“It’s upsetting me and my homegirls. Because if you can’t go to Bella Noche, then where can you go?” If you are a food expert and chief officer of the taste buds like me, then being in a new city and having no idea where to get the best cuisine is very much upsetting. When I picked my university, I had forgotten to consider the most important element of the city: the restaurants. As the New Girl in town, it’s difficult to navigate where to go out to eat when you are used to being the residential foodie. Back home, I knew where the best barbecue, the best sushi, and the best soul food was and I could give any visitor of my city a list of the necessary restaurant experiences.
The truth of the matter is that going out to eat is my favorite pastime. When some women get old and wrinkly they talk about childhood memories or moments with friends, but me, I’m going to talk about the fall of 2020 when I feasted on baked mac n’ cheese with the right amount of cheese to noodle ratio. I’m not the kind of girl who’s afraid to throw down at the dinner table when needed. Though, I have mastered a certain elegance to eating a slab of ribs.
But, here I am as the new girl in this new city without a clue to all of the hole-in-a-wall eateries to feast on when I get a break from the cafeteria food. So, it’s time to do some much needed research on the delicacies that are amongst the streets of Atlanta, Georgia.
Now, I’m a southern-bred-barbecue-sauce-finger lickin’-good kind of girl, so I must find the place that has the best barbecue. I’m from Memphis, Tennessee, and we are known for our sweet, smoky flavors that make your tongue dance. It’s crucial that I find the place in Atlanta that feels like home. So, like any member of Gen Z, I looked to Google and twiddled my thumbs ferociously until I found…. Pit Boss BBQ & Spirits. Now, based on the pictures of the website everything looks scrumptious. But, a real foodie knows that the true opinions on the food are in the reviews. So, when the customer described the ribs to have fallen off the bone and another person used the word tender, I knew it was the place for me. One can tell quite a bit about barbecue based on the color of the smoked meat. It’s the color in between a glossy brown and a toasty, warm red, and this restaurant hit the nail on the head. Pit Boss BBQ & Spirits, I may just have to take that 6 hour drive.
Now, I don’t know if any of you reading this can relate, but after I eat a nice meal I like to top it off with a five course meal delicacy: dessert. The sweetness to counter the savory is just what I need to bless my soul. I knew my next step in my restaurant search. Again, like any member of Gen Z I twiddled my thumbs and I found…. The Sugar Factory. Can we say sweet tooth overload, because the images on this restaurant were full of cookie and doughnut ice cream sandwiches. Honestly, with the way my metabolism functions, I probably gained a few pounds just by looking at the pictures. But, it looks worth it. All the reviews talked about the high energy staff and the great desserts. Truthfully, those descriptions sound like heaven on earth. So, Sugar Factory, that 6 hour drive may just be worth taking.
I am the New Girl in this New City. At first I may feel alone. But, my taste buds won’t. Loves, don’t be afraid of your love for food, but rather embrace it and nourish it. MAKE THOSE TASTE BUDS DANCE! My goodness, all this talk of food has made me really quite hungry. I think my body deserves a salad after all of this virtual food binging.