As much as I love eating, I do enjoy Arts and Entertainment too. Besides musicals, I quite enjoy Cirque du Soleil shows. I’ve seen several Cirque shows in Las Vegas as well as the traveling ones like OVO, here in Atlanta. The acrobatics are stunning.

Odysseo by Cavalia is a show that combines the acrobatics of Cirque du Soleil with horses. With all the publicity around Cavalia, it would be hard to not know about it. Nevertheless, here’s my take on it, should you be on the fence about catching the show before it’s last performance later this month. I just saw it myself this past weekend.

During weekdays the show is at 8pm. On Saturday, there’s a choice of matinee (3pm) or evening (8pm). And on Sunday there is a 2pm show. Usually my preference would be evening but having Mr. ARB’s daughter with us, we opted for the Saturday matinee. Adult ticket prices start at $70 and go as high as $229 for the ultimate VIP experience.

Image Courtesy of Cavalia.net

We got what is called the Rendez-vous package. This included center stage seating, access to a lounge area before the show and during intermission, a buffet lunch with open bar, dessert at intermission, tour of the horse stables at the end of the show and souvenir calendar. Oh and parking was included as well- bonus!

As with Cirque shows, the acrobatics and music were phenomenal. Add to that they majestic and well-trained horses and you are in for a real treat. The stage was even transformed into a lake near the end of the performance.

If this is a treat or present for someone that loves horses and it isn’t a stretch to spend over $200 on a ticket then yes, go for it. I eavesdropped on many patrons who were thrilled with the experience. The convenience of only parking once (not having to park somewhere else to eat) and having a short stroll into the lounge for a buffet is nice. I found the food on the buffet to surpass any expectations I had – Jumbo shrimp, Couscous, Chicken Satay and Arugula salad were just a couple items on the buffet.

On the other hand, the lesser priced tickets still offer good viewing options. So, keep that in mind when buying tickets. The VIP package is more about the food and the convenience than having much, much better seating. You could buy the $70 tickets and eat at an inexpensive restaurant nearby and spend right around $200 per couple. And unless you really love, love, love being close to horses and perhaps smelling them too, the Horse lover package which includes front row seating may not be for you.

Kid policy: Although I did see a few kids walking around, I don’t think this show is really meant for kids under 12 or 13, unless they have a love of horses. You can take them and spend the money, I just don’t think they will fully appreciate it. I know the two screaming toddlers near me did nothing to enhance my experience.

Fun facts about Cavalia:
There are 11 different breeds of horses used in the show.
It takes 1-3 years to train the horses used in the show.
It takes 1 month to dismantle the stages / tents and set up in another city.
The average age of horses in Cavalia is 8 1/2 years.

With the exception of a couple weekday engagements, it looks as though Cavalia is only available on weekends through January 22 before moving to Miami. To purchase tickets to Cavalia visit the Cavalia website.

Disclosure: My tickets for Cavalia were at a discounted rate.

The Atlanta Food Rave presents food and cocktail lovers the opportunity to mix and mingle with an eclectic group of Atlanta-based chefs in an informal atmosphere. This year’s chef lineup includes:
2010 Rave Review Winner, Chef/Owner Alex Friedman of P’cheen International Bistro & Pub
Monique Barrow of Buckhead Bottle Bar
Ryan Delesandro of Nava
Shane Devereux of Top Flr
Willie Box of Straits

Attendees will be encouraged to vote for their favorite chef of the evening, helping him/her to win The 2011 Rave Review, an award reserved for the chef that is best in show. The evening will also feature premium bars with complimentary Blue Moon, Avion Tequila tastings and non-alcoholic specialty beverages, live entertainment and more. The menu will be revealed upon arrival and vegetarian options will be present.

A percent of the proceeds from The 2011 Atlanta Food Rave will go to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, which currently distributes nearly two million pounds of food and other grocery items each month to more than 700 non-profit agencies and 38 counties in the Atlanta area. With a mission to fight hunger by educating, empowering, and engaging the communities of Metro Atlanta and North Georgia,

Who: Top Atlanta Chefs
What: Atlanta Food Rave
Where: East Andrews Entertainment Complex at 56 East Andrews Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30305
When: Friday, September 23 from 7 to 10 p.m.
Cost:$75 – Buy tickets to Atlanta Food Rave

The Old 96 is in the western part of South Carolina and is comprised of five different communities: Edgefield, McCormick, Greenwood, Abbeville and Laurens. Although it isn’t near the ocean, that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to do and see, including some water sports. So, here’s a quick over view of what Atlanta Restaurant Blog did on our whirlwind tour of the Old 96.

After a three hour drive from Atlanta we arrived at Hickory Knob Resort, located in McCormick, SC. Hickory Knob has a beautiful golf course and is a golf lovers’ paradise. Centrally located to many of the attractions, it is a great place to stay. There is a nicely updated entertainment room with flat screens, pool tables, and board games to keep the family occupied.

Traveling to Greenwood is about a half hour drive from Hickory Knob. There we were treated to lunch at the newest restaurant in town, Kickers. This small restaurant is owned and operated by husband and wife team Andrea and Abel Dimiati. Chef Abel came to SC to attend college on a soccer scholarship from his homeland of Zimbabwe and fell in love with local gal, Andrea and stayed and opened a restaurant. The restaurant churns out some delicious food and combines a mix of comfort favorites and new cuisine. Favorites were the Moroccan Turkey Burger, Samosas, and Mozzarella bites.

Full from our lunch at Kicker’s in Greenwood, we traveled to met with David Twiggs who operates the Savannah Lakes Village and Golf Club, which is rather close to Hickory Knob where we were staying in McCormick. He guided us on a kayak tour of Lake Thurmond, the largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi. This was our first attempt at Stand Up Kayaking.

Edgefield County

The next morning we started out bright and early to visit the National Wild Turkey Museum. Admittedly, I wasn’t too jazzed about this stop, but I truly did enjoy our visit. There are beautiful displays of all different kinds of species of Turkeys as well as helicopter flight simulation and hunting adventure. Definitely educational for the kiddies, as well as fun for the adults.

A quick detour, not our planned itinerary, afforded us a stop at Sara’s Roadside stand. And guess what they have here? Peaches, peaches, peaches. I feel a little guilty admitting this, but these peaches were about a thousand times better than any peaches I’ve had in Georgia, the Peach state. We even had some homemade peach ice cream – divine!

Sweet tooth fixed, we set out for our next stop, Old Edgefield Pottery. This is run by Steve Ferrell, who’s had an interest in pottery for decades. There’s an interesting story behind Edgefield Pottery – many of the pots were created in the 1800s by a slave named Dave the Potter, who was taught to read and write, something never done during the days of slavery. Fact: Rapper, 50 Cent is a descendent of the Dave the Potter and even made a trip to visit Steve at Old Edgefield Pottery. Shown above is operator, Steve Ferrell holding a brick engraved by 50 Cent. The pots are unique in that they are made of a special clay which can only be found in Edgefield. Pots that were fashioned by Dave the Potter sometimes sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Selected pieces are housed in the Smithsonian.

Next, we were off to have lunch at the Old Edgefield Grill. This restaurant is filled with historic charm. I couldn’t pass up the Shrimp and Grits. Beautifully presented, they were delicious too. Mr. ARB went a little bit lighter with the pork egg roll salad, which was equally tasty. As a side note, the late Strom Thurmond hails from Edgefield, and the restaurant seems pretty proud of this fact, going to so far as to name a room after him.

Other historic sites we visited were the Old 96 Historic Site, which is home of the first Southern battle of the Revolutionary War and the only Federal park in the Old 96 District as well as the Dr. Benjamin Mays Historic Preservation Site. – Dr. Mays was the president of Morehouse College in Atlanta and appointed by President Kennedy to the Civil Rights Commission. The site is dedicated to keeping his memory alive. It is amazing that to many he is relatively unknown.

Although we didn’t get to spend much time in Abbeville, only one evening, we did make the most of it. The highlight of Abbeville is the square with its colorful buildings and diverse restaurants. We foolishly thought we could just walk into one of the most popular restaurants an hour before the play and have dinner. Alas, it wasn’t to be, but we had a very satisfying meal at Maria’s Mexican restaurant just on the other corner and they were able to get us in and out in time for our play at the Abbeville Opera House.

We saw the play, Red, White and Tuna. Loved the beautiful décor of this historic opera house. And they put on some damn fine shows too. I loved how the entire play, which had about ten characters, was entirely done by two actors.

Again, there’s so much to do and see in the Old 96 district of South Carolina. If you like sports like water adventure or golfing then you will certainly be entertained. But there are also fantastic eateries and more cultural sight seeing things as well. With fall just around the corner, now is the perfect time to visit the Old 96. Many thanks to the Old 96 Tourism Department for hosting us and putting together a fantastic itinerary.

Earlier this year, I was approached by a publishing company, Globe Pequot Press, and asked if I was interested in writing a Food Guide book for Atlanta. I practically jumped out of my skin, I was so excited that they picked me. My publisher just sent me the cover of the book (pictured above) and I wanted to share it with you.

I’ve had so much fun over the last several months visiting restaurants around Atlanta and talking to staff and chefs. It has been a wonderful experience writing the book and I definitely have a new appreciation and respect for both authors and editors.

As you are reading this, I’m down in Florida for a short break and celebrating finishing the book!

Cheers!

Truth be told, my expectations were low. I hadn’t heard about the Marietta Greek festival as very little advertising was done. And I just stumbled upon it driving around. From what I could see from the outside, there wasn’t much going on at the Marietta Greek Festival. But, I thought that it was a nice day to be outside walking around so, I would check it out.

Once inside, I couldn’t help getting some of their yummy Greek morsels. It was a lot of food and very reasonably priced. The church tour was interesting – not boring at all as I suspected it might be. I loved the dancers and if nothing else was astounded by the Greek Colesseum they have on the grounds.

The Food
The food was pretty tasty at the Marietta Greek Festival last year. I sampled the chicken and pork kabobs. The chicken was white meat and marinated in olive oil and other spices which I enjoyed pretty well. But the kabobs were way better, they had much more flavor and were a bigger hit than the lamb at the festival. All the dishes come with rice and spanakopita (pastry stuffed with cheese and spinach).

Save room for dessert as there are so many goodies at the Marietta Greek Festival to sample. I tried to Baklava, which was excellent, but there are lots of other tasty treats like special cookies and pastries to enjoy as well. They have greek wine, but it was not pleasing in any way. I would skip that and just enjoy a soft drink.

The Entertainment

Greek Dancers

I was amazed at the entertainment. I really wasn’t expecting much, but it was actually quite enjoyable. In addition to Greek bands which perform, there are also dancers. They vary in age from quite young at the kindergarten level to young adults. Don’t worry about seating as there is actually a Greek colosseum in the ground of the church that allows for great views of the dancers. This in itself is pretty spectacular to see.

Church Tours

Marietta Greek Orthodox Church

The Church Tours of the Orthodox church take place during all three days of the festival. I took the tour last year and was really glad I did (and not only because it got me out of the heat for a while). A guided instructor takes small groups of no more than about 20 people through the church and gives them a brief history and some information about the Greek Orthodox Church.

It is great to get inside and to see their beautiful, rich designs and learn about their history at the same time. It was intriguing and at only 20 – 30 minutes short enough to prevent me from getting bored as I tend to do quite easily with these things.

Cooking Demonstrations
Located in the Agora Marketplace West lobby
Various times Friday, Saturday and Sunday – Times posted in the lobby.

Admission is $3.00.

May 13, 3:00 PM – 11:00 PM
May 14, 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
May 15, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Holy Transfiguration
Greek Orthodox Church
3431 Trickum Road
Marietta, Georgia 30066
770.924.8080

AT WORK WARNING: OBNOXIOUS LOUD MUSIC WILL PLAY WHEN YOU CLICK THE LINK BELOW
Website