Cocktails in the Garden

Last Thursday, I came face to face with two fixtures of Atlanta culture - Atlanta Botanical Garden and resident Atlanta author Emily Giffin (both of which are gorgeous, by the way). The gardens open on Thursday evenings during the summer for Cocktails in the Garden, where you can enjoy flora and libations aplenty. My boss Katherine generously invited me to join her this past Thursday, when Emily Giffin made an appearance to promote her newest book, The Heart of the Matter. As some of the first guests to arrive at the book signing, we happily chatted with Emily about oppressive sweating, mosquito bites and childhood romance. The heat was sweltering and I think I was even sporting the ever-embarrassing sweat-stache - my boyfriend claims this ONLY happens to me, but I refuse to believe this is true.

Drinks in hand, Katherine and I made our way through the vegetation to the Outdoor Kitchen, where the chef of Parish served up spicy shrimp gazpacho soup shooters and mini oatmeal cream pies. The gazpacho shooters were addictingly tasty - by the time I was done, I'd knocked back so many that our table resembled a freshman dorm room. Unfortunately (and entirely out of character for me) we waited too long to snatch an oatmeal cream pie before they disappeared. I can only imagine that they, too, were a delightful tease of what I'm sure is an incredible menu at Parish.

For an alternative to your typical happy hour bar, trade low-watt indoor lighting for a beautiful evening of vines and vino right after work.  Plus "Cocktails in the Garden" just sounds like an event for elegant ladies of leisure...gotta keep dreaming, right? 

Wheelin' and Dealin' in Atlanta

A friend in Atlanta amazed me yesterday by telling me she had never heard of Groupon. What?! Clearly she's never read my blog. More importantly, she's missing out on a ton of wonderful bargains from all of the daily deal sites taking over Atlanta these days. In 2010, I've saved over $300 using these sites - and I'm sure there are plenty of savvy shoppers who have far surpassed that number. For those of you living in Atlanta under a rock or moving here anytime soon, here are the best sites for finding incredible deals on shopping, dining, services, events and more. For the most part, they function on the basis of collective buying power, so the more people that know, the better they get!

Groupon

Twitter @grouponatlanta

Scoutmob

Twitter @scoutmob

MyDailyThread

Twitter @mydailythread

Living Social

Twitter @livingsocialATL

Living on the cheap in Atlanta has never been so easy! Each site offers similar types of deals, so follow and subscribe to all of them! How much can YOU save?

Panita Thai Kitchen

I would typically avoid a restaurant that foregoes air conditioning in 90-degree weather and where a bottle of bug spray comes standard with your table. And I'd usually be a bit suspect of a place which, at a time when every hole-in-the -wall deli has an interactive website with menus, twitter and RSS feeds, has zero internet presence at all save a bundle of positive reviews. So I'm glad I knew none of these things when I showed up at Panita Thai Kitchen in the VA Highlands for my friend Sara's birthday.

Walking through the vine-covered walkway into Panita was unbelievable - I've never been to Thailand so I have no idea how authentic it was, but if I had a sweet Asian grandmother with a knack for hoarding collectibles and plants, this is how I imagine she'd decorate her home. It strangely reminded of the place where the Caribbean witch-woman in Pirates of the Caribbean lived. Nerd alert. Anyway, there were Buddhas, flowers, statues, pictures all over the place. It was a sweltering night, so our group of six decided to sit outside, fully equipped with a can of OFF. It was still pretty sweaty, but the guy filling our water glasses was a champ, so the heat was bearable.

Onto the food...I love Thai food and have been to a good few of Atlanta's Thai restaurants over the past few years, but I've yet to master their long and embarassingly unprounceable (ok I know that's not a word) menus. Usually my ordering strategy consists of closing my eyes and pointing my finger, hoping for the best. I was glad when four of us decided to order a few dishes together to share. Since there's no menu online, I won't even try to spell what these were, but they were all delicious. I especially loved the center dish pictured below, which was a spicy eggplant concoction of some sort. The pad thai tofu was good, much more authentic and tasty than your Doc Chey's counterpart, but still pretty tame. The vegetable curry (top picture and again, no clue about it's real name) was absolutely wonderful, with a really strong flavor and a little kick to it. Check out their creative plating and presentation:

                            

Yes, that's a foil swan. Such a unique, tasty hidden gem in the middle of the Highlands, a must-see for Thai food lovers or for those who love foil animals.

Atlanta's Taste of the Nation

On Wednesday, I was incredibly lucky to volunteer at Atlanta's 2010 Taste of the Nation, a benefit event for Share our Strength, an organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger. Along with a live and silent auction, more than 50 of Atlanta's top restaurants housed tasting booths with their best food and wine. So when I say volunteer, I actually mean eat a ton of fantastic food without footing the $250 bill for a ticket. I worked with a well-known Atlanta photographer, who knew absolutely everyone and shot that gem of a picture above of me with Pano Karatassos, the co-chair of the event. Also, Jane Fonda appeared as a distinguished guest and most of my responsibilities consisted of following her around all night (further proof that the celeb gods are shining down on me).

After stopping by most of the tables at least once, I've compiled a Top Five List of Atlanta restaurants that I need to visit. I obviously lied here when I said I was going to stop spending money at great restaurants this summer, who was I kidding?

1.Woodfire Grill - Chef Kevin Gillespie (formerly on Top Chef) just seems so cool

2. Ted's Montana Grill - One word: Milkshake

3. Tuk Tuk Thai Loft

4. Bluepointe - I've already written about this place, but I desperately need to rediscover the chocolate/caramel parfait dessert featured at Taste

5. Spice Market

Celeb Sightings

I have an abysmal record of recognizing celebrities and pseudo-celebs in the real world. The last time I was in NYC, I found myself strolling along behind Jay Leno for minutes until I finally realized that all the smiles and stares of passersby were not, to my dismay, directed at me but at the owner of the significantly more voluminous head of hair in front of me. But for some reason, the celebrity gods have smiled upon me this year and thrown some very unforgettable stars in my direction.

In order of how much I want to date them (from most to least), here are the three most recent sightings. I've also included then and now pictures for your amusement.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar aka ZACH Freakin' MORRIS

He's seriously adorable. And his hair defies all laws of gravity. As Emory's 2010 Class Day Speaker, Zach (yeah, I really can't call him by his real name) reminded many of us why this guy was our first crush and reassured us that sixteen years after Saved by the Bell went off the air, he can still make us swoon.

Owen Wilson

See his signature above. I watched him write it, probably with a little bit of drool hanging out, at Emory's outdoor pool, where I've worked for the past few years. In Atlanta to shoot Hall Pass, Wilson fancied a bit of a swim and thought the best place to go unrecognized was at a college campus with students reading People magazine at poolside. He even used those little hand-flipper things. Definitely not conspicuous. Ranking him at number 2 was a close call, since he and Zach are equally hunky, but his downfall was that he wore a plaid shirt - I've mentioned how I feel about this - in 90 degree weather.

Ahhnuld Schwarzenegger

      

Sorry Arnold, you are a huge human being and your hand is bigger than my face, so you are number 3 on my list of dateability. But you did, as promised, "pump me up" during the keynote address at commencement, so you hold a soft spot in my heart. All politics aside, the Governator was an entertaining and fun commencement speaker. Parts of his speech read more like a comedy routine, and the most memorialized line will surely be his timely remark that "I was going to speak in Arizona but I thought I'd be deported."

I realize that had I not gone to Emory, and been present at work, Class Day and graduation - three things I really had little choice over whether or not to go - I wouldn't have come face to face with these celebs. So really (Dad, I hope you're reading this), that $200 grand was TOTALLY worth it.

Goodbye, Good Food

Got lots to catch up on, folks. I'm going to give a semi-brief overview of most of the restaurants I've visited in May, which I have lovingly dubbed "The Month of the Food I Will Not Be Able to Afford For Years After Graduation." Some of these places aren't even expensive, but due to my 'I'd rather travel than eat real food' attitude, I'm planning that most of my meals this summer will consist of Kroger brand oatmeal. And since I'm living with Casey, it will obviously involve heavy amounts of chocolate.

So this lovely month commenced with my birthday meal at TAP in Midtown. Props to this place for being open at 3:45pm, which oddly enough, is the time that most restaurants close between lunch and dinner. I admit that was my primary motivation for taking my parents here when they arrived for this in-between meal (linner? dunch? hmm...) but it turned out to be a great place to go. Dad and I ordered the Steak Eggs Benedict, which was fantastic. It had a flavorful mustard bearnaise instead of hollandaise and came with some roasted potatoes. I don't remember what Mom got at this point, which means it was probably too healthy to be memorable. I feel obligated to recommend that you avoid sitting on their outdoor patio when windy - although it was fun for me to watch a table fly off the ground and into a busy sidewalk, I doubt the pedestrians found humor in the situation.

Next, for my birthday dinner with friends, a group of 10 met up at Apres Diem, right next to Midtown Arts Cinema. Pre-dinner was a bit of a comedy of errors, since originally our reservation was at Park Tavern at 7pm. When I got a call at 4pm from Park Tavern's manager saying they had to cancel the reservation, I had a minor freak out being that it was Cinco de Mayo and few restaurants had open reservations for such a big group. But the manager pulled through and made reservations for us at Apres Diem, including a round of drinks and appetizers for everyone. He's got it figured out - to all men discovering the subtleties of how to make up for your mistake(s), I suggest offering free food and drinks as your first reconcilatory move. Long story short, absolutely wonderful night with great food and friends.

Onto the graduation celebrations! Half of our grad meals took place in Daytona Beach for my brother's big day, but we had a couple great meals when we came back to Atlanta. The parents and I dropped in to Osteria 832 in the Highlands, and we all ordered pizzas. I remember that I loved the bread basket, but that might have been the bottle of wine talking. Pizza was nothing to rave about, but was good and definitely hit the spot.

Okay, I saved the best for last. The top meal of this honored month was easily my graduation dinner at Nava, a restaurant that brings some much-needed southwestern flavor to Buckhead. I knew that it was going to be a great meal when our peppy waiter brought out the jalapeno cornbread. I seriously cannot stop thinking about this bread. I want it always. Next, I ordered Sangria and shared a slew of tasty appetizers with the fam - favorites were the Grouper ceviche and Jumbo Lumb Crab fritters. For my entree, I got the Carolina Trout (with some cactus on the side, naturally) which was absolutely perfect. My only concern with this month of heavenly food is that I'm basically asking for Mercury poisoning with the amount of fish I've consumed. Whatever, everyone says to die happy. Anyway, we all loved our meals and like everything else, the dessert was phenomenal (see below).

Also, I'll be staying in Atlanta at least through August so I've gotten an extension on my excursions through the city! All suggestions welcome.

Groupon - Urban Body Studios

Luckily, I caught this Groupon while it's still hot. I deleted myself from their email list after getting perpetually woken up every morning by the local deal and consequently becoming unreasonably angry and cranky at Groupon. Which is a wonderful website. I apologize for all of the horrible things I've said about you pre-8:00 am.

Check out today's deal - $39 for a one month fitness membership and UNLIMITED yoga and pilates classes. I have no patience for yoga, but I've promised myself I'm going to try to get into pilates this summer.

Who wants to join me?

Fritti

Well, it finally hit me that I'm graduating in just a little over two weeks. What caused my, albeit delayed, reaction? Pizza. Good pizza, in fact.

I headed to Inman Park with my friend Sara for dinner at Fritti, a casual but mildly expensive Italian and  pizza place in the U Restaurant group. As I looked at the menu, filled with creative and traditional varieties of "Pizze Napoletane," I remembered that exactly a year ago, I was in the same restaurant, looking at the same menu, drinking the same wine--only instead of an Atlanta suburb, I was in Florence, Italy. Talk about a regression.

While in Florence (and in Venice and Rome, for that matter) my traveling partners and I were, lets just say, trying to spend economically. Ok, we were flat broke after a semester abroad and had to cut some expenses. So, for the majority of our almost two week trip, we ate nothing but gelato and pizza. Seriously. One gelato in the afternoon and one entire pizza for dinner. Thank god for all that walking.

Anyway, sitting in Fritti took me back a year and with happy memories of 2 euro pizzas, I ordered the Vegetariana pizza , which was absolutely delicious. As was the wine--Chianti, 2007, cheapest red on the menu (see, I'm still the same girl from a year ago). I loved the atmosphere on the patio, with such pretty instrumental music coming out of the speakers  that I felt like Sara and I should be singing instead of happily chatting away. I definitely recommend Fritti and if you can, sit outside while the weather's still gorgeous.

Interestingly enough, sitting at Fritti with one of my best friends didn't really make me sad about graduation, but got me excited for life after college. I was reminded of all the incredible places to see and things to do that are waiting for me after escaping this little Emory bubble. Although I'll probably never be able to recreate the carefree laze of jaunting around Italy with no real anxieties, I have no doubt that I can recreate the not being able to afford real food part. Thanks, Fritti.

Flick Hair Studio

One of the cardinal rules of moving to a new place: you can't call it home until you've found a good hair stylist. So coming back to Atlanta after eight months abroad, I was distraught to find that Allison, my favorite stylist at Salon Red in Decatur, had moved cross country in search of bigger and better things. Like after any significant breakup, I went through a string of rebounds before finally finding another match. Coincedentally, the 'one' happened to be having an amazing discount on Groupon, and that is story of how I ended up at Flick Hair Studio in Edgewood with a cut and highlights for just $50 (!!!).

Judging by the number of weeks ahead I had to book my appointment, it looks like I'm not the only one with my eyes on Flick. But by the time the big date (I mean, day) came, I was ready for a change. I sat down in their urban-chic salon with my stylist, Abbi, and she intently listened to me blabber on about my sordid hair history. I'm pretty sure I even mentioned my incredibly unfortunate 6th grade yearbook photo in which I apparently thought frizzy pigtails were the new hot trend (they weren't). And I thought they would complement the braces and glasses thing I already had going on (they didn't). To her credit, she at least pretended to empathize and I told her to do whatever she wanted with my hair, just no bobs and no neon.

A couple of hours later, I found five inches of blond hair on the floor and shorter, blonder hair in the mirror. I loved it! I've never had my hair this short and while I do miss having long hair, it was definitely a needed change. Abbi was wonderful and entertaining, we talked the entire time and only once did she try to get me to buy products I can't afford. Plus she offered me a Diet Coke as I waited for my highlights to dry--girl knew the way to my heart.

Since I've never been able to recreate Abbi's perfect blow dry and style, I think I'll let my hair grow out a few more inches to require a little less effort. But it's nice to know that once again, I've found the real deal--attentive, fun, and talented, Abbi and Flick are the way to go. Please do not leave town, I'm begging you.

Yogurberry

When the weather turns warm, it becomes acceptable (at least in my mind) to trade real meals for frozen treats. Since moving to Atlanta four years ago, I've gotten really into the frozen yogurt trend--chances are you'll find me at Yoforia in the Highlands or Yogurt Tap in Decatur during lunch and dinner hours once the temperature hits 70. Recently, my boss introduced me to Yogurberry in Buckhead, which has quickly become my newest go-to froyo destination.

Yogurberry sits on the bottom floor of the Terminus Building at Peachtree and Piedmont, comically dubbed "Atlanta's most prestigious intersection." You would think that sharing a building with such pretenti-oops, prestigious-residences and dining spots would make this some pricy frozen yogurt, but it's actually cheaper than some of the other options at $3.50 for a small cup.

Here's the key to having an unbelievable Yogurberry experience: order the Taro flavor. Trust me. It's so good you don't even need to add toppings. Having never heard of taro before, I did some googling and found out that it's actually a tropical root vegetable chock full of vitamins.We have an ongoing dispute at work over what it tastes like, with opinions ranging from vanilla to fruity to chocolate. I've chalked it up to one of life's delicious mysteries and never turn down an opportunity for another taste test. And at 25 calories an ounce (0g fat and only 4g sugar), it's a healthy and tasty alternative to Bruster's. Or in my case, it makes me feel less guilty about popping into Bruster's every now and then!

Weekend Festivities!

It's that time of year, ladies and gentlemen. Atlanta seems to have skipped spring and jumped right into summer. So this weekend, I'm planning on popping some Claritin and heading out to some of the festivals Atlanta has going on.

Here are a couple that are definitely worth checking out:

Atlanta Dogwood Festival
Takes place in Piedmont Park, geared towards a 'family fun' atmosphere. Live music all weekend, an International Stage with everything from Indian dance to a German choir, and even a canine competition. My only concern--aren't dogwoods the trees that smell bad??

Sweetwater 420 Fest
If you're trying to hit both of these festivals this weekend, I strongly advise that you leave Sweetwater Fest for your last stop. It's happening in Candler Park and the organizers are trying to encourage 'green transportation' so they're offering bike valets--I'm interested to see how this works out, considering wristbands for Sweetwater consumption are $5 for the day. I'm pretty sure there's a bicycle version of a DUI, so bikers beware--and please, for god's sake, leave your spandex bike shorts at home. Featuring live music, 'green' art, food and of course, beer, this self-purported "earth lovers" event sounds like a fun and relaxing way to spend the weekend with friends (just remember not to throw away anything remotely recyclable, that's just asking for it with this crowd)!

Hope to see you there!

Atlanta Cyclorama

In any other context, being surrounded by civil war would be an unfortunate circumstance. But at Atlanta’s Cyclorama, where you’re planted on a revolving platform in the middle of a 15,000 square foot painting of The Battle of Atlanta, it’s just plain cool. At the risk of revealing too much of my dorky side, I’ve always been fascinated by America’s Civil War and – historians stop reading here – probably even more interested in reading the romantic historical fiction novels about the period. My less than literary interests aside, the Civil War is obviously one of the biggest events in American history and at the Cyclorama, you’re as close as possible to the action of one hundred and fifty years ago.

While I probably could have done without the hokey music accompanying the Cyclorama exhibit, it’s such an incredible painting that I easily lost myself in the meticulously detailed scenes. Apparently painted by German artists, the Cyclorama is the largest painting in the world—there’s so much to look at that it’s difficult to take it all in. You can even find a Clark Gable lookalike mannequin…coincidence that he was cast as Rhett Butler?

Along with the painting, admission gets you into a Civil War Museum with a big ol’ train called The Texas. I’m not really into machinery, but the hyperactive little boys at the museum seemed to enjoy it. Hint to babysitters or desperate parents who are trying to find some way to entertain their children when school ends, take them here…plus it’s right next to the Atlanta Zoo so if they aren’t interested in intellectual stimulation, they can eat ice cream and feed stinky animals.

Wahoo! Decatur Grill

One of the gifts that comes with moving away from home is the ability to really value the limited time you get to spend with your family. My parents always tell me that as a kid, it was a rare day that I could be found hanging out at home. And I don't need to be reminded that during my more, let's just say 'argumentative' teenage years, I didn't exactly ooze appreciation for everything they did (and do) for me. But now, I find myself wishing that I had more time to visit home and spend time with my parents and brother.

So it's perfect timing that my mom came to visit this weekend for my sorority's Mother Daughter Weekend. Whenever my mom and I get together, our first order of business is to find someplace new and exciting for dinner and drinks. It's a win-win situation: I get to eat at great restaurants for free and Mom gets to take a break from the meat and potatoes routine that my dad and brother insist on at home.

Tonight, we headed to Wahoo! Decatur Grill for an eclectic seafood dinner and we couldn't have been happier - a glass of wine, artsy decor and warm atmosphere made the perfect combination for a couple hours' worth of a much-needed catching up and girl talk. And I have to mention the dishes we ordered-I ordered the trout and mom got the Wahoo (it's a type of swordfish, who knew?), both of which were incredible. No wonder this place has won Best Seafood in Atlanta multiple times.

I'm looking forward to spending the rest of the weekend with mom--more delicious food and gossip! Some things never change...like the fact that she still can't keep her eyes open in a picture (see below).

Dekalb Farmer's Market

After a two-week long hiatus in Ireland and what seems like twice as long in thesis-induced self exile, I decided it was about time that I got out in Atlanta and did something fun. Low on food and low on cash, I thought I'd knock out a few things on my to do list and visit the Dekalb Farmer's Market. I'd imagined this place to be a glorified fruit stand in the middle of a field, so you can imagine my surprise when I pulled up to a sprawling warehouse with a crowd worthy of a Hanson concert circa 1999. Replace pre-adolescent girls with plucky housewives and you'll get a sense of the exciting buzz of the place.

Naturally, the first thing I noticed when I arrived was a table of fresh bread samples and dips. If the entire farmer's market had consisted of just this table, I would have been satisfied. When I eventually dragged myself away from the table, I picked up a loaf of challah about the length of my arm and made my way over to the overwhelming produce section. Honestly, I didn't recognize half the fruits and veggies there but in the spirit of trying new things, I bagged a few funny looking fruits to add to my overflowing basket of grapefruits, oranges, bananas, etc. In retrospect, I seriously overestimated the amount of fruit a person could possibly eat in a week but hey, at least I'm not at risk for scurvy.

For the next hour, I walked up and down each aisle and scoured every corner to see everything they had to offer. No description of the sheer amount of items or their uniqueness can do this place justice, it's definitely something you have to see for yourself. I landed at the cash register with one of the more peculiar combinations of food I've ever held and was delighted to find out that I bought an entire week's worth of food for only $30!

Goodbye Kroger!

Mac McGee's

I've been to a lot of Irish bars and also to a lot of bars that call themselves Irish. Despite having all the requisite furnishings of an Irish pub--including, but not limited to, a quirky Irish name, well-placed Guinness ads and (this is crucial) a framed photo of Michael Collins and/or Colin Farrell--some of these bars fall short of really feeling like an Irish bar.

When I walked into Decatur's newest Irish pub, Mac McGee's, I wasn't sure if it was going to be the real deal. They had the name, Guinness posters aplenty and sure enough, a framed photograph of Michael Collins hanging right by my table. But the only true test to determine the authenticity of an Irish bar? The drinks, of course!

And Mac passed with flying colors. First of all, the bar has Magners cider on tap, the drink of choice for all Irish girls and 14-16 year old Irish boys sneaking 'beer' from their parents. Note: I love this cider and haven't been able to find it on tap since leaving Ireland last August, so my squeal of delight at the waitress was completely justified.

Irishmen and beer lovers everywhere will be happy to know that Mac McGee's barman passed perhaps the most important test for an Irish bar: the two-part Guinness pour! That, combined with the list of 100 whiskeys and the cozy, friendly atmosphere made me feel like I was back on the Emerald Isle--great craic altogether!

Something I've always wanted to be in Atlanta...

View outside of my apartment

...Snowed in!

Well, not exactly - I'm more than capable of leaving my apartment, but I'm still feeling pretty risky without the requisite supply of milk and bread. Plus, the Atlanta news channels would make you think that this is the blizzard of the century. We've heard enough about your snow, Baltimore and DC, it's Atlanta's turn to close our schools and cancel all outgoing flights (like the Atlanta airport needs another reason to cancel flights).

The Winnipeg Free Press tells me that 49 out of the 50 states currently have snow on the ground, so take that as you will - either way it's turning out to be a perfect night in Atlanta to snuggle up inside and watch the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

Cross your fingers that work is canceled on Sunday!

Community BBQ: No More Meat!

No matter what you have to say about the South, you can't deny that it has some of the most gloriously delicious food in America. Sure, we all know that it's unhealthy--just reading a Paula Deen recipe is enough to jump start cardiac arrest (for proof, check out her recipe for a burger sandwiched between two Krispy Kreme doughnuts). But morbid obesity and various digestive issues aside, there's something delightfully comforting about southern food, especially a good ol' barbecue.

Earlier this week, my friend Laura invited me to Decatur's Clairmont BBQ and I couldn't wait to try it out. I even wore a brown shirt in case of a spill. So you can imagine my disappointment when we walked up to the door to a scribbled sign that read "CLOSED: No More Meat."

Later that night, I logged on to the Community BBQ website out of curiosity and sure enough, under the hours it reveals that it's open until 8:30 or "whenever the meat runs out." Can't say I wasn't warned.

Dancing Goats Coffee Bar

If I'd consider myself an expert in anything, it would be in scouting out new places to write the endless stream of papers that come along with being a liberal arts major. As a senior, I've exhausted most of my favorite coffee shops and study nooks so I was excited when my friend Sara introduced me to Dancing Goats in Decatur.

Today I'm sharing a big round table with a couple of eclectic graduate students and my coffeehouse radar tells me that this is a perfect haven for people who are interested in getting work done and/or people watching while pretending to get work done. It's a big space filled with little tables, comfy furniture and intelligent looking people. There's also a woman handing out Hershey's Kisses to everyone that walks by--is this weird? or just really nice?

Bonus - I'm convinced that the baristas infuse their coffee with adderall because I've never been this productive in my life. Ever. They also have a huge selection of interesting coffees (brand name Batdorf & Bronson)--and when the most exciting part of your day is choosing what kind of coffee to order, this is pretty crucial.

Reason #64783 Dancing Goats is better than Emory Village Starbucks: Free wireless!

Bluepointe

Although this swanky Buckhead restaurant was the site of an ill-fated first date (and when I say ill- fated, I mean a severe meningitis kind of ill) two years ago, it's still one of my top three restaurants in Atlanta. It's just that good. Honestly, even if Danny DeVito asked me out and offered to take me here, I'd say yes without hesitating.

Every time I've eaten here, I've ordered seafood and sushi. Being a sucker for presentation, I got hooked by the incredible detail the chefs put into arranging the food on the plates--seriously, it's nothing short of artwork. And this is definitely one of those high-end restaurants whose food tastes as good as it looks. Plus the glitzy atmosphere just makes you feel like one of the elite. I'm thinking this should be the location for the next girl's night out!

My only advice--dress to impress. More than likely, you'll be rubbing shoulders with the Buckhead socialites who dominate these types of trendy upscale restaurants. Word on the street is that Usher has been known to drop in...if that's not a good reason to get up and make a reservation for this place, I don't know what is.

Rag O Rama

I need to preface this post by saying that my single biggest regret from college is not finding out about this place sooner! I had been meaning to go to this thrift/vintage store since last fall, and my boyfriend's visit to Atlanta over winter break gave me a perfect excuse to check it out.

I expected to find a bunch of dirty bins of used clothes, but instead the store was huge and well-organized with labeled racks of dresses, coats, tops, jeans, shoes, etc. I have to admit, pawing through the racks of clothes looking for bargains was a bit of a rush!

Also worth noting, I was a little concerned that the place might be flooded by Atlanta hipsters with their affectations of poverty and eternal search for ironic t-shirts, but I was happy to find that Rag O Rama attracted all types of customers--my dressing room was in between that of one woman with pink hair and tattoo sleeves down her arms and another who looked like she just walked out of the Upper East Side.

After two hours hours of rummaging and trying things on, I walked out of the store with a pair of Nicole Miller stiletto booties, an Ella Moss dress and a BCBG sweater--all for a measly 45 bucks! My boyfriend found a colorful plaid shirt (am I the only one really not into this trend?) and to his delight, a safety green t-shirt with the face of Carlton from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air printed on the front.

I can tell that this place is going to be my newest guilty pleasure. I'm already planning to go back soon, maybe to snatch that long-sleeved sequin dress with the shoulder pads?

It's about time!

If you've ever thought "It can't be time to leave already...there's still so much I want to do!" then you can understand how I'm feeling as graduation from Emory looms around the corner. Which is why I've decided to cross off all the places on my "i've been meaning to go there" list (yes, I do actually have a list) and share my experiences exploring Atlanta with the rest of the blogging world.

Since moving to Atlanta three and a half years ago, my relationship with the city can best be described as a love/hate affair--I love the restaurants, bars, shops and events Atlanta has to offer but I hate getting to them. If the GPS can't even figure out how to get me where I need to go in Atlanta (more than likely somewhere with a variation of Peachtree in the address), how can I be expected to find it?

But for the next few months, I'm going to suck it up and fight the traffic, impossible parking and missing street signs to make it to all of the places I've always wanted to go. And I'll also post about my favorite places in Atlanta, from pubs to hair salons to boutiques, I'm doing it all!

And a note about the title: As much as it sounds like an eighth grader's attempt at adopting "cool" instant messaging lingo, it's (itz) really just the first three letters of my last name. I solemnly promise never to write "lol" as long as I write this blog.