my bread was cold.

Chat Patti Dahi Bada chat (they call it Dhahi Vada and scoffed at me for not pronouncing it their way, but whatev):

Whatever words I use to describe this food will fall short of accurately describing it’s awesomeness. I’m not using the word awesome as in the surfer word “awesome”, but in the sense that it is truely something that is awe-inspiring. To give you the basics, Dhahi Bade (plural) are dumplings made of ground chick peas, soaked in sweet plain yogurt and bathed in various chutnies and spices.

When you take your first bite, the first thing that hits you is the sweet coolness of the yogurt…but don’t be fooled. After a few milliseconds the earthy spices sprinkled on top of the yogurt emerge in surprising little bursts (spices = mixture of red chilli pepper, paprika, corriander, cumin, clove, etc). Then you notice the texture of the dumpling part. Before being drenched in yogurt, the dumplings are soaked in water giving them a sponge-like consistency that allows them to soak up any flavors around them. After being mixed in with the dahi (yogurt), the grainy texture of the dumpling proves to be an excellent contrast to the silkiness of the sweetened yogurt surrounding it. Then after a few seconds, you taste the imli ki chutney. Tamarind chutney is a dark brown, kind of tart, but sweet chutney that makes anything…ANYTHING taste good. In this dish, it adds an extra layer of tart sweetness that takes this chat over the top. The Chat Patti version of this chat also had mint chutney mixed in. The mint of course adds a little hint of freshness to the experience.

I kid you not, after every bite I ate of this stuff, I went “Mmmmm” outloud.

Slightly pricey but still cheaper than Starbucks. Great tasting coffee, strong but not bitter. Normally crowded with noisy high school kids, but it can be a decent place to relax on weekdays.

Best breakfast in Atlanta

Nicest people on the planet. I’d live here if they’d let me…

Crispy Honey Chilli Chicken…nuff said