CITY WINERY TOAST TO SUMMER EVENT RECAP

Posted by Liz and Attaway, 6/24/18

On Thursday, June 14, 2018, over 25 wine lovers and diners descended upon City Winery, a restaurant, urban winery, private event space and intimate music venue, located in bustling Ponce City Market for an exclusive tasting experience.  While toasting to the summer with bubbly, house-made wine and signature cocktails, guests enjoyed a lively evening of great conversation and Executive Chef Nick Anderson’s globally influenced and locally sourced cuisine.  In addition to delicious snacks, guests were treated to a family-style dinner that included a seasonal peach salad, pork belly sandwich, assorted flatbreads, hummus, salmon, Brussel sprouts, fried chicken and, of course, Chef’s mouthwatering brisket cooked on a Big Green Egg. With entertainment in every corner, comedy lovers also enjoyed a hilarious evening with Scott Thompson from Kids in the Hall, while libation lovers mixed and mingled in ABV, City Winery’s “Alcohol By Volume” speakeasy.

BAR MARGOT

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 6/15/18

You walk into Bar Margot and immediately feel like you’ve been transported back to a simpler time, where gentlemen and ladies would gather for a cocktail or a good cigar to lament the day’s work. Beyond that, they have a great menu full of flavor, savory, sweet items that are fun to experience, like, the deviled eggs that were creamy, yet so rich and savory. It’s a must try. We followed it up with the pork belly that was tender with pickled onions to give it some bite, as well as a nutty, salty, sweet sauce.

 

We switched gears from appetizers to a charcuterie board full of interesting offerings, like duck, wild boar, and tomme cheese, to Gouda. They were all good, but the duck prosciutto took the cake with the right amount of meat and fat, plus pair that with the gouda and you’ve got perfection. We went all-in for the entrée and swung for the lamb T-bone. Good. Choice. The lamb was perfectly cooked and the bone added a ton more flavor without too much game on the back end. Top that with a sweet balsamic-like sauce that gave it depth beyond the savory of the lamb.

 

Finally, they offer a variety of sorbets and we opted for the pina colada. It may or may not had rum. It was smooth, creamy like you’d find in a pina colada drink, but more rich and thick, topped with fresh pineapple to give it a little sweet kick. Again, it may or may not have had rum. All-in-all grab your co-workers and head over to Bar Margot for a light dinner and cocktails to lament the day’s work.

 

ATLAS BUCKHEAD: SUMMER ON THE PATIO

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 6/3/18

We recently landed in the heart of Buckhead at the St. Regis Hotel for a cocktail and culinary experience with Atlas Buckhead and their summer on the patio. From the soothe sounds of Lilac Wine to the depth of flavor in the food and extensive cocktail, wine, and drink list, Atlas certainly didn’t disappoint with their classy, yet tavern casual atmosphere and delectable bites. Starting with the cheesy twists, they were a puff pastry of the perfect size with the right amount of cheese to add a bite at the end. We moved on to the main course and we tried the flank steak. The tender, savory of the meat paired well with the earthy balance of the chimichurri and that fun crunch from the tater tots. On top of that the great cocktail, wine, and beer menu have a good variety to compliment the amazing food. Needless to say, we can’t wait for another chance to get back to Atlas!

HOP-ON HOP-OFF THE ATLANTA BEER BUS

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 5/21/18

THE ATLANTA BEER BUS LAUNCHES HOP-ON AND HOP-OFF

BREWERY SHUTTLE SERVICE 

Continuous Loop Party Buses Drop-Off and Pick-Up Beer Enthusiasts at Atlanta’s Hottest Breweries

Atlanta, Georgia – The Atlanta Beer Bus, a HOP-on/HOP-off shuttle service that transports beer enthusiasts between Atlanta’s finest breweries, has officially launched.  Offering wallet-friendly entertainment for just $15 per person, riders receive unlimited access to the Atlanta Beer Bus shuttles that travel along a continuous loop where they create their own brewery adventure – staying as long or as little as they like at any location every Friday through Sunday.

Offering safe and reliable transport to Atlanta’s best breweries, cideries and distilleries, each bus is equipped with comfortable, heated/air conditioned group seating, great music, and friendly and knowledgeable drivers.  Imbibers also have the opportunity to dive into the history of Atlanta’s breweries with the help of the Atlanta Beer Bus Beer Nerds, a group of beer-loving experts with deep homegrown roots and knowledge of all things Atlanta – from the city’s institutions to off-the-beaten path adventures.

With a love for craft beer and a wealth of experience in both the banking and hospitality industries, the Atlanta Beer Bus was founded by Travis Irions during a trip to Asheville, NC.

“I was inspired by how ingrained the breweries were in the local community and immediately wanted to recreate a similar experience in the Atlanta market,” says Irions.  “Atlanta’s craft beer community is devoted, passionate, and there’s an undeniable sense of comradery.  I could not be more excited to launch a no-fuss and affordable shuttle service that helps to showcase the tremendous talent and unique brewery destinations our city has to offer.”

Leading the festivities each weekend, Atlanta Beer Bus stops include:  Monday Night Brewing in West Midtown, Urban Tree Cidery, Second Self Beer Company, Scofflaw Brewing Co., Red Brick Brewing Company, ASW Distillery, SweetWater Brewing Company, Orpheus Brewing, Park Tavern, and the Midtown MARTA Station.  Routes vary depending on breweries opening and closing times.  For detailed information about the routes, visit atlantabeerbus.com.

Atlanta Beer Bus Route Schedule
*Times subject to change.

Friday
4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
HOP-On/HOP-Off
Monday Night Brewing West Midtown, Second Self Beer Company, Scofflaw Brewing Co., Red Brick Brewing, ASW Distillery, SweetWater Brewing Company, Orpheus Brewing, Park Tavern, Midtown MARTA Station, Monday Night Brewing West Midtown.

Saturday
12 p.m. – 10 p.m.
HOP-On/HOP-Off
Monday Night Brewing West Midtown, Urban Tree Cidery, Second Self Beer Company, Scofflaw Brewing Co., Red Brick Brewing, ASW Distillery, SweetWater Brewing Company, Orpheus Brewing, Park Tavern, Midtown MARTA Station, Monday Night Brewing West Midtown.

Sunday
1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
HOP-On/HOP-Off
Monday Night Brewing West Midtown, Urban Tree Cidery, Second Self Beer Company, Scofflaw Brewing Co., Red Brick Brewing, SweetWater Brewing Company, Orpheus Brewing, Park Tavern, Midtown Marta Station, Monday Night Brewing West Midtown.

The Atlanta Beer Bus runs on Fridays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit atlantabeerbus.com.  Stay connected on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter at @atlbeerbus. #ATLBeerBus

SOUTHERN KITCHEN MEET THE MAKER EVENT RECAP

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 3/1/18

On Thursday, February 22nd, over 85 trendy Atlantans descended upon the KOHLER showroom in bustling Buckhead for a special Meet the Makers event.  An exclusive affair presented by Southern Kitchen and KOHLER Signature Store by PDI, guests mixed and mingled, experienced demonstrations, and tasting samples, while enjoying a special evening where entertainment, food, and cocktails came together.  With interactive experiences at every corner, guests were treated to a chef demonstration by Southern Kitchen’s Chef Jeffrey Gardner, delicious bites from Executive Chef Shane McIntosh of Ocean Catering Company, handcrafted cocktails courtesy of Independent Distilling Company, and craft beers from Wild Heaven.

If you make it over to the store, you must try the shower wall and the women’s restroom toilet, which has heated seats, air dry, and much more. Trust us, it’s worth it! Of the food samples from Ocean Catering Company, the BBQ pork sliders were tender and slaw was the right balance of crunch and creaminess. The best passed plate was the chicken and mushroom rangoon. It was rich, savory, and melt in your mouth good! That was followed up by an amazing crunch of the fried dough. Drinks were also on point with a delicious rose, good beer, and amazing cocktails.

FROM THE EARTH BREWING COMPANY: AN OTP GEM

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 2/18/18

It’s worth your while to travel just a few minutes OTP to try a new gem in Roswell, From the Earth Brewing Company. With a brewery-style bar and full restaurant, we were blown away by the quality of both the beer and the food. Beyond that, when you think brewery, you would think the food might be lacking, but it was spot on, right up there with the best restaurants around our foodie-rich town. Making you hungry? Let’s dive-on in!

We tried three of the starters that included crisp Brussel sprouts, warm pork belly, and a tasty mushroom toast. Starting with the best starter, the pork belly with a maple, bourbon glaze that literally will melt in your mouth. Was this a dessert in disguise? Yes. Yes, it was. A must try if you make the trip. Also, the Brussel sprouts were perfectly crisped on the outside with light balsamic vinaigrette. It also had the right amount of crunch from the bacon tossed throughout. We’re not big mushroom people, but because they are brought in every few days from Loud Mouth Farms the mushroom toast was uber-fresh and delicious blend of toasted bread, goat cheese spread, and balsamic drenched mushrooms. We’re a definite fan and we’ve been converted!

Starting with some salmon and ending with wagyu flank steak, we were impressed with the entrée menu offerings for a brew pub. The salmon dish was cooked exactly how we liked with some black pepper and spices. Simple and delicious with a wild rice cake, asparagus, and local honey that was perfectly paired. Then, the wagyu steak was tender and cooked well with broccoli and a hearty gravy.  On the side was a to-die-for Gouda potatoes au gratin that was savory and rich. It’s something that you could eat every night and never get tired of it! So. Good. Finally, what did they put on their broccoli?  I’ve got to get my hands on it when we cook broccoli at home.

Finally, the beer. They have a little bit of everything from a saison, an IPA, to porters, stouts, Belgian tripel, and their golden ale. The stout wasn’t available and the porter was 2 weeks out from being ready, but we got a taste of it. It’s on the right track with a nutty, richly malted beer. Of the beers they offered that were available we thoroughly enjoyed the tripel and the golden ale. The tripel was a well-balanced and sweet with a hint of hop and yeast on the back. The golden ale was a drinkable, refreshing beer that you could drink and not get tired of all day!

Now that you’re starving, get on up to From the Earth Brewing Company. Tell, Tim, Hi for us!

ALLORA: DIVERSE NEW ITALIAN CONCEPT FROM CONCENTRIC RESTAURANTS

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 2/5/18

From octopus to lamb pasta and arugula salad, brussels sprouts to wagyu flank steak, Allora is a diverse new Italian concept from our friends Concentrics Restaurants. The restaurant is nestled down in a cozy building on the corner of Atlantic Station and 17th. The décor was also cozy and warm with low lighting and a stunning wood bar, but of course, the star of the show was the food! Let’s take a walk through the menu together.

Of the starters, we tried the arugula salad, brussels sprouts, and the octopus. Brussels sprouts are of our favorite foods, but we have to admit we enjoyed the balance of the delicious arugula salad more with the right amount of peppery lettuce, grapes and balsamic for sweetness, and topped with radish. Sacrilege, I know. The brussels sprouts were delicious in their own right, being perfectly cooked and topped with hazelnut and balsamic sweetness to cut through the sprout’s tartness. Finally, the octopus. We’ve never had octopus before and this didn’t disappoint. We enjoyed its almost crab-like sweetness and much meatier texture than expected. We’re a fan.

We only had one pasta and it was our favorite dish of the night. The Lamb Pappardelle had some of the best marinated lamb we’ve had in recent memory. It was like a wild, savory pot roast entangled with mushroom and wilted kale that gave it a much needed texture and crunch. Then, the pappardelle thick pasta was cooked al dente to round out the dish. We haven’t stopped thinking about it since Friday!

Finally, we come to the main course where we had the wagyu beef with a hazelnut salsa and the Roasted Branzini. You can’t go wrong with steak! Right? The perfectly cooked wagyu flank steak was smooth and tender with great flavor. The hazelnut salsa added a pesto-like quality, but with a sweet and nutty flavor that really off-set the savory of the steak. All worked well together. As for the Branzini, it was charred on the skin side with broccoli and vegetable mixture combined with oil on top. The fish was flaky and slightly sweet. Let’s not forget they left the tail on for a gorgeous presentation.

We’d also like to mention that we were impressed with the variety in both style and price of the wine menu, as well as the stellar wait staff that gave 100%! Kudos to them! If you go down to Allora, bring your appetite, you’re going to need it.

TAKE US BACK TO IMAGINE!

How is it possible that it’s been 2 months since Imagine? We recently were reminiscing about the splash pool, the live artwork, the electrifying music, and our favorite festival poles. Please, just take us back to Imagine Music Festival! I guess it’s really only ten more months and $99 closer now. Let’s break out the glow sticks and take a few minutes to look back.

It was about 2 am on Saturday night and on one side of the festival one DJ was shooting lasers, flashing lights, and catchy beats. On the other, a DJ pop-up was entertaining the crowd before the headliner took the stage. It was the culmination of a long, exciting few days of festival shenanigans. There was one day to go, but it might as well have been the grand finale as the crowd exploded in dance. Rewind to hours before when tall ladies on stilts with aquatic outfits posed for a quick photo, a splash pool full of white bouncy balls, large flamingos, and glow sticks in the distance choreographed in unison to the mesmerizing beats. One of our favorite festival past times is scouting out the best of the festival poles. This year the best one was a Pickle Rick-ish from the animated adult swim show “Rick and Morty” and read, “I turned myself into a totem Mortyyyy! I’m Totem Riiiiick.” Hilarious. Right on.

The music didn’t disappoint either with the sounds of BTSM, Pretty Lights, and of course Deadmau5. We caught BTSM (Black Tiger Sex Machine) last year and couldn’t miss the show this year with fun beats, over-the-top lights, and the best of all, those glowing-eyed tiger helmets. It was a not-to-miss show. Pretty lights was so much fun with dancers, performers, and a stunning laser show, while we have to mention the props! All very visually pleasing! Finally, Deadmau5’s more English style techno/edm combo is a huge draw and just the pure ambient sound and dancing lights made it all worth the wait (2 am!)

Pictures are worth more than any word we wrote above. So, check out our picture gallery and start the countdown to Imagine Festival 2018!

 

Culture Drivers by Infiniti and Urban Daddy: The Art Of

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 10/12/17

On Wednesday, September 27, 2017, over 300 stylish Atlantans descended upon The Foundry at Puritan Mill in bustling West Midtown for Culture Drivers, an exclusive event hosted by UrbanDaddy and INFINITI.  An interactive and boisterous night, art, culture, food and cocktails came together in an expectation-defying private affair where culinary innovations by celebrity chef Roblé Ali were center stage. With an experience at every corner, guests also enjoyed live dance and painting performances, a special DJ performance from DJ Salah, and visual demonstrations inspired by food throughout the night.

Some of the foodie highlights of the night were the deviled egg bar with Thanksgiving stuffing, turkey, and cranberry piled on top, lamb meatballs, champagne bar, and those thai tacos. We enjoyed watching the live art where he used mashed fruit to paint an Infiniti Car! Finally, one of the most interesting parts of the night was those “the art of” stations where models grated beets, mashed herbs, and froze fruits as we ate, sipped, and watched. Check out the photos below!

The Art of Grating Beets

Thai Coconut Curry Tacos

The Art of Freezing Fruit

Champagne with Rasberry Puree

25th Annual Jeffrey Fashion Cares Had Flower Power

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 10/12/17

What does that mean? Read on!

Arbiter of style, Jeffrey Kalinsky, creator of two namesake boutiques in Atlanta and Manhattan, celebrated 25 years of Jeffrey Fashion Cares Atlanta on Monday, August 28, 2017. The annual fashion forward and philanthropic event was once again hosted by Event Chairs Lila Hertz, Jeffrey McQuithy and Louise Sams.  A sold-out evening, the City’s most notable gathered in Phipps Plaza in the heart of Buckhead to enjoy a high-energy reception and silent auction followed by a live auction and runway show featuring Kalinsky’s style selections from high-end designers such as Celine, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Valentino, Dries van Noten, Saint Laurent Paris, Balenciaga, Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik.

 

Kalinsky and Jeffrey Fashion Cares were also granted a Phoenix Award, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a citizen for service to the City of Atlanta by the Mayor. The award recognizes outstanding achievements and service to the city, state, nation or world.

 

The 25th anniversary of Jeffrey Fashion Cares benefitted Susan G. Komen Greater Atlanta, the Atlanta AIDS Fund (AAF), and the Medical University of South Carolina. Over the course of its history, Jeffrey Fashion Cares has raised more than 15 million dollars for its beneficiaries.  For more information, visit jeffreyfashioncares.com.

 

A special thank you to the 2017 sponsors including: Host of the Night – Phipps Plaza; Bespoke – Nordstrom; and Presenting – Blue Sky Agency, Cadillac, eventologie, Jeffrey Atlanta | New York, MAGNUM Co., SPANX, and The Tavern at Phipps.

 

Jeffrey Kalinsky’s Fall Trend Forecast: 

 

Out with the minimal, and in with the maximal- so goes the ever-revolving door of fashion trends. For Fall 2017, we are revisiting the powerful, exaggerated silhouettes and over-the-top embellishments of the 1980’s. From New York all the way to Paris, runways were lit up by each designers’ newfound flair for extravagance. It is finally time to open your minds and your closets to daring, yet infinitely chic possibilities. Shop on…

 

Power Shoulders: One of the most memorable fashion moments of the 1980’s (aside from the larger-than-life hair) were the larger-than-life shoulder pads. Think cropped couture jackets and little party frocks all with a dramatic shoulder line that creates the illusion of a smaller waist.

 

Fun Furs: When the temperature starts to drop, nothing says decadence quite like swathing yourself in fur. This season, don’t let your exceptionally soft selection of outerwear be merely utilitarian; instead, choose one that is just as unique and cheerful as it is cozy.

 

Rare Birds: Feathers are no doubt the biggest story in embellishment this season. Bright, bold, beautiful plumes could be spotted flouncing down the catwalk of practically every major designer.

 

Give Them the Slip: Who says silken slip dresses must be confined to the bedroom?  If you are afraid of being mistaken for a sleepwalker, layer an asymmetrical, lace-trimmed slip over a t-shirt or sweater for a decidedly modern look. 

Flower Power: As Miranda Priestly famously taught us in The Devil Wears Prada, florals are by no means groundbreaking for spring. They are, however, an unexpected delight for fall and winter. This season, designer’s showcased moody, yet bold versions of the print that would feel right at home in an 18th century painting.