Cliff Bostock

CL Correspondent

Bostock is a long time Atlanta food critic who was a "foodie" before "foodies" ever became a thing. He's been eating his way across the tables of Atlanta restaurants for more years than he will admit, finely honing his taste buds in the search of epicurean ecstasy.

Bostock is also known for his thought-provoking "Paradigms" column as well as "Headcase" — yes, the name says it all — both of which have intrigued Creative Loafing readers with his acute analyses of ever-changing contemporary contemplations.

You may learn more about Cliff Bostock by visiting his professional website, cliffbostock.com, his archived personal blog: http://cliffbostock.com, and/or soulworks.net (includes archived writing).

Articles By This Writer

GRAZING: Thai, (real) Mexican, and DIY Article

Thursday July 1, 2021 02:12 pm EDT 07/01/2021 2:12 pm

From Buford Highway to Chattahoochee Avenue — that’s a lot of territory, indeed | more...

GRAZING: Hot dogs, sideshow freaks, black cats, amnesia, and Sausage Boy Article

Monday May 3, 2021 12:42 pm EDT 05/03/2021 12:42 pm

Grazing surveys some Atlanta hot dogs | more...

GRAZING: Tacos, chimichangas, pupusas – and ‘banana’ pudding Article

Tuesday December 8, 2020 09:33 am EST 12/08/2020 9:33 am

The pandemic makes critics self-critical but Hispanic street food still tastes really good | more...

QUIZ: A health-food trickster poses as a 15-year-old tortoiseshell cat on a purple porch. Photo credit: Cliff Bostock

GRAZING: A quizzical inquiry: Why is a transient cat eating better than her human host? Article

Saturday October 3, 2020 10:26 am EDT 10/03/2020 10:26 am

Not all great chefs feed humans. We’ll get to that, but first I should explain that I’m not a homebody. I’ve always seen my psychology clients in my home office in Grant Park, but I’ve done most of my writing in coffee shops. I even dedicated my 400-page doctoral dissertation to the staff of the Ansley Starbucks. Now, thanks to COVID-19, I have no choice but to sit in place at home. That brings... | more...

(LEFT)GRANT CENTRAL PIZZA: Jessy Forney. Photo credit: Courtesy Jesse Forney. (RIGHT)LITTLE BEAR: Jarrett Stieber. Photo credit: Cliff Bostock.

GRAZING: Ten ways COVID-19 has changed the foodie experience in Atlanta Article

Wednesday September 9, 2020 09:49 am EDT 09/09/2020 9:49 am

During the pandemic, treat yourself to dinner and yourself | more...

A WITCH'S BROOM?: Roasted corn stands over lemon aioli beneath a headdress designed by the Wicked Witch of the West. Photo credit: Cliff Bostock

GRAZING: Grana and Delbar provide two new opportunities for patio plague dining Article

Wednesday August 5, 2020 04:44 pm EDT 08/05/2020 4:44 pm

It was mid-July and I had not eaten in a restaurant in four months — not even outdoors. The idea was terrifying. I imagined people huddled on crowded patios, inhaling and exhaling the coronavirus like smoke in a hookah lounge. They would all be 23 and drunk, flaunting their dolphinlike lungs and uncreased skin, or they would be escapees from nursing homes blowing kisses through fingers coated... | more...

CRISPY PORK BELLY: Chef Parnass Savang seizes Southern and Thai dishes and brings them into highly edible accord. PHOTO CREDIT: Cliff Bostock

GRAZING: Talat Market: Where scoring a takeout meal is harder than getting laid in a pandemic Article

Thursday June 4, 2020 11:14 am EDT 06/04/2020 11:14 am

But the reward is the same | more...

LITTLE BEAR: The nondescript exterior in Summerhill reflects the tamer side of Jarrett Stieber's carefully imperfect aesthetic. It's like the black takeout boxes that contain food fit for eating with your very best magic mushrooms. Photo credit: Cliff Bostock

GRAZING: Little Bear: In planning for six years, open two weeks, currently takeout only Article

Friday May 1, 2020 12:09 am EDT 05/01/2020 12:09 am

Jarrett Stieber ‘radically’ transforms the dining experience | more...

PUERTO RICAN PRIDE: The interior of My Abuelas at The Spindle. Photo credit: Cliff Bostock

GRAZING: Eat calmly: Your panic is weaponized by the authoritarians Article

Monday April 6, 2020 11:32 am EDT 04/06/2020 11:32 am

It’s hard to write enthusiastically about restaurants when they’ve become precarious stages for a public health drama. As I am writing this, Mayor Bill de Blasio has ordered New York City restaurants and bars to close and, just as I turn this in, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has mandated the same for Atlanta. The coronavirus pandemic is causing mass hysteria unlike any most Americans have seen... | more...

GRAZING: Sketches of Spain Article

Monday March 2, 2020 04:08 pm EST 03/02/2020 4:08 pm

The good life invades the BeltLine, Mamak offers vegan, the Harp spurts 40 intoxicants | more...

AFTER THE PURPLE RAIN: Food Terminal's creamy eggplant is topped with a spicy sauce. Photo by Cliff Bostock.

GRAZING: Does capitalism taste bad? Article

Friday January 3, 2020 11:48 am EST 01/03/2020 11:48 am

Check out Food Terminal and B’s Cracklin’ Barbecue | more...

UNSOLICITED ADVICE: The new Popeyes chicken sandwich features a buttery brioche bun that is easily deflated if it remains in the foil wrapping too long. So eat it on the premises. Be further advised that the sandwich induces contemplation and hand-wringing related to race and class in America. Photo credit: Cliff Bostock

GRAZING: Popeyes. Yes. Really. Article

Wednesday December 4, 2019 06:20 pm EST 12/04/2019 6:20 pm

But there’s more that’s good in the ’hood | more...

GRAZING: Smiling before crying at Supremo Taco, dining ‘mostly Southern, mainly Asian’ at JenChan’s Article

Monday November 4, 2019 02:15 pm EST 11/04/2019 2:15 pm

Twenty years ago during frequent visits to LA, I often visited a late-night taco stand on Santa Monica Boulevard, not far from Silver Lake. I stood at a counter outdoors and watched the nightlife while I ate perfect tacos. My usual impromptu dinner companions were two transgender hookers who called the taqueria their “safe space.” Yes, I frequently hummed Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side,” a... | more...

GRAZING: Feasting in Summerhill Article

Wednesday September 4, 2019 06:04 pm EDT 09/04/2019 6:04 pm

Religious barbecue, tattooed pizza, and bejeweled ice cream | more...

GRAZING: Craving more at Mediterranea Article

Tuesday August 6, 2019 02:54 pm EDT 08/06/2019 2:54 pm

Healthy and happy and gluten-free | more...

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GAY PRIDE: A boomer's long, personal journey from shame Article

Saturday October 10, 2020 01:00 pm EDT 10/10/2020 1:00 pm

'The bridge from shame to pride is built of necessary anger and forgiveness' | more...

Highlights from our food blog March 04 2009 Article

Wednesday March 4, 2009 10:00 pm EST 03/04/2009 10:00 pm

Fresh out of the oven. | more...

Highlights from our food blog March 19 2009 Article

Thursday March 19, 2009 10:00 pm EDT 03/19/2009 10:00 pm

Best burger my ass. | more...

Highlights from our food blog April 30 2009 Article

Thursday April 30, 2009 08:46 pm EDT 04/30/2009 8:46 pm

A place to let your inner foodie shine! | more...

Highlights from our food blog March 12 2009 Article

Thursday March 12, 2009 05:39 pm EDT 03/12/2009 5:39 pm

Does this blog make me look fat? | more...

Cliff's top 10 affordable Atlanta restaurants Article

Monday December 26, 2016 03:00 pm EST 12/26/2016 3:00 pm

Our longtime columnist names his favorite budget-friendly standbys of 2016 | more...

Highlights from our food blog April 03 2009 Article

Friday April 3, 2009 03:39 pm EDT 04/03/2009 3:39 pm

Atlanta foodies unite! | more...

Grazing: Cajun spice at Crawfish Shack Seafood Article

Friday August 28, 2009 02:00 pm EDT 08/28/2009 2:00 pm

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One morning, we are all going to wake up and find that we have turned the same color. A post-racial world will eliminate a significant portion of Americans conflicts. Until then, there is Buford Highway.

For at least 25 years, the road has been transitioning to an intense multicultural enclave best known for its ethnically diverse restaurants. Stop a moment to ponder the...

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Omnivore - Bocado opens in the Westside Article

Tuesday October 13, 2009 03:29 pm EDT 10/13/2009 3:29 pm

A mouthful of flavors from Chef Todd Ginsberg | more...

Omnivore - We are Twits Article

Tuesday April 7, 2009 06:54 pm EDT 04/07/2009 6:54 pm

Both Cliff and I have given in and are Twittering. You can find us at @CliffBostock and @BeshaRodell respectively. | more...

Omnivore - The vegetarian experiment Article

Saturday August 16, 2008 12:00 pm EDT 08/16/2008 12:00 pm

image-1It was Wayne's idea. After eating veal recently, I had my usual attack of guilt. As I told him, I didn't eat veal for ethical reasons for more than 10 years. He said he doesn't feel right about eating meat of any type much of the time.

"Why don't we experiment and not eat meat for a week?" he said.

"Well," I said, "I have decided to stop eating pasta and bread, so that would be...