The GUIDE

The

GUIDE for the American lover of all things European

The

GUIDE for the American lover of all things European

Volume I: Finding Paris Summer 2015

Editor/Writer

Anna Rose Souther Photography by Ansley Souther

Table of Contents

5

A Letter

6

Bistro Niko

10

Huff Harrington

14

Maison Robert

16

Le Caveau

A Letter

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A Letter

Dear Travelers,

The Guide is a quarterly magazine for the American lover of all things European.

I recently lived in a small village in the South of France for the summer and found love in every aspect everywhere I traveled. I not only fell in love with the places, people, villages, fabrics, cultures, perfumes, buildings, adventure, and food, but the lifestyles lived. I came back to the United States with a newfound desire to move to Europe. Until that day comes, I promised myself I would always find a little piece of Paris everywhere I go.

I was inspired to write about my findings and The Guide was born. This inaugural edition focuses on the city of Atlanta, Ga and the wonderful Parisian atmosphere I was able to find in so many places.

Your Editor

Anna Rose Souther

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Bistro Niko

Bistro Niko It’s all in the details...

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customary French selections like Escargots “En Croûte” and Salmon Croque “Monsieur” prepared in a rich variety of spices and sauces. Bistro Niko also serves a superb Sunday brunch with delicious omelettes, sandwiches, soups, and pastries that capture the true delicacy of French cuisine. After countless hours of research and tasting, I decided that because of Bistro Niko’s location, it had to be my pick for the truest Parisian atmosphere.

The patio sits directly adjacent to

his picturesque bistro in Atlanta’s bustling Buckhead area right off of Peachtree Street serves up traditional French fare in a casual, yet sophisticated, setting of antique decor and warm lighting that give the space a Parisian flair.

The menu, complete with French titles and English descriptions, features

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Bistro Niko

greeted by our adorably sweet waitress named, Gigi. She was exceptionally knowledgeable when it came to my extensive questioning on the menu. My sister joined me and we started off with delicious cocktails of course. I recommend the Ramos Fizz and the French Seventy-Six! For appetizers we decided on the Les Trois Fromages, a beautifully laid out cheese plate with three selected French cheeses, fresh candied fruit jam, pistachios, and crispy brioche bread. For our entrees we had the Seafood Tagliatelle Pasta and the Georgia Mountain Trout Amandine. The pasta was filled with fresh tender scallops, shrimp, calamari, cherry tomatoes and covered in a creamy white wine sauce. The trout was mouth watering good. Sautéed in a citrus olive oil emulsion garnished with toasted almonds and served over French green beans and fingerling potatoes.

Unfortunately, I have not gotten the chance to try the Sunday brunch I hear everyone raving about. Maybe that will be in the next issue! We were both too stuffed to try one of the desserts we saw passing by. Our waitress said her favorite and the most popular was by far the decadent Crème Brulee. My only disappointment came when I discovered, to my dismay, that they no longer allow pets on the patio.

As it was mentioned on several websites that pets were allowed, I showed up the first time with my pup in tow only to be turned away. In my opinion, that was not very French of them. The new rule was only made recently so maybe they will have a change of heart so I can enjoy Sunday brunch with my pup in true Parisian style!

the busiest street in Atlanta with constant foot and motor traffic. The interior is reminiscent of the 1920’s with deep red leather booths, mahogany wood and vibrant gold accents. The kitchen is a large open area within the restaurant where one can actually watch their meal be prepared from the cutting of the charcuterie to the final touches of garnish added by the executive chef and fellow Buckhead native, Gary Donlick.

I am mad about details and Bistro Niko certainly did not disappoint me. My personal favorite surprise was when I took a trip to the powder room and found a beautiful antique cigarette dispenser in working condition upon entering the hallway. I couldn’t resist getting a pack of Marlboro Reds. I proceeded down the hallway looking for an open door and when I found one I was astonished at what I saw inside. Behind every beautiful mahogany wooden door there were retro tiled murals with images of French women painted in bold colors.

We were seated on the patio and

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Bistro Niko

“Sneak away for an afternoon to sip champagne, eat pate and oysters and pretend, for a moment,

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Bistro Niko

that all of life is an afternoon in Paris.”

– Meridith Ford Goldman The Guide 9

Huff Harrington

Huff Harrington antiquing in the South of France

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Huff Harrington

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wo “committed Francophiles” AND fellow Atlantans, Ann Huff and Meg Harrington, got together over a glass of red wine some years back, and what resulted was Buckhead’s Huff Harrington Fine Art. Over the years, realizing that their clients wanted more than just art, they expanded with Huff Harrington Home, a home furnishings and lifestyle boutique on West Paces Ferry Road.

These two friends have what Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles writer Sejai Bhima calls a “fuss-free” philosophy. Bhima quotes Huff, “Trust yourself. When you buy what you love, it will always work.”

It’s the method they have used to stock their boutique. Their design team not only does room or whole-house makeovers but will (I love this description) “fluff” your house for a special event. It’s so refreshing that the first thing they always do is “move, prune, and tweak” what you already have. They declare that their “favorite place to shop is your own home.”

Huff and Harrington love “all things French”. Ann was raised in Geneva and lived in France. She speaks fluent French and has a home in Provence, Les Murets,

where participants stay during the trips that she and Meg host to Provence and Paris each year. Meg has a degree in French from Stetson University.

Reading about their trips interested me because some of the places they frequently go are places that I visited during the summer of 2014 when I was a student at SCAD’s Lacoste campus. I bought antique glassware and vintage postcards at the market in Isle sur la Sorgue, and my favorite fragrance came from a perfumery in the small Mediterranean fishing village of Cassis. It was there that I also found a pretty smocked linen dress for the new daughter of an Atlanta friend born while I was away.

While writing this I also discovered that my aunt, Sheryl Lott, who is an artist, knows Ann and Meg and has accompanied them to Les Murets on a painting trip.

After returning home, they had a showing at Huff Harrington Fine Art of all the work done while they were there. Aunt Sheryl called them “savvy businesswomen who really know their stuff”.

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“From 18th century antique French paintings to modern day glamourous coffee table books, Huff Harrington has everything European inspired.�

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Huff Harrington

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Maison Robert

Maison Robert Family Traditions

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Maison Robert

aison Robert is a French pastry and chocolate shop where all of the baked goods are made fresh daily by hand.

“At the age of 16, Robert Reeb, a native of Metz in the Lorraine (northeast France),began his apprenticeship under his father, Frédèric, as a third generation pâtissierconfiseur-glacier. “ So begins the “About Us” section of the website of Maison Robert Fine Chocolates and Pastries located at 5256 Peachtree Road in Chamblee, Georgia.

38 years after first opening in Atlanta, Maison Robert is now run by the fourth generation, Robert’s daughter Katia.

Robert and his wife Patricia still “back her up”, and Robert and Katia also offer classes for those who would like to learn to make the chocolates and pastries and bread they have come to enjoy there.

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Huff Harrington

More than just ordinary wine

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What makes this place unique is that they offer only organic, biodynamic and natural wines.

My question as an uneducated yet dedicated wine lover was, of course, “What do those 3 words mean in the wine world?”

They build on one another. Organic is easy.

It contains no man-made pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. Biodynamic is a little more complicated - organic plus the earth’s rhythms and lunar cycles. Natural - organic/biodynamic grapes plus fer-

f you can believe it, in the same building, and right next door to Maison Robert, is a fine wine shop known as Le Caveau. It is also conveniently located right next door the the office I work in. We tend to have a few too many on our weekly Wine Wednesdays!

Le Caveau came into being after a 2010 trip to France by its owner Eric Brown.

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Le Caveau

mentation by naturally present yeasts; no manipulation chemically or physically.

You can also become a member of the Le Caveau Terroir Club and receive 2 featured wines each month along with a few other special perks. I looked up the word “terroir”. It means, “the complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate.”

If you are interested in more than just uncorking and pouring a bottle

you’d surely enjoy the added info on winemaking and the history of it at the weekly wine tastings. There are events such as wine dinners in-house and at various restaurants with Atlanta area chefs pairing food with Le Caveau’s wines.

By the way, there are beers available as well, from small U.S. and overseas producers. If you need a gift for a wine lover you should certainly be able to find something extra special at Le Caveau!

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