Omnivore - Newbie, old favorites, remodeled Starbucks....

I visited Picnic at Irwin Street Market Sunday. Although the owner has a heavier hand with the salt than I’d like, I enjoyed my pulled-pork sandwich, brunswick stew and side of collards and kale.

I’ll be returning to try what the menu describes as “calzone-size” biscuits stuffed with various available ingredients. I did try a regular biscuit and found it huge too. More in “Grazing” later this week....

Among my recent meals at Hong Kong Harbour, a favorite quick stop for me, was Sichuan shrimp. Avoid it unless you like cloyingly sweet brown sauces barely spiked with a hot chili note. Another dish, tofu stuffed with pork and shrimp, was quite satisfying….

I passed the under-construction Grindhouse Killer Burgers on Piedmont a few days ago. The building has two signs. I wonder if the original plan to feature a ‘50s-style babe on a sign out front has been scrapped due to neighbors’ complaints….

I saw Grindhouse on the way to nearby Saigon Basil. It’s still my favorite quick lunch in the area. I always get #7, the bun (rice noodles) with shrimp, pork, spring roll and fresh greens. It’s a bargain at $7.44 including tax….

And I was headed to Saigon Basil from the Ansley Starbucks, which has undergone massive remodeling that has many regulars disappointed and suspicious that the company is trying to discourage people (like me) who use it as an office.

Most of the tables are more like pedestals now, not even big enough to accommodate a laptop and a cup of coffee. The manager says larger tabletops are on the way. There is a new community table up front that allows customers to spread out, plus some new upholstered chairs.

It’s still a work in progress, apparently....

Great lunch Friday with my friends at Anis in Buckhead. One of our recent commenters described having a good meal there in response to Besha’s review of French American Brasserie. I likewise almost always find this restaurant reliable — even when my pizza is a bit too crispy, as it was Friday.