Category: Featured

For its 10th anniversary, Taste of Atlanta brings the culinary creativity to a new level. Featuring city favorites, novel newcomers and global eateries, the street festival welcomes more than 80 of Atlanta’s favorite dining destinations this Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct. 23 in Tech Square. With gourmet grub from the city’s most renowned restaurateurs, live cooking demos and more, Taste of Atlanta is the ultimate ticket to palate-pleasing fun this fall.

More than 80 of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants and most exciting chefs will serve up their specialties at this year’s festival. From international cuisine to under-the-radar eats, Taste of Atlanta spotlights the incredible energy and diversity of Atlanta’s shining food scene.

The landmark celebration combines festival favorites and new experiences:

• Barcraft Competition – It’s back! Guests can channel their inner mixologist and sample cocktails from
Atlanta’s best bartenders as they compete for the top spot. Open to VIP ticket holders only.

• Family Food Zone – Step right up for demos and cooking lessons from national and local chefs in an interactive environment. New for 2011, the Top Chef Kids Competition offers hands-on experience for
chefs in training.

• Inside the Food Studio – Experience the fascinating world of the professional chef to discover secrets
of the craft. Returning for its second year, this intimate experience is hosted by Tom Sullivan. Patrons will enjoy beverages and bites while learning valuable cooking skills and insight into the Atlanta restaurant scene. Whether highlighting tacos & tequila or burgers & boozy shakes, this behind-the- scenes look will offer unrivaled insight into the professional kitchen.

• Global Flavors International Stage – Go global with this worldly showcase, making its Taste of Atlanta debut. Top culinary talent from the city’s diverse international restaurant scene will demonstrate what goes into their signature cuisine.

• Home Plate Main Stage – This year, get ready for a throw down. Renowned chefs battle it out and go head-to-head on the main stage. These culinary craftsmen will tackle secret ingredients, themed challenges, unique recipes and more.

TASTE OF ATLANTA TICKET INFORMATION:

• General admission tickets (includes 10 taste coupons): $25 in advance; $35 at the gate. Kids ages 13
and under receive FREE admission (excluding taste coupons) when accompanied by a paid adult.

• VIP tickets (includes 15 taste coupons and access to Wine+Beer+Cocktail Experience): $75. A limited
number of VIP tickets are available, and the first 300 ticket holders each day will receive a festival gift
bag.

• Taste coupons are used to purchase food from participating restaurants. Menu items are valued at one,
two or three taste coupons. Additional taste coupons are sold in increments of 10 coupons for $10 or 20
coupons for $20.

• Tickets are sold at locations throughout Atlanta including Cook’s Warehouse and Ticket Alternative
outlets. Purchase online through Ticket Alternative. Advance tickets must be purchased by midnight, Oct. 22.

Jordan Worrall & Jennifer Walker contributed to this article. For more info on Taste of Atlanta, check the event page out on Facebook and Twitter.

The best part about any road trip is those amazing foodie finds in the middle of nowhere. We discovered this one on the way back from a wedding in the middle-o’-nowhere Kentucky. Nestled just off exit 76 on I-75 is the town of Berea. When we were scouting those blue signs looking at food options for lunch we were thrilled at the prospect of an Amish market. This one did not disappoint.

Old Town Amish Market is the perfect lunch spot. One of their giant sandwiches is only $4 each and stacked with Boarshead freshly sliced deli meats. My roast beef with cheddar reminded me of the sandwich my grandmother would prepare when we visited her during the summer.

While we were waiting on our order we scoured the market taking in the insane amount of homemade jams, preserves, jellies, pies, candies, pasta, popcorn, honey…all sourced by local vendors in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. They even offer homemade ice cream.

Along with our sandwiches, we picked up homemade tomato-basil pasta, a jar of honey that included the honeycomb, plus organic iced tea and local soda pop to wash all the goodness down. If you’re headed to Kentucky to check out the famous bourbon, y’all have got to stop here to get your base for drinking. Next time you’re on I-75 going through Kentucky, be sure to check out this place (Berea Exit 76). It’s right off the interstate with ample parking, clean bathrooms and great staff. Now this is my type of rest stop.

MODA a.k.a. the Museum of Design Atlanta is an up-and-coming placeholder in Atlanta’s cultural scene. This place is an institution in a city founded upon the principles of good design.
Shooting at a Gun Club There’s something about being a lady in the South that inspires me to carry a gun. Maybe it has something to do with “it’s the law in Kennesaw” but maybe every American civilian should be properly trained in how to use a gun. It’s part of our inherent rights as citizens of the United States.

The Four Seasons is one of the swankiest spots in the city. Nestled in the heart of Midtown it bathes itself in refinement offering five-star accommodations, fine dining, a terrific spa plus a bar that’s supposedly great for star sighting. Speaking of stars…. Drive-In movies maybe a thing of the past but here in Atlanta we still have one of the most famous spots. The Starlight Six Drive-In Theatre is such a cool spot it was even featured in the upcoming remake of “Footloose”. One day, we’ll host a Pretty Southern party at the drive-in that’s followed by a trip to the Clairmont Lounge to get up-close-and-personal with some of the most…interesting…exotic dancers in Atlanta. Even Lady Gaga has seen Blondie crush a beer can with her huge assets. And while we’re on the subject, anyone ever been to Southern Comfort? The bar is a true honky tonk just south of Atlanta in Conley. They’ve got karaoke on Sundays and Mondays, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, and they know how to throw down with their own house band. Y’all we have go to go!

Now, Atlanta’s bucket list has to include a little political and socioeconomic consideration. The Carter Center, an institution formed by Georgia’s native son President Jimmy Carter, is a mecca for fostering civil discourse, human rights, and engendering democracy across the world…right from here in Atlanta. We look forward to walking down the fine halls, plus reading in the incredible library, that have hosted a bevy of brilliant minds

Plus, living in the South, we must remember to be philanthropic. At some point we’d like to write about the process for adopting a dog from the Atlanta Humane Society. One of y’all must have been thinking about adopting a puppy recently. If you are heading down to the x, please call us and we’ll come write about the adoption process

That’s Part 2 of Pretty Southern’s Atlanta Bucket List. Check back next week for Part 3!

We are Pretty Southern. Our site aspires to promote all the beauty the South has to offer. With the 2011 Petit Le Mans we had to feature all of the gorgeous girls present at the race in Georgia on Oct. 1, 2011. On this auspicious day, Road Atlanta was privileged to host some of the prettiest girls the North Georgia mountains have ever seen. It was a blast partying down in the paddock. The race itself was cool and we’ll have photos of all the great cars soon. For now, enjoy the Girls of Petit Le Mans 2011.

Were you at Petit Le Mans this year? If so, what’d you like most about the race? Please comment below!

Atlanta and Pretty Southern have a tight relationship. Most of our writers and photographers are based out of ATL therefore most of our stories are centered around this fine city. So we decided to create the Atlanta Bucket List of things we’re yet to do together. There’s a lot of ground we have to cover from fine homes to helicopter pads. Pretty Southern readers will explore with us as we scope out key Atlanta historical sites, wonderful restaurants, and crazy culture. Here’s what we’ve got for Part 1 of our Atlanta Bucket List. Check back tomorrow for Part 2!

Margaret Mitchell’s House. This is a big year for Atlanta’s most famous female author. We’re celebrating the 75th anniversary of “Gone With the Wind” and all its greatness. Paying homage to Miss Mitchell is a must.
Zoo Atlanta. The city’s menagerie is home to thousands of different types of flora and fauna. We’re going to see it soon just to get a glimpse of this cute baby giraffe.
Oakland Cemetery more than 70,000 souls have been laid to rest in this Southern soil, including our heroine Margaret Mitchell herself. But this place is so much more than a graveyard. Atlantans can enjoy the beautiful landscape filled with majestic oaks, dogwoods and flowers. Here where the dead lie exists a strange juxtaposition of life teeming with picnics, bike rides, kids playing and evening walks.
Wren’s Nest home to Joel Chandler Harris who authored the tales of Uncle Remus, Brer Rabbit, the Tar Baby and other classic Southern fables. Mr. Harris worked at the Atlanta Constitution as an associate editor and he was a good friend of Mark Twain. The home just south of Atlanta’s bustling downtown is now a museum where Lain Shakespeare (great grandson of the writer) serves as executive director.

The King Center is the memorial site dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Founded by his widow Coretta Scott King, this center is all about fostering social change without the use of violence. In our modern times of government upheaval it is essential to remember the amazing testimony of Dr. King.

Wrecking Bar Brewpub recently opened in Little Five Points and is quickly making a name for itself in Atlanta’s foodie scene. Housed in a 100-year-old stylish Victorian home which has served as a residence, church, dance hall and now a brewery/restaurant. Wrecking bar offers tours every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. and will be participating in Atlanta Beer Week from Oct. 8 – 16.

Is there something missing on Pretty Southern’s Atlanta Bucket List? Please post your comments below. We’ll have Part 2 posted tomorrow!

Atlanta residents: have y’all heard of the pastry excellence that is Pie Shop? We were so excited to see their feature in Southern Living this month after Pretty Southern met its fabulous owner Mims Bledsoe this summer. Pie Shop is located in the heart of Buckhead, Pretty Southern has been privileged to watch this business gain well-deserved fame since opening in June. Pie Shop was named “Best Pie of the Big A” by the AJC and we were fortunate enough to help sponsor the shop’s first unofficial happy hour. Complete with 15 different types of pie, BYOB and lots of good folks and Yelpers the Pie Shop’s first happy hour was a great success. Folks young and old from all different walks of life congregated to appreciate the simple art of homemade pie. We came, we ate, then left with happy stuffed faces.

For a brief history on Pie Shop click here! Y’all can read more about how this young woman’s gumption and appreciation of all the sweetness life has to offer inspired her to start Pie Shop. It’s an arduous task for anyone in this economy and Mims is making it work. For so many restaurants and small business have succumb to a tough round of financial wringing, but with great pie and a simple business concept it appears Pie Shop has a can-do-it attitude comparable to the Little Engine That Could. As Southerners, and pie lovers, we’re happy to be along for the ride. The photos speak for themselves. Scroll below for a look at Pretty Southern and Pie Shop’s first happy hour.

So what’d ya think? Were you able to make it out and want to come again? Anyone out there interested in doing another tasting for Thanksgiving? Please let us know in a comment below!