Staying cool in Hotlanta

*Yes, I know that no one really calls it that.

Hello and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week, Five Things I Ate is eating her way through Atlanta, Georgia. If you’re new, check out past posts here, and please follow my Instagram @fivethingsiate.  

 Blackened tilapia at the Flying Biscuit Cafe

1001 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

Is it possible to have a food hangover? After three days of straight cheesy grits, fried fish, and biscuits in Atlanta, I am sad to announce that the answer is a resounding yes. But hair of the dog, amirite? And speaking of fried fish, the blackened tilapia at the Flying Biscuit (apparently a mini-chain) is pretty damn good. The dish came out piping hot, which pleased my Chinese soul (I need all my beverages and hot meals to be scalding), and has plenty of heat flavor-wise as well. It’s served on top of a giant pool of cheesy grits, with a much smaller proportion of greens scattered on top. Because my love for carbs is boundless, I also ordered a side biscuit, as one must when dining at a cafe with “biscuit” in the name. The cranberry apple butter it came with was super delicious, but unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of the biscuit itself, which was fluffy rather than flaky. 

Fried green tomatoes at Mary Mac’s Tea Room 

224 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

Mary Mac’s Tea Room is a Southern experience, a warm and friendly and slightly quirky one. You write your orders on little paper cards at the table, “dim-sum style,” and hold them up to the waitresses. A basket of tiny cute cinnamon rolls arrives alongside the rolls and cornbread that’s brought to the table. It’s a fun time, especially for a large group of eaters. The entrees were good, but not mind-blowing to this Northern palate, a lot of tasty comfort food, especially the fried chicken. I actually liked the appetizers and desserts best. The fried green tomatoes were outstanding, perfectly seasoned and browned coins of tomato fried to a crisp, served with ranch dip. I wish I’d gotten a second order.

The Spanish Imposter at the Blind Pig Parlour Bar

128 E Andrews Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30305

Spoiler alert: I did not like this drink, but I did like this bar, which has a great ambiance. The Blind Pig is a speakeasy, and the entrance is hidden in the back parking lot of a restaurant. But unlike speakeasies in New York, which are about the size of a phone booth, this one’s spacious and sexily-lit with cool decor and plenty of booth seating. The bartender said that the drink that I ordered was his favorite, but he must say that to all his customers, because what I got was a very basic daiquiri (rum, simple syrup, bitters, lime) with too much ice in it. Lest you think I’m too picky, the rest of our group also felt lackluster about the cocktails. Still, we had a great time.

Wok fried green beans at Sweet Auburn BBQ

656 North Highland Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30306

What kind of person goes to a barbecue restaurant and raves about the green beans? I certainly didn’t think I was, but then again, maybe I’m exactly that kind of person. In my defense, the green beans at Sweet Auburn BBQ are really, really good: Salty and perfectly cooked, they’re scattered with bits of red onion. It turns out the brother-and-sister duo behind Sweet Auburn is Vietnamese, which explains why there’s a wok in a barbecue joint. That’s not to downplay the rest of the food at Sweet Auburn, which is also very good. I ordered brisket (fatty, of course), and it was tender and charred in all the right places. 

Iced matcha latte at Momo Cafe

95 8th St NW #100, Atlanta, GA 30309

When going to an Asian American journalist conference, it’s important to stay on-theme, which is why I traveled all the way to Georgia just to end up at another matcha cafe. Plus, after all that Southern food, I needed to go somewhere distinctly Sophie, and Momo Cafe has all the elements that spark joy for me: A tea menu full of charming lattes (matcha, black sesame, hojicha), a glass display case full of beautiful croissants (matcha glazed, orange blossom, black sesame), hanging succulents, pink napkins, little wooden chairs and wicker tables. This cafe is so perfectly cute, when I went to the bathroom I discovered the spare toilet paper was kept in a snug little knit hanging basket instead of stacked on a shelf. Still, all of this would mean nothing to me, if the matcha was no good, but thankfully it is very good. No, it’s no Ippodo, but I really enjoyed how they made the iced latte, filling the glass full of milk first and then dispensing a thick frothy shot of matcha on top, espresso shot style. Instead of using a whisk they actually pumped the matcha out of some metal frothing container sort of like reddi whip, which I had never seen before and was dubious about, but the results were great. Paired with a buttery croissant, this matcha made my morning.

Keep calm and eat on,

Sophie 

P.S. Readers, help me out: Now that I’m back up North and desperately craving bbq, I need your recs in the NYC area! Who makes the best ribs and brisket? You can reply directly to this email.

P.P.S. Guys!! Five Things I Ate was recommended on another newsletter! That’s right, Arj Selvman of The Disco says: 

“‘Five Things I Ate’ is a refreshing text-only synopsis of foods eaten (or drunk) by Sophie Chou (a New York City resident), each week.” 

So happy to quench your thirst. Thanks, Arj!