Classic … And Far From!

Officially, my second post.

Last Friday, I had a hair appointment at Soda Salon, a great hair place that is the “perfect mix of historic beauty and modern functionality and comfort” (according to their Web site - they’ve said it so perfectly). It is located in historic Roswell and conveniently, it is in walking distance from Jeff and my house (introduce Jeff - the fiance). The salon is great. If you are in the Atlanta area, you really should at least take a peak at their Web site … but, the point of my blog is the classic tale of gossip at the salon and how it led me to some excellent eating spots this past weekend. (I am only going to tell you about one though … suspense).

Lindsey, my petite little stylist, was telling me her favorite local restaurants, and among her top choices (and ones that Jeff and I have not tried yet) were Flying Biscuit (claiming it may be better than J. Christopher’s which is right next door and already a favorite of mine … humm, we’ll see), Oak Street Cafe, Fickle Pickle, and Pure.  And by their descriptions and her recommendations, three of them were better suited for breakfast or lunch, so that left Pure, a Mexican place about 10 minutes north of our house. 

So, it was margaritas and guacamole! … But to be honest, I didn’t get my hopes up very quickly because everyone likes their Mexican just a little different. (And, that’s worth an entire separate post.) And besides, we were in North Atlanta. (I don’t technically know what North Atlanta is, but here I am referring to north of the Perimeter, or I-285 loop.) A part of me wondered how much atmosphere can a little Mexican place have in this area. In all seriousness, it could have been in a strip mall.

The Atmosphere.

Turns out that Pure Taqueria (the official name) is far from classic! It is a fun, contemporary restaurant located in an old garage or filling station. The atmosphere is full of energy, and the decor is modern mixed with elements from the past …  Probably 1920s, when the garage was built. Jeff also made the comment that there were lots of beautiful people …

The Server.

Our server was fantastic. Jeff instantly made friends when he tried to order fried rice, thinking that’s what rice is called at Asian and Mexican restaurants. (Seriously?!) So the server offered Jeff a wasabi margarita for his next round, and to top off the night, he showed up wearing an Asian (sumo wrestler, maybe?) Halloween mask. What are the odds?! Great service, amazing attitude!

The Food.

Round 1: Guac! and house margaritas. Huge bowl of guac. Fresh chucks of avocado with a kick of lime (and some spice) with each bite. Delicious! Margaritas = Average. But, that was our fault for ordering house margaritas!

Round 2: Fish tacos and chicken enchiladas. (Pure uses authentic Spanish names for the entrees, just a little something that makes the menu fun and unique.) The food was so amazing that I ate as much as I possibly could, until I just could not have one more bite.

My summary.

So delicious that I found myself wanting my friends who live in Denver and Kansas City and New York to be in Atlanta so that I could share it with them right that moment. So, I texted my friend Jo to let her know of our discovery … I think it went something like this “I found a Mexican place that you would dance on the tables for! Amazing guac. Way hip. Way Jo! The name is Pure.”

Did I mention they offer complimentary valet?