ATL: The food…the shopping…the scene. I love it all. As y’all know, the hubs and I took a little shopaholic’s foodie trip to Atlanta after Christmas. 10 lbs later, I am happy to say the trip was a success. As I mentioned in my last post, the hubs SERIOUSLY has a gift: he can SALE SHOP like it’s his job. He woke up bright and early on December 26th [while I slept in, of course], hit up 2 stores, and saved hundreds of dollars. It really was amazing. Once he finished his spree, he picked me up at the hotel, and we kicked off our eating extravaganza.

Our first stop was St. Cecilia. Oh my…SAINT is right.  As soon as you walk in, you are welcomed by a bright, crisp entrance. The restaurant featured a mix of nautical, southern, and vintage (the gold accents!!!!) decor. The ceilings vaulted as far as you could see, and a vast bar lined the wall behind us.  The bartender crafted pre prohibition-style cocktails, perfect for our late afternoon lunch. Everything she created was fresh, hand-squeezed, and farm-to-bar. As we sat down, the wooden tables cultivated an elegant backdrop, while turquoise serving dishes provided just a touch of whimsical.  In the back was a striking seafood bar, featuring the freshest oysters and fish you could imagine.  Be still my beating heart.  The high ceilings, bright lighting, and mixed metals reminded me a lot of Row 34 in Boston.

On to the important stuff…THE COCKTAIL. I ordered a restaurant-original bourbon drink, while the hubs ordered his usual Margarita: hand-crafted, none of that sour mix business. The drinks BLEW us away. As we navigated our way down the menu with starters, main dishes, and of course, dessert, each dish proved to be unique, flavorful, and delicious. The chef did a nice job marrying old with new, fresh with rich, simple with thoughtful. Each flavor collaborated in a way that was specific to the restaurant’s inspiration: the coasts of Italy, France, and Spain.  With each bite, the hubs and I were immediately taken back to Barcelona.  Don’t miss Ford Fry’s latest masterpiece.

After a full day of shopping, it was time for dinner.  YES!!!!!  We decided to branch out into East Atlanta’s up-and-coming neighborhood: Glenwood Park.  And were we in for a treat!  So, you got tickets?  Tickets to what?  The GUNSHOW of course.  I was ECSTATIC to try this restaurant.  The chef, Kevin Gillespie, was the former chef at Woodfire Grill [and Top Chef contender].  As we hopped out of our Uber, I could faintly hear what sounded like Megadeath playing inside the restaurant.  I thought, wow, this place IS cool.  As we walked in, we felt like we were in East NASHVILLE, not Atlanta.  The crowd was hipster, the music was loud, and the scene was bustling.  We immediately sat down and ordered cocktails. Shocker.  The premise of this restaurant is seriously unique.  Think Catbird Seat in Nashville or Statebird Provisions in San Fran.  Anyways, the waiter, hipster/heavy metal guy, offered us a menu.  HOWEVER, there is no ordering at the Gunshow.  Each chef stops by your table to present their dish.  You either HAPPILY accept or oh so politely, kind of awkwardly decline.  They fully detail the dish, as it sits in front of you, begging you to snag a bite.  If you accept, they check off your menu and walk away.  Honestly, I wanted to try everything they delivered to our table, but the hubs kindly requested that we not gorge ourselves.  Go big or go home, right?  And whoa, did each dish ROCK or what.  With 2 people, must be somewhat choosy.  BUT if there is something you are DYING to have, you better hope it comes early, because it likely won’t make it until the end of the night.  As we wrapped up our meal and chose dessert (to die, btw), Enter Sandman starts blaring across the restaurant.  The atmosphere, the food, the “Kitchen Dudes”…all super cool.  Go now…it lives up to the hype.  But take your appetite.  Oh, and their version of the In-And-Out burger?  SWOON.

For our FINAL meal, we saved the best for last.  Miller Union.  It is our absolute FAV.  This establishment is a TRUE farm-to-table restaurant.  Everything is locally sourced, when possible, super flavorful, and really over the top when it comes to creativity. How can something be so simple, yet so intriguing?  We sat in the middle room, where the sun shined through the open windows.  The atmosphere was light, airy, and the least bit stuffy.  Located in Atlanta’s super hip WEST END, the restaurant boasts a rustic-modern setting, proving once again how beautiful simple can be.  We started out with our typical cocktails: bourbon for me, a marg for the hubs.  They were perfection.  Probably the best bourbon I had all weekend.  We started out with light apps and dove straight into the meal.  I was STUFFED after our 48 hour gorge-fest, so I decided to stay light.  I was craving a cold-crisp.  For those that do not know me, a cold-crisp is perhaps one of the most scrumptious dishes on the planet.  Yes, I know what you are thinking…IT’S A SALAD.  But there are only a few salads that deserve the coveted description of a cold-crisp.  And Miller Union’s does indeed.  It was fresh, local, and oh so perfectly crisp.  Ryan’s mustard-braised rabbit dish literally blew our minds, and our dessert was a PERFECT end to such a fabulous meal.  HOMEMADE. BABY. ICE CREAM. SANDWICHES.  Let me repeat…HOMEMADE. BABY. ICE CREAM. SANDWICHES.

We rarely repeat restaurants, but we make sure to stop into Miller Union each time we visit Atlanta.  Bon appetite!

Are you hungry now or what?  As most of you know, eating good food is probably my favorite thing in the world…self-proclaimed foodie, if you must.  Atlanta is the perfect destination for 2 of my favorite things: food + shopping.  I highly recommend all 3 of these restaurants next time you visit.  We have tried SO many places all around Atlanta.  If you have any questions, leave me comment or shoot me an email: [email protected].  It’s hard to believe this post featured NO fashion, but stay tuned for my next post involving some of my favorite purchases from our weekend in Atlanta.

♥ always-LL