Simply Buckhead Issue #02

FREE JAN/FEB 2011 Issue #02

True stories of Atlantans healed by:

Reiki, acupuncture, polarity & reflexology

live well

Plus Inside a FOX 5 reporter’s home The Bert Show’s Jessica Dauler shops Buckhead

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S I M P LY BUC K H E A D | J A N / F E B 2 0 1 1

Reiki therapy on the 17th floor of the Metropolis Building in Midtown. Courtesy of Reiki 4 Well Being/ Megan Case Photography

Contents ///COVER STORY

///DEPARTMENTS

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FIND YOUR ALTERNATIVE THERAPY STYLE The Buckhead area has plenty of choices when it comes to wellness treatments. But which one suits you?

///FEATURES

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Cover photo by ©iStockphoto.com/Neustockimages

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING IRREVERENT For Erin Smith, home is where the art is.

33 SIMPLY DELICIOUS

13 SIMPLY NOW

47 SIMPLY HAPPENING

19 SIMPLY STYLISH

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BUCKHEAD’S ORIGINAL BOOK CLUB For 45 years, the Great Books Club has celebrated the joy of reading.

9 LETTERS

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS A girly office and a man cave combine to make an ideal retreat for a wife and husband.

EAT YOUR VEGGIES Café Sunflower is a healthy delight.

29 SIMPLY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“You would never think that something like this would work, but I gotta tell you, it relieved the pain immediately.”

— Whit Randolph on the benefits of Reiki

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Simply Buckhead

ON L I N E JAN/FEB 2011 | ISSUE #02 P.O. Box 11633, Atlanta, GA 30355 www.simplybuckhead.com For advertising rates call: 404-538-9895

///CONTRIBUTOR

Publisher Joanne Hayes Editor Allison Weiss Entrekin Art Director Omar Vega Home and Photo Editor Giannina Smith Graphic Designers Michael Bergman Sara M. Key

Read Simply Buckhead online at www.SimplyBuckhead.com/tour.html with click-through capability

Account Executive Katherine Bassett

Jessica Dauler Facebook facebook.com “Like” or “Friend” us at Simply Buckhead Magazine

Twitter twitter.com/SimplyBuckhead Follow us @simplybuckhead

Issuu issuu.com/simplybuckhead Read an onine digital version of the magazine.

///Proud sponsor of:

Famous among Buckhead fashionistas and deal hunters alike for her Friday morning radio show segments on Q100 Atlanta, Jessica Dauler has been every bargain shopper’s best friend when it comes to deals, steals and trends since 2001. In addition to her weekly radio appearance, she has appeared on The Travel Channel, in Self magazine and more. She can be found scouring city racks, celebrating boutique openings and, of course, updating her website (www.jessicashops.com) daily.

Her motto? “Never pay retail!”

For this issue of Simply Buckhead, Dauler shares her favorite finds from Buckhead-area boutiques.

Photographers Joseph Aczel Renee Brock T.J. Hart Matthew Smith Alli Royce Soble Contributing Writers Jennifer Bradley Wendell Brock Jessica Dauler Gregory D. McCluney Austin L. Ray Betsy Rhame-Minor Damon Sgrignoli Elsa Simcik Stephanie Davis Smith Margaret Watters Copy Editor Ellen Glass Intern Olivia Batty Antonio Reis

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 © 2011 by Simply Buckhead. All rights reserved. Printed

by Gannett Offset Atlanta. Distributed by Distributech, Network Communications, Inc., and Distribution Services Group.

Simply Buckhead is a member of the Buckhead Business Association and the Georgia Restaurant Association.

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S I M P LY BUC K H E A D | J A N / F E B 2 0 1 1

Letters ///EDITOR’S LETTER

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o me, the first few months of the year are all about getting back to basics. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Exercising more.

Stressing less. Last year, I fasted from caffeine, alcohol and sugar during the first three weeks of January, and I felt surprisingly energized (though I did dream of doughnuts!). It was empowering to realize I don’t really need those two cups of coffee in the morning or that little something sweet after dinner. The fact that I lost a few pounds was just an added bonus.

As we worked on this, Simply Buckhead’s Health & Wellness issue, I found myself intrigued by all the healing therapies I could add to my repertoire in early 2011. Acupuncture for lower-back pain. Polarity for relaxation. Reflexology for headaches. Reiki for sleeping difficulties. We think of these therapies as “alternative,” but they have been around far longer than spinning classes, elliptical machines and P90X. Most of the centers that offer them are humble little operations that rarely receive media attention, yet they have transformed the lives of so many of our friends and neighbors.

Alternative therapies and the people who perform them have somehow flown under the radar—until now.

As you embark into 2011, we at Simply Buckhead wish you health, wholeness and prosperity. If you discover a wellness

treatment you like, a farmer’s market that deserves attention or a trainer worth highlighting, drop me a line. We want to highlight these unsung heroes all year long.

Allison Weiss Entrekin editor@simplybuckhead.com

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Letters ///LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Your virtual tour is great, and the stories are wonderful … Congratulations on a great first issue.

—Leigh Massey, Atlanta History Center

I read through your magazine; it’s quite a publication. I’m going to save the 30-plus volunteering opportunities and share them with everyone I know.

—Michael Wendt, Wendt Capital Co.

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Thank you so much for sending along a copy of the publication.

Congratulations on Simply Buckhead. I wish you great success.

—Elissa McCrary, American Cancer Society

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Your article on me was perfectly edited and astoundingly simple and beautiful. As objective as I could be, I enjoyed the photos and story about an artist as a real person. I was touched more than I can properly express. Thank you.

—Patrick Dennis

You have so much to be proud of with this publication. Love seeing a fresh new outlook and great writing in Atlanta!

—Jennifer Dunaway, Karen Canavan PR

All your hard work really is evident in your first publication. I especially liked the layout, brilliant color and the articles. Your choices of material were dead on and will separate Simply Buckhead from the rest. Ted Turner (Captain Planet) doesn’t get enough press for the good he has done for the environment. It’s great to see some recognition for his contribution. Best of luck with your next publication. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

—Jack Murphy, American Solutions for Business

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I just finished reading Simply Buckhead cover to cover and think it is the best idea to come along in a long time! There is so much to cover in this small area of town, and I hope you will consider covering the arts and in particular Bennett Street. We have scads of art galleries on this street, as well as the Georgia Museum, antique shops and even a wonderful restaurant tucked away in The Stalls.

—Anne Irwin, Anne Irwin Fine Art

Congratulations on the winter issue of Simply Buckhead! It was nice to read about some favorite places and to discover new ones to check out.

—Sylvia Small, Buckhead Heritage Society

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GREAT JOB!

—Ron Balser n

Got the issue today. I LOVE IT! It looks so nice. GREAT JOB! —Leslie Haugen, Streaming Images Design n

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///LETTER BOX///

Tell us what you think! Send your comments, compliments and criticisms to editor@simplybuckhead.com. All letters will be considered for publication and may be edited for length and clarity.

///CORRECTION /// In the winter issue of Simply Buckhead, we accidentally omitted the Arnall Golden Gregory LLP name in the photo credits associated with the shots of Emily Giffin and Susan Rebecca White on pages 13 and 18.

We regret the error.

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E V E N T S | L O C A L M U S I C | L O C A L S A L U T E | S I M P LY B O O K H E A D

Simply Now

The readers Get to know Buckhead’s very first book club Page 17

BITS & THINGS

-17F: The temperature on the coldest day ever recorded in Georgia (January 27, 1940)

Members of the Great Books Club discuss literature. Alli Royce Soble Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

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SI MPLY NOW PEO P LE & P LACES

Local Salute | What we should be talking about

Lucious White has been cruising the Buc around town since its beginning in 2003.

Alli Royce Soble

If you step onto Lucious White’s Buc (Buckhead Uptown Connection) bus for the first time, he may ask if you know where you’re going. He’s not trying to be nosy—he’s just on a first-name basis with the majority of his riders. White’s red line bus goes back and forth between the Lenox MARTA rail stop and AT&T’s Lenox campus, and he says that if he doesn’t recognize someone on his bus, it’s probably because that person is lost.

White drives his route weekday mornings from 6:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., which means he wakes up at 4:30 a.m.— hours that would make most people cringe, but for White, it works. “It’s like a little family I pick up every day,” he says. “You get people from all walks of life … there’s never a dull day.”

Often, he has people on board who speak only Spanish—and White doesn’t know anything but English. Still, he can recall plenty of instances where he did what it took to get to know his regular Spanish-speaking riders. “We couldn’t really communicate, so I learned a little Spanish and I taught them a little English,” he says. “Neither of us were really speaking the other’s language, but sometimes you can talk to people no matter what. Sometimes you just understand.”

White, who has lived in Atlanta for 32 years, sees Buckhead every day from a different view. He meets it from the driver’s seat, opening his door and inviting the community along for a ride. — Margaret Watters 14

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yyy 15,000: The number of hamburgers The Varsity serves on a given day.

The driver’s seat

S IMP LY N OW E VE NTS yyy There are 3.5 million Facebook users in the Atlanta area, 43 percent of them male.

///FREE EVENT///

Opera 101 brings culture to the rest of us Always been curious about opera but intimidated by foreign languages, long notes and words like “falsetto”? You’re not alone. Consider stopping in for The Atlanta Opera’s crash course, Opera 101, on February 21 at 7 p.m. Instructor Carter Joseph has been teaching newbies the ropes since 1985 and will rattle off opera history and the storyline of Porgy and Bess.

You’ll get the tips on Gershwin’s classic American opera before the show opens Saturday, February 26. If you’re still on the fence about opera, this might be a good place to start—Joseph’s class is free and this opera is in English.

For reservations, call 404.881.8801.

— Margaret Watters

The 40th Annual Cathedral Antiques Show & Tour of Homes kicks off January 30. Photos by Sarah Murphy

THE ATLANTA OPERA CENTER REHEARSAL HALL Feb. 24

///FEATURED EVENT ///

1575 Northside Drive NW Bldg. 300, Suite 350 Atlanta 30318

Antiquing

404.881.8801 www.atlantaopera.org

for a H.E.R.O. CATHEDRAL ANTIQUES SHOW Jan. 30-31; Feb. 2-5 The Cathedral of St. Philip 2744 Peachtree Road NW Atlanta 30305 404.365.1107 www.cathedralantiques.org

If you love stocking your house with treasures of days gone by, there may never be a better time to grab your shopping bags and get antiquing. The 40th Annual Cathedral Antiques Show & Tour of Homes is a can’t-be-missed event for anyone interested in decorating, history or just unique items with a story to tell. The week of collectors’ wonder starts with a tour of homes highlighting five of Buckhead’s most glamorous abodes.

The fun continues February 3–5 at the Cathedral of St. Philip, where more than 34 sellers will fill two floors of the cathedral with 18th- and 19th-century furniture, paintings, silver, china, classic jewelry and more. If you go Thursday or Friday, be sure to break from shopping between 3:30–4:30 p.m. for a complimentary afternoon tea. All proceeds benefit

Hearts Everywhere Reaching Out (H.E.R.O.) for Children, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of Georgia children affected by HIV-AIDS through programming, mentoring and community outreach.

Tickets to the Tour of Homes are $30 and a daily ticket to the antiques show is $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Tickets may be purchased online or at Buckhead retailers including Boxwoods Gardens and Gifts, Peridot Distinctive Gifts and Deadwyler Antiques. — Margaret Watters

The Atlanta Opera will perform Porgy and Bess selected dates February through March. Tim Wilkerson

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S IMP LY N OW E VE NTS

///LOCAL MUSIC///

The Good, the Bad and the Eddie’s

Algebra performs at Eddie’s Attic. Guy Keir

Songwriter’s Open Mic Night at Eddie’s Attic It’s a dark room filled with the murmur of conversation as people hover in groups wearing a rainbow of plaids and piled sweaters. On the white-lit stage, a man is attacking an acoustic guitar and wailing the word “Chicago” over and over. When he’s done, the crowd cheers like the Windy City is everyone’s hometown. His two songs are up, and Eddie Owens, the owner of the joint, is already inviting another performer on stage. When that musician begins strumming his guitar, Eddie goes back to his laptop at the bar, seemingly bored. But during the last verse of the performer’s final song, he perks up as if on cue, ready to introduce the next act.

I’ve come to Eddie’s open mic night because many of my friends have told me it’s the best way in town to spend five bucks. After nearly 20 years, these nights have launched the careers of household names like John Mayer, Sugarland and Shawn Mullins. Sometimes these performers will even stop by for surprise shows as a nod to their roots.

But tonight is about new talent— or lack thereof. Every once in awhile, someone plays a song that seems like it has been perfected, but too many sound like they were written in the bathroom stall just seconds prior. The evening’s highlight comes when a pretty, cherub-cheeked teen climbs 16

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onto the barstool. She says she wrote her first song “forever ago … when I was like 15.” She shrugs. “I’m 18 now.”

Her first song is good, her second song better and people clap hard for her and gather around her mom as she doles out her daughter’s free CDs. Eventually the crowd begins to thin and walk back into the rainy night. I overhear a young couple wondering if they just saw the next big star grace the stage at Eddie’s. Only time will tell. — Damon Sgrignoli

*

Worth Noting Other local spots with open mic nights: Apache Café Music and spoken word open mic nights Sundays at 7 p.m.

64 3rd Street NW Atlanta 30308 404.876.5436 www.apachecafe.info

Eddie’s Attic Music open mic nights Mondays at 7:30 p.m.

515 North McDonough Street Decatur 30030 404.377.4976 www.eddiesattic.com

The Five Spot Music open mic nights Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

1123 Euclid Avenue Atlanta 30307 404.223.1100 www.fivespot-atl.com Limerick Junction Comedy open mic nights Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

822 North Highland Avenue Atlanta 30306 404.874.7147 www.limerickjunction.com

S IMP LY N OW BOOK HE A D

Members of the Great Books Club gather for a meeting at Fado’s Irish Pub. Alli Royce Soble

Buckhead’s original book club For 45 years, the Great Books Club has celebrated the joy of reading

By Betsy Rhame-Minor

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ll over Buckhead, book clubs gather to discuss the classics, Clancy and all things in between. But one book club was doing this long before it became trendy.

The Great Books Club has been meeting for the last 45 years, and its members read to children in three Buckhead elementary schools, encouraging the next generation to develop a love of books.

It was exactly this kind of community service that kick-started the club

in the first place. In 1965, BJ Smith, one of the organization’s four founding members, volunteered to read to schoolchildren and then discuss the stories with them.

She and three of her fellow dogooders from the school began meeting to talk about the progress students were making and decided to form their own book club.

When the club gathers each month, members can count on digging deep into their texts. “We’re used to really picking things apart,” Smith says. “[We] like to get under the surface.”

She says many of the club’s favorites are by classic writers like Aristotle, Anton Chekhov, Plato and Emily Dickinson, but since they talk about literary themes, their discussion brings in points about contemporary books too.

“What we seem to like to do is compare what happens through the generations,” Smith explains. “We’re trying to solve the same problems our grandparents tried to solve. The same things [happen]. There’s just so much meat in there.”

GREAT BOOKS CLUB Year founded: Around 1965.

Original members: 4.

Current members: 20.

What they’re reading: The Seven Deadly Sins Sampler, a collection of short stories that correspond with the seven deadly sins.

Where they meet: Buckhead Library.

When they meet: Third Thursday of the month at 10 a.m.

Open to new members? Yes. For information: Call the Buckhead Library at 404.814.3500.

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S IMP LY N OW E VE NTS

///FAMILY-FRIENDLY///

Mommy and me go glam BRINA BEADS Feb. 26 3231-A Cains Hill Place NW Atlanta 30305 404.816.8230 www.brinabeads.com

— Margaret Watters

yyy 35 million: Number of people

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who visit Lenox Mall each year

A jewelry class at Brina Beads is the perfect excuse for some family time. Andrea Goldklang

Bring your petite fashionista to Brina Beads for an afternoon of quality mother-daughter time. On February 26 from 3–5 p.m., you’ll make three elastic beaded bracelets from Brina’s fab collection of beads, enjoy a sweet treat from Little Cakes and get a cute snapshot of you and your child for the fridge.

“It’s a great event for mothers and daughters,” says owner Sabrina Davis. “It’s a chance to collaborate and do something creative together.” The class is $40 (includes both mother and daughter) and reservations can be made by calling the shop.

H O M E | FA S H I O N | W E L L N E S S

Simply Stylish

“When friends come over, I’m still in the bathroom getting ready. There is a TV in there so I watch my favorite shows...”

— Stacy Elgin, “The best of both worlds.” Page 20

The master bathroom renovation included the installation of marble floors and counters and the addition of a sitting area. T.J. Hart | hartografie Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

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S IMP LY STY LIS H HOM E

Stacey hired designer Bryan Patrick Flynn to give her office a “high fashion” feel. T.J. Hart | hartografie

The best of both worlds

A girly office and a man cave combine to make an ideal retreat for a FOX 5 news reporter and her husband.

By Giannina Smith

W

hen Jimmy and Stacey Weilbaecher got married, they each wanted a room in their Brookhaven home that showcased their individuality. Almost five years later, the couple has just that. Jimmy, a sales manager for Premiere Radio Networks, transformed the home’s unfinished basement into a sports shrine and bar. Stacey—also known as Stacey Elgin, FOX 5’s Good Day Atlanta Morning Road Warrior—converted the mundane upstairs office into the girliest of workspaces. “[Our home] is definitely not too fancy. It’s just comfortable and livable and we’ve now made it suit us and our personalities,” says Stacey, who spends her workdays interviewing celebrities and reporting on topics like fashion and fitness.

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The finished basement features notable sports memorabilia, including a Michael Jordan shoe and a Lebron James autographed jersey. T.J. Hart | hartografie

The Weilbaechers began renovations on the 4-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom home in July 2007, working with contractor K & H Homes to add a walk-in closet in the master bedroom and expand the master bath, which was inspired by Stacey’s work on the red carpet. “In the bathroom I wanted something a little glamorous with the mirrors and the chandeliers. I like the old Hollywood glam,” she says.

Along with the glittering chandelier, the master bath redo included installing marble floors and counters and adding a sitting area with lots of cabinet space. The highlight of the entire overhaul, however, was the addition of a $4,000 BainUltra Tub where Stacey enjoys a soak at least five times a week. “I’m just a big bathroom person,” Stacey says. “When friends come over, I’m still in the bathroom getting ready. There is a TV in there so I watch my favorite shows while my husband is watching football on one of the other eight TVs in our home.”

While Stacey is in the bathroom, Jimmy can usually be found in the basement—a dark blue, male-centric haven finished in late 2007. Decked

out in sports memorabilia, the room is home to a prized Michael Jordan Converse shoe and a Lebron James autographed jersey. Other highlights include a guitar autographed by The Rolling Stones and photos of the 1972 Miami Dolphins team and the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.

“My husband is a big sports guy,” Stacey says. “It is just a little downstairs basement, but he’s really put a lot into it.”

In her most recent home project, Stacey tried to balance the manliness of Jimmy’s cave with a girly place of her own. In June 2010, she brought in interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn, creator and founder of design Web site Décor Demon, to liven up her upstairs office. After all, it’s the place where she operates Stacey Lynn Style, a high-end women’s workout clothing line, and it’s also where she makes custom jewelry. “The office intent was to be like high fashion, and I definitely think it worked out that way,” she says.

Completed in an ambitious three Stacey Elgin. Sarah Dorio

Continued >> Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

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SI MPLY STYLI SH HOME

The Weilbaechers added French doors and a patio with a screened-in porch off the living room.

T.J. Hart | hartografie

Stacey’s top five decorating tips What she’s learned through the process of decorating her home:

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Painting the ceiling brings warmth and completion to a room.

Use a lot of color—it provides positive energy. “I love to have fun and laugh and live every day to its fullest, so if a room can cheer me up it is a better day,” Stacey says.

3

Make your home comfortable, livable and functional—a place where you can sit and play, where friends can bring their children over and everyone is welcome, including dogs.

4

Don’t be afraid to mix patterns with bright colors that match, like the 1970s-inspired office wallpaper accented with plums and pinks.

5

Remember that something old can always be new again, like the $25 flea market chair that Flynn refurbished with a violet mohair cushion and high-gloss black spray paint.

Continued from page 18 weeks, the office remodel involved ripping out the wall trim, floors and lighting and starting from scratch.

Flynn took a style lead from a 1970sinspired pink, violet and silver wallpaper found at UK-based Graham & Brown. “I thought the wallpaper was sexy and thought that was very, very Stacey without being too in your face,” Flynn says. “I wanted [the office] to be a little more high-design than the other spaces for the sake of giving Stacey her own super-duper designer room that could be all hers.”

The Décor Demon team picked out Morningstar ebony bamboo floors from Lumber Liquidators, painted the trim and ceiling a pleasant plum and added custom faux silk draperies to match the wallpaper. To complete the look, Flynn refurbished a $25 flea market chair with a violet mohair cushion and high-gloss black spray paint. “It looks like something out of a showroom, but it is actually something that was two steps away from being in the trash,” Flynn says.

The Weilbaechers say they are tickled that their home now showcases both of their personalities. “It was my husband’s home and he did a great job choosing it, but when we put our lives together, we made it ours,” Stacey says.

“It was my husband’s home and he did a great job choosing it, but when we put our lives together, we made it ours.”

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S IM P LY STY LIS H FAS HION

Jessica shops Buckhead Atlanta’s favorite fashionista reveals her favorite boutique essentials

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By Jessica Dauler

love shopping, especially at Buckhead boutiques; from designer denim to glitzy jewelry, you’re sure to fall in love. I am beyond excited to share my favorite must-have options for this season!

American Apparel Fabian Sunglasses ($45): Affordable and stylish, they’re priced under $100—but look like a million bucks.

Unisex Circle Scarf ($28): A versatile option with endless ways to wear it, and available in 30 colors.

DEKA Atlanta Y3 Boots ($340+): Totally trendy, with an ultra-cool vibe. This boot’s styles include ski, combat and wedge.

K-La Staccato Grey Pea coat ($54): This one’s a steal for the price and holds up next to any expensive department-store pea coat.

Miss Me Lightweight Striped Cardigan ($62): This will be your go-to cardigan over tanks and Ts.

will last season after season. A tie-up back adds that little something extra.

MORE INFO.

Range Boutique Akiko Dresses ($150+): These fun and flirty pieces pair perfectly with tights and flats or boots and will be a nice transition into spring and summer.

American Apparel 3400 Around Lenox Road NE, Suite 207-212 Atlanta 30326 404.812.0010 www.americanapparel.net

Shop SCAD Gogo Borgerding Cuff ($335): A real find! These are solid cuffs made of sterling silver with colorful anodized aluminum.

Color Pop Cuff Links ($80): These are so classy and make the perfect gift. Choices include sterling, resin, 23k foil or glass micro beads.

DEKA Atlanta 3400 Around Lenox Road NE, Suite 102B Atlanta 30326 404.869.9600 www.dekaatlanta. com K-La Phipps Plaza Mall 3500 Peachtree Road NE Atlanta 30326 404.842.0384 www.shopkla.com Labels Resale 3202 Paces Ferry Place Atlanta 30305 404.841.8444 www.labelsresaleboutique.shoprw. com/home.php

American Apparel

Luna 3167 Peachtree Road NE #2B Atlanta 30305 404.233.5344 www.shopluna.com

Labels Resale Designer Handbags (Prices Vary): An amazing selection.

This is a high-end designer resale shop, and their inventory is always changing. Don’t miss the “lastchance” room downstairs!

Luna Hudson Skinny Cargo Pant ($242): Worn casually or dressed up, these are made to be worn tight. They pair perfectly with winter boots and chunky, oversized sweaters.

Pella Shoes ESSKA Mellow Boot Shoe ($218): Multi strap cutouts for the hot factor and a comfortable heel make these the ultimate girls’-nightout shoes.

Pataugas Folio Boot ($358): Sleek and simple. Not too trendy, this boot

Chia Chong

Pella Shoes 3400 Around Lenox Drive NE #206 Atlanta 30326 404.266.2630 www.pellashoesatl. com Range Boutique 3231 Cains Hill Place Atlanta 30305 404.816.8230 www.rangeboutique.com Shop SCAD 1600 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta 30309 404.253.2769 www.shopSCADonline.com

American Apparel

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S IMP LY STY LIS H W E L L N E SS

Lighter and loving it How this Brookhaven resident dropped 60 pounds without surgery

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By Antonio Reis

Johnson’s Eating Plan

his time last year, Jill Johnson weighed 202 pounds. Today, her scale reads 139. And she did it the old-fashioned way, through changing her eating habits and incorporating regular exercise into her life.

Simply Buckhead sat down with Johnson, director of site development at Metro PCS, to discuss her impressive campaign to take back her body.

5 a.m.—Peanut butter protein bar before my workout.

7:15 a.m.—Banana before my shower.

7:30 a.m.—A vanilla-andespresso shake after my shower.

What was your lifestyle like before February?

Oh gosh, the only things I ever did were go to work, eat dinner, watch an hour of TV, go to bed, wake up, then go to work again. That’s what most of us do.

9:30 a.m.—I enjoy a cup of fruit with pears, kiwi, whatever I want.

Noon—A lean protein with a big salad, or an HMR entrée with two cups of veggies.

How did that feel?

I knew it was unhealthy. I knew what I needed to do to be healthy. I knew; I just never did it. I was incredibly busy, and still am—it was just a matter of getting the healthy choices into my day … It got to the point where I didn’t look in the mirror. I hid my mirror in my closet. I told my sister, “I don’t know that person in the mirror.”

It was hard for me to dress that person, because I didn’t know her. In 2009 I wrote in my journal, “I want to look in the mirror and like that person.”

What motivated you to finally get started with losing weight?

I was fed up. I was methodical about it. I had tried Weight Watchers and the South Beach Diet. I liked South Beach, but all I ever did was cook.

And if I don’t have time to work out, I sure as heck don’t have time to cook all day. I wanted something structured enough that said, “This is what you’re going to eat and this is how you’re going to eat it.” I wanted something that would get me down to an ideal weight and help me maintain it the rest of my life. HMR (Health Management Resources) seemed perfect. There are three options to the diet. The most intense is the all-shakes plan—I call it a “shake detox.” You stop everything you’ve been doing and for three weeks you eat only these shakes. There are no Continued >> 24

Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

1 p.m.—Another cup of fruit.

2 p.m.—Another shake or lean protein.

3 p.m.—I have a cup of raw vegetables.

4 p.m.—A frozen berry shake.

5 p.m.—One more cup of vegetables while I drive home.

6:30 p.m.—Another lean protein and vegetables before I exercise and go to bed.

Jill Johnson has lost 60 pounds since February through a combination of dieting, running and strength training. Here, she poses with her old size-18 jeans.

Joseph Aczel

pills, no surgery. Nothing invasive. But it rattled my cage for all intents and purposes.

What about exercise? What is your workout routine like now?

My workout routine begins on Monday around 4:30 a.m., when I get up for a 6-7 mile walk/run. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I try to do some strength training. Right now I’m using Jillian Michael’s No More Trouble Zones, which mixes cardio with strength training. On Wednesdays, I do “alternative’” cardio, meaning something other than running that will work other muscles, like the elliptical. On Thursdays I add Pilates mat at Body Vision Studio in Brookhaven.

I wrap the week up with another early morning run on Fridays. Now, I try to take Saturday and Sunday off, but it rarely happens. Body Vision has a great Saturday morning mat class that I just cannot pass up, and I frequently find myself either hiking or walking

around just to enjoy the sun.

How have you stuck with your new lifestyle?

I finally feel like I have control of something. I’m now reconnecting with sorority sisters and people I went to high school with. Before, I would have been unrecognizable.

I cheat once in a while. I like wine, and on Thanksgiving, I had to have a little peanut butter ball. But I’m still losing weight because I’ve trained myself. If I eat a few extra calories, I know I need to get on the elliptical and work it off.

What’s been the biggest challenge?

You must stay focused all the time. I can’t decide to take off for the weekend without thinking about it. I have to stay focused. I went to Walt Disney World during my all-shakes phase. I had to go around with a wireless handheld blender to make my shakes while I was walking around the park. Then last September, I went to Scotland. By

that time, I was done with the shakes, but I had to find a way to do fruits and vegetables. In the Highlands there really are no hotels, so I was staying in bed and breakfasts. Of course, no one has microwaves and they aren’t really willing to cook your food in their kitchens. But I was lucky… the folks over there are big fans of tea, so every room has a teapot, almost all of them electric. You add hot water, flip the switch and it boils the water in this

pitcher, so I just tossed my veggies in with the water. Worked like a charm!

What does the future look like for you?

I want to learn to snowboard. My friend from New York is a big snowboarder. Now that I’m stronger and more flexible, I really want to learn how to do it. I need to buy more snow gear; my old set no longer fits me. I was a size 18, and now I’m a size 6.

“I’ve trained myself. If I eat a few extra calories, I know I need to get on the elliptical and work it off.”

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Would you like copies of

at your business?

Call 404-538-9895 or send your request to Joanne Hayes at publisher@simplybuckhead.com

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Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

A RT V I E W | O N S TAG E

Simply Arts&Entertainment

Art View

“... the most satisfying thing for me was people walking by and laughing.”

— Erin Smith, artist and business owner. Page 30

Cards by Erin Smith.

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S IMP LY A & E A RT VIE W

The importance of being irreverent For Erin Smith, home is where the art is

By Austin L. Ray

A

midst Decatur’s idyllic Oakhurst neighborhood, with its couples pushing babies and walking dogs, you may not realize you’re on the home turf of a successful and wholly unorthodox artist. Erin Smith is located there, and her four-year-old company produces everything from greeting cards to magnets for hundreds of stores all over the country.

But these aren’t your typical Hallmark creations. One particularly quintessential entry in Smith’s oeuvre,

Cards by Erin Smith.

for example, features a close-up vintage photograph of an adorable little girl with flowers on her neck. “My face hurts,” the text reads, “from pretending to like you.”

Smith grew up in the Windy City suburbs and spent some time in the Pacific Northwest before finding her way south. Eventually, she relocated to Atlanta, where she worked 65-hour weeks, splitting her time between retail art shows and Inman Park’s Italian institution, Sotto Sotto. It was too much at once. She made the transition to wholesale art—which introduced her work to a larger audience, thus allowing her more time to craft it—and has never looked back. Her husband is her office manager, and her home is her headquarters. To hear her tell it, life is now a busy blur—but she wouldn’t have it any other way. “When I was working retail shows, the most satisfying thing for me was people walking by and laughing,” Smith says.

“It feels good to know people get it.

Multiply that by 1,000 and that’s what I have now. I’ll sell a kidney before I go back to waiting tables!”

Continued >>

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Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

Four Questions for Erin Smith Who is your biggest creative influence?

I’m all over the place. The only consistent influence on anything I’ve ever done is that music is always present. I’m very spontaneous, so whoever is like that would be my answer.

When did you realize you could do this for a living?

I’m not sure I realize yet that I can do this for a living! I decided that the weekend art festival schlep was too hard and jumped into the wholesale market. It has only been four years and it has been a whirlwind.

How do you balance your family life and artistic life?

I work a lot of hours and travel about four months out of the year. I have made my studio/warehouse behind my home, so my boys know the girls that work with me and know that I’m accessible to them.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to do what you do for a living?

If you’re artistic, fantastic! Good for you! Get a business degree to figure out how to make it work.

WHERE TO FIND ERIN SMITH ART The Bilt House 511 East Paces Ferry Road NE Atlanta 30305 404.816.7702 www.thebilt-house.com Heliotrope 248 W Ponce de Leon Avenue Decatur 30030 404.371.0100 www.heliotropehome.com More info Erin Smith Erin Smith Art, LLC www.erinsmithart.com

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S IMP LY A & E ON STAGE

Puppet noir Jon Ludwig’s “The Body Detective” offers a playful alternative to classroom science

By Wendell Brock

W

hen giving an anatomy lesson, most teachers pull out gruesome illustrations showing how skin, muscles, bones, nerves and organs are wound together to form the human body.

Jon Ludwig, the wonderfully inventive artistic director of the Center for Puppetry Arts, summons the sexy swagger of Bogey and Bacall.

Ludwig’s “The Body Detective,” which opened January 20 at the Spring Street theater, is a film noir spoof doubling as a biology lesson. Ludwig, a longtime runner and health and fitness advocate, created the catchy kids’ musical in 1997 as a playful alternative to textbook diagrams and classroom lectures. “We knew it was a subject the schools were teaching,” he says. “There was a demand for the topic. But how do you make science not boring?”

His solution is a detective yarn with a protagonist named Sam Flat Foot.

The lonely gumshoe is loosely based on Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon) and Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe (The Big Sleep), both played onscreen by Humphrey Bogart. As Sam (portrayed by Atlanta actor Michael Haverty) dozes off at his desk late one night, he gets a call about the mysterious appearance of a human body. His investigation leads him to such shady puppet characters as Lips (a Mary Astor/Lauren Bacall type), Skin (a fez-wearing caricature straight out of Casablanca) and Brain (a cat-stroking, James Bond-style vil32

“THE BODY DETECTIVE” January 20–March 13 $9 members; $16 nonmembers Center for Puppetry Arts 1404 Spring Street NW Atlanta 30309 404.873.3391 www.puppet.org

lain). The personalities and situations he encounters represent the five senses and various systems of the human body (circulatory, respiratory, digestive, nervous, and so on).

“You start on the periphery of the body and go deeper inside, ” says Ludwig, creator of the holiday hit “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and the critically acclaimed “The Little Pirate Mermaid” and “Avanti, da Vinci!”

“You travel from the skin down to the muscles, the bone, the digestive system, the heart.”

For this revival, Ludwig brought in music director JMichael, a frequent collaborator with Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre, and choreographer Ricardo Aponte, who is teaching the puppeteers some new movement tricks.

Ludwig says “The Body Detective” touches on some of the same themes as “Adventures of Little Noodle,” his 2009 show that took a gentle look at child obesity. “It’s the same thing Michelle Obama is talking about today,” he says. “Eat right and exercise. It’s the same message. It hasn’t gone away.”

Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

Sam Flat Foot, private investigator, with Eye Ball in a scene at The Five Senses Night Club.

This scene explains how the eye works in Jon Ludwig’s “The Body Detective” at the Center for Puppetry Arts. Kathryn Kolb

Jon Ludwig. Center for Puppetry Arts

R E V I E W | F O O D I E J O U R NA L | W I N E | TA S T E M A K E R | R E S TAU R A N T S

Simply Delicious

As visually arresting as they are tasty, Café Sunflower’s “steak” fajitas mock the Mexican classic with grilled soy strips and smoked tofu.

Jenny Sun

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S IM P LY D EL I C IOUS R E VIE W

Eat your veggies Café Sunflower is a healthy delight

By Wendell Brock

A

t Café Sunflower, chef-owners Lin and Edward Sun create bright, flavorful dishes influenced by American basics like meatloaf and chicken nuggets. They also whip up global favorites like Asian dumplings, Mexican quesadillas and Thai noodles. Quite remarkably, they do it all without a speck of meat.

An offshoot of the Sandy Springs location that opened in 1994, south Buckhead’s Café Sunflower is one of the city’s best vegetarian restaurants.

While Atlanta’s increasingly diverse population has produced a smattering of authentic Indian, Chinese and Ethiopian veggie options, its supply of non-ethnic vegetarian restaurants isn’t exactly robust. (Case in point: Edgewood Avenue’s critically acclaimed Dynamic Dish, featuring imaginative vegetarian cuisine, recently closed after just three years.)

In a town that’s burger-crazed and churrascaria-packed, the Lin family’s casual, mid-priced kitchen is an anomaly: a veggie haunt that samples freely from world cuisine with mainstream diners in mind. Here, patrons take delight in consistently delicious salads and soups; soy-based replicas of everyday grub like burgers and ravioli; and a stellar lineup of original dishes.

The food is freshly prepared, beautifully presented and accessible to both hardcore vegans and omnivores—anyone who wants to inhale the magic of sweet-potato polenta, stuffed acorn squash or soy “steak” fajitas.

The design is earthy and warm, the energy low-key and friendly. Divided into a roomy front area and a cozy back section, the space is painted a kind of mudslide brown and festooned with illuminated paper lanterns and sunny floral fabrics. Thanks to an enormous mirror covering the rear wall, the 3,000-square-foot restaurant feels A layer of orzo pasta forms the foundation for Café Sunflower’s eggplant lasagna, while portobellos and tofu ricotta give the dish a chewy, cheesy dimension. Photos by Jenny Sun 34

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Continued >>

CAFÉ SUNFLOWER 2140 Peachtree Road Atlanta 30309 404.352.8859 www.cafesunflower.com Lunch entrées: $9–$12 Dinner entrées: $11–$17 Bottom line: Some of Atlanta’s best vegetarian food.

S IMP LY D EL I C IOUS RE VIE W

Sweet corn, sun-dried tomatoes and black beans are tucked into the quesadilla, an appealing starter course.

more capacious than it actually is.

A midday visit started with a couple of choices from the “specials” list: batter-fried brussels sprouts doused in sweet Asian sauce and a lovely, rather light soup of butternut squash.

The brussels sprouts were quite tasty, though not exactly “crisp,” as described on the menu. Lasagna, offered at both lunch and dinner, is a winning pile of portobellos, eggplant, zucchini and red peppers, slathered with a roasted shallot marinara. Instead of the traditional sheets of pasta, there are layers of vegetables and a layer of orzo, the rice-shaped pasta made from barley.

A pleasing entrée, the lasagna comes with crisp salad greens studded with artichoke hearts and fat green olives.

I was curious about a “chicken” dish that a young friend had raved about.

But before I ordered, I had to text him to confirm that I had the correct item.

Turned out that it was sesame chicken—peppery soy nuggets smothered with a sweet-tangy sauce and paired with brown rice and a festival of broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms and zucchini. Memo to Sam: Right on, Bud. This stuff is seriously good.

Stopping by one night for dinner, my guests and I were surprised to discover a jaunty jazz saxophonist who

When the dessert tray arrives, it’s hard not to snatch a vegan sweet, like this spicy carrot cake.

apparently plays there on Thursdays and sometimes feels moved to vocalize. We may have had to lean forward to hear one another, but that didn’t drown out our lust for the fried green tomatoes slathered with hummus or the harvest salad: organic lettuces tossed with asparagus, Granny Smith apples, candied walnuts, dried cranberries and gorgonzola.

Pad Thai was a big, comforting bowl of noodles, veggies and strips of tofu bathed in peanut sauce, while the garden loaf was a dramatic, pyramidal affair crafted from triangles of soy-andvegetable “meat,” mashed potatoes and a spring roll sliced on the diagonal.

Our hands-down favorite entrée was the walnut-crusted tofu cutlet, a richly burnished slab of faux meat, arranged on piles of collards, shitakes and rice.

The evening’s superstar.

The wine list mirrors the menu, circling the globe and bringing together a dependable selection from California, Italy, France, Argentina, Chile,

Australia and New Zealand. About a third of the 20 choices are organic.

(You’ll have to go elsewhere for cocktails, however. Café Sunflower is not a liquor-swilling kind of place.)

In an effort to entice you to have dessert, servers always stop by with a tray of flawless-looking wedges of carrot, coconut, chocolate-peanut butter and chocolate-raspberry mousse cake.

All are vegan and most are prepared by an outside bakery. A better sweet indulgence is the house-made blueberry cobbler, spiked with fresh ginger and topped with a scoop of regular or soy ice cream. It’s a vivid finish to a memorable meal.

Here’s what you should know about Café Sunflower: If your teenager suddenly announces he’s gone vegan, or if your middle-age spread requires you to cut cholesterol, this restaurant offers a wise, healthy and affordable way to still eat out. In the end, I have come to believe it is an essential Atlanta restaurant that just happens to be vegetarian.

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S IMP LY D EL IC IOUS

Foodie Journal | Culinary News & Notes Gena Knox’s Country Captain Stew Serves: 4 Adapted from Gena Knox’s Southern My Way (self-published, $35).

The grilled loup de mer is the bestselling item at La Fourchette, a new restaurant across from Bone’s on Piedmont Road. Heather McMichen Wall

A taste of the Mediterranean Joël crew rises from the ashes

By Wendell Brock

The talent behind Atlanta’s venerated Joël Brasserie, which closed rather abruptly in June, has been busy re-staking a claim on the city’s dining scene. First, Joël sommelier Perrine Prieur opened an eponymous wine shop at White Provisions on Howell Mill Road.

Now Jeffrey Wall, who was a cook at the vaunted restaurant, is dishing out Mediterranean classics at the new La Fourchette Bistro & Lounge, across from Bone’s on Piedmont Road.

La Fourchette Owner Mounir Barhoumi says he picked Wall from among five candidates to interpret his vision of simple classic dishes from coastal Spain, France, Italy and Barhoumi’s native Tunisia. This translates into a menu of simple, unfussy classics like paella, steak frites, grilled fish and Tunisian beignets dolloped with orange-blossom honey ice cream.

“We cook a lot of fish. We use a 36

LA FOURCHETTE 3133 Piedmont Road Atlanta 30305 404.748.1229 www.lafourchetteatlanta.com

lot of Mediterranean ingredients,” Barhoumi says of his North African homeland. “Pretty much, this is how my mom cooks.” Previously, Barhoumi managed Amuse!, Café Anis & Bistro, MidCity Cuisine and JCT Kitchen.

You can recognize La Fourchette (which means “fork” in French) by its sleek black-andwhite striped awning. Previously, the property was home to Agnes & Muriel’s and Café Dupri. If you frequented Joël, you may recognize some of the brasserie’s old furniture and even some of their wines.

Barhoumi asked Prieur to pick the bottles to accompany Wall’s duck confit, mussels in saffron sauce and celeriac risotto with dates, pecorino and crispy pork belly.

Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

Ingredients 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 medium onion, chopped ½ yellow bell pepper, chopped ½ green bell pepper, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes 3 cups chicken stock ¼ cup slivered almonds 1 ½ tablespoons currants 3 cups brown rice, cooked according to package directions Directions Combine curry powder, salt and cayenne pepper and toss chicken in mixture to coat. Heat two teaspoons olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken for five minutes until browned; transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

Heat remaining 2 ¼ teaspoons oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat; add onion, peppers, and garlic and sauté for 8 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with hands or back of spoon. Add chicken and stock.

Simmer soup, uncovered, for 20 minutes, and adjust for seasonings. Spoon rice into bowls and ladle stew over rice. Top with almonds and currants and serve.

That’s the spirit Lucky dogs and dumplings

Truman Capote had his legendary black-and-white ball; Spaniel mix Sophie York had her 20th birthday party. Held in 2008 at Atlanta’s Swan House, it featured a fancy Sylvia Weinstock cake flown in from New York and flower arrangements by Atlanta’s Robert Long Flora Design.

Sophie was one pampered Pastry chefs Patrick pet. When her entrepreneurial Dineen and Annemarie owner, David York, could not Pizzi will create an array of delectable homemade find a place worthy of boarding her while he traveled, he started desserts such as the sigBarking Hound Village, a doggie nature apple “dumplins.” daycare and hotel chain. In 2008, SOPHIE’S UPTOWN York created the Barking Hound Foundation, which now runs the 54 Pharr Road Atlanta 30305 Fulton County Animal Shelter.

His latest venture is a Pharr Road 404.812.0477 bakery and sandwich shop called www.sophiesuptown.

Sophie’s Uptown. Named after his com dearly departed pooch, Sophie’s donates 25 percent of its profits to pet-rescue charities.

York says he started the business-for-a-cause because he got tired of throwing fundraisers. The menu includes sandwiches, salads, soups, casseroles, cakes, pies, and the York family’s famous apple dumplings. There’s even a whipped-cream machine where patrons can treat themselves to an extra dollop of sweetness. Don’t be surprised if you run into a giant Standard Poodle or nervous Weimaraner at this pet-friendly eatery.

Learn from a master

If you want to learn how to cook healthier, put out a Super Bowl munch bar, make a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner or explore Southern food, The Cook’s Warehouse can help. Its 2011 cooking classes cover just about anything you can think of—from knife skills to beer tasting to Thai cooking. The program is a good way to get to know your favorite cookbook writers, chefs and bakers, too.

Coming up: Atlantan Gena Knox will share recipes from her book, Southern My Way (February 22). In January and March, Ray Overton, who wrote Williams-Sonoma’s Main Course cookbooks, is doing an entire “hands-on” series that includes everything from Super Bowl ideas (January 29) to seafood (March 13). And Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook contributors Steven Satterfield (Miller-Union), Lynne Sawicki (Sawicki’s Meat, Seafood and More) and Virginia Willis (Bon Appetit, Y’all) will talk about the cookbook that Time magazine calls an “instant classic” (February 21). For a full list of classes, dates and locations, visit www.cookswarehouse.com.

Simply everything is on the table

Atlanta has such a wealth of wonderful restaurants, bars and bakeries that we can hardly keep up. This year, we are looking forward to trying Bishoku in Sandy Springs, Paul Luna’s Lunacy Black Market downtown and Sound Table in the Old Fourth Ward. And we want to hear from you. What are your favorite places to eat and drink? Send your tips, insights and comments to food@simplybuckhead.com. And remember: Our mission is to champion the little-known, under-the radar, neighborhood-y kinds of places that make the city a foodie haven. Cheers.

— Wendell Brock Erica George Dines

S IMP LY D EL I C IOUS TAST E MA KER

Alli Royce Soble (left) and Kris Zimmerman are the popular barkeeps at La Tavola, a neighborhood trattoria in Virginia-Highland. The exterior of the restaurant (top right) and a classic martini as stirred up by the bartenders (bottom right). Photos by Alli Royce Soble

Behind the bar

These La Tavola bartenders keep it lively with drinks and banter

By Wendell Brock

S

idle up to the tiny, seven-chair bar at Virginia Highland’s La Tavola, and you’ll likely get your pour from Alli Royce Soble or Kris Zimmermann. The two tight friends have been alternating bartending shifts at the neighborhood trattoria for nine years now, and they’ve built a faithful clientele by virtue of their good drinks, lively banter and serious embrace of Italian food and wine. Regulars ask for them, pout if they aren’t there and follow Soble’s moves on Twitter (twitter. com/roycetakespics), where she posts updates on her restaurant schedule.

“We have set schedules, so people pretty much know when we are going to be here,” Soble says. “If one of us happens to be off, sometimes it’s like, ‘Whoa, the world has shifted.’” Sipping coffee on a chilly afternoon, this pert and articulate pair shared observations on life, finishing one another’s sentences and buzzing with the kind of energy that makes them so popular with patrons.

How did you become friends?

KZ: We sort of knew each other socially, and we went to the 1993 March on Washington [for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation] and just palled around all weekend. That was the beginning of a real friendship.

(Soble joined La Tavola in 2000, Zimmermann in early 2002.)

What’s the secret behind your hospitality?

ARS: I love working in a restaurant bar … talking about wine is definitely something I’m into. I don’t think I could be a bartender at a fast-paced, Jager Bombs kind of restaurant. It’s about the culture behind food and wine.

KZ: We are all in it together to make the customer happy, to satisfy the bottom line and sort of educate our guests because people are intimidated by Italian wine … It used to be that dinner was part of your night. Dinner was just what you did on your way to do something else. But dinner has become your evening. It’s not just food, and it’s not just a glass of wine. It’s your event. It may be the only stop you make on a

LA TAVOLA 992 Virginia Avenue NE Atlanta 30306 404.873.5430 www.latavolatrattoria.com

Saturday night. And if it’s with us, we are going to do our damnedest to make it the best time.

What makes La Tavola’s wine program distinctive?

KZ: I think La Tavola has always done a really great job of taking varietals from Italy that are lesser known—or even popular—and trying to find the best representation of that varietal in a variety of price points. Italian wine has always been overwhelming and mysterious. It’s intimidating for a lot of people.

ARS: If we don’t like it, we are not going to sell it. But if we like something, it will fly off the shelves. We know where it’s from, the flavor profile. But then we might also know a little sizzle about it, like the family who made it. Or that this particular producer is

some guru.

KZ: People will sit at the bar and say, “Well, I don’t know very much about wine.” And I’ve always sort of joked with them: “Well, the best way to learn is by drinking it.” We drink it, we talk about it and we learn about it.

What are your passions and interests outside the restaurant?

ARS: I have been a professional photographer for 15 years, and I’ve been in the service industry for 15 years. I keep my cards behind the bar. Kris is nice enough to hand them out.

KZ: She’s quite accomplished and well-collected in Atlanta. I’m sort of her agent … I have a lot of passions.

Most of them have to do with food, fitness and health, which ties in really nicely with La Tavola. Italian food has always been a passion. I grew up in an Italian-American household in New York. Both my maternal grandmother and grandfather came from Italy. It wasn’t “Italian food”—it’s what I grew up with.

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S IMP LY D EL I C IOUS W IN E FE ATURE

Buckhead’s best wine bars Great places to sip in the city

By Gregory D. McCluney

L

ooking for the perfect place to wine down after a hectic day, or maybe do a little networking, vino-style? While Buckhead has a plethora of restaurants with bars, it’s not so easy to find a true wine bar. But a few good ones do exist, and here they are in no particular order:

Cellar 56

56 East Andrews Drive, Suite 10 Atlanta 30305 404.869.1132 www.cellar56.com Entering Cellar 56 in the heart of Buckhead feels like walking into a cava in Europe. It has a warm atmosphere, a pleasant dining room and a knowledgeable staff ready to suggest new wines and help you pair them with their food. The 75 wines, representing most varietals worldwide, may be tasted in a number of pour sizes.

The prices allow you to enjoy a wine night out without breaking the bank.

The Grape, Phipps Plaza 3500 Peachtree Road Atlanta 30326 678.990.9463 www.thegrape.com

The Grape at Phipps is as upscale a wine bar as you’ll find in Buckhead, with the kind of tony crowd you would expect, many dropping in after an afternoon spent shopping in the surrounding boutiques. You may purchase wine to take home or choose one of the 70 or so available by the glass or half glass. If you’re hungry, the extensive menu ranges

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from cheese and charcuterie plates to meat and fish entrées. A big attraction is the outdoor patio overlooking Peachtree Street, great for people watching.

Pour Wine Market

1418 Dresden Avenue Atlanta 30319 404.474.9563 www.pourwinemarket.com As we went to press, along came this newbie, just east of Buckhead in Brookhaven. It’s very rustic and attractive, plans to concentrate on wine rather than food, and offers sales by the bottle as well as the glass. Check it out!

OUR CRITERIA Location: It must be in (or very near) Buckhead.

Options: Unusual and constantly changing wines you won’t find in most restaurants – and lots of them open and ready to taste.

Stemware: Thin-lipped quality glasses, perfectly shined, cleaned and ready to display the wine in its best light.

Food: Interesting small plates that support the tasting of the wines, without outshining or overpowering them.

Ambiance: Whether contemporary or wine bar classic, the room and décor should make you feel like tasting wine.

Scene: Wine is a social beverage, so we looked for lively conversation with a reasonable noise level.

Staff: A personable, knowledgeable and creative pourer will make or break any wine bar, regardless of location or décor.

Cellar 56 has an Old World feel. Photos courtesy of Cellar 56

Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

S IMP LY D EL I C IOUS

Featured Restaurants | A sampling of great eats in and around Buckhead

By Stephanie Davis Smith n The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill 3279 Roswell Road Atlanta 30305 404.474.9508 www.thebigketch.com Definitely drop anchor in one of these booths for lunch or dinner. To eat a blackened scallop dipped in Georgia peach sauce here is to feel like you are dockside and not in bustling, landlocked Buckhead. As a rule, the chefs opt for healthy ingredients like oil and wine instead of mayo or butter. The fresh-daily fish sandwiches (try the grouper or lobster roll) are scr-yumptious, but everything plays second fiddle to their brilliantly battered two-bite hush puppies. n Bistro Niko 3344 Peachtree Road Atlanta 30305 404.261.6456 www.buckheadrestaurants. com/bistro-niko It’s a shame that chef Gary Donlick’s shrine to Paris bistros and French kitchens is perched, not alongside the Seine, but on the thoroughfare that is Peachtree Street. Lucky for us Atlantans, its authentic offerings—velvety rillette spreads, Gruyere cheese puffs, salmon Croque Monsieur and steak frites—can transport us to the Champs-Elysées without the outrageous airfare.

Francophiles will delight in habit-forming Boeuf Bourguignon and Crisp Duck Confit.

n Café at Pharr 316 Pharr Road NE Atlanta 30305 404.238.9288 www.cafeatpharr.com Arguably the most popular chicken salad in Buckhead; join the throngs of “ladies who lunch” who swear by their walnut, curry or classic celery chicken salad on a bed of lettuce or just-baked bread. And don’t forget the yogurt rolls!

Family-run by the charming Liu clan for 17 years, this café’s cheery atmosphere is right for a speedy light lunch and stays open until 5, so you can pick up a painless (and guiltless) dinner on your way home from work.

n Café Bistro at Nordstrom Phipps Plaza 3500 Peachtree Road NE Atlanta 30326 404.442.3000 shop.nordstrom.com/c/Nordstrom-restaurants

n Café Lapin Peachtree Battle Shopping Center 2341 Peachtree Road Unit C Atlanta 30305 404.812.9171 www.cafelapin.com

Rest from overworking that Nordstrom credit line at this casual spot among the racks.

Fashionistas and GQ-types can grab a crab bisque with lots of sherry or a Bistro Club on rustic bread between fitting room sessions. If the mall food court isn’t really your scene, you’ll adore this reprieve from the crowds while you sit and sip some perfectly Southern sweet tea.

Oui! Oui! We’re regulars at this Parisian patisserie. (“Best croissants I’ve had outside of Paris!” squeals one fan.)

Elegant slices of asparagus tart cozy up next to baconwrapped strawberries with blue-cheese panna cotta and zucchini fritters with lemon crème fraiche. Sure, meatloaf feels more American than French country cuisine, but their bacon-wrapped version paired with haricots verts or

SPOTLIGHT n Pizzeria Venti 2770 Lenox Road Atlanta 30324 404.228.2013 www.pizzeriaventi-atlanta.com The 300 Calorie Club at Pizzeria Venti is the kind of club every healthy eater wants membership in. Fortunately, there’s no fee or meeting attendance required to be part of this tasty crew. Just show up and know that you have three full lunch choices for under 300 calories, plus a drink. Choose from Pasta e’ Fagioli soup with a contorno of apple slices

n Buckhead Bottle Bar 268 E Paces Ferry Road NE Atlanta 30305 404.474.9892 www.buckheadbottlebar.com In ritzy Buckhead, you’ll spot dozens of trendy restaurants advertising high-end comfort food. At BBB, you get the real deal—mac ’n’ cheese spring rolls with a sweet pepper dip, tomato soup with cheddar cheese toast and broiled shrimp on a pepperjack grit cake with pickled peppers. The Big Boy Burger requires you to put on your roomy (a.k.a. “big boy”) pants—it’s 12 ounces of juicy burger, cheddar, fried onion rings and a secret sauce.

and bleu cheese crumbles; or a large apple salad with Vidalia onion dressing over field greens; or a generous slice of cheese pizza with tomato slices, lemon and fresh basil.

At dinnertime, forget the calories, step up to the counter and speak your mind. If you’re smart, Bocce Balls (a meatball and cheese enveloped in a golden crust and topped with marinara) and Timpanini (stuffed pizza pies) should be on your plate shortly after. At this airy and welcoming eatery, Southerners can connect with their inner Italian sensibilities— and, of course, gelato.

gratin dauphinois with broccoli is all kinds of ooh la la. n Cantina Taqueria & Tequila Bar 3280 Peachtree Road NW #150 Atlanta 30305 404.892.9292 www.h2sr.com/cantina This is urban Mexican food.

Twists on traditional dishes are served amidst a modern, colorful design and a lively ambiance. Holy Guacamole! is a heaping hot cheese dip with a spin—it comes stacked with guac and pico de gallo.

Posole Verde, a stewed pork with hominy, green chile and cilantro, arrives steaming from the highly watchable open kitchen. An ahi tostado and a glass of white wine sangria will do you right. n EVOS 5590 Roswell Road, Suite 140 Atlanta 30342 404.252.4022 www.evos.com Like the Fountain of Youth or the Holy Grail—a hamburger, fries and shake spot with half the fat and calories seems like a tall tale. At EVOS, the myth materializes. Feel good about chowing down here. The Steakburger (430 calories) is hormone- and antibioticfree. Fries (230 calories) are Airbaked™, not fried. Nothing comes off a greasy grill in this tasty burger joint. Vegetarians will feel the love with items like a reduced-fat, soy taco wrap with long-grain rice and organic field greens. n Henri’s 61 Irby Avenue Atlanta 30305 404.237.0202 www.henrisbakery.com A second-nature stop for almost all Atlanta lunch-goers, Henri’s has been part of the fabric of Buckhead life for generations. A classic order-totaste deli, their egg salad and pimento cheese sandwiches are unmistakably Southern.

Give in to the temptation of a snickerdoodle, elephant ear or chocolate-dipped shortbread.

Want pure perfection? Wash

The Bocce Balls at Pizzeria Venti. Pizzeria Venti

Continued >> Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

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Continued from page 39 down a hot Cuban on sourdough with a bubbly Orangina. n Holeman & Finch Public House 2277 Peachtree Road, Suite B Atlanta 30309 404.948.1175 www.holeman-finch.com Linton Hopkins does beautiful things with meat; there’s a reason James Beard named him one of the best chefs in the Southeast. Witness his ground, stuffed, cured, fermented and tied versions of duck, lamb, beef and pork. The burger steals the show, though. Each night at 9:30, the mad rush for it begins when the bullhorn announces, “It’s burger time!” There are only 24 patties. That’s it. No more, no less. They usually go in under a minute. Put this burger on your bucket list.

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n Paul’s 10 Kings Circle NE Atlanta 30305 404.231.4113 www.greatfoodinc.com/pauls In the über-adorable, blink-and-youmight-miss-it Peachtree Hills area, Chef Paul Albrecht, formerly of Pano’s and Paul’s, brings his eclectic vision to yet another ’hood favorite. He also brings— thank God!—his original batter-fried South African Tristan lobster tail that wowed for decades. A simple brunch menu (shrimp and grits with chorizo, stuffed Spanish breakfast burritos) draws the townies around noontime. n Roasters 2770 Lenox Road Atlanta 30324 404.237.1122 www.roastersfresh.com This homestyle hideaway serves dishes—half slab of ribs, BBQ brisket, slow-roasted chicken, white chicken chili, seasonal vegetables—that call to mind the fact that Atlanta, while incredibly cosmopolitan, still likes some

down-home good eatin’. Tucked away in a small marketplace off Lenox, their packed dining room proves it. Lighter choices are available for the health-conscious, as are simpler kid-table choices, making this chicken joint a family fave. n Seasons 52 3050 Peachtree Road NW Atlanta 30305 404.846.1552 www.seasons52.com They pull tomatoes in the summer. Asparagus in the spring. Butternut squash and tangerines in the winter, too. Every plate gets a seasonal re-working when the calendar turns over. But no matter the month or weather outside, every item remains under 475 calories all year long. Hence the stylish restaurant’s apropos moniker. Begin with one of their savory flatbreads and close with a Mini Indulgence (single-serving dessert) and you can’t go amiss.

S I M P LY BU C K H E A D | J A N / F E B 2 0 1 1

Cover Story

Healing touch Page 42

Reiki at Reiki 4 Well Being. Courtesy of Reiki 4 Well Being/Megan Case Photography Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

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S IMP LY B UC K HE A D COVE R STO RY

Find your alternative therapy style The Buckhead area has plenty of choices when it comes to wellness treatments. But which one suits you?

By Elsa K. Simcik

T

hey have more energy. Their skin looks better. They have less pain.

They’re more relaxed. They lost weight. These are all things that happened to several Buckhead residents we spoke with who tried alternative therapies like acupuncture, reflexology, Reiki and polarity.

If you’ve been curious about these types of treatments but never knew which one to try, you’ve come to the right place. We talked with local experts in each of these fields to determine which therapies work best for which problems. They all claimed that they could help with healing pain, easing symptoms from cancer treatment and relieving stress. And because each of these treatments is energy-based, they all work to reenergize your system and bring balance to the mind, body and spirit. Still, the ways they go about doing this are really varied—from sticking needles in your head to gently rocking you while you talk about your problems. Read on to find out which one could heal what ails you.

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ACUPUNCTURE What it is: The 5,000-year-old ancient Chinese method emphasizes the importance of invisible energy lines called “meridians.” Each meridian connects to specific parts of the body such as the organs, tissues and teeth. An acupuncturist inserts needles into different points along the meridians of the body to promote energy and circulation. “We work on certain points which can help specific organ issues,” explains Dr. Li Liu of American Alternative Healthcare in Buckhead. “During an acupuncture session, the body will release endorphins, a natural pain killer. This helps relax the body and reduce pain.”

What it’s good for: “Most people come here for pain, either chronic or acute,” said Dr. Liu. She added that people also seek acupuncture treatments for stress reduction, depression, weight loss, infertility, wrinkle reduction, migraines and seasonal allergies.

Who might not like it: Needlephobes.

I did it!

Name: Amy McKee Age: 59 Occupation: Court reporter Started acupuncture in August 2010 What made you want to try acupuncture?

I wanted to lose weight and be healthy. Also, I had shattered my rotator cuff in December 2009.

Why did you think acupuncture would help you lose weight?

[I had heard about someone] who was going to Dr. Liu to quit smoking. I heard it helped with the cravings. I wondered if she could help me with weight loss because I have sweets cravings between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.

What happened at your first session? Did the needles hurt?

I didn’t even know she was putting the needles in. It wasn’t painful at all. She put some in my stomach, my legs and my arm.

What did she do after she put in the needles?

She gives you a choice of music and then she leaves the room for 30 minutes. I would pay just to have that 30 minutes; it’s so relaxing.

What happened after the 30 minutes were up?

She came in and took out the needles. I noticed she hadn’t put any in my right arm, which is the arm I broke. She asked me, “How is your arm?” I said, “But you didn’t put any needles in my arm.” She said she put them in the opposite arm. I could lift my [injured] arm straight up over my head.

I could go across my body and up my back.

When I walked in there I couldn’t do that. My arm still hurts, but it’s bearable now.

And what about the sweets cravings?

After my first visit, my sweets cravings were gone. I have a ton more energy and now exercise five to seven days a week. I’ve lost 30 pounds.

How often do you go?

I used to go once a week for the first ten times. Now I go every two or three weeks.

What else has acupuncture done for you?

I’m more relaxed than I used to be. I’m just an easier going-type person now.

Continued >>

Amy McKee. Photo by Matthew Smith

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REIKI What it is: Reiki may look like a massage, but it’s not. The client is fully clothed and the practitioner is not manipulating tissue. Instead, the Reiki practitioner gently places his or her hands on the client for three to five minutes and then moves to another part of the body. A typical session lasts about an hour. If the client prefers (or is in too much pain), the practitioner doesn’t have to touch them at all; the hands just hover a few inches above the body.

What it’s good for: “If someone is living under a lot of stress or anxiety, undergoing a Reiki session will help to bring about deep relaxation,” said Marlene “Kandi” Mullen, owner of Reiki 4 Well Being in Midtown. Mullen said people also come to see her for relief from the side effects of cancer treatment, insomnia, or any kind of pain. She has several clients who are dealing with emotional issues, sometimes stemming from trauma that happened to them as children.

Who might not like it: Reiki is very subtle and gentle, so it may not be for people who prefer a firmer, more massage-like treatment.

I did it!

Name: Whit Randolph Age: 41 Occupation: Real Estate Agent Started doing Reiki in the fall of 2009 What made you want to try Reiki?

I had fallen down a flight of stairs and injured my shoulder. I was in constant pain. I had tried chiropractors and other things and nothing was really working.

I had heard about Reiki, talked to Kandi about it and gave it a shot in the dark.

You would never think that something like this would work, but I gotta tell you, it relieved the pain immediately.

What happened in your first session?

She put her hands on my back and then

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she spent a lot of time on that shoulder.

Afterward I felt like I had energy, but I was relaxed at the same time. The pain subsided for a couple of days after the first session. The more I went back, the more it was going away. I don’t know how to explain it.

How often do you go?

I was going once a week for a couple of months; then I slowed it down. Now I probably go just whenever I feel completely stressed out. This is not the best market for real estate; I’ve been very stressed. Reiki has actually made me much more relaxed.

Now how is your shoulder?

It’s so much better. I couldn’t even do a pull-up when I went in there. Now I’m up to about five or six.

Whit Randolph. Photo by Matthew Smith

S IM P LY B UC K HE A D COVE R STORY

REFLEXOLOGY What it is: “Reflexology is the science of working on the feet or the feet and the hands to balance and heal aspects of the body and mind,” says Roz Zollinger, the founder and director of The Heal Center Atlanta in Sandy Springs. She explains that a reflexologist uses the feet as a minimap of the body, where every organ, gland and nerve has a related reflex area in the feet. In a typical session she uses a type of compression massage to help with energy flow, nerve supply and circulation. Sometimes Zollinger only works on the feet, and other times she works on the hands too, which she says are also a microcosm of the body.

What it’s good for: Zollinger said people use reflexology for a number of issues, including infertility, hormonal issues, stress, headaches, digestive problems, back pain, foot problems, neck issues, morning sickness and side effects from cancer treatment.

Who might not like it: People who don’t like having their feet touched or are extremely ticklish.

I did it!

Name: Susie Fryer Cohen Age: 31 Occupation: Stay-at-home mom and part-time Bikram yoga instructor Started reflexology three years ago How did you hear about reflexology and what made you want to try it?

When I was 19, I was in a very serious car accident with multiple injuries. I was working with a massage therapist who would always start with a session of reflexology. That was my first experience with reflexology and it became one of the things on my “to-do list,” something that at some point in my life I would want to go learn how to practice.

So three years ago I started researching reflexology teachers in the Atlanta area, and that is where I thankfully came across Roz Zollinger. I immediately signed up for her class to learn how to practice reflexology.

The very last week of our class, I found out I was pregnant. It was such perfect timing because I moved from the class to being a very regular client of Roz’s.

How did reflexology help you during your pregnancy?

Susie Fryer Cohen. Photo by Matthew Smith It was a wonderful way to relax, tap into my body, to the baby’s effects on my body, and to just keep the energy and blood circulating as freely as possible. During the beginning, when I was morning sick, the reflexology helped so much. I had very few sleepless nights which is an infamous part of pregnancy.

Did you continue reflexology after you had your baby?

Yes. As a mom, the relaxation of reflexol-

ogy has been the best for me. When you walk out of a session, it’s like walking out with a clean slate. I also feel like it keeps my hormones in check.

How often do you go?

I have not been consistently in the past few months and I am definitely going to get back into the routine of receiving this amazing and awesome healing. In a perfect world I would want this treatment once a month.

Continued >>

Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

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POLARITY What it is: Polarity is the process of unblocking tension in the body. The practitioner uses his or her fingers to work pressure points on the body. “We call it acupressure—acupuncture without needles,” said Eleanora Lipton, founder and co-director of The Atlanta Polarity Center in Buckhead.

“If there’s tension around the neck, then there may well be tension around the belly or the knees. Polarity is a profound model of how stress patterns work in the body.”

Often the client and practitioner will discuss problems the client is having and may even have a completely hands-off, verbal session.

Lipton also encourages her clients to take her “intuitive yoga” classes as part of their polarity practice. Participants do simple poses combined with rocking and stretching movements, which she says helps them listen to their body’s guidance.

MORE INFORMATION Acupuncture American Alternative Healthcare Dr. Li Liu 455 E. Paces Ferry Road, Suite 201 Atlanta 30305 404.841.9994 www.drliliu.com Cost: $65 a session after initial consultation Reflexology The Heal Center Atlanta 180 Allen Road, #101 North Bldg.

Sandy Springs 30328 404.303.0007 www.healcenteratlanta.com Cost: $65 for feet alone and $75 for both hands and feet

What it’s good for: Relaxation, tension in the shoulders, headaches, stomachaches, muscle stress, eye stress and eye fatigue.

Who might not like it: People who don’t like a lot of touching. Although there is the option to just talk, the actual polarity massage is very hands-on, with the practitioner sometimes gently rocking parts of the client’s body.

Reiki Reiki 4 Well Being 933 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta 30309 770.331.2688 www.reiki4wellbeing.com Cost: $75 a session

I did it!

Name: Jane Heinrich Age: 53 Occupation: Retired from computer software industry Started polarity five months ago What made you start polarity sessions?

I take yoga through the Atlanta Polarity Center with Eleanora [Lipton]. She convinced me how valuable it was. I wanted to open my mind and my eyes to something different.

Did you have any ailments that you thought polarity would relieve?

I do strength training three times a week, so I had pain and tension in my muscles. I’ve also had family issues recently that are stressful and take up a lot of my time.

How has polarity helped?

It helps reduce the pain and tension I get from doing my strength training.

It’s a way to relax as well as rejuvenate.

The next day I have so much energy.

I’m ready to go. That’s something I don’t think you get from other types of massages.

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Polarity Atlanta Polarity Center 566 Pharr Road Atlanta 30305 404.231.9481 www.atlantapolaritycenter.com Cost: $100 a session

Jane Heinrich. Photo by Matthew Smith

How often do you go?

Once a week.

Do you and Eleanora talk during your sessions? It varies. It’s all a function of how I’m feeling. Sometimes I just enjoy the physical side of it, like meditation.

Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

Sometimes I’m more talkative. Sharing feelings is hard for me. That’s one of the things in our conversation she’s helped me get in touch with. By talking about it, you start to understand it and then you can deal with it.

S I M P LY BU Z Z | S I M P LY C H A R I TA B L E | S I M P LY S C E N E

Simply Happening

Spotlight Chocolate wishes with champagne dreams LW Chocolatier 3060 Peachtree Road NW, Suite 40 Atlanta 30305 404.467.8503 www.lwchocolatier.com

Think Valentine’s Day and your mouth may start watering, begging for chocolate. This year, if you discover Buckhead’s own LW Chocolatier, you may all-out drool. Owner Leandro Wartelski is a third-generation chocolatier who swears the best chocolate is made with premium selected raw cacao beans. February 10 at 6 p.m., grab your significant other or best friend and

scurry over to Peachtree for a free (yes, free) glass of bubbly and tasting of LW’s product line. Highlights include Swiss truffles, marzipan in bittersweet chocolate and dulce de leche caramels. The tasting comes right before Valentine’s Day, just in time to satiate that mouthwatering with one of Leandro’s heart-shaped boxes.

LW Chocolatier offers free sips and tastes. LW Chocolatier Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

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Simply Buzz | Events, exhibits, galas and more

By Margaret Watters

tress. The New York Times bestselling novel is set right before WWII, but you may recognize some inspiration from the post-9/11 world. Join Blake for a signing and book discussion for more sources of her inspiration. Tickets are $10.

Bring It On: The Musical January 15–February 20 Alliance Theatre 1280 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta 30309 www.alliancetheatre.org

You can admit it—we know you liked the movie. Start with two high-school cheerleading teams firing off witty lines, add intricately choreographed dance numbers, and you have yourself Bring It On: The Musical. Check out the world premiere in Atlanta of the new musical crafted by a team of Tony Award-winning writers, composers and musicians.

Christopher T. Terry and Paula Landrem at Pryor Fine Art January 21–February 11 Pryor Fine Art 22-F Bennett Street Atlanta 30309 404.352.8775 www.pryorfineart.com

You may have fancied yourself a van Gogh in third grade, but (hopefully) that notion has passed. Come check out real artists—realist painter Christopher T. Terry and mixed media abstract artist Paula Landrem—at Pryor Fine Art’s first show of the season.

Toulouse-Lautrec and Friends: The Stein Collection at The High Museum of Art January 29–May 1

A still life by Christopher T. Terry. Pryor Art Gallery

need a little me-time. On February 1, SpaFinder will go live with fantastic deals to celebrate Wellness Week March 21–27. It’s worth it to book your appointments early—spas, yoga studios and Pilates centers around Atlanta will be offering classes and treatments half-price or for a $50 fee. Use this as a sign—it’s time to pamper yourself!

Sarah Blake book signing February 2 Literary Center at Margaret Mitchell House 990 Peachtree Street Atlanta 30309 404.814.4150 www.margaretmitchellhouse.com

Escape into a world of radiomusic hours and handwritten letters from loved ones with Sarah Blake’s The Postmis-

Valentine’s Day with JCT Kitchen’s Simple Abundance Class at The Cook’s Warehouse February 7 The Cook’s Warehouse Ansley Mall 1544 Piedmont Road, Suite 403-R Atlanta 30324 404.815.4993 www.cookswarehouse.com

Get a head start on your romantic Valentine’s Day meal with a cooking class led by Chef Ford Fry of JCT Kitchen.

Learn tricks from this master chef for preparing a scrumptious dinner that finishes with warm chocolate and banana brown butter almond cake with crème fraiche ice cream.

Tickets are $55 and proceeds go to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Nick Galifianakis book signing February 8 Barnes & Noble Buckhead 2900 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 310 Atlanta 30305 404.261.7747 www.barnesandnoble.com

High Museum of Art 1280 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta 30309 404.733.4444 www.high.org

City Club of Buckhead 3343 Peachtree Road, Suite 1850 Atlanta 30326 404.442.2600 www.buckheadbusiness.org

Come learn about Buckhead’s newest movings and shakings at the Buckhead Business Association’s annual State of Buckhead address by former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell.

Both members and nonmembers are invited to listen to Massell as he discusses Buckhead’s economic future and business opportunities.

Massell’s talk will be followed by the swearing in of the 2011 business association board.

Tickets are $10 for BBA members, $20 for nonmembers.

Pricci 500 Pharr Road Atlanta 30305 404.237.2941 www.buckheadrestaurants.com/ pricci

Roll out the red carpet without leaving the Perimeter. Join Buckhead Life Group’s Pricci for their annual Academy Awards viewing party and seated four-course menu. The first dinner seating is at 6 p.m. and the second at 8:30 p.m. Call for pricing.

The Art of Reconciliation February 28 Alliance Française d’Atlanta Colony Square Plaza level 1197 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta 30361 404.875.1211 www.afatl.com

Commissioned by Atlanta’s Alliance Française and Goethe-Zentrum and in celebration of 65 years of peaceful French-German relations, Atlanta artist Walter Cummings traveled from Paris to Berlin on foot, bike and by train, sketching everyday French and German people and landmarks. “The Art of Reconciliation” is the result of his 800-mile journey and is a beautiful collection of pastels and charcoal sketches that paint the new face of two nations.

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway Atlanta 30339 404.870.9603 for event information www.padv.org

Half-price spa treatments, yoga and Pilates Beginning February 1 www.spafinder.com/wellnessweek

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State of Buckhead Address by former Atlanta Mayor and President of the Buckhead Coalition Sam Massell February 18

Academy Awards Night at Pricci February 27

Hearts with Hope March 5

You may know Toulouse-Lautrec for his can-can girls, but there’s a lot more to the man than just the Moulin Rouge.

Check out the High’s exhibit of 80 of his works to see the classics and sneak a peek at some of his lesser-known pieces.

Sometimes you just

Famed cartoonist and humorist Nick Galifianakis of the Washington Post may present us with uncomfortable truths about ourselves, but even if you squirm at the frankness, you won’t be able to stifle a giggle. Join Galifianakis for a talk about his newest comic release, If You Loved Me, You’d Think This Was Cute: Uncomfortably True Cartoons About You. He’ll also be available for signings.

The Partnership Against Domestic Violence’s annual Hearts with Hope gala.

Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

The Partnership Against Domestic Violence (PADV)’s annual gala, Hearts with Hope, is a great excuse to get all gussied up to fundraise for an organization fighting domestic violence in Atlanta. The evening will include a cocktail hour, silent and live auctions, dinner and entertainment.

S IMP LY HA PP E N ING C HA RITAB LE

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imply Buckhead unveiled its premier issue and indulged in sweets to support a worthy organization at Caketails for a Cause.

The event, hosted at Bloomingdale’s Lenox location, benefited Share Our Strength, a nonprofit fighting against child hunger. A raffle for Bloomingdale’s merchandise and baked goods from Sweet Auburn Bread Company, Bakeshop, Chocolate Pink and more also helped raise money for children.

Above: Bloomingdale’s Mara Maddox and B98.5’s Vikki Locke, one of the evening’s hosts. Left: Melissa Jaturongroj and Stephanie Parhizkar.

Buckhead Life’s Heidi Sandate and The Reynolds Group’s Molly McFerran.

The Reynolds Group’s Christina Del Rocco and Eryn Emerich, one of the evening’s hosts and managing director of Footprint: Sustainable Talent.

Guitarist Rouzbeh Hoshmandy and percussionist Danny Stern play during Caketails for a Cause.

Simply Buckhead Publisher Joanne Hayes and Eryn Emerich, one of the evening’s hosts and managing director of Footprint: Sustainable Talent.

Aleigha Rosser and Ceimone Strickland.

Attendees of Caketails for a Cause sipped dessert-inspired cocktails, nibbled on delectable sweets from local bakeries and shopped, all in the name of a good cause.

MasterChef contestant Tracy Nailor and Allison Palestrini, Southeast director of Share Our Strength.

Photos by Renee Brock

Simply Buckhead Editor Allison Weiss Entrekin, MasterChef contestant Tracy Nailor, Simply Buckhead Publisher Joanne Hayes and Simply Buckhead Art Director Omar Vega.

Jan/Feb 2011 | Simply Buckhead

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S IMP LY HA PP E N ING S IM P LY SCENE

Goodbye Winter 2011 Although we’re still in its midst, Winter 2011 has been the most brutal that Atlantans have experienced in quite some time. Many of you made the most of the recent snowstorm, enjoying the fluffy white powder before it turned into treacherous ice. It’s safe to say that most of us are looking forward to the spring already. Here are a few parting shots (taken in and around Piedmont Park) of the snow as Simply Buckhead busily prepares and looks forward to our next issue. See you in the spring!

Photos by Omar Vega

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