I live in Atlanta and depend heavily on Chowhound boards when travelling. But I recently checked out what the board said about my hometown and thought there was too much about The Varsity and then "southern food" recommendations like Carvers and Mary Mac's and Silver Skillet, all of which will hurt your tummy. Oof. If you really want it, save this type of thing for right before you go home, just so you can say you did it - otherwise you might ruin the rest of your time here.

There are a bunch of pretty expensive places recommended (Bacchanalia is amazing, BTW), but if I lived somewhere else and were coming here, this is my short list of the type of low and middle-brow recommendations I would be looking for:

Ciao Bocca (humble Italian, lunch only, a counter in the Sweet Auburn Curb Market)
Desta (Ethiopian)
Duck's Cosmic Kitchen (soup and sandwiches, plus awesome doughnuts!)
Five Seasons, the one in Sandy Springs (great brewery with excellent food)
Hankook Taqueria or Yumbii food truck (unique - Korean/Mexican/Southern)
Tacqueria Del Sol (*not* authentic Mexican - very interesting and delicious)
Tamarind Seed (Thai)
Vortex (Hamburger - Little Five, not Midtown location)
Woo Nam Jeong (Korean)

Any other Atlanta natives like to chime in?

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Tamarind Seed
1175 Peachtree, NW, Atlanta, GA 30309

Moore Farms and Friends - www.moorefarmsandfriends.com
I've been getting a weekly box from them for more than two years now. They have a pretty decent sized farm of their own, but most stuff they get from friends in GA, AL, and north FL. Easy online ordering, and you also have the option of customizable boxes. Highly recommended by me and many others in the area.

Thank you for the ideas! We love to try to cook authentically, but it's kind of hard when the cuisine you're cooking is traditionally meat-based. We've tried and loved mole sauce in Mexico, but had to skip the chicken underneath. The enchilada and stuffed pepper ideas are especially intriguing. Time to get shopping for some chiles!

Making a mole sauce is relatively easy when compared to finding a use for it in cookbooks and online that doesn't involve meat. I do love that taste and am certain that meat is not essential to its enjoyment. Your ideas are much appreciated!
Thanks all

Please reply with your recommendations for an upscale business dinner in Georgetown/DuPont Circle. Have already used Ritz/Carlton Georgetown dining room and looking for a different one. Thank you!

The link won't work. Click on "bakeware and cookware," and look at any of the pots and pans.

Please everyone who might know, take a look at this. It looks to me like King Arthur is selling All-Clad for very low prices. They say they buy it from "a leading manufacturer," then sell it to you without the marketing hype. If it is indeed All-Clad, these are extremely good prices (9-piece set for $330). Who do you think it is?

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/d...

Please help an early April tourist fill in the blanks.

After waking up and eating cereal for breakfast at my hotel in Monterey, I go grocery shopping and pick up _____________ and stuff it all in my cooler. Then like a typical tourist, I drive down Highway 1 to Big Sur. Around lunchtime, I stop off at _____________ and open up my cooler for a fantastic picnic.
After hiking around, I eat dinner at Deetjens (or ________) and head back.

Thanks guys.

The Watershed in Decatur is fantastic, and because of its Southern roots would be a good homecoming. Chef Scott Peacock is getting famous.
Thumbs Up Diner (3 locations) - yummy for breakfast, good service.

Anything local (not Belgian)? I think to pick up the wild yeast it'd have to be brewed there.
Thank you so much for your quick response.

Sunsweet Lighter Bake, if you can find it.
www.sunsweet.com/products/info.asp/pr...
Otherwise, I have used baby food prunes. Pureed prunes work also, but you'll need to either use a food mill or strainer to remove the seeds. Let Gerber do the work for you.
Oh - yes, actually I think this solution (prunes) is definitely the best for chocolate. Better than applesauce, and depending on your mood, better than oil. I'd recommend going all the way - no oil should be necessary. I am most definitely not on a diet and can afford oil (cholesterol 118, young, skinny) - but chocolate/prune cake is still delicious!

The more, the merrier. Start with the microplane (the food processor will hurt my ears!), then pack it into the cup. Then throw some more on top.
But, to be serious, an official "cup" of cheese is 4 oz, so your half cup should really be 2 oz. If you're counting.

Calvin Trillin is only in San Francisco for one meal, then back to NY. Sure, the wharf might be out. But some part of this meal certainly should have only very recently been alive, happy and well in a nearby body of water.
For the sake of variety, Tadich and Sam's have lines out the door, and he's very very hungry (plus wasn't too interested in those anyway).

Coming up on my first visit to San Francisco (one night only) and figured, if the sourdough is so good and unique, then a wild yeast beer should have a good unique flavor. Any recommendations?
Thank you