However, that didn’t stop me from having the TIME OF MY LIFE this weekend celebrating Randi’s BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday, Randela!

If you happen to be making a trip to NYC anytime soon, let me point out a few highlights from my trip:

1.    Soul Cycle – It’s like a dance club and a spin class all rolled into one.  My girls have been RAVING about it forever and now I know why!  It’s an AMAZING workout and we had a BLAST.  If you have the opportunity to try it out, I recommend it 100%.  3 NYC locations: Upper East, Upper West, and Tribeca (even one in the Hamptons!) Visit Soul Cycle for more information and be sure to reserve a bike well ahead of time, there wasn’t a seat to be had!

2.   Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa – Jess and I had massages at the Flagship 5th Avenue Red Door Spa

between 54th and 55th

…complete with complimentary makeup touch ups by Monique…a Sophia Loren lookalike who has been working at the spa since…well…suffice it to say she’s been there a long time and has done a TON of makeup. So when Monique recommended the Flawless Finish Mousse Makeup, who were we to refuse?  SO glad we took her advice, it’s perfect for summer. The makeup comes out light and airy and it doesn’t sit on your skin like most foundations will in hot humid weather.  LOVE.

3.    Blow-Outs at Salon Nouvelle – I hesitate to tell you because I think this is the city’s best kept secret. Amazing hair for a mere $30 at this discreet little salon on 1st Avenue at 61st street.  (212) 813-0736 for an appointment.

(Another option: if you’re closer to Murray Hill…I used to be a blow-out regular at Monhair on 3rd Avenue between 36th and 37th.  I heard today my girl is still there!  Ask for Lolita and tell her Lorena sent you! (212) 447-7744 for an appointment)

4.    Dinner at Lure Fishbar – It was love at first bite. Lure is the cutest little seafood restaurant located directly underneath the SoHo Prada store at Mercer and Prince. I chose the miso-glazed salmon over crispy soba noodles and it was to DIE for.  I was able to steal bites of the girls seafood platters, scallops, and various other fish dishes – everything was excellent.  Plus, inside is cute and swank all at the same time…perfect place for our perfect dinner!

Lure Fishbar
(212) 431-7676
142 Mercer St
New York, NY 10012

5.    Drinks at Betel in the West Village– LOVED Betel.  This Asian-Fusion resto was a really fun location for post-dinner drinks.   It’s very nondescript (in fact, you could easily miss it!) and understated and with ample bar seating for a small-ish joint, it was the perfect place to accommodate the flood of people who showed up to celebrate Randi’s birth!  The drinks were DELICIOUS – we especially liked the Tart ‘n Tasty – made with lychee juice and ginger (You know how I usually shy away from anything with a kitchy name…but this drink was fantastic and not too sweet!)

(The cutie in the middle is Randy's Mister!)

Betel
(212) 352-0460
51 Grove St
New York, NY 10014

6.    Brunch at The Smith – catty-corner from my old East Village Karaoke standby – Nevada Smith’s – The Smith really hit the spot for brunch. Mostly, I just loved hanging with 4 of my favorite people over egg white mushroom and fontina omelets and complimentary bloody marys!

The Smith
(212) 420-9800
55 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10003

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to see my girls and the wonderful guys they love…

but I have to say – of all the cute couples I know in The City, my favorite pair is undoubtedly these two:

…Don’t worry, A+E…Aunt LK will be back soon!

xx, L


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.

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

T. Bloom

Out of the four years I’ve thrown this event, I’ve never seen Table 1280 as packed as it was last night.  Way to go, Tracey!  We had cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the bar area, which I think is just perfect for a smaller event, and then headed back to my personal favorite room at Table 1280 (the one to the left of the entrance) for a seated dinner.

table 1280

Simply, dinner was delicious.  We had a large group of people, and the folks at my end of the table ordered some pretty yummy starters to share, of which this one was my favorite:

Serrano Ham, Manchego, Piquillo Pepper, Arugula, Breadstick  (loved!)

I also had a bite of a brisket slider and someone’s organic salad – and both were great, too.  For dinner, most of the table ordered one of three items: the wild salmon (which came very highly recommended from our fabulous server, Lynn), the pork chop and the ribeye.   Everyone raved about all three!  I knew that my salmon was very tasty, but I was floored that there was such a strong positive consensus about the food from this very opinionated group of mine.  To finish off the dinner, I had the lemon panna cotta with Georgia blueberries.  It. was. heavenly.

What was the best part of the evening you ask?  Well, let me think…meeting Tracey Bloom was kind of awesome!

!!!!!

We found her to be very personable, and we got a kick out of her Top Chef stories.  It was particularly interesting to hear about the filming of the show, as well as some tidbits regarding producer-created drama among the contestants.  Although Tracey will not reign as season 7’s “top chef,” she is doing some pretty stellar things at Table 1280.  No longer will I consider this restaurant merely a pre-HIGH Museum destination.

P.S. If you throw an event at Table 1280, make sure that you order the miniature quesadilla with chorizo and manchego + the truffle chix salad on a crostini as hors d’oeuvres.  They are really, REALLY addictive!

xx, L

Table 1280
1280 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.897.1280
www.table1280.com

This is a pretty sweet deal, y’all.  Park 75 is delish!  Such a great place to escape the heat/ see + (most importantly) be seen this summer.  And, seriously, is there really a need to eat anywhere these days w/o some sort of deal, coupon or discount?  I think not…

(P.S.  Aren’t I getting so much better w/ my flyer-posting skillz?  Baby steps…baby steps…  Thanks, LK!) 

xx, L

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

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

(I know…I know…where was I raised?  The country?  A barn?)  I guess maybe if that was the case, I would have already had my fill of deviled eggs…  I tried them for the first time during lunch yesterday with colleagues at Bocado.  And, I thought that they were soooooooo delicious!  (Seriously, why have I not tried these until now??)

deviled eggs @ bocado

The DEs at Bocado had very fluffy + creamy + flavorful yokes.  When I called Slick to tell him that I had just tried my very first one and loved it, he told me that he personally prefers them when they aren’t so fluffy + creamy.  Whatever.  These babies tasted loaded up with mayo (which I loved!) - and I wanted MORE!  So much so, in fact, that I looked up DE recipes all night.

This one was my favorite: http://snipurl.com/xg0z1

I also really liked these two…

Sun-Dried Tomato + Chive Deviled Eggs: http://snipurl.com/xg10b

Bacon Horseradish Deviled Eggs: http://snipurl.com/xg11b

Yummmmmmm!! 

inside bocado

Also worth mentioning: On the Blissful Glutton’s advice, I tried the Bocado hamburger + french fries for my lunch entree.  They were both were absolutely amazing!!  The hamburger was very similar to H+F’s mouthwatering 10:00 p.m. burger w/ its mixture of meats + double patties…but the fries!  OH, THE FRIES!  They were particularly incredible!  Not too greasy + tasted like soft baby potatoes.  (It was v. hard for me to share a bowl of them with my colleagues.)  Extremely hard. 

bocado burg

Thanks, BG for the excellent recommendation! 

I will definitely be back at Bocado soon for more deviled eggs, burgs – and to test out their creative tapas list!

xx, L

Bocado
887 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA  30318
404.704.5850
www.bocadoatlanta.com

Michelle + I both quickly grabbed the Scoutmob promotion for Nakato when it was offered up and few weeks ago, and we set a hot date for hibachi.

michelle + me

Nakato is a Japanese restaurant that’s been around for a while located on Cheshire Bridge close to Piedmont.  Although it is surrounded by strip clubs and XXX stores, the restaurant is v. hard to miss with its traditional architecture and sculptured bushes.

When you walk into Nakato, you’ll find the sushi room directly in front of you.  To your left, is the expansive hibachi room + private tatami rooms for groups.

sushi room

tatami room

Nakato’s hibachi is better than fair.  I’ve been to hibachi restaurants in Atlanta where the chefs have had a bit more personality (i.e. Orient Express in Vinings – LOVE), but Nakato will do – especially with the 50% off Scoutmob…

Has anyone’s hair ever caught on fire?  I couldn’t help but think about how many flammable products I put into mine before my date w/ Mich when this happened…

ahhhhhh!

Mich ordered sushi, which we both thought was very fresh and well-priced.  My hibachi was okay.  It’s always a fun experience to do hibachi every so often (remember not to wear nice clothes – you reek afterwards), but I think I forgot exactly how much food it actually was going to end up being…  I left the restaurant almost doubled over because I was so full.  I really do need to work on my will power. 

After our server processed the Scoutmob 50% off discount, our final bill was only $12 per person!!  I couldn’t BELIEVE how cheap it was!  Although the meal was just fine – nothing really to write home about, the discount made it totally worth it.  So, for all you recessionistas who are in the mood for sushi or hibachi, grab the Scoutmob discount on your iPhone and head on over to Nakato.  (If you don’t have the Scoutmob discount, though, I’d suggest driving to Orient Express, instead.) 

Q+DD on Nakato’s Happy Hour:
$3 wines by the glass
$3 sushi rolls
$5 speciality cocktails
$15 for a drink + 5 appetizers!  (EXCELLENT DEAL!!)

xx, L

Nakato
1776 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
Atlanta, GA  30324
404.873.6582
www.nakatorestaurant.com

Cafe Agora - Buckhead

Upon arriving at Cafe Agora, Slick introduced me to Al and he slid two glasses of tap H2O in our direction.  I told Al that it was my first time at the Cafe, which had come highly recommended from Slick.  Without saying much, Al walked to the back and came out with a small maza plate of hummus, baba ganoush, ezme, kisir + piyaz and eggplant salad, as well as a small plate of spanakopita.  He sternly informed us that we had to finish everything on the plate if we wanted to eat dinner there.  (It didn’t take long for me to realize that this isn’t a man you want to argue with… ) Instead, I mentally prepared myself to ingest large quantities of Mediterranean food over the next hour and a half – whether I wanted to or not.

As soon as some more of our Eat Squad arrived, we sat down at the somewhat rickety, unassuming tables in the small restaurant and waited to order.  When the server approached our table, he brought over a large version of the maza plate w/ warm pita for the table to share – a nice welcome gift from our friend, Al.

Once we polished it off, the server took our orders.  Everyone except for Foodie Buddha and I got the Agora Mixed Grill (mixed plate of meats).  FB and I ordered the Gyro.  (Honestly, I didn’t really have a choice – I was told (or commanded may be the better word?) by Al to get it.)  Sure – whatever he says.

LISTEN TO AL!!  I loved it.  It was awesome.

I was concerned that the gyro was going to be fatty, but I seriously didn’t find an ounce of fat on it.  Instead, when I unwrapped the aluminum foil holding my huge gyro together, it overflowed with meat, lettuce, onions and tzatziki.  It was delicious, and I ate all of it.

Al brought over a large plate of pistachio baklava for dessert.  I thought that it was pretty greasy, but it was certainly tasty and we didn’t have a problem finishing it.

What a fun experience!  That’s really what it was – an experience.

Al isn’t for everyone – I will say that.  I’m not sure how my father would feel about Al forcing a forkful of food in his face…  And, I kind of think that Al arbitrarily makes up his own prices when you approach the register, which is more than a little eyebrow raising – frankly I’m not sure it’s even legal.  Regardless, I got a kick out of him, and the Cafe Agora gyro has been summoning me back ever since I left on Sunday.  I definitely recommend checking this place out, and please send Al my regards when you do.

xx, L

Cafe Agora
262 E. Paces Ferry Rd. NE
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.949.0900
www.cafeagora.com/index.htm

For more information (or at least a readable version of the photo above – SORRY!):
http://alturl.com/3h3t 

Visit the link below to reserve a spot: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Atlanta/Dining/AtlantaGrill/Default.htm 

Sounds fantastic to me!  Just love, love, love Atlanta Grill… Yum! 

xx, L