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boston – day 1

kdavis 7 Comments

mm, who doesn’t love an 8:45 flight on a saturday morning after a night of fireball jell-o shots at the boss’ holiday party?  ah, i knew i wasn’t the only one!  this morning my coworker vinh and i hopped aboard delta flight 104 and shut our eyes on the two and half hour trip up to boston.  we arrived a little early, were picked up by his brother-in-law, and whisked away to his childhood home.

vinh was born and raised in boston, attended tufts university, and often comes back to visit his hometown.  the neighborhood of dorchester is his stomping grounds, and it was a treat to get to see the town where he grew up and spent his younger days making memories. i’ve never been to boston, and a few months ago i heard the band the 1975 was touring in the states.  i was going to miss their atlanta show because i was out of town, but i saw they were going to be performing in boston.  well, that about sealed the deal for me.  i called up vinh and asked him if he’d like to go to the concert with me and show me around his city.  his agreement was nearly instant, and so my boston adventures began!

so much to do and so little time in which to do it!

so much to do and so little time in which to do it!

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rum balls

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i’ve known my coworker mark now since 2010, and years ago i brought in rum balls per his special request.  now, these things are not my cup of tea at all, but oh goodness, he could not get enough of them!  these strong little suckers are right up his alley, and he so kindly reminded me last week that i hadn’t made them in quite some time…

say no more, mark!  i grabbed my ingredients, made a quick stop at the liquor store for the good stuff, and got to work tonight.  these rum balls are quite easy to make, but i will warn you now that they are a bit messy.  rum balls don’t roll themselves, so be prepared to get your hands dirty.  the recipe is below, along with all kinds of fun pictures.  enjoy!

ingredients

1 cup milk chocolate chocolate chips

1/2 cup white sugar

3 Tablespoons corn syrup

1/3 cup choice rum (i used captain morgan’s white rum this time, but you could just as easily use a silver rum; you could also use bourbon if that’s more your style)

2 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers (about an 11-ounce box will do)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

directions

if you were so fortunate to find a box of vanilla wafers already ground up, good for you!  if you were not so fortunate, crush those little guys up with a food processor.  it’ll take all of about two minutes, and opening up a brand new box of vanilla wafers is, le sigh, divine.  those things might be some of the best smelling crackers/cookies in the world.  just my opinion!

next, microwave the rum for about a minute and then add the white sugar to dissolve it.  i promise that doing so will make the mixture easier to incorporate in a minute.

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oh, and after you heat up that rum, it is going to smell strong.  just a warning.

place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat them in the microwave for one minute.  stir, and if necessary, return to the microwave and heat at 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.

add and blend the rum-sugar mixture and corn syrup with the silky chocolate.

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in a large bowl, stir together the crushed vanilla wafers, walnuts, and chocolate mixture until evenly distributed.

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okay, next comes the fun part.  use your hands to roll the “batter” into little balls, just a skosh smaller than a ping pong ball.  anything bigger is going to be overwhelming, take my word for it.

oh, also take my word for it that it is easiest to roll all of the balls first before we take them for a dip in the confectioner’s sugar.  and yes, your hands are going to get quite icky.  that’s why you have a little brother to take that picture for you, so no one misses any of the fun!

so, the final step is to roll each ball of chocolately-alcoholic goodness around in a bowl of confectioner’s sugar.  i use more like a 1/2 cup of sugar because i like to coat those things well.  after they’re all covered and white like winter snow, pop them in the refrigerator, cover them, and leave them for a week so that all the flavors can blend together.  once you finally do peel off that lid, the rum will be strong and taste even stronger which, if you’re anything like mark, is a glorious thing.

la urbana – atlanta, ga

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urbana

***author’s note:  since our visit last fall that prompted this post, la urbana has unfortunately closed its doors.  do read on, though, to hear about how we enjoyed this local joint.

we brought nrw back this week and took it to the westside of town at la urbana, a spot that came highly recommended from my coworker batkinson.  now, i already have my favorite mexican place in town at bone garden cantina, so i was looking to be impressed.

la urbana opened in march of this year, and considering their peripheric location, i’m sure they were thrilled to have nine people come in for dinner.  their spot took over some pizza joint that used to be there a couple years back, and they’ve certainly made it their own.  the large space isn’t too crammed with tables and chairs, and i think we were all comfortable at our tables that were pushed together.

the ey crew!
#andrichheavy.
kyle, kari, me, adex, clark, gregory.
broken bow south reunion!

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we are #andrichheavy

kdavis 3 Comments

okay, folks, i know things had been quiet on the blogging front from me for the past couple of weeks, but i have good reason:  my brother kyle and kari got married last week at the first southern andrich wedding!  we had been busy bees in those days just beforehand, and when all was said and done, everything was worth the effort.

out-of-town guests started to arrive on thursday, and so began the #andrichheavy invasion.  so, what is this #andrichheavy hashtag of which we speak?  well, we had a lot of family and friends from the andrich side of things at the weekend festivities, so we coined it all as being #andrichheavy.  the words were spoken, and that was all she wrote.  every post and tweet and instagram picture were tagged with #andrichheavy, and we could not have loved it more.

andrich heavy

the rehearsal dinner was a blast at the yellow house up in roswell.  so much southern food, plenty of beer and wine, and lots of laughing as we roasted the groom and played a few ditties for the happy couple.  as i have been told, i was quite the tipsy hostess all night, and i would not have expected anything less.

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now, after months of planning and a whirlwind weekend of activity, we have a new addition to the #andrichheavy clan, miss kari.  kari and i met each other in college through the redcoat marching band.  she and kyle began dating our sophomore year, and it wasn’t before too long we all knew something really special was there.  over the years, kari has slowly inducted herself into the andrich family, counting herself lucky getting to meet them in waves rather than all at once.  i’ve been told we can be a bit to handle…

kyle and kari black and white

the october weather was cooperative and gorgeous, with crisp and untainted clarity in the air.  the wedding party looked sharp, and the guests were glamorous as well for the evening event.  you could not have asked for a more perfect setting.

more tears!
a beautiful bunch.
that’s some real emotion right there.
aaww.
me, getting emotional, again.

after a teary-eyed ceremony, the real fun began as we danced and drank the night away at the roswell mill club.  glow sticks and tunes carried us into the cool autumn night, keeping us close to a sweet event of love and laughter.

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as i drove into the office monday morning, i realized i was crashing hard, physically and emotionally.  my body was exhausted from the weekend’s events, and it seemed my heart was just as sore.  i was overjoyed to have our loved ones in a single place to celebrate such a wonderful step in life, but watching them all leave on marta trains and delta planes left a bitter taste in my mouth.  i was in a glass case of emotion for nearly four days straight, and now i’ve been ripped back into reality.  ah, such a harsh jolt!  when you feel things as fully and strongly like i do, it can all seem like a big wave sweeping down, no matter the occasion.  i guess we’ll just have to plan our next gathering soon!  who’s up next?

the pig & the pearl – atlanta, ga

kdavis 1 Comment

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you guys, i have very much been looking forward to writing this review.  why, you ask?  well, i’ve a few reasons.  number 1:  there were eleven of us at our new restaurant dinner this past week – how exciting!  number 2:  we were going to a restaurant in atlantic station, and we haven’t ventured there in a while.  number 3:  my younger brother clark was going to be there with his friend a-dex, and it was her first nrw since moving to atlanta.  welcome to the city, girl!  and finally, number 4:  a fellow blogger alannah was joining us.  ah, an adoring fan, what a thrill!  alannah has been a loyal follower for many months, and after getting to know each other through our writing, we decided it was time to meet in person.

so, just exactly where did we get to enjoy all of these wonderful things?  at the pig & the pearl, your “one stop shop for all things smoked.”  they serve up the finest cuts of pork, beef, and lamb alongside the freshest raw seafood and shellfish.  get it now?  pig and pearl?  ah, yes, there ya go!  as you will soon find out, the sides are also incredibly crafted and pair well with the extensive spirits list.

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girls will be girls

kdavis 3 Comments

as you may have already read, i found myself up in asheville, north carolina for the first time this past weekend for a few days of fun to celebrate kristen’s bachelorette-ness.  kristen and i were coworkers when i first started in software consulting back in 2010, and we have kept in touch since.  she is such a sweetheart with a beautiful smile, and i am thrilled to get to celebrate her and joe up in blue ridge in november.

but first!  we had to host a getaway for the bride, and you can bet we did it in style.  we all got a little shuteye after the trip north on friday evening and rolled out of bed saturday morning ready for a good time.  we freshened up, called our ubers, and headed into town.  we started with brunch/lunch at tupelo honey café.  well, it was a fantastic recommendation, and if you live near one and haven’t been, shame on you!  it’s a great spot and certainly worth the weekend wait.

we donned our sunglasses on that crisp and clear autumn day and took a right on broadway to head to wicked weed brewing off biltmore avenue.  my coworkers josh and philip highly recommended it, seeing as how they had spent several months up in this city for work.  even our waiter at tupelo honey said to give it a try, so with support like that, that’s where we went.

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tupelo honey cafe – asheville, nc

kdavis 3 Comments

tupelo_logo

this past weekend i trekked up 85 north, through traveler’s rest, and past the biltmore estates to the cozy town of asheville, north carolina.  it was kristen’s bachelorette weekend, and with eight high-energy, beautiful women in one house, you can bet we were ready to take on the town.

after a relaxing walk saturday morning, we boasted our best bourgeois mountain outfits and ubered into the city.  the first stop was brunch at tupelo honey café per many recommendations, so we filed in line with the rest of the locals.  well, we may not have looked like locals, but who cares!

a good looking bunch!

a good looking bunch!

tupelo honey café has become a bit of a national icon for creative southern foods with accolades from the new york times, southern living magazine, and the food network.  they strive to serve up spirited and inventive dishes that leave you satisfied, and i’m going to ruin the surprise for you right now and say that they certainly satisfied this group of very real and very hungry ladies.

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folk art – atlanta, ga

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folk

well, folks, it has finally happened:  our first weekend excursion for nrw!  and who was the lucky host?  folk art restaurant in the heart of inman park.  shelby had heard about it from a friend and bolted over to my cube one day at work to insist we go.  “well, let’s!” i told her.  and just like that we had sunday brunch planned for the crew.  ah, sometimes life is that simple.

folk art is a “rustic” “feel good” breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch eatery led by chef-owner jason hill of the sister restaurant wisteria.  the menu boasts big drinks and generous food, things up the alley of a typical 20-something after a weekend of raucous fun.

kari & nathan.
kari!
hannah & me.
whitney & shelby!

the atmosphere is bursting with charm; it actually reminds me of the eastside jittery joe’s in athens with all of its local art, exposed brick, and “weathered wood floors.”  it is comfortably eclectic and mildly hipster with its american pickers-inspired décor.  the magnetic refrigerator letters are nostalgic and homey alongside the mason jars lining one wall.  it’s all just ultra southern girl basic, and we were soaking in every bit of it.

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but that’s enough about the décor.  although ambience is a big factor for me when trying a new place, the food is really the reason we come.

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bartaco – atlanta, ga

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sign

per drew’s recommendation, we ventured to the west side of town this past wednesday to try out bartaco.  he had been quite pleased when he went there a couple weeks ago, so i was looking forward to going myself.  there’s not much to know about bartaco, except that they have other locations in connecticut and new york.  so, with a bit of mystery surrounding it, we arrived around seven fifteen to check in with the hostess.  they do not take reservations, but you can call ahead a half hour before arriving to get your name on the list.  they were waiting for another party to pay and leave, so in the meantime, let’s take pictures!

clark & kari.
me, lisa, & alison.
lisa & alison.
the boys.
waiting on the cabanas.
jon, eric, & kari.

i had hoped we would be seated shortly after arriving, but we weren’t taken to our tables until almost eight.  this place just opened a few weeks ago, so its newness was being soaked in by all the atlanta socialites.  our hungry stomachs just had to wait our turn!

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ladybird grove and mess hall – atlanta, ga

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last week was the grand opening of the latest spot in old fourth ward, ladybird grove and mess hall, and we just had to be there!  i got in touch with general manager creighton mcmurray to get the deets and was quite delighted when he invited us to come on out for opening night on monday.

ladybird grove and mess hall is tucked nicely into this neighborhood, with kevin rathbun steak to its southeast and the beltline right in between the two.  if it’s your first time visiting this part of town, you might be wary as your gps directs you here, for you feel as though you may be intruding upon a residential area.  fear not, though, for once you get to the end of john wesley dobbs, the big ladybird sign will wave you down.

i arrived earlier than the rest of our group so that i could steal a few precious moments with the staff.  creighton and i had been exchanging e-mails, and i was looking forward to meeting him.  the waitress seated me and brought some water and then creighton joined me at the family style table for a quick introduction.

“so, how does it feel, now that opening day is here?  did you sleep at all?  are you overwhelmed?”

“actually,” creighton responded, “i’m feeling comfortably whelmed.  i got a little bit of shut eye, but things are going great.”  well, if that isn’t great news for a restaurant’s first night, i don’t know what is.

“i know you’re busy, but tell me a little bit about ladybird’s identity, because the web site is quite simple.”

“haha.  yes, our site is a bit vague right now,” he laughs (note that it has since been updated with their menu offerings).  “we want ladybird to be a laid-back place that anyone can enjoy.  we’re a from-scratch kitchen making good food.  we want folks to want to hop in for a burger and beer after walking their dog or going for a run.”

their location really is quite perfect for all of those things.  i can see ladybird quickly becoming a must-try spot in its opening months, especially with its screened-in dining area and roomy patios.  the exposed brick and carshop doors inside keep the space tall and airy, as does the wilderness murals.  the whole atmosphere is something i haven’t experienced really ever, and i was definitely feeling it.

the menu caters to folks of nearly all appetites and price points.  there are starters and small plates and individual meals and platters to share among friends.  there’s so much to try, and you can bet that we did our fair share of tasting.

jamie & me.
nathan!

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