Orange Wine? Yes It Exists
Orange Wine? Yes, this is a real thing and no it is not made from oranges. Believe it or not a lot of people actually ask that. When I saw this across my computer screen I did a double take and had to look more into this. I am not much of a wine drinker, but I love orange soda and a lot of orange flavored food and drinks.
But How?
Like me you are probably wondering, but how is the wine orange? I have seen white wine and the normal red wine. Well it is all in how the wine is made. Orange wine is made from vinifying white grapes (just like red wine), however instead of removing the skins after the grapes are pressed, the juice is fermented in contact with the skin. This is what supposedly gives the wine the orange color that you see.
Some of you intense wine drinkers may think that this is exactly how rosé is made. Nope! However, close it is made almost the exact inverse of rosé. So instead of red grapes (which is used to make rosé, white grapes are used) white grapes are used and have increased skin contact.
Taste
People have compared orange wine to taste similar to cider. However, some people think it taste like a bolder white wine. It all depends on what orange wine you drink. Like all wine it has a huge spectrum of profiles. Other descriptors that are thrown around to describe the taste are: robust, bold, earthy, savory, and funky. They also tend to be dry and have a sourness to it. Many compare it to a fruity beer.
Top Orange Wine To Try
According to Real Simple, the top 4 orange wines you should try for the summer of 2019 are:
- Sicilian-based COS’s Pithos Bianco ($34, drizly.com) is nutty and has lots of soft, peachy flavor.
- Channing Daughters is a vineyard located in the Hamptons, and their Ramato Wine ($24, astorwines.com) has hints of honey, apricots and spices.
- Pheasant’s Tears makes their Rkatsiteli wine ($17, astorwines.com) in the country of Georgia. Its flavor has a “big, dense, fleshy style,” and has notes of honey, nuts and apple skin.
- Clot de l’Origine’s “l’Original” ($22, winehouse.com) is lightly spicy and highly approachable. This one has a more delicate style, complete with white flowers and orange marmalade.
Wine lovers go out and grab yourself a bottle of orange wine and comment below how you like it. If you have already enjoyed a glass of orange wine comment and below and let us know how you liked it!
Top Food Trucks in Atlanta 2019
The idea of selling food from a vehicle (cart) has been around since the late 1690’s. However, food trucks really started becoming popular in 2008 when Kogi BBQ hit the streets of Los Angeles selling Asian infused tacos. This then sparked the first organization created to protect the rights of gourmet food truck owners called Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association (SoCalMFVA). Part of the reason food trucks also boomed during 2008, was because of the recession. Food trucks are a more affordable option to open and run then a restaurant. Since 2008, food trucks have become even more popular to have at parties or events. Most cities nowadays even have food truck parks, food truck festivals, or food truck nights.
If you have never been to a food truck, most food trucks are specialized for a certain product or food type. You will see a couple of examples below when going through some of the top food trucks in Atlanta for 2019.
The Loaded Burger
Website: http://www.theloadedburger.com/loaded-burgerM
About: The Loaded Burger offers All American Cuisine as it specializes its gourmet loaded burgers, unique sides and desserts. They blend their flavors from the Far East to the South West. Some of the fan favorites are the Mac and Cheese Burger, the Georgia Farm Burger, Loaded Garlic and Parmesan Chips, and their hand crafted lemonades.
Click here for The Loaded Burger’s menu
Not as Famous Cookie Company
Website: https://www.notasfamous.com
About: Not As Famous Cookie Company is a gourmet cookie shop on wheels that caters to cookie lovers or anybody with a sweet tooth. With a family recipe their cookies have a unique and fresh taste from their competitors. Not As Famous Cookie Company offers a wide variety of classic flavors, signature flavors, vegan/gluten Free, cookie cakes, and brownies.
Click here for Not As Famous Cookie Company’s Menu
Nana G’s Chicken and Waffles
Website: http://nanagchik-n-waffles.com/index.html
About: Nana G recently celebrated her 102nd birthday. She made her famous Chicken and Waffles recipe for family and friends for nearly 75 years. A couple of years ago, her family wanted to take that famous recipe to the streets. Nana G’s is family-owned and operated.
Click here for Nana G’s Chicken and Waffles Menu
The Fry Guy
Website: http://www.fryguyatlanta.com
About: What more is needed? The name perfectly explains what this truck sells. This food truck is all about fries. The Fry Guy offers just a regular cone of fries with your favorite choice of dipping sauce or their specialty fries or different specialty fry options such as bacon fries.
Click here for The Fry Guy’s Menu
The Queso Truck
Website:https://www.thequesotruck.com
About: Queso is a favorite snack/appetizer for a lot of people. The Queso Truck is a new food truck in Atlanta and offers queso along with a tacos, quesadillas, and salads. With Queso being a favorite for so many people it is no surprise that this is a popular food truck in Atlanta.
Click here for The Queso Truck’s Menu
Super Tot!
Website: https://supertottruck.com
About: Similar to The Fry Guy specializing in all things fries, the food truck the Super Tot! specializes in tater tots! Super Tot! offers loaded and layered tater tots with a variety of different toppings and sauces.
Click here for Super Tots! Menu
Check each food truck’s website to see where you can catch them next! For more food trucks in Atlanta check out: http://atlantafoodtruckpark.com
EXTRA AVOCADO TOAST
Top Restaurant Tips To Managing Schedules
How do restaurants keep to a schedule on popular holidays. People call in advance to make reservations but how do restaurants insure their patrons finish on time? The best restaurants have scheduling down to a science to get their patrons out the door with-out feeling rushed.
The servicescape has a huge impact on how long people will stay at a restaurant. Making the restaurants uncomfortable in small ways will make patrons leave sooner. This has to be subtle or else the clientele will not return. A few subtle ways are as follows: Keeping the tempter cold, have a crowded dining area, and uncomfortable seating. Cold temperatures have been said to be done because the wait staff are over heated running around. However this is also in place to make customers slightly uncomfortable. They can complain however the temperature cannot be changed fast enough while same patrons are there. Thus customers will want to leave sooner but not feel as though this is a huge problem. Crowded dinning produces a louder environment which can make groups of people uncomfortable. People want to be able to talk to each other. After they finish their meal they will leave sooner to continue on their conversations. Crowded servicescaps with a lot of furniture and people make customers feel as though the restaurant is busy and they need to get out of the way. This gets people to leave earlier but not feel rushed as if they decided not that the restaurant decided. Uncomfortable such as backless seats also gets people to leave sooner to a more comfortable area, however this does not prevent the customer to enjoy the time that they have at the restaurant. The servicescape truly matter getting people to not over stay their welcome.
Monitoring the restaurant’s patrons is also very important to keep to a schedule. Start to notice which tables are more desirable. This can be do to size, comfort, or even location. Knowing the popular seating areas is important to get those tables out first. Restaurant’s will put out the food of the popular tables before the other tables regardless of when the orders came in. Having the food out sooner will get the best tables out first this keeps to a schedule and more happy patrons. Another way to monitor the customers is by their orders. If a group comes in make sure to keep their order on track to not get behind. What they order is also important, those who order wine will stay longer so they need their food out faster to get them out faster. Keeping customers occupied will make wait times seem shorter. Restaurants tell their customers a time so that they can see an end in sight, even though the time is not always accurate. Restaurants keep their customers occupied by bringing them to the bar with free drinks. Customers may even stay and have their meal at the bar freeing up more tables. Restaurants entice lingering customers as well to the bar by offering free desert at the bar if they are willing to move. Restaurants try to keep the flow going so that no one feels the wait, or feel a shorter wait.
FAST FOOD FAVS
All of us have busy lives, right? We’re constantly working, at school, at practice, and more. Since we’re alway on the go, a lot of us enjoy or… have no choice BUT to enjoy, a quick, fast-food meal. This week, I wanted to tell you about a few of my most FAVORITE fast-food meals. These meals range in price, location, and healthiness.
LET’S DO THIS! (* denotes a healthier option)
Chick-fil-A
- 8 Count Nugget Meal (approximately $7)
- 8 Chick-fil-A Nuggets
- Medium Fries
- Drink of Choice
- Southwest Salad * (approximately $8)
- Salad with various vegetables
- Can have grilled or fried nuggets
- Choice of dressing
Taziki’s
- Child’s Feast * (approximately $5)
- Portion of seasoned grilled chicken
- Side of roasted potatoes
- Side of fruit
Panera
- Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken * (approximately $8)
- Salad
- Cheese
- Caesar dressing
- Grilled Chicken
- Fiesta Macaroni and Cheese (approximately $6)
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Avocado
- Pico de Gallo
Chipotle
- Veggie Bowl * (approximately $7)
- Brown Rice
- Black Beans
- Pico de Gallo
- Salsa
- Grilled Veggies
- Guacamole
- Lettuce
- Cheese
Wendy’s (approximately $4)
- Four for Four
- Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger
- Medium Fries
- Medium Drink
- 4 Count of Nuggets
I hope the next time you’re on the go and need a yummy option for dinner you think of one of these options. They can be your on-the-go menu!
Comment down below if you’ve tried any of these options, or if you have a favorite fast-food restaurant we Friendz should try!
Restaurant Review: Big Pie in the Sky
Ciao! Welcome back to FoodFriendzy’s second restaurant review! To follow our theme of Italian food, some of the friendz got together a couple of weeks ago to go to a local pizza joint called Big Pie in the Sky. Big Pie in the Sky is located at 2090 Baker Rd. Ste A-103 Kennesaw, GA 30144 and is open 11AM-10PM from Mon. – Sun. and 12PM-9PM on Sunday’s.
There are many things that go into make Pizza and pizza spots great. Categories we will rate in this review are: The Pizza (meal), Atmosphere/Service, and then give an overall score. Therefore, each one of the friendz will go over all of those general options and give scores based on how they think all the categories should be rated. The scores will be out of 5. A 5 is “Best Ever” and a 1 is “Terrible”.P
Main Dish
Andie: Calzone with olives and onions
I ordered differently from the group and ordered a calzone instead of pizza. The calzone was huge, similarly to the pizza slices. I was only able to eat maybe half of my meal. I have never had food from Big Pie in the Sky, and to be honest I will probably not return. The calzone was very greasy. I will admit I am a picky eater and I tend to have high standards, but the calzone did not rank well with me. I would rank my meal at a 2.5 out of 5. I have had better calzones from other local pizza restaurants, specifically from Night Owl Pizza. So if your in the mood for a calzone I would recommend that you don’t go to Big Pie in the Sky.
Megan: So, this was my first time at Big Pie in the Sky, and it did not disappoint. I ordered one slice of pepperoni with a side of jalapenos, and a drink. The total price was $6.25 and worth every penny. Not only was the slice of pizza bigger than the cut out they have for reference, but it was delicious! The crust had just the right amount of thinness and baked just right, the sauce wasn’t too thick, and the cheese was perfect. I am pretty sure I ate my slice in less than 5 minutes…don’t judge! I would rank their pizza a 5 out of 5. Big Pie in the Sky is the place to go if you’re craving a good pizza for a decent price.
Julie: Pepperoni, mushroom, and sausage pizza
I have visited Big Pie in the Sky once before. The food is always perfect for the price. You get a LARGE slice of pizza with any toppings you desire. The sausage was different from most pizza. Typically, I receive ground sausage on pizzas but at Big Pie in the Sky they sliced up sausage links. This twist looked a bit odd on the pizza but still was just as flavorful. I don’t usually eat the crust but I gave it a try. It was dry for my liking but the crust base was thin and moist. I also ordered a caesar salad and a cannoli. Both were incredible and I will be back for more cannolis! I give them a 4 out of 5 for food.
Charis: Classic Cheese Pizza
Once again, I had been to Big Pie in the Sky once before, and had an excellent experience. However, this was over two years ago, and I was eager to revisit the restaurant with a fresh set of eyes. Big Pie in the Sky is the PLACE to go if you’re looking for a delicious, filling, but also affordable place to eat. I ordered a slice of Classic Cheese Pizza, and side Cesar Salad. The entire meal costed me less than $6.00! Not only is the price great, the food is excellent! My pizza tasted authentic, and was so big it could cover my entire face. To say it was worth every penny, would have been an understatement. It was absolutely delicious–so much so, that I went back the next week! For the food alone, I would give Big Pie in the Sky a 5 out of 5.
Logan: BBQ Chicken Pizza with Pineapple
I had heard nothing but great things about Big Pie in the Sky and I had to see if they could live up to the hype. I got a slice of pizza, which isn’t anything too crazy, but some people think that I’m a little weird with my pizza selection. After considering the many different options that they offered, they provided my with the largest slice of pizza that I had seen in my entire life. I got the BBQ chicken pizza with pineapples. The pizza was a thinner crispy dough which is how I like it. I appreciated that this pizza wasn’t nearly as greasy as most pizzas are and all the ingredients were nice, fresh, and spread out evenly over the pizza. It was large enough to where I could fold it in half and turn it into more of a flatbread sandwich which was nice over having to two-hand it and struggle to keep my toppings in place. I thought it was a very good pizza for the price and one slice was a good potion for someone who is moderately hungry. I would come back for a quick snack. 3.5 out of 5
Service/Atmosphere
Andie: The service was good. The people working were kind and polite, no complaints there so I would give the service a 4 out of 5.
The atmosphere on the other hand was okay, just okay. The restaurant was small and kinda dark and dingy. Seemed kind of like a whole in the wall. This made me wonder what the health inspection rating was… I would give the atmosphere a 2 out of 5.
Megan: My first thought when walking into Big Pie was less than impressed. The decor and overall place isn’t the most inviting. However, once the girl at the counter greeted us, and offered suggestions I no longer cared what the place looked like. The seating was comfy and the natural light mixed with the dim interior light was perfect. There weren’t many people there throughout the time we sat to eat until we left, due to us coming in between lunch and dinner. However, the music was not too loud, so it was a good atmosphere to sit and talk while we enjoyed our food. The only complaint I had was that there were multiple fruit flies/gnats that were in the air where we were seated, but then again with it being the south and such it didn’t bother us too much. Overall I would give the atmosphere an overall 3.8 out of 5.
Julie: Upon entering Big Pie, there isn’t much to catch your eye. The decor is outdated and minimally decorated. The menu is located behind the counter where we ordered. The wording is crammed and small, which made it difficult to read. The staff was polite and friendly to us and had our orders out in just a few minutes. The only unsettling thing about our visit was that while we were eating gnats were swarming around us… gross. I give the atmosphere a 3.5 out of 5.
Charis: The service at Big Pie in the Sky was superb. They were so nice, friendly, and so willing to help out. We asked them for recommendations, and they were happy to help us. The seating was comfortable, lighting a little dim (which I personally like), and I enjoyed how it was seat-yourself. There was music playing at a good level, soft enough that we could easily converse. It was not the “prettiest” restaurant by any means, but I think it was appealing enough, especially for how good their prices were. I would give the atmosphere and service a 4.0 out of 5.0.
Logan: In my opinion the service/atmosphere was very chill for the time of day we went. We rolled up at 4 o’clock and it was about as empty as you would think, so we had the best seating in the house. It was very relaxed and good for a group, meeting, small date. It was sort of dim lit and very quiet which was just fine for us, but we don’t know if it stays that way all the time. It was an ‘order at the counter’ and ‘help yourself as you need’ kind of place, which I thought was nice, because we didn’t have anyone bothering us and had everything available to us whenever we needed. The lady at the front was nice, funny, and super helpful with suggestions and questions we had. My food came out very quickly and was happy overall, but it was a system that would be tough to mess up honestly. 3.5 out of 5
Overall
Andie: Overall my experience was just okay, not terrible but just okay. I would not return but I am glad to have tried the restaurant to experience something new. My overall rating is a 2.5 out of 5.
Megan: The food was awesome, the portion size was great, the employees were very friendly and inviting, and the atmosphere was pretty decent. Overall I would give Big Pie in the Sky a 4.2 out of 5. I have gone back since our visit at a much busier time (a Saturday night), and they still were pretty awesome.
Julie: Overall, I give them a 4 out of 5. The food was great and cooked in a timely manor. Although the atmosphere wasn’t the best, It is still a good place to meet up with old friends. Just need to work on getting those flies out!
Charis: Overall, I was thrilled by the experience. The food surpassed my expectations, portion sizes were incredible, service was excellent, and the price was spot-on. It is definitely a restaurant I would recommend to my friends and family, and I will be coming back! I would give it a 4.5 out of 5.
Logan: Overall I was happy with my experience. I had a very delicious slice of pizza and I enjoyed talking to the workers at the front. They were very friendly and seemed liked they wanted us to be happy and have a good time. It is a place that I would go back to, but wasn’t anything that really stood out above the rest other than the fact that their portions are pretty dang big. So with that being said, it would be a nice chill place to go back and visit again in the future. 3.5 out of 5
Next Review
Check back next week to see what restaurant the friendz went to review! If there are any restaurants that the friendz should reiview, comment them below!
CLASSIC ACAI BOWL
ACAI BOWLS: THE NEW WAVE?
This week I wanted to talk about a food trend that has taken over the internet. This year, a delicious food by the name of “Acai Bowls” have been the new craze. But what exactly are Acai Bowls, are there different types, and where the heck did they come from? All of your most desired questions will be answered…right here…right NOW.
So, let’s start with the “where they came from” question. After doing some research, I found that Acai Bowls originated from Brazil. Acai is a type of fruit that grows well in the areas of Central and South America, but primarily is found in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest (Expectmore, 2016). The fruit is high in antioxidants, and is extremely delicious!
So now that we know where Acai comes from, and where these yummy bowls began, let’s talk about what an Acai Bowl actually IS. There are any different types of Acai Bowls, made of different mixtures of bases, fruits, nuts, seeds, and more. But, one thing most Acai Bowls have in common, is that they are a mixture of different fruits, almost like a smoothie, but in a thicker consistency. Most acai bowls contain fruits like: bananas, strawberries, and blueberries. Often times, the acai is blended with additional fruits to give a more fruity flavor, while also having the same or different fruits to garnish the top of the bowl. Many people like to add peanut butter, coconut flakes, chia seeds, granola, and other garnishes to the top of their Acai Bowl to complete the flavor, while also packing in the nutrients.
Acai Bowls are made differently by those making them. There is no “right” or “wrong” Acai Bowl. To show you how different Acai Bowls can look I have attached a few pictures below. ALL are Acai Bowls, just made with different ingredients.
(All images are not our own; all rights go to their owners)
Acai Bowls are commonly sold in stores that make smoothies. There are also new stores constantly popping up that specialize in making Acai Bowls. Google around your area, and find one of these delicious spots, and give this new food wave a try!
SNAZZY LIME & TORTILLA RAMEN
Food Friendzy 