Atlanta, Georgia

My best friend lives in Atlanta so I've been there more than a few times. Recently, I took a trip down to visit her and got a taste of the city life again. What I love about Atlanta is that's it's a big city with a charming southern feel. The neighborhoods make it very personable and easy to live in. At the same time, the fact that Atlanta seems to be such a city of neighborhoods would make it an ideal candidate for efficient public transportation. DC's metro system would be perfect here but sadly the MARTA doesn't really provide access points to get from place to place easily.

When i visit my friend we rarely leave the neighborhood. In this case that neighborhood happens to be the Virginia Highlands. This works perfectly for me because I love the charm of this area. You can walk around, get fantastic food, shop till you drop or just browse around the stores, and Piedmont park is nearby for people watching or dog walking. Definitely a highlight of my trips to Atlanta is the food, so I'll recommend a few places that Beth has introduced me to.

Breakfast
This time around we ate breakfast at the American Roadhouse. Sometimes eating in Atlanta can be pricy, especially for brunch, but I was so pleasantly surprised with this place. The prices were reasonable, the place was unassuming and the food was awesome. My crabs benedict (priced very reasonably at $9!) was fabulous, and the jalapeno cheese grits are a must for a taste of Southern fare with a slight twist.

Coffee Break
Do I really need coffee right after breakfast? Most definitely. You can never have too much coffee. This is Beth's favorite coffee place: The San Francisco Coffee Company.

Lunch
We did eat lunch out this time around, but I asked my friend Beth to recommend her favorite lunch spot in the highlands.

Time for a Beverage?


Dinner
For a fun and casual dinner option, check out The original El Taco. What I liked about this place is it's atmosphere and it's simple food. The tacos were good. I was honestly expecting a bit more because they offer some unique taco options that had great promise. I can't say they blew me away, but I can say that they were good and I would still recommend this place. The guacemole and queso on the other hand were great; a perfect companion for a margarita. This place has great bar that serves dinner...it's perfect for a small party if the place is crowded. They also spin a wheel of freebies every hour which adds to the fun atmosphere. It is noisy so this is not a place for quiet intimate conversation, but who wants to do that when you're sipping on a margarita anyways :).