Road trip from Birmingham to ATL to NOLA

in an effort to save some money, the boyfriend and I are flying in to Birmingham, then driving to Atlanta for a few days, then onto New Orleans, then back to Birmingham. We'd love to experience some great local food- not sure if there's any good BBQ on that route but if so, tell me where! I've never been to this part of the south and as I mentioned in my New Orleans post, I basically want to eat as much regional cuisine as possible. Any help would be appreciated!

Mom was in Birmingham a few weeks ago to visit a Birmingham native. She reports:

"Dreamland (good ribs…but too fatty for my taste); Golden Rule (really good ribs); Whistlestop Café (cafeteria-style; fried chicken and sides). I can’t say these places are great, but they’re good examples of typical Southern food. Note: NOT fancy; if I recall, everything is served on paper plates. The tableware might have been real metal, but I don’t remember for sure."

I lived in Atlanta for a few years and have been back to visit several times. I'd say a can't-miss is the Flying Biscuit for brunch/lunch and would recommend the original location on McLendon. I'd say that any lover of food should plan a stop at the Dekalb Farmer's Market. It's a huge year-round indoor market with food (and employees) from all over the globe. They have a cafe, but eating there shouldn't be a priority. Just wander and ponder why we don't have anything like this in Chicago.

If the weather's nice, I always liked walking around the Virginia Highlands neighborhood. Lunch at Murphy's, in the heart of the area, should be nice. Lunch prices are reasonable, but it's in a slightly upscale environment. They often host wine tastings and are known for their friendly service.

Have a great trip!

I''m not a big fan of the ribs at Dreamland. They are definitely of the meat jello variety.

In Atlanta, I would absolutely find my way out to Decatur to visit Scott Peacock's Watershed. His menu is southern themed using fresh local ingredients. My first visit there, i was surprised to see Country Captain on the menu. Country Captain is a southern version of a curried chicken stew that my grandmother used to make.

If Fried Chicken is on the specials board, it is absolutely fantastic, brined in buttermilk, crispy fried in oil seasoned with country ham bits.

It ain't barbeque. But it is awfully good.

http://www.watershedrestaurant.com/

After I made my previous post, I remembered a place that has pretty good barbeque in Atlanta, as well as plenty of schtick.

If you were a kid growing up in Georgia in the 70s, as I did, part of your cultural backbone and understanding of world affairs was bred by your weekly viewing of Georgia Championship Wrestling which came on Channel 17 (before it was known as TBS) at 6 pm on Saturday Nights.

One of the regular villians of GCW was a fellow named Abdullah the Butcher, supposedly from the Sudan, who carried a fork in his trunks which he would use on his opponent much to the detriment of that man. Even back then, Abdullah had an eating disorder. He would eat the announcer's notes and once I remember him breaking a light bulb and eaing it during the post match interview. Knowing that so many southerners watched this growing up, its no wonder that so many of us are international isolationists. Why would anyone want to have relations with a country where men eat broken light bulbs?

But, I digress. After his 'rassling career ended, Abdullah opened a Chinese Food and Rib joint on the southwest side of the city. Great smoky ribs. Especially the tips. There is also barbeque chicken. But, no pulled pork I've never tried the Chinese there. The portions are huge and each entree comes with a couple of southern style sides (but, no lightbulbs).

Abdullah himself has always been there when I have visited and is quite polite given the fact that he is a savage from the wild jungles (?) of Sudan. Its nice to see that during his years wrestling for Ted Turner that we were able to teach him to be a civilized American who appreciate American Chinese and Ribs. Another victory for the Kirkpatrick Doctrine!!

Abdullah The Butcher
House of Ribs and Chinese Food
2387 Fairburn Road, Atlanta, GA 30331
Phone 404-629-2332

YourPalWill wrote:In Atlanta, I would absolutely find my way out to Decatur to visit Scott Peacock's Watershed. His menu is southern themed using fresh local ingredients. My first visit there, i was surprised to see Country Captain on the menu. Country Captain is a southern version of a curried chicken stew that my grandmother used to make.

If Fried Chicken is on the specials board, it is absolutely fantastic, brined in buttermilk, crispy fried in oil seasoned with country ham bits.

It ain't barbeque. But it is awfully good.

http://www.watershedrestaurant.com/

Will's recommendation is a great one. I, too, thought about Watershed, but didn't recommend it because I've only been once. My one visit, though, was quite good. I wouldn't hesitate to return.

You could easily combine Watershed (or the Flying Biscuit, for that matter) with a trip to the Dekalb Farmer's Market. If you're staying downtown, both of those restaurants are on the way to the Farmer's Market.

By the way, if you don't have a place to stay yet, consider staying at a hotel in downtown Decatur. It should be cheaper than the closer-in hotels, have its own charm, and be close to plenty of good restaurants. Plus, it's quite safe and you're still less than 15 minutes from the heart of downtown (and 10 from the Virginia-Highlands). (Decatur is close to the beautiful streets featured in "Driving Miss Daisy.")

We're staying with a friend, and I'm not sure where she lives. . . in a house, so not downtown per se.

What about Varsity? Is it worth it?

richchoc wrote:We're staying with a friend, and I'm not sure where she lives. . . in a house, so not downtown per se.

What about Varsity? Is it worth it?

I only went to the Varsity once, many years ago. If memory serves me, it was worth visiting for the atmosphere and not for the food. If you're only in Atlanta for a few days, I'd suggest skipping it. Much better food elsewhere.

Last New Year's Eve, we ate at the Fish Market in downtown Birmingham. They had great fresh fish, some live in tanks, served in an informal atmosphere. We found the fish to be fresh and all the accompaniments to be quite well prepared. The prices are very reasonable.

http://www.birminghammenus.com/thefishmarket/

YourPalWill wrote:One of the regular villians of GCW was a fellow named Abdullah the Butcher, supposedly from the Sudan, who carried a fork in his trunks which he would use on his opponent much to the detriment of that man. Even back then, Abdullah had an eating disorder. He would eat the announcer's notes and once I remember him breaking a light bulb and eaing it during the post match interview. Knowing that so many southerners watched this growing up, its no wonder that so many of us are international isolationists. Why would anyone want to have relations with a country where men eat broken light bulbs?

After seeing what that mad man could do with a fork - and seen in person, I do not think that I would feel comfortable eating a meal in that location.

jlawrence01 wrote:

YourPalWill wrote:One of the regular villians of GCW was a fellow named Abdullah the Butcher, supposedly from the Sudan, who carried a fork in his trunks which he would use on his opponent much to the detriment of that man. Even back then, Abdullah had an eating disorder. He would eat the announcer's notes and once I remember him breaking a light bulb and eaing it during the post match interview. Knowing that so many southerners watched this growing up, its no wonder that so many of us are international isolationists. Why would anyone want to have relations with a country where men eat broken light bulbs?

After seeing what that mad could do with a fork - and seen in person, I do not think that I would feel comfortable eating a meal in that location.