Little Five Points
{ Monday, April 4th, 2011 }
Thomas Wheatley, Creative Loafing
Thomas Wheatley is Creative Loafing’s ace reporter and Atlanta’s ultimate man on the street. When it comes to urban development, local politics and the every day issues that effect intown Atlanta, he’s first on the scene. For those of you who’ve ever wondered what he’d do as Mayor, or why his shoes are so shiny, this one’s for you…
Q. Favorite neighborhoods?
A. Jesus, this is tough. I’d have to say Little Five Points (it’s walkable and close to parks), Downtown (filled with history, character and potential) and Old Fourth Ward.
Q. Mayor for a day- what’s on your agenda?
A. I’d start the day at 6 a.m. with a citywide address on a PA system, replete with a marching band soundtrack. Honestly, I’d sit down with downtown property owners, banks and small businesses and artists to discuss what could be done to fill vacant spaces. Then I’d call Georgia Tech and Georgia State to see if some students could overhaul the city’s website. I’d make sure they’d include a page where city lobbyists could register and disclose their activities. (Thomas lets us know that, thanks to a new law that took effect this year, lobbyists must disclose what they spend on city officials.) I’d appoint Besha Rodell to chair a MLK Day Planning Committee, Pecanne Log to a City History Task Force, and demand Gwynedd Stuart, who sends me photos of kittens and miniature horses at least once a day, be named executive director of Zoo Atlanta. And I’d reopen Sci-Trek just for kicks. Between all that I’d magically find billions of dollars in funding, which I’d use to build transit lines and bike lanes throughout the city, fix sidewalks and potholes, maintain parks, and start a program that offers seed funding for small businesses.
Q. A transplant is trying to decide between moving to Atlanta and our bitter rival, Charlotte. Sell them on why they should move here.
A. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say that Charlotte’s fun. It’s a great city. A nice city, which, from afar and through our eyes, might seem like it’s got its act together. But Atlanta’s got culture. It’s got grit and this incredible history. We might be behind on transit, but we can build that. It’s a lot more difficult to “create” culture.
Q. Creative Loafing decides to move you over to the Food & Drink desk. What can we expect out of your first issues?
A. Lots of articles about burritos, tacos and veggie burgers. And which restaurants have the best homemade lemonade. The following week my editor would tell me I need to stick to writing about the Beltline, furries and reservoirs.
Q. Hidden Atlanta gem?
A. I’m addicted to shoeshines. It’s a sickness. And the best shoeshine in Atlanta (that I’ve found) is at the Capitol. And The Varsity has some of the best ice in the world.
Photo Credit: Pecanne Log
{ Friday, February 11th, 2011 }
Jimmy Sobeck, Eat It Atlanta
Jimmy Sobeck is the owner, operator, editor, publisher, chef and chief taster of Eat It, Atlanta. Eat It, Atlanta is best described by its sub title: Cooking, Dining & General Food Philandering, Mostly in ATL. It’s a site that you need to add to your bookmarks- your stomach will thank you. For now, Jimmy’s take on a few of our hard-hitting questions…
Q. The James Beard Foundation calls, and they want you to set up a weekend of Atlanta eating for them. Where are you going?
A. When it’s just my fiancé and I, we tend to eat at restaurant bars. Sometimes we’ll pick an area of town, and hop from place to place. One of my favorite routes is a two mile stretch of Peachtree in Buckhead. I’d take the JBF to La Pietra Cucina for some fresh pasta in butter sauce and a pile of their prosciutto with their house made ricotta and pineapple mostarda. Then we’d move on to Varasano’s for some pizza. My favorite is the nucci – it’s a white pie with olives and garlic, capicola, and Emmentaler cheese. I still think Varasano makes a better pie than the beloved Antico. Finally, we’d end up at Holeman & Finch for cocktails and many small plates, hopefully the hot dog if it’s on the menu. If it’s too crowded we’d walk over to Eugene and sit at their great but overlooked bar. The cocktails and well-priced desserts are killer there.
Q.Favorite neighborhoods)?
A. Little 5 Points and the surrounding neighborhood is one of the great areas of Atlanta. It’s fun to walk around there and check out the shops and grab a beer and a bite to eat. The Porter is underrated, I’ve had some really good food there lately and their beer list is only second to Brick Store Pub. Fox Brothers BBQ’s short rib special with a Sweetwater beer on the patio when the weather is nice is a calorie filled but awesome Saturday afternoon.
Q. Best Atlanta celebrity sightings?
A. Chefs are my celebrities. You can see them all over town. Have you seen what Billy Allin can do with Israeli cous cous and a few vegetables? Rock star.
Q. You’re given an unlimited budget to create your dream home kitchen- what’s it going to look like?
A. Maybe a mix of industrial and classic design. Industrial aspects like massive hoods for dealing with smoke, and large stainless sinks with overhead sprayers are very functional. I don’t want to have to disable my smoke alarm when making pizza like I do now. I saw these really cool ovens recently, La Cornue, which are these French ovens that are modeled after classic French ovens, but with modern technology. They look pretty nasty too. Also, I found these huge, worn-down 19th century butchers blocks at Scott’s antiques market. They were put out of commission when the FDA decided steel was more sanitary, but what do they know? Something like that could really be the centerpiece of a cool kitchen, and useful too.
Q. Off the radar food gem that Atlantans need to find?
A. Sushi Huku – Sushi chef Jey Oh is young, and is eager to be great. He appreciates the history of sushi and does things the right way. Some fish flies directly from Tsukiji market in Japan, but the prices are the most reasonable in town for that level of quality.
BONUS QUESTION: What is Eat It Atlanta, and why is it awesome?
A. I don’t know that it’s awesome to everyone else, but it’s been awesome to me. I started it as a personal outlet, and to share information with friends and family. I discovered there was this food community that is active not only online but in real life all over town. I’ve learned more than I could have imagined, and have made some great friends. Anything that can bring people together like that must be worth doing.
{ Thursday, September 16th, 2010 }
Bert Weiss, Bert’s Big Adventure
Aside from being the most popular man on the Atlanta airwaves, Bert Weiss is a certifiable mensch. The popular host of Q100′s top-rated (and appropriately named) “The Bert Show“, Bert and his wife Stacey are the driving forces behind “Bert’s Big Adventure“, a non-profit foundation that takes local children stricken with chronic illnesses on a weekend-long excursion to Disney World. It’s a fantastic cause, and you can support it by attending a five-course dinner fundraiser being held tomorrow night, September 17, at Dogwood. But first, hear what the man has to say…
Q. The most underrated thing about Atlanta is…
A. … our culinary industry. I’m constantly amazed that when lists are published of “Americas Best Food Cities” that Atlanta is consistently absent. I’ve never even seen us in the top ten! I think Atlanta is at the point where there are so many quality restaurants that if you get a mediocre meal or poor service you have enough variety that you never have to return to that restaurant.
Q. Favorite Atlanta neighborhoods?
A. Virginia Highlands, Little Five
Q. The biggest misconception about Atlanta is…
A. … that Buckhead is still the dominant area to go to get your drink on!
Q. As a former Taco Bell chef, you surely have some culinary chops. If you were in the kitchen for the wine dinner, what would guests see coming from the kitchen?
A. Heirloom tomato gelee, Peekytoe crab, blackberry sorghum gastrique, braised beef short rib and sticky toffee pudding. In all honesty I have never seen the words “gelee”, “peekytoe” or “sorghum gastrique” until I read this menu and have no idea what I’ll be putting in my mouth when I eat them.
Q. What’s the deal with the fundraiser at Dogwood for Bert’s Big Adventure, and why should everyone reading this make plans to attend?
A. Because one bottle of Silver Oak cost almost as much as the ticket to get in and you get to taste four other wines and five courses of some of Atlanta’s best food.
