Mario and I FINALLY had a chance to visit the new hotspot in town, Varasano’s Pizzeria, for my last meal in Atlanta until ~August. Varasano’s is located at the bottom of the posh new high-rise Mezzo, and as many posh places require, you must valet park at the parking deck. I’m not sure if I should give this away or not, but we talked to the attendant and he told us we didn’t have to valet and could park ourselves in the back of the deck. Score! We went in and were promptly seated, which was pretty nice for a Friday night in Atlanta. Mario wanted to order his usual pepperoni pizza, but had to order the “house special” Nana’s (Mozzarella & Tomato Sauce with a Secret Blend of Italian Herbs), and add pepperoni. I decided to try the New Haven Clam with Clams, Mussels & Garlic in a white sauce. I also added mushrooms.

Nana's + Pepperoni

New Haven Clam

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Last night we visited local hotspot Taqueria del Sol to try some trendy Mexican. The restaurant uses lunch counter-style ordering, meaning you wait in line at the counter, place your order, and then find a table. The wait to order was long.  Very long.  But the restaurant offers single or pitcher margaritas to make your time a little more bearable.  The prices are quite reasonable, my meal of 2 roasted chicken enchiladas with beef red chili sauce and a Memphis taco was around $8, while Mario’s fried chicken tacos ran us around $6.

Roasted Chicken Enchiladas and Memphis Taco

Fried Chicken Taco

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This weekend we tried out Top Chef finalist Richard Blais‘ new restaurant Flip.

Flip

Flip is in kind of a weird location, on midtown Atlanta’s Howell Mill Rd.  Situated among auto repair shops and hardware stores, its chic decor definitely stands out.  Uber-chic begets an uber wait, and we waited about 45 minutes for a table.  However, this is not unusual for a new, smallish restaurant with a famous head chef.

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