Virginia Highlands and Murphy's

This past weekend, we made a trip down to Atlanta to go to a baseball game and to just basically have a family get-away. I forget every. single. time how close Atlanta really is to Knoxville. You know it's only a three hour drive! Same as Nashville. So it's not an exhausting little weekend drive to make. Atlanta reminds me a lot of Austin, Texas when we lived there. The parks are great, the restaurants superb, the neighborhoods quaint and hopping, and there is never a lack for anything to do. We stayed in midtown Atlanta Friday night and could see Piedmont Park from our window. On our way out Saturday morning, I snapped the photo below as they were setting up for some kind of fair. I secretly wished we could have stopped to see what that was all about.

 But we had bigger, more important plans on our agenda. It was breakfast time, and since we were all starving, heading to our planned food stop was of utmost importance. Howie and I have a friend from college who lives in Atlanta and who recommended that we try Murphy's in Virginia Highlands for breakfast. As quoted by Greg, "The Flying Biscuit is way overrated! Murphy's is much better!" Really?! Murphy's was a must stop place then if it were better than The Flying Biscuit. I still dream of those grits and biscuits we had back in April.

 So we found our way to Murphy's. I must say I was in love at first site when we entered into the neighborhood in which Murphy's resides. Bungalow/cottage style houses abound and everyone is out running and walking the dog and generally looking happy on a Saturday morning. It was the neighborhood of my dreams. I saw at least 100 houses that I knew I must have and would move into today if we were actually moving to Atlanta. But I digress.

 So with a quick I-was-actually-here photo op, the girls, Howie and I stepped into the ultimate breakfast place in Atlanta with high hopes of cheese grits, french toast, biscuits, and poached eggs.

 Our hopes were not dashed as we were served delicious french toast and cheese grits, pancakes, salmon poached eggs, fruit, and morning glory muffins and biscuits. YUMMMMMMMMM!

I think the thing that I enjoyed the most about Murphy's was just the atmosphere and being in the neighborhood of Virginia Highlands. It felt like we lived there too instead of being out-of-towners just in for the weekend. After leaving Murphy's we headed into Buckhead to make a quick stop at Trader Joe's for 159 cans of coffee beans and then we headed downtown to the baseball game. Yes, Howie sported his Mets shirt as you all know he loves his New York Mets. I on the other hand wore a classy red sailor jacket and jeans to support the Braves. I am a Georgia born girl after all, so I am a Braves fan. At least it makes the game more interesting when Howie and I are rooting for opposing teams. More to come on our quick weekend Atlanta trip soon.