MARY MAC'S TEA ROOM

 Our good friend Aaron and others mentioned Mary Mac’s Tea Room as a good place to experience Atlanta’s southern hospitality. Mary Mac’s Tea Room was declared by the State of Georgia to be authentic Southern fare, always served with a side of Southern graciousness. I call it a whole lot of comfort food with a side of peach cobbler. This was a great end to my dining adventure in Atlanta.

Mary Mac’s was located downtown and my parking Karma was not working today. I went at noon on a Sunday which was not the greatest time slot. The just out of church crowd was there and in full costume. I did find a parking spot several long hot blocks away and in hindsight the hike was totally worth it.

I had a 25 minute wait in a crowded waiting room for lunch. A few people came in to pick up orders to go. This crowd was a diverse mix of tourists, locals and a whole lot of Sunday dressed church people. I was finally led to my table and handed a menu. This was my first time here and I did not know the procedure for placing an order. The waitress came and there was a brief moment of silence. I told her my order and she said I needed to write this down on a provided order form on the table. My waitress laughed and said I can see it is your first time here……..let me take care of it. She wrote down my order on the provided form. All was good.

A basket of the softest warm and comforting rolls arrived at my table. This basket was just for me as a solo diner. They were so good and I had to use restraint to not polish them all off. A very tasty and piquant vinegar house made sauce was on my table. I like this place all ready.

My order of shrimp & cheesy grits arrived. An entre also comes with two side dishes. I had cornbread stuffing with gravy and mac & cheese. My meal was a starch overload. I mean this in the best way. It seems that cheese in a huge theme here. I forgot to mention the salad I ordered. I am thinking out loud to myself that it would be healthy to order a salad. The menu did not mention there would be a half-pound of cheese included in said salad.

The cheesy grits were so filling and delicious. The cornbread stuffing and gravy was devoured and plate licked. This was a taste of Thanksgiving home. The mac & cheese reinforced the notion that there is no such thing as too much cheese. I did my best to eat as much as humanely possible. I did need to save some room for dessert.

You guessed it; peach cobbler. I am so happy to have experienced Mary Mac’s Tea Room The sheer quantity of cheese, comfort, and hospitality makes this a must visit if you are in Atlanta. I will mention the price briefly. I have paid more for parking in San Francisco then my complete meal here. It was a bargain and a pleasure. Good bye Atlanta.

MARCUS BAR & GRILL

Marcus Samuelsson is a Ethiopian born Swedish-American celebrtiy chef. He owns Marcus Bar & Grill in Atlanta Georgia and I paid them a visit. Parking Karma was present because I parked right out in front. It was early and I understand it can get crowded. The do have valet parking available. I walked in and was seated immediately. The first thing you notice is an entire wall covered with roller skates. This looks like a fun place.

The open kitchen showcases a live fire grill. This sealed the deal for me to order a N.Y. strip steak. I accompained that with some cornbread, asparagus and mac & cheese. I was on vacation and diet was not on my menu. (it never is)

The steak was served with two sauces and also covered with melted butter. The steak was decent but did not impress. The mac & cheese was very filling, cheesy and just what you expect. The asparagus was limp & stringy. This California boy is very spoiled and particular about asparagus. The dessert of peach cobbler was ordered. It was warm and comforting.

I got the bill and it was on par with California prices. I would like to mention that Atlanta is a cashless society. You were required to pay by credit card in almost all aspects of transactions. I enjoyed my dinner at Marcus Bar & Grill. I was not wowed or overly impressed. I am glad to have experienced my visit. I have more food adventures to discover in Atlanta.

 

FOX BROS, BAR-B-Q

 Atlanta Georgia has been my home for this weekend. It was mandatory to try some local bbq. Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q has numerous locations and I visited the original location on DeKalb Av. This was a tree shaded fun looking place with indoor and outdoor seatimg. There was lots of mandatory bbq kistsh adorning the inside walls.

There were four housemade sauces to choose from. They all were decent but the white sauce really had me giggling with glee. It was the perfect sauce to annoint my deep fried pork ribs. The sauce was mayonnaise foward with just the right ammount of cayenne. I was in deep fried rib heaven. These ribs and sauce would be my last meal request if I was on death row for commiting the crime of guilty pleasures.

The rest of the meal was a very good offering of bbq. The sides and cornbread was unremarkable along with decent ribs and brisket. I may have been still relishing my deep fried experience to not appreciate them more.

I still had room for chocolate/caramel cheesecake. It was the perfect way to end my visit at an Atlanta bbq destination.

THE TOUR

 

The Tour de France begins next month and I am ready. My friend from England sent me this official race guide. For some unknown reason this guide is not sold in the United States. I am preparing for 21 days of racing and snacks. Stay tuned.