stomping grounds

this post is complete vindictiveness, and honestly, i give no fucks.

you're not gonna know all the good restaurants to take her to, anyway.
because your turf is midtown and buford.
mine was EAV, and L5P, and the highlands, and decatur, and grant park, and inman park, and poncey highlands, and every fucking where.

it's getting hookah next to the variety playhouse and knowing where to park. it's buying spicy sipping chocolate from cacao and drinking it while looking at cards from the paper source or preserved lemons in bella cucina. it's cakes and ale, and bsp, and leons, and krog bar and the goat farm and the atlanta cupcake factory, and the earl and urban cannibals. it's ria's bluebird and dancing at noni's, the elvis shrine in star bar and wowser bowser at mjq. it's tiki night at the bookhouse, and a sazerac at octane, the carpaccio at atmosphere and wrecking bar and octopus bar and dr. bombay's underwater tea party, carver's kitchen and the king plow. the 529 and not only the masquerade but the playground on the beltline next to it. you can take her to holeman and finch, but you don't know their best cocktail, the indulgent and complex pleasure of putting your name down for a burger at 7:30 and whittling the night away with bone marrow and drinks until the horn sounds. you see, as much as you missed new york, atlanta is actually full of wonder. its heart is gorgeous. you just didn't see any of it, because you were too busy being uncomfortable.

so try your hardest, kiddo.

give it your best fucking shot.