urban grub – nashville, tn
a couple weekends ago i made the 4-hour drive west on i-24 to see my high school friend luke wed his best friend bailey. the wedding was lovely in a lush estate outside the city, and the band played us into the night as we danced and laughed under romantically lit tents, reminiscing with old friends about our teenage years.
earlier that sunday, though, i had strolled into town in the young afternoon and needed something to eat, for the reception was quite a ways away. i asked my kind airbnb host meg for a local recommendation, and she was quick to reply that urban grub had a good brunch and wasn’t too far from the apartment. sounded good to me!
after parking over on gilmore avenue, i dodged the drizzle and was warmly greeted by the hostess. she quickly seated me at a table for one on their covered patio, a perfect spot among the industrial fans, space heaters, and cool autumn winds.
my waiter chris approached with a glass of water, prepared to take my order. i informed him that i had only about an hour before i needed to go get all dolled up for the wedding, and he was quick to get to business. i told him i had been eyeing their eggs benedict with crab (they call it the oskar bennie), and he was happy to say it was one of his favorites, a great choice for a first-time visitor. done and done!
chris hurried over to put in my order and then was back in a flash with the most darling basket of homemade buttermilk biscuits i’d ever seen. they were accompanied by freshly salted butter and from-scratch blueberry jam. uuhhhh, yes, please! these little pouches of heaven were the perfect starter, and i enjoyed them throughout the meal with dem preserves and butter. mm!
mm, bizkits.
in nearly no time at all, my brunch was swiftly served in front of me. looks tasty, doesn’t it?
i wasted no time digging in, mainly because i was short on time but also because i didn’t want my dish getting cold. the hollandaise was not too hollandaise-y and had a nice spritz of lemon that was pleasing to the palate. the eggs were poached to perfection, not too runny but not too cooked. now, i have never personally poached an egg, so i don’t know what makes me a poached egg expert, if anything, but the only experience i have myself is when i watched mary willa do it up in greensboro.
the english muffin was nice and crispy and didn’t get soggy from all the sauce. the only thing that truly seemed to be missing was more crab. i was expecting generous lumps of crab piled atop each side of the muffin, but there was only a spoonful sitting in between, not enough if you ask me. i would love to have had a bit of crab with each bite of the muffin and egg, but that day was not the day for it to happen.
the grilled asparagus was a welcome addition to the plate, but if i’m being completely honest, those gouda grits were the star of the show. i couldn’t shovel them in my mouth fast enough, giving no second thought to how all that cheesy and buttery indulgence wasn’t doing my waistline any favors. as my mother would say, “apply them straight to my hips!” hehe.
overall, the atmosphere here at urban grub is a bit of hustle and bustle. it’s a big restaurant, so there are lots of tables, which means lots of hungry customers. it was a touch louder than i would have liked, but since i was by myself, i didn’t mind too badly. plus, with nothing to really hear, i was able to watch as the falcons marched on to victory against the local tennessee titans. rise up!
i could easily picture myself spending a lazy sunday afternoon here with the girlfriends, nursing mimosas and snacking on biscuits all day long. aw, yisssss!
sublime doughnuts – atlanta, ga
so, i’ve got a mound of vacation days to use before the new year rolls around, so i recently took a week day off from work to let the computer and myself kick back and relax. i thoroughly enjoy taking time off during the week in my town because it gives me a chance to explore and do things that don’t fit into my weekend schedule.
on the slate that day was a visit to my sister-in-law’s office, a hydra facial at phillip’s mom’s office, and then lunch with my man. despite the strong desire to sleep in, i got my morning started so as not to waste the day.
with a little time to kill before meeting up with kari, a brilliant idea hit me like a ton of bricks: get a quick bite at sublime doughnuts! my dad had seriously told me about this place years ago, and my first visit was long overdue. google maps directed me to 10th and hemphill, and after a few missed turns, i found a parking spot just for the kessie girl.
i had no idea what to expect but was delightfully surprised as i entered. i think the word to describe it all would be happy. the upholstered chairs and cheery colors are quite welcoming, and the staff reflected the atmosphere. the ladies at the counter were helpful and pleasant and ready to answer my many questions. they gave me the quick run-down of the selection, especially those that would travel well (i was going to birmingham that night with phillip to visit my parents and planned to bring a few back for them). i picked out half a dozen with their help and showed myself to a table.
in a spot across from me was an employee who i assumed had to be the manager. we chatted for a few minutes before he hopped up to help with the growing line of loyal (and maybe new) patrons. if i’d had a bit more time to spare, i surely would have talked off his ear. i don’t at all doubt he would have been fun to interview. next time!
with a sweet tooth like mine, i knew something chocolate-y was in order, so i bit into one of the a-town creams. every bite of this doughnut was perfectly balanced, from the flavorful dough to the subtle chocolate to the rich and decadent cream filling. despite how i’m describing it, you should know that it isn’t at all too sweet.
i easily could have had another, but i refrained. i didn’t want these strangers thinking i was a total junk food addict. speaking of junk food, did you ever read the berenstain bears as a child? i vividly remember the one titled junk food, the words in big, bulbous purple letters on the yellow cover as papa bear, brother bear, and sister bear gorged themselves on candies and chips. oh, and we cannot forget mama bear, looking on in disdain and disgust. does it mean something that i so clearly recall this specific adventure of the bear family? probably so, but until those subconscious realizations surface, i’ll obliviously carry on in life. join me, won’t you?
as i headed out, i thanked the manager kindly for the exceptional service and delectable treats. “you’ve made the start of my day a great one,” i said.
“well,” he replied, “it’s all about spreading the doughnut love.”
nicely put!
the next day in birmingham we had the rest of the half dozen for breakfast. mm, nutritious! mom and dad loved the caramel apple fritter. i had a nibble of the orange dream star that was utterly divine, and phillip practically was doing backflips after enjoying the reese’s peanut butter cup doughnut.
all in all, i’m extremely glad i finally made a visit to sublime doughnuts. the place and its staff are so genuine that you’ll have a hard time walking out of there without a smile on your face. 🙂
pho king – atlanta, ga
is it just me, or has it been nearly a lifetime since we did a restaurant review? you’re absolutely correct, my dear. the last spot we wrote about was the infamous guest blog by my father for bone garden cantina back in july, so, yes! it’s been too long! i decided to finally put an end to the madness, which is how we found ourselves last week at pho king just a few miles down peachtree.
phillip
for whatever reason, i’d been craving vermicelli desperately, so it’s no surprise what i would end up ordering. however, no one else at the table except kyle and i had enjoyed vietnamese cuisine before that night, which means there was lots of fun in store.
as everyone flipped back and forth among the menu’s pages, i took in the atmosphere around me. pho king looks like a small new york joint from outside, but you’ll actually find some decent seating once you walk through the front doors. although i felt a bit cramped between kyle and alison, it could have just been the 20 million plates and bowls that would come to crowd me. sure, we’ll go with that.
however, that argument may be hard to make when your big brother is all up in your grill. hey, bro!
after i looked at the picture and had my fill of laughs, the classic song “private eyes” came to mind right away. you’re welcome.
meanwhile, kari, phillip, and nathan were just whoopin’ it up on the other side of the table. those little troublemakers. 🙂
mm, noodle soup!
the dudes.
okay, okay, enough about us (even though i could go on for days), let’s talk food. first out were the eggrolls and soup. we all started with something, and as far as the pho is considered, i think the general consensus is that it was a hit and that the bowls were quite large, even the small size!
phillip and i had a small bowl of the pho with brisket. it came out piping hot and very delicious. when i inevitably catch my first cold of the winter season, a big bowl of pho just might be the ticket to make me feel better.
p3 – pho with brisket.
kyle’s pho with round steak looked like a renegade after he topped it with fresh jalapenos. this trooper, though? he ate the whole bowl and then enjoyed some leftovers that the others of us had. get it, son!
across and to my right, nathan had the fried rice with marinated tenderloin beef chunks, which was highly recommended to him by our waitress as the best meal on the menu. it would turn out that there was truth in her statement: nathan ate up every morsel! not only did he say he’d get it again, he said, with much enthusiasm, that it was ridiculously good.
r4.
across from him and to my immediate right, nathan’s lovely wife alison went with the grilled pork rice plate and thoroughly enjoyed it. she was a member of the clean plate club that night, no questions about it!
i only got a shot of the aftermath. whoopsies!
on my other side, kari tackled a small bowl of the chicken pho, number p7, along with a couple of fried eggrolls, item a2. i didn’t really get a review from her, but she seemed to like dining out on something a bit different, and i bet with enough persuasion i could convince her to come back. hehehe, let the planning begin!
before…
…after
across from me, my sweetheart phillip chowed down on menu item r3, the grilled chicken rice plate. the rice only needed a splash of soy sauce to perfectly accompany the well-cooked and well-seasoned chicken. although those chicken breasts may not have looked like much, i promise you they filled phillip to the brim.
and now, the moment you have all been waiting for, my review! okay, i know you haven’t been waiting, but i just have to talk about my experience! let me first get something off my chest: when i say i love vietnamese food, that really means that i’ve only ever had vermicelli and have been hopelessly devoted to the stuff from the first time i ate it. my heart will forever be held by this irresistible rice noodle dish, no doubt about it. the vermicelli here at pho king is on point, a very large and satisfying serving of which i almost ate every chopstick-ful (thank you for letting me make up that word right now). the grilled pork was to die for, although i did miss the eggroll that the menu said should have come with it. besides that, each ingredient was complementary to the others, and i spent the better portion of dinner with my face buried in my bowl as i slurped up each bite.
after paying the checks, we rolled out with satisfied, and very full, bellies. to be honest, there’s absolutely no reason to not come back to pho king, and when the yearning for rice noodles strikes again, you’ll know where to find me.
vegetarian chili – slow cooker style
it felt like phillip and i had done an awful lot of eating out lately, so last week i let the crock pot whip up my new favorite dish: vegetarian chili with sweet potato. the recipe comes from the always trustworthy real simple. yes, they did it again with a hearty meal full of deep flavors and rich in nutrients. well, it was rich in nutrients until i suffocated my bowl with a mound of shredded cheddar cheese and a generous dollop of sour cream. no judging!
but really, this one is a keeper for sure, and with the cooler months making a delicate entrance this season, i’m betting it will be a repeat before too long.
because it’s monday
sometimes mondays are great. sometimes they’re less than great. regardless of how your october 5th is going, this group of silly gifs should brighten your day. numbers 2, 5, 9, and 10 are my favorites. how about you?
#dailyselfie – popcorn addict?
a couple weeks ago a bunch of us from work went out on lake lanier for one last summer hoorah. although the day started out overcast, it cleared up just enough so that we could splash around in the water and get a little sun on our cheeks. john and his lovely wife amy cooked us an amazing low country boil with sausage, potatoes, shrimp, the whole shebang! of course, though, there were appetizers and snacks, and it was while i was sipping on my second yuengling that i had my first handful of g.h. cretors popcorn. maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the cool breeze, or maybe it was the fact that i wasn’t working. whatever it was, i fell in love with that stuff right then and there. the cheese pieces aren’t overpowering, and the caramel bites are crunchy and sweet.
now, i probably don’t need a 1 lb 10 oz bag of the stuff, but my coworker greg bought it from costco, so what else would i expect? perfectly portioned bags? puh! nonsense, i tell you! i shared a few bowls with folks today while i was in the office, but i don’t expect it to last long once it’s at home with me, where i can feast on junk food in the privacy of my own living room while watching the premiere of the latest season of survivor in my sweatpants. you know you’re jealous!
thanks for nothing, west end funk
last week kyle, kari, phillip and i were headed to turner field to watch the braves take on the mets in game one of the series. i had been up at work in norcross that day, and what i had hoped would be a quick commute to downtown atlanta turned into a journey i’d rather not have taken.
after sitting in rainy atlanta traffic for an hour, i got to the lindbergh marta station just in time to board the red line. i seated myself down and let phillip know i was on the train and headed their way. he and kari were already there, so my anxiety was rising. i just wanted to be there, too! it had been a long short week with the labor day holiday, which meant a relaxing night at the ballpark was going to be just the ticket, that is if i were going to make it.
the train made good time, and soon we were at the west end station. i yielded my umbrella to the slanting sheets of rain, growing more uncertain with each step how much cover it was actually providing. i wasn’t too concerned, though, because like the good planner that i am, i had a change of casual clothes in my lulu lemon bag. there’s no way i was going to sit through three hours of baseball in my fitted capris. plus, i needed something with a bit more space for all the food and drinks!
i finally was under the roof of the station when i saw a police officer who was hollering above the pounding rain, “the station is flooded downstairs! you’ll have to go down and around.” excuse me, what? flooded? like many of the other passengers nearby, i didn’t take those words as music to my ears. i didn’t know how else i could leave, so i wobbled down the stairs and found myself staring at almost two inches of standing water below me. i kid you not, there was no other way to get out, so i uselessly tiptoed through the muck and funk of the west end marta station to “drier” land. i’m sure i couldn’t hide the disgust on my face as i finally set my umbrella down. the water reeked of twenty porta potties that had all been drained right into the station, and i was sure i’d caught some kind of disease during my trek. even worse, i had to use my braves t-shirt to dry my waterlogged feet. so much for changing at the game…
but the smell and wet feet weren’t the worst of these things. the worst of these things was a crime against fashion, an insult to beautiful shoes everywhere: my beloved tory burch peep toe wedges were completely ruined. i’d worn them hard over the years, and i knew it wouldn’t be long before they were done, but thanks to west end, the process was lovingly expedited. the stains are irreversible, and the disgusting stank i knew would linger on probably forever.
when we got home after the game that night, i put the shoes down on my living room floor and, to be honest, had a little moment. these wedges went with everything. jeans, pants, skirts, dresses. you name it, odds were i could wear these shoes with it. it’s been just barely a week, and i’m still mourning the loss as i sit here and write about it. the up side to this tragedy? next spring i’ll be treating myself to a nice new pair, and i promise you i won’t let the west end funk get its gross paws all over them.
that’s my boyfriend!
last week we had an unusually cool tuesday wash over atlanta, georgia, and i insisted we all take advantage of it. phillip’s company was having their softball game at the active oval of piedmont park, and i convinced clark and kari to join me for a lovely evening in the city. despite the fact that the opposing team never showed up, we still had a fabulous time together. i thoroughly embarrassed phillip with my cheering and jeering as he was up to bat and out in right field. his coworkers looked at me on the bench and laughed, hopefully out of humor more than anything else. although it was a forfeited win that night, it was a win nonetheless, so there ya go!
lefties hit more home runs!
afterwards the four of us took a stroll across the street and enjoyed a lovely dinner al fresco at the nook for some world famous totchos and beer. as i took in the other patrons, i was overwhelmed with joy at the weather. i cannot recall how many times i said, “how gorgeous is it out here? this weather is unbelievable!” i am a naturally joyous person, but when fall comes around, it’s a whole other level of happiness that i cannot contain. i couldn’t help but thinking of u2’s famous song “beautiful day” and how grateful i am for the changing seasons and the Lord’s grace for us on His earth. it’s an amazing thing, isn’t it?
my clarky boy
as many of you know, my younger brother clark, whom i affectionately call clarky boy, has lived with me the past year here in atlanta. well, this week begins a new journey and chapter as he makes a sizable move up to chicago, illinois to start a new job. phillip and i just saw him off about an hour ago as he zoomed off in the kia westbound to visit mom and dad for a night before heading up north. i cannot lie; i was teary-eyed as i watched him take a left on roswell towards the interstate. having the chance to call him my roommate has been nothing but an honor and a privilege. clark knows how to make any night fabulous and so fun, and it will be quite hard to adjust to his absence. who will watch the real housewives of orange county on monday nights with me?! i am now taking applicants for the position. 🙂
this post is a dedication to the best younger brother i could ever have asked to have in my life. clark, you are a talented, intelligent, and passionate young man. our friendship is irreplaceable and will always have a prominent place in my heart. chicago is lucky to you have you in their town, and expect a visit from me before too long.
kelsey v 