Atlanta Quarantine Eats Week 5
Welcome to Week 5 (7/15 - 7/19) of Quarantine Eats.
Nizar (my husband) and I have yet to dine in at a restaurant since the beginning of quarantine. We are exclusively team takeout! 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! 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.
weekend summary
wednesday, july 15th
dessert
Atlanta Delivery
The latest entrant into what I like to call “Pandemic Pastry” delivery is Iridescent Bakery! Ashley Hill, currently a baker at The Little Tart Bakeshop, started a surprise pastry delivery service just one month ago. As we can all appreciate, having quality food delivered to your front door has been key during this pandemic. Ashely realized the same and decided to finally start her concept!
While most of her time is dedicated to The Little Tart Bakeshop, each week she is able to deliver 24 uniquely crafted pastry boxes. Pastries change weekly and are delivered to your doorstep on Monday or Wednesday, perfect for a mid-week pick-me-up. Each surprise pastry box costs $15 and comes with the following (copied from Instagram).
1 savory bun (veggie and non-veggie optional)
1 sweet bun (changes weekly)
1 surprise pastry (could be a scone, muffin, mini cake, etc)
2 cookies
My box included a Strawberry Danish Bun with a Lemon Poppy Seed Crumb, a Five Spice Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffin, a Savory Bun with Sautéed Brussel Sprouts, Mushroom and Goat Cheese, a Thai Tea Snickerdoodle cookie and a Chocolate Chip cookie. I’ve been following her Instagram account for a few weeks now and I’m really interested in trying the cereal milk cream bun and the scones! She is currently not taking custom orders, but hopes to be able to offer it in the near future!
And fun fact, does her branding remind you of anything? If you said “I Dream of Jeanie”, then you are correct! Ashley liked the “spacey, sparkly, mythical” feel to it. And also to quote Ashely, “the color Iridescent is unique and unmatched. That’s the idea behind my pop-up Bakeshop. And it’s also a tribute to both of my grandmothers, who both have ‘iridescent’ like personalities”. So go support this female, #blackowned, Atlanta business when you get a chance!
Ordering: Orders can be placed via DM and payment is accepted via Venmo. Orders are accepted up to one week in advance or the day before depending on availability. I would reserve a week out since it’s been selling out so quickly!
ZdApproved Eats: Thai Tea Snickerdoodle Cookie & Five-Spice Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffin
chai break
International Delivery or Local Atlanta Pick-Up
There’s something soothing about making chai or even better, watching Monica, of The Chai Box, make stovetop chai every morning. Chai has always been a staple in my Indian-Pakistani household and something Nizar and I continue to drink in our own home. While I largely grew up drinking “microwave chai”, using “basic” tea bags, there were days when my mom would bring out the good stuff to make stovetop chai, using loose-leaf tea and spices like cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, ginger, etc.
Monica, the co-founder of The Chai Box, has made the act of stove-top tea more accessible with her custom tea blends. There’s a different blend for everyone, including a special rose blend I just tried, Hill Station. In addition to loose-leaf, she also has a chai concentrate that many of the coffee shops around Atlanta use to make Chai lattes or that you can purchase to make easy chai beverages at home. If you’d like to learn the art of the stovetop and double boil chai, then I highly recommend you follow The Chai Box on Instagram. I like making mine with Oatly - the barista edition.
Also, please never ever call it chai tea. Chai means tea, so in essence, you are saying “I would like a tea tea”.
Ordering: You can order for delivery via the website and also check here for where it’s stocked in Atlanta.
ZdApproved Eats: All Chai’d Up and Hill Station
friday, july 17th
dinner
Little Bear has been killing the Covid take-out game! Little Bear opened their new restaurant shortly before the start of the pandemic and had to completely shift gears. I want to thank them for being one of the few restaurants in Atlanta that has yet to open up for indoor/outdoor dining. They converted everything to take-out! I’m sad that I didn’t get to dine in their beautiful space before it closed, but in the meantime, I’ll continue to support their takeout.
The menu is priced out as a tasting menu for 2 people ($55 + tax and tip) with both a non-vegetarian and vegetarian option and even vegan/gluten-free (with advance notice). Each week is inspired by a different country. It started as a way to highlight the countries hit hardest by Covid but slowly evolved as a fun way for Atlanta to “travel” without leaving their house. I got to try Goa (India) week, Morocco week & Korea week. Out of the three weeks, I enjoyed Morocco the most! The dessert, a Meskouta (described by Little Bear as “if a fruit cake & pound cake had a not dry af love child'“), was one of the best desserts I’ve had in quarantine. It was so good that I got the recipe from Chef Jarrett Stieber. I have yet to make it, but plan to soon!
This meal is perfect for a four-course date night!
Ordering: Orders are accepted over the phone at (404) 500-5396 or online. You can order a few days out or anytime before they close. But they do tend to sell out, so I would order earlier in the day rather than later.
ZdApproved Eats: This category isn’t really relevant since the menu changes weekly (sometimes daily), but my single favorite bite was the Meskouta (the dessert in Morocco week).
saturday, july 18th
Breakfast
Nizar and I were both in the mood for bagels and decided to try B-Side again and I’m glad we did. I’m a big fan of wood-fired bagels (love Sarah Dodge’s bagels), so B-Side is the perfect place for it. I would say they are probably 10% smaller than a traditional bagel, like the ones from Emerald City Bagels, but they are delicious. I really enjoy the charred/burnt texture that a wood-fired bagel offers. In addition to bagels, they also offer sandwiches and other provisions for the home. They have a full coffee menu, serving Counter Culture coffee. I shared some pictures below from my dine-in experience last year.
Ordering: Call (404) 748 - 4617 to place and pay for your order for pick-up or walk-up directly and order. FYI - You may have to call a few times before getting through. They only allow four people in at a time, but if you pre-ordered skip the line, go inside and get your order off the table.
ZdApproved Eats: Everything Bagel, Anson Mills Benne Seed Bagel, Olive and Caper Schmear & the Roasted Garlic & Chive Schmear
dessert
Delivery within 60 mile radius of Fayetteville, GA
I get so excited when I find Indian fusion desserts. Tres Leches & Malai in one dessert, how can you say no? Three young ladies from Fayetteville recently started a dessert delivery service - Meetha Muh (which literally translates to “sweet mouth”). I love the name they picked - a “Meetha Muh” typically references the occasion when two couples get engaged and the families feed each other with sweets.
We ordered an 8 x 8 tray of Tres Malai cake ($18) which was also available in an even larger size among other desserts (e.g., Chai Tiramisu). The tray was massive but we were luckily able to share half with my in-laws or we would have been eating it for breakfast, lunch & dinner. Overall, I thought the cake was super moist and the malai flavor really came through. And thanks to my friends Sheila and Alisha for telling me about this pop-up!
Ordering: Order via their Google Form on their Instagram page. Payment is required via Venmo upon confirmation of the order. Delivery and/or pick up is available with 60 miles of Fayetteville, GA. Delivery pricing varies based on distance.
ZD’s Favorite Eats: Tres Malai Cake
DINNER
I originally thought Field Day offered a mostly meat-based menu because of their rave burger reviews, but it turns out their vegetarian dishes are the real stars of the show. Nizar’s been 80% Vegetarian & 20% Pescatarian for over a year now. This also affects what I eat since we mostly share dishes, so we were thrilled that this meal ended up being one of our top five meals in Quarantine and possibly top ten meals in Atlanta ever (I know big statement). Why? Because of how they treated their vegetables. Everything we ordered had its own distinct flavor and was super flavorful. I didn’t even miss the meat. But I do want to try the burger to see what the hype is all about!
Field Day also runs Everyday Market next door which sells local beverages, bread, ready-made meals, coffee, alcohol, and more. I’ve been picking up kombucha by Kea Beverages from them almost every other week for the past two months and have also purchased The Chai Box and Alon’s baguettes in the past. It’s very convenient and the prices are not inflated like most boutique grocery stores in Atlanta.
Ordering: For Field Day, order on the phone and pay in person. Payment isn’t contactless so bring your own pen. For Everyday Market, payment is contactless. They are also open for dine-in.
ZdApproved Eats: Field Day - Honestly, I didn’t dislike anything, but if I had to pick my top three it would probably be the Cucumber salad, Zucchini, and the Field Day salad. Everyday Market - My favorite Kea Kombucha’s are the Hibiscus/Lemongrass and Raspberry/Rose flavors.
Sunday, July 19th
coffee
East Pole Coffee Co. is clearly one of the most well-known spots in Atlanta. They roast their beans in-house and also supply to many of the coffee shops in Atlanta. Pre-Covid, this was probably one of the best places to grab a coffee and get some work done, meet up a friend, etc. While they now have some seats on their outdoor patio, I really appreciate their curbside service! My go-to is either the Chocolate Milk Drink (aka a Mocha Latte but with chocolate milk not syrup) or whatever seasonal beverage they’ve come up with!
Ordering: You can order online for curbside pick-up. Order about 10 - 12 minutes before your arrival with a description of your car. Call when you get there and they will bring it straight to you. Be respectful and wear a mask (even in your car)!
ZdApproved Eats: Chocolate Milk Drink / Seasonal Drink
Lunch / Dinner
I’m so mad that I didn’t go to O4W Pizza when it was actually in the Old 4th Ward, down the street from me. But at least it’s only a ten-minute drive from my in-laws’ place! It’s one of my top five places to get pizza in Atlanta and metro-Atlanta. Rumor has it that they are opening up a “pizza by the slice” concept in the Highlands, but I think Covid might have delayed that.
They are known for their Grandma Pie, a square thin-crust pie, and Detroit style pizza. I’m not a big fan of Detroit style but the thin-crust Grandma Pie is right up my alley. The two reasons I love this place is for their crust and marinara sauce. And while the owner of O4W Pizza is a partner at Nina and Rafi, if you want the real deal you will make the trek OTP.
Ordering: Order online through their site for easy contactless order pick-up. The order is typically ready within 30 minutes of ordering.
ZdApproved Eats: Grandma Pie (Square Pie), Fried Meatball Pizza (Regular Pie) or Old Fashion (Square Pie)
Dessert
Local Grocery Store Pick-Up
Watch out King of Pops, there’s a mother-daughter duo that may be taking over the popsicle game with their dairy-free popsicles! Perennial Pop Co., a #blackowned business, started by a mother-daughter duo is currently available at Candler Park Market, Sevananda Market, Life Bistro, Buford Highway Farmer’s Market and if you happen to be a Fresh Harvest customer like me, you can add on a four-pack to your order!
Most of the popsicles were sold out when I went to Candler Park Market, so I was only able to grab the mango and coffee, but both were excellent. Instead of dairy, the popsicles are made with rice milk and coconut milk. The flavor combination of mango and coconut was perfection. And they use Batdorf & Bronson for the coffee popsicle, so the coffee flavor really comes through. I’m on the lookout for their matcha coconut, raspberry lavender and vanilla rose flavors next!
Ordering: Find them at Candler Park Market, Sevananda Market, Life Bistro or Buford Highway Farmer’s Market. See their website for more locations.
ZdApproved Eats: Mango & Coffee Popsicles
Have you tried any of these places? Let me know in the comments below! And WEAR A MASK!