2011 is turning out to be an amazing year so far. I’ve successfully defended my master’s thesis, had a paper approved for publication in a scientific journal, graduated with my second degree from Georgia Tech, and my wedding is coming up in October (plus a highly anticipated honeymoon). And now I have some bittersweet news to add to the list: I accepted an AMAZING job offer in my major field…..in Jacksonville, Florida. Yes, I’m leaving the place I now consider my second home, Atlanta.

Since starting First Bite about 2 years ago, I feel that I have learned more about Atlanta and fallen more in love with the city than I had in the 5 years previous. I’ve been given a lot of great opportunities, made a lot of great contacts, and eaten a lot of great food. I hope that continuing the blog in Jacksonville will help me to quickly learn about the community and culture there, and I’m really looking forward to it.

This wouldn’t be a proper post-Oprah goodbye without mentioning the woman herself, so in her words, “I won’t say goodbye, I’ll just say: until we meet again.”

Atlanta Skyline

I had a random number generator pick the people who get to try the yummy new Banana Pudding Milkshake from Chick-fil-A, and the winners are:

Tonya
Lyn W.
Jenee (Facebook entry)
D’nae (Facebook entry)

Check your inboxes for an email from me, I’ll even be springing for the postage for you

Thanks everyone for entering…I’ve got to check out some of these great banana puddings y’all mentioned!

Here’s a little something to brighten up this rainy day (at least in Atlanta): I’m giving away coupons to try Chick-fil-A’s new banana pudding milkshake for FREE!

Free Milkshakes!

The milkshake is made with fresh bananas, real Nilla® wafers, a splash of vanilla, and is hand-spun with Chick-fil-A’s popular “home-style” Icedream® and topped with light whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. Woody Faulk, Chick-fil-A’s vice president of brand development, says “Our new Banana Pudding Milkshake is like drinking your grandmother’s recipe through a straw.” I’ve tried it, and I have to agree! Chick-fil-A’s PR folks were kind enough to send over some coupons for me to share with my readers, and since even I don’t think I can ingest this many milkshakes, I’m giving 2 coupons each to 4 people so you and a friend (or just you, I won’t judge) can try it for yourself.

All you have to do is comment here, and let me know who makes the best banana pudding you’ve ever had. You can get an extra entry by commenting on First Bite’s Facebook page. The contest ends at midnight on March 12, and I’ll announce the winners on Sunday, March 13.

*Update* The coupons can be used for any flavor Chick-fil-A milkshake if you don’t like banana pudding…but I think you should try it anyway

Congrats to the winner of the copy of New American Table, Clara from California! She’s stoked because yesterday was her birthday, and I’m stoked that I have at least one reader in Cali Thanks to everyone who entered–my mom & dad are quite disappointed they didn’t win

It’s time for another giveaway! And this one’s a big ‘un. I’m giving away a copy of Chef Marcus Samuelsson‘s New American Table. You might remember Chef Samuelsson as winner of the most recent Top Chef Masters competition.

New American Table

New American Table is more than just a cookbook though, it’s full of stories from Chef Samuelsson’s childhood in Sweden and his subsequent discovery of his Ethiopian roots and their culinary traditions.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post. You can get an extra entry by commenting on the proper post on First Bite’s Facebook Page. Contest ends at midnight, Dec. 19 (so I can try to get the winner their prize before Christmas!) and a winner will be chosen by random number generator. Good luck!

I thougt it fitting to write my last post before Thanksgiving on one of my last meals in Charlotte. I’m finding this bittersweet–sweet because Mario has now made a permanent move back to Atlanta, but bitter because I was actually kind of liking Charlotte and my monthly trips there. On this trip, Mario was being particularly generous in letting me pick restaurants I was interested in blogging about. After taking in a Bobcats game with friends, we decided to check out a new-ish addition to South End, The Liberty.

The Liberty

We decided to stop because of their sign outside the gastropub touting “Best Burger in Charlotte.” Aside from now-closed The Counter, we hadn’t found any much to go in Charlotte’s Best Burger category. Mario of course ordered The Liberty Pub Burger (natural beef, sweet grass cheddar, apple smoked bacon, herb aioli, hand cut fries), while I decided to order from the small plates menu and try the pork belly sliders (apple-vanilla butter, tomato jam, soy-ginger glaze, spicy slaw):

Liberty Pub Burger

Pork Belly Sliders

Mario decided his burger was good, but wouldn’t stand up to any of his favorites in Atlanta. The cool pretzel-shaped (but not pretzel-tasting) bun was a nice, buttery touch. While Mario’s burger was average, my pork belly sliders were heavenly. The pork belly was nicely done, retaining both its crispy skin and moist meat. When you read the ingredient list for the slider, one thing that stands out is the plethora of condiments. You would think it would be condiment overload…but their mixture is what took the sliders to another level. The hint of apple and vanilla mixed with the glaze on the pork belly was literally finger-lickin’ good. Mario even tried to dip his fries in the drippings. I’ve been thinking about those sliders since I visited and am quite sad I don’t have any scheduled trips back to Charlotte to taste them.

Aside from the two menu offerings we tried, The Liberty has a number of gastropub-style small plates and appetizers to choose from. Larger dishes like salmon and roast chicken are available, and they’re even now serving brunch. But I suggest you just get a few plates of sliders and call it a day.

www.thelibertycharlotte.com

I wanted to share some exciting news with the person(s?) that read First Bite…I’m published (you know, aside from the self-publishing I do here)!! I’m doing a little freelancing for the just-launched AOL City’s Best so I encourage you to check out the site to see where they’re going in the coming weeks. Also, until November 30th, you can vote for places you feel are the “city’s best” in the large categories of restaurants, bars & clubs (best after-work, Irish pub, nightclub, etc.), and lifestyle (best boutique, spa, salon…). Check them out, and cast your vote!

Searching for low-cost lunch options has led me to the conclusion that most of my grad student lunches will consist of sandwiches.  Luckily, this cool site, Scanwiches, is providing me with some really great ideas.  Check them out…but maybe wait until after lunch.

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!

My WordPress 2.8 upgrade is apparently not recognizing one of my html commands which moves text below two pictures (like you see below in the Cheeburger post). Please bear with the awkwardness until I figure out a fix for it!

Though somehow, I think I’m probably the only one who noticed/cares