Very exciting news!!  Michael & Kristen Benoit of the Vortex Bar and Grill have opened a new Mexican restaurant, Bone Garden Cantina, located in the Lumber Yard complex in the West Side of Midtown.  (1425 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd, off Huff Road).   Bone Garden has a Day of the Dead theme -- which pairs quite nicely with the theme we all know and have come to love at the Vortex.  The skeleton sculptures and artwork are amazing -- I can stare at the triptych mural for hours finding new skeletal creatures and intertwining story lines.  Most of the artwork was done by Michael Benoit himself (the mural above the bar and all the sculptures), with contributions from Ashely Zeltzer who painted the "El Diablito" Loteria card and Nagisa Higashida who painted the triptych depicting morning, noon and night during the Dia de Meurtos celebration.

Now to the food:  Authentic and deeeee-licious!  The quality of the food is amazing -- you can tell that the ingredients are fresh.  You can choose from tacos, enchiladas, burritos, sopes, and more.  I haven't tried everything on the menu, but from what I have tried, my ultimate favorites are the Blackened tilapia taco, the Al Pastor taco (marinated pork, pineapple, guajillo peanut salsa. fresh cabbage, cilantro, & finely diced onion), and soup, Pozole Blanco.  The chips and salsa are a great complimentary snack once you sit down -- FRESH homemade salsa.  And try the Mexican drinks -- the Jamaica was refreshing with a hint of sweetness.  I had a sampling of the Tamarindo, which was also refreshing and more sweet.

Here's the best part -- everything on the menu is extremely affordable!  The tacos are all $2.75, the enchiladas are all $3.00, the burritos are $6.00, and so on.... You can get a side of beans and rice for $1.50.  Being a close relative of the Vortex, Bone Garden has a very nice selection of Tequila, Mexican beers and specialty margaritas.  For even more authenticity, I swear I saw Telemundo on the bar TV.

I highly suggest that you make Bone Garden Cantina your next new restaurant to try.   You won't be disappointed! 

I finally woke up early enough on Saturday morning to visit the Green Market at Piedmont Park.  I'm glad I did -- not only because I actually do like getting up by 8:30 am on Saturdays, but also because there were some pretty cool things to look at and buy.  I wasn't sure what to expect...  What I did find was a sweet little market with a good mix of people.  There's definitely potential for the market to grow into something bigger, and I think the patronage would be there.  The Piedmont Park Conservancy does a nice job with the variety of vendors -- from local honey, flowers, fruits and vegetables to some nice jewelery and crafts.  The live music and the local celebrity chef demo were two nice surprises.  The Green Market takes place every Saturday from 9 am - 1 pm starting in May and ending in December.  I highly suggest a visit -- at least to peruse and support your local vendors.

I had a great Saturday morning walking around with my coffee and croissant from one of the vendors, listening to mellow music and checking out the local produce and crafts.

Click on the photos to sample some of the Green Market...

Rarely do I make anything for breakfast at home other than a bowl of cereal.  That's my boring weekday breakfast - filling enough, pretty healthy, and cost effective.  So why do the same old thing on a beautiful weekend morning?!  And especially when you have a scooter to hop on and zip to one of the many delicious breakfast places in Atlanta!  One of my favorite places for a delectable egg sandwich (scrabbled, cheese, and bacon on a delicious soft and chewy homemade bagel) is at The Belly General Store in Virginia Highland, on the corner of North Highland and St. Charles Ave.  As mentioned, they make all of their bagels from scratch -- and you can tell that they do it right!  I have no idea what goes into making a bagel, I just know they're spot on in my book. 

In addition to awesome bagels, The Belly General Store has a great atmosphere.  At least half of the people there probably just rolled out of bed in their Virginia Highland's home, put on a ball cap, and strolled over for some wake-up coffee and a tasty breakfast.  The staff is nice enough, but often very busy.  Sometimes the line can get held up by the coffee orders (the order-taker/cashier often also makes the coffee drinks -- which can cause the hold up).  You have to have a bit of patience and know that the end result will be worth it.  There are times when the sandwich magicians see the line boggle up and will help move it along.  I give them kudos for that.

I have never visited the store any later than 11:00 am, so I always get breakfast.  One day, I have to go there for lunch or just a snack break because those Willy Wonka looking cupcakes make my mouth water.  They are the most irresistibly looking rainbow-cakes and I just have to have one soon!

Click on the photos to sample some of The Belly General Store...

In one of my first blogs on the ATL Insider, I listed a few of my favorite coffee places.  One of them was Octane - a great, artful coffeehouse on the corner of Howell Mill Road and Marietta Street.  Inside and out, you'll find artists, students, young couples, "coffeehouse consultants", friends...a brilliant mix of people.  Outside you'll see scooters, bikes, cars, and pups.  On the walls you'll find local art and photography.    And in the air you'll smell the arousing aroma of delicious coffee.  Don't be surprised if you make a friend there...most often a very engaging conversation will occur and the work you brought to go over will go untouched.

Click on the photos to see for yourself...
 

High gas prices?  Too much traffic? One solution would be to start scootin' around Atlanta.  I highly recommend it.  Parking is a breeze, you can carefully zip around traffic, and you can fill up your gas tank for around $4.00 - 8.00 depending on the size scooter and gas tank you have (64 - 80 miles per gallon baby!).  My husband and I have two - a 200cc Vespa, and a 125cc Vino.  We do have a car, but we try to avoid driving it as much as possible.  Granted, our lifestyle is well suited for owning scooters and using them as our main mode of transportation -- we live in Midtown, I work in Downtown, my husband is self-employed and can scoot to most of his clients, and we spend all of our weekend ITP (inside the Perimeter).

I see more and more scooters popping up in all of Atlanta's neighborhoods, and scooter stores closely behind.  We bought our Vespa at Moto Bravo, now called the Scooter Superstore 741 Monroe Drive NE.  There's also ATL Scooters on Ponce De Leon Ave, Twist-n-Scoot on Piedmont Rd, and Scooter-Steve in Decatur. 

Atlanta is a great city to scoot in.  Staying on the main roads like Peachtree Street and Ponce De Leon Ave, taking back roads through neighborhoods, and if you are attentive and always cautious as you should be when riding a scooter, you can safely zip around.  Each neighborhood pretty much has a grocery store, restaurants, bars, shopping, live entertainment, so you don't have to travel far to get where you're going.  And did I mention the parking?  With a car, I stay far from Virginia Highland and Little Five Points because I find parking a nightmare there...but with a scooter it's a different story altogether!   Also,  with moderate to high temperatures for 7-8 months out of the year, the ride is very comfortable.  **A side note for us ladies....With all the positive aspects of owning and riding a scooter, I quickly got over the possibility of messing up my hair with the helmet.  For work days, I have a spare brush, hair dryer, and bottle of hair spray in my desk in case of emergencies....yet I rarely ever need it.

There are many sunny weekends in our future this Spring and Summer, so stop by your local scooter store and take a test drive.  I know you'll be hooked instantly!

Safe and happy scooting!!

Click on image to see our Vespa and Vino, as well as other scooters we saw around Atlanta while scootin' this weekend.

I am so happy!  Taco Mac has come to Midtown...just three blocks from my apartment.  What a wonderful thing!  A few times out of the year I get this huge craving for Buffalo wings.  Good, meaty, deliciously hot Buffalo-style chicken wings.  And with them, a nice pint of fruity beer - like a Hefewiezen or Hoegaarden.  I'm not a beer drinker, but when I have wings - oh yeah.  They go better with beer than with a house merlot.  The past few times I've had these cravings, I satiated my appetite at the Virginia Highland's Taco Mac.  From what I've read, I believe it's the original one.  It's a great location, but the parking stinks.  My husband and I take the scooter usually, whenever venturing into Virginia Highland.  The Buffalo wings are so good, I overlook the parking or braving the chilly weather on the scoot.  After checking out the Taco Mac website, I honestly didn't realize how many restaurants there are in Georgia.  Good for them -- I'm glad they are successful.  For those that have never heard of Taco Mac, don't expect to find a Mexican restaurant.  You can read here at this link why a place known for it's Buffalo wings and huge selections of beer on draft has the name Taco Mac.

Anyway, to my great delight, I found out only last week that a Taco Mac was moving into my neighborhood.  It's awesome!  My husband and I went last night and the place is really nice inside.  Flat screen TVs, lots of tables and booths, and a nice sized bar area.  It's a pretty different feel from the one in Virgina Highland -- which is totally fine with me.  I found that one to be a bit small and I usually feel like the oldest one there.  The new one, located in Metropolis on the corner of Peachtree Place and Peachtree Street, is slick, sleek, and very much "midtown."  Love it.  And the wings...just has hot and delicious!  For a main dish, I had the Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich with fries which was very good.  A basic fried chicken sandwich.  The next time I go, I'm definitely having what my husband had.  He enjoyed the South Street Philly.  The bread was soft and warm, the cheese hot and gooey, and the steak, peppers and onions very flavorful.  In addition to great food, the prices are quite reasonable.  Check out the menu. 

Last night, my husband and I were in the mood for pizza.  If we could winkle our nose like Samantha in Bewitched and transport ourselves within seconds to Westchester or Suffolk County, New York (places where the two of us grew up), we would have.  Pizza is a very personal thing -- there are many taste buds in the world that have their own opinion.  For us and our taste buds, we believe New York is really the only place to get a real slice of pie.  Our only mode of transportation at this time is our Ford Fusion, so we decide to consult Creative Loafing once again to continue our search for a good piece of pizza.  Happily we find that three places have been featured in this past week's edition.  We already tried the one located in Smyrna.  It was good, but something was missing -- the sauce just wasn't right and the crust was too thick.  So we decided upon a pizzeria in Duluth called Verra-Zanno Pizzeria.  Cute, clever name.  The owner must be someone from New York because not many people outside of New York City know of the Verrazano Bridge, which I'm assuming the pizzeria is named after.

Duluth is about 35 minutes from Midtown.  Not many people would want to travel that far for pizza, but we're on the hunt and we like to drive.  It gets us out of the city once in awhile.  It's good to see the burbs and remind ourselves there is life outside of the perimeter (for visitors, I mean outside of I-285).  Last night's trip was worth it.  I was hoping to see a little hole in the wall type place with neon lights flashing Budweiser, three booths, a few tables, and a long counter with Tony, Michael, and Lisa working behind it because that's what I remember driving up to when I was 13 years old.  That's not what we drove up to.  We parked in front of a nice establishment with patio seating in a, what looked like new, shopping center.  Once we walked in we were pleasantly surprised with the ambiance -- very clean establishment, a beautiful marble, very long counter to sit at, and an adequate number of tables. Tony wasn't behind the counter, but Joe was - the owner of the pizzeria and a New York transplant just like us.  He grew up in the Bronx, and I believe in Staten Island too, and worked in a pizzeria as a teenager.  I guess you could say he was apprenticing for his future business.  Not sure what brought him to Georgia, but I'm happy he came.  After chatting with Joe for a bit, we ordered a large pizza with fresh mushrooms and Italian sausage.  While waiting for our pie, we each had a garden salad with the house dressing.  A very nice basic salad with the typical house dressing you get in a pizzeria.  It was very good.  And then came the moment of truth -- the pizza.  My husband and I both agreed that by far this is the best pizza in the Atlanta area.  The sauce was spot on, the toppings and cheese were delicious, and the crust was very close.  I can't say it transported me back to Michael Angelo's in East Moriches, NY, but it came very close.  And to top it off, Joe sent us home with two complimentary and delicious cannolies!  There were two when we left the pizzeria, but only one when we got home.  We'll definitely go back to Verra-Zanno Pizzeria. I wonder if they deliver to Midtown?  ....probably not.  Doesn't matter, it's worth the trip to go back!

I don't cook.  I love food, I love eating....I don't love cooking.  I don't even like cooking.  I think it's because I don't like taking the time to actually do the cooking; and when I do, I've come up with something that's not very good.  I end up getting frustrated and wishing I had just spent the money on a yummy salad from Fresh to Order or a hamburger from The Vortex.  No, it's not very economical, but it's much more satisfying and there's a lot less clean-up.  So when I moved back to Atlanta a year ago, I was THRILLED to learn there was a Trader Joe's opening up in Midtown.  Just one more thing to make me love the A-T-L!

I heard of Trader Joe's as a child growing up on Long Island, New York, but it was always this mysterious store where my great aunt and uncle would buy the most interesting candies.  I grew to love the orange jelly candy covered in dark chocolate.  The first time I set foot in the actual store was when my husband and I moved to San Francisco for a year and happened to bump into a Trader Joe's while looking for another store.  As soon as we entered the store, I knew it was a match made in Heaven!   For those who haven't heard of Trader Joe's, their claim to fame is they're your neighborhood grocery store, but much much more.  To grab their words..."Our shelves are stocked full of delicious foods and beverages from the basics like milk, bread and butter to more exotic fare like imported cheeses, organic produce and hand-tossed pizza from Italy. We taste every product before we decide to sell it, and we guarantee you'll like it."

One of the many great things about Trader Joe's is they prepare these great food items that are fresh and tasty that you can take home and just pop in the oven or microwave and 5 - 40 minutes later, you're eating a delicious and nutritious meal.  From a zesty chicken cutlet and tortellini meal for two to a fresh individual Greek meal for one consisting of tabouli, hummus, falafel, and pita.  What makes it even better than picking up a sandwich from the Cypress Street Pint & Plate right behind my apartment is not only do I feel like I cooked a little, it was affordable.  You'd think all of their fancy foods (the prepared, frozen, dry goods, …all of it) would break the bank, but they really don't.  Every time I leave the store, I'm always amazed at how much less I've spent than I thought I would...pretty much the complete opposite feeling from when I leave Publix (and definitely Whole Foods) shaking my head at how much more money I've spent than I wanted to, and showing very little for it.
 
For brevity's sake, here's my top ten list of why I love Trader Joe's, in no particular order:

1. Fun, different foods along with most staples
2. Prepared, fresh meals that you can take home and heat up for dinner -- great for singles or couples who don't like to cook (hubby and me!)
3. Frozen foods and meals I believe are healthier than Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine, and way more tasty
4. Inexpensive
5. Very friendly employees
6. Beautiful and inexpensive flowers for sale
7. Great selection of wine and beer (and inexpensive)
8. Really yummy snacks (chocolate covered everything)
9. Nice selection of coffees
10. The monthly flier that has fun tid-bits to read, and even recipes (I have a stack of these at home in case one day I actually begin to cook)

Every rose has its thorns.  Trader Joe's doesn't have everything I need to stock our fridge and pantry.  I need our 12 pack of Diet Coke, my Yoplait yogurt, my husband's Orville Redenbacher Light Butter microwave popcorn, my Kleenex, and our Charmin.  They also package a good amount of their vegetables together.  I don't want three onions - just one will do; same with the tomatoes and peppers.  I also can't find some other vegetables I like in my salads.  So for every weekly trip to Trader Joe's, I do need to make a trip to Publix for the mentioned items.  A small inconvenience compared to the many conveniences and pleasures Trader Joe's has to offer!

When I lived in Connecticut four years ago, I never heard of IKEA.  When I moved to Atlanta, I fell in love with IKEA.  For a married couple living in 800 square feet of space, IKEA is a God-send.  The furniture helps us turn three rooms into five.  We know we won't be living in this apartment for more than a few years, but we want nice furniture that we don't have to spend a fortune on.  IKEA is the perfect place for affordable, nice looking furniture.  You don't feel bad giving it away after a few years of use because you really didn't spend that much on it.  You get your money's worth.  As stated on their website "IKEA offers a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. This is the idea at the heart of everything IKEA does, from product development and purchases to how we sell our products in IKEA stores globally."

The Atlanta IKEA is located on the edge of Atlantic Station.  Walking through this brightly lit, expansive warehouse is quite an experience.  It's a maize of quaint show rooms giving you examples of what you too can create in your home.  Each item has a very clever name, Swedish in nature, that gives each item a special pizzazz to it.  My husband and I just recently purchased two nightstands to go with our platform bed frame we purchased last month.  The set is called MALM.  The couch we purchased a few months back is called the EKTORP; and the bookcases we have belong to the EXPEDIT family.

"The Affordable Solutions for Better Living" concept has a catch though... you have to put whatever piece of furniture you purchase together yourself.  It seems quite daunting at first.  Especially when you open the 4' wide x 8' long  x 1' high box weighing 25 lbs and you pull out the pieces and parts that will eventually be your 7' tall by 8' wide shelving unit.  All I can advise is that before you even open the box, you must set aside a least one hour, clear out a large area on your floor, keep dogs and cats away, pour yourself a glass of wine and say a little prayer for patience.  Then open the box, lay out all the pieces and parts you find, especially the hardware included in the box, take a peek through the picture-only instructions booklet - from the first to the last step - and then begin.  It's actually a rather great feeling of accomplishment once you're through.

One other note of importance regarding IKEA.  There's a cafeteria on the top floor where you can get 10 Swedish meatballs with gravy, potatoes, and cranberry sauce for around $3.50, and oh my, they are good!  You can't get this meal anywhere else.  I love it!

If you haven’t already, check out IKEA the next time you have a few hours to spare on a rainy weekend afternoon.  

(My Saturday afternoon putting together our two MALM nightstands):
 

One of the best times of the year for me is the first sunny, warm weekend in Atlanta.  This year, it took place on the second day of Spring.  Blue skies, sunny, a high of 70 degrees with a nice breeze.  It was perfect, and extra-special because it also landed on a Saturday.  I had to drop everything I planned to do and step outside for a stroll in Piedmont Park.  I wasn't alone.  From people to dogs to parrots, we were all out soaking in the Spring sun.  It was a good day!

The other weekend I decided to take a little photography field trip to Paris on Ponce, an antique store here in Atlanta off Ponce de Leon Ave.  I just happened upon the place through a friend last month.  Once I entered the store, I knew I had to come back to take pictures.  The place is really much more than an antique store.  To borrow their words from the website, George and Judi Lee, the owners, "wanted to create an interesting, relaxing experience which everyone is welcome to browse and dream."  I can say without a doubt that I am not an antique shopper.  I admire those who have a passion for antiques and can spend hours in a store looking for that one item that will speak to them.  I just don't do that.  But here, at Paris on Ponce, it's like you walk back in time and I can honestly spend hours just browsing the three buildings full of furniture, trinkets, mannequins, and more.  The catch for me is that it's welcomed to bring your camera and just take pictures.  George, one of the very friendly owners, frequently has his own digital camera around his neck.  In addition to the store, all the way in the back is an event space fashioned after the Moulin Rouge.  Many weddings, parties, special events, and even tango lessons occur here throughout the year. 

If you're looking for something different to do and have about two hours to escape to a special place, I definitely recommended taking a trip back in time to Paris on Ponce.  For some inspiration, here are a few photos I took during my trip.

The Cast of Paris on Ponce

This week was a  busy one.  In addition to my "day job," I moonlight as an amateur photographer for Kingsized Entertainment.  With Valentine's Day and love in the air, I worked two events.  The first was at Trader Vics in the Hilton Atlanta at the Valentine's Day Soiree.  Tongo Hiti played - a fantastic band that plays there most Thursday nights when you can get a $4.00 Mai Tai and listen to some great Polynesian-Tiki-type music mixed with some great swing and rock-n-roll while sampling an assortment of yummy treats off the menu.  Each holiday, Trader Vics usually has some sort of fun event.  New Year's Eve there was the International Jetsetters New Year's Eve Ball (photos); I'm sure in March there will be something for St. Patrick's Day; and in May I know there's an event called Lavapalooza by the pool (hopefully there will be a pool with this darn drought).  

The second event I worked was the Dames Aflame "Showbiz What Sizzles!"  A classy, sexy, fun show filled with great dance numbers, humor, wit, and sassy burlesque.  Entertainment at its best!  Everyone who goes to a Dames Aflame show will be blown away.  The show takes place once a month on a Friday - two shows (8 and 10:30 pm) - at the Laughing Skull Lounge at the Vortex in Midtown.  This is an intimate venue that is quickly becoming the place to be to see great shows.  There's an event on the first Tuesday of every month called Boozer Doodle, and I hear some things are in the works for an improv show, as well as a game show.  I can't promise anything, but I do believe the great Lucky Yates will be involved with all three!

Atlanta has a fantastic array of venues to see some great entertainment, and the above two are just a small sampling of them.  Check 'em out!

Two lovely Dames Aflame at the Valentine's Day Soiree

I had the fun opportunity of taking some pictures at Smith's Olde Bar the other night.  Embarrassingly, it was my first time there to see live music.  My friend's husband, Michael Dana, and his friend, Jeremy Aggers, played in the Atlanta Room. Great music!  Reminded me of Martin Sexton.  Michael and Jeremy are currently working on a CD which is hoped to be out very soon.  Since they had record-breaking attendance in the Atlanta Room, Smith's is having them play in the main room on March 30th.  Way to go Michael and Jeremy!!  I liked the Atlanta Room - a very intimate setting to really hear and feel the music.  A bit smoky, but hey, that's a bar and most often live music.  Just make sure not to wear that cashmere sweater or suede jacket that needs a bit more special attention to air out the next day.

Some pics from the record-breaking night:

 
Michael Dana on percussion and Jeremy Aggers on guitar. 

Michael Dana and Jeremy Aggers 

Michael Dana 

Like most people, I have to have my coffee in the morning to begin functioning properly.  I'm definitely more coherent and friendlier than my husband is in the morning without coffee though.  I'm happy to get a grunt which serves as his "good morning - where's the coffee?"  I knew as soon as we started dating years ago that coffee was going to be a staple to have a successful relationship (and not to ask any important questions before 9:30 am).  Both James and I sleep very late on Sunday mornings because we usually both work very late on Saturday nights.  Since I'm more of the morning person, it has become ritual that I wake up a few minutes before him and go to Starbucks on 7th and Peachtree -- the only place I would ever think of walking into with bed-head hair, no makeup, and yesterday's pair of jeans.  Why don't I just make coffee at home you ask -- one reason is because I just don't like how I make coffee.  It never tastes right; and two, because I've fallen in love with the Americano and I have yet to purchase my own espresso machine.  Both James and I have an Americano - we love it.  So the purpose of this caffeinated post is to share my favorite spots to get that must needed beverage:

1. Starbucks - the easiest and most convenient for any resident or visitor.  I enjoy their Americano more than their coffee.  Doesn't matter if you're in Tulsa, OK or Atlanta, GA, you'll know what to expect at Starbucks.  The one on 7th and Peachtree is my weekend morning destination.

2. Caribou Coffee - I never heard of Caribou until I moved to Atlanta, and they are very good.  They are a chain and have many locations. I really like their coffee, and their Americano is just as good.  Caribou is my supplier of caffeine during the week.  There's one right below my office in Peachtree Center Downtown.

3. Octane - If you're looking for atmosphere and a place with a great eclectic soul, you should definitely try Octane on the corner of Marietta and Howell Mill.  I typically only get an Americano here because they are just so darn good.  They almost have a chocolately essence to them.  I'm no espresso aficionado, so forgive me for butchering my description.  Just know they make fantastic espresso drinks and have a very funky atmosphere.  I love looking at the art from local artists on their wall...I also love looking at both the employees and clientele - most often you'll see some fantastic tattoos and hair-dos there.  A little bit of Little Five Points outside of Little Five Points.

4. Java-ology - Another great place for an Americano, on the corner of Edgewood and Boulevard.  I've only been here twice, but from the vibe, I can tell they are another hip place to go for a great espresso drink and some groovy atmosphere.  I look forward to exploring Java-ology more.

5. Midcity Cafe - Funny enough, I've only had coffee here.  Just a hop skip and a jump from where we live, on the corner of Abercrombie Pl and West Peachtree under the Midcity Lofts, this is a nice alternative to Starbucks.  They have delicious coffee (they brew Lavazza which my husband and I find yummy).  I go here more after work than on weekend mornings though.  The have a full bar and the atmosphere is more Midtown city-chic, rather than Octane's funky vibe.

I know there are many more coffee places in Atlanta to explore to find a great Americano. Please add comments to my post to share your favorite spot.  Ahhhh, the Americano.  It's almost better than breathing.