When I was in high school, I used to hear about some classes requiring you to volunteer for some sort of charitable cause in order to graduate. I remember thinking about how lucky I was that I didn't. I was a pretty selfish kid back in the day, and in some respects, I still am. But back then, it was probably equal parts selfish and lazy. And the charities that people were volunteering with? I couldn't care less about.

Fast forward to now. I am an avid volunteer. I love giving my time to many of the different food - centric events around Atlanta, many of which do support excellent causes like Share our Strength. It's not the charity that gets me to do it, though. In many ways, I haven't changed a lot from the girl I used to be. However, the biggest difference between then and now is probably the fact that it is truly volunteering instead of compulsory free labor. I actually want to and get excited about getting together with a team of people that are genuinely happy to work to make something incredible happen.

I've been volunteering with the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival all this week. This is easily one of my favorite events, because I spend most of my time in Production- the part of the festival that makes things work. I help organize and accomplish tasks that help make the logistics of this event run like a machine. And this year? They let me start driving the golf carts!!!! (I've never driven a golf cart before, it's the little things, haha)

Even more fun are some of the connections I've made- I have spent a couple shifts helping in the kitchen,  where I've gotten to work with Shaun Doty, of Bantam and Biddy, and Tory McPhail of Commander's Palace- both super nice guys! And now I can't wait to make my first trip to New Orleans this year...!

I guess, to make a long story short, I still hate the idea of required volunteer work in schools. But at the same time, don't shut down the idea entirely- when you find something that you actually want to do, make the time. It may not have your usual perks, but it sure makes opportunities a lot easier to find!

Memorial Day!

It has been soooooo long since I had such a perfect day like yesterday!  Originally, I was supposed to go camping with a friend Sunday night until this morning, a quick day trip to get the hell out of dodge and reset our brains. However, work needed me to work a double that Sunday, and I wound up being stuck there until 1am. So what did my friend and I do?

Splurged on a cabin.

We left for the cabin immediately after I got out of work and drove out to Helen, GA, where we had booked a place on Yonah Mountain. After nearly getting lost on the mountain at 3am, we finally found the place, and let me tell you, it was amazing. Beautiful wood flooring and a deck that overlooked a gorgeous Appalachian mountain range. Extra perk? Hot tub! We celebrated our arrival, then proceeded to pass out until 11am.
It was rough getting out of bed, but we didn't want to waste the entire day in bed, so we shuffled to the kitchen and made brunch.
Pro chefs make the best cabinmates. Breakfast that day was homemade biscuits with pimiento cheese and bacon, followed by some intensely savory bloody marys. To celebrate the holiday, we watched "Major Payne" with a few beers, and followed it up with hot tub time. Afterwe felt too lazy to function,  we rolled back inside to snipe at episodes of "Cutthroat Kitchen" (we both hate the show), then made our own take on pasta carbonara while I invented a cocktail- the Sunshine & Summertime! After hiking a bit and mor hot tub time, we ended our day with "Family Guy", wine, and perfectly cooked steaks. I passed out, blissed out, shortly after.

This trip is precious to me. It's not often industry folks really get time off to disconnect from work, and we had definitely needed a break. Plus I got to spend time with a dear friend I rarely get to see,  and once I go west, may not see again for years. Thankfully, at the very least I now have a signature cocktail that will remind me of this weekend for the rest of my life. Here's my recipe:

Sunshine&Summertime

2oz Vodka (We used Belvedere)
1.5oz Grapefruit juice
Splash of Amaro
1 egg white
Torn rosemary and sage
Pink moscato

Combine everything except the moscato in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously,  then strain into a wine glass. Add a splash of pink moscato and a large ice cube, and enjoy while cursing out the numbnuts on "Cutthroat Kitchen".

Go West!

I've been blogging for over a year. Not consistently, by any means, but I've done it. It's something I never thought I'd have the patience to do. It's an exciting idea! A lot of things have been changing recently.  Things are going fine, I just had a mild epiphany that I was bored.
I love Atlanta, there's no question about that. But when I was younger, I always dreamed of going to California, becoming famous, the whole nine. As I got older, I let reality dictate more and more of my life until I was working comfortable (though not necessarily stable) jobs, and settling for a life I'm no longer 100% sold on. It got me thinking.  If I had to look my 10-year-old self in the eye, and explain my life to her, what would she think of me. More jarring- if I have a daughter one day, I will have to explain a few things to her. How am I supposed to look a kid in the eye and say, "Work hard and you can make your dreams come true" when so far my own life has been, "Work hard and eh, your life will be not entirely shitty"? I may be a hypocrite on a few things, but I never want to be called a hypocrite for my life values. So, I'm finally going to work on making my California dream come true!
I've been applying for seasonal jobs assisting with wine harvests for this fall. If all goes well, that will hopefully give me a strong enough foothold to find permanent work out there. My prospects look good- I've got my local wine contacts putting out feelers for me, I applied at 8 different vineyards yesterday and already had a phone interview with one I feel pretty confident about. It looks like things may come together really well for me.
The idea of going west is daunting,  no argument there. However, compared to when I first came to Atlanta? I feel WAY better about things. I actually have friends where I'm going, for starters! And yeah, I'll be broke for a bit while I'm out there. But hey, I'm broke here in Atlanta too. I just have to keep reminding myself that regardless of what happens,  I will survive it and be more awesome for it.

How to become my least favorite place on the planet

I admit, I should have posted this last week, when the events referenced were more relevant.  However, I made the decision to wait based on two criteria- I wanted to see how the general public would react, and I wanted time to really process my own thoughts on the matter so I didn't wind up sounding like a kindergartner calling someone a poopface on the playground. Well, I've had enough time to think, and I'm finally ready to write.

On April 3, a friend of mine, Arianne Fielder, was fired from her mixologist position at Parish in Inman Park, Atlanta. I heard about it through Arianne's Facebook page. Now, had it had been a normal firing announcement, I probably would have just thought, "Bummer", and went about my day. However, Arianne wound up finding out about her firing in a much worse way.  EaterAtlanta announced that Parish had decided to go "another direction" with its bar program,  and that Arianne no longer was employed there. That one post was Arianne's first exposure to said news. That disgusts me.

In this day and age of mass and instantaneous communication,  there is no excuse to take such a cowardly approach to releasing an employee. Especially as Parish is a small part of the larger Concentrics Restaurant Group, a company known for its involvement with high profile restaurants and Richard Blais. In what backwards backwoods way of thinking did their upper management ever think that going that route was ok? If they were comfortable enough to make a statement to Eater, they had clearly already made up their minds long enough in advance to inform Arianne first. It could have been a respectable, dignified break. Instead, they pulled the employer's version of whipping their tits out for 'Girls Gone Wild'. Honestly, after hearing about this, what self-respecting mixologist (nevermind even just a halfway competent one) is going to want to work for them? I myself am not going to say my employment record is completely unmarred, but now there is no way in hell you could convince me the Concentrics restaurants are worth applying at.

What I'm also finding disappointing is the lack of coverage by the local food and beverage media. I have only seen one other mention of this event, and I would like to think I keep decent track of the Atlanta area food and bev news.  Pretty Southern did a piece after Arianne's post (http://prettysouthern.com/2014/04/04/atlantas-best-bartender-gets-fired-via-the-web/), and that is all I have seen. I wish more people were reacting. How on earth can we help support our fellow industry professionals if incidents such as this are kept so quiet? I hope this changes. I hope Concentrics realizes what a really shitty mistake they made. In the meantime, I will not be entering into any restaurant/bar/kitschy provisions shop that they have any hand in. Shame on you, Concentrics. I can't wait to see what undoubtedly better place Arianne winds up at next.

How to Win My Restaurant Loyalty

It is always a pleasure when I get to walk into restaurants that I've been eyeing for a while, and get exactly the experience I'm looking for. It's even better when a place surpasses my expectations!  Cue the Salt Yard.

I moved about two blocks away from this place back in February. I pass it nearly every other day when I head to CVS, the dry cleaners, or the liquor store. I have frequently told myself I needed to stop in, just never seemed to have the opportunity to do so. Well, yesterday I was having a bit of a lonely day, so I decided to haul my butt away from the Law & Order: SVU reruns that had commanded my day and get on with my night.

Entering the Salt Yard, it looked very similar to many of my favorite rustic-but-modern decor'd restaurants that have become a familiar sight here in the South. The inside of the restaurant was on the calmer side, being that it was a gorgeously warm spring night, most guests opted for patio seating. I slid into a plush leather-cushioned bar seat and perused the menu.

This is where I got really excited. The wine list was accessible, the beers were an excellent grouping of choices designed to transition people to craft beer, and the cocktail list was short and simple- making my normally overwhelming drink decision MUCH easier (Whether the bartender, Brett, believes it or not- I still spent a good 8 minutes deciding! ).

Even more exciting to me was the food menu.  My former boss, Richard, always used to joke that I "ate like a bird", and he's quite right. I prefer tasting around a bunch of different dishes rather than trying to inhale a massive entrée. Salt Yard specializes in small plates! They had 5 different sections of the menu devoted to different varieties of tapas-sized plates, with influences across the culinary spectrum, but they all fit together in a way that made sense. They also had a small entrée segment, but it was clear they wanted people to try a variety of what they were capable of. 

Over the course of my adventure there, I tried their stuffed piquillo peppers, grilled octopus, deviled eggs, and 'shrooms on toast. Nothing disappointed me at all, though the grilled octopus was easily my favorite- it was served with arugula and roasted potatoes, and lightly dressed with a citrusy vinaigrette. Even better, the octopus itself was TENDER. I was hooked immediately.

The personnel also has me hooked. Brett was entertaining and engaging, and then a gentleman who I thought was a manager, Christian, was kind enough to buy me a beer. After a bit of post-visit research, it occurs to me that he may have been the owner. Even their expediter (possibly/probably the chef?) kept checking on me. I love attention, so I had a grand time.

Ultimately, the Salt Yard has easily won my business. They took what was originally a sad night for me and turned it around in the best way. I can't wait to go back, especially as they mentioned that the menu is changing next week!

Http://www.saltyardatlanta.com