New Eats - Bone Garden Cantina

We went to Bone Garden Cantina on recommendations. The restaurant is less than a month old and was opened by Michael Benoit, co-owner of Vortex, and his wife. I'm sure having a foot in the Atlanta restaurant scene didn't hurt in getting Atlanta foodies to flock to this new establishment.

The restaurant isn't the easiest to find unless you're actively looking for it. One would never happen across it if he or she were driving around hungry. That is, unless that person was THAT attracted by the skeleton sitting on the lawn.

The restaurant itself is pretty cute. It has a Day of the Dead motif and a friendly staff to greet you. Even though the restaurant has only been open less than a month, the fluidity seemed like they've been in operation for years. It isn't the best service in the traditional sense, but the staff is very nice and attentive, which is what is important in a place like this. I also like that there is outdoor seating. It seems like a nice place to kick back with a couple margaritas.

As for the food, we tried half of what most of the reviews said was good and half of other things that weren't mentioned. We just wanted to get a good balance as to what this place was all about.

• The "free stuff": Chips and salsa are always an important indicator when it comes to these places. It is the first taste impression you get. The chips were just okay but the salsa was quite nice and refreshing
• The Chunky Guacamole: I'm a big guacamole person so of course we ordered it. It was disappointing and has a lot of room for improvement. Skip it.
  
• Mahi Mahi Ceviche: Almost everyone had recommended this dish. It was only okay. I won't be ordering it again. The avocado had browned and the top part was very fishy. It got better as we got to the bottom, but it wasn't anything special to me.

At this point we were a little disappointed, but the good thing was that things got better.

• Blackened Tilapia Taco: These were better than good. These might be the best fish tacos in Atlanta. Great flavors and better than I expected!
  
• Tamale: A little dry but the flavors were great
• Empanada: These aren't your traditional empanadas, but they were good. The skin was light a flaky. They're a bit on the greasier side.
• El Pastor Taco: We've had better. It was good but not one of the strong menu items
• Margarita: I can't recall the name of the margarita that we had, but it was on their drink menu. It was a bit on the pricier side, but it was delicious and refreshing. (I do remember it started with a P)
• Black Beans: I loved the black beans here. They were not your traditional black beans. These were blended or whipped so that it was just smooth, but it was a nice side to get.

In summary, I'd come here again and stick with the fish tacos, black beans, and margarita. It's incredibly reasonable for some decent food and friendly service. It's also a great place for large groups and even kids!

Bummer...Food Studio Closing

It was sad to hear today that one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta is closing its doors as a restaurant. I first went to Food Studio for Valentine's Day celebration. It wasn't the best food in Atlanta, but it is certainly one of my favorite restaurants, and somewhere that we could count on a good time when taking out guests. It has a wonderful ambiance, and I've always enjoyed the industrial look. The last night will be July 19, 2008. They will then be transformed into a private events venue. The Fifth Group already has the King Plow Arts Center as an event venue, so maybe this will be better for celebrations without all the strangers walking by.

It's coming up quick so make your reservations now if you haven't had the chance to try this great restaurant.

Weekend of Food

Entry to come....

Dynamic Dish - Recommended






Krog Bar - Surprisingly good




Fickle Pickle - Nothing to write home about but okay





Tanaka - Awesome





Shilla Bakery - Meh, you can skip this one

Honey Pig

From my Yelp page
4 /5 stars
Unless you want cardiac surgery, I don't suggest coming here more than once a year. When you DO go, here are some things to keep in mind:

1) wear clothes you don't care about. In fact, remember that shirt in the back of your closet that you know you should get rid of but can't bring yourself to? Wear it to Honey Pig and you'll have no trouble trashing it the next day. YOUR CLOTHES WILL SMELLLLLL. I made the mistake of not listening to people the first time I went. Let's put it this way:

Have you ever seen a restaurant that keeps 5 Febreeze containers by the door??? Honey Pig does, and it won't get that smell off you.

2) Go with someone who speaks Korean. You'll get much better service. If you don't, they'll forget you...or pretend to. Sad, but the truth...

3) If you don't go with someone who speaks Korean and they speak Korean to you, just nod your head and pretend you do. You might be able to get decent service.

4) Make sure you get the rice at the end where they make your leftovers into a very greasy fried rice.

5) This should go without saying, but don't bring a date there. The lingering smell of kimchi with squid, garlic, and pork fat is not very romantic afterwards. (I've noticed that someone stuck Honey Pig under romantic Duluth restaurants...I hope that is a joke)

I can't really suggest Honey Pig to the people I love. Doing so would be like saying, "I want you to be really fat and die of heart disease!" I know that sounds silly, but honey pig is probably one of the most greasy and fatty meals I have ever had. Depending on what you get, you may be better off going to the Varsity and ordering a hot dog and hamburger with the works plus all the greasy onion rings.

I do give this place 4 stars, however, because when you don't think about how your arteries are being clogged, the food is quite good. It is also a one-of-a-kind in Atlanta and that's always nice to have. One of the stars also is given for the febreeze by the door. So, props to you Honey Pig, for being something new, yummy, and very smelly!!!!

Away...

I've been addicted to Yelp lately and not kept up with any of my blogs. *Shame*

I've been meaning to write about last weekend for a while. The good thing about this silly Yelp addiction is that I got ideas for new places. We tried quite few places last weekend, some of them quite exciting. I'll have to post pics soon!

I'm stuck out of town right now. Well, I gotta run but more soon.

Yelp - Cool and Funny?

I started a Yelp account and started reviewing like crazy. Once I started it was like a horrible addiction. In this afternoon alone, I was so excited to received a few votes for being Useful, Cool and funny...mainly useful and funny. I guess I'm not so cool...Too bad. I'll take funny though...how flattering.

Maybe this yelp thing isn't so good. What if I happen to go to one of the places I've given a poor rating? Perhaps they have a wall of faces to "get back at". Will they spit in my food? Will they stir bugs in? I hope not.

There have also been these people request to be a friend. Fellow foodies...nice! The day I get favorited...that will be the day. Ah, such simple goals.

Blue Jean Bandits...

The AJC published an article about a recent manhunt for the Blue Jean Bandits. I had heard about this operation a while back on the news, but that was some time ago. The article mentioned they had two people in custody and they were still looking for two others after an attempted burglary in Dawson County.

It's really unfortunate that people are robbing these stores. Many of the shops are mom & pop businesses that don't have much to spare. They've hit up several small boutiques already, such as The Fabrik Boutique in Midtown and Boogaloos in downtown Decatur.

I hope that it all stops soon. It is pretty sick what these guys are doing. However, in its simplest form, I can't help but find it strange knowing that it has gotten so out of hand that they've sent helicopters and K-9 units out looking for a couple guys who stole some pants. Well, I hope they find the guys soon so that it can come to an end.