Anna’s BBQ Bussin!

Anna’s BBQ has put their footprint in Atlanta way before being Atlanta Magazine’s Best BBQ last year. Barbecue and Arnold Palmers are all you need. Let’s get into it

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• Boy oh boy! I needed to get that out before letting you know the versatility of Anna’s BBQ. They are family oriented, and they treat their customers as such. In the midst of the inauguration, I had a feeling that auntie Kamala would want me to treat myself to some souther style sides. Then, I landed on Anna’s BBQ, because they had fat portions and tasty drinks as well! Their menu has southern favorites like pulled chicken, ribs, brisket stew, and much more.
• I felt groovy, so I stepped with the pork ribs and pulled chicken combo with yams and mac! Lemme start with the ribs and say this… You won’t find ribs like this many places. They weren’t scrawny or little at all. PLUS, they were juicy and went crazy in the barbecue sauce. Pulled chicken is always good, but their sauce adds the perfect twang for sure. I fell in love with their sides. I could make love to their sides if we are being honest. The yams were straight from grandma’s kitchen. They were sweet and fresh. The mac and cheese did what I needed it to do. So cheesy with goodness, that I couldn’t put the plate down. I need more of it..

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Dulan’s Did It!

Dulan’s is Inglewood’s favorite soul food kitchen! They are known for generous portions and customer service. Sounds like a good combo to me! Let’s get into it:

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• Dulan’s is the perfect example of a Sunday at grandma’s house with thick aromas and lots of joy in the atmosphere. Dulan’s does not hide their secrets, because when you walk inside you can see the display of hot food ready to be served. From fried chicken to baked fish to smothered pork chops, your night was going to be made! And of course, they got sides for DAYS.
• I absolutely had to try the fried chicken along with mac, greens, and yams. A plate full of this for $15?! Let’s start with the sides. The yams were phenomenal. I almost changed my diet to all yams after eating these. They were sweet and ripe just how I wanted them. The greens were literally from my grandmother. They might give you high cholesterol, but you will devour these! The mac and cheese is always given a critical eye, but it was very good as well. I always appreciate the baked cheese on the mac. It’s chicken timeee. The chicken was extremely juicy. I don’t know what their trick was but it was packed with flavor. The skin delicious too. Real fried chicken eaters know the skin is important. I had a blast, but I woke up from the itis like..

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.

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.

Daddy D’z BBQ Plz

Daddy D’z is an Atlanta staple known for their slow cooked meats and comfort food. They use a hickory & oak pit for the meat, because there are no shortcuts to their recipe! Lets get into it:

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• Daddy D’z is a small barbecue joint, and you might even arrive and wonder if you’re at the right spot. You are! You will see the meat smoker going as soon as you pull in. However, we came to eat and noticed their menu including your typical barbecue along with southern favorites. You will see things such as brisket, smoked turkey, fried okra, and red beans & rice. Have you ever been a cookout with your uncle and see him cooking with a rag on his shoulder, I definitely felt like it was the same situation here. I knew good food was on the way!
• The difference between good barbecue vs great barbecue sits in the brisket to me. If you can make a tasty brisket, you should be eligible to win yourself an Oscar for that performance. I bit into my brisket sandwich and felt the slow tear coming. The meat was perfectly juice but tender. The toast was lightly toasted to perfect. It laid in a bed of tangy barbecue sauce that added to the flavor. That brisket had no chance of lasting more than 4 bites. Sides are important, and Daddy D’z sides hit the spot. The greens were packed with love and flavor. Every bite was better and better. The candied yams were the other star of the show. That hint of brown sugar coating on the yams made all of the difference! Their mac & cheese was good, but I just felt like I felt a connection to the other sides. Before throwing away my plate, I noticed a few scraps of brisket left and had to clean those up too..

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..

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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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