"Food That Rocks" Totally Rocked It!

Food That Rocks, A Celebration of Sandy Springs, was magnificent! Already I can hardly wait for next year's event! Billed as a "Bites & Bevs" event, it's so much more! I'm a bigtime foodie, so I don't lend restaurant endorsements lightly. But I do wholly honor my foodie friends and many of them were at this event, so I'm excited to share! 

Food That Rocks 2016, Jackie of Bishoku and Nikki

My dear friend Nikki—@atlantafoodie on Instagram—went with me. That's her (right) with Jackie (left), the owner of one of her favorite sushi restaurants, Bishoku! After enjoying a couple of pieces of sushi, I totally get why Nikki loves this restaurant so much. And I've been looking for an awesome sushi restaurant, for years...I can happily say "Mission accomplished!" And Jackie is super sweet!

Food That Rocks 2016, Food 101

There were more than 20 restaurants at Food That Rocks, some I've been to, some I've been wanting to go to and some I've never heard of but are now on my must-visit list! Some of my favorites were Cibo e Beve (serving Tuscan Lemon Chicken Thighs), Food 101 (Fried Green Tomatoes, Pickled Shrimp and Watermelon Salad), and Under the Cork Tree (Crispy Lamb Ribs with Pickled Cucumber), to name just a few.

Beverages were provided to Tito's, Battle and Brew (which I can hardly wait to visit!), Three Sheets and a few others.

I didn't try all the restaurants or beverages—but I had plenty (and took Uber, an event sponsor), but will be using the event's restaurant list as a to-dine list. 

Oh, and there was live music! I love big concerts, but I don't spend a lot of time at live music events—which is a shame because Metro Atlanta is a mecca for that kind of entertainment—but I wholly enjoyed the lively music at Food That Rocks! 

Check out Tony Levitas and Friends, Ed Roland and The Sweet Tea Project, and Tommy Dean Trio, the three featured bands at the inaugural Food That Rocks. 

Food That Rocks 2016

I had the great honor of meeting, and speaking with at length, Tom Mahaffey, President of the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce. Our immediate discussion topic was the obvious success of Food That Rocks and the great delight that the attendees were such a diverse crowd, particularly in generations. A 21+ event, there were a great many millennials as well as a peppering of some who had probably lived in Sandy Springs the whole of their lives, and everyone was having a delightful evening! 

We also discussed the excitement about build-out of the new Mercedes-Benz headquarters in Sandy Springs, slated to open in early 2018 according to articles, and the proposed monorail/light rail for Sandy Springs. In fact, Sandy Springs was the first of three Atlanta-area cities in late 2015 to discuss bringing such a system to their communities. Personally, I think that for many it would be a welcome relief and desirable alternative to exponentially thickening traffic.

I very much admire Tom's enthusiasm for building an even more vibrant and exciting Sandy Springs, and I'm totally jealous of his office—at the top of the King building of the King & Queen buildings, visible from the intersection of GA-400 and I-285.  

Food That Rocks 2016

Food That Rocks was more than a food and music event, it was also a fundraiser, the beneficiaries of which I invite you to learn more about. The three organizations were Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance, Second Helpings Atlanta, and Ian's Friends Foundation. Each had tables at the event, each visited by quite a few of the attendees.

Food That Rocks 2016, Dale DeSena

Dale DeSena, who I know from Les Dames d'Escoffier International-Atlanta Chapter, is the President of Taste of Atlanta and the producer of Food That Rocks. I love that when she took the stage to make very brief comments—so that ticket-buyers could quickly get back to the fun at hand—totally looked like she was going to rock out with her Food That Rocks guitar!

Mark your calendars for Taste of Atlanta coming up in October. Last year the event featured more than 90 Atlanta restaurants! It's one of the must-attend Atlanta food events, and if you were at this year's Food That Rocks, you got a taste of the fun to expect!

Food That Rocks 2016, Nothing Bundt Cakes

I love food events like this because no one looks twice when you have dessert way before the meal is finished. (I often will indulge in dessert first, just in case I get full before getting to that course.) The photo above is one of the delicious—and I don't use that word lightly—cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. I'd enjoyed their cakes before, but got to chat with co-founder Debbie Swetz, who was as lovely as their cakes are amazing!

I'd like to offer a huge "Thank you!" to Sandy Springs Hospitality & Tourism for hosting me as a guest. I've known Patti for years—she and her husband are dear friends—and I had the honor of meeting Jennifer and Samantha. What a fantastic evening and event! Do check out their website to see just how much there is to experience in Sandy Springs!

"Congratulations!" to Dale DeSena, sponsors, restaurants, beverage companies, bands, Sandy Springs leaders, and ALL the patrons who came out to support the first annual Food That Rocks event...I'm so looking forward to next year!

"Inside I" Gives an Insightful Voice to Autism

In the State of Georgia, 1 in 68 children are born in the spectrum of Autism. 

Inside I, a world-premiere now showing at 7 Stages Theatre, brilliantly showcases a portion of the life—birth through 18—of one young person living on a more misunderstood side of Autism, one who also is a lovable character and one who endears compassion, empathy and understanding.

One of the things that you'll learn about Autism in this experience is that "If you've met one person on the spectrum, you've met ONE person on the spectrum." That's to say that every person who lives with Autism is living a different experience.

I Direct Myself is a magnificent 15-minute show presented before Inside I, written by and starring Sam Gross, a 7 Stages intern living on the spectrum who has been working at the theatre for a long time.

Sam's passion for acting is immediately apparent. His performance is wonderful and wholly brilliant. This young man is also quite brave...he's doing something I've never, ever considered doing—acting on stage before a live audience. 

I believe you're going to love his performance...for which he received a generous round of applause at the performance I attended. Congratulations, Sam!

Inside I utilizes multiple technologies, including live-feed camera, large-screen projection and smartphone technology, and is performed, rather surprisingly, via masterful and magnificently acted puppetry.

This story features episodes of the life and dreams of character named Ben, from birth to age 18, who lives on the spectrum and it tells the tale of his obsession with, and escape into the world of video—early on with his mother's smartphone and later with one of his own.

The large-screen projections feature Ben's perspective via projections from his smartphone—his view of the world...giving "voice" and image to life on Autism's spectrum of unheard and unseen effects, including the heartbreak and love of family and the bullying of kids who have no understanding of what they're seeing.

This play delves deep into one of the many possible experiences of Autism, offering an insight unlike any other I've ever seen.

I had the honor of meeting a number of the actors, as well as Michael Haverty, one of the creators of Inside I, immediately after witnessing him bringing food to a peaceful homeless person on the street. Michael didn't see that I saw him, that I saw an act of friendliness and compassion. It was a touching moment and the conversation with him afterward about the play was insightful and quite riveting.

Of the actors I met, and I'm grateful for every one that I met, it was a great honor to meet Suzi Bass Award-winner Matt Baum, who performed the role of Ben, the main character. Talk about range...it's not often that you see someone on stage perform the role of a character from birth to 18. Matt did so brilliantly and quite convincingly. His wife was also in attendance and is wholly delightful.

On Saturday, May 7 at 2:00 p.m. there will be a sensory-friendly performance of Inside I. Feel free to call the theatre for more details about this particular performance.




I also encourage you to listen to this interview with Inside I co-creators Michael Haverty and Erwin Maas.

While Inside I is geared to a neuro-typical audience—people not living on the spectrum—many who have Autistic children, know someone (or many) who live on the spectrum, research Autism, are caregivers, and advocates, are showing great interest in the show. 

I personally have known a couple of mothers of Autistic children, but my exposure has been extremely limited, so I'm grateful to 7 Stages for bringing this show to the Atlanta community...I learned a lot, enjoyed the performances immensely and left equipped to better understand, sympathize and share 7 Stages' mission with this play to help spread awareness of Autism.

You can see I Direct Myself and Inside I at 7 Stages Theatre now on stage through Sunday, May 8, 2016.

Reminiscing Ancient Greece...and Zorba

At the invitation of my sweet friend Maria, with Lykion Ton Ellinidon Atlanta, I recently attended the regional premiere of the newly restored Academy Award-winning film (7 nominations, 3 wins) Zorba the Greek, featuring guest speaker Katherine Quinn, widow of actor and star of Zobra the Greek Anthony Quinn.

The film was screened in White Hall on the campus of Emory University. Across the quad from White Hall is the Michael C. Carlos Museum, which has a magnificent Greek art collection that spans thousands of years! Loving a themed excursion, I stopped by the Museum before going to see the movie.  

Michael C. Carlos Museum | Greek Collection

I first met Maria at the annual Atlanta Greek Festival in 2013. We talked enthusiastically about the more than two years that I lived in Greece, when I was 19, and she has since very kindly kept me aware of Greek cultural events around town. Her kindness is exactly the kind of hospitality I experienced when I lived in Greece. So many wonderful memories! 

Michael C. Carlos Museum | Greek Collection

Katherine Quinn shared with us the mission and some of the accomplishments of the Anthony Quinn Foundation, of which she is the Founder and President. She was wholly delightful and excited to present to the sold-out, nearly 100% Greek audience. 

Michael C. Carlos Museum | Greek Collection

The Foundation's mission is "to advocate for the important role arts education plays in personal development and in the overall improvement of social, economic and cultural systems".

I learned, as I believe did many that day, that Anthony Quinn was a prolific artist. In fact, he did not want to be an actor, but wanted to be an architect or a painter. His acting life also was quite prolific, as well, starring in 180 films and winning two Academy Awards and one Golden Globe...all the while painting and sculpting more than 5,000 pieces throughout his life.

Michael C. Carlos Museum | Greek Collection

Quinn, who was born in Mexico—he wasn't at all Greek—to parents who fought in the Mexican Revolution, was raised in Los Angeles. In high school he won an architecture competition, the prize for which was being mentored by none other than Frank Lloyd Wright! Wright had Quinn enrolled in acting classes to improve his speech—for future professional opportunities in the architecture arena. As many of us have experienced, a single action can direct a lifetime.

Stele of Glaukotas | Michael C. Carlos Museum | Greek Collection

The film, Zorba the Greek, takes place on Crete, the largest island of Greece. Crete was the last of my many, many excursions when living in Greece, and was one of the most fun! 

The film, as brilliant as it is, brings to light certain archaic social injustices, which were difficult to watch. The magnificent Crete I knew in the mid 1980s was quite a different place from what was depicted in the movie. Again, the acting was brilliant and definitely deserving of its three Oscars, but my experience was nothing like what I saw on screen! 

Discus | Michael C. Carlos Museum | Greek Collection

The above artifact, in the Greek collection at the Carlos Museum, is a discus. Seeing it immediately took me back to my visit to the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, and farther into the future when I attended some of the 1996 Olympic Games right here in Atlanta. That's to say that seeing the Greek collection on every visit to the Michael C. Carlos Museum is a special event for me. 

Michael C. Carlos Museum | Greek Collection

As many know, Turner Field—home of the Atlanta Braves for one more season—was our Olympic Stadium in 1996 before being converted into a baseball stadium. With the move of the Atlanta Braves to Cobb County next season, the fate of our former Olympic Stadium is uncertain. I for one hope that it does not meet with the wrecking ball, as does too many of our treasures. In the meantime, I highly recommend a tour of Turner Field!

Michael C. Carlos Museum | Greek Collection

Whether a visiting tourist or a local, I encourage you to avail yourself of the many arts and cultural programs offered at Emory University through Arts at Emory, which features film, dance, music, theater and more.

Michael C. Carlos Museum | Greek Collection

This wasn't my first time to see a movie in Emory University's White Hall. In fact, I saw quite a few there when they hosted a series last year titled, "Movies Made in Georgia".

Michael C. Carlos Museum | Greek Collection

If you've not been to the Michael C. Carlos Museum, make your way there. You'll not only get to see their magnificent Greek collection, you'll see art and antiquities from all over the world, including quite a few Egyptian mummies!