tasteofatl

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Hot Chicken, Pizza, and Ramen

           This week I stayed in my hometown of Atlanta, Ga. The weather was gloomy and rainy all week so there wasn’t much to do besides go to my favorite restaurants of course. Because I was craving comfort food, I visited a couple of my regular and favorite foodie spots that I want to share with you all.

           The first spot on this list is Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. Hattie B’s hot Chicken is a chain based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a father and son owned business founded by Nick Bishop. I visited the location in Atlanta, Ga on Moreland Ave. They specialize in fried chicken, fried chicken sandwiches, and a variety of delicious sides. During this visit, I ordered the hot chicken sandwich. This sandwich comes with a chicken breast fired to perfection along with coleslaw and pickles topped with a brioche bun. For sides I got the crinkle cut fries and pimento mac and cheese. The sandwich is juicy and crispy at the same time and is a must try for first timers. The absolute best side on the menu is the pimento mac and cheese. It is a creamy cheesy perfection that goes along perfectly with the spicy fried chicken. You can also customize the spice levels of the fried chicken to your personal preference. The hot flavor is perfect for my palate but they also have Damn Hot and Shute the Cluckup for heavy spice lovers. The only down side to this spot is that there is limited parking at the location but there is a private lot that customers can pay five dollars to park at next door. There is usually almost always a wait at Hattie B’s but I can confidently say that it is well worth it.

           The second place I visit this week is Grana located on Piedmont Ave in Atlanta, Ga. I came here with a couple of my friends on a Tuesday afternoon for happy hour or Aperitivo as they call it. This lasts every day from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. They offer a varieties of pizzas and drinks for half off during happy hour. During my visit I got the Roni pizza which is topped with pepperoni, tomato, fior di latte, and delicious Calabrian chili honey. This was one of the best authentic Italian pizzas that I have had in Atlanta. They also have a variety of cocktails to choose that are light and refreshing. My favorite feature about Grana aside from the food is the rooftop bar access. I sat here with my friends for an afternoon meal and enjoyed the view. They offer high top seating as well as a comfy cushioned couch seating area if you are looking for something more intimate. This is also a great place to visit at night with loads of string lights that light up the area. The ambiance is perfect for a date spot or even just to hang out with friends.

           The final destination of this week is Okiboru Tsukemen and Ramen located in Sandy Spring. This is spot that I always visit with I am craving comfort food. It is one of the few places in Atlanta that offers Tsukemen ramen which is a Japanese style dipping ramen. This is where they offer you a bowl of cooked ramen noodles and a bowl of piping hot broth. You then take the noodles and dip it into the broth as you are  eating. It’s a great way to try something a little different if you are tired of eating tradition ramen. The broth is creamy and delicious and is perfect for a rainy day in Atlanta.

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Post Grad Blues

This week I wanted to touch on a topic that has been coming up frequently in conversation with my friends. That is the long dreaded post grad depression. Even though I haven’t graduated yet, even I can feel the dreary feelings of post-graduation life settling in. The most common thing that I hear from my friends about after graduation is the lack of community and sense of self or purpose. This is really common among college grads because we are so used to feeling complete and comfortable in the community that we have formed over the past four years. Many people who graduate and directly enter the nine to five workforce find themselves quickly falling into negative mindsets and find themselves reminiscing their college days. For some, it is easy to transition into the real world and the next chapter of their lives. However, if you find yourself in the second category of feeling down after graduation, I have some tips that I have gathered from close friends and family that have all gone through the same after grad blues.

           Something that most successfully happy college graduates have in common is purpose. Now I don’t mean that you have to have everything figured out right after graduation as far as careers go but it is important to find some purpose in everyday life. This can be anything from working towards improving or maintaining a healthy lifestyle, to travelling, to reading a book every month. The point is, have goals outside of work can help ease the mind and create a positive mindset. I can personally speak on this topic from experience. Although I have two semesters left before I officially graduate, I already feel like I have entered post graduate life. A couple of months ago, I moved out of my college town and away from college life. In the beginning I experienced the feelings that many of do. I started to feel bored, un-motivated, and lacking a sense of purpose. I realized that is because in college I did not spend time investing in the hobbies I used to enjoy. I spent the majority of my time hanging out with friends or studying for classes. When I moved  away from my college campus, I suddenly was left with an ample amount of free time on my hands and I didn’t know what to do. Eventually, I got tired of the constant feeling of boredom and decided to do something about it. I started to focus on my mental health and physical health. I began to learn to cook, workout, and explore hobbies that I had left behind. Of course I still made time to see my friends but the mindset behind spending time with people started to shift. I started to value the time I had with my friends more and focused on creating genuine relationships that I did not always have with many of my college friends. I realized that focusing on myself improved my overall all mental health and after a while I found myself feeling revived and more motivated than ever. The point is, no matter what path we go on after graduation there is a major shift in our lives. Many things change in our lives and much of it is uncertain for a lot of us. Sometimes that can be scary and un nerving but accepting change and finding happiness in the next stage of our lives is possible and can be freeing. A lot of my friends and peers have told me that they are scared or nervous of their lives after college but I always encourage them to believe that the best has yet to come and as long as we continue to find purpose and push ourselves to be better the path we are meant to take will make itself known.

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Places to see(and not to see) in Los Angeles

The end of last week also marked the end of my first trip to Los Angeles, California. I spent a total of eight days exploring the City of Angels with my roommate. During our time there we compiled of a list of places that were worth the visit and those that could have been skipped. I thought I would share that list with you guys so you could compile a list of the best places to see on your trips.

BCD Tofu

To start off on a high note, we visited the best known Korean Tofu House in California. They offer locations all along the West Coast as well as in Texas and New York. This is a must try for any Korean food lovers. They offer a wide selection of authentic soon tofu dishes and a variety of meat selections like Bulgogi and Galbi. I ordered the “death” flavored soon tofu and it was probably the best I’ve had in the US. Another plus to this place is that all of their tofu is organic!

Urban Light

The Urban Light at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is a skip for me. This is an assembled sculpture of restored street lamps that once lit up the streets of California. You have probably seen photos of it on Instagram and Youtube since it’s a common destination for tourists. Overall,  the sculpture was not as intriguing as highlighted in photos and there are many other spots in Los Angeles that would be better for a photo op.

Grand Central Market

The Grand Central Market is located in downtown Los Angeles and offers a variety of food vendors. It is a food emporium serving anything from Japanese ramen to fresh made Italian pastas. This is a great place to visit with friends when everyone is having different cravings. There is a wide selection of dishes to choose from and everyone is bound to find something they like here. There is even an oyster bar towards the back with great prices and great beer!

Griffith Observaotry

This is a must see on any Los Angeles travel guide. The Griffith Observatory sits on the south facing slope of Mount Hollywood and provides a beautiful view of the city and you can see the Hollywood sign to the south. There is a wide variety of beautiful hiking trails here that lead to the tops of the hills. The view is absolutely breathtaking and you can see all the surrounding areas of Los Angeles. I would recommend waking up early to catch the sunrise and beat the California heat. Visiting in the morning also helps avoid the crowds of visitors that come here later on in the day.

Santa Monica Pier

The Santa Monica Pier has been on my bucket list for years now. The obsession started when I was a teenager and watched all my favorite YouTuber film videos in this exact place. Unfortunately after visiting, I would say this was a pass for me. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a great place for first time visitors to be, but I would not make it a priority to go here. The pier itself is crowded with tourists and the rides there would be found at any local carnival. However, there is a section of Santa Monica called the Third Street Promenade that is nice for some shopping and strolling. Along the street of Santa Monica there are a slew of restaurants to choose from. However, if you are looking to have dinner here, it will most likely be booked so make sure to call in for reservations ahead of time. As far as restaurants go, I would recommend the Waterfront Grill for the best seafood on the strip and Ivy on the Shore for beautiful drinks and California style dishes.

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Food Tours in the City of Angels (Los Angles)

This week I travelled 1,949 miles across the country f to Los Angeles, California. Since LA is known for the wide variety of yummy food spots, I knew I had to try as many as possible while I was there. So I took to Yelp and conversated with my Uber drivers and compiled a list of restaurants to try. The list consisted a variety of food trucks, mom and pop shops, and high end restaurants. After trying as many as I could fit into my trip, I’ve compiled my favorites together.

The first place that really blew my mind was Teddy’s Red Tacos. This is the best spot in town for birria tacos. This place was a little far from where I was staying but it was definitely worth the thirty minute drive. I ordered the deluxe plate which is their most popular item. It consisted of a variety of everything on the menu from tacos to an 8 oz broth. My favorite was the Mulita which is a double-deck quesadilla that’s crispy on the inside and chewy on the inside. This paired with the birria broth was heavenly. I went to the location at Venice Beach which is a brick and mortar shop. There are also two other locations in Los Angeles which are taco trucks which is how Teddy’s Red Tacos started as.

The Ivy at the Shore is probably the prettiest restaurant I have been to since being in Los Angeles. This is a California style restaurant that serves classic American and Italian dishes. The atmosphere is beautiful and very romantic, perfect for a date. It is a pink building that is overflowed with flowers from the outside all the way to the inside. The aesthetic is a beachy garden aesthetic and each table is set with a fresh vase of assorted flowers. The food and drink here were just as amazing as the view. I ordered the ravioli and raspberry mojito. The ravioli was so creamy and melted in my mouth. My only complaint is that there wasn’t enough! The mojito was also delicious and presented beautifully. It was topped with fresh raspberries and a sugar cane stick. This restaurant is on Santa Monica Boulevard and is in walking distance from Santa Monica Pier.

The Waterfront Grille at Santa Monica is a great place for dinner. The ambiance here was fancy and you definitely dressed to impress. I probably spent the most money at  this restaurant but it was well worth it! To start off we got a dozen oysters. These very fresh and delicious. They were presented beautifully on a platter and even came with a notecard displaying where each oyster was harvested. We also got the Calamari which was one of the best I’ve had. It comes with an assortment of tentacles and rings and two sauce. One was a kind of aioli and the other a sweet and sour cause that complimented the Calamari well. Definitely come here for a fancy dinner night because they have some of the best seafood in town.

The next place on my food tour was Jollibee. This is a fast food chain that is only available on the west coast and in Hawaii. They serve a variety of Filipino foods including Filipino fried chicken and spaghetti. Of course I had to get the family pack to try a little bit of everything. This came with fried chicken, the famous peach and mango pies, spaghetti, and mashed potatoes. Every was above my expectations especially the fried chicken. Their chicken is different  from traditional fried chicken because it is marinated before its fried. The skin was perfectly crispy and the meat inside was juicy and flavorful.

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Atl eats this week

This week I got to try out two restaurants that I have been seeing on my socials for so long. To start off, my high school friend and I did some research on a new Latin Restaurant in Atlanta that we have heard great things about. Mojave is located on Powers Ferry Rd in Atlanta, GA and features a large menu of any Latin food you can think of including house made tamales and Paella. After an hour of looking through  pictures of this place, my friend and I decided we had to try it out. We made a reservation for lunch through the Open Table app which was pretty easy and straightforward. It seemed that dinnertime was the busiest since they were almost all booked out on a Friday Night which is why we opted for a 1 pm reservation. The drive to Mojave the next day was quite scenic. We expected it to be located in the bustling city like we are used to, but to our surprise, the restaurant was  located in an area that is quite remote on Powers Ferry Road. When we arrived at the restaurant we were stunned by the beautiful ambiance that started from the outside and continued inside. There was an outdoor patio area right next to a creek where we even saw a family of ducklings waddling around. The inside gave me the feeling of a cozy cabin with very modern and bohemian furnishings that were right up my alley. After we took in the scenery around the restaurant we were ready to order. I got the Cuban sandwich and the prickly pear cocktail while my friend ordered the Chicken Mole and abejorro. We really appreciated the chef coming out to ask my friend to taste the flavor palette of her Mole dish before he made it. That showed us how seriously this restaurant attends to their customers to ensure the best quality food and experience. The Cuban sandwich itself was amazing and had a perfect flavor balance between the meats and the tanginess of the pickles and mustard. The cocktails had great flavor and presentation as well. They were very refreshing and not overpowered with sweetness. Our server was very attentive as well and very friendly. He gave us great suggestions on the menu which is always helpful especially a new restaurant. Overall Mojave was definitely one of the best restaurants I have tried in Atlanta. The combination of the beautiful ambiance with the delicious foods and drinks makes this restaurant one of my top recommendations for anyone visiting Atlanta.

This Saturday I got to try another restaurant that I have been seeing all over my Tiktok for you page. That is Storico Fresco Alimentary e Ristorante located in Buckhead. I had seen multiple videos showing the outdoor seating of this restaurant decorated with flowers all over. Since pasta is one of my favorite dishes, I knew I had to try it out. My friend and I made a reservation for dinner through the Opentable app. The process was quite simple. When we arrived at the restaurant, it was already extremely busy and we had to wait a couple minutes to be seated which was no problem for  us. The space inside is pretty compact and definitely creates a more intimate feel to the restaurant. I order the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese which was a ragu dish with meat sauce. The flavor of my pasta was very tasty. The house made pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and the meat sauce had a perfect combination of tangy tomato sauce with Italian seasonings. I was still a little bit hungry after my pasta so I ordered the Pizzette which is fried pizza dough stuffed with various cheeses and topped with prosciutto. This was by far the best dish I have tasted at an Italian restaurant the prosciutto was a perfect melt in your mouth texture that paired perfectly with the crispy but chewy pizza dough. I couldn’t recommend this restaurant enough and I highly recommend for any pasta lovers.