GEORGE'S BAR & RESTAURANT

He says:
When talk of the best burger in Atlanta pops up, the Vortex and the Earl are frequently mentioned. Hence when someone recently named George’s in Virginia Highlands as the best around, I raised an eyebrow. Was it true? Could the tastiest burger in a city renowned for its burgers be located less than a mile away from our house?

As it turns out, not so much.

The chili cheeseburger I ordered was messy and yummy alright, but it fails to reach the sublime heights of its burger brethren. The beef patty wasn’t very juicy or fatty. The chili tasted generic. This is not to say the burger isn’t good, because it is. In fact, it’s very good. It’s simply not great.

I did enjoy their mozzarella sticks, which are of the supermarket freezer variety I love so much.

She says:
Unfortunately, my black bean burger wasn’t up to snuff. Like most black bean burgers it was pretty mushy, and although the waitress warned me it was spicy, it was really bland. One of our friends also tried the veggie burger and said that it was mushy too.

Besides the disappointing veggie options, George’s other fatal flaw is that they don’t serve milkshakes, which is a big disappointment at a burger joint. That said, their onion rings were awesome… large, fat rings coated in just the right amount of crisp batter.

We say:
George’s might stand out in a city with a less awesome burger scene, but in Atlanta it’s just a typical burger joint.

He says:



She says:



George’s Bar and Restaurant
1041 N. Highland Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
http://georgesbarandrestaurant.com/

CAKES & ALE

He says:
At Cakes & Ale, simplicity rules. It starts with the décor – solid white walls lined with mirrors and illustrations drawn from culinary textbooks. REM’s Automatic for the People softly plays in the background. The waiters wear black. Specials are written on a chalkboard like in an English pub. Nothing fancy. Nothing outrageous. If Cakes & Ale wants your attention, they want the food to do the talking.

She says:
And boy did it speak to me! Our enthusiastic waiter made every item on the menu sound amazing (or “really cool” in his words), so it was a tough choice. I ended up selecting the pompano (a type of fish, related to mackerel), and a helluva fish it was. It was cooked “en papillote,” or baked in a pouch, which ensured the delicate fish stayed moist and tender. Thinly sliced onions and peppers were draped on top, adding a touch of piquancy, but overall the fresh flavor of the fish stood on its own. It came with a side of potato-butternut squash puree. The slight sweetness of the squash combined with a generous amount of butter made this side irresistible. And mixed with a bite of the fish… absolute perfection! This is one of the best entrees I have eaten in Atlanta.

He says:
Cakes & Ale’s chicken pot pie is a glorious example of restraint. Some eateries, like The Lady & Sons, feel the need to radically alter this classic comfort food. But why mess with perfection? Cakes & Ale’s version is a simple pie baked in a ceramic dish that bests Swanson’s TV dinner classic at every turn with fresher ingredients and superior taste. The crust is flaky and buttery. Copious chunks of plump chicken breast swim with corn and beans in a thick, golden broth. It may look rather plain, but it’s the best chicken pot pie I’ve ever had.

She says:
For dessert we shared the pomegranate flan, which consisted of a layer of flan topped by a thick layer of pomegranate jelly and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds. The flavor was wonderful, not too sweet with the tangy, berry-like flavor of the pomegranate shining through. I didn’t particularly like the texture, though; the creaminess of the flan was overwhelmed by the heaviness of the jelly.

He says:
So picky! I loved the flan exactly the way it was.

We say:
This just might be our favorite small restaurant in town.




Cakes & Ale Restaurant
254 W. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030
http://www.cakesandalerestaurant.com/

MOMOFUKU SSAM BAR

He says:
After reading the approbation heaped upon chef David Chang in the food pages of the New York Times and Esquire over the past year, Uptown Girl and I felt we had to see what all the fuss was about. In a few short years, Chang has opened three Momofuku restaurants in Manhattan, with each one serving modern twists on everyday Asian classics. Momofuku Ssam tackles primarily street food and is famous for its banh mi, a sandwich that can be found in food stalls all across Vietnam.

My take on it? Delicious. I’ve never had banh mi before, but Ssam’s version is terrific any way you look at it. Situated between the firm halves of a Vietnamese baguette, a thin slice of ham, chicken terrine, cucumber, pickled carrots, and minced jalepeno peppers come together for a simple, yet satisfying meal. Slightly creamy, spicy, and salty, it packs a punch without weighing you down. And the price is right too.

She says:
I had a really hard time finding something non-mammalian on the menu to eat. I eventually settled on the Korean staple bibimbop, a huge bowl of rice topped with heaps of pickled mushrooms and cucumber, tofu, edamame, and a lightly fried (aka nearly raw) egg. It was incredibly filling, but nothing special aside from the vegetables. They weren’t overly pickled, just enough to tantalize the tongue with a slight sourness. The side of brussel sprouts that came with Downtown Boy’s dish, mixed with mint and scallions in a fish sauce vinagrette, was surprisingly delicious.

He says:
Anytime you find something new and cheap in NYC, it’s a cause for celebration.



She says:
Although Momofuku has a way with veggies, this is still not a friendly place for vegetarians.



Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003
www.momofuku.com

ALON'S

She says:
Ever since we discovered Alon’s, this fabulous bakery has been one of our mainstays in Atlanta. It’s the closest thing to Zingerman’s (our all-time favorite deli in Ann Arbor, MI) this town has to offer, and fortunately is much, much nearer to our house. From gourmet paninis to high-quality coffee and scrumptious baked goods, Alon’s has just about everything wonderful in life.

As you enter the shop from the left, you immediately hit the bakery counter. Here you can load up on French bread, oh-so-moist muffins (I recommend the carrot-apple variety), scones (the cinnamon ginger is terrific, with bits of crystallized ginger mixed in), croissants (I love the chocolate ones), and cookies.

About those cookies… Downtown Boy can attest to my near-psychotic obsession with their double-chocolate chunk cookies. Ultra chocolatey and moist, they are perfection in cookie form.

He says:
Uptown Girl said it all. Alon’s bakery is nothing short of fabulous. I have an unhealthy craving for croissants, and wherever I travel I tend to try one out. I’ve had stale croissants in Cannes and delicious ones in New Hampshire. I can assure you that Alon’s serves some of the best. They have a flawless blend of crispness at the exterior and a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth interior. I get hungry just thinking about them.

And don’t be fooled by Uptown Girl’s advocacy for the double-chocolate cookies. They are indeed awesome, but the true standouts on the cookie rack are the chocolate chunk pecan cookies. A rare balance of sweetness, saltiness, and chewiness, they are the best cookies you can buy in Atlanta.

She says:
Next you come to the dessert counter, a case filled with fancy French desserts, a beautiful site. I’ve sampled several, most of which are rich and delicious and somehow involve chocolate. The also have some great non-chocolate options, like fruit tarts and tiramisu. These make for great contributions to dinner parties, or you can get an entire cake for a special occasion.

Am I beginning to sound like an infomercial?

The dessert counter is also where you order coffee. Alon’s has the best mocha in town, hands down.

He says:
Across from the dessert counter is a small cheese stand where we regularly steal samples from … Yum!

Moving forward you reach to my favorite part of Alon’s, the sandwich counter. The specialty paninis on the display racks come on a firm ciabatta mini loaf and are incredible in their own way, though the best is the one with arugula, gruyere, and olive tapenade. I order it almost every time I come in.

On rare occasions I may indulge myself and order the garlic-roasted lamb sandwich. Thick, tender chunks of roasted lamb are served with garlic, rosemary, and a zingy red onion marmalade between French bread to a sublime effect.

She says:
And finally, you reach the deli. After hitting up the bakery and sandwich counter, we’re never quite hungry enough to order from the deli, but everything in it looks amazing… And they have a little bit of everything, from fresh lump crab cakes to sun-dried pasta salad to Baba Ghanoush.

We say:
Treat yourself to a pistachio croissant or double-chocolate cookie or a hot Panini at Alon’s and you will leave a happy customer. We promise.




Alon’s
1394 N. Highland Ave, Atlanta, GA 30306
http://www.alons.com/