Tag: cocktails

At the end of each February, my grandfather, a farmer, would pull a warm coat over his olive-drab work clothes, appraise the sky, and mutter an old saying: “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” He wasn’t much of a drinker, so I hope he’d forgive his urbane grandson for applying the adage to cocktails. For the month’s moody weather, we might want a drink that warms one week and refreshes another.

Last fall, pop-up chef Jarrett Stieber launched Eat Me Speak Me at Candler Park Market, a two-part dining and drinking experience that quickly culled a loyal following. Like most pop-ups, the concept was pretty straightforward. Stieber would cook a succinct menu inspired by locally-sourced ingredients, and then with the help of a tiny map and password, you’d end the evening in a secret location imbibing with fellow diners. Setups like this allow chefs in the process of establishing themselves an opportunity to connect directly with adventurous eaters, and in Stieber’s case, gives him a work-life flexibility uncommon to the average line cook.

What, exactly, is in a cocktail name? Bartenders can be both inspired to name their drinks, and flummoxed by the pressure of capturing its spirit. Names can either entice or detract guests from ordering, so the decision usually comes with considerable thought. I spoke with two barkeeps about their process.

As part of Barley + Rye, the magazine’s weekly beer and cocktails column, we bring you conversations with interesting Atlanta figures over drinks. This is our first installment, featuring councilmember Kwanza Hall.

Wine, cocktails, or beer—fried chicken plays well with others

Kimball House, Decatur’s buzziest new restaurant, doesn’t take reservations. In most places, such a policy leads to a wait about as pleasurable as the midnight drive-through line at Zesto’s.

A major change of guard took place at LEON’s Full Service earlier this fall, but if all goes as planned, the only difference guests will note is new leadership. Longtime LEON’s barkeeps Shanna Mayo and Kathryn DiMenichi now co-manage the heralded program after restaurant-opener Miles Macquarrie headed down the road to oversee drink happenings at Kimball House. Mayo and DiMenichi share around 20 years of bar experience between them, and spearhead a stellar team that make, pour, and expertly recommend their way around craft cocktails and beer, and an inviting wine list.

Fortify yourself with a basket of chicken at Harold’s Chicken & Ice Bar—and don’t forget the hot sauce.

Former Atlantan RuPaul may 
be our national claim to drag queen fame, but locals give props to his 
compatriot, Charlie Brown—a performer in our gay scene for more than four decades.

Okay, so Atlanta’s not Paris, but you can pretend you’re Owen Wilson and travel back to the Jazz Age, when the likes of Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tallulah Bankhead, and Charles Lindbergh mingled at the Georgian Terrace Hotel.