Name: Woody's Famous Philadelphia Cheesesteaks

Menu: N/A

After months of hearing about this place, riding by it, and then finally seeing it pop up on Scoutmob, I decided to pop into Woody's Famous Philadelphia Cheesesteaks yesterday and check it out.  SOOOOOOO glad I did.  The service was fast and courteous and that sandwich was was one of the best I'd ever had!!!

Places like these are what prompted us to create ATL Bite Life.  Small mom & pop shops nestled in cool metro neighborhoods serving incredible food.  Woody's has quite a few things working in its' favor.  First, it sits right on a busy Monroe Dr in between 9th and 10th St in full view of traffic.  Piedmont Park is a hop, skip, and a jump away as well as Midtown Art Cinema and Grady High School.  The other plus is that it stays open til midnight Sunday thru Thursday.  Then, on the weekend, the place is open until 4am.  All my Bite Lifers who are part of #TeamNoSleep or who just want to avoid Krystals or Waffle House after the club, THIS is the place to go!!!

The inside of Woody's is fairly small.  It almost puts in the mind of Ann's Snack Bar in terms of size.  But, have no fear.  There's a little more elbow room than Ann's with what I remember to be around 8 old-school vinyl booths.  There's also a decent sized covered patio that allows for more seating. The biggest plus is that there's no old lady fussing at you to step outside or to get off the phone.  Even with a reasonable line of people inside, the 3-person staff was cool, helpful, patient, and fast.  I may have waited about 7 minutes for my food to come out piping hot.

But, it's not the size of the building or the patio or even the service that's gonna bring me back to Woody's.  I'm coming back for the cheesesteaks!!!  Now, I usually get my cheesesteaks from Publix.  I think I've been very clear on my stance that Publix has the best sandwiches around.  However, I know that many people have pointed out that the bread there can be harder than you'd normally prefer.  THIS is what makes Woody's version my new hands down favorite. 

The bread for their cheesesteak is soft and fluffy like it was prepared in the finest bakery.  But, it didn't crumble or fall apart under the weight of the meat and toppings of the sandwich.  And, believe me, I tested it.  I asked that my sandwich be dressed down with EVERYTHING minus lettuce and tomato.  I had mushrooms, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, light mayo, and it already came with a filling amount of meat and cheese.  INCREDIBLE!!!  It was so good without being ridiculously greasy as you know cheesesteaks tend to be. 

Honestly, the only downside that I could find with Woody's is that busy location.  The traffic getting over to Woody's, especially on a weekend, could potentially make you say "F it" and just grab something else perhaps on Ponce.  And, as with anything in the downtown/midtown area, the parking situation isn't great.  On my count, I only saw 8 spaces and 2 of those were marked for handicapped persons.

Either way, if you're willing to brave Atlanta's stop and go and then potentially park down the street, the Philly cheesesteak at Woody's is WELL WORTH IT!!!  Add some chips and a drink to it and then couple it with your Scoutmob discount and you'll REALLY feel like you got over.  I know I'll be back and I'm hoping I run into some of our Lifers too.

Til we eat again!

Name: Chinese Buddha

Website: N/A

Menu: N/A

Atlanta's foodie purists will probably bite my head off for this but I'm gonna just go ahead and say it - Chinese Buddha has the best Chinese food in the city!!!  Yeah, I said it.  You wanna make something of it??  Sure, I'm familiar with the big names and the big chains that populate the city offering Asian cuisine.  I also haven't forgotten my hood roots on Candler Rd in Decatur (s/o to China Cafeteria - how have you stayed open so long??).  But, if given the option, 9 out of 10 times, I'm gonna find myself at the corner of Spring St and 10th St.

Main Dining Room

I can already hear some of you now in your whiny baby voices - "How could you say that??  Chin Chin is the best.  All the critics agree on that".  Well, you know what I say to the critics. . . F the critics!!!  Lol.  The critics have never been to Club Primal on a Friday night and gotten hungry at 3am. The critics never had $8 bucks in their account and wanted a non-fast food meal that wouldn't require overdraft protection.  And, on top of being open late and also being affordable, the food is really good!!!

Egg Rolls

I've had several items on the menu but I'm very partial towards the Sweet & Sour Chicken combination plate.  For $9.95, you get a quite hearty helping of sweet & sour chicken, white or fried rice, an egg roll, and your choice of soup (a slightly smaller serving of this meal is offered for lunch for $6.75).  Most people end up taking the some food home with them.  Me, I knock mines out in one sitting like a man.  Lol.  I mean, why wouldn't I??  The sauce on that chicken is fantastic.  I prefer mine SMOTHERED in it.  And, the mixture of onions, peppers, and pineapples with the sauce make it even better.  The egg rolls are very tasty.  Spend the extra couple of bucks to get 2 egg rolls if you can.  There have been times when I've stopped by JUST for egg rolls when I didn't wanna get a burger and fries as my fourth meal of the day. 

Sweet & Sour Chicken w/ Fried Rice

Oh, and don't flex on the soup.  The hot & sour soup is amazing!!!  Don't ask me what's in it.  I didn't cook it.  But, that combination of spicy and tangy is INCREDIBLE!!!  And, it's the perfect prelude to the meal that is to come.

Hot & Sour Soup

The only downside to me is the parking.  Anyone who's ever been to Chinese Buddha knows of the potential dangers of that rear parking deck.  First, getting in and out can be quite messy.  The corners within it are very sharp and narrow and drivers are, shall we say, less than cautious when maneuvering through.  When leaving, God forbid you try to make a left onto 10th St.  The exit point puts you right at the 10th/14th St exit on 75/85 and cars are whizzing by at quite a pace.  Finally, I've always been a little leery of walking to and from the restaurant and my car.  There's a little side alley that's right up against the exit that's kinda dark and is just perfect for an evening mugging.  I know my crew has been guilty of bringing firearms into the Buddha on several occasions.  Gotta do what you gotta do, right??

Overall though, I HIGHLY recommend this place.  Yeah, there's a little element of danger.  But, isn't good food worth a walk on the wild side??  It's affordable, it's amazing, and open after hours.  It doesn't get much better than that. 

Til we eat again!

Ideal For: Lunch, Late Night

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. 

Name: West Egg Cafe

Menu: http://westeggcafe.com/menus

If you happen to be a part of Atlanta's urban music scene, you spend a lot of time in West Midtown on "studio row".  The "row" is actually about a one mile radius encompassing Northside Dr and Howell Mill where you can find the offices of Ludacris's DTP record label, the legendary Stankonia (home of Outkast), and several other recording studios and management companies.  Also within this radius is a host of pretty good restaurants like Flip Burger Boutique, Westside Pie, and Taqueria del Sol.  Now, those places are great for lunch and dinner.  But, if you're an early riser like me, you want a solid breakfast too.  So, on this day, at the suggestion of my bro Big Cat, I pulled up at the intersection of Howell Mill and Brady Ave for some morning munchies at West Egg Cafe.

Within about 50 paces of Compound nightclub, this rather large bakery/coffee shop/restaurant is a hip destination for commuters like myself.  It's cozy and casual while still fly enough to distinguish itself from say an IHOP or a Starbucks.  There is a very Midtown feel to the place - minimalist decor, finished cement floors, and large windows.  Nothing too imposing.  But, it does get busy.  I've always had to wait a few minutes for a table.  This day was no different.

During my 10 minute wait for a table, I had an opportunity to linger around the bar/bakery area.  While perusing the goods on display, I came across these Coca Cola cupcakes.  I didn't get one BUT the curiosity of what these possibly taste like will definitely bring me back.

Once seated, our waitress immediately pointed us toward the Blue Plate (two eggs, biscuit, choice of breakfast meat, and a choice of either roasted garlic grits or skillet potatoes) and the Georgia Benedict (turkey sausage patties, two eggs, turkey sausage gravy over split biscuit, with choice of roasted garlic grits or skillet potatoes).  Not ones to fuss, we proceeded with our waitress's recommendations.

The food arrives and everything looks great.  So, we dig in.  On my Blue Plate, the potatoes were great!!!  Seasoned very well with onions and peppers mixed in.  A couple of those onion pieces could've been smaller (there's nothing like biting into a big piece of onion.  Ewww) but I was digging it.  The eggs were scrambled lightly just like I like them.  And, the biscuit was light and fluffy.  Not bad at all. 

The Georgia Benedict should've come out with Young Jeezy as its' theme music.  It was All White Everything.  It looked like one big fried egg when it came out.  But, according to my guest.  It was A-okay.  In fact, from my "extensive" Twitter research, the Georgia Benedict is supposed to be one of the most popular dishes at West Egg. 

But, we both gave a super side eye to the turkey sausage patties.  It was dry and the taste was awful.  Almost tofu-ish.  Very disappointing.  Almost enough to ruin the breakfast.  But, everything was on point so we couldn't be totally mad.

Overall, it was a solid breakfast.  Again, besides the sausage, nothing was too bad.  But, it wasn't the greatest breakfast I've ever had either.  Just good enough to keep me coming back.  I'd definitely recommend this to anyone in the city looking for a reasonably priced morning meal.  Make sure you order bacon though.  Lol. 

Oh, and if you get back there before me, try the Coca Cola cupcakes and tell me if they're good or not.

Happy Eating!!!


Grade: B
Ideal For: Breakfast

Name: FLIP Burger Boutique
Cuisine: American w/ the signature Richard Blais flair
Neighborhood: Midtown
Address: 1587 Howell Mill Rd. Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: (404) 352-3547
Website: http://www.flipburgerboutique.com
Menu: http://www.flipburgerboutique.com/menu-2/

I got a lot of emails and texts from you guys last week about my review of HD1, the new "haute doggery" that just opened up recently off of Highland Ave .  Many of you loved how I kept it so real about my experience there.  But, many of you also had questions about the OTHER Richard Blais restaurant that I compared HD1 to - FLIP Burger Boutique.  Why does FLIP hit where HD1 misses??  Well, the answer is -  it just does.

Sitting about 3/4 of a mile west from the Howell Mill exit on I-75, FLIP epitomizes the new "sexy" that is the essence of ATL Bite Life in 2011. It's a simple concept (burgers) with a twist (exotic toppings and condiments) and an all white decor that's akin to what you'd find in one of Alex Gidewon's clubs.  It's modern, it's sleek, it's unassuming on the outside, kinda pretentious on the inside, but really good overall.

On my first visit, I was a little timid.  As I perused the menu and I noticed there were burgers with avocado, soy jellies, and curried pickles, I figured it'd be best to start with something simple.  My choice - a regular old turkey burger with American cheese (USA!!!  USA!!!  USA!!!) and a side of fries.  I chased it down with a ginger ale (even though they had a full bar). The service was prompt and professional.  There's also this GORGEOUS waitress there that has this Leona Lewis thing going for her that is. . . . (note to self: I need to stalk her later.  Lol). 

Anyway, the food arrived to my table not too long after ordering it and it was great.  The plate presentation was nice and consistent with the overall ambiance of the place.  Then, I bit into my food.  WOW!!!  My burger was hot, juicy, and seasoned well.  The fries had a Checkers-ish quality but not so "fast foody" if that makes sense.  Everything was just solid across the board.  It kinda reminded me of my trip to Yeah Burger to a certain extent but FLIP's contemporary interior was a sharp contrast to the more casual Yeah down the road.

My only personal disappointments were the two milkshakes I ordered.  Yes, I ordered TWO.  Don't judge me!!!  I was curious.  Up first - the Krispy Kreme shake (for obvious reasons).  For those of you who don't know, I am a Krispy Kreme fanatic!!!  However, there's a reason that there is no picture of this shake in today's post.  It was horrible!!!  It was like they took a dozen glazed donuts and put them in a blender with a half gallon of whole milk.  The result -  a diabetic's nightmare with a nasty after taste.  Not the move at all!!!  I tossed that one.

My second shake was the Nutella + Burnt Marshmallows shake pictured above.  Honestly, this didn't even sound appealing to me.  But, on this particular day, the 6 or 7 tables around me ALL had this shake (no exaggeration).  I figured it must be good if EVERYONE has it, right??  WRONG!!!  The chocolate was extremely rich and the burnt marshmallows just weren't for me.  *Kanye shrug*  I gave up after that one.  I tried though.

Overall, I definitely recommend FLIP Burger.  I've been back several times since that first visit and have NEVER had a bad experience.  I've even tried most of the burgers that I thought were so "weird" at first.  Some were an acquired taste but all were tasty.  In comparison to HD1, I just think that many of those odd toppings or condiments seem to work BETTER on a beef (or turkey) patty than they do on a hot dog. What else can I say??  But, maybe it's me. 

The next time you're near Howell Mill Rd, stop by FLIP and give it a try.  Tell 'em ATL Bite Life sent you.

Happy Eating!!!


Grade: B+
What's Great: Atmosphere, Food
What Ain't: Music can be too loud, Seating in middle sections can be annoying for parties of 2 or 3
Ideal For: The Burger Eater that's tired of burgers

Name: HD1
Cuisine: American w/ the signature Richard Blais flair
Neighborhood: Poncey-Highlands
Address: 664 N. Highland Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30306
Phone: (404) 815-1127
Website: http://www.hd1restaurant.com/
Menu: http://www.hd1restaurant.com/HD1_Menu.pdf

What to say, what to say.  After yesterday's "situation" with LeRoy's Fried Chicken, I figured we might as well keep the ball rolling.  If I go ahead and get the negative reviews out the way, I can deal with the harsh feedback and critiques all at once.  So, this brings us to HD1.


After seeing an ad for HD1 on Scoutmob, I tried for 2 weeks to work a quick visit into my schedule.  I was beyond excited to sample the latest Richard Blais creation.  For those of you not familiar with Blais, he is the celebrity chef mastermind behind FLIP Burger Boutique (which I happen to love).  Billed as a "haute doggery", the place was pretty much what I anticipated - fancy hot dogs with a contemporary, boutique-style dining experience.  Essentially, FLIP with wieners instead of beef and turkey burgers.  But, what I didn't anticipate was the "ehh" feeling I got after I sat down and ate.


Now, keep in mind, I visited HD1 on TWO occasions within a week of one another.  My first visit was very underwhelming.  First, the building kinda sneaks up on you once you turn off of Ponce and onto Highland Ave.  The building sits almost right behind the Urban Outfitters plaza and it only has about 6 or 7 parking spaces.  So, before you know it, you're there and passing it.  Second, I'm not sure what happened that morning but I was one of the first customers in that day and the whole place had a wood chip scent very similar to one of those hamster cages you'd find a pet store.  I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be "new restaurant" smell or if that was the chili being prepared but it was quite the turnoff.


Then, I get a gander at the menu.  I wasn't too startled.  I expected to see a few oddities.  I knew Blair wouldn't stick to just ketchup, mustard, and sauerkraut.  So, I took a few calculated risk.  I started off with the Prawn Dogs, Shrimp Fried in Grits (pic above) as an appetizer.  Then, for my main course, I ordered a Red Haute Dog (fancy chili dog) and, at the suggestion of my waitress, a Reuben Dog (basically a Reuben sandwich with a beef frank instead of corned beef (both pics above).  Finally, for good measure, I threw in some good ole' Waffled Fries w/ Maple Oy.


Well, I loved the fries!!!  But, that's pretty much where it stops.  The Prawn Dogs were okay.  I didn't really get it.  It was basically fried shrimp on a stick.  The whole thing of being "fried in grits" didn't really come thru.  Even though I did detect a hint of a texture difference, honestly, it could've just been corn meal.  Then, the hot dogs. . . . I'll say this, maybe my taste palate just isn't sophisticated enough to appreciate what HD1 was going for.  But, then again, I really think that much of what they did with the gourmet ketchups, cheese foams, and other toppings on the hot dogs just would've been better suited for a hamburger.  The flavors and nuances of my choices just didn't flow together on that bun.  Maybe some things are better left alone OR at least left simple.


The one saving grace of my meal other than the fries (which really were great) was the soft serve ice cream I had for dessert.  The Banana Ice Cream with Caramelized Rum was INCREDIBLE!!!  Hands down, one of the best things I've ever tasted.  It probably deserves its' own separate blog.  It was creamy and sweet with just the right amount of caramelized rum sauce as to not overpower the flavor of the ice cream.  It was probably PERFECT.

Here's the crazy and disappointing part though.  I went back a week later to get another serving of this ice cream and guess what. . .  THEY DON'T HAVE IT ANYMORE!!!  I wish I had one of those Blackberry Messenger red, angry face emoticons to put here.  You should've seen the way I looked at that hostess.  Lol.  What did they replace with you ask??  Answer - Whoppers candy soft serve.  I'm done!!!  But, that smell was gone so I'm gonna chalk that up to a fluke one day thing.  No worries.

To sum this all up, I love Richard Blais, I love FLIP Burger Boutique, I'm not at all crazy about HD1.  I do recommend it for those who are just curious and want to see how far someone could stretch the limits of an Oscar Mayer.  Other than that, stop at Sonics and grab a Chicago Dog.  Tell 'em I sent you.


Grade: C-
What's Great: Atmosphere, Service, Prices
What Ain't: Food, Parking
Ideal For: The Adventurous Eater