You already know of my love of food trucks, especially when I’m in Los Angeles.  Somehow, somewhere I had heard of  Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwiches and on one sunny afternoon during our summer stay in LA, I was determined to taste one.   I consulted my iPhone app, TruxMap, and found Coolhaus parked near a Santa Monica office park.   I  knew Coolhaus shared my eating philosophy of quality and sustainability, so I had no guilt whatsoever eating this lunchtime treat.  As for the calories?  Well, if I’m going to indulge, I want to make sure it’s worth it.

Every Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwich is all-natural, handmade and organic whenever possible. Our dairy is sustainably produced and artificial growth hormone free. We use local and seasonabl farmer’s market fresh ingredients. Plus, every ice cream sandwich is wrapped in a customizable, edible wrapper that is all-natural and calorie-free.

-Coolhaus philosophy

The idea is simple: choose your cookies and choose your ice cream and Coolhaus will assemble your sandwich.  Or is that simple?  I will tell you: it is not.   With ice cream flavors like Brown Butter with Candied Bacon, Nutella Toasted Almond or Sea Salt Caramel and cookie flavors like Maple Waffle White Chocolate Chip, Brioche or Snickerdoodle, it is quite hard to decide which cookie and ice combination to make!

After much debate, Girly and I decided upon Maple Waffle White Chocolate Chip cookies with Baked Apple ice cream.    The cookies and the ice cream were delicious by themselves, but together they were incredible, a perfect combination.  It was the best ice cream sandwich I ever ate!

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© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Of course we had all kinds of delicious food in Paris, but you know my family, we love sweets.  I had read about French macarons and was eager to try them.   Here in America macaroons (spelled with two o’s) are little mounds of coconut cookies, but French macarons (spelled with one o) are entirely different:

A macaron is a sweet confectionery made with egg whites, icing sugar,granulated sugar, almond powder or ground almond, and food coloring. The macaron is commonly filled with buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two cookies. Its name is derived from an Italian word “maccarone” or “maccherone”. This word is itself derived from ammaccare, meaning crush or beat, used here in reference to thealmond paste which is the principal ingredient. It is meringue-based: made from a mixture of egg whites, almond flour, and both granulated and confectionery sugar.  The confectionery is characterized by its smooth, domed top, ruffled circumference (referred to as the “foot”), and flat base. It is mildly moist and easily melts in the mouth.  -Wikapedia

To learn even more about macarons, read Serious Eats: “Introduction to French Macarons”.

We had our first macaron right down the street from our apartment at Maison Georges Larnicol on rue de Rivoli and after one bite we vowed to have as many macarons as possible while in Paris!  They are insanely delicious!  Delicate, yet bursting with flavor, each bite is heavenly.  I don’t know how they pack all that flavor into such a little tiny cookie.

At Maison Georges Larnicol we had Caramel, Citron (lemon), Bergamot, Pamplemousse (grapefruit) and our favorite at this location, Rose macarons.

Our next macaron tasting was at Le Grand Epicerie Bon Marche, an incredible “grocery store” on the ground floor of the high-end department store Le Bon Marche.  We ate macarons of Framboise (raspberry), Chocolat, Caramel á la Fleur de Sel (salted caramel) and Pêche (peach).  Our favorite macarons  from Le Grand Epicerie Bon Marche were Pêche and Framboise, although all were very good.

Our 3^rd macaron experience was at Angelina.  Since we were there to drink Angelina’s famous hot chocolate (read about it in my next blog post), we only had one macaron on the way out, Manderine Passion. Tropical and fruity, this macaron was different and delicious!  We regret not buying more macarons for later.

Finally we had macarons at the legendary Ladurée.  This was on my “must eat” list and after my first macaron at Maison Georges Larnicol, I really wanted to see if Ladurée’s macarons lived up to the hype.  I can tell you that Ladurée’s macarons were the most expensive ones we tried, but I can also tell you that they were worth every euro.  They are incredible! You can buy them at the shop or have them with a pot of tea in the tea salon next door.  We did both.  The tea was delicious and the salon is beautiful.   Ladurée’s macarons can be packaged to make nice gifts, however it is best to buy gifts at the airport location because macarons must be eaten within 3 days.  We went crazy at Ladurée and tried several flavors: Pistache (pistachio), Chocolat, Cassis Violette (black currant violet), Citron-Thym, Vanille, Coco (coconut), Framboise (raspberry), Café, Caramel á la Fleur de Sel (salted caramel), Pétales de Rose, Melon, Goyave (guava) and Fleur d’ Oranger (orange blossom).  Girly’s favorite was Pistache.  Honestly all the flavors were delicious, but the stand out was Caramel á la Fleur de Sel; it had the perfect mixture of sweet and salty and melted in my mouth.   Mmmmm….it was divine!

It’s a good thing that French macarons are not available near me because I would have a problem!

(Oh, and since leaving France I’ve had a macaron at a “French chocolatier” in Los Angeles.  Not even close.   I’ll wait until my next trip to France to have a real macaron.)

Photos:

Macarons in Maison Georges Larnicol.

Macarons in Ladurée.

Au revior!

*Read about the rest of our Paris vacation and London adventures too!

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© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

One of our favorite food trucks in LA, The Buttermilk Truck–maker of pancakes, waffles and other things buttermilk.  Yum!

Red velvet pancakes with cream cheese topping!

Back home in Atlanta we were delighted to follow a new show on The Food Network (one of our favorite channels, since we love food), The Great Food Truck Race.  A fun, adventurous reality tv show contest, The Great Food Truck Race was enthralling entertainment for my foodie family.   We were pleased to see the Nom Nom Truck on the show because we ate there often during our LA summer; the bahn mi sandwiches were delicious (and spicy)!

The Nom Nom Truck parked at The Brig during our LA summer.

Nom Nom Truck seemed to be the show front runner with their savvy marketing, but hard working Grill ‘Em All managed to hang on week after week and eventually won the entire the competition.  My family enjoyed watching the competition: the personalities, challenges and delicious looking food made for some good TV.

So when we heard that season 2 of The Great Food Truck Race was underway and the current competitors were in Atlanta for the weekend, we made it our business to hunt down the trucks and help them in the race.   There were 3 trucks left in the competition when they came to Atlanta: Hodge Podge, The Lime Truck and Roxy’s Grilled Cheese.   We didn’t get a chance to try Hodge Podge, but we ate at The Lime Truck and Roxy’s Grilled Cheese on 2 different days.

The Lime Truck was parked at Atlantic Station and even though we got there 10 minutes after the truck opened, the line was incredibly long.  This was the second day for the trucks in Atlanta, so by now the word had gotten out and everyone wanted a taste.   Also we found out that the challenge that day meant that the trucks were working with one less team member–that translated into slower food prep and slow-moving lines for the costumers.  Thankfully Atlantic Station was kind enough to put umbrellas along the line because it was over 90 degrees that day.   The menu looked interesting:

We settled on Ahi Tuna Poke Nachos, Ribeye Quesadilla, Blue Crab & Scallop Ceviche and Blood Orange Limeade.   The ceviche was my personal favorite of all the choices; I didn’t taste the quesadilla and I didn’t like the nachos.   Honestly the food overall was just not my thing, but my husband and son enjoyed everything we purchased and deemed The Lime Truck a success.

Of the two trucks we tasted during The Great Food Truck Race competition in Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend, Roxy’s Grilled Cheese was my favorite.

At first we balked at the prices–food trucks are usually quite reasonable and $13 for a grilled cheese sandwich was outrageous–but since it was a competition (and we were hungry!) we stayed and ordered almost everything off the limited menu: a grilled cheese sandwich of private stock cheddar, foie gras, applewood bacon and peach preserve, a grilled cheese sandwich of Vermont cremont cheese, prosciutto de parma and quince, Maple Sweet Fries, Mascarpone Peach Brulee and Sweet Tea Arnold Palmer drinks.

Both grilled cheese sandwiches were incredibly delicious and surprisingly big enough for my family of 4 to share.   My husband didn’t care for the sandwich with Vermont cremont cheese because he doesn’t like stinky cheese, but the rest of us loved it.

The sandwich with the foie gras was delectable and we all gobbled it down and fought over the last crumbs.   The sweet potato fries were cooked to perfection and the maple sauce was a nice compliment.

The Mascarpone Peach Brulee was my favorite!  It was a creamy brulee with a light, fresh peachy flavor and the sugar crust was torched properly to a thin crunchy shell.  Everyone in the family tasted a bit, but I tried to east most of it myself.

My only regret is that we didn’t try the oysters; we talked to several people later who said that the oysters were fantastic.  I hope Roxy’s did well during the weekend in Atlanta.  We heard that they had a rough go while parked at a obscure spot in Little Five Points and we found the truck near 12th and Peachtree–not the best location for maximum visibility.  The food was delicious–I just hope they had enough traffic all weekend to sustain their place in the competition.  I guess we’ll find out when the new season of The Great Food Truck Race begins August 14th!

*Look for me on the show; I was interviewed by the film crew after eating at Roxy’s.  Hopefully my interview will make it on the show and not the editing room floor !

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

The last time I ate at Umami Burger in Santa Monica, California was in July 2010, so while preparing to write this post I went to the restaurant’s website to link up the Jurkey Burger, the best restaurant turkey burger that I ever ate.  It wasn’t on the menu, so I called the restaurant and found out that–noooooo!–they replaced the Jurkey Burger with the Greenbird.  Described as “shelton farms turkey, crushed avocado, green cheese, butter lettuce, spouts, green goddess,” the Greenbird sounds good, I guess, but not as good as jerk-spiced turkey topped with a plantain.   I took this photo of the Jurkey Burger back in July; doesn’t it look simply divine?  (Hang tight.  I’m getting to the “cookin’” and “sharing a recipe” part.)

Sadly, I will never taste that again.   BUT!–the recipe below for Jerk Turkey Burgers With Mango Slow is just as good as Umami’s Jurkey Burger.  Spicy from the jerk seasoning and juicy from the apples, this turkey burger is delicious; my family gobbles it up and asks for more.  I use whole wheat buns and low-fat mayonnaise to make it healthier and grill the patties on my panini maker.   Using a pre-packaged mix of shredded cabbage and carrots make this easy recipe even easier.

I serve some Alexia Spicy Sweet Potato Julienne Fries on the side and you can’t tell me that aren’t in some hip Los Angeles eatery.  Except we aren’t.  Did I mention that we sat next to Tom Hanks at Umami Burger?

Jerk Turkey Burgers With Mango Slaw

Recipe from Foodnetwork.com

(yields 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey (*organic of course!)
• 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 small green apple, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup panko
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise, plus more for brushing
• 1/4 cup mango chutney, roughly chopped
• 3 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1 carrot, shredded
• Canola oil, for the grill
• 4 hamburger buns or challah rolls, split

Directions:

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Mix the turkey, jerk seasoning, apple, 1/4 cup scallions and the panko in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Form into four 1-inch-thick patties and make a small indentation in the middle of each with your thumb to prevent it from puffing up on the grill. Refrigerate.

Whisk the mayonnaise and chutney in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, carrot and the remaining 1/4 cup scallions, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Brush the grill with canola oil. Grill the turkey patties until browned and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Brush the cut sides of the buns with mayonnaise and sprinkle with jerk seasoning; toast on the grill, about 30 seconds. Serve the burgers and slaw on the buns.

Per serving: Calories 504; Fat 20 g (Saturated 3 g); Cholesterol 51 mg; Sodium 894 mg; Carbohydrate 51 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 36 g

photo credit: foodnetwork.com, Antonis Achilleos

See Umami Burger; I don’t need your Jurkey Burger!  I can make my own delicious turkey burger at home!  See; I’m just fine.  See….

*Please Umani Burger, please bring back the Jurkey Burger.  Please.  Pretty Please.  For me?

Visit Mama Kat’s Losin It to write a prompt of your own.

********

Other Cooking Groovy posts that you may like:

Whole-What Spaghetti With Lemon, Basil And Salmon

Lemony Shrimp With White Beans and Couscous

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

As far as frozen treats go, I am not a fan of sorbet; I prefer ice cream, gelato or frozen yogurt.  I like creamy rather than icy.

But a few years ago I had a scoop of Cabernet Sauvignon sorbet at Bennett’s Ice Cream, a family run business that’s been at the LA Farmer’s Market since forever, that made me change my mind about sorbet. It was refreshing, it was light and it taste just like wine.  Hello!

It was the best sorbet I ever ate.

Bennett’s Ice Cream at LA’s Farmer’s Market: old school for real.

The ice cream is made right there on the premises and it’s expensive–almost $4 for a tiny scoop.  But oh so worth it.   Now whenever I come to LA I make sure to go to the Farmer’s Market for my scoop o’ wine. And just like a good glass of wine, I “sip” it slowly…savoring every. Last. Drop.

Or down it quickly and ask for another.  And why not?  Normally I can only drink one glass of wine, but the sorbet has all the goodness without the ill effects.  Too much Cabernet sorbet?–No problem!  The scale may be a bit heavier, but at least I can still drive home.

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

During our last visit, we caught owner Andra Hall on a rare break from crafting cupcakes.  She was happy to sit down and give us an update about her first year in Atlanta.

That’s it; I need a cupcake!

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

But this not eating meat thing, it’s not a hard rule.  Sometimes—rarely, but it happens—I want a burger.  Not a turkey burger or black bean burger, but a BEEF burger.   When that happens I make my own at home, with grass-fed, hormone-free beef.   It lessens the skeevy factor, knowing that the cows were treated humanely and fed properly.

Until recently ordering a burger in a restaurant wasn’t even an option, but a new trend in Atlanta restaurants is serving what I call “clean meat.”  Organic, grass-fed and sustainability are the new buzz words and I’m digging it.

In this vein, a new burger restaurant in Atlanta just opened, Farm Burger.  I tried it and if I am going to indulge in beef, it’s going to be there.  The meat was juicy, flavorful and tasted “clean.”  No skeeviness.

I got one of the chalkboard specials, with goat cheese and peach chutney.  Fancy.  And delicious too.

Beef this good doesn’t come cheap.  Burgers, fries and drinks for my family of 4 cost about $50.  This is no fast food.  But it’s good food and I’ll take healthiness over cheapness any day.

I’ll let my son tell you all about it.   He’s featured monthly in the Atlanta INtown News What’s Good section; this month he wrote about Farm Burger.  He’s the burger guy (remember this cover?), so he’s the one to give you the goods.

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

This is my last post about my latest Disney Media Trip.   I’ve written about Summer Nightastic, posted a video of Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade, interviewed the Green Army Men from Toy Story 3 and showed you how I dressed for both work and play at Disney World.   As you can see from my blog posts, my weekend was pretty amazing; Disney always makes sure that the media trips are full of magical touches.  And we eat good on media trips with catered dinners and dessert buffets.  It’s delicious, beautifully presented and there’s an open bar.  We always love these dinners.

But still my family cannot leave Disney World without having the best Disney treat we ever ate: Dole Whip.   There’s a debate among Dole Whip fans (there are legions of them out there!) if the treat is best in it’s purest form–just the ice cream–or as a float with pineapple juice.  My family votes for the float.  I’m telling you, there is nothing more refreshing on a hot day than a Dole Whip!  Somehow we always seem to get ours right before the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party; we sit on the benches leading out of Adventureland and watch the people move it and shake it.  Or watch the ducks(sometimes a better option).

Doesn’t that make your mouth water?

*Dole Whip fans, what’s your vote: ice cream only or float?

© 2010 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

We had seen the mural at Buddy’s gas station.

Intriguing.  ”King of Pops“…what could that mean?

Popsicles?

Here at the gas station?

Almost.

Last month the King of Pops cart arrived on the corner of North and Highland Avenues, just in time for Atlanta’s infamous Spring heatwave.

Steven Carse is King of Pops.

I had read the tweets and heard the tasty news from friends, but could never seem to be near that corner when he was in operation.   Finally the other day, on my husband’s birthday, my family drove by the corner just after Steven had arrived.   Perfect!  After much discussion we decided to try four different flavors: Grapefruit Mint, Blackberry Lemonade, Watermelon Orange and Strawberry Lemongrass.  Muscadine and Chocolate Sea Salt were also available flavors that day.

Except for Yoforia, my family feels that Atlanta is deficit in good frozen treats, so we were excited for the possibility of a new place to fill our cold cravings. We drove down the street to Poncey-Highland Park to eat our popsicles, making sure to taste them all.

The whole family was in agreement that these were the best popsicles that we ever ate.

The flavors of each popsicle were distinct and pure.  I tasted both the blackberry and the lemonade in my popsicle.   My husband’s popsicle, Grapefruit Mint, was a great combination; the grapefruit was tart and the mint was refreshing.  There were whole mint leaves in there!

(photo by James Andrews)

The popsicles are handcrafted with natural ingredients and the dedication to quality is evident in the taste.   I’m not sure how many different flavors he makes, but I saw a tweet about Pineapple Ginger and Strawberry Lavender.  *Drool.*

The neighborhood ice cream truck doesn’t stand a chance.

Steven uses Twitter to update his inventory, which is helpful because there is nothing worse than getting your mouth fixed on something and then arriving to find that it is all gone (this used to happen to us with CamiCakes, but now we call ahead).    On nice days the cart is out in the late afternoon through early evening.   The popsicles can also be found at Irwin Street Market and Souper Jenny.

Yup, I’m certain that King of Pops is going to be our summer obsession.

*Check out my son’s review of King of Pops on Atlanta INTown’s What’s Good.

*Update: since our first visit to King of Pops we’ve also had Cantaloupe Basil (mm…savory), Pineapple Ginger (refreshing!), Chocolate Sea Salt (creamy), Banana Pudding (tastes just like the dessert), Tropical Surprise (mango, papaya, orange juice), Banana Cinnamon (almost as good as Banana Pudding), Strawberry Pineapple (fresh strawberries), Peaches & Cream, Mexican Chocolate (spicy & creamy), Pineapple Habenero (ai yai yai!)  and White Chocolate With Raspberry On Top (no words necessary):

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

My husband knows that he can’t go wrong with the little blue box!  There was a peace sign necklace inside.  I wonder where he got the idea that I like peace signs…..

After a long walk with the dog, we went to a Mother’s Day Brunch at the brand new Loews Hotel in Midtown Atlanta.   The lobby was very nice, decorated in a modern, but comfortable way.  There were backgammon sets on the coffee tables, inviting guests to stay a while and have a drink from the lobby bar.

Restaurant eleven, where we had brunch, is located off the lobby and decorated in the same modern style as the lobby. We chose to sit outside on the balcony, which was pleasant, albeit with a pedestrian view.  Literally–we were practically on the sidewalk.

As with any buffet, my kids and I checked out the dessert station first and we were not disappointed.

In addition to the cakes and pies, there were small pots of creme brulee, custards and pudding.   The build-your-own-crepe station was divine.

The desserts were impressive indeed.   My husband also enjoyed the omelet station and my daughter loved the bread (as usual…she has never met a carb that she didn’t like).

The rest of the food was just okay.  The menu was a strange hybrid of traditional buffet offerings such as a bread station, salads and made-to-order omelets and also “small plates” ordered from a menu.  The small plates were included in the brunch price and could be ordered as much and often as we liked.  We ordered one of everything on the menu and except for the scallops, we didn’t order a second round.  The scallops were moist and tasty, but everything else was bland and uninteresting.

Here’s a gripe about some of Atlanta’s “upscale” restaurants: they don’t serve sweet tea.  If you have ever traveled to the south, you know that it is a staple item in the southern diet.   And with the exception of a few who manage to pull it off by serving tea so good that it doesn’t need sweetening (Watershed, Cafe Bistro at Nordstrom), there ought to be a law.   Our experience at Loews was made even more bitter–pun intended–by the fact that our waiter didn’t tell us the tea was unsweet.   There was no amount of sugar that could cut that bitter taste.  So we ordered lemonade.   It was even worse than the tea and clearly made from a powder.

Listen up Atlanta:  If your chef is an international food rock star, if your food has been listed on the most-try-before-you-die list of culinary delights, if your restaurant decor is photographed in every magazine in every major city in the world–get over yourself and cater to the regional tastes of your patrons.  Serve sweet tea, damn it!

Rant over.  Carry on…..

Despite the mediocre menu, I enjoyed the Loews Mother’s Day brunch.  The waiter was attentive and the desserts were delicious.   And any place with a candy station is alright by me.  We got a to-go box and filled it with Jelly Bellys and gummy candy to munch on the rest of the day.

Too bad we forgot to bring our box of candy into the movie theater.  After brunch we saw the movie Babies, a documentary that follows four different babies during their first year of life.  The babies are from California, Japan, Namibia and Mongolia.  Two babies live in a city and two babies live in rural areas.  Two babies have older siblings and two babies are only children.  And there are many other differences as well.

It was very interesting to watch how the dynamics of family structure, environment, economics, parental education, community, culture and parental involvement factored into how the babies were raised and when they reached their developmental milestones.    The audience’s observations and consequent conclusions are going to obviously be made from our own cultural biases, but as least for my family, our thoughts were not predictable.   There was no judgement about this baby who lived in a hut, versus that baby who lived in a fancy high-rise.   Or that baby who had medical care or this baby who didn’t.  That could be the documentary format, because our emotions weren’t skewed, but I think it more because of the subjects–the babies.   In as many ways as they were different, the babies were also so very much the same.  No matter where they lived or how they were cared for, they were all clearly loved.   They were all curious, full of wonder and happy.  And cute–OH MY GOSH WERE THEY CUTE!

(*All of the mothers nurse their babies in the movie and are topless quite often, so if your kids think that babies only drink milk from a bottle, you might want to have that discussion before you see the movie.)

It was the perfect movie for Mother’s Day, but it is great movie to see anytime as a family.  My 15 year old son loved it as much as his 8 year sister.   We all laughed and “aaaaw-ed” though out the whole movie.  Who doesn’t love babies?  I know I love mine!

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

This post was dictated to me by my 8 year old daughter.  We call her Girly.

The best the french fries I ever ate are at Cafe Bistro at Nordstrom.  I get them every time I go because they are delicious.  They know us there because we eat there when we are shopping.

I like the fries because they are crispy (well, most french fries are crispy) and they have herbs like rosemary, thyme and a whole bunch of other green things.  And there’s salt, but not too much salt.  It comes with ketchup and olive sauce, but you don’t need anything because the herbs are so good.  I can eat a whole cone all by myself and it doesn’t bother my belly.  But if you only want a little bit and you order the fries from the kids’ menu, they don’t put any herbs on them, so be sure to tell them to do that.   What, they don’t think kids like herbs?  I love ‘em!  Don’t they look yummy?

What are the best french fries you ever ate?  Tell me, because I want to go there!

*Funkidivagirl agrees with Girly; these are the best french fries I ever ate.   I’m still dreaming about the best pie I ever ate…..

© 2010 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

The featured chefs talk about their favorite foods with such authenticity and passion that I always want what they are having right now.  The other night I watched a show about Obsessions and Delilah Winder talked about her obsession with a particular Triple Coconut Cream Pie with so much ecstasy and the slice looked so fluffy and creamy, that I was salivating–and I don’t even like coconut.

Well, you know my family, everyone’s a food critic; we always have opinions about what we eat.   So in the same vein as The Food Network, I am going to start blogging about The Best Thing I Ever Ate.  And I hope my son, daughter and husband will contribute as well; they all like different food and, man, those people can eat!

Pie.  I don’t really like pie.  Except for Key Lime Pie and sometimes Sweet Potato Pie, pie is not my thing; I love cake.  But recently I had pie that I dream about.  I changed my Facebook profile to a photo of this pie.   I talk about this pie to anyone who will listen.

It’s the Buttermilk Pie at Hominy Grill in Charleston, South Carolina.

I don’t remember where or how, but the dessert part of my brain had tucked away information about  the Buttermilk Pie–that it was supposed to be good.  But we had been eating too many sweets during our South Carolina vacation, so I foolishly ordered just one piece for the table.

That was a mistake.

One bite of that pie and I claimed it as my own.  I had to get stern with my family to put down their forks–NOW.  Or someone was going to get hurt.

It was sweet, but not too sweet.  Lemony (my favorite), but with an unexpected kick of nutmeg.  The custard was light and the crust was perfect.

Hands down the best pie that I ever ate.

Leaving Charleston on the way back to Atlanta we stopped by Hominy Grill for another slice of Buttermilk Pie for the road.  One slice for my family to share, and one slice for me.  I had learned my lesson.

What about you? What’s the best pie you ever ate?  Oh, and if you have a good recipe for Buttermilk Pie, please pass it on.

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

As soon as we sat down, the adventure began.  Since the rest of us hadn’t eaten Korean BBQ like this before, John ordered for the whole table.  Dish after dish steadily arrived and soon our table was covered with food.  Our waitress was attentive, helpful and funny, but the star of our meal was the food–very delicious!  John went easy on us and ordered interesting dishes, but nothing too wild that we would be wary of trying.   Everything was yummy–except for the tiny, whole dried fish; I was brave enough to taste one and no thank you, I won’t eat that again; that tiny fish had the flavorful punch of a very big (smelly, fishy-tasting) fish.    There were many different dishes, but my favorites were Hae Mul Pa Jun (Korean style seafood pancake), Goon Mand Doo (pot stickers), Gal Bi Gui (marinated short ribs) and Dak Bulgogi (marinated chicken).   Since the meat was grilled right at our table, it was hot and fresh.  Much of the food was spicy–which is good for me as I like spicy–and all of it was flavorful.   I have to bring my family to this restaurant; they love ethnic food and will enjoy the whole experience.   Thanks John for introducing me to a wonderful new way of eating!

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

We bought every cupcake ourselves in order to give an unbiased, honest review uninfluenced by free food.   This is not a comprehensive list; we did not try every cupcake available for sale in metro Atlanta, so I’m sure that we left out some great cupcakes.  Please give us grace on that point; we could only eat so many cupcakes before we got sick.

Our rating system:

1 cupcake = not very good

2 cupcakes = just okay

3 cupcakes = pretty good

4 cupcakes = very good

5 cupcakes = excellent

THE PANEL

Funkidivagirl

Funkidivagirl looks at the dessert menu before ordering her entrée and only goes to birthday parties for the cake.  Her favorite desserts involve lemon or lime.

The Keyinfluencer

The Keyinfluencer prefers cookies over cake, but he is crazy for chocolate—brownies, cake, cupcakes—he doesn’t discriminate when chocolate is involved.

Captain Cuisine & The Gastro-Teens

A recognized food critic, this kid loves food.  While he wasn’t much of a fan of sweets as a young child, he has since grown to appreciate well-made desserts.

Girly

From the age of a toddler, Girly has rarely met a dessert that she didn’t like.  She can smell sugar a mile away.  To say that she has a sweet-tooth is underrated—she has a mouthful of sweet teeth!

THE CUPCAKES

BELLY

While Belly is not a bakery, they do sell several baked goods and are especially known for their cupcakes.   At $2.50 each Belly’s cupcakes are huge and easily shared with a friend, making them a good deal.  Sadly however, as a group we were not that impressed with Belly’s cupcakes; Captain Cuisine said, “Publix is better.”   The Red Velvet cupcake was especially dry and tasteless to all of us; we rated this 1 cupcake.  The Vanilla Cupcake was a little better, but most of us thought that the icing was too sweet; all of us gave it 2 cupcakes.    The Chocolate Chocolate cupcake was the best; as The Keyinfluencer said, “the frosting had a good taste, but the cake wasn’t moist enough.”  He gave it a respectable 3.5 cupcakes, Funkidivagirl and Captain Cuisine rated it 2 cupcakes, while Girly liked it the most at 4 cupcakes.

THE ATLANTA CUPCAKE FACTORY

We have had cupcakes from The Atlanta Cupcake Factory before at parties, but this was our first time walking in off the street.  The cupcakes are $2.50 each and a good size, not too big or too small.  The menu changes daily, so we were only able to sample what was available.  As The Keyinfluencer made this cupcake run alone, he went a little crazy and got 4 different cupcakes for us to try: Raspberry Sugar Cookie, Salted Carmel Sugar Cookie, Cinnamon Oatmeal and Chocolate Chocolate.  Funkidivagirl was disappointed that lemon or key lime was not available for tasting.

The tasting didn’t start off too good.  None of us liked the Raspberry Sugar Cookie; Girly, The Keyinfluencer and Funkidivagirl all rated it 1 cupcake, while Captain Cuisine gave it 2 cupcakes.

The Salted Carmel Sugar Cookie cupcake didn’t go over too well either; it was  rated 1 cupcake with Girly and Funkidivagirl, while The Keyinfluencer gave it 2 cupcakes.  Captain Cuisine liked it and gave it 4 cupcakes, although he said that it was “a little dry.”

He also really liked the Cinnamon Oatmeal cupcake and thought it was worth 4 1/2 cupcakes.   The Keyinfluencer thought “that it tasted like a great oatmeal cookie” and gave it 3 cupcakes like Funkidivagirl, who doesn’t like oatmeal cookies, but nevertheless thought it was a good cupcake.

The winner for everyone at The Atlanta Cupcake Factory was the Chocolate Chocolate cupcake; three of us rated it 4 cupcakes and thought it was “yummy, amazing and fudgy” and “almost like Watershed’s cake”, while Girly gave it a “shining 5 cupcakes” and said, “I found my heaven cupcake!”

Although we had 2 cupcakes that we didn’t like, over-all we all agreed that The Atlanta Cupcake Factory is a solid place to purchase cupcakes because of  the homemade taste.  We will return to buy the Chocolate Chocolate cupcake and try the other flavors that we missed.

CHOCOLATE PINK CAFÉ

We have been to Chocolate Pink Café a few times and enjoy the lounge/coffeehouse atmosphere as well as the desserts.  We have had several different kinds of desserts there such as the Key Lime Pie, but this time we specifically concentrated on the cupcakes.

Funkidivagirl’s favorite cupcake was the Pink Lemonade; she liked the “burst” of lemon filing and said that “it tastes like a lemon bar” (her favorite dessert).   She gave it a solid 5 cupcakes and Girly agreed.   Although neither is a big fan of lemon, both Captain Cuisine and The Keyinfluencer also liked this cupcake; both gave it 4 cupcakes.

We also tried the Red Velvet cupcake because the Café’s staff said it was an Atlanta favorite.   Funkidivagirl and Captain Cuisine agreed that the cupcake had a delicious, true red velvet flavor and that the icing was tasty and light; they both rated it 4 cupcakes.  The Keyinfluencer thought that it was good enough to rate  3 cupcakes, while Girly thought the icing was too creamy for her; she gave it only 2 cupcakes.

It is worth noting that The Keyinfluencer’s mother really likes the Coconut cupcake, although none of us have tried it (we do not like coconut).

The cupcakes are very small for the expensive price of $3 each, so this is not the most economical place to buy a cupcake, but they are good and the cozy atmosphere makes for a nice over-all cupcake experience.

PIECE OF CAKE

Funkidivagirl was excited to try the cupcakes at Piece of Cake because this is one of her very favorite places to buy a cake; she loves the Orange Cake!   The cupcakes are $2.25 for the small size (which is still a respectable size) and $2.75 for the large ones.  We got 3 different flavors of the small cupcakes: Red Velvet, Lemon and Strawberry.

Unfortunately the Red Velvet cupcake was slightly disappointing; while the icing was very good, the cake tasted below our expectations; it was a little dry.  Two of us gave it a solid 3 cupcakes, Captain Cuisine added ½ a cupcake for a rating of 3 ½ and Girly liked it the best at 4 cupcakes.

More disappointing to Funkidivagirl was the Lemon cupcake; “Where’s the flavor?,” she asked.  While it wasn’t a bad tasting cupcake, the lemon taste was barley perceptible.  Most of us gave it a rating of 2 cupcakes, while Captain Cuisine really like the icing and rated it 3 cupcakes.

Piece of Cake redeemed itself with the Strawberry cupcake, which was delicious.  Both the icing and cake were very fresh tasting; we could tell that real strawberries were used.   Funkidivagirl and The Keyinfluencer rated it 4 cupcakes while Girly gave this “awesome, good and creamy” cupcake a shining 5 cupcakes.   Captain Cuisine is not a fan of strawberry cupcakes, but even he loved the icing; he gave it 3 cupcakes.

Piece of Cake is still one of our favorite places to buy a cake, but we weren’t too impressed with the cupcakes.   The consensus says that If we were in the area and wanted a cupcake, we would stop, but we wouldn’t make a special trip.

THE LITTLE CAKE  BAKERY

­­­­­Although up against steep competition by Piece of Cake down the street, Little Cake looked promising.  The cupcakes were a decent size for the $2.50 price and the flavors were interesting.  We decided to try Strawberry and S’Mores, a popular weekend special.

The Strawberry cupcake elicited the same response from all of us: yuck!  “Not good at all,” “gross,” and “tastes like baking soda” were some of the detailed responses.   It was the direct opposite of Piece of Cake’s Strawberry cupcake.  We all gave it 1 cupcake.

The S’Mores cupcake was somewhat better.  The taste of the chocolate cake was decent, but the graham cracker bottom was soggy.  It didn’t taste like S’Mores at all; there should have been toasted marshmallows on top.   Funkidivagirl and The Keyinfluencer both gave it 2 cupcakes, Captain Cuisine liked it enough to give 3 cupcakes and Girly thought it was good enough to score 4 cupcakes (she really liked the bit of Hersey’s bar used as garnish).

We were not impressed with The Little Cake Bakery and won’t be going back, especially with Piece of Cake right down the street.

MATTY CAKES

We already knew that Matty Cakes has a great Red Velvet cake; we have ordered it many times for Christmas and birthdays.  But we were curious to see if the cupcake was just as tasty.   First of all, the $3 cupcakes are HUGE at Matty Cakes and must be shared; that is just too much cupcake for one person!

Upon tasting we were not disappointed; their Red Velvet cupcake was just as good as their cake.  In other words, it was delicious!   The icing was fluffy and light, yet intense with flavor, while the cake was moist with a distinctly Red Velvet taste.  Everyone gave it an enthusiastic 5 cupcakes and agreed that it beat all other Red Velvet cupcakes that we tasted, hands down.

Next we tried the Pumpkin cupcake.  The icing was light–like whipped cream–and delicious; a dusting of cinnamon gave it extra flavor.  The cake was dense and spicy; it tasted just like pumpkin bread.  We love pumpkin bread, but we wanted a cupcake.   This was pumpkin bread in the shape of a cupcake.  Girly didn’t mind this last point and gave it a score of 5 cupcakes, but Funkidivagirl and Captain Cuisine gave it 4 cupcakes; it was delicious, but lost a point due to it’s lack of cupcakiness.  (The Keyinfluencer was unable to taste this cupcake.)

Matty Cakes’ cupcakes are good and consistent with the quality of their cakes.

CAMICAKES

CamiCakes is the newest cupcake emporium in Atlanta and like The Atlanta Cupcake Factory and Little Cake, they only make cupcakes.   The cupcakes are a nice size for one person, not too big or too small, and priced right at $2.50.   Over the course of two visits we tried several flavors of CamiCakes: Red Velvet, Classic Chocolate on Chocolate, CinnaSwirl, Lemon Drop and Sweet Potato.

Red Velvet was our biggest disappointment from CamiCakes; it wasn’t bad, but it just didn’t taste like Red Velvet.  We all agreed that it deserved 3 cupcakes—pretty good, but not great.

The Keyinfluencer was excited to try the Classic Chocolate on Chocolate.  He said, “I am a chocolate cake fanatic, but this fell short for me.”  He gave it 3 cupcakes, along with Funkidivagirl.   Captain Cuisine liked it a bit more, giving 3 1/2 cupcakes as a rating, while Girly thought it was “very moist, very good; I’ll give it 4 cupcakes.”

CinnaSwirl tasted just like a cinnamon roll and was pronounced “very good” by everyone.  It garnered 5 cupcakes from Captain Cuisine and 4 cupcakes from the rest of the family.

Lemon Drop was a big hit with Funkidivagirl, who is very discriminating about her lemon desserts.   It’s a rating of 5 cupcakes from her all the way!   The entire cake tasted like a lemon pound cake—yummy!–and the icing was a favorite of everyone, even The Keyinfluencer who doesn’t like lemon or icing.  Both he and Girly gave it 4 cupcakes.  Captain Cuisine, while not a fan of lemon cupcakes, liked the icing so much that he rated it 4 1/2 cupcakes

Sweet Potato was our favorite cupcake.  Girly gave it the lowest rating of 4 cupcakes because “I don’t like sweet potatoes, but I like this,” while everyone else gave it an outstanding 5 cupcakes.   We were all amazed by the real sweet potato taste in the cake and loved the cinnamon icing; it was very fluffy and light.   The Keyinfluencer said, “This might be the best cupcake that I’ve ever had.”

Captain Cuisine said that CamiCakes cupcakes are “multi-dimensional in flavor.”  As a bonus, the cupcakes are not only delicious, but also beautiful to look at; each cupcake is perfectly frosted and creatively embellished.

THE WINNERS

Best Chocolate Cupcake: The Atlanta Cupcake Factory

Best Lemon Cupcake: Chocolate Pink Café & CamiCakes

Best Red Velvet Cupcake: Matty Cakes

Best “Special Flavor” Cupcake: Sweet Potato at CamiCakes

Best Place to Hang Out While Eating a Cupcake: Chocolate Pink Café

Best Over-All Place to Buy Cupcakes in Atlanta: CamiCakes

We hope that our cupcake review has provided insight for your quest to find the best cupcake in Atlanta.   But we’re not done, oh no!  We won’t rest until we tried every cupcake in Atlanta…America…the WORLD!

*Funkidivagirl & Captain Cuisine had a chance to try the Key Lime cupcake at The Atlanta Cupcake Factory recently and both loved the moist texture and perfect Key Lime taste.  Funkidivagirl (who loves key lime, and therefore very critical) gave it an enthusiastic 5 cupcakes and Captain Cuisine was in complete agreement.  *Girly also tried it a few weeks later and gave it a “shining 5 cupcakes.”  *Another trip had us trying both the Lemon and Strawberry cupcakes.  Everyone was in agreement that both cupcakes were great and deserved 4 1/2 and 4 cupcakes respectively.

*Funkidivagirl was able to try the Red Velvet cupcake at CamiCakes again as a special birthday treat and it was really yummy this time; she gives it 4 1/2 cupcakes!   There was also a new cupcake there, Orange Cream, that is going to give Piece of Cake’s famous orange cake a run for it’s money.  Ooooh….it is so good!   It is sweet, so you gotta like sugar, but that wasn’t a problem for Funkidivagirl, Captain Cuisine and Girly who all gave it 5 cupcakes.

*Matty Cakes closed November 2010.

*Chocolate Pink Cafe closed December 2010.

© 2009 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

We were coming home from a day of hanging in the sun and needed to quickly grab dinner.   Someone suggested that we try Kentucky Fried Chicken’s new grilled chicken; not a place that I frequent often (I think I last ate there about 6 years ago), but I was intrigued by all the latest media hype.   Our nearest KFC is not in our neighborhood, but in the hood.  And here’s the first bad news: they didn’t sell the grilled chicken because the store has yet to have the necessary renovations.   What do you want to bet that the KFC’s in the burbs are first on the list for renovations?  Because I’m sure that KFC thinks that people in the hood don’t care about eating healthy anyway.  It’s just another ploy by the man to keep the disenfranchised pumped full of fat and grease and therefore not energetic enough to stage a revolution!  

Anyway, by now we were really hungry so we ordered a bucket of original recipe chicken, mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese.   I admit that the chicken was good (I tried not to think about the hormones), but the macaroni and cheese was not even edible.  Not only did it taste disgusting, it was a neon florescent orange that I have never seen in the natural world.  My daughter took a look and said, “Wow, that looks like it has lots of dye in it!”   

The photo doesn’t even do it justice; it is the color of a crossing guard’s vest.

Kentucky Fried Chicken, if you ever read this, please know that I am OFFENDED by the nasty slop that you are trying to pass off as macaroni and cheese.  You ought to be ashamed!  I know that you are trying to provide an economic meal, but can you PRETEND to serve quality food?  How can you advertise grilled chicken–a supposed healthy alternative to fried–but yet continue to sell a side item as unhealthy as that couldn’t-possibly-be-real-cheese crap?  My daughter said, “It looked fake and tasted like someone didn’t care about their customers.”  

Yes, baby, that’s exactly right.

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I couldn’t scan the entire article with all the different burger panelists, so be sure to pick up your copy of Atlanta INtown this weekend and read their reviews about the best burgers in Atlanta.    Or stop by my house….I have a few copies lying around!  :-)

© 2009 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Everyone in my family is a food critic!  First there was my son, Captain Cuisine & The Gastro-teens, and now my husband, James Andrews/The Keyinfluencer writes his first restaurant review for Funkidivagirl.com. 

Ann’s Snack Bar: Atlanta’s Best Burger 

By James Andrews

My family is always on the quest for a good burger.  As the family leader I think that I am the cause of this; I was brought up in California which many call the capital of all burgers.  McDonald’s, Bob’s Big Boy and In And Out Burger were all birthed in California.  And those are just the mainstream/commercial burgers.  

But the hoods of California– that’s where the best burgers are found.  From Nation’s and Quarter Pound Burger  in The Bay Area hoods to Quick N Split and Mo Better Meatty Meat Burgers (the best turkey burger ever) in Los Angeles, I have tasted the best.

Upon moving to Atlanta my family had been hearing about Ann’s Snack Bar and the “World Famous Ghetto Burger” so today we decided to give it a try.   Joining us in the hood on Memorial Drive East was our friend Matt Arnett and his two kids.  

When you arrive at Ann’s Snack Bar  you can almost guarantee that there will always be a wait.  Why you ask?  Mainly because Miss Ann has a protocol; you do not come inside the kitchen, you wait in the patio area with all the others until you are asked for your order.  Not knowing this protocol, we arrived hungry and immediately went to the door where the other patrons stopped us dead in our tracks with a “You have to wait, sir.”

Put off a bit, we retreated to the wire seats in the waiting area with all of the others.  It only took a little while for us to realize that there was a “Miss Ann’s Snack Bar Protocol” and soon we were mentoring the other patrons who came behind us and weren’t familiar with the “house rules” (think of the “Soup Nazi” from Seinfeld and you have a good idea). When we finally had our chance to order, of course I ordered the “World Famous Ghetto Burger” but opted out of the chili; the chili-cheese fries that I had coming was enough.

Now while ordering is the first part of the protocol, waiting is the second.   After a good 35 minute wait (which included a trip to the package store for a few bottles of Tahitian Treat) a tap on the window signaled me to retrieve our order.   I rushed to pick up the red trays which resembled the old school cafeteria “china” you remembered as a kid.

The first burger that I grabbed was the “Ghetto Burger with chili” that my 13 yr old son ordered.  It was by far the biggest burger that I have ever seen.   The thing was so huge that it scared the people waiting and made my wife shriek.

My “Ghetto Burger” (no chili, but I kept the bacon) was big and juicy also.

I took my first bite; the very well seasoned and hand-formed patty was a pleasure to sink my teeth into.  The best way to describe it is “a Momma Burger on steroids.”   Matt Arnett commented that the bun was nothing special, but a burger of this size required a solid bun.  It is clear why Miss Ann gives you plenty of napkins and forks and knives as tools for the meal as it is plenty messy.   I barely made it through the burger but I was determined and I’m happy to say I’m conquered it.

The entire experience of the fantastic burger and Miss Ann’s protocol makes this a must do in Atlanta. This is definitely the biggest and top 3 burgers I have ever had; clearly I have been to the mountain top.   I look forward to my annual trip (I can only do this type of eating once a year) back to Ann’s Snack Bar.   The rumor around town is that Miss Ann is retiring in May, so I must go back soon. 

© 2009 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Flip Burger Boutique: A Classy Joint

By Captain Cuisine

A little bit past the Wal-Mart, right across the street from an auto repair shop is Flip Burger Boutique, the newest concept by Top Chef runner-up and Atlanta restaurant media darling, Richard Blais. Flip is a quasi-upscale burger joint located in Atlanta’s Howell Mill district. The menu features twists on regular beef burgers, most of them not containing beef at all. Many of Chef Blais’s previous ventures have been short-lived (definitely not because of food quality), but this one looks like it’s here to stay. The burgers are pricier than your average fare ($6.50-$11.00), but you get your money’s worth and maybe a bit more, considering the sophistication.

I arrived at the restaurant with my mother, father, and sister on a Saturday at 5:00. I instantly noticed that the atmosphere is very lively and family-friendly. Outside, there is a patio that will be very pleasant during warm months. As you walk inside, techno and new wave music greet you. The tunes may be slightly abrasive if you do not share those musical tastes, but they are not so loud that you cannot hear yourself talk (*cough* Two Urban Licks).  Along the full bar is an alternating pattern of framed mirrors and framed flat-screen TVs, culminating in a framed cutout of the kitchen.  Two long communal tables stand in the center of the diminutive restaurant while four person tables and ‘flipped’ booths lurk around the fringes.  The restaurant was not very crowded, most likely because of the restaurant’s ripe age of about two weeks.

The menu (which they had gotten that same day) makes you flip it around to look at different sections (Son-Gyver tip: If you’re dining for two at Flip Burger Boutique, place one menu vertically and one menu horizontally, covering all sides of the menu and causing minimal flipping). Our waiter was very well informed about the menu, and after he told us the special, he had a conversation with us, revealing his iced tea deprived childhood in the UK.  We learned that Chef Richard Blais has created over 30 unique burgers to put into rotation for the menu specials.

After a brief family meeting, we decided to get two milkshakes to share, an order of fries, an order of sweet potato tots, and our personal burgers.  Funkidivagirl decided to get the Codburger, Keyinfluencer chose the Shrimp Po Boyger, while Girly opted for the classic Flip burger. I was in a quandary, stuck in a seesaw of confusion, both Pâté Melt and Lamburger vying for my taste buds. Ultimately, I decided to be more adventurous and try the Pâté Melt.

Before our foodstuffs arrived, the masculine half of a couple seated next to us traded iPhone apps with my father, much to the irritation of their better halves. Fortunately, their banter could not continue for long, as the service was quick. First up was the milkshakes, frozen by liquid nitrogen, a chemical that causes rapid frostbite. Contrary to the pdf menu, the milkshakes are: Krispy Kreme, Sweet Tea (not available at time of review), Nutella-Burnt Marshmallow, and Pistachio-White Chocolate. We chose Krispy Kreme and NBM. The Nutella just tasted like a thick chocolate and while it was delicious, it paled in comparison to the Krispy Kreme. The milkshake tasted exactly like its no-frills namesake in liquid form. One milkshake is split into two 8 oz. glasses, so we were satisfied. However, only for the purposes of the review did we get two milkshakes, for they were pricy at $7.00. You can decide whether it’s worth it or not.

The next course was the fries and tots. The tots were good, but were way too salty and left me disappointed. The fries, however, were the best I have ever tasted. They were a rich orange color that intrigued me at first sight. Their life begins as fresh potatoes. They are then flash fried and frozen with liquid nitrogen. The frozen fries are deep fried in duck fat as needed. The end result is a french fry that is long and thick, but the inside flavor is smooth and consistent like a thinner fry. Partnering with the sides was blue cheese foam. The foam was created from blue cheese in the same dispenser as the Starbucks whipped cream. The foam had the same flavor as a normal blue cheese sauce, except that it was lighter and more whimsical. However, after about 20-30 minutes the foam got liquidy at the bottom, so savor it, but don’t take forever.

The burgers arrived in splendid fanfare. Everybody around us paused their conversations to sneak a peek at our food. The food was arranged beautifully with the top bun uncapped. Portions were not slider size, but you would not feel disgusting if you ate two; my party was fine thanks to the milkshake and fries. Taking a glance at the food across from me, I decided that I was going to exercise my food critic mooching abilities before I ate my own burger. I started with Girly’s burger to see what the bar was. It was high. Not the best pure beef burger I’ve had, but it wasn’t trying to be. It was good but did not need to be great for the purposes of this restaurant. It got its job done in the way it needed to.

Funkidivagirl opted out of the tartar sauce on her Codburger, and it was still delicious. It was a meaty, yet light cod filet. The malt vinegar kept me on my toes and kept it interesting. The Shrimp Po Boyger was the star of the evening. It was a patty of shrimp in a sort of crab cake form, but it was the old bay mayonnaise that set it off. It tasted exactly like a Po Boy. The surprising twist that seems to be a theme in these burgers was the fried lemon. Yes a fried lemon.

The Codburger

The Shrimp Po Boyger

My Pâté Melt made me want to grow a handlebar mustache, I felt so sophisticated. The pâté was not the kind that was a pasty spread. My waiter assuaged me and said that a pâté can refer to any blend of different meats. The meat was very hearty, unlike the other burgers. The mix of veal and pork was very intriguing and each bite was flavorful and unique. As you continued past the first delectable bite, it was a pleasure when you came across lingonberry sauce. Lingonberries are a type of berry that is grown in Scandinavia (or Ikea). They are similar to cranberries, packing the same super nutrients. It is commonly paired with game.

My only complaint about the burgers was that although they were delicious, special buns to suit the taste of the different burgers would be nice.  Overall the burgers were great.  They were not trying to be the heartiest burgers, just the most creative, and they got the job done.

After my meal, Chef Blais visited every table, talking with his patrons. When he stopped at ours he learned about my impending review and took me on a tour (“Buttering up the food critic,” he said).  He was very kind and showed me the giant vat of liquid nitrogen in the back; he also gave me information about the fries that I utilized in this blog post.  I believe that by making the rounds to the tables, this alone could sustain the restaurant, as he was very funny and actually started conversations with people.

After I thanked Chef Blais and returned to my seat, I decided to check out the bathroom. The bathroom was small but utilized the space very well, similar to the rest of the restaurant. The same mural that adorned the far wall of the outside room and the website was also in the bathroom. The bathroom was slightly bigger than gas-station size, but was very clean and sported a very cool sink that was extremely wide and flat.

Flip Burger Boutique is an amazingly creative mid-scale burger joint created by a great man in Chef Richard Blais. I definitely am going back to try the Lamburger, though the Breakfast Burger looks good and Keyinfluencer went a second time and recommended the rBQ. Although it had a few wet-behind-the-ears kinks to work out currently, with time Flip could be recognized as one of the best dining places in Atlanta.

Out of 5 Stars: 4.5; 4.7 if I wanted to be exact

*A special thanks to Chef Richard Blais for taking me on the tour of the restaurant.

*This blog post lead to a position on Atlanta INtown’s burger panel and the cover shot of the June 2009 issue.  Read all about it here.

© 2008 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.