Happy Halloween, Darlings!! It’s finally here! First, let me tell you what my angel of a friend, John Pearce did.  He donated 25 pumpkin buckets to the kids in my neighborhood so they would have a great way to carry all their candy booty tonight. He’s my hero today!!! Love you, John!

Also, John and Danny invited Eric and me to join them at the kick off party for Pride Weekend 09 last night at the Georgia Aquarium.  We had a blast!  John Walker, the adorable PR fella for the Aquarium, and close friend of John and Danny’s, had expected maybe 500 party goers. There were 3000! It was crazy!  We had never been to the aquarium and it was breathtaking.  You know I have to share the most fun pictures with you.

One of the four whale sharks

Mr. Stingray taking a nap

John, Danny, Me, Eric

Dorie and Hermione

Me with my new friend, Pinhead – what a sweetie!

Adorable John Walker of the Georgia Aquarium
and equally adorable new friend Ken

More New Friends!

Beloved Danny and Me – Close Up!

More Party Folks!

Oh my goodness, we had fun.  But all good things come to an end and by 10 pm, the party was over.  On to the next place!  Eric and I weren’t ready to go home and we hadn’t had dinner yet.  My thought – Lumen! Of course!  We rode over to the Ritz Carlton and went in……but Lumen was closed. Bummer.  So we moved it upstairs to the Atlanta Grill and had a beverage and decided what our next move would be.  We were lucky enough to catch Chef Bennett Hollberg before he left for the night and had a chance to say hello.  But we were looking for more than a bar menu tonight. Where to go for a great late night nosh?  Where do the chefs go when they get off work?  Holeman and Finch, of course.

Now Holeman and Finch is in Buckhead and we consider that a drive. But we were up for it and cruised on over.  It was hopping!  And decorated deliciously for Halloween.  Here’s the sign in the entrance to the kitchen.

You know I love spooky!

There was nothing spooky about dinner, though. Eric ordered both the cheese board and the charcuterie board. Both winners.  The cheeses were sumptious, the sheep’s milk being my favorite. The charcuterie board had luscious cuts of cured meats – pepperoni, bresaola, smoked lardo, corned beef tongue (it was really light – honestly!).  My meal consisted of a plate of Connecticut oysters and an arugula, beet, candied pecans and shaved goat cheese salad.  It was all so good.  You need to see some photos, don’t you?

Cheese Platter

Beet Salad

Fresh, Briny Oysters

Charcuterie Board With the Famous H&F Bread

By now it was approaching 1 a.m. and it was time to go home.  Sated, with happy tummies, we arrived home, proud of my gay friends celebrating their diversity and proud to be an Atlantan again.

Be safe tonight, my darling revelers!

xoxo, Patti