Sometime last week, Joe mentioned that his CDC work group was going to have a holiday lunch on Friday and he wanted me to join -- the only catch was that (1) lunch would start at 3 PM and (2) we'd be going to a restaurant just outside the perimeter. Now, for those of you who live outside Atlanta, the locals here distinguish how far away places are by whether or not they are inside the 285 perimeter (ITP) or outside the perimeter (OTP). For anyone living ITP, going OTP for any given meal is a big freakin' deal. Heck, even going outside my 4 mile bubble is a big deal for me! Regardless, my first instinct was to skip the holiday lunch, since I knew I wouldn't get anything done past 2 PM that day if I went. But then, the clouds cleared and angels began the sing just before Joe mentioned one final detail -- a Chuy's recently opened in Atlanta, and that's where they were going. "Excuse me, what?" was my reaction. Apparently, he repeated, a Chuy's had literally days before just outside Perimeter Mall. After additional convincing by his co-workers/our dear friends, I was IN!
For those of you who don't know, Chuy's Tex-Mex originally began in Austin, Texas off Barton Springs Road. Apparently their original budget was so low that the owners had to scrounge together what little cash they had to buy cheap decor for the restaurant. Chuy's has since grown into one of the most popular Tex-Mex restaurants in Austin, and has franchised to several places around Texas, Nashville, Louisville, and now Atlanta. They've certainly got some interesting interior design going on; each room of the restaurant has a specific theme and tables are surrounded by fake palm trees and eclectic paintings. And of course, there's the Elvis shrine that appears in every restaurant.
I only went to Chuy's a handful of times when I lived in Austin, honestly. I did, however, used to frequent Hula Hut, a Tex-Mex restaurant owned by Chuy's with a Hawaiian flair. To be perfectly frank, I couldn't remember how awesome the food was at Chuy's; the only thing I recalled was that the SALSA WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD! And they pretty much have the exact same salsa at Hula Hut, too. So every time my friends and I went to Hula Hut for a meal, I'd take an entire container of salsa for myself and go at it with a fork. No joke. Forget the chips. Just hand me the salsa.
I've always been skeptical of Mexican restaurants in Atlanta. It's strange because for a city with over 500,000 Hispanics (and surely some of those being of Mexican descent), it's really hard to find good Mexican food. It's out there, but not only is it difficult to find, it's just...different. It's not Tex-Mex. It doesn't have that mixture of flavors found in border towns around Texas and New Mexico. So you can only imagine my excitement when I found out Chuy's was coming to Atlanta.
When we walked in, it was like heaven! I felt like I was back home, in Austin, Texas. Funky art, pictures of cute doggies, and old hub caps on the walls surrounded me. The moment of truth, though, was whether or not the salsa tasted the same. Since we arrived during their happy hour, a couple of us grabbed a plate of chips and salsa and went at it. I nervously (and eagerly) grabbed a chip and dipped away, making sure I had captured a copious amount of tomato-y yumminess to enjoy. And, the minute that salsa touched my mouth, it was all over. It WAS the same. IT WAS! That rich, fresh tomato flavor filled my mouth, but was soon countered by a strong lime taste and a swift kick of fresh jalapenos.
Onward to ordering real food. I ended up getting an order of the tortilla soup and the chicken fajitas. I have to say, the fajitas were not outstanding, but still deserve a solid 8/10! I was expecting more, though, since I have fond memories of the amazing Shiner Bock chicken fajita dish at Hula Hut. The tortilla soup, however, was just as I remembered it. Each comforting bite contained a healthy dose of fire-roasted corn, smoky tomatoes, creamy, rich avocados, and shredded chicken. Texturally, all the ingredients seem to meld well together, with the combination of the tenderness of the chicken and vegetables (and fruit, technically) and the crunchiness of the tortilla strips topping the soup. Every spoonful of soup had just the right dose of lime and cilantro, two of the most essential flavors in Southwestern cuisine.
Oh, and I forgot to mention this! The fajitas also came with a side of rice and refried beans. The rice was pretty amazing, but the refried beans were out of this world, let me tell you. And I am almost never a fan of refried ANYTHING. Every bite was filled with ooey-gooey inexplicable richness -- one that, despite my stomach being more than overfilled, kept me going back for more.
All in all, Friday afternoon was an emotional and happy day for me. I had finally found my reasonably priced (between $9-$12/entree) Tex-Mex restaurant in Atlanta. Geez, and it only took me four years (and a restaurant owner's decision to expand to Atlanta)!
-----------ALL RIGHT, GUYS -- WE'RE CHANGING GEARS HERE------------
Ok, all, I just grabbed a snack. The above descriptions left my stomach growling! I hope it did for you, too, and if you live in Atlanta, I hope it motivates you to try Chuy's if you haven't already.
We're changing gears here a little to breakfast foods. I'm not as big of a fan of large breakfasts as some people, mostly because my normal routine includes waking up early and eating a bowl of oatmeal as soon as I get up. And honestly, eating large breakfasts are a lazy day kind of activity. No one really wants to wake up, eat oodles of waffles, pancakes, bacon, and eggs and then put in a full day of work. That sounds plain miserable! But if you do happen to sleep in a little and don't have a tremendous work load the rest of the day, it's sometimes nice to make yourself a nice big breakfast.
Last Saturday, Joe and I decided to walk to the Piedmont Park Farmer's Market, since it was their last weekend of the season. While Joe was preoccupied with not letting Sasha attack other dogs and squirrels, I searched for reasonably-priced produce. Interestingly enough, the first farmer we visited was selling persimmons. Now, let me tell my experience with persimmons. My parents have grown them in the past. I've bought them from the Buford Highway Farmer's Market many times. And each time I've eaten a persimmon, I've enjoyed the taste but was agitated by the texture. Persimmons are incredibly sweet, but they often leave behind a sort of roughness on your tongue. It turns out that you only feel this odd textural quality when the persimmon isn't quite ripe yet. The farmer assured me that these persimmons he was selling were indeed ripe enough for consumption, so I skeptically bought 3 (hey, they were only a dollar, ok??).
The next day, I decided to make Belgian waffles on a whim. I have to say, though, I didn't make them from scratch. I used the Hungry Jack waffle mix. You guys, please don't judge me. Sometimes, convenience is bliss. Plus, with waffles, it's all about the toppings, people.
Anyway, I ended up making these waffles and topping them with a cinnamon-sugar clarified butter, real maple syrup, and a healthy serving of fresh, sweet persimmons. The cinnamon-sugar clarified butter is a stolen idea. I took it (and am now crediting) from Murphy's, which serves cinnamon butter with their buttermilk pancakes. Anyway, I changed the recipe slightly and took homemade ghee (I beg you -- please don't BUY ghee from the store...it doesn't taste the same! And it's so easy to make. Plus, why would you waste all that money??), mixed in some ground cinnamon and brown sugar, heated it over the stove for a few seconds, and voila! An excellent waffle topper. And I have to tell you, the combination of the sweetness and saltiness of the butter, and richness of the maple syrup, and the nectary lightness of the persimmons made each bite of the seemingly mediocre waffle absolutely delectable. The best part -- no textural weirdness with the persimmons!! So next time you buy persimmons, be sure they are ripe enough to eat!
Ok, I'm signing off. I'm exhausted. And hungry again. Hope you all enjoyed this post. Again, apologies for the lack of pictures...I've already packed my camera connector (leaving for Texas on Thursday mid-day!).
PS - You'll notice that the title of this post also includes "salami and cheese"...I guess I got so wrapped up in describing Tex-Mex and waffles that I'm just too tired to elaborate on that last thing. :) Not that it's not worth talking about; it certainly was the highlight of my day today! But I will save it for another day when I have more energy and "salami and cheese" gets the loving praise it deserves! Good night, y'all!
Thanks for the Chuy's review. We passed by there a few days before they opened and made a note to drop by. Lucky for us, we live less than 2 miles away!
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