Atlanta Quarantine Eats Week 4
Today marks Week 4 (7/10 - 7/12) of my Quarantine Eats series. If you’ve been following along, thank you! If you would like to see something else or have any (constructive) feedback shoot me a DM on Instagram or head to the About page and send me a note.
The goal of this series is to hopefully inspire some of you to try a new spot, support a restaurant impacted by Covid-19, support a black-owned business, or just try some darn good food! My historical posts always rendered an opinion on a three point scale, but during this time I’m going to refrain from doing that!
Instagram Giveaway Clue
This week, I’m also doing my first giveaway on Instagram, celebrating the first year of my website. The giveaway requires you to find a clue hidden in my post below. May the odds be ever in your favor!
***
What’s my favorite type of food? And you won’t just be able to search for the word “favorite”, I worded it differently. Start reading to find out!
weekend summary
Friday, July 10th
Lunch #1
590 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30312
Old 4th Ward
I’ve been going to Lotta Frutta for at least eight years now. If you haven’t been, it’s the most colorful spot in the Old 4th Ward where you can enjoy Latin-inspired desserts, drinks, and more. They also have a location in the airport but it's not nearly as good as their original location. While Lotta Frutta may be known for their fruit cups and juices/shakes, one of our favorite items is their Just Veggin’ sandwich. It’s served with a small container of chulpe, fried corn kernels, and it’s the best thing ever! We always order an extra side of that. Also, who doesn’t want an umbrella in their drink?
Ordering: Order and pay online. Option to order and pay in person as well with contactless payment.
ZD’s Favorite Eats: Cremolatta Fruit Cup, Mucho Mango Shake & Just Veggin’ Sandwich
Lunch #2 / Dessert
I don’t know why it took me so long to try My Abuela’s Food / La Dolce Madness, but I’m so glad I did. Both businesses operate out of The Spindle Kitchen / Bar in the Old 4th Ward. The Spindle Kitchen has been a long time supporter of Atlanta’s pop-up scene. While My Abuela’s Food / La Dolce Madness are now the resident pop-ups they have continued that same spirit by collaborating with other pop-ups for Sunday brunch - including a lot of vegan pop-ups!
This pop-up serves up amazing Puerto Rican eats with plenty of vegetarian and vegan alternatives. I ordered the Pastrami Sandwich (El de Pastrami) with Tostones. The pastrami is sourced from a #blackownedbusiness, Philips Barbecue Co., and is sure to put you in a satisfying food coma. The sandwich is a monster and can feed two people. Next time I want to try Vegan Mr. Pig which features jackfruit instead of pastrami. Two people have told me it’s their favorite dish!
And you cannot, I repeat cannot skip out on the tostones, which are double-fried plantains, served with a mayo-ketchup blend sauce. They also have empanadas and maduros on the menu, so there is much more to try!
Lastly, don’t forget to check out La Dolce Madness’ dessert. We decided on the flan and tres leches but there were so many options, so I’ll have to make a trip back.
Ordering: Order and pay online. Option to order and pay in person as well with contactless payment.
ZD’s Favorite Eats: Tostones & Flan
Saturday, july 11th
Coffee
Cafe Comma had their grand opening less than a month ago and I think every single food blogger I know has already been. So are the drinks are good as they look? I think so? Cafe Comma uses East Pole Coffee to make gorgeous & indulgent drinks. I think what makes them unique is the cream top. It adds an extra layer of flavor, you almost don’t miss the latte art.
The Deep Cacao Latte felt like we were drinking a very indulgent coffee milkshake. The Comma Creme (pictured above) was a tad lighter, made of a cold brew and a cream top - mix well for a lighter / refreshing drink. The rest of the menu sounds very intriguing with drinks like “pistachio cream top” and “black sugar”. I hope they come out with a sampler option in espresso-sized cups so that I can try all the drinks!
In addition to pretty drinks, they also make pretty toasts! We opted out of the toasts since there was such a long line that day. They allow six people inside at a time to order and are open for indoor and outdoor dining, so we were just a tad nervous. But the staff was very safe and wearing masks! I would recommend going back on a weekday or at an odd time on the weekend to avoid the crowds.
Lastly, thank you to Christine Wang for sharing her pictures with me! I didn’t get the best pictures, but she delivered! The middle four pictures in the gallery below and the feature picture were all taken by her!
Ordering: Orders are placed in person (indoors). They allow six people in at a time. Payment is contactless.
ZD’s Favorite Eats: Deep Cacao Latte
Sunday, July 12th
Breakfast
Grant Park Farmer’s Market is the place to be on Sunday mornings. They have some of the best vendors of any farmer’s market in Atlanta. I’m not sure when they moved the location, but instead of the actual park, the market now takes place in the parking lot of Eventide Brewing / The Beacon.
I won’t lie, there were a lot of people but they had hand-washing / sanitization station before you “enter” the market. And it seemed like all the vendors and guests were wearing masks. So overall we felt pretty safe.
We were in and out pretty quickly but grabbed stuff from Osono Bread, Ry’s Table & Antonio’s Fresh Pasta. I really wanted flowers from Chattahoochee Queen, but the line was long and we had somewhere to be, but next time! Also, don’t forget to bring your own reusable bag to store all your goodies and although they are open from 9 am - 1 pm, things tend to sell out early.
Osono Bread
If you know me, I am pretty loyal with my bread choices but decided to branch out for a change! And look how pretty the bread was! Osono Bread started her own bread business back in 2018 with the goal of using 100 percent regional grains and flours. We ordered a small loaf of the Country Sourdough but there were so many other options like Sesame & Spelt and Multigrain bread. I’ll be back for those. And the good news is that you can preorder the bread for pick-up at Grant Park Farmer’s Market or Freewheel Farms (alternating weekends). Some bread is also reserved for walk-ups but if you show up too late, it may be sold out.
Ry’s Table
You know I really like a place when I go for two weekends in a row! Check out Quarantine Eats Week 3 for more information. But in a nutshell, Ryanne of Ry’s Table is a concept focused on seasonally driven cuisine with Thai & Ayurvedic influences. This past Sunday, Ryanne was selling her superfoods granola line, Supanola, along with three sweet and savory bowls. We grabbed the Honey Bowl, made with her homemade coconut yogurt, and the Cacao Bowl, a chocolate chia seed pudding. Both excellent, not overly sweet and the perfect healthy breakfast!
You can find her on certain weekends at the Green Market at Piedmont Park (Park Tavern) or the Grant Park Farmer’s Market.
Dinner
The cuisine I enjoy eating the most is Thai food!!! But I feel like the Thai food in Atlanta is often mediocre. Talat Market helps to fill this void. The dishes I’ve tried at Talat Market are very different from what you get at your traditional Thai restaurants. For instance, I have yet to see Pad Thai on the menu but the flavors are all there, just elevated.
Oh, and by the way, they opened during a pandemic! Thankfully, Talat Market has a long time following from their pop-up days and has been pumping out delicious Thai meals week over week since opening their brick n’ mortar in late April / early May. They originally started with a tasting menu model but now have switched to a la carte. The feature picture is from our first meal, but I’ve included more below from our recent meal. Most of the dishes we ordered had the perfect amount of spice, except for the Shrimp Fried Rice. But pro-tip from Sonya Habib, ask them to make your shrimp fried rice spicy!
And if it wasn’t obvious, I loved our meals! Like loved, loved! Top five meals in quarantine!
Ordering: Order and pay online only and the meal is brought directly to your car.
ZD’s Favorite Eats: Fruit Salad, Shrimp Crackers & Coconut Thai Tea (the rest of the menu changes often, but these three have been fairly constant).
Have you tried any of these places? Let me know in the comments below! And WEAR A MASK!