Atlanta

WARNING: Long post with lots of pictures ahead!

This past weekend my parents and I made a quick trip to Atlanta. It was my last Hurrah before I start my M3 year, which started this morning! This year I'll actually be working in the hospital learning how to be a doctor! Anyway, the Chicago Cubs were playing at Turner Field and I wanted to see them and the aquarium. So, Thursday morning we left Tennessee and drove to Atlanta. We had lunch in Nashville at Panera Bread. This is such a good little shop. You can by (really good) bagels singly or by the dozen. They also have a great lunch menu. Mama and I shared a strawberry chicken salad and Daddy had the pick two with a chicken fontago (?) sandwich and french onion soup. It was all very good. When we got to the hotel, Mama and Daddy decided to get supper outside the ballpark but I wanted the full baseball experience, so I had a hot dog and Diet Coke for supper. Unfortunately we forgot to take a picture, and it really is a monumental occassion...that's my ONE hotdog for the year! BTW, the Cubs won! 2-1. Friday we went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, beautiful, in the morning and, in Rachael Ray fashion, asked the gift shop lady where a good place to eat lunch would be. She recommended Agnes and Muriel's. This was a super cute, retro, Southern cooking diner. Mama got the special of the day...Fried Green Tomato BLT with slaw. Daddy got the Chicken Club with corn pudding. I got the vegetable plate with grilled garlic broccoli, squash casserole, grilled sour cream cornbread, and watermelon vidalia salad. All of it was really good EXCEPT the watermelon salad. It was really bad. They let it sit in vinegar, and we decided that was the problem. It made the watermelon, and even the onion, taste "friendly." I think it would be a really good flavor combination without the vinegar. If you're ever in Atlanta and want a local eatery, try Agnes and Muriel's. In addition to good food they have good (looking) desserts. When we walked in, the red velvet cake was untouched. When we left, this is what it looked like! We think that a bridal shower must have eaten it. After lunch we went to the aquarium, which was great. Nothing exciting for supper, just Steak Escape. Friday we drove back to Tennessee leisurely and stopped in Nashville for lunch. We ate at a cute shoppe in the Vanderbilt area called Provence. Apparently, Rachael Ray HAS eaten here. They have a variety of sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, and even specialty cheeses. Mama got the chilled gazpacho (kind of tasted like salsa) and a turkey sandwich. Daddy got the tomato artichoke soup (good) and creamy chicken salad sandwhich. I got fruit salad (my body was craving cool fruit) and grilled vegetable salad (eggplant, red pepper, squash, carrot, red onion, zucchini). There was also whole wheat cranberry walnut bread...it was SOOOOO good. I'm looking for a recipe to try and recreate it. It was a dense, tough-crusted bread. Let me know if you have any ideas! All was VERY good. Then we went over to a kitchen store owned by a father and two sons, Davis Cookware (?). It's not well organized but has lots of great stuff...even a 13X9 springform. They sell great coffees and teas, too. I walked out with a sifter, sil-pat sheet, and a tube of sea salt. Daddy left with Snickeroo coffee, a steamer, and a tea steeper. Great store. When we got home, we made blueberry pie and watched Facing the Giants. GREAT movie. Anyway, it was a great weekend and got me ready for a lot of hard work to come. I hope I'll still have posts, but if I slack off a bit, forgive me. I have a feeling I'll be getting up quite early and not having much time to cook.

Atlanta Hotels
Title: Atlanta Hotels
URL: http://www.hoteltravel.com/usa/atlanta/hotels.htm