Last weekend, Mario and I visited a place we’ve been eying for quite a while, BrickTops. Located on the corner of Peachtree and Piedmont, BrickTops enjoys a good amount of visibility. Self-described as an American-style bistro, BrickTops’ interior said “comfortable luxury” and the menu showcased a few “luxurious” prices as well (e.g. $14 chicken tenders).

Mario and I (well, really just I) started with one of my favorite hors d’oeuvres, Deviled Eggs with Sugar Bacon:

Deviled Eggs and Sugar Bacon

I revisited West Egg Cafe the weekend I moved back to Atlanta with my family and Mario and tried one of their specials, the Peachtree Plate. The standout of the meal was the brown sugar bacon, a mix of sweet and salty that left me (and Mario) wanting more. So, I found some recipes via web search and cooked up my own batch.

Homemade Breakfast

As part of my new self-imposed grad student budget constraints, I’m trying to find some good cheap eats around Atlanta (suggestions welcome!). Mario and I had both heard good things about Mama Niki’s Pizza, located in the Howell Mill Kroger Plaza, so we decided to stop in on Saturday afternoon.

A banner outside boasted of being voted “Atlanta’s Best Pizza”, though the source of that vote wasn’t mentioned on the banner. Inside, Mama Niki’s looks like your typical diner. A whiteboard with specials advertises $1 pitchers on Tuesdays–obviously a college hangout. But, on to the pizza. Mario and I both got a slice of pepperoni:

Pepperoni Pizza

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On a lonely Saturday evening, I decided to order out at Osteria Del Figo (or just Figo) for pasta. Figo is an Atlanta pasta chain that allows you to create your own dish by selecting the pasta type and sauce. With more than 15 types of pasta and as many sauces, the possibilities are endless. It’s also pretty cheap, so it’s perfect for my new grad student budget. This time, I tried artichoke ravioli in 4 cheese sauce:

Artichoke Ravioli in 4 Formaggi Sauce

Mario and I hit the streets for Atlanta’s Restaurant Week. We tried to get into a new place on Peachtree, but were greeted with the “we can’t take any more diners” when the restaurant is half empty. Hmmm. Their $25 prix fixe Restaurant Week menu looked quite good though, so maybe we’ll try visiting on a regular night. Since we were all dressed up with nowhere to go, we tried another restaurant, and were faced with a 45-minute wait. We finally rode over to Legal Sea Foods, and we were quite happy with the decision.

Mario went with his standby, fried shrimp with fries and mashed sweet potatoes. The $25 prix fixe menu included an appetizer, entree, and dessert; with 2-3 choices for each course. I tried the clam chowder, bacon-wrapped shrimp and grits, and Boston Cream Pie.

Fried shrimp, fries, and mashed sweet potatoes

Shrimp and cheddar grits with braised greens

Bistro Byronz is a old new addition to the Baton Rouge Restaurant scene. After closing their doors 20 years ago they’re back and expanding. I visited on my last BR afternoon to get a take-out lunch.

Bistro Byronz

With all the construction on Government St. right now, Bistro Byronz was a little tough to get to, and their parking situation didn’t make things much better. But my lunch more than made up for the difficulty.
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I finally got a chance to try longtime Baton Rouge favorite Fleur de Lis Pizza just before leaving for Atlanta. Fleur de Lis is a cocktail lounge/pizzeria that has been around Baton Rouge for a long time–which is quite apparent by the state of the building and its decor (or lack therof).

Fleur de Lis

The place could probably be certified as a “dive”–cash only, basically a barroom inside, but a thriving business nonetheless. But something has to keep them on top of Baton Rouge’s best pizza list, so I wanted to find out what it was.
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Despite my short absence, the blog has not been abandoned–I’ve moved back to Atlanta!! In addition to all the unpacking and furniture building I’ve got going on, I also don’t have internet yet. I’ve still got some final Baton Rouge restaurants to post about, so stay tuned!