Chequers [Atlanta]

Listen here. If you plan to visit Atlanta and want to have brunch, please visit Chequers. This restaurant offers a Sunday brunch for $25. It is definitely worth every penny. The brunch is all you can eat, and drinks (juices) are included too. There were so many things to choose from. They had waffles, creme brulee, sushi, made-to-order omelets, and so much more. Everything tasted very fresh and well-prepared. The buffet was constantly restocked; none of the trays were ever empty.

I ate just about everything they had out. Not really, but the best thing I ate was the Louisiana-style bread pudding. It was so good!! I wish I knew of a local restaurant that makes bread pudding like the one I experienced in Atlanta .

The restaurant is very nice and is comparable to a Maggiano’s type atmosphere. The only downside of the entire experience, was our server. He wasn’t very good. My glass was empty for a significant amount of time. He passed our table several times without asking if we needed anything or if we’d like a refill. It got to the point that we had to ask for a refill. I will say that our table stayed clear of dirty dishes, but that was only because the busser came by often.

Although the service wasn’t the best, the food definitely made up for it. I would highly recommend this restaurant specifically for the Sunday brunch. I Googled Chequers to see if it has other locations and it does, but under partnering names like Devon.

Jonah’s Fish & Grits [Thomasville]

I was born and raised in Florida, so I think I am well-versed in my Southern cuisine. Some may argue that Florida shouldn’t really be considered Southern in nature, but I begs to differ.

Although, I was born in the South, I must say that I am a bit picky when it comes to certain foods that are of Southern decent, e.g. grits. I haven’t always liked grits, and that’s mainly because I am weird when it comes to different food textures. However, over time, I’ve become very fond of grits. And I absolutely love fish & grits and shrimp & grits. Whenever the opportunity presents itself for me to order this meal, I will rise to the occasion.

Needless to say, I just had to order the shrimp & grits at Jonah’s Fish & Grits. Although I haven’t eaten grits for an extremely long time, I am quite aware of when I get bad batch. That seems to happen a lot when dining out. Grits, like rice, is easy to prepare, but for many, it’s hard to master. I was skeptical, but after reading the description, I knew that is what I wanted.

This dish did not fail; it was so good! My Mom is an amazing cook, but I have to say that Jonah’s shrimp and grits was just about as good as hers. It pains me to say, but it’s the truth. The entrée was a mixture of sautéed shrimp, cheese grits, and vegetables, and it was served with a homemade hushpuppy, which was also really good. The serving size was perfect, and very filling.

Our server was nice, and helpful. I wasn’t asked if I wanted another coffee. That kind of erked me, but other than that the service was decent.

The restaurant is small, and set up like a cafe. It doesn’t really have a personal atmosphere. It’s perfect for lunch with the coworkers, or a quick meetup with a friend. I definitely recommend this restaurant, and the shrimp & grits!

Frankies The Gourmet of Fast Food

Frankies was founded in Waterbury, Connecticut and  is known for their extra long hot dogs. The location I went to is located at 909 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, Fl.

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of hosting a banquet for my community service organization, Eternal Legendary Queens, Inc. We were on a tight budget, and I wanted to make sure that I made the best of the situation. I looked at several restaurants in the Tampa area and found that Frankies would do just fine. They have great prices and the food is served in good portions.

I’ve eaten Frankies before, but I’ve never dined in. So, this was my first time dining in and the experience was wonderful. Frankies is set up like regular fast food restaurant, except they bring your orders to your table and they serve beer.

The moment I stepped in the door, I was greeted with smiling faces. Jordan, the manager on duty, was awesome and extremely helpful. They have a private area that has two entrances and a TV. This is the area I reserved for the banquet and was pleased in how it was setup. Although, it had two entrances, it still felt very private.

The food was a step up from the meals you can order at your standard fast food restaurant. I ordered a garden salad and grilled chicken sandwich. The garden salad was too big for me and I didn’t finish it. Despite being on Weight Watchers and Insanity, I ordered bleu cheese as my dressing. It was your standard bleu cheese dressing, nothing special. The grilled chicken sandwich was pretty good though. The chicken breast was a good size and was marinated well. It came with onions, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles.

Next time I go, I want to try their buffalo chicken philly. Yes, I will be going again because I was pleased with the service and food. Frankies has a really laid back atmosphere; I would recommend going there to watch a sporting event or to just hang out.