Grind House Killer Burgers - Atlanta, GA

Over the break, I grabbedd some frickles (fried pickles) and greasy burgers at this cool place called Grind House. I would compare it to a southern version of Shake Shack. The food came out in metal trays, which immediately reminded me of its northern counterpart. However, unlike Shake Shack, the appetizers are all fried, and the burgers are super greasy. Just the way I like it.

GrindHouse Style Burger

The GrindHouse Style Burger had american cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, pickles, and grindhouse sauce in it. I'm not quite sure where the lettuce was; however, the cheesy goodness made me forget that lettuce needed to be there. 

Frickles (Fried Pickles)

I don't know many burgers places with frickles in the North, but these are a staple in the South. These delicacies were just salty and crunchy enough to compliment the burgers. The chipotle ranch dipping sauce did a nice job in matching up well with the fried coating.

Cheesy Poofs

I was really excited to learn about cheesy poofs. These things are awesome. Inside the fried coating is a delicious pimento cheese filling. It comes with a sticky hot asian dipping sauce that provides a nice kick to the appetizer.

Sweet Potato Kettle Chips

The sweet potato kettle chips were awesome, mostly because of the fact that they came out so fast. I don't think we sat down when it arrived at our table. The hot blue cheese dip was a bit bland, but the chips did a good job in keeping our hunger at bay until our other dishes came out.

Overall, excellent establishment. 

Website: http://www.grindhouseburgers.com/

The Fat Ham - Philadelphia, PA (PART 1)

In place of that wine bar that I'm not sure anyone went to before, Top Chef winner, Kevin Sbarga, has just opened his newest restaurant, The Fat Ham. Once I heard "Top Chef" and "southern comfort food" in its descriptions, I knew it would move to the top of my list for new eats. I planned on trying out the place on Sunday; however, I randomly ended up here on opening day with a friend who is a huge enabler. Since I'll be here twice in the span of a weekend, I will have two posts to cover the restaurant! 

Just as a preface, this place is southern inspired and involves a lot of meat. This means that if you don't eat meat or fried food, this is probably not the place for you. So let's move on to the food:

Baked Mac and Cheese

The baked mac and cheese was awesome. This isn't your run-of-the-mill mac and cheese that you can find at FroGro. Trust me, I would know as I had a few pounds of FroGro mac and cheese over Thanksgiving. The Fat Ham M&C had a nice, creamy cheese with potato chip crust. The contrast between the crunch from the crust with the pasta soft shell really made this an interesting dish that sets it apart from other M&C. The ambiance here feels very southern farm-esque, and this is really reflected in the dish aesthetic. Where else will you be served M&C in a skillet?

Hot Chicken

As a southern kid at heart, I was, of course, drawn to the fried chicken. Perhaps, this dish could have used a bit more seasoning, but the spicy aspect really made this dish. If you're really looking for something spicy, this is definitely what you'll want to try here. The hot wings top off a white bread with ranch dressing and pickles. As you see here, the plate aesthetic is well thought out and really reflects the theme. 

Apple Cobbler

Who doesn't like a-la-mode cobbler? The apple cobbler was warm and tasty, and the bourbon molasses ice cream really topped it off well. Probably my favorite dessert dish here.

Banana Pudding Doughnut with Spiced Sugar

The banana pudding doughnut was essentially an egg tart filling in a donut hole. The pudding was nice and warm; however, it wasn't particularly tasteful. You really wouldn't be missing much by skipping this one. 

Definitely loved some of the dishes I've tried here, but I'll give my final take on it soon! Look out for my next post.