I’ve been a email subscriber to the Atlanta Underground Market since its inception. I’ve followed it’s tremendous growth to becoming one of the biggest food events in Atlanta. If you aren’t familiar with the Atlanta Underground Market, it is a food event where aspiring cooks and chefs gather to sell their goods to somewhat adventurous food lovers looking for unique cuisine. Attendees must sign up for an email and location of the event is only disclosed the day prior to the event.

I was quite surprised to hear that the Underground Market would not be so “underground” anymore, changing names to The Atlanta Nosh and moving to Atlantic Station with much promotion around it. Atlantic Station invited me and several other bloggers to The Atlanta Nosh debut. In addition to entry, we given several coupons for tastes at different vendors.

Here are some of the highlights:

Who says Beignets are just for dessert. The Beignets from Yay!Yay! come stuffed with your choice of shrimp, crawfish or roast beef. The combination of sweet and spicy are superb. Hope to catch these guys again real soon.

Feeling adventurous? Give their mealworm cookies a try.

Sarap Filipino Fusion
I’d just had some Filipino Barbecue on a recent trip (post coming soon) and completely fell in love with Lumpia (a Filipino type of spring roll). So I was thrilled to get to have it once again. I also tried their Empanada and curry noodles. Yummy!

The Trinidadian food of Nellie’s Iron Pot was one of my favorite finds. I grew up eating this West Indian food. The authentic drinks of Sorrel and Mauby were just like I remember. And the spicy Doubles (chickpeas in naan) and Pholourie (fried and spicy dough) was delightful.

Sweet and savory rolls with beef or chicken and even Curried Collards with Pumpkin from Caribbean Pantry.

Fried Gyoza from Eat Bowza

There were lots of organic, vegetarian and gluten free items to be found, like this taco from Pure Abundance. I thought it was pretty bland, but there were lots of others who seemed to love this spot.

If you have a sweet tooth, there’s a bevy of dessert items for you to choose from. Cupcakes, Cake Pops, and Mini Pies and Tarts and more can be found here. Don’s Famous Pies hooked me up with Lemon Meringue and Pumpkin Pecan Pies and I also had a lovely Meyer lemon/Coconut Mascarpone cupcake from Iced as well as an Espresso Pie from another vendor whose name I can’t remember right now.

Whew! Did I really eat all that? Some of the vendors will be there on a regular basis and some will rotate out. That’s what makes each visit unique – you never know what you’ll discover – Venezuelan Arepas, Filipino Lumpia, Brazilian Truffles, Ethiopian Doro Wot, Senegalese Lamb Sliders and more.

Atlantic Station is rather large and The Atlanta Nosh can be a bit tricky to find. When I attended there wasn’t much signage. It is located near Dillard’s off of Tower Street. Walk down the set of stairs to the large fenced space and that’s where you’ll find the Atlanta Nosh.

The Atlanta Nosh is every Sunday from Noon to 3 and they begin serving booze at 12:30. Entrance to The Atlanta Nosh is $5 and tastes range between $1 and $5. Most vendors only accept cash but I did notice a few vendors accepting credit cards with a $10 minimum purchase. If you plan to go often buy a season pass for $35 which allows you entry an hour before everyone else.

The Atlanta Nosh Website

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!