Simply Buckhead October 2017

October 2017 ISSUE 50 • FREE

YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING WELL IN ATLANTA

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

SIMPLY BUCKHEAD® |

OCTOBER 2017

Photos: Sara Hanna Photography

[ C OV E R S T ORY ]

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AT

52 BUCKHEAD’S PRIVATE CLUBS

Contents [ F E AT U RE S ]

24 32

[ DE PA RT M E N T S ]

TRAVEL FAR: ISLAND TIME A multigenerational escape to Aruba

HOME: A FLOOD OF OPPORTUNITY Susan and David Nethero turned disaster into dazzle at their Brookhaven home

38

BEAUTY: MANI-PEDI MUSTS

48

TAKIN’ IT TO THE STREETS

Everything you need to know about your nails right now

SCAD grads beautify The Shops Buckhead Atlanta with original artworks

58

12 EDITOR’S LETTER

45 SIMPLY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

17 SIMPLY NOW

57 SIMPLY DELICIOUS

31 SIMPLY STYLISH

69 SIMPLY HAPPENING

30 PETS ON PARADE Buckhead kitties and canines (like Luna the Wonder Beagle) are taking over Instagram

THAI SPLENDOR Bask in the Asian spices and flavors at Bangkok Station

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING WELL IN ATLANTA

Serving Buckhead, Brookhaven and Sandy Springs OCTOBER 2017 | ISSUE 50 P.O. Box 11633, Atlanta, GA 30355 simplybuckhead.com For advertising rates call: 404.538.9895 Publisher and Founder

Joanne Hayes

[ F E AT U RE D C ON T RI B U T OR ]

Chief Financial Officer

Sonny Hayes Editor-in-Chief

Jill Becker Creative Director

Alan Platten Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Cheryl Isaacs cheryl.isaacs@simplybuckhead.com

Photo: Cody Wellons

Executive Sales Manager

Laura J. Moss Laura J. Moss is a journalist and co-founder of the Webby-nominated website adventurecats.org, an online resource for information on safely exploring the great outdoors with your feline friends. Her @adventurecatsorg Instagram page has more than 122,000 followers. Moss is also the author of Adventure Cats: Living Nine Lives to the Fullest, which was published by Workman Publishing in May. Her work has appeared on CNN, the Huffington Post, Forbes, Yahoo and Best Friends magazine. She spent six years as a senior editor for the Mother Nature Network, where she primarily wrote about pets and animals—but mostly cats.

Bobby Montgomery bobby.montgomery@simplybuckhead.com Account Executives

Shanteia Davenport shanteia.davenport@simplybuckhead.com

Mike Richbourg mike.richbourg@simplybuckhead.com Website Development Management

BHG Digital Director of Audience Development

Tyler Hayes Contributing Writers

Karina Antenucci H.M. Cauley Rebecca Cha Carly Cooper Jessica Dauler Jim Farmer Jennifer Bradley Franklin Mickey Goodman Angela Hansberger Locke Hughes Laura J. Moss Amelia Pavlik Lisa R. Schoolcraft Ale Sharpton Giannina Smith Bedford Chief Photographer

Sara Hanna sarahanna.com Stylist

Abbie Koopote Graphic Designer

Layal Akkad We welcome all contributions, but we assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. No portion of this publication can be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission.

Copyright © 2017 by Simply Buckhead ®. All rights reserved.

Printed by Walton Press, Inc. Distributed by Distributech and Distribution Services Group.

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

Copy Editor

H.M. Cauley Legal Counsel

Scott I. Zucker

FIND US ONLINE

Fabulous Dogs Need Fabulous Things

Read Simply Buckhead online at

SimplyBuckhead.com Facebook facebook.com “Like” us at LivingWellATL

Buckhead's Only Highend Retailer for Fabulous Dogs

Twitter twitter.com Follow us @SimplyBuckhead

Instagram instagram.com Follow us @SimplyBuckhead

www.barkfifthave.com 3169 maple Dr. Atlanta GA 30305 (404) 816-7729

[ BEHIND THE COVER ] Many of the shots you see on our cover are taken at the Buckhead studio of our chief photographer, Sara Hanna. Her space is great, and the photos always turn out wonderfully, but it’s particularly fun to do shoots on location at different sites around town. For this issue’s cover, we received special access to The Club at Chops, a private space available only to members.

Get an additional sneak peek inside this exclusive backroom lounge on page 52.

Dating Support & Coaching Dr. Tequilla Hill Hales, LMFT 678.462.8425 1640 Powers Ferry Road Marietta, GA 30067 drtequillahill.com

Chief photographer: Sara Hanna Photo assistant: Dara Dyer Stylist: Abbie Koopote Hair and makeup: Nyssa Green, The Green Room Agency Models: Greg Mauk and Kristin Brock, Salt Model & Talent Shot on location at The Club at Chops

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YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING WELL IN ATLANTA

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[ P RO U D S P ON S OR OF ]

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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SIMPLY BUCKHEAD® OCTOBER 2017

[ E DI T OR ’ S L E T T E R ]

Marx apparently never visited any of Buckhead’s private clubs, which are the subject of our cover story this issue. These venerable members-only institutions, the oldest of which dates back to 1883, have long been hallowed gathering places for Atlanta’s movers and shakers. Today, membership in these elite clubs is a little more inclusive, expanding beyond just the folks looking to score the next big business deal.

Greg Mauk, the handsome gentleman gracing our cover this issue, is intimately familiar with the local private club scene. A member of an all-male social-networking group called The Diplomats, Mauk frequents the Capital City Club, The Club at Chops and other private facilities around town on a regular basis. You can read about three of these exclusive venues on page 52.

Elsewhere in the magazine, Jim Farmer profiles an 11-year-old with a passion for cooking and making sure that kids eat their vegetables. Our new pets writer, Laura J. Moss, introduces you to some local cats and dogs making waves on social media. Angela Hansberger reviews some of the canned cocktails now gracing the shelves of your neighborhood liquor store. And Karina Antenucci reveals the latest nail trends (can you say glitter?).

As you can see, there’s a lot of great content in the issue, which just happens to be our 50th issue!

I haven’t been around for all 50, but my hope is that you enjoy the latest edition just as much, if not more, than all the ones that came before it. Enjoy.

Jill Becker editor@simplybuckhead.com

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

Photo: The Headshot Truck

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roucho Marx once famously said, “I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member.”

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SIMPLY BUCKHEAD® |

OCTOBER 2017

[ PUBLISHER’S LETTER ]

I

remember turning 50 and the feeling of wisdom that came with my new decade. That same feeling is with me now as we celebrate the 50th issue of Simply Buckhead, and a glorious seven years of publishing in this dynamic, evolving community.

Our 24,000 copies per issue are now placed in more than 300 locations in Buckhead, Brookhaven, Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, with almost 300,000 print impressions per month and a 56 percent market share in Buckhead. Our website averages 43,000-plus monthly visitors, with 64 percent of them being new and unique, and we are literally being read all over the world.

Last year, we grew our ValueStream Media Group portfolio by launching another magazine title, 17th South, which serves Midtown and its surrounding neighborhoods, and we acquired the online news website BuckheadView.com, recognized since 2011 for its community coverage. BuckheadView averages more than 2 million page views per year, with John Schaffner at the helm as its editor.

We are proud to be locally woman-owned and operated, putting forth fresh, innovative stories that are important to Buckhead. Our editors, writers, photographers, production staff and sales team are all part of the community, fully vested in what we deliver to you, our loyal readers. Our talent pool is second-to-none, led by Editor-in-Chief Jill Becker, who has more than 30 years of magazine experience.

It is my privilege and honor to be relevant and unique to Buckhead, thinking outside the box to seek exciting stories. We will continue to introduce you to local personalities, breathtaking private homes and gardens, what’s new and happening in Buckhead’s thriving dining scene, emerging local artists and authors, festivals, charity events, music, theater, cultural institutions, family-friendly activities and more.

I’ve learned so much from you, our readers, and from those who have become mentors to me here in Atlanta, and we will strive to exceed your expectations in our coverage in the coming years.

Cheers to the next 50 issues!

Joanne Hayes Photo: Sara Hanna Photography. Shot on location at Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta.

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

N E W S | L O C A L S A L U T E | T R AV E L | A P P R O V E D | P E T S

SIMPLY NOW

TRAVEL FAR

Island Time P24

Off-road UTV tours along the northeastern coastline of Aruba are a favorite activity—the views are spectacular.

Crashing waves have carved natural bridges into the limestone along the shoreline of Aruba.

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

SIMPLY NEWS BY:

Locke Hughes

Buy

Local A NEW SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE FOR ALL THINGS SOUTHERN

A

s Southerners, we know to always bring a hostess gift, but how often do we treat ourselves to something special?

With a new box full of made-in-the-South goodies every quarter, the Suthinstyle subscription service allows you to do just that, but it also doubles as a great gift for someone else. Buckhead entrepreneur and mom of three Ashley Stamoulis founded her company, Suthingirl, to support small regional businesses. “Suthingirl grew out of my love for the South: its gracious hospitality, colorful people, delicious flavors, beautiful places and delightful things,” she explains. When you order one of the quarterly boxes for $60, you’ll receive a package filled with unique regionally made items— think beauty products, jewelry, clothing and edible treats—valued at more than $200.

Subscribe to the service and you’ll receive a 15 percent discount, giving you even more bang for your buck. Plus, the company do-

nates $5 from the sale of every box to Education Cures, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that develops education programs for children around the world. The fall 2017 Suthinstyle box contained, among other goodies, a set of eight custom cocktail napkins featuring new fabrics by Madcap Cottage for Robert Allen, an assortment of bracelets and earrings by ellaZjewels, an oversized plaid blanket scarf from Uncoded Era, several four-ounce scented candles by Lindbergh Candle Co. and a Mirabella Velvet Lip Pencil. The holiday box will go on sale in late October. n

Each seasonally themed box from Suthingirl delivers a surprise selection of locally made products—from jewelry to edible goodies— right to your door.

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NEWS CLIPS REBRANDED ART GALLERY DEBUTS AT PHIPPS PLAZA Phipps Plaza’s freshly rebranded Gallery Seven (formerly Carré d’artistes Atlanta) features original paintings, photographs, sculptures and more by artists from all over the world, with an emphasis on local artists.

Owner Brenda Joyce says she opened the studio in hopes of bridging the gap between different cultures and helping the Atlanta art community become known on a global scale. “Art is for everyone,” she says. “With so much unrest going on in the world, I plan to use art to connect people from all walks of life.” Notable Atlanta-based artists whose work can be seen at the space include Leroy Campbell, DL

Warfield, Bob Ichter and Nabil Mousa.

And with pieces starting at just $40, the prices are even accessible to art lovers on a budget.

Gallery Seven Phipps Plaza 3500 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30326 404.416.9916 artgalleryseven.com

FOUR NEW SHOWROOMS OPEN AT ADAC The Atlanta Decorative Arts Center has added 11,000 square feet of new space, bringing the total showroom count to 65. The new additions include Alno, the world’s second largest kitchen manufacturer; Phillip Jeffries,

an industry leader in handcrafted wall coverings; Showroom FiftyEight, offering modern home furnishings; and the expanded Up Country Home, featuring one-of-a-kind pieces for your home and business. “All four showrooms encapsulate a luxury experience and complement our vision for a one-of-a-kind design destination,” says Katie Miner, ADAC’s general manager. The center is open to all design enthusiasts, no credentials required, although some showrooms don’t sell directly to the public.

SANDY SPRINGS GAZETTE NOW AVAILABLE AS A MAGAZINE

ADAC 351 Peachtree Hills Avenue N.E. Atlanta 30305 404.231.1720 adacatlanta.com

Heritage Sandy Springs 6110 Blue Stone Road Sandy Springs 30328 404.851.9111 heritagesandysprings.org

Launched online in February 2016, the Sandy Springs Gazette was created to preserve and promote the area’s unique local history. Based on residents’ interviews and oral histories, the stories range from tales of illegal moonshine brewing to the end of segregation in Fulton County. After collecting content over the course of a year, Heritage Sandy Springs has published a print edition, available to purchase at their office or online.

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

19

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

S I M P LY NOW

LOCAL SALUTE BY:

Mickey Goodman

Anna Burns helps recovering breast cancer patients look and feel beautiful again.

Connie Masters and Dr. Stephen Szabo receive recognition for their work with cancer patients at Emory hospitals.

A Perfect Pairing

Adding the finishing touches post-mastectomy

Cancer survivors share the journey Dr. Stephen Szabo of Emory Saint Joseph’s in Sandy Springs and Connie Masters, specialty director of CanCare at Emory Saint Joseph’s, Emory Johns Creek and Winship Cancer Institute at Buford, were honored earlier this year for their longtime efforts to integrate CanCare throughout the Emory Healthcare system. Both have volunteered at the organization that matches cancer survivors with current cancer patients since its inception.

Started in 1990, CanCare has paired 300,000 patients with survivors who have the same form of the disease. “We hope to use Atlanta as a pilot program that other communities can adopt,” says Neal Kuhlhorst, development coordinator.

Survivors visit patients when they’re undergoing transfusions, tell

Artist at Work

them their own stories, answer questions and explain how to get paired with similar survivors. “We also match caregivers on the same journey," says Masters. "Everyone feels a compulsion to ‘cure’ their loved one. Even though I was an oncology nurse, I couldn’t heal my mother.”

Not many years ago, a diagnosis of cancer was considered a death sentence. But with improved therapies, the survival rate is now more than 70 percent. “In the future, there will be many more survivors who can help newly diagnosed patients through scary times,” says Kuhlhorst.

“We often think of remission as healing, but the emotional healing takes longer than the physical.” l For more information, visit cancare.org.

Permanent cosmetics tattoo and paramedical artist Anna Burns, whose clinic is on West Paces Ferry Road, has done an about-face. Instead of decorating bodies, she’s now helping women recover from the trauma of breast cancer by offering permanent postmastectomy areola tattoos. And she rarely turns away a patient because of the inability to pay.

“Even after women have breast reconstruction, they often still lack confidence,” notes Dr. Albert Losken, a plastic surgeon at Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute. “I refer patients to Anna to add the finishing touches by tattooing realistic areolas. It

makes them feel better both physically and psychologically.

Women don’t have a choice to get breast cancer. It’s good that they have a choice whether or not to get areolas.”

Burns concurs. “I look at myself as a problem solver and see each woman’s breasts with an artistic eye,” she says. “I bring out the natural form of their areolas using light and shade.

Working with cancer survivors has become my passion.”

Referrals come from plastic surgeons and word of mouth.

Insurance covers very little, so Burns has applied for 501 (c) (3) status to make the service available to all women regardless of income through funding from charitable foundations and grants. l For more information, visit annaburnspermanentcosmetics.com.

Another Honor for His Honor Recognizing a hospice center’s perennial supporter The Visiting Nurse Health System/Hospice Georgia will honor and celebrate former mayor Sam Massell, founder and head of the Buckhead Coalition, at its fall gala on Oct. 26. “Sam has been a supporter of ours for 21 years and has been influential in getting us support in the Buckhead community for our Hospice Atlanta Center,” says Kristin Stanley, the organization’s events manager.

The hospice center serves 6,000 children and adults daily in 26 counties, both as inpa-

tients and in their own homes.

Kids often receive palliative care while physicians search for trial drugs to lengthen their lives.

“I’ve never seen a physical facility like this,” says Massell of Hospice Atlanta Center.

“It’s designed so that every room looks out onto the garden.

They’re a remarkable group. I’ve experienced organizations that say, ‘No, we can’t do that.’ At this facility, the answer is always yes.”

The October gala, which is being held at The Stave Room in Buckhead, is one of two

annual Visiting Nurse fundraisers that help the group better serve the community. In 2016, the organization provided more than $1 million in uncompensated care for hospice patients and their families during the most difficult time in their lives. l For more information, visit: vnhs.org.

Visiting Nurse's Kristin Stanley escorts Sam Massell through the hospice facility he helps support.

Want to nominate a volunteer, company or nonprofit that makes Buckhead, Sandy Springs or Brookhaven a better place to live?

Please contact: editor@simplybuckhead.com

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY NOW

Photo: Ale Sharpton

TRAVE L NE A R

STORY:

Laura J. Moss Photo: Laura J. Moss

Mystery, Moonshine and More

Whether you hit the trails, soar the skies or sip the local spirits aboard an old-fashioned trolley, you're always guaranteed a great view in Burke County.

From hiking and hang gliding to barbecue and bourbon, there’s something for everyone in Burke County, North Carolina

M

ountainous Burke County, North Carolina, is an outdoors lover’s playground, boasting Linville Gorge, aka the Grand Canyon of the East, as well as miles of trails that weave through old-growth forests and some of the state’s most remarkable natural landmarks. For more than a century, however, countless people have made the trip to Burke County, a four-hour drive from Atlanta, simply to stare at the horizon in hopes of glimpsing the famed Brown Mountain Lights.

Described as pale, glowing orbs, the lights are a centuries-old phenomenon that defies scientific explanation. Plenty of theories exist to explain them—they’re extraterrestrials, the lanterns of a ghostly woman searching for fallen soldiers, or simply gas—but it’s the mystery surrounding the lights that beckons visitors.

“I’ve met people from all over the world who come to look for the lights,” says C.W. Smith, a retired U.S. Forest Service officer, over a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie at Famous Louise’s Rockhouse Restaurant.

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

Smith, an area native who spent decades working in Pisgah National Forest, has only seen the lights three times. He insists, though, that even if you don’t catch the lights during your visit, there’s plenty to see and do in Burke County. “You should definitely try the pie,” he notes.

If you want to get your adrenaline pumping, visit hang gliding outfitter Thermal Valley and soar like an eagle over the Appalachians. Their most popular package includes a flight that reaches 1,500 feet in elevation and lasts about 14 minutes.

If you’d rather keep your feet on the ground, there’s no shortage of beautiful hiking trails to explore, and the town of Morganton boasts plentiful museums, shops and galleries. On the third Thursday of each month, the downtown galleries open their doors—and wine bottles—as part of the Third Thursday Art Crawl.

To get a true taste of Burke County, you’ll naturally have to sample the cuisine. You can’t go wrong with Root & Vine, an elegant eatery that offers a new take on tradi-

tional comfort food. And don’t leave town without sampling the jalapeño cheese grits at JD’s Smokehouse.

No trip to Burke County is complete without a tour of its breweries and distilleries. The award-winning Fonta Flora Brewery pours glasses of Appalachian suds brewed from local grains and foraged wild flora. Nearby Catawba Brewing Co. has a massive outdoor patio where people gather to listen to live music, play trivia and, of course, sample the numerous craft beers on tap. The area is also home to the South Mountain Distilling Company, whose authentic moonshine is made by Don Smith, who comes from a long line of moonshiners. Stop by to taste the Jasper Shine and Table Rock Rum and you’ll not only meet the family, but also Ole Bessie, a 2,000-gallon still named for Smith’s grandmother.

Time your visit right, and you can snag a seat on the Ridgeline Trolley for its Beer, Barbecue & Whisky Tour, on which you can sip the day away at said breweries and distilleries and take in the sights from the comfort of

an old-fashioned trolley.

Unfortunately, the Brown Mountain Lights are a bit more difficult to schedule. The best time of year to see them is September through November, but if you miss them like I did, you’ll just have to make another trip. n

IF YOU GO...

Catawba Brewing Co. catawbabrewing.com Famous Louise’s Rockhouse Restaurant facebook.com/louisesrockhouse Fonta Flora Brewery fontaflora.com JD’s Smokehouse jds-smokehouse.com Ridgeline Trolley facebook.com/ridgelinetrolley Root & Vine rootandvinerestaurant.com South Mountain Distilling Company southmountaindistillery.com Thermal Valley thermalvalley.net

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TR AV E L FA R

Photos: Aruba Tourism Authority

S I M P LY NOW

ISLAND TIME A multigenerational escape to Aruba

W

hen my grandchildren turn 16—the year before the craziness of the SATs and college visits—I take them on a trip of their choice. Previous journeys have included a visit to NYC and a Caribbean cruise. This year, my granddaughter Jenna requested an island vacation where she could relax and read by the beach but still find adventure. We chose Aruba, south of the hurricane belt. It boasts dry, sunny weather; white sand beaches; a Dutch heritage; and great food. Natives call it “One Happy Island” for a reason and greet visitors with a friendly “Bon bini!” or “Welcome to Aruba!”

Located just 15 miles north of Venezuela, and a four-hour flight

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

Mickey Goodman

Above: Guests of the Renaissance Aruba Resort can sun, snorkel and more at its secluded private island.

Below: Aruba's constant trade winds make it a top spot for watersports like kitesurfing.

from Atlanta, Aruba boasts a landscape that is, in large part, reminiscent of Arizona, right down to the cacti.

The weather hovers in the 80s yearround, and trade winds are a constant (so much so, that the native divi-divi trees all slope toward the southwest).

Where To Stay Out of the numerous posh hotels and condos on the island, we chose the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino, available through a Delta Airlines package that included airfare, accommodations, insurance and a buffet breakfast. Our spacious room opened onto a lush patio and a short path that led directly to the two walk-in pools and the beach. Thatchcovered palapas are available for rent by the day or week (hint: if you reserve one after 4 p.m. and claim it before 9 a.m. the next morning, it’s free). Another popular accommodation is the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino. One of the best features of this hotel is its private island. A boat that pulls up to a dock directly beneath the lobby whisks you to a secret stretch of beach, where you can swim in the lagoon, feed the resident flamingos or kick back in a hammock.

Where To Eat Off-roading along Aruba's scenic northern coast is one of the island's more popular pastimes.

STORY:

Directly across from the Hilton, in the popular Palm Beach area, is an entire village of restaurants. (Note: Since food on the island has to be im-

ported, it does tend to be pricey.) Our favorite meal was at Atardi, located on the beach at the Aruba Marriott Resort. With the warm sand under our feet and waves lapping the shore, we enjoyed dinner just steps from the turquoise waters. As with most beachfront eateries, fresh fish is front and center here, but there are also selections for carnivores and vegetarians. One of the island’s most popular restaurants is Yemanja Woodfired Grill.

The picanha (beef sirloin cap) smothered in the accompanying barbecue sauce and the molten lava cake were particularly memorable menu items.

What To Do Aruba is known for its excellent snorkeling and scuba diving. We chose a half-day catamaran excur-

sion that sailed to two prime snorkeling spots and included free drinks and a light lunch. The trade winds make the island an ideal spot for parasailing and kitesurfing, as well.

On our last full day, we booked a jeep tour around the island. Off-road UTV tours along the northeastern coastline are another favorite activity.

It’s not only fun to maneuver the vehicles over the rugged terrain, but the views are spectacular, and there are some interesting stops along the way, including the ruins of an old gold mine and the Ayo Rock Formations. Tamer options include the Butterfly Farm and National ARUBA TOURISM AUTHORITY Archaeological Museum in visitaruba.com Oranjestad. n

A Place Where You Belong

Air travel guests can land at Habersham airport (AJR);

Valhalla Heliport

call 706-778-0198

34 ° 42’ 35 “ N 83 ° 42’ 50 “ W

for details.

HEAVEN IS NOW ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS. Spend the day or evening on the Town!

Discover over 50 shops, services and restaurants.

Town Brookhaven is truly your one stop shopping and dining destination with a blend of interesting boutiques, delicious restaurants and useful services.

ANCHORS CinéBistro/Cobb Theatre • Costco • LA Fitness • Marshalls • Publix

APPAREL & ACCESSORIES Boogaloos • Dress Up Boutique

SHOES Big Peach Running Co.

HEALTH, WELLNESS & BEAUTY R E S TAU R A N T S O P E N TO THE PUBLIC

18|8 Fine Men’s Salon • Benchmark Physical Therapy Brookhaven Orthodontics • European Wax Center GNC (General Nutrition Center) • Intown Pediatrics The Joint - The Chiropractic Place Julian’s Cosmetics and Skincare • Massage Heights Nail Talk & Tan • Saks Salon Salon Red • Salon Red Kids • Town Dentistry Vein Clinics of America • Vida-Flo: The Hydration Station

DINING PRESTIGIOUS BOUTIQUE RESORT NESTLED IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS. EXPERIENCE EUROPEAN ELEGANCE AND SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY WITH ALL-KING SUITES FEATURING PRIVATE FIREPLACES, POOL AND SPA, FINE DINING, AND EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO INNSBRUCK GOLF CLUB.

VA L H A L L A R E S O R T H O T E L . C O M 688 BAHN INNSBRUCK

Bua Thai and Sushi • The Flying Biscuit Café HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern • Jefe’s Tacos & Tequila Lucky’s Burger & Brew • Marble Slab Creamery Moe’s Southwest Grill • Newk’s Express Café Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub • Olive Bistro PizzaFire • Tanaka Ramen - Fall 2017 There Restaurant and Bar • Tin Can Oyster Bar Tropical Smoothie Café • Which Wich? • Yogurtland

HOME FURNISHINGS & DÉCOR MODA Floors & Interiors • Redefined Home Boutique Sugarboo & Co.

SERVICES Bank of the Ozarks • Brookhaven Alterations Brookhaven Animal Hospital • FBC Mortgage • Keller Williams Reflections Eyecare • Scottrade • Town Cleaners • U Break I Fix

ELECTRONICS, MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT AT&T

HELEN, GA 30545 | 706.878.2200 CO N V E N I E N T LY LO C AT E D I N I N N S B R U C K R E S O RT

www.townbrookhaven.net Conveniently located on Peachtree Road adjacent to Oglethorpe University.

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

25

S I M P LY NOW

TR AV E L S TAYCAT IO N

Atlanta’s Newest Airport Hotel Takes Flight

Above: The Renaissance at Hartsfield-Jackson boasts fun touches not found at your typical airport hotel.

W

hen Atlantans head to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, it’s typically because they’re going out of town.

But we’ve found a good reason to head to the airport and stay in town.

And that would be the recently opened Renaissance Atlanta Airport Gateway Hotel. This hip, full-service, Marriott-brand property debuted in May and immediately began attracting not just visitors looking for a cool, convenient place to stay, but locals eyeing a quick and easy getaway.

Given that the hotel is a two-minute trip from the airport via the SkyTrain (you don’t even have to wait for a shuttle!), its clientele is primarily business travelers, but its look and feel are anything but corporate. Immediately upon entering, you’re greeted by a whimsical, large-scale mural of a girl being whisked away by a flock

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

Right: A playful mural welcomes guests as they check in.

STORY:

Photos: Isaac Maiselman

Why Marriott’s next-level property at HartsfieldJackson is attracting both visitors and locals

Jill Becker

of birds. The homey furniture in the lobby includes rocking chairs and swinging benches. Various sayings, such as “Treat every day like it’s pay day” and “Live your life and forget your age,” are painted on the hallway walls.

Each of the 204 rooms features fun and funky touches as well. The doors, for instance, are emblazoned with either an exclamation point or a question mark. The bedside lamp was in the shape of an old movie reel, and a vintage Beatles album cover sat on the shelf above the desk. The bathroom featured a sliding wooden barn door and a huge outline of a woman's face on the wall opposite the walk-in shower.

The hotel is all about unique discoveries and experiences, explains General Manager Donelle Zunker.

For example, every weeknight at 5, the hotel hosts a bar ritual in which

guests can sample that night’s specialty drink. (In accordance with local liquor laws, they can’t give the drinks away, but you can pay as little as a penny.) The hotel also hosts various events throughout the week, such as food and wine pairings, live music and painting lessons.

Other amenities include an outdoor area with two fire pits (an unusual feature at airport hotels), 6,000 square feet of meeting space and a fitness room equipped with all the latest gear. The on-site restaurant, Hickory & Hazel Southern Table + Bar, serves tasty regionally inspired cuisine (don’t miss the yogurt parfait with housemade granola and local honey and the sweet-tea brined chicken and waffles), but there’s also 24-hour room service if you feel like staying in. The hotel doesn’t have a pool, but just ask and they’ll arrange for you

to use the saltwater pool at the Marriott property across the street.

Rates at the Renaissance Atlanta Airport Gateway start at around $150 a night, making it an ideal option the next time you’re looking for a nice, close place for a quick staycation, or you have an early morning flight out and want the convenience of being less than five minutes from the terminal. As the throw pillows in each of the rooms attest, “Travel is the only thing you can spend money on that will make you richer.” Even if you just travel to your local airport hotel. n RENAISSANCE ATLANTA AIRPORT GATEWAY HOTEL 2081 Convention Center Concourse Atlanta 30337 470.306.0100 renaissanceatlantagateway.com

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We are: • Centered around our students • Driven by our values • Developing our students’ passion • Building on our past • Focused on our future • Powered by our community

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West Midtown Design District 404.477.3744

335 COLEWOOD WAY NW | SANDY SPRINGS, GA 30328-2956 EPSTEINATLANTA.ORG

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Town Brookhaven 404.844.2004

www.ModaFloorsandInteriors.com Hardwoods | Tile & Stone | Carpeting | Window Coverings

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY NOW A P P ROVE D

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3

4

5

2

CHOWHOUND STORY:

Jessica Dauler

PHOTO: Sara

Hanna

Dogs are like family, and we all want what’s best for them, but choosing a dog food in today's extensive pet food marketplace can prove challenging. Consider your pet’s age, health, activity level and your budget when looking for one that works. Keep in mind that no one food is best for every dog. Fortunately, many well-rounded brands offer a choice these days, and a little research can determine which one is best for your pooch.

1. Fromm Family Adult Gold Dry

2. Royal Canin

(15-lb. bag, $23.53)

(17-lb. bag, $33.99)

Founded in 1904, Fromm is still owned and operated by the same family in Wisconsin. The president and owner is a chemical engineer, and the company works closely with nutritionists, biochemists, vets and food production engineers to create the most balanced, holistic recipes for dogs. Given that Fromm uses only U.S. locally sourced ingredients such as meat, produce, eggs and real Wisconsin cheese, even the most distinguished pup palate will be pleased. Pet owners have reported improvement in their dogs’ coats, digestive health and energy levels.

Royal Canin was founded in France in 1968 by a veterinarian who wanted to produce a science-based pet food. The result yielded a formula with emphasis on the nutrients in the food rather than the ingredients. The company prides itself on offering dozens of nutritional formulas for specific breeds and sizes, from Chihuahua to cocker spaniel and from extra small to maxi. Royal Canin has a solid reputation and a reasonable price point, and it isn’t marketed as a trendy brand.

Natural Balance was founded in 1989 by Dick Van Patten, an actor and animal welfare advocate who wanted to give dog owners a holistic alternative to the mainstream, low-quality dog food that was available at that time.

The Synergy formula is a complete, balanced blend made with human-grade meats suitable for all breeds and ages, from puppies to adults. The company’s “Buy With Confidence Program” offers consumers the option to receive laboratory test results of the very bag they purchase.

Petsmart 3221 Peachtree Road Atlanta 30305 404.266.0402 petsmart.com

Pet Supermarket 2900 Peachtree Road N.W. Atlanta 30305 404.841.5559 petsupermarket.com

City Dog Market 4244 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30319 404.816.8050 citydogmarket.com

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

3. Natural Balance Synergy (5-lb. bag, $15.99)

4. Taste of the Wild

5. Earthborn Holistic

Pacific Stream Canine Formula with Smoked Salmon (5-lb. bag, $12.99)

(28-lb. bag, $51.99)

Primitive Natural

Satisfy Fido’s instinctual cravings with this Taste of the Wild formula that’s based on your dog's ancestral diet. The selections are grain free and high protein at a price point that beats some of the more expensive competitors.

The Pacific Stream line offers whole salmon, which has more moisture, and is mixed with prebiotics and probiotics such as chicory root, making it an excellent protein source. It’s also highly digestible, and dogs can’t absorb nutrients if they can't digest them. The added potato fiber and sweet potatoes make this a good choice for dogs with sensitive stomachs.

Another top brand that targets a dog’s natural, ancestral diet is Earthborn. It focuses on good nutrition that’s based on science and promotes an earth-conscious, environmentally-friendly attitude. The Holistic Primitive blend offers high-quality, easily digestible ingredients that are grown or produced in the U.S. (except for the lamb meal that comes from Australia or New Zealand and flaxseed that comes from Canada). Targeted vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fatty acids help strengthen your dog’s skin barrier, support his immune system and keep him healthy and strong.

Red Bandana 216 Johnson Ferry Road Atlanta 30328 404.705.8282 rbpetfood.com

The Whole Dog Market 4600 Roswell Road Sandy Springs 30342 404.705.8445 thewholedogmarket.com

save childhood dreams. cure childhood cancer.

Children in Georgia facing a cancer diagnosis are in the fight of their lives. Help us to provide essential family support services that can make an immediate difference and to fund the research that will, one day, lead to a cure. Donate today or learn more at CUREChildhoodCancer.org.

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead 

29

S I M P LY NOW PETS

Photo: Nina Parker

Sparkles Lucy & Holly Eevee & Kasha Indy

PETS ON PARADE BUCKHEAD KITTIES AND CANINES ARE TAKING OVER INSTAGRAM

F

rom Tuna, the Chiweenie with an overbite and a best-selling book, to Grumpy Cat, the furry sourpuss that boasts more merchandising deals than most human celebrities, there’s no shortage of prominent pets on the Internet.

And because these famous felines and canines often get their starts on social media, the next four-legged star could hail from anywhere, including right here in Buckhead, where numerous local cats and dogs have already amassed impressive Instagram followings.

Take Sparkles the Diva, for example. Scroll through this Shih Tzu’s Instagram, and you’ll see that this tiny pup is big on fashion. From swimsuits and sunglasses to ball gowns and pearls, this well-dressed pooch has modeled it all, and her stylish photos have garnered her more than 50,000 followers.

Sparkles’ owner, Diane Murray,

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

says that her dog not only brings daily smiles to her fans’ faces, but also her own. “I had no idea that dressing up my precious diva would change my life,” she says. “What we do is so much greater than taking pictures.”

When it comes to fashion, Sparkles isn’t the only local doggy trendsetter. Lucy and Holly, a Jack Russell terrier and a rat terrier respectively, are also known for their canine couture. In fact, they were getting so much attention around the Buckhead area that their owner, Kathi Welch, was inspired to create an Instagram account for them, which now has more than 15,000 followers. Luckily, Lucy and Holly love dressing up, and they often make appearances around town to fundraise for animal charities.

In fact, fundraising is a major focus for many popular pets in the area. Several local Instagramsavvy pups have even formed their own group, Fabulous

STORY:

Laura J. Moss

Dogs of Atlanta, as a way to have fun while giving back. The gang includes Sparkles; Indy, a “shaggy chic” goldendoodle with 30,000 followers; Addison, a bandana-wearing sheepadoodle with 21,000 followers; and Luna, a rescued beagle with 13,000 followers. “Most of our meet-ups include giving back to local charities and helping local businesses grow with our social media presence,” says Murray.

Indy and Addison also give back to the community individually.

Both are certified therapy dogs that make visits to local hospitals, schools and nursing homes.

Currently, Indy has a regular gig at A.G. Rhodes Health & Rehab, where “his job is to visit with residents, lay his head in their laps and let them pet him,” says his owner, Lee Ann Kaplan. “That's all it takes to make someone happy.”

Of course, dogs aren’t the only critters that are out and about in Atlanta and gaining thousands

of Instagram followers. Eevee and Kasha, two leash-trained kitties, love to explore the city’s local parks and trails, and dispel the stereotype that cats are lazy.

Together, they’ve amassed an Instagram following of more than 40,000, which owner Alex Grant, a graphic designer at Melt ATL in Buckhead, attributes to the fact that leashed cats are such a novelty. “For so long, the idea has been that walking a cat is futile, and our Instagram accounts are proving that idea wrong,” he says. n

SOCIAL-SAVVY PETS TO FOLLOW @heykasha @indythegoldendoodle @lucyandholly_atlgirlzclub @lunathewonderbeagle @sheepish_addie @sparklesthediva @whiskered_away

HOM E | FA S H ION | B E AU T Y | W E L L N E S S | TA S T E M A K E R

SIMPLY STYLISH

HOME

A Flood of Opportunity P32

The Netheros know a thing or two about building something from the ground up.

Koi fish are a common theme in the master bathroom of Susan and David Nethero.

Photo: Sara Hanna Photography

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY S T Y LIS H H OM E

A Flood of Opportunity Susan and David Nethero turned disaster into dazzle at their Brookhaven home STORY:

Above: After residing in Roswell for several years, David and Susan Nethero love living intown near Brookhaven’s Capital City Club.

Below: The home’s Italian villa-like exterior is one of the first things that attracted the Netheros.

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

S

Giannina Smith Bedford PHOTOS: Sara Hanna

ometimes, a curse can become a blessing. At least that’s the case in the home of Susan and David Nethero, which had to be completely gutted after two pipes burst in their master bedroom during a 2014 winter freeze. The couple was vacationing in Aruba when the incident occurred, and the leak went undetected for 36 hours.

“One of the neighbors saw water coming out of the carport and the front door,” says Sarah Burke, Susan’s sister and an interior designer with Burke & Associates. “When I walked in, the ceiling was bowing. The first thing I did was get a broom and start popping holes in the ceiling to let the water release.”

The Netheros had spent the last few years upgrading the interior of the historic Brookhaven home, which they purchased in 2010. They had just finished remodeling the kitchen when disaster struck, and they

had to start over from square one. “We stripped everything down, gutted it to the studs. There wasn’t one piece of drywall in the house to speak of,” says Sarah.

Luckily, the Netheros know a thing or two about building something from the ground up. Susan is the founder of the bra-fit company Intimacy, which she sold to Belgian lingerie manufacturer Van de Velde, now Rigby & Peller, in 2012. Today, she and her husband are managing directors of New York-based Golden Seeds, an early-stage investment firm focused on funding women in business.

Sarah, who used to design Intimacy stores, quickly got to work putting the Netheros’ home back together in a record six months.

During the renovation, the couple seized the opportunity to make some additional changes, such as replacing all of the floors with a mixture of hardwoods and tile, adding

Left: The living room’s neutral palette is enlivened with pops of color and elegant patterns.

Right: The Netheros’ art was spared during the flood, but they lost a lot of furniture. Susan’s grandmother’s dining table survived, but needed refinishing.

Below: At first, Susan wasn’t fond of the built-in fireplace in the casual eating space, but grew to love it during the winter season.

“I like glitz and a little glam.”– Susan Nethero

Julia, which were painted by Susan’s mother.

From the living room, there is a view into the country-inspired kitchen, with its off-white cabinets and two-toned granite and Silestone island. The cooktop faces out so Susan can make dinner while socializing with guests. “She hated cooking into the wall, and here she can be a part of the conversation,” says Sarah.

Adjacent to the kitchen is a casual dining nook with a built-in fireplace and a family room with a display of pink Depression glass that once belonged to Susan’s mother. “She had quite a collection, and I love pink. Sarah

had to convince me not to paint everything in the house pink,” says Susan, laughing.

All of the home’s living areas open through large French doors to an outdoor terrace where the Netheros sit with a drink almost every evening they’re in town, looking out over their saltwater pool, hot tub and pristinely landscaped backyard. Down by the pool deck, a mural of a beach scene painted by artist Shea Vickery recalls some of the Netheros’ favorite island locales, including Turks and Caicos.

“When it’s just the two of us, we take advantage of sitting outdoors,” says Susan. s

built-ins for storage and making the home more “green” and low maintenance through LED light fixtures. “What was great about it in the end was that every surface was touched and updated and cleaned up,” says Susan of the 6,572-square-foot abode. “It was almost like building our own house.”

Once past the house’s stucco, Tuscan-style exterior, visitors enter a sunlit foyer that opens to an elegant formal living room done in ivory and gold, with custom furnishings, porcelain tile floors and a fireplace flanked by portraits of the Netheros’ daughters, Emily and

Above: The kitchen appliances used to face into the wall, but the reworked space creates a more communal cooking atmosphere.

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY S T Y LIS H

For formal gatherings, the party moves into the mostly white dining room, where the painted wood table, once belonging to Susan’s grandmother, expands to twice its size. A punch of color comes from the Bracha Guy artwork that Susan picked up at Buckhead’s Wentworth Gallery. The dining room’s glimmering chandelier, which has followed the Netheros through three homes, is one of many located throughout the house that reflects Susan’s penchant for a little sparkle.

“I like glitz and a little glam,” she says, “so Sarah’s always looking to see how she can add a little shine in here, which is why you see some metals. I love metallics.”

Susan’s love of fun flair is also noted in the upstairs master bedroom, where a stenciled wall in soft teals and pale chartreuse—which took Sarah a week to paint—complements the Kevin O’Brien Studio velvet bedding. From the ceiling, which is painted to look like barnwood, hangs another opulent chandelier that ties together the room’s whimsically chic decor.

The playful design continues in the expansive masterbathroom-meets-walk-incloset that was created by knocking down three walls.

HOM E

A koi watercolor from China, a bench upholstered in koi fabric and a fish mural by Shea Vickery set a lively tone, while the bamboo cabinetry, back-painted glass countertops and mirrored closet doors create a spalike ambiance.

The aforementioned rooms are the ones most used by the Netheros, but their home also includes an office and three guestrooms.

One guestroom is tailored to their twin 2-year-old grandsons with a blanket handstitched by Susan’s mother and framed needlepoints that Susan and Sarah crafted in adolescence. When they have guests or grandkids visiting, the Netheros often use the basement level, which features another guestroom, a playroom/gym and a pool table surrounded by framed fashion prints, some by David’s illustrator/designer mother and others Susan picked up on trips to Paris.

The Netheros travel often, both for work and pleasure, but when they’re home, they have an ideal place to relax, entertain and catch up with family and friends. The flood of 2014 may have set them back a few years, but today they feel blessed to have an abode that is perfect for what Susan calls the “third chapter of their lives.” n Above: The iridescent stenciled wall in the master bedroom compliments the velvet bedding from New York’s ABC Carpet & Home.

Repainted bedside lamps from Susan’s great grandparents flank the bed.

Left: The open floor plan of the spacious master bathroom includes lots of storage space.

6 TIPS FOR DEALING WITH A FLOOD IN YOUR HOME 1. First of all, buy flood insurance!

2. Stay calm and remove valuables such as art, antiques and family heirlooms as quickly as possible.

3. Do your research for replacement values. Get quotes; don’t rely solely on your insurance company to put a price on furniture or finishes.

4. Think positively; you’re getting a renovation with the insurance money.

5. Hire a good designer/construction manager and contractor to protect your investment. It will save time and money, and you get to design to your likes and lifestyle. Contractors have books that quote the real value for all of the work needed to be done.

6. You’ll have to fight to protect your investments. Be prepared and enjoy the challenge.

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

S I M P LY S T Y LISH FA S H I O N

Secondhand

Sensations J

essica Highsmith knows a lot about fashion. A partner at the Labels Resale Boutique in Buckhead, she acts as a stylist and consultant for local celebrities and clients, pulling winning outfits for them based on their individual style and needs. We recently sat down with Highsmith to talk about the art of consignment shopping and how to convince men in particular that buying secondhand is the way to go.

Why do men tend to steer clear of buying consignment?

I think, sadly, there’s a stigma attached to consignment. A lot of people confuse “thrift” and “consignment.” Consignment is totally different. We curate our collections, working in tandem with our clients who are selling their gently worn, and often new, higher-end goods.

What’s unique about shopping for consignment in Buckhead?

There’s a lot of accessible fashion here. There are tons of movies filming here, and the music scene is huge. In Buckhead, we intersect with that world and the people in those industries who care about fashion.

Which lines of men’s clothing are most popular?

We try to keep our inventory representative of the community. Our store is like a curated version of the

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

best closets in town, with Ferragamo, Gucci, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Tom Ford, etc.

Photo: Rebecca Cha

A local expert offers a guide to men’s consignment shopping

How do you come up with prices for the pieces?

We do a lot of research.

Everyone here is amazingly educated because we’re around it every day. We find out what a piece retails for—not just in the States, but throughout the world—what condition it’s in, the demand for it, the style and . . .

The age?

Not so much. Fashion is really cyclical. Everything is going to come back around. So if something’s in great shape, we’ll probably take it.

We always try to stay very competitive with online sales because we want our customers to feel they’re getting a great deal.

What are the best consignment deals out there for men?

The only things I think you should buy new are intimates and groceries! If you want to talk about great deals, think suits, shoes and belts. We have suits, for example, from Neiman Marcus that retail for several thousand dollars, but we sell them for a few hundred dollars. Denim, too. Retail denim is expensive. And we have

STORY:

Rebecca Cha

PHOTO: Sara

More men should take advantage of the deals on designer duds at area consignment shops like Labels Resale, says co-owner Jessica Highsmith (below).

Hanna

beautiful shoes.

Get over the stigma of buying “gently used” shoes.

The shoes you see in high-end department stores have been tried on plenty.

Is it okay to haggle on prices?

You can always ask if someone can do a better price. I discuss those things in advance with my consignors, and we always try to come up with a fair price. That said, it’s important to be respectful and remember that this is not a flea market. And even with our great consignment prices, we have monthly markdowns.

5 GREAT LOCAL MEN’S CONSIGNMENT BOUTIQUES Labels Resale Boutique, The Men’s Store 3209 Paces Ferry Place N.W. Atlanta 30305 404.458.3143 labelsrb.com Red Carpet Revolution 22 Bennett Street N.W. Atlanta 30309 404.400.3699 rcrconsignment.com Rag-O-Rama 6500 Roswell Road N.E. Sandy Springs 30328 404.497.0701 ragorama.com Plato’s Closet 6601 Roswell Road Sandy Springs 30328 404.255.5151 platosclosetsandysprings.com Alexis Suitcase (men’s shoes and accessories only)

2221 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30309 770.390.0010 alexissuitcase.com

What are some tips for men regarding consignment shopping?

The thing with most guys is that they don’t want to try things on.

They come in and say, “I’m this size.”

Or they ask me to size them, and then they only want things in that size. But a lot of designers don’t do “vanity sizing.” Not to mention the fact that anything can be altered.

So get into the fitting room, guys, and try it on.

already getting such a good price, go ahead and have an expert fit it for you. Plus, we get a lot of new merchandise brought in—pants that are raw-hemmed, for example—so it’s like a fresh start. If you’re unsure about a suit, let us help; let us pick it out. We’ll find the perfect thing for you that needs minimal alterations.

What about tailoring?

Everyone’s body is unique.

What looks great on your friend is going to fit differently on you.

A lot of people think that getting something tailored is intimidating, but in buying consignment, you’re

Final thoughts?

Before the recession, there really was a stigma around consignment.

Now it’s cool. I think it took the recession to remind everyone to be wise with their money; even if you can spend it, you don’t have to. n

ACUPUNCTURE is a traditional oriental medical technique that restores and maintains the human’s natural balance.

•MALIGNANT DISEASE •WOMEN’S HEALTH ISSUES AND FERTILITY •INSOMNIA •BELL’S PALSY •ALLERGIES & RESPIRATORY ISSUES •ANXIETY, DEPRESSION & STRESS-RELATED DISEASES DR. LEE ACU & HERB is a medical clinic specializing in: Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine • Natural Weight Loss • Heat Therapy • Women’s Problems • Massage 99 West Paces Ferry Rd NW #200, Atlanta, GA 30305 770-540-7000 DrLeeAcuAndHerb.com

SERVICES Specializing in Colour | Extensions Balayage | Texture Cutting | Men’s Grooming

YOUR IMAGE IS OUR IMAGE Fall in love with your colour this season

770.628.0328 www.colourbaratlanta.com 901 Abernathy Rd, Suite 500, Sandy Springs, GA 30329 (corner of Abernathy/Barfield/400-Serrano Condo Bldg).

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY S T Y LISH

BE AUTY

MANI-PEDI MUSTS

STORY:

Karina Antenucci

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR NAILS RIGHT NOW

E

ver walk into a nail salon and question if you should really stay based on its state of affairs? Or wonder what you can do about dry, brittle nails besides applying hand lotion? Are you looking for a fun new color to try this fall? Here, we’ve covered the gamut of what you should know to keep your nails looking great and healthy this season.

NAIL SALON NO-NOS “It’s important to find a healthy nail salon because a nail infection is more than just unsightly,” warns Krystal Wright, assistant director, esthetician and nail technician at Natural Body Spa and Shop Brookhaven. “Infections can lead to a more serious diagnosis.

And nail funguses can be spread easily to loved ones and can be difficult to get rid of.” Wright says that when choosing a nail salon, ask yourself the following questions about its sanitation practices: Is your nail tech licensed by the state of Georgia? Is he or she wearing

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gloves? Is he or she working in an organized, well-lit environment?

Are products all labeled and in their proper places? Are metal nail tools being sterilized in an autoclave that can be heated to 270 degrees?

Are disposable tools like nail and foot files and buffers being used on multiple clients? “This is a huge infection-causing practice,” warns Wright. “Look, ask and confirm.

After all, these are your nails.”

Wright. In fact, cuticle cutting at a salon is actually illegal in Georgia. “A nail technician is not a surgeon and should not be cutting at live skin,” she adds.

Nail filing: Nails should be shaped with a fine-grit file and never seesawed back and forth. “When shaping, always file from the corner to the center in one direction,” says Wright. “For the best growth pattern, file with the natural shape of the nail.”

TOP TECHNIQUES

WHAT’S HOT

Color removal: When removing any long-lasting nail color, such as gel nails, make sure to use the proper removal method—that means no peeling them off! “Our nails grow as microscopic layers. This will damage the nail plate,” explains Wright.

Cuticle cutting: Don’t cut your cuticles; only trim the hanging and dead skin around the cuticle and nail.

“When you cut the cuticle, you are ‘breaking’ your seal and exposing the area to a host of germs,” says

Colors: “Cool-toned nudes, grays with a hint of blue and the classic deep berry are all trending for fall/winter 2017,” says Mercedes Smith, a nail tech and esthetician at Natural Body. She loves OPI’s new Check Out the Old Geysirs, a beautiful gray-blue shade.

Shapes: “Round and long ovalshaped nails have been trending for some time now and show no signs of going away,” says Smith.

“These shapes are the perfect way

to elongate the finger, giving it a delicate look.”

Art: “Nail art like accent nails, geometric shapes and glitter are very popular right now,” notes Smith. “It’s the perfect way to showcase your edginess.”

AT-HOME SECRET Apply cuticle oil to nails before bed.

“Not only does it help to promote healthy and strong nails, cuticle oil is also perfect for keeping split nails, hangnails and dehydrated cuticles at bay,” Wright advises.

At Natural Body locations, you can customize your own oil from a selection of essentials at its Blending Bar. n

NATURAL BODY SPA AND SHOP BROOKHAVEN 1432 Dresden Drive Atlanta 30319 404.816.8801 naturalbody.com

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S I M P LY S T Y LIS H

WE LLN E S S

SUPPORT YOURSELF THESE FOUR SPORTS BRAS TAKE THE JIGGLE OUT OF YOUR WORKOUTS

STORY:

Amelia Pavlik

J

iggling is good when it comes to Jell-O, but not when it comes to your breasts during a workout.

We turned to a few of Buckhead’s activewear aces to scope out sports bra options that will provide the support you need during sweat sessions ranging from hiking to high-intensity interval training. Read on to learn their picks.

Patagonia Women’s Active Compression Bra ($55) RECOMMENDED FOR: HIKING Highlights: Shut-down cups for compression, ribbed bra band at torso for comfort and cutout racerback for ventilation Why Try: “I love this sports bra for hiking in the hot and humid weather that we have here in Atlanta because the fabric dries quickly,” says Leigh Bost, manager at Patagonia Atlanta. “I think we can all agree that a long hike in a wet sports bra is no fun.”

Rigby & Peller PrimaDonna Sport The Sweater ($109) RECOMMENDED FOR: HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING

SculptHouse Noli Elle Bra ($48)

Highlights: Convertible straps for racerback tops, made of soft jersey fabric and a good choice for larger cup sizes

RECOMMENDED FOR: PILATES, YOGA AND MEGAFORMER

Why Try: “This style is made with fabric designed to keep you cool and dry, and comes by the cup size, which offers comfort and support without compression,” says Rigby & Peller’s Candice Smith, chief lingerie stylist based out of the Atlanta boutique. “But the most important feature of this style is that it’s designed for ultimate bounce control, which is what a lot of women don’t find in typical sport bras, and which is a necessity during a high-intensity interval-training class.”

Lululemon Enlite Bra ($98) RECOMMENDED FOR: RUNNING Highlights: Wide hook-and-eye closures for easy removal and built-in cups engineered to soften bounce Why Try: “Our Enlite Bra encapsulates each breast entirely from the root and at all sides, and in combination with our Ultralu fabric and strap design, works to soften the bounce to a comfortable movement that’s in harmony with the body,” says Alexandra Plante, Lululemon Athletica’s innovation product manager and designer of the bra. “Plus, the combination cross-back and vertical straps aid in providing optimum movement management and eliminate the uncomfortable feeling of straps cutting into your trap muscles during a workout like running.”

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

Highlights: Straps that don’t cut into skin, lightweight compression fit and quick-dry Italian fabrics Why Try: “The durable stretch and soft, flexible fit of this V-neck bra make moving around in Pilates, yoga or Megaformer sessions comfortable, while providing lightweight support,” says Katherine Mason, SculptHouse owner and buyer for the studio’s boutique. “Plus, the universally flattering neckline and the bra’s removable cups add feminine touches to this functional sports bra.”

WHERE TO BUY Lululemon Shops Around Lenox 3400 Around Lenox Road Atlanta 30326 404.816.7678 lululemon.com

Rigby & Peller Phipps Plaza 3500 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30326 404.261.9333 rigbyandpeller.com

Patagonia Atlanta 34 East Andrews Drive Atlanta 30305 404.266.8182 patagonia.com

SculptHouse 3167 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30305 470.553.0080 sculpthouseboutique.com

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

41

S I M P LY S T Y LISH TA S T E MA KE R

DID YOU KNOW?

Good

In her spare time, Gold teaches jewelry making at the Chastain Arts Center in Buckhead.

as

Gold Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show cofounder Debra Lynn Gold curates a winner STORY:

Jennifer Bradley Franklin

What was the inspiration, and why did you feel the show would fulfill a need?

Leigh and I started talking about how people come to art shows and only look at the jewelry. There is tremendously exciting work going on in other media, but people who are interested in artist-made jewelry are very distinctive. So we said, “Why don’t we do a show that’s all jewelry?”

Are most of the participating artists from Atlanta?

There have been local artists, but I’m pretty sure there’s only one this year. A lot of the artists we invite wouldn’t have their work seen anywhere else in Atlanta. We strive for that uniqueness to provide an opportunity for out-of-town artists to come and for Atlantans to see their phenomenal work.

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

Photo: Nikki Crohn

C

rafting a beautiful piece of wearable art is a skill metalsmith Debra Lynn Gold has honed most of her life.

Gold, who, perhaps ironically, mostly works with sterling silver, extended her skills to also artfully creating the annual Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show with friend and fellow Atlanta-based artist Leigh Griffin. In early November, thousands of enthusiastic connoisseurs converge on The Carter Center for the invitational event, which features the work of 30 artisans from around the country.

“Atlanta is a very sophisticated audience,” says the 66-year-old Buckhead resident.

“We’re very lucky. You can’t produce a show like this without an appreciative audience.”

Can you explain “contemporary jewelry art”?

It’s using traditional techniques, but with a contemporary aesthetic. The artists have a personal vision, and it’s not manufactured. It’s handcrafted jewelry by artists who take the same approach as artists in other media. The work happens to be wearable as well, which makes it, in my opinion, doubly exciting.

Will there be anything for the entry-level collector?

Earrings might start at $100 on the lower end. Usually people find something that fits their budget. One exciting thing is the percentage of people who leave the show with a new acquisition.

They come to look, but they inevitably find something they have to take home.

Do prices go up from there?

Absolutely. On the other end, if you’re planning your engagement, you can get something unique. There are jewelry galleries in town where you can see a lot of work, but you certainly don’t have access to the artists themselves.

What trends are you seeing in what jewelry artists are producing?

The first thing that comes to mind is a difference of materials. We’ve got artists coming in who use powder-coated steel, which is crazy because it’s such an industrial material, and yet they’re doing beautiful work. This amazing artist from Vermont works with meteorite and incorporates traditional materials, too, so you’ll see meteorite with gold and diamonds, for instance. There’s another who works in titanium, and everything is meticulously thought out with layers stacked up with spacers and rivets. It looks oddly mechanical.

How would you describe your own wearable art?

I like to say they are spatially constructed pieces that employ movement, a degree of playfulness and usually some kind of unexpected component. The material is primarily sterling with accents of colored aluminum and some gemstones. n ATLANTA CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY SHOW atlantacontemporaryjewelryshow.com

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

ON S TAG E | A RT V I E W | L I T E R A RY

SIMPLY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Eleven-year-old Little Chef Ivy is always envisioning ways she, and others, can eat more nutritiously.

ON STAGE Kitchen Whiz Kid P46 “My mom laughs that I am the boss of the kitchen.” – Little Chef Ivy

Photo: Sara Hanna Photography

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

45

S I M P LY A & E

ON S TAGE

Kitchen

Whiz

Kid

Young Little Chef Ivy wants to steer kids toward better eating STORY:

Jim Farmer

46

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

Photo: Sara Hanna Photography

D

on’t let her age, or her size, fool you. Ivy Angst, aka Little Chef Ivy, may only be 11 years old, but she is already a force in the kitchen, as well as a staunch advocate for more healthful menus, challenging the way restaurants and her peers look at nutrition.

Ivy has been cooking for two years now and started doing so by watching TV chefs such as Anthony Bourdain, Bobby Flay and Andrew Zimmern. Soon she was emulating them, and her time in the kitchen has made her more aware of healthier dining options. As she was eating out at a restaurant with her parents one afternoon, she glanced at the kids’ meal options and wasn’t impressed. Choices for diners her age were limited to what was available on the kids’ menu or to half orders of adult entrées. And on a typical kids’ menu, Ivy was seeing the same old things: chicken fingers, burgers and fries, macaroni and cheese, some sort of pasta and oftentimes a hot dog. She would like to see more. On this particular day, she talked to the restaurant personnel and voiced her dissatisfaction. “I suggested cauliflower rice as an option,” she says. “It is far healthier.”

Since that time, Ivy has held discussions with other restaurants as well, and many agree with her that the menus could improve. Unfortunately, things aren’t changing as quickly as she might like. “Some of them don’t think it’s best for the restaurant because the kids won’t like it,” she says. “But I think kids would like the other options.”

As part of her food activism, Ivy has started her own website, littlechefivy.com,

where she offers cooking videos and nutritional advice. She cooks on YouTube and Facebook as well and has been featured in the book Strong is the New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves. She also offers menu suggestions to classmates.

Ivy, who lives in Buckhead with her mother, Timna Augustine, is a sixth grader at a local middle school and takes her lunch to school each day. The food she sees her classmates eating worries her. “It’s really bad what they eat,” she says. “I would not count it as a lunch, but rather a snack.”

Her mother chuckles at it now, but she remembers Ivy telling her she could cook a few years ago. She doubted it, and the two argued a bit before Ivy started bringing in her cookware and setting up.

“She told me she was going to cook a meal,” says Timna. “She did that, and she plated it. She was really good. She’s very talented.” Ivy cooks approximately

twice a week now. “My mom laughs that I am the boss of the kitchen and that I get mad when others are there,” says Ivy. She does cook on her own and prefers it but has parental supervision when she does.

Although Ivy has dwarfism and stands at only 42 inches, it hasn’t been an impediment to her. “She gets up in the kitchen and moves around on her stool,” says Timna. “She’s very mobile, too.”

Timna is immensely proud of her daughter’s conscientious efforts to help others. “She is doing a phenomenal job helping kids really watch their food,” she says. “She is also concerned with the way that restaurants are feeding kids.”

For now, Ivy has no plans to be a full-time chef herself, but she wouldn’t mind having her LITTLE CHEF IVY own Andrew Zimmern-like TV littlechefivy.com show one day. n

Sunday, February 25, 2018

12–4 p.m.

Georgia World Congress Center Register at HungerWalkRun.org starting Nov. 2017 Fundraise with your family and friends Help end hunger on February 25, 2018 Tag us #HWR2018 | HungerWalkRun.org Hunger Walk Run is an event of the Atlanta Community Food Bank

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead 

47

S I M P LY A & E

A RT V IE W

Original works of art by six SCAD students and alumni tie into The Shops Buckhead Atlanta’s design and landscaping.

Takin’ It to the Streets SCAD grads beautify The Shops Buckhead Atlanta with original artworks

O

ne trait of a creative mind is the ability to think outside the box. In the case of artists, creativity often involves thinking beyond the canvas and finding ways to share their work with a broad audience. When the audience is made up of the elite shoppers who frequent The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, it’s an added bonus for artists who want to their creations to be seen.

For six graduates and current students from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Midtown, the chance to install their art in various locations throughout the posh shopping district is a golden opportunity to showcase what they do. In July, the group was selected from among 15 entries to put their work in various spaces throughout the property.

Dubbed Buckhead Loves Locals, the program will keep the art in place through the rest of this year.

The installations are a classic case of win-win, with shoppers getting a perk

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

as well, says Anneliese Reid, marketing manager for The Shops. “Our property is unique in that it’s spread across six city blocks and has so many entry points. Having art at those entries gives shoppers a sense of arrival.”

The outdoor exhibit marks the second year the retail district has teamed with SCAD to bring original art to the public venue.

“We’ve always had a really strong tie with SCAD,” Reid explains.

“We view art and fashion as sharing a connection. They both evoke reaction and promote self-expression, so it was a natural fit to bring these installations to The Shops Buckhead Atlanta.”

Most of this year’s proposed pieces were mixed media and paintings. “Each student had to explain the concept and give us a mock-up of how it would look on our streetscape,” says Reid. “Most of them played off the property’s landscaping and added brightness.”

One of the winning entries by Kevin Bongang does just that: It’s an acrylic mural near the Etro store that depicts the hustle and bustle of the big city. “Etro’s collection is very bright and colorful, and Kevin played off that color,” says Reid.

This year, the installation features a first: a multilevel piece with intricate LED lighting that sits in front of an empty store that will be part of The Shops’ third phase. Artist Jordan Graves’ work creates patterns and rhythm through light, motion and interaction. That last element is possible through an app the public can download that allows them to change the patterns and lights as they walk by. The complicated creation of 96 individual panels took Graves 100 hours to install.

“I majored in motion graphics, and I like to take those aspects and go in different directions,” says Graves, who graduated from SCAD in 2012. “I created a rendering

STORY:

H.M. Cauley

using video and other techniques, and they let me go with it.”

Graves spent some time looking at possible spaces at The Shops to see which would be feasible, and the empty storefront turned out to be ideal. “It had room to install different LED panels and let me hide the wiring and electrical components,” she says.

Other pieces on display are Daniel Byrd’s mural, made by weaving brushstrokes; Kaye Lee Patton’s painting inspired by window displays; Tyrus Lytton’s mural that plays off vintage photographs and the history of Buckhead; and Connor Singh’s painting of plants and creatures depicting the various cultures in the city. n

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead 

49

S I M P LY A & E

LITE R A RY

The Novel as a Journey O

f all the factors that led to Travis Neighbor Ward publishing her latest novel, having been a magazine editor in New York and living in Italy for five years took a back seat to having breast cancer at the start of the Great Recession in 2007.

“Cancer changed me in many ways,” says the Buckhead resident and former editor of The Atlantan magazine. “I became a much more honest person and less concerned with what people would think.”

Ward’s altered perspective inspired her to rewrite a novel she thought she’d finished. The final version of The Unified Theory of Love and Everything removed the first-person narrator and created a stronger, more realistic and entirely fictitious love story about a 30-something woman in a small Georgia town who finds herself drawn to a local police officer, despite marriages and children that complicate the relationship. “The title has to do with the character’s journey to define for herself what love actually is,” says Ward. “It’s that conflict a lot of women feel between being an individual and being responsible to your husband and children. It’s a love story, but it’s also

50

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

Cancer and an economic downturn refocus a Buckhead writer’s story about the real dichotomy that exists within us.”

Three years ago, Ward published her first book, a romance titled Come Find Me, that she knocked out in six months. But this latest work was a longer labor that lasted six years. “I put a lot more into it, and I think it’s a much better novel now,” she says.

Before quitting her magazine job eight years ago, Ward’s focus was on editing The Atlantan and raising two daughters, not writing fiction. Once out on her own, though, writing still wasn’t her first priority. “Initially, my goal was to start my own publishing firm,” she says.

“But within a few months, the market took that severe downturn. I’d always written fiction, but I never had the luxury of doing it in the daytime hours.

I was always fitting it in before or after work. It took some time to get those writing muscles in shape.”

Within a year of devoting herself to the new job of author, cancer struck and she shoved aside her writing goals.

New York publishers who had been

STORY:

interested in the original version of The Unified Theory of Love and Everything backed off as the recession loomed.

But what seemed like setbacks provided time for Ward to rework the story into something she now views as more heartfelt and honest.

“I was concerned about publishing a book about a married mom who has an affair,” she admits. “I worried that people would think, ‘What is Travis doing with her time?’ But people haven’t been judgmental at all, and I’ve been really pleased with the feedback. Even my mother and husband [architect Brian Ward] have loved it and been totally supportive.”

The novel has also given her the idea for a follow-up that’s almost finished.

The backstory in The Unified Theory is about a woman who spends a summer with Albert Einstein and falls in love with him. “I read a lot of his letters to figure out what Einstein’s theory of love was,” she says, so expect to discover that there was more to the genius than the theory of relativity. n

H.M. Cauley

THE UNIFIED THEORY OF LOVE AND EVERYTHING is available online at Amazon.com and at Barnes & Noble. Find more information at travisneighborward.com.

COV E R S T ORY

k a e n A s to n i k e e p

I

BUCKHEAD’S PRIVATE CLUBS STORY:

n a dimly-lit, wood-paneled

lounge, random groups

of smartly dressed Atlantans

are hunkered around the

tables, watching the Falcons game on the big-screen

TV, enjoying dinner with a commanding view of the city skyline or simply unwinding with a scotch and a cigar after a hard day’s work. Such is a typical nightly scene at Buckhead’s premier private clubs.

Once the restricted domain of Atlanta’s business echelon, private clubs aren’t just a place for good old boys to ink a big deal these days. These memberonly clubs, while still primarily focused on rubbing elbows and networking within the business community, now also serve as a place for both men and women to enjoy family events, wine tastings and talks by well-known speakers, or just meet up with friends for an evening cocktail and some lively conversation.

Lisa R. Schoolcraft PHOTOS: Sara Hanna

The neighborhood options include the Buckhead Club, City Club of Buckhead, Capital City Club, Cherokee Town & Country Club and The Club at Chops.

The oldest is the Capital City Club, founded in 1883. It boasts among its earliest members a who’s who of Atlanta icons, including Robert Woodruff, noted philanthropist and former CocaCola president, and Joel Hurt, founder of what would become SunTrust Bank. The youngest of the bunch is City Club of

Buckhead, which began in 2008 when Buckhead Club vacated its space at the Atlanta Financial Center and moved across the street to the Sovereign building.

Nearly all of these clubs require membership through referral by a current member. Some offer dining and private space only, while others feature fitness and spa facilities or tennis and golf amenities at their country club locations. Can’t get an invite?

Here’s a look at three of Buckhead’s most popular private clubs.

s p o h C t a b u l C The T

he Club at Chops essentially got its start because Buckhead Life Restaurant Group founder Pano Karatassos wanted a private space where he and his friends could dine and smoke.

It was the late 1990s, when the laws regarding smoking in restaurants were changing, says Brian Fogarty, the club’s general manager. Back then, there was a smoking area in Chops Lobster Bar, one of Buckhead Life’s premier restaurants. But the laws changed so that if a restaurant allowed smoking, no one under the age of 18 was allowed in. Thus, The Club at Chops came about.

Originally designed to be a small smoking lounge with entertainment, the club has gradually become more of “a networking area for our club members,” who are predominately male, says Fogarty.

“We’re at the point where we are referral only,” Fogarty says of membership, the fees of which he did not disclose. “[Potential new members] have to have an active member write a letter of recom-

52

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

Photo: Adam Davila Photography

Beyond an unmarked door behind Smokebelly BBQ, you find The Blind Pig Parlour Bar.

SECRET CODES, HIDDEN DOORS, TOP FLIGHT COCKTAILS Your guide to the ATL’s coolest speakeasies

Bellying up to the bar at The Club at Chops.

WARDROBE CREDITS: Male model: Clothing his own.

Female model: Yellow dress, Hottie+Lord, $349.

table, which Karatassos named The Backstage, sits behind the band area for a more private setting. “It can hold up to 12 people, and that’s where a lot of business meals and deals are made.”

DiCorpo says he uses The Club at Chops for both business and pleasure. “When I’m sitting at home in Vinings and I don’t have anything to do, I know I’ll run into someone I know at the club who I can have a drink with. That is a wonderful place to have.” Being a member is well worth it, he adds.

“Just having access to a calm, quiet, private facility is very nice.

And the 10 percent you get off at all the [Buckhead Life] restaurants over the course of the year pays for the membership.” n THE CLUB AT CHOPS 70 West Paces Ferry Road N.W. Atlanta 30305 404.262.2675 buckheadrestaurants.com

THE BLIND PIG PARLOUR BAR What’s cool: A small area behind the bar of Smokebelly BBQ, the venue has jazz on Fridays and can also be rented as a private event space.

Who gets in: It’s open to the public Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, unless there’s a private event. Go around to the back of Smokebelly.

You’ll need the password, so call the call box at the door, get the password and enter.

How to find it: There’s an unmarked black door behind Smokebelly.

128 E. Andrews Drive N.W. Atlanta 30305 678.705.7697 theblindpigparlourbar.com

R. Schoolcraft

quite so secret anymore, thanks to word of mouth.

seven doors down from sushi restaurant Umi.

349 Peachtree Hills Avenue N.E. Atlanta 30305 404.841.8820 krsteakbar.com/group-dining

3050 Peachtree Road N.W. Atlanta 30305 puraibeto.com/himitsu

HIMITSU What’s cool: The design element, which was created

by Tom Dixon of London.

It was the first stateside hospitality project for Dixon’s design studio.

Who gets in: Only a lucky few each day. Himitsu, which means “secret” in Japanese, has its own entrance, but for a reservation, you have to submit a request via email to hello@puraibeto.com using the subject line “LOVE.” If chosen, you get a code back for that day’s availability. The bar is only open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

How to find it: Himitsu is

SUPPLY & DEMAND What’s cool: Inspired by a hotel bar called NoMad in New York City, Supply & Demand offers high-end cocktails and spirits that have a very limited supply. Hence, the name.

Who gets in: Originally begun as a membership bar, nonmembers can now get in, but those with memberships, which are given out and not sold, get special perks.

However, space is limited.

How to find it: The private, secret entrance behind Churchills.

3223 Cains Hill Place N.W. Atlanta 30305 770.857.3195 supplydemandatl.com

Only a chosen few are allowed entry to Himitsu each day.

THE BUREAU What’s cool: Primarily a private event space during the week, The Bureau is an extension of KR SteakBar on Fridays and Saturdays.

Who gets in: Anyone who asks at the host stand for the speakeasy.

How to find it: You’ll be guided to the kitchen to the secret space that isn’t

Photo: Emily Andrews

mendation. We’re at capacity of close to 600 active members.”

Joe DiCorpo is one such active member. He was invited to dine there by friend David Andes, who is in commercial real estate in Buckhead. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is great,’” says DiCorpo, a self-employed medical consultant. “I’m single. I’m older.

I like to eat out a lot. And having grown up in the Northeast, I especially like a place where everyone knows your name.”

The Club at Chops is also known for its smokes. “We have more than 20 cigars for sale to members and their guests,” says Fogarty. “We also have humidors they can purchase for $250 a year. [Each] is personalized with its own nameplate.” In addition, the club serves more than 100 whiskeys, bourbons and scotches, all high-end.

While the club may be known more for networking and cigars, it does offer private event space for its members during lunch hours or on Sundays, explains Fogarty. “The club is closed Sundays, but we allow members to have up to 20 guests for a dinner.” In fact, a backstage

You’ve probably walked right past them and didn’t know it. Atlanta’s speakeasies are some of the city’s coolest spots to meet friends for drinks—if you know where to look and how to get in, that is.

STORY: Lisa

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

53

COV E R S T ORY

FOUR

SMOKIN’ ACES

STORY: Ale

Sharpton

Love cigars?

We have you covered With all the hustle and bustle Atlanta generates daily, relaxing with a good cigar in a cozy, club-like atmosphere can serve as the perfect escape. After doing some research, lighter in hand, we found a quartet of lounges specializing in selling “sticks” to enjoy in bliss.

BUCKHEAD CIGAR LOUNGE Located inside Dantanna’s restaurant directly across from Lenox Square, Buckhead Cigar Lounge boasts posh leather seating, flat-screen televisions, a 300-square-foot humidor and a staff of experts who will help make visits that much more pleasurable.

Delectable fare and a full bar just a few steps away separate this establishment from the rest. Memberships are available for aficionados.

3400 Around Lenox Drive Atlanta 30326 404.760.8873 dantannas.com/ atlanta-cigar-bar

CIGAR CITY CLUB The cigar smoking experience is taken seriously at the Cigar City Club, where the decor is inspired by the speakeasies of yesteryear, complete with retro art lining the walls, crystal chandeliers, a baby grand piano, cigar lockers for members and wood paneling throughout, in-

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cluding at the cocktail bar.

Be sure to dress like an executive; the strict dress code keeps things classy.

5006 Roswell Road Atlanta 30342 404.843.8826 cigarcityclub.com

HAVANA CLUB Since remodeling its already ritzy Buckhead location in late 2009, the 15,000-square-foot Havana Club further established itself as one of the most revered nightlife destinations in the Southeast. Many don’t know it used to be solely an intimate cigar bar and humidor when it first opened in ’96. Now consistently electrifying thanks to top DJs spinning Latin music, a chic design and some of Atlanta’s most gorgeous partygoers dancing the night away, Havana Club has become the city’s most stimulating location to fire up a stogie.

3112 Piedmont Road N.E. Atlanta 30305 404.941.4847 havanaclubatl.com

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

LA CASA DEL TABACO CIGAR LOUNGE Whether you’re an amateur or a cigar devotee, La Casa del Tabaco pledges to serve, educate and please anyone who walks through the door.

Spacious and down to earth with a plethora of amenities, including free Wi-Fi, two high-def TVs equipped with various sports packages and a large walk-in humidor, it’s no wonder this place has been around for almost 10 years.

3330 Piedmont Road N.E. Atlanta 30305 404.841.5700 cigaratlanta.com

Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em at Buckhead Cigar Lounge.

f o b u l City C d a e h k c Bu

C

ity Club of Buckhead, the newest of the private clubs in the neighborhood, strives to appeal to those who want both a private club and a fitness club. Opened in December of 2008, it has a full spa and exercise facility with an indoor pool. “Not many clubs offer that anymore,” says Mario Campuzano, City Club’s general manager.

Between the athletic club and the dining club, City Club has about 1,000 members. It offers dual membership, but members can also just be part of the athletic club without dining privileges. The dining membership offers both.

After an initiation fee of $500, members pay varying monthly dues of $90 to $135. A corporate membership, which covers club benefits for up to 10 employees, has a $2,000 initiation fee and $525 in monthly dues. Campuzano says a significant number of members work in the Atlanta Financial Center at firms such as SunTrust Robinson Humphrey; Morris, Manning & Martin; Rollins Financial, Inc.; and Starr Aviation.

“We also have members from other buildings and surrounding businesses in Buckhead,” he adds.

A smaller percentage of members live in the Buckhead area and use the club purely for social reasons. Like other private clubs, says Campuzano, City Club offers “business enhancement events, but it’s geared to more

than just networking. We try to be cutting edge with the events we offer.” There are 13 recurring monthly events, including morning breakfasts, lunch leadership and speaker events, and a few evening gatherings.

A City Club Toastmasters chapter helps members perfect their public speaking skills. But social events aren’t overlooked; a wine club is just one way members can unwind with friends. “We have winemakers come in or we do wine dinners,” notes Campuzano. “We have kids’ cooking classes and date nights.

We try to keep it mixed. We have such a large membership; we try to appeal to the masses.”

Heather Riggs, former chair of the club’s Young Executive Society and CEO of MindMeld Marketing, joined the club intending it to be temporary.

“When I started my law practice, I was fresh out of law school,” she recounts. Dissatisfied with the spaces available for her new office, she decided to look into private clubs as a way to have office space and meet clients. She tried City Club of Buckhead, and it filled the immediate need of where to work and meet colleagues. She’s stayed on, she says, because of the people. “It’s the other members that have kept me here over the years—both the friendships and the business relationships.”

Riggs still uses the club primarily for business. She brings clients to events

or invites them to lunch, but she does enjoy the other amenities offered, such as the spa, and taking family members there for celebrations. “I’ve made some wonderful friends,” says Riggs. They may meet for martinis or coffee “and never touch on business.”

City Club is also home to World Trade Center Atlanta, one of the more than 300 centers around the world under the umbrella of the World Trade Centers Association in New York, and the only one attached to a private club. “We do a lot of events to honor consul generals,” says Campuzano. “We have speakers come in from around the globe.”

Campuzano believes the club has done a good job of appealing to the Buckhead demographic, but it’s also made minor concessions to draw in younger members. “We still have a dress code, but we now allow tasteful jeans, and not just on Fridays,” he says. “Members must wear a collared shirt, but it can be short-sleeved.

We’re just more progressive on that.”

The club has also reached out to the younger set by establishing The Young Executive Society. Its speakers’ lectures are focused on topics such as social media, technology and the basics of building business relationships. The society has set up a mentorship program, pairing seasoned business members with younger members.

“I think City Club has done a good job of staying relevant for younger members,” adds Riggs.

“The general environment and networking they promote is for people who are in growth mode.”

Riggs, who is also in charge of the club’s professional women’s network, says the younger members are often those with children or who are recently married, and the club is also very welcoming of spouses and kids.

“Those folks are welcomed as much as the executives,” she says. “And the club has been very intentional in providing programming to female business leaders and entrepreneurs.”

In addition, City Club of Buckhead hosts about 15 to 20 weddings a year. “We were doing commitment ceremonies even before same-sex marriages were legal,” says Campuzano. “We’re not going to be the same old stuffy club. We want to appeal to what members are looking for.” n

F

ounded in 1988, Buckhead Club currently has about 1,100 members, says Jeffrey Goldworn, who has been general manager for 19 years.

“We have a really good cross section of members,” he says. They come largely from the financial services, legal and commercial real estate industries, although since moving to its current location at the Sovereign building in 2008, the club has had “a huge influx of [members from] startups and small businesses,” says Goldworn. The dynamic of the club has also changed over the years. “Approximately 23 percent of our membership is executive women,” notes Goldworn. “We have seven women on the board.”

Goldworn believes the mission of Buckhead Club is to build relationships and enrich lives. “What we do is help our members increase their circle of influence,” he says.

“The club creates an environment.

It breaks down an initial barrier.”

That was one of the primary reasons Roger A. House, president and founder of the Axiom Corporation, joined Buckhead Club in 2003 when he moved to Atlanta from Washington, D.C. “I was a sales guy, and I wanted to find a place with like-minded people and a place to bring clients,” he says. Being a member has helped

House grow his business and given him an opportunity to connect with other businesspeople. But Goldworn insists Buckhead Club isn’t just about networking. It offers events and classes geared to the interests of the broader membership, including health and wellness events, a speaker series and the popular yoga and mimosas events.

The speaker series has included area notables such as high-profile entertainment attorney Joel Katz and Home Depot bigwig Carol Tomé. In addition, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has come each year to give an update on the city to club members. “We try to do things of interest to the community, which is our club,” says Goldworn.

That community includes family, too. Events such as Breakfast with Santa and Easter brunch are regular affairs. House enjoys that aspect of the club as well. “I’ve taken my [wife] for Mother’s Day for the past seven or eight years,” he says. And he’s taken his 6-year-old daughter to Easter brunch and to see Santa.

Until this year, when Lenox Square decided not to have a Fourth of July fireworks display, he and his family had gone to Buckhead Club to watch the show in air-conditioned comfort.

House believes his membership has a far greater return on invest-

ment than the actual dollars spent, which range from $184 to $247 per month, plus a $500 initiation fee.

“The people I’ve met there, taking my family there,” he says, “for the money you pay, it’s a great return.”

The club has also fostered smaller groups within its walls, including a wine club, a golf committee and a young executives committee.

The latter, called YEX, allows those younger business folks a chance “to create a community amongst themselves,” says House.

Buckhead Club is open to all, says Goldworn, although prospects must be sponsored by a current member. It is part of the Dallasbased ClubCorp, which owns and operates more than 200 golf, country, business, sports and alumni clubs across the country. Atlanta, however, is its largest market. “One of the benefits to our members is that they get to use all of the clubs,” says Goldworn. “You get to use it as if you were a primary member.”

ClubCorp’s memberships also extend to hotel companies and cruise lines, he adds. n BUCKHEAD CLUB 3344 Peachtree Road N.E., Suite 2600 Atlanta 30326 404.262.2262 clubcorp.com/clubs/buckhead-club

b u l C d a e h k c u B

CITY CLUB OF BUCKHEAD 3343 Peachtree Road N.E., Suite 1850 Atlanta 30326 404.442.2600 cityclubofbuckhead.com

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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Explore, Connect, Create Change for a better world

New Primary Mandarin Program Fall 2018!

A welcoming community with local roots and global reach, composed of families from over 90 countries.

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

•

Full-immersion preschool and partial immersion primary programs in French, Spanish, German and Mandarin

•

International Baccalaureate curriculum, 3K Grade 12

•

Innovative design technology core classes

RE V I E W | DRI N K S | F O ODI E J OU RNA L | TA S T E M A K E R | RE S TAU R A N T S

SIMPLY DELICIOUS

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Thai Splendor P58

At Bangkok Station, great effort is made to introduce the mystery and delights of Thai cuisine to unfamiliar palates.

Peek gai tod—Thai-style chicken—and the bonus accompaniments are a musttry at Bangkok Station.

Photo: Sara Hanna Photography

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY D E LICIOUS

R E V IE W

THAI SPLENDOR Bask in the Asian spices and flavors at Bangkok Station STORY:

Rebecca Cha PHOTOS: Sara Hanna

F

ew cuisines are both as perplexing and awe-inspiring as that of Thailand.

The core ingredients are so distinct and peculiar (think galangal, lemongrass, fish sauce, holy basil) that diners, especially in the West, must really pay attention to fully appreciate what it has to offer. That’s what makes a visit to Bangkok Station so special. Within the walls of this cavernous dining room, great effort is made to introduce the mystery and delights of Thai cuisine to unfamiliar palates.

For starters, my dining companion and I were enamored with the nua dad deaw appetizer, a marinated, oven-dried beef jerky that offered hints of palm sugar, coriander and white pepper. Thai sriracha, a close second to ketchup in its ubiquity, made the ideal dipping sauce. Equally enjoyable was the Pearls of Bangkok combination platter that included chicken satay, fresh basil rolls, thoong-thong (chicken curry) and kanomjeeb (mild steamed dumplings). The crisp,

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fried thoong-thong “pouches” were plump with bits of curried chicken and veggies, and bursting with flavor—the spicy standout on an otherwise tame plate.

Usually I find that protein-heavy dishes make for clunky first courses, but here they are elegant and restrained. The Crying Tiger starter is a fine example. Consisting of marinated, seared hanger steak served with a pungent sauce of lemongrass, tamarind and special seasoning, it is surprisingly light but deeply satisfying. Likewise the peek gai tod (chicken wings), which were utterly bewitching when dipped in the mustrequest condiment jars (fish sauce with lime juice, red chile sauce, sliced jalapeños and ground Thai chile pepper).

Chicken ceases to be just chicken at Bangkok Station. It is, instead, an agent for wildly exotic flavors and comfortably familiar textures. Chicken satay appeared on every table in our immediate vicinity over multiple visits—and for good reason. It is exceptionally moist and tender, served with a peanut sauce laced with red curry paste and coconut milk. Even better is the gai yang som tum, a half barbecued chicken. Oyster and soy sauces, lemongrass and various spices combine to produce that complex

Rich panang curry with shrimp is scented with lemongrass and kaffir lime.

sweet-saltiness that, if you didn’t grow up in Thailand, you can’t quite grasp but hunger to know better. Served with a papaya salad, chunks of raw cabbage and crinkle-cut carrots, it is a definite winner.

In the way of curries, Bangkok Station offers several. The massaman, panang and green varieties are each served with a different paste and spice prep but utilize the same creamy, smooth coconut milk.

My fellow diners adored the panang with shrimp, rich with lemongrass and the essence of kaffir lime leaves. The chef urged us to try the green curry, bursting with green Thai chiles, galangal, cilantro and holy basil, but when facing down Asian heat, I find pacing oneself to be essential. Next time.

Hankering for noodles? If you have a touch of the masochist in you, go for the smoldering Drunken Man noodles, a classic Thai dish made with crushed fresh chiles and red and green peppers. There’s a gym next door to Bangkok Station, but if you prefer to sweat via eating, this dish is for you. Not as flavorful, but far more kid-friendly, is the pad see u. Served with American broccoli instead of Chinese broccoli (gai lan), the noodles lack that smoky char that typifies authentic Thai street food, and the protein (in this case,

Above: Massaman chicken curry with fresh avocado, sweet potato and cashews is pure Thai comfort food.

Below: The Pearls of Bangkok is a winning combination platter with a little something for everyone.

Above: Drunken Man noodles with beef sizzles with crushed fresh chiles and assorted peppers.

Below: Lamb and prawn namtok is a perennial favorite.

Right: The homemade coconut cake is sweet relief after a spice-infused meal.

Few cuisines are both as perplexing and awe-inspiring as that of Thailand. egg and chicken) gets lost in the overly sweet sauce. Pad krapow, a chile and holy basilbased sauce, was acceptable but somewhat boring, with the pork chunks looking a bit anemic (as is often the case). The bright holy basil leaves, diced peppers and green beans did lend gorgeous color and an al dente crunch to the bowl, though.

Among the mainstream faves on the dessert menu were the selections from Atlanta’s own Greenwood Ice Cream and various Thai-scented crème brulées. Our favorite after-dinner treat was the roti nana, made with sautéed bananas, caramel and sweetened condensed milk. We learned that the rotis aren’t homemade, but at least our second selection was: Thai coconut cake. It was everything we wanted after a hearty meal—light, subtle and faintly sweet.

There are lots of decent, familiar wines available by the glass at Bangkok Station, but stick with beer if you must drink—Singha, Ommegang 3 Philosophers, Second Self and Boulevard Pale Ale to name a few. Beer makes for a better marriage than wine with all of the spices.

Bangkok Station gets bonus points for the free parking in the adjacent deck and the live music every Friday night from 7 to 10 p.m.

If there’s anything lacking here—and there’s precious little—it’s the fearlessness to be truly authentic. Several of the menu items have been tamed or adjusted to accommodate the local palates. But that’s okay— for now. Every day, Atlanta is becoming more appreciative and aware of world cuisine, and with that will come the cooks— and the diners—to accommodate. n

BANGKOK STATION 550 Pharr Road, Atlanta 30305 404.343.4665 bangkokstationthaifood.com Prices: Starters: $8-$16. Soups/salads: $7-$23.

Curries/sautés and noodle/rice dishes: $14-$23.

Main entrées: $19-$32. Desserts: $5-$9.

Recommended dishes: Pearls of Bangkok, thoong-thong, peek gai tod, Crying Tiger, massaman and panang curries, Drunken Man noodles, roti nana and homemade coconut cake.

Bottom line: Enough authentic Thai flavors to keep you coming back for more.

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY D E LICIOUS DRINKS

POP THE TOP No need for bar tools with these canned cocktails

STORY:

Angela Hansberger

F

irst came canned beer, and then canned wine. Now cocktails in a can have hit the scene for those seeking something perhaps a little stronger or a little more sophisticated at those backyard barbecues and autumn tailgating parties. Because, hey, not everyone is a beer drinker.

These premade drinks encased in aluminum allow you to enjoy a blended cocktail without the guesswork or the gear. We got a few friends together recently, including some of Atlanta’s best drink slingers and sommeliers, to sample some of these ready-to-drink portable potables.

For each, we’ve included the main ingredients, alcohol content (ABV, or alcohol by volume) and some of the comments from our sampling.

Cutwater Spirits Fugu Vodka Mule Vodka with natural ginger, bitters, lime flavor ABV: 7% TASTING NOTES: “The color is weird.”

“I don’t know what they’re going for, but that is perfectly respectably as a drink.” “It’s got a good ginger kick that lingers.” “It’s got a nice flavor; it’s balanced.” “Now that I could drink right out of the can.” “I want more ginger, more oomph.” “I like it; it’s like an adult soda.”

VERDICT: It doesn’t taste like the Moscow mule it’s going for, but it’s a tasty beverage.

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“It smells like Fresca—grapefruity.”

“That’s perfectly acceptable as a gin and tonic.” “It’s super fresh and clean.” “I think it would be better over ice as opposed to straight out of a can.” “Magic.” “I would drink this, but it’s gin for civilians; safe gin.”

VERDICT: A squeeze of lime would bring this to a bar-quality cocktail.

Gosling’s Dark ‘n Stormy Rum, ginger beer ABV: 9% TASTING NOTES:

“This is the one I’m most excited about.” “I can smell the alcohol.” “It smells a little confected, like candy. I’d rather use it as a mixer.” “You can pour it over ice, add a squeeze of lemon and it’s hog heaven delicious!” “Not bad, but it has a cloying after effect.” “I would pour it over ice.” “It’s good. Bitter.”

VERDICT: A great representation of the cocktail.

Cutwater Spirits Three Sheets Rum & Cola White rum, pure cane sugar, cardamom ABV: 7% TASTING NOTES:

“Smells like flat Pepsi.” “You can taste the rum, which is nice.” “It tastes like fake Coke, like those little cola bottle gummies.” “It almost has a diet aftertaste.” “It’s not Coca-Cola. Nope.”

VERDICT: Just not the real thing.

Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock & Rye

Jose Cuervo Sparkling Paloma Margarita

Aged rye whiskey, raw honey, air-dried navel oranges, rock candy, Angostura bitters ABV: 42% TASTING NOTES: “This one really tastes like a cocktail.” “This has a much wider flavor profile.” “Although a little on the sweet side, this tastes like an Old Fashioned you would get at a bar—better than a lot of bars.”

“The can is awkwardly tiny to drink from, but pour it in a glass and voila!” “Keep it chilled and pour over a fancy ice cube and it’s a one-second perfect cocktail.” “It’s strong and really balanced.” “If you add a dash of bitters, it would really elevate it.” “It has a really pleasant finish.” “This tiny can would be easy to sneak into a football game.”

VERDICT: A tasty, tiny, yet potent and balanced cocktail.

Tequila, triple sec ABV: 8% TASTING NOTES: “It smells like a margarita, although a little chemically.”

“There’s no alcohol flavor.” “It tastes like a margarita jelly bean.” “It has a saccharin aftertaste.” “I feel like I’m in college again. It tastes like powdered mix and a little tequila.”

Cutwater Spirits Old Grove Gin & Tonic Gin, grapefruit, cucumber tonic ABV: 6.2% TASTING NOTES: “It smells really floral.”

VERDICT:

Even salt can’t help this one measure up to the real deal. n

WHERE TO BUY Peachtree Road Liquor Store 1895 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30309 404.355.4990 peachtreeroadliquor.com Tower Beer, Wine & Spirits 2161 Piedmont Road N.E. Atlanta 30324 404.881.0902 buckhead.towerwinespirits.com

Buckhead

Marietta

Covington

2045 Peachtree Rd. NE

1519 Johnson Ferry Rd

4151 Hospital Drive

Suite 200

Suite 100

Covington, GA 30014

Atlanta, GA 30309

Marietta, GA 30062

770.784.0343

404.351.7546

770.971.3376

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead 

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S I M P LY D E LICIOUS

Culinary News & Notes

BY:

Rebecca Cha and Jill Becker

Photos: Brandon Amato

FOODIE JOURNAL

allow people to bring their dogs onto our patio, which is also part of our culture.

How does the menu promote the fun, party-like vibe?

Hobnob Tavern GM Mark Nelson says their goal is to not just serve guests, but engage with them.

Your New Neighborhood Joint W

henever anyone opens a restaurant, the focus tends to be on the food and decor. Mark Nelson, general manager of Hobnob Tavern, which opened its second location in Town Brookhaven in July, said there was another major factor they considered: a sense of community. Here, Nelson explains why having patrons feel at home was just as important as what was being served.

Your owner, Sean Yeremyan, has said that Hobnob is “first and foremost a communitydriven establishment that emphasizes friendly service and comfortable environs.”

Why is that a priority?

People today are always on the run, juggling work, family life and social activities. We work hard to make Hobnob

FOOD NEWS

a place where people can come and relax, get a great meal, have a cocktail and spend some quality time with their friends and families.

We love that our environment encourages guests to put down their phones and stay awhile, listen to music, play a board game and have conversations with each other.

Was wanting to invoke that feeling of community one of the reasons you chose Town Brookhaven for the new location?

We wanted guests to feel like they’re at a party whenever they visit Hobnob, and Town Brookhaven offers a similar energy.

Although our Brookhaven location is larger than the Midtown restaurant, we still feel like a neighborhood establishment because of the number of residences within walking distance.

There’s already a large number of guests we know

Three new must-try spots are set to open in the next few months. Be on the lookout for:

n Salata. Remember the ’80s serve-yourself salad bars, with wilted lettuce and canned olives? High-class franchise Salata, coming soon to Glenridge Point in Sandy Springs, will make you forget those sad salad days with its super-fresh, homemade offerings. Salata is gluten-free certified and will have more than 50 items to choose from. n Amorino. The second Atlanta location of this purveyor of rose-shaped gelato is slated to open in November at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. When you’ve exhausted classic flavors like stracciatella, tiramisu, chocolate and Amarena cherry, try one of the seasonal specialties like sudachi— a Japanese citrus fruit. n Harry’s Pizzeria. Soon to make its Atlanta debut at Phipps Plaza, Harry’s will offer Neapolitan-style pizzas that range from the classic margherita to one topped with slow-roasted pork, fig and fontina cheese. We can’t wait to see how the pies at this new kid on the block (Peachtree Road, that is) measure up to local favorites like Varasano’s and Antico.

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by name and who consider Hobnob their regular spot.

Salata 860 Johnson Ferry Road Atlanta 30342 salata.com Amorino The Shops Buckhead Atlanta 3035 Peachtree Road N.W. Atlanta 30305 amorino.com/us Harry’s Pizzeria Phipps Plaza 3500 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30326 harryspizzeria.com

How does the staff convey that sociable, neighborly atmosphere?

The best restaurants don’t just serve their guests; they engage with them. One of the keys to our success has been the relationships we foster with our patrons.

Was including a patio alongside the sidewalk where people are constantly walking by something you did intentionally to lend that communal feel?

We love our outdoor space.

A lot of our guests are inside all day and appreciate the ability to eat outside. We

We have some shareable plates, such as our Southern spring rolls and braised short rib tacos. We have sliders night on Wednesday, BBQ and live music on Thursday, and weekend brunch with bottomless mimosas and live entertainment on Saturday and Sunday. We even rolled out a new late-night menu for those night owls.

For football fans, we give out a free shot on game days to anyone wearing Atlanta Falcons or UGA gear when their team wins.

What makes the Brookhaven Hobnob so special?

The people of Brookhaven make it special. Our Midtown location has a very different feel. Our restaurants are a true reflection of the neighborhoods they’re in, which is exactly how we want it. n Hobnob Tavern Town Brookhaven 804 Town Boulevard Brookhaven 30319 404.464.8971 hobnobatlanta.com

SIP, SIP HOORAY! In Wine Spectator’s annual Restaurant Awards, Buckhead’s La Grotta Ristorante Italiano was recently recognized for its notable wine selection. Given the nod, we asked sommelier Dan Hott for his top picks.

Best wine for a date night: 2008 Veuve Clicquot Brut Rose Champagne ($129) “Whether you’re celebrating your anniversary or trying to impress a first date, our vintage 2008 Veuve Clicquot Brut Rose Champagne will be perfect. ‘Vintage’ Champagne makes up only about 5 percent of all Champagne created and is generally produced only three or four times a decade.”

Best no-expense-spared wine for a special occasion: 2013 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia ($319) “Intense, concentrated and deep ruby-red, this wine offers complex aromas of red and black fruits with spice and wild herb notes. The rich flavors are dense yet elegant, harmonious and graceful, with sweet but firm tannins.”

Best wine at an unbelievable price: 2012 Damilano Barolo Lecinquevigne ($92) “This wine’s bouquet is intense with tertiary notes of rose, leather, tobacco and subtle hints of violet. It provides ample and embracing flavors with prevailing impressions of a long, persistent tannic finish.”

La Grotta’s Dan Hott enjoying one of his favorite reds.

La Grotta Ristorante Italiano 2637 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30305 404.231.1368 lagrottaatlanta.com

THE HIGHEST POINT OF FITNESS!

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S I M P LY D E LICIOUS TAS T E M A KE R

Love at First Bite F&B executive chef Gabriel Capo Camargo fell into cooking for all the wrong reasons STORY:

Carly Cooper

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EXTRA BITE Chef Camargo’s guilty pleasure is eating at Taco Bell.

What did your family say when you told them you were becoming a chef?

My mom was very supportive because she’s pretty open-minded. My dad is a doctor, so when I told him, he was in shock. He didn’t know how that was going to work since I’d never even cooked eggs before. Now he’s convinced, especially when I cook for him.

Given your Mexican roots and experience cooking in places such as Argentina and Miami, why did you decide to work at a French restaurant?

A lot of what the Spanish and French eat is very similar in the Mediterranean.

When I took the job at F&B, I had to learn a lot of new recipes to fit their style. I know the classics, and [F&B owner] Fabrice Vergez and I talk about the recipes and agree on the flavors.

You recently introduced a new menu at F&B. What can you tell us about it?

My favorite new dish is the seared scallops with smoked sweet potato puree. We also added braised rabbit, salmon with couscous, lamb rack with mushroom risotto and braised pork belly with fennel, tomatoes and mustard sauce. The dishes are pretty light, with a lot of fish.

F&B has been open about five years now. How do you keep things interesting?

We always have the classic dishes that we don’t switch—things people come here for like skate meunière and coq au vin. Normally, we switch half of the menu every three to four months. We try to have some Latin influence, like with the red snapper

Photo: Sara Hanna Photography

T

his is not your typical boymeets-girl story. When he was 16 years old, Gabriel Capo Camargo met a friend of his sister’s who worked as a chef. “She told me being a chef was a good job, that you could travel and cook and meet people,” says Camargo, now 34 and the executive chef at F&B, a French bistro in Buckhead. So he enrolled in culinary school in Mexico, where he grew up, and got his first job as a line cook at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek in Colorado. “I was very lucky because I’d never cooked in my life,” he says of his foray into chefdom. But he readily took to it.

“I loved the dynamic environment and the different flavor profiles I was discovering.”

After the Colorado job, Camargo started traveling around, from Miami to Buenos Aires. “When I was young, cooking was the perfect job for me because I could move around. It was easy to find jobs, so I just stayed one year everywhere I went,” he says. “I love to travel. I ended up in Atlanta because the chef I worked with in Miami opened the St. Regis here. I’ve been at Restaurant Eugene and [then] F&B ever since.”

As for the woman who inspired Camargo’s career: “I have no idea what happened to her!” says the bachelor, who lives in Buckhead.

An investor in Establishment in Midtown and Supply & Demand in Buckhead, Camargo has been in Atlanta for five years now and says he has no plans to leave. “I’m going to stay here until I get old and move to a beach, like Majorca, Spain.”

Until then, he’s happy working at F&B. Here, he tells us about his culinary journey and what to expect from F&B’s new menu.

ceviche. My favorite part is experimenting with the specials and new items.

What are some of your favorite places to eat around town?

Right now, my favorite restaurant is Kimball House. I also like Buford Highway, St. Cecilia, Umi and Himitsu.

What do you like to do when you’re off the clock?

I like to go to concerts, festivals and sporting events. I love soccer. n

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S I M P LY D E LICIOUS

FEATURED RESTAURANTS A sampling of great eats in and around Buckhead BY: Wendell PHOTOS:

Brock, Rebecca Cha and Angela Hansberger

Sara Hanna

ANIS CAFÉ & BISTRO Anis is everything you’d hope to find in a French bistro, without having to buy a plane ticket to France: traditional Provençal dishes, relaxed patio dining and often a small congregation of French-speaking diners to help set the mood. Grilled North African-style Merguez sausage, coquilles St. Jacques or a bright, crisp salade d’Arnaud (named after the owner) are all winning starters.

Entrées of truite meunière, poulet rôti and boeuf au poivre are sure to bring you back to that quaint Provençal village square. Best-in-class items are the croque monsieur, salade Niçoise, moules marinières and not-to-be-missed chocolate mousse. The time to visit is now, before Pharr Road real estate development triples the wait time for a table.

Lunch entrées: $8-$19 Dinner entrées: $8-$35 anisbistro.com

BABYLON CAFÉ When Iraqi native Saad Marwad and his wife, Kelly Rafia, opened Babylon Café in 2014, the city’s foodie community started to buzz about the couple’s fresh, flavorful repertoire of Middle Eastern classics, from falafel and hummus to kebabs and baklava. While the starters are quite good—try the fattoush salad, the lentil soup and

the eggplant badenjan—the earthy, long-simmered stews are unlike anything else in town. We like the herbbased qurma sabzi with super-tender lamb shank and the bamia (okra and tomatoes) with oxtail. Don’t leave without a sip of the anise-flavored aperitif called arak and a bite of kanafeh, a sweet made of shredded phyllo, housemade sweet cheese, rose- and orange-water syrup and pistachios.

Appetizers and sides: $2-$7 Entrées: $12-$20 babyloncafeatl.com Classic bistro dishes such as steak frites tantalize diners’ taste buds at F&B.

BHOJANIC After a couple of meals at this North Indian restaurant, we’ve come to admire the flavorful, long-simmered, aromatic home cooking. The samosa chat was a wonderful smash-up of potato-and-pea samosas topped with tamarind and mint chutneys and cool yogurt. As for the entrées, we loved the intensely flavored goat curry and wanted to sop up every drop of the gravy with rice. This second location of Archna Becker’s beloved Decatur restaurant is an appealing minimalist space, and it’s easy to get in and out and have a solid and affordable meal.

Tapas and appetizers: $4-$9 Entrées: $12-$18 bhojanic.com

CAFÉ LAPIN Like a Parisian patisserie with a bit more legroom, Café Lapin is a lovely place to savor handmade baked goods or spoon to the bottom of a definitive, cheese-encrusted crock of French onion soup. A small business surviving largely on word of mouth, Café Lapin is a casual, moderately priced restaurant where lunch is never an afterthought.

You may get a serious cheeseburger and fries or an elegant slice of asparagus tart. Quiches are standard-setting— the crust is arguably the best in town— and selections vary daily, from Lorraine to mushroom and onion to ham and asparagus. Café Lapin is such a delightful addition to the city … only problem is, it might be habit-forming.

Lunch entrées: $7-$12 Dinner entrées: $10-$22 cafelelapin.com

DEL FRISCO’S GRILLE

At Babylon Café, baklava is dressed up with vanilla-bean ice cream, date syrup and pistachios.

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While the Texas-based chain is known for superb steaks, fusion appetizers and flatbreads, we think the burgers are sensational. In particular, the Pimento Cheese Burger, an uptown riff on the Big Mac, is a tower of juicy deliciousness: two patties with lettuce, tomato and pickle; plus housemade “sloppy sauce” (it’s like a smooth Thousand Island); plus two generous smears of pimento cheese,

which slides down the stack and seals in all that juicy goodness. Del Frisco’s gets special points for packaging: The burger sits coyly in a partly open paper wrapper, while the fries are in a little paper cone on the side.

A cold, frothy draft beer is the clincher.

Appetizers: $7-$16.50 Sandwiches and flatbreads: $12.50-$18 Steaks: $29.50-$39.50 delfriscosgrille.com/atlanta

F&B Like its predecessor, the much-loved former Brasserie le Coze, F&B delivers timeless Provençal fare in a classic brasserie atmosphere. The menu is bolstered by comfort dishes portioned with hunger in mind, but it’s also fortified with lighter salads, sandwiches and soups. Classics such as steak frites and skate wing with a brown butter sauce are deeply satisfying in their rustic charm. Mussels come piled high in a white wine and shallot broth, along with crusty French bread for sopping.

The drink menu is built on interesting French wines and remarkable cocktails such as the well-balanced, bourbon-based Line of Destiny.

Appetizers: $6-$18 Entrées: $11-$42 Desserts: $6-$8 fandbatl.net

KR STEAKBAR

Upscale Low Country fare awaits at The Southern Gentleman gastropub.

Atlanta chef Kevin Rathbun’s only Buckhead restaurant feels customtailored for the community. A contemporary nocturnal cubbyhole where small plates rule, wine flows and the air bristles with excitement, the fashionable “steakbar” concept finds Rathbun and chef de cuisine Jessica Gamble fusing two venerable concepts: meat and Italian. Here, nearly everything speaks with a perky Mediterranean lilt: amari-kissed cocktails, steak doused with espresso sauce, heavenly oliveoil cake with almond brittle and citrus cream. (Pastry chef Kylie Akiyama is terrific.) Hidden touches, like the speakeasy-style bar behind the kitchen and a patio that feels like a sunken garden, make us want to continue to explore this romantic spot.

Antipasti: $6-$19 Pasta: $12-$16 Entrées: $18-$68 krsteakbar.com

OK CAFÉ Just as we send diners to Bone’s for the definitive steakhouse experience, we suggest OK Café as a classic diner with a strong Southern twang. The offerings here are anchored in time and tradition: Root beer floats and cherry lemonades are called Black Cows and Pink Ladies.

Meat-and-twos and veggie plates laden with silken collards and exquisite mac and cheese are meant to be washed down with sweet ice tea and sopped up with a perfect corn muffin. Fat slices of meatloaf encrusted with tomato sauce, roast turkey with cornbread dressing and gravy, chicken pot pie with an adorable little “OK” stamped onto its puff-pastry blanket—this stuff draws a crowd. If you don’t want to play the waiting game, you’d better arrive

before 11 a.m. or between the lunch and dinner rush. After a quarter-century, OK Café never goes out of style.

Appetizers: $4-$8 Burgers and sandwiches: $4-$13 Mains: $12-$16 okcafe.com

PIG-N-CHIK Co-owner Jim Graddy tells us he learned the art of the pit on his granddaddy’s pig farm in Manchester, Georgia. Graddy remembers cooking whole hogs all night long over hot coals, and when we The tasty chicken pot pie from OK Café comes with a puff-pastry pillow stamped with its name.

tear into his pulled-pork sandwich—a delicious pile of pink, smoke-tinged meat between two thick slabs of white bread—we believe him. Graddy has proudly transported his family’s traditions to his casual Southern ’cue counter. Man, is the food good.

The fresh-tasting coleslaw (with just a little mayo) and excellent new potato salad are just the things to cut the richness of the succulent pork. Some other tasty go-withs are fried okra, longcooked collards, mac and cheese and Brunswick stew. We’re sated.

We’re sauce-splashed. We need a moist towelette and a nap.

Entrées: $8-$24 pignchik.net

THE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN Both Southern food newbies and aficionados will take to this sexy gastropub, as smooth and easy as the finish of one of its primo bourbons.

(If you’re old school, go for the gloriously icy Resurgens mint julep; if not, there’s no shortage of cocktail possibilities.) When your whistle’s wet, dig in to favorite starters of spicy charred okra and PEI mussels in a whiskey cream sauce. Both will leave you smitten. Classics such as the shrimp boil, Springer Mountain half fried chicken and shrimp and grits with New Orleans barbecue sauce are all mouthwatering. And it wouldn’t be Southern if there weren’t sweets to make your toes curl in delight. Leave room for a

nibble or two of brown butter cake or the favorite at our table— almond nougat semifreddo.

Small plates: $6-$12 Salads and sandwiches: $6-$13 Large plates (including brunch entrées): $13-$28 thesoutherngentlemanatl.com

TED’S MONTANA GRILL We love everything about the housemade dill pickles; the fat onion rings with horseradish dipping sauce; the Arnold Palmers; and the all-American, stick-a-flag-in-it, “where the buffalo roam” burgers. Yep, we’re talking bison, baby. It’s leaner than beef, yet richer and moister, somehow. The Ted’s burger that really rocks our world is the Blue Creek: Inspired by owner Ted Turner’s Blue Creek Ranch in Nebraska, it comes with bacon crumbles and blue cheese. And that’s all it needs. Just ask for a side of rings and a little ramekin of that horsey sauce.

Appetizers: $5-$14 Burgers: $12-$19 tedsmontanagrill.com

Hungry for more?

Visit the Simply Buckhead website to read all of our Restaurant Reviews! simplybuckhead.com

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

EVENTS | SCENE

SIMPLY HAPPENING EVENTS BY:

Locke Hughes

[ F E AT U R E D E V E N T ]

AFFAIRS OF THE ART YOUR CHANCE TO PLAY HIGH MUSEUM CURATOR t the High Museum of Art’s annual Collectors Evening fundraiser, art lovers have a special opportunity to give their opinions on a number of works that the museum is considering adding to its permanent collection. Held this year at the RitzCarlton in Buckhead on Oct. 26, the evening includes a cocktail hour, one-on-one talks with the High’s curators, presentations of the works of art and a sit-down dinner. Then, guests cast their ballots for their favorite potential acquisitions. Based on the works that receive the most votes, the High will purchase a select number of pieces. Last year, the museum acquired several stand-

outs, including a photograph

by Brazilian-American artist Vik Muniz and a hand-tooled leatherwork by Georgia artist Winfred Rembert. Don’t miss the chance to witness a major moment in the Atlanta art world and speak your mind about which masterpieces the High adds to its collection.

HIGH MUSEUM OF ART COLLECTORS EVENING

Photos: CatMax Photography

A

At the High Museum’s annual Collectors Evening, art lovers get a sneak peek at works being considered as permanent additions.

Oct. 26; 6 p.m. $600 and up The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead 3434 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30326 404.733.5389 high.org

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

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E V E N TS

[ FA M I LY-F R I E N DLY ]

BUZZ HERITAGE SANDY SPRINGS OUTDOORS CLUB HIKES Fridays & Saturdays throughout Oct. heritagesandysprings.org What better way to take in the crisp fall weather than with a walk in the woods? Join the Heritage Sandy Springs Outdoors Club all month for hour-long hikes through the great outdoors on Fridays at 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. On Oct. 27 and 28, take a special “haunted” hike—if you dare.

BROOKHAVEN ARTS FESTIVAL Oct. 21-22 brookhavenartsfestival.com At this popular free event, more than 140 artists will showcase their paintings, jewelry, photography, basket weaving and more. The festivities include live music and food and drink trucks.

Halloween Hijinks SPOOKY SPRINGS HAUNTS ABERNATHY GREENWAY PARK AGAIN THIS YEAR

DAY OF THE DEAD If you’re looking for a way to celebrate Halloween that’s full of treats, not tricks, head to Abernathy Greenway Park in Sandy Springs Oct. 21, when families are welcome SPOOKY SPRINGS to the festive Spooky Springs. There, children of all ages can get their trick-or-treating fill at candy Oct. 21; 6 p.m. stations, have their faces painted, enjoy tasty Free eats from local food trucks and more. Costumed Abernathy Greenway Park characters will also be in attendance, but they 70 Abernathy Road N.E. Sandy Springs 30328 won’t be too scary for the little ones. Walk 770.206.1447 to the event if you live nearby; otherwise, park visitsandysprings.org at the nearby Sandy Springs Christian Church.

Oct. 29 atlantahistorycenter.com Also known as Dia de los Muertos, this multiday Mexican holiday typically involves praying for lost loved ones to aid their spiritual journey.

The Atlanta History Center’s annual celebration of the event is filled with traditional dancing, crafts and authentic Mexican food and entertainment.

CULINARY PASSPORT Nov. 2 culinarypassportatlanta.com This inaugural food festival, to be held at The Stave Room, takes patrons on a culinary world tour that reflects the city’s rich cultural diversity, with restaurants from nearly every food genre participating.

An array of beers, wines and spirits will be served as well.

[ F O OD & DR I N K ]

Bowled Over FILL YOUR BELLY WITH ATLANTA’S BEST CHILI Spice up your weekend plans this month with delicious homemade chili and live music in historic Brookhaven Park at the sixth annual Atlanta Chili Cook Off. On Oct. 7, more than 75 restaurant and amateur teams will come together to compete for $2,500 in prizes, so you can bet they’ll bring the heat in their recipes. Your ticket gets you unlimited

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samples, so try as many as you like, and vote for your favorite batch to win the coveted People’s Choice Award. You’ll not only leave with a full stomach, but with the satisfaction of having contributed to a good cause as a portion of the event’s proceeds benefit the Atlanta Fundraising Foundation and Brookhaven Park Conservancy.

October 2017 | Simply Buckhead

THE ELEGANT ELF MARKETPLACE ATLANTA CHILI COOK OFF Oct. 7; 1-5 p.m.

General admission $19.99, VIP ticket $55.99 Brookhaven Park 2660 Osborne Road Brookhaven 30319 atlantachilicookoff.com

Nov. 4-5 sandyspringssociety.org Hosted by the Sandy Springs Society, this yearly market takes the guesswork out of gift-buying by bringing together 80-plus upscale vendors offering unique jewelry, home goods, handbags, clothing and more. And it’s all for a good cause: Proceeds go to area nonprofits.

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S CE N E

GOING CLUBBIN’ Backroom shenanigans at the members-only The Club at Chops.

PHOTO: Sara

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Hanna

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