Sorry not sorry.

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Canadian Tuxedo…kinda.

08/26/2010 in Beauty, Guilty Pleasures, Nails, Random Musings, Trend Alert! by Lindsay | 4 comments

Today at lunch, I ran to Lily’s to get a quickie manicure + pedicure in prep for The Atlanta Food Rave (on Friday) and the YLC Signature Event at the Buckhead Theatre (on Saturday).  I’ve made it a point over the past six to eight months not to wear reds on my nails, but instead rock purples, greens and navys as my go-tos.  Most importantly, I’d decided that I was very much against wearing the same color on my fingernails and toenails.  Total Canadian tuxedo fashion faux pas if you ask me…

ugh, just ANOTHER reason to dislike Mr. West

Today, I broke my streak.  Lily’s just got in OPI’s Fall/Winter 2010 Swiss Collection, and it’s g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s.!

I immediately grabbed the Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous, plopped down with Lily, and didn’t think twice about the Canadian Tuxedo I was about to get on both my fingernails and toenails.

OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous

It’s hot.  To me, it’s a funky party color, but classy + subtle enough to pull off at the office.  I’m in love!  (Sigh.)  The whole Swiss line is fantastic, but this color is definitely my favorite. 

Well, Canada, guess I’m headed back after all…

xx, L

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Dessert for Dessert Connoisseurs

08/20/2010 in Midtown, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

I have too many coupons in my purse.  I’m very quickly turning into my mother.  (Love you, mom, but still.)  So, I’ve made a promise to myself to stop hoarding coupons, Living Socials, Groupons, Scoutmobs and the like, and use/shed at least one a week.  This week, I used my Groupon for Tierra.  (NOT to be confused with Terra Grille, Mr. Shap…)

I drive by Tierra every workday on my way home.  However, in the 6+ years I’ve lived in Atlanta, I’ve only been there once about five years ago.  Tuesday night was my second time.  (The suspense builds…)  :)

Here’s the Q+DD on Tierra:  Tierra is a Latin American + Caribbean bistro featuring cuisines of South + Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico.  Tierra is the first and only authentic restaurant of its kind in Atlanta.  It has received high ratings from Zagat, which listed it among its “Top Restaurants in America.”  Tierra has consistently been included in the AJC’s “Top Fifty Restaurants” and has been on Atlanta Magazine’s ”Best of Atlanta” list every year since it opened.  Tierra’s recipes have been featured in Bob Appetit, Flavors and Atlanta Magazine.

So, there’s some hype.

The restaurant itself is teeny-tiny (only a few tables), but very cozy.  When we arrived, I’d forgotten how small it actually was.  We sat down, ordered some Malbec and started to make some dinner decisions.  Stacey and I relied heavily on the ingredient cheat sheets on the table to decode the menu, which I thought was actually kinda fun.  It’s the little things, people…  The boys started with the black bean soup w/ apple cured bacon, platanos fritos + creme fraiche.  It smelled delicious.

I wanted small plates for dinner, so I opted for the mussels in pasilla pepper broth w/ corn, jicama + cilantro (which was featured in Bon Appetit)…

tierra's famous mussels

…and the pionono – platanos filled with beef picadillo.

pionono

I have to be honest.  The mussels tasted kind of bland to me, but I LOVED the pionono.  The flavor + texture was absolutely superb.  Stac ordered a caesar salad + chilled cucumber soup, and the boys both chose the shrimp sauteed w/ garlic-lime sauce + served with coconut rice + kale as their entrees.  They ended up with spotless plates.

We decided to order dessert, and allowed our server to talk us into the tres leches cake.  She informed us that it was award-winning, but honestly, it didn’t look like much at all when it was delivered to our table.  It didn’t have to – it TASTED like heaven.  I’m not exaggerating when I say that it was literally gone in a flash.   We honestly debated getting another piece.  At one point, Stuart said that this was the most amazing dessert he’d ever eaten.  And you can quote him…

tres leches cake

All in all, I thought Tierra was good + I’m glad I went, but I wasn’t obsessed with it.  It was a bit too small for me, maybe a little too quiet, and frankly I was disappointed in the mussels.  I will, however, be back for the tres leches cake.  (I’ve been thinking about it ever since we devoured it.)

Tierra is a well-respected restaurant that has received a number of accolades – they are clearly doing something right.  Just because it wasn’t necessarily for me, doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying.  Give it a shot – who knows, it could end up being your favorite restaurant.  And when you do, order the second piece of cake. 

xx, L

Tierra Restaurant
1425 Piedmont Ave NE
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.874.5951
www.tierrarestaurant.com

Tierra on Urbanspoon

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Now Showing @ the HIGH…

08/09/2010 in Events!, Museums, Random Musings, What we're Doing by Lindsay | 3 comments

I’ve certainly been known to make eyebrow-raising decisions from time to time, i.e. (1) attempting to do crunches while holding a goblet of red wine – sorry roommate, (2) trying to change into my gym clothes while driving in traffic – sorry West Peachtree drivers…or should I say you’re welcome?, (3) insisting that a friend with a notoriously inaccurate arm/ balance issues toss me my cell phone across a swimming pool – sorry pretty pink Samsung RAZR and (4) asking a stranger on Ponce for a piggy-back ride to The Majestic after a long night out @ MJQ…  (Kids – PLEASE don’t try that at home.  Only recommended for experienced professionals.)

pretty sure THAT was THIS night

However, one of the greatest decisions I ever made was to study abroad in Spain during the second semester of my junior year at the University of Texas.  Hands down, it was the most amazing experience of my life (so far), and such an incredible personal growth period. 

For six months, I lived with what just has to have been the coolest host parents who have ever hosted a foreign college student, Maria Jose + Justo, who I’d frequently run into at a local pub at 4:00 a.m. on a random week night, and who were totally + completely laid back (“No pasa, nada, Lindssssssay!”) after I severely cracked (destroyed?) their vanity when I fell onto it from standing on their tub as I was trying to get a good look at my evening’s outfit.  Coincidentally, I knew that I was reaching fluency when I had to sit down and have a heart-to-heart with Justo explaining, in his native tongue, that putting my clothes on a clothesline outside in a rainstorm and then letting them dry in the sun wasn’t an acceptable substitute for a wash + dry.  Viva Espana!

Granada, Spain

I took classes during the week and traveled every weekend with girlfriends I made in my program.  Our classes were all conducted in Spanish, my favorite of which was my Spanish Art History + Architecture class.  I had not taken an Art History or an Architecture class in English before, so many of the descriptive + technical Spanish terms I learned and had to use in essays, I cannot personally translate.  We studied in great detail the works of Diego Velazquez, Francisco Goya, Joan Miro (my favorite), Pablo Picasso, Antoni Gaudi and Salvador Dali, among others. 

Dali

Dali particularly captured my attention, as I found his surrealist approach to art to be incredibly bizarre + fascinating.  He was highly imaginative + eccentric, and had an affinity for partaking in unusual + grandiose behavior – all of which I can appreciate… 

Meditative Rose - Salvador Dali

Which brings me to…the Dali exhibit at the HIGH!  The HIGH Museum of Art in Atlanta is the sole venue for the first exhibition to focus on Dali’s art after 1940. 

did I grab your attention?!

The exhibition, comprising more than 100 works, including 40 paintings and a related group of drawings, prints and other Dali ephemera, will explore the artist’s enduring fascination with science, optical effects and illusionism, and his surprising connections to artists during the 1960s and 1970s such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Willem de Kooning. 

The exhibition is now showing through January 9, 2011.  Do. NOT. miss. it!

Memory - Salvador Dali

Buy tickets HERE: http://www.high.org/main.taf?p=1,2,1,2  And, I will see you THERE.  :)

xx, L

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Are you there, Buckhead? It’s me, Lauren.

08/03/2010 in Buckhead, Cocktails, What we're Doing by Lauren | 4 comments

Buckhead and I seem to be at an awkward in-between stage. I fear I may have graduated beyond my CJ’s Landing/Buckhead Saloon days.  (um, yeah.  It’s a good thing, since neither of those places, at least how I knew them, exist anymore) and sometimes it’s just not a 5P/Fado kind of a night. And though I LOVE the St. Reg and sipping Stoli Dolis at at Capital Grille, sometimes I’m just not feeling THAT chi chi la la.  I need something in-between.

Enter Buckhead Bottle Bar.


LOVE.  Love at first sight.  It was love before I even walked in the door.   Even the outside is adorable.  Witness:


Here’s the Q+DD: Buckhead Bottle Bar, opened by A.D. Allushi and Chef Ian Winslade (of ADI Restaurant Concepts: Thrive, Market, Spice Market) and Atlanta Hawk Zaza Pachulia, sits right in the heart of Buckhead at East Paces Ferry and Peachtree.  Described as an “all-day cocktail house featuring bar food favorites,” I was praying the cocktails were at least liquid because I was digging the vibe so much!  It’s just so zippy-snappy-poppy.

My prayers were answered: the drinks were superb, the service was great, and though Alison and I only noshed a little bit, the food we had was ridiculously good.  We LOVED the seared tuna salad and calamari we sampled.  (Alison asks me the next day, “Is it wrong that I dreamed about balsamic vinaigrette last night?” I told her, if fantasizing about food is wrong…I don’t want to be right!)

Alison making hard menu decisions

What started out as a casual Monday girl-date turned into a full-fledged evening activity. We even had our boys meet us to experience this fabulousness and extend the night a liiiiittle longer!

Bonus: A.D. himself came over to refill our water glasses and lucky for me, I had done enough internet stalking research I recognized him immediately and we got into a long discussion about restaurants in Atlanta, social media, and hair products.  (Ok, I made that last one up, but his hair is so amazing, I’m surprised the topic didn’t naturally arise…)

A.D. also informed us that he’s opening another new restaurant, 5th Street Cafe, at 5th and Peachtree, re-conceptualizing what is now Eno by Zaza.  I can’t WAIT to check that out.

Definitely give the BBBar a shot.  It’s the perfect bridge for the Buckhead gap…

xx, L

P.S. Use your ScoutMob until 10/14/10!

Buckhead Bottle Bar
(404) 474-9892
268 E Paces Ferry Rd
Atlanta, GA 30305
www.buckheadbottlebar.com
Buckhead Bottle Bar on Urbanspoon

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Happy Friday.

07/30/2010 in BIG FAVORS, Guilty Pleasures, PSAs by Lauren | No comments

In honor of my dear friend Shark Attack...

Sharktastic Target WIN

…please enjoy the scientific analysis of a very important recent study:

You are welcome.

xx, L

P.S. Tomorrow is the LAST day of voting for Creative Loafing’s BEST OF issue. Please show us some “Best Local Blogger” (Lauren Kraselsky + Lindsay Roberts) and “Best Local Blog” (The Quick + Dirty Dirty...obvi!) love! Click HERE for the survey! (you have to vote for 5 things in order for your vote to count!  The survey is REALLY long…but these categories are on the first page.)

P.P.S. We think you’re the best, too!

P.P.P.S. Thanks, Barrett.

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Mom Visit: Our Weekend in Pictures

07/18/2010 in Buckhead, Entertaining, Guilty Pleasures, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 5 comments

DK and I had the BEST weekend together! Here’s a quick recap in pix…in case you wanted to recreate. FIRST…you need a mom as cool as mine.

Hanging out with her "granddogger"

Then you do the following:

1. Dinner at the bar at 4th and Swift

Amazingness.

We both acknowledge that a bottle of red wine, a cheese plate, and an order of ceviche would not qualify as dinner when men are present…which is why we enjoyed every. last. bite.

2. IMAX and Martinis at the Fernbank

It was “Salsa Night.” 

Honestly, it was a little loud for our tastes, I much prefer the light jazz.  However, it was fun to see all the dancing and all the outfits while we sipped on our martinis.  (Love that DK and I drink exactly the same: Vodka Martini.  Up. Olives. Fin.) Plus, after a martini or two…I find IMAX movies hilarious. (Friday was no different. Cirque was a riot.)

3. Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market

As I suspected, DK LOVED it. All the fresh produce, local wares, and homemade treats were RIGHT up her ally.  We split a mint lemonade, had breakfast pizza, and DK had a Cucumber Basil Fresco Pop.  It was great! Bonus: we ran into a zillion friends (and lots of people who came per the Q+DD reccomendation…which obviously made my day...including this young man and his parents, whom I adore:

lil' Flounder. Son of Flounder and Jen Flounder

DK made out like a bandit (and consequently, so did I!) check out her loot:

Emily G's Jam of Love, classic and chipolte bacon, I heart bacon shirt for Brian, and an assortment of cheeses from Calyroad Creamery

4. Shopping. Major shopping happened on Saturday afternoon. Mostly my bed got a makeover.  Witness:

IN LOVE with my new aqua coverlet, my watercolor duvet cover, and quilted euro shams.  Also exciting: I scored a Calvin Klein Khaki Collection down duvet for $80 at Macy’s.  (I shopped 3 other places, this was the cheapest BY FAR.)  Macy’s is having a crazy linen sale. I replaced every pillow on my bed. Check it. Trust.

5. Lovely lunch at Prime. I always forget about this resto because it’s in the mall.  But DK loved her sushi and I had a great lump crab meat and bibb lettuce salad.  Deeeeeelish.

6. Drinks + Dinner at Holeman + Finch: in that order.  We met my friend Victoria and her husband Hakim, who were visiting from Chicago…because they are MOVING HERE! WOOT!

Reunited...and it feeeeels so good!

It didn’t seem that crowded, but we definitely got there at 8:30 and weren’t seated until our burger (yes.  singular.  We scored the last one. Thanks, Reagan!)  was  served.  (10:30ish?) But we had a great time at the bar. DK LOVED the Aviation and I enjoyed the Shrub (blackberry + tequila on Saturday night).  We demolished a pretty amazing charcuterie plate, I rediscovered the pancetta carbonara, and we tried 2 things that I LOVE that somehow I have never ordered at H+F: the steak tartare and the mussels.  Both were PHENOM. Special thanks to Hakim for showing me how to eat mussels with other mussels.  (ie sans tiny fork.)  I’m so euro now!

Sidebar: Everyone in the WORLD was at Holeman on Saturday night.  Including Eli Kirshstein (from Top Chef.  Yes, we are both obsessed.) and Lauren…my neighbor from Birmingham!

+ about 934829235 other people! fun!

7. Brunch at Craftbar with La + Shecky

The company alone would have made this brunch phenomenal. However, there was nothing to be desired.  At the end of the day, I think Craftbar is so gorgeous and our food was incredible.  We started with biscuits and fresh blackberry jam

I had shortribs and baked eggs, La and Shecks had poached eggs and steak, and DK (true to form) ordered exactly what I wanted: bacon gravy and biscuits.  Everything was perfect: the coffee, the food, the service.  It was a lovely brunch.
Craftbar Atlanta on Urbanspoon

8. More shopping. No pictures.  I was too busy taking full advantage of my last few precious hours with DK.  Sorry not sorry.

LOVED having my mom in town. I’m a lucky girl to have my own personal stylist, decorator, role model, and best friend all rolled up into one woman!  Thanks for coming to play!

and thanks for showing me how people sharpened their lipliner in the olden days!

Bonus: Today is my parents’ anniversary!  Happy, happy anniversary to the cutest couple I know!

I love you!

xx, L

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Macho Chewing Gum

07/07/2010 in For Men, Random Musings by Lindsay | No comments

During lunch yesterday, I made a v. important CVS run to replace my trusty Nivea Lip Balm (love!) that I ran out of in Syracuse over the weekend.  I’m hooked + simply cannot live w/o it – even for a day.  Unthinkable.

Apparently, I spend WAY too much money at CVS, because as I was checking out my reciept appeared with an attached coupon for $7.50 free CVS $$$ for being such a good shopper. “Hey, Big Spennnnderrr!”  Instead of saving it for a rainy day, I turned right around and picked up some mascara I’d been eyeing only three hot minutes earlier.  In order to take advantage of the entire $7.50 credit, I also threw in the first pack of gum I spotted that was within an arms reach.

Wrigley's 5 Gum

I consider myself to be sort of a gum aficionado.  After years of research and serious contemplation, Orbitz sweet mint flavor + Trident Layers (generally) are my personal favorites. 

This was my first experience with 5 gum. 

I’m pretty sure that it was designed for boys.  The pack of gum is the size of a money clip, and could easily slip into a guy’s back pocket.  You don’t pop the gum out of a crinkly foil wrapper or pull it out of a chunky pack, but instead 5 gum has sort of a fancy paper clasp that, when opened, reveals neatly lined up gum – like a pack of cards.  Its sleek black packaging with masculine designs reminds me of an Affliction t-shirt.

what's up? you from around here?

Boys:  Purchase this gum, throw on your overly-designed graphic tee + totally rad shades, slather on some hair gel + spike up that faux hawk (don’t forget your Axe deoderant), move straight to Dallas (do not pass go or collect $200), but DO watch this video:  http://www.30kmillionaires.com/

Or not.  The flavor that I picked up is called “Solstice.”  The first couple of pieces initially tasted a little bit like mint, and then more like peanut butter.  I couldn’t decide if that was awesome or gross, so I kept chewing.  Just now – half a pack in – I noticed the expiration date for the gum: 10/20/09.  Thanks, CVS.

Ick.  Orbitz fo’ life, yo.

xx, L

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Scoops, Ups, and Jorts…together forever.

07/05/2010 in PSAs, Random Musings by Lauren | 4 comments

Today was a good day.   I completed the trifecta: Scoops, Ups, AND Jorts!

If you have no idea what I’m taking about, let me back up for a moment.  This particular subset of the apparel world was brought to my attention by my friend Josh Zobel, who writes a HILARIOUS blog, “Don’t Be Rough” (wrote?  This thing hasn’t been updated since Brit Brit’s alchy-hol problem was big news) Thanks to Josh, here are a few new words for your Lexicon:

Scoops: “Scoops are simply white shoes. Usually ultra white tennis shoes with minimal color if any at all. Scoops are not limited to only tennis shoes but the best ones can be found with dark colored jeans. If you are lucky enough you will spot them with jean shorts*.”Ups: “Ups are nothing more than socks that are pulled up high.

Photo jacked from www.dontberough.com

This isn’t a great example, but when combined with the power of Scoops and shorts they are almost unstoppable. See the line on the floor there? That man has just crossed it and he doesn’t give a dang.”

Jorts*: Jean Shorts = Jorts.  Just in case you grew up under a rock.
I encourage you to read the entire Scoops and Ups post by Josh by clicking here. (and while you’re at it, read everything else he wrote.  The man is a comic genius.  Then send him hate mail until he starts writing again. Thanks.)

For a while, whenever I saw Scoops and/or Ups, I would snap a photo and send it on to ol’ Josh.  I thought my fascination had died… until today when I witnessed THIS at the Syracuse airport:

Thank you, New York.  Just…thank you.

xx, L

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Nail in the Coffin.

06/29/2010 in Westside, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 4 comments

I am officially over burgers. 

I’ve eaten a pretty impressive amount of red meat since this whole burger boutique trend started when Flip Burger opened, and frankly I’m done. 

I know where to find my three favorite burgers in town: Bocado, Holeman + Finch and Farmburger.  I’ve tried the best, and I really don’t need to try anything else.  Burgers are so over.  SHOW ME SOMETHING NEW FOR THE LOVE OF LADY GAGA!!

How did the nail finally get hammered into the velvet-lined coffin of my burger boutique experiences?  Simply, I visited Yeah! Burger, Shaun Doty’s newest venture, on Friday.

@ yeah! burger...

My friends, Nick + Todd, were in town from Kentucky, and we met for lunch on Friday afternoon with a colleague friend of ours from work.  I insisted on trying Yeah! Burger, and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer.  So, we all drove to Howell Mill, parked in the White Provisions parking deck and stood in an insanely long line (approx. 30 minutes) to order what turned out to be pretty mediocre food. 

To me, the line was long not because there were a ton of people there hoping to try out the new restaurant (which there actually were), but rather because they only had ONE person taking everyone’s orders at the register.  Should have thought that one through, Mr. Doty.  It’s a workday, we are in suits and it’s 95 degrees outside!!  Doesn’t make for happy customers, does it?  Moving on…

The menu was simple and straightforward, which I appreciate, encouraging you to customize your burg w/ your preference of patty, bun, toppings and sauce.  Yeah! has a number of organic, gluten-free and farm fresh items on their menu: gluten-free white buns + french fries, organic chopped/ sliced or grilled Vidalia onions, cage-free fried eggs, nitrate-free bacon, organic Muir Glen ketchup, etc. 

Everyone I was with ordered simple beef burgers and fries.  Jen’s is pictured above.  I ordered the bison burger w/ pimento cheese, whole wheat bun, lettuce, dill pickles and honey mustard – which is pictured below.

Todd got the fried pickles, and although he didn’t finish them, he said that they were quite good – which led us into a discussion about how anything fried tastes “quite good.”  We were hard-pressed to brainstorm what would not taste good fried.

The consensus was soap.

So listen, I ate everything, but I wasn’t impressed.  The burger was blah – the pimento cheese, especially, did not taste housemade.  It was runny.  The fries, usually the item to draw me in, were kind of a let down, too.  I appreciate the farm-friendliness of the restaurant, but it seemed a little contrived when I found myself flipping through the brochure of the farm that supplies the restaurant, which was displayed for our reading pleasure while we were waiting in the horrendously long line to order.

That being said, here are five reasons why you might want to try Yeah! Burger:

1 – You are gluten-intolerant.  They have a lot of gluten-free options for you here - more so than I’ve seen at other restaurants in Atlanta.

2 – You want a burger on a Sunday afternoon, but don’t want to drive to Decatur to hit up Farmburger.  Holeman + Finch burgers aren’t available on Sundays after 3:00 p.m., and Bocado isn’t open.  If Decatur is too far for you to travel for burger bliss, Yeah! Burger is conveniently located on Howell Mill + 14th Street.

3 – You have two hours to eat lunch during the week OR just enjoy waiting in really, really long lines…  (No, clearly I am not over it.)

4 – You want to try one of their Concretes: Vanilla soft-serve ice cream blended at high speed with your favorite mix-ins – hot fudge, cookies + cream, peanut butter cups, chopped peanuts, peanut brittle, Heath candy bar, chocolate almond bark or chocolate espresso beans.  Sounds like a fancy McFlurry - yummmmmmm!  FYI: They start at $6.00.

5 – Howell Mill is happening.  WESTSIDE!

I really don’t want to detract readers from this restaurant merely because I’m so over the whole burger thing, but I just had to say that the burgs @ Yeah! were far from the best I’ve had in Atlanta – and I will never willingly stand in that long line again.

Bye, bye burgers – it’s time to go…

xx, L

Yeah! Burger
1168 Howell Mill Road, Suite E
Atlanta, GA  30318
404.496.4393
www.yeahburger.com

Yeah! Burger on Urbanspoon

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Edgewood is s.c.a.r.y.

06/16/2010 in Old 4th Ward, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

I’m sorry, it just is. 

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

Noni's Bar & Deli on Urbanspoon

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Cruise Control!

05/01/2010 in Vacation, What we're Doing by Lauren | 2 comments

It’s come to my attention that I’ve neglected to tell you about the FABULOUS time we had on our cruise last month!

Listen, I know that anywhere I go with my family will be superfun and amazing (because they are superfun and amazing) but I’ll be honest, I was a little apprehensive because of my preconceived notions about cruises.

My vacation personality is much more “push your toes into white sand, drink a cocktail, and chill” than “bingo and poolside games on the lido deck.” Additionally, I don’t like fruity drinks (except for the tiny umbrella part) and I loathe buffets.  Sorry, not sorry.

I am here to tell you that the Celebrity Solstice was anything BUT a floating conga-line in the sea.

From the ENORMOUS staterooms…

(stocked daily with chilled champagne, fresh raspberry or peach iced tea, and fresh fruit)

to the SPECTACULAR spa and gym area…

I enjoyed some amazing pilates mat classes, a fabulous mani/pedi and an incredible massage…all Bliss products… and took full advantage of the truly heavenly relaxation areas complete with eucalyptus steam rooms and heated stone loungers

to the unbelievable food and beautiful restaurants…

I think everyone’s favorite was the Asian-themed specialty restaurant where we ate our weight in dim sum and polished off a bottle of some of the best unfiltered sake I’ve ever had…but I think my favorite was the French restaurant…I can’t remember what I ate, but I certainly remember that I loved it!

to the beautiful décor, it really was a breathtaking ship.

space after gorgeous space…they even had genuine muppet-fur curtains!

Fancy!

Also wonderful were the excursions that my dad planned in each port! If you are ever in the following places, here are my recommendations:

1.    San Juan, Puerto Rico. YOU MUST CALL Leslie Wiggins who owns Flavors of San Juan.  Leslie, a native of EAST COBB, fell in love with her Puerto Rican husband and they moved right into the heart of San Juan where she guides small groups on a boutique restaurant and food tour.

OK so first of all, Leslie is precious. Total PLU. And each restaurant we went to was better than the next (and I was THRILLED to have resto recommendations for Linds’s trip this week!)

I can’t decide whether my favorite part was the mojito demonstration we received at Café Chic

Or all the delicious tapas we ate at each of the other adorable restaurants

or the whiskey shot we took as a family at local dive bar El Batey!

She also did a great job of giving us the lay of the land and educating us on the history of Old San Juan…without boring us in the least. If you ever find yourself in San Juan you’ve gotta call Leslie Wiggins!

Flavors of San Juan
info@flavorsofsanjuan.com
(787) 964-2447
www.sanjuanfoodtours.com

2.    St. Kitts – we booked an open-air Jeep tour of the countryside through Greg’s Safaris. We had a fun day, even though we kinda got the bait-and-switch from an open-air Jeep to an SUV with the windows rolled down…

…and if you like botany, this is the tour for you.   We learned a LOT about the plant-life in St. Kitts.

Right, B?

3.  St. Maarten – Ok so I LOVED St. Maarten. We all did.  I want to go back ASAP and park myself on the coast there.  We spent the day on a private boat with Carlos of Captain Alan.   

We went snorkeling  (well, Dad, Brian, and Katie went snorkeling while DK and I chatted on the boat and sipped cocktails), ate fresh fruit and sandwiches on an amazing French baguette (St. Maarten is ½ French and ½ Dutch so it was the real deal, yo) and went tubing

(I finally broke down and got my hair wet, oookaaaay?)

We had a wonderful, memorable, fabulous day and we all fell in love with Carlos!

Before we went out, the owner of the company asked Carlos to go over the day’s itinerary with us, to which Carlos winked – “I like to wing it!”

Kudos to my awesome dad for doing such a great job planning our non-sea days!

As far as our sea-days were concerned…we spent a LOT of QT with each other, some cocktails… oh, and Chelsea!

(I tore through this baby the first day while Katie burned through Are You There Vodka… and we and passed them around to the group!)

In conclusion, as it turns out, I may just be a cruise-person after all.  And true confession…

…nothing goes with a steel drum quiiiiiiiiiiite like a fruity cocktail. Trust.

Oh and happy 61st, Dad!

xx, L

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Friends Don’t Let Friends Get Weird Sunburns

04/12/2010 in Chelsea Handler, Maintenence, PSAs, Product, Vacation by Lauren | No comments

I’m baaaaaaack!

A week of fun in the sun with my fam was PRECISELY what the doctor ordered…I am a brand new woman!

It’s amazing what more than 5 hours of sleep will do for a girl.

Do not disturb!

I have lots of things to tell you guys, but I was NOT the appointed Historian of the trip, so I need to wait for my seestah to upload some pix. (ahem, KATIE.) But in the meantime, and in light of the fact that poolside weather is HERE – I’d like to issue the warning that someone had given me before I sailed the high seas…

OK.  If you read this blog regularly, you know that I am wrinkle-obsessed. I have an unnatural relationship with my dermatologist (Hi, Jamie!), I prefer my tan in airbrush form, and I have become absolutely MILITANT about sunscreen.

It's not. And neither are the crow's feet. Fact.

Sunscreen is crucial. Not just at the beach or poolside and not just in the summer but EVERY. SINGLE.  DAY. At LEAST on your face, neck, and hands.  (old hands = dead giveaway.  Trust.)

That said, I love NOTHING more than parking myself in a lounge chair all day reading trashy novels, sipping cocktails, and taking dips in the nearest body of water (ocean, lake, pool, sprinkler system…whatever…I’m not picky!)

But since the plan is to look like this when I’m 80 (sorry, not sorry.) I generally rely on a combo/cocktail of the following…

Peter Thomas Roth SPF 15 mist

Blue Lizard Sport SPF 30 (bottle turns blue in UV light! Fun!)

Don't judge.

…which is usually pretty fool-proof. However: on day 1 (um, that’s right.  The first day.) I sat out in the BLAZING Caribbean sun, and while I finished both Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang…

Hilarious...but still preferred Are You There Vodka?...

And more than few of these bad boys…
…a few crucial areas of my body fried beyond all comprehension. I am talking LOBSTER CITY.  They were: my NOSE, my EARS, my SCALP, and my TOES  (and one random circle on my left leg.  Weird.)

Friends don’t let friends get weird sunburns. (Isn’t that how that saying goes?) So be sure and stock up on your SPF.

It’s officially bathing suit season!

xx, L

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