There are certain things I haven’t eaten in Atlanta yet that I must eat before I leave for the Big Apple. Among them are fried chicken at this famous downtown place (I forget the name), real BBQ somewhere OTP (loyal site readers will know what that means), and–of course–country ham at the Silver Skillet.
Today I checked off #3, after a bomb scare in the law school parking lot sent me scurrying away from Jewish Law. And what better thing to eat when scurrying away from Jewish Law than ham!
Here’s what a country ham plate at the Silver Skillet looks like:
You have your eggs, your grits, your red eye gravy, your biscuit and–of course–your ham.
I was prepared to be disgusted (I really have never eaten ham in my entire life; again, a cultural thing) but found it to be surprisingly tasty (though a tad bit too salty). I could see what all the fuss was about, though I seriously worry over the health of anyone who eats this on a regular basis. The whole thing was a reasonable $7.00 and it kept me stuffed ’til dinner time.
Dear AG: Being one of the aliens that lives OTP, I recommend one of the best pulled meat bbq joints this side of Lanford – Spiced Right BBQ on Hwy 29 in Lilburn. If you are really lucky, you’ll see an entire hog getting a nice sunburn on a spit in the parking lot.
As for going REALLY OTP, you need to haul your friends up to Dahlonega and plunge into The Smith House, a family-style restaurant with better fried chicken than any downtown Hotlanta restaurant. It’s a 50 minute ride up 400 on the Square and you can stop at the Premium Outlets and shop afterwards.
And those grits could have used some cheese in them!
Best fried chicken in town (aside from Watershed) is Mary Mac’s on Ponce. They also have pot likker on the menu.
And if you want good meat ‘n’ three, go to the Silver Grill at 10th & Monroe.