by Laura S. on One of the things I was most excited for on my recent visit to Atlanta was the density of Top Chef contestants. My cousin recommended we hit Richard Blais' Flip Burger Boutique, and I could not be happier with her choice! I really liked the fun, casual atmosphere of the restaurant. It felt like a modern version of a 50s diner, with clean lines, white and red decor, and - hence the FLIP! - furniture on the ceiling. Our server was incredibly friendly and chatty. It was a great place for all kinds - we saw couples on dates, sat near some families with kids (who seriously enjoyed their milkshakes), and some big groups. There was bar seating, so it seems like the kind of place you could happily eat by yourself, too. The food was GREAT. We started sharing an order of the duck nuggets, which were so good that I would have been happy if we'd finished eating them, too. They came with a delicious sauce that I ended up saving as a dip for my fries. We also had the fried pickles for starters, because fried pickles are one of my new obsessions. These had a little more batter than I like on my fried pickles, but were a very good starter. I also got the Turtle milkshake - I'm really glad I got it before my burger, because it was WONDERFUL but there is no way I would have convinced myself that I had room if I'd eaten my burger first! There were only 3 of us, but we did our best to try a wide range of the burgers. I went with the Cuban burger, which was the "burger of the day" - it was a pork burger with ham and swiss. It was delicious - full of flavor, hearty, innovative. Definitely a step above a regular burger. My cousin got the rBQ, which was great because I'd been debating whether to order that one. Instead, I got to try hers - and I'm glad I did. If I ever make it back here, that will be my next try! Her husband ordered the Black Diamond, because someone had to try it. I can't even remember what was on it, but I'm pretty sure truffles and foie were involved. We shared onion rings and fries with our burgers, which were good, but honestly both were unnecessary. Next time I might go for more burger and fewer sides. I was really happy with my experience here. The food was great, server was incredibly friendly, and it was an incredible value - I could not believe how low the prices were. My corner bar has a $26 burger that you can augment with $4 cheese and $6 truffled mushrooms (OK, that's a bit of an extreme example, but there's my point of reference!) so I was really happy that the most expensive burger here topped out at $17.
by Gretchen C. on We checked out the nightlife event in the CAS. Great venue! It's trippy when you're already tipsy. It's nice to have something to stimulate your brain when your drinking. It's nice kind of high, I would say. The aquariums are cool, although I think the fish in the Philippine Coral Reef Exhibit need some time to grow. I used to go diving in the Philippines and the fish there are ginormous! Too bad, I didn't get to see the rainforest. I guess it's sleepy time for the animals in there. Tip: line up in the rainforest first because they start turning away people even before the rainforest exhibit closing time. Don't forget to check out the space exploration pictures! Pretty amazing stuff. I think if you enjoy the natural sciences, it's a good place to spend a couple of hours exploring.
by Perry Stockard on I love DNA Lounge, but I generally only go for Remedy. I'm not a fan of indie rock or new wave or mashups, so I am always on the lookout for the house music events. The fact that DNA Lounge webcasts everything so I can listen later bumps a four-star club to five. The Linux kiosks around the dancefloor are a nifty touch. There's always plenty of parking. But, please, please, someone remind me that I'm too old and decrepit to be trying to represent it in the B Boy circle. I was a breakdancer 23 years and 60 pounds ago. Old guy + breaker's circle = sore Saturday afternoon.
