Omnivore - Best Bets: from school lunch box to business lunch
You gonna eat your tots?
- Mary Caroline Russell
- The Marcel Stack
Seeing school supplies on sale has us waxing nostalgic for the start of a new school year. Remember those cardboard pencil boxes, real chalkboards, and the elusive thing called recess? Even more powerful are the memories of the lunchroom and those items we stuffed into our Star Wars or Strawberry Shortcake lunch boxes. Here are our Best Bets for restaurant dishes that will help with remembrances of the lunch times of youth, if only for a moment. No tradesies.
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There is nothing more classic in a lunch box than a bologna and cheese sandwich on white bread. We even had a song for it. Chef Brian Horn of Westside newcomer Marcel must have been thinking back to this timeless handheld when he put the Marcel stack ($13.95) on the menu. Soft toasted buns cradle three mounds of shaved and crisped on-plancha bologna and melty American cheese. It’s destination worthy. Graduate from mac and cheese while you are there too with an order of cacai e pepe. 1170 Howell Mill Road. Westside. 404-665-4555. www.marcelatl.com.
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No letters go together in school better than p b & j. Crust, no crust, creamy or crunchy peanut butter—everyone has a way to eat the quintessential school sandwich. Flip Burger’s three locations, although strikingly modern offer yet another way to appreciate the lunch essential of years past with a nutter butter and jelly milkshake. With an injection of liquid nitrogen into thick vanilla ice cream, the mixture with grape jelly and nutter butter cookie crumbles is an instant and very cold milkshake that harkens back to a pb&j. 664 North Highland Avenue NE.
Virginia Highlands. (404) 815-1127 www.flipburgerboutique.com.
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With its outdoorsy, woodsy vibe, Ladybird Grove and Mess Hall helps with reminiscing about both school and camp. After chowing down on choices from their menu of vittles, campfire, picnic basket, or trail snack, choose a housemade moon pie for dessert. Remember finding one of those tucked into your lunch bag? The perfect combination of graham cracker cookie, marshmallow fluff, chocolate, and a topping of fried peanuts. 4$ and you don’t even have to go to gym class after it. 684 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. NE. Old 4th Ward. www.ladybirdatlanta.com.
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Gimme some of your tots. You probably won’t need to beg for them at Palookaville where the bite sized spuds come in two sizes: little ($2.50) and big ($5). Make those nooks and crannies even more dazzling with add-ons like cheese, onions, peppers, pastrami, and even poutined with cheese curds and gravy. They are great with just a dusting of house-made graveyard dirt too. In addition to it feeling like tater tot day in the cafeteria, you will probably find something from a favorite tv show in the surrounding kooky memorabilia filling the dining room. 17 N. Avondale Road. Avondale Estates. (404) 500-1785. www.palookaville.com.
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The folks at Midway Pub in East Atlanta elevated the ubiquitous lunch sandwich with a gourmet supplement. We bet your mom never packed a peanut butter, blackberry jelly, and seared pork belly sandwich! It’s even cut into triangles for a perfect snack to enjoy on the spacious patio. Pair the sexy slivers of the pork belly pb&j ($6) with one of dozens of craft beers on tap. For the complete transport back to elementary school order tater tots to go with. 552 Flat Shoals Ave. SE. East Atlanta. 404-584-0335. www.themidwaypub.com.