While I may have missed Atlanta and my friends, I certainly did not miss the heat that greeted me when I stepped out of the MARTA station Thursday afternoon. Imagine a dirty heavy hot damp blanket buffeting you in the face when you step out the door. Every day. How easily I adjusted to the mild Quebec summer because I feel woefully unprepared to deal with this kind of heat. Regardless, I got to eat places I like and cook a little too!

I think I may have mentioned repeatedly how much I love the goat cheese fritters at The Porter; I think I may have to tell you that they remain effing delicious when I went there with Will for lunch.

In the picture above is possibly the most nature-defying sandwich I have ever laid eyes on. Nay, it is not mine, but that of Will’s. It is a foot-long grilled sausage on a hoagie roll, covered in homemade giardinara (psst, that’s peppers, onions, carrots and other veggies in a spicy vinegar). I have never ever seen a sandwich that enormous and no, he didn’t finish it.

I ordered the black bean burger because I couldn’t find anything on the specials menu that caught my fancy. I like the black bean burger; it’s very filling, sticks together and frankly, a side of garlicky-herby fries can pretty much fix anything. In fact, it was so filling that I took it back to the Matts and it’s probably still in their fridge.

Friday afternoon I had a few beers with Will at the Righteous Room then met the girls—Pretty Gomez and Clarissa—at Cafe de Sol for pre-dancing drinks and nibbles. While I don’t have pictures, I ate their Three-Onion Soup (salty but yum) and a side salad of mixed greens, goat cheese, candied walnuts tossed with a walnut vinaigrette. In fact, I would have really liked to have gotten a recipe for that vinaigrette because it was quite lovely. I’m sure the Internet won’t fail me for a sub.

Wearing my party dress, we danced until nearly two in the morning at El Bar. The next day, I must say, my throat felt like paper (all that yelling), my ears were still ringing and I thought: “Ah, I am no longer 22. Welcome, impending middle age.” Nonetheless, I had an excellent time.

The Matts and I walked to Park Tavern for recovery cocktails and black bean dip then spent the afternoon figuring out what to cook for dinner that night. Well, the LSC and I gave Matt #1 a Barefoot Contessa cookbook and one thing lead to another…

…and roasted cauliflower won the fight. Paired with grilled steaks and chicken and some wine, Saturday night was wonderful.

Our friend Bobby came over, ate with us and we all talked long into the night. How strange to think my life is so different now.

Before I left for South Carolina Sunday, the last place I wanted to go to was Gato Bizco in Candler Park. I’ve been going there for years and hands down, there are no better pancakes in the city. My stepdad ordered a burger for breakfast; I respect that.

Their French toast is pretty tasty too (my mom’s order).

I apologize for taking a crappy picture of the World’s Most Awesome Pancakes but camera was about to die. They were as perfect as I remembered. Oh, that decadence! Oh, the rich slight sponginess that absorbs bounteous butter and heavy syrup! I would have taken a pic of the soysage but you’d probably laugh at me for that sort of thing. I still haven’t gotten up the courage to ask for their recipe.

Of course, my mother made me Mexican food last night. I won’t even chronicle the sadness of Sherbrooke’s one lone Mexican restaurant and the heartbreak it trots out every night on its dinnerware. Let’s just say when you’ve grown up eating the real deal, you have got to bring your A-game. Even in Atlanta, I found it a bit difficult. There were exceptions, just not many. She made us guacamole—which, because I insist on being five, I call Wack-a-mole—and HOLY COW. I like how she keeps it simple; guacamole should rarely have more than four ingredients. I could have just eaten this with a very large spoon.

I didn’t get a photo of the homemade flour tortillas but since she will probably make them again this week, I’ll do it then. She made me this potato-tomato-turkey dish she used to make for us when we were kids. She used beef back then but did it with ground turkey for my grown-up tastes. It tastes like home.

Well, I’m in South Carolina for the remainder of the week. My folks want me to do some of my cooking for them so there should be entries about that. It feels odd being back here, or rather it doesn’t feel quite real. Regardless, it’s been great seeing friends and family. But I do miss my husband dearly.