If I had a dime for every time I've heard someone say they just can't find good pizza in Atlanta, I could buy a lot of slices, all with extra cheese. Frankly, the comment never ceases to astonish me. That is, until I remember that it's usually uttered by carpetbagging Yankee new-comers who likely haven't … Continue reading Ten Places to Get Amazing Pizza in Atlanta
Category: Food
Review: J. D. Rothschild’s Hot Chocolate Blend
The best hot chocolate I've ever tried came from a friend's mother some (I think) 25 years ago, who made hers from shaved gourmet chocolate and fresh, creamy milk. Nothing else I've tried has come close, alas. Nothing, that is, until I tried a tin of J. D. Rothschild's Premium Hot Chocolate blend over the snowy Christmas holiday. It's probably not fair to compare a powder from a can to a 25-year-old memory of melting shaved chocolate, but I am happy to report that J. D. Rothschild's holds its own just fine.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Pastries A Go Go Candi's for Breakfast at the Irwin Street Market The Marlay House Pub Parker's On Ponce Steak House Actually, this isn't a review of those meals, specifically. The truth is, I am for all of them. This is about some truly outstanding and more or less undiscovered gems where you can find … Continue reading Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Jake’s Hot Fudge and Capobianco’s
Jake's had no hot fudge. For an ice cream shop, that seems, well, wrong. It's like that one blemish that keeps it from perfection. The very next day, I received a message from Jake Rothschild himself, the Jake, Jake of Jake's. Jake assured me that the rumors were true. Homemade hot fudge is on the way. In fact, if I would come down and be the official taster, he would name the hot fudge after me. A blogger's work is never done. Since I take my responsibilities very seriously, I agreed. Someone, after all, has to do it. The whole name thing, of course, has nothing to do with it. Not to kill the suspense, but since I was the official taster, and the product is named for me, it's not much of a stretch to imagine that the review is (spoiler alert!) going to be a good one. The simple truth is, the reality far exceeded my expectations. It is, quite simply, the best I've ever tasted. Speaking of handmade, the Irwin Street Market also boasts a bakery called Capobianco's, which bills itself as "the King of Cannolis." They are fantastic. The pastry is light and wonderful, and the fillings of sweetened, whipped ricotta and chocolate chips are to die for. They also offer a surprising (and constantly evolving) list of variations, including chocolate dipped (I suspect Jake may have something to do with that chocolate sauce, although that is just speculation), chocolate mint, and even blueberry. The blueberry is amazing. When I was tasting Jake's Hot Fudge, I overheard Franky Capobianco, the baker himself, ordering fresh mango. That's a variety I can't wait to try.
Jake’s Ice Cream at the Irwin Street Market
I first discovered Jake's Ice Cream about six or seven years ago (thanks to my pal Katy) and I've loved it ever since. It is, quite frankly, the best I've ever had, bar none. And believe me, I've tried quite a bit. I love good ice cream. Jake's is hand made in small batches, and while it's much harder than soft serve, it's still softer than most. It actually tastes like what you might get out of a real, honest-to-God, old fashioned churn at home, if you had the genius to concoct such amazing recipes as Chocolate Slap Yo Mama and Brown Sugah Vanilla.
Grocery Items: Bacon and Tomato Sauce
When I titled the blog, I was still intending to review mostly books. But since I left the the door open, and since the weekend is the time for grocery shopping (otherwise, you miss the really long lines, and the fact that they're out of a lot of stuff), I'm going to pass along a few tips. Specifically, I highly recommend Dei Fratelli brand tomato sauce and Wright Brand Bacon for my bacon-eating friends.
