Recent Episodes

 

Dwight Furrow, the author of American Foodie: Taste, Art, and the Cultural Revolution, talks about the philosophy of food. We discuss everything the impact of everything from automobile to Alice Waters to the Slow Food movement have shaped the way Americans think about food.
 
 
 
 

 

Inbal Baum, the Founder of Delicious Israel, joins us to talk about where foodies should eat when they travel to her country.

• Shakshouka is a popular dish in Israel
• Israeli Breakfast is a distinct and important meal
• The modern cherry tomato has roots in Israel
• Tel Aviv and Jerusalem top the list of cities you should visit
• Beach season runs from April to October
• Rosh Hashana is a great time to visit Israel
• When you visit Tel Aviv, go to the Carmel Market, the Levinsky Market
• Try the date syrup, Silan

 

 

Food for Thought

• Q: After pita bread, what is the most common food used to “wipe” humus?
• A: Raw onion.

 
 

Out of the Frying Pan

• Favorite Spot for Outdoor Dining: Milgo & Milbar
• Favorite Place to Buy Spices: Cafe Arma in Levinsky Market
• Herbs to Try: Za’atar and Hawaij (in Yemenite Coffee)
• Favorite Winery: Sphera
• Favorite Place for Dessert: The Malabia
• Favorite Food Experience for Kids: Max Brenner
• Chef to Watch: Eyal Shani
• Dish to Try at Different Places: Shakshouka and sabich

Bennet Jacobstein, author of The Joy of Ballpark Food: From Hot Dogs to Haute Cuisine, talks to us about what foodies can find at different baseball stadiums around the country.

• Hot dogs and sausages are not the same thing.
• The quality of ballpark food was elevated in the 90s as new stadiums were built and food television shows took off.
• Stadiums have highlighted regional foods.
• Gordon Biersch‘s founder Dan Gordon introduced garlic fries at Candlestick Park in 1994.
• The song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was written in 1908.
• The Yankees replaced Cracker Jacks at one point, but brought it back after a public outcry.
• 

  San Francisco Giant Gordon Biersch Garlic Fries

  Veggie Happy spearheaded the movement to get veggie dogs sold at ballpark stadiums.

• Andrew Zimmern has a stand in the Minnesota ballpark.
• Rocky Mountain Oysters are bull testicles.
• “The Big Six” are the food companies that service the major ballparks.
• As you go from ballpark to ballpark, try the hot dogs at each to see how they’re done differently.
• Proceeds from Bennett’s book go to Second Harvest Food Bank.

 

Food for Thought

• Q: In what year were Cracker Jacks first served at a baseball game?
• A: 1896 in Atlantic City.

 

Out of the Frying Pan

Here’s what Bennet recommends you try at each ballpark:

• Yankees Stadium in New York City: Chicken and Waffles.
• Fenway Park in Boston: Lobster Roll and a cuban sandwich.
• Wrigley Field in Chicago: Chicago-style hot dog with Vienna beef.
• Turner Field in Atlanta: Boiled peanuts.
• Marlins Park in Miami: Cuban dishes.
• Safeco Field in Seattle: The Ivar’s hot dog (with fish) and cream cheese hot dog.
• Nationals Park in Washington D.C.: A cauliflower hot dog and presidential cupcakes.
• 

  Chicago White Sox Chicago-Style Hot Dog

  Busch Stadium in St. Louis: The BBQ.

• Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles: Tommy Lasorda Spumoni ice cream.
• AT&T Park in San Francisco: Crab salad, lamb sausages, and Gordon Biersch garlic fries.

Try a Food Tour

More in this City

I am so happy to be back in the South and share my yummy experience at Taste of Atlanta. Taking over the streets of Midtown, it was a true conglomerate of everything the Peach City has to offer and even some neighboring towns outside of the city limits.
 
My event ticket came with 10 coupons to spend at over 100 vendors serving varying cuisines, so I had to choose carefully!
In addition to 10 coupons, patrons were given access to live demonstration stages and cooking showdowns. I personally watched the Bartender competition and checked out the Fried Chicken Competition.
 
Steering away from the typical southern items – chicken, wings, and the like – I tried Italian first.
Georgia, let alone Atlanta, is far from known for its Italian food. So any chance I get, I see what the Italian restaurants you can find are offering. Davio’s was great and I’ve had some of their pasta before it was a good spend(img_0436).
 

RELATED: 5 Unique Barbecue Experiences in Atlanta

 
Ughhh, 8 coupons left! What will I get?! Now I know that I need to have Barbecue and a bit of Mexican, then some kind of dessert. As I continue down the streetways filled with food, I turn the corner and see Chipotle giving away free tacos! Got my Mexican!
 
After devouring a pulled pork taco with all the trimmings, I peeped the Barbecue plates flowing around the festival. I headed to the
Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q truck and I was in for a treat! Slow cooked Ribs and pulled pork slathered in the sauce of your choice. All for 6 coupons. A full meal for the win!
 
Overall the event was very fun. Although it’s been going on for 13 years, it was my first time attending and it was a true Taste Trekker experience. The variety and setup was all amazing; very entertaining, and well worth the price! Until next year.
 

RELATED: 5 Reasons to Attend the Taste of Atlanta Festival

Atlanta is rapidly becoming the craft beer capital of the south. From Sweetwater downtown to Red Hare, Jailhouse and Strawn in the suburbs, there is a brewery in almost every part of town. Lucky folks in some areas have more than one. Sure, you can go to a brewery and do a tasting and a tour (suggestion: bring some snacks and a lawn chair so you don’t have to stand for two hours), but most of them are located in drab industrial warehouses that are a good place to start a date, but then what do you do?
 
Don’t worry, the writers of Friday Date Night have some ideas. Here are the top five “beer dates” in Atlanta that include two of our favorite things: beer and food.
 
 

1. Der Biergarten and SkyView Atlanta

Der Biergarten was recently named one of the top 10 beer gardens in the United States by USA Today. Just one visit will tell you why. Walk up the stairs to the open patio and the long picnic tables. You may be a stranger to the people at the table next to you, but by the time you have a liter stein of Spaten Marzen, you will be the best of friends.
 
There are twenty beers on tap here, all of them German. You can’t go wrong with anything on the beer list. While you are sampling the beer, get a Riesenbretzel or two. The giant pretzel comes with three kinds of mustard. And speaking of giant, don’t miss the Schweinshaxe, the colossal rotisserie pork shank. Share it with a friend. We witnessed two guys trying to eat their own. They didn’t succeed.
 
If you are with a big group, try the Konig Ludwig Platte. It’s $96, but the pictures you will get are worth it. It’s got schnitzels, sausages, and that huge pork shank. You will want to walk after this heavy dinner, so walk a few blocks to Centennial Olympic Park and buy a ticket for SkyView Atlanta.
 
In a short amount of time, this ferris wheel has become an Atlanta landmark. It’s all about the view, and what a view it is. Tickets are $13.50. You can order them in advance online, or buy them onsite if you are worried about the weather. For $50, you can ride in the black VIP car with a glass floor and leather seats.
 

$$
300 Marietta Street, Atlanta, GA
(404) 521-2728

 

 

RELATED: Five Unique Barbecue Experiences in Atlanta.

 
 

2. Six Feet Under and Oakland Cemetery

Outdoor dining in Atlanta is perfect for about four months a year. In the late spring and early fall, Atlantans flock to restaurants that have decks and patios. The best decks have the best view, and the deck at Six Feet Under overlooks the historic Oakland Cemetery.
 
Before you walk upstairs to the deck, look around and notice the large collection of beer memorabilia throughout the restaurant. Once you get upstairs, order a local Atlanta beer, like the Eventide Kolsch that’s made just a few blocks away. Or try the Wild Heaven Ode to Mercy that’s brewed in Avondale Estates, just down the road. At 8.2% ABV, this brown ale is not for the meek.
 
Six Feet Under’s specialty is seafood. Get it raw, fried or get it steamed. For a date, try the steamer sampler. For $43 you get oysters, shrimp, crab legs, mussels, sausage, corn and potatoes. It’s a good way to get a taste of everything on the menu.
 
After dinner, cross the street to Oakland Cemetery, the burial place of Atlanta’s rich and famous. “Gone With The Wind” author Margaret Mitchell is here. So is golfing legend Bobby Jones as well as 24 ex-mayors of the city. You can pick up a self-guided tour book at the visitor’s center or you can take a guided tour. Stay with the beer theme and try the “Malts and Vaults” tour, where beer meets history. On this tour, you will visit the resting places of brewers and bartenders. Tickets are $10, but you get a $5 discount at Six Feet Under, which makes this tour quite the bargain.
 

$$
437 Memorial Drive, Atlanta, GA
(404) 523-6664

 

 
 

3. Three Taverns Brewery and The Decatur Square

Three Taverns is the only brewery in the south that brews Belgian-style beers. If you like your Belgians like we do, this is the place to visit in Decatur. For $12, you get six five-ounce pours, and you get to keep the glass. Try the Single Intent, a single that you can drink all day. Hop-heads will love the Night in Brussels IPA and White Hops, a white IPA with a grapefruit finish.
 
The beers that really shine for us are the tripel and the quad, which are not always available. If you visit in the spring or summer, Quasimodo will be on tap, a big quad with 10% ABV. This beer will make you want to “slap your mama” as they say in the south. The tasting room has two levels and it’s decorated in chic recycled wood. Bring a chair because seating is limited. Pack some snacks too as you don’t want to drink all of this high-alcohol beer on an empty stomach.
 
It’s a mile walk to the Decatur Square after Three Taverns closes. You don’t want to drive as it’s hard to find a place to park, and you just had all of that beer. For foodies, the square offers something for all tastes and wallets. Victory Sandwich Bar has amazing sandwiches. They are small. Order two. Try their signature Jack and Coke slushies. Check out Victory’s “secret room”, the Paper Plane. It’s a little more upscale, and finding it is half the fun.
 
If you need more beer, go to The Brick Store, which is the best beer bar in the state of Georgia. The food is fabulous too. The chicken pot pie is a comfort food favorite. If you can, sit upstairs in the Belgian Bar, a special treat. Want dessert? Cakes and Ale has what you need. We loved our dinner here–the Vermont burrata could be the best appetizer ever, and paired with the trout for two, this is a great date restaurant. We are especially fond of the peanut butter and chocolate cake. Moist cake with peanut butter icing is like eating a peanut butter cup on your plate.
 

$$$
121 New Street, Decatur, GA
(404) 600-3355

 

 
 

4. Hop City and Antico Pizza

Pizza and beer is the best combination you can make on a date. How would you like to visit the best beer store in Atlanta and the best pizza place on the same night? Antico Pizza lets you bring your own beverages into the restaurant, and there is no better place to get those beverages than Hop City, about two miles away. At Hop City you will find 64 beers on tap. Fill up a growler and enjoy. Or walk down the aisles of bottled beer until you find something that interests you.
 
It’s a little intimidating for first-timers, but the staff is very knowledgeable and will set you up with exactly what you like. After buying the beer, drive on over to Antico. Go early or you will never get in. Antico is the brainchild of Giovanni Di Palma, who is often seen working in the restaurant. The pizzas at Antico are made in three wood-fired ovens that cook them at over 700 degrees. On one visit, our pizza made it out before we got to a table. There are nine pizzas on the menu and no substitutions, because as Di Palma explains, “they are perfect just the way they are.” He will get no argument from us.
 
If Antico is too crowded, take your beer growler and go next door to Gio’s Chicken Amalfitano. This is the best chicken in Atlanta that’s not fried. Di Palma uses his family’s recipes from Italy. The lemon chicken is the specialty. This chicken will become the chicken you compare all others to for the rest of your life. Wherever you wind up eating, leave room for gelato at Gio’s Café, which is located behind the chicken restaurant. It’s rich, and decadent, and a great way to end your date at Di Palma’s “Little Italy”.
 

$$
1000 Marietta Street, Atlanta, GA
(404) 350-9998

 

 

RELATED: Where to Eat in Atlanta.

 
 

5. Monday Night Brewing and Bone Lick BBQ

We’ll end our list at another brewery, Monday Night. This place was designed with the public in mind—there’s plenty of parking, seating, and space in their tasting room. Start off with the Fu Manbrew, a Belgian-style wheat. You will smell the ginger that’s in this beer before you taste it.
 
Move to something hoppier with the Eye Patch Ale. It’s a balanced IPA that does not blow you away with bitter hops. The Blind Pirate is their double IPA that’s for adventurous beer drinkers. And at 8.2% ABV, it’s an adventure worth taking. Our favorite is the Drafty Kilt, a Scotch ale. It’s dark, it’s malty, and it has nice hints of chocolate. Save this one for last and leave the brewery with a smile.
 
Someone will have to watch what they are drinking as you must drive over to Bone Lick BBQ for dinner. Sit at a vintage video game table while you eat some of the best BBQ in the area. Try the Fat Ass sampler, not just because it has a little of everything, but because with a name like “Fat Ass”, you want to say it to your server. You will be glad you did. With ribs, sausage, chicken, pork, brisket and a side, it’s the perfect way to try everything in the place. If you are lucky, there will be leftovers for lunch.
 
Before dessert, play a few games of skee-ball and remember what it’s like to play a non-electronic game. It’s free, just don’t sit near the machine because it’s really loud on that side of the room. Save some room for the fried bread pudding. We love bread pudding, and Bone Lick has figured out a way to make it even better. It’s certainly a unique way to finish your meal.
 

$$
670 Trabert Avenue, Atlanta, GA

 

 

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About Roger Strauss

Along with his partner-in-crime Eve Kofsky, Roger Strauss has been blogging about dates and food in Atlanta since 2011 through his blog Date Night Friday. When they aren’t drinking good beer and eating fine food, Roger and Eve pedal away the calories on their tandem bicycle.

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In this episode of the Find Dining Podcast, Malika Harricharan of Atlanta Restaurant Blog offers up another great restaurant recommendation: Wisteria, where Chef Jason Hill serves up Southern dishes like molasses-rubbed pork tenderloin, fried catfish, and shrimp ‘n grits. We discuss the ethics of food blogging, what it’s like to judge a food competition, and why food trucks are gateway drugs for foodies.

• Read more about Wisteria on Atlanta Restaurant Blog
• Visit the Wisteria website
• Wisteria is located at 471 North Highland Avenue
• Buy Malika’s book, Food Lovers’ Guide to Atlanta
• Learn more about the Association of Food Bloggers

Malika recommends:

• Black Eyed Pea Hummus
• Tuna / Salmon Tartare
• PEI Mussels
• Molasses-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
• Fried Catfish
• Shrimp N Grits
• Bread Pudding

Atlanta Foodie Events:

• Taste of Atlanta (October)
• Atlanta Food and Wine Festival (May)

Food for Thought:

• Q: What state produces more peaches than Georgia?
• A: South Carolina.

Out of the Frying Pan Picks:

• Favorite Place for a Night Out with the Girls: Pura Vida Tapas
• Favorite Place to Eat before a Braves Game: Bottle Rocket
• Favorite Place to go for Valentine’s Day: Modern Restaurant + Bar
• Favorite Brew Pub: 5 Seasons Brewing (Westside)
• Favorite Food Truck: W.O.W! Food Truck
• Favorite Place to Eat on a Budget: La Fonda Latina