Foodie News x Restaurant Reviews x Hip-Hop Attitude

In 2010, I (Nick Love) spent over 45% of my annual income eating out at some of Atlanta's best (and worst) restaurants. So, who better to guide you through the city's crowded dining terrain?? Now, I, along with my team of Hip-Hop generation foodies, will expose and review ATL's newest hits, hidden gems, and old favorites. Hopefully, this blog will earn us a free meal or two while we point you guys in the direction of some good food and steer you away from the wackness. Let's eat!!!

Mar 30, 2012

THIS SUNDAY: April Fools Day Restaurant Swap

Have you guys heard about the April Fools Day Restaurant Swap at Double Zero Napoletana and The Iberian Pig?  It’s a really dope concept!  Chefs, sous chefs, mixologists, managers, & servers from each restaurant will all swap out and take over the other restaurant for one night.  This basically means that you can enjoy featured entrees in addition to some regular menu items from each restaurant, minus the journey around 285.  So, for those of you that refuse to travel more than 5 miles away from your home to dine, this might be perfect.

To avoid extended waiting periods, reservations should be made BEFORE Sunday, April 1st at the respective restaurant you choose to attend.  Contact Double Zero at 404.991.3666 or The Iberian Pig at 404.371.8800.  

If you decide to attend, leave a comment and let us know how it went. 

Until next time…Happy Eating!

VIDEO: The ATL Bite Life Show Episode 5 - Travis Porter @ Sweet Georgia's Juke Joint!!!

This is the greatest of days and the saddest of days.  We've released the final episode of our inaugural season of ATL Bite Life.  This feeling is weird!  I remember my cousin Mach suggesting this whole idea to me back in September (2011) and now, to see how far this thing has come, it's amazing!!!  5 full episodes, 3 side dishes, an app AND a magazine on the way, and a partridge in a pear tree!  Check the stats, my team winning!!!

On Episode 5, we sat down with one of the hottest young rap groups around, Travis Porter.  Hailing from the Eastside of Atlanta (my hood), these guys have taken all the way off over the last 2 or 3 years!  Radio spins, big videos, top selling singles, sold out concerts, and more.  INCREDIBLE!!!  Remind me to tell you about the time that me and my party promotions company brought them down to Macon, GA for the Fort Valley State homecoming.  The money I made that night was. . . . nevermind.  Lol

Anyway, the guys sat down with me and talked about the origin their oft-confusing group name (everyone thinks Travis Porter is one person), why they signed a major record label deal with Jive Records (in spite of many people advising them not to), and how the strip clubs in Atlanta influence the city's music scene.

Peep the video below.

As always, Happy Eating!  See you next season!

Mar 29, 2012

Creative Loafing Meets Nick Love

The good people over at Creative Loafing decided to do a story on your boy much to my surprise.  Apparently, this "lil' blog", as my friends used to call it, is raising a few eyebrows.  The story came out this past Friday and we promoted it on our Twitter and Facebook pages.  However, it was brought to my attention that since I don't have a "Press" section here on the site, I should post the article here just like our other main stories.  (note to self: Get a Press section).  So, here goes!


Until we eat again!

Mar 27, 2012

Local Restaurant Creates Black & Bleu Sandwich Mocking Rihanna & Chris Brown

So, apparently some of our neighbors a little bit north of the city thought it'd be quite the conversation piece to add a little "star power" to their menu.  Chops & Hops, which is located about an hour outside the city up 85 in Watkinsville, recently took to their Facebook page to announce the unveiling of their new "Black & Bleu" sandwich.  It's a simple enough concoction.  It's a sliced ribeye steak marinated with Caribbean spices with a little bit of bleu cheese, tomato, lettuce, and onion.  Cool, right??  But, it's their description of it that stirred up a little controversy.  On Twitter and Facebook they posted the following:

@chrisbrown @rihanna just teamed up for an award winning celebrity sandwich.  Chris Brown won't beat you up for eating this unless your name starts with a R and ends with A

Like, for real??  Was that really necessary??  To promote a frickin SANDWICH??  Needless to say, that joke didn't go over so well.  Many of the people who caught wind of this were quite upset.  One for the stupid inclusion of the two celebs in this manner.  And, for the careless mockery of domestic violence.  As of today, the sandwich has been totally pulled from the menu. . . INDEFINITELY!!!  The restaurant has been on damage control since this story broke nationally.  Serves them right.

Oh, and did I mention that this is not their first time making some questionable decisions with their celebrity tie ins??  According to other reports, they also chose to make fun of celebrity chef Paula Dean's diabetes with another menu item.  Smh.

What do you think??  Is this too far??  Or, is it just clever marketing??   Is it time to get over this whole thing??  Or, is this just the American way??  I'd LOVE to hear your comments. 

Until we eat again!!!

Mar 26, 2012

Inman Park Restaurant Week (March 26 - April 1)

It's back!!!  Inman Park Restaurant Week is here and it couldn't come at a better time.  There are 3 restaurants that I really want to try - The Albert, Sauced, and Pure Taqueria (which I still haven't tried) - that are participating.  No better time to try a steak restaurant than when the meals are fixed at $25.  Lol.  

I'm hoping to redeem myself from the last IPRW back in September of last year.  I was so busy that week that I didn't get a chance to catch the Prix Fixe deals.  I eventually made it over to Rathbuns and One Eared Stag but I paid the regular prices.  Sad face : (  Not this time though!!!  I'm going in on Wednesday or Thursday.  Who's with me??

If you check out any of the restaurants on the list this week, let us know.  Send some pics or leave a comment below.

Happy Eating!

Mar 23, 2012

Castleberry Gets a New "SPIN" on Pizza


It's pretty well known that some of you Peters St/Castleberry neighborhood regulars are still feeling some kinda way about the closing of Slice aka Black Hollywood's favorite pizza joint.  And, even with it being reborn on Huff Rd as Westside Pie, that void is somehow still there.  But, instead of telling you guys to get over it already, I’m delighted to share the news about the opening of Spin.

According to our friends over at Thrillist, the space that once housed Slice has been taken over by its' former neighbors at 255 and transformed into what they're calling a "neoclassical pizzeria".  Basically, Spin is going to be a more sophisticated, upscale version of its' predecessor complete with a mural of our city’s skyline and an atmosphere filled with warm shades of brown.  From the looks of the pic being released, it screams grown and sexy.

The new contemporary interior of Spin
These guys have thought of every topping anybody could ever want on a pizza.  Options like chicken sausage, goat cheese, and turkey bacon are being offered along with just about any veggie you can think of.  There will also be specialty pies like BBQ jerk chicken.  And, if for some reason you stroll into this pizza haven and DON'T want pizza (smh), they also have sub sandwiches like chicken pesto or meatball subs.  Everyone's a winner!

And let's not leave out the fact that one of our newest comrades, the beer guru himself - Ale Sharpton - was brought in to personally select the beer options available at Spin.  So, you know they’re gonna have the best of the best.  We can't wait to try it out!!!

Contact 255 Tapas Lounge for more info on the opening of Spin.  From what we hear, it looks like it may be next Wednesday or Thursday (March 28 or 29).  Whatever day it is, we'll probably be there.  So, you'll hear about it on our tweets or see some pics on our Facebook

Until next time, Happy Eating!

Mar 22, 2012

VIDEO: An ATL Bite Life Side Dish: Comedian Henry Welch @ LeRoys Fried Chicken!!!

Yep, we're side dishin' it again!!!  This time, it's with one of the funniest guys I know, comedian Henry Welch - "The Most Feared Man in Comedy"!!!  This guy is TOO FUNNY!!!  Some of my most memorable nights at the strip clubs here in Atlanta (Strokers and Roosters in particular) were on days where he was hosting the party.  Henry is likely to say ANYTHING!!!  And, most of the time he does.  Lol. 

We caught up with my dude at the NOW CLOSED LeRoy's Fried Chicken and we got an incredible interview.  I kinda wish we had just put the entire 30 minute clip on here.  Some of the things that we cut out were downright HILARIOUS!!!  But, we still got some good stuff for you.  Henry talks about being on the road with Mike Epps, becoming a teacher in Birmingham, Alabama (his hometown), and why syndicated radio personality Rickey Smiley LIED about filing a RESTRAINING ORDER against him and then STOLE HIS JOKES.  WOW!!!

Side Note: This episode was tough to get thru because the food was not that great.  The people who worked at this place, including the owner, were SOOOOOOO nice to us.  But, even during the taping, we found ourselves looking at each other like "what are we gonna do??"  Do we just get thru the taping and act like it was all good OR do we keep it real on the show??  We chose the former.  But, it also made us install a policy of ALWAYS trying out a restaurant FIRST before we decide to tape there. 

Peep the video below.  And make sure you try to catch our boy Henry on the road. 

As always, Happy Eating!

Mar 20, 2012

Review: BANKHEAD SEAFOOD | Affordable But Not Amazing

Name: Bankhead Fish & Soul 
Cuisine: Seafood / Soul Food
Neighborhood: Westside
Address: 1651 Donald Lee Hollowell NW Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone Number: (404) 794-6904
Website: N/A 

Located on the world famous Bankhead Highway (now known as Donald Lee Hollowell), Bankhead Fish & Soul aka Bankhead Seafood is a hood landmark.  I first heard about this place back in the late 90's in Goodie Mob's southern classic - "Soul Food
Bankhead Seafood, makin' me hit the door with a mind full of attitude - Big Gipp
This takeout restaurant is only open on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  And, on those days, it's only open for four hours (11am-3pm).  If you ever happen to ride past this place, you're very likely to see a line wrapped around the building.  It's nothing for customers to wait upwards of an HOUR to get their food.  And what are they waiting for??  More than likely, it's their famous $5 Fish & Pups Meal. 

The $5 Fish & Pups Meal
For a measly five bucks,you get a takeout container with so much fish in it that they can barely close the top.  That fish is accompanied by 2 rather large hush puppies.  Everything is deep fried and delivered to you hot and fresh.  Sounds good, right??  Well, not so fast.

The fish really ain't that great.  It's not horrible.  BUT, it's not great.  I've read all the Citysearch and Yelp reviews and I'm kinda astonished by the overwhelming praise that Bankhead Seafood gets.  There are a number of places in ATL where you can get better fish.  Merkerson's, Yasin's, and even Supreme Fish Delight come to mind immediately.   I just don't get it.  I mean, the seasoning isn't particularly great, the place is located in the middle of the hood and is kinda run down (reminiscent of Ann's Snack Bar - home of the world famous Ghetto Burger), and, on top of all that, you have to pay for EVERYTHING else separately (including ketchup and tartar sauce).  Am I tripping??

The only reason I can think that people regularly line up at this place is for the VALUE.  Without exaggeration, there's got to be at least 10-12 pieces of fish in those $5 containers.  You could easily feed 2 maybe even 3 or 4 people out of that box.  Add a large side of fries and some cole slaw and you could damn near feed a family for around $12-15.  Not bad at all.  But, if you're gonna tell me that they have the "best fish in Atlanta", I'm not buying it.  #imjustsayin

I'd love to hear you guys thoughts on this place.  Stop by there today and tell me if I'm tripping.  If you've already been to Bankhead Seafood, leave your comments about it below.

Til we eat again!


Grade: C+
What's Great: Portions / Quantity of Food
What Ain't: Parking, Wait Time, Ambiance
Ideal For: Budget Eaters


Bankhead's Fish & Soul on Urbanspoon

Mar 14, 2012

VIDEO: The ATL Bite Life Show Episode 4 - Ray Hitch @ Wing Tyme!!!

#Confession This was hands down my favorite #ATLBiteLife episode to tape this season.  First, my boy Ray Daniels aka Ray Hitch is ALL personality.  Sure, he's not the celebrity name that 2 Chainz or Verse Simmonds or ASAP Rocky is but he can talk that ish with the best of them and he's quite entertaining.  When he gets going on how women should rock when it comes to getting or keeping a man, it's hilarious, provocative, and sometimes offensive.  But, it's NEVER dull.  

Second, the food at Wing Tyme was INCREDIBLE!!!  18 flavors of wings, fried corn nuggets, and TURKEY RIBS!!!  Yes, TURKEY RIBS!!!  I'm gonna stop writing now so I can take a special trip out there RIGHT NOW and get some.

3 things that will stand out in this episode:
  • "Women are like cars and men are like houses"
  • "Steve Harvey is full of shit!!!"
  • "The correct goal for a woman should be to build something WITH a man"
Peep the video below.  Also, check out The Ray Hitch Show - www.youtube.com/raydarfilms

As always, Happy Eating!

Mar 12, 2012

Young Chef's Academy | Cooking Classes for Kids

Name: Young Chef's Academy (3 locations in Metro Atlanta)
Address: 230 Hammond Dr NE Suite 368 Sandy Springs, GA 30328
Phone:404.255.9263
Website: http://www.youngchefsacademy.com

This post is for all of my ATL Bite Lifers with kids.  I've been meaning to tell you guys about this place for almost a month now.  Smh.  Shame on me!!!  It's called the Young Chef's Academy and it's FANTASTIC!!!  

Back around late January/early February, I picked a cooler than usual Saturday morning to do something fun and different and educational with my two daughters.  While I'm glad my girls have mastered Just Dance 3 on the Wii, I really wanted to get them out of the house and put something new in their heads.  Coincidentally, since I've been doing this site, my girls have started to express more of an interest in cooking and eating out (their desire for expensive steaks and crab legs is really starting to worry me).  I guess they wanna live the Bite Life too.  So, I decided to Google "cooking classes for kids; Atlanta".  Result #1 - Young Chef's Academy off of Roswell Rd.

Kaya (9) and Kendall (6) Love aka Slim and Baby the Cash Money Sisters
We walk in the door and I can immediately tell that the girls were really not thrilled at first about the thought of "class" on a Saturday.  Normal kid reaction, I guess.  The smiles you see above were very forced for daddy's camera.  It was like 10 or 11am, they had no idea what they were about to do, and there were about 6 other kids who they didn't know in the class.  Saying they were hesitant would be putting it mildly.

Listening attentively to the teacher
But then the class started.  I stayed just to watch them and make sure they were cool.  And I had to pay the $60 (yes, SIXTY dollars - $35 for the first kid, $25 for each additional child).  The teacher was a young woman who I believe came from one of the nearby culinary schools.  She pulled out a menu and explained to the kids what they'd be preparing that day.  She told the kids that the entire class was INTERACTIVE which meant that they would all be pretty involved with the making of the food and then they all got little aprons.  So far so good.

The Love girls working on a fresh batch of cookies
Once the cooking started, my girls were good to go.  Each ingredient in their meal (that day I believe it was a bean dip, some lemon chicken, and granola cookies) was explained to them in detail.  All of the meals are created to be healthy so each ingredient had a purpose.  For example, there was a reason why avocado was used instead of another less healthy option.  I forget what it was.  But, if my girls weren't at school, I'm sure they'd tell me.

Kaya working that can opener with ease
The class was small.  No more than maybe 8 kids total.  So, each child was given individual attention from the teacher.  Everyone was given a chance to chop, stir, mix, pour, or contribute something to each portion of their meal.  Each class lasts roughly an hour and a half.  Just long enough to get everything in and just short enough to hold the kid's attention and keep them interested throughout.  At the end of the class, the kids get to eat the food they made.  And, parents are given a full menu of what was made that day so the kids can cook it at home. 

Kendall enjoying her pita bread
I would definitely recommend this place for ANY of you Lifers!!!  My girls walked in the door in a very funky mood and left saying "When can we go back??" and "Can we go again tomorrow (Sunday)??"  Uhhh, no!  That hour and a half class cost daddy $60!!!  Lol.  But, their happiness and enjoyment made me want to figure out how to come up with the money to put them in the class on a regular basis or maybe for summer camp (which they do offer).  Worst case scenario, one or both of them will do their birthday party there (which they offer as well).

Give Young Chef's Academy a call or at least visit their website.  I'm sure your kids will love it just as much as mine did.  At least try it once.  You won't be sorry.


Til we eat again!

Mar 9, 2012

VIDEO: ATL Bite Life Talks To Ale Sharpton at The Atlanta Chef's Expo 2012

 
A couple of weeks ago, me and Mach Diesel went on over to The Foundry @ Puritan Mills for the Atlanta Chef's Expo 2012.  It was a pretty cool event.  Lots of good food, some very nice people, and there was even a "Wobble" line dance that broke out.  Lol.  Only in Atlanta! 

Anyway, while we were there, I ran into my boy Ale Sharpton.  He's a new friend that I met thru my cousin Bem.  For those of you who don't know him, he's essentially ATL Bite Life for the beer world.  His show is called Crusin' For A Brewsin' and it's very dope!!!  He also writes columns about beer for several local and national magazines and websites.  He definitely does his thing!!!

We chopped it up a little bit on camera and he schooled me on the finer points of pouring, sipping, and enjoying a cold brew.  In this case, it was a glass of Stella Artois.  Good stuff!!!

Peep the video below.  Also, check out our boy Ale on his site - www.alesharpton.com.

As always, Happy Eating!

Mar 7, 2012

VIDEO: An ATL Bite Life Side Dish: Sheneka Adams @ Yeah! Burger!!!

 
They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  Well, the picture above only says one - WOW!!!  I mean,  what else can be said about Sheneka Adams??  This Athens, GA raised bombshell used social media to catapult herself into magazine spreads, gossip blogs, and celebrity parties.  She's modeling, hosting events, appearing in movies (and the occasional music video) and staying overly relevant in a fast paced internet 3.0 world.  Is it just her ass-ets that keep her in the public eye or is there more to it??  I don't know.  I'm sure that sex tape didn't hurt (no link, fellas).  But, I do know that since I met her one fateful Tuesday evening at Primal nightclub in Midtown back in 2010, she's become the talk of the web.

In our second Side Dish ever, me and Miss Adams took a trip over to Virginia-Highlands to one of my favorite burger spots - Yeah! Burger.   After chopping it up with the owner (who made me love the place even more), I asked Sheneka about making money off of Twitter, her rigorous workout plan (or lack thereof), and which drama-filled reality shows have been knocking down her doors.  Her answers were pretty darn interesting.  And, it just reminded me that she's just a cool ol' country girl from the home of the Bulldogs (peep the UGA hat I'm rockin).

Peep the video below.

As always, Happy Eating!

Mar 5, 2012

The LADIES ONLY Crab Legs Eating Competition | March 31, 2012

Ok, let's go!!!  We've been teasing it for about a month now but it's time to get to it!!!  LADIES, this one is for you!!!  On March 31st, ATL Bite Life along with our sponsor HEINEKEN, will be taking over Cajun Crab House on Butner Rd (off of Camp Creek Pkwy) from 4-7pm for our very first competitive eating contest!!!

We're offering a $250 CASH PRIZE for the woman who can crack open the most crab legs and down them within 10 minutes.  Easy, right??  So many of you ladies have been hitting us on Twitter talking big stuff about how these other girls don't stand a chance.  Well, it's put up or shut up time now!!!  But you gotta be in it to win it.  It costs $10 to enter the competition and we're only allowing a maximum of 12 contestants (first come, first serve).  So I suggest you get there early to claim your spot in the contest.

For everyone else who just wants to come by and check out the competition or for you lightweights who can only eat a normal serving of crab legs, Cajun Crab House is offering a special of 2 CLUSTERS OF CRAB LEGS +  A SIDE OF CORN for $6.99!!!  That's in addition to our Heineken specials that will be going on for the duration of the event.

Three will be a DJ on deck for the event and special appearances from some of your favorite guests from The ATL Bite Life Show.  A portion of the proceeds from the event will be going to Hosea Feed The Hungry.  So you can actually be a glutton for a good cause.  What's better than that??

Tell a friend to tell a friend.  THE ATL BITE LIFE LADIES ONLY CRAB LEGS EATING COMPETITION IS GOING DOWN SATURDAY, MARCH 31ST FROM 4-7PM!!!

Let's eat!!!

Mar 2, 2012

FREE Culinary Classes Thru iTunes U

Have you ever watched your favorite chef dice an onion in what seems like 15 seconds and thought damn, how did they do that?  Or, is there a little chef living inside of you just dying to come out?  Well, wait no longer.  As first reported by Food and More with John Kessler, you can now become the culinary god or goddess of your dreams with the help of iTunes U.

I’m sure a few of you Bite Lifers are already aware of some the courses offered thru iTunes U.  But now, they offer culinary courses facilitated by instructors from The Art Institutes.  And best of all, it’s FREE!!  All you need to do is download the free iTunes U app from the Apple App Store.  If you don’t have an Apple product… well, I guess it sucks to be you!!!  Just kidding.  LOL!  But no, seriously, #teamapple!

I’m personally interested in the Basics of Culinary series for their lessons on basic knife skills.  They also have several different series on ethnic foods.  I'm really looking forward to embracing my Puerto Rican roots with their Latin American inspired dishes.  Boricuas Stand Up!!!
I hope you guys will check out the courses and let us know what you think.

Until next time…Happy Cheffing!!

Mar 1, 2012

VIDEO: The ATL Bite Life Show Episode 3 - Verse Simmonds @ Stir It Up!!!

Now THIS was a fun episode!!!  Not only did I get to sit down at one of my FAVORITE restaurants in the city - Stir It Up - but I also got to sit down with a real FRIEND of mine - Verse Simmonds.  We caught up like old friends do over jerk chicken and some of the best brown stew snapper you'll ever eat in your life.

In this clip, Verse talks about being classified as "Jamaican" even though he's really from the Virgin Islands, why it's okay to feed your "Boo Thang", and his songwriting and production credits with his partner Sham aka Sak Pase (also a good friend of mine) including the hook on Jay-Z and Kanye's "Who Gon' Stop Me" (one of the standouts on the Watch The Throne album).

Good food and good conversation!!!  Ya'll need to tell these folks to put us on Food Network or Travel Channel ASAP!!!

This is the LIFE!!!

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