Atlanta Lucky Fest 2020

Date: Saturday, March 14th

Time:  3 pm

About: Hit the jackpot of gold this St. Patrick’s Day and celebrate the luckiest holiday at Lucky Fest with Spiral Entertainment at Park Tavern in Piedmont Park on Saturday, March 14, 2020. Known as the biggest green party in all of Atlanta, Lucky Fest features frosty drinks, live music, and of course, tons of beautiful Atlantans donning their best green attire. Beginning at 3 p.m., guests are invited to sip specialty cocktails like the Dublin Mule, Mexican Leprechaun, Lucky G Margarita, Rebecca Creek Lemonade, and more, while noshing on fried shrimp, oyster, and chicken baskets, served with crispy fries. With breathtaking views of the Midtown skyline, live music will begin at 3 p.m. and will feature electrifying performances from DJ Q-tip, Semi- Charmed, and Moon Tower. General Admission tickets are available beginning at $20 and include entry to the event and all day entertainment. Food and drinks will cost extra. Additional booze and bites tickets can be purchased at the event for $6 and $7. Any unused tickets can be returned for a full refund. To purchase tickets or for more information about the event, visit www.parktavern.com.

More Information:

https://www.bigtickets.com/events/spiral/lucky-fest-2020

Ocean & Acre: Brunch A-Hoy!

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 3/10/20

BRUNCH, a-hoy! Enjoyed a brunching voyage at the newly christened Ocean & Acre that set sail two weekends ago. Yes, this just in, Ocean & Acre in Halcyon Forsyth has brunch! It literally just launched two weekends ago!! Insert heart emoji here. Take a look through our booty of beautiful sippers and savory landlocked dishes like pancakes, steak and eggs, and polenta bowls. Who’s ready to pop the champagne and dive in for a Sunday Funday?

We found it! The prettiest, most photogenic drink in all of Atlanta, it’s on Ocean & Acres brunch menu, the Gin Sour. With an orange-pink hue, white whipped crown, and dried blood orange, she’s ready for her close-up. Beyond the beauty, with Old 4th Ward Gin, Aperol, orange bitters, lemon, and whipped egg, it starts out just as sweet as it looks, but ends smooth with the addition of the egg white. This one will be a crowd favorite. We also sipped on the Gin & Cucumber Spritz, as well as the Red Tide specialty cocktail of the week. The Gin & Cucumber Spritz is one of those drinks that reminds you of the ocean, earthy and salty. With the addition of lemon, cucumber, and prosecco, this spritz is refreshing and sunny. If you like hard seltzer or something light, this one is for you. Finally, The Red Tide was a good pair with the steak and eggs we had as it is bourbon, star anise, clove, with red wine on top. This one they use their inhouse infuser and added blood orange into the bourbon. This really reminded us of a traditional Gluhwein drink, just not hot, as it has a lot of the same ingredients. It was boozy, citrus, and then ends like a fine red wine. So, unique. They have a featured infused drink of the week, so maybe they’ll have something fun when you go brunching! They’re also thinking about having a Bloody Mary bar during brunch in the future. Wouldn’t you love that? What would you like to see on this bar?

Have you ever had a Dutch Pancake? A Polenta bowl on a brunch menu? We haven’t either and we’re in love with both. If you’re looking for a unique brunch, they have some different dishes beyond the staple eggs and bacon fare, but don’t worry, they also have steak and eggs, so you’re covered if not. We tasted three dishes, the Dutch Pancake, the Breakfast Polenta Bowl, and the Steak and Eggs. Starting with our favorite dish, the Polenta Bowl is like a grits bowl, only more like mashed potatoes texture filled with bacon, ragu (tomatoes and mushrooms), and two poached eggs. Think a mixed-up, eggs, bacon, and grits dish but ELEVATED with polenta and the tart of the ragu. And here’s our tip: play with your food! The bacon is on the top and you can use it as a scoop to get all the polenta, egg, and ragu into one bite. The bacon adds a salt element to the creamy and savory of the other ingredients. What something even more playful? Eat the polenta with the steak and eggs. Wowza!

That being said, the steak and eggs were delicious, as well, with tender steak nicely seasoned and topped with perfectly cooked sunny-side up eggs. The addition of the potatoes and oil brings an element of earthiness and richness. Get the potatoes and add to the egg and a small amount of steak = paradise. Beyond that, the dutch pancake was our sweet for the brunch. What’s so unique about this dutch pancake is that it was more fruit and tart forward, not super sweet like we thought. We loved it that way because once you get down to the lemon curd and mix in the whipped cream, you’ll get some of that sweetness mixed in with the savory of pancake and the fruit. Plus, the combo of the fruit like pears and pineapple rounded out the dish to give a great tang and tart. It was a good balance between all the flavors!

This brunch will reel you in as they have a ton of other things we’d love to try. Can you say avocado toast with fish dip, Eggs Benedict Florentine, or even that amazing looking brunch burger? We know where you’re brunching this weekend, save us a bite of the Avocado Toast, please.

HOBNOB Perimeter: Come for the Game, Stay for the food.

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 3/8/20

Hobnob is a verb meaning to drink sociably or to associate familiarly. From drinks that get you talking to dishes with southern flare, HOBNOB is a good mix of hearty food, fun cocktails, and everything in between. It’s a place you’ll grab a cocktail and eat some good food. Their claim of refined tavern fare with southern flare and that is spot on, with everything from Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders, chicken wings, comfort food like sweet potato mash paired with salmon, as well as desserts, their food will have you coming back for more. Who doesn’t love a go-to place for the game and grub or for an intimate date night? Tip: go on Thursday for their Thirsty Thursday: $3 champagne or $5 wine!

Starting with the sky-blue vodka cocktail, The Earhart, is a light and breezy drink that reminds you of a clear sky on a beautiful sunny day. This easy to drink sipper is a combo of hibiscus vodka, fresh squeezed lemon, and maraschino liquor that’s sweet on the nose, but finishes smooth and serene. You’ll definitely feel fancy with this pretty cocktail in front of you! Cheers!

Being a restaurant where you can catch the game, what’s better than some fun, sharable apps that please everyone at your table? Let’s start with the two types of wings and the Nashville Hot Chicken Slides we sampled. From the perfectly crisped chicken, to the coolness of the cole slaw, to the spiciness of the sauce, the Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders were one of those dishes you may not want to share. The cole slaw calmed some of the spiciness and the addition of the crunchy pickle really brought out the flavor of the entire dish. Make sure you get all elements in one bite and you’ll get spicy, salty, creamy, and crunchy. We were impressed with the unique wing flavors that Hobnob has to offer, like coke-yaki that was a sweeter take on teriyaki to honey sriracha that was spicy and sweet. Those are the two we got, and they were both delicious additions to favorites like lemon pepper or buffalo. The wings were meaty and cooked right with the right amount of sauce. Let me tell you that honey sriracha with blue cheese was a delicious overall combo. John loves teriyaki and really loved the coke-yaki combination of coca-cola and soy! Both are great choices for watching a United match or your favorite football team.

Beyond the bar food, they also have some delicious entrees for that special date night! They have a range of dishes, but we just had to sample the Tavern Salmon! What a delicious meal, the salmon was perfectly cooked, while the brussel sprouts were perfectly crisped under the salmon and paired with a sweet and salty sweet potato mash. Hobnob touts that its tavern fare with southern flare and this is case and point. Just imagine a wonderful salmon dish with the right amount of salt, sweet, and crispiness and then top it with a honey mustard and you’ve got a showstopper. The honey mustard really gives it a tartness and elevates all the flavors when you mix them all up together. We will be back for another one of these!

When you go for your special date night and try the Tavern Salmon, you should also spring for dessert. We tried the lava cake, which was everything you’d imagine from a rich, chocolate dessert with ice cream. Creamy, tons of chocolate flavor, a perfect pairing with the vanilla ice cream. Divine. They also have specialties that they make in house like cobbler. It’s the perfect ending.

CANSTRUCTION ATLANTA PUBLIC ART COMPETITION COMES TO PONCE CITY MARKET IN APRIL

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 3/8/20

Canstruction Atlanta Kicks Off 21st Annual Public Art Competition Benefitting Atlanta Community Food Bank & Raising Awareness of Atlanta-Area Hunger Insecurity

Renowned Metro Atlanta Design Teams to Build Giant Canned Food Structures for Public Display at Ponce City Market from April 21 – May 5, 2020

In Association with the Atlanta Chapters of the American Institute of Architects & Society for Design Administration

 

Canstruction® Atlanta, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization benefitting the Atlanta Community Food Bank, announces the launch of its 21st annual art exhibition program and philanthropic event in association with the American Institute of Architects (AIA, Atlanta Chapter) and Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Design Administration (SDA). The announcement kicks off months of advanced planning and participation on the parts of Canstruction Atlanta committee members, a variety of sponsors and numerous design teams, resulting in massive art structures made of canned food goods. Free and open to the public, the structures will be on public display throughout the first and second floor of the Central Food Hall at Ponce City Market from April 21 – May 5, 2020.

 

The Canstruction Atlanta organization, which comprises Architectural, Engineering and Construction (A/E/C) industry members and a wide range of related community members, inspires and facilitates metro-area participants to create and build food can art displays. The program raises awareness of Atlanta-area hunger insecurity and generates food and funds for the Food Bank, while shedding a spotlight on the local design industry. Since its inception in 1998, Canstruction Atlanta has donated approximately 1.2 million meals to the local food bank.

 

The art structures will feature design expertise from some of Georgia’s most talented architects, engineers, construction professionals and designers. Each canned food art display will showcase a design concept as a standalone part of the exhibition’s entire series and draw inspiration from futuristic cars and airplanes; popular cartoon characters; items related to Atlanta’s burgeoning film industry; iconic area landmarks; and more. Participants will be able to use canned goods of all sizes, wood, tape, rubber bands, wire and Velcro to create self-supporting structures.

 

The can structures art exhibition will commence with an initial build-out day on April 20, during which up to 20 design teams will have 10 hours to assemble their individual can structures at Ponce City Market. 

Culminating during an awards gala at The Plaza at Ponce City Market on Friday, April 24 from 7-10pm, a jury will select one winner in each of six Canstruction International categories, including “Best Meal,” “Most Cans,” “People’s Choice,” “Best Use of Labels,” “Structural Ingenuity” and a new award this year: “Best Original Design.” A seventh award, selected by the Canstruction Atlanta committee, known as the “Can-ambassador Award” is presented to the team that goes above and beyond the original scope of the Canstruction event. Tickets ($25) to the gala can be purchased at www.canstructionatl.com in advance or at the door.

 

The annual program and event activities will end with a special Disassembly and Donation Day on Wednesday, May 6, when all structures will be dismantled and bestowed to the Food Bank for distribution to hundreds of interrelated, nonprofit organizations with hunger-relief programs benefitting Metro Atlanta and North Georgia citizens.

 

Canstruction Atlanta is seeking individual and corporate sponsors to provide participatory support. Seven sponsorship packages are available in exchange for applicable benefits. Sponsorship levels include “Elite,” “Corporate,” “Platinum,” “Diamond,” “Gold,” “Silver” and “Bronze.” Sponsorships and donations are tax deductible and can be attained through www.canstructionatl.com/sponsors.

“The annual Canstruction Atlanta program and canned food exhibition help enrich the Atlanta-area community and bring together people from different design-oriented industries,” says 2020 Co-Chair James Byers. “Most of all, the program provides a sense of unity which lends to the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s goal of conquering area hunger.”

 

About Canstruction® Atlanta: Canstruction Atlanta is a unique charity which hosts competitions, exhibitions and events showcasing colossal structures made of full cans of food. After the structures are built, the creations go on display free of charge for the public as a giant art exhibition. At the conclusion of the event, all food is donated to local hunger relief organizations. Recognized for commitment to innovation, hunger relief and collaboration, the organization has helped raise more than 25 million pounds of food since 1992. Learn more at www.canstructionatl.com.

ATLANTA GRILLED CHEESE FESTIVAL 2020 – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 3/6/20

Saturday, September 12th at 11:30 am

Atlantic Station

Atlanta Grilled Cheese Festival, produced by Atlanta Sport and Social Club, will take place on September 12, from 11:30 am to 6:00 pm. 2020 marks the fourth year of this incredibly, cheesy event at The Pinnacle Lot at Atlantic Station and it sells out every year.
The festival delivers deliciousness of epic proportions and this September it will offer more sandwich choices than ever before with over 30 food vendors. The festival will feature live music acts throughout the day, an expanded kids zone, and the the wildly popular Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar that made its debut last year — sponsored by Smirnoff Vodka. Attendees can add everything from beef jerky, to candied ginger to pickles to various hot sauces.
Approximately 5,000 attendees will join in on the fun and commit to some serious sandwich eating. In addition to using sample tickets, attendees can purchase full-sized, grilled cheese sandwiches and various other menu items from all participating food vendors. Participants to date include, Dos Bocas, Char Korean Bar & Grill, Dixie Q (2019 Judge’s Choice Winner), Cooks & Soldiers, Jen Chan’s (2019 People’s Choice Winner), Brooke Lynn’s Own Food Truck, Mercedes-Benz Stadium Food Truck, Pho Cue BBQ, Brainfood, Suga’s Pimento Cheese, Guest Driven BBQ, Simone’s Kitchen ATL, YOM, Island Chef Cafe, Different Twist Pretzel Food Truck, and more.
“Nothing brings people together like a shared interest in a childhood favorite! We love seeing Atlanta come out and celebrate the grilled cheese sandwich, one of the top food items in the United States. The festival will serve up some of the best sandwich creations in our city by truly talented chefs and food trucks. One of the most unique parts of the event, is our amateur competition where we invite anyone, even home cooks, to come in and show off their stuff!” shared Catie Schreiman, Event Director.
The festival welcomes guests of all ages and has expanded the Kids Zone for 2020 including; ever-popular slime making, face painting, bounce house, bungee trampoline, fun inflatables, bubble soccer, and more.
Feature sponsors include, Bulleit Bourbon, Lunazul Tequila, Hellofresh, various brands from Gourmet Foods International, and PNC Bank. For those that need to take a breather in between bites, they can visit vendors such as Jimella’s Bakery, Buckhead Thread Co, Cutco Cutlery, Gitts Bajan Pepper Sauce, Miss Bee Haven Honey Bones, Delights by Dawn, Brain Freeze, April’s Sweet Shoppe, WaWa Hot Sauce, Vintage Eyeware, and more.
Live music includes local Atlanta DJ OneNate, Rouge Tones, and Zale with additional acts to be announced soon.
Local nonprofit support is an important focus for festival owners Atlanta Sport and Social Club. Several nonprofits will benefit from ticket sales including, Releash Atlanta, Playworks Georgia, and Community Bucket.
General Admission Tickets include admission to the festival, your first (3) grilled cheese samples, event koozie plus live music, and access to our Adult Game Zone and Bloody Mary Garden (21+ if applicable).
$18
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SOLD OUT! Cheese Lover’s Tickets include admission to the festival, your first (6) grilled cheese samples, event koozie, souvenir sunglasses and (2) beer/wines, plus live music, and access to our Adult Game Zone and Bloody Mary Garden (21+ if applicable).
Groups of 15 or more are eligible for a group discount catie@atlantasportandsocial.com for details.

More information and to purchase tickets here.