Atlanta's Buford Highway is known for having restaurants featuring cuisines from every corner of the globe.



With everything from Vietnamese and Korean to Colombian and Peruvian, the Buford Highway restaurant that stuck out to me was El Taco Veloz. Apparently Anthony Bourdain had said: "Best tacos in town. We love to stick with the barbacoa and the lengua. You’ll get two corn tortillas stuffed with slow roasted meat, white onions and cilantro."



So, I ordered the lengua. That is beef tongue for those keeping track. Tongue is a tough cut of meat so it has to be cooked for quite some time to make it tender. it is kind of rich and fairly fatty, but it does have a bit of gamey flavor. not my favorite, but not the worst.



Grade: B

"Today, Mary Mac’s is the last of sixteen tea rooms that once dotted intown Atlanta in the 1940s. The food is undeniably comforting, the atmosphere feels as familiar as your grandmother’s kitchen, and our staff treats every customer as if they were serving their long-lost cousin a holiday meal. We welcome you to come enjoy Atlanta’s Dining Room, where we have proudly served classic Southern cooking and hospitality since 1945! If it’s your first visit to Mary Mac’s, be sure to ask for your complimentary cup of pot likker and cornbread!" reads the website.



Back in 1945, Mary MacKenzie opened Mary Mac’s Tea Room near Peachtree Street on Ponce de Leon Avenue. In those tough days right after the end of World War II, enterprising women in search of a living, some of them mothers widowed by the war, were establishing restaurants all over Atlanta. At the time, a woman couldn’t just open up a restaurant, so many female proprietors used the more refined Southern name of “Tea Room.” Mary Mac’s Tea Room was one of 16 tearooms in Atlanta and seated 75 guests. Today, Mary Mac’s is the only original tearoom that remains.



Mary Mac’s originally opened with one dining room; today, we have 6 bustling dining rooms and a full service bar. The restaurant has expanded to 13,000 square feet, occupying several storefronts, and is one of the city’s five-largest restaurants. Though our restaurant has grown over the years, it’s still 1945 in the kitchen. We still do things the way Mary MacKenzie and her successor, renowned owner, Margaret Lupo (1962-1994), did things. Every morning, we shuck bushels of corn, hand wash our carefully selected greens, and snap fresh green beans by hand. We bake our own scrumptious breads and desserts, like old fashioned banana pudding, coconut cake, and fresh Georgia peach cobbler, and brew up the best sweet tea - “Table Wine of the South”.



I was served homemade cinmamon rolls to start. These were small and thin - and actually gave it some texture, which is usually my chief complaint with cinnamon rolls.



Then, it was potlikker and cornbread, which is complimentary for first-timers. Potlikker is the rich, flavorful liquid that's left over from slowly cooking greens or beans in a pot. It's a staple of Southern cuisine and is often seasoned with salt and pepper, smoked pork, or smoked turkey. Potlikker can be eaten as a meal on its own, or used as a base for soups, stews, and gravies.



Then, some of my favorite dishes: shrimp & cheese grits, macaroni & cheese, and sweet potato souffle. Hot, comforting and flavorful. It doesn't get much better.



Grade: A

Honeybee Coffee & Donut House is one of the sweetest spots I've visited in recent memory. Decked out in honeybee decor, this bakery takes the theme seriously - from food to drinks.



The shop is small, but there is some limited seating inside. The coffee drink menu is displayed on a chalkboard, and a mini donut conveyor belt churns out fresh donuts on the spot.



I ordered a frozen s'more drink and a blueberry-lemon donut. If these flavors don't scream summer, I don't know what does.



Refreshing and light, yet still a treat. This spot is a little gem.



Grade: A

Montonaro Cakery & Macarons is a "traditional bakery located at 2424 Kanawha Terrace STE B, Saint Albans, WV, specializing in custom cakes and macarons. We can cater your wedding, baby shower, gender reveal, birthday, anniversary or any other special event with cakes, macarons or other pastries. We can sell to individuals, grocery stores, and restaurants. At Montanaro Cakery, we guarantee that every single purchase you make will be a seamless process from start to finish," according to the website.



The storefront can be a bit hidden, so be sure to keep an eye out when driving in the area. The shop has a small entrance with a case full of macarons and opens up to the prep area in the back.



Macarons have become quite popular in the Kanawha Valley recently, and I was excited to see some new flavors. I purchased a box with oatmeal, eggnog, strawberry shortcake and neopolitan. I was also lucky enough to snag a fresh pepperoni roll.



Macarons are notoriously difficult to perfect. The top should be smooth and slightly crisp like an eggshell. It should have small, clean "feet" edges. It should have a good filling to shell ratio. And the interior should give way to a chewy texture. The slight crisp is only on the exterior - there really shouldn't be crumbs or chunks dry and falling apart. It's tooth-sinkable in a vedy satisfying way.



All that to say - these were technically wonderfully done. Maybe a touch on the dry side but that is likely my own mistake not eating them immediately. Very lovely. The pepperoni roll had a nice, soft bread but could use some more filling.



Grade: B

Shepherdstown is home to quirky shops, great art and delicious food - especially ice cream. I visited a second homemade ice cream shop in town recently: Amy & Alex's Homemade Ice Cream & Coffee.



The small shop, which has parking right out front, features traditional ice cream flavors like chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, as well as options like and Mint Chip, Honey Raspberry Blueberry Swirl, Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel, Mango Dragonfruit, Coffee Crunch Bar, Matcha White Chip, Chocolate Almond and Cookies & Cold Brew. I went with a caramel (of course); the smooth velvety texture is what I recall most. There's something about the homemade ice cream that feels so much creamier.



Grade: A