Foodle

Come to riverside @octopusbeergarden for the 1960s classic rock vibes, but stay for the fish tacos and frozen rum drinks. The laid-back destination is bringing a little Margaritaville to Macomb County 10 months out of the year 🐙🍹🌮🍔🍍🌤️ Read my review in today’s @detroitnews #OctopusBeerGarden #MtClemens #restaurantreview #detroitrestaurants #macombcounty #detroiteats Less

If you willfully submit to the VR headsets, the ferris wheel of sweets and the poetic sermons behind the 17 appetizers that precede 15 entrees — followed by a trio of desserts — prepared by the 60 chefs in a kitchen no bigger than a flex 2-bed New York apartment, you’ll make the four hours at El Celler pass (grandly) like a ship in a Mallorcan sunset. A meal at the world’s former #1 restaurant in the world can feel stuffed, but it never overwhelms.

Nor does it bore. Dishes here are timeworn, dotted with enough surprises to keep up with the times. A few of their marquee dishes show their age: a mid 2000s foie nougat whose trifecta of sweet-salty-fatty had been explored to abandon in the 90s. And a brioche ‘bao’ veiled with truffle appeared before on the menu of a ‘worldly’ Michelin-starred tasting counter. But that trifecta is well-balanced (the Pedro Ximinez reigns it all in beautifully), and the bao — weightless yet gently chewy — pairs smartly with the truffle.

Most places operate within a narrow aperture; Joan Roca explores a range of flavors that stretch from bitter (pickle gel) to sharp (frozen olives), all arranged in a sequence that builds steadily. Aside from a denouement or two — like a grilled, pickled lettuce salad dressed with black garlic — dishes grow in ambition as the meal progresses. My favorite savory course was the restaurant’s newest: sardines in bone velouté with anchovy garum and hazelnut praline — a dish that spoke lyrically of summer and sea. And the best dishes, period, are Jordi Roca’s desserts, which may feature grilled white asparagus (!) with coffee and a quilt of grapefruit skins with Sichuan pepper. I loved them all.

The duds can be forgiven. A duck stew was a cobble of rough textures; the crustacean sauces started to blend; and the opening brodo could double as a salt quarry. At times, service can feel spotty and forgetful.

But El Celler is an institution inasmuch as the sharply angular, sun-washed, glass-enclosed dining room looks fresh despite being decades old. And the gourmands who’ve waited 11 months for this may look jaded until you lean in. They all had a twinkle in their eyes. Mine did, too. Less

🍔🍺 #FoodieFinds #GwinnettEats #SupportLocal

You KNOW I’ve been a longtime fan of @goodwordbrewing at Parson’s Alley in #DuluthGA! Their wings & burger? 🔥 Easily top-tier in #GwinnettCounty! But their latest masterpiece—fish & chips (cod)—just took the metro crown in the post-Wright’s era! 🏆🐟 Yeah, I dig #Wheelhouse in #DecaturGA too, but this one tops the list! So GO! 🚀 And as always, had an absolutely stellar cask ale. 🍻 #SipSipHooray

📍Worth the drive from #NorcrossGA #SuwaneeGA #PeachtreeCorners #LawrencevilleGA #LilburnGA and beyond🍽️ #EatLocal #ATLfoodie

🔥💥 #SupportAlert 💥🔥 Show some ❤️ to your favorite #AtlantaGrubber by checking out 👉 DuffyStore.com 🛒 🙌 My rep means WAY more than any tiny commission 💸 I might earn. That’s why I ONLY rave about products & companies I personally use & love 💯✨ Check out b-day gift ideas for the queens in your life 👑🎁

👉 https://duffystore.com/best-birthday-gifts-for-women/ Less

🍣🔥 Alpharetta’s culinary scene is leveling up! In just the past month, three elite restaurants have joined the lineup: Taste the Flavor, Laghman Express, and now the highly anticipated @edo_atl , beloved in both China & Japan. 🇨🇳🇯🇵

When Mayor Jim Gilvin says, “It’s the most incredible authentic Japanese restaurant I have ever enjoyed”—you KNOW it’s a must-visit. 🏆
Highlights of a sensational feast: 🐟 Bluefin & sea urchin tartare (unreal!) 🥩 A5 wagyu beef tataki 🐠 Sea bream carpaccio 🦪 Scallop carpaccio 🦈 Monkfish liver (first time—wow!) 🐟 Toro sashimi

In my home chomping grounds, the Japanese & sushi scene now has a clear BIG 3: Sushi Lily, Sushi Mito, and the latest gem, Edo—the latter two boasting huge menus. 📜🍣

🚀 Alpharetta has truly come so far! When we moved here 21 years ago, these top-tier dining experiences didn’t exist. But now? A foodie’s dream. 🏙️💫

🎯 Check out top sports picks & vetted sportsbooks at OffshoreInsiders.com #AlpharettaEats #FoodieLife #SushiLovers #JapaneseCuisine #RestaurantGoals 🍣🔥 Less

🍽️✨ Second trip to @lantoinetterestaurant in #Crabapple, and it’s officially one of my fave special occasion spots! 🎉🥂

💛 Mrs. Grub is obsessed with chef Jamie Adams’ @gialloatl, and honestly, same! But his French restaurant in #MiltonGA? Pure magic! 🇫🇷👌

🦪 Chesapeake Bay raw oysters—perfection. 🧅🧀 French onion soup? One of my TOP TWO in metro ATL (alongside Nowak’s)! Tableside prep? Yes, please! The soup is literally pressed and poured over brioche & gruyere—WOW. 🤯✨

🐟 Dover sole, pan-roasted with capers & beurre noisette (fancy brown butter vibes) + baby spinach—so succulent, easily one of the best mains I’ve had in a WHILE! 😍🤤

🚀 Run, don’t walk! And that crème brûlée? 🔥 The perfect sweet ending to a phenomenal meal. 🍮💯

❗ Some spots in #Crabapple might be struggling, and yeah, not all are stellar... but THIS ONE? Flat-out a keeper. 💯🙌

🔥💥 Support Alert! 💥🔥 Show some ❤️ for your Atlanta Grubber & check out 👉 DuffyStore.com 🛍️ 🙌 I ONLY hype up products & places I genuinely use & love—my reputation matters WAY more than any tiny commission. 💸💯✨

#FoodieFinds #MustTry #ATLGrub #FrenchCuisine #WorthTheHype 🍷🥖🎶 Less

First visit to @miltons_cuisine in a few years. The crab bisque was solid. I remember they were known for Charleston she crab soup, but with two chef changes since our last visit, things have likely evolved. Diver scallops were impressive—just a notch below my top favorites in this price range, but definitely high quality. Pimento cheese ranks near the top for me. One of the best spots in #MiltonGA #Crabapple. Less

#Review of Rose & Olives

I recently dined at Rose & Olives in Johns Creek and found the meal to be decent. I would suggest skipping the gyro, but I did have the opportunity to try some of my wife’s chicken parmesan. We both agreed that while the cheese was of good quality, it needed to be crisper and cooked for a bit longer. The chicken, cheese, and sauce were satisfactory overall, though the execution could have been improved.

While it wasn't the best meal I've had recently, I could see myself returning to Rose & Olives every few months. Who knows, maybe when I grow up and become a brain surgeon at Emory Johns Creek, it might become a regular spot. #JohnsCreekEats #RoseAndOlives #FoodReview #DiningOut Less

Woooooh! An Irish lady knew her fish and chips, and I’m happy to confirm she was right. @washingtonswharf in #CummingGA City Center surpasses Wright’s, making it the best fish and chips spot in Atlanta. Mrs. Grub enjoyed her chicken fingers, and I found the beer cheese as good as any I’ve had. We agreed American fries are crispy and solid, but British chips are the way to go here! The tartar is excellent, with everything made in-house.

Mrs. Grubber enjoyed her chicken fingers as well. They also serve wings, which could be worth trying next time. The beer pretzel was good, but the standout was the beer cheese— Some blokes may consider this thought rubbish but put the beer cheese on your Brit chips.

Good Word Brewing in #Duluth (also home to the #BestOfGwinnett burger) and Wheelhouse Pub in Decatur put up a strong showing, but the best fish and chips in metro Atlanta belongs to #forsythcountyga’s Washington’s Wharf by several furlongs. The tartar ranks among the top two, alongside Voodoo Brewing, another solid pick for fish and chips. Less

From #CummingGA to #CollegeParkGA in just a couple of days—covering plenty of spots in between. That’s how I roll.

@zubistacokitchenandbar is a solid pick near the airport on Virginia Avenue. Their website mentions "authentic," but I’d say their style lands somewhere else. Not Mexicali, not Tex-Mex (though they do have Tex-Mex options), and certainly not traditional. I’m calling it Mexifusion, at least based on what I ordered.

Their tortillas are made in-house, and the chips come from those same tortillas—fluffy and crisp, a distinct and tasty twist on the usual chips and salsa. I always go for signature dishes, so I grabbed Zubi’s (jerk chicken), Hotlanta (chicken tender), and Yard (lime chicken). Does anyone still say Hotlanta?

The tortillas are standout, but I keep coming back to my "Mexifusion" concept—their texture is thicker than what you'd expect from traditional Mexican fare. The cheese-crusted tortilla on the Yard was a highlight, making it my favorite, though the corn crema on the Hotlanta was another strong point. Common gripe: I’d love twice as much meat.

Still, this #Blackowned restaurant deserves a spot on those "Best places to eat near Hartsfield-Jackson Airport" lists—especially for casual eats. Oh, and the bride liked her wings too.
Support your local Atlanta Grubber. If you use Amazon, consider clicking my link before making purchases: https://amzn.to/3SKHmNz The small commission doesn't change the price you pay! #AtlantaEats #Mexifusion #SupportLocal #Hapeville Less