To support this claim, I offer the following information:

1. Holy shellfish: there will be TONS of Blue Point and Malpeque oysters flown in and promptly steamed or fried for your eating pleasure

2. You can enjoy live music from local bands (full lineup below) as well as DJs whilst you munch on your marine mollusks

3. Ice cold beer will be provided so you can wash ‘em down

4. Most importantly, please witness my final piece of evidence:

Clearly this party is awesome.

Here’s the Q+DD:

Spiral Entertainment Oysterfest
Saturday, February 11th
Doors open at 1pm
Park Tavern in Piedmont Park*

Tickets: $20** but increase to $25 on Friday!  

Use promo code LKFest for $5 off!

(Please note that the price WILL increase and Oysterfest sold out last year. I am cool…but not cool enough to get you into a party that’s already full. Fact.)

Live Performances by:
The Issues (local Atlanta rock band)
Six Shot Revival (southern rock)
Red Zepplin (Led Zepplin tribute)
Talk Journey to Me (80s cover band)
Plus DJ Mike Walsh and DJ Mason Gill

Hope to see you guys there!

xx, L

http://www.spiralentertainment.com/events/oysterfest
**price does not include food or drink

CK is a super foodie friend of mine, who I’ve been dearly missing throughout my culinary expeditions around Atlanta since she recently moved away.  Everyone + their mothers have been talking about Hector Santiago’s newish Latino sandwich shop, Super Pan, so it sounded like a perfect lunch location for us to check out. 

Super Pan is located around the corner from Pura Vida (in its old event space), one of my top five favorite restaurants in Atlanta, and is also run by the brilliant, Mr. Santiago.  It’s been written up everywhere – food blogs, Atlanta Magazine, Creative Loafing, etc. – and consistently receives rave reviews.  Because of all of the hype, Christine + I were not surprised to see how packed the restaurant was with hungry business folks + locals eagerly waiting at their tables for the delivery of their tasty sandwiches.

We quickly got in line + ordered at the upstairs counter, then rushed downstairs to stake our claim on a table.  Since we knew it might take a while for our sandwiches to make it to us, we ordered Hector’s special appetizer Empanadas to tie us over.  Generally speaking, I’m not a big fan of empanadas.  However, THESE were incredible!  CK and I couldn’t stop talking about how delicious they were!

For my sandwich, I selected the Coca de Jamon y Queso: jamon serrano, machego cheese, date marcona almond butter, arugula, piquillo peppr agrildulce on “spanish foccacia.”  The lady who took my order told me that it was her favorite sandwich – and she has fantastic taste b/c it was incredibly delicious!

CK got the special of the day: an authentic Cuban Sandwich.  She’s a big fan of these sandwiches, and reported that it was seriously hardcore.  She was really impressed.

Had I been hungover or needed some seriously fattening Friday fare, I would have opted for the Pork Belly Buns (a bigger version of one of my favorite tapas at Pura Vida): smoked pilon sugar berkshire pork belly, shaved cabbage, cilantro, tamarind sauce + aji coban “sambal” on a steamed coconut bun.  It looked so freaking good!  My mouth was watering when it was delivered to the gentleman at the table next to us…

The dining space is very small, but appropriate for encouraging people to order quickly, eat + leave to make room for more customers.  I’m always a fan of the brick wall look, too.

Super Pan is the real deal.  It doesn’t have to be a special treat, either, since you can easily  get there from Midtown (taking North Ave. to North Highland to Blue Ridge Ave.) to grab one of Hector’s hype-worthy sandwiches during a quick workday lunch. 

Frankly, I can’t think of another place I’d rather grab lunch.  Super Pan – you’re doing a SUPER job!  Keep it up + I’ll see you again v. soon!

xx, L

Super Pan
1057 Blue Ridge Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA  30306
404.477.0379
http://www.superpanlatinosandwichshop.com/

I don’t quite know why it took me so long to visit the “brick and mortar” restaurant that produces the food – Hankook Taqueria on the Westside.

Pretty much all of my favorite food bloggers have already covered the resto (Check it: Foodie Budda, Eat it Atlanta, Chow Down Atlanta, The Blissful Glutton, John Kessler) so I sort of knew what to expect when I walked into the tiny bare-bones space.

(Of COURSE I remembered that it is BYOB AFTER we had arrived – so I promptly sent Greg to the liquor store.   Don’t forget your booze, kids.)

The menu was, predictably, much more extensive than that of the Yumbii truck – but still rather succinct.  Cari and I let the boys choose and they returned with a MOUNTAIN of food.  Here’s what we ate:

Tacos: Bulgogi (beef) and Dakgogi (chicken) which were prepared with lettuce, green onion, and green cabbage tossed in soy sesame vinaigrette and onions, cilantro, lime and jack cheese
Burrito: Pork with kimchee fried rice and the same garnish as the tacos
From the “street snacks” section we selected:
Quesadilla: Bulgogi, roasted onions, and jack cheese
Gogi-Nachos: chips, jack cheese, topped with ribeye beef
Ko-Kuma: Tempura fried Korean sweet potatoes
Daeji Gogi Sliders: 2 spicy pork sliders with cucumber kimchee
Bibim-Bop: Beef, vegetables, fried egg with pepper sauce on top of rice

You guys.  This order was no joke. Particularly the Gogi-Nachos and the Bibim-Bop.  They were HUGE!  I am here to tell you we ordered all of that (PLUS 2 plain tacos for an unnamed picky eater at the table) for a mere $11/person!  I die.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:  I’m not a foodie, I’m just a party girl who loves to eat. This food ROCKED. MY. WORLD. And I’m pretty sure I share that sentiment with my dining partners.  We had enough food to feed and army and we did some serious damage, if I do say so myself.  Every bite was amazing.

I didn’t take any pictures because a) while delicious, I’m not sure I could snap an attractive picture of this meal and b) the food was GONE before I could reach for my camera!

Bonus: we got to hang with McKenzie and Tom– the owners of Hankook – and get the Q+DD straight from the source!

Tom, who owned Tomas in Norcross and Wok-In Wok-Out in Duluth, and who previously held the title of executive chef at the Buckhead Diner, let us know that he decided to trade his white tablecloths for delicious, affordable fare.  A strategy fueled by a down economy and a love for street food.

Oh and McKenzie?  Totally charming and adorable. I don’t know if it was the fact that she helped us order with an amazing amount of enthusiasm for food she has undoubtedly eaten a zillion times or that she gabbed with us at our table long after the restaurant had closed and humored me by taking our picture outside…

…but I may or may not have involuntarily hugged her. (Ok, so I did.)

She let us know that they do absolutely zero advertising and rely solely on word-of-mouth so I definitely want to do my part.  This place was fantastic, and it’s just a hop-skip-and a jump off the beaten path – so I encourage you to check it out!

And take me with you. YUM.

xx, L

Hankook Taqueria
(404) 352-8881
1341 Collier Rd NW
Atlanta, GA 30318

(not pictured: mich (flounder))

We’ve been getting together a few times a year ever since we graduated from Texas, mostly for weddings (as pictured above), but since no one’s gotten married this year, we planned a little reunion weekend instead + are going to Dahlonega to visit the Georgia Wine Country!  My total + complete heaven…

Dahlonega. Hello!

It’s going to be so nice + relaxing! 

If we weren’t planning to be in Dahlonega, we would DEFINITELY be spending Saturday @ Cabbagetown’s 2010 Chomp + Stomp Chili Cook-Off + Festival + 5K Run! 

Cabbagetown’s Chomp + Stomp was created to celebrate the heritage and local flavor of the neighborhood, as well as benefit Cabbagetown Park.  Slick + CK + I went last year and had so much freaking fun!  It really is very deserving of its Creative Loafing Award for “Best Intown Hipster Hootenanny” (greatest word ever?  i’m thinking so…)!

Chomp + Stomp 2009

Chomp + Stomp 2009

More info on Chomp + Stomp here:  EAT UP!

Whatever you’re doing this weekend – bring a thick jacket!  It’s getting really chilly in the A!   Burrrrrrrrr! 

xx, L

st. pat's 2009

st. pat's 2010

Green beer + pinching strangers…count me in! 

However, I do absolutely love Halloween.  It’s an incredibly close #2.  And, I take it VERY seriously. 

cat (boring, but whatev.)

jailbird martha

kanye west + gold digger

electric socket (plug: not pictured)

tex mex

viking

million dollar baby

military pin-ups

Costuming takes commitment + months of planning, people.  However, this year my costume has already been decided for me.  I’m not quite sure how I feel about that yet, but I am definitely excited for what we have planned…

I’m going w/ Slick + co. to the Florida vs. Georgia game in Jacksonville! 

So, I will be pretending to be a Florida fan for the entire holiday weekend!  It will absolutely take a serious commitment on my behalf to pull this one off.  It is going to be SO fun!   My challenge now is to somehow make jorts + a mullet super cute.   I really just want to fit in…

hot

Or, I’ve been contemplating these as backups:

super sexy ref

Vertical stripes are flattering, but I am a little concerned that I might get cold.  In case the weather plummets, this may be a solid alternative outfit to consider:

full gator

I don’t know.  I just really wish they made this in my size:

I know I’ll be able to come up with something to fully demonstrate my commitment to the holiday, but I’m kinda hitting a road block.  I’m almost a month and a half away – the pressure is on!

Go Longhorns Gators!  

PSA:  For those staying in Atlanta for the #2 best holiday of the year, it’s time to dust off the ol’ thinking cap and start working on your creative costumes!  The clock is ticking. 

And, I will judge you.  Fact.

pets are just too easy...

Hooray for Halloween 2010! 

 xx, L

I really like the restaurants + bars in the area (i.e. Grindhouse Killer Burgers in the Sweet Auburn Market), but I honestly feel like I am going to get jumped when I park my car and walk into Edgewood establishments.  And, my Mace recently got confiscated at the airport.

However, if you are going to potentially risk your life (only kinda kidding) to go to a restaurant or bar in the Atlanta area, I highly recommend visiting Noni’s Bar + Deli.  Slick, Christine and some other folks + I went a few weeks ago and I really thought it was a cool place to hang out.

There’s parking for the bar in the alley next to it off of Edgewood.  I strongly suggest parking there and walking in the back door as opposed to parking in the area that Slick and I chose behind the restaurant.  (Although, I was more than prepared to use my golf umbrella as a weapon.  True story.  I’m tougher than I look.)

Noni’s is so freaking cute inside, I can’t stand it. 

Please witness:

The beer glasses w/ her picture on them are my personal fav. 

We were in the mood for food + a little booze, so we sat down at one of the tables in the back that could fit a large group.  The menu at Noni’s is small, but looked satisfying to everyone.  Most of us ended up with the Stella: a simple caprese salad sandwich + an arugula salad that we got instead of fries. 

Slick ordered the Jersey: sweet coppa, hot sopressata, provolone, shredded lettuce, pepperoncini, tomato, deli mustard + garlic aioli vinaigrette on a hoagie roll.  Also, this “create your own” pasta dish was v. popular at our table: homemade tagliatelle w/ pancetta cream sauce + local sausage.  I think we pretty much all took a bite of it.  

Everything was really good!  I definitely prefer this kind of bar food to soggy nachos (although there is certainly a time + place) and tasteless chicken sandwiches.

Even the menu was cute!

the bar at noni's

Insider Info:  Rumor has it that David Cross hangs out at Noni’s when he’s in town. 

tobias!

Check it out if you are in the Edgewood area.  I liked the scene and the better-than-average food selection and beer list.  The bartenders are really friendly, too. 

I mean it, though, if you end up parking on one of the side streets off of Edgewood while en route to Noni’s – you may want to seriously consider getting creative re. potential weaponry w/in your purse or pockets.  Better to be safe than sorry…  (And, on that note I am officially my mom.)

xx, L

Noni’s Bar + Deli
357 Edgewood Ave. SE
Atlanta, GA  30312
404.343.1808
www.nonisdeli.com

Yesssssssssssss!  (I just can’t get enough of these sexy bloodsuckers…)

True Blood Season 3 starts tonight!  Don’t miss it – 9:00 p.m. EST on HBO.  Christine and I will be glued.

And, please remember:

This is big.

xx, L

I really do love this festival.  (Then, why don’t you marry it?)  Here’s me last year trying to convince Christine that she should buy me some ridiculous wire tiara.  She didn’t…

"but i want a golden goose NOW!"

Whatever, I got over it eventually…  Anyway, here’s the Q+DD on the Inman Park Festival:

During the last full weekend in April each year, Inman Park presents a neighborhood festival widely regarded as Atlanta’s most spirited and eclectic.  The 39th Annual Inman Park Spring Festival and Tour of Homes takes place on Saturday and Sunday, April 24 – 25, 2010. 

Directions to Inman Park: http://www.inmanpark.org/direct.html

Top Five Reasons* Why You Have to Join Me @ the Festival:

5-  Unlike the Dogwood Festival, you can actually afford stuff at the massive Inman Park street market without having to empty your savings account.  Vendors sell everything from antique furniture to unique handcrafted wares.

4-  FESTIVAL FOOD!  Let’s hear it for turkey legs + cotton candy!  (You will be walking around all day - so leave your calorie-counting self @ home, because you’ll just burn off whatever you eat there.  Fact.)  Also, there’s live music and dance performances going on throughout the weekend.

3-   There’s a parade!  It’s led by the Inman Park Butterfly, and followed by floats, bands, art cars, politicians, drill teams, Kelly’s Seed and Feed Marching Abominable Band, clowns, jugglers, etc. – you get the idea.  The parade ends with the appearance of the Inman Park Trash Monarch, perched atop the throne-a street sweeper.

2-  The Festival centerpiece, the Tour of Homes, features incredible turn-of-the-century Victorian Painted Ladies and Craftsman bungalows, as well as original contemporary designs and loft conversions.

Get Tour of Homes Tickets: http://bit.ly/bVTZEo

1-  I mean…I’ll be there.  HELLO!

*Not part of the Top Five, but still noteworthy:  Michelob Ultra is an Inman Park Festival sponsor.  This means that you can day-drink to your heart’s delight and then run a marathon – just like Lance Armstrong.

i believe everything advertisers feed me

See you @ Inman! 

xx, L

Yesterday was another absolutely gorgeous day in Atlanta.  In need of some sunshine, Christine and I decided to meet for lunch at a nearby restaurant w/ a patio.  If the sun in out – so are Christine and I. 

well hello, sunshine!

We decided to give HOBNOB a shot.  We had no problem parking, even though I’d anticipated otherwise, because they have valet service even during lunch.  Since it was a bit warm for us in our biz cas. work attire, we sat on the covered patio and enjoyed a nice breeze from the street. 

As I perused the menu, I noticed that it seemed a bit burger-heavy, but that they all sounded really good.  HOBNOB lists beer recommendations under most of the menu items, which I think is a nice touch.  I saw someone’s order of the Braised Short Rib Tacos come out of the kitchen, and they looked pretty darn delicious.  The folks at the table next to us were chowing down on the Soft Pretzels w/ warm cheese + beer dip.  I honestly had to control my urge to steal one from their table when they weren’t looking…  They smelled great!

I ordered the HOBNOB Slow Roasted Pork Sandwich (w/ toasted bun + slaw + homemade beer BBQ sauce):

Christine had the Lamb Burger (w/ tzatziki + feta cheese):

We both thought our food was sufficiently yummy + plentiful – and we thought the service was definitely above average.  Most of all, it was a perfect patio!  I’d even venture as far to say that it is one of my favorite patios in Atlanta. 

If you are looking to mix up your fancy bar food standbys, or just want a new patio to frequent for a little weekend day drinking – check out HOBNOB.  I’ll see you there.  I’m a hater no longer…

xx, L

HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern
1551 Piedmont Ave NE
Atlanta, GA  30324
404.968.2258
www.hobnobatlanta.com