Summer Food Bucket List

Summer is in full swing, and AR and I have a ton of things we want to do. Despite traveling to a million weddings – and having our own – we want to take part in all the summer fun Atlanta has to offer.

Last summer, we joined the game too late and missed out on some awesome events. This summer, I’ve compiled a list of must-do and must-eat events for us to enjoy, and some things for us to try at home J

Atlanta Street Food Festival - July 11, 2015

This event is SO much fun. We stopped by at the end last summer and were blown away. If you love a good food truck, this has your name all over it. Grab some friends, pack some sunscreen, and explore Piedmont Park with lots of yummy eats.

Learn to Make Sangria

I LOVE sangria and want to finally make my own. I am going to try this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction (her recipes never fail me!). 

Image Via

Atlanta Downtown Restaurant Week - July 18-26, 2015

AR and I LOVE restaurant weeks. We’ve participaited in Midtown Restaurant Week and Virginia Highlands Restaurant Week.

It’s a great way to try new places and get some awesome deals. Each restaurant that participates will have set menus for $15, $25, or $35, allowing for the perfect sampling of menu items.

On our list? Alma Cocina ($35 dinner) and Café 458 ($15 brunch for two!). I confess, we’ve been to Alma more times than I can count… but it is SO good!

Take a class at the Irwin Street Cooking School

Specifically, we want to do a Knife Skills class (I’ve been saying we will do that for years now. We need to). I also want to do a Couples Cooking Class. We did this for Valentine’s Day last year and totally loved it. It’s a different kind of date night, and we both learned some new skills.

Have our final menu tasting

So can't wait for this. I loved everything we selected for our wedding, so tasting the final items will be amazing. 

Atlanta Ice Cream Festival - July 25, 2015

So last year I missed this event – but I saw the leftover ice cream containers at the park and knew it had my name all over it. Ice Cream? In July? In Piedmont Park? I’m in.

Image and Recipe via

Taste of Atlanta - September 25-27, 2015

This is late in the summer, but Taste of Atlanta is right in Midtown and a fun event! We explored the event last year and plan to attend again this year.

What do you want to eat this summer? Share you summer food must-haves bellow! If you aren't in Atlanta, you can use Eventbrite to find events going on in your area (or snag tickets to the ones I listed above). They also allow their users to set up and sell tickets to their own events for free!

Share your favorite summer eating traditions bellow! 

Hannah 

ATL Eats: Parish & Weekend Highlights

Hey all! Checking in over the weekend to share an amazing meal that AR and I had on Friday!

We went to Parish in Inman Park. We run past this restaurant every weekend on the Beltline and always say "we should stop there." I was so excited to finally try in this weekend!

We started with a decadent truffle grilled cheese, and drinks: Riesling for me, and a 'Love's Rock' cocktail for AR. The grilled cheese was so decadent, with gooey cheese on the outside and crusty cheese on the outside. We only ate half of it, because we wanted to save room for other yummy things. I made sure to box up those leftovers though! (You can see a picture of it at the bottom!)

Next, we split a deconstructed wedge salad. I would have liked more lettuce, but the homemade dressing was excellent - even for someone like me, who doesn't like creamy dressing.

For our main entrees, I had a a sourdough gnocchi with vegetables and a kale pesto. I was so surprised at how light this dish felt. The gnocchi was in a broth almost, with all of the fresh vegetables. The kale pesto was different than I expected and I loved it.

AR had fried chicken with pureed potatoes and asparagus. The chicken was to DIE FOR. It was topped with a light honey to sweeten, which was different, but a good combo. I was glad I didn't order the chicken, because it was on a bone and I don't like to eat chicken on a bone. But I like trying bites of it off AR's plate :)

I was so full, but something sweet was still in order. Parish is actually two restaurants in one, the top floor being the main restaurant, and the lower level serving as the Parish Market. We went down to the Market for our dessert and were completely captivated by the decor.

The Parish Market is so adorable, with brick walls and an open kitchen. There are big tables and long windows out to the Beltline, and walls of treats. We split a decaf latte and a magic bar: an oreo cookie crumble, chocolate chips, walnuts, and sweetened condensed milk. It was a little rick for me, but two or three bites his the spot.

I must mention that the staff, both upstairs and downstairs, was one of the best parts of the experience. There were excellent and I so enjoyed the experience.

The sun was setting, so we took our sweets outside and ate at a table on the Beltline. When we finished, we enjoyed a long walk (in my heels!). I cannot believe it has taken us this long to try Parish, but we will certainly be back!

x0x0, 

Hannah 

ATL Eats: Bantam & Biddy

This weekend AR and I tried a new-to-us restaurant that just opened within walking distance from our apartment. While I had read about Bantam & Biddy in Atlanta Magazine, I always felt it was too far away for brunch. Not any more!

Coffee: First, let me just say I was thrilled that there was no line and I sat down immediately. Hallelujah! While they did not carry soy milk, I ordered an almond milk latte, made with my favorite coffee: Batdorf & Bronson. I automatically warm up to any brunch spot that serves this roast. My latte was incredibly strong, but I drank every drop.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere is quiet and small. I was obsessed with the subway tile and retro mirrors hanging from the ceiling. I surveyed the menu and found about 42 things I wanted to try.

Food: The menu has a large selection of chicken options (their specialty), but also a surprising number of gluten-free and vegetarian dishes.

I had my eyes on the hot faro cereal and the warm vanilla bean apple sauce. I also tried the curry chicken sausage for a bit of protein. The cereal arrived with a warm cinnamon milk, topped with roasted bananas and raw almond. In a word, AMAZING. I loved the combination and was surprisingly filled by the small cup (only $3.50). The raw almonds added a bit more texture to the cereal and the warm bananas provided a sweetness.

My apple sauce was yummy, not not a strongly vanilla-flavored as I expected. I still ate every bite. The curry sausage was probably a poor thing to order with my faro and apple sauce because the flavors were too strong in contrast. I liked it more when I heated the leftover sausage up the next day.

AR ordered a build-you-own-biscuit. It was about 5 inches in diameter and filled with scrambled eggs, cheese, and friend chicken tenders. The biscuit was yummy, but the fried chicken stole the show. So excellent. I took a bite, then asked for another, and then considered ordering my own. I will absolutely order some next time. It was flavorful, crispy, and not as all greasy. AR couldn't even finish the whole biscuit, but he ate all the chicken out of it.

Service: The one thing I would change was the wait service. My server was not very knowledgeable and seemed a little confused, but I think this has to do with the new location. It certainly won't prevent me from coming back.

AR and I plan to have a dinner at Bantam & Biddy in the new few weeks. You can bet friend chicken will be on my plate!

Weekend Recap: Studies, Shopping, and a Run

Monday has returned, but thanks to canceled classes on Friday, I don't feel as bad about it. 

I worked on an appellate brief assignment at school all day on Friday after waking up early to clean my apartment. Yes, I said I woke up early for that. After getting leaving the law library around 7, AR and I made pizza and stayed in. We both needed a lazy night. 

(Homemade pizza: TJ wheat pizza dough, homemade tomato sauce, ground turkey, bell pepper, mushrooms, olives, and spinach) 

Saturday morning was busy: errands, gym, and working on my brief, 20 pages of which were due at 6pm. 

First pink cup!!

AR went and got me coffee and made omelets while I worked. He is such a keeper. 

Saturday night, we took the train to the mall to avoid any traffic/parking issues and shopped for a couple hours. Afterwards, we grabbed dinner at a nearby Indian place that we love! I will share my shopping finds later this week ;)  

Sunday started with brunch at General Muir: I had grits with Gruyere, topped with roasted mushrooms and scrambled eggs. Served with rye toast sticks. And a cafe au lait. Y-um! The weather was so awesome, we even sat outside (under heat lamps, mind you). 

After out regular Whole Foods trip, we came home and put on our workout clothes. The weather in ATL was amazing and we couldn't wait for a warm run outside. 6 miles later, plus a few miles of walking through the park, we were grinning from ear to ear. Warm outdoor runs, I have missed you!

Dinner on Sunday was a new recipe that I will share tomorrow: Chicken lettuce wraps! And of course, we caught up on Nashville. 

Here's to an awesome week!

x0x0, 

Hannah 

ATL EATS: West Egg

Google Images

It is no secret that I love brunch.

I live for breakfast foods. Omelets, biscuits, scrambles, quiches, oatmeal, pancakes... I could go on and on.

Obviously, this means I learn the brunch places before I learn the dinner places of a city. My ATL brunch list is long, and I am slowly reviewing them all.

This weekend, I visited West Egg for about the 5th time. I tried much of their menu and it has earned top spots on the brunch list.

Quick & Easy: It is trendy, urban and vegetarian-friendly. There is always a long line, but they let you order coffee while you wait. The music is a little load and the vibe is more upbeat than your average laid-back breakfast spot.

Let's all drink more coffee from real cups... yes?

Coffee: Yum. Amazing. They brew XXX coffee, which is sold at the Peachtree Street Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. My drink of choice is a soy cafe au lait, but their lattes and chais are yummy. I keep meaning to try the honey vanilla latte on their menu!

Food: Breakfast has a wide variety of options and is served all day. Brunch is full of options as well. The Georgia Benedict is a favorite, with turkey sausage and gravy over fluffy biscuits with eggs. The garlic grits are a little strong for me, but AR loves them.

I tend to go for the build-your-own omelet and fill mine with veggies and get veggie sausage on the side. I always add a biscuit though!

I've also tried the black bean cakes and the roasted potatoes. The black bean cakes packed more flavor than I expected, which was more than I wanted at brunch. I might order this for a lunch instead. The potatoes are amazing and decadent, served with sauteed onions, but too heavy for my normal breakfast.

Atmosphere: Filled with a more trendy crowd, the music is usually Michael Jackson and the clientele diverse. While the line is sometimes around 45 minutes, I don't mind waiting in the chairs and drinking the yummy coffee. With lots of sunlight coming in all the windows, West Egg is a wonderful way to start the weekend :)

What do you love to order at brunch??

Hannah 

Weekend Recap & Alma Cocina!

Monday is baccckkk! Another week and this one doesn't look like it will include snow days. sad. 

This weekend was just what I needed. On Friday afternoon, I worked on school stuff until AR got home, and then we went to dinner at Alma Cocina downtown. 

AR and I kept saying that we never go out downtown. We always go to Midtown, Buckhead, of the Highlands area, so Friday we made reservation at this Latin food spot. We were absolutely NOT dissapointed, the food was amazing. 

Our server, Ryan, took the time to explain the menu options and the whole, organic ingrediants used in each dish. I love feeling like the server knows the menu and loves the food. 

We started with Sangria for me and a margarita for AR. We also split the queso fundido with grilled veggies. The homemade chips were amazing. 

We then shared the grilled chicken cazuela, which was a hot pot of grilled chicken, roasted veggies, and a spicy sauce. We enjoyed this with corn tortillas. On the side, I had the braised greens and white beans. 

Both dishes were excellent and full of flavor. I also appreciated that they didn't taste heavy or greasy. The veggies were cooked perfectly and the chicen was full of flavor, but the corn tortillas were the star of the show. There is something about perfect tortillas that makes my heart happy :)

Afterwards, we headed to to the Atlanta Skyview, which is a huge ferris wheel downtown. We walked there from the restaurant and there was no line. We received the tickets from AR's work in December, so it was a fun free date night event!

The little pods were heated and contained only us. Because the lines were short, they let us go around 8 times. We loved seeing the city from up high and taking in the sights. I absolutely recommend this as an awesome way to see ATL. 

On Saturday I attended an amazing conference where I got to meet Lilly Ledbetter. What an HONOR!! She was incredible and I enjoyed hearing her story in person. In between sessions I studied (i know, I am boring), and worked at school for a while in the afternoon. 

AR and I spent Saturday night at Target and West Elm looking at furniture. We are so exciting. We followed up the shopping with take-out greek food and catching up on Nashville. Love him for watching this with me. 

Sunday we bought a COUCH! I am so excited to have our new leather sofa from West Elm delivered in a few weeks. I cannot wait.  We also got new curtains and had brunch at West Egg, followed by a good workout and the Superbowl. 

Some weekends are just what you need!

Hannah 

{Recap} Weekend, Meals, & Fitness

This weekend was so fun-filled, and it is continuing tomorrow (Yay for a holiday). I wanted to share a quick weekend recap, and let you in on some of my meal and fitness plans for the week. 

The weekend started on Friday was a dinner out at Antico Pizza. If you are in Atlanta, you know this place has amazing pizza. In fact, everyone knows it, which means the lines are long. AR and I met up with my friend Andrea and her husband for some yummy dinner. We spend half of the meal standing, and the other half sitting when we finally got a table. Luckily, the pizza makes up for the crowded feeling. After dinner, we walked next door for some gelato and chatted for another hour. I just love them :)

Scrappy & I are not impressed with the cold.

AR and I had planned to try a new running group on Saturday morning, but it didn't happen. It was just SO cold, so we decided to treadmill it. My poor Louisiana man cannot take anything below 30*. We had fun making a big breakfast with whole wheat biscuits (I use this recipe and replace half the flour with wh, and sub greek yogurt for the buttermilik), turkey bacon, and scrambled eggs. Yum - I just love breakfast. 

I spent the afternoon hitting up local businesses with my friend Luci for out upcoming silent auction. After 6 hours of walking in the cold, I was so worn out and ready to call it a day. So far, we have about $6000 in donated items, which is amazing!

We got ready and had dinner with our men at Bistro Nikos in Buckhead. Have you been there? The food was absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed bites of a Gruyere and mushroom tart, chicken piallard (thin pounded chicken with asparagus, arugula, and tomatoes), and a bite of caramelized banana. The restaurant was a bit pricey, so we will probably save it for special occasions in the future. Certainly a wonderful meal though!

This top? $7 at Target. Yes, I love Target.

Sunday morning was gym time, followed by lunch at the Whole Foods salad bar and some grocery shopping. I feel like it is always so crowded there on the weekends. We barely made it out alive. I put dinner in the crock pot (shredded buffalo chicken, served on wheat buns with roasted brussel sprouts) and spent the afternoon working on internship applications and studying. Oh, and blogging :)

Do you have a weather cutoff for outdoor workouts? At what point do you go inside? 

x0x0, 

Hannah

Meals for the week

(Going simple because AR won't be here)

M - Black bean tacos and salad

T - Stuffed baked potato with broccoli

W - Quiche with lots of veggies and feta

Th - Roasted turkey breast with rice and green beans

F - ??

Workouts for the week

M -strength and 20 min cardio

T - 3 mile run + abs

W - 5 mile run

Th - 3 mile run + legs

F - rest

S - Long run

ATL Eats: Highland Bakery

Today I am sharing one of my favorite places in Atlanta: The Highland Bakery in the old fourth ward. Atlanta people, have you been there? The brunch is amazing :)

 

On Sunday I made my third or fourth trip to the bakery and had a wonderful breakfast again.

 

 

If you visit, be prepared for a wait. This place is popular and you will wait for a table. I've waited when I came at 8am and I've waited when I came at 2pm. You will wait. But don't worry! You can order some amazing coffee (I order a soy latte with peppermint!) and enjoy a pastry. I recommend a sweet potato biscuit nugget to hold you over until your table is ready.

 

While you wait, you may notice that the people working at the counter know their patrons and their orders. You might also take in the fun exposed brick walls and art work inside.

 

The breakfast menu is full of classics and new twists. The decadent peanut butter French toast are a treat, as are the sweet potato pancakes. I love the vegetarian options - specifically the grits topped with vegetarian black eyed peas. The grits are creamy and the peas are just spicy enough. I order mine with a side of scrambled eggs. I've also enjoyed the omelets, but let me warn you: the portions are huge!

As you head out, you may want to grab a loaf of bread to take home as a reminder of your yummy brunch!

 

If you are in Atlanta, make brunch at Highland Bakery at priority. You won't be disappointed.

 

Hannah

 

Note: The opinions expressed are entirely my own. I was not compensated in any way for my views.

ATL Eats: Ink & Elm

On Saturday, AR and I went to celebrate my birthday with some friends at Ink & Elm. I drive past the restaurant almost every day, but had not been there to eat. When a friend suggested it, we made reservations (a MUST at this place) for my birthday.

 

Source

Having spent some serious time exploring the restaurant scene in Atlanta, I can honestly say that my meal was one of the BEST I have had here. I enjoyed every bite, from the moment I walked in, until the moment I left.

 

How it Looked: The décor in Ink & Elm is gorgeously elegant. Somehow, they manage to make a very large space seem intimate, but open. I'm considering going back and asking if I can order one of the leather chairs I sat in while I waited for my table. They were not on the menu ;) My friend Luciana and I commented several times that the lighting was perfect because we could actually see our food and each other (I hate obscenely dark establishments).

While waiting for our table, we sat in large chairs and chatted with drinks. It isn't often that a restaurant has seating other than the bar while you wait. Our table was ready before I could make it through the long cocktail and wine list - luckily they let me carry it with me.

 

What I ate: I confess, I ate lots of things. I love to sample! My friend Luciana and her husband are perfect to go out to eat with because they are the same way. We always order several dishes and share things.

My meal started with a half glass of chardonnay (yes, they have half-glasses. Yes, I am a light-weight) and lovely pop-overs. I skipped the amazing salads on their menu because I was dying to try their vegetable entrée. The vegetable entrée changes frequently, but on Saturday it included turnips, cauliflower puree, roasted pickled garlic, and fried Brussels sprouts. I was a little concerned that the garlic would overwhelm, but everything tasted perfect and I ate every bite.

 

I also sampled some of AR's polenta & greens (he ordered the pork), and some of Luciana's roasted brussels sprouts with hazelnuts.

 

For dessert, I splurged. The server brought me chocolate cake topped with whipped cream, caramel popcorn, and a candle! Our table also shared the banana split and the nutella & coconut gelato. If you visit, ORDER the banana split. It is incredible and our table devoured every spoonful.

 

Our Service: I should acknowledge that we are a hard table to please. Luciana always tastes several wines. I always ask about everything on the menu. We order lots of dishes. Yet our server answered every question, explained every dish perfectly, and never seemed overwhelmed by us. Cheers to her!

 

I cannot wait to go back - Luciana already made reservations for next week when her family comes to visit. If you are in Atlanta, be sure to head to Ink & Elm for an elegant evening and a wonderful meal.

 

(Note: These opinions are completely my own. I was not compensated in any way. I really just had a nice evening.) 

 

x0x0,

Hannah