We came, we saw, we conquered!!!  In our very first live event, we, along with the good people at Heineken, shut down the Cajun Crab House for our LADIES ONLY Crab Legs Eating Competition.  It was fast, it was furious, it was entertaining, and it was hilarious!!!  If you missed it, you should go squeeze your pinky toe with one of those crab cracker things.  Lol

With $250 up for grabs, we put 10 minutes on the clock and 6 pounds of crab legs in front of our 9 contestants.  The winner would be determined by either who finished their crab legs first OR who could eat the most before time expired.  After all the carnage was cleared and the hot melted better was dried, we crowned our winner - With 5 lbs and 8 ounces downed, our girl Mo took home the grand prize. 

It wasn't without controversy though.  There was another contestant who was on Mo's neck the entire competition.  We were forced to weigh the crab legs that were left to properly determine our champion.  The actual margin of victory was just under 3 ounces.  WOW!!! 

Anyway, peep the video below.  The footage will tell you everything you need to know.

Extra special thanks to Cajun Crab House, Heineken, our DJ - Ian Ford, and our host - Sean Simmons.

As always, Happy Eating!

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" 

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. 

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!


Ideal For: Budget Eaters

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!!!

We're baaaaaaack!!!  Here is episode 2 of The ATL Bite Life Show.  On this one, we hit up Demitris on Covington Hwy in Decatur with one of my big brothers in the music industry - Block (CEO of Block Entertainment and new VP at Sony Records)!!!

This one happened to be more of a conversation with an old friend than an interview so pardon me if the show goes another direction.  Lol.  But, the food was DELICIOUS!!!  You guys know how I feel about Demitris, right??  If not, check out the review here. 

As always, happy eating and don't forget to tip your waitress.

This is the LIFE!!!

I've got a confession.  I HATE reality shows!!!  I mean, it was bad enough when people were eating pig brains to win $50K on Fear Factor or explicitly gold digging on Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire.  But now, between Snooki, the Kardashians, and the "Wives" of anything, I'm absolutely done!!!  The outlandish antics, the pseudo drama, the embarrassing caricatures.  I can't take it!!!  But, there is one exception - VH1's TI & Tiny: The Family Hustle. 

I really dig this show!!!  It's a day to day visual journal of a hugely popular, multi-platinum, hip-hop artist (TI) and his wife (Tiny) going thru life, raising their kids, and doing regular people stuff - arguing over shared bathroom space, riding bikes thru the neighborhood, trying to balance the time between work and home.  It's funny.  It's charming.  It's entertaining.  What's not to love??  It's one of the few shows on television starring "us" (read - black people) that doesn't make me cover my face in shame.

But, there's also another reason why I like the show - the Bite Life!!!  As the chief Bite Lifer of this city, I was constantly peeping out the spots that they chose to dine.  Not bad choices at all.  Did you spy with your little eyes the Bite Life of the Harris family like we did??  Check it out:

Legal Sea Foods

In Episode 3 "America's Sweeheart", Tip and the kids grabbed some lunch at Legal Sea Foods right in the heart of downtown Atlanta.  Literally within blocks of Centennial Park, the Aquarium, and the Coca Cola Museum, Legal serves some of the best seafood in the A.  Not to be confused with Red Lobster or Bankhead Seafood (one of my favorites), Legal leans a little on the pricey side.  So, if you're looking for a 2 piece whiting and fries and hushpuppies, go elsewhere.

True, at all costs, I do try to avoid chain restaurants.  That's just the Bite Life motto.  But, far be it from me to act like I've NEVER partaken in the above average goodness of Joe's Crab Shack.  In Episode 4 "Stacks on Deck", The King and his royal family sat down to a hearty feast of crab legs and coconut shrimp.  Definitely a better value meal than you'd find at Legal Sea Foods.  Lol.

In Episode 7 "King of the House", Tiny and her mom hit up Fogo De Chao in Buckhead to discuss how to snap one of the youngest Harris children (King) out of his spoiled ways.  Honestly, I've never been a huge fan of this place.  I've always thought that the salad bar was mediocre and that there is a such thing as TOO MUCH meat (pause).  But, this restaurant is very popular.  And, it is an experience that I suggest everyone try at least once.

On the most recent show, Episode 9 "Baby Fever", Tiny breaks the news to TI that she is interested in possibly having another child at Briza.  Not one of the most comfortable dinner conversations the  rapper has experienced.  This restaurant sits right on West Peachtree Street and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  The food is good and the prices are reasonable.  Of all the places they've eaten at this season, this is BY FAR my favorite!!!  Definitely a must try for a true ATL Bite Lifer!!!

Will you be hitting any of these spots this weekend??  Let us know.

Happy Eating!!!

Hola, Bite Lifers!!!  1000 apologies for not posting yesterday.  We got some pretty big things coming up that we had to attend to.  One of which being today's announcement.

On Saturday, March 31st, ATLBiteLife.com is putting on our very first eating competition.  We're inviting the LADIES of ATL (fellas, fall back) to come out and participate in our first  Crab Legs Eating Competition at our new favorite spot, The Cajun Crabhouse (3220 Butner Rd, off of Camp Creek Pkwy).  That's right!!!  We're hitting the Southside up for some good ol' American gluttony!!!  Did we mention that we're giving away a CASH prize to the winner??

More details will be revealed over the coming weeks but go ahead and mark your calendars!!!  Tell a friend to tell a friend!!!

This is the Life!!!

Way back in the day (5 months ago) when I first started this ATL Bite Life thing, I had no idea what I was doing.  I was just a regular old urban nomad wandering around the city in search of something to put in my tummy besides hamburgers and fries.  There was no big master plan, no blueprint, no TV show.  Just me and my hunger pains. 

One restaurant changed all that - Stir It Up in Little 5 Points.  Seeing that place, eating that food, and meeting that owner (Vivian) was the catalyst for EVERYTHING!!!  I knew that there were people like me who needed to know about restaurants like this.  Small, one off, mom & pop type eateries with great food tucked away in blossoming neighborhoods within a huge metropolis.  I tell Vivian this story every time I stop by.  And, I stop by often.  

Now, I'm a HUGE fan of the jerk chicken here.  I probably order that 90% of the time that I'm there.  But, it was our taping of ATL Bite Life with my boy, BuVision/Def Jam recording artist Verse Simmonds, that put me on to the greatness that is the Brown Stew Snapper.

A WHOLE (head, eyes, teeth, tail, and all) red snapper pan fried on both sides with spices and Chef's top secret special sauce.  AMAZING!!!  It comes to your table with this thin crispy crust that you can cut right thru with your fork.  And, there's a flavor kick that hits your tongue immediately that I'd describe as more tangy than spicy.  Just delicious!!!  On top of that, it was very filling but not that heavy, stuffed feeling you'd get from eating say, Miss Ann's Ghetto Burger. 

Now, I'm from Decatur, GA!  A 1980 Grady baby that grew up on the Eastside of Atlanta all my life - Glenwood Rd, Candler Rd, etc.  So, the whole fish with the head still on was definitely a bit daunting for me.  And, there were a LOT of bones in this fish.  Like A LOT!!!  But, I will tell you this - I have NEVER enjoyed a dish like this in my life.  It was definitely a memorable experience.

It does take a little while prepare so don't try to pop in during your 30 minute lunch break.  This is a meal that needs time and special attention to truly appreciate.  I also wouldn't recommend that you get it to go.  SIT DOWN and enjoy it!!!  Take in the Caribbean riddims vibrating thru the speakers in the dining area and just take it all in.

Happy Eating!!!