Kevin and I stopped in Athens on Sunday on the way home from a road trip.  Although he is a very proud Florida Gator and was more than slightly uncomfortable in such close proximity to Georgia’s campus, we wanted to pop in somewhere to grab a bite + some drinks.  I walked him up and down Clayton Street (sprinting past any Georgia Bulldogs stores) and into Pauley’s Original Crepe Bar.

I spend a day in Athens once a year for work and usually end up on Clayton Street at the end of the night.  I’d never noticed Pauley’s before, but in the daylight it looked like the perfect place for us.  We sat up at the bar and looked over the menu.  It took me all of 30 seconds to find exactly what I was looking for: a Nutella and banana crepe. 

Pauley’s is really cute inside and offers 28 beers on tap, a full bar, sandwiches, biscuits, coffee, cake, etc., but I have a one track mind when it comes to crepes.  GIVE ME NUTELLA AND NO ONE GETS HURT! 

My crepe arrived shortly thereafter (they could see I meant business) and it was GLORIOUS!  Just look at how photogenic.  It was the best crepe I’ve ever eaten.  No exclamation point necessary because that is a statement of fact.  It was incredible.

If it’s true that you are what you eat, on Sunday I was a freaking rock star!!  No lie.  Pauley’s crepes kill it – and they are TOTALLY worth the trek to Athens!  Plus, Athens is super cute – but don’t tell Kev I said that…

xx, L

Pauley’s Original Crepe Bar
134 E. Clayton Street
Athens, Georgia
706.549.0034

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Beginning earlier this month, Park 75 Restaurant and Lounge + the Four Seasons Hotel introduced Chocolate Nights, a weekend experience designed to satisfy everyone – from tentative tasters to true chocoholics!

Every Friday and Saturday night from March 1 – March 23, Park 75 offers a special chocolate menu featuring up to 10 uniquely decadent creations available from 6:00 – 11:00 p.m.  Guests are invited to try as many temptations as desired.

One menu item not to be missed is Pastry Chef Charles Barrett’s signature Chocolate Bomb.  Playing with your food is encouraged with this interactive sphere of chocolate melted tableside to reveal a make-your-own-brownie sundae.  All the fixins’ will be provided on the side and this dessert is perfect for sharing – available for two or four people.

The Chocolate Nights menu not only features chocolate sourced from around the globe, but also includes Park 75′s own ‘bean to bar’ chocolate, created in-house from fair trade cacao beans.

If you like a little dinner before your dessert, Executive Chef Robert Gerstenecker and the Park 75 culinary team have created a four-course menu called the Chocolate Experience, featuring three savory cocoa courses that conclude with the Chocolate Bomb.

Park 75′s Chocolate Nights is priced from $4-$5 per item on the a la carte menu.  The Chef’s selection plate features three pieces for $10 and five pieces for $20.  The four-course Chocolate Experience is priced at $55 per person, or $95 per person with wine pairings.  Click HERE for more information.

A whole month of chocolate??  Um, yes PLEASE! 

xx, L

Park 75
Four Seasons Hotel
75 14th Street NE
Atlanta, Georgia
404.253.3840

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Although this restaurant hasn’t really been on my radar for a few years, Gorms and I had an AMAZING pre-Oscars dinner a few weeks ago at Lobby Bar and Bistro in the Twelve Hotel and Residences in Atlantic Station.  You need to know about it…

As I was getting ready for dinner, I thought about how cool Lobby’s bar space is, but I couldn’t recall anything that really stood out in the past about my dining experiences at the restaurant.

Well, I was in for quite a surprise when we arrived, because since I last visited – Lobby got a face lift.  Lovely renovations to their dining room and a hip new Cellar space for private parties.  (I’m obsessed with the Cellar space…)

AND this…

…Chef Russell Hays (who is kinda a big deal, y’all) took over Lobby’s kitchen in November of last year.  Gorms and I spoke with Russell at length about the changes he’s making to the menu, his career path (worked in France/ at the Ritz Buckhead/ Joel/ Peasant Bistro/ Buckhead Life Group – in no particular order and among many other super exclusive gigs), and his personal take on the Lance Armstrong drama (he’s an avid cyclist).  This is huge that he’s now calls Lobby home!

We told our new friend, Russell, to just send over whatever he thought would really wow us.  He said he could handle that, so we set aside our menus.

I started off with some wine: a lovely red blend with a feisty name.  (Someone needs to wash out that bottle’s mouth with soap!)

And here’s where the rest of the night took us:

Korean BBQ Tuna: sticky rice, tempura eggplant, serrano chili.  This was an absolutely fantastic way to officially kick off our feast at Lobby!  It was delicious.

Heart of Palm Salad: orange, avocado puree, hazelnut, blood orange vinaigrette.  I’m not huge on heart of palm, but Gorms raved about this dish.  It sure was pretty, too!

Slow Cooked Chicken Thighs: smoked mushrooms, creamy polenta, parmesan.  This really won us over!  SCCT is not a dish I would have typically ordered on my own (do you have beef carpaccio or tuna tartare, please??), but I’m SO glad that Russell sent it over to our table.  It was succulent, flavorful, and it made me question what I’ve been missing for the past 30 years…  Okay, 31…  It’s an absolute “must try” on Lobby’s menu!

Lobster Risotto: carnaroli rice, thin beans, zucchini, black truffle.  So good.

Seared Scallops: brown butter cauliflower puree, asparagus, caper-raisin emulsion.  Beautiful and the scallops were perfectly cooked.

Grilled NY Strip: roasted potatoes, asparagus, hen of the woods mushrooms, peppercorn-brandy sauce.  Heavier than I’d normally order for myself after all of the food that preceded it, but it was still excellent.  If I were going to order this again, I might stick to one appetizer and entree instead of five, but other than that it was great!

We were stuffed, but that didn’t matter because everyone knows you have a separate stomach for dessert.  This was our outstanding dessert sampling:

Passionfruit Soup: exotic fruits, vanilla ice cream.  A complete surprise!  Reading about it on the menu, I would not have opted for this dessert over any of the others.  As it turns out, it was my favorite!  Tart and refreshing – it was exactly what I wanted to eat after our enormous meal.

Chocolate Ganache and Hazelnut Crunch Bar: espresso anglaise.  Although Russell learned how to make this in France, it reminded me of my favorite dessert at Rathbun’s.  I hope Kevin R will still let me visit his joint after I tell you that this was done better at Lobby!

Warm Chocolate Cake: vanilla bean ice cream, mi amere chocolate sauce.  I mean, it’s hard not to lick the plate when eating this one…

Pistachio Creme Brulee: red fruit jam, chocolate tuille.  Gorms liked this one best.  It was pretty special.

We. Ate. So. Much.  !!!

The only thing that Russell didn’t bring us that I wish he had was a cot to nap on after we finished our massive meal…  Don’t judge.

In all seriousness, we were incredibly grateful to have tasted such wonderful dishes at Lobby.  It was like connecting with an old friend who has really taken off in life!  Lobby is making significant strides to break away from being a hotel restaurant with hotel food and setting itself apart as something truly special in Atlanta.  And it is VERY special!  I’m so happy to have rediscovered it, and I see a big future ahead for it.  Their menu changes seasonally – so I am thrilled to head back soon to see what Russell has up his sleeve for spring!

xx, L

Lobby Bar and Bistro
Twelve Hotel & Residences – Atlantic Station
361 17th Street NW
Atlanta, Georgia  30363
404.961.7370

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It’s no secret that I’m totally, completely, head-over-heels in love with the Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation.  I gushed about it HERE and again in major detail right HERE.  And since then my affection for it has only grown stronger and stronger…

Kevin and I spent V-Day/Prez Day weekend at the RC Lodge.  It was the first time I’d been there when it was too cold to use the outdoor pool and hot tub, but it certainly didn’t stop us from having an amazing time.  There is SO much to do there even in the winter!

hi! i love you!

Here’s a peek at our chilly weekend…

All aboard the Linger Longer Express!

We walked around the gorgeous property and played a little Horse on the outside basketball court.  (I did not win, but there’s always a next time!  Watch out, babe…)

We took advantage of the swings.

We sipped on wine and watched folks ice skate.  (Drinking + skating was not in the cards for me this trip, but it was really fun to watch other people.)  #totalclutz

We relaxed at the indoor pool and hot tub.

We made friends with Dooley, the resident RC Lodge lab.  Hi buddy!

We whipped up some serious s’mores.

We had a delicious dinner at Linger Longer Steakhouse, which we both agree is home to the best steak in Georgia.  And you can quote me.

We chilled on our balcony overlooking Lake Oconee.

And we didn’t want to leave.  I mean, really, why can’t I just live there?!  It’s only 75 miles from Atlanta – I could commute!  #whowantstogivemeahelicopter

I’m never more relaxed than I am at the RC Lodge.  I highly, highly recommend visiting!  There’s something awesome to do there any time of the year, so don’t let the winter weather deter you.  It’s truly lakeside paradise!

xx, L

Ritz Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation
1 Lake Oconee Trail
Greensboro, Georgia  30642
706.467.7196

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Hello, everyone!  It’s me!  It’s me!  I’ve returned from my two month hiatus!

THANK YOU for allowing me that precious time for a little blog cleanse.  After over three years of almost constant blogging, I’ll be the first to admit that you can get burnt out when you overdose on things that you love so much (gelato, pizza, yoga, Real Housewives of any city, blogging), so I truly appreciate your patience with me.  The good news is that I’m officially back now and ready to fill you in on lots of exciting things going on in Atlanta!  Starting tomorrow, I’m back to the grind.  Today, I wanted to update you on what I’ve been up to over the past two months.

Kevin and I tied the knot in Atlanta!  It was an unforgettable weekend for us.

(Muscles brought to you by the amazing pilates reformer guru, Meredith Bass!)

We took an awesome trip to Arizona!  Here we are in Sedona…

At the South Rim of the Grand Canyon…

And relaxing at the Ritz-Carlton Resort at Dove Mountain.

We spent Thanksgiving in Jacksonville where we came in second place in a highly competitive family holiday cookie competition with these bad boys.  Brown Butter Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies.  (We were robbed, I tell ya!)

We traveled to beautiful Montego Bay, Jamaica for Rosh’s wedding.

Then to Delray, Florida for our friend Jesse’s wedding.

And we celebrated the New Year in sunny Jacksonville Beach!

In between all of our traveling, we found time to eat.  A lot.

Drink.  A lot.

Relax.  A lot.

Experiment in the kitchen.  (Here’s the no-brainer peppermint bark recipe we used.)

Feed ducks.

Ride horses.

Drive boats.

Get together with good buddies.

Play with nail polish.

Hug some babies.

Get some dental work done.  (Sidenote: I really wanted this to be our holiday card, but I was vetoed.)

Watch an entire two seasons of Homeland.  Totally obsessed – more on that later…

And meet Charles Barkley!

Needless to say, it’s been a very busy past two months.  I’m rejuvenated now, and it feels so great to be back! 

Here’s to the Q+DD!  Here’s to 2013!  It’s totally gonna be a great one!

xx, L

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