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No longer a Kitchen Nightmare

This week has been a whirlwind of activity (most of which came at a sudden surprise). Last week, The Baconator sent me a link to an AJC Article on Kitchen Nightmares coming to Atlanta to tape two episodes of the next season. I was super excited because Gordon Ramsay is one of my all time favorite chefs. I sent in an email and in a matter of a few days was asked to participate as a blogger to review Michons! Needless to say, I was excited about the opportunity but scared at the same time…if you have ever seen an episode of the show, you will understand my panic.

Michons is a self proclaimed “taste of southern elegance”. It was originally established in 1990 and has moved to several different locations during that time. They are currently located in a really great building near the airport in College Park.

The Before…

Our first reservation was on Tuesday and since The Baconator was working, I decided to take my Mom, Dad and Gia. Xander opted to stay home because I think the idea of video cameras all around kinda wigged him out. The only thing pleasant at all was our server, Candy. My Mom and I ordered beef brisket and my Dad ordered pulled pork, each of us had two “homemade” sides. You will see the reason for the quotations shortly. They didn’t have a large kid’s menu (only 3 items) so Gia chose a cheeseburger and fries. This wasn’t the only un-kidfriendly thing that we came across. They also didn’t offer tops for the smaller cups, which is a huge thing to a family with small children. It should also be important to the server since she will likely have to clean up a spill which is bound to happen.

After waiting for about 30 minutes, Candy came over and told us that they didn’t have brisket available. Of course, we weren’t happy in the least. Being told a restaurant is out of something you really want to try is a bitch but to be told after 30 minutes of sitting there was just ridiculous. I opted instead for sliced turkey and my Mom chose pulled pork. I requested that they please go ahead and bring Gia’s food because she was starting to revolt. She wasn’t excited about her food but said it tasted ok. I mean frozen fries are frozen fries and she is 5. When they finally brought out our orders (50 minutes after sitting) I knew immediately that something looked off with my Mom’s plate. The “pulled” pork was more like chopped pieces of fat, which were for a lack of a better word disgusting. She took one bite and I saw it all in her face. My Dad took a bite of his and yep, there was the same face. After telling Candy that the meat was just fatty masses of grossness, my Mom decided to just stick with a vegetable plate and my Dad opted to try the turkey ribs (after serious coaching from the owner of the restaurant).

While they waited for their order (again) I started to try and eat mine. Now, in the south there are several things that you should know how to cook…mac and cheese and mashed potatoes are two of them. These “homemade” versions were just plain horrible. The potatoes were eatable but not yummy in the least. The mac and cheese on the other hand was a watery bowl of yuck. It looked like it had been cooked several days before and reheated in the microwave. The cheese was not creamy but instead a curd looking mess. The smoked turkey looked like it was just thrown on the plate in chunks. Even though it actually tasted ok, it was extremely unappealing.

After my plate was taken, my parents finally got their food. The vegetable sides were ok (a little on the salty side) but nothing to write home about. My Dad actually liked the turkey ribs and the sauce that went with them but everything else was just a bit bland and blah.

Two hours later, we got in the car to drive home slightly hungry and nauseous at the same time.

The After…

Thankfully, I was asked to come back for the relaunch after Gordon Ramsay performed his magic on the place. This time I brought The Baconator and Gia. Xander opted to stay home again (damn those video cameras). They didn’t do very much with the interior of the restaurant but it was in pretty good shape so I completely understand the decision…decor wasn’t the issue in the first place. We sat on the other side of the dining room this time which seemed a little more open and airy. We were greeted immediately by our server and asked for our drink order and if we would like appetizers. Since it took so long for the food to come out the first time we were there, I opted for two…fried pickles and smoked wings. Yes, I said fried pickles. It’s a southern thing people just go with it. The menu had been revamped and was extremely easy to read with a lot of great choices of smokehouse meats and other yummy southern dishes. I opted again for the brisket and The Baconator joined me on this one. Gia decided to go with the sliced turkey. We both got two homemade sides each (notice I left off the quotations!). I was a little disappointed that they still didn’t have a dedicated kid’s menu but that can always be something they can add as needed. They did have lids for the small cups so that gave me peace of mind that there would be no major spills.

Our appetizers came out extremely quick and they were tasty! The fried pickles were awesome. As strange as it may seem, I have had them at 3 different restaurants and these were the best yet. If you have never had fried pickles…please try them, you will not be disappointed! The Baconator completely dug the smoked wings.  At one point I had to give him the “slow down man you are in a public place” look because he was starting to scarf them. Their bbq sauce is really good and they actually had two different choices on the table for you to enjoy. I stuck with the original but the peach chipotle did sound good.

Before we were even finished with the apps, our food arrived to the table. I was actually shocked (that may even show up on camera). Normally, the timing would have frustrated me but after our horrible wait the first time I was happy to see food. Oh and it was good food at that! They completely redeemed themselves with the homemade sides. The mac and cheese was absolutely perfect…a creamy, cheesy bowl of goodness. The smashed potatoes were made with southern sausage, which I had never seen before. I loved the flavor, just the right amount of butter and salt. Gia was also a fan of both of these, especially the mac and cheese. The brisket was the star of the plate and it was extremely good. It was tender with a great bark and smokey flavor. I did have a few fatty pieces but I was willing to cut that right out to get to the good parts. The Baconator was just as happy since he has been wanting brisket for over a year now and finally got it! The portions were crazy big…I actually think they could shrink them down just a bit and people would still be extremely happy for the price.

We finished off the meal with peach pie in a jar. Talk about yummy! This should be on every table at the end of a meal in Georgia. The peach flavor was so fresh and sweet along with the pie crust sprinkled with sugar (my favorite part). They also topped it off with a side of ice cream and crumble that included pecans (I think). It was made in a little mason jar, which gave it a really cool southern flair. Gia and I shared it over lots of oohhs and ahhhs.

I have to say this time we left pleasantly stuffed with smiles all around. If you are looking for a restaurant on the Southside with excellent southern food, you have to check out Michons. I know we will be back again very soon! Gordon Ramsay did a hell of a job once again.

A note to my readers – I realize that this post is a little lacking in photography. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any photos of the food. I did jot down notes that I referred to at the end. Oh and as soon as I find out when the show is suppose to air, I will share it with everyone! You may be able to catch a glimpse of me. ;) One more note and although this may seem a little immature I can’t freakin help it. Gordon Ramsay is even more handsome in person than he is on tv. Yep, I said it…oh well!

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