Last night we ended up at The Colonnade, another Atlanta dining institution. The Southern comfort food spot opened in 1927 and there is always a line out the door to get in. Sure it’s full of lots of old folks who, like my friend’s mom, have been eating here every Sunday night for 40 years. But here is the weird deal: the other half of the room was over-50 gay men. It was the strangest customer demographic I may have ever witnessed. Don’t get me wrong, it was fabulous — big tables of blue hairs, gay men, African-American families, and Jewish grandparents all eating elbow-to-elbow. Now before you all go off on me as being a food snob or a foodie racist, let me just say this: I am reporting the facts, this is what I observed. We also “interviewed” the host who verified the facts for us. When asked why the huge gay crowd he said, “We make great cocktails.” I am not making that up.
Short take on the food: huge portions of fried chicken (yes!), myriad vegetable choices (pole beans, rutabaga, tomato aspic, pear and cheese salad), and a very salty chicken pot pie. Best sweet tea I have ever tasted. I’d go back, if only to people watch. (Sorry, no pictures. My camera battery, like me, was “exhausted.”)
