We got back from Atlanta about 8 p.m. last night.....somehow a 6 hour trip wasn't as long a few years ago.
But we had a fun time with Lyn's sister. We went to a couple Farmers' Markets, actually more like International Markets, and walked the aisles marveling at the variety of products we had no idea about. One had a huge array of fresh fruits and vegetables. Anyone here use Jack Fruit? They had huge cases of them! And if I lived closer I would surely have started trying the different things just to see what they tasted like.
We didn't take a cooler with us or I'm sure I would have picked up some beef bones and soup shanks, etc. But I knew my freezers were full so that would have been a problem even when I got it home. The meat department was like an old fashioned butcher's shop ~ employees cutting and packaging there in the store. The beef knuckle bones were just like I remember buying years ago for soup stock......and the short ribs were the most amazing I've seen ~ and reasonable in price! It always irritates me that if I want something like skirt steak here, it's $15/lb. The market in Atlanta had well trimmed and fresh looking skirt steak for $5/lb.
They also had a Sprouts Market that we walked through.....have heard about it out West and had never had an opportunity to shop there. It kind of reminded me of a Trader Joes, a smaller grocery store with quality product.
We went to a shopping complex in a converted warehouse building ~ the food court was fabulous. They had all different ethnic restaurants. Lyn and Sandi decided on a seafood place for Lobster Bisque and salads and I went to a Raman Bar and had a wonderful Raman Noodle Soup bowl and some freshly made steamed dumplings.
And, as usual, I forgot to take a pic until AFTER I had added the broth to my bowl ~ the fresh made raman noodles were in the bowl, topped with thinly sliced wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, a soft boiled egg, green onions and sliced pork. In a separate container was a very rich and flavorful pork based 'broth', tasted and looked like it had miso in it, that you were to pour over the noodle fixin's. It was really, really flavorful. The dumplings, which I didn't remember to take a pic of at all were extremely tender and flavorful ~ came with a soy based dipping sauce. I'd love to return and try some of the other offerings. The 'kitchen' was open to view and seeing trays of fresh ramen noodles and huge vats of simmering stock with all the bones stuffed in was so interesting.