Say Cheese Cheesecakes!

Say Cheese Cheesecakes aims to bring people the best quality of cheesecakes around even for the picky eaters. I’m not picky, but I do have my eye on a specific two! Let’s get into it:

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• Say Cheese is a cute cheesecake company, but they remind me of almost a boutique! They pride themselves on being crisp and elegant with their cheesecakes down to their interior of their building. I couldn’t help but compliment everything about it. They have one of the most exquisite menus I have seen for cheesecake. You will find flavors such as sweet potato, salted caramel, Reese’s, or golden Oreo.
• I treated myself to two ‘Smiles’ which are personal cheesecakes. I went with the Reese’s and cookie dough! The icing was delightful and soft. I’ve never been a big icing person, but this was so tasty. Cookie dough might be one of my biggest weakness, and they nailed this cookie dough cheesecake. The crust went perfect with the base of cheesecake. When I took a bite out of the Reese’s one… Let’s just say that is was magnificent, because it didn’t last longer than 3 minutes. The peanut butter was the perfect touch to this dessert. I ate that cheesecake swiftly and found myself looking like this…

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Amalfi Pizza. I’m all for pizza!

Amalfi Pizza brings traditional Neapolitan pizza and flavors to Atlanta. After studying and doing an apprenticeship in Italy, they decided to open up shop here. Who doesn’t love great pizza and pasta?! Let’s get into it:

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• Amalfi Pizza has one of the best ambiances I have seen. As soon as you walk in, the restaurant turns into an Italian walkways with Juliet style balconies and iron chandeliers. It makes for a great date night if you and bae don’t mind sitting inside. My hungry butt went straight to the menu and fell in love. Lots of traditional Italian dishes can be found such as gnocchi, ricotta stuffed crust pizza, and classic pastas.
• I went straight to the pizzas and stumbled on the Diavola. This pizza was topped with spicy salami, hot peppers, fior de latte, pecorino and basil. I don’t expect you to know all of those ingredients, because I was for sure lost! I knew things would be fresh and authentic though, so I felt fine. When it came out, the aromas were heavenly out the wood fired oven. The spicy salami was amazing and probably my favorite part. The crust with the ricotta cheese had me feeling like I could move to Italy right now. Everything was fresh and working together. I was about to walk to the kitchen in my costume and look at the chef like…

Atlanta Breakfast Club. Duh!

Atlanta Breakfast Club prides itself on great food and good company! Their prime location, fantastic staff, and dedication to food makes this a top Atlanta breakfast spot. Let’s get into it:

• Atlanta Breakfast Club makes sure you can feel the soul and culture throughout their restaurant. As soon as you arrive, you will see it busy and trying to find where you are going to wait for your table. Might not want to show up starving because your hungry ass might have to wait! You can also order online like I did, so I can grab my food and dip without having to wait for the brunch babes to finish their meal. The menu has lots of delicious sounding items such as peach cobbler french toast, fried chicken and waffles, and breakfast tacos
• I ordered the fried chicken and waffles, because how could you not? I love the combination of chicken and waffles, even though it comes with this itis. The waffles were fluffy with a slight crisp. The chicken looked, smelled, and tasted so good that it could have been my Valentine. The seasoning was excellent, but I still throw some syrup on everything. I know for a fact multiple items on the menu would have been great! After that heavy breakfast, I had to walk down the street and get some energy back..

Tom, Dick, and Hanks is the Place

Tom, Dick, and Hanks is also known as Happy Hour Hanks for their fantastic deals and drinks. Goodie Mob helped inspire the name, and the culture inspired his flavorful style of cooking. Let’s get into it:

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• Tom, Dick, and Hanks is an experience, because it was started after Hank was promoting nightclubs and exposed to short order cooking. Could you imagine you leaving the club at 2am while off a few shots, and your friend is like “hey.. I have some dry rub wings and a fried fish sandwich for you”. You would probably drunk cry, because someone cares about you. This restaurant is located near downtown, so the rooftop patio is a perfect vibe for food and drinks. You will find menu items such as BBQ chips, brisket sandwich, crab legs, and more. Either way, you’ll leave this place a little messy from barbecue sauce or crab leg juices on you LOL.
• I treated myself to the dry rub wings and BBQ chips with chicken. I must admit.. I had no clue what these BBQ chips were going to look like when they arrived. I expected some type of nachos, but these were insane! A pound of juicy pulled chicken layered on top of queso dip, jalapeños, and housemade BBQ chips. It had an abundance of flavor. It was like every bite a new component stood out as the favorite. I need to run these backs and explore other proteins, because this was good! Also, I ordered the dry rub wings (with ranch of course). They were smart for not saying what’s in the house rub, because it was exquisite and yummy. I bodied those wings before I could process them. When I noticed they were only $5 for happy hour, I looked at the waitress like..

Old Lady Gang! Turn up

Old Lady Gang is Kandi Burress’ baby in Atlanta. She gives credit to her old ladies who whipped up some of the best food as she grew up! I had to give it a shot, so let’s get into it:

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• Old Lady Gang is more than a restaurant, it is an experience which I believe Kandi was looking for. You are going to find groovy music, modern seating, and a busy environment. When I went, I think someone was shooting a movie outside. I was mad confused, but it fit the aesthetic perfectly. Their menu presents down south classics with a twist. You will find fried then grilled wings, deep fried deviled eggs, shrimp and grits w/ vodka cream sauce, and more! I felt the itis already creeping up on me before I even ordered.
• I ordered the OLG fried then grilled wings and a cajun shrimp po’ boy, because who doesn’t love po’ boys. I didn’t even have take a bite before my mouth started salivating. the wings were heavenly. They really shook the game up with that fried then grilled method, because the wings were perfectly crunchy and juicy. The sauce was for sure made from grandma’s recipe, because I did’t have a clue what was in it yet it was delicious! The po’boy was exactly what I needed. The shrimp had great spice and flavor throughout, and the sauce was damn near better than being hugged. The shrimp and sauce combo still sits on my mind till this day. I wonder if i’ll ever have a better combo than that…

The Food Shoppe

The Food Shoppe is located right by Centennial park in Atlanta. This is a warm and clean shop where you can find coffee, snacks, and NOLA themed foods. Let’s get into it:

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• The Food Shoppe offers people a cozy and friendly environment ran by Black women. I felt the love as soon as I walked in the door. I stared at their menu in awe when I saw items such creole omelette, gumbo, and BBQ chicken mac & cheese. Mind you this was at 12pm, so my stomach had something in store coming its way. LOL I couldn’t help but be intrigued by this mac & cheese. I knew it was different, because the chef looked like she would have the best mac & cheese at the cookout.
• So, I ordered! You know when you can’t decide between two items… so you order BOTH. I got the BBQ chicken mac & cheese and voodoo jambalaya. When I tell you I was ready to hug the cook after I opened this plate, I was too excited. It looked great, smelled great, and tasted great. The mac & cheese was baked to perfection and extra tasty with the tangy BBQ sauce. The chicken was extremely juicy. It felt like they had it marinating all night. The smoked sausage added authentic NOLA feel to this plate. The jambalaya won my heart, because I already obsess over jambalaya. The sauce was rich with flavor. The shrimp could not have been fresher! The spices made the sausage impeccable. I never understand how dishes seem simple yet taste so good. I finished about three bites and began celebrating like I won a championship, because I was so happy discovering this place.

Trederick’s is Tremendous!

Trederick’s Seafood is known for preparing their fresh seafood daily and packing it with flavor. Who doesn’t want fresh seafood and great flavor? Let’s get into it:

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• I stopped in Trederick’s in search for some seafood since I was tired of my normal meals during the week. However, I came to discover their variety of menu items that all screamed “try me”. Per usual, I stopped by when I was already hungry and ready to eat. I’m scanning the menu to see items such as Trederick’s seafood bucket, shrimp & grits, lemon pepper wings, and more. Have y’all ever asked the worker “which would you get?” LOL that was me in there trying to decide, but I came to the conclusion that I need something fresh and something fried.
• I ordered the seafood bucket which includes crab legs, shrimp, corn, and potatoes. My hungry ass also ordered teriyaki wings and fries. Let’s just say this seafood bucket was nothing to play with. They seasoned everything like their job was on the line! Every bite gave me life. The potatoes were broiled to perfection. The corn was marinating in the broil juices, so that was tasty. That seafood though was everything they talked it up to be! It was all super fresh and always tastes better dipped in butter. You guessed it, the wings were also bomb too. The teriyaki was not overwhelming, and the skin was not too tough. I will for sure be back. You will see me with a chicken wing in one hand and a crab leg in the other as I am dancing like..

Soul Vegetarian. That’s it!

Soul Vegetarian is one of the largest chains of Vegan Restaurants. They always say that they were vegan before it was cool! I’m not vegan, but I am cool. Let’s get into it:

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• Soul Vegetarian has you covered if you are in the mood for soul food. They don’t have your friend chicken or your pork chops, but they make all of your favorite sides vegan friendly! On their menu, you will find mac n cheese, veggie burger, and barbecue cauliflower. I live and die for soul food sides, so all I needed to see on the menu was mac n cheese, greens, and sweet potatoes. We all know that the best naps come after soul food!
• I had to taste test a bunch of things of course, so I ordered black eye peas & rice, mac & cheese, greens, stir fry w/ tofu, and sweet potatoes.Where do I start? I’ll start with the greens. They were extremely fresh and reminded me of home. The sweet potatoes were amazing, and I wish I ate them slower to throughly enjoy them! The black eye peas were very solid. I don’t know if they should have a ton of flavor, but they did their job on my plate! The stir fry was flavorful, the vegetables added the perfect mix. Lastly, the mac & cheese went CRAZY. They found the balance in making a great vegan cheese and baking it. I had not heard of this place, but they won me over. Actually, I feel like the real winner after that meal! Call me Bubba..

Slim + Huskey. Tasty + Affordable.

Sim & Huskey’s may confuse you with their name, but they are a fast fast casual, artisan pizza shop. They build community using locally sourced ingredients and local craft beers. It was hard for me to not want to try. Let’s get into it:

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• Slim and Huskey’s reminds of me a kid cooking with their parents. I have to explain, but their menu has funky names and flavor combinations that you wouldn’t expect. For example, they have a cinnamon roll with green apple sauce + jalapeño cream cheese on it. I’m sure it slaps, butttt I am also guessing that someones child mistakenly put this combo together and it worked! What you can find on their menu? Vegan pizza called ‘Nothing but a “V” thang’, and their pepperoni called ‘Roni, Rony, Rone!’, and their cinnamon roll ‘Halle Berry’. I had lots of fun choosing my dinner!
• I ended up ordeirng the ‘Smokin Herb’ which has white sauce, cheese blend, spinach, onions, mushrooms, and chicken. The pizza was absolutely delicious. It’s hard to put my finger on just one thing that made it tasty. The sauce was packed with flavor which I appreciated. The onions, spinach, and mushrooms were very fresh as if they prepared them just for my pizza. The chicken was seasoned and spot on which I feel is unlike a lot of chicken pizzas. Also, the ‘Roni, Rony, Rone!’ had classic red sauce and three types of pepperoni with a little bit of spice! This felt like a true pepperoni pizza. With every bite, I was able to get smokey and tender goodness. I don’t know if it was a new pizza experience or a close taste of heaven. Next time someone mentions getting pizza and does not mention Slim & Huskey’s, I will have to interrupt..

What we need? Justice and Busy Bee’s

The Busy Bee Cafe has been around since 1947 sitting in the heart of Atlanta, GA. They have been around through lots of protests, injustices, and traumatic nationwide events. The black community has supported them all the way through the years. It is ESSENTIAL that people (not just black people) support black owned businesses right now. After eating at Busy Bee’s and crushing their fried chicken, I will defend them till the end of time. As a black man in America, I can not just walk around without worry or anxiety. I encourage all people to stand for something, before you fall for anything. Go protest, donate to a black organization, and eat at local black owned restaurants. We must continue to fight for Ahmaud Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. If we let up now, this will just be a moment . If we continue to fight until we receive justice and equality, this will be a movement. Let’s get into the food now:

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• The Busy Bee Cafe is one of many black owned soul food restaurants, but they have continued to be my favorite! I ordered the fried chicken, baked chicken, sweet potatoes, mac & cheese, cabbage, and greens. When I say this is the best fried chicken in Georgia, I am not lying. They must have the secret recipe, because I ate the whole half chicken before even touching my sides. So damn good. The baked chicken was juicy and tender! You can’t beat that combo when it comes to baked chicken. The sweet potatoes and greens swept me off my feet. The mac & cheese of course went crazy. They packed so much flavor into the cabbage, it almost felt like Christmas! I will continue to put my money into black owned businesses, so I just have to figure out which is next