Atlanta! What better way to cap off the decade than with an opportunity embodying my passion and my life thus far. I am super humbled and grateful for all the good and bad along the way. Thank you.

It was our last weekend in the A with a busy week of shooting ahead and the weather was acting right. I could not leave the city without seeing Piedmont Park. My colleague, Marina, would join me, but not before feeding our bellies.

I did a quick search and, BOOM!, I hit the jackpot of one of Atlanta’s premier restaurants, open for over two decades and serving contemporary Southern cuisine in an intimate and spirited bungalow. Its name, South City Kitchen (@SCKmidtown, 1144 Crescent Avenue NE, southcitykitchen.com), one of three locations.

We arrived to SCK’s buzzing brunch without a reservation; alas, we were wafted upstairs to the perch loft space overlooking the bar. The menu immediately piqued my interest. There was much on there to be had from the cocktails and “first flavors” to the specialties and brunch plates, sides and dessert…yes, the whole menu.

You can determine a restaurant’s hospitality by the bread service. SCK lets you know how they get down with both cornbread muffins and, my choice, fresh biscuits still hot from the oven, served with house made apple butter and whipped sweet butter. Pause, appreciate, reflect, enjoy and repeat.

Marina and I both had to start with delicate but impactful she-crab soup with sherry and fresh cream. I should have gotten a bowl, but thankfully we doubled down with crab toast of lump crab and pimento cheese melted on grilled semolina toast topped with a punchy lemon celery salad. Done! I was now ready to start looking for a place to live across the street.

Since Marina had yet to have a proper southern meal in Atlanta, she ordered Springer Mountain Farms fried chicken with collard greens, red bliss potatoes and honey lime jus. I had to get shrimp and Geechie Boy grits. While my dish was delicious, it was over sauced for my taste which did not stop SCK’s hospitality, allowing me to put an exceptional green salad of local lettuces and young kale dressed in bene seed vinaigrette and pecorino romano in its place. Gorgeous!

Alexis joined us for a spell before we all headed to Piedmont Park, then to my room to watch the sunset over the city. Truly a great day in the A. Not to be forgotten.

Hot Ones the Game Show is set to air on TruTV in late February, early March. I will give you the 411 when I can.

Happy eating and thanks for reading!

Kysha Harris is a food writer and editor, culinary producer, consultant and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service in NYC for over 15 years. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram, @SCHOPgirl, on Facebook, /SCHOPnyc, and her blog, www.talkingSCHOP.wordpress.com. Questions? Comments? Requests? Feedback? Invitations! Email AmNewsFOOD at AmNewsFOOD@SCHOPnyc.com. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @NYAmNewsFOOD and tag us with #SoAmNewsFOOD with your food finds!