Carroll St. Café
208 Carroll St. SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
404-577-2700
website
The Carroll St. Café is on a skinny little street in Cabbagetown. Surrounded by a few other restaurants and bars, it appears to be the kind of place inside which you could eat a good meal. A few months back, during mardi gras, Callie and I stopped in because they had some good looking specials. While perusing the menu months ago, we noticed a number of good looking vegetarian options, so I decided that it might be a fun place to take my mom for mother’s day (she’s a vegetarian, not by choice).
My mother had the basil noodle bowl, though I think she should have gone with the panoramic veggie sandwich. The noodle bowl had some green beans and zucchini in it, but was not as full of vegetables as my mother had hoped. It’s very important to order the right thing. That can completely change your experience. In this situation, the waitress misled her though, giving her a completely false ingredient list.
Callie went with the tilapia sandwich. I tasted that, but the tilapia was so much more bland than my meal that I didn’t get a true feeling for it. Callie seemed to enjoy it. All of the sandwiches come with a little salad and some fruit, and are reasonably priced at $8-10.
I rolled with a special, but one they have regularly I think. They had it the last time we were there, at least. I didn’t eat it then, preferring to go with some mardi gras related concoction, but I remember it. The dish consisted of scallops, shrimp and creamed spinach (SSS) on top of a bed of white basmati. The scallops were pretty banging. There were four of those daddies, one of which was the size of a hockey puck. We were all pretty amazed by it. I should have walked back and given the cook a tip for hooking me up. The shrimp were fine. The sauce was a little creamier than I expected. I believe it had some feta in it. The rice was imperfectly cooked, with some hard little grains mixed in. They price the specials like you would a dinner at a fine restaurant ($17-21), so I have to take off some mental points for the uncooked grains. If I were cooking it at home, or if it was something I bought from any little rundown café, I wouldn’t care, but if I’m paying high-class prices, I expect a little better. But maybe the cook was just tired from hefting that scallop onto the grill.
We also ate a cheese plate before the meal, and finished with ONE piece of chocolate truffle cake. The cheese was fine. They give you a little fruit, and a baguette. There was some moldy French cheese there that tasted like the water out of my broken garbage disposal. I almost couldn’t eat a meal after it, but the cheeses change over time, so any future customers might not hit on that spot on the wheel. The cake was amazing ($5.50), but we only copped one piece. Well, we tried to order two, but our waitress kind of sucked, so she only brought us one. I gave it to my mother, since it was mother’s day, but Callie and I might have to go back for another slice some day.
All in all, it’s a nice place. It’s kind of quiet, but large enough to get a table with ease. If you order sandwiches, it’s not even very expensive, and you can get a healthier option than you would at a sports bar, though there are no TV’s to watch a game. But if you wanted to step it up to a nice meal with appetizers and dessert, they can do that too. There’s a tapas menu that we want to try, but it may not have enough options for our tastes to complete a full dinner meal. Callie had some good wine the first time we stopped in. If you lived in the neighborhood, I think you’d find yourself stopping by every few weeks, based solely on the café’s ability to step up or down to your dinner needs easily. I say this because though many places offer both the sandwich and the dinner menu, few do them both as well as Carroll St. Café does. I’ll go back, obviously, because I’ve already been there twice this year.
8 out of 10 mouth-feels
Monday, May 12, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Fresh Air BBQ
not to be confused with Fresh Air Barbecue
Fresh Air BBQ
1110 Hull Road
Athens, GA 30601
706-546-6060
website
There is also a location in Bogart, off of the Atlanta highway.
A day of three mistakes:
Ambiance
On Saturday, during the second half of the GA game, we decided to run down to Fresh Air BBQ, a place recommended by my stepdad. It was close, and he said that it was good, so we decided to try it out. The restaurant is sparsely furnished inside, perhaps to allow for wide bodies to pass comfortably between the tables. I compare this to Fat Matt’s, which has very little room between the tables. It was like the space was designed for SUV drivers: strange to me, since I’m a sedan man. There was a TV in the corner, tuned to fox news. That was our first mistake. I assumed that since we were right outside of Athens, the joint would have the GA game either playing on the radio or on a TV, thus we would only miss the part of the game that coincided with our walk from the car to the front door. We ended up missing 3-4 minutes of game action because of this blunder, which hurried us and may have contributed to our next two mistakes.
Food
The food was reasonably priced. As we were in a hurry, we didn’t take a full look at the menu but just ordered 3 pulled pork plates, with Brunswick stew and coleslaw or chips. They were reasonably priced at ~$6, and I think you can just order pulled pork sandwiches for a few bucks if you don’t care for the stew. Or, if you were smart, you could order one of the specials, either the “tailgate” or “family,” which give you a bunch more bang for your buck. You would end up getting a bunch more of everything. This was our second mistake. We became aware of that option too late to change our order. We also discovered that a gallon of their sweet tea costs $4, which seems a good price, since a cup costs $1.30. That was our third mistake, since we already picked up 2 sweet teas and one unsweet (Callie is really a yankee in places she doesn’t like to talk about at parties). Normally we’d just drink mine, but I’m on a tea-making hiatus until my house closes.
All in all, the food was very good. The pork was tender. I’m not a BBQ master critic or anything, but I’ve eaten my share and probably yours in the last few years. I like sauce that isn’t too thick or sweet, and meat that really sings. The stew had good flavor, if a little sweet. Make sure you ask for extra sauce, as they skimped on that.
We liked the food, we liked the serving speed (as stated, we only missed 3-4 minutes of game action), and the price was reasonable. We'll go back any time we're in the area and hungry. The establishment was a little too clean and updated for a “true” southern BBQ experience, but not overly so, and there was no fakery, as in a Sonny’s. Fresh Air BBQ supposedly began in Jackson, GA, and makes mention of that on their website, but the website for Fresh Air Barbecue in Jackson does not mention the restaurants in Bogart and Hull. Lee supposes a family feud is the reason.
7 out of 10 mouth feels
Fresh Air BBQ
1110 Hull Road
Athens, GA 30601
706-546-6060
website
There is also a location in Bogart, off of the Atlanta highway.
A day of three mistakes:
Ambiance
On Saturday, during the second half of the GA game, we decided to run down to Fresh Air BBQ, a place recommended by my stepdad. It was close, and he said that it was good, so we decided to try it out. The restaurant is sparsely furnished inside, perhaps to allow for wide bodies to pass comfortably between the tables. I compare this to Fat Matt’s, which has very little room between the tables. It was like the space was designed for SUV drivers: strange to me, since I’m a sedan man. There was a TV in the corner, tuned to fox news. That was our first mistake. I assumed that since we were right outside of Athens, the joint would have the GA game either playing on the radio or on a TV, thus we would only miss the part of the game that coincided with our walk from the car to the front door. We ended up missing 3-4 minutes of game action because of this blunder, which hurried us and may have contributed to our next two mistakes.
Food
The food was reasonably priced. As we were in a hurry, we didn’t take a full look at the menu but just ordered 3 pulled pork plates, with Brunswick stew and coleslaw or chips. They were reasonably priced at ~$6, and I think you can just order pulled pork sandwiches for a few bucks if you don’t care for the stew. Or, if you were smart, you could order one of the specials, either the “tailgate” or “family,” which give you a bunch more bang for your buck. You would end up getting a bunch more of everything. This was our second mistake. We became aware of that option too late to change our order. We also discovered that a gallon of their sweet tea costs $4, which seems a good price, since a cup costs $1.30. That was our third mistake, since we already picked up 2 sweet teas and one unsweet (Callie is really a yankee in places she doesn’t like to talk about at parties). Normally we’d just drink mine, but I’m on a tea-making hiatus until my house closes.
All in all, the food was very good. The pork was tender. I’m not a BBQ master critic or anything, but I’ve eaten my share and probably yours in the last few years. I like sauce that isn’t too thick or sweet, and meat that really sings. The stew had good flavor, if a little sweet. Make sure you ask for extra sauce, as they skimped on that.
We liked the food, we liked the serving speed (as stated, we only missed 3-4 minutes of game action), and the price was reasonable. We'll go back any time we're in the area and hungry. The establishment was a little too clean and updated for a “true” southern BBQ experience, but not overly so, and there was no fakery, as in a Sonny’s. Fresh Air BBQ supposedly began in Jackson, GA, and makes mention of that on their website, but the website for Fresh Air Barbecue in Jackson does not mention the restaurants in Bogart and Hull. Lee supposes a family feud is the reason.
7 out of 10 mouth feels
Monday, March 3, 2008
The Feed Store
The Feed Store3841 Main Street
College Park, GA
(T) 404.209.7979
website
At this trendy loft-feel restaurant, Callie and I were surprised to find slightly higher prices than we anticipated. Expect to pay $50 plus tip for a salad and dinner for 2, sans alcohol. We eschewed drinks this time, sticking to 2-buck tea. The tea was freshly brewed, lightly sweetened. Callie had the sweet potato risotto with mushrooms, I partook in the fried chicken and duck comfit (duck cooked in it’s own juices), served on a bed of macaroni and cheese and coca-cola baked beans. We also shared a mixed greens salad. Both of us enjoyed our meals, though Callie wasn’t as hungry as she thought she was.
As previously stated, the place had the feel of a loft, with exposed brick, and sealed concrete floors. There was a bar attached, non-descript, with nothing to really draw you into it. The patrons were few and far-between, and so our waiter was switched after seating as the previous waiter was sent home due to lack of business.
Service was up to par; they did not look at Callie differently because she chose to come sit on my bench with me. And we walked in with normal clothing, including sandals. Open toes weren’t a problem in the bathroom, which was clean, lighted for loving, and had an auto-flush toilet.
All in all, it was an ok experience for someone who doesn’t expect to get a lot of value for his or her dollar, whether it is in the form of mood or great food. The food was certainly good, though the presentation was affected at times, especially for faux southern cooking. The quality was just not worth the elevated price, nor was the portions or atmosphere impressive enough to make up the difference.
5 out of 10 mouth-feels
Slice
Slice
1025 Howell Mill Rd
Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: (404) 817-7153
Slice is a pizza joint/bar on Howell Mill in Atlanta. They serve pizza whole or by the . . .
The pizza was fair; not thin crust, not deep dish. The sauce was fresh tasting, and the cheese was melty. We purchased, or attempted to purchase, a large pie with spinach and sausage, and mushrooms on half for Callie. That’s not what we received, of course, because the employee behind the counter somehow confused our order, after having us spell it out for her. We received a pizza with spinach and sausage on one half, mushrooms on the other. Not only did this have the effect of cheating us out of half of our spinach and sausage, it also kept me from being able to eat half of the pizza, and kept Callie from getting the full enjoyment she expected from her half. Normally, you could chalk such a mistake up to being busy, but there were few customers present, and Slice had loaded for bear this Friday night. I counted 6 employees (including 2 cooks) in our half of the restaurant, plus the bartender’s in the other half. It’s possible that ordering your pizza from the bar is the better option, should you find yourself in this establishment. Plus, the bar has a pool table and sofas for you to drip sauce onto. But atmosphere was not the issue with this restaurant, service was. The sweet tea had run dry at 9, disappointing me and our fellow patron David Banner, but not Callie, who ordered a Sweetwater Ale.
David enjoys some basketball-
In total, the experience was passable, with the pizza and beer running $20, about what you expect when eating out these days, and the bar might be a fun place to hang out with friends if you live in the area, but when the highlight of the evening is seeing a one-hit rapper and not a delicious sweet pizza pie, there’s no reason to make a point of going back.
5 out of 10 mouth-feels
1025 Howell Mill Rd
Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: (404) 817-7153
Slice is a pizza joint/bar on Howell Mill in Atlanta. They serve pizza whole or by the . . .
The pizza was fair; not thin crust, not deep dish. The sauce was fresh tasting, and the cheese was melty. We purchased, or attempted to purchase, a large pie with spinach and sausage, and mushrooms on half for Callie. That’s not what we received, of course, because the employee behind the counter somehow confused our order, after having us spell it out for her. We received a pizza with spinach and sausage on one half, mushrooms on the other. Not only did this have the effect of cheating us out of half of our spinach and sausage, it also kept me from being able to eat half of the pizza, and kept Callie from getting the full enjoyment she expected from her half. Normally, you could chalk such a mistake up to being busy, but there were few customers present, and Slice had loaded for bear this Friday night. I counted 6 employees (including 2 cooks) in our half of the restaurant, plus the bartender’s in the other half. It’s possible that ordering your pizza from the bar is the better option, should you find yourself in this establishment. Plus, the bar has a pool table and sofas for you to drip sauce onto. But atmosphere was not the issue with this restaurant, service was. The sweet tea had run dry at 9, disappointing me and our fellow patron David Banner, but not Callie, who ordered a Sweetwater Ale.
David enjoys some basketball-
In total, the experience was passable, with the pizza and beer running $20, about what you expect when eating out these days, and the bar might be a fun place to hang out with friends if you live in the area, but when the highlight of the evening is seeing a one-hit rapper and not a delicious sweet pizza pie, there’s no reason to make a point of going back.
5 out of 10 mouth-feels
Foreword to food
A word about the blog:
Since Callie and I go out to eat fairly regularly, and since I’m new to the city and we like to try as many new places as possible, adventuring out to neighborhoods we’ve never been to and restaurants we’ve never seen, we decided to write a blog about the food we eat. We’re not foodies and aren’t trying to be. We don’t have the refined palates of culinary masters, but we do like to get some value for our dollar, whether it is the experience or the wonderful food. Because we dreamed up this concept late, we’ve missed writing about some favorite places of ours, joints that we’ll add if we get a chance to go back to those locations. We judge the restaurants based on food quality, service, ambiance, and a general feel about whether we would go back, never go back, or make a point of going back to eat there. Each restaurant is awarded “mouth-feel” points, a play on a food critic term, but also a general descriptor of the taste the experience leaves in our mouths, the level of satisfaction we retain.
The scale is one to ten, with one being the worst experience possible, and ten being the best. 5 mouth-feels means we could give or take going back, but would not put any effort into it if there were a better option. We’d never go back to a zero mouth-feel spot, no matter the situation, and would need some mitigating factor (hunger, party at the spot, etc.) to go back to anything below 5. Anything from 6-7 we would go to without reservation if hungry, in the area, and not feeling adventurous enough to try something new. We’d make a point to seek out anything from 8-10. We consider these our favorite restaurants.
Since Callie and I go out to eat fairly regularly, and since I’m new to the city and we like to try as many new places as possible, adventuring out to neighborhoods we’ve never been to and restaurants we’ve never seen, we decided to write a blog about the food we eat. We’re not foodies and aren’t trying to be. We don’t have the refined palates of culinary masters, but we do like to get some value for our dollar, whether it is the experience or the wonderful food. Because we dreamed up this concept late, we’ve missed writing about some favorite places of ours, joints that we’ll add if we get a chance to go back to those locations. We judge the restaurants based on food quality, service, ambiance, and a general feel about whether we would go back, never go back, or make a point of going back to eat there. Each restaurant is awarded “mouth-feel” points, a play on a food critic term, but also a general descriptor of the taste the experience leaves in our mouths, the level of satisfaction we retain.
The scale is one to ten, with one being the worst experience possible, and ten being the best. 5 mouth-feels means we could give or take going back, but would not put any effort into it if there were a better option. We’d never go back to a zero mouth-feel spot, no matter the situation, and would need some mitigating factor (hunger, party at the spot, etc.) to go back to anything below 5. Anything from 6-7 we would go to without reservation if hungry, in the area, and not feeling adventurous enough to try something new. We’d make a point to seek out anything from 8-10. We consider these our favorite restaurants.
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