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ATTENTION AVENUE Q FANS!

03/11/2010 in What we're Doing, What we're Watching by Lindsay | 2 comments

Avenue Q is back in town in May!  Hooray!!  (I am a fantastic poet, don’t you agree?)

Although Slick + I just saw Spring Awakening @ the Fox Theatre last night w/ the Barocai…

@ the Fox through March 14! Get tix ASAP!

…and it was wonderful, all I can think about is Avenue Q!! 

Avenue Q, Spring Awakening and Jersey Boys are my favorite plays I’ve seen on Broadway.  I’ve seen them in Atlanta, too, and I think they all have good traveling casts – particularly Ave. Q.  I’m not thrilled that Ave. Q is going to be @ Cobb instead of the Fox this time, but hopefully the acoustics will be better in a new location.  (Love the Fox, but that theatre has the worst acoustics EVER.)

Anyway, I hope you have all already seen Ave. Q, but if you haven’t – you absolutely must!  This play is perfect for everyone – except, well, children.  Parents: Don’t be fooled by the cute puppets!  However, I definitely suggest you drag along your football-lovin’, anti-musical, short attention span buddies and better halves to the show!  They’ll love it.  Promise.  :)

Pre-sale tickets are already available.  For a limited time, you can insert the password “IMPACT” into the Ticketmaster promotional box and receive $5.00 off of each ticket purchased.  Ticketmaster will make a $5.00 donation to the organization, Positive Impact.

More on Positive Impact here:
http://www.positiveimpact-atl.org/

Click here to look for Avenue Q dates + seats and purchase! 
http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/1c8d3i?camefrom=CFC_BAAABS_AveQPriority

See you @ the show!  :)

xx, L

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Cooking w/ L+L – Bruschetta + Cheese Stuffed Chicken

03/10/2010 in What we're Cooking, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | No comments

Bruschetta + Cheese Stuffed Chicken is Slick’s favorite dinner entree that I make and it’s SOOOOO incredibly easy-peasy.  The recipe can be found on KRAFT’s website (below, too, obv.) and was given to me from a culinary whiz colleague.  I made it – Slick loved it – and I passed it along to two of my best girlfriends, who have since made it for their husbands.  Their husbands raved about it, too!  It’s a little ridiculous how simple this recipe is, but it doesn’t look or taste simple!  Promise.

INGREDENTS:

- 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
- 8 small boneless skinless chicken breasts halves (2 lbs.)
- 1/3 cup KRAFT Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing

DIRECTIONS:

Mix tomatoes, 1/2 cup of cheese and basil in a medium bowl.  Add stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.

Place chicken breasts on a cutting board.  Spread chicken with the stuffing mixture. 

Starting at the narrow end of the chicken, tightly roll up each breast.  Place the chicken, seam-side down, in a 9×13-inch baking dish.  Drizzle with dressing.

Bake 40 minutes on 350 degrees or until the chicken is done (165 degrees).  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake five more minutes or until the cheese is melted.  

voila!

Cool – serve – ENJOY!!

I hope it’s as big of a crowd pleaser for you as it’s been for me!  :)

xx, L

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How to Gain 30 Lbs. in 3 Days

03/05/2010 in DC, Vacation, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 5 comments

Hang out with the Kastorfs.  It’s as simple as that…

the kastorfs

In an attempt to come to terms with my denial about their recent move from Atlanta, Slick + I visited Kurt + Anjali in the District over the weekend.  When we arrived on Friday evening, we had dinner with them and Slick’s twin brother, Smooth, who lives in the city + co. at Zaytinya. 

zaytinya

Zaytinya (http://www.zaytinya.com/) is a Mediterranean restaurant in Chinatown that is star chef Jose Andres’ culinary playground.  Andres is a James Beard Award winner, defeated Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America and appeared as a guest judge on Top Chef.  He is often credited for bringing the small plates concept to America.  Needless to say, I was very excited to eat at Zaytinya.  And, it was even better than expected – I strongly recommend this restaurant.

puffed pita bread @ zaytinya - i ate a TON

We had lunch the next day at Ben’s Chili Bowl (http://www.benschilibowl.com).  Ever since Obama dined there a few days before the Inaguration, I’ve been interested in trying the famous chili dogs at this historic restaurant. 

ben's chili bowl

slick @ ben's

slick @ ben's

We ate absolutely wondrous things – chili dogs, chili cheese fries, etc – and we didn’t think twice about it.   :)

chili cheese fries @ ben's

Ben’s Chili Bowl was amazing.  I love its U Street location – not too far away from one of my favorite places to eat at in DC – Marvin (Marvin Gaye’s restaurant). 

More on Marvin’s here: http://www.marvindc.com/.

kurt + slick eating ben's chili half-smokes

very full

Kurt + Anj + Slick cooked dinner on Saturday night.  Obviously, I’m big on going out for meals (research for the blog…), but the way these three cooked – I’d be happy eating at home from here on out! 

food network cameras really should have been there...

Everything was homemade from scratch.  So impressive!!

Caprese Salad garnished w/ Doritos (Slick’s touch):

genius?

Vermont Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese Straws:

my favorite part of the meal

Peach Gnocchi in a Champagne and Shallot Sauce:

heavenly

(Brace yourself for this one) Maple Mascarpone Cheesecake served with Pistachio Ice Cream, Cranberries stewed in Raspberry Ginger Beer, Orange Ginger Reduction, Maple Syrup and garnished with a Walnut Tuille:

masterpiece

I ate sooooooo much, I couldn’t breathe after the meal.  Seriously.  That didn’t stop me, though, from finishing about three bottles of wine w/ Anj over the course of the night…  :)

We ventured out to Co Co. Sala (http://www.cocosala.com/) for brunch on Sunday.  A colleague in DC sang praises about this restaurant after she went for dinner one evening – and ever since has been telling me that I absolutely have to go there when I’m in town. 

barely standing...but ready to eat!

The menu is based around chocolate and the food is creative, well-paired and incredibly artful.  Although we were all pretty hungover from the prior evening, we thought brunch was delicious and satisfying.  I loved the restaurant’s plush decor and appreciated how well thought out each knife, fork, dish and glass was – everything was very detailed. 

beautiful entree @ co co. sala

decadent desserts @ co co. sala

We schmoozed with Co Co. Sala’s general manager after our meal and he told us that the restaurant has a pretty lively dessert + drinks scene – very loungy with house music…  Personally, “house music” wasn’t the greatest selling point for me, but I would definitely go back to Co Co. Sala when I am in DC again to try more of their delicious desserts and see what the evening holds there.  We left the restaurant full + with a parting gift from the GM: CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON!

it wasn't around for long...

Matchbox Vintage Pizza Bistro (http://www.matchboxdc.com/) was the last restaurant I wanted to check off of my list this trip. 

get it? get it?!

Anj + Slick + I grabbed an early dinner there: the 3.6.9. mini-burgers w/ gouda + onion straws and one of their signature pizzas cooked in a wood-fired masonry oven.  Although I thought the pizza was fair at best, Matchbox’s onion straws were enough to bring me back to the Chinatown restaurant as soon as I am in DC again.  I honestly don’t have any other way to accurately describe them than they were just, well, AWESOME!

matchbox's 3.6.9. mini-burgers w/ onion straws

We ate a lot over the three day trip.  But, don’t worry about our health – we did some walking.  In fact, we spent Saturday @ the Department of Justice:

i found a familiar flag!

slick gave an important speech

We saw Julia Child’s Kitchen @ the National Museum of American History:

amen!

julia's copper pots

And, we viewed the Hope Diamond + the extensive Mineral Exhibit @ the National Museum of Natural History:

the hope diamond in all its glory

want. those.

Although the trip went by in a blur, I’ll be holding onto the memories we made (ate?) for the next few weeks in my waistline.  Oh well, I enjoyed every bite – and it’s not swimsuit season quite yet… 

miss you guys already!!

Thanks, Anj + Kurt for such a super fun + incredibly delicious trip!

xx, L

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Hush Puppies + Hand Dryers

03/02/2010 in Grant Park, Midtown, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 7 comments

As previously mentioned in my Antico post, Mich + Justin were in town from NYC last week.  Since they hadn’t met Slick yet, we made plans to join them for dinner one evening.  They were staying in Grant Park, and so we thought it made sense to go some place local.  The first restaurant to pop into my mind was Six Feet Under. 

whoops!! - accidentally brought the remote to dinner in my purse. fact: i am the world's greatest roommate.

Which reminds me, I love Six Feet Under in Grant Park for exactly five reasons:

5 - Oyster Shooters
They have them and I think that’s awesome.  My favorite is the Six Feet Under: Absolut Peppar, Bloody Mary mix + Oyster, but the Bloody Bass-tard and the Oyster Kamikaze are really fun, too. 

Oyster Shooter

Check out a list of Six Feet’s Oyster Shooters here:
http://www.sixfeetunderatlanta.com/index.php?id=drinks

4 – The Best Hush Puppies in the History of the World. 
They are absolutely delish.  I like mine a bit underdone.  I’d eat hush puppies over french fries or onion rings any day – although I’d prefer not to have to choose.

Six Feet Under's shrimp + scallops in parchment + the remainder of my hush puppies

3 – Proximity to Oakland Cemetery
I love, love, love Oakland Cemetery – it’s easily one of my favorite attractions in Atlanta.  There are so many interesting, historic people like Margaret Mitchell, Bobby Jones + Maynard Jackson buried there.  I think it’s so fun to go on a walk through the garden cemetery on a pretty day and admire all the old crypts.  A few drinks at Six Feet Under afterwards makes for a really unique date*. 

*Attention Boys: This is not okay for a first date.  Repeat: Not okay for a first date + know your audience.

Oakland Cemetery

2 – The Staff
I have absolutely nothing profound to say here.  The service is good.  The staff kind of reminds me of a crew of shipmates.  I think that is cool and theme-appropriate for Six Feet.  That’s all.

what’s a pirate’s favorite letter??


1 – DYSON HAND DRYERS!!
Have y’all tried these yet?  Fact: Dyson Hand Dryers are the most powerful hand dryers in the whole wide world.  I’m a little obsessed with Dyson vacuum cleaners – so spotting these babies at Six Feet made my day!  (It doesn’t take much to excite me, obv.) 

Six Feet Under's Dyson hand dryers

I’m just saying…what else could you possibly ask for in a restaurant? 

Although the Grant Park location is my favorite, Six Feet is also located in West Midtown near the Atlanta Humane Society.  The West Midtown location has a great rooftop patio that I’ve really enjoyed in the summer for drinks. 

xx, L

Six Feet Under – Grant Park
437 Memorial Drive SE
Atlanta, GA  30312
404.523.6664
www.sixfeetunderatlanta.com

Six Feet Under on Urbanspoon

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Trend Alert! Hipster Puppies

02/23/2010 in Pampered Pooches, Random Musings by Lindsay | 1 comment

How hip is your pupster?

(this one takes the cake!)

I mean…this is the most amazing blog I’ve come across since, well, we started the Q+DD!  AMAZING!!  :)

Check out more hipster heartbreakers like these guys + submit your pup @
http://hipsterpuppies.tumblr.com/  These pooches are just too cool for school!

This weekend, Slick and I were finally ready to move on from our beloved Reggie, and we adopted Big Red.  We hope he leads a much longer life than poor, old Reg!

Big Red

(Someone please get me a puppy…)

xx, L

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Eat Squad Log #3: Canton House

02/22/2010 in Buford Highway, Eat Squad, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

In an attempt to further explore Buford HWY and challenge our taste buds, the Eat Squad met at Canton House for dim sum* on Wednesday.  Canton House is not at all difficult to find.  If you are coming from our neck of the woods (Buckhead + Midtown), drive up Buford HWY until you see the largest chandlier known to man through the windows of a restaurant with Chinese characters on it.

*Note: Dim sum is commonly eaten on Sunday afternoons or during lunch, however, Canton House offers dim sum carts in the evening, as well.

Canton House - street view

underbelly of the massive Canton House chandelier

Once we found the restaurant and walked inside, we were immediately shown to our table.  Less than two minutes later, the servers began accosting us with stainless steel dim sum carts. 

dim sum cart - steamed dishes

dim sum cart - steamed dishes

dim sum cart - fried items

We tried almost everything on both carts – with the exception of tripe and chicken feet.  My personal favorite items were the shrimp dumplings and the pork sticky buns.  Unfortunately for me, though, Slick wasn’t sharing his sticky buns…

not sharing

Although the dim sum plates quickly filled me up, the boys were hungry for more.  We ordered a heaping plate of chicken fried rice, which I hadn’t eaten since I was 15 at the old Prestonwood Mall in Dallas, and pork chow fun, which I thought was way too oily – but still pretty tasty. 

Eat Squad

Eat Squad

We shared everything by way of the massive lazy susan on our table.  When we requested the bill, I tried to mentally tally what I thought the final price would be for the incredible amount of food we ate.  Much to our surprise, we all got out of there for roughly $12.50 per person!  We were absolutely shocked at how cheap everything was.  Dim sum @ Canton House is truly a cultured culinary experience that won’t put a dent in your wallet!  Just a little sum-thing to think about…  :)

roshal w/ the lucky buddha

On the way home, Slick and I ranked our Eat Squad expeditions so far on Buford Highway and dim sum held down my #1 spot, followed closely by our Bangladeshi dinner @ Panahar.  Slick’s favorite ES meal was Korean BBQ: Hanil Kwan was definitely a fun culinary experience, but I could take it or leave it. 

I’m really looking forward to our next stop on the road!  My vote is for Thai… 

xx, L

Canton House
4825 Buford HWY
Chamblee, GA  30341
770.936.9030

Canton House on Urbanspoon

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The Morning After…

02/20/2010 in Festivals, Parties, Vendors!, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 4 comments

Yesterday was Slick’s birthday.

the birthday boy

We celebrated @ One Star Ranch in Buckhead, and then hit up Five Paces.  Slick and I got our traditional it’s-your-birthday-late-night-pizza, but…

"you only turn 27 once!"

…he’s feeling like THIS now:

uh oh

Obviously, it’s time to catch a second wind for Oysterfest this afternoon @ Steamhouse Lounge.

First, y’all have to see this: Cari Barocas from Sugar Sugar made Slick the most incredible birthday cake ever!

Happy Birthday!

Isn’t that amazing? They are cupcakes!! :)

Check out all the other delicious treats Cari’s made recently @ www.doublethesugar.com

"Honey...Oh, Sugar Sugar"

xx, L

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Incredibly Bold Statements

02/18/2010 in Midtown, PSAs, Random Musings, Suburbs, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 9 comments

When it comes to pizza, I’m really not kidding around. 

this is my serious face

I’ve said it many times before, but I’ll say it again:  For the past five years, Shorty’s has been my favorite pizza place in Atlanta.  Nothing could hold a candle to it.  I’d happily eat there two – maybe three – (don’t judge me) times a week.  Happily.

Well, on the Fourth of July this year, I was sipping some Firefly and catching some rays beside the Post Chastain (Acapulco) pool with friends when dinner was mentioned.  I suggested Shorty’s, because “it is the best pizza in town.”  A friend’s fiance quickly chimed in that he considers himself to be a distinguished pizza connoisseur and that Vintage Pizzeria is, in fact, the best pizza in town.  Riiiiiiight. 

I wasn’t up for an argument in my tipsy + sunburned + America-loving state, but I doubted that he was anywhere remotely close to correct.  His bold statement did, however, spark my interest…

It’s taken us a while, but on Sunday, Slick + some friends and I finally tried Vintage Pizzeria.  (Afterwards, I made everyone see The Wolfman.  I’m still really sorry, guys…) 

Vintage Pizzeria

Here’s what I liked about Vintage:  I thought the pizzeria’s random location nearby the Chamblee MARTA station right off from Peachtree Industrial’s sprawling car dealerships was kind of cool.  I honestly didn’t know there was anything interesting in that area that would appeal to a demographic aside from sleazy car salesmen.  Vintage Pizzeria sits directly across the street from railroad tracks and an adorable little dessert trailer called the Frosty Caboose that serves ice cream and a few other sweet treats.

At Vintage, we ordered Carmen’s Own + the Hawaiian pizza* (my favorite) + some wine/ beer.  They pour well at Vintage – just FYI.  :)

Vintage Pizzeria

Vintage Pizzeria

*Note: Why is it that photos of pizza always look like the “what to watch out for” mole pictures at a dermatologists office?  Always – ick.

I have to say that I wasn’t incredibly impressed with Vintage’s decor or atmosphere, but the pizza was above average.  Definitely not the best in town, but possibly a nice alternative to Shorty’s.  I’ll give it that – although, I never thought I needed one.  That is…until I went to Antico Pizza Napoletana with close friends in from New York yesterday.  (I’m so sorry, Shorty’s…)

Antico Pizza Napoletana

Antico is, hands down, the best pizza I’ve ever had in my entire life.  (How’s that for a stand alone statement?!)

I’ve eaten pizza in Italy, New York, Chicago – everywhere that I would think is important, and frankly, Antico is it for me.  I am well-aware that I talk up a lot of restaurants on the blog, but Antico is different.  You have to try it immediately.  (No exclamation point is needed.  This is simply a statement of fact.)  For those who don’t live in Atlanta, come into town and visit me and I’ll take you.  Deal?  Done.

Antico is located in a nondescript space off of Hemphill and 14th, sandwiched between Georgia Tech’s campus and Atlantic Station.  When I walked in, I was greeted by an Italian employee and directed to the hanging menu above the register.  My friends and I decided to share a Margarita pizza with pepperoni*.  We ordered, grabbed some sodas and then seated ourselves at a communal table in the kitchen.  At first, I thought it might be strange to have overflow seating in the restaurant’s kitchen, but I LOVED it!  We got to watch the Antico employees (mostly Italians) kneading the dough, making the pizzas and throwing them into the brick ovens  – all while loud music was bumping throughout the kitchen’s speakers. 

Ovens @ Antico

Brick Ovens @ Antico

Our pizza was delivered to us on a cookie sheet and IT. WAS. AMAZING!  Truly amazing! 

Margarita Pizza @ Antico

The sauce and dough were particularly tasty, while at the same time not overpowering or too filling.  The cheese tasted incredibly fresh and the pepperoni was thinly sliced and crispy.  You just don’t get more authentic than this!  The only problem, though, was that we completely devoured it within minutes.  We immediately regretted not ordering more.  

*Note: A number of people were eating the Bianca pizza (w/ ricotta + buffalo mozzarella) and it looked awesome.

Antico is open Monday – Saturday from 11:30 a.m. – Until Out of Dough.  How cute is that??

I love Antico’s pizza!  I really do.  Shorty’s, sadly, is a thing of the past for me.  (Farewell, old friend.)  As far as I’m concerned, there is only one place worthy of eating pizza at in Atlanta now – and that is Antico Pizza Napoletana.  I’ll see you there very soon.

xx, L

Vintage Pizzeria
5434 Peachtree Road
Chamblee, GA  30341
678.646.0400
www.vintagepizzeria.com

Vintage Pizzeria on Urbanspoon

Antico Pizza Napoletana
1093 Hemphill Ave.
Atlanta, GA  30318
404.724.2333
www.anticopizza.it

Antico Pizza Napoletana on Urbanspoon

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The Secret to Life.

02/17/2010 in Vacation, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 6 comments

Slick and Stuart were very sneaky over the past few weeks…

Slick + Stuart

Slick + Stuart

Somehow these amazing (but never plan-oriented) boys pulled together a very thoughtful + incredibly romantic, surprise V-Day getaway for Stacey + me @ Chateau Elan! 

Chateau Elan

Here’s the Q+DD on Chateau Elan:
Chateau Elan is the largest winery in Georgia and is located in Braselton, 40 miles north of Atlanta.  It was founded in 1982 by Dr. Don Panoz who came from the pharmaceutical industry.  Their wines have won many regional awards including 19 from the Atlanta International Wine Festival, two from The Dallas Morning News Wine Competition and numerous Florida State Fair awards.  The facility is 3,500 acres, but only 50 are dedicated to the vineyard.  Georgia wines are marked “Founder’s Reserve,” but other bottles with the Chateau Elan label can include grapes from a sister property in California.  (www.wikipedia.com)

itineraries in hand...

Once we found out where we were going, we expected to drink a lot of mostly locally grown wine and RELAX RELAX RELAX.  We did not, however, expect to learn “the secret to life” from an enthusiastic Chateau Elan employee.

Wine Tour

Wine Tour

The Chateau Elan wine tour was just one of the many fun events the boys had planned for us during our “V-Day Extravaganza,” but it was the most memorable.  We learned all about CE’s grape harvesting, wine making and bottling process, and then got to taste a few of their signature wines. 

Wine Tasting

After the tasting – in hopes of scoring another heavy pour – the four of us stuck around to chew the fat with some of the CE wine experts + employees.  We spent the majority of our time talking to a particularly friendly, white-haired wine pourer.  Much to our surprise, he told us that he was 77 years old.  Shocked, we asked him how he looked so young and had so much energy.  (This gentleman was in remarkable shape.)  In a beautiful accent, he informed us that “the secret to life” is eating like a diabetic, or watching what you eat at each and every meal, and marrying your very best friend.  Just a little something to think about…

Chateau Elan

We enjoyed a really nice four-course dinner at Cafe Elan that evening, took advantage of the hot tub at the Spa and treated ourselves to a delicious brunch at Le Clos on Sunday morning (wearing our robes and all), but still, my favorite part of the trip was our brief + incredibly enlightening conversation with the Australian wine expert at the tasting.

Spa @ Chateau Elan

Brunch @ Le Clos

What a memorable little trip!  Stacey and I were very impressed with the boys, and we can’t wait to see what may be up their sleeves in the future!  :)

Way to go, Slick + Stuart!

xx, L

Chateau Elan
100 Rue Charlemagne
Braselton, GA  30517
678.425.0900
www.chateauelan.com

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Cupcakes To Write Home About

02/16/2010 in Buckhead, Guilty Pleasures, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 4 comments

I’ve died and gone to cupcake heaven!  I never thought I’d enjoy eating a cupcake as much as I love eating petit fours, but Cami Cakes has completely won me over!

Let’s take a step back, shall we? 

I’ve never turned my nose up at a cupcake, but they aren’t my favorite dessert in the world.  I can take ‘em or leave ‘em pretty much any day.  Magnolia (NYC), Sprinkles (Dallas) and Belly General Store (Atlanta) all have excellent cupcakes, but I’m not writing home about them.  Hey Cupcake (Austin) is definitely the closest I’ve come to cupcake-on-the-brain.

Hey Cupcake (Austin, TX)

Until now…  A girl in my book club brought a box of Cami Cakes to a meeting last week, and well, that’s all it took.  I’m officially hooked!  After talking about/ thinking about Cami Cakes for what seemed like days and days and days, Slick and I popped in yesterday after a visit to the Atlanta Humane Society to get a few treats for a little dinner celebration we had last night @ Fat Matt’s (more on that later). 

I’d frequently passed Cami Cakes on drives down Peachtree St. from Midtown to Buckhead, but I’d never noticed it.  It’s situated in a short, kinda boring strip (dry cleaners, tax advice, etc…)  nearby Varasano’s - so it’s easily overlooked.  I will most certainly NOT miss it from now on!

When you walk inside Cami Cakes, you are overwhelmed with the wonderful aroma of freshly baked cupcakes.  Slick’s first question to the gentleman behind the counter was, “How IN THE WORLD do you work here and you’re not 900 pounds?!”  Slick has excellent people skills.  :)

The cupcakes are artistic and creative, while at the same time flavorful and very moist.  Nothing is compromised in the making of these beauties!  You can choose from delicious flavors in their long glass case including – THE ELVIS: Creamy banana and peanut butter frosting topping their classic chocolate cake garnished with a hint of salt, and SWEET POTATO: Cinnamon and real sweet potato mixed into their buttery yellow cake and topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.  Yum!

We eventually left the store with a small box of the following:

Top Left – RED VELVET: Their classic Red Velvet cake with cream cheese frosting studded with lightly toasted pecans.  (Their best seller!)

Top Right – CHOCOLATE COCONUT PECAN: Rich and creamy caramel frosting with loads of coconut and pecans topping their classic chocolate cake.  (My least favorite…)

Bottom Right – CARROT: Moist spice cake loaded with carrots and pecans beneath cream cheese frosting studded with lightly toasted pecans.  (Absolutely delicious.)

Bottom Left – CLASSIC CAMI: Their signature yellow cake with classic pink buttercream frosting.  (Can’t beat the classics!)

After dinner, our cupcakes were gone in a flash!  SUGAR RUSH!!

Stop by Cami Cakes ASAP and you’ll see what I mean.  This just may be the second happiest place on Earth (next to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, of course!) 

Welcome to Cupcake HEAVEN!

xx, L

Cami Cakes
2221-B Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.748.4288
www.camicakes.com

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“That Milk-a-holic, Lindsay…”

02/08/2010 in Parties, Sports, What we're Watching by Lindsay | 4 comments

Ever since the numerous (almost too many to count) Dallas Cowboys’ Super Bowl wins in the mid-90’s…

pvrj-923393-1

…I’ve only been watching the Super Bowl for one reason: the commercials.  Admittedly, I’m pretty much the worst person to invite to a Super Bowl party.  If asked, I will make food (last night I whipped up a hearty 6-layer dip), but I require complete silence during the commercials.  Or, I will nicely – but sternly – request that we rewind and watch them again.  Sorry, it is what it is. :)

I didn’t think that last night’s commercials were the best I’ve ever seen in my life, but I definitely had a few favorites.  Here’s a countdown of my Top 5 Favorite 2010 Super Bowl Commercials:

5 – Google: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-super-bowl-commercials/09000d5d816441a2/Google-commercial
This one made me feel all fuzzy inside.  (Or was that the chicken wings?)

4 – The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-super-bowl-commercials/09000d5d81644114/Universal-Studios-Orlando-commercial
I “want to go to there” IMMEDIATELY.  Can’t wait until it opens in April!

3 – Kia Sorento: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-super-bowl-commercials/09000d5d81643d98/Kia-commercial
My favorite part was the robot doing the robot.  Brilliant.

2 – Doritos: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-super-bowl-commercials/09000d5d816448d0/Doritos-smack-commercial
This kid killed Slick.  “Keep your hands off my momma…keep your hands off my Doritos!!”

1 – E*TRADE: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-super-bowl-commercials/09000d5d81644636/eTrade-commercial
Every year, E*TRADE does my favorite Super Bowl commercials.  I just love the talking babies.  Lindsay, “the milk-a-holic…” was TBE (the. best. ever.)  AMAZING!

0

Not ranked commercials that I also really liked:

Alice in Wonderland: http://superbowlads.fanhouse.com/2010/disney-alice-in-wonderland/
Tim Burton is so visionary.  I can’t wait to see this!

Bridgestone Tires: http://superbowlads.fanhouse.com/2010/bridgestone-bachelor-party/
This one made me giggle.

I have to say that the best part of the entire Super Bowl didn’t even happen on CBS.  It was on Animal Planet: PUPPY BOWL 2010. 

Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl

Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl

I literally almost died watching this.  It started around 3:00 p.m. and was pretty much non-stop coverage of puppies playing in a football-themed pin in Discovery Studios – referee and all.  My favorite parts were when the referee threw flags for “illegal use of paws” and “unnecessary ruff-ruff-ness!” 

Puppy Bowl

Puppy Bowl

Bunny rabbits were situated around the pin next to pom poms as cheerleaders, hamsters flew in a blimp and there was a kitty halftime show.  KITTY HALFTIME SHOW!  I don’t even like cats and I thought this was unbelieveably precious! 

Kitty Halftime Show

Kitty Halftime Show

Watch Puppy Bowl VI highlights here: http://animal.discovery.com/videos/puppy-bowl-vi/

P.S. Did anyone see Kim Kardashian at the game?  I was looking for her the whole time and she wasn’t shown once.  Just saying…

xx, L

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A Good Place to Be.

01/25/2010 in Midtown, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

Ormsby’s is Atlanta’s new hot spot. 

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I went on Saturday evening with some folks, and was sold after only taking approximately four steps into the door.  I am already rallying troops to go back on Friday evening.  Yes, I’m already making my Friday night plans at 1:30 p.m. on Monday…

Here are my Top 5 Reason’s Why Ormsby’s is My New Favorite Bar – and Will Soon Be Yours: 

5- Creative Food Menu:  As soon as you walk into Ormsby’s, you see people chowing down on hand-cut fries and massive ale battered onion rings.  They were delicious, as were the hand-dipped corn dogs that melted in your mouth.  Check out the “Bangers, Links & Wieners” section of the menu, too.  I devoured Aunt Naumi’s arugula salad and The Richard, which was a very tasty classic club.  The Bruno burger looked hearty and delicious, as well.  Hands down, our favorite item on the menu was the house-made cheese whiz dipping sauce for the fries.  Trust me on this one.

Ormsby's upstairs restaurant + bar area

Ormsby's upstairs restaurant + bar area

4- Killer Atmosphere:  As Lauren says, the crowd at Ormsby’s is very PLU: lots of “people like us.”  Everyone seemed laid back, not too dressed up but still lookin’ nice, folks were friendly – apologized when they bumped into you at the bar, and – single ladies – there were a lot of lookers.  The crowd seemed to be about 70% male. 

Ormsby’s is located in the same building as Abattoir on the West Side of Midtown off of Howell Mill and 14th St. - which is a really cool area in my opinion.  Much like Abattoir, Ormsby’s decor incorporates a lot of wood and heavy furniture.  Cozy nooks around the tavern make you feel like you’ve been hanging out there for years.  Free parking is just icing on the cake.

3- Indoor Bocce Ball Court:  This is so amazing.  Bocce ball is “so hot right now.”  It works at Leon’s, but it’s outside.  Ormsby’s took it a step further and designed their bocce ball court below the dining area in the tavern’s basement.  There was a substantial crowd waiting in line for their shot at the court, but we had no problem finding a place to stand and watch a game.  Absolutely brilliant idea.  Also available at Ormsby’s, you’ll find pool, darts and backgammon.

Orsby's indoor bocce ball court

Orsby's indoor bocce ball court

2- Impressive Craft Beer + Wine/Cocktail List:  18 creative beers on tap and nearly 40 in bottles.  Everyone I was with drank something different – and they were all worthy of a taste.  I think that is at least 50 good excuses for a visit to Ormsby’s.  Albarino by the glass didn’t hurt my opinion of the tavern, either…(predictable, I guess.)

Beer @ Ormsby's

Beer @ Ormsby's

1- TABLETOP SHUFFLEBOARD!:  This made my entire night.  Tabletop shuffleboard is my favorite game ever – and (sorry Slick) my impressive shuffling skills proved dominant once again in a heated boys vs. girls tournament.  The shuffleboard table is nice and too new to be warped or low on sand, which has always been my complaint about the tables at Twain’s.  (Love you, Twain’s.)  The line to play was shorter than expected, too. 

Tabletop Shuffleboard @ Ormsby's

Tabletop Shuffleboard @ Ormsby's

Ormsby’s tagline accurately sums up my experience, suggesting that it’s “a good place to be.”  I’d take it a big step further, though, and say it’s the best place I’ve been in Atlanta in a long time.  I know you are all going to like Ormsby’s as much as I do.  See you there soon – I’ll be the one racking up points at the shuffleboard table!  :)

not messing around...

not messing around...

xx, L

Ormsby’s
1170 Howell Mill Rd. NW
Atlanta, GA  30318
404.968.2033
http://www.ormsbysatlanta.com/

Ormsby's on Urbanspoon

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