How to Eat and Drink at Dragon Con: Meal Hacks and Secret Drink Spots

It’s the sign of a seasoned con-goer to bring their own pre-mixed drinks, beer, and snacks along with you to a con. Typically, we lug around a large backpack with drinks or even a few times: a rolling suitcase. It becomes cumbersome. What if you didn’t have to do any of that? We’ve found some meal hacks, as well as secret (or not so secret) drink spots. Next Dragon Con you too can meal hack or find these secret drink spots and leave the baggage at home! Enjoy!

Sure, you can hoof it to the food court where the lines are long and the food is mediocre (except Aviva, we’d hoof it there for you) or you could grab a tall boy or 12 at Sols but don’t go on Saturday because you’re not getting in the door any time soon. What we found is that you can get good service, good food, reasonable prices at a few places and FAST. How? Two words: the bar. Two more words: off hours.

We found going in and sitting at the bar at off hours was the best way to eat (or drink) at Dragon Con. First, Gus’ Chicken for the price of the food court and without all the people, you could get a seat at the bar, and get in and out for a meal with soda only about $14. They also have a la carte and so you can mix and match your soul food favorites together to make your perfect meal. Don’t get us started on the chicken either, it’s fresh, good portions, and juicy. Top that you can get a big tall 40 for about 7 bucks. Split it with someone, it’s almost a pitcher!

Second is Tin Lizzy’s because first off we are Mexican food connoisseurs and second because they have $3 PBR tall boys. Pick your taco(s) and a side for less than $10. Prefer just a snack? Chips and salsa are reasonable, one taco runs about $4, or you could get tater tots app. Top it off with a PBR tall boy for $3. They do have 24 oz domestic light beers, but they’re more, and the PBR is the best deal. Now, mixed drinks are pricy here, we’d just recommend that Voodoo bucket of rum in the Hyatt for about the same price as a large margarita.

If you don’t want a meal but maybe just an affordable drink or maybe something sweet head to the Hyatt. First, on the lower level near the pool, there’s a small bar with some local favorites like Wild Heaven Emergency Drinking Beer for only $5. They also have a Brooklyn IPA. If you opt for a larger beer, they’re more. Again, anything beyond these two like mixed drinks or wine are pricier and we’d again just recommend that Voodoo Bucket of Rum for the price. While your down there, we swung by High Road Ice Cream out near the pool for a sweet treat. They brought their A game with their little Wallop Ice Cream Balls. They were only $2 each and had a variety of flavors like dark chocolate cookie dough and mint, peanut butter and strawberry, almond, and chocolate chip cookie dough with sweet cream (fave). Mix and match a few or just eat one.

If you’re in the Hilton, you don’t need to go to the Hyatt, stay there. Two good options there were local brewery Red Hare SPF 50/50 Tangerine or Grapefruit for $6 or if it’s Thursday Mai Tais at Trader Vic’s were only $6.

Eat and drink well Dragon Con!

Best of Dragon Con Saturday and Sunday 2019

Supernatural Group Shot, Meeting Harvey Guillen, Hilton Dance Party Part Deux, and Our Top 10 Groups, Costumes, or Cosplays

On Saturday, we headed to a Supernatural panel staring Sebastian Roche, DJ Qualls, Kim Rhodes, Samantha Smith, and surprise guest Ruth Connell. She didn’t have a seat so she sat in Kim Rhodes’ lap until they got her one. DJ Qualls came up with a game for us to play during the panel and the prize was an 18k gold tooth brush. I’m not sure it really was 18k gold, but there was a toothbrush he pulled out of his bag. How to play: everyone who asked a question picked a number and whoever was closest to the number he pre-picked won it. There was one lady who dressed up for the day as Mary Winchester in full nightgown and all and she ended up winning. Sounds perfect to us. They also discussed their favorite episodes, which included Baby, French Mistake, Regarding Dean, and Party On, Garth. A fan recently participated in GISH Mischa Collins’ (Castiel) charity that is the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt. We personally hadn’t heard about this and looked it up. Wow! Those are some daredevils that do these “tasks!” All the cast members said that they had done it. Interesting.

On Sunday night, we were walking out of the Hilton after watching a huge dance party when we walked into Harvey Guillen who was coming in the side door. I (Liz) recognized him and he was talking to another fan. When they were done, I went up and shook his hand and told him we loved him in What We Do in the Shadows as Guiermo and he was very nice. We haven’t seen the original “documentary” but he said was more of the same, but urged us to watch it. Maybe we will now that Harvey wants us to watch it! REALLY wanted to ask him about his character’s twist on the show, but we’re sure he couldn’t divulge anything.

Hilton Dance Party Part 2 on Sunday was bigger, “badder,” and even more blow-up costumes. So, it all comes full circle as we ended up back at the Hilton for an huge dance party that erupted into a dozen dinosaurs, one very large Chewbacca, several Pikachu, even a group of Pac Man ghosts. What a way to end Dragon Con 2019 with all these characters from all the genres dancing together to Party in the USA. Personally, can’t stand the song, but it was fun to watch.

Our top 10 Groups, Costumes, or Cosplays (no particular order):

Best of Dragon Con Wednesday Through Friday 2019

Panels, Wallops, A Mai Tai, A Wonder Woman T-Rex, Random Celebrity Sightings, and Parking Lot Karaoke!

Wheeeew, We were busy!

Fandom. Nerdom. Fanatics. Whatever you want to call it descended on downtown Atlanta as the first few days of Dragon Con came and went, but thank goodness it’s Friday. Welcome home to Dragon Con 2019! Wednesday is the new Thursday with the welcome home party and even a T-REX dance party in the Hilton. Thursday is quickly becoming the new first must-do night with their fun late night parties like the End Game Neon Party and late night tunes, like The Tomb Tunes. There’s also $6 Mai Tais at Trader Vic’s! Finally, Friday is the first full day full of panels, parties, and more. Let’s check out all the Friday shenanigans in depth!

First, the Wallops. We snaked like a super hero this evening, while hanging out with Hight Road Craft Ice Cream out of Marietta, GA (local!). A little ball of deliciousness has a delicate ice cream center, cookie dough outside, and crispy shell. Our favorite was definitely the sweet cream ice cream and cookie dough, but the almond was also very good. Wait, they ALL were good. What a nice bunch of people to hang out with for a while! You should check out their large wallop and background you can take a picture with! It’s bigger than your head! They are going to be in the pool area of the Hyatt Regency Saturday too until 6 pm (or gone). Get Walloped!

Second, panels. There are so many tidbits, behind the scene jokes, and more that you find out about actors and even shows that you didn’t know that are a complete surprise to everyone. The best things that happen can be surprise guests, show spoilers, story lines that COULD be, and more. Here’s some of the best of the panels:

THIS PORTION OF OUR ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM LUCIFER AND GOTHAM. Like this afternoon, we got to hear from Aimee Garcia and DB Woodside a few interesting things about Lucifer currently airing on Netflix. DB said in the first season that his character Amenadiel was to fall in love with the demon Maze, but she was going to die. He is so distraught that he brings her back to life and that’s how he looses his powers and wings. Interesting. He does lose his wings in season one into season two, but it wasn’t for this reason. Fox was hesitant about this story line and it got scrapped. Then, Aimee, is hoping her character, Ella, turns out to be God (and so did one fan who asked about it). In the comics, Elaine Bella is a character that turns out to be God and with name Ella… could be? Probably not, but it is a fan theory and a rumor around the lot.

As for Gotham that just ended it’s run on Fox, we got to spend some time with a bunch of the main actors like David Mazouz, Sean Pertwee, Robin Lord Taylor, Maggie Geha, and SURPRISE Donald Logue showed up. Right off, Robin Lord Taylor is a blonde(!). So, he had a wonderful story about how Jada Pinkett Smith took him under her wing and really showed him the ropes of acting on a series, almost like her character Fish Mooney mentored Cobblepot, who became Penguin and he was eternally grateful. He also said he really used Danny Devito’s Penguin and his “look” as a roadmap to his character. Beyond that, it was interesting to hear that Fox/the producers didn’t tell the actors what roles they were auditioning for in the beginning. Sean P said if he knew he was auditioning for Alfred he would have done things differently. David M mentioned they said his scene for audition was that his brother has just died and he is having a hard time with it. So interesting to hear this! What struck us is that these actors were all very close. Donald Logue said this was the closest, most family like cast he’s worked with and that means a lot seeing as he had just done Sons of Anarchy, Vikings, and a stint on SVU. They all hugged when he showed up. He wasn’t supposed to be at the panel, so it was a treat for all!

On the way back from dinner, we were walking by the Marriott and we ran into a man standing on the street talking to another cosplayer. He turns around and it’s Mark Sheppard. If you watched the show Supernatural on the CW and the demon, Crowley, rings a bell, you know who we’re talking about! I (Liz) asked for a selfie or photo but he said it was against the rules, so we can’t give you a proof of encounter, unfortunately. But, I did get to waved to his wife Sarah who was on Facetime with him, and he was very nice. We told him we were big Supernatural fans and left it at that. SPOILER We hope he gets to come back for the final season.

Finally, we ran across something cool tonight, a parking lot karaoke party. A bunch of random people, belting their favorite songs, behind a car, and a bunch of people around cheering them on. It was a lot of fun and interesting to watch everything go down.

That’s a wrap for now. More on Saturday and Sunday to come!

Bistro Off Broad: Big City Eats with Small Town Charm

A short walk from the downtown Courthouse in Winder is a small bistro that has big city eats, nestled in a charming small town. It’s worth the drive from Atlanta to peruse the windows of the small shops and stop in for Brunch at Bistro Off Broad. Great cocktails and sparklers, as well as delicious appetizers and hearty brunch items. Get your fork out, it’s time to take a food adventure with us.

The long bar invites you into Bistro off Broad and they have a serious wine, beer, and cocktail list, along with specialty brunch drinks. Focusing on brunch, we sampled the bottomless sparklers that included four unique mimosas and Bellinis. Get. This. When. You. Go. They were all worth a sip and it was so tough to pick one to feature, so decided to feature them all. Starting with the Raspberry Bellini, it was simply raspberry puree and sparkling prosecco that was refreshing and sweet. The Peach Bellini also combined a peach puree with the sparkling prosecco, but it turned out more tart forward and brought out the tart in the wine. In between the sweet of the two Bellinis were the Mimosa and the Poinsettia. The Mimosa had a good mix of orange juice and brut champagne, not too sweet, not too tart. The Poinsettia incorporated cranberry and brut champagne, as well, but the brut brought out the sweet of the cranberry, so it was more balanced. Take your pick, you won’t go wrong.

Once you move from the bar into the dining room, gorgeous chandeliers hang strategically over each table. They were the first thing we noticed! The second thing we noticed was the full brunch menu full of delicious eats like fresh salads, benedicts, hashes, biscuits and gravy, and everything you can think of you’d ever want for brunch. We opted for several dishes, apps, and sides including deviled eggs, wings, corned beef hash, farmer’s scramble, and Brussel sprouts.

For the apps, the wings were beautifully stacked and looked almost too pretty to dig into. You wouldn’t be disappointed though when you did because they were sweet, salty, fall off the bone good. With a sticky, spicy Asian sauce then slightly charred they had the right amount of sauce and meat. Followed that up by the Reuben Deviled Eggs that were some of the best we’ve had in all of Atlanta.  These beauties were delicately whipped savory egg filling topped with tangy onion and a meaty piece of corned beef. Underneath is a tart and tangy ground mustard that gives it a flavor pop at the end.

For the entrees, the corned beef hash combined real thick cut-corned beef, roasted potatoes, onions and peppers, topped by a runny egg. It was savory, sweet, decadent, salty, and we could go on! If you’re looking for a healthy option, may we suggest the farmer’s scramble with mushroom, corn, green beans, and scrambled eggs. Let’s not leave out the Brussel sprouts side. This is something that we always get because it’s a good food to add brightness and crunch to a meal and we could eat them every day. These were very good with the right amount of crunch, along with a smoky, onion, and savory bacon flavor. It was the right combination of flavors that we wouldn’t add anything to it! They do offer it with a sauce, but it was really good even with out it.

With that we’re throwing in the towel! Stuffed and happy. Isn’t that how all Brunch should end?

Black Walnut Cafe: Fine Dining in a Fast-Casual Setting (Atlanta Locations Closed)

Black Walnut Café out of Houston, TX, has opened in Atlanta, settling near all the action in Peachtree Corners and Alpharetta. This café has a lounge where you can sit and chat with your friends, a bar where you can grab a drink and an appetizer, or you can order at the counter and sit in the dining room. Opting for the bar at the Peachtree Corners location, we got several delicious fast-casual dishes that ate like fine dining. From the Salmon to the Shrimp and Grits, as well as the hand-made cocktails, Black Walnut Café really does fine dining in a fast-casual setting.

We sampled the BWC Grand Mimosa and the Ginger Peach Lemonade. The mimosa was a good balance of champagne, orange juice, and Gran Marnier, while the Ginger Peach Lemonade mixed the sweet peach syrup, fresh sliced peaches, and tangy ginger. Both drinks were tasty! Fun fact: the bar tenders hand squeezed the juice themselves!

As far as the main entrees, the salmon was cooked perfectly to a silky quality that melted in your mouth. Contrasted to the smooth fish was the sweet and savory of the honey ginger sauce that was deep and tangy. You combine that with the crunch of the peppers and snap peas rounded out the dish with some brightness and depth! Along with the fish, we had the Shrimp and Grits that was perfectly seasoned with the right amount of spice to offset the creaminess of the grits. On top of that, the grits could have stood on their own with the addition of savory bacon and crunchy scallions. Both great dishes all the way around.

Yum.

Amour Vert In-Store Celebration Event Recap – June 2019

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 7/18/19

Thursday, June 27th

Just in time for summer shopping, Atlantans and visitors alike gathered at the Amour Vert store at Ponce City Market for a special event featuring Machete jewelry on Thursday, June 27th. Based out of San Francisco, the coveted brand is known for their sustainable, versatile and thoughtfully designed clothes and accessories. Guests mixed and mingled, enjoyed complimentary Cathead Vodka cocktails, City Winery wine made by winemaker, Travis Green, bites by Ocean Catering Co., and were the first to explore the Spring and Summer collection. Guests also learned that with every purchase of an Amour Vert tee, the effortlessly sustainable company will plant a tree in North America with their trusted partner American Forest. To date, Amour Vert has planted over 220,000 trees. For more information, visit Amour Vert’s Atlanta flagship store at Ponce City Market on online at  https://amourvert.com.

Epicenter Music Festival Photo Journal 2019

Fudo: Spicy, Crunchy, Sweet

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 5/19/19

Nestled in a Chamblee live-work community off Peachtree, Fudo has an intimate atmosphere and friendly service. The most amazing thing about Fudo? The number 48. We sat down and counted the number of specialty sushi rolls you can choose from when dining at the restaurant, that number is 48. This is in addition to all the hand or traditional rolls, as well. They have so many combinations, it was so hard to decide on just a few to try. Our waitress helped us pick something that we’re calling: spicy-crunchy-sweet. One spicy, one crunchy, one sweet roll that would round out the meal. Diving in…

We sampled the brussel sprouts appetizer and it is one of the most unique around with a creamy garlic ponzu sauce that’s sweet and spicy along with the crispy, fried sprouts. It was just the right amount of crunch followed by sweetness and spicy. Uniquely delicious.

Of the three rolls we chose, our favorite roll is still the Hunger Games Roll. We had this at the grand opening and couldn’t pass up having it again. It’s the most flavorful roll we’ve found on the menu with a smoky, creamy aioli topped with spicy sriracha and jalapeno that lingers in the back of your throat. No wasabi needed. On top of that, the fish are cut just right and a crunchy asparagus to give it a slight crunch. All around a solid bite that we’re going to get again! Yum.

The other two rolls were delicious as well: Mono and My Idol. Immediately upon trying the mono two things stuck out: the crunch and the wasabi tobiko. The tempura crunch starts off the bite, smooth fish in the middle, then comes the spice of the wasabi tobiko. A great addition on the end to round out the flavor and goes perfectly with the pop of the eggs. My Idol was smoother, sweeter of all the rolls. Very rich and creamy, with the sweetness and crunch of the mango, then the richness of the sauce, as well as the pop of the red and white tobiko. What a great way to fill out a meal with everything from smoky spicy, to crunchy, to sweet and rich.

No matter what you pick, you’ll find something original and new at Fudo. The drinks are on point and have a ton of options for those who don’t prefer raw fish or sushi.  Since Fudo is in our hood, we’ll be heading back soon, shall we meet you there?

American Cut: Welcome to the New York City Experience in Buckhead

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 5/1/19

When you walk into American Cut, you’re transported to New York City’s vibrant Steakhouse scene. You can tell they pride themselves on experience from the moment you step in the door. You’re immediately treated to champagne, as well as a steakhouse vibe with modern and Art Deco touches, but don’t forget the white glove service. From tableside flambé, extensive wine list, salad chopped tableside, to poke on Himalayan salt, American Cut has the steakhouse perks of New York here in Buckhead. 

Let’s walk you through our food journey at American Cut. Starting with the salad, boring can be its middle name, but this time we got to see an entire double head of romaine, a large cracker and cheese crouton toast, and all its ingredients chopped right at our table. With pepper, mix of salty-sweet, and well-balanced crunch, the salad was far from boring. Beyond that, the next course was the poke on a Himalayan salt platform and some thick-cut bacon. You heard us right, poke ON Himalayan salt. this is when we realized every course has some experience that is different from the norm. This one was a pink salt platform that lent a salt to the delicious mix of tuna poke, creamy avocado, spice, and peaches. PEACHES! How did they get them to crunch like that? Plus, we don’t know what they rub on their bacon, but it’s like cocoa, coffee, cinnamon all mixed together! If you’re like us, we love bacon. This one was no disappointment. Delicious, flavorful, thick, more please.

At one point in the night, we looked over and watched a chef stroll out with a big pan and start to combine butter, herbs, brandy, and light in on fire. We talked to the server about what was happening. FLAMBE. Next time, we’re getting THAT. We had filet steak with herb butter and a sea bass entrée. The best thing all night was that flaky, deeply rich, buttery sea bass. They kept the skin on which really yielded to the deep flavor and paired it with a pan-fried potato and rosemary, asparagus, and a splash of lime vinaigrette on the fish really gave it the brightness and depth. As for the filet, it had a similar succulent finish as the bacon, but more smoke flavor, butter, and chive. It was very tender for a medium well and had a nice, tangy finish from the chive. Where is my white napkin? Surrender.

We’re full. We’re happy.

American Cut is at The Shops of Buckhead and link to their site here.

Bacon
Tuna Poke ON Himalayan Salt

ADVENTURES IN ATLANTA FEATURED IN VOYAGEATL MAGAZINE’S ATL’S MOST INSPIRING STORIES

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 4/12/19

We excited to share with our readers that we recently spoke to VoyageATL Magazine about all things Adventures in Atlanta. It’s everything from who we are, what we do, how we got started, and our biggest accomplishments. Spoiler! We give a shout out to those who helped us get started, and we have two big accomplishments, one is related to a concert.  So, check out the article, here is the link: http://voyageatl.com/interview/meet-liz-attaway-john-attaway-adventures-atlanta-brookhaven/