Patio Brunch at Buena Vida

Buena Vida is a tapas restaurant between the Beltline and O4W © Anna Lanfreschi

Not many things can compete with eating brunch on a lovely patio on a sunny Sunday. Buena Vida in Old Fourth Ward is the perfect restaurant to do just that.

Buena Vida’s beautiful outdoor patio © Anna Lanfreschi

Buena Vida’s interior is gorgeous © Anna Lanfreschi

The Spanish tapas restaurant is located right off the Beltline, and its expansive outdoor patio overlooks the Historic Old Fourth Ward Park.

There’s lots of the shade and the tables are well-spaced for social distancing. (The interior is also beautifully designed, but I’m waiting for a Covid vaccine before dining indoors). The whole place has calming, beachy vibes that make you want to reach for a refreshing cocktail and nosh on delicious small plates.

And Buena Vida’s brunch menu is chock-full of them. Think patatas bravas, pan con tomate, and croquetas – these tapas dishes are a great way to start your meal. But the menu also features more traditional brunch entrées with a Spanish twist, such as flan French toast, gambas and grits, or steak & huevos. Both sections of the menu have several clearly marked vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free items, should that be up your alley.  

Seasonal brunch salad topped with a poached egg; the Valencia spritz at Buena Vida ©Anna Lanfreschi

If you’d like to start with a cocktail, try the Valencia Spritz – it is delectable and not too sweet. There are also more classic brunch drinks, like bloody Mary and mimosa.

Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays, 11 am – 4 pm. Buena Vida also serves dinner (obviously) 5-10 pm Tuesday through Saturday, and until 9 pm on Sundays. And their dinner menu is certainly worth checking out, but now that the weather is finally starting to cooperate, I’m all about enjoying the great outdoors by drinking on a dreamy patio!

Regardless of when you go, be sure to make a reservation for Buena Vida on Resy. And let me know what you think of this restaurant – send me a DM on Instagram. I hope you enjoy!

Anna Lanfreschi is a digital content creator and strategist based in Atlanta. She posts about food and travel on her blog, AnnaFeasts, and on Instagram @AnnaFeasts. 

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Grana: Your new go-to spot for pizza and meatballs

Grana is an Italian restaurant in Midtown Atlanta known for pizza and meatballs © Anna Lanfreschi

Handmade pizza, from-scratch pasta, meatball flights, and make-your-own cannoli. These are just a few of the authentic Italian dishes you can expect from Grana.

Grana doesn’t just serve any Italian food: The Morningside restaurant specializes in true Neapolitan cuisine. If you’ve ever been to Naples, Italy, or met anyone from Naples, you will have undoubtedly heard that Neapolitan food is the best kind of Italian food. Afterall, Naples is the birthplace of pizza… and every Neapolitan dish, from antipasti to desert, tastes soulful, soothing, and oh-so-satisfying.

 And there’s no better person in Atlanta to bring the robust flavors of southern Italy to our city than Chef Pat Pascarella, who helms Grana’s kitchen (as well as White Bull in Decatur). Pascarella grew up tasting and cooking with the Italian matriarchs of his family, and you’ll see nods to his family recipes throughout Grana’s menu.

 Grana is known for its meatballs, and you’ll see both mom’s and grandma’s polpettes on the menu. Best not to choose through, and simply try one of each with the meatball tasting, which is a flight of all six meatballs on the menu and makes for a hearty start to your meal.

Crispy Brussels sprouts (R) and the meatball flight (L) at Grana © Anna Lanfreschi

Before you move onto the pizzas and the pastas, get your veggies in. There are several options on the antipasti menu section, and the crispy Brussels sprouts with truffle honey and ricotta are divine.

Now, for the delicious carbs… you really can’t go wrong with any of the pizzas or pastas at Grana! The truffle pizza is a memorable option because it comes with three types of cheese, including burrata (mozzarella’s fancier cousin), and is topped with black truffle sauce.

The truffle pizza at Grana © Anna Lanfreschi

Regardless of your main entrée selection, definitely, absolutely, categorically save room for dessert. There’s really only one item on the menu – cannoli – but your options are limitless because you get to fully customize your sweet treat. You can choose the type of ricotta it’s filled with (yes, there is more than one choice!), the various toppings to add to each side, and whether to top it with chocolate. Hands down, these are the best cannoli I’ve had in Atlanta!

Make-your-own cannoli (R); Grana’s rooftop patio (L) © Anna Lanfreschi

Grana is open for happy hour and dinner nightly, and also serves brunch on the weekends. When the weather is nice, do check out their expansive rooftop patio, especially during happy hour. Reservations are not required, but highly recommended.

Anna Lanfreschi is a digital content creator and strategist based in Atlanta. She posts about food and travel on her blog, AnnaFeasts, and on Instagram @AnnaFeasts. 

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How to have a luxurious lunch at Le Bilboquet

The crab and avocado salad from Le Bilboquet in Atlanta © Anna Lanfreschi

Here’s my secret for dining out during a pandemic:

1)     Look for an outside patio table you can reserve in advance.

2)     Go during a less popular time, like on a weeknight or for lunch.

This way, you can still enjoy some of Atlanta’s most popular restaurants without dealing with what feels like a superspreader event.

Case in point: I treated myself to a lovely lunch at Le Bilboquet the other day. It was such a nice little mid-week luxury to dine al fresco at this French restaurant in Buckhead!

I sat on their covered, heated outdoor patio, with tables well-spaced out for social distancing. Since I went for lunch during the week, it wasn’t crowded and I felt safe throughout the dining experience.

The service was impeccable, and the food was exquisite. It wasn’t a cheap or fast lunch, but I wasn’t looking for fast and cheap. I was in the mood for an extended lunch break that felt more extravagant than usual, and it was a great way to break up the monotony of a pandemic weekday. I would highly recommend it if you’re looking to do the same.

Here’s how to recreate this experience:

Reserve an outdoor table

You can select your preferred dining option – outdoor table, bar seating, or main dining room – on a reservation app like OpenTable. If that’s not available, you could always call the restaurant and ask to reserve a table on the patio.

Le Bilboquet is known for its beautiful Parisian-style open-air patio, and during the pandemic, they’ve expanded it and weatherproofed it. There are heaters and firepits for colder days, but do call ahead to make sure the patio is open, especially on days with possible inclement weather.

Do like the French and have wine with lunch

You don’t need my permission to order wine or a cocktail to kick off your lavish lunch – you do you. But I find that indulging in even just one glass of your favorite concoction elevates your lunch experience.

Order the soup du jour

A warm bowl of silky butternut squash soup on a chilly day to start your meal – what could be better!

Butternut squash soup, crab and avocado salad, and duck leg confit from Le Bilboquet © Anna Lanfreschi

Now, for your entrée…

Since you’re at a French restaurant, you can’t go wrong with the duck leg confit. The duck is fall-off-the-bone tender and served over roasted fingerling potatoes, celery root and chestnuts in a thyme jus.

If you’re more of an appetizer-as-entrée person, the crab and avocado salad at Le Bilboquet is a must! Smashed and seasoned avocado is topped with jumbo lump crab meat and julienned vegetables, and each bite is melt-in-your-mouth perfection.

The profiteroles for dessert; Le Bilboquet’s expanded outdoor patio © Anna Lanfreschi

Don’t skip dessert

Le Bilboquet’s dessert menu is a drool worthy list of classic French pastries, and it is truly a challenge to pick just one. But for me, the profiteroles always stand out. You can’t find this dessert at many other restaurants in Atlanta, and it is just so tasty: Chou pastry filled with vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate and almonds. So simple and delicious.

Le Bilboquet is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. It is located in the Shops of Buckhead and validates self-parking in the garage. The restaurant does have a business casual dress code.

Anna Lanfreschi is a digital content creator and strategist based in Atlanta. She posts about food and travel on her blog, AnnaFeasts, and on Instagram @AnnaFeasts. 

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Hublot Launches New Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange Sapphire

Transparent, black, yellow, blue, red – Hublot has mastered the creation and machining of sapphires with exclusive shades for its watchcases. With the new Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange Sapphire, the brand has once again achieved a world first by adding a completely new color to its palette of through-tinted sapphires. This unprecedented technical and aesthetic feat is combined with an entirely new tourbillon movement not only equipped with self-winding (a rarity for a tourbillon), but also with a reinvented architecture with its micro-rotor visible on the dial side and three sapphire bridges. A new fusion of daring and transparency, in a limited edition of 50 pieces.

In line with its winning spirit, Hublot has produced a new exceptional innovation by unveiling the world's very first case in orange sapphire. Our manufacture has also reaffirmed its watchmaking expertise by unveiling a new automatic tourbillon calibre, entirely designed and manufactured in-house, and on which the spectacular visible dial side architecture underscores the innovative design of the watch. The "Art of Fusion" in all its glory according to Ricardo Guadalupe, HUBLOT CEO

Orange sapphire, a world first

If there's one area where Hublot's own "Art of Fusion" is expressed in all its boldness and radiance, it's definitely that of cutting-edge materials, particularly manufactured sapphire. Over the years, the brand (which has its own Metallurgy & Materials laboratory) has already released numerous very illustrious watches where the sapphire cases and dials, available in novel colors, act as transparent settings for sophisticated mechanics – such as the Big Bang Unico Sapphire (transparent), All Black Sapphire, Big Bang Unico Red Sapphire and Blue Sapphire, and the recent Spirit of Big Bang Yellow Sapphire. Today, Hublot continues to innovate with this extraordinary material by reinterpreting the Big Bang Sapphire Tourbillon in an entirely new orange shade – a world first for a through-tinted sapphire – achieved thanks to the incorporation of titanium and chromium in a skilful manufacturing process. This surprising and dynamic colour is a breath of fresh air for haute horlogerie, and is in perfect harmony with Hublot's culture of excellence. The fascination of the translucent bezel and case in finely polished orange sapphire is enhanced by the technical tone of the six H-shape titanium screws that characterize the iconic Big Bang design.

An entirely new self-winding tourbillon calibre

A revolutionary case with an innovative movement. Hublot illustrates its unrivalled watchmaking expertise – and its mastery of the tourbillon, which has been constantly developed since 2007 – by accommodating an entirely new tourbillon movement at the heart of the orange sapphire, completely designed and produced by the brand. Unlike traditional tourbillon movements, equipped with manual winding, this exceptional calibre makes a name for itself thanks to its self-winding system ensuring a minimum power reserve of three days (72 hours) – a very noticeable improvement for the wearer. It is equipped with ceramic ball bearings and the latest Hublot technical advances in its winding system. The manufacture has also reasserted its uniqueness by reconstructing the movement in its entirety in order to make the micro-rotor visible from the dial side. This innovative layout not only represents an additional technical challenge for the designers, but also breathes new life in aesthetic terms, by strengthening the spectacular appearance of the dial and its very contemporary design. The perpetual movements of the micro-rotor set at 12 o'clock echo the rotation of the tourbillon, its regulating organ, positioned in perfect symmetry at 6 o'clock. The grey 22-carat gold micro-rotor is set off by exquisite decoration (bevelling, sunray-brushing and sand-blasting), as well as by signature Hublot openwork in the precious metal.

Hublot has also continued in its quest for transparency by using more sapphire in the movement itself. The manufacture calibre on the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange Sapphire is equipped for the first time with three sapphire bridges – a barrel bridge, an automatic bridge and a tourbillon barrette. The lightweight effect of the skeleton work is accentuated by heavily open-worked and sandblasted platinum. The tourbillon cage at six o'clock, revolving on its axis every minute to compensate for the pull of the earth on the movement's direction, is distinctive for its pure geometry affording a glimpse into the mechanical heart of the model. The legibility of the open dial is enhanced by hands and indices with a luminescent coating. The transparent orange rubber strap with a lined relief – with a patented express One Click interchangeability system and titanium deployant buckle – completes the cutting-edge look of this limited edition release of 50 pieces.

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Professor Jimmy Choo Announces The Launch Of A New Fashion Academy To Find The Next Generation of Fashion Designers

Luxury footwear pioneer Professor Jimmy Choo OBE, today announces the launch of a dynamic new higher education fashion academy in the heart of London, which is on track to become the UK's newest university exclusively dedicated to fashion.

Opening its doors this September, the JCA | London Fashion Academy, has been established through a shared ambition of Professor Choo and the founding team.

Situated in London's Mayfair, the Academy is set to develop the next wave of global fashion designers. Delivering a fresh and transformative take on fashion higher education, the Academy's courses combine the latest teachings in contemporary design with the entrepreneurial skills required to set-up and drive successful fashion brands of the future.

Revolutionising higher education, the JCA introduces a ground-breaking incubation model where students will be nurtured as emerging professional designers through a mentored approach and will be provided with a level of access to internationally recognised design leaders unrivalled by traditional colleges and universities.

"The Academy has been years in planning, so we are delighted to be opening its doors this September," said Professor Jimmy Choo. "London is a global fashion hub and has created many of the world's most exciting and ground-breaking designers. Rarely though do these designers leave higher education armed with the combined knowledge, skills and resources needed to create, launch and build brands successfully on the global stage. The Academy will help bridge those gaps and truly nurture internationally-focused and highly entrepreneurial design talent."

The JCA | London Fashion Academy has curated a syllabus inspired by Professor Jimmy Choo's experiences in building his own luxury super-brand as well as the multi-faceted skill sets which fashion designers increasingly need in today's ultra-competitive multi-channel global landscape.

"It is brilliant to see new exciting and innovative institutions expanding the boundaries of higher education as a result of Government reforms," states Universities Minister Michelle Donelan. "It is vital that students gain the practical skills and hands-on experience that employers and industries need and the JCA's revolutionary approach can help students hit the ground running into a successful career."

Students discover more information about the JCA and apply for courses from today via the website, www.JCA.ac.uk. The Academy will also offer bursaries to a select number of students.

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Where to brunch this weekend: Joy Café

The breakfast burrito and spicy chicken biscuit at Joy Café © Anna Lanfreschi

Head to Joy Café in midtown Atlanta if you want to try the best breakfast burrito in the city. Yes, I said it: Joy Café has the best breakfast burrito in Atlanta!

This burrito is a generous serving of cheddar scrambled eggs with house-made chorizo, sour cream, pico de gallo, avocado, and a delicious tomatillo cream sauce, all wrapped in a tortilla and served with home fries. It sounds pretty straight forward, but it is precisely its simplicity that makes Joy Café’s the best breakfast burrito this food writer has ever had.

Something about it is incredibly satisfying. All the ingredients come together perfectly, without overwhelming your taste buds. The breakfast burrito is my go-to item on Joy Café’s brunch menu, but it certainly isn’t the only one worth mentioning.

The spicy chicken biscuit is a crowd favorite, and the avocado toast may be the prettiest one served in Atlanta. It is topped with chopped tomatoes, feta cheese, watermelon radish, and a poached egg – as well as microgreens and edible flowers – and served with beetroot hummus. It is delicious, colorful, and beautifully plated. Just look at this Instagram photo!

Of course, it wouldn’t be brunch without coffee and mimosas, and Joy Café has many options for both. There’s also a lovely patio for you to dine on, in case you’re not ready to eat indoors just yet.

Joy Café’s outdoor dining patio © Anna Lanfreschi

Joy Café is known for their brunch, so expect to wait for a table during peak times. If you prefer not to wait, head in earlier in the morning (brunch service starts at 8:30 am on Saturdays and Sundays). Or you could also pop in for lunch, which is served Tuesday through Friday, 11 am – 2:30 pm. And the restaurant’s dinner service will resume January 12, 5:30 pm – 11 pm Tuesday through Saturday.

The Greek salad from Joy Café’s lunch menu © Anna Lanfreschi

Let me know on Instagram what you think of Joy Café after you check them out – send me a DM with your thoughts!

I hope you enjoy your experience,

Anna.

Anna Lanfreschi is a digital content creator and strategist based in Atlanta. She posts about food and travel on her blog, AnnaFeasts, and on Instagram @AnnaFeasts. 

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The Wasteland: The Secret Life of T.S. Eliot

The Wasteland is a controversial new novel by Author Harper Jameson that puts T.S. Eliot's sexuality in the spotlight.

In The Wasteland, Author Harper Jameson brings readers into the extraordinary mind of T.S. Eliot as he rises from an obscure bank clerk to the world's most famous poet. The book explores his profound struggle to accept his sexuality. It weaves a narrative inspired by Eliot's poems, his letters, and his iconic characters, and is as much a meditation on art, intolerance, and demagoguery as it is a story about the poet's life.

T.S. Eliot's sexuality has never been settled, historically. In fact, Eliot publicly denied being gay, then burned nearly all letters that might have contradicted this. But on January 2, 2020, over 1100 letters written by Eliot were published by Princeton University. Emily Hale, the recipient of these letters, donated them with the instruction to publish them 50 years after she and Eliot died. They give insight into Eliot's true character, a side of him shut off from the public.

In The Wasteland, Eliot begins as a hollow man trapped in the dreary world of a London bank in the 1920s. One day Eliot intervenes to save a man being badly beaten. He discovers Jack, an out and proud gay man. Jack introduces Eliot to the gay underground and unleashes a torrent of creativity that begins to transform his life.

Meanwhile, lovable but naïve Vivienne is also falling in love with Eliot. Eliot finds that as his fame increases, pressure for conformity increases as well. Religious intolerance, increasing Fascist inspired anti-gay violence, and an ever brighter public spotlight push him to sacrifice.

The Wasteland is the untold story of T.S. Eliot.

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