Workin' for the weekend

For those out there in the real world, I think we can all agree with one thing—we live for the weekends!

Living in a new city is especially exciting on the weekends, as there are many new things to explore. I have to admit—I have gotten quite hooked on a few specific places (if you can’t tell), but I’m still taking chances and trying new bars, restaurants, stores, etc.

A few weeks back I played my favorite role as hostess once again for Alli and Chris! After a small mishap (taking a wrong turn and ending up in the ghetto), the twosome arrived ready to party! Naturally, Alli was frantic because she didn’t have time to get a bottle of champagne. She should’ve known better—I keep my fridge stocked with bubbly at ALL times!

After toasting to the start of a great weekend, we headed to one of those spots I’m hooked on! Aspen Bartini

We started with a round of shots from our fave bartender—thanks, Michelle!

Reunion!

 

We called it an early-ish night to prepare ourselves for Saturday’s festivities. I couldn’t help but take the guests to Sweetwater—ok, I’ll admit, this is one of those places I can’t get enough of, but $10 for 6 half pours is too good to be true!

Some of you may wonder how we manage to survive these marathon Saturdays full of non-stop sipping and munching…well, the trick is easy, keep it going!

While Taylor and Chris did some manly bonding (probably involving FIFA and bourbon), the girls went back to my house for spinach dip and a few more cocktails by the fire!

As expected, we took our guests to Decatur, which is yet again one of those places I’ve become totally obsessed with. Naturally, we went to Brickstore and enjoyed a quick brew before sitting down in a cozy nook to enjoy a delicious dinner!

We started with an assortment of yummy appetizers—sausage and grit cakes, pretzels and hummus. Then, Taylor enjoyed a slice of Shepherd’s Pie—delicious!

 

And thanks to Alli, we ended the meal with some delicious Tittle Pop, Brickstore’s tasty spin on traditional caramel corn!

The next morning, we headed to J. Christopher’s which is a casual breakfast chain. The bright colors seen throughout this quirky eatery always give me a good laugh. The quiche, however, is nothing to laugh about—yum!

 

After Alli and Chris headed back to the City of Dreams (Cola), Alli (roomie, not guest) and I had the privilege of hosting a Stella & Dot trunk show. Alli handled the food because, as we all know, the girl can seriously bake!! I stuck to what I do best—purchasing, serving and consuming cocktails!

 

We had such a great Sunday Funday shopping right from our own living room!

Just two weekends later, I welcomed another South Carolina couple—my mom and soon-to-be (eventually) stepdad!

After some manual labor (it’s impossible for my parents to visit without doing a little furniture moving), we headed to Decatur for some St. Patrick’s Day fun. It was a gorgeous day and a perfect time to try out a pub besides Brickstore. I have to say, Mac McGee's is definitely a new fave. They had an encyclopedia-sized book of whiskeys....Scott and Taylor were in heaven!

 

For dinner, we decided to try Leon's Full Service, and I was very impressed. I was finally able to try Dogfish Head’s Aprihop (after lusting after my sister’s Instagram photo), and my brisket sandwich, fries and goat cheese fondue were on point!

 

Scott was even able to cross an item off his bucket list—trying absinthe, a highly alcoholic beverage which was previously thought to cause hallucinations (I'm guessing some time in the 60s & 70s). The report: no hallucinations, and it tasted like stale licorice. Won’t be trying that any time soon!

So I’ll continue exploring ATL and working for my weekends—stay tuned for tales from a Charleston wedding, and in a few weeks, the biggest event for any Gamecock alum—Carolina Cup! Keep ya posted!

Embracing ATL one cocktail at a time!

Sorry for the delay, folks! I’ve been SUPER busy exploring Atlanta and hosting some fabulous friends!

 A few weekends back I thought it was necessary for ATL to get another taste of good ol’ Clinton, South Carolina, so Miss EmyKate came for a visit!  She even brought along Hannah, a fellow South Carolinian (and a Gamecock fan).

First stop on our list was El Taco (http://www.eltaco-atlanta.com/) in Virginia Highlands, which is quickly becoming one of my fave spots in Atlanta! I suggest trying the fried chicken taco—you can’t go wrong with that!

On Saturday, we made our way to the Promised Land—aka a strip mall with a TJ Maxx, DSW, Nordstrom Rack, etc. Most of my friends will tell you that I struggle finding my way around Atlanta, but I have no problem navigating myself to any TJ Maxx within a 10-mile radius.

With some shopping under our belt, we headed to a new little hotspot, Aspen Bartini! (http://www.aspenbartini.com/)

Not only is this place so cozy you actually feel like you’re in Aspen, they have killer cocktails (at amazing prices) and the help isn’t bad either! ;)

Thanks for being a wonderful host, Michelle!

 

I munched on the Angus Sliders and enjoyed a classic mojito! Yum!

 

To cure our post-Saturday night blues, I took Emy and Hannah to Joy Café (http://www.joycafeatl.com/) —a quaint restaurant Taylor and I discovered my first month in Atlanta. Plus we saw Tony Gonzales there, so I knew we needed to go back!

Although there were no celeb sightings this trip, I was more than pleased with my gravy biscuits, and we got to try the most delicious cupcakes I’ve ever tasted, ON THE HOUSE!

       

 

The following week, I was in for a major treat, my very first NBA game. As previously mentioned, I am working hard to become a devout Atlanta sports fan so I decided to cheer on the Hawks as they dominated the Memphis Grizzlies. 

         

 

Everyone knows that last week was Valentine’s Day, and despite the anti-Vday feelings from some people, I jump at the chance to celebrate any holiday!

After exchanging gifts, (I got a purse I picked out myself…and Taylor got that Upton jersey he’s been dying for), we headed to Decatur and the Iberian Pig (http://www.theiberianpigatl.com/index) for a delicious tapas dinner!

                 

 

 

We started with a Valdeon—a delicious bleu cheese made with goat’s and cow’s milk. Our server told us this cheese won Best Bleu Cheese in the world—not sure how accurate that is, but it was tasty!

We chose three small plates—eggplant fries, manchego mac ‘n’ cheese and lamb ribs—all great choices!

                                 And for dessert, espresso crème brulee!

 

With my post-holiday blues setting in, I decided a homemade brunch was just what I needed. Since moving to Atlanta and starting my full-time job, I am trying to cook more, for my bank account’s sake and just for experience!

I have tried numerous Pinterest-inspired recipes, but this one might just be the best!

 

Breakfast pizza—crescent roll dough, eggs, sausage and cheese—AH-mazing, and SO easy! Check out the full recipe here à http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/breakfast-pizza-10000000522124/

This past Saturday was an eventful night, as we attended a law school auction—we’re so grown up! We had a great time reliving our youth and celebrating grown-up perks like open bars! ;)

 

Showing some Gamecock pride!

 

 

So not much has changed in the past month—just exploring the city one drink and one meal at a time!

 

Stay tuned for highlights of a weekend visit from Shawn and David—hide your growlers, folks, the Ashevillians are comin’ to town!

 

 

Rise up or wise up!

Three-day weekends are truly a gift from God.

When I realized I had MLK day off, I instantly knew I had to plan something big.

A weekend reunion with my college roomies (aka the “sweeties), was the first option that came to my mind.

However, no trip to the Carolina’s is complete without a pit stop in Cola. If you think you had your fill of Columbia in your four years at USC, try rolling into the Capital City on a Friday night. Cue nostalgia!

Upon my arrival at the lovely home of Miss Alli Huebner and Lauren Onorato (where every guest takes home a back-to-back national championship Coca-Cola), I was greeted with a large glass of wine—compliments of Miss Huebner herself!

              

After the first cocktail of the night, Alli, Ashley and I made our way to Pawley’s front porch where we quickly ordered fried pickles and drinks. Perhaps my biggest mistake of the night was starting off with R.J. Rocker’s Impeachment. (9% ABV, but hey, who’s counting?)    

A few adult beverages and lots of laughs later, we headed over to Tin Roof Columbia, where we were pleased to find two of our pledge sisters working! Thanks for all the hospitality, Erika and Sunny—I think we can all agree we had way too much fun!

                                                 

Some more friendly faces!

I had an early start on Saturday, complete with Chick-fil-a breakfast and a large water, but the lack of sleep was well worth the sweeties that were anxiously awaiting my arrival in Charlotte.

First stop in the Queen City—lunch, duh! And my absolute fave—Mexican.

                                                      

I chose this amazing steak burrito. Don’t worry folks, I didn’t eat it all!

When our sweetie (Jules) got off work Saturday we tackled Clt's restaurant week at e2. (http://e2emerils.com/) If you watch the Food Network, you know Emeril and Bam, this food was yummy!!

A quick toast to my BFF’s, shrimp and grits and espresso pudding with fried donut balls…Yes, it put me in a food coma and made the walk back less than enjoyable, but it was totally worth it!

Sleeping in Sunday was the perfect way to start our day. As a new resident to Atlanta, I am working on becoming a fan of professional sports. With the Falcons game against the 49er's I was able to practice my loyalty at Selwyn Pub.

I think we can all agree I played the part pretty well, and I can definitely say, we all tried to Rise up and Wise up (thanks for the infamous line, Stephsie!), but I guess the Falcons just weren’t ready for the Superbowl. As a life-long Gamecock fan, I can handle disappointment. Don’t worry, Falcons, there’s always next year!

Gametime snacks—more fried pickles and some sub-par nachos

No sweeties reunion weekend would be complete without a couple Magnums. If you haven’t tried these tasty treats, you better hightail it to Kroger and pick up a box. Our fave is the white chocolate with vanilla bean ice cream. Yum!

So with countless cocktails, some delish meals, several episodes of “Catfish,” and more laughs than I’ve had in a long time my trip to the Carolina’s was complete.

I’m back in Atl and ready to face this four-day week!

RISE UP!

2013 is off to an eventful start here in Georgia!

Last weekend, I joined my favorite Carolina alumnae on a hike to the top of Stone Mountain. The quick, yet surprisingly strenuous hike was refreshing—so refreshing that we decided to take the Summit Skyride down!

Despite our slight fear of heights, I think we all agree the six bucks we shelled out for that ride down the giant rock was TOTALLY worth it!

 

After a chilly weekend full of physical activity, a relaxing few days in beautiful Savannah was just what I needed!

Friday afternoon Taylor and I headed south to celebrate his mom’s birthday, and boy did we celebrate!

After a fabulous dinner at Local 11 Ten (http://local11ten.com/), we took a couple rickshaws over to Lulu’s Chocolate Bar. (http://www.luluschocolatebar.net/)

We avoided the traditional menu and instead, we opted to drink our desserts!

I absolutely loved the Jacki-O, a sweet champagne cocktail. Taylor enjoyed a traditional Irish coffee, and his mom and Richard went for the house favorite, a chocolate martini. Yum!

After sleeping in on Saturday, we made our way to the Bohemian rooftop bar for a delicious tapas lunch. The view at the bar never ceases to amaze me. And the mojitos aren’t bad either!

The birthday girl!

To continue our celebrations, we made our way to Savannah’s newest (and only) river-front sports bar, Dub’s Pub. I immediately ordered an Allagash White—one of my faves, and Taylor and his mom immediately made their way to the ping-pong table. 

In case you’re wondering, Taylor was in his usual competitive mood, not even sparing his mom on her birthday!

After a quick siesta, it was time to start the official birthday celebration at Circa 1875 (http://www.circa1875.com/). My mouth is watering just thinking about the amaaaaazing trout I devoured!

Believe it or not, we couldn’t wait to get back to the Bohemian where we fell in love with the band, who played everything from The Wallflowers to The Beatles.
My feet will be suffering the effects of all of our dancing for days!

In just a few weeks 2013 is quickly becoming one of the best years ever!

Stay tuned for tales from a reunion weekend with my college roomies! It won’t disappoint!