Atlanta etc.: Marilyn Wolf's Food Blog and Restaurant Blog

Today was my day to try The General Muir across from NIH. It's an upscale deli---an interesting concept. Te menu is full of traditional deli items, some with a twist. The décor is bright and sunny, a far cry from the flouresent ambience of a New York deli like Katz's or the Stage. The service was a little reserved but efficient. I tried the veggie Reuben, one of those deli-with-a-twist items. It has two kinds of cheese and sauerkraut. The role of the meat is played by sliced beets. It's a pretty inspired idea; the beets give a meaty taste and texture. The only drawback, and it was a minor one, was that the beets, being much more slippery than meat, kept sliding out of the sandwich.

I dropped by the new BurgerFi location near Emory, across from NIH. It's been open for about two weeks. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The menu has the upscale burger components: a build-your-own-burger section plus some standard combinations to relieve the burden of burger construction planning. But they also have several unusual categories for a burger bar: cupcakes, milkshakes, and beer and wine. This is my basic burger and onion rings. The burger comes with tomato, lettuce, and a mayonnaise-based red sauce. You can't see it very well, but the bun is topped with a BurgerFi brand. The burger experience is pleasantly meaty and satisfying. The onion rings were the star of the show---huge and delicious. How huge? Just compare them to the burger. The owner stopped by and pointed out that the crust doesn't chip off as you eat the ring. He explaine that they use a buttermilk batter to coat the onions. The crust was very crispy and very well seasoned. T...