The General Muir - Druid Hills - Emory Village - Atlanta Georgia

You can find The General Muir at 1540 Avenue PlI'm, Ste B-230, Emory Point, Atlanta, GA 30329 in the heart of Emory Village. Parking is along the streets (a bit limited) or there are a few lots if you don't mind walking (I'd advise this as the area is quite busy).

I had heard about The General Muir from a few friends and have been wanting to visit - unfortunately it's in a part of town where I don't frequent. I had an opportunity (wife out of town) and a craving for an exquisite burger in mind so made the Muir my destination one late afternoon. I had heard and read about the General Muir taking general menu queues from a traditional New York style Jewish deli so I had a specific image in mind at the outset. I was literally blown away by the interior of this place on arrival - much more upscale than any deli I've visited - this place would make an awesome date-night destination (but note that they do close by 9:00 PM during the week).

 

The place was winding down a bit when I arrived and I was asked if I'd like to be immediately seated at the bar - which I gladly did (doesn't make much sense sitting at a table) especially as I was able to observe the bar and staff. I don't know if all the bartenders are as skilled as the one that was in front of me - if so then this place is really special. There was a couple at the bar who ordered several classic specialty drinks and the bartender pulled all stops using chill, stir and garnishing techniques that would fulfill the pickiest of cocktail aficionados. It was quite entertaining and better than most of the dinner theaters I've attended.

For dinner I first ordered my favorite local craft, the wonderful Creature Comforts Tropicalia in my favorite form, draft. Looking over the rest of the menu I ordered what I came to the Muir to experience - the Pastrami Bacon Cheeseburger. Continuing to take its queues from the Jewish Deli, the bacon on this burger is actually thin sliced Pastrami crisped up to texture of bacon. The burger was served with American cheese, shaved Vidalia onion, b7b pickle slabs and traditional hand-cut fries (so they still have the skins on them). This plate was massive and quite filling - also delicious and one of the best burgers I've had in Atlanta, to me surpassing the acclaimed H&F burger.

The staff at the Muir was quite wonderful, checking on me frequently and speaking to me when they passed by my seat at the bar. Combine the service with the great food and bartending entertainment, and you have a winner all around. This was an awesome experience and I can't wait to go again to see if it can be repeated.

(also posted to Yelp)

Gruby's New York Deli - Sandy Springs Georgia

You can find Gruby's New York Deli at 860 Johnson Ferry Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30342 in Sandy Springs near Northside Hospital. There's also a Subway and Moe's in the same shopping center, but I'm not sure why you would eat at either with Gruby's nearby. Parking in the lot is quite busy, I believe mostly due to the UPS Store but luckily there's additional parking in the back.

Gruby's is the closest deli I've found in Atlanta to those famous delis in New York - you can sidle up to the counter and order cuts of meats, sandwiches to go and what you would think of ordering form a typical deli. What makes Gruby's special though are the sandwiches served when seating to dine. These are massive double-layer sandwiches you'll have a hard time finding South of New England.

There's a common line to order and be seated, when busy you may have to stand for a while but there's a mural of NYC overhead to keep you distracted. There are several classic photos of NYC on the walls to keep things interesting. The interior is not posh, however it is very functional and there's plenty of space with some overflow to covered tables outdoors. Once seated the service is very quick and very good. The menu has many options (some are more inclusive to breakfast which finishes before lunch - they do have some breakfast options that are offered all day). I always focus on the House Specialties page.

While I've visited Gruby's many times over the years, I finally spent a few minutes taking these images. I tend to order either the Bronx Bomber (which my friend Mike who grew up in Jersey assures me is the same as a sandwich they call a "Sloppy Joe" up there) is a particular favorite. The other sandwich I like quite a bit is the pastrami Reuben - you can get it just about any way you like it, with pastrami or corned beef. Today I opted for the Matzo Ball Soup as a start and I really should have ordered the half sandwich as I ended up taking half back to work. As a side I went with the slaw - while not the creamy slaw Southerners are used to I felt it more like what I've experienced in NYC - a bit wetter but still quite good and fresh. My dining companion went with an Egg sandwich.
 

The Bronx Bomber is quite good - a combination of Turkey, roast beef (I ordered it rare - something else I like about Gruby's, whether rare roast beef or beef tongue, you can order variations and they don't blink an eye) and pastrami (my preference over corn beef) with a touch of Russian dressing (the real stuff, not that crappy Thousand Island) and slaw. Simply delicious and one of my favorite sandwiches. It comes with a nice Kosher dill spear - I sometimes get the fries but they aren't my favorite (seem to come from a bag?),

The Matzo Ball Soup was very good but may be a bit off-putting to some - the broth has a distinctive garlic taste that some may not like (I love it though). The ball was humongous, light, fluffy and quite good (if you've never tried, it's difficult to get this this size without them being doughy).

Service is quite good but this place is quite busy - at times it can take a while to be served, especially when they're slammed. Still, the sandwiches are worth it.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)