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Re. the weekend.

07/12/2010 in Random Musings, Westside, What we're Doing, What we're Watching, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | No comments

As anticipated, my little bro and I had an exhaustingly amazing weekend!  :)

We checked off almost everything on his Bucket List, with the exception of a visit to The Varsity, which we both decided was just not possible this trip (him) or ever (me).  We did, however, visit some of my favorites – which are now some of his:  Holeman + Finch, Bakeshop, Antico Pizzeria, Pancho’s, Rosebud and Ormsby’s.  The poor kid had never been to a Trader Joe’s, either!  We scheduled in a special trip to show him what Texas is missing… 

After we got back from Lake Burton on Saturday, we met some folks at Antico and then hit up Midtown Art Cinema to see Cyrus w/ Slick + the Barocai.  Michael and I thought it was really well done – very smart + funny.  (Know before you go:  Cyrus is a SXSW + Sundance film – so the humor is a bit different from the other movies in Jonah Hill’s catalog.)

Here’s the Q+DD on Cyrus:

Cyrus is a comedy drama film written and directed by brothers Jay and Mark Duplass, and starring John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei and Catherine Keener.  The main character, John, is seven years divorced from his wife and is having trouble adjusting to his new life.  After meeting Molly at a party, he thinks that maybe he has found the perfect person again.  There’s just one problem: Cyrus, Molly’s grown son.  John must find a way to make his romance with Molly work despite intentional and unintentional interference by Cyrus.  The film has received generally positive reviews.  Review aggregate, Rotten Tomatoes, reports that 80% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 69 reviews, with an average score of 6.7/10.  The critical consensus is: “While it may strike some viewers as slight, Cyrus is a successful hybrid of mainstream production values and the mumblecore ideals of directors Jay and Mark Duplass.  (www.wikipedia.com)

Catch it @ Midtown Art:  http://tiny.cc/hialo

I’d also like to mention that we destroyed Ormsby’s maple cotton candy on Sunday.  It was one of the few things on the menu that I hadn’t tried before.  We had some serious yumz on our hands – and it was only $3!

In a flash, it was gone…

It was super fun to eat + a perfect treat for the end of the World Cup!  Viva Espana!

Also in other Ormsby’s news, the owner told Slick + Michael that they are in the process of building a ping pong (beer pong?) room downstairs.  AND, there’s a new bathroom downstairs, too.  Thank you for being so incredible, Ormsby’s!  I’m really likin’ what you’re doin’.

Miss you already, MR.  Come back to visit again soon!  (I promise to at least consider a Varsity run…)

xx, L

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Once Upon a Medieval Time(s)…

05/20/2010 in Suburbs, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

As previously mentioned, I bought Groupons for Slick + I to go to Medieval Times, and then successfully strong-armed a few friends into join us.  We went to the Atlanta castle on Saturday evening and IT. WAS. AWESOME!!  :)

Here’s the Q+DD:

evidently Medieval Times is INSIDE of the mall - not quite as sexy as anticipated, but we rolled with it.

the boys supported the blue knight b/c blue is for boys...

...and since there was not a hot pink knight, the ladies opted for the yellow one.

we drank massive Medieval beers (then promptly shattered the glasses in the back of my car afterwards by accident or because we are tough. you decide.)

mr. b and slick were still able to rock their faux-hawks even with their Medieval crowns on. we creatively renamed the hairdo: crown-hawk. you're welcome, Vidal Sassoon.

lindsay ate with her hands...

...and so did lauren. (surprisingly, the food was kind of really good. quote me and i'll come after you.)

the show was pretty cool. jousting is intense.

so intense, in fact, slick got a little Medieval-y stressed out.

we were a pretty rowdy group - yelling at/ for the knights, drinking enormous beers and throwing our crowns around...

MAN DOWN!

our serf, ron, was pretty rad. he filled us in on all the juicy Medieval gossip.

we got to meet the king (we = total VIPs)...

...and finished off the night with a Medieval DANCE PARTY. that's right.

Medieval Times is a seriously fun date.  We used the Groupon, but still I think that it’s pretty economical for food and a show at only $49.95 per person (regular price).  Currently, they are running a special for $34.95, which is even better.  If you register online, you can get a free feast (they offer a vegetarian feast, too) + tournament for your birthday! 

P.S. On Saturday, someone in the crowd was there for his bachelor party!  We all got a kick out of that…

Here’s the link to the Medieval Times Atlanta Castle: http://www.medievaltimes.com/atlanta.aspx

xx, L

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament
5900 Sugarloaf Parkway
Lawrenceville, GA  30043
866.731.9313
www.medievaltimes.com

Medieval Times on Urbanspoon

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Eat Squad Log #4: Bamboo Grill & Hot Pot

04/14/2010 in Buford Highway, Eat Squad, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

On Sunday, it was Eat Squad time again and Vietnamese food was next on our hit list.  Mr. B did some research and liked the Yelp reviews he found about Bamboo Grill & Hot Pot in Chamblee, so we all ventured back to Buford Highway once again for some ethnic cuisine. 

Aside from Whole Foods-prepared Viet. spring rolls, I’d never eaten Vietnamese food before.  (It’s always interesting not having a benchmark for which to compare new foods or restaurants, but that’s kind of the point of Eat Squad, I guess.) 

This ES session, we had the honor of food blogger FB joining us.  We all sat down at a large round table at the restaurant and perused the extensive menu.  I was pretty overwhelmed, so I asked Mr. B. – who has experience with Viet. food – to order for me.  On his and our friendly waitress’s recommendation, we decided to eat family style and order a number of tasty dishes, a few of which we had to prepare + cook ourselves. 

Below are a few pictures of our meal:

the "create your own spring roll" spread

fish + meat for the spring rolls

waitress showing cari how to prepare the spring rolls

my spring roll didn't really cut it...

cold pot w/ fish, veggies + broken rice (my fav.)

waitress stirring the cold pot and explaining to us the history of broken rice - a famous Viet. peasant dish

i went back for thirds - it was delicious!

veggies to cook in hot pot

fish to cook in hot pot

beef to cook in hot pot

hot pot cooking on our table

mmmmmmmmmmm!

I really enjoyed this meal.  In preparation for my upcoming vacations, I am kinda watching my waistline (only kinda) and I didn’t feel guilty at all about what I ate.  To me, Vietnamese food is like a healthier version of Thai food.  I definitely want to get it again, but I’d like to consider trying some other Viet. restaurants around town.  For the Eat Squad members who had eaten Viet. before, they said that Bamboo was good – but not the best in town.  Whatever the case, I’m happy to know that I like Viet. food and I look forward to trying it again soon.

The next Eat Squad gathering will take us to Cafe Agora in Buckhead for some Mediterranean cuisine.  Stay tuned…

xx, L

Bamboo Grill & Hot Pot
4646 Buford Highway St.
Atlanta, GA  30341
678.580.1727

Bamboo Grill and Hot Pot on Urbanspoon

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ATTENTION AVENUE Q FANS!

03/11/2010 in Theatre, 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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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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Grateful.

01/19/2010 in Random Musings, Vacation, What we're Doing by Lindsay | No comments

Thanks to everyone for all the sweet birthday wishes!!

I had a really wonderful time celebrating the-sixth-anniversary-of-my-22nd-birthday in Atlanta and Dallas!  I think 2010 is going to be a great year!

Varasano's - Atlanta

Varasano's - Atlanta

Varasano's - Atlanta

Varasano's - Atlanta

Victor Tangos- Dallas

Victor Tangos - Dallas

Park - Dallas

Park - Dallas

BIRTHDAY CAKE!

BIRTHDAY CAKE!

Now it’s time to start thinking about this girl’s special day on Thursday! 

Happy 20-something, Lauren!  :)

LK's B-Day!

LK's B-Day!

Mark your calendars!  January is officially ours. 

xx, L

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Eat Squad Log #2: Hanil Kwan

12/11/2009 in Buford Highway, Eat Squad, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 6 comments

In an attempt to challenge our palates, “the Eat Squad” (I was pushing for “Buford Brigade” – but got vetoed) went on a fun, little culinary excursion on Sunday evening.  We nominated Christine to be our tour guide for authentic Korean BBQ.  I really didn’t know what to expect as I’d never had Korean BBQ before, and admittedly, I approached the experience with some degree of caution-without-warrant. 

I love trying new foods, but I had heard that Korean BBQ was incredibly fatty, and I tend to prefer no fat at all on beef.  I am aware that fat adds flavor to beef, but I just can’t get past the texture…  As it turned out, no caution was necessary.  We had a truly delicious meal and an absolute blast at the restaurant!  

Here’s our evening in pictures:

Han Il Kwan Korean Restaurant

Hanil Kwan Korean Restaurant

Mr. B + Christine peruse the menu

Mr. B + Christine peruse the menu

Slick tries, unsuccessfully, to get us to order the beef tripe + intestine soup.

Slick tries, unsuccessfully, to get us to order the beef tripe + intestine soup.

Banchan: Small plates served at the beginning of the meal

Banchan: Small plates served at the beginning of the meal

Jim Mandu: Steamed Pork + Vegetable Dumplings (my favorite)

Jin Mandu: Steamed pork + vegetable dumplings (my favorite)

Haemul Pajan: Korean seafood pancake

Haemul Pajan: Korean seafood pancake (kind of like a fancy latke...)

Galbi: Marinated Beef Short Ribs aka Korean BBQ

Galbi: Marinated beef short ribs aka Korean BBQ

Slick's face when we informed him that the meal was over...

Slick's face when we informed him that the meal was over...

...we'll be back soon, Han Il Kwan! Thanks for a delicious meal!

...we'll be back soon, Han Il Kwan! Thanks for a delicious meal!

If you are in the mood for something different, definitely consider Korean BBQ – or at least venture out to Buford Highway to try a random ethnic restaurant.  I hope you have as much fun as we did!  (Our next Buford excursion is going to be either Ethiopian or Thai.  Bring on the recommendations!)

xx, L

Hanil Kwan Korean Restaurant
5458 Buford Highway
Doraville, GA  30340
770.457.3217

Hanil Kwan on Urbanspoon

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Craft. (Been There. Eaten That.)

11/25/2009 in Buckhead, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 2 comments

It took almost an entire year, but I finally made it to Craft Atlanta. 

I wanted to go for the opening last year.  No reservations…  Thought that maybe I’d have my birthday dinner there.  Restaurant was bought out for an event…  Was pretty sure that if I got girlfriends to go for drinks, we’d end up eating upstairs at the restaurant.  We stayed at Craft Bar – and it was not love...  It just never happened for me.  Everyone told me that I should be patient until it was my time.  I waited…

"I'll come for you one day, Craft..."

"I'll come for you one day, Craft..."

And THEN, a colleague gave me a very nice gift certificate for dinner at Craft.  My time had finally arrived!

Over the past year, I’ve heard a spectrum of praise and critique regarding Craft Atlanta.  Karen thought it was the best meal she’d ever eaten.  Mr. B thought it was overrated and the service left a lot to be desired.  I was just hoping for a Tom Colicchio drop by…   With some degree of skepticism, Slick and I arrived at the restaurant last Friday ready to form our own opinions.

Tommy!

Tommy!!

We were escorted upstairs, again - I’d only been downstairs at Craft Bar for drinks before, and we noted the art in the staircase and the warm modern feeling of the dining room.  They put us in one of the large half booths which provided for excellent people watching.  Our server was from Texas, which made me feel right at home, and we chatted about Longhorn football, the Hill Country and Dallas schools.  We ordered drinks and the server and I had a little pep talk with Slick about ordering our favorite vodka on the menu, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which is delicious (smooth and smokey), made in Texas and is NOT – as the name insinuates – plastic bottle liquor.  Our Tito’s assisted drinks arrived, were shaken for us at the table and we were very pleased.

Tito's

The meal was good.  Very good, in fact.  We started with the yellowfin tuna (delicious) and a few belon oysters.  I am not a big oyster fan, but Slick liked them and I thought the presentation was well done.  For entrees, I had the monkfish + pancetta and on our server’s recommendation, Slick ordered the braised beef short rib.  Both were amazing.  Mine was very tasty, artful and nicely presented in a cast iron skillet.  Monkfish, “the poor man’s lobster,” was perfectly complimented by the pancetta wrap.  Slick and I loved his short rib and were pleased at how easily it melted off of the bone.  We also shared the potato gratin and the seasonal risotto, which were delicious but maybe too plentiful for the heaviness of our entrees because we cringed when the dessert menu arrived.  Instead, we opted for another cocktail and little cookies sent out to us from the chef.

Overall, the meal was thoughtful and delicious.  It was very expensive.  Maybe overpriced, but it was hard for us to pin it as such because we had such a nice experience there.  We could easily see, though, how the meal could go wrong.  However, we quickly developed rapport with our server, ordered well and enjoyed the atmosphere.  We were pleased.

Bacchanalia and Aria are still my preference for a special occasion or celebration, but I would recommend throwing Craft into the mix – especially if you are a first timer.  And if you go, make sure you ask for the Tito’s Handmade Vodka.  :)

P.S. Don’t forget about their Sunday Sandwich deal!

xx, L

craft_ATLANTA_bottom

Craft – Atlanta
3376 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30326
404.995.7580
www.craftrestaurant.com

Craft Atlanta on Urbanspoon

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Eat Squad Log #1: Panahar

11/09/2009 in Buford Highway, Eat Squad, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 5 comments

Last night, Slick and I had a very memorable S.N.D. (Sunday night dinner) with some great friends.  Instead of the typical Buckhead/ Highlands/ Midtown - “What do you want” – “I don’t know what you do want” – “How about sushi” – “I had sushi yesterday” – dance, we opted for some bizarro Buford Highway fare.

So, we enlisted the help of our resident Buford Highway connoisseur, Mr. B:

Mr. B

Mr. B

Mr. B + his adorable wife chose very, very well.  We went to Panahar – which is the only Bangladeshi restaurant in Atlanta.  It. was. AWESOME.

Inside Panahar

Inside Panahar

The restaurant, itself, is a relatively small, unassuming, mirrored room housing roughly 16 tables.  When we arrived at 7:00 p.m. sharp, it was packed.  Panahar is BYOB w/o a corking fee (hello!) and the servers are attentive and knowledgeable about the menu.  While I consider myself to be a pretty comfortable restaurant-orderer in most cases, everyone at the table (including me) completely deferred to Mr. B and our server, Mirza, regarding what we should order.  We asked for advice and some kind of  ”group special” so that we could taste a number of items on the menu.  Mirza promptly took away our ordering privileges (which we were totally fine with) and simply told us what to get.  This was definitely the way to go. 

Three hours and four courses later – everyone left stuffed and satisfied.  The meal was surprisingly cheap and incredibly plentiful.  Our table was filled with food for the majority of the evening that I couldn’t even begin to spell or pronounce…which I loved. Using Panahar’s menu as a guide, I CAN tell you that we started with mango lassi to drink and halim soup and poori shrimp for appetizers.  Among other items, we had chicken teek-ka moshol-la (my fav.) and beef shaag poneer maang-sho (Mr. B’s fav.) for entrees.  Dessert was a delicious kulfi ice cream and a firni.  We left Panahar proud of ourselves for stepping away from the norm and eating outside of our comfort zone.

Dinner @ Panahar

Dinner @ Panahar

First time diners at Panahar get a 25% off coupon for their next visit (Tuesdays – Thursdays).  Entrees range between $9 – $15 and tax is already figured into the price.  Since the restaurant is small and meals take a while, I strongly suggest calling ahead to make a reservation. 

As I sit here polishing off the last of my lukewarm Lean Cuisine, I can’t help but think about what a cool experience I had last night and how excited I am to discover more of Buford Highway’s quiet culinary gems.    Here’s to the unusual!

xx, L

Panahar
3375 Buford Highway
Suite 1060
Atlanta, GA  30329
404.633.6655
www.panahar.com

Panahar on Urbanspoon

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“Honey – Oh, Sugar Sugar…”

11/03/2009 in Chocolate, Entertaining, Gifts, Guilty Pleasures, Vendors!, Where we're Eating by Lindsay | 6 comments

My friend, Cari, is cute as a button.  She has an infectious smile, a tremendous amount of positive energy and an amazing dessert company adorably named, Sugar Sugar.

She also has a Hello Kitty credit card. See, I told you she was the cutest!
She also has a Hello Kitty credit card… Told you she was the cutest!

Here’s the Q+DD on Sugar Sugar:

main_logo

This is the place to experience dessert the way it was meant to be – sinfully delicious and decadent!  At Sugar Sugar you’ll find delicious, innovative, sweet treats customized for any occasion.  We’re always up for trying out new ideas, so if you have a craving that isn’t on our products list, let us know and we’ll create something special for you.

Meet the baker behind the sweet tooth, Cari Barocas.  Cari began baking out of the kitchen in her Atlanta home and decided to share her goodies with the masses at the urging of her husband and biggest fan.  Now anyone can enjoy her to-die-for red velvet cake with a rich cream cheese frosting, lemon white chocolate cake with a divine zesty lemon frosting, and many more of her amazing creations!

Sugar Sugar is the perfect choice for many occasions such as gift baskets, birthday parties, showers, office celebrations, party favors, and more.  We guarantee we’ll satisfy your sweet tooth with a memorable and mouth-watering experience.  (www.doublethesugar.com)

YUM!

YUM!

Cari recently baked her famous red velvet cake for last month’s dinner club and everyone quickly devoured it!  It was absolutely incredible.  Thanks for sharing, Cari!  Delish!

10721_162685777570_650377570_3648437_5817217_n

Check out Cari’s website: www.doublethesugar.com + become a  Sugar Sugar fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Atlanta-GA/Sugar-Sugar/150303736979?ref=mf. 

I mean it when I say that Cari’s decadent desserts are the most worthy of calories!  Eat up!

xx, L

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