My SouthEast

The Heritage Fire Food & Drink Festival comes to Atlanta this weekend Photograph courtesy of Heritage Fire Food & Drink Festival  Atlanta Film Festival When: Thursday, April 25-Sunday, May 5 Where: Plaza Theatre and Tara Theatre, plus virtual programming Cost: Festival badges range from $100-$500; individual screening tickets $12.75-$19, plus someContinue Reading

GVG Events Photograph by Ashley White At heart, Mike Huddleston and C.C. Indivero are just thrift store kids with a knack for arts and crafts. The pair met in 2013 when Indivero, a professional hairdresser, cut Huddleston’s hair; they hit it off over a shared love of all things secondhand.Continue Reading

Death Cab for Cutie Photograph by Perry Julien Singer and guitarist Ben Gibbard brought his two musical projects, Death Cab For Cutie and the Postal Service, to Alpharetta’s Ameris Bank Amphitheatre on Tuesday evening. Each band was celebrating the 20th anniversary of their respective iconic albums, Transatlanticism for Death CabContinue Reading

Play outside the lines in Monroe-West Monroe Discover Monroe West Monroe, and you’ll uncover creativity as rich as Louisiana’s flavors and a river flowing with entrepreneurial spirit. It’s a destination filled with heart and awash in culture, where your senses are free to color outside the lines, where your feetContinue Reading

Shriners used Arabian-inspired features in their original design. Photograph courtesy of the Fox Theatre Rachel Bomeli stood on the roof of the Fox Theatre and knew something was off. Renovations for the “Onion Dome” that crowns the building were almost underway, and Bomeli, the vice president of facility operations, comparedContinue Reading

Two Cretaceous-era dinosaurs preserved together in stone Photo by Julius Csotonyi The newest exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh has been 67 million years in the making. Dueling Dinosaurs, the 4,000-square-foot experience opening on April 27, centers on a duo of Cretaceous-period dinosaurs preserved togetherContinue Reading

Cumming resident Jill Harris grew up in Kansas, baking breads and pies and making jellies and jams with her grandmother, Mary Lucille Moore. After losing her spa director position during the pandemic, Harris started baking pies and giving them to friends and family. “People kept asking me to open aContinue Reading

Cleverly straddling the line between trendy and lasting design, Tami Ramsay of Cloth & Kind, based in Athens, created this teenager’s bedroom to look good today and years from now. Dynamic duo The happy combo of green and blue (“Napa Vineyards” and “Poolside” from Benjamin Moore) for the bookcase wereContinue Reading

Writer Dana Hudepohl perched atop one of Tank Town USA’s armored personnel carrier I’m less than 10 minutes from North Georgia’s tranquil Lake Blue Ridge, surrounded by forest, open sky, and chirping birds. But these six barren acres are a whole other world of exhaust fumes, mud, and piles ofContinue Reading

Akami (lean tuna), chutoro (medium fatty tuna), and otoro (fatty tuna) from Kyushu, Japan Photo by Brandon Amato Located less than a five-minute drive from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a mixed-use development called Abrams Fixtures promises lofts, offices, and of course, restaurants. One of the first eateries to be announced is RyokouContinue Reading

Sweetwater 420 Fest is this weekend. Photograph by Addison Hill/Courtesy of Sweetwater 420 Fest Dutch Masters at the High When: Opens Friday, April 19 Where: High Museum of Art Cost: Free for members, $15 for “not-yet-members” Details: This sweeping exhibit includes a breathtaking array of work from some of theContinue Reading

Planning a special event in Atlanta? Whether you’re envisioning an intimate corporate gathering, a grand wedding celebration, or an electrifying gala, AFR Furniture Rental can be your partner in creating an unforgettable experience. With a vast inventory of stylish furniture, advanced design capabilities like custom branding, and a team ofContinue Reading

John Wieland is best known as founder and former chairman of John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, but as his homebuilding business grew over the years, so did his art collection. What began as a hobby to fill the office walls soon became a bigger passion. Wieland is still involved inContinue Reading

The “a” allows the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials to be called, simply, “CHaRM.” Photograph courtesy of CHaRM Here’s what I packed in my car on a recent Saturday morning: 17 cans of paint, 8 propane canisters, 2 old iPads, a Medusa tangle of electrical cords, and a bagContinue Reading

Rico Wade in 2019 Photograph by Moses Robinson/Getty Images for Revolt Even with the knowledge that none of us will live forever, Rico Wade’s untimely passing at age 52 is still hitting hard days after the April 12 announcement. As the cornerstone of the game-changing production trio Organized Noize, formedContinue Reading

Historic Vicksburg, Mississippi Illustration by Debora Islas Perched high on a bluff with sweeping views of the Mississippi River sits Vicksburg. That very bluff is what made the city so challenging for the Union to capture during the 47-day Civil War battle of the same name. Today, Vicksburg’s rich historyContinue Reading

The communities of St. Pete/Clearwater have been named among the top 25 beaches in the U.S. by Tripadvisor, and beautiful beaches are only the beginning. St. Pete/Clearwater is a vibrant culinary destination with year-round outdoor dining and waterfront restaurants, casual beachside eateries, gourmet fare and a booming brewery scene. FreshContinue Reading

Pickleball court Photo by Heidi Geldhauser The fastest-growing sport in the United States, pickleball has become the go-to activity combining socializing and exercise. The latest pickleball venue to open in Atlanta, Painted Pickle offers much more than the tennis-like game. Created by Justin Amick and William Stallworth, the team beingContinue Reading

The Halidom logo adorns a wall lined with greenery and florals. It was only 10 years ago that Krog Street Market and Ponce City Market opened, marking the beginning of Atlanta’s food hall boom. Today, there are numerous food halls, big and small, around the city and into the suburbs—soContinue Reading

My cousin Laura and I are standing in the “family” room at Kentucky Peerless Distillery Co., lined with black-and-white photos, vintage bottles, and colorful advertisements when Chairman and CEO Corky Taylor peeks his head in. “What part of the story are y’all on?” he asks. So far, our tour groupContinue Reading

Atlanta Dogwood Festival Photograph courtesy of Atlanta Dogwood Festival Atlanta Dogwood Festival When: Friday, April 12 to Sunday April 14 Where: Piedmont Park Cost: Free, VIP options $40-$80 Details: The beloved spring festival is back for its 88th year, featuring an artist market of local crafts and handmade goods, musicContinue Reading

Full Radius Dance performs this month at the Inman Park Dance Festival. Photograph by Eley Photo In 1993, Douglas Scott, director of an Atlanta troupe called Dance Force, went to a series of workshops about bringing the arts to different populations. He decided to attend a session on dance forContinue Reading

Strawberry brie sconut Courtesy of Flaky Not Flaky First there were doughnuts, then cronuts, and now . . . sconuts? Husband-and-wife team Miguel and Anna Caraballo invented this sweet fluffy treat as a happy mistake. Owners of Flaky Not Flaky bakery and chocolates, they were intent on developing a lessContinue Reading

Offset Photograph by Perry Julien Rapper Offset brought his Set It Off Tour to the Coca-Cola Roxy on Wednesday night.  Originally from Lawrenceville, Offset is best known for being a member of the hip-hop trio Migos. During the Atlanta show, Offset wore a T-shirt to honor Takeoff, his Migos bandmateContinue Reading

John Oates and his band Photograph by Perry Julien John Oates and his band played the Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta on Saturday night. Oates, formerly part of the pop-rock duo Hall and Oates, is touring in support of his new solo album, Reunion. His show featured his new music alongContinue Reading

James Virgil owned Mr V’s Figure 8, a nightclub of Atlanta’s disco era. Photographby Ben Rollins For more than 20 years, my life has revolved around the moods of a beast, a noisy and badly behaved stainless steel reach-in refrigerator of the kind commonly found in restaurant kitchens. It requiresContinue Reading

Atlanta’s steady job growth and stable economic climate continue to make it an attractive destination for entrepreneurs. In fact, the Southern city was recently recognized as the top metro area in the country for new business formation. To help support these local business owners as they start, run and growContinue Reading

Chef Daniel Herget Courtesy of Perry Lane Hotel Chef Spotlight: Dan Herget At the Emporium Kitchen in Savannah’s Perry Lane Hotel, global flavors are paired with Southern hospitality. Executive chef Dan Herget, who says the restaurant is inspired by a classic French brasserie, dishes about a favorite spring vegetable, aContinue Reading

Grossman (right) grows his own herbs in the Chastain’s garden. Photograph courtesy of The Chastain Two Atlanta restaurants—Bacchanalia and the Chastain—won Michelin Green Stars in 2023. Started in 2020, the Green Star recognizes an establishment’s commitment to environmental stewardship. We talked to Christopher Grossman, owner and executive chef of theContinue Reading

Matt Olson rounds first base after hitting a solo homer in the third inning of the home opener against Arizona on April 5. Photograph by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images On Friday, the Atlanta Braves opened up their Truist Park account with their first home game of the year. The gameContinue Reading

A line drive is always a tricky thing. As an 11-year-old Little League first baseman, that was a truth I knew from experience. Sometimes they shot off the bat with such ferocity that it tested my reflexes to get my glove on them as I fought against the instinct toContinue Reading

The Original features fried chicken dipped in chili honey with slaw sandwiches inside a waffle. Courtesy of Bruxie Despite living in Atlanta for nearly 20 years, I don’t consider myself a Southerner. I appreciate a good biscuit, but in my (unpopular) opinion—chicken and waffles do not and will never goContinue Reading

Truist Park Photograph courtesy of the Atlanta Braves Truist Park: The home of the Braves is an enigma. It’s an artificial mecca of baseball that displaced Turner Field to the chagrin of many, but now draws some of the best crowds in baseball. The stadium itself is a beauty, withContinue Reading

H&F Burger Photograph courtesy of the Battery Atlanta The Battery—the mix of year-round restaurants, bars, and shops that surrounds Truist Park—was built to be a destination. Seven years later, we’re happy to report that it has pulled off its mission. Don’t just come for the game: Come early and eat,Continue Reading

Talat Market chefs/owners Rod Lassiter and Parnass Savang Photo by Bailey Garrot Chefs Parnass Savang and Rod Lassiter, the co-owners of Talat Market in Summerhill, were recently named Best Chef: Southeast finalists by James Beard Foundation. The awards, known as the Oscars of the culinary world, will be announced onContinue Reading

Atlanta band Microwave plays on Masquerade’s Heaven stage in April 2023. Photograph courtesy of the Masquerade When Elena de Soto first arrived in Atlanta to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2011, she got off the plane and went straight to the Masquerade to see her favoriteContinue Reading

Scott Dean has been leading walks through the forests, fields, and mountains of western North Carolina for nearly 30 years—and encouraging everyone to go wild for wildflowers Naturalist Scott Dean has a simple mission: to cultivate as much excitement about plants as possible. As a child growing up in theContinue Reading

David Cummings (left) and Jon Birdsong of Atlanta Ventures Photograph by Growl Around noon on New Year’s Day, the guy credited with putting Atlanta on the national tech startup map sent a text message about South Downtown. “Hey, if we hosted a public tour and lunch tomorrow, how many folksContinue Reading

The Bronx Bagel Buggy Photograph by Martha Williams The Bronx Bagel Buggy After building a cult following at the Brookhaven Farmers Market, the Bronx Bagel Buggy opened its Chamblee restaurant in January. The crowds were ready, often waiting in hour-long lines to order (and sometimes just as long to receiveContinue Reading

Set against the vibrant architectural backdrop in Atlanta, Coverings 2024, the premier tile and stone event in North America, promises a design experience unlike any other. Taking place at the Georgia World Congress Center this April 22-25, Coverings is a convergence of creativity and design, and a testament to theContinue Reading

During this ongoing journey for Ronald Acuña Jr. toward the other side of baseball’s interplanetary space, there was an asterisk that held him back, but there were two coaches who harnessed his greatness. Let’s start at the beginning, though. You’re Acuña, you’re growing up near the underwater ridge filled withContinue Reading

The Dresden Dolls Photograph by Perry Julien The “punk rock cabaret” duo the Dresden Dolls played to a packed Eastern on Friday night.  Atlanta was one of six stops on this short tour as they prepare for a more extensive tour and album release (their first since 2008) in theContinue Reading

The Atlanta Opera will produce all four parts of Wagner’s monumental Der Ring des Nibelungen. Photograph by Ken Howard Of all works in the operatic canon, few engender such reverence as the four operas that comprise Richard Wagner’s epic masterwork Der Ring des Nibelungen, or, as it’s commonly called, theContinue Reading

The Zombies Photograph courtesy of the Zombies The Zombies play Variety Playhouse When: Wednesday, April 3, 8 p.m. Where: Variety Playhouse, Little Five Points Cost: $86-$108 Details: The iconic British Invasion band returns to Atlanta for one night only. Rock out to their classic hits—like the psychedelic “Time of theContinue Reading

Inside Casa Balam Courtesy of the Cocktail Shaker Chef Luis Damian, one of the owners of Oaxaca in Chamblee and El Valle in Midtown, has multiple new restaurants in the works. First to open—likely the second week in April—will be Casa Balam, replacing Ted’s Montana Grill in Decatur. Focused onContinue Reading

Seafood gumbo, oysters j’aime, cornmeal-crusted Gulf fish, and shrimp Creole at Brennan’s Photograph by Cory Fontenot The best form of sensory overload is found in New Orleans, where your eyes try to take in the dizzying rainbow array of shotgun homes and you can’t walk more than one block withoutContinue Reading

Ploughman’s Basket from the Rhu Photograph courtesy of the Rhu Asheville—the little mountain town that could—has leveled up. Long a quirky haven for artsy farmers (and farming artists), the North Carolina city has in the last few decades developed a cultural scene all its own. Nearly everything in Asheville, fromContinue Reading

Chasing Sage Photograph by Peter Frank Edwards As a rule, Charlestonians would rather catch waves than make them, so when the governor of South Carolina declared the state open for business in October 2020, with few restrictions, restaurateurs didn’t resist. They threw themselves into entertaining tourists in high Lowcountry fashion,Continue Reading

A Cuban sandwich, or Cubano, at Sanguich Photograph courtesy of Sanguich Miami is America’s modern-day melting pot, where immigrants from South and Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe all exert a profound effect on the city’s culture. The restaurant scene might be the most tangible evidence. Family restaurants offer everyContinue Reading

Cattleack Photograph courtesy of Cattleack The Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex has always been a region obsessed with its image. Since the days of “Who shot J.R.?”, the cities’ leadership have collectively attempted to assert themselves onto national and global stages, whether through long-shot Olympics bids, hyping the phrase “world class” untilContinue Reading

Trevor Shankman plates dishes at his supper club, Maria. Photograph by Andy Leverett Going out on a Friday night can be exhausting. Often, it comes with Ubering to a restaurant with fake plants and incandescent light bulbs dangling from the ceiling, where vibes come before food, and the bill leavesContinue Reading

Gamelan music is native to Indonesia. Photograph by Cat Kerr No one listens to classical gamelan music for the first time and thinks, “I’ve heard something like this before.” There’s nothing like it. A gamelan is a classical Indonesian orchestra anchored by hand-forged gongs, chimes, and other instruments made ofContinue Reading

Great Falls Park in McLean, Virginia Photo by Gary Brooks An important gathering place for more than 10,000 years, Great Falls Park is an 800-acre wonder along the banks of the Potomac River in McLean, Virginia. Once a homeland for Algonquin, Iroquois, and Siouan peoples, the land became a tradingContinue Reading

The first time Heather Stables laced up to perform in the Magnolia Open, she free-skated to a tango. Stables won her category—by default, because her competitor dropped out. Still, her 2013 experience at Atlanta’s local figure skating event set her up for years of medaling across the Southeast, and lastContinue Reading

Christiane Lauterbach has been Atlanta’s dining critic for 40 years. From 2014-2019, Zohar Lazar created illustrations like this one for her monthly “Christiane Chronicles” columns. Illustration by Zohar Lazar For 40 years, Christiane Lauterbach has been a dining critic for Atlanta magazine. A Parisian by birth, and a single momContinue Reading

Birthday waffle Courtesy of High Noon Brunchery Brunch can be polarizing. Diners crave it, chefs (mostly) hate it. Nearly a religion in the South, some people dress to the nines, while others come straight from the gym. Healthy or decadent? Green juice or endless Bloody Marys? Lorenzo Wyche, the manContinue Reading

The propagation lab cultivates rare orchids and other native plants. Photograph by Wedig + Laxton If you step into the atrium of the Fuqua Orchid Center during the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s annual Orchid Daze exhibition (open now through April 14), you’ll be inundated with a jaw-dropping array of orchids, allContinue Reading

Poirier’s pastries are designed to take customers back to childhood delights. Photograph by Bailey Garrot The Loews Atlanta Hotel’s prime Midtown location gives it a businesslike aura, with corporate guests milling about the lobby. The desserts served within, however, are far from serious. “My approach to desserts, really, is aContinue Reading

Surrounded by rows of coconut palms and quiet lagoons, I lounged at a quaint wellness resort in the backwaters of Kerala. In the late afternoon sun, a petite elderly lady dressed in a dark blue sari rowed her long, narrow boat right up to the hotel’s edge. She took outContinue Reading

Fries with dipping sauces at Leon’s Full Service Photograph courtesy of Leon’s Let there be no doubt: Atlanta is absolutely a French fry city. The carby, greasy fried potatoes that sop up all your troubles get the respect they deserve around here. From bougie to divey, crinkle cut to steakContinue Reading

Charlie Brown in 2018 Photograph courtesy of Charlie Brown/Fred Wise Mr. Charlie Brown, the reigning queen of Atlanta drag queens, has taken her final bow. The performer died Thursday night at Piedmont Hospital from complications following heart valve replacement surgery. He was 74. For 50 years, the self-proclaimed “Bitch ofContinue Reading

Pendolino entrance Photo by Cassie Wright Chef Kevin Maxey boasts an impressive resume. The former vice president of culinary for Ford Fry’s Rocket Farms Restaurants honed his skills at Tom Colicchio’s Craft and Danny Meyer’s Gramercy Tavern in New York. The past four years, he’s been helping other restaurateurs fine-tuneContinue Reading

Burna Boy performs at State Farm Arena on March 9 Photograph by Perry Julien Nigerian singer and songwriter Burna Boy brought his I Told Them tour to a sold-out State Farm Arena on March 9. Credited with popularizing Afrobe ats music globally, the Grammy Award-winner also performed his hit “Sittin’Continue Reading

Abbey Glass Photograph courtesy of Abbey Glass Atlanta-based fashion designer Abbey Glass is starting 2024 with a bang: a new spring/summer collection, a new bridal capsule, two new retail stores, and a spot in Dillard’s new concept, the Coterie. Here, she shares her inspiration and how she’s expanded her business.Continue Reading

James Beard Award–winning chef Scott Peacock leading a small-group biscuit-making workshop Photo by Jen Causey My biscuits have always resembled hockey pucks. I’ve dreamed of making biscuits like the ones that once floated by on plates of fried chicken at Watershed, the former Decatur, Georgia restaurant of James Beard Award–winningContinue Reading

Roasted beet salad Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee One of only five Atlanta restaurants to earn a Michelin star, Lazy Betty is moving to its new home March 16. The acclaimed tasting menu spot opened in the former Radial Cafe space in Candler Park in 2019. Five years later, it’sContinue Reading

The castle will have 30 murals that depict world philosophies and religions. Photograph courtesy of Naomi Marthai In a place where gaps in mountaintop treelines get noticed, the residents of Northeast Georgia watched with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation as the horizon changed its silhouette. Bit by bit, aContinue Reading

The Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund (GRO) runs a guaranteed-income program called In Her Hands Photograph courtesy of the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund Universal basic income (UBI) isn’t a new idea, but in a dystopian world with pandemics and a growing wealth divide, the utopian concept seems more practicalContinue Reading

Dumplings Courtesy of Northern China Eatery Fan Zhang, owner of the popular Buford Highway restaurant Northern China Eatery, often sees one-to-two-hour waits for his restaurant’s authentic Chinese fare. With the opening of spin-off the Dumpling Factory in June, he hopes to make the food more accessible to metro Atlantans. SetContinue Reading

Chilaquiles and biscuit sandwiches Photo by Jonathan Fox Want to indulge? Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q begins brunch service this weekend at the Works. Starting March 16, every Saturday and Sunday the Westside location (204 Chattahoochee Row Northwest) will offer brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The regular menu will beContinue Reading

Chef Brody Olive Courtesy Perdido Beach Resort Chef Spotlight: Brody Olive The most recent winner of the Great American Seafood Cookoff, Olive creates fresh seafood masterpieces at Voyagers, the Perdido Beach Resort restaurant in Orange Beach, Alabama. A champion for sustainability, Olive shares tips about oysters, grouper, and a uniqueContinue Reading

Director P. Frank Williams, Jermaine Dupri, showrunner Geraldine Porras, and Uncle Luke at Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told’s SXSW premiere. Photograph courtesy of Hulu Hulu’s new original documentary Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told tells the story of how a 1983 picnic for Atlanta HBCU students in the meadowContinue Reading