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Sip Up the Last Bit of Summer

Thursday, August 20th, 2015

Good Morning Darlings,

The days are getting shorter and we are almost through August.

Yet, I cannot let summer go. I love the heat and the lazy weekend mornings.

This summer Eric and I have been discovering the wonderful breweries all around Atlanta. Every Friday we pick a new one and off we go to learn about the complexities of one of time’s oldest beverages.

Here are a few we’ve tackled so far:

1. Sweetwater Brewing. One of Atlanta’s oldest. We loved the party vibe here and I loved the Sweetwater Blue, which had a hint of blueberry to it. Yummy!

Always a party at Sweetwater

2. Eventide. New to Atlanta, but home to one of my favorite brews this summer, a Kolsch. Light and refreshing, this has become my go-to drink.

My new fave.

3. Monday Night. A playful tasting room encouraging you to “Tie One On” with some of Atlanta’s best beers. The brewery is tucked away in West Midtown, so it’s close by. I like the Nerd Alert. The name and the beer!

Tie One On – and use Uber!

4. Wild Heaven. One of the first breweries Eric and I explored. A group of us went last year to celebrate E’s birthday and we really loved the laid back atmosphere here. Their Let Their Be Light is scrumptious. Grab a brew and play some cornhole for a couple of hours. Afterwards, hop over to Pallookaville and eat some tasty corndogs in their adorable dining room.

Relax with a Let There Be Light at Wild Heaven

5. Red Brick Brewing. Red Brick had a band playing the Friday we visited that made me wish I could take them home – they were Ah-mazing! This place gets packed and the brewing room was melty hot on the scorching day we went. But the tasting room was nice and cool and with that many folks hanging around and sipping, you are bound to make a new friend.

Make a new friend at Red Brick!

All of the tasting rooms averaged $10 to $12 for a tour including a signature pint glass and 6 tasting tickets. That’s a steal! And everyone we met that worked at the breweries were all so nice and eager to teach us about what was on tap. This is a perfect way to kick off the weekend.

There are more breweries that we haven’t tried yet, but they are on our list. I will keep you updated!

How are you holding on to the last bit of summer?

Xoxo, Patti

Posted in atlanta, Beer | Comments Off on Sip Up the Last Bit of Summer
Tags: atlanta, Beer, Breweries, Eventide, Monday Night, Red Brick, Sweetwater, Wild Heaven

Magical La Hacienda

Monday, September 15th, 2014

Good Morning Darlings!

Eric and I have been so busy this summer that there’s been no time for a getaway.

We remedied that this past weekend at La Hacienda.

Our sweet friends, Ed and Tera Hattaway, are the owners of this Shangri-La.

Define Shangri-La: Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise, and particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia — a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world. In the novel Lost Horizon, the people who live at Shangri-La are almost immortal, living years beyond the normal lifespan and only very slowly aging in appearance.

My view from inside the pool!

Because you are my darlings, I am willing to share La Hacienda with you. Brand new, magical, marvelous. Step in and allow time to slow down. We spent over 6 hours between the pool and hot tub and at the end of the evening, we fell into the deepest sleep in the most comfortable bed. When the sun rose, Ed and Tera were in the kitchen whipping up a delicious mexican brunch of machaca. What’s machaca? It is a yummy beef dish, topped with a sunny side up egg. Refried beans, fresh fruit and piping hot coffee completed the meal.

This could be your breakfast!

I almost hate telling you about this slice of heaven. Less for me…but more for you!

xoxo, Patti

Posted in atlanta, breakfast, brunch, Hospitalityaholic, Luxury, Travel | Comments Off on Magical La Hacienda
Tags: La Hacienda, Luxury B&B, Palmetto Georgia

The Hundred-Foot Journey

Friday, August 8th, 2014

Good Morning Darlings!

I had the extreme pleasure of attending a very special viewing of The Hundred-Foot Journey on Wednesday night.

The VIP affair was catered by S3 Catering of Atlanta. S3 was brand new to me and I was seduced by their cuisine. Calling themselves Multicultural Cuisine Concierges, I was delighted by their offerings the night of the viewing. Duck and chevre samosas, coq au vin and the most adorable cups filled with chai mousse set the tone for the rest of the evening. Did I take photos? Um, no, I was too busy tucking into to all of that amazing food. Sorry.

What is also distinctive about S3 is that the founders are filling a niche for the desire for South Asian ethnic cuisines and a company who caters such deliciousness. What was also distinctive about the majority of the audience was that they were mostly of South Asian descent, and with the main characters in the movie hailing from India, it was a winsome way to experience this film in the way it was meant to be seen. Most of the audience was able to totally identify with many of the characters, and they understood when Hindi was being spoken. I didn’t, but I loved being with such a multilingual crowd.

As for the movie? I loved it. Helen Mirren is, as always, absolute perfection. Manish Dayal, who plays Hassan Kadam, put me in mind of a young Johnny Depp and is everything a romantic leading man should be – handsome, sweet, sexy. The rest of the movie is well cast. I fell in love with all of them as they fell in love with each other. I cried, I laughed, I cheered for our hero. And as you might expect, I have a soft spot for food related movies. I started Anatomy of a Dinner party after seeing Julie and Julia, and one of my top 5 favorite movies is Big Night.

Om Puri, Manish Dayal & Helen Mirren

Go see this film. It is the perfect date movie. Plan dinner either before or after at your favorite Indian restaurant and be prepared for romance.

Watch the trailer here:

xoxo, Patti

Posted in atlanta, Travel | 1 Response »
Tags: Date Night, Date Night Ideas, Helen Mirren, Indian Cuisine, Manish Dayal, Om Puri, S3 Catering, The Hundred-Foot Journey

TV Stars and Healthy Eating

Thursday, June 12th, 2014

Good Morning Darlings,

I know Memorial Day has come and gone, but you know what? We still have an entire summer of cookouts ahead of us.

What does this have to do with anything?

Posted in atlanta, Dessert, dinner parties, Dinner Party Ideas, entertaining, Events, Holidays, party, Television | Comments Off on TV Stars and Healthy Eating
Tags: Cluck N Moo Burgers, Cookout Ideas, DF Mavens, Instant Party, Sparkling Ice

A Once In A Lifetime Evening With A Legend

Tuesday, March 4th, 2014

Good Morning Darlings,

You may or may not know, that not only do I enjoy writing Anatomy of a Dinner Party, but I am also the co-owner of Atlanta Movie Tours.

When I received this invitation, it was beyond anything I had even imagined to put on my Bucket List.

What happened next?

Posted in atlanta, Events, Luxury | 2 Responses »
Tags: Coppola Wines, Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia Coppola, The Fox Theatre

Snack Bracket 2014

Sunday, January 26th, 2014

Good Morning Darlings!

It’s Grammy Day, and that means staying home and texting snarky fashion comments with Holly & John. We will whip up something fun to munch while watching, but it is not our biggest food day of the year.

What’s the biggest food day, you ask?

Posted in Appetizers, atlanta, cooking, entertaining, Events, Holidays, Hospitalityaholic, party, Recipes, Television | 2 Responses »
Tags: 2014, Bacon Cream Cheese Bites, Eric, party, Snack Bracket, Super Bowl, Super Bowl Ideas, Super Bowl Party, Super Bowl Snacks