Atlanta Quarantine Eats Week 7
Welcome to Week 7 (7/31 - 8/2) 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
Click on the images below to explore the restaurants covered in Quarantine Eats Week 7!
Friday, July 31st
Athens Breakfast Tour
athens breakfast #1
If this pancake doesn’t make you want to drive to Athens right now then I don’t know what will! The Plate Sale, a #blackownedatl Southern-American concept, is currently offering breakfast and lunch items at Hendershots Coffee in Athens on Tuesday - Saturdays from 9 am - 5 pm. I first tried their food at a Lazy Betty pop-up and was really impressed with their duck and turnip puree dish, so when I heard they were preparing biscuits and “puffy” pancakes in Athens, we had to make a day trip!
The puffy pancake (aka a Dutch Baby pancake) had a french toast/custard-like taste and the syrup & peaches it was paired with took it to another level. I have nothing but good things to say about this pancake. I would highly encourage you to eat the pancake right away, while it’s still warm! We also really enjoyed their biscuits.
Breakfast is served all day, but their lunch items are available starting at 11 am. They post their menu on Instagram every day and also notate if they are taking the day off, so keep checking before you make the drive! We made a few more stops on our Athens Breakfast Tour, so didn’t have the room for coffee from Hendershots, but will definitely give it a try next time!
FYI…there are a few parallel spots for free 15-minute parking, otherwise, it’s paid parking via Park Mobile.
Dining: Closed for indoor dining but has around eight to ten patio tables for outdoor dining.
Ordering: You can order in person or in advance on Hendershots Coffee’s website. Just look for “The Plate Sale” drop-down. I would order around 20 - 30 minutes before your desired pick-up time. The pancake takes 10-15 minutes to be prepared. When you arrive, just walk up to the green garage door and give your name (if the door isn’t open, ring the doorbell).
ZdApproved Eats: Puffy Pancake & Biscuits
athens breakfast #2
Independent Baking Co. offers a wide variety of pastries and bread in Athens. By the time we went (around noon) a lot of the pastries were sold out, but there was still plenty of bread! We enjoyed our croissant and ciabatta bread. My mother-in-law also said that the morning roll was delicious! They also offer Counter Culture coffee.
Ordering: Orders are accepted in-person via mobile pay/credit card (they have installed plexiglass). They only allow two people in the store at a time.
ZdApproved Eats: Croissant, Ciabatta Bread & Morning Roll
athens breakfast/Dessert #3
Condor Chocolates was founded and is based out of Athens, Georgia. Some of you may remember that they had a pop-up in West Midtown for quite some time but if you want the full experience then come to Athens. Along with their chocolate bars and chocolate truffles, they have a full menu of coffee and chocolate beverages.
Located across the street from Independent Baking Co., I ordered the coffee-cacao nib smoothie - which was a tad too healthy for me (no added sugar, made with unsweetened coconut/almond milk + cacao powder), but it had good flavor. Next time I would go for the milkshake. But the real treat was the truffles. I’m bummed we didn’t order more! The Yuzu, Mocha & Caramel truffles were our favorite! Luckily they ship (with a hefty delivery fee of course). But if you are looking to send a gift, then this would be a great idea!
Ordering: You can pre-order online or in-person via mobile pay/credit card. They only allow two people in the store at a time and also have some outdoor patio seating.
ZdApproved Eats: Yuzu, Mocha & Caramel Truffles
saturday, August 1st
Dessert
Kirkwood
Hello, hello will you look at this Halo Halo! I’m so glad that Kamayan, an Atlanta Filipino pop-up, decided to sell their desserts a la carte during this pandemic. I finally got the chance to try the infamous Halo Halo, which is a shaved ice dessert made with mixed jellies, ice, condensed milk, flan, ice cream + lots and lots more! My favorite part of the dessert was the flan and what I think was either Ube or Taro ice cream!
In addition to Halo Halo, their pop-ups usually offer slices of Ube Flan or Cassava Cake and certain savory items as well! They also offer catering and meal request orders, so get in touch if you are looking to switch things up!
Ordering: Check Instagram for updates on their pop-ups and respective menus. Once it is posted, email them your order, wait for confirmation and then pay via Venmo. An address is provided upon confirmation (a house in Kirkwood with a long gravel driveway). Once you arrive, just call and give them your name and they will bring the order out to your car!
ZdApproved Eats: Halo Halo
Dinner #1
We decided to pick-up dinner from two different spots, because there are no rules during quarantine! This was my first time at Dish Dive in over two years and I don’t know why I waited that long! Dish Dive is a Kirkwood neighborhood favorite. It’s a small space with a small but impactful menu! They are currently doing take-out and outdoor dining but closed for indoor dining (if you have been, then you will know why - their inside space is a small box).
We ordered the Dive Salad (a delicious combination of peaches, arugula and goat cheese) and the very well-known and well-liked Mac of Cheese made with cheddar, smoked gouda and bread crumbs. It’s honestly one of the best mac & cheese dishes in Atlanta - it’s more pasta-esque, but we love it! If Nizar was eating meat, then I would have also ordered their Hanger Steak!
And I recently saw that on certain Mondays/Tuesdays, Bhojanic has been parking their food truck at Dish Dive for to-go order pickups! And Two Clocks (a new pop-up) is hosting coffee pop-ups on Saturdays, Sundays & Mondays from 8 am - 1 pm (until September 10th).
Ordering: Text or call with your order. Payment is accepted in person via mobile pay/credit card.
ZdApproved Eats: Mac of Cheese
Dinner #2
If you asked me for a list of my top ten restaurants in Atlanta, then Boccalupo would be on it! We have have ordered take-out four times since late March. Their food is easily re-heatable and tastes just like dine-in. It also helps that it’s walking distance from us, so we can enjoy the food pretty quickly after picking up!
But really, their Italian-ish cuisine is some of my favorite in Atlanta. There are a few core items that stay, but the ingredients (based on seasonality) change daily/weekly. I wish I ate pork so that I could try the Black Spaghetti (what they are known for) but I am always happy with the fettuccini and risotto dishes. We also always get one of the seasonal starters. This past weekend, we ordered the Shiitake Mushroom Steamed Bun - amazing flavor and texture.
Do not skip dessert, I repeat DO NOT SKIP DESSERT. We always get the Panna Cotta, because it’s the best in Atlanta (find me a better one I dare you), but also tried their cookies this time and was blown away. The cookie order comes with 1 Double Chocolate Chip & 1 Oatmeal Raisin. Nizar hates oatmeal raisin but was obsessed with this one
Pre-pandemic, if you wanted to dine-in at Boccalupo you had to make a reservation at least 2 - 4 weeks out. So don’t be surprised if they sell out of food by the time the cravings hit! Go all out when you order from here!
Ordering: Order and pay online via Toast or over the phone. Orders can be placed from 3 pm - 8:30 pm. But if they sell out or get overloaded with orders, then they will shut down online ordering. To pick-up your order, walk-in from the front door - grab your order from the table and exit from the side door.
ZdApproved Eats: Seasonal starters, Fettuccini, Cookies & Panna Cotta
sunday, August 2nd
coffee
Yay! I don’t have to drive to Stone Mountain for my Gilly fix anymore! For the time being, Gilly Brew Bar, a #blackownedatl coffee shop, will be popping up at Radio Roasters in Decatur on Saturdays & Sundays from 9 am - 4 pm. I wrote about their other pop-up in Quarantine Eats Week 1, but all you need to know is that they make the most creative drinks and seasonal elixirs.
The Decatur pop-up, unfortunately, does not offer the new “Rona” Elixirs - you will have to make the drive to Stone Mountain for that. But their plan is to have at least one new Elixir per week at the Decatur location (I believe this weekend they will be offering the Frida).
Pictured is the Brooklyn Moss - Ginger Beer + Matcha - a very refreshing drink for a hot day!
Ordering: Walk-in to Radio Roasters and place your order. Pay via mobile pay/credit card and complete the transaction on their phone. They do not have indoor seating but there are some patio tables.
ZdApproved Eats: Brooklyn Moss & Lavender Latte
brunch
Southern Belle is an innovative Southern-American concept by the former chef at Gunshow, Joey Ward that opened in late 2019. Luckily, I got to enjoy dine-in before the pandemic hit! Post-pandemic they completely evolved their menu to be take-out friendly. I’ve ordered for both dinner and brunch and they have been great, although I have a slight preference for dinner. If you are looking for the full experience including dessert prepared on Delta service cart (included a picture below from December 2019), then they are open for outdoor dining. But don’t worry you can still get their signature Biscoff Sticky Toffee Pudding to go!
They offer a set menu each week for dinner with enough food for two people as well as the option to order a-la-carte from their patio menu. For brunch, as of two weeks ago, you can now order a-la-carte. We had a little issue with our order and had to drive back, but they promptly fixed it, gave us a gift card and an off-menu item the pictured Vegan Corn fritters that ended up being our favorite dish! The biscuits are also pretty good and massive!
Overall, I’ve been really impressed with their dinner, packaging and overall taste. Seasonal, high quality & flavorful.
Ordering: Order and pay via Toast (30 minutes before pick-up). Walk-up to the front entrance, give them your name and get your order!
ZD’s Favorite Eats: The menu changes frequently but from last weekend the Corn Fritters (off-menu), the Trout & Sticky Toffee Pudding!
dinner
Pre-pandemic, everyone came to Lanzhou Ramen to watch the chef hand pulling/cutting the noodles through the kitchen window. Unfortunately, you can no longer see the noodle show in action, but at least you can get them for take-out!
In the past, I have ordered their shrimp ramen bowl (tastes more like pho to me), so this time we decided to try the stir-fried noodles. When you order, you have the option to pick your noodle type (we picked the hand-pulled noodles) and whether you want them spicy stir-fried or cumin-stir fried. We went with spicy noodles and were very happy with that decision. So when the noodle craving hits next, give Lanzhou Ramen a try!
Ordering: Place your order online via GrubHub (I did it through Yelp) or ChowBus. They have installed plexiglass at their entrance, so when you come to pick-up your order, they ask for your name and then place your food in a cubby for you to retrieve.
ZdApproved Eats: Spicy Shrimp Hand-Pulled Stir-Fried Noodles
Have you tried any of these places? Let me know in the comments below! And WEAR A MASK!