Entertaining

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Cocktail Experts.

02/09/2010 in Buckhead, Cocktails, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 4 comments

VIP: Lindsay and I were asked to be a part of a panel of cocktail experts (!!!) to evaluate the specialty cocktail menu for a new restaurant in Buckhead. I just knew the day would come when this particular skill set (which we have been diligently honing at various bars and restaurants for the last 10+ years!) would come in handy…lkcocktail

Varsity Team.

Varsity Team.

…and last night at Saskatoon was the night, my friends.

OK so the Q+DD on Saskatoon is this: It’s a wild game restaurant located in the Alexan on Pharr Road (in the space where ill-fated Spondivits and Harry Bisset’s once were…) Think hunter’s lodge: über masculine, warm and cozy. Soft jazz playing, fires roaring, lighting fixtures adorned with antlers, and deer heads on the wood paneled walls. The menu is chock full of wild boar, elk, ostrich and the like. I even tried my first fried alligator! (This thrilled Lindsay: “I’m so glad we can be a part of this!”)

And hey, we like antlers!

laurenantlerslindsay antlers

Anyway, our table consisted of the two of us, our +1s (Linds brought Steph Cheeseman and I had Doc Hollywood in tow) and our new best friend Alison Abby, a fabulous freelance writer whom we met last night.

They brought us several appetizers to sample, and I have to say – we all really enjoyed the food we tried. Of course, wild game was the main protein in each dish, and they were all very creative as well as delicious!

The real purpose of our visit last night was to provide feedback on their cocktail menu. We tasted everything from the Saskatoon Sling (a variation of the Singapore Sling) to the Espresso Martini (cinnamon-y and not too dessert-y! Our favorite by far.) For the most part, we all thought the specialty cocktails were a little sweet (and perhaps tropical?) for our taste BUT we were there to help them tweak, and I’m sure they will. (Also, in the interest of full disclosure, Lindsay and I are pretty straightforward in our cocktail preferences. Any more than 2 ingredients and we’re raising an eyebrow and I have never seen the Doc drink anything but scotch. Ever.) So if you’re a specialty cocktail type of person, you may totally disagree with our evaluation. IJS.

Additionally, the GM seems pretty passionate about having an impressive, yet affordable wine list and the wait staff was just lovely…and happy to pour me a vodka on the rocks after all was said and done. (With 3 nice, big, fat queen-sized olives. DK always told me you can judge a bar by the size of their olives...)

My verdict on Saskatoon is this: I think it’s a pretty interesting addition to Buckhead’s restaurant scene and if you enjoy that type of atmosphere, (or if you’re in the mood to envision yourself as a ski bunny taking a break from the slopes!) I would encourage you to try it for yourself.

Bonus: FYI, Saskatoon is a city located in central Saskatchewan, Canada and I find Saskatchewan really, REALLY fun to say.

Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan…Saskatchewan…

xx, L

PS. Thanks for the folks at Melissa Libby for the invite!

Saskatoon
(404) 891-1911
360 Pharr Road
Atlanta, GA 30305

Saskatoon on Urbanspoon

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Diamond in the Rough

01/11/2010 in Buckhead, Cocktails, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 6 comments

I’ve lived in Atlanta for five and a half years.  As an ITP girl living in Midtown and spending a lot of time in Buckhead, I’ve driven through the intersection at Piedmont and Peachtree maybe three million times.  (If not exactly – then pretty close to that amount.)  Adjacent from that intersection, I’ve passed Beluga Martini Bar about three million times, too.  I’ve always been intrigued by it, but I’ve never actually made it inside.  Something about it just seemed very Lindsay.  And, I love that it also seemed somehow recession-proof when a number of neighboring bars have changed over management or closed down over the past year.  I was intrigued.

After a nice group dinner that LK planned at Pura Vida in the Highlands on Saturday evening + an adorable little meet and greet with this former Top Chef contestant…

Hector Santiago - Pura Vida, Atlanta

Hector Santiago - Pura Vida, Atlanta

Him + Us

Him + Us

… Slick and I made our way back to Buckhead, but we weren’t quite ready to go home.  We didn’t want to skip over to East Andrews and as a personal rule I never go to Moondogs, Peachtree Tavern and the like…so I thought it would be the perfect crisp winter night to finally see what Beluga was all about.  As usual, I was right on. :)

Beluga Martini Bar, situated across from Sambuca and Bones on Piedmont right before the Peachtree intersection, is quite a gem.  Upon arrival, we valeted Slick’s hot rod and paid a little cover for him to get into the bar.  I think charging cover to go anywhere in Atlanta is kind of ridiculous (who do the bars + clubs think we are – Miami?  No.), so I walked in with a degree of attitude that I immediately dropped once I saw what lied in store for me inside the renovated house Beluga calls home. 

Live jazz, red fringe lampshades, velvet couches and a creative martini menu.  SOLD. 

This place couldn’t have been more me.  I loved the loungy + upscale feeling of the bar – but there was still so much energy.  Slick and I explored the different rooms and decided on a highboy near the back bar to plant ourselves for the rest of the evening. 

What incredible people watching!  Most of the crowd was over 30 – many closer to 50.  Lots of plastic surgery and salt + pepper haired gentlemen smoking cigars.  (Note:  The ceilings are low so the cigar smoke is always a little in your face.  My clothes and hair reeked when I got home, but otherwise it didn’t really bother me.)  Patrons strictly obeyed Beluga’s dress code with plunging necklines and turtlenecks + sport coats - even some “sunglasses at night,” which are among my favorite evening accessories that I’d never wear but love to see on other people.  Most importantly, the drinks were stiff and well-made. 

Not one to ever turn down a martini…

IMG_4705

… I ordered a vodka gimlet that was divine.  Slick had his usual dirty martini and was pleased, as well.  A few cocktails later, we decided it was time to head home.  Had we not eaten our weight in delicious + authentic tapas and shared a pitcher of the best sangria in town (I heart you, Pura Vida. xx.) prior to our arrival at Beluga, I would have liked to stay later because it seemed like the party was just getting going when we left around 1:00 a.m. 

If you are like me and have seen the neon blue “Beluga” sign from Piedmont, but never been inside – GO.  It was really fun and a nice spot to break up the predictable Buckhead bar scene.  While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as a spot to find your Prince Charming, I would definitely suggest Beluga for a girl’s night out or a hot date.  It’s places like this that make me appreciate getting a little older.  :)

xx, L

beluga

Beluga Martini Bar
3115 Piedmont Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.869.1090
www.belugamartinibar.com

Beluga Martini Bar on Urbanspoon

Pura Vida
656 North Highland Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30306
404.870.9797
www.puravidatapas.com

Pura Vida on Urbanspoon

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The SGM!

01/10/2010 in Cocktails, Events!, What we're Doing by Lauren | 1 comment

Some may argue that the biggest disaster in 2008 was the housing bubble burst. Some may say it was Pierce Brosnan appearing in Mamma Mia (Really, 007?  Belting out Abba in a major motion picture.  Really?) Was it Oprah’s thyroid problem?  Flannel’s return to fashion?  TRL’s cancellation?  No, my friends. The biggest disaster of 2008 is when Bethenney Frankel (of The Real Housewives of New York City ) introduced The Skinnygirl™ Margarita and for my posse, it was love at first sip.skinnygirlmargWhile an excellent low-calorie margarita-alternative, The Skinny Girl Marg was quite dangerous.  In fact, I believe it was responsible for 2,837,411 apologies, 3,487,131 untagged photos and was the main cause of dancing like this:laweddingdance…on second thought, The Skinnygirl™ Margarita was a RIOT!

Here’s the Q+DD on The SGM from Bethenny’s website:

The Skinnygirl™ Margarita On the Rocks
What you’ll need:
* 2 oz of Clear Premium Tequila (count 1, 2 while you pour, no need for measuring)
* Tiny splash of Orange Liquor (I prefer Triple Sec)
* Juice of 4 Fresh Lime Wedges
Combine all ingredients over a glass of ice and garnish with a lime wedge

Clearly, this woman is a genius.

Clearly, this woman is a genius.

Self-proclaimed “Health Foodie,” Bethenny is now a celebrity natural food chef and has penned several health food books, including Skinnygirl Dish, a recipe book for your “naturally skinny” life which she will be promoting this THURSDAY, January 14th, right here in Atlanta!  (Brought to you by Atlanta Magazine and the MJCC…and all coordinated by my spectacular friend “Celebrity” Staci Weininger!)

BF will be at Steel restaurant in Midtown from 7:30 – 10:30.  Click here for tickets to meet + greet and sample some of her new recipes and of course, enjoy a Skinnygirl Marg or two :)

I wonder if while she’s at Steel she’ll come up with a Skinnygirl Tuna Tower?

A girl can only dream…

xx, L

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Cooking w/ L+L- Candied Pecans

12/21/2009 in Entertaining, What we're Cooking by Lauren | 7 comments

So.  Here’s the story. Usually I am not the L writing these darling little culinary posts.  However, I was putting together a little southern themed gifty-gift and decided it desperately needed candied pecans (what is more southern than candied pecans?) and wanting absolutely nothing do to with a mall right now, I decided to make them.

Bonus! As I am prone to gross excess, of course I made way too many…but waste not want not – they’ve been just perfect for hostess gifts and holiday remembrances for my dry cleaner, doggie daycare, etc.!
Full-CrustedPecans
I can do this, you can too.  It was very easy.

Here’s the Q+DD on making 2lbs worth of candied pecans:

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1tbsp water
1tbsp vanilla extract
2lbs pecan halves
2 c. white sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 250.  Be sure you are not storing shoes or sweaters in oven before doing so. Grease 2 baking sheets.

In one big bowl whip the wet stuff (egg whites, water, vanilla) with a fork until it’s frothy.  In another big bowl mix the dry stuff (everything else)

Then, it’s easy-peasy. Dump the pecans into the egg mixture and use a fork to stir to coat them completely.  Then transfer them into the bowl with the sugar mixture and use a fork to stir to coat completely in the sugar.  Spread them onto your greased cookie sheets and pop those suckers in the oven.

Bake for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes and bada-bing bada-boom!  You’re done.  Let them cool and transfer them to Tupperware or whatever you’re giving them in.  My mom suggested long cellophane bags with colorful ribbon, and that would have been lovely, but since we have the Container Store here in the A, I opted for these little windowed gift boxes:
giftbox
I used white raffia and black magic marker for my holiday greeting, but if you prefer something a little more festive you could use whatever you want.  Obviously.

I’m psyched that they are so easy to make because they’ve been a total crowd-pleaser and I think they’d be really cute in a bowl for guests in your home!  The hardest part is keeping your hands off them. Fact.

Happy holidays, y’all!

xx, L

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Evite Invitations Are So 2009…

12/07/2009 in Entertaining, Holidays, What we're Doing by Lindsay | 5 comments

YouTube is obv. the way to go now.  Check out this Hanukkah party invitation created by my good friends/ creative genuises, Jessica + Paul, on iMovie.

creative genuises


See the invitation here:  Latkes + Bloody Marys

(P.S. You are not invited – unless, that is, you live in Manhattan and are really, really ridiculously good-looking.  Or you know how to make Bloody Mary ice…)

Adorable - and they said they had a blast creating it!  J+P also host a turducken party every March.  I have the coolest friends…

Happy holiday partying! :)

xx, L

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Santa Stampede in Midtown!

12/04/2009 in Cocktails, Holidays, Midtown, Parties, What we're Doing by Lindsay | 2 comments

(This is one of my favorite Atlanta events all year!)

1/2 Asian Productions presents The 17th Annual Atlanta Santa Claus Pub Crawl on Saturday, December 5th, 2009.  Each year has been loaded with good cheer and this year it appears that there will be more Santas than ever before!  This Saturday, Master Santa will kick it off again in Midtown.  Everything starts at Santa’s Atlanta workshop (Front Page News) at 4:45 p.m.

Santa Claus Pub Crawl - Atlanta

Atlanta Santas!

Just like previous years, Santa/Christmas costumes are mandatory!

Santa suits can be purchased at any Wal-Mart or Kmart for approx. $25.  This is a high quality suit that should last you until last call…  Of course, they encourage you to be CREATIVE and come up with any other type of Christmas costume, too. 

In the spirit of Santa, they ask that everyone brings one unwrapped toy to the event to be donated to Toys for Tots.  It will only cost you $5-$10, but it will be priceless to a young child on Christmas Day.  The collection for toys will be at Front Page News.

GREEN WRIST BAND SCHEDULE
4:30 p.m.:  Front Page News
6:00 p.m.:  Twisted Taco
7:00 p.m.:  Leopard Lounge
8:00 p.m.:  Sutra Lounge
9:00 p.m.:  Cosmo/Lava
10:00 p.m.:  Flip Flops
11:00 p.m.:  Opera

RED WRIST BAND SCHEDULE
4:30 p.m.:  Front Page News
6:00 p.m.:  Leopard Lounge
7:00 p.m.:  Twisted Taco
8:00 p.m.:  Flip Flops
9:00 p.m.:  Sutra Lounge
10:00 p.m.:  Cosmo/Lava
11:00 p.m.:  Opera

Official Atlanta Santa site: www.atlantasantapubcrawl.com

Trust me – it just doesn’t get any better than this…

xx, L

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A Little Game Called “I Win”

12/02/2009 in Board Games, Entertaining, Holidays, Parties, What we're Doing by Lindsay | 8 comments

Although we are Jewish, my family “celebrates” Christmas every year.  It’s really just an excuse for my mom to decorate the house and cook up a storm, for my dad to untangle X-mas lights for the tree and get away with wearing bad sweaters, and for my parents to appease my brother and me as kids (fine, and adults) with gifts when we are the only house on the block without X-mas lights.  We have a number of silly, secular Christmas traditions each year like taking tequila shots for Santa (whatever, we’re Texans), watching the movie “Elf,” my dad reading us The Night Before Christmas (he still does it) before we go to bed, and our X-mas Eve party yankee swap. 

X-mas w/ The Roberts

x-mas w/ the roberts

we had bar/ bat mitzvahs. i swear...

we had bar/ bat mitzvahs. i swear.

The Roberts family spends quite a bit of QT together over the-holiday-that-really-isn’t-ours.  We get along well, but family time can be tiring.  So, every Christmas Day we spend hours not necessarily talking, but instead, strategizing and plotting how to destroy each other in our traditional Scrabble tournament. 

scrabble-large

Even our family dog, Charley, gets to play…

IMG_1960

good boy

We are all terrible, of course, except for Charley…  I always try to throw in acronyms and Spanish words.  My brother makes up words all together.  My mother only ever uses three letter words.  And, my dad always loses his glasses and has to ask us to tell him what letter is on the tiles.  It’s kind of a mess, but it’s tradition – and we love board games.   

Oh, it's ON!

oooooh, it's ON!

We can’t play Scrabble ALL day, though, so we usually incorporate another game into the mix.  I used to make them play my old favorite standby until I was about 20 or so and everyone finally refused.

mallmadness

So, we moved on to Sorry.  I hate this game.  And let me tell you something, I am NEVER sorry when I send your “man” back to home.  Never. 

sorry

not sorry

Last year, I tried to incorporate my new favorite game, Catch Phrase, into the mix.  It ended up stressing out my dad – and we all had had one too many eggnogs to make any sense anyway.  Shame, though.  Love a good game of Catch Phrase.

catch-phrase

However, this year I have the perfect game.  BALDERDASH.  We played it over Thanksgiving with Slick’s amazing family and it was a blast!!  I think it might even move into my #1 board game slot…  I can’t say for sure – we’ll just have to see.

533485

The object of the game is to invent a phony definition for each word in play that could be mistaken by the other players as the correct definition.  Each player writes down a fabricated definition for the given word and returns it to the player whose turn it is.  The player reads all of the fake definitions along with the real one.  Players try to identify and choose the correct definition for the word in play.  The words are insane.  Here are a few examples:

Gaberlunzie:  A wandering beggar.
Lagniappe:  Small gifts given in New Orleans.
Sialoquent:  Spitting while talking.

People made up the most ridiculous meanings for these words.  Slick couldn’t keep it together when reading the definitions, so he used a pillow to cover his face when he read them during his turn.  It was pretty silly – but absolutely hysterical!

Balderdash is perfect for a group like my family – all smarty pants who don’t take ourselves too seriously.  I just bought it at Target in Atlantic Station and can’t wait to possibly completely replace Scrabble as the traditional Christmas Day game this year!

Obv. the "nice" child...

we've been perfect angels, santa...

xx, L

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Turn Your Gold Into Green

11/20/2009 in Deals + Steals, Entertaining, Parties, What we're Doing by Lindsay | 2 comments

When the going gets tough – I get resourceful.  A few months ago, when the economy was at its worst and my wardrobe was looking sad-ish, I decided to get creative about my cash flow.  I’d seen commercials about selling your old or broken gold and how profitable it could be, but I was pretty sure that it was some sort of scam.  That is, until a colleague told me that she hosted a “Gold Party” for her girlfriends and made a killing.  My wheels started to turn…

"i love goooooooold"

"i love goooooooold"

If my well-dressed, proper and very southern colleague could host a Gold Party, why couldn’t I?  I asked her for all the information I needed to set it up, called the company, set the date, sent out an Evite and hosted my own Gold Party.  And, I made a little over $600!  (Yep, that’s right!!)

post-gold party

post-gold party

If you are strapped for cash this holiday season, I seriously encourage you to at least consider hosting a Gold Party.  You would be really surprised about how much you can make off of gold earring backs and broken pieces. 

Here’s the Q+DD on hosting your own Gold Party:

3d8epncd8Q- What is a Gold Party?
A- A gathering of girlfriends from your neighborhood, work, tennis, bunko, book club, etc…  GOLDSWAP deals directly with the refinery and pays top dollar at the party for your old gold jewelry.  Now is the best time to sell your old 10K or higher jewelry – all your outdated, mismatched or broken chains, bracelets, rings, earrings, etc.  The GOLDSWAP representatives assess your jewelry at the Gold Party and tell you how much they can give you for it.  You leave the party with cash in hand.
gold-coins-images
Q- Who will be evaluating my gold?
A- The GOLDSWAP Team is an Atlanta family trained to be a direct agent for the refinery.  Two of the GOLDSWAP representatives will come to your house for your Gold Party.
gold
Q- What happens to the gold?
A- Since there is no middle man, the gold is sent directly to the refinery for smelting.
mens-gold-jewelry-300x300
Q- How much does GOLDSWAP pay?
A- GOLDSWAP bases their prices on the London Gold Fixed PM Listing each day.
20080117_turkish_gold_jewelry
Q- What if I am not sure if some of my jewelry is real gold or costume jewelry?
A- No problem, there are methods of testing that the agents perform to determine if your jewelry is in fact gold.
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Q- What if I decide I don’t want to sell some of my gold after it is evaluated?
A- No problem, again.  The decision is entirely yours.
101892_rd002skex1
Q- What if my gold jewelry has precious stones in the setting?
A- Easy…they will be removed for you to take home.
616730_goldfish_cracker
Q- How do I host a Gold Party of my own?
A- Contact Mary Beth Wegener at wegenermbw@aol.com for information regarding hosting a Gold Party with GOLDSWAP.  Mary Beth came to the one I held at my condo and she was great!  All you need to do is run to Trader Joe’s and grab some wine and appetizers, have an area ready for Mary Beth and one of her associates to sit and evaluate the jewelry and then hang out/ relax – that’s it!  If you host a party, you get 10% of all the gold sold that evening.
gold-bars
Seriously, what else is your old or broken gold going to do?  Without sounding like too much of a bad infomercial – there is no reason not to e-mail Mary Beth at GOLDSWAP today and TURN YOUR GOLD INTO GREEN!  (Couldn’t resist…) :)
416TMXE8Q0L._SL500_AA280_
xx, L

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My New Favorite Carb

11/19/2009 in Appetizers, Deals + Steals, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 7 comments

I am addicted to Whole Foods 365 Tandoori Naan. (Indian flatbread)

gjl

It is delicious, cheap (around $3-$5/ package) and versatile.  It makes for great pizza, tasty sandwiches and is perfect for shoveling hummus or spinach artichoke dip – I will admit to using it for salsa, too…  I love the consistency of naan and it’s more filling to me than bread or crackers.  Plus, it looks cool on a plate:

 

naan

Check it out next time you are in Whole Foods.  It is a great accompaniment to any meal!

xx, L

whole-foods-logoWhole Foods Market
77 West Paces Ferry Rd.
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.324.4100
www.wholefoodsmarket.com

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Love at First Sight

11/17/2009 in Downtown, Entertaining, Events!, Parties, Vendors!, Weddings by Lindsay | 7 comments

Although I am partial to Mason Murer Fine Art and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, I’ve fallen in love with new event space in Atlanta.  It is located high above downtown in the Luckie Marietta District and is appropriately named Ventanas for its remarkable floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.  I went to an industry party for the grand opening of the space last week and was absolutely blown away by it – and now I am itching to throw an event there!

Ventanas Rooftop

Ventanas Rooftop

Here is the Q+DD on Ventanas:

In late September 2009, Ventanas opened its dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows to reveal a sweeping view of Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead ranging from Stone Mountain to Kennesaw Mountain.  Perched high atop the 14th and 15th stories of the Park Pavilion building in the city’s Luckie Marietta District, Ventanas offers 9,547 square feet of indoor and outdoor rooftop space across the street from Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola.  The space is only one block from the CNN Center, Philips Arena, Georgia World Congress Center, the Georgia Dome, American Cancer Society and AmericasMart.

In addition to ample parking and numerous food and beverage options, Ventanas offers exclusive amenities like a dedicated “space shot” elevator to reach the venue from street level – and the city’s only events space helipad!  Whether your group numbers 50 or 450, this dramatic space will accommodate your event and transform it into an unforgettable experience for you and your guests.  (www.ventanasatlanta.com)

The most exciting part of the venue is definitely the helipad on the third level of the space.  Imagine being whisk away from your special event on a helicopter!  AMAZING!

Outside Ventanas

Outside Ventanas

At Ventanas, you can work with some of the best caterers around town to customize the culinary aspects of your event: Bold American Catering, Affairs to Remember, A Legendary Event, etc.  The room rental is very competitive at $4K for Friday (w/ $4K beverage min.) or Saturday (w/ $5K beverage min.) evenings. 

Contact Donald Mill, Director of Event Sales, for more information on Ventanas: sales@ventanasatlanta.com. 

Inside Ventanas

Inside Ventanas

Trust me – you have to check out this space!  For me, at least, it was love at first sight.  :)

xx, L

Ventanas
275 Baker Street
Atlanta, Georgia  30313
404-ROOFTOP
www.ventanasatlanta.com

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Battle of the Brunches

11/17/2009 in Entertaining, Highlands, Midtown, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 9 comments

So, I was entertaining an out-of-towner this weekend. As previously mentioned, I have been known to get a little…aggressive…in my desire to showcase Atlanta in the best possible light, so I had an extensive weekend planned. Which included a WHOLE LOT of eating.

= Lauren

= Lauren

Of COURSE we hit up all my go-to spots: Holeman + Finch, Top Flr, and Treehouse as well as some new favorites (I’m looking at YOU, Pacci and La Pietra Cucina.) But when you have a full-fledged Yankee in tow…clearly BRUNCH is the best place to leave your southern-fried mark.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you….THE BATTLE OF THE BRUNCHES!
pinkglovesRound 1: Friday at Murphy’s
I’ll admit, I have been known to sneer at the crowds of people lined outside Murphy’s on the weekends on my way to somewhere else I have decided is cooler. (“What? Do they think that’s the only place in town that knows how to fry an egg?“) but I am here to tell you that given the option (and a weekday off of work) that is exactly where we went.

Even though, at 2pm, the meal we ate that day was legitimately “lunch,” I still went with my go-to Murphy’s brunch order: Linda’s Omelet (spinach, onions, mushrooms and cheddar cheese) and A chose the grilled chicken sandwich (avocado, pepperjack, fried onions, and mayonnaise, on a multigrain bun) both were delicious. Another strong lunch choice: the lobster cobb (Maine lobster, tomatoes, avocado, bacon, aged gouda, egg, and roasted garlic herb dressing. DELISH.) In fact, come to think of it, I have never had any food I didn’t enjoy at Murphy’s.

If you do go for ACTUAL brunch, there is an amazing assortment of Benedicts and frittatas and other egg dishes as well as grits and waffles and pancakes and other carb-y deliciousness (Hello, challah french toast!) Not to mention the complimentary bread basket…complete with muffins and biscuits. Oh and the coffee…the coffee! Their coffees and espressos are absolutely divine.

I also really love the vibe at Murphy’s. It’s homey and southern…but still chic.

Nice work, Murphy’s. I guess those lines are warranted after all…
Murphy's on Urbanspoon


Round 2: Saturday at Rosebud
Listen, if you happen to find yourself waking up at noon…starving…and without a brunch reservation in this city, as we did on Saturday, remember that Rosebud in Morningside is the city’s best kept brunch secret. Fact.

As always, it was an amazing call. Please see my previous post here. Their brunch is out of this world and I have never had to wait for a table. We weren’t able to score a patio table but we were happy as clams drinking our coffee and chowing down on our delicious food. I got the crab cake Benedict (which was unbelievable) and A got…wait for it…The Big Nasty (it’s a sandwich.) This thing is a masterpiece: fried chicken, scrambled egg, smoked bacon + cheddar on a bun. I mean…wow. Just wow.

We were so full when we left that we didn’t eat again until 11:00pm and although we didn’t have brunch cocktails, I assure you their drink list is quite impressive. Another strong contender…
Rosebud on Urbanspoon

Round 3: Sunday at Mary Mac’s Tea Roommarymacs

As the pièce de résistance, I saved Mary Mac’s for last. As a true-blue southern girl from Alabama…I LOVE my “meat + 3s.” Plus, A had never experienced sweet tea and didn’t believe me that okra was an actual vegetable The horror!

The Q+DD on Mary Mac’s is this: It was opened in 1945 by a woman named Mary McKinsey who decided to use her good Southern cooking to make money in the tough post-World War II days. However, in those days, a woman couldn’t just open up a restaurant, so many female proprietors used the more genteel Southern name of “Tea Room.” There were at least 16 other “Tea Rooms” that popped up in the Atlanta area, but Mary Mac’s is the only one that remains.

As an extra special awesome BONUS: Katie and Brian were in town and joined us!

It was an awesome experience. Our server was so charming and sweet and brought us each a complimentary order of the Pot Likker Soup after I mentioned that I read about it in Garden and Gun magazine. (and blogged about here.) FYI: Pot Likker (or Pot Liquor) is the liquid that is left behind when you boil greens (collard, turnip, etc.) and it’s often seasoned with pork or turkey. At Mary Mac’s its served with a little piece of homemade cornbread that you can crumble into it…kind of like a super southern matzah ball soup?!potlikker

When it was time to order, we grabbed our stubby pencils and scrawled our orders on our sheets. A and Brian got fried chicken and meatloaf, respectively, and my seestah and I both got vegetable plates. (tomato pie, collard greens, black eyed peas and fried green tomatoes for me and fried okra, cheese grits, creamed corn, and collard greens for Katie)

Y’all: our food was fabulous (once I silenced the nagging calorie-counter in my head). Very authentic and just perfect. PLUS – in the middle of our meal, this adorable elderly lady came over to ask us how we were enjoying our meal and gave us all backrubs! As she left, she distributed her card which read, “Jo Carter: Goodwill Ambassador.” Amazing. All-in-all, I would say my mission was accomplished. A even choked back an ounce or two of sweet tea and I left feeling victorious (not to mention completely stuffed.) I may never eat again…

Katie and her Pot Likker

Katie and her Pot Likker

Mary Mac's Tea Room on Urbanspoon

The winner? We’re all winners at brunch, my friends. But I may have to give this one to Mary Mac’s. It’s been an Atlanta tradition for 60+ years and my mama always taught me to respect my elders.

Happy brunching…y’all!

xx, L

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My Last Meal

11/06/2009 in Appetizers, Inman Park, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

People often ask Slick if there is more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking.

slick
slick

After careful thought, he will tell them that, yes – there is more to life. It’s called fantasy football.

If I was asked, I would also agree that there is more to life. But, my response has to do with food. You never know what a day holds for you. Not to be Deborah Downer or anything, but I text while I’m driving. I go to the grocery store at night by myself. I jaywalk and I’ve been known to shake my fist at bad drivers.  I consider myself to be a highly responsible person, but frankly, we never know when our time is up. So, if I am going to go sometime, I’d like to leave with a fabulous last meal in my tummy.  That – coupled with questionable self-control and enjoying the social aspects of sharing a great meal with friends – is why I am so into food. The End.

If I got to choose my “last meal” in Atlanta, there is no question that it would be at my favorite restaurant in town – Wisteria. I just love this restaurant, and I didn’t have to think twice about spending my birthday there last year. (Which is quite an honor – if I do say so myself!) See, TADA:

Wisteria - LR Birthday

Wisteria - LR Birthday

 

Wisteria - LR Birthday

Wisteria - LR Birthday

Wisteria is consistently amazing and I frequently recommend it to friends, out-of-towners and business colleagues. My three favorite menu items are the North Atlantic Skate Wing, the Molasses-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin and the Pecan Encrusted Atlantic Salmon. Trust me. They are all to die for.

Inside Wisteria

Inside Wisteria

Aside from a prime location in Inman Park, stellar wait staff, killer entrees and chic decor, my favorite part about Wisteria is their appetizers. I feel confident in saying that their appetizer list is the best in town – by far. It’s rare for me to look at a menu and want everything on it. I have tried everything on Wisteria’s appetizer menu – and trying to decide between a few of their items for any given meal is one of the most stressful decisions I have to make.  

Behold its majesty:

Oysters – cold water, served by the half dozen

Black-Eyed Pea Hummus – with homemade sweet potato chips, olives, and tomatoes

Kobe Beef Carpaccio – with arugula tossed in a horseradish vinaigrette and aged parmesan

Charleston-Style Jumbo Lump Crab Cake – over roasted corn and sweet pepper succotash

Cornmeal Fried Calamari – with sweet and sour apricot sauce and wasabi crème fraiche

Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs – with pickled okra and spiced pecans

Ahi Tuna and Crispy Flatbread – avocados and fresh micro-greens in a citrus horseradish vinaigrette

Prince Edward Island Mussels – in a charred vine-ripened tomato, white wine and herbed garlic broth

Pigs in a Blanket – house cured pork belly, in pastry, with a spicy apple cider vinegar mustard

Tempura Fried Okra – with a horseradish cream sauce

Seared Sea Scallops -over braised pork belly and radicchio with a bourbon molasses reduction

People, life does not get much better than this!! (Unless you are into fantasy football or are really, really, ridiculously good looking…)

P.S. Don’t forget about these two great Wisteria specials:
1 – Burger Sundays for $10
2 – Mussel Mondays for $15.95- Endless bowl of mussels and a glass of house wine.

Make a reservation ASAP!  Life’s too short not to eat great!

xx, L

Wisteria
471 North Highland Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30307
404.525.3363
www.wisteria-atlanta.com

Wisteria on Urbanspoon

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