2 Days of Warner Robins BBQ

BBQ Sandwich with slaw on the bun and fries

This week I had the pleasure of driving to Warner Robins, Georgia two times for work. While I was there I decided to check out the barbecue selection. First I tried Fincher's (food pictured above). The sauce seemed to drown out the taste of the barbecue, but it was still tasty. They have several locations in Warner Robins and in Macon.

Nice sign!

Down home environs at the Davis St. location

The next day I had lunch at When Pigs Fly BBQ where I had some tasty pulled pork, cole slaw and fried okra (not pictured). I found this place superior to Fincher's, mostly because it was served without sauce and there were three varieties of sauce for you to use to dress your own 'cue.

I've heard it's a good sign when they don't spell things right...

Pork plate with slaw and Texas toast

When Pigs Fly BBQ

102 S 1st St
Warner Robins, GA 31088

(478) 922-3595

Front Page News

I met up with a couple of colleagues at the Moreland Avenue location of Front Page News. We discussed our child advocacy and adoption law experiences and dined on some decent bar food. My turkey wrap was pretty good, with tasty, no mayo pasta salad and the spinach dip had a lot of real spinach in it. The atmosphere is what this place is all about, though, with a huge outdoor patio and bar with fountain.

Veggie Burger and Fries

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Turkey Wrap with Pasta Salad

Harry & Sons Do Sushi!

Sake - Salmon Nigri

I'm not sure how, but I lived in Atlanta for over six months before discovering that good, fresh and not outrageously priced sushi is available on Highland Avenue, within walking distance of my stomping grounds. Harry & Sons, which is owned by the folks who own Surin of Thailand, is a nice spot for sushi. Thai dishes are also served. The salmon nigri, above, was excellent. I may be biased, however, as salmon is my favorite kind of sushi. We also tried the seaweed salad and two of the sushi combos. Everything was tasty and nothing was left at the end of the meal. Ben & Jerry's is right down the street, so if you crave a sweet treat afterwards, that is one good option.

Seaweed Salad

Combo #3: Double Shrimp and Spicy Tuna

Combo #2: Spicy Shrimp and Rock & Roll (Eel and Avocado)

On another visit (3/24/2009) I arrived in time for the $1 sushi menu, which is available Monday through Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. The sushi was delicious and a great deal for sure! I also sampled the spicy beef salad, which had a wonderfully spicy, tangy dressing.

Sushi from the $1 menu - more salmon!



Spicy Beef Salad.

Panahar Bangladeshi Cuisine

Panahar is one of my favorite spots in Atlanta. In addition to a fabulous dinner menu and an owner who loves to educate customers about this tasty cuisine, the restaurant has a very delicious, diverse and affordable lunch buffet including meat and vegetarian options as well as fresh naan (bread cooked in Tandoori oven) and dessert. Many of the dishes are similar to Indian cuisine. Most recently my dining companion and I feasted on the below dishes and even had leftovers for lunch the next day!

Mango Lassi

Vegetable Pakoras with Tamarind Sauce and Mint Chutney

Top Left: Bhoona Maang-sho with Shrimp; Bottom Left: Teek-ka Moshol-la with Lamb; Center: Naan stuffed with chopped onion and cilantro; Right: Basmati Rice (bet you knew that one!)

Panahar Bangladeshi Cuisine (Northeast Plaza)
3375 Buford Highway, Suite 1060
Atlanta, Georgia 30329
404-633-6655
panahar@aol.com
Website

Berries in Action

Strawberry Shortcake

With the wonderful strawberries we picked on Saturday I baked a basic yellow cake, sliced strawberries on top, whipped some cream with a pinch of sugar and plopped some of the perfect, stemmed berries on top. It was a hit with the office and the book club!

Yum!

Piggin' Out

Amy with the Tasty Pig.

Anyplace with a mascot like this is bound to be tasty! Following our strawberry picking jaunt, ravenous and on the prowl for something to fill our tummies, we stumbled across A&J's Bar-B-Q just down the road from the farm. As we'd hoped, the meat was tender and succulent, the sides satisfied and the genuine service can't be beat. The sauce was pretty tasty as well - they had a regular and a hot and spicy BBQ sauce, which I gladly used both for my sandwich and for my fries. I will remember this place for the next time I go picking berries!

Outside the building - the authentic look was a good sign!

Order at the Counter!

Nice booths with nostalgic photos and model planes round out the atmosphere

Pulled Pork Sandwich with Slaw and Fries

Sliced Beef with Turnip Greens and Sweet Potatoes

A&J Tasty Pig BBQ 2662 Loganville Highway, Grayson, GA 30017

(770) 682-5211

Strawberry Power!

Our Bucket 'O Strawberries

Yesterday morning a couple of friends and I ventured out to Loganville, GA to pick fresh strawberries from Washington Farms. About 45 minutes outside of Atlanta, Washington Farms produces strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and pumpkins throughout the year. We had a fun time picking the sweet, juicy berries and it was nice to get out of town, even if only for a little while.

Kimberly and Calvin picking Berries

Fresh Strawberries, right off the vine!

Calvin Holds the Perfect Berry

A Close Up!

Kimberly Keeps Her Berries Cool!

Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday to You!! Cousin Joanne blowing out her candles.

I decided to bake a chocolate buttermilk cake for my Cousin Joanne's birthday this week. I've made this cake for several years (from scratch, of course) and it is always a crowd pleaser. It was fun surprising her on Thursday evening and she and Cousin Craig enjoyed the rich chocolate cake with chocolate frosting! I enjoyed some, too...

AJC Worthy

Amy and Grandma Sarah, April 2008

Check out the article in the Thursday, May 1 Edition of the Atlanta Journal Constitution detailing my Grandma Sarah's life story and her recipe for slaw.

Thai It Up!

Lemon Sea Bass and Spicy Eggplant with Chicken

Little Bangkok on Cheshire Bridge Road is one of my favorite hole in the wall ethnic restaurants. I was first introduced to it by my cousins Joanne and Craig, and as it's quite near where I live and where I work, I've been a regular there since I moved to Atlanta. One of the keys to dining here is to recognize the small specials list that stays on each table. The lemongrass steamed sea bass is like a flavor explosion in your mother - really a unique and tasty dish. Little Bangkok will tailor the spiciness of the dishes to your taste and thankfully, if you ask for it spicy, it really is hot!

A JCT Birthday!

Fried Chicken under a JCT Kitchen Salad

Our office dined at JCT Kitchen to celebrate Lori's birthday. We had a most enjoyable meal, beginning with homemade pickles and wonderful bread with sweet butter (maybe peach flavored?). I talked one of my co-workers into sharing her cheeseburger and fries with me - very tasty. I ordered the above pictured fried chicken salad, which is my favorite salad of the moment. The chicken was so fresh and the salad, with candied pecans, green beans and a light buttermilk ranch, really hit the spot. Others in our group ordered the avocado shrimp salad, the "grown-up" grilled cheese with a cup of corn chowder on the side and the grilled chicken BLT sandwich with avocado - that one was a HUGE sandwich that looked quite tasty.

For dessert we shared the rum soaked coconut cake on which the staff had kindly written "Happy Birthday" in chocolate, lemon doughnuts with espresso ice cream and ginger bread pudding (my personal favorite). JCT Kitchen now offers a special family style Sunday supper for $24 per person. I definitely want to come try that as well as their regular dinner menu.

Homemade Pickles

"Grown-Up" Grilled Cheese with Corn Chowder (usually served with tomato soup, but you can substitute). The bread was a brioche toasted with LOTS of butter!

Grilled Chicken BLT with Avocado and Fries

JCT Burger with White Cheddar and Calorie-worthy Fries

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Lemon Doughnuts with Espresso Ice Cream

Ginger Bread Pudding with Lemon Curd Sauce - my personal favorite!

The Birthday Girl with Rum soaked Coconut Cake

Dancing Lebanese Men!

Mediterranean Delight Platter

Falafel

Yesterday I had a group meeting at Nicola's, an entertaining Lebanese restaurant where, if you're lucky, you might see the owner balance a bottle of wine on his head while doing a bit of a fully clothed belly dance. The food was pretty good - I enjoyed the hummus and the eggplant with rice. I thought the falafel was overspiced, though. Our waiter insisted we try the Turkish coffee, which went quite well with the baklava. On weekends they have belly dancing and apparently the whole place gets up to dance. This I'll have to see, but I may need a drink, or two...