Christopher J. Robinson's Best of Atlanta 2009

This list may cause controversy, knife fights, stomach grumblings, or a massive increase in revenue for said eateries. Either way, these are a few of my favorite casual dining spots that won’t break the bank. I haven’t been to every restaurant in Atlanta, but I have been to enough of them to make an educated decision. There may be some local bias, hell, I may have even been paid off, but this is just one award-winning critic’s opinion.

Best Burger: Six Feet Under’s Black n’ Blue Burger

This mouth-watering, gut-busting slab of red meat may be the best I’ve ever had. This burger is served on a toasted bun with blue cheese, fried leeks & fresh chopped spinach and comes with a side of Six Feet’s famous home style potato chips. I like to get a side of their salsa verde to dip the chips in. Holy schnikees. $8.

Two locations:
Grant Park (Across from the Oakland Cemetery, hence the name)
437 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Westside (Near GA Tech)
685 11th Street, Atlanta, GA 30318


Runner-up: The Vortex


Best Tacos: Across the Street

The self-proclaimed “Best Dressed Tacos in Town” are just that. To call them anything else would be heresy. You can either get 2 tacos with a side of rice and beans or 3 tacos. I go with 3. There are plenty of fillings to choose from: fish, chicken, steak, pork with pickled red onions, beans, avocado, chicken tenders, fried tofu, and tempeh. I typically go with chicken, steak, and pork. These savory Mexican delights come served on flour tortillas with shredded greens, pico de gallo, sour cream and feta cheese. Feta cheese! So f-ing good. Pardon my English. You can go vegan if that’s what blows your hair back. Their chips and salsa are pretty darn good as well. You will not be disappointed. $10.

Inman Park
668 Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30312


Runner-up: Taqueria del Sol


Best Pizza: Fellini’s Pizza

If you’ve lived in Atlanta for more than a week and you are under the age of 40 then you’ve had Fellini’s pizza. I don’t need to say much here. It is an Atlanta staple. They’re open late (2am) and a great way to load up on carbs to absorb booze. Slices are cheap (under 3 bucks). The White Pizza is ridonkulous.

Locations: all over the ATL.

Runner-up: Camellis


Best Wings: Brewhouse Café

For the most part, wings are wings, and in general, Atlanta doesn’t have the best wings scene. There certainly are terrible some terrible wings out there. I’ve had wings with almost no meat on them, wings with the occasional feather sticking out, and wings that are 90% fried bread. That being said, it’s hard to make the leap into the upper echelon of wing quality. Brewhouse has done this. The wings are not breaded, plump with chicken, and come smothered in your choice of a variety of sauces: chipotle hot, Jamaican jerk, lemon pepper, hot blaz-in asian, kickin ranch, honey bbq, garlic hot, the thai wing, and chipotle bbq. My personal faves are the thai wings. 10 for $8.25 or 20 for $14.95. I also kind of have a thing for one of the bartenders here.

Little 5 Points
401 Moreland Ave, Atlanta, GA 30307


Runner-up: Taco Mac


Best Beer Selection: Taco Mac Metropolis

140 beers on draft
280+ in the bottle
50 HD televisions

Need I say more?

933 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309


Runner-up: Brick Store Pub



This list is short, sweet, and a stoner’s dream come true. I’m sure that in the coming weeks, BA Roof will roll out a more elegant, fine-dining ‘Best Of Atlanta’ list. Until then, enjoy some really great food and beer on the cheap. Please leave comments with your own opinions or other places to try that I may not have been to yet.

Cheers.

photo taken from caroline smith here.

Havana Sandwich Shop: CONFIRMED

Last week I informed all three people that read this blog that Atlanta's Havana Cuban Sandwich Shop was coming back to Buford Highway. I'm happy to report that the photograph above is confirmation that it indeed is coming soon. We must thank the R and R Review's Cuban investigative reporter for this one. As you can see, this place is a new location, at the corner of Clairmont and Buford, and is just minutes from their old one. Stay tuned for details about their "grand re-opening".

Havana Sandwich Shop to Reopen

The whispers have become louder that the Havana Sandwich Shop, which burned down (circumstances surrounding the Canton restaurant and the fire at the old location are strange at best, but I don't want to be sued) almost a year ago, is reopening very soon close to its old location. For those of you who frequented this Cuban sandwich shop, I'm sure you too hope that parades will fill the streets on the day it opens. Havana had great sandwiches and meals at very reasonable prices and when they left their old Buford location, it left a HUGE gap in Atlanta's Cuban cuisine.

I'm happy that a great establishment is coming back safely inside the perimeter. Hopefully, they've learned their "lesson" and will "prevent" their new digs from burning down. I really feel that their opening will be a small step forward in opening normal relations with the real Cuba. Just a feeling.

Old Havana Sandwich Shop Spork Rating:

R and R Review beats TMZ: Regis sighting in Hawaii

If you all were following my twitter posts, you would know that the R and R Review enjoyed a nice dinner with (next to) Regis Philbin, his wife Joy and two other unidentified couples at Ferraro's Bar e Restorante located at the Four Season's Resort in Maui. My post was last week while only today has TMZ reported his sighting.

I would have done an in depth interview with Regis and discussed his latest stint with Who Wants to be a Millionaire, but I was on official business for the R and R, reviewing the resort, Ferraro's, and preparing an in depth travel guide to Hawaii...so I couldn't be bothered with celebrity interviews while I was in the "zone".

This is how the encounter went, play by play:

BA Roof and wife sat down for dinner.

BA Roof commented on how prices at the restaurant were double those of the finest restaurants in Atlanta.

BA Roof discovered that prawns were nothing more than shrimp (or aliens in South Africa, see District 9) with different gills and an attempt by restaurants to increase dinner prices.

BA Roof looked over at the table next to him and saw a man that looked similar to Regis Philbin, only smaller.

BA Roof made a comment to wife (queen of celebrity gossip) that the man looked like Regis. Wife responded that it was Regis.

BA Roof heard the man speak and officially confirmed the sighting (Note: Regis is just as sarcastic in "real life" as he is on his television shows).

BA Roof wanted to do an immediate blog and take pictures, share a drink, tell him how much he is my hero, but wife told me not to embarrass her.

BA Roof slowly lingered around Regis' table while leaving dinner creating an awkward moment.

Maybe next time I'll have the nerve to ruin his dinner with pictures and stories like most fans. While, as a friend pointed out, I should have screamed "I love you REGIS and that's my FINAL ANSWER", I remained silent and let the man enjoy his vacation and dinner. This is why I'm no TMZ reporter.

Reviews of my Hawaii getaway will be coming throughout the week, so please check back often.

Just Say No to the Cumberland Mall Chick-fil-a

So, I have a real beef (no pun intended) with the Chick-fil-a at the Cumberland Mall in Atlanta. If you are from Atlanta, you might be asking me what the heck am I doing at the Cumberland Mall, when there are so many other great shopping destinations? Well there is a real Chick-fil-a dilemma in the area where I work. See, the stand alone Chick-fil-a down the street from me is a drive-up establishment only. Yeah, I thought these things died away in the 1980s, too, but there's still one hanging on by a thread on the Cobb County/Fulton County line.

When I discovered this, I was very depressed, because I like to get OUT of my office for lunch and not bring it back to stink the place up. And, who doesn't like Chick-fil-a once a week for lunch? I guess chickens. But, while getting some fresh air might be nice in October or April in Atlanta...most of the time it's too hot, too cold or raining. This brings me to the Chick-fil-a in the Cumberland Mall. The mall is also right next to where I work and they have a Chick-fil-a in the food court. I thought I hit the jackpot. Maybe pick up some Chick-fil-a and browse some stores on my lunch break. Well, I could go on and on about my mall ratings, but let's just say Cumberland Mall is the ugly red-headed step sister of the Lenox and Phipps Malls in Buckhead. I mean really ugly.

So, that just leaves me to enjoy the Chick-fil-a in the food court, which is fine, or so I thought. Obviously, the owner of this franchise believes we are either in Cold War Russia or 1930s United States because we have a major rationing problem. I am addicted to ketchup. It's my catnip. Fries are just a vehicle to get that lovely red sauce into my mouth. Needless to say, I love eating lots and lots of ketchup with my waffle fries, since there's a lot of fry to be doused. Well the first time I ordered there, they asked me what condiments I wanted. I said honey mustard confidently, knowing that all Chick-fil-a's have a separate area with gobs of ketchup packets. I was sadly mistaken.

I walked away from the counter like an Alzheimer's patient lost in the bustling mall. I didn't know who had moved my ketchup. I stood there with my white bag filled with everything but ketchup. People walked around me and gave me dirty looks, but I didn't know what to do. Finally, it hit me that this Chick-fil-a didn't give its customers free reign over the ketchup packets. Maybe because of ketchup hoarders or addicts like me. Realizing this horrible fact, I walked back up to the counter and politely asked the ketchup deniers for some ketchup. What did they give me? Two packets. Two f-ing packets (trying to keep it clean for the kids)? Are you kidding me? Are these collector items? That's not enough to wet one of those jumbo waffle fries you sometimes get and think you've hit the lottery.

Well, I was ashamed and embarrassed, but somehow gathered the courage to ask for more. They of course looked at me like some kind of monster. Like I was taking a precious scarce resource from puppies and pandas. After disgusted looks, they gave me four more packets. For me, and my addiction, this was going to be rough, but I figured it was better than nothing at all.

Obviously, I'm a glutton for punishment, because I keep going back to this same Chick-fil-a, since it's so close. Thinking I had figured out the system, whenever they asked me for condiments, I proudly would announce that I'd like honey mustard AND EXTRA ketchup. Yes! Extra biatches! Dump that stuff in there!! Well at first it did work. But then, Joe Stalin in the back must have caught on to my game and held an informational briefing to all employees, because the last couple of times, my extra ketchup has gotten me only 4 packets. This is extra? I try to yell louder, thinking they don't hear me, but no...they do. So, acting like a fat kid being denied his chocolate, I demand more ketchup, which I have gotten.

Today, I've had enough though. Why you might ask? Because, now they flaunt my addiction. They might as well tease a lion with a nice sirloin steak. When I asked for my "extra" ketchup today, the nice little lady behind the counter pulled out five packets and with a smile asked, "Will five be extra enough?" Like surely no one would ever eat more than five packets in one sitting, as this is a drain on the national ketchup supply. I went back to my table, rationed my ketchup, ate my stale sandwich that was missing lettuce, although I explained 4 times NO tomatoes and pickles, YES to lettuce. Then, when I went to get a refill on my drink, they marked it. Yes, they actually count how many refills you get as well. Like I'm going to come back tomorrow and ask for another refill for free. I know the economy is bad, but cut me some slack.

So, I'm obviously a marked man by this Chick-fil-a, so the only thing I can do now is drive 15 minutes away to a dine-in Chick-fil-a with plenty of ketchup just waiting for me. As for the Chick-fil-a in the Cumberland Mall??? NO SPORKS!!!

"Is this enough EXTRA ketchup, Mr. Roof?"

Review: Verde Taqueria

This weekend the wife and I decided to try out a new taqueria in town called Verde. The biggest allure was that it's located in the neighborhood of Atlanta we live in, which for some unknown reason has very few restaurants, especially compared to the rest of the city. Because of the constant threat of swine flu and the fact Verde opened just last week, we were hoping most of the locals would have no clue about Verde or stay in the safety of their homes, despite the dire restaurant shortage. As we swung by on Friday around 9pm, though, the place was busting at the seams like Kirstie Alley after an all night cupcake binger. I summoned the wife to see about the wait, but as I slowly patrolled by and looked at the dejected people sipping their corona lights, I knew this was only going to be a fly by. Sure enough, at an hour and a half wait for tacos, we were out of there like the Republican Party in Washington. I told you the people in my neighborhood are desperate for food. Don’t be surprised if you hear the words “Thunderdome” and “Brookhaven” in the same sentence down the road.

We decided to give Verde another chance at a glowing review and even a little bit of an edge as we waited until almost 2:30pm to eat lunch on Saturday. Being later in the afternoon and with dark clouds rolling in from the west, I figured we had a better chance at a table…just praying it wasn’t a patio table. Sure enough the crowds were less, but there was still a short wait. After a few minutes looking around and being tempted to tell them I was with the Atlanta Journal Constitution, I noticed to my displeasure that the wait was a bit artificial. Several tables were open, but the many disoriented servers running around the place like chickens with their heads cut off didn’t notice. There had to be a server for every two or three tables, which created too much commotion and potential for disaster coming out of the kitchen. It didn’t take long for the uneasy feeling of warm salsa and half eaten tacos to slap against the back of my legs.

After scowling for about ten minutes, a server (or maybe the host, although he seemed to be waiting tables as well) started to seat the annoyed patrons squeezed into the very small waiting area, because of the flooding rains outside. Verde had a good look, although a bit cold for a taco place. Half of the restaurant was windows creating a lot of light, while the other half was painted dark brown colors. The lack of wall space allowed the restaurant owners the opportunity to really go to town in decorating the remaining walls, but most of them were left unfilled leaving the place a bit bland.

Once seated, we were able to check out the menu, which was slightly different than that online. A MAJOR pet peeve of mine is when online menus do not disclose the price. Verde has taken a page from this book, and why a taco place feels they are too exclusive and snobby to add prices, I’m not sure. Tacos range in the $3-$4 dollar range, which I found to be on the pricey side, especially in this draconian economy. I guess I’m getting used to Taqueria Del Sol’s $2.19 price point. Once our disgruntled waiter noticed us and took our order, I was able to taste the rib, fried chicken club, buffalo chicken and pulled pork tacos (no I did not order all four for myself). I must say the rib and the pulled pork were by far the tastiest, but the buffalo and chicken club weren’t half bad. We also ate the chips and salsa which were good, but nothing special. I wanted to try the guacamole, but at nearly 7 bucks (and plans to have homemade guac later in the day), we decided to pass.

To sum up Verde, the service was horrible, but the food was very good. I’m not sure if it’s just first week jitters for the servers, or if they are all family friends from the Hamptons that have never served food a day in their life, but the service was unfriendly, rushed and chaotic. While the atmosphere had a trendy but a bit cold feel, the warm tasty food definitely saved the experience. In a month or so, once some of the savages find another place to eat, and the servers get a clue, I will definitely be eating at Verde again. It’s just too close to my house with food too tasty to pass up.

Verde gets a Spork Rating of:

www.verdetacos.com

1426 Dresden Dr NEAtlanta, GA 30319

(404) 254-5319

Mon-Thurs: 11am-10pm

Fri-Sat: 11am-12am

Sun: 11am-9pm

Review: Highland Tap

When realtors are desperate to sell a house that is old, small and crowded, the listing will use words like warm, cozy, cottage, or bungalow. Well, the website for the Highland Tap describes the atmosphere in its dining room as “warm and clubby.” You do the math. The idea of eating a $26 NY Strip in a “clubby” atmosphere is not exactly appealing to me. Unfortunately, I went to the website ex post facto.

The dimly lit basement dining room and the speakeasy ambiance of the Highland Tap provide a romantic setting for those couples that tend to lurk in the shadows or sleep in coffins. While the dining room itself is smoke free, the bar area at the base of the main entrance is anything but. The secondhand smoke from the junior associates and middle managers sipping their martinis and sucking down their butts at the bar will find you. Even if you are hiding in the back corners of the Highland Tap, the nauseating cloud of cigarette smoke will track you down like the Smoke Monster from Lost.

During my first and last dining visit to the Highland Tap, I ordered the NY Strip, medium rare, with a side of asparagus glazed in hollandaise sauce. While the steak was cooked to my specifications, the meat was flavorless and dry, and trimmed in fat. The asparagus was tasty, but come on, it’s asparagus. All meals come with a small loaf of bread and butter and a side salad, both of which I did enjoy. However, I was quite disappointed with the steak.

The Highland Tap has received accolades in the past for being one of the best martini bars in Atlanta, but since I do not typically drink martinis, I cannot attest to this. What I can say, is that the bar was well stocked and had a decent selection of draft beers, including Sierra Nevada, a personal favorite.

The staff was very friendly and the Virginia-Highlands location is prime, but the bad steak and cellar like atmosphere left me with a bad taste in my mouth and a nice shirt caked in smoke. The food is not worth the price, but the bar and secretive dining room makes for a perfect rendezvous point for internet dates. Just don’t forget to tack on your dry-cleaning bill to your check total.

Highland Tap Steak Cellar
1026 N. Highland Ave.
ATL, GA 30306
(404) 875-3673
http://www.nnnwcorp.com/highlandtap.html

Holy heck, No Chicken McNuggets?

Dear boys and girls,

Yes, McDonalds running out of Chicken McNuggets is a problem. Maybe even an “emergency” for those of you who are hung over from drinking too much of grandpa’s medicine last night. However, your local McDonalds running out of Chicken McNuggets does not warrant a call to 911. See, boys and girls, there is a difference in the type of emergencies out there. Option A. You accidentally cut off your arm, because you mistakenly thought chainsaws only cut wood, not flesh. Option B. You believe the new “Biggie” size at your local Wendy’s is false advertising (come on that size couldn’t feed a starving Ethiopian). Only Option A warrants a call to 911. See the difference, now? If only this post had been up in time for poor Latreasa Goodman. But, for not giving up and taking no for an answer I give Latreasa a Spork Rating of:

Review: Coco Loco

So over the weekend I decided to venture out of my comfort zone of Moes and Chipotle and try out a new Cuban restaurant by the name of Coco Loco. Previously, I had my standby restaurant, Havana Sandwich Shop, a very straight forward title for a straight forward dining experience. This was once you got past the metal bars on the windows. However, tragically for me, the place burned down a few months ago and there is no hope of it rebuilding. There are other Cuban restaurants in town, but are more than my preferred 7.5 minute driving radius, so I went to the internet to find my fix. What did my Cuban deprived stomach find, but Coco Loco.

First, the name made me hesitate. Why wouldn’t it? It made me think of an Americanized restaurant serving Cajun burgers next to phony Ropa Vieja. But, it was getting quite late and I was hungry and I was desperate. (Note: It is very rare for me to try out a new place it without any advice. I was way out on a limb here).

When we pulled up, and I saw it was sitting in a strip center (not to be confused with a strip joint), I really wanted to keep driving to a vacant building and explain to my wife that Coco Loco must have fallen victim to the economy. Let’s get Chili’s instead? But, I was strong and forged ahead (actually I was so hungry, I didn’t think I could make it to Chili’s). As we did a drive by (without a gun), my wife pointed out that there were authentic Cubans serving and eating inside. My wife has Cubanadar I guess.

Once I got passed the simple surroundings, and my wife informed me that real Cuban restaurants had glass table tops (these were actually acrylic), I was excited for my experience. I ordered my favorite, the Ropa Vieja with moros and maduros. My wife ate the Lechon Asado with moros and maduros, as well. While my Ropa Vieja was a touch soupier than I expected, the flavors were not all that bad. It resembled real Cuban food. It’s hard to go wrong with moros and the maduros were ripe enough for a tasty treat. My wife’s Lechon Asado was a bit dry on the edges, so they get marked down for that, but the center part of the pork was tasty, although I’m not sure I would ever order it. The server was extremely nice and knew Spanish, as my wife loves to prove I’m an idiot and talk to them in a language I can’t understand. They snicker and point at the gringo when they are done. Silly American. All in all, this was not a true replacement for Havana, but a place I will try again. I give it a Spork Rating of:

Fox Bros. BBQ

So, I really enjoy some good southern BBQ, but as strange as it may seem, Atlanta doesn't seem to have much in that department. Yes, it's a major city and it's located in the South. One would think a plethora of amazing BBQ joints would dot the scene. In fact, it was a consideration for me when deciding whether to move to Atlanta. Now, I must get all lawyer on you and establish that rating BBQ is about as subjective as rating the looks and intelligence of your child over your friend's. It's very subjective. There's even different styles from all over the country. So in reading this review, keep that in mind and don't shoot the messenger.

However, my wife, understanding my obsession for locating good bbq like a pig digging for truffles, stumbled upon this place called Fox Bros. BBQ. Now, I know many Atlantans have known about this place for eons...I'm not from Atlanta, so back off! I just discovered it like Christopher Columbus found the New World, so we will pretend it's truly a new discovery.

I must admit, I was very impressed with the food at Fox. I ate the pulled pork meal, with Brunswick stew, mac 'n cheese and everyone's favorite...Tater Tots. Yes, Virginia, they do have TOTS! I must rave about the pork, though, because it's the first time in Atlanta that I've eaten pulled pork from a restaurant and actually tasted that wonderful smoky flavor. It was very tender, well seasoned and served over a single slice of white bread. It puts everywhere else I've eaten bbq thus far in Atlanta to shame.

So here is the lowdown:

Pros: Great smoked pulled pork, awesome Brunswick stew, tasty Mac 'n cheese and they have Tots on the menu. Also, a very decent bear selection for a bbq joint.

Cons: Service was nice enough, but really slow on Sunday afternoon, the sweet tea was a bit watered down, the pork may have been a notch too dry (but I'll let it slide because it was so tasty), and unfortunately it was lacking in a variety of bbq sauces at the table.

All in all, if you live in Atlanta, or are visiting, consider this Spork Rating when choosing your BBQ joint of choice:

You can't go wrong with Fox Bros. BBQ