Eating in Atlanta…..

Two eating high notes in my excursion to Emery University Hospital in Atlanta.  My hotel was just around the corner from the Havana Sandwich Shop.  The word Havana caught my eye the first night because I love Cuban food.  It looks like a bit of a dive but the next evening I came home from the hospital about 9:00, after over 13 hours in the waiting room, and just wanted to grab something and take it to my room.  I went in and decided to go with the classic Cuban Sandwich.  The smell as I carried it back to the car was intoxicating.

Oh. My.

Here is my sandwich along with a bottle of wine Ernie stuck in the van when he got everything ready for my trip.  God, I love my husband.

The next night I turned the wrong way and by the time I got turned around I just scuttled into my hotel.  I was too tired to do anything else so I ordered some pizza.  Hmmmm.  Perhaps Atlanta isn’t a pizza mecca.  It served its purpose though as did the pedestrian hospital cafeteria food.  The next evening though I was determined to try more Cuban food and so ordered the empanada plate.

Oh.

Oh.

Oh.

One pork empanada, one picadillo empanada, yellow rice and black beans….

Thank you Havana Sandwich Shop!!!

My last evening there Eileen and I wanted to go someplace nice….Princess Food, as Eileen put it.  We pulled up Chowhound and after poking around we decided on Restaurant Eugene.  I must say, it was so marvelous that I may send them a note.  Not just the food—although that was outstanding—but the whole experience.  The service, which struck the perfect note of friendliness and graciousness, the decor, the details….just everything.  I went with the ‘Sunday Supper menu’ and of course had to choose their fried chicken.  As Eileen sadly commented, "fried chicken and no Ernie."  Ernie adores fried chicken and ohhh, would he have been happy. It came with brussel sprout leaves (I love brussel sprouts anyway but these delicate, buttery tasting leaves would convert anyone), slices of roasted fingerling potatoes and two pieces of the crispiest, most chickeny tasing fried chicken I have ever had.  No grocery store bland chicken flavor here!  Of course everything was beautifully plated as well.  I had the country ham appetizer (yes!)  and the apple cake for dessert which was lovely to begin with but pushed up to a different level with the tiny slivers of fresh apple sprinkled over it.

Now I’m torturing myself because I want to go back and choose the Cream of Georgia Pimento soup with shrimp and the Benton’s Bacon Wrapped Georgia Trout….  It was a much needed respite—time with Eileen, which is too rare, and wonderful, inspiring  food.  Thank you Restaurant Eugene……