Rhea’s 2 – Dive-burger Extraordinaire!

R.I.P. Mickey D! You’re de-throned BK! Its Wendy’s ending! We’re kicking Krystal to the Kurb! You guys are tired and obsolete. Sometime between the fifties, when you were new and good, and the 70’s, when you, and every other producer of anything in the good old US of A turned your products into crap, the death knell for you began sounding. The Nineties and the new millennium ushered in a return to quality and excellence in manufacturing, and allowed iconic fast food brands to build unit heavy empires. Unfortunately, you failed to improve your product, continued to raise prices, and failed to see the revolution that upstart competitors were about to unleash. These days, for the same money you charge for your mass produced corporate burger products, I can get a high quality, unique burger masterpiece. There’s been an explosion of fast service burger (and every other food) eateries that serve well conceived, locally sourced, high quality and most of all, supremely tasty hamburgers. The same trend is as true in cupcakes as it is in scotch whiskey. But don’t worry iconic fast food brands, you don’t need to go away altogether, you just need to go away far. Overseas that is. There is a much larger market for your corporate calorie factories in other countries than there ever was here. Good luck and good riddance.

There’s a new burger joint coming to Alpha called Tower Burger. I don’t know a thing about it, but while I was trying to find out I came across a reference to Rhea’s 2, 11490 Alpharetta Hwy Roswell, (770) 569-4944, and was intrigued. Rhea’s doesn’t even have a website. I guess the big boys are beating Rhea’s on the net, but certainly not in the kitchen. I put Rhea’s on the calendar because we’re always looking for unique and good new chow palaces. This place is anything but new. It has a well worn feel that is both homey and nostalgic. Nothing fancy, that’s for damn sure, but it does have a certain familiar ambiance. Dear Leader and I visited last week, and we were both impressed with the unique burgers Rhea’s serves up.

Rhea’s with Chili! – The Beefy One Applauds.

The atmosphere is a mix of energetic and chaotic, but the place seems to run with a casual efficiency that ensures that everything gets done. When we arrived we were unsure whether we should order at the register, sit at the counter or take a table. The gentleman running the register motioned us to a table and then came and took our order. Rhea’s basic burger is a freshly griddled cheeseburger served on grilled Texas toast with the normal toppings. It’s not a patty melt because the burger is cooked and then assembled, not cooked as a melt. Of course, there is a double patty option, and needless to say, DL and I so opted. I peeked at the grill on the way in and saw that the meat was red and fresh, portioned but not pattied, and looked really lean as hamburger goes. The meat hits the grill and is skillfully smashed into a flavorful patty with a crisp brown crust. Very tasty. DL chose his with the regular works and an order of fries. When I looked at the grill I saw that Rhea’s serves crinkle cut fries, which I never like. Instead, I chose the double burger with chili and onions, and a hot dog the same way. They serve a very good sandwich chili here. It’s all meat, with no beans, and really no sauce to speak of. One of my many pet peeves is getting soupy, bean filled chili on a sandwich. Sandwich chili should be made as a topping so it doesn’t make a sloppy mess of a sandwich. The Varsity and Nu-Way (Macon) have certainly mastered this art. So has Rhea’s. DL and I agree that the burger was different and delicious, and that we’ll definitely come back. The hot dog was of the highest quality and served on a grilled bun. Very good. Oh and by the way, Rhea’s is priced about the same as a fast food joint. Once again, goodbye corporate factory food, hello inexpensive, one off, unique real food.

The Fans Demand the Hands!

Let’s take a look at the AFatbanker Balance Sheet, shall we?

ASSETS: Great burger, unique approach, inexpensive, first rate sandwich chili.

LIABILITIES: Crinkle cut fries, warm dining room.

NET WORTH: There are hamburgers on every corner in America. Rhea’s has managed to be unique and fun. I award four money bags and declare Rhea’s far superior to any fast food burger for about the same price.

BTW, I also declare that I will never use the word “unctuous” in any of my posts. It’s become almost as common as the words “pork belly” and “kale” in food writing and I’ve had enough Not enough pork belly, just enough talk about it.     -afb

Zoe’s Kitchen – Top of the Heap!

There is a revolution going on in the fast service restaurant industry. Namely, that  a new generation of destination, quick serve eateries have sprung up to fill a giant void left by traditional fast food establishments. Their appeal is healthier fare, modern concepts and better food. I’ve already opined on the new crop of burger joints (love them) that have sprouted to give the old guard a run for their money (by running over them, for the same money). They join a generation of other new concepts at beating the big boys by exploiting their biggest weakness – bad food. When McD’s, Wendy’s and KFC started out, they actually had good food too. Their own success, complacency and the necessity to be able to replicate their menu everywhere has destroyed them. Quite frankly, all of the traditional fast food mega chains have awful food. Their fries don’t resemble a potato, their burgers don’t resemble ground beef, and their new menus offering supposedly “healthier” choices are a careless afterthought. I wrote earlier about the comparative excellence of Pollo Tropical and Chipotle. Today the abbreviated Lunch Bunch ventured over to the new Zoe’s Kitchen for a test run.

I’ve dined at Zoe’s (zoeskitchen.com/)‎ before and enjoyed it. The new store near North Point Mall is a welcome addition to the quick lunch dining scene in the area. It’s kind of a Mediterranean salad and sandwich joint with an emphasis on chicken and tuna. For what it is, and for the nine bucks it costs for lunch, Zoe’s is very good. I was joined by Dear Leader and Zeke from Tucker, and we all enjoyed our respective choices. Before I talk about what we had, I’d like to discuss what I’d like try when we go back. I love soup, but their only flavors, chicken & orzo and tomato bisque don’t excite me. Fresh humus?  That excites me. Mediterranean tuna in a pita or otherwise? You bet. Pimento cheese sandwich? You had me at pimento. Braised white beans with fresh rosemary? Bring on The Northside Goddess! I will definitely be back, if only just to try a few new delicacies. And even though this is “fast food” from a “chain” with a “trendoid” concept, it’s done very well.

Tabletop Taste!

 

Nice Pita

I know what you are thinking, Dear Hungry Reader; I know what you didn’t have, but what the hell did you enjoy so much? Well, Dear Leader had the Mediterranean Tuna Pita with a side of marinated slaw. It was not huge. Rather, it was small by my supersized standard, but DL said it was excellent. The pita was good, the tuna was #1 albacore, capers, red onions, olives, lettuce, tomato (no mayo). That’s right, NO MAYO. Nor was there any in the slaw, potato salad or pasta salad. Personally, I don’t much care for mayo on sandwiches, but with tuna or slaw? Alas, they are all good. Further, they are all different, which is a novel concept these days.

The Chicken Salad Sampler

The MARINATED SLAW has feta, scallions, and light vinaigrette. Outstanding! Your host, The Beefy Banker, had the CHICKEN SALAD SAMPLER with a scoop each of the chicken salad (plain, with mayo, white meat, very fresh), marinated slaw, pasta salad (fresh basil, feta, no mayo), and potato salad (baby reds, no mayo) over greens. To top off the greens, Zoe’s makes a mean Greek Salad Dressing and puts a bottle on every table. Zeke chose the STEAK STACK, a wrap with sliced steak, portobellos, mozzarella, caramelized onions, feta spread, tomato, sourdough, and rosemary oil, served with you guessed it, potato chips. Zeke said it was fantastic!

Zeke likes the Steak….

 

“Zeke”, a Caring Guy!

It’s a wonder he has time for lunch, with his dizzying workload and all of his charitable work. Zeke is the National Chair for his pet charity, C.A.R.E.S (Crackers And Rednecks Emasculating Sissies), and has just been named Honorary President of his fraternal religious organization, Sigma Nus For Jews (ΣΝ4J). It’s a wonder he has time to sleep between all of his good works.

Zoe’s Kitchen is one of a new genre changing the face of fast food lunch, and I, for one, am excited. So how do Zoe’s impressive numbers total up on the afatbanker.com Balance Sheet? Let’s look at the bottom line:

ASSETS: Hot and cold treats, NO MAYO, great chicken salad, numerous choices.

LIABILITIES: Small portions.

NET WORTH: As fast food goes, this place is on the top of the heap, FOUR money bags. Can’t wait to go back and munch through the menu!

-afb