cuisine

julianna’s crepes

As you’ve heard (or read) me say over and over, there are always more hidden gems in Atlanta to be found. I’m guessing this is true of any growing and thriving city full of wonderful and creative entrepreneurs. Last week I found myself stumbling into Julianna’s Crepes for a lovely mid-afternoon snack, thanks to the suggestion of my new blogger friend Lucy.

As quaint and charming as ever, this cafe serves up a menu of both savory and sweet crepes. Since I hadn’t had lunch yet, I went for savory while Lucy went for the classic sweet combo of strawberries, banana, and honey. Both tasted a bit like the French/Hungarian childhood I never had.

new instalove

Ever since I received my VERY FIRST smartphone for Christmas, I’ve been instagramming like a mad woman. I’ve always been pretty addicted to the app and I can’t believe I’ve not even been using it for a year. Now that I don’t have to borrow my boyfriend’s phone, I’ve been able to instagram whenever and wherever my heart desires! Here are some of my favorites over the past month or so. To see more everyday beauty, follow me @tideandbloom!

nature

flight

art

food

life

bánh mì love: quốc hương

Sometimes I find it quite difficult to explain how or why I love certain places. After initiating a restaurant into your regular rotation, you rarely think about those things anymore. It just becomes a part of you, a part of the things you like, and a part of your regular experiences. Remarkable things turn into habit, almost like eating a bowl of cereal. Growing up on home-made Vietnamese food myself, I took for granted how great it is until I left home and couldn’t have access to it anymore. Luckily, I ended up moving to a city that is more than plentiful of places serving the exact things my inner child craves.

Quoc Huong has been my go-to place to knosh on the beloved Vietnamese treat known as the bánh mì sandwich. Its ingredients are so simple yet so satisfying; nothing really beats a warm crunchy french bread loaf paired with marinated meat and pickled vegetables inside, right? I mean, right.

lee’s sandwiches

No offense, but if you don’t know what bánh mì is by now then you’ve probably been living under a rock. Or maybe you just don’t like food in general. Whatever the case may be, I’m 100% sure that your taste buds need this in their life. Being half Vietnamese myself – although arguably one of the most American ones you could meet – there’s never been a time when I didn’t crave these. It might be partially due to the scarcity of Vietnamese food in South Florida as I was growing up (minus mom’s cooking), but I’m pretty sure it’s also because they’re so perfect. When made right, of course.

orlando eats

Thanks to some awesomely hospitable friends, a recent trip to Orlando was not just to see the happiest place in the world. Two delightful meals make Christina one happy camper. Cask & Larder‘s brunch was wonderfully fattily decadent, complete with their own cronut iteration and a deadly bloody mary (so I’m told).

skewers

There is a place on Buford Highway that Ben and I so lovingly nicknamed “skewers”. It sits in one of those random Asian-dominated commercial plazas, so conveniently next door to Quickly (where I get my regular taro milk bubble tea). At Bei Jing Kabobs, you can get a variety of clear-your-nose-water-your-eyes spicy kebabs.

Unfortunately my spice level tolerance is pretty much zero so I can’t enjoy about half the menu, but it sure does look attractive. You can get a variety of spiced meats and seafood on kebabs or submerged in this steaming and delicious-looking stew. I mean, look at it! Has broccoli and asparagus ever looked so delectably lethal?

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