8Arm

710 Ponce De Leon Ave NE/ Atlanta/ 30306

470.231.8029

Have you ever wondered how fast time flies… yeah that was me tonight when I realized that we have just NOW experienced this restaurant which is less than a mile from our house and has been open for 3 years! HOW does that happen?

It’s because we’ve gotten into the habit of eating at the same ol’ same ol’ without exploring all the amazing new restaurants Atlanta has to offer. More unfortunate than our lazy restaurant defaults is that the previous chef passed shortly after 8Arm opened. While it’s disappointing to have missed on on the OG, we were blown away by the new chef extraordinaire Maricela Vega and her plant-based options (holla!).

This might be a bold statement, but 8Arm is likely one of the best healthy restaurants in Atlanta that you probably haven’t been to or heard about. Right now I feel like it is a top contender for one of the city’s best kept healthy secrets… See, I’m pretty picky, er, selective when I dine out and for me to find 4+ menu items I’m dying to try doesn’t happen everyday. And the hubs is siked for several reasons: a) it’s close to Midtown and b) the food was great.

The parking is limited and literally the only downside btw. The intimate vibe is hip with an inside restaurant area and a more popular man-bun/cool-hipster scene patio/bar outside. That’s heavily adjective’d, I realize, but pretty darn accurate. Personally I wanted to sit outside with the cool kids, but my hubs needed AC.

We opted for the tasty apple cider on tap and four amazingly flavorful plates that I would order again in a heartbeat. Check out this decadent super flavorful food! I know my Insta friends @purelyplanted and @happyseed would die for this…

Oyster mushrooms served with Swiss chard, pumpkin seed creme + chimichurri. This was incredible and would convert any meat eater to the plant-side.  Would order again. WILL order again. Wait I think I said that.

5 Minute Egg Gold Rice with yellow squash, collards, kale, lady pea hummus (!) + chili oil. I’m super weird about eggs – runny will cause me to run and wretch. So Tim had the egg to himself but the fried rice and everything was so layered in flavors that it was an explosion on my tongue!  Would mos def order again.

Zephyr Zucchini Bruschetta with pink lady peas, cabbage and pistou + applemint. Bread from Root Baking Company at Ponce City Market.  Has gluten, I didn’t care (I’m gluten intolerant, not allergic so if you ARE please don’t adopt my mental attitude).  So good it was worth the GI torture – I came home and took several digestive enzymes and apologized to my belly (while my taste buds were singing Hallelujah).  YES on ordering again. Will take my favorite digestive enzymes in advance.

Seared Dino Kale salad with lil moo cheese (local from Sweet Grass Dairy), lemon juice + applemint.  We pretty much ate this with our hands like savages and quite frankly didn’t care. And like every. thing. else. we ate will order this again. Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

If we had room for more food, we would’ve also ordered the Tomato Carpaccio + dessert but we have to save something for next time. Plus I do practice mindful eating and prefer to stop eating when I’m content and perhaps mildly full instead of feeling stuffed!

Menu changes based on seasons and ingredient availability and I so dig that because that’s how I prep at home.

All I can say is, we were pleasantly surprised with 8Arm and love that we can ride our bikes here since it’s right off the Atlanta beltline next to Paris on Ponce. They also have an intimate, likely super hip, bespoke bar where you tell the bartender what you like and they customize a drink for you. So yeah, we’ll be back!  

If you like healthy food that doesn’t taste healthy, if you want to experience culinary plant-based creations by a non-conformist chef who’s not afraid to push food boundaries, then please check out 8Arm. Tell them you read my blog because I love supporting local businesses who make healthy food utilizing local food businesses to make that healthy food! And I want them to stay in business so I can hit repeat on my meal again soon.  Like perhaps this weekend….

Mindfully yours,

xx- Jennifer