As Captain Planet said, “By your powers combined…” big things happen to help the earth.
This Earth Day, April 22, Atlanta-based eatery Saltyard powers up with Athens-based brewery, Creature Comforts, for a beer dinner benefitting local non-profit The Farmer Fund. Atlanta’s favorite beer personality, Ale Sharpton, will be in attendance to host a raffle at the end of dinner.
Executive Chef Nick Leahy of Saltyard has put together a menu that even Captain Planet himself would want to enjoy.
Hors d’oeuvres: Passed house-made Canadian bacon with Creature Comforts beer mustard on cheddar crackers paired with a Bibo Pilsner
1st Course: Otter Bay oysters with Emergence & Meyer lemon granita paired with Emergence Limited Release Blonde Ale
2nd Course: Charred local squash, herbed Atlanta Fresh Yogurt, Athena-chile-honey, boiled peanut gremolata paired with Athena Berliner Weisse
3rd Course: Pan-seared scallops, field pea and sweet corn succotash, country ham & tomato butter paired with Tropicália American IPA
4th Course: Pastrami-cured smoked pork cheek, Vidalia onion champ, porter glazed baby carrots paired with The Kings Ransom Baltic Porter
5th Course: Strawberry & rhubarb pie with Brettomatic pastry cream and toasted oat crumb paired with Brettomatic Pale Ale
Want to join the party? Tickets for An Earth Day Beer Dinner Celebration are limited and may be purchased online at Brown Paper Tickets. Cost is $69 per person plus tax and gratuity ($88 total) and includes dinner, paired beverages, and raffle entry. That’s an awesome night in the making! Dinner will be served on Friday, April 22, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Can’t make it? Follow Pretty Southern on Twitter and Instagram to see us post pictures of this delicious dinner.
For more information, pleas call Saltyard at 404-382-8088. Guests must be 21+ to attend.
KURIOS™ – Cabinet of Curiosities – has arrived in Atlanta.
This new Cirque du Soleil extravaganza is now playing at Atlantic Station from Thursday, March 3, through Sunday, March 8. Check out the trailer for KURIOS!
In an alternate yet familiar past, in a place where wonders abound for those who trust their imagination, a Seeker discovers that in order to glimpse the marvels that lie just below the surface, we must first learn to close our eyes. In his larger-than-life curio cabinet, the Seeker is convinced that there exists a hidden, invisible world – a place where the craziest ideas and the grandest dreams await. A collection of otherworldly characters suddenly steps into his makeshift mechanical world. When the outlandish, benevolent characters turn his world upside down with a touch of poetry and humor in an attempt to ignite the Seeker’s imagination, his “curious” jump to life one by one.
KURIOS™ – Cabinet of Curiosities is Cirque du Soleil’s 35th production since 1984. Cabinets of curiosities are the ancestors of museums, also known as the “cabinets of wonder” in the Renaissance Europe. Aristocrats, members of the merchant class and early practitioners of science formed collections of historical relics, works of art or mysterious travel souvenirs or artefacts. The show has a cast of 46 artists from 15 different countries. About 60% of the artists have already worked with Cirque du Soleil before.
The 116 tour members come from 22 different countries. Some have been touring with Cirque du Soleil for more than 20 years.
For more information about KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities now playing at Atlantic Station click here
Bud Light Apple recently launched in select test markets across the U.S. We’re happy the South was one of them! As y’all know we Southerners do appreciate a sweet beer. Bud Light Apple is a welcome addition to our local beer selection. Plus it works as a great base for a cocktail!
I even got mine gift-wrapped and delivered it to a friend for a brunch gathering! The hosts were tickled that we brought a new beer to sample (which I really should do more often since I’m blessed to get offers like this to promote new products). Bud Light Apple was a hit at the party.
A photo posted by Pretty Southern (@pretty_southern) on
Bud Light Apple would make a delicious pairing with baked apples or homemade apple butter. It’s a perfect beer for picnics, tailgating before a sports event, or even just a refreshing drink after a long day at the office. To find out if Bud Light Apple is available in your area, click here!
Atlanta foodies seeking a new year filled with good luck and prosperity should ring it in at Saltyard.
On Thursday, Dec. 31, the South Buckhead restaurant is hosting the “Feast for Fortune” New Year’s Eve dinner celebration featuring Executive Chef Nick Leahy’s special menu of dishes believed to bring good luck, prosperity and happiness in the coming new year.
Guests will choose from a menu of more than 20 small plates keeping in theme with traditional Southern new year’s staples such as pork, greens, and black-eyed peas paired with delicacies such as scallops, ahi tuna, and delightful desserts. The night will end with a balloon drop and midnight toast featuring a champagne cocktail made from local whiskey brand, American Spirit Whiskey. Additional á la carte items such as oysters on the half shell, a grand seafood platter, and petit bone-in-filet will also be offered at an additional charge.
Oysters and champagne for NYE? Let’s toast to that
Feast for Fortune Dinner highlights include:
Slow braised pork belly with apples and sweet potatoes in a bourbon jus
Eye of ribeye carpaccio served over arugula with a truffle vinaigrette and crispy parmesan
Pan-roasted scallops with hoppin’ john in a parsley vinaigrette
Ahi tuna tartare in a roasted garlic aioli with arugula pesto, pickled onion, basil, and crispy capers
Squid ink linguine, squid, shrimp, scallop, shellfish cream, chili breadcrumbs
Featured Desserts are available for $7 each including tasty treats such as Meyer lemon polenta cake, pistachio ice cream, candied pistachios, or espresso pot de creme with whipped vanilla and chocolate dipped espresso beans.
The cost of the dinner is $59 per person for five courses and seating is extremely limited. Reservations should be made by calling Saltyard at 404.382.8088. Saltyard is located in The Brookwood building at 1820 Peachtree Rd. NW, Atlanta, GA, 30309.
Full disclosure: I’m a Southern girl and a huge Star Wars nerd.
When I was about 7 years old, I got to watch the first trilogy. Princess Leia became my new hero. Here was this awesome lady who was a smart, brave, and gun-slinging defender of the galaxy. She was a welcome idol in the age of Disney princess cartoons.
Fast forward (or hyper drive) to 2015.
In Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Leia, Luke, Han, Chewie, C-3PO, R2-D2, and the gang are back. What’s better is there are multiple powerful females to cheer for in Episode 7.
Daisy Ridley as Rey is a hero for both girls and boys of all ages. From the moment we meet her spelunking in a cavernous crashed battle cruiser, we’re rooting for her to win.
She’s not the only wonder woman of the new Star Wars. The remarkable Lupita Nyong’o plays a completely CGI character, Maz Kanata. Game of Thrones fans will be happy to see Gwendoline Christie (a.k.a. Brienne of Tarth) as the Captain Phasma, leader of the Storm Troopers. Christie is once again defying gender stereotypes for how females are portrayed in the media.
Okay, now that I’ve got the #GirlPower out of my system, let’s talk about the movie.
In order to see the early screening of the film, media had to agree not to share any plot twists or spoil anything for our readers. I wouldn’t want to. This film is arguably one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. The Star Wars series will continue to entertain generations to come. Here are the traits which I think made this movie so fantastic.
Acting – unlike Episodes 1-3, there are no namby pamby diatribes from Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. The quality of acting from all the players, even the CGI ones, is on point.
Directing – J.J. Abrams is a master storyteller. As a fan of both Lost and Star Trek, I’ve come to admire his work. He went above and beyond for this film. I got chills when “A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away…” scrolled across the screen. The chills kept coming, especially during nostalgic moments.
Cinematography – Now this is filmmaking. The overly done animated landscapes from Episodes 1-3 are welcomely replaced by throwback physical sets, such as the Millennium Falcon. And those special effects…can I say “on fleek”? This is Star Wars for 2015.
Music & sound – Glorious is the word. John Williams, yes, the John Williams of the original Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, Hook, Jurassic Park, Home Alone, Harry Potter (I could keep going) created another opus. You can close your eyes and just listen, but don’t do that. Even the digital chirps from the precocious droid BB-8 aim to please.
Script – the dialogue in Episodes 1-3 particularly bothered me. It was awful, and not only because of Jar Jar Binks but from campy one liners even Natalie Portman couldn’t improve. Episode 7 is brilliantly written. Michael Arndt of Oscar-winning Little Miss Sunshine and The Hunger Games wrote the original script. It’s a hell of a story.
So let’s talk about the story, with no spoilers. Even if you knew nothing about Star Wars, you might consider Episode VII: The Force Awakens as one of the best films of our modern times. For fans of the series, you’ll be delighted. At the media preview, I sat in front of a diehard fan who said he “couldn’t be f—ing happier” with the movie.
From the bevy or previews and trailers, we know that the galaxy is not safe. The viewer sees remnants of the old empire. Even after the demise of Darth Vader in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, there’s a new villain named Kylo Ren. Darth Vader was ruthlessly evil, but he was also calculated. Kylo Ren, on the other hand, has a temper. I’ll leave it there.
His foil is Rey, a lonely girl working to collect scrap metal on the barren planet of Jakku.
Early in the story, Rey meets Finn a storm trooper with a conscience, who says in the trailer: “I was raised to do one thing. But I’ve got nothing to fight for.”
Rey and Finn thus begin their quest together on Jakku.
Where it goes from there…well, I’m gonna stop while I’m ahead. Forget about Episodes 1-3. Even if you’ve never seen the original Star Wars trilogy, Episode 7 is a strong enough film in-and-of itself to not rely on the canon. The same classical elements of Episodes 4-6 are felt throughout the film, especially the cinematography.
With four movies planned to come in the series by 2020, the Star Wars saga will continue to influence the zeitgeist of pop culture. What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments section below.
I’ve always loved writing “year in review” columns.
Before I sat down to write this year’s recap, I took a look back my top 14 moments of 2014. Last year, I wrote it was the best year yet for Pretty Southern; clearly, I had no idea what this year would have in store.
Here are our top 15 moments of 2015 on PrettySouthern.com
1. Breaking the internet in Charleson – I’ll go ahead and say it: I’ve never had an adrenaline rush like this before. Our contributing blogger, Jenn Ciccarelli, wrote a post about her experience living in Charleston as a 30-something single girl. Her story gave us the biggest traffic day in the history of this blog. We got more than 43,000 hits in one day! We had 80,000+ hits for the week plus reached readers in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. We ended up having to take the post down. I went on Charleston’s local radio, Mix 96, to talk about the experience.
2. Our “home block party” with Tex’s Tacos – this event easily makes one of my top food blogger experiences…ever! Earlier this year, the lovely Katherine Kimbrell reached out to me asking if we’d do a post about her food truck, Tex’s Tacos, for the blog. We got the Atlanta Food Bloggers Society involved to host a tasting at Pretty Southern headquarters. Having a food truck parked in my own front yard is definitely a highlight of my time as a food blogger.
Editor’s note: Before continuing, quick shoutout to Mara Davis and Hilary Harmon for the opportunity to collaborate on launching Tastemade in Atlanta!
3. Brunch with Hugh Acheson – Thanks to Erica Key and the team at Yellow Pages (YP), we had the opportunity to brunch with renowned chef Hugh Acheson at his first Atlanta restaurant, Empire State South. “Being in Georgia has meant a ton to me, and Atlanta has really come to terms with itself,” he told our group who gathered to celebrate his new book, The Broad Fork.
Hugh Acheson with yours truly
4. UGA vs. Alabama – Granted this football game was literally a wash for the Dawgs, but we had a blast partying in the rain. Kudos to Lynn Lilly and her team at Craft Box Girls for hosting the perfect #GameDay tailgate with Georgia Beef Board. Check out this awesome recap video with us tailgating in the rain!
5. Trying to lose #15in15 – this year started off with a goal of losing 15 pounds in 2015. By spring, I’d lost 8 lbs. thanks largely in part to spinning at Cyc Fitness. Huge shoutout to the Cyc Atlanta team, Kelsey Walker, and Liz Lapidus PR for letting me participate in the #SpringIntoChange challenge.
Cycologist Annie Czarnecki and yours truly after a ride
6. The first-ever Shaky Boots festival – The inaugural Shaky Boots festival rocked Kennesaw like no other music festival has in North Georgia ever before. Katy Ruth Camp and I had a blast covering this two-day event. We even shotgunned a beer with the guys from Eli Young Band!
7. Tori Allen’s Monthly Meetups – Talk about a mover and shaker in this town, Tori Allen is a lady-in-the-know. She’s doing fabulous work representing Atlanta’s drinking and dining establishments, plus working her tail off to raise awareness the Atlanta Community Food Bank. In addition to all her PR efforts, every month she hosts a networking mixer for our group of writers, editors, bloggers, and social media mavens. Here’s my favorite pic from our September meetup at Gypsy Kitchen.
8. Georgia Grinders Dinner – The lovely Jaime Foster, founder of NaturAlmond prepared a multiple-course dinner featuring her products for the Atlanta Food Bloggers Society. Thanks to Jaime and Debbie Rosen of The Rosen Group for this opportunity. Check out this recap from Roger & Eve at Friday Date Night. From left to right: Lia Picard, Debbie Rosen, Jaime Foster, Roger Strauss, Linda Carmical, Jennifer Harris, Denise Romeo, and Eve Kofsky
9. McKendrick’s Media Dinner – We named McKendrick’s to our list of the Top 10 Atlanta Steakhouses, and were tickled pink (or should I say medium rare?) to attend their VIP media dinner. The first course was an oyster trio, followed by a seafood sampler of crab, shrimp, and lobster. The salad course was a tomato, basil and mozzarella salad drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. Our entree was a perfectly cooked filet mignon, for dessert we had chocolate & peanut butter pie. Did I mention the wine pairings with each course? Thanks to Noelle Jackson and the McKendrick’s team for the best meal I had in 2015!
10. Grady College Centennial – my beloved journalism school, UGA’s Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication, turned 100 this year! The #Grady100 was a huge success. At the black-tie gala this year in Athens, Governor Nathan Deal attended as keynote speaker. Big shoutouts to Diane Hill Murray, Karen Andrews, Dr. Parker Middleton, and Dean Charles Davis for this amazing year celebrating our college.
From left to right: Dave Perez, Brooke Stevens Perez, yours truly, and Kevin Patrick
11. Chama Gaucha opening – another fabulous foodie outing this year was the opening of Chama Gaucha in Buckhead. Thanks to The Reynolds Group for inviting us to the VIP opening dinner. Check out our Tastemade recap.
12. Taste of the Nation- This annual event has been on my Atlanta blogger bucket list for awhile. Ever since I worked at Jezebel magazine in 2008, I wanted to attend Taste of the Nation. This incredible evening benefits Share Our Strength and No Kid Hungry. This year more than $740,000 was raised in hopes of bringing an end to childhood hunger. Thank you to Denise Romeo for letting me be your plus one!
13. Jeffrey Fashion Cares – This is another event which has been on my blogger bucket list for years. Jeffrey Fashion Cares is one of Atlanta’s biggest charity events of the year benefitting both the Atlanta AIDS Fund and Susan G. Komen Atlanta. It was one of the best nights of 2015. Thanks to Caren West PR and her team for including us.
14. Taste of Atlanta – Since we launched Pretty Southern in 2011, the team at BRAVE PR has kindly partnered with us for promoting #TasteofATL. For Taste of Atlanta 2015, I was part of the #FoodPorn patrol! You can check out all of our delicious pictures here.
15. Working with y’all! Pretty Southern wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for you, dear reader! I have to take a moment to highlight our contributors: Kate Robertson, Katy Ruth Camp, and Mandy Morgan. Double kudos again to Jenn Cicarelli for breaking the internet in Charleston. I also want to introduce our newest contributor, Rachel Perkins! A senior at the University of Georgia, we’re excited to feature Rachel’s stories about life in Athens. Check out her first post here.
Thank you once again to our public relations partners at BRAVE PR, Caren West and Lauren Klopfenstein of Caren West PR, The Reynolds Group, Baddish Group, Morgan Dyches and Emily at Melissa Libby PR, Noelle Jackson, Tori Allen, Pineapple PR, Liz Lapidus, Kelsey Walker, Kitsy Rose, Lorrie Dixson, Jody and Debbie Rosen of the Rosen Group. Granted 2015 isn’t quite over yet, but we can’t wait to see what 2016 has on deck!
Hugh Acheson with yours truly
From left to right: Lia Picard, Debbie Rosen, Jaime Foster, Roger Strauss, Linda Carmical, Jennifer Harris, Denise Romeo, and Eve Kofsky 
