Posted by Foodie Buddha
on January 28, 2011
Since Perla Taqueria first showed up, the restaurant has already had it’s fair share of adversity. A fire delayed the December opening of this Piedmont Heights taqueria, located in a converted Mrs. Winner’s, until just a few weeks ago. Despite this, one would be hard pressed to find evidence of said destruction inside of the Mexi-kitsch, fast casual dinning spot.
Given the concept, the fact that they employ the previous tenant’s drive-thru, and the location, one can’t help but draw some comparisons to Perla’s not too distant neighbors Taco Cabana and Taqueria Del Sol. When Frosty Alabama and I showed up just after the grand opening, the place was already a buzz with families checking out one of Atlanta’s newer taco spots.
Continue reading…
Posted by Foodie Buddha
on October 29, 2010
So Atlanta is getting a new taco bar. Sporting the name Perla Taqueria, the restaurant is set to open in the Piedmont Heights neighborhood just off Cheshire Bridge. In fact, the taqueria is going in at 1958 Piedmont Road, which y’all might remember as a now defunct Mrs. Winners. No word on a specific opening date or who is behind it … but I did snag a picture of the already underway construction (sorry – it’s a phone pic).
While their website is just a landing page, their twitter account is sparse, and their facebook page is devoid of any food porn, it’s nice to see that they have put their foot through the social media door.
Perla Taqueria Restaurant Address & Information
1958 Piedmont Road, Atlanta, GA 30324 // Perla website // Perla twitter // Perla facebook
Posted by Foodie Buddha
on August 06, 2010
After 45-years at the intersection of Lindbergh and Cheshire Bridge, The Varsity Jr. is sailing off into the sunset. One of six outposts of the institution, the original plan was to rebuild the family-owned location. I first heard about this via a ton of people on twitter and my heart sank as the information was confirmed by 11-Alive just a little bit ago, this thing seems set in stone. They have all the gritty details, so I won’t bother to give you all the he-said, she-said. What I will tell you is that this sucks! The Varsity Jr has been at the same place since before I was born and while I’m a Fenway type of guy, the plan to rebuild it seems reasonable to me. This isn’t right! And while I’m not so bold as to think my word alone carries any weight, but maybe with some help it will. Thus, I’ve started a petition to save the Varsity JR.. We don’t have much time, but let’s see what a little elbow grease can do!
VIVA LA FROSTED ORANGE!!!!
Posted by Foodie Buddha
on June 07, 2010
Nestled amongst Atlanta’s stretch of tasseled "thingies” and institutional eateries is one of the best examples of contemporary American cuisine this side of the Mason-Dixon. Chef Kevin Gillespie, still shy of 30-years-old, has taken Woodfire Grill from the brink of EXtinction to the point of DIStinction. If Atlanta’s hopes of international culinary fame are to ever come to fruition, Woodfire Grill will be one of the handful of establishments dragging our restaurant scene into that arena.
Some two-years ago, the highly regarded Michael Tuohy departed the helm of Woodfire. When that happened, Gillespie took over the Cheshire Bridge hideaway and continued Woodfire’s thematic direction. In the 20 plus months since, the restaurant has exploded and our favorite Yukon Cornelius impersonator has made the place distinctly his own. With that in mind, and motivated by a truly inspirational family event, four of us set out this past Friday looking for a little peace in the midst of our chaos.
Continue reading…
Posted by Foodie Buddha
on May 13, 2010
In less than a year, Grindhouse Killer Burgers has firmly entrenched itself as the go to spot in the Sweet Auburn Market. On the heels of its success, the market is seeing some cool food spots open and an influx of traffic through events like Atlanta’s Urban Picnic. In a move that is signed, sealed, and delivered … owner Alex Brounstein is ready to expand his burger bar beyond the confines of Downtown Atlanta.
Grindhouse’s satellite location is set to open in the non-delineated area of Morningside/Lenox Park/Piedmont Heights. I believe the address is 1842 Piedmont Road, but I may be off by a digit or two. For those familiar with the area, the spot is next to the Gorilla Car Wash. It’s an area of town with a smörgåsbord of eateries, but this will be the first burger place in the area.
No word yet on how the operations will go, but I’m sure it will be different than it is at the counter-service necessitated by the original restaurants location. If all goes well, expect this place to be open in September.
Posted by Foodie Buddha
on May 01, 2010
While executive chef Eddie Hernandez may not be a household name, his restaurant chain sure is. Ask someone to get tacos in this town, and there is a good chance that they’ll suggest one of the three Taqueria Del Sol locations as their destination du jour. Started a few years back with a single location over on the Westside, the restaurant now stretches across Atlanta’s waistline like Orion’s Belt. With locations on Cheshire Bridge and in Decatur, this taco bar empire has even showed up in Athens.
At the epicenter of this tortilla fest is founding chef Eddie Hernandez. Along with Mike Klank, the duo opened the Westside location way back in 2000 [Holy Crap! That’s 10 years ago]. You may have caught wind of that; this past month TDS celebrated their anniversary with a handful of events. They also made an appearance at the Souper Jenny Food Truck Extravaganza. If anyone is capable of handling all the running around, it’s Hernandez. The politically inclined gent once served as the mayor of Rosebud, TX. How’s that for a career change?
In any event, Hernandez has turned in his pen and paper and taken up a knife and tortilla maker. Thankfully, he found some time to join us for a little Q&A on this week’s edition of Inside The Chef’s Kitchen. Taqueria Del Sol is as popular as ever, and Hernandez is the reason. So get your Mint Julep (it’s Derby Day after all), kick back … and welcome to ITCK!
Continue reading…
Posted by Foodie Buddha
on April 19, 2010
Earlier today, I received an emphatic email attacking the post about my first pie at Rusto’s Pizza, a new pizzeria in the Cheshire Bridge area. I have taken the time to share this email with people and let you pass your own judgments. It comes from a concerned citizen by the name of Chris Jones, who has an uncanny familiarity with the people behind this pizza shop. Although he is unaware of the fact that pizza with pesto is still classified as white pizza (albeit with a green hue), and that a side salad isn’t really a salad option, he was kind enough to explain to me why the burnt to all heck pie that I had was not indicative of their wonderful pizza. I have taken it upon myself to add some line breaks for readability. Otherwise, it’s a direct copy of the email received.
Continue reading…
Posted by Foodie Buddha
on April 16, 2010
When I first walked into Rusto’s Pizza on Cheshire Bridge, I had an inkling of hope that Atlanta was about to have yet another respectable pizzeria to deal with. By the time I walked out (or at least shortly thereafter), I was ejecting food from my mouth post haste while debating whether to simply toss the rest of my personal sized pie or use it as a deterrent against potential muggers. I went with the former. While the food was bad enough, the true kicker was the laughable attempt by owners Russell Wooten and Greg “Somebody” to promote their business through less than honest methods.
Continue reading…
Posted by Foodie Buddha
on September 18, 2009
I think it would be presumptuous of me to assume that the majority of the people who happen upon this little love of mine have no idea about Taquería Del Sol. In that spirit, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that this little chain of taco bars (aka taquerías) is the darling of Atlanta’s Mexican restaurant scene. For better or worse, TdS seems to roll off a number of tongues when the conversation turns to “What Mexican restaurant do we want to eat at?”
With four locations locations, a strong following, and more visits under my belt than I could possibly remember, it was only a matter of time before I felt the need to drop some lyrics on my fellow foodie groupies. However, given the circumstances, most notably my lack of free time right now, I thought it might be nice to just hit ya’ll with some pretty little pictures and a few notes.
Continue reading…
