#hanshinpocha

[hxodus]

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[anthonyboordain]

ATL (HOT-LANTA)

looking back, ATL a.k.a. HOT-LANTA is one of very few places that i can see myself living in. i miss it. i think about it. i picture myself living in it.

atlanta is surprisingly green. my first trip driving into atlanta, i thought i was on the east coast. and obviously i was told by many people that atlanta is south, in fact pretty damn deep south and has no business being considered east coast. well, i think it's east coast enough for me. it's green. its curvy. it's peaceful. and yes, i know that my thoughts are an exception.

atl's got the size right. it's not too big, it's not too small. the only place that feels too big is its airport and yes it is one of the largest airports. it's got direct flight to pretty much anywhere and everywhere. flying in and out of atlanta, you run into shit load of people at the airport. but the friendly officers make sure that you cross from the parking lot into the terminal safely. although the tsa pre line always took more than 10 minutes, although if you get dropped off at some weird ass terminal you end up having to walk and tram for f'ing 30 minutes, it's an airport you sort of kind of want to go back to. oh and, delta is indeed better than united. more efficient, friendlier service (and consistent), better entertainment system, and so on. i can't judge it's longhaul flight but i should be able to come september (and i'm looking forward to it).

atl is a food city. it's got everything. sushi, hot chicken, korean food, oysters, chinese, etc. you name it, it has it. obviously hattie b's hot chicken is the shit in atlanta (always worth the wait). the optimist happy hour is a must go for their sensual oysters. korean spots like hanshinpocha and yookdaejang are familiar and yet meets the high standards. casual spots like golden buddha and super jenny are always around. but high end dining like georgia boy, mujo sushi and lazy betty are all there too. despite handful trips to atlanta, i never ran out of places to visit. it was always new and familiar, comforting and delicious. it's hard to say that atlanta food scene is better than la or new york, but it's also hard to say that atlanta food scene is very good or great. it's somewhere in the excellent and outstanding.

atl's got drinks too. the famous red phone booth is always a unique experience - not a speakeasy but hard to get in like a speakeasy. and gentlemen, you better have a jacket or a button down shirt on, or they will make sure you have one. it's a room full of cigar smoke and scent. but more importantly it's got an amazing menu full of cocktails from all generations. they make it right - all of it. and yes, it's got some absynthe as well. i love this place. probably one of my favorite bars in the world (at the level of vesper in amsterdam, pahit in kl, gin palace in melbourne).

atl's wonderful. although i never lived there, it feels close to me like philly, pittsburgh and la. i want to live there. well i guess if i really want to then i will try to make it happen at some point in my life. perhaps i will. perhaps i will not. who knows what life has in store.