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Scavenger Mission #17: Eat the ENTIRE Sublime Burger from Cypress Pint and Plate

I'm typically not the sort of person who orders a meal to-go. Unfortunately, I had to forego dining-in for this challenge, but it was either do that or pitifully have a meal by myself and risk coming off as a friendless loser to the general Atlanta public. You think there would be more people who were open to eating a doughnut-sandwiched burger on a Sunday evening but, alas, my friends were busy and I had to face it alone.

The reason it's called the Sublime Burger is not because it's so grand that it inspires awe (though this could very well be true), but because the buns are frosted, golden rounds from Atlanta's very own Sublime Doughnuts. This specialty bakery was actually named in 2012 Food and Wine as one of the best doughnut places in the country and has won numerous other awards. Cypress Plate and Pint clearly realized their greatness long ago and decided to create a perfect union between one of their 1/2 lb burgers and a pair of these glazed treats.

The meal came in a little kit, ready for assembly. To ensure the freshness of the burger, they package the prepared patty and doughnut buns separately. I think a lot of people think of fries as just fries and, while I'm no food expert, I could tell these ones were just better. They left the potato skins on, were just crispy enough, and dusted with sea salt. Every stoplight on the way home became a french fry break. They didn't make it back with me...

Eating the burger was the sort of indulgence where you feel a little guilty afterwards. I'm sure I can afford this to the fact that I had ordered out and was sneakily eating the burger in my apartment, by myself. Ultimately, though, the guilt was canceled out by my food coma. I was surprised by how well the sweet doughnuts complimented the savory burger. So surprised, in fact, that I ate it in its entirety and then fell asleep.

The sublime burger is definitely a special occasion meal. Next time I'm in Atlanta, I will have to kick back with some friends on their patio and get them to share it with me. After all, Cypress Pint and Plate was named one of Atlanta's best bars! It'd be a shame to miss out on that again.

#Sublime Doughnuts #Cypress Pint & Plate #frequentr #Summer Scavenge

Frequentr team outing! We all went out to a Braves game after work. There's not a better way to spend an Atlanta evening.

Scavenger Mission #16: Get a picture with Ann smiling at Ann's Snack Bar

Ann's Snack Bar has been featured in The New York Times, has been frequented by famous people (Sean Combs to name one), and has it's own flowering Wikipedia page. The restaurant exploded in popularity after The Wall Street Journal named their Ghetto Burger as the best burger in the country in 2007. Outside of Atlanta, the place is well-known in foodie social circles and it's a staple whenever people are in the area. Since it was Nick's birthday last week, we all headed over as a team to experience the glory that is the ghetto burger for ourselves.

Ann, a misleadingly small woman, shuffles around behind the counter from the refrigerator, to the sink, to the sizzling range, to the deep fryer. The grilling process at Ann's is an art form, really-beautiful to any burger lover and potentially scarring for a vegan. You can tell she isn't trying to impress anyone. She's trying to make good food and she does so flawlessly. The burgers were served on a paper plates with a golden, crunchy hill of fries. Ann's sweet assistant was very careful to set our napkins and plastic forks out neatly. This burger isn't about the frills. The only thing Ann will look away from her craft for is to bark at the sorry person who dared to neglect one of her rules. Don't you break her rules.

The bold-lettered list hangs blatantly above the counter so no one can miss it, and includes things like, "don't sit or stand your baby on the counter," or, "if there are no empty seats then don't come in the restaurant!" A loud painting out front also refuses to let you forget that the place is "Home of the World Famous Ghetto Burger!"

Everyone who enters immediately puts on their best behavior. You know-the sort you did as a kid when you were visiting the formal grandma. We said thank you for everything, didn't let our elbows sit anywhere near the counter top, and sat patiently while she cooked the monstrous burgers.

Because of her reputation as a hardliner for rules, I was actually terrified to ask for her photo. One of my least favorite things is to be scolded and while I didn't think she would actually say something to me, I could see her raising a skeptical eyebrow and asking me where I thought I was.

I waited until we were at the register and her face brightened up in surprise, "Wait..you want a picture with me?!"

"Yes, m'am."

A smile opened up across her face (the first one I'd seen). I was amazed.

She wouldn't believe me when I said she was famous is Atlanta but obliged nonetheless. I personally think this particular scavenger assignment should have been worth a lot more points because of the rarity of such an event but my 1 lb burger and sight of Ann smiling were reward enough.

Scavenger Mission #15: Show the Whale Shark our New T-Shirts!

There have been a lot of developments here in the Frequentr office over the past couple of weeks. One of the headlining stories was the delivery of our sweet, new company t-shirts. Now, I know every company thinks their shirts are awesome but ours really are. What better way to break it in than to show it off to the sharks and whales at the Georgia Aquarium? No better way, that's what.

Everyone knows it's a staple of Atlanta but if you haven't been to the aquarium, you need to go. If you live in Atlanta and haven't been then someone needs to boot your car or something because that's just a shame. They have these season passes available that pay for themselves after two visits.

Another tip: buy your tickets in advance online! On the day I went it was about 110 degrees outside (new nickname shall be Hottestlanta) and people who decided to just show up had to wait in line outside to purchase them since it was so popular.

I can't say too much else about the aquarium that does it justice. It's incredible, you'll want to spend hours (or in my case, days) there, and everyone loves it. Babies love pressing their little faces against the glass, teenagers love taking dates there, and the grandparents love enjoying a bit to eat while beluga whales swim by the window. If I live in Atlanta at some point, I'll try to negotiate a 3-year pass where I get to come visit whenever I want. Perhaps get some work done under the Amazon River exhibit or lay a sleeping bag out beside the whale shark?

Scavenger Mission #14: "Tap a Keg" Where People Don't Flow the Mainstream

Disclaimer: No kegs were actually tapped in the making of this blog post and all behavior was kept professional.

Outside of the Atlanta metropolitan border runs a river called Sweetwater Creek. Fifteen years ago, two buddies officially started their very own brewing company and named it after the creek one of them kayaked from time to time.

Today, Sweetwater Brewing Company is the pride of Atlanta and retains its reputation as an incredibly fun place to spend time and it's fish-adorned, tie-dyed trucks are little cultural icons.

It was Fisher and Joe who welcomed me when I pushed my way into the brewery. Other people around the space were setting up for a stand-up comedy event that night. The brewery doubles as a public bar and venue for private events depending on the day so calling it a brewery seems like a gross understatement. Fisher had an impressive beard and Joe had some cool, bold tattoos winding up his forearm...Sweetwater people.

Fisher waved me over to follow him after I'd explained what I had to do and I found myself peering in a refrigerator the size of my dorm room. Stacked against the frosty walls were kegs on kegs...on kegs. I had an irrational fear of getting locked inside the giant refrigerator and forgotten about. Fisher explained that I had to close the door behind me and assured me we wouldn't get trapped. I wasn't 100% convinced but was eased by the idea of at least being trapped in a room full of beer. That's kind of like what those guys did in the movie 'Taken', right?

A faux keg-tapping followed and I was on my way. If I knew the last thing about hops, brewing, or beer, Sweetwater is where I would work. Everyone seems so down to earth and it's clear they have fun on a daily basis. I mean, their t-shirts are tie-dyed. How could they not?

Scavenger Mission #13: Outback's Blooming Onion. Enough Said. (20 points)

As most college students know, we don't really eat steak all of time. We're very much pasta, cereal, and chicken people (the chicken is if we're feeling fancy). As you can imagine, when I saw steak, a salad, a side, and their toasty bread for $10 I was beside myself.

After settling down, I realized how perfect it was outside and mentioned to the waiter that me and my friend would love to sit outside. I used to work in a restaurant sometimes so I know how irksome this can be. Servers have set sections at the beginning of a shift and the host will go through the rotation throughout the night so everyone has the same amount of tables. This is crucial because servers rely on tips for their income (base hourly wages can be pretty shabby in the restaurant industry, from my experience). So, if people decide to move after they've sat down, a server may have one less table for their shift.

Our waiter was so nice about it. He said it was absolutely no problem and offered to take our things outside for us. Our new waitress, Jen, was just as sweet and did everything right. We never noticed when our water was running low, she brought out ample bread for us to snack on after we mentioned how hungry we were, and she an overall nice person that we enjoyed chatting with. Most importantly, she helped me meet the manager so I could tend to my scavenger hunt responsibilities.

Michael, the manager, strolled out to the porch as I attempted to chip away at my blooming onion (I believe the proper name is "bloomin"). I don't even like onions and I couldn't stop tearing away at it throughout the meal. If all onions were served like that, I wouldn't have judged them so harshly.

Michael was a jovial man and his initial skepticism over me requesting his photo melted quickly after I explained what it was for. He made a joking comment about me being cut out of the photo because of my height (in my defense, he was pretty tall outside of Elena standards as well) and wished me all of the best.

I was stuffed, had some great conversation, enjoyed excellent service, and my meal was cheaper than many Midtown sandwich shops. I considered the evening a success on all fronts.

Summer Scavenger Mission #12 (Redo): Redeeming my yogurt-making abilities at Yogli Mogli

In the last post, I harped on the shameful yogurt tower I made. Well, I returned to Yogli Mogli and restored my good name. I'm always a frozen yogurt supporter but 90 degree Atlanta days make it an even more welcome treat.

A different group of people was working today and they loved the fact that the scavenger hunt was a requirement for my internship. "That's so cool! Who are you interning with?," the young woman behind the register asked. This is the reaction I usually get since it's not every summer intern that gets to hop around the city taking photos of little finds. I get to meet great people and discover new places but my outings are also easy conversation starters for Frequentr. I never have to explain who we are or what the company does because people ask on their own out of curiosity.

I should probably branch out when it comes to frozen yogurt, but I'm a purist so I always go with the classic tart flavor. The Yogli Mogli team suggested I pile fruit into the cup so it would look like the poster in front of the store. Ben, the shift manager, stepped around the corner and flashed a thumbs up for the photo. I thanked everyone for their help and then trotted out with my little mountain of frozen yogurt. It essentially became my dinner since there was so much of it and I had absolutely no problem with that.

You wouldn't guess it by the number of the company's locations (24 and counting), but Yogli Mogli is only three years old. I read a couple of articles about the founder, Roi Schlomo, and loved his entrepreneurial zest. He had a quote for people aspiring to start their own businesses about embracing change that read, "Change can be scary but fighting change makes it much worse. Venture out of your comfort zone and welcome it with open arms. It can be very rewarding!" I loved the fact that a simple thought like that has resulted in Atlanta's favorite yogurt shop-a yogurt shop that shows no sign of stopping, I might add.

#Yogli Mogli #Summer Scavenge #Frequentr

Scavenger Mission #12: Create the World's Tallest Yogurt Tower & Get Something onto the Chalkboard at Fontaine's (30 points total)

I would like to preface this post by saying this mission is not over yet. I brought dishonor to my name with my first attempt at a yogurt tower so there will be a post soon in which I redeem myself.

Since Yogli Mogli (as most frozen yogurt shops do) charges by weight, I thought the most efficient way to make a yogurt tower would be a classic swirl. Unfortunately, my execution of the swirl was poor and it buckled over it the cup. My lack of yogurt-serving skill didn't affect how delicious it was, though. They have a dozen flavors plus buckets of self-serve toppings like fresh kiwi and little tapioca bubbles. Yogli Mogli was proudly named the best place to get frozen yogurt in Atlanta by Jezebel magazine this year.

The guy behind the counter commented that he'd never seen someone make a swirl like the photo before. That made me feel better about the sorry tower I had made. The reaction I was looking for, however, was one of sheer awe and amazement. I'll be back, Yogli Mogli. I'll be back...

Getting my message on the board at Fontaine's was much easier. The Virginia Highland oyster house was already hopping and I wouldn't have been able to sneak a message on the board.

Since it was peak dinner time, the host said he wasn't sure about an entire message going on the board, which was fair. Because of my stature, that would involve me standing on a chair or climbing onto one of the booths. He handed me the chalk and said I could go ahead and draw something.

Alas, the Frequentr icon had a new home beside the daily message (something mentioning Mick Jagger) and I had new scavenger hunt points. I wish that my scavenger hunt had been to eat their crab legs because they're half off on Wednesdays. I have decided to add that to the list myself, for the good of the company.

#Yogli Mogli #Fontaine's #Summer Scavenge #frequentr

Scavenger Mission #11: Wear a Pair of Sid Mashburn's Double Monk in a Size 12 (30 Points)

Beyond my guilty pleasure of the occasional Next Top Model episode, I'm not fashion-savvy by any measure. A thrift store blouse and a retro designer one look the same to me. This has to be the only reason I hadn't heard of Sid Mashburn before arriving in Atlanta because, as I've learned, they're a very big deal. Maybe I didn't know about "Sid the Kid" because I'm not a regular reader of GQ magazine, which has featured the fashion luminary on numerous occasions. In any case, my horizons have been broadened.

I posted this photo on my Facebook page and several of my friends commented that they had been waiting to buy the exact shoes I had on. Another commented that this was their favorite store in Atlanta; it's easy to see why. After clopping around in the famous Double Monk shoes during my visit, I wanted half of the clothes for myself and I'm not even in the right gender demographic.

Sid Mashburn and its sister store, Ann Mashburn, are located in the Westside Provisions District. Nestled in northwest Atlanta, this area is best known for its award-winning dining and shopping. This is the place to go when you have a date, client, or in-laws to impress.

The store itself is beautiful, replicating an upscale sitting room for luxury safaris. Or, at least, that's what I thought of. As if the store isn't lovable enough, Sid Mashburn and Ann Mashburn the married couple that the stores are the namesakes of.

A sharply dressed man named Donnie greeted me at the door. I imagined the staff would be resistant to letting a random girl just try on a pair of their nicest shoes for no purposeful reason but Donnie shook his head, "No! Not at all. People do that all of time. What size would you like them in?"

"Um...a 12..."

"Oh...those are not going to fit you," he looked down at my women's size 7 feet with a little bit of pity.

"I know... they're not for me-I promise!," and I went on to explain my scavenger hunt. He was more than happy to help and offered me a drink while I waited for him to grab the beautiful shoes. I was expecting a plastic cup of water. It's Sid Mashburn-I should have known better. He handed me a glass bottle of Coca-Cola and I happily poked around the shelves while I waited, picking out imaginary Christmas gifts for people. I'm not saying that every store needs to give their customers Coca-Cola bottles, but how Sid Mashburn's staff treats their shoppers would easily convince me to spend a few extra bucks.

The shoehorn Donnie brought out was unnecessary as I could have easily slipped half of my arm in one of the shoes. Donnie helped me take the photo, told me to come back whenever I liked, and I decided shortly afterwards that Sid Mashburn was my favorite men's store.

#SID MASHBURN #Double Monk #Westside Provisions District #Summer Scavenge

Learn Something New Friday: Alex Teaches Us How to Grill Turkish Coffee

Preparing Turkish coffee is an aged craft that spans back to the 17th century and mention of it usually conjures up images like this.

Not at Frequentr, folks. We prefer our refined, foreign beverages prepared over an electric grill. Our resources may have been limited but that didn't stop Alex from giving us a culture and history lesson while making the richly bitter coffee. We also had a fancy coffee set he had bought in Bosnia so that cancelled out the fact that we had used the balcony grill.

Scavenger Mission #10: String some jewelry at I-Kandie (double points if someone helps) (40 points)

Alex and I first stopped by I-Kandie a couple of weeks ago when we went to East Atlanta Village to check in with businesses. I've been wanting to go back for my own, selfish reasons (shopping) ever since.

I'll try to steer clear of the fashion blog vibe, but they have some beautiful, bright dresses and I probably spent more time there than was really necessary. Since it's in East Atlanta, you don't have to worry about the stress of mall parking. I experienced that trying task the other day and had to relocate three times because of the workers hovering around, waiting to put a boot on my tire. I'll take the friendly boutique in a cute neighborhood over a (another) parking violation.

Sandie and Tarran run the boutique and do everything from making the jewelry themselves to managing online sales through their Facebook page. No customer post on there goes unanswered and the online shopping aspect has allowed them to branch out across the country.

Tarran excitedly told me that they will begin offering jewelry-making classes soon, after which the customers will be able to keep the bracelets they make. Wouldn't that make a cute gift for Mother's Day or a friend's birthday? Maybe that's what Alex should get Nick for his birthday...

Scavenger Mission #9: "Smoke" a Cigar with Mac (20 points)

Tucked away on a main street in East Atlanta sits a neighborhood hangout and tobacco mecca called Cigar Village. The owner, an easygoing man who says hello to everyone who passes by his shop, is named Mac and can usually be found on the front patio or chatting with his customers. I don't know a thing about cigars besides the fact that people are always trying to sneak them back from Cuba. Fortunately, you don't need to be knowledgeable about cigars to take a (relatively) convincing photo. Cigar Village reminds me of that painting with the dogs playing poker, aside from the added flat screen televisions. Large leather couches hold worn working men and every dark wooden table has a granite ash tray waiting for the company of a cigar.

When I told the people in the shop that I had to take this photo, one of the customers offered up his smoldering cigar while he took the picture,"for effect," he said. Effect sounded good to me. Mac was more than happy to help me out with the photo. His only requirement was that we take it in front of the Saints tapestry, seeing as how Alex is a Panthers fan and all.

#Cigar Village #Summer Scavenge #East Atlanta Village

Scavenger Mission #8: Make the Joe's Coffee Face IN Joe's East Atlanta Coffee Shop

While there are some things on my scavenger hunt that will lend me cool points, they are few and far between. Making the Joe's Coffee face didn't provide those points but I think it provided some entertainment for anyone who passed by.

I heard about Joe's before I even arrived in Atlanta because it's known as one of the best people watching spots in the city. There are mix and matched couches in every corner and you can tell it's the sort of place where people go to relax. In fact, there was an elderly bearded man snoring in one of them when we stopped by.

I thought it best not to take his picture despite several people in line encouraged me to snap one. He looked so peaceful and wasn't bothering anyone; sometimes you just need a nap in a coffee shop armchair. Maybe I'll go and hang out with him next time. We can start a neighborhood-wide napping trend!

#Joe's East Atlanta Coffee Shop #Angry face #Summer Scavenge

Scavenger Mission #7: Find Throwback Frequentr Signs at The Mercantile (20 points total)

Frequentr didn't always have this striking and snazzy logo. Long ago (a few months), it was a curious little "Q" in kiwi green. Even though we underwent a makeover, the old logo can still be found on our old signs and table-toppers at an endearing grocery called The Mercantile. Alex and I did a lot of running around on Thursday so I was able to score some points while on the clock. We visited a number of businesses we're partnered with to take photos for customized customer service cards that we're making (more about that project soon). I didn't realize I would get double points if Janea (the owner) was in the photo...rats! I got to meet her, though, and that was enough of a pleasure on it's own.

Oh, and I also scored some extra points with my Batdorf and Bronson finds there and at Cacao. Heads up: if you ever want to impress someone, get them anything from Cacao. Preferably, get them the giant chocolate fountain that sits at the front of the store but I don't think it's for sale. At this sophisticated little shop you can find a chocolate bar with bits of the coffee bean in it. I'll be asking if the office can stockpile those soon.

#Summer Scavenge #The Mercantile #Batdorf & Bronson Coffee #Cacao

Scavenger Mission #6: Go to Yeah! Burger and eat a burger with ALL of the toppings (50 points)

At most burger places, eating a burger with all of the toppings isn't that difficult. There were two main reasons this challenge was different:

Yeah! Burger isn't most burger places. The toppings are plentiful and the portions are hefty. I was only required to get all of the free toppings and my burger was still toppling over from the pure mass.

I have the stomach capacity of a small mammal. This has become well-known in the office and I suspect this is why 30% of the challenges on this scavenger hunt are eating challenges.

The cashier seemed a little worried for me when I said I wanted all of the toppings. "You know that includes jalapeños, cucumbers, mushrooms,..." he started down the list so I would know what I was getting myself into. I assured him I wouldn't complain about my burger afterwards and he put my order in with a grin. I purposely didn't snack throughout the afternoon and completed my challenge with ease. I don't think I can eat at a normal fast food burger place again, it was so wholesome and perfect. I thought it best not to put pictures up of my half eaten food or me chewing but my food coma afterwards was good enough proof.

As far as casual dining is concerned, this place is the whole package to me. They're that cool friend you have that's well-dressed, environmentally friendly, and is friendly with everyone. They have a really solid and attractive brand...so much so that I think I'll convince Alex part of my scavenger hunt budget should go towards one of their t-shirts.

#Yeah! Burger #Summer Scavenge #Eating challenge #environmentally friendly food

Scavenger Mission #5: Take a photo in Home Depot with a hard hat on (20 points)

This one actually turned out to be more difficult than I thought. First of all, despite their mascot sporting one, hard hats are not easy to find. I guess this makes sense since most people go to Home Depot to pick up gardening supplies or paint, not because they’re going to be strolling under shards of falling metal.

Typically, I’m not a very hesitant person when it comes to doing things that are a little strange. I go up to strangers in stores and take goofy pictures all on my own. The only difference is that now I’m earning points and writing about it. I feel, however, that most stores are pretty suspicious of anyone running around snapping photos of products. That, and since I didn’t go with a friend I’d have to take the photo myself…in a crowded store…with a hard hat on. I decided discretion was the best approach to maintain my good name among home improvement stores.

I found one of the emptier aisles in the back of the store and casually set the camera timer up. I moseyed over to an lone cart and pretended to be shopping(with the packaged hard hat on my head, mind you) while the timer counted down. Before it flashed, a group of employees turned down my aisle. I nonchalantly slid the hat off and suddenly became intensely interested in some bolts. I got a successful photo, dropped the hat onto a shelf, and told the greeter that I couldn’t find the right shovel after he asked me why I didn’t purchase anything.

I was telling Alex yesterday that I wish every store was already using Frequentr because it would have been a big help in situations where I’m trying to find an employee or have a quick question. My hope is that will be the case the next time I’m in Atlanta.

Scavenger Mission #4: Meet an artist at Homegrown Decatur and a barista at Dancing Goats (30 points)

I'm more and more grateful for this scavenger hunt with each find because I keep finding charming areas of Atlanta that I never would have stumbled upon on my own. Decatur is one of those charming areas. I'm still not completely certain if it's a suburb of Atlanta or its own town right on the edge of the city. Regardless, I love it and shall be going back this weekend to spend money I don't have.

When I saw I'd have to go to places with the words "homegrown" and "goats" in the name, I naturally assumed they were farms. The actual places, a novelty shop with local artists' work and a coffee shop, were significantly more stimulating and significantly less smelly (than a farm, that is...the Dancing Goats coffee shop was smelly in the most wonderful way possible). Everything sold at Homegrown Decatur is made by local artisans and craftspeople so it's the perfect place to buy a gift for someone. The shop made me never want to shop at a department store again. One of my favorite finds there were guitars made out of old cigar boxes...I don't even know how to use a guitar or a cigar but you can bet I wanted one! Lori (pictured above) is one of the co-founders and proudly showed off the Mr. T shrine that's set up in the back corner of the store. She was incredibly sweet and you could tell she loved the area and her store. An artist who was working at the register, Steve, was nothing but helpful. We were baffled that someone could buy a mass-produced print at a chain store and display it as art when there were perfectly affordable and much more interesting pieces in shops like this.

After that, I pushed out to the street and made my way to Dancing Goats. On a side note, I'm certain that it's blatantly obvious I'm not a local whenever I'm navigating sidewalks here. I gape at everything and regularly pass a storefront two or three times because I made a wrong turn. Anyway, two guys at the coffee shop, Daniel and Joel, were more than happy to help me out with my hunt. "Would you like the photo from behind the counter?" Joel asked me. "...Yes!" I said after he nodded and I slinked behind the counter. There was no one behind me so I didn't feel bad about taking up a little more of their time. I don't know if I'm allowed to touch the barista equipment but Daniel didn't reprimand me so I went for it. Afterwards, he gave me my coffee for free and that's when I decided Dancing Goats is the most altruistic coffee shop I've ever had a scavenger hunt at. My iced Batdorf & Bronson pick-me-up was perfect. Needless to say, I was visibly heartbroken when it was all gone.

Fun Fact of the Day: There are actually a number of coffee shops with "Dancing Goat" in the title. This traces back to a legend about the discovery of coffee. According to the story (or Wikipedia, in this case) an Ethiopian goatherder named Kaldi noticed his goats became more energetic after they ate red beans from a shrub. I could find no record indicating that the goats actually danced but I like to think that they did and that they were quite good dancers.

#Homegrown Decatur #Dancing Goats #Decatur #Batdorf & Bronson #Summer Scavenge #Frequentr

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