy college kids to sketchy neighborhood drunks. And us.

The Mo Jo Burger is their original burger, advertised as “served since 1947″ on the menu. It’s on the small size so it’s perfect for a snack, made with a juicy patty topped with melted cheese on a soft bun. Lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo complete the sandwich. I ordered mine with onion straws which were crispy and addictive.

Another Miller Lite, and another. Summer is awesome!

1033 N. Highland Ave. 404-873-6090