Atlanta Underground Market: September

I was so bummed when I had to miss last month's AUM...actually, I went to a bachelorette party in Midtown, so I promise I still managed to have fun! But still, I heard I missed a really good time despite the rain. I was thrilled that last Saturday's AUM not only made up for lost time for me; it also made up for the bad weather last month. Lately, I've found that I'm able to keep my windows open at night. It's that perfect time of year in Atlanta where the air is crisp, but it's not quite cool yet. Needless to say, I was crossing my fingers for an outdoor venue this month!

September's Atlanta Underground Market took place at Atlantic Station, in an open event space near Dillards. Live music, which was provided by Carter Rude, provided the perfect accompaniment to a beautiful evening.

First off, I sampled the award-winning Jer'vays. Apparently they've received accolades from Boars Head and Food Network and I must say, I can see what all the fuss is about!

Shown left to right, we have some apple and cheddar stuffed zeppoles, portabella parmesan, and the dish I tried, southwestern eggrolls. Even though I was drawn to smell of spice from afar, I ordered the dish with hesitation. It's hard to make a southwestern eggroll more special than your generic chain restaurant app. I was impressed; the shell was crispy, not chewy, and the gooey center packed more flavor than I had imagined.

Next, I visited one of my favorite vendors from Africa Night, Kushina Catering.

I had an Ethiopian taco, which featured tender slow-cooked ginger-spiced chicken. The veggie samosa had more cilantro than I'm used to, which tasted light and refreshing. My favorite of all was the salad. I mean, you can see how awesome the tomatoes were. But there was something about the wine vinaigrette with the cilantro seasoning that tied the other dishes together.

Next, I found Saucy Spirits, who had made a vegan gluten-free lasagna with thinly sliced zucchini filling in for the noodles.

The lasagnas were topped with watermelon, which was cut from a HUGE yellow watermelon.

Saucy Spirits was sharing a booth with another vendor, Everyday Indulgence. I had their watermelon salad, which was dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette.

I also tried their grilled peaches with chevre and kudzu. I'm not sure how I felt about the kudzu; the texture was a little weird for me. Plus, the thought of harvesting it scares me! Will that make it grow back faster?! Maybe someone out there can educate me on this. Regardless, this was one of the best dishes (if not the best) of the evening. The peaches were spectacular, and the sauce was just the right amount of sweet.

And here's one more photo of their beautiful produce. Then I promise I'm moving on.

I then sampled some of Teranga's dishes. You may recall my slight obsession with their hibiscus juice, as well as my bigger obsession with their sauces.

I tried that amazing tomato sauce over some veggie chips. I also had a vegetable spring roll and some lamb. My favorite part was the stuffed drumstick, which featured vermicelli noodles, shrimp, and red onions. How does all of that even fit in there?!

I was running out of room in my belly, so I decided to switch to dessert and start wrapping up a lovely evening. I started with Cake Pops by Nikki, and I literally gasped when I saw their booth.

What a view! Their pops were delicious, as always. Here's my friend Lindsey enjoying an orange pop in a vanilla shell.

This is how good it was: it tasted like a creamsicle and I'm still talking about it despite the fact that we play Tennessee this weekend.

Last but not least, I tried a gluten-free orange cupcake with bourbon vanilla frosting. Naturally, it was from Dr. Sweets!

This may come out wrong, but I LOVE bourbon. I'm not usually a fan of spirited desserts (I can't stand tiramisu...or maybe I've just only had ones that taste like they could be lit on fire), but this one was gooooood. It didn't taste drunk, it just added a smokier flavor to the buttercream. I thought it was interesting how two desserts, both featuring orange and vanilla, could taste so different. I love how each of these dessert chefs displayed their own styles!

I won't be at the next AUM because we'll be busy moving into our new house - eek! You should still go, though. In fact, you should go and take pictures so I can live vicariously! The next market will be held October 15th. Make sure you sign up at www.atlantaundergroundmarket.com so that you'll be in the know when the secret location is announced!