Living at home this summer? Not my jam. After 3 summers at home in the ATL, I’m ready to get out and about rather than being cooped up with my parents. But never fear – living at home wasn’t all bad. I got to spend an absurd amount of time around my favorite thing in the world: food.
The internship? I worked for a restaurant group in Atlanta that runs two of the greatest and most successful restaurants in the city, Holeman and Finch Public House and Restaurant Eugene. But really, check ‘em out. I’m not saying I know more about food and the food industry than the average person … but wait, I actually do.
After spending 3 months in the ATL, I’ve had plenty of time to eat several delicious meals and revisit all my favorite restaurants, as well as try out some newbies. So when a friend from high school called and asked if I wanted to get dinner, I was (duh) game. This particular friend has never worked a day in her life and has constant access to her parents’ credit card, so let’s say she has quite a refined palate. She is the kind of person who doesn’t think $17 is pricey for a cheeseburger and has never been a babysitter slave on a weekend in order to afford that to-die-for pair of jeans. So of course she suggested a rather expensive restaurant, a “go with your parents” restaurant, because with $30 entrees, if you go by yourself you’re guaranteed to leave either hungry or broke.
Immediately, I suggested that we eat at the upstairs bar, because having spent a summer interning for one of these “go with your parents” restaurants, I know that the bar almost always has cheaper menu options and drink specials. And this restaurant, JCT Kitchen on the trendy Westside, is no exception. First, I was thrilled to see that sangria was the drink special of the night. For some reason, sangria has become my drink of the summer, as I feel like every restaurant I’ve been to since turning 21 of course, offers a “specialty” sangria. So at JCT I pleasantly ordered a $6 glass of sangria, as did my friend. We were brought the menu and read it as we sipped our sweet drinks.
I was also thrilled to see “angry mussels” on their bar menu. After spending last summer in Italy, I am actually quite proud of my love for mussels, an under-appreciated seafood in America that Europe (especially southern Europe) embraces at all times of the day. I also knew that my dining companion doesn’t care for seafood, so I knew she wouldn’t ask to try any of mine (one of my pet peeves).
For anyone trying to save money at a nice dinner AND trying to get a satisfying meal without getting too full, mussels are perfect go-to. First, they usually come as an appetizer, meaning smaller portions with a smaller price tag. Second, the part of the mussel you actually eat is so small and protein-filled that it’s easy to feel like you’re eating well. Third, the actual act of taking the edible part of the mussel out of the shell will take up about half of your eating time, making you feel like you’ve eaten more than you have because you’ve spent as much time with your food as your dining companion.
JCT serves their highbrow mussels in a buttery broth with onions, thick slices of bacon and serrano peppers to add a little kick and make them truly “angry.” After my big bowl of mussels, and two (… or three) glasses of red wine sangria, I was pleasantly surprised to leave feeling just the right amount of full: full enough to be able to confidently turn down the dessert menu, but not so full that I had to secretly unbutton my pants when I got back in my car. Also, ordering an appetizer for dinner only cost me $9! A successful Thursday night, indeed.