
Macon Beer Company
My parents have lived in Macon, Georgia for a few years now, so with this visit they were able to show us around and take us to some of their favorite places.
First stop: Macon Beer Company. They only open their doors every Saturday and third Thursday of the month, so I’m happy we were able to go! On their website, they describe themselves best:
“Macon Beer Company is a production brewery located in historic downtown Macon, GA. We have a unique perspective on brewing that comes from our Brew Master, who happens to also be a Professional Chemical Engineer. Our innovative recipes and techniques result in beer quality beyond industry standards. We have wild ideas and overly technical methods, but that’s simply a manifestation of our passion to make your mouth happy.“

Also located next door to a grave shop

Ready to go inside

But first a quick photo with my dad

Welcome

Entrance to the tasting room

Ready to go in

T-shirts for sale

Macon Dreams was my favorite! A peach beer!

The bar

Decisions, decisions…

Close up of the beer and taps

Cheers!

Many, many kegs on site
We also headed to Just Tap’d to fill a few growlers with local beer to take back home. With so much beer available in Belgium, I’d love a place like this to refill and try new beer.

Just Tap’d

Inside

You can also eat and drink inside, not just take your beer to go

Luckily you can have a taste before buying!

So many taps
For dinner one night we headed to The Rookery for burgers and milkshakes, a classic combination that I wish would be popular here! I also discovered that alcoholic milkshakes are a thing!

Outside waiting area

My parents

With a 45 minute wait, we had drinks outside – my whisky cocktail

Inside

Koen and mom

Dad and me

The Billy Carter milkshake: banana ice cream, peanut butter, Jack Daniels, and a slice of bacon

The Jerry Reed Burger: pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, and sriracha mayonnaise, served with battered fries
Another evening we went to Jim Shaw’s Seafood Grill for some southern-style seafood with my grandparents. I had the surprise of dipping my sweet potato fries into a white sauce only to find out it was marshmallow cream!

Jim Shaw’s

Ready to go in

The entrance

Fisherman lamp next to their awards for Best Seafood Restaurant in Macon

Waiting for our table

Tybee Island Blonde for a taste of Savannah

Pimento Cheese Fritters

Fried pickles

Oysters

Koen’s grilled scallops

My grilled shrimp and sweet potato fries with marshmallow sauce
One day for lunch, Grandma took all of the girls out to Brasserie Circa. This was one of my favorite meals while in Macon. The food and drinks were delicious! Brasserie Circa an American meats French style bistro. There are a lot of classics – both in sandwiches and cocktails!

Parking the car outside the restaurant

Grandma

Tamar

My Moscow Mule

Hummus topped with Spanish paprika served with pita points

Grandma with her crabcake

Close up of the jumbo crabcake with lemon caper mousseline sauce and wilted spinach

Mom with her chicken burger

Closeup of the chicken veggie burger: a patty made from chicken and sauteed vegetables, with gruyere and a vidalia onion/dijon spread on a brioche with sweet potato fries

Me with my lobster club

Close up of my lobster club: fried lobster tail, avocado, bacon, and remoulade served on a brioche bun with sweet potato fries
For Valentine’s Day, Koen and I went on a double date to Natalia’s with my brother Grayson and my sister-in-law Tamar. Natalia’s is well-known Italian restaurant in Macon. I don’t recommend going on a special day like we did, because the restaurant was packed and we had a set menu (we had look ahead of time and nothing I originally wanted was on the menu that night). At least the ambience was cozy!

Natalia’s

Red for Valentine’s Day

Grayson and Tamar

By this point my brother was tired of me taking so many photos

My forever Valentine ❤

My starter: Grilled duck with fried polenta and a cherry sauce

Koen’s starter: Smoked fish trio

My main: Chicken marsala

Koen’s main: Veal Milanese
One more lunch out in Macon at The Mandarin, a self-proclaimed Chinese bistro. The food reminded me of the Chinese food I grew up eating. It’s funny how reference points change over time. In Belgium and the Netherlands, Chinese food has more of an Indonesian influence. But of course, Chinese food anywhere adapts to the tastes of the country it’s in. As my dad will happily tell you, when you order lunch at The Mandarin you receive a ton of food!

The Mandarin

Inside

Little Prince

Hope having a look at the menu

The beautiful ceiling

Wonton soup

Szechuan chicken with a mountain of rice, chicken wing and an egg roll