FoodieBuddha.com

You know you’re a food addict when you find yourself verbally sparring with some pseudo parking attendant in the hopes of navigating droves of drunk club bunnies in an attempt to grab a late night fix.  Truth be told, my recent exchange with some dude at the intersection of Crescent Ave & 14th street was far from contentious … but it just sounded better to imply otherwise.

Nearly every late night drive over the past year and change near that aforementioned intersection has served as a reminder that a food cart (specifically a gyro/pizza stand) awaits.  If you show up at Opera Nightclub, or any of the nearby drunk tanks, towards the end of any given week you’re bound to find a sea of people milling about.  This of course assumes that the sun has gone down.  It’s been some time since I’ve been in that part of Midtown past midnight.  This mostly due to the fact that I know my presence would send mass amounts of drunk ladies in their Sunday best to levels of ecstasy (the pill … not the emotional state) not seen in sometime.

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The Kind Pie, John Dodrill’s Buckhead pizzeria, has outgrown its little kitchen only location at 252 E. Paces Ferry.  Dodrill’s last day of business there was this past Saturday, and he is currently looking for a new space.  While the temporary hiatus is disappointing, this seems to be a positive move.  The new location, which Dodrill hopes will be in the Buckhead neighborhood, will include a larger kitchen and indoor seating.  Keep an eye on TKP’s twitter page or their website.

Big ups to reader Max W. for the tip.

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.

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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.

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The owners of Baraonda are expanding their mini-empire with the opening of a new Italian restaurant on the north side of Midtown.  The still cooking Barona is set to open in Brookwood Place (1745 Peachtree St. Atlanta, GA 30309) in the space vacated by Wolfgang Puck’s.

The restaurant group made some waves last year when they shuttered Bazzaar Lounge in favor of Publik Social House.  Then, earlier this month, they shut down Enoteca Carbonari in order to expand Baraonda (the new adjunct is named Baraonda’s Wine Room).

There isn’t a whole lot known of Barona at this time, however, a few things are out there.  There’s no fixed opening date on the map, but late April to Mid-may have been tossed around.  The vibe will definitely be that of a neighborhood trattoria, with pizzas, pastas, and a handful of traditional Italian options available.

Just a short time ago, The Sweet Auburn Curb Market (SACM) in Downtown Atlanta was an afterthought in the cityscape.  Then, late in 2009, Grindhouse Killer Burgers got things rolling.  Since then, SACM hasn’t looked back.  In the midst of this buzz, The Greek Gyros and Pizza has hopped on the wagon and opened its countertop restaurant.  As dumb luck would have it, they opened just a few hours before the dude who feasts and I showed up.  I’d like to say that our visit was entirely impromptu, but alas, it was not!  We had planned this excursion late last night.  We both think it fun to see where things stand from the get go.  So far, the Greek is looking pretty good.

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Hello to The Kind Pie in Buckhead.  You see, crave worthy deliciousness is something we all obsess about.  While achieving that meditative state is difficult and rare, when we do stumble upon such wonderful morsels of yum, those of us lucky enough to have the time will do what we can to feed that obsession [case in point: 3x visits in nine days].  Amongst foodies in the Dirty, nothing seems to draw us out more than the opportunity to expand our waistlines and spike our cholesterol at the mercy of the pizza gods.

Being the creatures of habit that we happen to be, many of us have started to make our way over to The Kind Pie.  Within 24-hour of my initial notation on the place, @EggRollStan started abusing TKP’s gratis delivery service, The Bliss followed shortly thereafter, and Live to Feast oozed all over it just a few days later.  At the tail end, even the mainstream media is on the trail (ATL Mag’s Bill Addison has been over for a meal).  While we wait for further dissemination by foodies, cavorters, and grublets alike, early impressions from this guy are that TKP should easily be considered amongst the best pizza pushing drug dealers in the city.

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As I work through my full First Impressions review of The Kind Pie, I thought now is as good a time as any to mention that Varasano’s Pizzeria is getting ready to go late night on the weekends.  Starting this weekend, V’s will keep their ovens running until 1 AM on both Friday and Saturday nights.  Also, you’ll find pizza guy Jeff Varasano is in the process of putting some Sicilian pies on the menu.  Things keep on trucking for Atlanta’s most talked about pie man … we’ll see what else comes out of this Peachtree Hills pizza oven!

Varasano’s Pizzeria Restaurant Address & Information:
2171 Peachtree Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30309 // 404.352.8216 // Varasano’s reservations // Varasano’s website // Varasano’s twitter

I should be writing about this …

but instead I’m watching this …

So I’ll be back on …

In the meantime people – if you have a chance to get to The Kind Pie in Buckhead… DO IT!!! AND DO IT NOW … the pizza is amongst the best in the city … and inspired by Brian Spangler of Portland and his take on the cuisine!  This place deserves to blow up … it’s just that good!

Late in February January, The Kind Pie opened up as Atlanta’s newest pizza restaurant.  As their tagline says, this is “pizza with a conscience conscience.”  However, their menu includes a good number of Italian appetizers, a few salads, and some inviting sandwiches.  Not surprising, you’ll find top quality products that lend themselves well to the concept.  In fact, they put out some gluten-free pizzas that appear very popular early on.  Though I have yet to actually step foot inside the restaurant, located in the heart of Buckhead, I did have a chance to sample some sandwiches for dinner (last night by the time y’all see this go up).  Though the consumption conditions were less than ideal, things are looking good for TKP, and I’m looking forward to giving them a full look-see in the near future.

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