Brotherly Grub – Atlanta, GA

Out of all the places I visit in America there are none that I look forward to visiting less than Atlanta. To begin with there is no good way to get into Atlanta. Hartsfield-Jackson quite possibly might be the worst airport in America and it’s only a 3 to 4 hour drive from Nashville, until you include traffic, then you’re looking at 5 to 6 days. And by the way does anyone know why Hartsfield-Jacksons first concourse is “T” then the Alphabet begins “A through E”??? But I digress…  

Despite Atlanta being the booming metropolitan city of my nightmares there are two things that make my entire trip worthwhile.

1. The Brothers at Iota Delta – Quite possibly my favorite group of young men in Chi Psi. They are hospitable, fun, hard-working and strive to make their Alpha better.
2. Papi’s!!!!!!!!!

Papi’s, a little Cuban restaurant that I was introduced to by Alex Howell (a former #1 at Iota Delta), has quickly become one of my favorite places in America to eat. The atmosphere is happy, upbeat and energetic. The waiters and waitresses are very friendly, and the food is delicious.

My Meal:

1. One order of Croquettes – Fried sticks of Swiss Cheese and ham!!!
2. One order of Yuca fries – A root they slice and fry up like French Fries. These things are deadly good!!! Literally! I just recently learned that one Yuca (cassava) root can carry as much as 1000mg of cyanide if consumed raw. 40mg is enough to kill a cow!!! Thanks Wikipedia!!!!!
3. One order of Fried Plantains – Soooo Goooooooood!!!!!!!
4. Sandwich (I normally order one of these four)
   1. Authentic Cuban… Smoked pork marinated with Papi’s secret recipe, Ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, mustard, and mayonnaise on Cuban bread
   2. Media Noche…Smoked pork, ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, mustard and mayonnaise on sweet bread
   3. Jerk Chicken Sandwich…Jerk chicken breast with Swiss cheese,  dill pickles, mustard, lettuce, onions and tomatoes on Cuban bread
   4. Ropa Vieja…Shredded beef, Swiss cheese, mayo on Cuban bread
5. Cuban Coffee

I love the Caribbean and have always found Cuba a fascinating place but have never been myself, and our President has recently loosened the Embargo act of 1960 to allow people with relatives to visit Cuba. Unfortunately I have yet to discover I have any kin folk in Cuba so until then I’ll just have to go to Atlanta and forget I’m in the worst city in America over a Ropa Vieja and a Cuban Coffee.