Nancys Chicago Pizza - Midtown - Old Fourth Ward - Atlanta Georgia

You can find this location of Nancy's Chicago Pizza at 265 Ponce De Leon Ave, Atlanta, GA 30308. This is along the block that transitions from Midtown to Old Fourth Ward. The restaurants is in the corner of Ponce and Penn Ave in the bottom floor of some multi-unit short-rise condo or apartment building (there's a sign "CAMDEN" on the corner). One of the last remaining original Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is in the next space over on Ponce so it's hard to miss. There's very limited parking unless you go into some of the back-streets (where you can park for free) or use the valet. My choice is to walk but note that some of the street corners nearby can be a bit sketchy - just be careful and travel in groups.

I was so happy to learn that there Nancy's had moved to this location, having frequented the original location in Buckhead. Nancy's is home to a Chicago style pizza and probably the closest you'll find to that authentic Deep-Dish (sometimes called stuffed) in Atlanta. If you haven't experienced this style, it's all about a the spicy pizza sauce being layered on-top of the other ingredients in a two-inch thick pan-held crust. When done right the meats (I recommend sausage) melts into the crust dough which pick up the spicy flavors - it's delicious. This is the exact opposite of the classic Italian Neopolatano and is usually eaten with a fork. The pie's are big and take at least 30 minutes to cook (usually closer to 45) so make sure you plan well-ahead of time. One pie produces 6-8 slices depending on size and depending on hunger, 2-3 slices will get you full. I've had the thin crust at the previous Buckhead location and while decent pizza, you really want the Deep-Dish to experience the real-deal.

I ended up at Nancy's with a group of Yelpers after a separate non-food event - we were hungry and the restaurant was a short walk away. The restaurant also offers some limited appetizers including salads and sandwiches - I've heard the wings were good (they have 7-8 options) but we ordered 3 large pies to maximize the impact. I believe everyone enjoyed the food quite a bit - my stomach thanked me.

Service in general is good but they do seem to be rushed - lot's of carry-out happening here with cars constantly stopping out front to pick up to-go orders. But really, come here to experience a bit of Chicago heaven, take your time and expect it to take longer than usual - it's worth it.

(also posted to Yelp)

Ladybird Grove and Mess Hall - Old Fourth Ward - Beltline - Atlanta

You can find the Ladybird Grove and Mess Hall at 684 John Wesley Dobbs Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30312 in Old Forth Ward near Inman Park right along the Beltline. I'm not too sure about parking as I walked to this location from Krog Street Market.

This was the second of several stops for me and my friend Arvin R in a mini-crawl to the Dogwood Arts Festival. We started at Superica for a nice brunch at Krog Street Market before walking here for a bit of refreshment. This was my first visit to the Ladybird.

The Ladybird Grove and Mess Hall is a small restaurant with an industrial feel and extensive bar - in my mind this is more of a dive bar and less of a restaurant, but that may have been due to all the people that were in attendance on this very busy day. I really can't say much about the food as we didn't sample any, focusing instead on the drinks and great patio. For me the attraction is the patio, complete with ping-pong tables for when you really get your buzz on and plenty of adirondack chairs to recline on. The patio is a really wonderful space that overlooks the Beltline.

The negative is that this appears to be a rather douchey destination for local college students complete with mating-dance formalities you find when you get a bunch of horny 20-year-olds in a defined space. I can't imagine that many on this day were locals, instead exemplifying all the stereotypes you think of for people of this age, dare I say Millennials with nary a care in the world other than the whether their moms washed their favorite jeans? But I digress. The bartenders here seem more patient than I would have expected, even with the elephant-like progress of masses of people through the bar areas. Luckily you can purchase your favorite (in my case Creature Comforts wonder Tropicalia) outside at some handy brewsky locations.

In all I thought the bar thoughtful if crowded, and not my crowd to boot. The servers/bartenders accommodating and the patio special. As indicated no comment on the quality of the food.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)

Sound Table - Old Fourth Ward - Atlanta Georgia

You can find Sound Table at 483 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30312 in Old Fourth Ward across from The Church, right at the intersection of Edgewood Ave and and Boulevard. The building is on the South-side of the intersection, painted black with a large mural of yellow-goggle-wearing kids on the side. Parking is mostly paid-street or you can use one of the many paid lots but may need to walk a bit.

Coming back from a visit to the Eventide Brewery, we decided to drive up through town and try out some places along Edgewood - initially we hit The Church but decided to look for something a bit more substantial - if we hadn't already been drinking a bit at the brewery we would have stayed for a bit longer - plenty to look at in The Church (spotted quite a few Talking Peewee Herman toys). The Sound Table is across the street so no sweat - this was during the week so there were only a couple of tables, mostly of people drinking. We were there early enough that there wasn't anyone on stage (not sure if they schedule entertainment during the week as it is).

The interior is long and dark with a well-stocked bar along the back edge - there's additional seating upstairs. The interior is warm and inviting with great wood finishes and concrete, a bit eclectic-modernist. There's a short platform as a stage across from the bar and seating that stretches from the stage out towards the front window - I'd rate the place above casual and almost fine-dining (not that this is the expectation - I believe Sound Table is more known for the music, attitude and bar than the food).

It took a few minutes for our server to come by, but once things got started the service was quite good. This night's rotating tap featured the very excellent Creature Comforts Tropicália - if you haven't tried this local Athens brew, trust me in saying it's one of the best things to recently peek its head out of Athens. As many of you know, I tend to stay away from anything sour, citrusy or with added fake-tasting flavors. This delicious American IPA has gorgeous color and an out-of-this world fruity-hoppy aroma. You'll get all kinds of crazy flavor hints: mango, orange, passion fruit - stuff I typically can't stand in beer but this all works together to produce something amazing. On draft this night so extra special and probably not pasteurized - make sure you try if if you ever see it on draft!

We were presented with two paper menus - one narrow two-sided menu with food (which seems to rotate seasonally) and a wider menu with drink specials. We started on some apps then went for entrees:

Smoked Wings - these, in a word: fantastic! Smokey dry-rubbed wings with a delicious smoked chipotle aioli - I could have eaten several pounds of these and was left wishing we had a double-order.

Shrimp Chorizo Tacos - Three soft-corn tortillas with grilled shrimp, chipotle aioli, cilantro slaw and salsa. I liked these the least, but because they were bad, but because the other items we ordered were so good! These could have had a bit more kick, perhaps with a jalapeno coleslaw.

Lamb Burger with Fries - the burger was juicy and the clever Mediterranean toppings - cucumber, tomato, chevre, arugula and tzatziki sauce, perfection.

 
Brick Chicken with Steamed Broccoli - all I have to say is that whomever is doing the cooking at Sound Table understands fried chicken.

Service was very good once it got started - the food was slow to hit the table but very well worth it in the end. In all I think the food here is very good and worth sampling - this is truly a hidden gem when it comes to Old Fourth Ward. I want to try it on a busy night to see how things work and if I'm lucky, they'll have more of that Tropicália on tap (wishful thinking!).

-- John

(shorter version posted to Yelp)

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts - Old Fourth Ward on Ponce

This is one of the oldest Atlanta area Krispy Kreme Doughnut locations still standing and viable. It can be found at 295 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta GA 30308. It's also the first Krispy Kreme that I ever visited during a short stay in Atlanta before moving here in the mid-80s. Until I had my first hot donut, I had no idea what I've been missing, growing up with the likes of cake donuts found at my local, small-town bakery. We'll have none of that now - the Krispy Kreme doughnut (and yes they use the proper spelling here - none of that do-nut label you find at other, inferior establishments) is produced with dough that expands when heated, providing a delicate, less-cake interior texture. Add the hot glaze and you have something really special.

Full of neon lights and brilliant graphics, this KK still have its classic facade - none of that current Dwell-modern look here! This is still an ongoing operation where you can see huge conveyer-belt equipment that moves the doughnuts through various stages until purchase. It's quite a treat to stand on the other side of the glass partition and watch the skilled workers make magic in milled-flour and confectioners sugar! From what I recall, it originally had more equipment, but like so many restaurants much of the Krispy Kreme operations have moved to dedicated production facilities where the doughnuts can be made in massive bulk (it's also where the doughnuts sold in grocery stores comes from). No issues with those doughnuts, however you do miss out on the hot glaze experience that no microwave can reproduce.

Old Fourth Ward can be a little sketchy, especially at night - it's not uncommon to have someone in the evenings ask for a handout - if you intend to visit this delightful location plan your outing during the day, or better yet, near twilight so you can enjoy the incredible light show. On weekends the interior is often full of balloons and free paper hats - do partake as it's another way they make the visit special. Or better yet, take a trip to the Varsity first and down a couple of flattened chili dogs before coming here for dessert (don't forget the onion rights or frosty orange for the trifecta!) and ask for a paper hat. You can then swap hats and have two keepsakes!

Service here is very good although at times the lines can get fairly long. I like to get a dozen (make sure you bring friends!) of the glazed (and maybe a second dozen of the specialty doughnuts as they often have a 2-for-one special on the boxed dozen) but really, the glazed are where-it's-at. Or better yet, get whatever flavor is coming off the conveyer belt - which brings me to the "hot doughnuts now" sign - look for that fabulous red beacon to ensure you're getting-the-goods.

For the glazed - I can do 2, maybe 3 before my sugar levels spike to atmospheric levels (one isn't quite  enough and three may be a bit too much). Bite into a hot doughnut and allow it to melt in your mouth. If there's a heaven on earth, this might just be a brief taste. Are there better doughnuts in Atlanta? That's a tough one - if you haven't tried Sublime or Revolution then you are indeed missing out. Let's just say that these are a different type of goodness, with variety being the spice of life!

(shorter review also posted on Yelp)