Photos © 2012 Curly Girl Design, Inc./Leigh Standley. all rights reserved.
Well hello there! Just thought I would pop in and say hello before you head out to a beautiful summer weekend! I am back from a week at the Atlanta Gift Show and heading out to the first annual Curly Girl Design Pool Party! (sorry, there will be no photographic evidence of this fun event…I love my staff and respect their rights to be lovely and freely in their skivvies without me lurking around with a camera). Now, if only the sun would come out!
Because we spend so much time on the road at tradeshows (2-3 weeks a year each in Atlanta and New York alone!) we try to get out and about and do things while we are there… over time we develop favorites and spots that we return to time after time. This last trip was no different, in fact, I had our dinner reservations all mapped out before we set foot on the plane! Surprised? I didn’t think so. Recently we have discovered a few gems that I thought I would share.
This is not a place we went for dinner, but we stumbled upon it while poking around one of our favorite neighborhoods: Virginia Highlands. We were drawn in by the rich smell of chocolate and the sparkly confections and were lulled into a swoon by the beautiful interior and the perfect packaging of the most delicious delicacies we had ever laid eyes on. It was like walking into Paris and being greeted by the “Candy Man” scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory….”Who can make the sunriiiiiisse….” (only sung in french by Gene Kelley instead of that other guy….ok you get the drift).
The darling girl working behind the counter explained to us that they were a local-to-Atlanta bean to bar company focused on hand-crafted chocolates with the hightest quality sustainable ingredients.
And then I ate the head off of a buddha. A dark chocolate creme ginger buddha. I nearly cried it was so good.
Everything about this place was lovely. We boxed up some buddhas for the road and promised to return.
If you go: Stay awhile. Sit with a cup of their Azteca Aphrodesiac Drinking Chocolate and pretend you are in the movies.
Be neighborly: Don’t miss Bella Cucina’s flagship store and sandwich shop, Porta Via, right nextdoor!
Sun in My Belly, Kirkwood (Decatur Area)
This is an honest-to-goodness “a friend of a friend of a friend told me about this place…” recommendation. (The best kind – thanks Margo!)
A tiny bit off the beaten path, but not but 5 miles out of downtown, this is an absolute gem. Packed to the gills with hand-made decorations and farm to table amazingness, you will not leave here hungry or uninspired.
Sun in My Belly (best name ever right?) began as a catering company specializing in “unique dining affairs” featuring real, good food. They opened their neighborhood cafe (in an old hardware store!) for brunch and take-away at first and were just opening up for dinner when we went for the first time. We have been back twice now and will be back again! Every single thing on the menu looks delicious and everything we have tried has been. Make a reservation (or heck, have a party there…they do special events!) and prepare to enjoy!
If you go: They always have a few dazzling options on the dessert menu, but do yourself a favor and ask if they have coconut cream pie. You won’t be sorry.
Be neighborly: There is not much in the way of neighbors where they are, but you can BYOB if you want (they now have a wine list also) and if it’s nice…sit outside under the twinkle lights!
So, there you go, those are my current Atlanta faves…though there are more! Hope you enjoy and let me know if you get to one!
xoxo
