Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Po'Boy Shop Basement Bar

The community has embraced this little Cajun hole in the wall since it's birth... Not because it was a local mom & pop shop, but because of their tasty grub. This place has been making legit Nawlins vittles since their doors opened and they have been killing ever since because they never took any shortcuts to deliver some of the best po'boys in this one horse town. A lot of new places will do a bait and switch over time, they would produce great eats and added value in the beginning and then start to replace items with cheaper shit for a higher profit margin once they sucker in the crowds. I have been keeping tabs on this joint for awhile and they have yet to fuck me over with any type of bait and switch. One of the most important item on the menu that keeps this chubby chode coming back for more is the bread... The authentic Leidenheimer bread from New Orleans. Just like an Amoroso roll makes the philthy cheesesteak, the Leidenheimer bread makes the po'boy and/or a muffaletta... Wait, what did you just call me?
So, they recently opened the basement bar that was once a dumpy college bar years ago... When I hear basement bar, I, either, think of the basement in my frat house back in college that held some of the most filthy parties ever or I think about the Clermont Lounge which stills has some of filthiest parties ever... There is just something about underground bars, maybe it's because they remind me of dungeonous porn labs. I just love the secrecy of it all like in the prohibition era. I have been to so many underground bars in NYC during my formative years that I just grew fond of dark sketchy spaces filled with unhinged suspects because they have such wonderful imaginations and stories. I used to go to the Chamber all the time in my black leathers in search for stories to tell, but don't ask me about the Eagle, though, it was a night or two that I have been working hard on (all pun intended) repressing with my therapist ever since my bear ex-roommate bamboozled me into meeting him for drinks there many moons ago... Let's just say it wasn't a goth or biker bar as he had told me. I screamed like a school girl and got the fuck outta there when the lights went off and heard moist leather making repetitive squeaking sounds... Ok, I admit I was scared and intrigued at the same time, I may or may not have stayed for another drink... But enough of my adventures in boozesitting...
Let's go take a first look at the new Po'Boy Shop basement bar... I got a good feeling about it but I ain't saying anything until I get a few cocktails and a few bites in da pouch first...

I walked downstairs and instinctively made a right... Right into a fully stocked bar... Sold, motherfuckaz! And this was only the whiskey section, they have a wrap around bar with more adult beverage options. It was quite impressive for a hole in the wall sando shop to have a set up like this... Me rikey!

Old Fashioned with Four Roses Small Batch for $9... Sold, motherfuckaz! They may have the best cocktail prices intown. They also have a very acceptable beer list which included imperial pints of Guinness or Monday Night Drafty Kilt Nitro for $6.50. Holy fuck, this must be a dream... They are priced very fairly. Now, I'm hungry for some grub... Let's see if the quality is still up to snuff.

Combo Platter, oyster and shrimp, hush puppies and shop fries, $16. An entire meal made in the deep fryer ain't exactly healthy for you, but if you have seen the Pouch in real life, it really wouldn't matter... Another 5 pounds of fried food ain't gonna show on this fat fuck. The shrimp and oysters were both plump and juicy. The batter was spot on, not too heavy not too light. The fried sea snots and skrimpz rested on top of a bed of shop fries that got more addictive with every cocktail and stout I sucked down. No short cuts here, no bait and switch... Yet.

Muffaletta Po'Boy, small, $10. I have had most of the menu but I have never tried the muff sando... I got the small po'boy just in case it sucked... The Leidenheimer bread looked amazing as expected but what's wrong with this picture? The filler was literally 2 thin meatflaps of salami... How depressing does this specimen look? I wave the server over and asked her in my best Wendy's commercial voice... "Where's the beef?!" She runs off and gets one of the owners... I unwrapped the butcher paper in front of his eyes and his jaw dropped... I knew right there and then that both of us were bamboozled by one of the cooks upstairs. He was so apologetic and so sweet about it... That I almost said, bless your heart. But that might be in the wrong context. He asked me if it was alright to bring it upstairs to show his cooks and I said, of course, please! He offered to replace it with any sando and I said, I woulda spent the extra $4 for the real muffaletta sando if I knew the po'boy muff was this disappointing. He said, no problem. Done and done. This is how you resolve a fuck up by the kitchen... I was impressed and loving this joint even more.

Muffaletta. Look at this sexy beast. The muffaletta sesame bread originated in Sicily but the Muffaletta sandwich was created at the Central Grocery. This was the mini version of it made for one person. The round sesame bread was also from Leidenheimer and it was spot on... But the most important thing was the filler inside. You can visually see the various Eyetalian meatflaps and cheese draping off the side of the bread which was evidently a lot better looking than the ginzo po'boy version. The olive salad was quite tasty, pretty close to the original CG recipe but I ain't busting anyone's balls after their great service to remedy that previous shitshow. This was a very tasty muff sando that I would dive into another muff in the basement even if the lights go out.

I'm liking this basement bar more and more on every visit... They have a great bar and the cocktails are made well aka pretty strong. You still have to order the food upstairs which is not very efficient if you're going down to the bar but they will bring your order down to you. Once, they get their routine down, maybe they will start taking food orders downstairs to alleviate the traffic jam at the order counter upstairs. The bar has enough entertainment to occupy your time while waiting for your food... Besides, the few TVs spread around the joint, there's also two pool tables, a few soft dart games and a couple of skeeball machines- too bad the balls are not wooden like from the days of yore, there is no substitute... And don't forget about all the bots of booze to keep you busy as well.
I can't believe it... The Pouch actually likes a new place? Yeah, because the service, grub and booze all hit the right notes... I didn't have to work for something that I was paying for.

Pump, pump and half a squirt.

1369 Clairmont Road
Decatur, GA 30033
https://www.thepoboyshopatl.com/

Thursday, February 6, 2020

The Farmhouse at Serenbe

Chicks know how to Jedi mind trick dudes... Especially, when they're pounding the brown juice. So, the Pouch was enjoying a nice bottle of rye whiskey and the Pouchette waits until the bottle is almost finished to baby Yoda the Pouch into agreeing to go see some Narnia play in the woods at night... What fucking dumbass would say yes to being murdered by some mossbacks in downstate GA? This stupid fat fuck did because I didn't even know what planet I was on... But by shear luck, this outdoor night play was being held at Serenbe. So, of course, I look up the menu for the Farmhouse because there has to be a silver lining to this debacle... A last meal before my execution of sorts... Or before some toothless hillbilly ties me to a tree and makes me squeal like a pig... I better bring some travel size Vaseline and hand sanitizer just in case.
I did survive the Narnia play with the assist from the 2 for 1 happy hour at the Farmhouse... Oh, I got a lot of help from Buffalo Trace pre-theater. And they even sold booze during the play which turned out to be more like a LARP session... Let's just say the sword play was like two fat nerds playing badminton with an imaginary shuttlecock. Speaking of cock, I hope they have fried chicken tonight... Let's see what's good to eat in this one donkey town...

Double fisting old fashioned PT (pre-theater) and AT (after-theater). Kinda hard to say no to multiple $5 whiskey cocktails during their happy hour.

Chef Selected Charcuterie, duck prosciutto, whiskey salumi, iberico meat and cheeses. Screw Denny's Sampler... Now, this is a real sampler platter. Look at this decadent spread of cured manmeat flaps and cheeses, you just can't get any nicer than this. This is a good start because this fat fuck is starving... Feed me, Nicky!

Hudson Valley Foie Gras Terrine, rose gelee, cherries, brioche. There is nothing wrong with force feeding... I do that on a daily basis. This hefty piece of terrine was super velvety and creamy. It was spot on. If I had a whole terrine pan of this, I would mold it into a fleshlight... Wait, did I just say that out loud... I'm so lonely. Squirt.

Blue Crab Fritter, remoulade, baby lettuce. It's like the superball of crab fritters... Bounce that shit in my facehole, pweez. That entire thing is full of crabs... Just like the Pouch... Which reminds me of that one night in Bangkok. I was so fucking sauced, I didn't know if that thing I hooked up with was a lady or lady boy... Don't ask, don't tell... Whoops, too late. As my uncle, who was a real jerk, would always say- Lord loves a working man, don't trust whitey, see a doctor and get rid of it. Fuck that noise, this is one crabs I can live with.

Wagyu Carpaccio, black truffle cream, pickled mushrooms, capers, sweetgrass tomme, greens. I lurv me some raw manmeat flaps... And it was friggin dericious. I loved the pickled shrooms on it, gave it a little kick. I wonder if you can American Pie this dish.

Muscovy Duck. One of the specials of the night... Look at the size of those breasteses. Gawd-dayum! They shoulda called it Motorboat duck. I like big ducks and I can not lie. The temp was spot on with a beautiful rosy hue throughout. So damn guud.

Chicken Quarter Confit, cassoulet, greens, sherry vinaigrette reduction. They didn't have fried chicken but it was either this, the braised rabbit or the rack of venison... But I'm a sucka for anything confit. And cheekan has a special place in the Pouch's heart, so, it was a no brainer. The flavors were wonderful but the chicken was a little dry... Not a deal breaker but with all the amazing dishes sampled thus far this was just a notch below. Still a good dish, though... And yes, I ate it all. Y'all remember the act that Congress passed back in 2002- No Cheekan Left Behind. Or was that just a wet dream of mine... Nightly.

Chef's Farm Veg Plate- Truffle Risotto. So Much Goddamn Truffles... That this oinker shoveled all that yum yums in with it's snout, sans fork. I looked like the little brother eating oatmeal from A Christmas Story. Not too gummy, not too wet, not too starchy... Just a great execution on this risotto. It might even be a bit better than my scallop and creamed corn risotto... Nah.

Pan Seared Scallops, parsnip puree, corn & pepper succotash, smoked trout roe, vanilla olive oil. Most joints charge an arm and a leg for 3 medium scallops that are usually overcooked and dried out... But not this joint. They give you four and a half scallops that was seared perfectly and moist inside that melted in your facehole. Pair it with some of the truffle risotto and it becomes an incredible dish.

Spanish Chocolate Beignets. Jesus, how much can this fat fuck eat... Y'all know I can let my one reader down. These chocolaty cow muffins tasted like little fluffy brown clouds from bovine heaven. So good, they don't even need the fruit and marshmallow dips on the side, but it doesn't hurt, either.

I know Serenbe is a bit of a drive from Atlanta but it was totally worth it. The community is really nice but it's secluded and got to be boring as fuck to live there on a daily basis... It's like the witness protection heaven. I kid, I kid... It's a beautiful little commune that David Koresh would be jealous of. The Farmhouse is a must visit/eat destination, especially, with Nicolas Bour at the helm of this resto group. That boy can cook and he's sexy, too. I might even come back and endure another LARP session just so I can eat here again.

Pump pump... Squirt!

10950 Hutcheson Ferry Road
Chatt Hills, GA 30268
https://serenbefarmhouse.com/