Chef’s a foodie Friday

Happy Friday! I hope your day is filed with happiness, gratitude, and food! Thank you to everyone who submitted a photo, because NOW I AM HUNGRY! If you want to be featured on the next Foodie Friday instead of drooling over someone else’s photos, please message me your photos on Instagram @marseatss. #CameraEatsFirst

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• Pictures starting from top left going then top right
  • @onebit.e
  • @chefshangie
  • @lifeartandfood
  • @theskinnifoodwhore
  • @collinsdoc
  • @theflourbaby
• Check Instagram (@marseatss) for the Chef tags!! Thank you.

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Gus’ Goes Crazy!

Gus’ Fried Chicken was built from the idea of uniting communities with a special fried chicken recipe. Who doesn’t love fried chicken with a secret spice? Let’s get into it:

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• Gus; is located in downtown Atlanta, but my guy has locations all over the country! I appreciated the down to earth menu. It was one that left you with simple options, but you knew they would all be fire. You can find things like fried pickles, potato salad, mac and cheese. It’s like taking young uncle’s cookout and turning it into profit! I had to order their wings with baked beans and seasoned fries.
• The sides will be first on the chopping block. The baked beans were spot on what I was thinking. They were sweet but not too sweet. They had the onions and peppers mixed in for a nice bite. The fries are classic. Good crispiness like you’re at a ballpark then finished with seasoned salt and other flavors. However, these wings… I need to run it back! They were juicy, off the bone, and spicy at the same damn time. I was chowing through the chicken so fast and effortlessly that I forgot to touch my drink. If you dare see me eating this and ask me for a bite, I will just stare at you like…

Chef’s Foodie Friday!

Happy Friday! I hope your day is filed with happiness, gratitude, and food! Thank you to everyone who submitted a photo, because NOW I AM HUNGRY! If you want to be featured on the next Foodie Friday instead of drooling over someone else’s photos, please message me your photos on Instagram @marseatss. #CameraEatsFirst

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• Pictures starting from top left going then top right
  • @citysweetsandtreats
  • @foodfixxe
  • @justseasonedwell
  • @feedthemalik
• Check Instagram (@marseatss) for the Chef tags!! Thank you.

Healthful Essence is Essential!

Healthful Essence is a spiritual creation to share nourishing and healthy Caribbean food with the world. Vegan food has now adopted some classics such as Jerk Chicken! Let’s get into it:

• Healthful Essence is all about taking care of you. They live and breathe the vegan lifestyle, and they have a surplus of items to bring positivity to your life. From sea moss drinks to banana nut bread to curried vegetables. They ensure everything is plant base then add their flavor to it! From their cooked menu, you will find items like macaroni and un-cheese, Jamaican patties, jerk un-chicken. It’s the options for me!!!
• I ordered a jerk plate with rice & peas along with cabbage. I’ll start with the cabbage. It was fresh, and they were seasoned perfectly. It was like they were made with a dash of spicy too. Even without bacon fat, this cabbage was still slapping! The rice and peas felt and tasted like the classic dish it is. It did need one more seasoning in that pan though to win my tastebuds fully over. The Jerk un-chicken was one of the best vegan meat substitutes I have had. If you have a jerk sauce that is fire, then I will love you and tell everyone to show love.

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…

Local Green is the Dream!

Local Green Atlanta is a fast casual restaurant whose mission is to redefine healthy, affordable eating. I wholeheartedly support putting more healthy options in areas that need them! Let’s get into it:

• Local Green is exactly what it sounds like plus more! Not only are their colors and signage green, but just about all of their food options have green in them. If you’re a superstitious person, i’m sure you will make the case that it is indeed your lucky day around all of that green. Their menu contains a diverse selection that includes a power kale salad, monsta shrimp burger, vegan Oh Boy burger, and more. No chickens here for your basic butt!
• I ordered the Oh boy burger and Air fries. First off, this burger was monstrous. I got the “OH boy” feeling. This burger resembled no vegan burger i have had so far. It looked and was presented like a $24 burger from a steakhouse. That beauty was extremely juicy and topped with natural vegetables! The mock cheese gave me all of the feels of gooey real cheese. That burger was not backing down from me. I struggled to finish for real! The air fries were cajun seasoned and had a little heat. It was a great combination! If I had some wine, I might have passed out from joy…

The Local Coco is Loco!

The Local Coco is a new Atlanta pop up spot focused on brining Latin food to the vegan space. Tacos always boost my mood! Let’s get into it:

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• The Local Coco popped up during my search for black owned vegan spots in Atlanta. I have never heard of the place, and I soon found out they were new to the game and here to stay. If I had three words to describe their brand, it would be: culture, authentic, and innovative. They are a pop up shop, but they surround their space with classic R&B records, fresh tortillas and chips, and lots of love in the air. Their menu changes but you can find their well battered cauliflower wings, street tacos, and loaded nachos most of the time. I could tell it was going to be good when they were eyeballing the seasonings and portions!
• I took on the loaded nachos and cauliflower biscuits since they had sold out of their normal supplies to make wings. Those housemade chips were to DIE FOR! Crunchy goodness with the freshest vegetables topping them along with their jackfruit al pastor. But seriously, their vegetables were top of the line. I feel like they had just come outside with this parsley LOL. The jackfruit al pastor was put together admirably and gave me the feel as pulled chicken on top of nachos! The cauliflower biscuits felt so innovative that I couldn’t do anything but respect it. They were fluffy and battered up excellently. However, that chipotle sauce was the best chipotle sauce I’ve had! It was tangy and also had a little kick of heat. You can debate your mom or whoever you want, because I said what I said! If I offer you a bite and you do not like it, I will look at you like…

Grass VBQ Joint Goes!!

Grass VBQ Joint is bringing vegan smoked meat to Atlanta. Chef Terry ensures that they use fresh, local ingredients to put together these vegan handheld bites! Let’s get into it:

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• Grass VBQ Joint is black owned and connected within a brewery which adds to their aesthetic! I went here knowing that I wanted something vegan and something that will remind me of a summer barbecue. Side note: Summertime by Will Smith is always my mood. At Grass VBQ Joint, you will see a variety of sandwiches on the menu such as the Clucker, Nashville Hot Chic’n, Smoked Brat, and many others. I felt like I was on Deal or no Deal, I was analyzing and debating between sandwiches hoping I chose right. I knew I couldn’t choose wrong though!
• I picked the clucker as my lunch, and I was pleased when I saw it. The bun was glistening, sauce was gushing, and the smell was sensational when I opened the box. Before I dove right into it, I snapped my pic and sat their cheesing at how good this baby looked. First bite in, I was bombarded by the taste of this Bama BBQ sauce. It was amazing. I could taste the freshness and smokiness in the fake meat. Grass VBQ makes their fake meat in-house, and that eliminates all that thought of “what if it tastes too processed or fake?”. This was eliminated in my mind after taking bites in the sandwich. Also, the pickles and onions add that nice touch to enhance that freshness component. By bite #4, the sandwich was on its last leg! Even though I was about full, I looked at that last bite like..

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.

Slutty Vegan? Yes!

Slutty Vegan is the home of Atlanta’s best vegan burger in my opinion (this could be a fact though!). Slutty Vegan was founded by a black queen by the name of Pinky Cole. Slutty food is  overindulgent, gooey, messy, and irresistible. Let’s get into it:

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• I finally can say that I have tried Slutty Vegan. Ever since they opened in 2018, there was been crowds of people waiting to get one of their burgers each day. Their menu is funky and creative! You will find options such as “One Night Stand”, “Hollywood Hooker”, and “Heaux Boy”. Some burgers feature avocado, jalepeños, or jerk plantains. They all sounded good to me as I was deciding what to order. No matter what I chose, at least I knew this meal would be vegan and slutty.
• I ordered the One Night Stand and the Super Slut. First up, the bun.. They use Hawaiian buns, so that adds a layer of flavor. The One Night Stand is their classic burger topped with bacon, cheese, and caramelized onions. The vegan bacon was smokey and crispy! Most vegan bacon is chewy, and they gave us crispiness. That’s love. The slut sauce was amazing. I couldn’t tell you what it was made of. Nothing from this burger screamed vegan to me, but it was phenomenal. The melted cheese was messy yet so tasty. The grade I’m giving them is an A+. If this what it feels like to be a slutty vegan, I need more of that.