This is one of my favorite summer events, y’all! 

Not to be confused with the youth soapbox derby, Red Bull Soapbox Race is a national race for amateur drivers, which is fueled by creativity and competitive fun – not to mention the need for speed.  This unique non-motorized racing event challenges both experienced racers and amateurs alike to design and build outrageous, human-powered soapbox dream machines and compete against the clock in a downhill race. 

Did I catch your attention??  If so, click HERE to find out super-fun info about the event like what the cars typically look like, how many Red Bull Soapbox Races have been produced, entrance fees (spoiler alert: FREE!), how teams are chosen to participate, the rules, what the winners get, etc. 

Soooooo, mark your calendars for Saturday, June 9th at Piedmont Park.  Pits open at 10:00 a.m.  First race is 12:00 p.m.  You do not want to miss this awesomeness!

Here are some pictures from previous races…

CK + I were there in full force two years ago!  See you again this year!

Can’t. Even. Wait.  Visit Red Bull Soapbox USA for more info!

xx, L

Behold the two most impressive Food-Stuffed-Inside-Food contenders I’ve EVER witnessed anyone eat.  (Bold statement, I know.)

1 – The Nook’s Award Winning Shrimp & Grits Stuffed Burger: certified angus beef stuffed with sauteed shrimp and gouda cheese, topped with an andouille sausage-studded grit cake + a smoked tomato beurre blanc sauce.

Holy hamburger!!  I’m pretty sure that’s not fat free.

2 – The Nook’s Award Winning Southern Comfort Burger: certified angus beef patty stuffed with a ball of homemade fried bacon mac + cheese and topped with cheddar cheese and The Nook’s secret peach and Southern Comfort barbecue sauce.

Wait for it….  Wait for it….

BAMMMMMM!!  

You haven’t LIVED until you’ve seen these monsters in person.  Take my word for it.

Move over Totchos…

xx, L

The Nook
1144 Piedmont Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.745.9222
www.thenookatlanta.com

barkley

Barkley’s owners are our great friends, the Sands.  We wanted to see them, too, of course.  They recommended that we have brunch at nearby Atmosphere Bistro and then head down to the Chattahoochee River Trails for Barkley’s first swimming lesson.  To me, that sounded like the best. day. ever. 

So, we met at Atmosphere pre-church crowd rush.  It was my first time at the restaurant, but even before setting foot inside I knew four things about it.

1 – I pass by it driving on Piedmont (Morningside intersection) almost every single day.
2 – It’s a French bistro that has won a lot of local dining awards.
3 – The patio looks like a great place to have dinner or brunch cocktails.
4 – Everyone I know who has tried it has recommended it to me.

Here’s a picture of Atmosphere at night.  So impossibly cute.

Anyway, we successfully snagged a table on the patio and ordered up some champagne cocktails + coffee.

We literally wanted to order everything on the menu.  It all sounded so splendid!  We ultimately decided on two appetizers to share – both of which I strongly recommend.

Crab with avocado, tomato + pineapple chutney served in a martini glass.

Breaded + fried brie with an arugula salad.  OOOOMMMMGGGG.  Awesomesauce, y’all!

After we’d effectively wet our whistles with a few cups of coffee, brunch-y cocktails, and delicious appetizers, we quickly eased on to our entrees.  The Sands both settled on Benedictine: poached eggs benedict over toasted bread, ham, and hollandaise sauce, served with homemade French fries and mixed greens.  A perfect brunch-on-a-patio dish.

Kevin selected the L’Omelette du Jour which happened to be filled that day with thick cut bacon.  There were no complaints from his side of the table.  His omelet arrived with French fries Oeufs and mixed greens, as well.  Kev thought that Atmosphere’s French fries were spectacular!  (Obviously cooked in duck fat and with love.)  He was thoroughly impressed.

I ordered the Carpaccio de boeuf: thin slices of raw Kobe beef with shaved Parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh lemon juice.  Simple and delightful.  I was very pleased with my selection.

By the end of the meal, we were completely stuffed.  I was so glad that the Sands suggested we try Atmosphere, and now the delicious restaurant is no longer just a quaint house with a sign that I pass by on Piedmont each day, but rather a destination for really enjoyable French cuisine.  I am looking forward to going back to try their dinner menu, and taste their famous French Onion soup!

Shortly after brunch, we headed out to the Chattahoochee with Barkley – who had been patiently awaiting our return. 

I’m sure you will all be pleased to know that he is a total water pup and had a very successful first swimming lesson!  The Sands are sure to become river regulars!

Hoping that everyone had as lovely of an Easter as we did! 

xx, L

Atmosphere Bistro
1620 Piedmont Ave.
Atlanta, GA  30324
678.702.1620
www.atmospherebistro.com

I’ve definitely seen the truck before, and Dennis Dean is our favorite Atlanta caterer, so I’ve wanted to try Ibiza Bites for a while now, but I haven’t had the opportunity to do so until last Wednesday night when the truck was parked on 12th Street + Piedmont.  (Which we were told is going to become a weekly dinnertime thing for them…)

The very Q+DD on Ibiza Bites Food Truck:
Recently named by Jezebel Magazine as one of the top food trucks to watch in 2012, Ibiza Bites offers a brand new style of cuisine called “SoLa.”  It’s a bit South American, Latin American, and deep South – with a whole lot of deliciousness!  Cute.

I met Kev at the truck for dinner + we ordered up a few of his favorite items.  The truck was bumping Rihanna – so I knew I liked them immediately.  While they prepped our order, I found a high boy table waiting for us complete with a lovely floral arrangement.  Eating food out of a truck has never been so classy before! 

Our meal was sooooo decadently delicious!  We shared a pulled pork entree over cheese grits with a side of coconut/ plantain rice…

…crab cakes, fried green tomato, lemon thyme aioli over arugula w/ orange segments, pecans + fresh shaved manchego + sherry vinaigrette…

…and finally, sweet potato fries covered with melted marshmallow for dessert!

It was fantastic food truck fare, and ever since Wednesday night I’ve been stalking Ibiza Bites on Twitter to see where they’re headed next!  Follow the truck HERE! 

Next time, I’m all about trying their lobster mac ’n cheese!  Yummmmmmm…

xx, L

Ibiza Bites
Various Locations Around Atlanta
404.857.9308
www.ibizabites.com

Check it:

What’s old is new again, right?  Oooooh ahhhh, pretty colors…

Just ask these guys.

Zack Attack, y’all. 

Can’t live without one?  Get yours here at YUBZ for $30 – $55.

xx, L

Midtown’s Pop Up Chef is BACK tomorrow with Anne Quatrano from Star Provisions serving up delicious boxed lunches in the 999 Plaza (10th Street + Peachtree Street).

What a treat! 

xx, L

LOVE a Monday night out!  I will definitely be there next week… 

More on my recent visit to adorable Cucina Asellina HERE.  And, I’ll see you there!

xx, L

Asellina is my ideal neighborhood restaurant.  A small, contemporary space with solid food and drinks, and a friendly wait staff.  Admittedly, it already had a big check mark in my mind before I even stepped foot inside.  Our delicious Friday night triple date, and later Caren West PR’s Grand Opening Fete, are what officially sealed the deal for me!

For our date night, we started off with Stuffed Cerignola Olives with roasted veal, parmigiano + semolina crust.  I don’t eat olives, but everyone else at the table devoured them.  They said things to me like, “Lindsay, these olives will make you love olives…”  Ultimately, I didn’t try them, but I’m building up the courage.  They were a huge, huge hit at our table.

We wanted to try as much as possible, so we went a teeny bit overboard with the rest of our appetizers – in fact, they almost fell off of the table at one point, so I tried to quickly capture them with a full table shot.  Everything was very good, and I recommend trying each of these items.  You could easily visit Asellina for drinks + apps ONLY and leave happy + full.  From front to back we had: Veal Meatballs with fresh tomato, mozzarella + basil/ Calamari Fritti with spicy tomato sauce + fresh majoram/ Ahi Tuna Tartare with robiola cheese, black truffle + spring onions/ and Burrata with tomato assaggi, fresh basil + olive oil.  We feasted.

But, we still had our eyes on the prize.  The pizzas + primis we ordered to share sounded totally divine – and they were.  One of the MVPs at our table was the Wild Mushroom Pizze with stracchio cheese + spring onion.  It’s pretty photogenic, too…

I really enjoyed the Four Cheese Pizze with sausage + artichokes. 

Even though we loved the pizzas, I would advise you not to skip over the pastas!  They were spectacular!  We shared the Pistachio Garganelli with hand-made sausage + wild mushrooms…

…and this dish.  This dish was AMAZING.  But, Asellina does not have an Atlanta menu on their website yet, so I am not 100% sure what it was.  I’m just sayin’ – we had a few drinks.  If you see this on someone’s table, ask them, or show this picture to your friendly server.  It was incredible.

The biggest surprise of the night was dessert.  Do not pass up dessert!  I don’t care how much you ate prior to it, EVERYONE knows that we have extra space in our stomachs for dessert.  It’s science, y’all…

The Citrus Panna Cotta was top notch.

People wept over the Tiramisu.  In fact, I heard “this is the best tiramisu I’ve had outside of Italy” from multiple folks at our table.

The Cannolis were also very tasty.

That’s about all I’ve got.  Final thoughts regarding Cucina Asellina are that it’s a great space, really excellent food, the drinks are a bit pricey for Atlanta ($12 cocktails), but overall I very much enjoy this place – and I especially like sitting on their outdoor patio facing Peachtree Street.  Midtown has become quite a fun area for people (+ movie star) watching these days!

Wishing you all many excellent meals at Cucina Asellina.  Bon appetit!

xx, L

Cucina Asellina
1075 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.793.0141
www.asellina.com

xx, L

This week, Fifth Group Restaurants announced that they will open their newest restaurant, Lure, in July of this year!  (We’ve been super excited for this for a while now!)

The seafood restaurant will be housed in the space where Vickery’s Crescent Avenue Bar & Grill was formerly located. 

construction @ lure in midtown

Lure’s Midtown location holds a special place in the hearts of the restaurant’s partners.  Fifth Group Restaurants’ history began in Midtown with the opening of South City Kitchen on Crescent Avenue 19 years ago, and the company will own the property where Lure stands.  This restaurant opening signifies Fifth Group Restaurants’ successful expansion over the past two decades and the company’s commitment to Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood.  “We have been talking about Lure for more than three years, and the basic idea of serving simple, high quality seafood dishes in a fun, uniquely designed atmosphere has been our inspiration from the start,” says Kukler.  David Bradley, currently the chef de cuisine at Ecco, will oversee the kitchen at Lure.

So exciting!  We can’t wait for July!!

xx, L