Eating Into the New Year

Being vegetarian in the South can be tough. When I lived in Charleston, where shrimp is a vegetable, I had a bit more trouble than I’ve ever had in Atlanta or Athens, but for the most part, it’s never a problem to eat out— there’s always at least one pasta dish on the menu that can be easily altered into vegetarian-dom. This month, in particularly, has seen a lot of incredible food. Here’s a glimpse at what I’ve eaten (or, in the case of meat dishes, watched other people eat) in January.

Sweet potato fries with fire-roasted marsmallows, goat cheese-stuffed fried green tomatoes with chipotle aioli, and white peach lemonade from Ibiza Bites + spinach salad with goat cheese, fresh strawberries, and walnuts with a mediterranean veggie sandwich from Highland Bakery + gol gappe on New Year’s Eve + first King of Pops of the year— raspberry lime.

Just Loaf’n shrimp po’ boy + sesame fries with Sriracha cheese dip and stir-fried tofu taco with spicy Asian BBQ sauce from Yumbii. // I can’t say enough good things about Atlanta’s food truck scene. Love that you can find 10+ gathered for lunch or dinner multiple times a week!

Pimento cheese with benne seed crackers + tomato basil soup + barbeque shrimp + grits from 82 Queen during Charleston Restaurant Week; not pictured: she-crab soup + portabella with olive oil and goat cheese potatoes and spaghetti squash. // I was a little disappointed with my spaghetti squash dish (i had been so excited to try it!), but 82 Queen is phenomenal and the service we had was impeccable— the waiter noticed me having a hard time deciding between two first course dishes so he brought me both. We’ll definitely be back.

North African spiced boiled peanuts + white peach soft-serve ice cream with pepper jelly + garden chili dog {veggie frank, veggie chili, walnut mayo, crispy shallot rings} + Eastbound and Down dog {house frank, Carolina pulled pork, mustard slaw, mop sauce} + Little Italy {Italian sausage, San Marzano ketchup, fontina, grilled radicchio} + waffle fries with maple-oy from HD1. // I’m a big fan of Richard Blais’s from Top Chef and adore his restaurant flip burger boutique, so I had high hopes for this new hot dog concept as well. However, I was pretty disappointed with my veggie dog. I wanted to try the sous vide carrot but was told it wasn’t available for lunch, and the alternative veggie option left me wanting more. Next time, I’ll opt for a simpler dog so I can really experience Blais’s innovative flavours. The waffle fries and spiced boiled peanuts were both incredible and the Eastbound dog was well-received, but the white peach soft serve would have been better without the pepper jelly.

Pimento cheese with apple slices and micro celery + cornbread madeleines from Seed Kitchen and Bar.

Five-cheese macaroni with dark chocolate cabernet wine jelly + chocolate pots de creme + cheddar and apple stuffed zeppoles with caramel-rum sauce + macaroni and cheese quiche + zucchini frittata with caprese salad + cantaloupe juice + Bloody Mary cupcakes; not pictured: roasted salmon stuffed with feta, cream cheese, spinach, and green onions over savory grits + Scotch eggs + banh mi sliders + pepper shrimp + white chocolate bread pudding with caramel sauce + cheese and guava pastries + hibiscus flower juice + tiliapia tacos from the Atlanta Underground Market on two different occasions. // I mentioned the market previously, but I went back this weekend for their first brunch with my mother and had an absolute blast. There were over 100 dishes featured, and we ate as much as we could before bringing back food for my dad in plastic to-go containers. My favourite dish was definitely the apple and cheddar zeppole (think beignets or stuffed doughnuts) with caramel rum sauce. I also loved the hibiscus flower + ginger juice.

Have you eaten anything good this month? Or have you cooked anything that I should try? Since February is filled with birthdays, I’m going to try to eat healthy at home every chance I get so that I can eat cake guilt-free. :)