From day one, it has always been the goal of ATL Bite Life to successfully mesh the worlds of urban music and food.  I mean, come on.  Music and food go together like peanut butter and jelly.  So, on this fairly warm summer day in Atlanta, I just felt like sharing some of my favorite food-themed songs that keep me humming and hungry.  See if you know any of them. 

 

Anthony Hamilton- Cornbread, Fish . Collard Greens

Nas - Fried Chicken (Feat Busta Rhymes)

Name: Southern Art & Bourbon Bar

Menu: http://www.southernart.com/southern_art_dinner_menu2.html

As part of ATL Bite Life's Soul Food Month, I've been on a quest to discover some of the hidden soul food gems in the city.  Funny thing about looking for "hidden" restaurants though.  They're never actually hidden.  You just don't know about them.  Case and point, Southern Art & Bourbon Bar.

Interestingly enough, I'd been meaning to stop by this place for quite some time.  I've actually mentioned Southern Art on this site a couple times.  Once during Hotel Restaurant Week (it's attached to the Intercontinental Hotel) and once again back in February while it was one of the featured restaurants during Buckhead Restaurant Week.  It was really just a matter of time before we stopped in.  But then the perfect storm happened.  Soul Food Month met a 50% off deal from Scoutmob.  Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!!  And chicken is exactly what I had. 

Southern Art's main dining room

Let's take it from the top.  After parking in the main hotel deck and walking thru the gorgeous hotel lobby, I found my way over to the main entrance of the restaurant.  Situated approximately 10 feet from a seemingly out of place ham counter (yes, a deli counter with pig carcasses hanging from the ceiling) was a pleasant hostess waiting to seat me.  She pulled the curtain back to reveal a sprawling dining room and then guided me to my seat.

These paintings were hanging from the ceiling of the restaurant

The first thing that caught my eye was the kinda anitquey yet contemporary vibe of the restaurant.  It was an understated fancy if that makes any sense.  It wasn't overly impressed but it had an expensive "feel" that made me take notice.  Also, there were these huge, colorful paintings hanging from the ceiling.  There was one beautiful portrait of the Fox Theater that really caught my eye (see above).

Cheddar biscuits with pickled vegetables

But, I didn't come to see no art.  I came to eat.  Much to my surprise, my table was greeted with some hot cheddar biscuits.  My first thought - this is very Red Lobster-ish.  Lol.  However, the pickled vegetables in a jar that came with the biscuits fancied it right up.  Have you ever had cauliflower and carrots preserved in a jar of vinegar??  Yeah, me either.  It tasted exactly like you'd think.  Pass.  But, those biscuits were INCREDIBLE!!!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken over mashed potatoes - $22

Then came the main entrees.  First up - the Buttermilk Fried Chicken (half a chicken - a thigh, breast, and a wing).  It was served over mashed potatoes with green beans and a few other veggies mixed in.  Delicious!!!  Very well seasoned, very juicy, very sizable portion.  My African-American side came out as I attempted to ask my server for a breast and two wings like I was at Popeyes but I dialed it back to in accordance with where I was.  Lol.  This was extremely tasty though.  I even had some left over for the next day.  Super win!!!

Cornmeal Dusted Catfish - $21

Entree #2 - the Cornmeal Dusted Catfish.  Let me admit, first, I'm not a huge catfish eater.  I like it but it's rarely my first choice on a given day.  I got it purely to keep within our Soul Food theme.  But, I will say this - the Catfish was really good!!!  It was draped over a very similar mix of potatoes and veggies and topped with bacon.  Not bad at all.  I guess my only negative would be that it was only ONE piece of fish.  It wasn't filling to me but maybe, perhaps for a female, it would hit the spot.  I did like it though.

Overall, I really enjoyed Southern Art and I think you will too.  The food was good, the portions were decent, and the ambiance was perfect for date night.   The only downside that I see, in particular for my urban audience, is the price and the portions.  We all know that we could go get chicken and fish and vegetables from any soul food spot in the hood for $7 or $8.  And, while Southern Art does not promote itself as a "soul food" restaurant, the touting of its' southern cuisine makes the comparisons a little easier to make.

Either way, I say grab your girl and head on over and check it out.  If it's good enough for Oprah, it's probably good enough for you.

Til we eat again!

What do you do when you run a food site and you happen to have a friend that, in the course of a year, has become a nationally recognized AND award winning porn star??  You call her up and ask her questions about food and hope that the answers get sexual.  Lol.  About a week ago, I reached out to my homegirl Gizelle XXX and she did not disappoint.  Check out my Q&A with the new queen of T&A.

Disclaimer: This interview has been edited in an attempt to not scare away our current readership.

ABL: Would you rather have great food or great sex?? 

Gizelle: I want BOTH! Great food followed by great sex.  Is that too much to ask?

ABL: What would you consider to be the sexiest restaurant in Atlanta??  Why??
Gizelle: I think that Aja is a very sexy restaurant.  I've been there on a few dates.  The lighting and atmosphere easily set the mood for a night of passion.  And, the food is AMAZING!

ABL: A lot of restaurants in the A have desserts or drinks called "Orgasms", "Better Than Sex Martini/Chocolate", etc.  Is there really a food or drink out there that's really just as good or better than sex?? 

Gizelle: (Laughs) That's a hard question because I LOVE sex and I LOVE food!  I definitely think that the Southern Fried Chicken from Cheetah (Alluvia) is better than sex!!!

ABL: What is your favorite food to order when you go out??  What restaurant in Atlanta serves that the best??

Gizelle: I'm greedy so I have a few favorites!  I love Fried Lobster and Prime has the BEST Fried Lobster in the city.  I'm also a big fan of crab cakes and stuffed chicken.  When I got a taste for that, I head over to Ruth's Chris.

ABL: Is there anything that you WON'T eat?? 

Gizelle: Yes!  There's actually a long list of things.  I won't eat Ketchup, Onions, Oxtails, Lamb, Bleu Cheese, Pies, Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Shrimp Cocktail.  The list goes on and on.

ABL: THOSE things bother you??  You realize you're a porn star, right??

Gizelle: (Laughs)

ABL: What's the worst thing you've ever put in your mouth at a restaurant?? 

Gizelle: The Corned Beef Hash from Paula Deen's restaurant.  That was disgusting!!!  Yuck!

ABL: REALLY??  Again, you do realize you're a porn star, right??

ABL: Do you eat hot dogs??  If so, does size matter?? 

Gizelle: Yes! I love thick, juicy hot dogs.  Size doesn't matter.  I've had some average size hot dogs that were better than a foot long!  (Laughs)

ABL: The saying goes "you are what you eat".  What are YOU??

Gizelle: . . . . . I'll see ya later, Nick.  (Laughs)

For the full, unedited interview, hit Gizelle on Twitter - @GizelleXXX.

www.XXXGizelle.com coming soon!!!

Happy Eating!

Today's gloomy weather seems quite appropriate for this morning's sad news.  Another celebrity-owned restaurant in Atlanta bites the dust.  Right in the middle of ATL Bite Life's Soul Food Month, popular Buckhead eatery Justin's has decided to close its' doors permanently.  It was pretty obvious to anyone who was ever halfway a regular here that the clientele had began to wane over the years.  However, it seemed, at least to me, that Justin's would always find a way to be one of the few urban mainstays within the upscale Buckhead district.

Honestly, I hate to see it go.  Justin's is one of the last remnants of an era where Atlanta truly earned its' "Black Hollywood" moniker.  Yes, many folks will only remember hit or miss soul food dishes and the infamous stories of Bobby Brown's nephew being stabbed by Baby Bleu back in '05 or when Tony Austin got shot in the parking lot during BET Weekend in 2010.  But, to only tell that side does Justin's AND Atlanta a disservice.

I remember when Sunday brunch at Justin's was poppin!  I remember doing some of the best networking of my life at Justin's on Mondays.  I remember not recognizing Kim Porter (Diddy's baby mama) and carrying on a long conversation with her at one of the 3BG parties.  I remember Core DJ Weekend in 2009 when Diddy's Bad Boy label came down and bought food and drinks for all the DJs while Akon, Cassie, and Red Cafe hit the stage and my man DJ Quote rocked it.  I remember a couple of Young Jeezy's private birthday parties.  I mean, I really had some good times at this place!!!  I guess I'll have to drown my sorrow in a bottle of Ciroc.

So, today, spare me your stories of how your mac & cheese came out cold or how your service was slow.  What was your BEST memory of Justin's??  I'd love to hear it.  Leave your comments below or hit us on Facebook and tell us what you'll always remember about this place.

You can also bid your farewell to Justin's either on Twitter - @justinsatl - or on the Justin's Facebook page.

Til we eat again!