The Real Deal about Grits & Biscuits

This is all Reid’s doing.  Reid is a native Atlantan, so when I found out I was Atlanta-bound I asked him where I should head to get the best grits in his beloved hometown.  “The Flying Biscuit” was the immediate response.  So if it’s bad, Reid, it will all be on you buddy.  No pressure.

Turns out that The Flying Biscuit on Piedmont Avenue in Mid-town Atlanta is a super-fun place to go.  Wild painted wall colors, funky home-made glass bead light fixtures, fantastic vivid vinyl table-covers & huge floor-to-ceiling windows that open so wide that it seems like the restaurant has no outside walls.  Then there’s the brightly colored tableware, the hand-painted sugar packet holders & the crazy menu.  My first word of advice if you are contemplating tripping over to The Flying Biscuit for breakfast:  GO EARLY.  We got there just before 8 am.  20 minutes later there was a lengthy line which just kept growing & growing.  By the time we left the wait was over 45 minutes.  Folks around here *really* like eating breakfast at The Flying Biscuit.

Miss Connie (born in the South, so the resident grits expert) & Taylor (born in the Pacific Northwest, so a grits novice just like me – although she did at least know of their existence, unlike the ex-pat Brit at the table) joined me on my Southern Breakfast Grit-fest.

Taylor & I had perused the menu last week while still in Seattle & were already confused by so many delicious-sounding choices.  We were there first & foremost to try the grits, but since just about every menu item came with “creamy dreamy grits”, we still had a huge choice ahead of us.  It took us forever.  We all changed our minds what seemed like a hundred times.

The Southern Scramble

Miss Connie opted for The Southern Scramble:  Three large farm fresh eggs scrambled with crisp turkey bacon, spicy collard greens, onions, and cheddar cheese served with creamy dreamy grits.  Plus the signature biscuit.

The Turkey Hash

Taylor finally determined that The Turkey Hash had to be hers:  Two large farm fresh eggs over medium, topped with cheddar cheese served over slow roasted turkey pot roast and oven-roasted rosemary potatoes.  She escaped the creamy dreamy grits, but not the biscuit.

The Piedmont Omelette

I circled round & round the menu in a holding pattern until I crash-landed on The Piedmont Omelette:  Three large farm fresh eggs, chicken sausage, crisp turkey bacon, sautéed onions, and cheddar cheese served with creamy dreamy grits.  Complete with biscuit.

A bowl of those Creamy Dreamy Grits @ The Flying Biscuit

 I tried Taylor’s Turkey Hash.  The turkey was ridiculous.  I swear it had been cooking for at least 3 days…it just disintegrated as soon as it hit your tongue leaving an unbelievably intense turkey flavor exploding all over your mouth.

My omelette was the bomb.  Real eggs, super-yummy fillings.  And Miss Connie enthused about her Scramble.  But wait.  Weren’t we here for grits?

The Turkey Hash post Taylor's egg attack

The verdict on the grits:  seriously creamy, zero flavor.  I guess I just don’t *get* grits.  I can’t figure out what it is about them that appeals to people.  I don’t understand why anyone would want to eat a whole bowl of them.  Sorry folks.  I guess it’s just one of those culture things.  Likewise with the biscuit.  To me it was dry & tasteless.  Even with fruit spread slathered all over it.  But that doesn’t mean they aren’t the best grits & biscuits anywhere.  It just means that I don’t like them, even the best.  Just give me a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal or an English scone anytime :-)

In The Flying Biscuits defense, they have had a huge amount of great press in the likes of Bon Appetit & Gourmet magazines, so really, what do I know?  If you like grits & biscuits, I am pretty certain that you will be completely enamoured with the ones served at The Flying Biscuit.

Chocolate Biscuit Bread Pudding

 Yes.  I know you are asking yourself just what an image of Chocolate Biscuit Bread Pudding is doing in my breakfast blog.  It wasn’t me…it was Miss Connie.  She was completely wooed over by the dessert menu before we’d even had our breakfast.  Well, I mean.  It was served warm with vanilla cream sauce.  And when our server told Miss Connie she could have dessert whenever she wanted it, she figured she’d hit a home run.  Dessert for breakfast.  Fantastic.

We left The Flying Biscuit full to the brim & with a long line of eager diners eyeing up our now vacated table.  Great job Reid, you did us proud.