Metapost: Attention Ladies of Decatur (Georgia)!

Well, it's that time again, a post-holiday race to the bar to hang out, drink some fruity stuff, and have some girl time! Our next Ladies of Decatur tweetup will be this Friday, December 2, at Harbour Bar and Fish House, which is in the former Tesoro spot on Church Street. We usually start convening at around 6:00 and break up between 8:00 and 9:00. Please let me know via Twitter (@RandomOenophile) or in the comments if you plan to come!

A few of us had a discussion over the weekend about whether we should continue rotating location or pick one or two places to alternate between. Here are my thoughts on the two options. Please feel free to add your own in the comments.

The advantages of continuing as we've been, which is to go to different places, is that we get to try new places, and it makes the gathering more accessible to people in different parts of Decatur. We also won't burn out on one bar or food menu. The disadvantages are that it's harder for me to plan because I have to pick a place, and it's harder for y'all to plan for since I usually don't release the location until the week of the event.

The main advantage of picking one or two places to make our official Ladies of Decatur tweetup location is that we could develop a relationship with the owners or GM, and this may eventually grow into us getting perks or discounts. No, I won't go and ask for these directly. My philosophy from the blog is that such things are always appreciated but never expected. The disadvantage is that we risk losing people because they would get bored of going to the same place all the time or get burned out on the same menu.

I'm sure I'm missing stuff, so feel free to chime in!

Hopefully my back yard won't look like this tomorrow:

An Oenophilic Foray into Urban Art

There is a statue of Thomas Jefferson in front of the Old Dekalb County Courthouse in Decatur. It depicts him sitting, quill pen in hand, looking into space, doubtlessly pondering his next passage as he writes the Declaration of Independence.

For years, I've always felt that something was missing from the statue. After all, Thomas Jefferson was America's original wine connoisseur. Here he is, writing the document that set out the rationale and reasons for the founding of the United States. And here is his left hand, left thumb and index finger parted just perfectly for...



(My apologies to Mr. Jefferson. They wouldn't let me out of the wine festival with a full glass.)

A Rant on the Taste of Decatur

Saturday marked the Taste of Decatur, an opportunity for the metro area to come to this little slice of heaven and sample the yumminess that we "locals" get to taste on a regular basis. When the event was being publicized during the week, nearly every restaurant in town was listed on the "Venues" page. For the cost of admission, you could go to those restaurants and get…

Something.

Maybe it should've been my first clue that something was up with the festival when I scoured the Taste of Decatur website and couldn't find any specifics on just what I was getting for my money. None of the usual Decatur publicity suspects had heard of the event, and there were no posted or other advertising to indicate that the festival was even happening. I wasn't alone in my skepticism, but LivingSocial.com's half-off special on admission on Thursday was too much to ignore. And so I bought tickets for Cecilia and myself.

By Friday evening, things were starting to get strange. The restaurant list on the website was inexplicably cut to nearly half its original size. The remaining restaurants were offering specials like 20% off a meal or a BOGO deal on entrees or appetizers. Tasty to be sure, but not exactly "Festival" material. Still, my money was spent, so Cecilia and I ventured on.

By Saturday afternoon, it became clear that the whole event had come unraveled. While some of the restaurants were participating as advertised, others were not. One place insisted that the event was canceled. Another said they hadn’t heard anything from the organizers until the day before, and that was too late for them to offer any kind of special. (Curiously, both restaurants remained on the list throughout the day only to be removed sometime in the late afternoon.)

Finally, around 4:00 PM, the organizers broke their silence with this tweet:

Sorry 2 all those who bought tix from Livingsocial.com. We r'nt given ur email addys to contact u about change to event...NOT CANCELED

Huh?

Look, I might be able buy the fact that you didn't have my e-mail. But you had Facebook, Twitter, and a bunch of blogs that would’ve been happy to get out the news of the "change to event." Instead, you said nothing while allegations of a scam were thrown about. The restaurants were twisting in the wind, and the patrons were getting annoyed. Those of us who live here know better, but people from outside Decatur are liable to see this as a bad reflection on the restaurants here. It's tough enough in the restaurant business these days without this kind of bad publicity.

And the damage is not limited to this. Googling "Taste of Decatur" leads to a number of results for the Garden of Eatin', a completely unrelated event that serves as a major fundraiser for the Decatur Cooperative Ministry. If people confuse the outright failure of today with that event, there will be more than just lost revenue for restaurants at stake.

A fellow blogger stated that the organizers were faulting LivingSocial for the problems today. In my opinion, this doesn't fly. I find it hard to believe that LivingSocial took over the website, Facebook, and Twitter accounts for Taste of Decatur and prevented any updates as was being suggested. Even if they did, there was nothing to stop a second account from being created to disseminate information or a post to one of the more widely ready Decatur blogs.

As for me, I made the best of the day that I could. I got to spend some much needed time with my lovely wife. We made our first foray to Sammiches and Stuff for lunch. I was able to enjoy some of the alcoholic concoctions at Leon’s (that fruity drink was metro, dammit, not girly). Hey, I even managed to get a bar seat at the Brick Store and enjoy a nice Malheur 10 before the usual Saturday hordes invaded the place.

To the venues that opted to press on with the specials in spite of the uncertainty, my appreciation. I’m going to refrain from naming names here because I wasn't able to visit all of the establishments. I'm afraid that mentioning places that didn't participate in the end will be construed as criticism of those restaurants, and this is not my intent.

To the organizers of the Taste of Decatur, I offer you a venue to rebut anything I've said here or offer any information. We aren’t the biggest fish in the pond here at Random Oenophile Enterprises, but we’re more than happy to offer an open mind to anything you say.

Rant over.

Dave Kell at the inDecatur blog had a similar experience. For his thoughts, click here For the Decatur News Online article by Cecilia, go here.

Favorites from 2009 & Oeno-lutions

I originally wrote this on Christmas Day so I could get it to Geoff Koski for the Decatur News Online launch. I meant to post it yesterday, but never got to the computer. Yeah, I blame trying to catch up on the Doctor Who specials before David Tennant's final episode is aired tonight. So, here it is, a little late. I'll start over with resolution #3 today.

“Oh, I just love Decatur!

How many times have we heard this when we tell other Atlantans what part of town we live in? I just love Decatur, too, although parking can be tough. Still, it’s worth it, because whether you’re eating on the square or venturing off of it, there’s something for just about any taste and budget. Here are a few of my Decatur favorites from 2009:

Favorite “let’s just grab dinner out” place: If you hadn’t guessed this already, I’m a big fan of Feast Restaurant, by the railroad tracks near the intersection of Howard and Candler. Teri Rogers has set up this cozy spot with good food, a great wine list, and fantastic desserts. I would describe it as “bistro fare.” We went there for our five-year wedding anniversary in October, and they treated us wonderfully. They do great wine and beer dinners as well.

Favorite wine list: Yes, this would be Café Lily. We’ve never had a bad meal there, and they’ve got a great selection of zinfandels.

Favorite place to take parents (or have them take us): My in-laws are absolutely addicted to the mussels at Watershed. We never say no if they want to go there for dinner when they visit. You can even find famous violinist Kirsten Browning and me lunching there from time to time.

Favorite place to stop for a pint after Mass: How convenient for The Grange Public House to be located just down the hill from our church! Great selection of beer including some Belgians. Yes, there are places to find good beer in Decatur that aren’t the Brick Store (which I like a lot as well)!

Coffeecoffeecoffeewine! Yes, we love JavaMonkey. It’s a coffee shop with pretty good sandwiches and great desserts from Southern Sweets, which is another favorite lunch/dessert place. I did try a couple of other places for dessert this year, but none of them can hold a cake server to Southern Sweets.

Favorite newcomer: I’m baffled by the Atlanta food critics’ response to The Iberian Pig. Every “real person” (i.e., not professional food critic) I’ve talked to about it has loved it. I need to go back and try the entrees before I can write my review, but Hubby and I were impressed with the wine and tapas on our first visit.

(added since DNO launch) Favorite "let's do lunch!" place: I can't tell you how many times we'd driven by Duck's Cosmic Kitchen before we decided to stop in one morning for breakfast. I had a chocolate chip scone, and -- please pardon the cliche -- it was love at first bite. Since then, we've gotten bread, and it's become my standard lunch place. The pizzas and sandwiches are all really good, and the baked goods have never disappointed.

So now that I’ve hit the highlights of 2009, it’s time to turn my thoughts to what I look forward to in 2010. One of the reasons I started my blog was because I wanted to have a place for non-professional wine and food lovers to go to for thoughts and descriptions that aren’t incomprehensible if you don’t speak that wine expert dialect. That also means I have a lot to learn, and I recognize my shortcomings. So, here’s what I hope to accomplish in 2010, both for me as the Random Oenophile and for the blog:

1. Drink and write about more European wine. I fell short on this one last year and plan to do better. I need to not be so easily seduced by labels with those magic words Lodi, Willammette, or Walla Walla (although I do get excited by Bordeaux blends and wines from the Cotes du Ventoux region – that counts for something, right?). Have been more intrigued by French pinot noirs lately, so this is a good time for this resolution.

2. Following from number one, drink and write more about wine from interesting places. Like Texas. Yes, my annual professional conference takes me to San Antonio this year, and we’ll likely be going up to Austin as well in search of wineries. If you ask anyone from Texas, their state is way more interesting than any other state, so it counts toward this resolution. That will be another check on the “states I’ve visited wineries in” list.

3. Post a little more regularly on my blog. Going to aim for 1-2 wine/food posts per week plus one Friday Flash fiction post. Regularly updating my web site goes under this number, too. I’m also excited by a new opportunity, to contribute to Decatur News Online. I hope for that to be a mix of regular blog posts and other articles.

4. Have at least 10 pieces of writing, whether they’re novel queries, short stories, or other things out for submission at all times.

5. Take the train to work more.

What? You thought it was going to be lose 10 pounds? Not quite – I’ve got more wine to drink and more desserts to eat! Hopefully my regular visits to the Decatur/Dekalb YMCA and the half mile walk between home and the MARTA station and the other half mile walk between the station and work (for a total of 2 miles round-trip if you’re counting) will help to offset that.

Finally, I look forward to bringing you more wine notes from the Random Oenophile’s West Coast correspondent James Bassett as well as further notes and thoughts from Dan Browning, who helps me out when I can’t be in two places at once. Hubby has also expressed interest in more collaboration, which is exciting because he’s a very humorous writer.

Thank you, dear readers, for helping to make my blog a success in 2009! Here’s wishing you happy eating, drinking, reading, and writing in 2010!

Friday Flash Fiction: 12 Days of Decatur (GA)

I am excited to have collaborated with Hubby on this one. The concept for the piece as well as many of the specifics were his ideas. We live in Decatur, Georgia, which is a suburb of Atlanta but has its own unique identity. If you'd like to read more great flash fiction, search the #fridayflash hashtag on Twitter.

The Decatur 12 Days of Christmas
by Hubby and Cecilia

Finding the perfect gift is never easy. For overachieving Decaturites who want to go all the way with the Twelve Days of Christmas (from the holiday itself through Epiphany on January 6), it can be a particular challenge. Consequently, we offer our suggestions for residents of this special place “where Berkeley and Mayberry coexist.”

Day 1: Partridge in a Pear Tree.
Partridges are not native Georgia, neither are any of their pheasant cousins. There are places that import pheasants strictly for hunting purposes, but this behavior would probably be frowned on. Frozen pheasant is available at the Dekalb Farmers’ Market, but consider the carbon footprint as well as the effort to defrost and cook the pheasant. A free-range, organic alternative would be preferable.

We know pear trees will grow in the area. These should be organic and planted as soon as the conditions are right according to Walter Reeves. This will allow the gift to be sustainable and will help to foster a sense of community as people help themselves to the fruit when it’s ripe. Under no circumstances should they be Bartlett Pears. Your true love won't be your true love come May when they bloom out and smell like dead fish.

A brief note regarding Days Two through Four, Six, and Seven: Check with your local ordinances about keeping wild animals in residential areas. Also, to ensure that the turtledoves, French hens, calling birds, geese-a-laying, and swans-a-swimming are adequately cared for and properly fed, please be sure to visit the Decatur library for materials and photocopy only what you will need. You can also consult books on pond construction for the swans and aviary building for the rest of them. Again, check your local ordinances and with the register of Historic Places to ensure that you are not inadvertently lowering your or your neighbors’ property values with these “enhancements.”

Day 2: Two Turtle Doves
Turtle doves are also not native, although mourning doves are. Pigeons, though related and easy to find, are a really bad idea.

Day 3: Three French Hens
We know hens are allowed, even encouraged. You should probably substitute native hens (carbon footprint). Under no circumstances should they be called "freedom" hens.

Day 4: Four calling birds
Consider noise ordinances, but use real birds. Installing a loud fake bird noise system atop your house is tacky (and they sound like monkeys anyway).

Day Five: Be sure to purchase those Five Golden Rings locally and double-check to make sure that the gold was not acquired from a mine that promotes exploitation of the natives or miners.

Day 6: Six Geese-a-Laying
Do not steal geese from Avondale Lake. Livestock theft is a felony in Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 16-8-20).

Day 7: Seven Swans-a-Swimming
Go with the pond construction here. Be careful – swans are mean, especially when breeding. Nothing ruins true love like being chased by a large bird with a sharp beak.

Day 8: Eight Maids-a-Milking
It’s not legal to have cattle in Dekalb county, so milk cows, although consistent with the latest trends in D.I.Y. dairy production, are probably not allowed in Decatur. Instead, consider sharing in a CSA that provides organic milk.

Day 9: Nine Ladies Dancing
Okay, you could probably throw in the token Decatur lesbian reference here, and now you should be ashamed for going there. Support the Atlanta Ballet or any of our local dancing groups instead.

Day 10: Ten Lords-a-Leaping
Similar to 9 if your first thought was that it would be easier to find such lords in Midtown. Baton Bob does not count and would probably not enhance that “true love” experience you’re going for.

Days 11 and 12: Eleven Pipers Piping and Twelve Drummers Drumming
Again, consider noise ordinances. Pipe and drum bands are loud. You could promise to take your true love to the Stone Mountain Highland Games in October instead.

We hope that these help you with your creative gift-giving during these twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany and will keep you involved with our wonderful community throughout the coming year!

Merry Christmas to residents of Decatur and beyond! Hubby and I hope that this season bring you joy, love, and good wine and food to share!