Simply Buckhead September 2016

September 2016 ISSUE 41 • FREE

YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING WELL IN ATLANTA

A DAY WITH BATON BOB DOWNTOWN ATLANTA STAYCATION

THE

GREEN LIFE

Room-by-room guide to an eco-friendly home

VERN YIP’S DESIGN GUIDEBOOK

Partner with a bank who understands your business

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Mack Wilbourn Owner of 6 franchise restaurants at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport

Mountain Express Oil Company

Polaris Spine and Neurosurgery Center

Barry and Gail Bierenbaum Co-Owners of a Wholesale Fuel Distribution Company

Dr. Max Steuer and Dr. Christopher Tomaras Surgeons at a state-of-the-art Brain & Spine Care Center

and is committed to your success.

As we continue to grow and expand in Atlanta, our strategy remains the same - provide solid, straightforward financial solutions in the best interest of our clients. Our business plans and decisions are made locally by our market leadership who have deep roots in Atlanta and know its industries and communities.

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Get your complimentary no-obligation meeting today by texting “oxygen” to 89800, calling us at (800)355-9318 or visiting us online at http://www.oxygenfinancial.net.

Check out Ted Jenkin’s Lifestyle Advice on the Simply Buckhead website at www.simplybuckhead.com Fee Based Financial Advice Wealth Management Tax Management & Planning Employee Benefits Online Personal Financial Dashboard 401(k) Plans & Rollovers Education Accounts Budget Planning

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Now booking holiday parties!

BUSINESS

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OCCASIONS

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WEDDINGS

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plan ahead and enjoy the rewards!

Book your event by NOVEMBER 14th, 2016 and receive a Buckhead Life Ultimate Dining Card of up to $200.

For more details about our Holiday Packages along with our Newly Featured Thanksgiving Menu, contact our event professionals.

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Private Dining also available at: Atlanta Fish Market 404.601 .1 333 Bistro Niko 404 . 261 . 6456 Chops Lobster Bar 404. 262 . 2675 Kyma 404. 528. 2895 Pricci 404. 528. 2895

buckheadrestaurants.com

SIMPLY BUCKHEAD® |

SEPTEMBER 2016

Photos: Sara Hanna Photography

[ C OV E R S T ORY ]

70 LIVING THE GREEN LIFE

Contents [ F E AT U RE S ]

[ DE PA RT M E N T S ]

38

HOME: THE PERFECT FIT

15 EDITOR’S LETTER

51 SIMPLY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

A Virginia transplant and her roommate revitalize a Peachtree Hills abode

17 SIMPLY NOW

59 SIMPLY DELICIOUS

26 28 42

TRAVEL FAR: ROYAL ROMP

37 SIMPLY STYLISH

79 SIMPLY HAPPENING

52

CHOOSING PERFECT PLAYERS

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Alliance Theatre casting director has an eye for talent

60 A STAGE FOR SUSHI

A Budapest and Vienna getaway fit for a queen

STAYCATION: A TOURIST IN TOWN Experience the best of downtown Atlanta

FASHION: STREET STYLE Fashionistas we found around town

Brookhaven’s The One Sushi Plus makes room for all discerning diners

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING WELL IN ATLANTA

Serving Buckhead, Brookhaven, and Sandy Springs SEPTEMBER 2016 | ISSUE 41 P.O. Box 11633, Atlanta, GA 30355 simplybuckhead.com For advertising rates call: 404.538.9895 Publisher and Founder

[ F E AT U RE D C ON T RI B U T OR ]

Joanne Hayes Chief Financial Officer

Sonny Hayes Editor-In-Chief

Giannina Smith Bedford Contributing Editor

Karina Antenucci Creative Director

Alan Platten Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Cheryl Isaacs cheryl.isaacs@simplybuckhead.com Account Executives

Kyle Wilcox Garges kyle.garges@simplybuckhead.com

Bill Garst bill.garst@simplybuckhead.com

LIBERATOR SHAPES • SEX FURNITURE • TOYS • LINGERIE • EROTIC ART & BOOKS • OILS & LOTIONS

Adventure awaits, just down the road.

Scott Reeves

Tracy Johnson

Scott Reeves is a photographer and native Atlantan. “I like to tell people there aren’t fewer of us; we are simply a smaller portion of the city’s population as it has grown!”

He remembers when the Polaris was in one of the tallest buildings in Atlanta, and the Braves were lovable with Biff Pocoroba. This year, Reeves began working on his certification from the Professional Photographers of America while launching a portrait and headshot business. Reeves shoots out of a studio at the Tula Art Center and on location. In his downtime, he enjoys the occasional homemade cocktail with a credible assortment of spirits, liqueurs and bitters, if he’s not otherwise out enjoying the culinary scene in and around Buckhead.

Alyson Myerson

tracy.johnson@simplybuckhead.com alyson.myerson@simplybuckhead.com Director of Audience Development

Bill Garst Website Development Management

BHG Digital Contributing Writers

Jill Becker Wendell Brock H.M. Cauley Carly Cooper Jessica Dauler Jim Farmer Jennifer Bradley Franklin Sarah Gleim Mickey Goodman Angela Hansberger Maggie Haynes Kelly Jordan Abbie Koopote Nicole Letts Amelia Pavlik Chief Photographer

Sara Hanna sarahanna.com Photographers

Ninh Chau Fashion Intern

We welcome all contributions, but we assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. No portion of this publication can be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission.

Abbie Koopote Editorial Intern

Jessica Wise Graphic Designers

Layal Akkad Gwantsa Giorgini Copy Editor

CONCEPT STORE & EROTIC EMPORIUM 2745 Bankers Industrial Dr., Atlanta 30360 | liberator.com | 770 246 6422

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

Copyright © 2016 by Simply Buckhead ®. All rights reserved.

Printed by Walton Press, Inc. Distributed by Distributech and Distribution Services Group.

H.M. Cauley Legal Counsel

Scott I. Zucker

FIND US ONLINE

Fabulous Dogs Need Fabulous Things

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Buckhead's Only High-end Retailer for Fabulous Dogs

Facebook facebook.com “Like” us at LivingWellATL

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www.barkfifthave.com 690 Miami Circle N.E., Suite 625 Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6 Sat 10-3

[ P ROU D M E M B E R OF ]

[ B E H I N D T H E C OV E R ] Our cover shoot at the beautiful Buckhead residence of greenliving expert Jennifer Hankey turned into a family affair. In addition to photographing her, we were lucky enough to capture the sweet family dog, a Whippet named Winnie; daughters Hayden and Holland; and even the backyard chickens. Each image for our “Living the Green Life” feature—from Winnie lounging on an organic mattress to the Hankey girls putting together a puzzle near the custom-made, earthfriendly sofa—conveyed the reason why going green at home is so Producers: Sara Hanna, Giannina Smith Bedford, Joanne Hayes important: to protect the ones we Chief Photographer: Sara Hanna love. For the magazine cover, Stylist: Kate Abney we captured Hankey in her backyard Wardrobe: Parker Simone embroidered eyelet dress, $330, Bloomingdale’s, Lenox Square; in garden glamour, while behindHunter women’s original tall gloss rain boots in the-scenes her helpful husband and military red, $150, Nordstrom, Phipps Plaza eldest daughter worked to corral the chickens for the perfect shot. Being invited into someone’s home for a photo shoot is always a gracious gesture, but spending the afternoon with this family, sipping wine and cold beer, felt like an impromptu happy hour with friends. Thanks to the entire Hankey clan for their generosity and for inspiring us to—like them—make our lives more eco-friendly.

[ P ROU D S P ON S OR OF ]

Advertising For information, email us at advertising@simplybuckhead.com or call 404-538-9895

404.941.3466 www.westsidemarketatl.com

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

13

SIMPLY BUCKHEAD®

SEPTEMBER 2016

[ E DI T OR ’ S L E T T E R ]

Photo: Sara Hanna Photography

W

hen I think about the amount of trash that gets picked up from my home on a monthly basis and multiply that by all the households in Atlanta, I cringe.

Despite my recycling and water conservation efforts, I know there is so much more I could be doing to decrease my environmental footprint. But when I look into it, it all seems a little overwhelming, and to be honest, expensive. I’m glad to say that after reading this issue’s “Living the Green Life” cover feature, I have a true step-by-step plan on how I can—little by little—create a healthier home for my family and become a better global citizen.

After talking with several green living experts in our community, Contributing Editor Karina Antenucci lays out a room-by-room guide to improving our surroundings, both by reducing waste and toxicity.

From simply switching out cleaning and lawn care products for more earth-friendly options to planting an herb garden, composting and opting for high-efficiency and “green” furniture purchases when replacing old wares, each and every one of us can do something to begin reaching our green living goals. One of my favorite tips: making your own cleaning products with household ingredients such as vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and tea tree oil.

The feature also highlights how we can partake in environmentally conscious activities outside the home, including ride sharing to work and joining neighbors who tend to organic produce at community gardens.

Steering your life in a direction that offers greater respect for the environment isn’t overwhelming or costly if you do one thing at a time. The most important step, however, is the first one. So let’s all take it together and leave the world just a little better than we found it for the generations to come.

Support arts-infused educational programming for children!

Saturday, September 10th 6:30pm Grand Hyatt Buckhead Open Bar • Seated Dinner • Silent and Live Auctions For details call 404.881.5118 or bidpal.net/stringfling

Jim and Renee Schwarzkopf

Giannina Smith Bedford editor@simplybuckhead.com

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

15

We have moved!

To West Paces Ferry Shopping Center Same location as Publix and OK Cafe

Fine Ladies Attire

CASUAL & DAY WEAR • COCKTAIL BALL GOWNS • MOTHER OF THE BRIDE SIZES 2 T0 24

Over 150 Designers (404)365.0693 1248 A West Paces Ferry Road Atlanta, GA 30327 www.susanleeatlanta.com

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

N E W S | L O C A L S A L U T E | T R AV E L | A P P R O V E D | P E T S | A D AY I N T H E L I F E

SIMPLY NOW

TRAVEL STAYCATION

A tourist in town P28

Downtown Atlanta begs a wary local’s second look.

The 34-foot The Passages water sculpture in front of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights symbolizes a gateway from past to future and features quotes from Nelson Mandela and Margaret Mead.

Photo: Gene Phillips Photography

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

SIM PLY NOW

SIMPLY NEWS STORY:

Nicole Letts

A

tropical escape is now just a W Atlanta – Buckhead stay away with well-known Atlanta street artist Greg Mike’s newest installation Lost in Paradise. The vibrant, colorful mural is located on the pool deck of the W Atlanta - Buckhead. Mike’s work, based on his character of monster Larry Loudmouf in his fictional hometown of Loudland, was completed in two days and took 25 cans of Montana Acrylic

Photo: Alan Sher

Get Lost in Paradise spray paint. Mike says the piece is really about losing yourself in whatever your own paradise might be: “It could be relaxing by the pool on vacation or getting lost in your favorite musical track. I’m constantly trying get lost in my paradise, in things I enjoy.”

Completed in conjunction with the OuterSpace Project, an event series that showcases public art in addition to design, music and more, the mural

mirrors the hotel’s passion for art and local artists. General Manager Tim Dahlen says, “We love the way the art enhances our outdoor spaces while at the same time engages our guests and the local Atlanta community.

Greg Mike was the obvious choice.

His art adds depth and character to this space.” If you aren’t staycationing at the hotel, sneak a peek at the work of art from Peachtree Road. n

Atlanta artist Greg Mike brings vibrant color and local appeal with Lost in Paradise at W Atlanta – Buckhead.

W ATLANTA - BUCKHEAD 3377 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30326 678.500.3100 watlantabuckhead.com

NEWS BITES PURE BARRE PLATFORM ARRIVES As if pulsing and tucking weren’t muscleshaking enough, Pure Barre has added another fast-paced, 55-minute class to its roster. Pure Barre Platform ($23 for a dropin) introduces a new piece of equipment into the barre class: a platform (or step). The class combines robust ranges of motion and

calorie-burning cardio sprints with classic barre moves, such as seat and ab work.

Pure Barre Buckhead 3145 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30305 404.550.8542 purebarre.com/ga-atlanta

YUMBII RESTAURANT DEBUTS Atlanta’s original food truck is set to open its first brick-and-mortar location this fall in

south Buckhead. With a menu featuring a blend of Asian, Mexican and Southern flavors, Yumbii’s latest endeavor offers fan favorites of Asian rib-eye Philly cheesesteaks and sides of sesame fries with Sriracha cheese dip.

New items include breakfast tacos, salads, Mexican-style street corn and rice bowls.

The 1,440-squarefoot restaurant will

complement the bright and modern look of Yumbii’s trucks.

Yumbii 1927 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30309 yumbii.com

NEW LUXURY AT PHIPPS PLAZA AND LENOX SQUARE Italian brand Philipp Plein debuts at Phipps Plaza this month, marking its first Atlanta-based location.

The new space on the main level near Saks Fifth Avenue offers everything from meticulously designed women’s, men’s and kids’ clothing to luxury handbags. In addition, Lenox Square is poised to open Ted Baker London this month next to Vineyard Vines on the main level.

The luxury clothing brand is well known for its love of color,

and shoppers will delight in traditional and contemporary clothing for men and women in chic yet playful styles.

Philipp Plein 3500 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30326 404.261.7910 philipp-plein.com Ted Baker 3393 Peachtree Road Atlanta 30326 404.869.0048 tedbaker.com/us

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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Spa Packages Spa Parties Massages Skincare Manicure and Pedicure Lashes Yoga Classes

We can’t wait to pamper you!

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The Voucher is not transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash. Not valid for discounted services and cannot be combined with any other offer or a purchase of a gift card. Other restrictions may apply.

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The Natural Choice For An Afternoon On The Lake

ExploreRabun.com Photo • Kurtis Miller

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

S I M P LY NOW

LOCAL SALUTE BY:

Sarah Smith teacher Tim Ovbey shows students the best way to care for their school garden.

Diggin’ in the Dirt Sarah Smith students love their veggies There’s something about harvesting the crops they plant that tempts kids at Sarah Smith Elementary School (SRS) in Buckhead to taste vegetables, such as radishes, kale, arugula, beets, turnips and mustard greens, they would likely refuse at home.

The project was launched during the 2014-2015 school year when the Captain Planet Learning Foundation awarded grants to the two Sarah Smith campuses— one on Old Ivy for grades kindergarten through second, the other on Wieuca Road for third through fifth grades. Students in both locations planted crops in the spring with help from Captain Planet volunteers and

then rolled out the full program in the fall.

Volunteers Robin Ortale and Dana Escher chair the program, along with teachers Tim Ovbey and Debbie Dubois. “One class per grade uses the Captain Planet Curriculum that includes planting, harvesting and preparing kid-friendly recipes with their crops,” Ortale says. “In early spring, we hosted the Taste of SRS where students shared cultural dishes alongside a table brimming with items made using our crops.”

Surplus vegetables are donated to local food banks. l For more information, visit sarahsmithelementary.com.

Mickey Goodman

Rescuing Women and Their Pets Serving battered women throughout Georgia “Pets are often considered part of the family, and many batterers threaten, harm or even kill them to control and intimidate their victims,” says Brookhaven resident Shannon Oxford, program director at Ahimsa House (a Sanskrit word meaning non-violence).

The organization began in 2004 when founder Emily Christie lost her pet to domestic violence.

"It's Georgia's only organization dedicated to helping human and animal victims escape together," says Executive Director Myra Resnick. "We've provided 53,000 nights of free shelter for pets."

Animals are housed with a wide network of volunteers—individuals, veterinarians and boarding facilities. Shelters advise women where they can find a safe haven for their pets, and Ahimsa House helps victims find shelters for

Race chair Carla Neal-Rossi of Brookhaven and her dog, Calypso, get acquainted with Ahimsa's mascot.

themselves and their children.

Ninety-two percent of the pets are reunited with their owners when they move to permanent housing.

Ahimsa House's annual fundraiser, the Walk, Wag, N' Run 5K, took place Aug. 27 when participants ran through Lenox Park to raise money for the nonprofit. Look out for details about the Peachtree-qualifying race again in 2017. l For more information, visit ahimsahouse.org/walkwagnrun.

For help, call the crisis line at 404.452.6248, which is open 24 hours a day.

Working Toward a Happy-Ever-After Cure

Photo: Adam Davila

Juvenile arthritis patients take center stage

Chairs of the annual Crystal Ball lead the fight to conquer Juvenile Arthritis. Left to right: John and Kristen Novay and Drs. Tom and Mara Morrison.

Juvenile Arthritis (JA) affects more than 300,000 American children. To help fund research and shine a light on the 10,000 children in Georgia with the disease, Buckhead residents Drs. Mara and Tom Morrison and Kristen and John Novay, are co-chairing the 35th annual Crystal Ball on Saturday, Oct. 15, at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead.

Because so many of Dr. Tom Morrison’s patients at Polaris Spine and Neurosurgery are affected by arthritis, he and his

wife first hosted a patron party at their home, then agreed to cochair the Crystal Ball. “This is the premier event in the fight against juvenile arthritis,” says Kristen Novay, an attorney with Garland, Samuel and Loeb. She and her husband, John, of Avnet Inc., are long-time supporters.

Event planner Tony Brewer is creating this year’s theme, Enchanted Forest, with a reception, dinner and silent and live auctions. Individual tickets are $500. Net proceeds fund

research so kids can realize their “Happy Ever After,” a life without chronic pain. l For more information, visit arthritis.org/georgia.

Want to nominate a volunteer, company or nonprofit that makes Buckhead, Sandy Springs or Brookhaven a better place to live?

Please contact: editor@simplybuckhead.com

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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S I MP LY NOW

LOCA L SA LUTE

Through the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, the former Atlanta Hawks All-Star provides desperately needed medical care for his countrymen and women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mutombo looks on as a 9-year-old girl hears sound for the first time, thanks to a partnership between the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation and The Starkey Hearing Foundation.

Mutombo’s Mission From all-star athlete to all-star philanthropist

G

iving back is part of Dikembe Mutombo’s DNA. At 7 feet, 2 inches tall, the NBA legend towers over a crowd and speaks with a deep voice that seems to rumble from the bottom of his size 22 shoes.

The Buckhead resident also boasts a list of honors longer than his famous 7-foot, 6-inch wingspan.

As a player, he was named to the All-Star team eight times and was the four-time Defensive Player of the Year. Today, he uses his celebrity and earnings from years on the court to make a difference in the lives of others in his native country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On Sept. 17, The Dikembe Mutombo Foundation (DMF), which he founded in 1997, is hosting the Caring for Congo gala at the St. Regis Atlanta. It’s the organization’s largest annual fundraiser, raising much needed aid for Mutombo’s beloved birthplace.

Born in the Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, the seventh of Samuel and Biamba Marie Mutombo’s 10 children, he came to the United States in 1987 to attend Georgetown University on an academic scholarship. His passion was to earn a medical degree and return to the Congo where healthcare was rare to non-existent.

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During his sophomore year at Georgetown, Mutombo joined the basketball team and made history.

Realizing that the money he could earn as a professional player would make a far bigger impact than one doctor for a population of nearly 77 million, he changed his major to linguistics (he speaks nine languages) and diplomacy. Both have served him well in his pre-and post -years with the NBA, where he competed for 18 seasons on six teams, including the Atlanta Hawks.

Giving back has been his trademark since he entered the NBA in 1991 and became a spokesperson for CARE. In 2009, he was appointed to the newly created position of Global Ambassador and works with NBA Cares to bring attention to important social issues.

On July 28, Mutombo received the 2016 MedShare Humanitarian Award from the organization that works to strengthen global healthcare systems. But the achievement that brings him the greatest joy is building Kinshasha’s first hospital in 40 years. Completed in 2007, it’s named after his mother, who died of a massive stroke at 64.

“My mother was such a special lady that every first daughter born to family members is named Biamba,” Mutombo says. “At a fam-

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

STORY:

Mickey Goodman

ily reunion in Atlanta, if someone called the name, ‘Biamba,’ responses came from all over the room.”

DMF and the hospital have made significant contributions in the Congo. To increase the longevity of the population and stem the tide of childhood deaths, the organization is distributing insecticidetreated mosquito nets, immunizing children, donating tons of clothing and shoes to orphanages and schools and digging water wells to bring clean water to remote villages.

Mutombo spent most of July in the Congo with partner organizations such as the Starkey Hearing Foundation that fitted 3,000 patients with new hearing aids, and female surgeons from the Women Orthopaedist Global Outreach organization that performed 70 knee replacements. He also recruited the Cervical Cancer Prevention Program in Zambia to conduct the Congo’s first cervical cancer screening program. Thanks to Mutombo, the nonprofit Restoring Vision also donated thousands of reading and sunglasses to those in need.

The athlete-turned-philanthropist’s fame has opened many doors: meetings with sitting presidents at the White House; speaking to Congress; serving on the board of directors of the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and recruiting skilled medical professionals to perform pro-bono surgeries and teach up-to-date skills to the staff at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center.

“A hospital is no longer a place to go to die,” Mutombo says. “It’s become a place to recover and live.” n l For more information on DMF or its largest annual fundraiser, the Caring for Congo gala at the St. Regis Atlanta on Sept. 17, visit dmf.org.

A COUNTRY IN NEED l The average life expectancy in the Congo is 47 for men, 51 for women. l Out of every 1,000 deliveries, 13 women die in childbirth. l Half of the kids under the age of 7 die each year from preventable diseases. l Nearly half the children are not in school because those 5 to 14 are often forced to work in copper and diamond mines. l Less than half the population has access to clean drinking water or electricity. l Each year, nearly 180,000 children under age 5 die of malaria, the country’s No. 1 killer.

Source: The Dikembe Mutombo Foundation

Presented by

History Still in Progress The 2016 Ansley Park Tour of Homes will showcase eight beautiful homes that exemplify the neighborhood’s inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Tour also celebrates our neighborhood’s continuing evolution by highlighting the groundbreaking construction of One Museum Place and the “re-imagination” of iconic Colony Square.

October 1 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm October 2 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

for tickets and details, visit

ansley tourof homes.com

Make Your Reservations Now

“Our quaint farmhouse eatery is truly the finest and most unique dining experience anywhere in the North East Georgia mountains. With nearby vineyards and farms, we source the freshest local ingredients to create you an unforgettable meal.” ~ Owners Vincent and Donna Scafiti ~

An authentic farm to fork experience. A must for every foodie!

Reservation required - limited seating thefarmhouseatpersimmoncreek.com | 706.782. 9834 3093 Blue Ridge Gap Road | Clayton, Georgia

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY NOW

TR AV E L N E A R

The Rock Tavern patio is a relaxing spot for a cocktail and scenic views.

To veg or not to veg?

Options for both abound at High Hampton Inn

S

ometimes it’s hard to believe that my two grown kids have the same mom. The differences between them are many but perhaps most glaring when it comes to traveling together. My daughter is content to sit for hours on a beach chair and read, breaking up chapters with a dip in the water. My son wants to go-go-go: Hiking, seeing the historic sites, paddling a canoe are just a few things that entertain him.

So an excursion to High Hampton Inn, the historic resort tucked into western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, was the ideal choice. For a few days, the kids got to indulge their preferences; I got to enjoy both.

For both the laid-back and the gogetters, it’s important to know that the only thing you don’t want to miss at High Hampton is the food. The resort runs on meal time, so the only reason to leave the lakeside lounge chairs or finish a round of golf is to head to the communal dining room. Breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets are included in the stay, and the array of options is impressive. Early morning sees chefs custom-making omelets, while diners pile their plates with waffles, pancakes, various egg dishes, meats and sides.

Lighter fare includes hot and cold cere-

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

als, yogurts and fruit. An entire table is loaded with croissants, toasting breads and pastries. Servers keep the beverages coming; diners only have to pace their trips to the buffet.

The scene shifts for lunch and dinner, when full-course offerings start with soups and salads and finish with an elaborate dessert spread of cakes, pies and custards. After just one day, taste buds are primed to respond when the bell announcing the next meal is rung.

In between dining, the laid-back can leisurely stroll along a gravel path to visit the resident donkeys, tame enough to trot to the fence for an apple treat. Settle into a seat on the deck overlooking a waterfall and scroll through the latest bestselling e-book without any distractions. Take a dip in the 35-acre mountain lake, or, for a different perspective, hop into a paddle boat and pedal around the water. An afternoon can be whiled away with a massage and mani/pedi at the spa, followed by a nap in a soft, duvet-covered bed. Just say, “Ahhh.”

Meanwhile, the high-energy crowd has other options for burning off that big breakfast. Gear up for a game of volleyball, tennis or croquet. Hike along one of the eight mountain trails through the thick forests, carpeted

STORY:

H.M. Cauley

with rhododendrons and mountain laurels. Blow off some serious steam jogging up the 4,681-foot high Chimney Top Mountain where the views (I hear) are stunning. Go for it.

By late afternoon, it’s time to unwind with a cocktail on the patio of the tavern. But after dinner, there’s still some activity left. Join other guests around the roaring fireplaces in the rustic lobby for a game of bingo, or grab a box from the game cabinet and start a Pictionary challenge.

As a throwback to the resort’s historic roots as a hunting lodge, the guestrooms have no TVs (there is one in the lobby), and Wi-Fi is spotty. Guests are invited to fall back on those old-fashioned pastimes of group games, conversation or simply sitting on the porch and counting fireflies.

Both of my kids agreed one adventure was worth the energy required.

They spent almost two hours with the resort’s falconer who taught them how to handle and call two large hawks. Both agreed the encounter was the highlight of the stay. So everyone was happy. Many pages were turned, early morning runs in the mountain mist were invigorating, and the aroma of the resort’s signature fried chicken still lingers in all our memories. n

A 35-acre lake provides opportunities for water sports and serves as the swimming hole during the warmer months.

THINGS TO KNOW IF YOU GO History: A resort since 1922, the Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Latest news: The resort provides the backdrop for the three-hour, ABC remake of “Dirty Dancing,” starring Debra Messing.

No air conditioning: However, even in the hottest month, the mountain breezes can drop the nighttime temps into the 60s.

Dress code: When dining, guests may not sport tank tops, cut-offs, bathing suits, bare feet or hats.

At dinner, denim in banned.

Gentlemen need jackets; on Friday and Saturday, a tie is also required. The dress code extends to the lobby area as well.

Kids’ activities: During the summer, special programs for youngsters and teens provide supervised games and outings.

Location: High Hampton is 60 miles southwest of Asheville and about 2 miles from Cashiers, North Carolina.

HIGH HAMPTON INN 1525 Highway 107 South Cashiers, N.C. 28717 800.334.2551 highhamptoninn.com

S I M P LY NOW

TR AV E L FA R

Above: Atmosphere Rooftop Bar at The RitzCarlton Vienna is the perfect spot to take in sweeping views of the city over a cocktail.

Above: The Aria Hotel Budapest strikes a brilliant blend of cozy and chic when it comes to its room decor.

Right: The writer and her traveling partner in crime, Lindsey Licht, share dessert at Szamos Gourmet Palace in Budapest.

ROYAL

ROMP

A BUDAPEST AND VIENNA GETAWAY FIT FOR A QUEEN

A

s I leaned into warrior one and gazed at the rooftops of Budapest, I couldn’t help but smile because A) there’s nothing better than a private rooftop yoga session, and B) I was on one of the greatest girls’ getaways ever. It all started when my friend, Lindsey, suggested we head to Budapest this summer because we’d never been there—and the American dollar goes a long way. I agreed, we tacked on a few days in Vienna (only about a three-hour train ride away) and the rest was history. So if you’ve been feeling the urge to hop the pond with your BFF, read on for my roadmap to creating an indulgent European adventure that will leave you feeling like royalty.

BUDAPEST Stay. Location is everything. That’s why I loved Aria Hotel Budapest, a boutique, musical-themed hotel located next door to St. Stephen’s Basilica. Our room in the classical music wing featured touches such as an iPad and a smart TV with a musical library. And the complimentary breakfast presentation, including made-to-order omelets, and the daily wine and cheese hour were icing on the cake.

Nosh. Delicious pastries and sweets,

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

STORY:

Amelia Pavlik

especially marzipan confections, can be found at Szamos Gourmet Palace.

For fancier versions of Hungarian fare such as goulash, we headed to the Brasserie and Atrium inside the Corinthia Hotel Budapest. Visit Aria’s rooftop bar for a glass of prosecco and a bite of foie gras while watching the sunset over the city.

Relax. The full-service spa at the Aria offers rooftop yoga sessions.

As I mentioned, this was a highlight of the trip. So if you love your sun salutations, this is a must.

Do. Visit the historic Citadella fort where you’ll find a breathtaking view of the city, enjoy high tea and a glass of bubbly at the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest and soak in the indoor and outdoor mineral pools at Széchenyi Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool.

Know. Many of the city’s sights require climbing some serious hills. Hire a tuk tuk (a little motor bike attached to a two-seater cart) to show you around. Your feet will thank you.

VIENNA Stay. The Ritz-Carlton Vienna is located along the city’s regal Ring Road where we were lucky enough to have a room

on the property’s club level. (Oh, the complimentary food and wine we enjoyed!) Room details of a deep soaking tub and a rooftop patio had us debating whether we should ever go home.

Nosh. Two of the best meals I enjoyed in Vienna were at Dstrikt Steakhouse, located in the Ritz. From the oysters to the rib eye, every bite was delicious.

Another notable spot was the upscale Bank Brasserie & Bar at the Park Hyatt Vienna where we indulged in tastes such as escargot and beef tartare.

Relax. Enjoy spa time? Be sure to try the Ritz spa’s 90-minute Imperial Rose Treatment. The exfoliation and hot stone massage will leave you feeling re-energized and renewed.

Do. If it’s early summer, stop and smell the thousands of roses in the Volksgarten, and eat and drink your way through Naschmarkt, home to more than 100 international food stands and restaurants.

Know. Hire a private walking tour guide through the Vienna Tourist Board.

For three hours, our guide, Ilse, took us to sites ranging from the Vienna State Opera to the Hofburg Imperial Palace. It was an added bonus to hear her Austrian perspective on topics such as World War II. n

Above: Those visiting Vienna in early summer should be sure to stop and smell the thousands of roses in the Volksgarten.

IF YOU GO...

BUDAPEST Aria Hotel Budapest ariahotelbudapest.com Budapest Tuk Tuk budapesttuktuk.com/en Corinthia Hotel Budapest corinthia.com/hotels/Budapest Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest fourseasons.com/Budapest Hungarian Tourism Agency gotohungary.com Szamos szamosmarcipan.hu/en Széchenyi Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool szechenyibath.hu

VIENNA The Bank Brasserie & Bar restaurant-thebank.com Hofburg Imperial Palace hofburg-wien.at/en.html The Ritz-Carlton Vienna ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/ europe/Vienna Vienna State Opera wiener-staatsoper.at Vienna Tourist Board wien.info/en

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S I M P LY NOW S TAYC AT I O N

Photo: Thomas Lee

Part of Marriott's Autograph Collection, The Glenn Hotel provides a boutique, intimate stay.

Step up downtown dining with the Latin American flavors of Alma Cocina.

A tourist in town Experience the best of downtown Atlanta

A

tlantans tend to “get in and get out” of downtown Atlanta, stopping by for concerts or sporting events and then fleeing for more familiar territory. But the area begs a wary local’s second look. Sift through the hordes of visitors and traffic, and you’ll find special experiences that make playing tourist in your own city pretty darn entertaining. The following is a curated roundup of the best downtown has to offer for the traveler with a discerning palate.

Stay: The Glenn Hotel Built in 1923 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this boutique hotel with 93 rooms and 17 suites offers a chic stay that blends classic architecture with contemporary interior design. Situated on Marietta Street, steps away from Centennial Olympic Park, The Tabernacle and the CNN building, it provides accessibility by foot to most of downtown’s activities.

I entered The Glenn’s dimly lit lobby on a Friday afternoon when its Living Room bar of leather banquettes and round, wooden tables were filled with travelers on laptops and coworkers having cocktails. I immediately became enveloped in its buzzy, intimate ambiance. My very comfortable, contemporary, corner King Dream Suite had a similarly warm feel, featuring dark wood, gray and white decor with orange accents, an expansive view of downtown

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

and a small but sleekly designed bathroom with a rain-flow shower and Lather bath products.

Before heading out for dinner, I rode a separate elevator up to the rooftop’s covered, open-air SkyLounge and enjoyed a cold Sauvignon Blanc and stunning panoramic view.

Eat: Alma Cocina There are oodles of eateries to choose from downtown but very few food-forward options. Casual and laid-back, Alma Cocina is the place to go for bright, creative and authentic Mexican fare. Try the huitlacoche empanadas stuffed with corn truffle that boast a deep and earthy mushroom flavor; the sunchoke salad, a tonguetantalizing vegan dish of grilled carrots, sunchokes, kale and grapefruit in a seed-based puree; the hibiscus-cured cobia, a crudo paired with icy green tomato

STORY:

Karina Antenucci

and serrano-flavored granita; and the braised goat huarache, pulled goat goodness on top of a sandal-shaped masa boat with tomatillo de arbol sauce, chile rajas and queso cotija. And don’t miss sampling the margaritas, such as the Amatitan, or tequila served neat, made with Alma’s own custom-barreled Herradura double reposado tequila. From the fresh flavors to the cozy atmosphere (think loads of dark wood, red leather seats and funky light fixtures), this Fifth Group Restaurants eatery knocks a dinner experience out of the park. Staycation or no staycation, I’ll be back for more.

See: National Center for Civil and Human Rights Powerful and moving, this educational museum sits on grassy Pemberton Place within the trifecta that includes the World of CocaCola and Georgia Aquarium. The first floor exhibit is dedicated to the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, walking you through interactive displays of pivotal events in our nation’s history, including a wall of photos displaying the March on Washington, a stirring video highlighting the Freedom

Riders who protested segregation in interstate bus terminals and a heart-crushing presentation of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. The second floor broadens the scope to the Global Human Rights Movement, highlighting issues past and present and stories of affected civilians alongside life-saving activists and oppressive tyrants. Despite accounts of mass genocide and civil abuse, the bright, modern museum leaves you feeling hopeful for a better tomorrow. It’s truly a must-visit.

Do: Georgia Aquarium’s Rebreather Dive Program The best view at Georgia Aquarium is from inside the tank. Certified divers can partake in the new Rebreather Dive Program ($995.95 plus tax) within the Ocean Voyager exhibit, a habitat containing 6.3 million gallons of salt water and thousands of animals from all over the world, including four 18- to 22-foot-long whale sharks (a.k.a. “gentle giants”), four manta rays and a 450-pound green sea turtle.

Besides its sophisticated electronics, the coolest thing about rebreather diving equipment versus a regular setup is that the system recycles your air and doesn’t

Photo: Dustin Chambers

A color-coded map at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights depicts the condition of human rights across the globe. t Dive into Georgia Aquarium's Ocean Voyager exhibit with no-bubbles rebreather equipment.

release any air bubbles, which means the fish—and sharks (hello!)—come right up to you.

After watching a manta ray with what looked like a 10-foot wingspan come to the surface and do a flip (a feeding behavior) for his audience of three participants and two instructors, I wet-suited up and descended into the massive tank.

The instructors led us slowly through the sections of the exhibit, across the top of an acrylic tunnel where we waved to onlookers, through schools of colorful fish, such as porkfish and crevalle jack, that encircled us as if we weren’t even there, and past picture windows with more waving museum-goers. I’ve scuba-dived in areas with plentiful marine life, such as Belize’s barrier reef and St. John, but this was by far the largest concentration of underwater animals I’ve experienced in one place. Several times, I kneeled in the thin layer of sand at the bottom of the tank to just look up and around in awe of the aquatic creatures.

Available on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:45 a.m., the experience takes 3.5 hours and includes a review of how the high-tech diving equipment works, a brief

classroom presentation, about an hour of diving and post-shower time. Your program ticket includes admission to the Aquarium, all dive equipment, a T-shirt, souvenir photo and HD video of your experience. Not a certified diver?

Opt instead for snorkeling with the Swim with Whale Sharks program ($235.95 plus tax for nonmembers). n

DETAILS: Alma Cocina 191 Peachtree Street N.E. Atlanta 30303 404.968.9662 alma-atlanta.com Georgia Aquarium 225 Baker Street N.W. Atlanta 30313 404.581.4000 georgiaaquarium.org National Center for Civil and Human Rights 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard Atlanta 30313 678.999.8990 civilandhumanrights.org The Glenn Hotel 110 Marietta Street N.W. Atlanta 30303 404.521.2250 glennhotel.com

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY NOW

A PP ROV E D

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RAISING THE BAR These days, it can be challenging to know which health bars are really healthy.

STORY:

Whether you’re a nutritional nut or just striving to get the wellness thing

PHOTOS Sara

Jessica Dauler Hanna

down, these high-quality to-go bars serve a variety of nutritional needs.

1. Kale Me Crazy: Vega Sport Bar Chocolate Coconut ($3.29) If you prefer eating a meat-free diet and are often bored with your options, a Vega bar is an easy meal replacement option. The chocolate and coconut blend delivers more than 14 grams of complete plant-based protein, branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) to keep muscles from breaking down, and Glutamine to support your immune system. It’s an ideal postworkout snack for fast recovery.

4600 Roswell Road, Suite B140 Sandy Springs 30342 404.500.3712 kalemecrazy.net

2. Arden’s Garden: Oskri Bar Coconut Almond ($2.50) Coconut fans, this is the bar for you! With handfuls of coconut flakes held together with rice syrup, it looks like a coconut macaroon, just in bar form.

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

The sweetness comes from rice syrup, which takes longer for the body to absorb, so you won’t get the glucose spike that comes from products sweetened with sugar.

The high fat content from the coconut (23 grams) helps to slow the absorption of the sugar, and coconut has been known to support digestive tract health.

If that isn’t enough, this bar is also gluten and lactose free, vegan, kosher and halal.

3757 Roswell Road N.E. Atlanta 30342 404.844.4477 ardensgarden.com

3. Nuts ’N Berries: RX Bar Coffee Chocolate ($3.25) Athletes and purists will flip over this new protein bar from RX Bar. It's hard to miss with its smart packaging that lists all of the recognizable, natural ingredients on front of the package. Unlike many protein bars that rely on whey protein, these are fueled

by 12 grams of egg-white protein that are “bioavailable,” meaning easily absorbed by the body.

This type of protein is essential for bodybuilders or anyone interested in increasing muscle mass.

Plus, the standout flavor is coffee chocolate—about as decadent as it gets for a high protein bar.

4274 Peachtree Road Atlanta 30319 404.254.0330 nutsnberries.com

4. Fresh Market: Perfect Bar Fruit and Nut ($2.99) This nutrition bar is so fresh it's in the refrigerated section of your local health market. The Perfect Bar consists of high-quality almond or peanut butter protein as its base, organic honey to sweeten and prevent spoiling, and raisins, crunchy walnuts and 20 organic superfoods, such as kale, spinach, alfalfa and celery hidden in the mix—a great way to add greens to your diet. These smooth, creamy

bars are also free of chemical preservatives, artificial ingredients and refined sugars. They are kosher, gluten free and non-GMO. 2099 Peachtree Street N.W. Atlanta 30309 404.350.3211 freshmarket.com

5. Whole Foods: Epic Bar Bison and Cranberry ($2.99) Meat lovers who think a bar won’t satisfy their cravings or nutritional needs will not be disappointed

by Epic’s meat-based protein bar.

Similar to jerky, they are softer and easier to chew and include bacon, nuts, fruits and spices. It’s like having a delicious meaty meal condensed into one bar, but you must like meat to appreciate the flavors.

The top seller is the Bison and Cranberry; the bacon plays nicely with the tartness of the cranberry.

77 West Paces Ferry Road N.W. Atlanta 30305 404.324.4100 wholefoodsmarket.com

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S I M P LY NOW

A DAY IN THE LIFE

THE MAYOR OF MIRTH HOW THE MAN KNOWN AS BATON BOB BRINGS SMILES TO THE FACES OF BUCKHEAD RESIDENTS

I

f you live or work in Buckhead or Midtown, you’ve no doubt seen him. Granted, it’s hard to miss a 5-foot-11-inch, 200-pound man jubilantly prancing down the street blaring a whistle and twirling a baton while wearing a tutu, wedding dress or other flamboyant outfit. Bob Jamerson, known around town as Baton Bob, is a street performer who has become a bit of a local celebrity over the years. Ask anyone who drives up and down Peachtree, Pharr or other major streets where he performs each day, and they’ll surely be able to recount a Baton Bob sighting. He’s so iconic that a local company called 404 Proud recently emblazoned his image on a limited edition T-shirt.

The ironic thing is that someone who exudes so much joy was born from tragedy. In the ’90s, Jamerson was working as a flight attendant out of St. Louis but was furloughed a month after the planes hit the Twin Towers on 9/11. Feeling lost, Jamerson saw a therapist, who suggested that when he got depressed, he should do something that would make him feel good. So Jamerson went into his closet, pulled out his baton from his high school days as a drum major, and went to an area park “to twirl my spirit out of its depression.”

The costuming came a few months

32

later, but Jamerson knew almost instantly that he was on to something.

“I didn’t care if people laughed with me or at me,” he recalls. “The point was they were laughing. When I saw people’s reactions, I saw potential.”

Now some 15 years later, and since relocating to Atlanta in 2005 and Buckhead in 2014, he has turned his Baton Bob character into a budding cottage industry. People hire him to lead parades and spice up everything from birthday parties to corporate events. He’s also branching out into the wedding industry with the recent launch of Out of the Box Weddings with Baton Bob. Not only will he plan your nuptials, he’ll officiate them, too. “People fly to Vegas to get Elvis to marry them,” he surmises, “so why can’t they fly to Atlanta and have Baton Bob marry them?”

What’s a typical day in the life like for the man dubbed “Atlanta’s best street performer”? Read on and find out.

7:30 a.m. Jamerson heads out to his morning AA meeting. “Last December I decided to take alcohol out of my life,” he readily admits.

“But instead of making it drudgery, I choose to look at the benefits I get.”

9:30 a.m. He picks the cross streets where he’s going to perform that

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

STORY:

day and posts them on his Facebook page so his fans know where he’ll be.

“I’ve focused on Buckhead the last two years,” he says, “although I go to Midtown on Food Truck Fridays, and I’ve been adding in some downtown performances once a week.”

Jamerson specifically moved to Buckhead, he says, to add the Baton Bob flavor to the neighborhood. “It was in conjunction with all the new Rodeo Drive-style stores and restaurants that were opening,” he notes, adding how the “old, stodgy” Buckhead is being bulldozed over in favor of a younger, hipper Buckhead that embraces his character with open arms.

Jill Becker PHOTOS: Sara Hanna

11 a.m. The transformation into Baton Bob begins. The entire third bedroom of his apartment is filled with racks of costumes and all of the baubles and beads, masks and headdresses he’s amassed from thrift stores and other sources over the years. “Costumes make you feel a certain way. My favorite thing to wear is a bridal gown.”

12 p.m. Baton Bob hits the streets.

“I march the whole way,” he says, referring to the miles-long route he picks each day. Along the way, he’ll stop for a water break at the InterContinental or W hotel or one of his other favorite rest stops.

2 p.m. Once back home, Jamerson typically spends the next few hours checking e-mails and handling other business.

4:30 p.m. Today Jamerson has a side gig, so he heads downtown to the offices of Phase 3 Marketing, whose execs have hired him to perform at a monthly staff party. Wearing an embroidered corset, pink and white tutu, feathered mask, heavy black boots, stacks of pearls and red lipstick, Baton Bob is whisked up the elevator to the waiting guests who begin whooping and cheering as soon as they see him.

After picking a song to play on his boom box, he grabs his baton and begins his elaborate twirling routine. Afterward, he mingles

with the crowd and poses for countless photos, and at least three people tell him how it always makes them smile whenever they happen upon him performing as they’re winding their way through traffic.

6:15 p.m. It’s time to start thinking about dinner. “I love to cook,” Jamerson says. His husband, Gary, a former chef who now works at a machine shop in Decatur, loves to man the grill. Jamerson admits he has to watch what he eats, though, in order to fit into the corsets and other figure-hugging outfits he wears.

8 p.m. Once or twice a week, Jamerson heads, in full Baton Bob regalia, for a cup of tea at one of his favorite area hangouts: Gypsy Kitchen, the Southern Gentleman or the lounge at the St. Regis. But most days end with Jamerson’s taking a warm soak in the tub. All that marching obviously keeps him fit, but at 64, it’s not as easy as it used to be.

Of course, he’s not about to let a few aches and pains deter him from doing what he loves. “What I do isn’t a job, it’s a blessing.” n

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY NOW PE T S

Blessed barks meows

Photos: Dan Murphy/The Cathedral of St. Philip

&

Local churches welcome pets for Feast of St. Francis

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nce a year, several of Buckhead’s most beautiful churches fling open their sanctuary doors for members of the congregation who typically stay home for service: the four-legged, fluffy, scaly, barking or meowing. We caught up with Rev. Wallace Marsh from The Cathedral of St. Philip to learn more about the annual blessing of the animals.

Why does the church welcome animals on the Feast of St. Francis?

Francis of Assisi, the great saint, taught us to be in relationship with God's creation. His life of humble service to all, and especially to the poor, was a dramatic example of being in the right relationship with God and with God's creation. We were created for companionship, for relationship, and our pets are important companions in our lives. Whoever came up with the word “animal,” knew the meaning of anima could be “breath” and “soul.” Blessing animals at the Cathedral is blessing soul, breath and life.

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

Do you have any funny memories from this animal-filled service through the years?

There are moments when the Cathedral is relatively quiet, and then there are moments full of barking. A few years ago, Rev. George Maxwell returned from sabbatical on St. Francis Day. The dogs were barking so loud we could barely hear him speak. The dogs would get quiet for a while, then George would start speaking, and the barking returned. It was clear those parishioners and pets were excited he was back.

How do the animals do in the sanctuary?

Surprisingly well. Sometimes the dogs will even match pitch with the notes of the organ!

What's the most unusual pet you've blessed?

For the most part, we bless dogs and cats, but occasionally someone brings a reptile or two.

I bless them from a safe distance.

Any tips for pet owners coming to the service?

Bring a leash if you have a dog, a crate if you have a cat, and enjoy a lively (and loud) service full of blessing and soul! n

STORY:

Maggie Haynes

TAKE ’EM TO CHURCH Bring your pet to a blessing at one of these local places of worship

SATURDAY, OCT. 1 St. Martin-in-the Fields Episcopal Church 10 a.m.

3110 Ashford Dunwoody Road Atlanta 30319 404.261.4292 stmartins.org Location: Outdoor amphitheater in front of the school

The Cathedral of Christ the King 10:30 a.m.

2699 Peachtree Road Atlanta 30305 404.233.2145 cathedralofchristtheking.org Location: Plaza or parking deck if raining

SUNDAY, OCT. 2 The Cathedral of St. Philip 10:10 a.m.

2744 Peachtree Road N.W. Atlanta 30305 404.365.1000 stphilipscathedral.org Location: Sanctuary

St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church 10:45 a.m.

4393 Garmon Road Atlanta 30327 404.266.1018 stdunstan.net Location: Beech Grove

Holy Innocents Episcopal Church 4 p.m.

805 Mount Vernon Highway Atlanta 30327 404.255.4023 holyinnocents.org Location: Memorial Garden

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

HOM E | FA S H ION | B E AU T Y | W E L L N E S S | TA S T E M A K E R

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY S T Y LIS H

HOM E

Above: The sunlit living room is bright and cheerful, thanks to the colorful artwork and fabrics Hazel picked out with designer Rachel Oliver at ADAC. Below: After meeting at the Shepherd Center while both were in rehab for spinal cord injuries, Caroline Hazel and Jen Lindquist became fast friends and then roommates.

THE PERFECT FIT A Virginia transplant and her roommate revitalize a Peachtree Hills abode STORY:

V

irginia native Caroline Hazel didn’t expect to move to Atlanta. But in 2007, after suffering a spinal cord injury in a fall when a balcony railing gave way just weeks after starting college, she ended up at the Shepherd Center for rehab and therapy, and decided to make the city her home. And so did her best friend, Jen Lindquist. whom she met at Shepherd while Lindquist, was also recovering from a similar injury sustained from a skiing accident. The two became inseparable and eventually moved into a two-bedroom apartment in Old Fourth Ward together. After two years, the roommates, who are both in wheelchairs, decided they needed more

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

Giannina Smith Bedford PHOTOS: Sara Hanna

space, including a third bedroom for a caregiver and out-of-town visitors. But looking for the perfect rental home is hard—especially when it needs to be wheelchair accessible.

“We just weren’t finding anything that was working for us, accessibility wise. A lot of places needed modifications in the bathrooms,” Hazel says. “So then I switched gears and decided that I wanted to buy because I could see myself living here for at least five-plus years. Why not just buy a place instead of continuing to rent?”

In January 2015, Hazel found a Peachtree Hills residence that she could outfit with all the practical requirements she and Lindquist needed to live comfortably.

“From the moment we saw it, we knew it had great potential. It already had an elevator, [that goes down to the garage]… and it’s all one level, so it’s easy for us to get around. And we loved this neighborhood,” says 27-year-old Hazel. “We really wanted to be close to Shepherd Center because that is still where we work out twice a week.”

Hazel closed on the four-bedroom house in March 2015 and, after seeking out interior decorator Rachel Oliver from Rachel Oliver Design on Houzz.com, embarked on a 10-month renovation to give the 1920s home a clean,

modern feel. With the help of a contractor, they remodeled the entire residence, except for the wood floors, which got new varnish. They added a powder room attached to the kitchen, replaced the elevator that goes up to Hazel’s room, plantation shutters on all the windows, and then moved a wall in the master bedroom to create a cozy TV room where the roommates love hanging out and having friends over to watch The Bachelorette.

“I love this [television] room. It’s a little retro in vibe. It all started with the rug, which is Missoni, and I love all the colors and the zigzags, so we wanted to have a lot of old prints to go with that,” Hazel says of the décor that includes a Duralee Sydney ottoman in Clarke & Clarke Damson purple velvet, Target side tables and a media stand custom-made

by Marietta-based woodworker Bob Wainscott.

The home’s biggest overhaul, however, occurred in the kitchen and bathrooms. The “dated” kitchen had yellow walls, fluorescent lighting, stippled ceilings and original cabinetry, but was gutted and brightened up with white Ikea cabinets embellished with Restoration Hardware handles, a blue-glass subway tile backsplash, Rejuvenation pendant light

Right: The cozy television room features a French Parapluie Revel poster by Leonetto Cappiello; farmland painting from a Fredricksburg, Virginia artist; Duralee furnishings and a custom media stand designed so the roommates can have easy access to storage.

Below: Painted by Fredericksburg, Virginia artist Ed King, this cow painting reminds Hazel of home.

Right: Transformed from a dated 1920s style, the nearly all-white kitchen features a custom designed wood-top peninsula that is one of Hazel and Lindquist’s favorite places to hang out.

Below: After going through tons of wallpaper and hanging samples on the wall, Hazel and Lindquist fell in love with the blue and pink pomegranate wallpaper that sets a festive tone in the dining room.

“From the moment we saw it, we knew it had great potential.” – Caroline Hazel both of the women’s bathrooms are designed for wheelchair accessibility and feature bespoke terrazzo sinks by DEX Industries.

“Whenever you look to design something with accessibility in mind, a lot of times what they have out there isn’t necessarily the most aesthetically pleasing,” says 29-yearold Lindquist, a student at Georgia State. “It was fun to be creative with [the sinks] and have something that looks so nice that when you see it you wouldn’t say, ‘Oh, that is for someone in a wheelchair.’”

Along with bold-patterned wallpaper, each of the women’s bathrooms features cus-

s

fixtures, a farmhouse sink and Bosch and Jenn-Air appliances, as well as LED strip lighting under the cabinets. Hazel and Lindquist’s favorite feature of the kitchen and their daily breakfast spot is the wood-top peninsula table, custom-designed by Rachel Oliver and built by Mark Walker of Walker’s Woodworks.

“I wanted a clean, white kitchen that felt nice and open, and you can really move around in here,” Hazel says. “The kitchen is a great space for crowds to congregate as we cook and enjoy time together.”

Like the peninsula table that Hazel and Lindquist can roll their wheelchairs under,

tomized shower and bathing setups. Lindquist’s bathroom has a roll-in shower, while Hazel’s spacious master bathroom is equipped with a handicap-accessible soaking tub set below a sparkling Robert Abbey chandelier.

“Generally, I can’t get in and out of a regular tub because it’s so low, and transferring is borderline impossible,” Hazel notes. “This one is so easy. Once you get in and then shut it, it fills then you enjoy your bath. It’s a big deal to be able to enjoy a bath again.”

And if Hazel’s master bathroom is considered spacious, her bedroom is huge. Opening to a balcony that overlooks the street, the room is furnished in a queen bed dressed in Anthropologie linens and a CB2 daybed that is a favorite spot for Hazel to nap. While smaller, Lindquist’s room is just as charming with a blue accent wall, silver sunburst mirror and headboard and comforter handmade by her crafty mom.

When the roomies aren’t enjoying their private spaces, they love hanging out together,

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY S T Y LIS H

HOM E

reading or catching up over a glass of wine with friends in the bright and airy living room. Here, a hippie beads rug from Stark sets the tone for the eclectic décor, from a thrift store chair recovered in dragon fabric and split-face marble fireplace to the Troy Lighting pendant in a gold and silver leaf finish.

“I love all the colors; it’s just so bright and happy,” Hazel says. “You can see the street and everyone walking by. Being on the corner is fun. There is a lot of activity.”

The living room is also a showcase for some of Hazel’s growing art collection.

Above the mantel is a koi painting that Hazel purchased in Charleston, South Carolina. It pays homage to the fish pond that once inhabited the home’s front yard and has since been removed. The colorful painting of six bird chicks that pops out from the gray wall was given to Hazel by artist friend Dianne Bruce after her accident, and it reminds her of her siblings.

“There are six chicks, and I’m one of six kids. Dianne is one of six as well, so it was really special to me,” Hazel says.

Adjacent to the living room, the dining room is dolled up with a daring Osborne and Lily pomegranate wallpaper from ADAC, hot pink curtains, a Currey & Company wrought-iron chandelier that Hazel says is “rustic yet dainty,” a Buddha head statue from HomeGoods and a simple wood table that belonged to Hazel.

“We definitely weren’t shy with patterns, and we really like color,” Hazel says.

In fact, Oliver says “When the lady was making the drapery [for the living and dining room] she said, ‘Oh my gosh, Rachel, I assume you know what you’re doing because these are some crazy colors.’”

It’s the vibrant palette and brave patterns used throughout the home that tie the décor together and showcase the upbeat attitudes of its inhabitants who are loving their decision to remain in the Big Peach, even if it was an unexpected one. n

Above: With more than enough room for a slumber party, Hazel’s day-lit master bedroom has two comfy lounging beds covered in fun pillows from Anthropologie, Target, Nadeau and Duralee.

Left: Lindquist’s bathroom, done in neutral tones and a cherry blossom wallpaper, was expanded during the renovation by taking over a closet from an adjacent room.

HAZEL’S TOP 5 TIPS LEARNED IN A FIRST-TIME RENOVATION Below: With a wall painted blue and the other lined with plantation shutters, Lindquist’s room features lots of DIY, including a sunburst mirror she painted silver and the headboard and bed linens handmade by her mom.

1. Contact references for your contractor, and meet in person. Ask to see the completed work; a happy owner equals work well done!

2. Set a budget. This keeps you honest and determines choices with finishes, decorating and more.

3. Know your contractor’s hourly rate.

4. Receive estimates for each component of the job.

5. Confirm that all subcontractors are bonded and insured.

Left: Covered in a medallion motif Eijffinger wallpaper and Carrera marble tiles, the master bathroom is home to a wheelchair-accessible bathtub that Hazel loves.

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

IT’S THE HOLIDAY PLACE, YOU KNOW!

THE MOST DELICIOUS WAY TO GIVE BACK: JOIN THE NO KID HUNGRY ATLANTA SOCIETY Bruce Bozzi, Jr., Palm Family 4th Generation

No Kid Hungry Atlanta Society membership provides an enriching experience through fundraising projects and exclusive invitations to society events. This fall we are accepting nominations for our inaugural No Kid Hungry Atlanta Society 2017 and would love to make you an official member.

Visit www.NKHSociety.com for more information.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS START HERE The season always shines brighter with a holiday celebration at The Palm. Our comfortable, newly refreshed private dining rooms welcome large parties or smaller, more intimate get-togethers. You and your guests will love our customized food and drink menus specially prepared for your festive occasion. Blended with our classic tradition of warm hospitality, there’s no better way to share the spirit – so plan your holiday party today!

3391 Peachtree Road, NE at the Westin Buckhead Hotel 404.814.1955 thepalm.com/Atlanta Serving Lunch and Dinner Daily Private Dining Rooms Available

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY S T Y LISH

FA S HION

MICHELLE EDWARDS CROSLAND Spotted at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta JOB TITLE: Lawyer

OUTFIT… Dress: Loyd/Ford from Jeffrey Atlanta Sunglasses: Piper from Warby Parker Clutch: Jada Loveless Necklace and Ring: Estate jewelry from Timothy Tew Shoes: Jimmy Choo PERSONAL STYLE: “Unexpected.”

FAVORITE BUCKHEAD SHOPS:

Jeffrey is her go-to shop to find the most unique fashions Buckhead has to offer.

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

STREET

STYLE

FASHIONISTAS WE FOUND AROUND TOWN STORY:

Abbie Koopote PHOTOS: Sara Hanna

W

hen out in Buckhead, it’s hard not to notice the array of unique fashions that strut the streets and color the establishments. These three Buckhead locals are no exception.

Their fun, everyday styles are sure to turn heads wherever they go.

HUTTON SNELLINGS SCHEEL ADI ALLUSHI Spotted at Kyma JOB TITLE: Lawyer

OUTFIT… Button-down shirt: Ted Baker Jeans: Zara Boots: Ted Baker leather wingtip brogue ankle boots Watch: U-Boat Bracelets: Beaded bracelets from Barneys New York Glasses: Prada PERSONAL STYLE:

“Unique and edgy.”

FAVORITE BUCKHEAD SHOPS:

Hermès, Zara and Tom Ford.

Spotted at St. Regis Atlanta bar patio JOB TITLE: Mom-to-be, artist and owner of Buckhead

Art and Company, which represents her work.

OUTFIT… Vest: Open-front crepe maternity vest from A Pea in the Pod Tank: Free People Leather Leggings: Vince Booties: Frye, with her own touch of splatter paint Watch: Burberry Necklace: Made by her sister, Morgan Rogers Bracelet: in2 PERSONAL STYLE: “Clean cut modern designs,

where something is usually covered in paint.”

FAVORITE BUCKHEAD SHOPS:

Hutton gives credit to personal shopper Donald Gesell at Neiman Marcus Lenox Square for helping create her personal style.

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY S T Y LISH

BE AUTY

PAINT ONE ON Atlanta-based Mosi Mei creates vegan, made-in-America nail lacquers that shun the “big five” chemicals found in many polishes—formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, formaldehyde resin and camphor.

Combine one of the super-glossy hues ($15 each) with the Shine top coat ($15), and your mani/pedi will hold its own for about the same amount of time as the in-salon kind.

GET ROLLING

Photo: Jonathan Orozco

“Navy is kind of known for the risk takers, but it’s such a perfect complement to all the dark floral fashions hitting stores this fall.”

– Mosi Mei creator and Underwood Hills resident Candace Clarke

CLEAN BEAUTY

Looking for something scent-sational? Roll on HollyBeth Organics’ Flourish Calming Perfume ($60) that uses organic ingredients, such as soothing chamomile, to make you smell good and help relieve stress. The roll-on scent blends essential oils such as cedarwood, bergamot, sweet marjoram, ylang ylang and sunflower seed oil, resulting in a subtle, earthy-citrus fragrance.

OH SUGAR, SUGAR Sugar on, sugar off! Sweet Peach Wax & Sugaring Studio, which recently opened its third location in Sandy Springs, offers 100-percent, all-natural hair removal using a sugar paste that contains sugar, water and lemon juice. After your sugaring session in one of the six new treatment rooms, pick up handmade products from bath bombs (above, $8) to sugar scrubs with essential oils ($10-$20) to go.

BETTER-FOR-YOU PRODUCT PICKS AROUND BUCKHEAD STORY:

Karina Antenucci

DETAILS: Beautycounter beautycounter.com/ amberbloomston

A

s consumers become more educated about what they put on their skin—and opt for beauty products and services that use ingredients grown in the garden, not in a lab— beauty companies are providing more natural options. “I like to think of natural and organic skincare as food for your skin, nutrient rich and free of toxins, just the way Mother Nature intended,” says HollyBeth Anderson, founder of Atlanta-based HollyBeth Organics (available at Buckhead-area retailers). “It’s a common misconception to think that when choosing natural or organic, efficacy is compromised. This isn’t the case.”

Here are a few cleaner local products we love.

PRETTY, PLEASE There’s a reason celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow are flocking to Beautycounter. For one thing, the cosmetics line has a rigorous screening process and has banned more than 1,500 bad-for-you ingredients found in beauty products. What’s more, some of its quality makeup, such as the Tint Skin Foundation ($41) and Touchup Skin Concealer Pen ($32), has staying power—a feature that can be a challenge to find in natural makeup. To get a download on the luxe products before you buy, contact Buckhead resident and Beauty Consultant Amber Bloomston through Beautycounter’s website. She can also hook you and your best ladies up with a fun and free shopping event at your home to try them out.

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

Earth Henna at Urban Outfitters Lenox Square 3393 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30326 404.264.8849 earthhenna.com

HAND PAINTED No pain, no permanence, no problem! Play with temporary tattoos using Earth Henna’s Premium Kit ($25.50) that features all the mixing and application tools needed to apply stencil designs to your body. The all-natural, vegan ingredients include henna powder from Morocco and eucalyptus oil. If you follow the detailed instructions to a tee, your henna creation could last for seven days or more.

HollyBeth Organics at Skin IQ Medspa 56 East Andrews Drive N.W. Atlanta 30305 404.277.0778 hollybethorganics.com Mosi Mei 678.554.8412 mosimei.com Sweet Peach Wax & Sugaring Studio Sandy Springs: 206 Johnson Ferry Road Suite A Sandy Springs 30328 404.481.5488 Buckhead: 3077 East Shadowlawn Ave. Atlanta 30305 404.842.1788 sweetpeachwaxstudio.com

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

45

S I M P LY S T Y LIS H

WE LLN E S S

Above: Tammy Stokes explains mindfulness during a retreat session on meditation.

Right: Retreat-goers sample Cafe West’s Life Porridge while discussing stress-management strategies.

Discovering

“me” time

A West Coast Workout-style fitness and wellness retreat at the Mandarin Oriental

“S

urrender to this moment.”

As I took a deep breath and exhaled from my belly, that was the thought going through my brain during my first group meditation session.

Meditation has been on my to-do list for the last couple of years, as I’ve tried to become better about living in the moment (a work in progress). So when I saw that it was a component of a half-day wellness retreat hosted by The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta and Tammy Stokes, founder of Buckhead’s West Coast Workout, I jumped at the chance to attend.

Each year, The Spa and Stokes host a few of these retreats, which cost $285 and include a spa treatment. (Mark your calendars: The next one is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 4.) And whether you decide to attend with a BFF or solo, you’ll enjoy a reenergizing day that includes workouts and nourishment for mind, body and soul.

The day of the retreat, things kicked off around 8:30 a.m. for

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

me and about 10 other women of all ages with a bottle of Stokes’ Oxygen H2O, a refreshing, pre-workout drink that includes lime juice, peppermint extract and chlorophyll extract. The water was just one of the tastes from Stokes’ Cafe West Express health drinks and foods that we sampled that morning.

After a round of introductions, Stokes took us through an hour-long cardio body-sculpting workout that incorporated bursts of cardio and bodyweight exercises in The Spa’s fitness studio.

Post workout, we headed down to the Mandarin’s Taipan Lounge to enjoy breakfast: a bowl of Cafe West’s Life Porridge, a blend of whole grains, omega-3 flax and fiber combined with cinnamon.

During the meal, Stokes gave a presentation on strategies for stress management. What I enjoyed most was that this session wasn’t her talking at us. It turned out to be a helpful group discussion where we all (Stokes included) shared stories of challenges,

STORY:

Amelia Pavlik

from dealing with divorce to being a mom. And while Stokes offered her strategies, such as creating before-bed rituals to help you sleep or making time for yourself a priority, she also encouraged the group to share what works for us.

Next up was the meditation and yoga session I was looking forward to, and it turned out to be just as fulfilling as I thought it would be. Stokes walked us through a few choices for meditating. One option was sitting still on a yoga mat with eyes closed, practicing our breathing; another was to meditate through movement while holding various yoga poses.

Stokes emphasized that there’s no one way to meditate. So lesson learned—the yoga option works better for me than sitting still.

Feeling relaxed and hungry, we headed back down to the Taipan Lounge to try one of Stokes’ signature soups, Longevity Lentil (a blend of veggie broth, red lentils, spices, sweet potato and coconut milk), and hear her thoughts on nutrition and foods we should

be incorporating into our diets.

Then came another reward: a spa treatment. We had a choice between a facial and a massage; I opted for the latter.

But my day of wellness didn’t end there. I booked a room at the hotel, and, following my hour of sore muscle relief, all I had to do was head upstairs to my cozy dwelling with a view of Peachtree Road. It had been a perfect day of peace. n

DETAILS: The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta 3376 Peachtree Road Atlanta 30326 404.995.7526 mandarinoriental.com/ atlanta/luxury-spa West Coast Workout/ Cafe West Express 107 West Paces Ferry Road Atlanta 30305 404.467.0602 westcoastworkout.com cafewestexpress.com

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S I M P LY S T Y LISH

TA S TE M A KER

Making a spectacle Wendy Salle’s statement glasses elevate style STORY:

Jennifer Bradley Franklin

S

triking eyewear can amplify the wearer’s style, much like fabulous clothing or a cutting-edge hairdo.

British-born Sandy Springs resident Wendy Salle, 50, knows a thing or two about that, having owned Salle Opticians for nearly 30 years, 22 of them in Buckhead’s Phipps Plaza. The shop, which will move to a new, high-tech retail space (also in the mall) later this year, has a reputation for exemplary service, an in-house lab to cut and fit lenses (a rarity) and hard-to-find, upscale brands including Dita, Blake Kuwahara, Tavat and Anne et Valentin. Here, she shares some of her spectacle secrets.

Do you wear glasses?

I do, but only since I was about 43. I had perfect vision up to that time!

Salle Opticians is a little outside of the norm, as optical shops go. What is it about your approach that sets you apart?

Back in the early ’90s, the industry was changing in Atlanta. A lot of independent opticians and optometrists weren’t surviving because they couldn’t compete against the bigger chain stores. So we decided to pursue a niche that would set us apart by finding products that no one else was offering and also getting away from the “glasses in about an hour” model. You just can’t do a good job in that timeframe. So we didn’t try to compete with that style.

So you believe in taking the time to produce a hand-crafted product?

Absolutely! I think today, people cut corners in favor doing things so quickly. And a lot of people have had bad experiences in other places because of bad training and staff that are in a rush. I find that people appreciate good service and good quality, and they don’t mind waiting a little while for it.

Most of us know about eye doctors, but what does an optician do?

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

Our specialty is on the lenses. We know them backwards and forwards. You’ll come to us with a prescription, and we’ll talk to you about your lifestyle and what you need the glasses to do. There are so many options that can fit a client’s needs.

We have an optometrist on staff as well.

Why are glasses such a style statement?

I actually sell a lot of glasses to people who don’t need them because they like the look. They’re so fashionable today. They’re much more than just a medical device. Plus, there are so many different lines and some fabulous looks out there. Now we have such great technology, we can make the glasses look terrific in any prescription. Regardless what your taste in fashion or style is, we’ve got something that will go along with that.

Do you have any tips for getting out of one’s comfort zone with frames?

You get used to seeing yourself a particular way, and it’s hard to break out. But there are so many variations of color and style. Come in and try a few on. Once you get used to seeing color on your face, it’s easy to accept it.

Do you recommend people have more than one pair?

Most of my clients have several pairs.

It’s almost the same as having “work clothes,” and if you were going out, you’d have other clothes. People tend to match their eyewear to their looks, so it’s not unusual for someone to have three or four different pairs.

What are some eyewear trends you anticipate for the fall?

Round is back with a vengeance. Rose gold is coming back, which is nice because everything’s been platinum for so long.

And I think we’ll see bright colors year-round, rather than just in spring and summer.

What do a great pair of glasses say about someone?

If you have really good-looking eyeSALLE OPTICIANS wear on, it says a lot about you. I’d say Phipps Plaza 3500 Peachtree Road that you have a disAtlanta 30326 tinct sense of fashion 404.816.6266 and an interest in salleopticians.com the entire look. n

We're at our best so you can be at yours.

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Perimeter North Family Medicine Welcoming New Patients!

Dr. Vinaya Gokki

Perimeter North Family Medicine is proud to serve the families of Atlanta with the highest standard of care. Dr. Mithun Daniel and Dr. Vinaya Gokki offer a full range of medical services including chronic disease management, acute illness care and preventative care, and are currently offering back-to-school and sports physicals. We accept most insurance plans and offer a convenient location near the Northside Hospital Medical Campus.

Our services include: • Physical examinations and wellness care for men, women and children • General and chronic care for geriatric patients • Immunizations • Acute illness treatment for colds, fevers, flu and more • Comprehensive women’s health services

Call (770) 395-1130 for an appointment

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Office Location: 960 Johnson Ferry Road Suite 300 Atlanta, GA 30342

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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atlantaeats.com

ON S TAG E | A RT V I E W | L I T E R A RY

SIMPLY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Brenda Fannin is following up a corporate career with her first passion: a life in the art world.

ART VIEW

French art invades Phipps P54

Photo: Sara Hanna Photography

“Everyone should be able to own an original piece [of art].” - Brenda Fannin September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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S I M P LY A & E

ON S TAGE

Choosing perfect

players Alliance Theatre casting director has an eye for talent STORY:

Jim Farmer

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

Photo: Greg Mooney

H

er face may not be familiar, but anyone who’s seen a play at the Alliance Theatre is familiar with the work of Jody Feldman.

As the theater’s longtime casting director and producer, the Sandy Springs resident brings precision to each show she works on, finding appropriate actors for all parts. And she loves her job.

Growing up in Brewton, Alabama, Feldman enrolled at the University of Georgia in 1979 to pursue theater. She met her future husband there and followed him to Atlanta two years later, transferring to Georgia State University and receiving a degree in office administration.

After college, she worked at the Atlanta Merchandise Mart and tried to determine what she really wanted to do. Ultimately, it was an easy call: She wanted to give theater another go. After acting in shows such as “Three Postcards” at Academy Theatre (then housed in Midtown) and “The Women” at Neighborhood Playhouse in Decatur, she opted for a life on the administrative side.

Feldman called the Academy Theater in 1988 and nearly groveled for a job.

It worked. She was hired as an administrative assistant, and it was there she met Kenny Leon, who was in the theater’s company. They became good friends, and Leon later took over as the Alliance’s artistic director.

When he began forming his team, Leon called her. “I need an assistant and a casting director, and I want you to do this,” he said. At the time, however, she had just had her first son. “Kenny, you are crazy. I’m a momma now. I stay at home,” she told him. But he called back and told Feldman that he knew her better than she knew herself and that this was the position she wanted. In 1991 he convinced her to come on board part-time.

Even though she’d never worked in a

theater of that size—one whose central stage holds 777 seats and reaches well over a 100,000 patrons a year—she fell in love with the job. She even stayed on when Leon left, and Susan Booth came in as artistic director in 2001.

Today, Feldman casts 12 full productions a year, as well as readings and workshops. It’s her task to service each play—and the director and the playwright—by reading the script and the director’s character breakdowns. Then she strives to find the right actor for the ensemble. “We cast everything we can locally first, as many as we can, then we’ll go outside [Atlanta],” she says. A priority is finding performers who are real and have an ease with the dialogue.

Aside from her casting duties, Feldman also produces the annual “Taste of the Season” event—a preview of upcoming theater offerings—and handles select administrative responsibilities.

For 13 years, Feldman, 56, has lived in

Sandy Springs with her husband, Michael, who is in real estate. She loves the neighborhood-meets-cosmopolitanvibe of the area and its central location.

The couple’s oldest son, Jason, works in public relations in New York, and their twin sons, Brett and Kevin, just graduated from Riverwood High School.

Feldman stays busy with her family and sees as many shows as she can while keeping up with the local acting pool.

Helping performers secure jobs is something she adores. “I desperately want Atlanta to be a place where actors can come and make a living,” she says. “I’m aggressive and assertive when looking for and nurturing talent. If you send a headshot and ALLIANCE THEATRE resume here, you 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. are absolutely going Atlanta 30309 to be seen by me 404.733.4650 at some point. I love alliancetheatre.org the matchmaking.” n

New Child Care Center

OPENING THIS FALL IN BUCKHEAD Bright Horizons® at Buckhead is a new child care center, which will serve children 6 weeks through 5 years old with Infant – Kindergarten Prep programs in addition to drop-in care. The center is now enrolling in all programs.

State-of-the-art facility with Movement Matters Zone and STEM Lab Curriculum developed for the individual child TWO LOCATIONS West Midtown Design District 404.477.3744 Town Brookhaven 404.844.2004 www.ModaFloorsandInteriors.com *At participating retailers only. $250 off a minimum of 50 square yards of Shaw Carpets for St. Jude and 50 square yards of Shaw Cushion for St. Jude. Material only. Pricing determined by retailer. Ask your sales person for details. **Shaw Floors and its retail parters will collectively donate $0.38 for each square yard sold with a combined purchase from the Shaw Carpet and Cushion Collection benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital*, from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018, with a combined minimum donation of $1,000,000. All amounts are in U.S. dollars. Discount applied after donation calculation. ***Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payment required. See store for details.

Passionate and nurturing teachers

Bright Horizons at Buckhead 3565 Piedmont Road NE Building 3, Suite T-100 Atlanta, GA 30305 (404) 467-9628 brighthorizons.com/buckheadsb

© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

BUCKHEAD

Hour HAPPY

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S I M P LY A & E A RT VI E W

French Art invades Phipps Brenda Fannin trades a corporate career to bring a touch of France to Buckhead STORY:

H.M. Cauley

PHOTO: Sara

Hanna

G

rowing up in New York in the 1970s, Brenda Fannin made fond memories on Sunday afternoons, meandering with her mother through the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Until she left for college, the routine was the same: church, brunch, art.

“I grew up fully immersed in fine arts and performing arts, but in those days, it was about going to school and earning money,” says the Brookhaven resident. “So I got a finance degree from Georgetown and an MBA from the University of Texas, but art has always been a quiet passion of mine.”

After moving to Atlanta 27 years ago and having a career in the IT world, including a corporate gig with Microsoft, Fannin launched a consulting business in 2007. But after just three years, she has saved enough money to do what she’d always dreamed of: having a life focused on art.

“I didn’t know what that would look like,” she admits. “Then this opportunity came to partner with a French company, and I couldn’t pass it up. It was such a weird story. As a business person, I’ve al-

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

ways looked for opportunities, and I was looking at a business periodical that had an ad in very fine print that said, ‘Interested in owning an art gallery?’ The company was in the south of France, so I went there, met them and fell in love with the art they represented.”

The international company, Carré d’artistes, represents French and international artists and markets their work in galleries around the globe. The firm partnered with Fannin to open an Atlanta outlet. Though the idea sounded a bit fantastic, she set a benchmark: “I thought if I could get this gallery into Phipps, then it was meant to be.”

And so it was. Eight months

ago, Fannin got the nod to open a space in Phipps, and on Sept. 15, is introducing Carré to Atlanta. The concept isn’t just about having another art source; it’s specifically geared toward helping buyers at all price points afford original art.

“Everyone should be able to own an original piece, no matter what your socio-economic status may be,” Fannin says. “Here, you can get a fully-framed original piece for about $125.”

Along with framed paintings in a range of sizes, the collection includes three-dimensional wood works and photography. Sixteen international artists are represented, but Fannin is also pursuing

local artists as well. She’s also commissioned photographer and mixed-media artist Ronnie Phillips to produce cityscapes of Atlanta.

The Phipps gallery is now one of just six Carré galleries in the U.S. Fannin plans to make it seven; she already has her eyes set on a location at the Mall of Georgia that will operate on the same principle: Buying art shouldn’t be intimidating or expensive. n CARRÉ D’ARTISTES 3500 Peachtree Road Atlanta 30326 404.416.9916 carredartistes.com

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S I M P LY A & E

LITE R A RY

VERN YIP’S TOP TIPS n “It’s really important to wrap your mind around the idea that your home is the place you should want to be more than anywhere else on the planet. When you walk through your front door, it should be the best experience. This book is designed to get people to that point.” n “Your home should be a physical manifestation of you. We all have many facets, and our homes should reflect that in terms of how it functions and looks. We are way passed the point where people are trying to recreate looks out of a catalogue or showroom or live up to a certain standard. Now it’s about tailoring your home to you specifically.” n “Buy things you love that tell a story or are reflective of your journey. Things that have meaning will be what you keep for a lifetime— which is also ultimately cheaper and better for the environment.”

Interior design decoded Celeb designer Vern Yip crams his first book with insider tips for the DIY set

D

o you have more pictures leaning up against the baseboards instead of hanging from the walls because you never know how high they should be?

Have you put off repainting because the thought of selecting a color scheme terrifies you? Are the wood floors still bare because rug sizing paralyzes you?

“Yes” to any of those questions means Buckhead-based designer Vern Yip’s first book is for you. The former HGTV star and regular Washington Post contributor finally found time in his hectic schedule to put down answers to questions he’s constantly being asked. Debuting this month, Vern Yip’s Design Wise: Your Smart Guide to a Beautiful Home was compiled as a reference for any DIY decorator.

“In my years as a designer, I’ve heard the same questions over and over,” says Yip, who was raised in the D.C. area and moved to Atlanta in the early 1990s to earn an MBA and master’s in architecture from Georgia Tech.

“People seem to think design is super-ethereal, like some sort of secret knowledge you have to be born with. A lot of it can be easily communicated, especially if you provide information in a clear, bulleted fashion without making readers search for it.

That takes the intimidation factor of design out and frees them up to do the part they think is fun—picking colors and styles.”

Yip’s overriding inspiration was to write a

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

book with useful information. “I didn’t want it to be another thing with my face on it,” he says. “My whole life, I’ve tried to improve people’s lives, so I wanted it to be functional.

The approach is ‘this is what you need to pull off a successful room on your own’.”

The idea of making the book more of a reference guide than a cover-to-cover read came while Yip was killing time in his kids’ carpool line. “Getting the information organized in a way that was easy to access was really important to me. I thought about other parents like me who are sitting in a long line of cars for 30 minutes, checking email or reading news texts while they wait for their kids. It would be nice to have something you can read for 30 minutes that gives you a great takeaway.”

To illustrate, Yip uses his own three homes as examples for topics such as how high the dining room chandelier should be or how to pick a perfect sofa. Yip, his spouse Craig Koch, their children, Gavin and Vera, and three rescued dogs split their time between a not-quite 800-square-foot apartment in Manhattan, a 2,700-square-foot getaway house at Rosemary Beach and their 1925 renovated, historic home in Brookwood Hills.

“I wanted to show that no matter what your style or how big your home, these rules apply universally,” Yip says. “I figured the audience was largely people just like me who are busy with layered lives, children and pets and who

STORY:

H.M. Cauley

still want to live beautifully without spending an exorbitant amount of time doing it. And I want to show that having a beautiful home is attainable if you have the right information.” n

Meet the Author Book signings with Vern Yip Sept. 17, 1:30 p.m.: Frontgate Atlanta

Phipps Plaza, 3500 Peachtree Road, Atlanta 30326 Sept. 22, 7 p.m.: Barnes & Noble

2900 Peachtree Road, Atlanta 30305 Sept. 29, 10 a.m.: ADAC 351 Peachtree Hills Avenue, Atlanta 30305

Information about Vern Yip and his book are online at vernyip.com.

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One Sushi Plus’ Korean influences often pop-up on the menu, such as this bulgogi-like roll called Gangnam style.

A stage for sushi P60

Using top-notch ingredients and traditional techniques, Brookhaven’s One Sushi Plus is a one-bite flavor adventure.

Photo: Sara Hanna Photography

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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R E V IE W

Above: At One Sushi Plus, colorful small plates are filled with flavor and textural combinations that delight the senses.

Right: Sashimi platters are stunning with minimalist simplicity.

A STAGE FOR

SUSHI

T

he server lifted the glass dome from the white plate, releasing a drifting swirl of intoxicating smoke. My sushi novice friend and I were intrigued, and this smoked toro was only our first course at The One Sushi Plus. Could this place excite both a rookie and avid sushi eater?

Tucked in the back corner of Brookhaven’s Village Place, One is chic yet unassuming.

It is easy to miss, on the edge of the parking lot. On this particular Friday evening, a sizable crowd waited for tables and mingled with patrons doing the same at Kaleidoscope next door. The valet stand out front was busy; the patio and bar were packed.

The interior is chic and industrial with concrete, steel and glass. The dimly lit space is hip and sophisticated. Triangular modern art pieces suspended from the ceiling soften the scale of the lofty space, while an abstract mural depicting a rainbow of brushstrokes energizes the grey concrete and metal.

Chopsticks are made of steel, and water glasses are wonkily askew in shape, as if they are tipping over. Diners are young, polished, most around 30. We witnessed many diners exchange hugs and hellos before sitting to peruse the menus—a sure sign of a huge neighborhood draw. It’s not a quiet place.

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

Brookhaven’s The One Sushi Plus makes room for all discerning diners STORY:

Angela Hansberger PHOTOS: Sara Hanna

The Japanese menu is grouped into the usual categories—appetizers, sashimi, nigiri, raw dishes, rolls and platters—but what stands out in those categories is what sets One apart. Unique dishes with interesting ingredient pairings and attention-grabbing presentations abound.

Even on this crowded Friday (we also visited on a Wednesday), service was quick and friendly. Each visit we were told that the food is served tapas style and comes out as small plates in no particular order.

A couple seated nearby ordered a garden salad with a light ginger soy dressing, then an appetizer of alien-looking, crispy squid leg fries. They followed with a third order of spicy tuna on the rocks: squares of crispy rice topped with a moderately hot tuna tartare flavored with chilies, cilantro and jalapeno. The mix of colors and textures was so enticing that we ordered one, too.

We asked for the off-the-menu fish.

Much of the seafood is flown here from the renowned Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. That evening, the menu featured Japanese uni and a few other options our server had not tried, but his attention to detail impressed us, especially when he asked about the flavors of each after we tasted them. He scribbled

notes in his ordering pad to guide others.

Nigiri is served two order and sashimi with five slivers. Two pieces of blue fusilier arrived gleaming, thanks to a quick finish from a blow-torch with bits of scallions, and a few grains of pink salt over a tightly packed bundle of lightly vinegared rice. It was a small package but had a perfect balance of flavor. The delicate fish was made even more elegant by the tiny size of One’s nigiri.

Two nigiri are about the size of one piece at Umi or Tomo but priced about the same.

A sushi or sashimi platter is more valueladen if you are up for the sushi chef making the choices. The $31 sashimi platter comes with 14 pieces of fish (although mine had 19).

The assortment included toro (tuna), madai (red snapper), hamachi (yellowtail), kinmedai (big eye snapper), saba (mackerel) and salmon. All were fresh and expertly trimmed.

The only downside was that the salmon was farmed from Scotland, even though it was wild Copper River salmon season. Most other upscale Atlanta sushi houses had Copper River salmon on the menu.

The majority of tables seemed to have the same item: The Sex and the City roll with a lineup of spicy tuna and crisp tempura flakes, tuna, mango and avocado with a spicy aioli

Right: Nigiri is pristine—served with a dab of wasabi, a brush of soy or a sprinkle of green onion slivers—just enough to complement the natural flavor of the fish.

Below: Start your experience with slivers of yellowtail in a bright sauce, served in fun shot glasses.

Below: Whimsically titled rolls like Sex in the City deliver in beauty and taste.

Above: Ordering smoked toro is as much an experience as it is a dish when the dome is lifted and hickory smoke fills the air.

With a nod to faraway tradition, One Sushi Plus serves sushi beautifully selected and presented. thinly spread on top. My male dining companion was excited about the roll but couldn’t bear ordering by its moniker. Same with “the #Selfie” or “OMG,” so he chose the Toro on Fire instead.

Large wheels of fatty chu-toro tartare and lightly seared tuna mixed with tempura flakes crowned with a spicy wasabi-lime aioli were an invigorating mixture of cool freshness and heat. After hearing that hand rolls came burrito style, he ordered the 1 Plus, a large packet chock-full of sweet crab and corn niblets.

Owners Mali Hu and George Muh hail from Korea, which explains menu items like Gangnam style, a rolled up version of bulgogi with marinated and seared rib eye and short rib meat and kimchi.

Another pleaser is the yellowtail jalapeno shots, six shot glasses filled with a sliver of yellowtail and a zesty mixture of cilantro, yuzu, Sriracha and balsamic. The table next to us downed them like whiskey, but I found it best enjoyed with chopsticks and then sipped. The sauce is fantastic.

But for the most memorable dish, we go back to the smoked toro mentioned above.

After being smoldered with hickory wood under a dome, five large hunks of toro come to the table. The sweet smoke released at its unveiling quickly reaches the nostrils,

Above: Owners George Muh and Mali Hu opened One Sushi Plus in late 2012.

setting the stage. Then another tiny dome is lifted, revealing smoked soy sauce. The fish is tender, not overly flavored by the singed wood, but just the right amount to transport you to a campfire or a dram of Scotch.

Speaking of Scotch, the bar program is legit.

The final dish led me to order the Last Samurai, made with single malt Japanese whisky stirred with slightly fruity Lillet and honey. It’s a bit of an Asian Rob Roy with the addition of an oolong tea ice cube that slowly melts and mellows the flavor profile.

One Sushi Plus doesn’t quite fit in a box. It’s a neighborhood joint but also upscale. It’s a playground of inventive plates that caters to both the occasional dabbler and the sushi devotee. n

Above: A single oolong tea ice cube slowly changes the flavor profile of the Last Samurai cocktail made with Japanese single malt.

THE ONE SUSHI PLUS 2523 Caldwell Road N.E. Suite 1000, Atlanta 30319 404.869.6988 theonesushiplus.com Prices: Nigiri (2 pieces) and Sashimi (5 pieces), $6-$12. Signatures and rolls $11-$20. Platters $23-$37.

Sides $5-$12. Cocktails $9-$15. Desserts $7-$9.

Recommended: Smoked toro. Spicy tuna on the rocks. Yellowtail jalapeno shots. Toro on Fire.

Last Samurai cocktail.

Bottom line: Low-key and high-brow sushi spot.

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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D R IN KS

Photo: Heidi Geldhauser/Our Labor of Love

Painted Pin’s

Gin Punch RECIPE BY TRIP SANDIFER FOR THE OLEO SACCHARUM: Peel two grapefruits and two lemons.

Save peels, and reserve fruit for another use.

Add 1 pound of sugar to the peels, and knead for a few minutes to start the extraction. Leave out overnight, covered, at room temperature.

The next day, much of the mix will have liquefied. Add 1 pound of boiling water (approximately 3 liters), and stir to dissolve.

Strain out the peels, and reserve the syrup.

Let cool.

Measure the syrup and add an equal amount of gin and an equal amount of water (1 to 1 to 1 mixture). You may make this mixture up to a week in advance.

TO MAKE THE PUNCH:

PUNCH DRUNK

Add 3 parts of the mix to 2 parts champagne and 1/2 part lemon juice. Garnish with mint, triangles of grapefruit and lemon wheels.

For a large bowl, use a large ice block.

Visit simplybuckhead.com to see Sandifer’s recipe for Bourbon Punch served at Painted Pin.

STORY:

Kelly Jordan

THE AGE-OLD, SHAREABLE BEVERAGE IS HAVING A NEW MOMENT

I

n terms of party drinks, punch stands on its own as the quintessential shareable beverage.

Finding a role in your grandmother’s heyday and at your own college frat parties, punch had—and still has—a definitive place as a social beverage.

According to David Wondrich’s book Punch: The Delights and Dangers of the Flowing Bowl, the drink’s roots go back to the 1600s when English sailors turned to crafting it out of local Indian herbs when their beer spoiled.

The Sanskrit translation of punch, or “pañc,” is five, which at its most basic is the number of ingredients needed in a punch—alcohol, sugar, lemon, water and spices.

While bartenders and party-goers have given the drink their own spin over the centuries, it hasn’t strayed far from its original five ingredients—though our idea of it today most often includes one or more fruit juices. Lately, mixologists across the country have re-embraced the age-old mixture, using most commonly rum, gin,

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bourbon or Champagne to propel it back into the spotlight.

At Buckhead’s The Painted Pin, a cocktail-driven bowling alley, punch bowls take the place of beer pitchers. “We wanted a cocktail list that reflected a sense of timelessness that would work year-round,” says Trip Sandifer, the Pin’s bar manager and corporate bar manager at Atlanta restaurant and entertainment group, Painted Hospitality.

Visitors can order this citrus-infused bevvie by the glass or by the bowl (the mint-, lemon- and grapefruitgarnished stainless steel bowl comes with cups and serves four to five people).

“We batch all of our punches in advance and add the citrus to order,” Sandifer says. He suggests employing this strategy when you make the concoction at home as well. “Think in terms of balance.

Punch isn’t a cocktail. It shouldn’t be too boozy to drink; you should be able to drink a lot of it [hence, the bowl]. And think about seasonal fruits when you’re garnishing.”

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

While the punches at The Painted Pin may stray from the stuff Charles Dickens (rumored to be a big fan of punch) sipped in the 1800s, it still follows the classic style.

“Our punches have an element of complexity,” says Sandifer, “but a lot of that derives from the oleo saccharum, an invaluable ingredient for punches.” (See recipe above for the citrusy simple syrup.) n DETAILS: South City Kitchen Vinings 1675 Cumberland Parkway S.E. Smyrna 30080 770.435.0700 vinings.southcitykitchen.com Tupelo Honey Cafe 4600 Roswell Road Building C, Suite 110 Sandy Springs 30342 404.649.6334 tupelohoneycafe.com The Painted Pin 737 Miami Circle N.E. Atlanta 30324 404.814.8736 thepaintedpin.com

Fill Your Punch Card In addition to The Painted Pin, stop by these local spots for some flavorful punches.

South City Kitchen Vinings serves a tropical Caribbean Punch (above) with coconut rum, lemon, pineapple juice and pomegranate syrup.

Tupelo Honey Cafe offers a dangerously sippable Pineapple Tiki Bomb with Bacardi Dragon Berry rum, triple sec and fresh fruit juices.

It’s served in a cored pineapple garnished with cocktail umbrellas and silly straws.

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead 

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FOODIE JOURNAL

Culinary News & Notes

BY:

Sarah Gleim

GOING

GREEN Photos: Andrew Thomas Lee

Some of Buckhead’s best restaurants are doing their part to recycle, reduce and reuse.

M

s From top: Designer Elizabeth Ingram created Superica’s mid-century ranch-style dining room; Fajita nachos are topped with mesquite wood-fired grilled chicken.

TWICE AS NICE

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South City Kitchen Buckhead 3350 Peachtree Road Atlanta 30326 404.815.6677 buckhead.south citykitchen.com True Food Kitchen Lenox Square 3393 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 3058B Atlanta 30326 truefoodkitchen.com/ locations/atlanta

Photo: Kim Evans Photography

s Mark Alba t Ron Eyester

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

n Mark Alba recently joined Legendary Events, which owns Buckhead’s The Estate venue, as the special event company’s new executive chef. Alba, who most recently worked as the executive chef of STK Atlanta, replaces former Executive Chef Liz Cipro who is staying on as the company’s director of catering. n Ron Eyester has resurfaced after his Morningside and Atlantic Station restaurants closed. He’s now executive chef at Southern Bistro in Sandy Springs. Eyester worked with Nancy Goodrich to help relaunch her former restaurant, Nancy G’s, as Southern Bistro this month. n Asheville, North Carolina-based Tupelo Honey Cafe has opened its first Georgia location in Sandy Springs. The Southern-food restaurant serves up signature dishes of a fried chicken tower and Southern Belle grilled cheese.

Tupelo Honey’s Southern buttermilk fried tower served with biscuits, collards and macaroni and cheese.

Legendary Events 1380 West Marietta St. Atlanta 30318 404.869.8858 legendaryevents.com Photo: Heidi Geldhauser

Superica 3850 Roswell Road Atlanta 30342 678.705.1235 superica.com

Souper Jenny Atlanta History Center 130 West Paces Ferry Road Atlanta 30305 404.295.6761 souperjennyatl.com

FOOD NEWS

Photo: Haigwood Studios

Ford Fry is at it again. Doors to the second location of his Tex-Mex hotspot Superica opened in July near Chastain Park (the first has been wildly successful in Inman Park’s Krog Street Market). The menu, which he developed with vice president of culinary operations Kevin Maxey, pays homage to Fry’s roots as a Texan and features tamales and seafood ceviche as starters. Full plates include traditional dishes such as tacos al carbon, which means the filling is cooked over coals, and parilla mixta fajitas. Go for the puffy tacos—they’re flashfried corn tortillas that “puff.”

You can get them with either beef or chicken. Cocktails are what you’d expect from a Tex-Mex spot: margaritas, wine and beer, but the focus is on high-quality ingredients of fresh juices, Mezcal and house-made purees.

They’ll be serving breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays, along with live music every Friday and Saturday night.

any chefs in Buckhead believe in sustainable farming and utilizing seasonal and organic produce. And not just because it makes their food taste better, but also because it’s better for the environment. Some take that eco-friendly concept beyond s South City Kitchen Buckhead gets what they serve on their menus a gold star for its green initiatives. and integrate it into their corporate philosophies. Here are three restaurants philosophy is applied to her new flagship that get the gold for going green. restaurant at the Atlanta History Center.

Everything it uses is recyclable, right We could devote this entire column to down to the drinking cups and straws. the green initiatives of Fifth Group Restaurants alone. But consider just South True Food Kitchen at Lenox Square encompasses everything about being City Kitchen Buckhead: The restaurant green, from the food to the design. composts 10,000 to 12,000 pounds of The menu is based on the anti-inflammaorganic matter every month, which keeps hundreds of thousands of pounds of waste tory diet designed by holistic living expert Dr. Andrew Weil, director of the from the landfills every year. The staff also University of Arizona Center for Integrative recycles spent fryer grease and uses Medicine. You can choose from vegan, LED lighting to meet strict energy codes. vegetarian, organic, gluten-free and paleo dishes. The restaurant’s design features Souper Jenny owner Jenny Levison environmentally friendly materials from has recycled in both her kitchen and dining reclaimed wood floors to quarry tiles, room from the start with her first location low-voltage lighting and low-VOC paint. n in Buckhead. And the same eco-conscious

Southern Bistro 4920 Roswell Road Atlanta 30342 404.705.8444 southernbistroatl.com Tupelo Honey Cafe 4600 Roswell Road Sandy Springs 30342 404.649.6334 tupelohoneycafe.com

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TA S TE MAKER

POP STAR CaJa Popcorn’s Kevin Peak knows what it takes to grow a business STORY:

Carly Cooper

K

evin Peak, owner of CaJa Popcorn in the Peachtree Battle shopping center, never imagined his business card would read “Chief Popper.” The Buckhead resident was a consultant specializing in corporate strategy when he decided to stop traveling, spend more time with family and try something different. He enlisted his friend, chef Todd Ginsberg (The General Muir, Yalla, Fred’s Meat & Bread), to test recipes, and four years ago, CaJa Popcorn was born.

Now, in addition to its retail shop, CaJa works with local caterers and restaurants, sells wholesale to the Atlanta Botanical Garden and is available at Lucy’s Market and Oakhurst Market. This month, the brand is partnering with Parish chef Stuart Tracy to create a special, limited-time flavor, Truffle and Honey.

Below, Peak tells us how CaJa came to be and why he believes popcorn is the best school snack.

What does the name CaJa stand for?

It’s a combination of my kids’ names: Caroline, now a fourth grader, and Jack, a first grader.

How did you come up with the idea for CaJa? I had seen other popcorn [shops] around the country and thought I could do it just as well, if not better, in a healthy way. I didn’t want to become a franchisee and take someone else’s idea. Atlanta didn’t really have interesting popcorn places, mostly because they didn’t make it fresh every day. They had 150 to 200 flavors, and their pricing matrices were difficult to understand. I thought, “Why don’t we make great flavors with great ingredients and see if we can make a go of it?” We started with the core three flavors Todd created: Sea Salt Caramel, Pimento Cheese and Spicy BBQ. We use glucose syrup instead of high-fructose corn syrup, so it’s way healthier.

What is your role on a day-to-day basis?

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

I do everything from HR to marketing to delivery. I handle most of the corporate orders. Basically, my job is to grow the business.

So if I get a craving for popcorn, I can get it delivered?

Any order over $50, we’d typically ship it in one day, but it’s not unusual for me to deliver a 2-gallon tin.

We ship all over the country.

Tell me about your partnership with chef Stuart Tracy.

We work with him to create our flavor of the month. This month, it’s truffle and honey; a few months ago, it was Sriracha, and then East Carolina BBQ.

What makes your popcorn a good back-to-school snack?

We work with a lot of schools and partner with them from a charitable standpoint.

We use great, fresh ingredients, and we never, ever use nuts. We’re almost always glutenfree. Occasionally, we use some crumbs in a specialty flavor, like the red velvet.

If someone has a dairy issue, we have a dairy-free option: our kettle corn.

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S I M P LY D E LICIOUS

FEATURED RESTAURANTS A sampling of great eats in and around Buckhead BY: Wendell

Brock

PHOTOS:

Sara Hanna

1KEPT KITCHEN & BAR This hidden, club-like space took over the home of old-school French restaurant Toulouse in 2013. Manned by a trio of chefs with equal authority, the collaborative kitchen strives to keep up with the contemporary culinary game.

When they nail it—with the likes of pimento cheese boards, fresh seasonal salads, old-fashioned pecan pies, killer brownies and what is surely the best steak-frites in town—you’ll find yourself sated and happy. Start with a classic Sazerac. Then drink in the ambience. Proprietor Thaddeus Keefe attended Buckhead’s Atlanta International School as a lad, and this is his vision of the neighborhood of today: young, prosperous and ready to embrace the good life.

Salads, starters and flatbreads: $6-$14 Entrees; $20-$27 1kept.com

BABYLON CAFÉ When Iraqi native Saad Marwad and his wife, Kelly Rafia, opened Babylon Café in 2014, the city’s foodie community started to buzz about the couple’s fresh, flavorful repertoire of Middle Eastern classics, from falafel and hummus to kebabs and baklava. While the starters are quite good—try the fattoush salad, the lentil soup and the eggplant badenjan—the earthy, long-simmered stews are unlike anything else in town.

We like the herb-based qurma sabzi with super-tender lamb shank and the bamia (okra and tomatoes) with oxtail.

Don’t leave with out a sip of the aniseflavored aperitif called “arak” and a bite of kanafeh, a sweet made of shredded phyllo, housemade sweet cheese, roseand orange-water syrup and pistachios.

Appetizers and sides: $2-$7 Entrées: $12-$20 babyloncafeatl.com

CAFÉ AT PHARR New Orleans owns the po’boy. Philadelphia has its cheese steaks. Maine gave us the lobster roll. So … what about Buckhead? I’d have to say that the neighborhood’s defining dish is chicken salad, the classic bird-andmayo spread that can be crammed in your mouth between slices of bread or eaten daintily with a fork. Thanks to the entrepreneurial zeal of Johnny Liu—whose Taiwanese immigrant parents opened the original Café at Pharr in 1993—this comfort food has become a new fast food. You have to love the story of Café at Pharr. An enterprising family comes up with a formula that charms and beguiles the locals: Fresh food served in an accessible and unfussy environment that never loses its friendly neighborhood feel.

Entrée sandwiches and salads: $7.50-$9.50 cafeatpharr.com Houston’s take on a Cobb, The Club Salad, is decked out with crispy chicken, smoky bacon and chopped egg.

Davio’s tiramisú is a layering of ladyfingers, espresso, mascarpone and espresso ice cream.

DAVIO’S NORTHERN ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE With its handmade pasta, terrific steaks and foundation of classic Italian dishes, the Atlanta outpost of Massachusetts-based chef-preneur Steve DiFillippo sets a higher-thanusual standard for a mall restaurant.

Fine-food lovers flock to Phipps Plaza for Davio’s delicious fried calamari, tagliatelle Bolognese, and warm spinach salad like ravenous shoppers on the hunt for Louis Vuitton bags, Tiffany silver and Dior gowns. And they can do no better than the buttery medallion of impeccably grilled top sirloin, slathered with Gorgonzola and paired with wilted spinach and sea-salt-andtruffle-oil fries. No wonder the Davio’s menu is as tantalizing as the shoe department at Nordstrom.

Appetizers and salads: $9-$16 Pastas, entrées and steaks: $18-$48 davios.com/atl

HOUSTON’S Houston’s probably won’t make the list of any highfalutin, big-city critic. And yet the Beverly Hills-based chain, which has had an Atlanta presence since 1978,has a devoted following, thanks to its consistently good, all-American food; its commitment to customer

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

comforts; and its flagrant disregard for culinary razzle-dazzle. While the gooey spinach-and-artichoke dip and the Famous French Dip are the stuff of legend, we are crazy about the Thai steak and noodle salad, the crispy-skinned rotisserie chicken and the warm, five-nut brownie with vanilla ice cream. At Houston’s, every table is bolted to the floor so it won’t wobble, servers bring chilled glasses so your drink never gets tired and napkins have buttonholes so the white-shirt crowd can save its ties. We can only hope this classic sticks around for a few more decades.

Starters: $4-$15. Salads, $13-$20 Burgers and sandwiches: $18-$20 Entrees: $25-$45 hillstone.com/houstons

JOY CAFÉ Every Sunday at sunrise, Joy Austin Beber goes to her Buckhead café and makes a whopping pile of her greatgrandmother’s biscuits. After church, she serves a hallelujah chorus of a brunch: fluffy buttermilk pancakes; eggs Benedict; and those famous biscuits topped with gravy, sausage and scrambled eggs. I arrived at the 3 p.m. cutoff for the breakfast-y brunch items, and enjoyed a terrific cobb salad with loads of blue cheese, bacon, avocado,

boiled egg and grilled chicken. The Joy’s pièce de résistance, though, is the Crack Pie, with its oatmeal-cookie crust and gooey interior. Joy got a kick out of hearing that I am wack for her crack. This self-taught chef keeps it simple and fresh.

Brunch: $7-$14 Lunch: $8-$12 joycafeatl.com

KR STEAKBAR Atlanta chef Kevin Rathbun’s only Buckhead restaurant feels customtailored for the community. A contemporary nocturnal cubbyhole where small plates rule, wine flows and the air bristles with excitement, the fashionable “steakbar” concept finds Rathbun and chef de cuisine Jessica Gamble fusing two venerable concepts: meat and Italian. Here, nearly everything speaks with a perky Mediterranean lilt: amari-kissed cocktails; steak doused with espresso sauce; heavenly olive-oil cake with almond brittle and citrus cream. (Pastry chef Kylie Akiyama is terrific.) Hidden touches, like the speakeasy-style bar behind the kitchen and a patio that feels like a sunken garden, make us want to continue to explore this romantic spot.

Antipasti: $6-$19 Pasta: $12-$16 Entrées: $18-$68 krsteakbar.com

OK CAFÉ Just as I send diners to Bone’s for the definitive steakhouse experience, I suggest OK Café as a classic diner with a strong Southern twang. The offerings here are anchored in time and tradition: Root beer floats and cherry lemonade are called Black Cows and Pink Ladies. Meat-and-twos and veggie plates laden with silken collards and exquisite mac and cheese are meant to be washed down with sweet iced tea and sopped up with a perfect corn muffin. Fat slices of meatloaf encrust-

The tasty chicken pot pie from OK Café is more than just “OK.”

ed with tomato sauce; roast turkey with cornbread dressing and gravy; chicken pot pie with an adorable little “OK” stamped onto its puff-pastry blanket—this stuff draws a crowd. If you don’t want to play the waiting game, you’d better arrive before 11 a.m. or between the lunch and dinner rush.

After a quarter-century, OK Café never goes out of style.

Appetizers: $4-$8 Burgers and sandwiches: $4-$13 Mains: $12-$16 okcafe.com littlebangkokatlanta.com

PANAHAR BANGLADESHI CUISINE Anyone who has a passing familiarity with Indian food will feel right at home at this exotic-yet-homespun Buford Highway hole-in-the-wall. The $9.99 lunch buffet is a delicious way to sample the flavorful, aromatic

cuisine of Bangladesh, which often uses less spice and more coconut milk than its sister region in Northern India.

At dinner, you may take advantage of the BYOB policy, bringing wine or beer to wash down the highly appealing biryanis, kormas, tandooris and other delights of the Bengali table, including many here with beef.

Appetizers: $4-$6 Mains: $11-$15 panaharbangladeshi.com

WHITE HOUSE RESTAURANT At this venerated breakfast nook, you’ll find Atlanta movers and shakers in ties and starched shirts huddled over omelets and pancakes.

But regardless of a guest’s status, owner Demos Galaktiadis, who came to America from Greece in 1966, treats everyone the same. He has run this Peachtree Road institution for 45 of its 68 years, and over time,

the food has evolved into a unique combination of home-style Southern and Greek standards. At lunch, you might have moussaka and collards or fried grouper and a Greek salad, finished off with a dish of banana pudding. But breakfast is king here.

We recommend the Olympic omelet, stuffed with spinach, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and peppers and served with a side of tzatziki, or a breakfast sandwich laden with sausage, cheese and egg.

Breakfast: $6.40-$15.30 Lunch: $6-$16.70 whitehousediner.com

Hungry for more?

Visit the Simply Buckhead website to read all of our Restaurant Reviews! simplybuckhead.com

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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Green expert Jennifer Hankey has made her Buckhead home an earth-friendly sanctuary.

LIVING THE

GREEN LIFE A ROOM-BY-ROOM GUIDE TO GIVING YOUR HOME AN ECO-FRIENDLY MAKEOVER

S IMPLY B U CKHEAD COV ER S TORY

A popular misconception about “going green” is that one individual household can’t make a difference on the environment. That’s simply not true. A home consumes a lot of energy and creates a lot of waste, and the choices we make, whether it’s buying long-lasting furniture or using nontoxic lawn care, certainly do contribute to both the environment over time and your family’s health right now.

Whether you’re a novice greenie just getting started and want to make a few swaps or are looking to seriously step up your eco game, these Buckhead experts provide a variety of ways that hit home.

Karina Antenucci PHOTOS: Sara Hanna

OUR EXPERTS

STORY:

Jennifer Hankey

Jillian Pritchard Cooke

Leslie Reichert

Mary Blackmon

Jeff Dinkle

Founder of Healthy Green Schools and Green Queen Non-Toxic Services

Founder of Wellness Within Your Walls

Founder of Green Cleaning Coach and consultant with Maid Brigade

Founder of Farm Star Living

Founder and owner of Eco Custom Homes

BACKYARD Switch to nontoxic lawn care.

Between weed and bug control, we tend to shellac our yards with a mix of chemicals. These concoctions are harmful to bees (who play an important role in our food chain and whose colonies are in critical condition in the U.S.) and butterflies, not to mention pets and children. But do natural lawn care treatments work? Buckhead resident Jennifer Hankey, founder of Healthy Green Schools and Green Queen Non-Toxic Services, says they do, and they’re worth the effort.

“Pesticides are designed to kill things, so there’s no real ‘green’ pesticide, just levels of toxicity,” she explains.

Hankey recommends switching to an eco-friendly lawn service and using healthier products, such as Orange Guard, Mosquito Barrier and EcoSmart that have an essential oil or botanical plant (such as citrus or garlic) base. Natural products do break down in the environment faster, requiring reapplication on a more frequent basis. In the case of mosquito sprays, for example, Hankey’s Green Queen mosquito control service comes out to customers’ houses every two to three weeks during peak season.

Plant an herb garden.

There’s nothing more ecological than cooking with your own produce, and how many times have you thrown out those herb bundles from the grocery store? An herb container garden is an easy place to start (you can graduate to vegetables next year). “Anytime you’re growing anything, it’s good for the butterflies, bumblebees, oxygen.

You’re creating living things. It’s nature and food in your own backyard,” says Mary Blackmon, founder of Farm Star Living, who grows basil, mint, lavender, thyme and oregano at her Buckhead home. You can find organic herbs at local hardware stores or garden centers and grow them in any kind of container. An eco-friendly option is to upcycle one, such as a vintage teapot, Blackmon says. Just make sure to pad the bottom of the container with rocks so the herbs’ roots don’t become too saturated after watering.

Next, fill it with organic potting soil, and add your herbs, organic fertilizer and water. Instant green thumb!

Create a compost.

Composting—essentially, the recycling of raw materials—may seem complicated, but it’s really a very simple and

natural process that occurs in nature.

Doing it in your backyard is not only great for improving your garden’s soil, it’s environmentally responsible as it reduces the amount of solid waste at the dump. Almost any raw material, including grass clippings, old cut flowers, leaves and kitchen scraps of banana peels or eggshells, can be composted instead of trashed. Just stay away from meats and pet droppings, as well as pesticides or herbicide-treated material.

“I have a hidden area of my yard where I let flowers pile up and, as they decompose, use that material to enrich the soil in my herb or flower garden,” Blackmon explains.

If you’d prefer a more contained pile, choose an open bin or enclosed container (retailers such as Home Depot and Williams-Sonoma sell them). Use a pitchfork or shovel to regularly turn the heap to add essential air into the mixture.

If you’d like to learn more before going full compost force in your own yard, look for an urban farm, such as Truly Living Well in College Park, where you can get some handson experience composting while volunteering to better your community, Blackmon suggests.

Recycling and composting prevents around 87.2 million tons of material diverted from landfills and prevents the release of approximately 186 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air—equivalent to taking over 39 million cars off the road for a year.

Source: EPA, 2013 report

s Salvaged offcuts of walnut wood from Cliff Spencer Furniture Maker are crafted into this Noaway Countertop Compost Bin, which is meant to save your kitchen scraps for transporting into the compost pile. Available for $150 at farmstarlivingshop.com.

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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C OVE R S T ORY

LIVING THE

GREEN LIFE

LAUNDRY ROOM Green your cleaning products.

The laundry room often turns into the central hub for storing cleaning products in a home. One of the easiest eco-friendly swaps you can make is changing your cleaning products and laundry detergents.

“You don’t need to throw everything away immediately—let’s face it, you’ve been using this stuff for years, so what’s another month going to do? As you run out of something, that’s when you should switch to a green alternative,” Hankey says.

Don’t be fooled by product labeling and marketing verbiage, however. Leslie Reichert, founder of Green Cleaning Coach and a consultant with Maid Brigade, a green house-cleaning service in Buckhead, explains, “When trying to green up your cleaning products, it takes a little bit of education because the cleaning industry is not required to tell you what ingredients are in the products. The problem is, you look at a label and are swept in by wording—‘natural,’ ‘green,’ safe’— but when you actually look at what’s in it (if they have the ingredients listed), it can very dangerous.”

Before buying a new product, both Hankey and Reichert recommend checking out the Environmental Working Group’s website, Ewg.org/ cleaners, that features a comprehensive database rating thousands of cleaners on the market with an A (lowest concern with few or no known hazards to health or the environment and good ingredient disclosure) to F (highest concern with potentially significant hazards to health or the environment or poor ingredient disclosure).

One product line in particular that Hankey likes is GreenShield Organic (available at Costco in Brookhaven and Whole Foods Market in Buckhead and Sandy Springs). The laundry detergent, as well as all-purpose cleaners for the home, are made with plant-based ingredients, are animal-friendly and toxin-free, and have no synthetics or GMOs.

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As for DIY detergents and cleaners, Reichert says you can clean almost everything with six basic items: vinegar, baking soda, salt, lemon juice, oxygen bleach and hydrogen peroxide. “Our grandmothers used these things up until the ’50s. There was a huge change in thought after World War II, when chemical companies making products for the war switched their marketing to consumers and households. Up until then, all those old-fashioned ingredients were used, and everything worked great!”

Reichert explains.

Throw out your dryer sheets.

This is one product that you can get rid of ASAP. “Dryer sheets are so toxic and completely unnecessary!”

Hankey says. “They contain petrochemicals [chemical products derived from oil or natural gas] that stick to your clothes, synthetic fragrances that cause allergic reactions, phthalates that are known to mimic estrogen in

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

your body and are linked to ovarian cancer and more.” Simply swap them out for reusable wool dryer balls, such as Molly’s Suds Wool Dryer Balls (available at Target locations in Buckhead and Sandy Springs), that you throw into the dryer to fluff clothes and remove static. If the yummy scent of dryer sheets is what makes you love them so, then add a couple drops of an essential oil such as lavender on the wool balls to get an au naturel fragrance fix.

Use cold water.

Did you know at least 50 percent of the energy used when washing is to heat the water? That’s why Jillian Pritchard Cooke, founder of Wellness Within Your Walls, an informational resource group that provides education and guidance on chemicals commonly found in living and working spaces, recommends opting for cold-water washes as much as possible. You’ll not only save a lot of energy, but also a few bucks.

Don’t be fooled by product labeling and marketing verbiage.

- Leslie Reichert Can you really clean dirty clothes in cold water, though? For the most part, yes; but make sure to use a cold-water-compatible laundry detergent, such as GreenShield Organic Laundry Detergent, and note that many powder formulas are made for use with warm water. "I generally save hot water for known bacteria and environmental exposures, such as bed linens, diapers and clothes exposed to pesticides. Many washing machines have the option for a hot wash and a cold rinse. This is better for immediately eliminating germs, and the cold water rinse helps reduce energy use, and your clothes last longer," Cooke explains.

Set up a recycling station.

According to the EPA, if every one of the 96,000 single-family homes that Atlanta’s Department of Public Works Solid Waste Services picks up waste from recycled just one plastic bottle, it would save enough energy to power a laptop computer for 240,000 hours. Needless to say, if you only do one thing for the environment this year, recycling is a solid choice.

Residential curbside recycling varies by county, but within the city limits, it includes household paper, cardboard, glass, cans and hard plastic (labeled 1-7). It does not include paper towels, plastic bags, plastic furniture, pizza boxes, plastic food utensils, food containers (such as your Starbucks cup or Chinese takeout box) or building materials. For a full list of what you can and cannot recycle, visit Atlantaga.gov/recycling.

Perhaps just as important as what you can recycle is how you recycle.

“People really screw it up because they just don’t know. Don’t put dirty stuff in the recycling bin,” Hankey says. Cooke adds, “Wash everything you are recycling so as not to contaminate recyclables.” Additionally, remove lids from containers and break down cardboard boxes.

Drop off items that your weekly solid waste service doesn’t recycle at Buckhead’s community recycling on the first Saturday of every month between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church. Here, you can recycle virtually everything, including electronics, aerosol cans, plastic food containers, paint, Styrofoam, tires, all types of metals, household textiles, luggage and much more that would otherwise go in a landfill. Visit Keepatlantabeautiful.org/ recycle for more information.

Stop washing dishes by hand.

That is, if you have an Energy Starrated dishwasher. If you don’t, make it a green purchase when your old machine is on its way out. These days, the highly energy-efficient dishwashers use up to 40 percent less water than doing the scrubbing yourself in the sink. “Old appliances can use up a lot of energy,” Cooke says.

Opt for alternative cleaning technologies.

It doesn’t have to be all about a chemical-laden spray. For daily washing of countertops, Reichert

KITCHEN suggests using a high-quality microfiber cloth, such as E-cloth (available at Bates Ace Hardware), and a simple spray of hydrogen peroxide or even vodka. She explains: “We love to kill things! But microfiber cloths do an excellent job of picking up and removing bacteria instead of killing it.

It works like a Velcro hook—it goes up under bacteria and holds onto it until you put the cloth in the washer.” You only need to throw the E-cloth in the

If you only do one thing for the environment this year, recycling is a solid choice.

washer if you’re cleaning high-bacteria areas. If you’re light cleaning, such as wiping the table or cupboards, you can just give it a good rinse in hot water with a bit of dish soap. You’ll save a ton of paper towels while you’re at it.

As for cleaning inside the sink or removing dirt from cabinet doors, Reichert prefers micro scrubbers, such as Mr. Clean Eraser Sponge (available on Amazon.com). “These are fabulous for cleaning inside of a stainless steel

or porcelain sink. They work like a big pencil eraser: Instead of using a chemical, they use friction to heat up dirt and melt it away,” she says.

For hardcore disinfecting, Hankey prefers CleanWell Botanical Disinfecting Wipes (available on Amazon.com) that use thyme, a natural antiseptic, as the active ingredient, and PureGreen24 (available at Puregreen24. com), a spray that kills bugs and lasts on surfaces for 24 hours.

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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C OVE R S T ORY

LIVING THE

GREEN LIFE

BATHROOM Conserve water when you can.

Did you know that around 8 gallons of water is wasted when you don’t turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth? The same goes for shaving.

“That’s a huge way to save right there,” Hankey says. “Choose to take showers over baths, have kids bathe together if they’re young enough, fix leaks—little things like that go a long, long way.”

Also, when it’s time to purchase a new toilet (since buying a replacement before the old one’s kaput isn’t so eco-friendly), consider a waterconserving, low-flow style like the latest models featuring a pull up to flush No. 1 and push down to flush for No. 2. Cooke also recommends switching to automatic motion sensor faucets, low-flow showerheads and an Energy Star-rated bathroom fan with VOC detectors. “And when you do replace things, make sure to send them to the proper place to be recycled, so they don’t end up in a landfill,” Hankey says.

Swap out harsh chemicals.

An essential trade is your typical household bleach. Jeff Dinkle, founder and owner of Eco Custom Homes, a construction firm specializing in high performance and sustainable construction that also provides green home consultations, says, “We don’t

allow [chlorine] bleach in our house because of the chlorine gas it can create. Bleach is chlorine. Even when cleaning mold off of bathrooms, bleach just wipes mold off and leaves a chlorine residue. There are better products out there like borax, or boric acid.” Reichert suggests another smart switcheroo with oxygen bleach, the common term for sodium percarbonate, a compound of natural soda crystals and hydrogen peroxide.

“Oxygen bleach is a safer alternative to chlorine bleach. It’s even greener than borax.” Look for products that say “chlorine-free bleach,” such as Seventh Generation Free & Clear Chlorine Free Bleach (available at Walmart).

Additionally, Reichert says you don’t need harsh chemicals in the bathroom. For example, to prevent soap scum (a.k.a. soap in water that dries and sticks) on fiberglass or tile, just use a squeegee or microfiber cloth after each shower. If that seems too labor-intensive, then spray a vinegar, tea tree oil and essential oil cleaner [see Daily Shower Cleaner recipe] around your shower daily.

As for the bathroom toilet, Reichert says, “Instead of putting all sorts of chemicals down the toilet, just use vinegar, borax and hydrogen peroxide [see Toilet Cleaner recipe], which is a great disinfectant.”

DIY DISINFECTANTS TOILET CLEANER

DAILY SHOWER CLEANER

1/4 cup vinegar 1/2 cup borax 3 tablespoons lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide

1 cup white vinegar 8 drops tea tree oil 6 drops essential oil for scent

Heat the vinegar and lemon juice in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Mix in the borax until it turns into a paste. Use a stiff brush to apply directly to the mold. Let the mixture set to let the acid in the vinegar and lemon juice kill the mold. Then finish scrubbing the area and rinse with warm water.

Mix the ingredients and put into a spray bottle. Spray directly onto your shower stall daily. This mixture will keep soap scum and mold to a minimum. It is also good for fighting mold and mildew on shower curtains.

Wash the curtain with this mixture in the washing

machine with some towels and the daily cleaner to remove the soap scum.

Place the curtain in the dryer for just a few minutes to make it warm and easy to hang.

Recipes are from: The Joy of Green Cleaning by Leslie Reichert, available for $14.95 on amazon.com.

Alternative Commutes As Buckhead grows, so does its traffic. All those extra cars and increased time on the road are as bad for the environment as they are for your stress level.

According to Livable Buckhead, Atlanta drivers waste an average of 60 hours a year due to traffic congestion and spend 22 percent of their income on gas and other car-related expenses. Reason enough to consider alternate methods?

The good news: There are are plenty to choose from.

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CARPOOL If you’re married to being inside a car to and from work, ridesharing with one or a few other people is a great option.

Bonus: You can use the HOV lanes to get where you’re going faster.

Don’t have anyone to carpool with? Connect with driving partners on the Georgia Commute Options site. mygacommuteoptions.com

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

MARTA

BIKE

No cars, no carbon emissions, no problem! Commuters have access to three stops on the city’s rail system in Buckhead: Buckhead, Lenox and Lindbergh stations.

Score a 10-percent discount on monthly MARTA passes through Livable Buckhead. And don’t worry about getting from the Buckhead and Lenox stations to your office on foot since The Buc, a free community shuttle service, connects the dots starting at 6:30 a.m. weekdays. itsmarta.com, bucride.com

It seems a new bicycle lane pops up every day, paving the way not only for a super-green commute, but creating a great way to get your exercise during your daily jaunt to work. More good news for bikers: This month, half of the 5.2-mile PATH400 will be completed. The trail is a paved, 10- to 14-foot-wide multi-use path that runs alongside

Ga.-400 through the heart of Buckhead and is suitable for cyclists as well as rollerbladers, skaters and pedestrians. Currently, segments that run from Lenox Road northward to Old Ivy Road and Adina Drive to Piedmont Road on Garson Drive are open.

PATH400 will eventually join the Atlanta Beltline and trails in Sandy Springs. livablebuckhead.com

LIVING ROOM Get a blower door test.

A blower door test is done by a professional energy auditor to determine your home’s airtightness. Dinkle puts it at the top of his clients’ green home to-do list to see where heat and energy are escaping. “This is something that can be done very well and easily, and the company gives you a list of 10 to 20 things you can do to improve your home’s tightness, including reducing air leakage and improving ventilation. It could be as simple as updating the weather stripping on your door.” Here’s how it works: A big fan is mounted into the frame of an exterior door; the fan pulls air out of the house to decrease the pressure inside; the higher outside air pressure then flows in through any unsealed cracks, and the auditors use a smoke pen to detect air leaks.

Choose more efficient windows.

Windows are not cheap, and in all likelihood, you’re not going to update them unless they are very old, or you’re doing a remodel and planning to stay in your home for many years to come. Dinkle highly recommends going for the most efficient

you can afford. The gold standard in eco-friendly windows is the triplepane, also known as highly insulating windows. A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) found that these windows slash energy use in the home by 12.2 percent, compared with the aluminum-frame, double-panes that are common in homes across the country. But because of the expense of the highly insulating windows, it would take anywhere from 23 to 55 years for the reduced energy cost to make up for the increased expense, says PNNL. “They are expensive: around $85 to $100 per square foot. But when it was 9 degrees outside, I didn’t feel any cold when I put my hand on the windows. They are also quiet, and no one can break into them,” Dinkle says of his own home’s triple-pane windows imported from Europe where most are made. Another benefit is that there is less chance of condensation and mold formation in the home over time.

Replace light bulbs with LEDs. Perhaps a simpler and more cost-

When you bring something into your home, be aware of where it’s made and what it’s made of.

efficient fix in your house is lighting.

When light bulbs burn out, switch to light emitting diode (LED) bulbs that last for an average of 50,000 hours, versus 1,200 hours (incandescents) and 8,000 hours (compact fluorescents). “LEDs are getting cheaper and cheaper, and they’re simply better,” Dinkle remarks. More props to LEDs: they use less power (watts) per unit of light generated (lumens) and don’t contain toxic mercury, which is obviously hazardous to the environment and to your health if one breaks.

Don’t buy furniture from China.

Whenever you’re bringing something into your home, be aware of where it’s made and what it’s made of. “You’re spending half of your life, 10 to 12 hours a day, in your house.

Why buy cheap, toxic items made in China that are hurting your indoor air quality and the environment by off-gassing things like VOCs?” Dinkle asks. VOC stands for volatile organic compounds, which are found in paint finishes and glues, and aren’t healthy at certain levels.

Unfortunately, a “Made in the USA” label doesn’t necessarily mean it is

environmentally friendly, either.

To rest assured that it’s a safe product, Dinkle recommends looking for a Greenguard Certification when buying furniture. Atlanta-based Greenguard helps manufacturers create and buyers identify interior products and materials—everything from furniture to paints and clocks to carpet—that have low chemical emissions. He also explains that European companies have higher standards on what is and is not allowed, so buying European furniture is typically a safer choice. “Traditionally, furniture from Europe has been vetted and is not going to have VOC issues, unlike China or other countries that have less regulation and lower safety standards. Some furniture companies are actively working on removing VOCs. Ikea recently did.”

Buying antiques or something that’s slightly used is another eco-positive option. “If we’re upcycling and reusing items, we’re not making more stuff in China that we don’t need,” Hankey says.

And investing in quality pieces that you are likely to hold onto for a long time, if not a lifetime, is perhaps the greenest choice of all.

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C OVE R S T ORY

LIVING THE

GREEN LIFE

BEDROOM Get a healthier mattress.

Hankey says buying an organic mattress without flame-retardants is the No. 1 thing you can do for the environment in your bedroom (just make sure to recycle the old one). “Mattresses are notorious for off-gassing. Labeling laws for what anyone can put in a mattress are extremely weak. Stay clear of memory foams, which are polyurethane foam made from petrochemicals and are really heavily treated with flame retardants since they are so flammable,” she says. Hankey recommends shopping for your new sleeper at Natural Sleep in Buckhead, which sells mattresses that are Greenguardcertified and Global Organic Textile Standard-certified organic cotton and natural rubber latex (made from sustainably harvested rubber-tree sap).

Paint over your existing paint.

So you thought you did the right thing for the environment and your home’s indoor air quality and bought no-VOC paint when you last redecorated.

We hate to be the bearer of bad news,

SHARE CROPS BLUE HERON COMMUNITY GARDEN Participation in this organic community garden, located within the Blue Heron Nature Preserve off Roswell Road, is open to the public on a firstcome, first-served basis. An annual membership of $50 is charged for each of the 32 5-by-10-foot plots. Gardeners are free to grow both vegetables and flowers, but they are responsible for maintaining their spaces and following organic gardening’s best practices, such as avoiding chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. But you don’t need a membership to volunteer your skills at the “Garden for the Hungry” plot. Here, Blue Heron grows vegetables for the Crossroads Commu-

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but it might not have made a difference. “The tricky thing is that you may be buying paint that is no VOC, but when the hardware store adds the color to that paint, it’s probably adding in the VOCs. The VOCs are in the colorant,” Hankey explains.

She says homeowners are better off searching for safe paint brands such as Milk Paint that are all natural and don’t contain VOCs, or using sealants and paints by AFM Safecoat. “This really cool brand creates a product that you can apply on top of existing paint, stains and even carpet, and it virtually seals in the VOCs,” Hankey explains.

Add plants for air quality.

Houseplants are an economical, easy and highly efficient solution to indoor air pollution. Plus, they look nice. Air-filtering plants can clear the air of benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene and ammonia found in paints, lacquers, varnishes, leather, window cleaners, plastics, vehicle exhausts, glues and more.

A NASA study on the best plants for fighting indoor air pollution identi-

fied several air-purifying plants and suggested having at least one plant per 100 square feet of home or office space. One hardy option for the bedroom that needs very little love from you is the snake plant, which also doesn’t need a whole lot of light.

An alternative to plants is purchasing an air purifier, such as Austin Air that cleans up to 2,000 square feet and “removes formaldehyde and all the nasties from the air,” Hankey says.

The simple green steps you take can have a huge impact on the quality of life inside and outside of your home over time. Think of going green this way: “You can’t turn an ocean liner 180 degrees in a second, but if you change it by one degree, you’ll end up in an entirely different location in 1,000 miles,” Hankey says. Pick a few things to change to start somewhere, and grow green from there. n

No space to grow veggies at home? Join a community garden in Buckhead or Brookhaven!

nity Ministries’ kitchen at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Midtown that provides meals to the homeless. Gardeners are encouraged to donate any extra produce they grow as well. A children’s garden is also maintained as part of the educational programming offered at the nature preserve. bhnp.org/community-garden BLACKBURN PARK COMMUNITY GARDEN This community garden is an initiative by the Friends of Blackburn Park, a nonprofit

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

organization with a goal of restoring the park and fostering community. Here, you can tend garden boxes ranging in size from 4-by-4 feet to 4-by-16 feet with participation fees ranging from $100 to $200 per year. Gardeners can plant anything, but only natural means of disease and pest control may be used (assistance in natural gardening methods is given upon request). In addition to maintaining the boxes, members are also required to commit to participate in at least three scheduled work days each year that help with general garden maintenance and other Friends of Blackburn Park efforts. This year, a new sharing garden allows visitors to pick produce that others planted. friendsofblackburnpark.org

BRIARWOOD PARK COMMUNITY GARDEN Get your hands dirty at this Brookhaven community garden. Gardeners are encouraged to plant whatever they choose within Cornerstone Landscape containers or 6-by-7-foot or 7-by-8-foot garden boxes, which range from $50 to $100 in rental fees per year. You’ll receive a small assortment of tools with your membership and are responsible for caring for your plot, including watering, weeding and harvesting, at least once a week.

Additionally, a minimum of three volunteer days each year also are required to assist in the upkeep of the garden and other efforts. briarwoodparkga.org

RESOURCES Eco Custom Homes 404.303.7280 ecocustomhomes.com Green Queen Non-Toxic Services 404.788.2000 thegreenqueen.com Farm Star Living farmstarliving.com Maid Brigade 770.285.2874 maidbrigade.com Natural Sleep 404.788.3282 naturalsleepmattress.com Wellness Within Your Walls 404.736.9157 wellnesswithin yourwalls.com

HEROES come in all shapes and sizes

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Take action today at www.GoGold4CURE.com

12TH ANNUAL

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2016 11:00 am - 2:00 pm InterContinental Buckhead Hosted by Chris Glavine Join 600 guests at this inspiring luncheon, where we honor mothers of children with cancer. The luncheon features a silent auction and powerful program, emceed by Jill Becker. All event proceeds support CURE Childhood Cancer’s mission to fund life-saving pediatric cancer research and support patients and families.

Purchase Tickets: $150

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS P RES EN T IN G S PO N S O RS Mary & Bert Herrin Donna & Jack Kennedy HERO SPONSORS Chris & Tom Glavine Saint Vintage

Sponsor a Mother’s Attendance: $150

CHAMPION SPONSOR Sylvia & Pat Tylka

Purchase Raffle Tickets: $20 each (You do not need to be present to win!)

GUARDIAN SPONSORS Friends of the Macy Easom Foundation • Ellen & John Yates

Bid on our fabulous online auction

SUPPORTER SPONSORS Classic Cadillac • firstPRO • Insurance Office of America

Get started at: www.quietheroes.org

CIRCLE OF MOMS Arrow Exterminators

MEDIA SPONSOR Simply Buckhead

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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E V E N T S | C H A RI TA B L E | S C E N E

SIMPLY HAPPENING

Above: Stilted performers hit the floor during La Hora Loca, the Carnival-like “Crazy Hour.”

[ F E AT U R E D E V E N T ]

Below: Performers dazzle the crowd with their colorful costumes.

Above: Each year the Latin Fever Ball celebrates the culture and traditions of a different Latin country; this year’s focus is on Puerto Rico.

TREASURE THE ISLAND

Right: Attendees can dance the night away to the lively rhythms of Orquesta Nova Sound.

BLACK-TIE BASH CHANNELS THE SPIRIT OF PUERTO RICO

T

hings will be heating up at the InterContinental Buckhead on Oct. 1 when the hotel hosts the annual Latin Fever Ball. This festive black-tie gala, which is always celebrated during Hispanic Heritage Month, takes over the hotel’s Windsor Ballroom for a night of Latin-themed entertainment, with a focus this year on the people and culture of Puerto Rico, affectionately known

as La Isla del Encanto (The Isle of Enchantment). In a spectacular setting decked out to reflect the charms of historic Old San Juan, revelers will dance to a rousing soundtrack of Latin beats by the band Orquesta Nova Sound, sit down to a three-course meal of gourmet Puerto Rican eats, and sip a signature cocktail inspired by the tropical flavors of the island. The highlight of the night is

La Hora Loca, or the Crazy Hour, a carnival-like period in which guests don hats and masks and wave glow sticks while stilt walkers and other performers hype up the crowd. The festivities at the rollicking event—a fundraiser for the Latin American Association—also include a silent and live auction featuring epicurean dinners and luxury travel packages.

– Jill Becker

LATIN FEVER BALL Oct. 1, 6:30 p.m. $275 InterContinental Buckhead 3315 Peachtree Rd N.E. Atlanta 30326 404.638.1815 thelaa.org/events/latin-fever-ball

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S I M P LY H APP E N ING

E V E N TS

[ F O OD & DR I N K ] Start your diet next month, because this month it’d be a shame to miss out on all of the delectable eats and drinks the chefs from your favorite restaurants are whipping up at the annual Taste of Buckhead.

SAVOR THE FLAVORS BUCKHEAD’S BEST RESTAURANTS UNITE FOR A SERIOUSLY TASTY EVENT

I

f you weren’t already convinced that Atlanta has top chefs cooking up some of the best food in the country, then a trip to the annual Taste of Buckhead will surely sway your taste buds.

On Sept. 15, dozens of Buckhead’s most popular restaurants will present you with what amounts to the buffet to end all buffets.

Enjoy mouthwatering morsels such as Davio’s divine potato

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gnocchi bolognese, Del Frisco’s refreshing kale and brussels sprouts salad, and Eclipse di Luna’s crispy charred duck leg with apricot, in addition to tasty treats from Doraku Sushi, Smokebelly BBQ, Bhojanic, Meehan’s Public House and Piece of Cake.

Along with the delectable eats, whet your whistle with wine, beer and spirits samplings from Anheuser-Busch, Bombay

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

Sapphire, Urban Tree Cidery and SweetWater Brewing Company, among others. The event will be held at one of Buckhead’s newest event spaces, The Stave Room at American Spirit Works, in the hip SweetWater Design District.

With all this fabulous food and drink under one roof, it’s no surprise that Taste of Buckhead has become one of the city’s premier culinary events. – JB

TASTE OF BUCKHEAD Sept. 15, 5:30-9:30 p.m.

General admission $50, VIP ticket $75 The Stave Room at American Spirit Works 199 Armour Drive N.E. Atlanta 30324 tasteofbuckhead.org

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E V E N TS

S I M P LY H APP E N ING

BUZZ Photos: Sara Hanna Photography / Stillscapes Photography

[ FA S H ION ]

Put Your Best Foot Forward

Fashion is the name of the game at the Wine, Women and Shoes event, where you can buy the latest styles off silver trays presented by a host of handsome volunteers.

A “COOLEST SHOE” CONTEST HIGHLIGHTS A STYLISH BUCKHEAD FUNDRAISER Does your closet have entire shelves devoted to shoes? If so, put on your best pair of pumps and sashay on over to this month’s Wine, Women and Shoes event. The annual Northside Hospital fundraiser, taking place Sept. 11 at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta, includes a Best in Shoe contest in which participants flaunt their footwear on the catwalk for prizes in categories from Sexy Stiletto to Seductive Sandal. Throughout the fashion-

focused event, attendees can sample a selection of Napa Valley wines and savory bites like truffled mac ’n cheese lollipops.

Shop from a stockpile of designer bags, shoes, clothing and accessories, some of which are showcased on silver platters walked around by hunky “Shoe Guys.” The festivities include a fashion show by Tootsies and a raffle that lets the winner take home some $15,000 worth of merchandise. – JB

s FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL AT ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER Sept. 17 404.814.4000 atlantahistorycenter.com/family The Fall Folklife Festival at Atlanta History Center will host blacksmithing, beekeeping, cooking and woodworking demonstrations alongside local musicians strumming folk and bluegrass on Sept. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free to members and included in the cost of general admission ($16.50) for nonmembers.

WINE WOMEN & SHOES Sept. 11, 2-5:30 p.m.

General admission $150 VIP ticket $250 Grand Hyatt Atlanta 3300 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta 30305 770.667.4047 winewomenandshoes.com/ atlanta

HERITAGE SANDY SPRINGS FESTIVAL Sept. 17 and 18 404.851.9111 heritagesandysprings.org The 31st Heritage Sandy Springs Festival takes place on Sept. 17 at 9 a.m. and Sept. 18 at 10 a.m.

Bring your family to Heritage Green park for two days filled with music, art, a “chalk walk” competition, pet parade, 5K, 10K and more. Admission is $5 for adults for a one-day pass and $2 for children 5 and older.

ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN’S GARDEN OF EDEN BALL Sept. 24 404.591.1550 atlantabg.org The Atlanta Botanical Garden’s largest annual fundraiser, the Garden of Eden ball, will take place on Sept. 24. The night kicks off at 7 p.m. with cocktails at Dale Chihuly’s Parterre Fountain, followed by dancing and a seated dinner catered by Legendary Events.

Individual tickets start at $500.

[ FA M I LY F RI E N DLY ]

Films Alfresco FREE OUTDOOR MOVIE SCREENINGS IN SANDY SPRINGS GET TWO THUMBS UP Remember going to the drive-in?

Pulling up in your car, rolling down the windows and scarfing down a tub of popcorn as you watched the latest releases up on the big screen? This month, you can experience the nostalgia of outdoor cinema—just without the cars—at the annual Movies by Moonlight event in Sandy Springs. On Sept.

9 and 30, a 40-foot inflatable screen will be placed on the terraced lawn of

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the Sandy Springs United Methodist Church, allowing moviegoers a perfect starlit view of the films The Jungle Book (Sept. 9) and Ice Age: Collision Course (Sept. 30). Starting at 6 p.m., a trio of food trucks will be on hand, or you can bring drinks and snacks if you prefer.

Just don’t forget a blanket or lawn chair to sit on. The pre-show entertainment includes bouncy castles, tumbling, carnival games and more. – JB

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

Enjoy the fresh night air and a free film at the annual Movies by Moonlight event in Sandy Springs.

MOVIES BY MOONLIGHT Sept. 9 and 30, dusk Free Sandy Springs United Methodist Church 85 Mt. Vernon Highway Sandy Springs 30328 404.256.9091 leadershipsandysprings.org/commu nity/movies-by-moonlight

BARRE3 CLASS ON THE BELTLINE Sept. 30 404.477.3003 beltline.org Head to Tanyard Creek Park on the BeltLine on Sept. 30 for a 60-minute total body workout with the instructors of Barre3. This free fitness class combines exercises from both yoga and Pilates and is designed to strengthen, tone and balance the body. Class starts at 1:30 p.m.

Bring a yoga mat and water.

Ultimately, it’s your experience that matters.

To be sure, we’re proud of our 28 years of experience in senior living. But, to us, what really matters is your experience at our communities.

We do everything with that idea clearly in mind.

So, go ahead, enjoy yourself with great social opportunities and amenities.

Savor fine dining every day.

And feel assured that assisted living services are always available if needed.

We invite you to experience The Piedmont for yourself at a complimentary lunch and tour.

Please call 404.692.5133 to schedule.

Ask about our Assisted Living services.

Come join in the fight against hunger while previewing the hottest fashions for fall.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

5:30–7:30 p.m.

Bloomingdale’s Lenox Square Enjoy food, fun & fashion while supporting a great cause!

Individual Tickets $75 To purchase tickets, and for more information visit ACFB.ORG/EVENTS Special Guest Emcee: Media Personality BLAYNE ALEXANDER , 11Alive News

Supportive services are available at The Piedmont.

See how a little help can give you so much peace of mind.

AN EVENT FOR:

I n de p e n de n t & A s s i s t e d L i v i ng

650 Phipps Boulevard NE • Atlanta, GA www.ThePiedmontatBuckhead.com • 404.692.5133

PRESENTED BY:

MEDIA SPONSOR:

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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Lovett www.lovett.org

Developing young men and women of honor, faith, and wisdom with the character and intellect to thrive in college and in life.

OPEN HOUSE Saturday, Nov. 12 Kindergarten, 1:00 pm Sunday, Nov. 13 Grades 1–5, 1:00 pm Grades 6–8, 3:30 pm Wednesday, Jan. 25 Grades 9–12, 6:30 pm The Lovett School practices a nondiscriminatory admission policy. Financial aid is available.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Services

Scott I. Zucker, Esq. Certified Mediator & Arbitrator

Scott I. Zucker, Esq. 404.364.4626. DIRECT

One Securities Centre 3490 Piedmont Road, Suite 650 Atlanta, GA 30305 scott@wzlegal.com www.wzlegal.com

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

S I M P LY H AP P E N ING

CHA R ITAB LE

Retired NBA-er Shawn Marion signs autographs before the scrimmage.

Charles Smith, Will White, Ray Canady, Dikembe Mutombo, Philip Champion aka “Hot Sauce,” Theo Ratliff and Rita Williams prepare to take the court in the name of charity.

Photos: Ninh Chau

BREAKTHROUGH ATLANTA’S 2ND ANNUAL CELEBRITY BASKETBALL GAME

Cameron Alexander with dad Courtney Alexander

Harry the Hawk entertains fans right before tip-off.

Aaron’s Inc. General Counsel Robert Kamerschen

L

ed by team captains Dikembe Mutombo and Dale Ellis, NBA all-stars came together at The Lovett School’s Murray Athletic Center to raise funds for Breakthrough Atlanta and kick off the organization’s summer session. BTA’s various academic programs provide college-prep, study enrichment for under-served middle and high school youth from across the metro area. The 2nd Annual Celebrity Basketball Game, a partnership of Aaron’s Inc., the National Retired Basketball Players Association and BTA, included a family fun zone organized by Aaron’s with outdoor sports, inflatable carnivalstyle games and a selfie station. An exclusive VIP mixer invited select attendees to meet the former pro players, including NBA All Star Shawn Marion, Courtney Alexander, Brian Oliver, Theo Ratliff, Patrick Ewing Jr., Mark Davis, Mario West, Jumaine Jones, Drew Barry, Willie Anderson and Anthony “Pig” Miller. Team Mutombo was coached by Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner and Team Ellis by local NBA trainer Mark Hughes. The festive day of basketball and philanthropy attracted nearly 100 attendees and raised approximately $10,000. - Jessica Wise

Justin, Rufus and Kristy Payne

Dikembe Mutombo with fans prior to the game

Youth from around the city practiced their basketball moves before the pros took the court.

Retired pros, event coordinators and volunteers pose for a photo before the VIP meet-and-greet.

September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

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SIMPLY BUCKHEAD

P.O. Box 11633, Atlanta GA 30355 | 404-538-9895 | www.simplybuckhead.com | advertising@simplybuckhead.com

YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING WELL IN ATLANTA

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

Find us on Facebook: LivingWellATL

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @SimplyBuckhead

S I M P LY H AP P E N ING

CHA R ITAB LE

Manager Gersson Rizo, Wendy Babchin, chef Todd Dae Kulper Tara Friedman, Demi Friedman

In Doraku’s posh ambiance, Pursecase supporters dined on sushi and helped raise funds for Lefont Film Society.

Photos: Ninh Chau

PARTY FOR PURSECASE

M Charlotte Seefeldt, Ginair McKerrow, Alison O’Neal

Joanne Hayes, Kelley Weaver

Cameryn Christopher, Taylor Pressnall, Claire Tannen, Meaghan Pressnall

ore than 170 people gathered at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta’s Doraku Sushi for a dinner party to showcase Pursecase and raise money for the Lefont Film Society.

Pursecase is a patented phone case designed to hold a smartphone and other essentials. It was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank in 2013 when inventors Jenn Deese and business partner Kelley Weaver won a $55,000 investment from QVC queen Lori Greiner.

Launched in Atlanta in July, Pursecase is available at Buckhead’s Institut’ DerMed spa, Paper Source and other select locations.

Hosted by Wendy Babchin Designer Group, event tickets were a $10 suggested donation to benefit the Lefont Film Society, a Sandy Springs organization that strives to program classic, art, independent and foreign language films for local audiences. Attendees enjoyed a buffet of Doraku specialties—from Poke-zuke salmon sashimi tacos to Norwegian mackerel Shioyaki while learning about Doraku, the movie society and the innovative phone case. Notable attendees included Weaver, Las Vegas jewelry designer Judy Jansen and Bloomingdale’s Public Relations Manager Alex Davis.

Hae Min Song, Alexandra Jang, chef Todd Dae Kulper

Ginair McKerrow, Donna Lefont

Sonya Martinez, Jai Simpson-Joseph, Evia Golde

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S CE N E

LITTLE CHICK Holland Hankey cuddles one of her family’s chickens at our cover shoot.

PHOTO: Joanne

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September 2016 | Simply Buckhead

Hayes

YOU QUIT SMOKING FOR YOUR HEALTH. GET A LUNG SCREENING FOR THE SAME REASON.

If you are a smoker or even stopped smoking, it’s time to get a lung screening. A screening can help detect lung cancer early when there are more treatment options and a higher chance of survival. Northside Hospital Cancer Institute offers a low dose CT screening if you’re 55 – 77 years old and a current or previous smoker. It’s quick and easy and could save your life.

For information call 404-531-4444 or visit northside.com/lung

Where the Extraordinary Happens Every Day

ATLANTA | SAN ANTONIO | HOUSTON | CHICAGO

The

Way.

Flavored with Passion

404.842.0011 W W W. C H A M A G AU C H A . CO M 3365 PIEDMONT RD NE, ATLANTA GA 30305

JOIN THE CLUB

EXCLUSIVE EVENTS, PERKS, AND YEAR-ROUND SAVINGS. Hawks.com/jointheclub

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