Chastain
{ Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 }
Chastain Park Goes Green With New Tennis Center
Hopefully, Mayor Kasim Reed will not show up to the ribbon cutting in jean shorts and spandex.
Just read in Atlanta Intown that the Chastain Park Conservancy is breaking ground on a brand new tennis centertomorrow. Atlanta may not support its hockey team, and it may not have any interest in celebrity chefs, but there’s no question that Atlantans love tennis. With 80,000 members, ALTA (Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association, to you non-Atlantans) is the largest recreation tennis association in the world, and when the sun is shining, it’s hard to find a court in town that’s not being used.
So kudos to the Chastain Conservancy, for not only building a new center, but doing it the right way: the park is seeking Earthcraft certification on the construction. Appropriate, if you ask me- a new tennis center that promotes more human energy use, and less natural resource use.
If you’re free tomorrow at 11, stop on by and take part in the festivities.
The Relevant Linkage
Browse houses near Chastain Park, here.
Browse new tennis racquets, here.
Learn a little bit more about the benefits of green building, here.
{ Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 }
Five Questions With… Lindsey Zuckerman
Just the type of gal to face down Five Questions With… with aplomb.Q. Anthony Bourdain decides he wants to tape an episode of No Reservations in Atlanta, and he calls on you to be his guide. Where are you taking him?
A. I’d definitely take him to Buford Highway because that’s where the hidden gems of Atlanta are. We could do a Latin restaurant crawl, starting with some pupusas and the stellar shrimp cocktail at Rincon Latino, tacos at El Rey del Taco, and for dessert we could head back into town for the most amazing tres leches cake ever at Tierra.
A. I hope our restaurant scene will be on the national stage by then. Atlanta dining doesn’t get enough respect. With people like Linton Hopkins being chosen as a Food & Wine Best New Chef and some upcoming Top Chef attention, I think that people will begin to see that it’s more than fried chicken and grits at Atlanta restaurants (although we do that really well, too). I’m also hoping to see more challenging restaurants like Abattoir taking root. There are so many talented young chefs in town, so I think the next five years will be really exciting if Atlanta diners can prove to them that they can build their careers here.
He might seem happy in this head shot, but Pura Vida’s Hector Santiago won’t be smiling when he’s dealing with the wrath of Gail Simmons on Top Chef!
Q. Create a five course tasting menu from around Atlanta. What’s for dinner? (can include restaurants, grocery, home cooks, etc.)
A. OK, I’d be stuffed silly at the end of this but here are some of my faves-
To kick things off, I’d have a Piedmont Apple (fresh pressed apple juice, bitters, sparkling sauvignon blanc + grated cinnamon) and cornmeal fried oysters from Holeman and Finch- these go down fast!
Next up would be a Fox Bros Brisket Burger with JCT’s truffle fries and Mexican corn from El Taco.
Dessert at home is always nice, so we could end with my homemade peanut butter molten chocolate cakes. After that I’d slip into a food induced coma, but I’d have a smile on my face!
Q. Favorite neighborhood?
A. I live near Inman Park and love that we can actually walk to great restaurants. It’ll be even better when new restaurants open on N. Highland in the old Grape space and the empty space across from Parish.
Q. Best Atlanta celebrity sighting?
A. No one too exciting lately but a while back I saw Andre 3000 walk by in one of his crazy outfits while I was dining at Pura Vida. And an Indigo Girl was having her hair done this week at my salon, Adore.
BONUS QUESTION: Why is Adventurous Tastes awesome?
Adventurous Tastes has something for anyone who loves to eat (and who doesn’t?). The site includes recipes for home cooks, Atlanta restaurant reviews and news, and the latest scoop from the rest of the culinary world. Need an idea for what to cook tonight or where to head for a quick bite or a romantic dinner? Adventurous Tastes has got your answer! Plus, I’m an amateur chef with a realistic food budget for dining out, so people can relate to my choices in recipes and restaurants.
The Linkage
Broaden your horizons and check out Adventurous Tastes, here.
Broaden your waistline with the famed Fox Bros. Burger, here.
Broaden your bookshelf in this 5 bedroom beauty near Chastain, here.
Photo Credits: El Rey del Taco- EatBufordHighway Blog, Hcctor Santiago- Star Chefs
{ Monday, June 8th, 2009 }
Chastain: Nothing Like It
Before moving to Atlanta, I lived in New York City, where going to concerts or sporting events typically meant that you could bring two things into the venue with you: a wad of cash, and a couple of antacid tablets. There’s no such thing as picnicking at the event- once they’ve got you inside the gates, they intend on charging you. A lot. My beloved Yankees are now charging $12.50 for beer and $5.50 for a hot dog, enough to make me want to delete the word “beloved” from the beginning of this sentence.
Lucky for you, there are still a ton of great shows this summer. Click here and here to see the full roster.
{ Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 }
Five Questions With… Michael Maziar
Mara Davis may seem like a hard act to follow for Five Questions With…, but I think I’ve found the perfect guy for the job. Atlanta native Michael Maziar knows his ATL, plain and simple. After a couple of years in Colorado and a few jaunts around the globe, he’s brought the Dirty Bird back bigger and badder than ever before (take that, Matt Ryan!), in his current sales role at Dynamic Entertainment Systems. If you’ve ever dreamed about new audio/visual or “smarts” for your new (or existing) home, he’s your man.
And now, questions and answers:
Q. You get a call from Dikembe Mutombo, who’s thinking about moving back to Atlanta but needs some help. 24 hours around town- where are you taking the big man?
I would love if Dikembe came back! He’s the man, never won a championship or had a big sponsorship, but educates in Africa, and is a CARE spokesperson (which lest we forget is headquartered here in Atlanta over their previous home in Manhattan).
He got here right after the Olympics, when the whole world had its focus on a sleepy southern city in the US. But really, this was a huge moment for Atlanta during its maturation into the vibrant, culturally rich, southern swaggerin’, chitlin charming, redneck meets roughnecks, metropolis it is today. He was traded out of Atlanta in 2001, and every year since then Atlanta has grown dramatically not only in population but as a city in general.
Seeing how the Gold Club is out of action- and he’s probably a bit over that scene by now- I think he would totally dig what’s going on down in Castleberry and the Auburn Ave/Edgewood area. If he was looking for some nostalgia, I would take him over to The Clermont- the place hasn’t changed in 40 years, which regrettably includes the waitresses and entertainment.
When Hollywood decides to ride the rails and remake Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor’s classic “Silver Streak“, I’ve got a great duo I’d like to recommend…
Q. Best Atlanta road trips?
Atlanta is a great jump off point. There are beautiful beaches in 4-5 hours like Hilton Head and Cumberland, but I’m partial to the mountains. Its unbelievable, you can be at the trail head for the Appalachian Trail in 45 minutes. Not to mention Amicalola Falls is gorgeous! And it’s no Sonoma, but around Dahlanega you can definitely tickle your palette from North Georgia wine country. And if you crave the likes of Montreal in the Northeast or Vegas in the West, New Orleans is worth the drive even if its just for a day of Jazz Fest and back, which is a must. 
Who’d ever guess that this picture was taken an hour from Atlanta?
Q. Hidden Atlanta gem?
The Food. We have to be one of the most underrated culinary cities in the World.
Q. You’re in the business of tricking out houses. In your opinion, what are some of the coolest home toys available today?
Its amazing how easily we’ve integrated music and entertainment into our lifestyle. Every cell phone has essentially become an entertainment source. Even the most basic provides the entertainment value derived from a vocal or text conversation. But it’s also having an App that gives you the control to log into your house when you’re away, set the DVR, change the lights to look like you’re home, or manage your energy and resource consumption. We’ve all seen how Apple and Blackberry have turned phones into productive tools for both work and fun, but now home control and entertainment. It’s not a difficult or expensive installation to enable you to browse your music collection or view the content of your iPhone on a screen in your living room. Our firm sits at a unique intersection of the design, construction, and electronics industries where together with our client we can create a lifestyle integrated with entertainment and style.
Q. Favorite neighborhood?
Midtown, Inman Park, Grant Park, East Lake, Glenwood, and any other neighborhood with gorgeous historical architecture and where the community has stepped up by taking care of a centralized park.
The Bonus Section
To learn more about buying The Clermont Lounge, click here.
To learn more about the fantastic work that Dikembe does, click here.
To learn more about a great home near a great park, click here.
