Mellow Mushroom - Kennesaw, Georgia

Image from Mellow Mushroom website

It's fair to say that in any new city I usually find myself making my way through a list of pizza joints. Always searching for the pizza that'll be my go to.

I've been on a continual quest, for my idea of good pizza, for years. I've found it in a few places; a decent Sicilian pie here, the pretty good hand-tossed pizza there. Some really good pizza.

Original Atlanta location - Image from Mellow Mushroom website

That quest recently brought us to Mellow Mushroom. Mellow Mushroom is a pizza chain that got its start in Atlanta, Georgia in the early 1970's. You can still feel the peace, love and hippy vibe when you walk into their stores. 


As the Dining Companion can attest I have a pretty vague way of describing what my ideal pizza is. As has been said before, I know it when I see it. Or taste it in this case.

I found pizza happiness at Mellow Mushroom.

Our usual go-to order is a regular cheese pizza and it didn't disappoint. The crust was crisp with great chew and wonderful flavor. I'm not sure what all the Mellow Mushroom folks are doing with their dough but whatever it is, keep on doing it. The crust is great, the pizza sauce was flavorful and the whole thing is topped with lovely, melty, cheese-y goodness. 

Cheese Pizza

Mellow Mushroom has a lot of inventive pizza combos on their menu. One of those caught the attention of the Dining Companion. Along with the cheese pizza we got the Red Skin Potato Pie. It's made with red skinned potatoes, bacon, caramelized onions, do I need to go on?!

Red Skin Potato Pie - Olive oil and garlic base with sliced roasted red potatoes, Applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onions, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Garnished with chives then drizzled with sour cream and spicy ranch dressing

The potato pizza was easily the best pizza I've had in a long time. Seriously. It's that good. If you're lucky enough to have a Mellow Mushroom nearby go get this pizza.

Quest complete. At least for now.

Happy dining!

Frito Pie

There are a few things you should know about Texas. First, everything is bigger in Texas. Second, the barbecue. And third but not least, turns out one of my favorite snacks is from Texas, Fritos Corn Chips. Fritos were born in the 1930's in San Antonio, TX. I can only imagine that not too much later we got the best way to eat a Frito known to mankind, the Frito Pie.

Some of you may be familiar with the version of Frito Pie that involves a small bag of Fritos, a scoop of chili and a handful of cheese. That is the version I got when I ordered it at Fox Brothers BBQ in Atlanta. Not bad at all.

Fox Brother's BBQ Frito Pie

I recently had the chance to try a local Texas version of this wonderful dish. I was having lunch at a place called Kelley's Country Cookin'. That bit right there should tell you all you need to know about Kelley's. There's a section on the menu called J.W.'s Chili Favorites. Two things stood out: the Texas Special for the Real Texan (how could a person NOT order that?) and Kelley's Chili Pie. What follows may not be pretty, may seem way over the top and unhealthful in the extreme. Yes, yes, it's all of those things but, oh my is it good. So, so good, and awful and wonderful. A plate full of guilt and hard arteries and awesomeness.

Kelley's Chili Pie

Texas Special for the Real Texan

A big plate of delicious

In case I haven't made it clear, I love this stuff. Really. It's a guilty pleasure I just can't quit. So, while I can't in good conscience tell you to, you know, go out and try it, let me state for the record that if you do, IF you do, you won't be sorry. At least not right away.

Happy dining!

Let's Eat!

If there is a best part of being on the road it just might be the chance to try some great food. Over the years the Dining Companion and I have had the good fortune to dine all over the country. Today I'm going to run down some of the best places we've tried. Places worth seeking out if you're in the area and some places worth a journey all their own.

I've written about this before but my hands down favorite breakfast place is the Red Eyed Mule in Marietta, GA. A small breakfast and lunch spot run by a great group of people. The food is fresh and imaginative and doesn't disappoint.

Sometimes finding the goods means getting out of the city. One of the best places to find something good to eat is along the Buford Highway that runs from Atlanta to Buford, GA.The Crawfish Shack had some of the best Cajun style seafood we've eaten anywhere. A trip out to the Buford Highway is a must do when in the Atlanta area.

Our vote for the best barbeque is still Franklin Barbeque in Austin, TX. We can't compare this to anything else because it's in a class by itself. All we can say, is that if you love BBQ and want to experience the best, head to Franklin in Austin.

Having eaten at many Brazilian Steakhouses it was a revelation to eat at a restaurant that served other traditional Brazilian food. On the recommendation of our server at Fogo de Chao we tried Sao Paulo's in Austin. The food we had was flavorful and interesting. It brought another ethnic food to our awareness and something else to seek out in our travels.

One of my favorite things to eat has got to be a cheeseburger. Cheeseburgers are pretty ubiquitous and we've eaten them everywhere. The ones that stand out are not necessarily the fanciest or most gourmet. One of my favorite places to get a cheeseburger is the Northgate Soda Shop in Greenville, SC. A nostalgia filled diner that serves up some regional favorites. Specifically the Carolina Slaw Dogs and the Pimento Cheeseburger. Worth seeking out. A local favorite and a fun stop.

An honorable mention here for The Vortex in Atlanta. It served up one of the most memorable burgers for sheer size and ridiculousness. Grilled cheese sandwiches for buns, multiple patties, bacon and cheese. A crazy over the top plate of goodness.

In the last but not least category we have Corea Kalbi in Newport Beach, CA. This was our first encounter with Korean BBQ. All types of meats are grilled at your table and served with a large variety of condiments. We'd never had anything quite like it and haven't really since. If you're lucky enough to have a Korean BBQ restaurant in your area you should give it a try. One of the most fun and interesting dining experiences we've had.

These are just of a few of the places that have stood out for us over the years. Places that I would return to again given the opportunity.We're looking forward to more interesting and exciting dining in the future. When we find the gems, whether hidden or smack in the middle of the tourist districts, you'll read about them here.

Happy dining! 

Another Sunrise, Another Beginning

We had a nice trip through the south. The weather was good and our newest family member proved to be a great traveler. We really couldn't have asked for more.

Ready to hit the road!

Along the way we enjoyed some beautiful scenery.

We even managed to make time to stop for breakfast at my favorite breakfast spot in the country, The Red Eyed Mule. Love!

Best breakfast sandwiches ever - The Red Eyed Mule - Marietta, GA

And now we're back in the land of the biscuit breakfast. Not that I'm complaining. There's definitely an art to great biscuits and there are no shortage of wonderful examples here.

And all of this for the princely sum of $3.50

To say nothing of the Pimento Cheeseburgers, Shrimp and Grits, Low Country Boil. I'm happy to be back in the South. And just to be on the safe side I've added some extra time to my workouts cause you know, Southern Food!

It's nice to be in familiar surroundings and also interesting to see how things have changed over the years. I'm sure we'll revisit some favorite places and discover some new ones along the way. I'll be posting my thoughts and impressions as well as thoughts on the places we visit and the great food I know we'll be eating. Now pass the biscuits and lets get this party started!

Happy travels!

Note: The title is a quote: Another Sunrise, Another New Beginning ~  (Jonathan Lockwood Huie)

So long Atlanta, it's been fun

Spring finds us on the road north once again. Our time in Atlanta is coming to an end, for now. You know what gets said about all good things.

I can't say how much I've enjoyed this past winter. It was a welcome change and just like I remembered the winters of my youth. It's been spring here in the Atlanta area for the past couple of weeks. Oh the locals will claim that it's still winter but the little bit of Minnesotan in me knows it really isn't.

The nice thing is that by the time we head north spring will be coming to the plains. Two springs and just about no winter, it's like hitting the lottery.

I'm not sure where the road will take us next. We plan to visit a few BBQ joints on our way north. A few days on the road, reminiscing, eating good food and enjoying the return to spring.

Someone reminded me recently the importance of living in the now. Can't spend too much time worrying about what might be and miss what is. Good advice for us all.

Happy travels!

Copeland's of New Orleans - Atlanta, GA

While breakfast is easily my favorite meal of the day, Sunday brunch is my favorite meal of the week. One of the places I love to have brunch is Copeland's of New Orleans. Everything I could want for brunch and more.


There are the usual suspects, eggs, bacon, sausages, waffles, French toast and bacon, lots of bacon. As if that wasn't enough Copeland's also serves up some New Orleans style dishes like jambalaya and shrimp étouffée.

Jambalaya, Red Beans & Rice, Mashed sweet potatoes and a light as air biscuit

Perfectly cooked and seasoned shrimp

Peel and Eat Shrimp, Waldorf Salad and Pesto Caprese Salad

 There is a large boat of peel and eat shrimp, a carving station featuring roast beef and ham and an omelet station.

Bacon, spinach and mushroom omelet

 A cold bar features several salads. A great take on a caprese salad with cubes of mozzarella and cherry tomatoes tossed in a pesto dressing and a very nice Waldorf salad full of crisp apples and walnuts.

 The best part of the brunch buffet,for me,is dessert. There are brownies and other things but the star of the show has to be the white chocolate, raspberry bread pudding. So good. This week there was also a banana and pecan bread pudding so I tried that too. Oh, and a praline.

Banana Bread Pudding, Fresh Whipped Cream, White Chocolate Raspberry Bread Pudding & a Praline

Due to local liquor laws you can't have a Mimosa or Bloody Mary until after noon. Brunch starts at 10:00am so if you want to have a drink plan accordingly.

I recommend Copeland's brunch without reservation. The food is fresh and flavorful, the service is good and it's a fun place to have Sunday brunch. (I don't usually highlight chains here, I figure they get enough promotion, I do however have a few that I frequent. Copeland's is one of those.)