I never really thought that I was one for the American South. And besides watching the sweet, Savannah-born (albeit canceled) Paula Dean teach me how to make deep-fried bacon fat burgers with glazed donut buns on the TV when I was a kid, I really never thought I was one for Georgia.

But if you’ve ever listened to hip-hop, you know Atlanta,Georgia seems to be the destination that everyone’s talking about. Rich with Civil Rights history (Martin Luther King Jr. studied at Morehouse College before going on to pursue theology), Atlanta is a mecca for Black culture in the South. Recently, Hulu’s popular show Atlanta, created by Donald Glover, has shown an absurd and irresistible existential side to the city. So was it really worth visiting for your average lady from the North?

The answer is yes. Definitely, yes.

So, I heard rumors about the cool vintage markets and thrift stores at Little Five Points–a hip walkable neighborhood in East Atlanta. From a vast selection of vintage cowboy boots and t-shirts, to old thread-bare merch from when Atlanta hosted the Olympics in ‘96, the scene had something for everyone. Whether you’re into the pricier, highly-curated stuff or just want cheap old memorabilia, you could find it here–along with any food or beverage option your heart desires. I couldn’t resist getting a unique vintage half black, half white Atlanta baseball cap.

Vintage clothes hunting was fun–but certainly not the main attraction for this city. For a northern gal who sticks to a mainly dairy-free and gluten-free existence, I was ready to risk it all for some of that legendary southern comfort food. And boy did I get it.

First, to dip my toes in, I tried the legendary wings spot American Deli, located inside the West End shopping mall. The owner, Cheol Kim, famously calls everyone ‘baby’ and it’s not rare to see celebrities stop by for some unpretentious but notable lemon pepper wings.

Next, I tried a bustling, trendy hookah spot called The Hive in the notoriously boujee neighborhood of Buckhead (yes, this is where Real Housewives of Atlanta is filmed). What I noticed immediately was that everyone was dressed up–I mean really dressed up, with full makeup, high heels, hair and nails done, etc. The vibe was more fancy brunch than it was the low-lit, authentic Middle Eastern hookah bars I’m used to. I tried red velvet chicken and waffles with a cream cheese syrup and the crab cakes–when I say that the fried chicken was some of the best crafted, crunchiest, most flavorful chicken I had ever had, I’m hardly doing it justice. And of course, I had the melon-mint hookah and a sweet tea and bourbon cocktail for dessert.

Speaking of sweet tea–which I noticed the Atlanta folks keep their fridges stock full of–I had the best BBQ sandwich ever at The Twisted Soul. Elevated fusion southern soul food, this place was unreal. Peach sweet tea marinated brisket on Texas toast with pimento cheese and slaw? Check. Bacon pecan praline macaroni and cheese? Check. Out-of-this-world chimichurri wings, fried to crispy yet tender perfection? Also check. Was the food so good that I paid $17 for an ‘okay’ cocktail, twice? Sadly, check.

My southern comfort food hangover only lasted for so long though, because by the morning I was HUNGRY.

If you ask a native southerner, they’ll tell you that nothing tastes as good as Krispy Kreme donuts when the ‘Hot’ sign is on. These melt-in-your-mouth sweet, fluffy donuts were like a dream, especially in comparison to the northern donut chains I’m used to.

Nestled in the cute, residential Candler Park neighborhood is a famous brunch spot called The Flying Biscuit. The quirky painted walls and fun decor made this place stick out from your typical diner, and they were serving decadent comfort food the brunch way, all day. I got spicy chicken and waffles (I’m a creature of habit) drenched in chicken sausage gravy with a hearty side of white cheddar grits, which I didn’t think that I liked before coming to the South. Sweet, savory and HEAVY, this breakfast put me into a blissful comatose.

To walk off the some 5 pounds I had put on in a short two days, I walked around the gorgeous Piedmont park during the late afternoon. People in Atlanta really know how to have fun because I saw folks barbecuing, having dance parties, drinking, exercising, playing frisbee and more–and everyone still looked insanely stylish while doing it. A sunny 85 degree day was perfectly spent here, recovering from shoveling piles of comfort food into my mouth.

On a last note, if you love big cities and bright lights like I do, the Atlanta skyline offers all that plus a unique little bonus–the King and Queen buildings at Concourse Office Park, which light up purplish-blue at night. They provided an aesthetic landmark to wherever you were in the city at any given time. Pro tip: When you visit, make sure to catch the sight right when the sun is about to set, so you get the beautiful deep pinks, purples, and blues of the Peach State skyline.