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!

Over the weekend, I had the great privilege of judging food submissions for the Atlanta Nosh.  For those of you not familiar with it, it's like an underground food event.  The lady who's organizing it also does the Atlanta Underground Market - a monthly members-only foodie gathering.  If you enjoy food, it's a very cool idea.  Anyway, I had a ball!!!  I also ate waaaaaaay too much food.  Shouts out to my new foodie friends - Nik, Lilly, Harvey, and Lyn. 

While there, I had the opportunity to try kale for the first time.  In fact, I tried like 3 different kinds of kale.  Honestly, it wasn't the greatest thing I've ever tasted.  But, my foodie comrades above assured me that there was still some great kale out there to be had.  So, I'm willing to try it again.

Now, the interesting thing about this kale is that I'd just seen an interview in this month's Bon Appetit Magazine with our hometown Hip Hop hero (and Top 5 Dead or Alive) - OutKast's own Andre 3000.  According to the article, he's now taken to eating kale over the every popular Southern comfort dish (and one of my favorite veggies) collard greens.  This amazed me!!!  First, it made me feel totally out of the loop as a budding foodie.  Second, I really wanted to know what I was missing out on.  I'm positive that this was why I was so eager to try the kale at the auditions.

Click here to see what 3 Stacks had to say about the nutritious greenery and check out his recipe below.  Also, if any of you are familiar with kale and can educate me a little bit more or put me on as to where to find the good stuff, leave a comment.

Til we eat again (s/o to @nscheftiff)

Name: LeRoy's Fried Chicken
Cuisine: Soul Food / Fast Food
Neighborhood: West Midtown
Address: 1021 Howell Mill Rd. NW Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: (404) 872-7888
Website: http://www.facebook.com/leroysfriedchicken
Menu: Pic below

This review pains me because I had the opportunity to meet Chef Julia LeRoy and her staff personally during the filming of our ATL Bite Life Show.  She was sooooooo sweet, her story was so compelling, and her staff was extremely cooperative.  I REALLY wanted to like the food.  I REALLY wanted to brag to all my folks that I'd found this incredible new chicken spot downtown that everyone else wasn't up on yet.  I REALLY REALLY did.  But, unfortunately, I really really can't.

Let me set the scene.  By sheer chance, we ended up selecting my main man, comedian Henry Welch, to come eat with us here at LeRoy's for this particular episode.  So, you can just imagine the pre-dining jokes.  First, Chef Julia is a cute, early to mid 30's white woman so skepticism was HIGH that this chicken wasn't gonna be seasoned right.  Second, one glance at the menu and you will see that the prices are slightly high for some chicken (as opposed to its KFC and Popeyes counterparts).  A 2-piece chicken is $5.95 (chicken only) then the sides are $2.95 a piece.  So, a combo with 2 sides could easily run you $12 WITHOUT a drink.  Smh.  Third, the ONLY thing on the menu is CHICKEN and chicken-based dishes like chicken salad, chicken livers, etc.  So, other than the side items, there are no burgers, sandwiches, etc to fall back on just in case you don't like or just get tired of the chicken (keep in mind that the menu isn't very extensive to begin with).  That brings us to the sides.  If the skepticism about the chicken was high, the doubt about the collard greens, mac & cheese, etc were not too far behind.  We wondered - Would the greens be dry??  Would the mac & cheese be cheesy??  AND, to top it all off, the chicken is fried in LARD!!!  While most of us from the hood are familiar with lard, not too many of us are currently using/eating it in 2011.  We were jokingly overwhelmed.  All the ingredients of disappointment were laid out on the counter like salt and pepper.  But, would we be let down??

YES.  Me and Henry both ordered the 3 piece chicken w/ a side of collard greens and mac & cheese and a biscuit.  While the biscuit was probably one of the best biscuits I've ever eaten, everything else was blah.  The chicken was in serious need of some Lawry's Seasoning Salt.  Even the Texas Pete hot sauce we lathered our chicken in didn't help it much.  The collards weren't seasoned well (but they were juicy) and the mac and cheese was mediocre too.  The food had a very cafeteria-ish quality to it.  I was sooooooo blowed!!!  The worst part was that I had to sit there with Henry and my camera crew giving me the "I told you so" face.  They were relentless!!!

There were a few pluses.  The service was fast and courteous.  And, the walk up counter service kinda gives you a Happy Days feel.  Although, I wonder how this will play once the weather cools down in Atlanta.  Not too many people will want to sit OUTSIDE and eat bad chicken.  The location isn't bad either.  It's directly across the street from Chow Baby on Howell Mill Rd.  It's right down the street from Compound nigh club and Yeah! Burger.  And, it's right next door to the Mexican spot La Fonda that seems to be fairly busy any time I pass by.

Other than that, I don't know what to tell you.  Try the biscuits.  They were great!!!

Grade: D+
What's Great: Atmosphere, Service
What Ain't: Food, Prices
Ideal For: Spring/Summer Patio Dining