Pier 1- Moving!

The Pier 1 at Lenox (across Lenox Road from Macy's) is moving down the street to Piedmont/Peachtree area. Their relocation has sparked a Moving Sale! Everything is now 20-40% off- so if bold furniture and tacky housewares are your thang (I kid...) then hit this sale up. Of course you could always wait about 4 weeks until everything is 50-70% off and really get some deals...

Old Brick Pit BBQ

It has been a very long time since we've posted about any restaurants on here.  Believe me, it's not because were not eating, in case you were worried.  Sadly, we've been a bit less adventurous and have really been sticking to what we know (ie. Panahar and El Senor Taco have been frequented many times in the last couple months).  Either way, a goal for 2012 will be to bring to light more restaurants in the Brookhaven area (new & established) that you may or may not have eaten at already.  Not that we are experts on the matter, just because we like talking about what we eat and taking pretty pictures.

I don't know if you've ever driven down Peachtree Street heading up to Chamblee (chances are you might have) and noticed this restaurant that looks like an old barn named, Old Brick Pit Barbeque (actually, the sign just says "Bar-B-Q").  Well I've passed it for years, always curious about the quality of barbecue it produces.  It flies relatively under the radar as far as barbecue in Atlanta goes, but still I felt that we should talk about it since it's been in Brookhaven since 1976.  They close around 7pm and I don't work in Brookhaven to grab lunch there, so it hasn't ever been a destination for us to try.  But being home this week, I happened to be passing by and decided to give it an impromptu visit (hence the crappy phone pictures).

Overall, the menu was pretty simple as far as barbecue goes and frankly, I feel that's the way it should be.  As far as meat goes, they offered regular chopped pork and pork ribs (and chicken apparently - I missed that).  I opted for a half slab of ribs (above) which were excellent.  Very tender and spiced just right - the meat pretty much melted off the bone.  The sauce is a vinegar-based sauce which, if you classify your barbecue by state, would make it North Carolina style, which isn't my favorite.  But I will say that it wasn't too runny which is usually what I dislike most about vinegar-based sauces.  Below is the BBQ plate that a friend let me snap a picture of.  Apparently the Brunswick stew was excellent - enjoyed by everyone at the table except me so I was upset I missed out on that.  

I can't say it was the best barbecue I've ever had but it definitely will cure a craving now and again - especially being so close.  I'm glad I finally got a chance to try it as I've been passing it for years, always wondering how it's still there and no one ever seems to be there (I apparently never passed it during lunch, it was extremely busy!).  People are always particular about what kind of barbecue they like or how they think it should be prepared so every place is worth a visit in my opinion.  

DeKalb Christmas Tree Recycling

Merry Christmas! Hope you are all having a great holiday. As the kiddies start to calm down and the trash starts to pile up, its time to think about what to do with that darn Christmas tree. Keep DeKalb Beautiful has brought back their "Bring One for the Chipper" event Monday, Jan. 2 - Saturday, Jan. 7. again this year. DeKalb residents receiving sanitation services can place their tree at the curb for pick-up on regular yard debris collection day.  

Trees should not exceed four feet in length for curbside pick-up. The recycled trees will be chipped into mulch or used as wildlife habitat. Mulch is used for public beautification projects and is free to DeKalb residents (stay tuned for a review on this service for our spring landscaping project!). 

If you do not receive curbside sanitation services, Christmas tree recycling drop-off locations are listed below:

Drop-Off Locations

• Seminole Road Landfill: 4203 Clevemont Road Ellenwood, GA 30294 (Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
• Home Depot: 2295 Lawrenceville Highway Decatur, GA 30033
• Home Depot: 4343 Tilly Mill Road Atlanta, GA 30360
• Home Depot: 4325 New Snapfinger Woods Drive Decatur, GA 30035

Sunday Alcohol Sales... Continued...

Thanks for the update, Kroger. And thanks for the photo, Stacy!

As we previously posted or as you may have seen at the polls back in November, Dekalb County chose not to play with a Sunday alcohol sales vote- it wasn't even on the ballot for those in unincorporated DeKalb. However, these DeKalb County (and neighboring) cities all voted AND passed Sunday alcohol sales:

• Atlanta (Fulton)- Sales start Jan. 1
• Avondale Estates*
• Chamblee- Sales Start Dec. 25
• Clarkston*
• Decatur*
• Doraville*
• Dunwoody*
• Lithonia
• Pine Lake
• Sandy Springs (Fulton)*
• Stone Mountain*

Some of these cities have started sales already on Sundays (earliest they can sell is 12:30pm)- those cities/counties that have already started are marked with an '*'. Others are still trying to figure it out, or have it scheduled.

Here is a FULL list of everywhere you can buy, and when:

• Acworth: Dec. 4
• Alpharetta: started Nov. 20
• Atlanta: Jan. 1
• Auburn: started Nov. 20
• Avondale Estates: started Nov. 20
• Ball Ground: Feb. or March 2012
• Barrow County: Nov. 27
• Berkeley Lake: No licensed businesses in city limits
• Braselton: started Nov. 20
• Canton: Dec. 11
• Cartersville: Dec. 4
• Chamblee: Dec 25
• Cherokee County: Public hearing on 12/6 to amend ordinance
• Clarkston: Dec. 11
• College Park: started Nov. 20
• Covington: Dec. 11
• Dacula: City council takes up on 12/1
• Dalton: Dec. 4
• Dawsonville: started Nov. 20
• Decatur: Nov. 27
• Doraville: Dec. 4
• Duluth: started Nov. 20
• Dunwoody: Dec. 4
• East Point: started Nov. 20
• Fayetteville: Dec. 4
• Flowery Branch: started Nov. 20
• Forest Park:
• Gainesville: Dec. 11
• Grayson: started Nov. 20
• Griffin: started Nov. 20
• Hampton:
• Hapeville: Jan. 1
• Hiram: Council did not take up at November meeting
• Holly Springs: Jan. 1
• Hoschton: Dec. 18
• Johns Creek: Jan. 1
• Jonesboro: started Nov. 20
• Kennesaw: Jan. 1
• Lake City: Jan. 1
• Lawrenceville: started Nov. 20
• Lilburn: Jan 2012
• Lithonia: Council meeting to address on 12/5
• Locust Grove: Council to address in December
• Loganville: Nov. 27
• McDonough: started Nov. 20
• Milton: started Nov. 20
• Newnan: started Nov. 20
• Norcross: Jan. 1
• Peachtree City: Dec. 4
• Pine Lake: Dec. 2011 or Jan. 2012
• Riverdale: Jan 1
• Rockmart: Jan. 2012
• Roswell: started Nov. 20
• Sandy Springs: started Nov. 20
• Senoia: started Nov. 20
• Smyrna: Jan. 1
• Snellville: started Nov. 20
• Stockbridge: Jan. 1
• Stone Mountain: Dec. 11
• Sugar Hill: started Nov. 20
• Suwanee: started Nov. 20
• Tyrone:
• Union City: started Nov. 20
• Villa Rica: started Nov. 20
• Winder: started Nov. 13
• Woodstock: started Nov. 20

Panahar- Holiday Feast!

If you are like us, just about the time you've had enough ham or turkey or whatever you eat around the holidays, you start to crave ethnic foods.  And when I crave ethnic foods, there's only one place that comes to mind.  You guessed it - probably the #1 featured restaurant on this blog... Panahar Bangladeshi.  Our friends Stacy and Chris shed some light on an interesting holiday feast Panhar was offering so we teamed up this weekend to try out Panahar's Holiday menu extravaganza. This was our first time trying one of their set menus- they usually have these over the Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Holidays and Mother's day. Below are all the details:

Friday, 12/16 - Sunday 12/18 & Tuesday 12/20 -  Sunday 12/25 (They are closed on Mondays... :))

First Course

• MOORGEER TIK-KA SHINGAARA: Chicken Ti-ka sautéed with grilled onions and spices, in triangular whole wheat puffed pastry. 

Entrees

• KALOJEERA LAMB: Lamb marinated in ‘black cumin vinegar’; and sautéed with fresh ginger, garlic cloves, fresh chopped onion, whole black pepper, whole cardamom, cinnamon, whole red chili, cloves, etc. 
• KODOO CHINGRI: ‘Chingri Maach’ (shrimp) & ‘Kodoo’ (Opo Squash) cooked with turmeric, ginger, onions, & garlic. 
• MISHTEE KOOMRA MOOGAYR TOK-JHAAL: Cubed ‘Mishtee Koomra’ (calabasa) cooked with ‘Moog Daal’ (yellow lentils); with different herbs --- slightly spicy. Chef’s special recipe creates a spicy, sweet & sour combination taste. 

Rice

• SHOBJIR BIRIYANI: Aromatic ‘Baash-motee’ rice sautéed in ‘ghee’ (fortified butter), with green peas, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, cut green beans, zucchini, sweet corn etc. 

Bread

• ROSHOONI NAAN :Soft unleavened hand rolled white flour flat bread topped with roasted freshly minced ‘Roshoon’ (garlic) --- baked in the ‘Tondoori Clay Oven’. 

Dessert

• GAAJORAYR HAALOOWA: Bangladeshi carrot cake, with shredded coconut, ’Mawa’ (milk whey), raisins, pistachio, and cream. 
• MISHTEE DOI: Homemade baked Bangladeshi ‘Doi’ (yogurt), made from milk sweetened with honey.

Drinks

• Unlimited Champagne
• Unlimited King Fisher Indian Beer

All of this for $24 a person! Stacy did a great job showcasing all of the dishes from that night (thanks for the photos!)- we did get extra Pakoras and a great Broccoli dish (our favorite of the night, specially made for Stacy since she's a vegetarian). Overall we enjoyed it, but I much prefer ordering off the regular menu (need that Korma fix!). We did have to wait awhile to get our food, which is typical with Panahar, but it was even worse this time. The restaurant was packed- not an open seat anywhere, plus we had a late reservation (8pm), so I think the combination of all of that probably made for the hour wait for our food.  But all the free beer and champagne made up for it. 

If you do go during this holiday time you can still order off the regular menu, so don't worry. Plus it's still BYOB! Enjoy.

Pour- Soft Opening This Weekend!

Pour Wine Bar, located in the Village Place Shopping Center (Verde, Library Coffee, Kaleidoscope), has been closed for the past few weeks and has now reopened under new ownership! Tonight (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday), they are having a soft opening with wine, craft beers, and free tapas.

Pour is no longer a wine/beer store + wine only bar, it is now a tapas and wine and craft beer bar (and per owner, eventually a full bar). This is probably a great move on their part- our first and only experience with original Pour wasn't super fab with no food and staff that knew next to nothing about wine. Hopefully new Pour will have some great tapas and maybe throw in a wine tasting event every now and again to rival Library Coffee Wine Tastings.

Brookhaven Arts Sale

This Saturday, December 10th from 11am - 4pm join the Brookhaven Arts Alliance for their annual Brookhaven Arts Sale.  Shoppers can peruse fine art, photography, pottery, folk art, jewelry, and more at prices 50-75% off the retail value.

Atlanta’s newest food truck, Ibiza Bites, will also be on hand, offering a new style of cuisine it calls “SoLa” ̶ a little bit South American, a little bit Latin American, a little deep South and a whole lot of delicious. Ibiza Bites was recently filmed for the Cooking Channel’s “Eat Street”. The Brookhaven Art Sale will be held at Brookhaven Self Storage, 2740 Apple Valley Road, Atlanta, GA 30319. See invitation below!

Dresden Walk + Brookhaven Overlay Ordinance

Months ago we blogged about Dresden Walk- a development going in across from Village Place (Kaleidoscope, Verde, etc.). Looks like our post was pretty close to the mark! This week the Atlanta Business Chronicle posted about the new multi-family apartment complex that Hines is planning on launching. This will not be a a condo complex as we previously had heard (Brookhaven Two), but will be a more appropriate (for the area) apartment building. The building will be a 215-unit complex. Not sure if any mixed-use areas will be incorporated, but with the crazy overlay and zoning ordinances they will most likely have to.

The Brookhaven Overlay Ordinance is a design/development guideline for new buildings (or major renovations) in our area- mainly focused along Peachtree (see map to right). Released in 2007, it calls for developments to comply with certain rules such as:

• Pedestrian-Friendly 
• Street-Fronted Buildings
• Minimum of Two Stories
• Landscape & Hardscape Requirements (see image below)
• Parking Requirements
• And many others- to read the full overlay ordinance, you can download a PDF of the document- enjoy. 

If you are curious as to why certain developments (like the MARTA parking lot redevelopment) have taken so long, or why Savi Market still looks a hell of a lot like Mom n' Pops, the Overlay is probably the answer. Not always development friendly, they are still a great way for local neighborhoods and communities can have some control over how their area looks, feels, and what it attracts, just can take a lot longer to get a property redeveloped. There are definitely pros and cons, but if analyzed, planned, and executed properly overlays can have a tremendous positive impact on the surrounding community.

Sunday Alcohol Sales... Not in DeKalb!

Just got an update about the Sunday Sales vote...

Conspicuously absent from the countywide ballot in DeKalb County is a referendum to allow Sunday sales of alcohol. Senate Bill 10, the legislation that enables local communities to decide this issue via public referendum will not be enacted in DeKalb's voting this coming Tuesday, November 8th.

Our neighboring cities of Chamblee, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, and Atlanta will be voting on this question next Tuesday. If you are in unincorporated DeKalb, however, the county has yet to do anything regarding Sunday sales.

Boo! It's going to be super tricky to figure out what city/county you can buy alcohol in on Sundays for the Superbowl, but I guess it's alright that at least Chamblee and Atlanta will (most likely) pass the bill. Guess DeKalb doesn't need the extra revenue!

City of Brookhaven- Update!

Brookhaven Study Area Finalized

The proposal to create a new City of Brookhaven in North DeKalb is advancing, with the Citizens for N. DeKalb, an organization tasked with fundraising for a feasibility study examining potential costs and revenues for the new city, selecting final boundaries for that study. The entire study is due to be released shortly and we will release it as soon as it's published!

We know there have been some concerns with a few of the areas, including the neighborhood of our very own Stacy from StacyEats! State Representative Mike Jacobs has released a statement regarding the issues with some of the areas of the study map. In short, they have decided to exclude Century Center, so we will have to see how that effects the outcome of our cityhood... 

You can visit the Citizens for N. DeKalb Website to see the study area map (left) and read the related press releases and also see a great FAQ. 

PS- We totally apologize for the lack of posting... there's no great excuse for it other than being crazy busy. There has been a lot of great new things happening in Brookhaven lately with new shops and restaurants, festivals, and reviews. We will be trying to get back on the wagon (or is it off the wagon...?) and posting more frequently. It's been a great but busy past few months, but we haven't forgotten about you guys. Thanks for staying tuned!

New HOT Tolling Begins This Weekend!

A few months ago we wrote about the upcoming HOV to HOT lane conversion on I-85 in Gwinnett County, and this weekend the tolling begins.

Saturday, October 1st the Express Lanes and Peach Pass are open! Motorists who want the option to use the new I-85 Express Lanes and the all-electronic toll lanes on GA 400 now can open a Peach Pass account by visiting www.PeachPass.com. Peach Pass registration is required for all vehicles using the I-85 Express Lanes, including toll-exempt carpools with three or more occupants, transit vehicles, motorcycles, on-call emergency vehicles and Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFV) with the proper AFV license plates (not including hybrids). A Peach Pass account costs $20 and adheres to your windshield (like the old cruise cards) and is electronically linked to your account. When you use the I-85 Express Lanes, tolls will be automatically deducted from your Peach Pass account.

Remember that the tolls will change based on time of day and traffic, so watch out for the signs posting the prices. We shall see how this all goes and if traffic (in the HOT lanes) are really that improved! Really the question is- how much would you pay to skip a few miles of traffic?

We're Still Here!

Hello readers, we really must apologize in the lapse of posting, Cory and I have just been really busy traveling, working, and footballin'. Just because we weren't writing, doesn't mean there isn't still a lot of stuff going on in the Brookhaven area. We have a few posts lined up in the next few weeks, so stay tuned! Just to mention:

• Mom n' Pops is gone (save your tears) and a new Savi Market to replace! Updates when we get 'em
• Lots of new great stuff coming online in Town Brookhaven including CineBistro, AT&T Store (yay...), and the cool looking Brookhaven Gallery (affiliated with Brookhaven Arts Alliance)
• Brookhaven Arts Festival is coming soon! Oct 15th and 16th. We had a blast last year!
• Library Coffee Co is now doing trivia- stop by every Monday night at 7pm and enjoy some (pretty freaking difficult) trivia! We had fun at their first ever night last week (photo below- thanks Stacy!)
• Plus we have a ton of restaurants that we've tried that we will be posting reviews on. Malaysian/Thai infusion sound delicious?? Stay tuned!

Happy First Birthday, BHReview!

We made it! A whole year and 116 posts! Incredible how the time flies... We really weren't sure where this was all going to take us last August 26th, but we're had a great time and learned a lot. We first off want to thank you, our readers, for making this so successful (in our eyes). We just hit 20,000 views yesterday (not sure if that's a little or a lot in blogger terms, but in my terms it's awesome!), and we can't wait to see what another year brings.


Below are some of our favorite posts, comments, and highlights of the past year:

• Our most viewed post: Town Brookhaven Updates
• Our best traffic search term: 'Brookhaven Beer Festival 2011'
• Our most commented (controversial?) post: Atlanta Underground Market Review
• Our biggest traffic driver (besides organic google search): Twitter Click to follow us!
• Our weirdest/creepiest search term: "slutwalk dresden" I assume they landed on Dresden Walk, but I can only guess what they were really looking for...
• Our favorite post: Well of course we love them all (almost), but I think our most favorite are the ones about food, and our Holeman & Finch Burger post might take the cake (or burger) because first off, the burger was pretty incredible and secondly, the owner's actually read and commented on it! Which I think is pretty cool.

Hope you all have enjoyed our year of blogging, and please keep visiting to hear more about our great neighborhood! Thanks again,

Malory & Cory

Publix Curbside Service

Sometimes I really enjoy going to the grocery store, but other times it's just a pain in the butt! For some reason in the summer, when it's really hot out, I especially find it to be a chore. It's always hot and humid outside and freezing inside, and I always end up walking in with that "what the hell did I come in here for anyway" thought on my mind. 

So this weekend I decided to check out the somewhat new Publix Curbside service- offered at only three locations (two in Atlanta and one in Florida), one of which is at our fabulous new Publix at Town Brookhaven. Sunday morning I sat down at my computer, signed on to http://www.publix.com/curbside/ and went through my grocery list on the online store (see screen shot below).

After about 5-10 minutes of online shopping, I placed my order, and scheduled my pickup. While this service is pretty convenient, you do have to give them a 4 hour notice, so this isn't something you can just order at 5pm and pick up in 30 minutes. The latest time to place a curbside order (for same-day pickup) is 4:30pm and the latest you can pick up is 9pm. You may be able to call and place an order later, but it all depends on how busy they are. When I ordered at 10am, they ended up having my stuff all ready to go at noon.  And they did call to let me know an item was out-of-stock, and let me choose a replacement.

The BEST part about curbside service is not wasting time in the grocery store and buying extra stuff I don't really need (because I always go to the store hungry). I pulled up to one of the many available "curbside only" spaces (it was Sunday at noon and the parking lot was crazy), walked in the double doors (they can also deliver straight to your car if you have kids/pets), paid, and then they loaded up my car. The entire process took less than 5 minutes! The second best part of the service, is the current $17.99 discount they have at the moment. For the month of August, they are waiving the $7.99 curbside fee for all new service users PLUS you get an additional $10.00 off your grocery order when you tell them you were referred.

If you're considering using the service, I would definitely try it soon before the discounts are all gone!

LA Fitness: Special BH Review Discount!

It's open, finally!! And because we are so special, and because we think you guys are also pretty special, we have worked out a discount for our BH Review readers with the new LA Fitness at Town Brookhaven.

Here are our special discount rates:

• $0 initiation fee with a $39.99 monthly rate
• $99 initiation fee with a $29.99 monthly rate

Pretty nice! Of course there is always fine print- so here it is: When you sign up for a membership, you must pay your initiation fee (if any) along with a first and last month' payment up front. But besides that there is no contract! Now, to get this deal, here's what you need to do. Print this post out (or utilize your smart phone) and show/bring it to this location of LA Fitness and speak with Assistant General Manager Ameer Aziz. He is the only one that can give you this discount.

I got a really nice tour of the facility last night including their classroom space, cycling club, lap pool, weight area, cardio floor, racquet ball courts, volleyball/basketball court, 200 unit locker room (bring your own lock), etc.  There's a lot of working out to do there! If you're not quite ready to commit to membership yet, just pop on by and receive a free 3-day guest pass to use the facility. 

Beach season might be just about over, but football season is just about to begin so you better shape up!

La Fitness Open! (Well, maybe...)

I heard through Twitter this morning that La Fitness at Town Brookhaven was opening today (We had previously heard Monday...), so I jumped in the car and raced over there to find that it wasn't quite open... yet. The LA Fitness is located across from the Costco, and as I was walking up, all I could see were subcontractors walking in and out, and obvious last-minute construction going-on. I stopped by the sales office (located across from the Publix and next to Moes) and they told me that they are waiting on their "permits". I assume they mean their Certificate of Occupancy, but anyways, they said they are expecting it later today, or tomorrow (Saturday, August 6) at the latest.

Stop by today and enjoy the gorgeous (and gi-normous) new facility! Hopefully by the time you get over there they will be open officially to the public. Stay tuned for more information and photos!

Creatively Yours Offer & Contest

Are you an artist? That's fine, neither am I. But have enough cocktails here though, and you'll paint yourself a Picasso (he had to be drunk, have you seen his stuff?).  Either way, your husband will end up telling you it looks great and put it in the guest room closet. That's fine- the artwork is not the important part, it's the memories made with friends. Just look how happy we are (left).  Any way, if you haven't been to one of these drink while you paint establisments, now's the time- Creatively Yours (Cocktails & Canvas Owners) are offering a special discount of 25% off any of their painting classes or jewelry making classes for the month of August for the Brookhaven/Dresden location. Click this link, and print off a copy of the email to receive your discount.

They are also hosting a painting contest where they will pick one winner each month to have their painting featured as a class! The winner will receive 2 free spots to the class the night their painting is being taught. If you're interested in submitting a painting, please email taryn@creativelyyoursinc.com with a photo of your piece by September 1st. The winner will be announced by September 15th. Good luck to all our artistic readers out there!

Brookhaven Farmer's Market Vs. Brookhaven Farmer's Market

And the winner is... The Brookhaven Farmer's Market.

This has been a confusing time for us all, so let's shed some light on what happened and what is going forward.  As we discussed a few weeks ago, the new Saturday Brookhaven Farmer's Market (aka Chamblee Farmer's Market relocated- see photo left) has been very successful. Each week new vendors and customers are taking part in supporting local produce, food, arts, and crafts. Cory and I enjoyed our first trip to the market for their inaugural event a few weeks ago in July. Now, we had previously blogged about the "other" Sunday Brookhaven Farmer's Market (same name, different market), sponsored by a local doctor's office, that didn't fare quite as well in our book. Not as great location, timing, frequency, or selection, we weren't too impressed with this market. 

Now, some news: I received an email last week from the sponsors of that event thanking everyone for their support, and conceding defeat to the "new" Brookhaven Farmers Market (surprised?). Instead, they are hoping to start something this Fall called Sunday Lunch: "This would be an early afternoon event and will allow vendors to offer their goods as well as a family get together. It’s a trend that is popping up all over the country."

We will keep you posted about this Sunday Lunch idea (sounds like an afternoon market to me...). It is intriguing and I'm glad to see instead of competing, the other market is going in a different direction to provide ultimate benefit to residents. In the meantime, be sure to check out the Brookhaven Farmers Market every Saturday from 9am-1pm behind Haven/Valenza. I recommend you walk over there if you can, with your reusable bags, because parking is limited and walking is encouraged. 

Blockbuster finally Busted!!

What's missing from this picture?  I say nothing.  We've been counting down the days until one of the last brick and mortar Blockbusters ITP finally closes its doors in our Brookhaven neighborhood. Nothing against Blockbuster, they were awesome 10 years ago.  But as new players come to the market with better ideas and better business models, either you're quick or you're dead (as my CEO likes to put it).

Unfortunately for the entertainment rental staple, it was the latter.  But enough about business, you don't have to be a business major from a leading institute to know that Blockbuster was going to bite the dust eventually.  Now we turn our attention to a more pressing question: what will be the Phoenix that will rise out of the ashes of this dead shopping center?

For years the vacant anchor space (which was at one time Wilson's Antiques) has made Brookhaven Plaza an eyesore.  Floated by small tenants including Rite Aid, Terra Grille (upscale american dining), Famous Hair, a cleaners and a nail spa this dated shopping center is not exactly your destination for... anything.  We are quite puzzled at how this shopping center has stayed above water, yet so under-leased for so many years - especially with its prime location at the intersection of N. Druid Hills and Peachtree Rd.  Rumors from the industry say that Kroger holds a 26 year lease on the space to prevent any grocery competitors from coming in across the street from them. Not sure if the property manager would let his shopping center die without an anchor tenant in business there, even if Kroger were paying the rent - so consider me skeptical on if this is true. Whatever the case, with Blockbuster now gone and Hastings moving providing a large parcel as well, we can only be a bit hopeful that there is a possible big development in the future. Everything makes sense for a new development there - high vehicle and pedestrian traffic, plenty of traffic lights for easy access, right across from MARTA, higher population density in the area with lots of apartment and condo dwellings along Peachtree. This would be a wonderful addition to the Brookhaven area and further make Brookhaven a great desirable place to live. As these developments start to pile on, who knows what we can turn this area into? With great new developments like Village Place and Town Brookhaven already here and proving themselves, a boy can dream right?

We'll be sure to keep you up to date if anything new comes to light.

Brookhaven Farmer's Market - Recap and Photoset

Right after we were disappointed at what we thought was the Brookhaven Farmer's Market we received notice there was a New Brookhaven Farmers Market! A better one! 2+ years (since we've lived here, at least) without a farmer's market and all of a sudden we get two? Fine with me. Formerly the Chamblee Farmer's Market, this one was a bit bigger in size, similarly located (behind Haven), and better advertised.  Also, we were excited about the fact it was on Saturday and happening every week instead of once a month!  We arrived around 10am with the pup to see an already buzzing market. We talked to a number of different vendors, tried some samples, and ultimately walked away with some great local food. This will be a staple for us for sure.  Photo recap below.

We walked out with a chocolate croissant & almond apricot scone from Bake Shop; apple cinnamon sausage from West Wind Farms; and a pint of sorghum and black pepper ice cream from High Road Creamery. Everything was delicious- we can't wait to go back next Saturday.

A New (Better?) Brookhaven Farmers Market

After our somewhat disappointing experience with the Brookhaven Farmers Market a few weeks ago, we are cautiously optimistic about the the NEW Brookhaven Farmers Market. Hosted by the organizers of the Chamblee Farmer Market (in fact, this is the Chamblee one, just a new locale), this one has a better time- Every Saturday from 9:00am - 1:00pm and a better location: 1441 Dresden Drive, Atlanta, GA 30319 (Behind Haven) 

This Saturday, July 16th, will be the debut of this Brookhaven (formerly Chamblee) Farmers Market. Their website mentions (at least) 18 farmers, food producers and local artisans at the market:

• Phoenix Gardens - A local grower based in Lawrenceville, Georgia who is committed to growing produce in a naturally sustainable manner. Dairy, beef, and pork available via special order.
• Tewksbury Farms - A farm based out of Buckhead, Georgia providing sustainable produce.
• West Wind Farms - A farm based out of Morgan County, Tennessee that provides organic, grass-fed meats and dairy products.
• Hidden Springs Honey - Raw honey out of Williamson, Georgia.
• Cupid’s Pantry - A boutique food producer specializing in baking, batter, sauce, and dip mixes.
• Mad Mama - fresh and delicious artisanal offerings such as Avocado Lime Soup, Egyptian Hummus, Mad Mama’s White Cheddar Pimento Cheese, rustic San Marzano Tomato Soup. and many more!
• Jenny's Pies - individually packaged home made pie slices and full size pies, Cherry, Toll-House! and more (coming back in August)
• Fat Lady Baker -Fat Lady Baker is well known in the local farmer’s market scene and we are thrilled to offer Nancy’s incredibly fresh baked goods to you. Fat Lady Baker specializes in whole grain, organic, and vegan breads. She grinds all of the wheat just prior to mixing. Fat Lady Baker is best known for the wonderful Ezekiel seed bread, honey whole wheat, and kamut blueberry muffins.
• Madeline Burdine - beautiful handmade bone jewelry similar to carved ivory
• 2 Fun-guys - Everything You Need to Grow Mushrooms on Logs
• Noring Farms - Located in Conyers, Noring Farms specializes in heirloom tomatoes, exotic varietals, free range eggs, and homemade unique treats. (Their slow cooked marinara sauce made with their heirloom tomatoes is fabulous!)
• Nona Rosa’s Pizelles - Offers hand-made Italian cookies called Pizzelles which come in number of flavors and patterns.
• Juliette’s Bakery
• Bake Shop
• Uncle Davey’s Toffee
• Trout Man
• Dillwood Farms
• David Jeffries Kitchen 

If you are interested in joining this list of vendors- fill out a Vendor Application to be considered. If you want to be involved and help volunteer, they also have a Volunteer Application available online.

Will will be sure to check this one out at it seems to boast a good number of unique vendors- stay tuned for our take on this one!

DeKalb County Property Tax Increase... Awesome

Own property in DeKalb County? Well it's your lucky day! You're about to get to give the almost broke County a nice big bailout with their proposed increase in millage rate (aka property tax increase). If you would like to voice your opinion on this new increase- DeKalb County is hosting public hearings on Tuesday, July 5 at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and on Tuesday, July 12 at 10 a.m. in the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur.

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners has tentatively adopted millage rates, which will require an increase in property tax rates as listed below (Area, 2011 rate, Rollback Rate, and % Increase):

• Atlanta: 10.39, 8.938, 16.25%
• Avondale Estates: 15.41, 13.464, 14.45%
• Chamblee: 13.71, 12.223, 12.17%
• Clarkston: 15.06, 13.242, 13.73%
• Decatur: 10.82, 10.087, 7.27%
• Doraville: 13.60, 12.607, 7.88%
• Dunwoody: 13.35, 11.357, 17.55%
• Lithonia: 15.33, 13.280, 15.44%
• Pine Lake: 15.61, 13.541, 15.28%
• Stone Mountain: 13.90,  12.980, 7.09%
• Unincorporated: 19.62, 18.017, 8.90%
• Countywide Debt: 1.08, 0.647, 66.92%
• Unincorporated Debt: 0.66, 1.631, -59.53%

This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 21.36 mills in the unincorporated area (goody-this is where we are), an increase of 4.50 mills in the incorporated areas. The large millage rate in the unincorporated areas is due to the fact that these residences and business don't pay the extra city taxes and don't receive city services and must rely solely on county services.

These millage rates are prior to the application of the Homestead Exemptions and credits from the Homestead Option Sales Tax. In 2010, the Board of Commissioners granted a 56.6 percent HOST Credit for County operations and maintenance based upon the use of 97.3 percent of last year’s HOST receipts. In 2011, the Board of Commissioners has voted to use 80 percent for the HOST Credit.

The hearings are open to the public and citizens are encouraged to attend. Whether or not you own property in DeKalb, these tax increases affect everyone including renters, shoppers, and customers!

Brookhaven Farmers Market

This weekend Cory and I attended the first ever Brookhaven Farmers Market! Finally... I mean, if the antique junkees in Chamblee can do it, Brookhaven can do it (no offense Chamblee readers)!!! We were so excited when we heard about it Sunday morning- Cory was checking twitter, and one of our Atlanta favorites King of Pops mentioned that he was at the "Brookhaven Farmers Market" right down the street. So we threw on our walking shoes and headed down Apple Valley to check it out.  

We were a little wary at first, just because we hadn't heard or seen anything about it, but hey- if King of Pops was there, it had to be legit, right? There have been a ton of farmers markets popping up lately and practically every area has one now (or has a CSA or Farm Mobile) so I'm excited that Brookhaven jumped on the bandwagon. I just love the idea of farm to table veggies, cheese, and freshly made food plus we enjoy supporting local farmers.

At first glance, we were a little disappointed in the market (photo above). It was in a decent location, but really tough to see from the main street. The market was in the Parkside complex located right at the intersection of Apple Valley and Dresden (near the Brookhaven MARTA) but behind an office building in the parking lot. There were about 12-15 vendors and being there early in the morning (~10am), we were really craving some fresh baked bread or pastries for breakfast or maybe some grab and go fruit. Instead there was cheese, jelly, soaps, cup cakes, cookies, jewelry, and frozen lemonade. Nothing we were really in the market for this particular Sunday.

We did like seeing some local Brookhaven businesses with the other vendors including the newest Town Brookhaven restaurant The Cup and also the Brookhaven Bistro (which we still need to try). And of course last, but not least, King of Pops! Since he was the one that advertised the market, we made sure to pick up an Arnold Palmer (sweet tea and lemonade) pop as we walked the pup home.

Overall we were a little disappointed at the lack of assortment, but I can only hope there will be more for their next try. We appreciate the fact that it's on Sunday and not competing with other farmers markets in the area, but I think a little more outreach and marketing needs to be done to get more people to come (we didn't even hear about it until the day of... shame on us!). Of course we will continue to support it and look forward to the vendors they have next month.  If you didn't make it this weekend- you can check it out July 31st and August 28 from 9:00am to 1:00pm. On their flyer I picked up, they also advertised chef demonstrations and bluegrass music, but I'm not sure what time that starts. Even though vendors may have been a bit lacking, this is great for our neighborhood and were excited to see a push for more local in Brookhaven.

Hastings- Moving!

UPDATE #2: Cory and I are pretty sure we spotted the new location of Hastings in Peachtree Corners. No signs have been posted, but the building is almost complete and there looks to be a lot of landscaping equipment outside PLUS we recognized the hastings shopping carts. The new location is at the intersection of Woodhill Drive and Ryan Road, behind the Chick-fil-A off Peachtree Parkway: 3240 Woodhill Drive.

UPDATE: Hastings is moving to a location in Peachtree Corners (Norcross). Not quite "North Atlanta"... We will keep you posted when we figure out the actual address- I'm guessing PIB.

Hastings Nature and Garden Center is moving to a new "secret" location! Our neighborhood nursery is leaving its Peachtree Street home in Brookhaven to an undisclosed new site somewhere in North Atlanta (per their newsletter & facebook page). It's a little scary to see an Everything Must Go sign, but word is that they really are moving (not closing their doors) so it only makes me even more curious as to where they are going, and why it has to be so secretive. I can only speculate on the many places they might end up...

I have enjoyed having Hastings just a walk away. Their staff has always been helpful and knowledgeable, and I really just enjoy strolling around their space.  Hastings boasts (or boasted I guess) talking parrots (photo below), a koi pond, and beautiful garden paths (photo above) all right off of Peachtree (across from the Cherokee Plaza Kroger) sandwiched in between a tire place and an auto parts store.

I'm sad to see them leave, but I can only hope that means something awesome is going to replace it. Perhaps that's why they are leaving? Maybe a developer picked up that whole parcel + tire place + Brookhaven Plaza (with the seemingly only surviving Blockbuster left, the old empty Wilson & Sons, etc.) and something spectacular is going to bridge the gap from our side of Peachtree all the way to Dresden. So exciting! No word yet, though.  But we will keep you posted when we hear of Hasting's Grand Opening announcement (no date set) and when we hear what's going to replace it. We reccommend you stop by and check them out before they leave the neighborhood and take advantage of their 25%-70% off deals- but stop by soon, their inventory is definitely dwindling.

HOV to HOT Conversion Project

Traffic. It's everywhere in Atlanta- pretty much any time, any day- it flows through our city like a living river. At it's widest, the Downtown Connector (I-75/I-85) gets up to 16 lanes (8 per direction-one of the widest in the world) and can carry over 270,000 cars per day.

In 1994 the federal government financed 18 miles of HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes for part of the busiest section of the highway. In 1996, and then again in 2001, 83 additional miles were opened to make the HOV lanes what they are today. HOV lanes (in Atlanta) are only for carpool, van-pool, bus, low emissions vehicle, and motorcycle use, and the purpose is to keep vehicles traveling at speeds no less than 40mph during rush hour (what a joke!). If you've ever ridden in the HOV lane anytime near rush hour, you are pretty much guaranteed to travel pretty much the exact same speed as the rest of traffic. This is a huge problem for the City, not only for just traffic, but for the environment, maintenance, and your sanity/road rage. The government gives the state of Georgia funds for the maintenance and future development of interstates, and the fact that Atlanta cannot maintain the "required" 40mph at all times in the HOV lanes, some serious measures need to be taken. 

This issue has been looked at for many years as the traffic in Atlanta only continues to get worse. A few of the major reasons for this issue are enforcement of classified users and just the general amount of cars traveling on the interstate. With everything considered, the USDOT granted 110 million dollars to implement in Atlanta a new concept called HOT (High Occupancy Toll) for the Atlanta Congestion Reduction Demonstration (CRD) Grant project. HOT lanes have only recently come on the scene, the majority of which are in Maryland and Virginia. The idea is that a vehicle will pay a toll for using what was the HOV lane, and that vehicle will pay some rate per mile driven in that lane, by how many people are riding in the car (3+ is free), and the number of cars currently using the lane (higher rates for rush hour). 

The goal of this project is to provide commuters with a "reliable" travel option in the I-85 corridor, including peak hour speeds averaging greater than 45 mph in the I-85 Express Lanes. The estimated average trip length is 6 – 7 miles, with typical toll prices ranging from $0.60 to $6.00 (!) depending on congestion. It is estimated that over 90 percent of customers will pay less than $5.00 for their trip, including 25 percent of customers who will not pay any toll. 

Vehicles will be monitored by sensors called a Peach Pass (think GA 400 cruise card) for when they enter the HOT lane and then exit. The HOT lane will have restricted access and egress points along with cameras, sensors, and enforcers. You will not be able to cross the "solid double white line" whenever you want, which is also a major cause of HOV lane traffic delay. Designated entry points will still be marked with a dashed white line, but fines will be given to those who exit at undesignated points. 

I've been to a couple of discussions/presentations on this HOV to HOT conversion project- mainly as it pertains to Gwinnett County, since that's the first section of HOT lanes that will open. The first section will be 15 miles on I-85 from Chamblee Tucker Road north to Old Peachtree Road. This section is already under construction (see new signs below) and is planned to open on July 31, 2011 (weather permitting). 

I know this is a lot of information, especially if you're not familiar with this project, but it's important for the future of Atlanta traffic. This is a big, expensive undertaking that seems very complicated, especially from the driver's perspective. You'll have to "figure" out how much it will cost you, how far you will go, where you can enter/exit, and either pre-pay or load your Peach Pass with enough funds. I know that congestion has been researched quite a lot in Atlanta, and one of the ideas that I was supporting was the HOV3 concept which would increase the HOV lane to 3+ people only. The research "showed" that the usage would decrease by 70% and then the HOV lane would be vastly under utilized. My thought, which I think is the direction we should be trying to go, is that the attitude and behavior of the users would change with the HOV3, and more people would carpool, and put less drivers and vehicles out on the road, which would decrease traffic everywhere. Anyway, I guess we will find out how this all will work out pretty soon! Were excited that this will alleviate some traffic especially for those of us in Brookhaven that might commute up and down the I-85 corridor.  Let us know your thoughts.

Weekend Events!

Now that summer has kicked off and the weather is nice and hot, all the weekend festivals, activities, events, and fun begins!

Brookhaven Beer Fest: The festival will be held Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 3:00 - 8:00p.m. behind the Brookhaven Marta Station (on Apple Valley Road, like the Brookhaven Arts Festival). There will be over 150 beers to taste from, along with food, music, games, beer, and more beer. Get your $35 tickets today! ($5 off with promo code BAA) Ticket price increases to $45 at the event. Check us out- we will be there volunteering (pouring beer)! There will also be an after party at Hudson Grille/Mellow Mushroom immediately after the event until 2am.

Atlanta Streets Alive!: Saturday, June 11 10:00am - 2:00pm AND Saturday June 25 4:00pm - 8:00pm. A great event that many west coast cities have been doing for years- closing off main downtown streets to cars and allowing pedestrians and bikers only. You can go play in the street and walk (safely) to all your favorite spots! I love this idea. Atlanta Streets Alive will be closing off the 36 blocks (~3 miles, See MAP) which is the route of the proposed Atlanta Streetcar downtown. Find out more information on their website.

If you're interested in learning more about the summer events and festivities in and around your area (not just Brookhaven), check out this great new site we found HugeCity. A website (still in the works) that shows events/concerts/programs/restaurants/etc. by your location on a map. Pretty great idea! Of course we will be posting about local Brookhaven events as well as the summer and fall go on, but go check them out.

Have a great weekend! 

Sushi Mania!!!!

Seriously, though, that's the name of the restaurant... We have been eying this sushi spot ever since we moved in last year and, to be honest, don't really have any excuse why we haven't tried it.  Sushi Mania is located in the Cherokee Plaza Kroger shopping center right off Peachtree and (even better) is within walking distance from our house.  With all this warm weather, we have both have had a craving for some cool, fresh sushi, so we finally decided to walk over and give it a try.

Now I'm not going to pretend that I'm a sushi expert or know much about it other than what I just personally like.  Most food bloggers will focus on the chef: how long he lived in Japan, his style of preparation, where he studied sushi rolling... you get the idea.  I don't know about any of that, or really care to know. I care more about the sushi itself.  What a good Japanese/sushi restaurant comes down to for me is service, price, and how they prepare my faves.

The best part about these restaurants is the fresh dishes and  unique concoctions. We typically always start with a bowl of edamame and a salad, but this time we tried something other than the "house salad" and ordered the Crispy Green Salad (pic above) along with edamame.  The salad had crispy rice noodles, sliced avocados, and tomatoes, and a refreshing miso dressing. It was pretty delicious and very fresh.

Now for some sushi mania!

We ordered our staples- Tuna Roll and Spicy Tuna Roll (above).  Both were done very well (granted, it's tough to do them wrong) and presented beautifully.  The tuna roll was very fresh and the spicy tuna roll had a nice kick to it, and I made sure to add some wasabi to both, which was also quite potent, but unfortunately not super fresh.

In addition, we decided to try one of their House Speciality Rolls and went with the Alaskan Roll (above).  It had spicy tuna, shrimp, avocado, and cucumber wrapped in salmon all topped with a sweet and tangy sesame sauce.  Sushi purists will argue that ordering sushi with more than three ingredients is American "designer" sushi and not really sushi at all but I say... whatever. It tastes good, and I was satisfied.  I mean, look at that picture... how detailed and well put together is that?  Sushi can be such great art.

We were very happy to have such a good experience here at a neighborhood joint, and all for under $40 (appetizers ~ $5 each, rolls ~ $6 each, and specialty roll ~ $11- See entire Menu for additional items/cost).  Sushi can really add up quickly especially when you order specialty rolls, and we feel the sushi was comparably priced here.  We did go on a weeknight when the dining room was pretty quiet and we had excellent service, so we really enjoyed our visit and that makes going back for dining in or take out an easy decision.  We're glad to have found such a good local sushi spot - only wish we went earlier.  Go check it out!