Here at the Q+DD we love us some Passover.  (Any reason to celebrate!)  And we really need for you to know about what one of our favorite restaurants, Ecco, is doing for it this year…

What’s all this Passover biznuss??  Jewish people all over the world celebrate Passover in commemoration of their liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt, and the ‘passing over’ of the forces of destruction over their homes as the Angel of Death spared the first born of the Israelites on the eve of Exodus.  (That was a v. long sentence.)  During the week of Passover, only unleavened bread—matzah—may be eaten.  Matzah symbolizes both the suffering of the Hebrews in slavery in Egypt, as well as the haste with which they left Egypt during the Exodus.  That pretty much sums it up.  Or, you could read the Q+DD’s version of the story HERE.

On the first night of Passover, a special family meal (called the seder) is held.  Although this is not that, Ecco is excited to announce it will hold its first kosher-style Passover dinner on Monday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Executive Chef Craig Richards and his culinary team did some extensive research and developed a menu that not only includes a variety of traditional dishes but manages to sneak in a few modern touches, too.

The dinner, which will be served family-style around the communal tables in the private dining room, will feature:

-Pistachio and apricot charoset
-Spring greens and herb salad, wild mushrooms, radishes and poached farm egg
-Gefilte fish on butter lettuce with lemon-basil aioli
-Leek matzo balls in shiitake mushroom and hen consommé
-Beef brisket with dates and oranges
-Roasted new potatoes with beets, rosemary and horseradish
-Heirloom carrot tzimmes
-Chocolate torte with sabayon and poached strawberries
-Coconut macaroons

The cost is only $40 per person (plus tax + gratuity) and seating is very limited.  Tickets are only available online HERE.

This is SO awesome!  Mazel, Ecco, mazel!

xx, L

Ecco
40 7th Street NE
Atlanta, Georgia  30308
404.347.9555

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It’s Valentine’s week + the big day ‘o looooove is upon us!  Plenty of Atlanta-area restaurants are offering prix fixe menu options and specials for the holiday.  Below are a few of my personal picks and a couple of other last minute V-Day suggestions to ensure that you plan something special for that special someone…

Atlantans can celebrate Valentine’s Day in Midtown at Ecco.  In addition to the regular menu, the restaurant is offering decadent specials of calamari ala plancha with pears, harissa and basil ($9); roasted quail with chorizo, farro verde and radish green salsa verde ($15); crispy black cod with young collards, hazelnuts, brown butter, capers and lemon ($27); and milk chocolate torte with blood orange coulis and spiced pecans ($9).  For more information or to make a reservation, call 404-347-9555.

Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant is offering a hearty Irish prix fixe menu to share on Thursday, February 14 from 5 to 10 p.m.  For $34.95 per person, couples will start their meal off by sharing an appetizer of cheese puffs or smoked salmon bites.  For entrées, guests can choose two of the following dishes: farmhouse salad, fish and chips and steak or black pudding boxty.  Finally, couples will share a dessert of either chocolate dipped profiteroles or harvest bread pudding.  A glass of prosecco is also included with the meal.  For reservations, call 404-841-0066.

JCT. Kitchen & Bar in West Midtown is filling the bellies of loved ones this Valentine’s Day.  On Thursday, February 14, the restaurant is offering a four-course prix fixe menu for $60 per person.  Guests start with a taste of house-cured lox followed by a starter with choices of roasted local golden and red ace beets, crispy poached farm egg or pan seared diver scallops.  Main courses include wood grilled Muscovy Duck breast, “chicken stand” fried young chicken and butter poached Maine lobster.  Couples choose from chocolate “PB” pie, white chocolate ice cream or champagne truffles to share for dessert.  A 20 percent gratuity is applied to parties of six or more and there is a $10 corkage fee per bottle.  For reservations, call 404-355-2252.

Guests are warned to beware of being struck by cupid’s arrow when biting into cupcakes from Buckhead’s Little Cake Bakery.  Special Valentine’s Day flavors include lemon lavender, passion fruit vanilla, chocolate dipped strawberry and French kiss.  To order cupcakes for that special someone or to treat yourself, call 404-841-8856.

For $55 per person, No. 246 in Decatur is offering a four-course prix fixe menu this Valentine’s Day.  Examples of entrée options include wood-oven baked red snapper in cartuccio, butter poached Maine lobster and braised Wagyu beef cheeks.  Tax and gratuity are not included.  A credit card is required to hold a reservation.  To reserve a table for the Valentine’s Day meal, call 678-399-8246.

The Optimist is offering a four-course prix fixe menu for Valentine’s Day.  Guests can begin the meal at the West Midtown restaurant with a taste for the table of she-crab soup, followed by starter options such as east and west coast oysters, hearts of palm and beet salad or Spanish octopus.  Entrée options include items such as white steelhead salmon, Georges Bank scallops or grilled duck breast.  To sweeten the meal, three dessert options are available.  The cost is $65 per person and does not include tax or gratuity.  A credit card is required to hold a reservation.  To make a Valentine’s Day reservation, call 404-477-6260.

South City Kitchen Midtown + Vinings are preparing a Southern-style, three-course prix fixe Valentine’s Day dinner for $42 per person.  Guests can nosh on appetizers of pimento cheese, fried green tomatoes or fried gulf oysters.  Entrée picks range from buttermilk fried chicken, braised short rib or vegetable plate.  Dessert options of velvet Elvis cake, caramel apple toffee pudding and buttermilk chess pie round out the meal.  Tax and gratuity are not included.  For reservations at the Midtown location, call 404-873-7358 and for the Vinings location, call 770-435-0700.

No time for dinner, but want to get your lady-friend a gorgeous + reasonably priced gift?  Kendra Scott can help you out with her Valentine’s gift guide.  So many adorable new styles!  Love, love, LOVE KS! 

None of this sound up your alley??  Creative Loafing’s got some more suggestions for you.  Check out their extensive Valentine’s Day events list HERE.

Or is all of this just too overwhelming and you really just want to snuggle up with your special someone at home?  If so, you’re covered on that front, too!  Check out Atlanta-based Pretty Swell Parties own Melissa Bloomfield’s tips in HuffPost Home for spending V-day at home.  Such adorable ideas!

Whatever you decide to do to celebrate – have a really great one!  V-day may be a commercial holiday, but it’s also a designated time to remind those special someone(s) in your life how much they mean to you.  Take advantage of it!

Happy Valentines Day from the Q+DD! <3

xx, L

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Twenty five years ago this June, Keith Pepper, Meredith Bass, and Hilary Nelson, lost their mom, Shelley Steinman Pepper, to breast cancer.  Not a day goes by that they don’t think about her, count their blessings for the time they had with her, and do their best to make her proud about the lives they lead.

Part of the work they do to honor her memory has been their involvement in Kate’s Club, an Atlanta non-profit organization set up a decade ago to work with children after the death of a parent or sibling.

They have been asked to serve on the Host Committee for this year’s 10th Anniversary Gala, and they are hoping that they will be able to raise $25,000 in memory of their mom.  This money will assist Kate’s Club to bring hope and magic to even more children in need in Atlanta.

Please consider joining them as they remember their mother and honor Kate’s Club for 10 years of amazing work.  In addition to that, there will be a seated dinner, cocktails, live entertainment, dancing, and a live and silent auction!

Tickets are available HERE.  Buy before Valentine’s Day for the early bird price of $125 per ticket.  Tables (10 people) are $1,250 before V-Day and $1,500 after.  The money raised goes to an important cause + it will be a very fun evening!  The Loews is also offering guests of the Gala a discounted room rate of $159 until April 26.  Book now!

xx, L

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Okay – big news!  Huge!  My #1 favorite band in the entire universe, Guster, is playing at Variety Playhouse on Thursday and Friday!

Guster is almost always on tour and their live shows are sick.  Their music was pretty much the soundtrack to my college experience.  On top of that, they are pretty funny guys, too.

Here’s a little peek at what’s in store for us this week…

Anyway, I’ve been a huge Guster fan since high school, and I even got to hang out with them once after a show in Austin when they were signing autographs at Stubbs.  They met us for drinks on 6th Street after.  Highlight of my college career?  You betcha.  (Mich is going to kill me for digging up these.) 

Not sure you know who Guster is?  Please.  Here’s the Q+DD on only the greatest alternative rock band EVER.

Don’t miss them, folks.  That is a serious warning…  Kevin and I want to jam out with you on Thursday!  Ticket information HERE.

xx, L

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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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