MADE Paper August 2013 Issue 04

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Issue 04 AUGUST 2013

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Issue 04 AUGUST 2013

EDITORS Brent Rosen, Anna Lowder, Caroline Nabors Rosen, Harvi Sahota CREATIVE DIRECTOR Harvi Sahota DESIGN Matter www.iheartmatter.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brent Rosen, Caroline Nabors Rosen, Anna Lowder, Andrea Jean, Heather Steen, Tiffany Bell, Will Abner, Johnny Veres, Sam Wootten, Jennifer Kornegay, Scott Steen, Melissa Tsai, Joe Birdwell, Tom Jean, Edwin Marty, Evans Bailey, Tina Hofer Medico, Robert Wool, Will Steineker, Elliot Knight, Mark Bowen, Christian Kerr, Rebecca Seung, David Mowery, Brian Carroll, Josh Carples

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Harvi Sahota, Grace Photography, Josh Moates, Jon Kohn, Ryan Muirhead, Luke Lindgren ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS Joshua Pittman, Robin Birdwell

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ISSUE 04 AUGUST 2013

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COVER PHOTO: Jon Kohn MODEL: David Bancroft

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Column Feature: DAVID BANCROFT Feature: FOOTBALL Style Makers Food & DRINK EAT SOUTH Music TRAVEL

MADE is a collective of citizens celebrating the local, the authentic, and the unique. We are creatives featuring other creatives and the engaging work being produced in our city. We call attention to all fields forging new pathways in expression and innovation. We are makers who love to eat, talk, collaborate, question, party, and laugh, and we want you to take part.

Thanks for reading this and supporting the artists, craftsmen, creatives, and active citizens that make a city thrive.

Let’s Talk About Developments at the Department of Development WORDS BRENT ROSEN In the middle of July I received an email from a colleague in Birmingham excitedly announcing a “Before I Die” wall being created near Regions Field. The original “Before I Die” wall was painted in New Orleans, providing a way for people in the community to publicly share their hopes and dreams. If that sounds vaguely familiar to you, it should: Montgomery had its own “Before I Die” wall painted on an abandoned building next to Irish Bred Pub last Spring. Congratulations Montgomery, we are now a place other cities, including our supposedly more advanced sister to the North, look toward for new ideas.

I bring this up not just to stick my tongue out at Birmingham -although it feels nice -- but also to highlight a major loss suffered by Montgomery. Chad Emerson, in his role as director of development, encouraged the creation the “Before I Die” wall on Dexter Avenue. He, along with Deputy Mayor Jeff Downes, also played a major role in your ability to eat vegetables from EAT South farms, have a cocktail at the pedestrianized Alley, and live in a loft downtown. Chad regularly asked people in the Montgomery community for their input on major projects, and his development department invited people to their “idea factory” for brainstorming sessions on a regular basis. Unfortunately, by the end of the summer, both Chad and Jeff will have moved on to other jobs in other cities.

Realizing what a loss this would be, a group of concerned citizens visited the Mayor to discuss replacements for these important positions. The Mayor discounted the suggestion of a Southeast-wide search for candidates, and instead appointed two locals who are steady, capable people, each with decades of relevant experience. My problem is not with either choice personally, but with the idea that both people charged with the development of the city have decades of experience in Montgomery.

Montgomery has done the easy development: the ball park is built, the anchor hotel is open, the restaurants in the alley are packed every day. Now, the development department has to build on this foundation, looking toward places like Charleston, Savannah, or Greenville, SC as models for how mid-size, Southern cities can become thriving, dynamic places. Why not hire someone instrumental in re-making those cities to help remake ours? You get new ideas by bringing in new people, especially people with an excellent history of making things happen in similar places. If we want Birmingham to keep looking toward Montgomery as a place to steal good civic ideas, we need people with new ideas working in the development department.

There is another problem with hiring someone with decades of experience. Think of it this way: Would you ask your grandfather for advice on hip hotels, bars, or restaurants? Would you trust your aunt to create an environment where young, creative, engaged people want to live? But all joking aside, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone that understands what attracts young people when a big part of the development department’s job is making Montgomery an attractive place for young professionals.

Remember, the development department’s job is to make Montgomery a thriving place to live and do business, but how one defines “thriving place to live and do business” looks like a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Young people are starting to find Montgomery appealing, and it takes young, engaged people to make a city thrive. If the development department ignores that, Montgomery will continue to lose its young people to Auburn, Atlanta, and Birmingham, and all that will be left to develop is retirement homes.

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WORDS ANNA LOWDER Photo JON KOHN

Remember the first time you realized “That Guy” existed? Maybe you were in the grips of teenage awkwardness, covered in braces and spots and trying like hell to just remember your locker combination, when you looked up and there he was: That Guy. The one that never looked worried and never felt nervous, who always smiled and was sincere and friendly to everyone. That guy that could ace the test, score the winning run, and get the cute girl - all in a day. And no matter how much you didn’t want to, you liked him just like everyone else did. He was just That Guy. You’re all grown up now - maybe you are a designer or a lawyer or you sell things or you buy things. Truth is it doesn’t matter because, factoring in the unfavorable chances of probability, you still know a That Guy. This one’s just grown-up, successful at all of his many chosen fields, and is still annoyingly happy.

David Bancroft is That Guy. If he were a superhero, of which I can find no proof to the contrary, David would inevitably be SuperMan (I honestly tried the “Superhero Name Generator” but Mega Bat didn’t quite do it). There is simply nothing Chef David Bancroft cannot do. Sound hyperbolic?

Perhaps, but when one human combines professional dominance, sharp intellect, gracious demeanor, wicked sense of humor, stunning good looks and is devoid of drama, I’m not sure what else to call him.

Let’s start by calling him “Bancroft” as his friends do, most of whom are culinary professionals or creatives, which says a lot considering the snarky, often cut-throat business of the modern US food scene. Ask any acclaimed regional chef (Chris Hastings or Alon Shaya) or serious up-and-comer (Rob McDaniel or Leo Maurelli III) who has worked with Bancroft and the adjectives are always the same: talented, driven, hardworking, together. Being a chef is often about possessing one of these traits, or two.

But finding one that marries them all with a business mindset and communication skills to rival Anderson Cooper and you’re starting to see the picture.

This April, Bancroft and The Front Porch Revival (a prolific group of Alabama chefs, artisans and brewers) rolled into Florence, Alabama to join forces with The Alabama

Slammers (a rag-tag baseball team made up of Billy Reid / Alabama Chanin folk) and battle The Texas Playboys (similar group from Austin). Baseball was possibly the sideshow but a great excuse for chefs, designers, artists and musicians to gather for four days. Watching Bancroft operate in a new town with a new cast of characters was a lesson in calm. Prepared with every ingredient and tool he needed, his menus were planned entirely in advance and his dishes complete before others had even shown up. We’re not talking over-played “this is the South: we love Bacon!” food.

David hand-rolled 200 home-made merguez sausage & local collard green tamalés for one dinner, and still had time for seasonal tabletop displays, signage, handmade pickles, hand-packed jams - he even stole the show playing in the baseball game.

And when he finished his tasks, he helped out anyone that needed an extra hand. Same story, different city: working events with David from the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival to Southern Makers and the Farm To Fork Food Invasion in Montgomery and getting to truly know him, I’ve known that guy was bound for something big. I was right.

That Guy is unveiling his new restaurant, Acre, this August in Auburn. His own restaurant as executive chef, partner and creator - entirely from the ground up on one acre of land. Not just any new restaurant, but a space that incorporates years of planning, layout design, proformas, menu edits, an in-fill building site, a renowned culinary team - and oh yes, an on-site garden - headed by Chef David Bancroft. Because when he’s not dazzling the national press (Food & Wine, Southern Living, Garden & Gun to name a few), David taught himself to cultivate everything from Southern staples to heirloom produce, herbs, and fruit trees.

Now he’s bringing it all to the table for his guests to enjoy.

“Acre highlights new Alabama cuisine inspired by our Southern heritage,” says Bancroft. “The food is responsibly grown, harvested, sourced, and prepared by a staff that enjoys the extra dedication and labor required in our type of food. The menu moves with the rhythms of the seasons and the unpredictability of the harvest.”

As much as I detest national restaurant

chains and the mediocrity they serve as food, they have enough money and marketing power to convince much of the US that they are “chef-driven” and train their culinary teams in “the kitchens of Italy” with only the “freshest ingredients” (Olive Garden and Applebees, I’m aiming at you).

So how does an authentic chef and restaurant communicate real hands-in-thedirt growing and support for local purveyors to the consumer? Bancroft believes the proof is in the locally-grown arugula. “I garden onsite so customers really believe what we are doing. It’s not out of pretense, but responsibility for the consumer. I enjoy knowing I can point outside to my customers’ food source and not at a box in the freezer. Actually, at the moment Acre doesn’t even have a freezer.”

Born in Mobile with farming and growing in his blood, his earliest food memories were formed around his grandmother’s table. “My grandfather farmed catfish, tilapia, pine trees, cotton, peanuts, cattle, chickens, and vegetables. But my biggest influence was definitely Mama Jean’s long farm table. An average lunch included: country ham, fried pork chops, cornbread dressing, zipper peas, butter beans, squash casserole, mashed potatoes & giblet gravy, fried cornbread, pecan pie, jello molds, and always a tub of Cool Whip!”

David is well aware it’s not always about vegetables in the South. Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, “I was surrounded by beef and awed by the art of slow smoking beef brisket.” He recalls his earliest experiments with cooking. “I used to toss a dry-rubbed brisket on the smoker early in the morning, leave for a double header baseball game (I was the catcher) return to feed the fire, invite the team over, and by mid-afternoon, we were crushing the perfect brisket.”

He since moved on to pig, rabbit, lamb, Gulf seafood, and game, to glowing reviews of his rabbit brunswick stew and self-cured chorizo from both journalists and his dedicated clientele. Yet he still weaves his Texas childhood influences into many of his progressive Southern dishes. Ghost chili salt, ruby-red beet hot sauce, crispy fish tacos, charred Mexican street corn: this is the adventurous side of Chef Bancroft that is setting him apart in his field. “I love Tex-Mex and true Mexican cuisine. Mexican tradition

always leads to someones abuela in the kitchen. She is the epitome of scratch cooking,” he said. “I love the intensity of Latin spices and flavors, but mainly how Mexican cuisine uses fresh produce like we do in Alabama. The only difference between Southern and Tex-Mex is more chilies and add tortillas,” he laughs.

His creativity is balanced with a behindthe-scenes understanding of all aspects of restaurant operations. From book keeping and cost controls to lessons learned working salad and grill stations, from waiting tables in front of house to a savvy grasp of marketing and ease of communication skills, David combines technical expertise with time spent learning and improving until he masters a task, then moves on to the next challenge.

After working in New Orleans learning “all things Creole,” he grasped the restaurant business and the local market at Auburn’s local Amsterdam Cafe, becoming head chef in just one year and stepping onto the Southern culinary stage. After five years at Amsterdam, Bancroft moved to his next chapter in the Fall of 2012: he began work on his dream restaurant from concept to bricks and mortar in just a few short months.

“My design started with the selection of land. I wanted to be able to grow on my land and plant an edible surrounding. Inside, the layout has many features from my favorite restaurants: I chose design elements from the most inspiring places I’ve visited across the South. Then, we tried to find ways to incorporate materials gathered from important parts of our family history. We wrapped the walls in solid oak from my grandfather’s farm where I hunt deer. We salvaged wood from a 100 year-old general store on my friend’s land where he and his family spent winters together.”

Acre has smart features. Not too large, not too small. A beautiful open bar, a private (but not isolated) dining room, a central room engaging the open kitchen and chef’s station, and outdoor dining area with a working hearth. It’s confident yet approachable, like the menu itself. Offering options for every type of guest - from the most conventional eater (The Family) to the most adventurous (The Foodie)- Bancroft knows his locale.

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“Acre is two blocks from the famous Toomer’s Corner in downtown Auburn. We are in the central part of a college town that has a very specific restaurant market. We are trying to sneak adventurous foods that redefine the normal standards into a culture that is very used to college fare.” The components of Acre help him do that. “My favorite feature is definitely the outdoor fireplace and grill. It provides us an interactive and open kitchen concept and rewards us by getting to play with fire.

Everybody likes that, right?”

“I think locals are excited about taking the journey with us. The community enjoys getting ‘fresh’ back on the plate. I think my friends know that my food philosophy is in their best interest. As soon as people see their neighbor’s name called out as a source on our menu, it really clicks.”

The chef-farmer experiment has produced another perk - this time for his family. “Being able

to cook our backyard gives a reassurance that I can provide food for our family and not rely on fast-food restaurants. I can’t describe the feelings I experienced when my 1 1/2 year-old son waddled into my strawberry patch and started devouring berries with juices running down his chin!”

Father, husband, farmer, chef, entrepreneur, photographer, media darling. Check, check, check. So what’s next for Bancroft? Acre will open, critics will rave, diners will swoon, and he will grow an empire - mark my words. Bancroft is destined for television and magazine covers, and let’s be honest, he deserves it. Hard work and commitment sometimes do pay off. So let’s enjoy all that’s to come from, your guessed it, That Guy.

Acre opens August 29th.

Acre is located at 210 East Glenn Avenue, Auburn, AL 36830 • www.acreauburn.com

Photos JON KOHN

Q&A Favorite summer vegetable? Hot Peppers Favorite summer fruit? Peaches Favorite animal (to eat)? Venison Best thing you’ve ever eaten? I loved the “Oysters & Pearls” from French Laundry, foie gras from Michael’s in New York, escargot anything, curry goat on honeymoon in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. But my true favorite food is pepperoni pizza.

Worst dish you’ve ever tasted, and where? I plead the 5th.

Worst idea you’ve had as a chef? Trying to start a local fruit ice cream company. They tasted great and sold well, but I

was making ice cream all day, everyday, for two months.

Blah.

Favorite casual summer food to cook? Fresh grilled summer corn slathered in butter.

You do everything perfectly. Tell us something you’ve done (anything) that went disastrously wrong? Trying to start Acre proved to be more difficult than expected. I jumped out of a steady job, expecting to purchase my favorite location at an old train station, but the site was contaminated by a nearby gas station.

How long did it take to produce your first garden success?

As soon as I decided I wanted to grow on my own, I tilled up my backyard at a rental house and planted the whole left half. I lost my entire security deposit for that one!

What are your favorite heirloom crops to grow and eat?

I love cherokee purples, black krims, speckled butter beans, purple hulls, zippers, and any southern grown rice.

Awards / Recognitions / Memberships: Atlanta’s Food & Wine Event participant. Front Porch Revival.

Being in MADE!

Serve with Southern tacos or tamales.

Yields 6 pint-size Mason jars.

2 roasted beets, chopped 1 diced medium red onion 8 crushed garlic cloves 2 chopped red bell peppers 4 chopped cayenne peppers 2 cups water 2 cups red wine vinegar 1 1/4 tbsp kosher salt 1 tablespoon paprika 1 tablespoon chili powder 1/2 tablespoon ground cayenne 1 teaspoon ground cumin Add all veggies except beets to medium sauce pot and set to medium high heat. Place lid on pot to allow veggies to steam. Cook for five minutes. Add water, beets, spices and cook with lid on for 15 minutes. Remove lid, add vinegar and cook with lid on for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, puree in blender until smooth. Strain sauce through a fine mesh colander. Pour hot sauce into bottles to serve or pressure seal in mason jars for longer storage.

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Photos DAVID BANCROFT

David Bancroft’s Instagram #fresh #garden #alabama #watermelon #friedokra #purplehullpeas #season #homegrown #plum #tomatoes #ham #frontporch #peaches #gulfseafood #foraged #blossom #pickles #snapper #potbelliedpig #greens #oakviewfarms #tamales #lamb #springgarlic #southern #mamajean #berries #acreauburn AUGUST 2013 • MADEPAPER.COM

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! a Y e r A o Wh

ARe YOU READY FOR THE BIG KICK OFF? Saturday August 17, 12:45pm: The Countdown Begins In just a matter of days, men will arise to paint their faces in thick primary shades, chests will be bared or full regalia donned in honor of beloved clubs nationwide. Yes, it’s time again for the fullon madness that is the English Premier League.

What’s this heresy? You don’t know the fanaticism that is British football? Well strap on your boots: this is the crash course in real football (yeah, I said it).

Lesson 1: Translation is important. Football is another name for soccer. The sport is primarily known as football throughout the world due to the fact that, rationally speaking, it is a sport played with the feet. The EPL is also known as the Premier League, or the Premiership. It is made up of the 20 top football clubs of the season, operated on a system of relegation (kicked out) or promotion (moved up) at the conclusion of each year’s season.

The highest ranking team at the end of each season is crowned champion. Current reigning champions are Manchester United (Man U).

Lesson 2: Numbers don’t lie. Football is the world’s largest sport, played by over 270 million registered players and staff worldwide.

Add in all of the kids and fans playing football around the globe, and we’re talking billions of people. It is plausibly the most democratic and inclusive sport in the world: all that’s needed for a pick up soccer match is one round ball and a flat piece of earth.

Lesson 3: Dollars (pounds) don’t lie. Over 4.7 billion people watched the English Premier League last year in over 212 countries. When it comes to money, football is king: global revenues for the sport total $28 billion annually—nearly as much as the revenues of all U.S. sports, Formula One racing, tennis and golf combined ($32 billion total).

Lesson 4: Form follows function. In other words, when guys run the full length of a 100 yard pitch for 90 minutes, they end up looking pretty damn fit. Compare soccer players bodies to the majority of American football players physiques and there’s not even a question of who gets more modeling gigs. This lesson was for the ladies.

Lesson 5: Time is of the essence. Each match is 90 minutes of play time (two 45 minute halves with a 15 minute half time). But the best part - no commercial breaks. Save yourself an hour and a half of meaningless commercialism and watch a football match instead of a college or, worse, NFL game.

Now that you have the low-down, get to know the top clubs to watch the best of the Premiership this fall. Top teams include: Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur. Most of these have ranked in the top five for decades, while others like Man City simply have ridiculous amounts of money due to wealthy overseas owners. These teams feature top talent and, when paired up each season, offer rivalries rarely seen outside Southern college matchups. But don’t stop with these six: smaller clubs compete with heart and each have unique histories and folklore (West Bromwich Albion - the name alone makes a match worth watching).

Now your only task is finding a local pub to watch live matches for the next nine months starting from 6:30am. Cheers.

The Premiership kicks off August 17th and runs through May 2014.

Catch the best live matches weekly on NBC and NBC Sports network. Follow statistics, analysis, commentary and fanaticism on these sites: premierleague. com • bbc.co.uk (BBC Sport) • skysports.com.

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This is the water of presidents. And of celebrities.

It is the water of athletes – even Triple Crown winners. It’s as comfortable in the Oval Office as it was in the Old West. Sodium free and naturally ionized, Mountain Valley was named “Best Water in the World” – twice – at Berkley Springs International Water Tasting. Premium domestic spring water, bottled in glass at the original source for more than 140 years.

Find it locally at MountainValleySpring.com

WORDS ANDREA JEAN

Bell + Bragg

Photos COURTESY BELL + BRAGG

You don’t meet a lot of people who truly believe

What led you to open a Gallery in Auburn?

in “art for art’s sake” but Brad Bell does. Speak

Last year around this time we were sharing our space with two other folks. A local artist was using our basement as his studio and our storefront was a clothing boutique run by a local fashion designer. The creative energy was extremely contagious. After they both moved on to explore their passions elsewhere, we decided that the ever-changing exhibit and installation space would be a great fit.

with him for five minutes about creativity, art and surroundings and you know he just gets it.

That “it” is what makes Bell + Bragg so refreshing. Design duo Brad Bell (2008 AU Architecture Graduate) and Wife Amy Bell (Architect at Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood)

How do you choose the artists you show at the gallery?

opened their gallery in 2012. The gallery lives

Some of our shows are highly curated and planned to a T. Others are completely spontaneous and happen when an artist comes by to share their new works with us or needs space to photograph their work. We have shows up to four weeks and pop-up shows that only last one night. We like to keep it fresh and unexpected. Our current exhibit, “After All,” is a solo show

at 420 S Gay St. in Auburn, right down the block from local hotspot Amsterdam Café, incubating the local art scene. Oh and I almost forgot to mention, you can buy the art too…

by local artist, RC Hagens. RC’s work is heavily influenced by contemporary street art, but primarily stencil graffiti.

Explain the thought process and inspiration for the gallery and the art you sell?

Whether it’s experimental paintings, haptic installations or delicate 3-D pieces, we like to show contemporary and progressive work. Our gallery is as much about the culture and incubating the local art scene as it is about selling art.

It’s more of an interactive space - somewhere between the student pin-up space and curated museum.

How does one go about getting on your mailing list?

Come see a show, chat with us and sign our guest book. https://www.facebook.com/BellBragg

The It List: 9 Under 9

Montgomery’s Savviest Trendsetters

Top Left. Owen has just been offered a position as Executive Editor of MADE Paper and he believes he’ll have a long and prosperous career in the newspaper business. Some would say Owen has buried his head in the sand he would say he’s done just the opposite. Photo Grace Photography Top Middle. After completing every science program offered at Forest Avenue, LAMP and UAB, Addison received her doctorate in astrophysics. She’s moved her family to Huntsville to pursue a career as a rocket scientist. Hopefully her parents will be able to find jobs there too. Photo Grace Photography Top Right. Now that all super-villains have been defeated, Captain America is keeping the playgrounds of Montgomery bully free. Whether using his superpowers to stop bullying is, in and of itself, bullying, is a question to be explored in Captain America 3: Playground Avenger. Photo Harvi Sahota

WORDS CAROLINE ROSEN

Center Left. Finn They may look tiny, but these are powerful sha-women.

Through years of meditation and communion with nature, Finn has perfected the rain dance. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know when to stop. We’ve already had enough rain here, lets take up a collection and get these girls where they are needed: the Sahara Desert. Photo Grace Photography

Bottom Left. Oliver Oh, you didn’t recognize Oliver out of uniform? He currently leads the Montgomery little league in home runs, while also maintaining a sub 3.00 ERA on the pitcher’s mound. The Biscuits tried to sign him last Spring, but Oliver told them he wanted to finish Year Four before he turned pro. Photo Grace Photography

Center Middle. Austin An acolyte of the famous urban foragers of New York City, Austin collects edibles from around the Montgomery area for use in restaurants. If you’ve eaten mushrooms, herbs, or edible plants in Montgomery’s best restaurants, chances are, Austin’s had his hands on them. Photo Grace Photography

Bottom middle. Ellis Yup, that’s Ellis’ back. Get used to seeing it. She’s a Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and with her training, you’re never going to see the front of her again. Remember: If you aren’t the lead dog, the view never changes. Photo Grace Photography

Center Right. Ever Ever is not impressed with that poseur Sully Sullenberger.

Landing a plane on the Hudson River is nothing. Ever landed a plane on the Las Vegas Strip, and minutes after had every passenger at a blackjack table, bloody mary in hand. That’s heroism. Photo Josh Moates

Bottom Right. After seeing yoga clothes become a hot trend, Kiera thought why can’t dance clothes be everyday wear too? Starting with little more than a dream, Kiera has created a top selling line of all-day dancewear you can pick up in places like Barney’s (not the creepy dinosaur). Think $200 is too much for a unitard? Just try to say no to Kiera. Photo Jon Kohn AUGUST 2013 • MADEPAPER.COM

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Words JENNIFER KORNEGAY Photos 1-4 JON KOHN Photos 5 CONTRIBUTED

THE OVERALL COMPANY POpsicles, Artwork and music in opelika

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“Why do you make what you make?” It’s the obvious first question in an interview with an artist, a designer, a chef, a maker. Ali Maloney and Laura Pritchard’s answers to “Why do y’all make popsicles?” were refreshingly simple: “I love them,” Laura said. “And who doesn’t?” Ali chimed in. The frozen slabs of goodness on a stick made fresh daily by The Overall Company that Ali and Laura own with their husbands Ty and Jay in Opelika are equally simple and refreshing.

Simple because most are made with less than five all-natural ingredients, many of which are locally sourced, like the deep-green sugar baby watermelons Ali had just brought in from a farmers market. Refreshing because they provide a tasty, rapidcool rescue when faced with one of those Southern summer days that threatens to melt your nail polish off.

But the Overall Company is about a lot more than popsicles. In a recent chat with Laura, Jay and Ali, the friends explained what inspired them to start the business last August. “We’re building a community here,” Jay said. “The whole vision involves highlighting and celebrating Southern music, food and culture.”

The corner building in Opelika’s downtown was once an actual overall-producing company, so the name pays homage to the structure’s “making” past. The décor is a collection of antique stools; vintage posters and signs; colorful, whimsical murals; comfy couches and chairs; and a funky found-metal sculpture that would be completely chaotic if not so perfectly placed in the large open interior (with aged wood and exposed brick from floor to soaring ceiling) to form unique spaces, spaces Jay hopes will inspire others to get creative.

“It’s just stuff we love,” he said. “But this place as a whole is a creative hub for the people here, a center for them to gather and swap ideas. We want it to be ‘our place’ for people, where they come all the time to think and talk.”

And they can brainstorm on a full stomach, thanks to the other edibles the Overall Company makes in addition to its pops: goodies like biscuits, bread pudding, their signature pimento cheese, muffins, sandwiches and other treats. Artisanal coffees, 12

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wines and a wide selection of craft beers including many from Alabama are on hand for whistle wetting, including drinks named after the regulars Jay is thrilled to welcome back time and time again. “We focus on simple Southern foods and locally made or grown products,” he said.

The Overall Company also features live music and has an upstairs gallery space that hosts rotating exhibits of local art. There’s even a rooftop terrace. It’s a lot to talk about.

But since it’s the middle of summer’s swelter, the conversation turned back to the pops pretty quickly, and Ali shared why she’s passionate about making them. “We can be so creative with them; the options are endless, and we’ve got these really healthy versions and then some that are more like a rich dessert, a little indulgent,” she said. And customers can be creative too, customizing their pop by giving it a dip in an array of chocolates or peanut butter and then rolling it in sprinkles, nuts or cookie crumbles.

Varieties like the sweet-tart lemonade-basil, strawberries ‘n cream and raspberrychocolate are popular with The Overall Company’s customers. Jay opts for the coconut pop dipped in chocolate, and Laura most often craves the chocolate hazelnut pop dipped in peanut butter. Ali’s usual stands in stark contrast to the delicious simplicity of the pops she makes; it’s so complex, she rarely reveals the entire process. “When customers ask me what I like, I don’t actually admit it because it’s just so much,” she said.

So, when you visit The Overall Company, make Ali smile by ordering her formerly secret, four-step favorite: a chocolate hazelnut pop dipped in white chocolate and peanut butter and rolled in Butter Finger on one side and Heath bar on the other.

Then, grab a seat in one of the cozy chairs and while you savor every lick and bite, maybe you can find a muse amid the many layers of flavor and discover what your mind can make.

The Overall Company, 1001 Avenue B, Opelika, AL 36801 T: 334 742 0100 www.overallco.com

WORDS TIFFANY BELL Spoonful of sugar, star-crossed lovers, the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg and one sleepy moon. Not ingredients for the next big cocktail, but perhaps a pretty perfect recipe for Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s 2013-2014 season.

We’ve been sworn to secrecy for months, but the word is out and we’re making it official. The eight-play line-up includes a little musical called Mary Poppins, three Shakespeares including Romeo & Juliet, two plays based on works from F. Scott Fitzgerald and William Faulkner, Goodnight Moon and a Christmas classic. We tend to think even “Will” himself would be impressed by the schedule for his 450th birthday.

Here’s the season schedule you’ve been waiting for – now you’ll just have to wait a little while longer until it opens November 29.

A Christmas Carol Goodnight Moon The Great Gatsby Twenty Seven The Taming of the Shrew Timon of Athens Romeo & Juliet Mary Poppins

Nov. 29 – Dec. 24 Jan. 11 – Feb. 1 Jan. 31 – May 25 Feb. 14 – March 2 March 14 – May 24 April 25 – May 23 May 18, 22 & 25 July 16 – July 27

Tip: ASF Memberships for the 2013-2014 start at only $30 and grant early access to sell-out shows. To become a member and purchase 2013-2014 season tickets, call 800.841.4273 or visit www.asf.net. Single ticket purchase opportunities will be announced at a later date.

FEATURE FILM: THE TIPPING POINT’S OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT WE’VE ALL SEEN...THE LITTLE MERMAID: A REVIEW, KINDA

WORDS EVANS BAILEY

I’ve seen The Little Mermaid. Disney’s animated classic about Ariel, the titular mermaid, and her quest to become “part of their [our] world.” You’ve seen it. Your mother has seen it. People in Poland sing along to “Kiss the Girl.” And if you have kids, you need to load up the SUV and take them to The Tipping Point in Hampstead to watch it on the lawn on August 7. I’m not going to sit here and recap the plot or try to get the catchy tunes stuck in your head. What follows is a man without kids’ take on a Disney classic through 2013 glasses.

Gut reaction: “This looks off.” Don’t get me wrong, the talent and hard work needed to handcraft the over 1 million cells of animation to make The Little Mermaid makes for a staggering accomplishment, but time and technology have hijacked my brain to wonder how much better this would look if a computer did it. I do not like myself because of this.

Observation 1: The Little Mermaid is a fairy tale about true love and does nothing to hide this fact.

There are a lot of adult themes swirling around in the deep blue, but the film never lets them get in the way of the fairy tale. The sea witch Ursula sounds like a demented plastic surgeon singing about “poor unfortunate souls” - the mer-people unhappy with their appearance. But she doesn’t come to a thematic end ripped from Dante’s Inferno in order to teach us all about accepting who we are. This is not Wall-E or Toy Story 3 where blatant grown-up lessons get hammered home despite the childish trappings.

Observation 2: The star-less voice talent is still amazing. This was one of the last Disney animated films to forego traditional movie stars in favor of lesser-known stage and voice actors, but the differences shows. Jodi Benson (Ariel/Vanessa), Pat Carroll (Ursula), and Samuel E. Wright (Sebastian) stand out particularly.

Observation 3: Ariel needs a nap. The film is only 83 minutes long and moves at a breakneck pace as a result. Maybe Disney realized that candy-filled 6-year olds can’t pay attention for shit. In the first portion of the film, which takes up a single day, Ariel skips her big singing debut, finds all sorts of human gizmos in a shipwreck, escapes a shark attack, consults with a talking (idiot) bird, crashes a party, meets the man of her dreams, and then saves his life when his ship succumbs to the deep. Writing that sentence made me sleepy. It’s hard to see how Ariel could then wake up the next day and have enough time to go see Ursula to get some legs. I felt like Disney skipped the scene where Ariel takes a 30 minute nap while Flounder and Sebastian let us in on her gritty back story.

Observation 4: The ocean needs moms too. Ariel is at the mercy of her father, King Triton. Would all of this have happened if there were some moms around? “Ariel, dear, don’t you think you are a little young to have your fins magically removed?”

Observation Final: I know I said I wouldn’t do it...but the songs in this movie are ridiculously catchy. Kudos to Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. “The seaweed is always greener...”

Enjoy that ear-worm, and don’t be such a guppy. Go see this movie.

The Little Mermaid plays outdoors at The Tipping Point at sundown, Wednesday August 7. Free and open for all ages.

Through August 29 Yemaya & John Jones Exhibit Rosa Parks Museum

Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Jazz and blues inspired paintings of John Jones and the vibrant fabric art of Yemaya Jones are featured as part of a special exhibit at Troy University’s Rosa Parks Museum. Work from the creative, internationally-recognized St. Croix couple will be on display in the museum’s exhibit hall through August 29. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For info call 334 241 8701.

August 4 - 5 Stars on the Riverfront

Riverwalk Ampitheatre 7:30pm The Alabama Dance Theatre Summer Dance Seminar culminates with two free performances of Stars on the Riverfront that will feature a unique array of classical and contemporary works.

Free. Call 334 241 2590 or visit www. alabamadancetheatre.com

August 8 15 under 40

Stonhenge Gallery

This exciting showing will be comprised of (you guessed it) 15 artists under 40 years of age. The young artists are: Kevin Maggard, William Ray Abner III, Caleb Smith, Winfred Hawkins, Edward Fieder, Lyra Stephens, Stephen Poff, Kellie Newsome, Zach Griffith, Laura Gaines Waldo, Matt Johnson, Daniel Rex Fuller, Samantha Marie, Madison Faile and Tony Veronese. For more info call 334 262 8256.

August 8 Community Arts Partnership

Auburn University, Department of Art 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This one-day pilot project will explore the potential for ongoing educational instruction and skills development in arts administration; to highlight the value of social media in marketing for arts organizations and artists; to develop and encourage internships in the arts to provide practical professional experiences for students.Fees: $15 for full day (including lunch); Free for half-day (1:15 pm to 4:00 pm). For more info call 334 844 4946.

August 15 Military Open House

Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts

5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts invites all active, reserve and retired military personnel and families for an evening dedicated to Maxwell and Gunter communities complete with dinner, live entertainment and artmaking activities. Free of charge. For more info call 334 240 4333 or visit mmfa.org

AUGUST 2013 • MADEPAPER.COM

13

OFF THE BEATEN PATH WORDS & PHotos DAVID MOWERY

On the night of our first “real date” I declared to my future wife “I don’t like Mexican Food.”

My wife is from Texas, where Tex-Mex is a way of life. This is not the only reason she would have had for immediately dropping me like a bad habit, but given her upbringing it would not have been an unreasonable reaction.

, r e d r o B e h t f South o y r e m o g t n o M in

Granted this was the type of Mexican restaurant with a menu based around white cheese dip, ground beef and watery Margarita specials. There are many of these establishments in Montgomery, and they all seem to thrive. We ran a perfectly good joint out of The Alley downtown for not giving out free chips and salsa, and there’s typical other places in every strip mall between Ann Street and Shorter.

For the capital of a state that passed “The Strictest Immigration Law” in the country (still tied up in those pesky Federal Courts), Montgomery sure has its share of Mexican restaurants. There’s high brow, locally-sourced, high end beers and margaritas at El Rey in Cloverdale. You can get family-friendly and good middle brow food, great service and cold beer at La Zona Rosa on Zelda Road. If you go try the Banda Mexicana dip –seriously. And then there’s the type of “authentic” Mexican restaurants that foodies like our discerning readership want to seek out. The kind with day laborers and contractors sipping Horchata (queue Vampire Weekend) and Saturday menudo specials – con tripé!

The first such establishment I was aware of is El Cantaro Mexican on Ann Street across from the Wal Mart and next to The Money Store. On our recent visit they had significantly expanded the dining room and the menu. They offer both run of the mill “Mexican Food” and also “authentic” fare - I had Pork Carnitas Gorditas, which were excellent, though lacking a certain grit that you find out on Troy Highway.

Be forewarned, while exploring The Real Taquerias of Troy Highway, no matter how Hail-Fellow-Well-Met you may be in everyday life, most of these places will not recognize, or even appear to appreciate your patronage. You will get past the perceived rudeness when you tuck in to a plate of Tacos Campechinos – beef and chorizo – with a full platter of toppings and three different sauces at Taqueria Los Primos, or Lengua Tacos at Taqueria Vallarta. While most of these joints can be a little sketchy or unwelcoming, Taqueria Vallarta is a breed apart - housed in gas station with owners of Middle Eastern decent, staffed by a tattooed and be-weaved woman, and patronized by the type of folks who buy porn DVDs while popping in for a pack of blunts – and people like you who love tacos.

Troy Highway tends toward Taquerias, which are more in line with the Street Food ethos, but La Coronilla is a sort of split-the-difference between these other places. Located across from Twain Curve on Wares Ferry Road, and run by a nice guy named Epifario. He cooks amazing molé with whatever fresh fruit he has available, and also let us know: “if you know something you want to try, not on menu, just tell me, I make.”

Our party ran the gamut of enchiladas –which were spiced pork, not wrapped, and with a plate of warm corn tortillas – to bone-in chicken with molé, tortas and even posole – which comes in red and green varieties. All were deemed excellent, and the molé and enchiladas will merit many a return trip.

WORDS & Photos MELISSA TSAI

Despite almost ruining my chances with a beautiful woman over what I thought Mexican Food entailed, I can report that I’m happily married and have eaten my way across town.

Montgomery has enough Mexican restaurants that you could plausibly eat at a different one each day of the week for a month and never repeat yourself. The inherent contradiction of a place that wants all Mexican “Job Destroyers” thrown out, but can’t live without those sweet, sweet tacos is yours to ponder – but I do recommend venturing off the beaten path of No Way Jose and their ilk once in a while and get outside your comfort zone, vibe La Migra, and eat some cow tongue or pig intestine. It certainly worked out for me.

Tarts and pies are my latest summer obsession. They are versatile, easy, familiar, and can always be eaten with a scoop of ice cream. What more can you ask for? One of my first memories of fruit tarts are from a Japanese bakery where my family had breakfast every Sunday during my childhood. The tarts were perfectly round and topped with blemish-free fruit glistening with shiny, sugary glaze. Sandwiched between the crust and fruit was a creamy, sweet custard. From then on, I’ve had a soft spot for fruit tarts. I eat them so often at bakeshops that I realize I’ve never actually made my own. So after 30-something years, here is my first fruit tart with pastry cream. The best part of this recipe is each component can be eaten on its own. The shortbread crust is the perfect balance of sweetness and butter. The custard is creamy and tangy. And there is no need to state why fresh summer berries are awesome. But why would you eat them separately if you have all three on hand?

Recipe online at madepaper.com 14

MADEPAPER.COM • AUGUST 2013

Follow Melissa on her blog www.madebymelis.com

Fridays At Central: Desde el Jardin y el Mar! WORDS CAROLINE ROSEN

Downtown Farmer Jetson Brown pilots his green Regions Bank bike through the traffic of downtown Montgomery, dodging cars and well-wishers in equal measure.

It’s Friday, time for E.A.T. South to make its weekly delivery to Executive Chef Leonardo Maurelli at Central. A few months ago, Leo started a new Friday tradition for Montgomery: he takes delivery of vegetables from E.A.T. South and creates a meal built around the locally sourced produce. Leo has no idea what he will get before Jetson arrives, and has only a few hours before dinner service to come up with a menu and get cooking.

“It’s invigorating,” Leo said in an interview last week, “it takes me back to my 20’s when I was a food geek who couldn’t wait to explore ingredients and put my hands on new food.” Leo, whose roots are in Panama, refers to these dinners as “desde el jardin y el mar,” translated as “meals from farm and sea.” In addition to the fresh produce he receives from E.A.T. South, Leo orders day-fresh fish and shellfish from Destin Connection, with as much from the Gulf as possible.

Leo shares the entire process on Instagram (chefleo3), from delivery to finished product. First, Leo takes pictures of the produce once it arrives from E.A.T. South.

Then he puts together a list of all the ingredients he has on hand, starting to think through combinations, then dishes. Finally, Leo shares the menu through social media, including his inspirations for each dish. Leo has given credit to family members, mentors and others as the dishes come together in his mind. Leo “wants people to feel like they are walking through the process with me,” and he takes pictures of the product “so people can see the food and be as excited as I am about the dinner as it happens.” Following Leo’s pictures, you almost feel like you are walking around in his imagination, a peak into the way a chef’s brain works.

Each week the menu is different, and Leo does not want to have a formula. Some nights there can be three courses, some nights five, but each course is available a la carte. While normally a garden and sea dinner would be something a restaurant would put together on a Tuesday or a Wednesday - mainly as a way drum up business on a slow day - Leo decided to host these dinners on Friday. “Rather than make the benefit one-sided and all for Central,” Leo says, “I wanted to give these ingredients the stage on Friday when the dining room is already busy.” By having these dinners on Friday, Leo can showcase the quality of the ingredients to a packed house, and as far as Leo is concerned, “the more people that learn about the important work being done at E.A.T. South, the better.”

Leo’s dinners show how a partnership between chef and purveyor can grow into an amazing tradition. Look for garden and sea dinners for the rest of the summer; each week will bring different vegetables and seafood for Leo to combine into a memorable meal. www.central129coosa.com Call: 334 517 1155

FOOD & DRINK EVENTS August 12 Trivia Night Leroy WORDS WILL ABNER

Many of us have seen it at some point in our lives, that mystical jar of liquid that a “friend of a friend” got for you. We pass it around, smell it, laugh and exclaim “Now that’s real ‘shine!” Now that we’re in the heat of Summer, these treats are as easy to spot as a bare footed kid in Walmart. But what exactly do you do with it?

By now you’ve most likely also gotten your hands on something called “Apple Pie” - a classic mix of alcohol, cider, cinnamon, and juice. However, I am not particularly fond of apple juice or anything apple flavored so the Apple Pie method of cutting the alcohol really isn’t my favorite. Not that I’m a bootleg liquor junkie or anything, but I am always on the lookout for new methods of cutting moonshine to make it palatable.

Inspiration struck me when an Italian friend of mine told me about Limoncello a few years ago. Sweet, refreshing and tart, this Italian digestivo has been a cultural staple of Southern Italy for centuries. Usually made by steeping lemon peel in a vodka-type of spirit, we could give it a little Southern twist by using homemade grain alcohol instead. Going off the recipe my Italiano amico described, I searched online to fill the gaps that were lost in translation. There are dozens of recipes available, all with their own variations so I just threw my hands up and decided to take my own path.

I’ve made a few batches of limoncello in my time, each more successful than the other. It’s fun to experiment and try to find a balance between the sugar, water, lemon, and alcohol. Whether you use alcohol from a “friend of a friend”, high proof vodka, or just plain old Everclear, it all should work just about the same. There’s no exact science to this but here is what I have found works best:

Serves: hard to say, but it makes 1 liter of fine spirit.

Warning: The limoncello process takes over 90 days prep time due to steeping. Make well in advance and stock up!

Ingredients: 1 liter alcohol dozen lemons (Sorrento is preferred, but whatever the store has will work - just don’t use Meyer as you need more acidity) 2 cups sugar 2.5 cups filtered water (for simple syrup) Recipe: 1. Zest or peel the lemons after giving them a good wash.

Make sure not to use any white pith.

2. Combine the lemon peel and alcohol. (You may have to split the mixture into separate bottles. I prefer cork or swing top caps.)

3. Let the mixture steep for 45 days in a dark & cool location.

4. Filter the alcohol from the zest using coffee filters.

Patience is key. Set aside.

5. To make the simple syrup: combine water and sugar over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved and the liquid becomes “syrupy.” Cool, then add to the alcohol and let steep for another 45 days.

6. Repeat with another good filtering. Throw it all in the freezer and hold off for another week before letting your friends sample.

Limoncello is best served right from the freezer on a hot summer night after a big meal. Also compliments pools, docks, and freshly mowed lawns.

Suggested Limoncello Cocktails: Sidecar, Limencollo Collins, Champagne Limoncello

Come join the crew at Leroy for the monthly Trivia Night. leroylounge.com

August 16-25 Alabama Restaurant Week

Local participating restaurants include Central, TRUE, Martha’s Place, The Tipping Point and more. Menus and special pricing at participating venues.

Info visit yearofalabamafood.com

August 26 EatEasy Dinner with friends from Florence

It’s a secret.

For more information email eateasymgm@ gmail.com

August 28 Stone Brewing Co. Take Over El Rey and Leroy

Join the crew of Stone Brewing Co at either El Rey or Leroy for a full night of fun with delicious beer.

August 31 Okra Festival 11am til

Burkville, Lowndes County, AL

Artists, craftspeople, food, music, and more including renowned Amos Paul Kennedy.

Gumbo, fish, barbecue, pig ears, preserves, local produce, homemade ice cream, and the famous pickled okra.

Info visit okrafestival.org

Save The Date: September 19 The Big Lebowski by MADE Paper, Leroy, The Capri Leroy

Made Paper and Leroy are teaming up to bring you a pre-party to the Capri showing of The Big Lebowski.

More information to come.

AUGUST 2013 • MADEPAPER.COM

15

E.A.T. South encourages healthy lifestyles through education and sustainable food production in urban areas throughout the Southeast. www.eatsouth.org

Words MARK BOWEN

You probably want to yawn or flip to the next page after reading a title like that. But before you check out all the other cool things in this issue of MADE, allow me to bring a few things to your attention.

Alabama is the fourth most overweight state in the nation. It is also the third hungriest state in the nation.

Immediately, you may be asking yourself, “How can the state be one of the most overweight and the most food insecure?”

Well, it’s pretty simple: those that can afford food eat all the wrong things, and those that cannot afford food don’t eat much. Here’s another statistic that hopefully grabs your attention: Alabama is known as an agricultural state. Yet, Alabamians only consume about 2-5% of the food produced here in the state.

Conversely, 95% of the food we eat in Alabama comes from as close as neighboring Florida to as far away as South America or China.

Hopefully, learning what food literacy is and what Food Policy Councils are will start to peak your attention. A Food Policy Council’s purpose is to enhance the food system that exists in a city, region or state. Councils have formed in almost every large city in the country and several states have statewide FPCs. FPCs are composed of a variety of people or institutions - from government, non-profits, farmers, retailers, concerned citizens, or any other institution or person that has a

stake in food. FPCs address a wide range of issues, often focusing on food insecurity and promoting a local food economy.

In Alabama, there are FPCs in Birmingham, North Alabama (Huntsville area), and now an emerging FPC in Montgomery called the River Region Food Policy Council. The RRFPC emerged in the last year and is made up of a hodgepodge of unpaid volunteers that simply would like to see changes in the way food is perceived and consumed – food literacy!

the rich culture of southern food. In fact, we are trying to preserve southern food culture, as well as the health and food awareness of Alabamians. Awareness of where your food comes from has always been a pillar of southern food culture.

If you are interested in learning more or attending an RRFPC meeting, check out www.riverregionfood.org to learn more. Have a Good Food Day!

The RRFPC has held listening sessions in a variety of communities, representing diverse demographics, to collect data to learn what Montgomerians think about their food system. The data collected drives the RRFPC to choose what issues to take on. Recently, the RRFPC has formed committees to tackle several issues that came up in our listening sessions. The committees include schools, policy, outreach, communications and community gardens. The RRFPC recently recruited Sky Borden, a local environmental attorney, to help coordinate the Council.

Food is something that we all interact with everyday.

Yet we don’t put much effort into understanding where it comes from and what we are eating. In a time when food related illnesses and obesity are skyrocketing, the RRFPC is an important factor in sustaining health and wellbeing. This does not mean we are trying to change

What Is A “Community Supported Agriculture” (CSA) Program ?

It’s simple: members sign up for a season of vegetables (Spring, Summer, Fall), pay in advance, then pick up a box of fresh veggies and fruit every week of the season.

Easy and delicious!

Members of a CSA buy a subscription to the farm early in the year, which helps to pay for the seeds and farm equipment needed to get the season rolling. Additional revenue from the CSA program supports EAT South’s farms and children’s education programs.

The CSA program is offered three times each year. CSA members visit our Downtown Farm or Hampstead Farm to pick up a weekly harvest of in-season, naturallygrown vegetables, fruits, and herbs freshly harvested

16

MADEPAPER.COM • AUGUST 2013

from both farms. Participants receive a family-sized variety of produce valued at $25 and a newsletter complete with healthy recipes and updates about farm life and events. A limited number of work/trade positions are available each season.

Produce grown at our EAT South farms for the CSA includes:

Cut Flowers, Herbs, Peppers, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Melons, Green Beans, Sugar Peas, Arugula, Sweet Potatoes, Fennel, Collard Greens, Turnips, Shelling Peas, Onions, Squash, Cucumbers, Beets, Kale, Broccoli, Broccoli Raab, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Choi, Pumpkins, Carrots, Radishes, Chilies, Chard, Spinach, Tomatoes, Cabbage For info regarding EAT South’s CSA program, email jetson@eatsouth.org

Holland Williams Photography

Holland Williams Photography

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MUSIC EVENTS August 19 Elvis, The Early Years

ASF 7:30pm Possibly a stretch for the Music section, but it’s Elvis classics so here goes.This annual sell out, onenight only show brings Scott Bruce channeling Elvis through hit after hit.

Info and tickets on sale at asf.net or call 1 800 841 4273

August 20 Joe Thomas Guitar Pull

2 CLASSICS FROM OUR RECENTLY DEPARTED 2013 has seen the sad passing of two Alabama jazz giants: legendary bebop guitarist Johnny Smith (June 25, 1922 – June 11, 2013) and modern jazz drummer Steve Ellington (1942 - March 22, 2013). In memorial, we recommend listening to the following releases as testament to their respective mastery.

Johnny Smith - Moonlight In Vermont (Roost, 1952) Although perhaps not as well remembered as jazz guitar comrades Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis, for a brief period of time in the 1950’s Birmingham native Johnny Smith (above right) was indeed a household name. This is the release that put him in the spotlight, and has had a lasting influence for generations of guitarists.

Largely self-taught as a teenager, he became skilled at tearing off literate but tasteful, fast and swinging solos of the Charlie Christian “horn-style” variety.

But where Smith really cooked was in his perfection of the “chord melody” style, whereby the simultaneous playing of multiple notes carries the

musical themes and improvisations (as opposed to single notes, like a horn player). Smith’s virtuosity is in full-effect on this critically-acclaimed early 50’s quartet outing (also featuring future tenor saxophone star Stan Getz as added bonus) which finds Smith virtually re-inventing a set of mostly familiar standards (the title track, Stars Fell On Alabama, Tenderly, etc.), all while displaying an appealing buttery-smooth electric guitar tone. A great make-out record.

Available for download on iTunes and Amazon.com

Cloverdale Playhouse Photo WILLIAM RANDOLPH

Roland Kirk.

It is arguably this 1983 session for bassist / composer Dave Holland which best illustrates the depth of Ellington’s abundant talent.

Steve’s awe-inspiring work as anchor for this all-star piano-less quintet (which boasts saxophonist Steve Coleman, trombonist Julian Priester, and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler) is made more impressive by the sheer diversity of material here. Ellington sounds equally at home in the entire wide spectrum that is modern jazz, all while revealing a flawless technique, an innate sense of dynamics, and indeed taste (which is rarer than it should be). Witness the blistering hard-bop of the title track, the funk / march of Coleman’s “The Dragon And The Samurai,” and the chamber-like tranquility of Holland’s “Sunrise” (some very delicate brushwork here). Check out the drum solo on “New One,” it will put a smile on your face. We’ll miss you, Steve.

Dave Holland Quintet - Jumpin’ In (ECM, 1984) Atlanta-born journeyman drummer Steve Ellington (see above left) emigrated to the Montgomery-area in the 90’s, and frequently brought his percussive fire to the Sunday night jam-sessions at 1048 Jazz and Blues in Old Cloverdale. He spent decades building his welldeserved reputation as a reliably consistent and professional sideman both live and in the studio for jazz greats such as Sam Rivers, Available for download on iTunes and Amazon.com Hampton Hawes, Art Farmer and Words TOM JEAN

7-9 pm Held on the third Tuesday of every month, 3 local / regional songwriters are invited to come take turns playing a selection of original material. A great event for new talent, and an ongoing in memoriam to Joe Thomas, a Montgomery music institution.

Suggested $10 donation at door goes to the artists.

Info at cloverdaleplayhouse.org

August 23-24 Billy Reid Shindig

Shoals Community Theatre, Florence 7 p.m.

Info billyreid.com/store/shindig

Save The Date: October 27 Willie Nelson and Family MPAC 7:30 pm

Tickets: $35 - 75 The legend is on tour once again.

Catch him for his signature classics and his new works at downtown’s largest music venue. This one is selling fast so don’t wait.

Info visit mpaconline.org

Instagram: MadePaper Post photos of your Summer concerts and tag MadePaper.

Words JOSH CARPLES

When the weather warms up, it’s sometimes nice to book shows near a beach.

Of course, in April the weather didn’t quite warm up as much as expected, and yes, the water was a bit cold. That didn’t stop people from hitting the beaches, and it didn’t stop us from getting in the water. How often do people in Montgomery, Alabama get to step in the waters of the Atlantic, right? Salt life, baby! (No, not really.)

So we hit the road to Florida, first to Destin, then to Jacksonville. A special note about Destin – your GPS system, if it hasn’t been updated, may send you on a road to a toll bridge. That road will not lead to the toll bridge. In fact, it will lead you to the toll bridge employee parking lot and a cul-de-sac style dead end.

That’s when you send your drummer out, on foot, to talk to the person in the booth. “How do we get to where you are?”

WWW.NOWHEREMGM.COM

So anyway, sometimes when you’re on the road, showers are scarce, and the ocean is your salty-but-cleansing friend. So we travel through Jacksonville toward the beach. Traveling through a new city, you get to see all the sights 18

MADEPAPER.COM • AUGUST 2013

and local businesses, and some of the names really catch your attention, but not necessarily in a good way. There’s the “Hands On Children’s Museum,” and a bit down the road is “Kids by the Hour.” Luckily, our van has windows, and we don’t all sport mustaches, so your kids are safe. I just, personally, would have gone with different names.

One of the perks on the road is finding local food places. And I think we found the holy grail of burrito restaurants in Jacksonville – Burrito Gallery. Had George Lucas and Steven Spielberg met there to discuss Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, that film would have ended much differently. Ever had a yellow curry chicken burrito? You should. I got the carnitas burrito, and it was great. I can only assume the secret ingredient is unicorn tears because it was pretty magical. Unicorn tears, man. Unicorn tears.

Josh Carples is a member of the Montgomery-based band Hail the Titans, a singer-songwriter, actor and writer, and he somehow manages to work a “big boy” job in his free time. Find out more at HailtheTitans.com and JoshCarples.com.

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The Maggie

3 BEDROOM 2.5 BATH 2,185 sq.ft conditioned approx 533 sq.ft porch / garage approx

4 BEDROOM 2.5 BATH 2,268 sq.ft conditioned approx 735 sq.ft porch / garage approx

2 BEDROOM 2.5 BATH 2,034 sq.ft conditioned approx

4 BEDROOM 3 BATH 2,372 sq.ft conditioned approx

$309,900

$299,900

$279,900

$309,900

Town building, design, & construction are an evolving process. The Hampstead master plan, features, floor plans, & pricing may change without notice due to a variety of considerations. Any illustrations are artist’s depictions only & may differ from completed improvements. This is not an offer to sell real estate property. Information is correct but not warranted. Void where prohibited by law. Equal Housing Opportunity. © 2 0 13

Random Access Memories AlBUM REVIEW Words BRIAN CARROLL Chances are, by now you’ve heard electronic two-piece Daft Punk’s catchy hit single, “Get Lucky” featuring guest vocals by Pharrell of N.E.R.D. fame. If so, you’ll know that that song is a blast, and speaks to the world in the same charged, nurturing tone for which the robot-themed dance group is known. It’s strong, and we’re all happy for the song’s success in these dark times. So how does the rest of the album compare?

Random Access Memories picks out and mashes up diverse moments of music from the last century, paying special attention to discarded styles from the late Seventies and early Eighties. It uses itself like a time capsule to tell a nostalgia-drenched, fleeting story. Deadpan disco is present.

Also present is deadpan stadium-packing Seventies progrock and deadpan dentist’s office smooth jazz, these sounds peppered with short, neo-classical avant-garde interludes.

While admittedly terrible sounding on paper, the record manages to convince thanks to the confident guitar work of Nile Rodgers of Chic on nearly every track. A noticeably strong suit this time around, Rodgers’s guitar is placed front and center to provide a busy, kinetic counterweight to the band’s vintage synthesizer riffs.

For the first time, Daft Punk has allowed their unique sound to be heard in a wide variety of matching and clashing live music environments. The album constantly offers up distinct production styles from other artists from the 70s, including Michael Jackson, Supertramp, Goblin, and Italian disco producer Giorgio Moroder. Only stopping to settle into something truly safe by modern standards once or twice, the album boldly and unironically delivers production styles other pop producers lack the confidence, gear, or know-how to touch. The choices in style can be fun to ponder, as random vintage throwbacks and classic rock references work in tandem to expand that Daft Punk sound, in a manner not too dissimilar from mashup artist Girl Talk.

Perhaps telling that the album’s low point seems to be the guest-vocalist-nearly-blew-it “Lose Yourself to Dance,” the

duo sounds like they are no longer interested in making straightforward dance music, and would politely like it if we could let them occasionally be Journey, Isaac Hayes, Philip Glass, Judy Garland, DJ Shadow, Hall and Oates, and ABBA. But despite this generous wide range of influences, they also repeatedly promote the flavor of bland, no-name lite FM jazz sound you might overhear while getting your teeth drilled. This is often curiously balanced with the big drum sound of a firmly mulleted stadium prog-rock band, complete with a spandex leotards, smoke machines, and mountains of cocaine. That music like this is up for the same consideration as the more classy, theatrical offerings on display minutes later at any given point on the record says something to Daft Punk’s unique abilty to force their audience to see discarded ideas in new ways, then discard the ideas, too, before their credibility gets away from them.

The band’s signature reliance on the robotic vocal effect that musicians know as the Vocoder allows us to forgive their use of its wicked sister effect – autotuned vocals - on Julian Casablancas’s guest track. While tastefully done in Daft Punk’s hands, both effects sound a little tired, having been beaten to death by American Hip Hop producers for the past six years – a group of individuals who seem to be more in love with modern French Pop of late.

Even music snobs like Daft Punk, and the reason, besides that they freshen rooms, is that their music is about other people: their audiences. This time around, Daft Punk is about other people they like, and that’s cool, too. It’s interesting that they so openly reveal the large extent Italian disco, Moroder in particular, has had on their music by including an expensive-sounding tribute to the mustachioed grandfather of electronic dance music early on in the disc.

Probably the best parts of the album are the few sprinkled gasps of academic, noisy inspiration involving a concert orchestra, and on one track, an enormous choir. Centering around a sense of the epic and spacious, these sections lend

the parade a welcome Stanley Kubrick vibe, yet are wiped from memory immediately by disposable pop beats and lie dormant until the next listen.

Designed as a love letter to the twentieth century, and how its sounds find a place in our subconscious to be stored, the album’s various reference points are capable of opening much baggage upon chance encounter with the right memory. It’s a romantic, up-til’-dawn sort of record, full of silly, fleeting fears, the sort of rock opera Don Johnson might imagine if reflecting back on his Miami Vice years in a drunken stupor at sunrise.

When all is said and done, RAM is a more all-encompassing affair than “Get Lucky” lets on.

High-concept and well-planned, it loses points when a scant couple of genre mashups don’t mesh. Despite their noted good intentions, Daft Punk overreaches occasionally here, particularly on the rock-based songs. The album contains at least one terrible moment, but you will be entertained by the band’s seemingly reckless commitment to their approach. As time with the record goes on, you’ll appreciate how carefully and cleverly the album was conceived, as a lonely bundle of meaningful excuses to explore and expand the Daft Punk sound by paying tribute to older artists.

It simultaneously saddens, livens, cools, and weirdens.

Uniquely vintage by design, Random Access Memories points with longing nostalgia to the late 70s and early 80s, when pop music was quietly ignited by a cheery, Italian music producer in a golf shirt named Giorgio Moroder. His electronic recording techniques shook, doomed, and outlived disco, changing the course of pop for the next fourty years. His legacy is rather looming, and he’s not a household name. The record seeks to rectify that, but paints a convincing background portrait of the music’s surrounding era to give it context. Interesting to behold.

Random Access Memories is available for download on iTunes and Amazon.

Daft Punk action figures by Bandai are available for pre-order on Amazon.

Event Review Words REBECCA SEUNG

Despite a generally rainy Fourth of July weekend, the clouds rolled on past to welcome the small crowd that had assembled for the first live show at local hot spots Leroy and El Rey. All the way from San Antonio, Texas, The Rich Hands kicked things off with a fun set of upbeat garage pop numbers that got heads bopping, toes tapping, and even one hulahooper hula-hooping. Up next was Holy Youth, representing the rapidly growing music scene in Huntsville that’s being spear headed by places like Vertical House Records and Happenin Records (which is co-run by members of Holy Youth). Their psychedelic shoegaze sound was sweetly hypnotic, capturing everyone’s attention as the sun set on that cloudy afternoon.

Visit burritolounge.com for more upcoming events at El Rey and Leroy, and check MADE’s website often for more in local music events.

Follow more music news with Rebecca Seung on her blog www.getbent.fm.

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It’s the biggest thing the South has to offer, and is growing into a fine city in its own right. Cue the whiners harping on about traffic, smog, sprawl, and more. Well, the smog has cleared out for the most part, the economic crash helped curtail the terrible sprawl epidemic (at least for now), and traffic isn’t too bad if you know your way around other than on the interstates. Atlanta is now a hot-bed of culinary talent leading the food movement in the US. It is a design leader in the fields of interiors, graphic design, marketing, and more.

Its music scene is strong, and its sense of cultural identity is thriving. Long story short, it’s an exciting city to be in that still feels warm, welcoming, and approachable. Now that we all want to relocate there, let’s dive into the places you’ll want to spend some serious time. This is not about Buckhead. These are interesting locations boasting new, innovative joints with real personality and real stories behind them. Get out on foot, talk to the locals, and meet the folks actually doing and making a city great.

Where To Go: Westside Star Provisions

A Willy Wonka land of quick, affordable lunch eats merged with a shop overstuffed with home goods, holiday gifts, wine, meat, coffee, bakery and more. The Cheese Shop (headed by cheesmonger Tim Giaddis) is the best in Atlanta. The shop is also the entrance to the dinner-only Bacchanalia.

Stand out: shrimp po-boy is famous (maybe Atlanta’s best-known sandwich), but the falafel is a knockout

Billy Reid

Atlanta’s outpost of Billy’s clothing empire features tin ceilings, hardwood plank floors, and mouth-watering menswear and womenswear. The shoes are handmade by a cobbler (really) in Italy. Staff is friendly and warm, and the interior decor is curated thrift store meets grandmother’s farm house.

Stand out: Billy Reid’s seasonal handprinted t-shirts

Sid Mashburn

The go-to designer for the ideal slim-fit suit, Sid Mashburn opened his eponymous Atlanta store in 2007 after years at J.Crew and Lands’ End. This Mississippi boy holds tailoring (specifically natural shoulders and slim legs) as important as comfort and finish. His store specializes in unique luggage, gifts, shoes and more - with tailors working away in the back of shop.

Stand out: a custom suit and Italian shoes (sans socks, of course)

Steven Allen

The newest boutique at Westside Provisions District, this small but perfectly curated shop features the best in women’s, men’s, home, jewelry, and shoes. Countless designers from across the globe are represented meaning you won’t end up looking like anyone else. A seriously great addition to the Atlanta design scene.

Stand out: delicate one-off jewelry by Blanca Monros Gomez

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Sprout

A kid’s uber-wonderland, this is where hip parents go for toys that will keep the children entertained while avoiding anything resembling a Toys R Us. Sprout is all wooden toys, lovely children’s books, nursery bedding, and clothes and gifts for infant to tweenies. Great spot to let the kiddies play before or after adult shopping.

Stand out: children’s books and Zutano clothes

Yeah Burger

Heck yeah, this place is good (Bon Appetit’s Top 10 Burgers in the US). A bright, upbeat spot (think industrial chic meets cartoon-like illustration-covered walls) with dozens of gourmet burgers or do a DIY and make your own creation. Unique aspects include hand-cut fresh fries, handmade soft buns, daily seasonal vegetables and full bar.

Stand out: grass-fed beef or bison burger, fries, crispy brussels sprouts

The Optimist

Chef Ford Fry’s boldest and most innovative restaurant, The Optimist celebrates seafood like no other. Calling itself a “Fish Camp and Oyster Bar,” the menu offers Atlanta’s largest selection of raw oysters, fresh fish, fried seafood, and wood-fired grill specialties. Big flavors for a big, old-style restaurant, brought up to the moment with hip bars and a put-putting green.

Stand out: charred octopus tentacle, pickled-y fried clam roll, seared gulf fish with the sourest asian lime broth you’ve ever tasted

West Egg

Many a restaurant could learn how to do brunch from West Egg - the top brunch spot in Atlanta. Line forms out the door from 8:30 on weekends, which may explain why they offer “Brinner” on Sunday nights. Voted Best Breakfast in Atlanta (3 years) and Best Cupcakes in Atlanta (2 years) - these place doesn’t mess around.

Stand out: pimento cheese & bacon omelet, banana pudding mason jars

Grant Park Inman Park Cabbagetown & East Fritti

Known as Atlanta’s best pizza, this is serious authentic stuff. Made in the Neopolitan tradition, the pies are made as you watch (drooling) and fired in a 1,000*F wood burning oven. Dozens of pizzas to choose from, the best of which have cured meats, Italian cheeses and fresh arugula, none of which have pineapple. The sister restaurant, Sotto Sotto, next door serves authentic, “cry it’s so good” pasta.

Stand out: Sorrentina pizza

Krog Bar

Kevin Rathbun’s tiny tapas bar seats less than thirty, but that’s just fine. You’ll feel you’ve found a secret, dark bar that only a few no about - all the better for noshing on Spanish cheeses, an Iberian ham nd soaking up young, affordable wine by the glass. The new Krog Street Market is rumored to open this summer with more famous but not yet confirmed eateries.

Stand out: red pepper flatbread with pesto and piquillo peppers and glass of malbec

Inman Park

A serene break from Atlanta’s crowds, Inman Park is a turn of the century Victorian-era neighborhood known as Atlanta’s first planned community. Besides its historic homes and active village centers with local restaurants and galleries, the beauty of Inman Park is its green spaces. Enjoy miles of trails, walking paths, rolling hills and great spots for kids and dogs.

Stand out: strolling down Highland Avenue parks with a King of Pops popsicle

The Beltline

Atlanta’s citizens and leadership have taken huge steps forward in urban planning, health, and transportation through the Rails to Trails program. Connecting Atlanta with bike paths, walking trails, and artistic installations on former derelict rail lines and corridors, visit the Eastside Trail connecting Inman Park, Poncey, and Piedmont areas.

Words ANNA LOWDER & HARVI SAHOTA

Clermont Lounge

“The Greatest Show on Earth”? Well, that’s a lot to live up to as its website claims, but Blondie has been around for decades so something’s gotta be working. Atlanta’s oldest strip club has the dancing talent to prove it. If you don’t know what I’m saying, just ask your friends somebody will. Legend has it that Anthony Bourdain, Jon Stewart and Bill Murray have enjoyed the Clermont. Bring sani-wipes if you’re the faint-of-heart type. Otherwise, down some tall-boys and mosey to the Clermont Motor Hotel on Ponce.

Ponce City Market

In a former life City Hall East occupied this gargantuan 2.1 million square foot building - the largest in the Southeast and built by Sears, Roebuck and Co. in 1926.

Plans call for the transformation to a mixed-use development similar to Pike Place or the Ferry Building.

Construction slated for completion in 2014.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens

A good option for those seeking to brave the summer heat, Cocktails in the Garden is held Thursdays 6-10pm at the ABG on Piedmont. Stroll the grounds with a cocktail and appear to learn your flora from your fauna.

Peachtree Street Food Trucks at 12th & Midtown

Thursdays lunchtime (11am-2pm) you’ll find a convergence of Atlanta’s best food trucks right in the heart of the city. Grab a cheap bite from Viet-Nomie’s or Mighty Meatballs and stroll in Piedmont Park.

Fox Theatre

The famous Fox is innovating by expanding from its traveling theater and musical calendar with the CocaCola Summer Film Festival lineup of classic movies, blockbusters, and kid’s cartoons. Choose from Iron Man 3 to Looney Tunes. Kids 12 and under only $5 - the air conditioning and gorgeous Fox Theatre setting is worth that alone.

Holman & Finch Public House

This tiny, almost (visually) missable spot is a cocktail lovers dream. Led by the renowned Greg Best, the barkeeps create unbelievable concoctions that defy logic but always, always taste stunning. Slender, dark and seating only 40 or so lucky patrons, the barstools and

tables fill at opening and stay packed late. The famous H&F Burger is limited to just 24 per night, first come first served from 9pm. Menu is an adventure in Parts, Cured, Farm and more.

Stand out: Hot Chicken or pimento cheese, with multiple Arms of Attrition

High Museum

Arguably the Southeast’s preeminent fine art museum, the High features respected permanent collections including classic, decorative, and contemporary artwork.

Catch impressive touring shows this Summer including Girl with a Pearl Earring, Dutch Painting from the Mauritshuis and Civil Rights Photography 1956-1968.

Empire State South

Chef Hugh Acheson’s Atlanta spot is renowned for his take on New South specialties with a fresh twist. Gorgeous interior and bocce court make ESS an exceptional find in Midtown. Celebrity chef lovers: Hugh spottings are frequent.

Stand out: Hugh’s In Jars snacks and anything served with his crispy Carolina Rice

Decatur (yes, Decatur) Decatur Farmer’s Market

Set near the bucolic main street Decatur (which, cool fact, is connected by public transport to Atlanta) this Saturday market brings farmers, artisans and producers to the locals, with a shaded park and playgrounds nearby for all the kid-laden parents and dog lovers.

Cakes & Ale

James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast 2013, this sweet local restaurant is known for seasonal, fresh dishes … and delicious desserts. So much so, it’s opened The Bakery at Cakes & Ale next door. Try both spots for a chilled break from the heat.

Stand out: burrata or tuna tartare starters

No. 246

Another Ford Fry outpost, this one boasts a modern Italian charm with highly approachable dishes, and price points. Excellent menu sections include Toasts, Meat & Cheese, Flour & Water and more.

Stand out: agnolotti with summer corn, chanterelles and goat cheese

Further Afield: Buford Highway Com Restaurant

Buford Highway is an Around The World in 80 Restaurants experience. Start with authentic Vietnamese at Com straight from the motherland good as covered by Food & Wine, Atlanta Magazine and more. The Bún and Báhn Hói are stellar, Pho is abundant, and Indochine favorites are on hand. 4005 Buford Highway

Taqueria El Rey Del Taco

Voted best authentic mexican in Atlanta, have fun with the pick-n-mix menu that let’s you choose your meat (cow cheek, chorizo, goat, tripa to name a few) for tacos, torts, burritos and more. Huge seafood options including shrimp dishes and whole fish. Top off with a michelada or three. 5288 Buford Highway

Lee’s Bakery

What better use of a bakery than to be the go-to spot for Bahn Mi. You’ll think you’re walking into a Sunbeam bakery from the exterior, but inside the piles of crisp, light french baguettes confirm your lunch choice. Authentic pork, chicken, tofu or fish Bahn Mi for just $3? Add Pho bowls from $6.50 and you’ve just found the best bargain in town. 4005 Buford Highway, Suite C

Saravana Bhavan

If you haven’t tried a dosa yet, you are out of your mind. Granted, good dosas are hard to find, largely because of the skill it takes to turn out these delicate parcels to meet demand. This is Atlanta’s most famous Indian restaurant - a huge dining room in what looks to be a former Grandy’s or other chain all-youcan-eat place. You’ll eat all you can manage of these warm, comforting spiced potato masala dosas (or the dozens other types on offer), not to mention outstanding samosas, daal, vada, uthappam, chutneys and more.

Instagram: MadePaper Post photos of your Atlanta travels and tag MadePaper.

The more unique the better!

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