Trucks & Pops

One of the rites of passage in becoming a true Atlantaian is a trip to the Atlanta Food Truck Park.

However, this can hardly be a harshly enforced prerequisite, since this Park only just celebrated its first birthday.  

A more strongly enforced rule would definitely be to visit the rainbow umbrella'd King of Pops carts, as they have been a more long-standing tradition.

Both the Food Truck Park and the many King of Pops carts that dot the Atlanta landscape are near to my heart.

Both bring a wheeling change of flavors from visit to visit.  

My favorite food truck is Masala Fresh, and I can hardly pick a favorite pop.

There are dozens of flavors I have yet to try.

So, whenever a friend comes down to visit, it is absolutely perfunctory that we stop by the Food Truck Park and sit at the sunlit picnic tables, slurping on some pops.  

 Above Photo taken by Erik R. Pearson

Cheers to La Mongerie

For Alpha Gamma Delta's Gamma Retreat, I planned a day in Atlanta that began with brunch at La Mongerie.

I selected this particular bakery and bistro because its website and photos looked extravagant enough for Marie Antoinette and yet had prices fitting the rest of us commoners who just want a cheap slice of cake. 

I am so happy to report that the entire experience was divine.

Their motto is "southern comfort with french influence," and they hit the nail on the head.

We felt like queens, sitting in white baroque chairs and gazing up at the crystal chandeliers as we sipped on our berry water and munched on chicken and waffles.  

The food was too delicious, and the wait staff were friendly, chatty and helpful. 

La Mongerie has two locations (we hit the one on Ponce) and they are working on a third.  

I highly recommend swinging by for brunch.

Graphic Chocolates

For critiques in Claudia's classes, we bring in home-cooked treats.  

This tradition is the perfect reward after hard weeks working on a single project, and ease the tension of critique.  

These little goodies were amazing, and made my long morning so much sweeter.  

They were filled with raspberry, coconut, and a mysterious and delicious flavor that reminded me of sweetened condensed milk.

Rise-N-Dine with the Ace Gang

I'm not a hearty breakfast food person--I'm a coffee or tea with a hunk of biscotti, granola or scone kind of gal.  

However.

I have dreamt about the fantastical Polish Omlette that I gobbled up earlier this summer at Atlanta's Rise-N-Dine.

I was able to return with my nearest and dearest, the Ace Gang, Sunday after church.  

We whiled away the afternoon catching up and inhaling our food.

I got my polish omlette once again, with every intention of photographing the pierogie-stuffed beauty, but my tummy beat my camera to the punch.

oops.

I'll just have to go back.

The food is all local, delicious, and interesting.

Also, the decor is amazing: light, bright and country shabby chic.

Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party

Cam and I have had Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party on our datey-date list for a few months now, and we finally got to visit after church this morning.  

Hot tea and hundred degree temperatures may not be the wisest combination, but Cam and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  

Dr. Bombay's is a small local business that boasts an expansive collection of different tea leaves.  

It has all the snugness of a coffee shop paired with all the peace and quiet of a library.
You drink surronded by$1 books, and Cam and I spent a happy two hours pouring over different volumes while munching on scones and feeling quite quaint.  

Cam brought home this:

While I snagged these:

 This was SO interesting.  

I love mythology and folklore, and this book is set up like a standard dictionary.

It's huge.

I got this one for the sweet little sixties illustrations. 

Love the fox.

Izze Floats

Tuesdays are my night to cook, and this week I made chicken curry on rice with fried plantains and pineapple.  

To top it off we had Izze Floats.

Try the Birch flavor---tree tastes derwicious.

Newest Craving

For a lovely close to a night on the town, Cam and I were craving something sweet.  

As a special adventure, he took me to Whole Foods Market.  

Help me...it was the best grocery shopping experience ever...

but there is a reason they call it "Whole Check." 

*sob*

I digress.

Cam walked me through the fallacies in my decision-making process as I paced up and down the frozen food aisle.  

Apparently I take a little while, suddenly fear that I am taking too long, and rush into a poor decision.

After helping me to understand that spending his money on something I wouldn't finish made him far more frustrated than me taking ten minutes to pick out gelato, I was able to ease up and make an informed decision.

TALENTI GELATO SICILIAN PISTACHIO FLAVOR!!!

This is what heaven tastes like.  

Warm, smooth and then filled with delightful chunkies.

I bought it again at my Gainesville Publix two days later and had it for dinner.

Even though gelato has less fat than regular ice cream, I do not think it was ever intended to be consumed by the pint.  

Oh well.

For my next gelato adventure I'll split the pint with Cam. 

Actually, I'll have it all to myself because the next time I have gelato I will be in Italy sampling the real thing!!!!

However, when I return to blah blah America, I will fall back on Talenti. 

Here are the flavors to which I look forward:

Sneak Peek-a-Boo No. 2

I know, I know, back-to-back posts are a little much...but it relates, I promise!

Current Cravings: Animal Crackers

My newest snack obsession.

None of this giant plastic bag of unsweetened, stale and crumbly creatures you stuffed down in desperation during sunday school.  

I'm talking about Barnum's Animal Crackers.  A miniature menagerie that can travel happily on your wrist by its convenient strap, filled to the brim with interesting, detailed COOKIES, not crackers.  Barnum is using "crackers" in the elegant sense.  

I was so pumped when I found these in the Brenau Tea Room.  I've had two boxes in the past week, and will be packing them as an emergency snack this weekend.  

They are just so special.  

P.S.  I WILL find a way to make this box into a clutch or other useful item.  

Cave Man's Bananas Foster

Maybe I'm just now catching on to this amazing dessert, or maybe I'm a gourmet...either way, I have one happy tummy.

After waxing educational to my little brother and his friend about healthy eating choices and international cuisine, (I got his friend to try strawberries for the first time--and he liked them--BOOM) I made us all a light and healthy dessert.  

Our newest strawberry convert got vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and strawberries, while little Grant had the marvelous idea of putting bananas in our dishes (this was after his earlier suggestion of carrots, so the sous chef's waves of culinary genius are still a bit sporadic).  

Add a bit of cinnamon and honey, and you're set for an intensely comforting, yet light, dessert.  

Update: just realized I made a cave man's Bananas Foster.  

No fire.

I'm still proud of myself. 

Noodle

Cam and I went on a double date with our friends Andy and Vonnie to a pan-asian restaurant called Noodle.  

With a name so unabashedly simple, I had high expectations for the place.  

It was scrumptious.  

I got a yellow curry vermicelli noodle dish and sipped on Cam's Thai iced tea: a devilishly delicious drink that tastes like cleaner, healthier, yummier Yoohoo. 

Plus it is orange.  

Definitely give this place a try.

New Year's Truffles

Ingredients:

2 bags chocolate chips 

1 cup/can sweetened condensed milk

1 tbs vanilla

Directions:

1.Mix chocolate chips and condensed milk and zap in microwave for a minute and a half, but stop and stir every 30 seconds.  

2. Add the vanilla, and let set for three-ish hours, or until firm.  

3. Scoop out the mix and roll in toppings of your choice.  

I had the most difficulty with the coconut and nuts.

The non-pareils worked alright, but sugar textured sprinkles worked best.  

Ace Gang Explores Deserted Hilton Head--A Trip in Pictures

I thought I'd do a string of related posts, but I decided to cram everything into one long photo extravaganza.  

The Ace Gang went on another adventure--taking one retirement community at a time.  Our Senior trip was to Amelia Island, and the scenery at Hilton Head was eerily similar.  I said that these retirement communities must come from a kit: winding trails, palm trees, moss, boats, horses and bicycles.  

It was a perfect, restful trip spent with the oldest and best of friends, a nice break before Amy leaves for Spain and the rest of us return to classes.  

We really did feel like a bunch of old ladies--our first night we were all asleep by 11:15, a feat I haven't managed since before entering college.  

Before setting out we watched five episodes of Pretty Little Liars back to back, which made for a great  running joke about us wandering this empty town pursued by A.  

Chelsey snuck into the bathroom and wrote this on the mirror in lipstick.  

(We purchased a pound and a half of fudge.)

 It was very beautiful, and very cold.

 

 

 The Chocolate Canopy is a must-visit.  The gentleman who owns the shop was incredibly sweet, offered us tons of samples and told all about the making of chocolate. 

 As it turns out, most commercial chocolates contain paraffin wax to keep them from melting in transit or in store rooms.  His chocolate does not, and it was delicious. My favorites were the French chocolate shells and the non-parriels.  

We joked that the whole island felt like a doll house: most places were closed for the season and we felt like the only tourists on the island. 

It leant a giddy, nervous feeling to our nature trail--a fun game.  

I was so excited when we stopped by a little country gas station and I found Cheerwine and Sixlets! 

 We could not believe this guy!  That boat was hardly hooked on!

 Our entire trip was truly centered around food, which suited us perfectly.  

Trip Advisor was incredibly handy, and recommended fantastic local eats.  

 We made a pit stop in Athens to (of course) grab some food, and after stuffing ourselves, we thought, of course we must have cake! 

 We headed over to The Last Resort and together consumed nearly $50 worth of cake.  

I'm proud to list myself among the modest one-slicers, but those who had two helpings felt no shame.  

I can't express what a luxurious, slow and delightful trip it was...proof that we can enjoy time spent together wherever we go: locked in the car from the cold watching the sunset, eating disturbing amounts of tollhouse, playing count the graveyard or attempting to complete a game of spanish scrabble without cheating in our hotel room.