Atlanta Blooms! 2018 - 80,000 Tulips and others!

I believe one of the missions of the annual Atlanta Blooms! exhibition at the Atlanta Botanical Garden was to encourage Atlantans to plant more bulbs at their homes and businesses to make Atlanta even more beautiful in spring. They've indeed succeeded in that mission! And the Garden continues to make their own exhibition grow over the years and it's ever more spectacular year after year.

Atlanta Blooms! 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

While Atlanta Blooms! is designed to peak over several weeks, Mother Nature has her own timeline, so I highly recommend going very, very soon. I've been a few times already and have seen totally different blossoms on those visits. 

Atlanta Blooms! 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

My favorite flower in the whole world is the tulip (see the story about my grandmother in previous Atlanta Blooms! posts), so I've taken the liberty to share mostly tulip photos in this particular post. I do hope you enjoy them.

Atlanta Blooms! 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

The Garden is exploding with more than 80,000 tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses and other new bulbs added to enhance their ever-growing collection!

Atlanta Blooms! 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Just a reminder that there are multiple dining options while you're visiting the Atlanta Botanical Garden. There's the recently renamed restaurant Longleaf (I recommend reservations, especially for weekend brunch!); the Quick Cafe at the back of Longleaf (sandwiches, salads, etc.); and the Snack Bar, with al fresco seating, in the Perennial Garden near the Great Lawn.

Atlanta Blooms! 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

In the Levy Parterre, the Garden has blown it out by adding 5,000 more tulips than in years past. Radiant in oranges and yellows, ‘Sancerre’, ‘Orange Queen’, ‘Orange Emperor’, ‘Maureen’, ‘Big Smile’ and a host of Narcissus are sparkling beautifully!

Atlanta Blooms! 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Have a little fun and discover "Which Bulb are You?" Then share with us in the Comments which one you decide is most like you! I'm sticking with the tulip, although others do have admirable qualities.

Atlanta Blooms! 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Atlanta Blooms! is "scheduled" (remember, Mother Nature has her own plans) March through April, but if you visit before or on April 8, you'll also get to see the annual Orchid Daze exhibition, which is absolutely stunning!

Atlanta Blooms! 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is one of the few memberships that I've maintained over the years (others I do on alternating years) in large part because of the extensive programming they offer. There's something to see and do throughout the year at the Garden. If you live in or visit Metro Atlanta regularly, I highly recommend considering a membership to our "Oasis in the City"!

Atlanta Blooms! 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

For the first time, the new Skyline Garden is a rainbow of spring color thanks to more than 22,000 tulips along the dramatic Flower Walk—be sure to look up and check out that amazing skyline view! Old favorites like the yellow and red ‘Hocus Pocus’ are sharing the limelight with newcomers like the crimson ’Ronaldo’. 

Atlanta Blooms! 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

When I lived in Washington, D.C., the National Cherry Blossom Festival was "the" sign that spring had arrived. Here in Atlanta we have the Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival and farther south we have Macon, Georgia's International Cherry Blossom Festival, but since I moved back to Atlanta, I've always been excited when the Cherry Blossoms in front of Mershon Hall at the Atlanta Botanical Garden spring forth...for me, that's "the" sign that spring has sprung in Atlanta!

Make your way to the Atlanta Botanical Garden to see this year's spectacular Atlanta Blooms! exhibition at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and hurry...things happen quickly in Atlanta, including our colorfest of spring bulbs!

Hardman Farm State Historic Site

The 173-acre Hardman Farm State Historic Site, restored and donated to the State of Georgia in 1999, had only three owners and nearly 100% of the furnishings in the main house, a mansion, are the originals from the 1870s!

Hardman Farm State Historic Site | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

The copula saved this Indian Mound. There were many others in the area, but the other burial grounds were destroyed—not even moved—for farms and development ages ago, making this a rare sight in the area. It's believed that this site was used long before the Cherokee Indians inhabited the area. 

We were told that the Nacoochee Indian Burial Mound is "the second most photographed site in Georgia". Now I wish I'd asked what the most-photographed site is! But that aside, you can see why it captures the fascination of so many visitors.

Hardman Farm State Historic Site | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I visited late last year with my friend Wayne who is an expert on National Parks, Georgia State Parks, and National Historic Sites. In fact, of the 418 National Park sites, he has visited 354. In Georgia, there are 63 parks and historic sites and he's been to all but one! I was in good hands for this exceptional experience.

I've not posted this until now because this particular Site is closed January-February.

Watch your noggin' when you're walking toward the mansion along the oak-lined Unicoi Turnpike—a Native American trading route through multiple states that predates written history! It offers a beautiful vista, but there were walnuts—still in their casing—falling all around us. We picked up our pace!

Hardman Farm State Historic Site | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

In the Visitor Center in a display case, you'll find a number of artifacts that belonged to the original homeowner Captain James Hall Nichols—including his WWI epaulets. He built the house in the Italianate architecture style in what was originally known as "West End" because it was at the west end of the Nacoochee Valley.

Hardman Farm State Historic Site | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

When you go on your guided tour, take a good look at the glass around the front door before you go in. On the other side of the threshold, you're going to see something magical! What appeared to be black glass is brilliant red from the inside. Red is my favorite color, but even if it's not yours I think you'll be fascinated!

Hardman Farm State Historic Site | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

This 1870 home had only three owners, and the last two owners used it only as a summer home, so they saw no reason to change the furnishings. This means that today's visitors have a rare and totally awesome pleasure of touring a fully furnished 1870 home with its original furnishings! 

Hardman Farm State Historic Site | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Those original furnishings include these beautiful bedspreads, as well as the curtains throughout. 

Hardman Farm State Historic Site | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

One of the most opulent objects in the home is a daughter's sink in her bedroom. It's worn over the years, but it's also obvious just how grand and how special it was when it was new.

Hardman Farm State Historic Site | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

The Dining Room was my favorite spot on the tour, because of two fascinating stories emanating from there.

The first is the telephone. In a time when so few had a telephone, and most who did had it in the main hallway, this one was in the Dining Room and used to call the power station to ask that the power not be turned off at the regularly scheduled time, typically because the host's dinner party was running later than the power company kept electricity flowing to the town. Talk about power!

The other story is about the Death Door. It'd been a long, long time since I'd heard about this superstition, but now I've seen it first hand! 

A separately built/installed death door exists for the sole purpose of allowing for the dead to move through the said door without the living needing to use it. This was popular in the time when the wealthy would host wakes and funerals in their homes.

Hardman Farm State Historic Site | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

You won't see wallpaper or brightly colored walls in the house, but there's one room in the that showcases various finishes throughout the home and popular to the period. 

Hardman Farm State Historic Site | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Hardman Farm has an impressive 19 outbuildings, each being built and serving a different purpose throughout time.

The Site offers a "Historic Estate" Guided Tour on the hour or you can enjoy a self-guided tour, but that does not include mansion entry—the highlight of this destination. I hope you'll enjoy Hardman Farm Historic Site in its entirety. It's a truly special place. 

And it's only a few miles from Bavarian-style Helen, Georgia, so there's lots to do on this day trip, weekend getaway or North Georgia vacation!

Orchid Daze 2018 - A Lush Wintertime Escape!

Your escape from winter doldrums is at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in the form of their spectacular annual Orchid Daze exhibition, on display now through April 8.

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

The Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Orchid Center is home to one of the largest orchid collections in the U.S., featuring more than 2,000 species of the 25,000 species of orchids around the world. This annual exhibition features additional thousands of orchid blooms during the coldest time of the year...the perfect excuse to visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden in winter! 

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Presented in the Fuqua Conservatory and Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Orchid Center, this annual exhibition complements the country’s largest permanent collection of species orchids—more than 2,000 species—with thousands more bold, bright flowers and tropical foliage.

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Jewel-toned Vandas will be the highlight of the Orchid Display House. Striking geometric forms, designed by Ryan Mathern, will provide a hanging framework for blue, pink, yellow and orange Vandas—among the most spectacular of the large-flowered orchids.

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Orchid Daze finds the most avid orchid enthusiasts examining even the more commonly known orchids in great detail. The Atlanta Botanical Garden itself has a decades long program that involves orchid research and conservation.

If you entered the Orchid Center through the Conservatory, just beyond the display rooms you'll find an observation window looking into an orchid research lab. There's even an Orchid Library, one of two of the Garden's libraries.

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

The primary display in the Orchid House, home to orchids 6,000 feet elevation and below, is enhanced with geometric forms and towering almost to the ceiling. 

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Orchid Daze is always supplemented with other tropical plants. One of this year's is a real treat. It's a dozens of Nepentheses Pitcher Plants! If you noticed the green Chihuly chandelier when you entered the Garden through the Visitor Center, you've seen a Nepenthese Pitcher Plant! 

That sculpture is from the Chihuly exhibition of 2004. It's one of the two sculptures the Garden kept after the exhibition, this particular one being a gift from a Garden member, gifted in memory of a friend. At the top of the chandelier are three maroon lipped pieces that were designed after Nepenthese Pitcher Plants...actually, from live plants from this Garden! 

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

As part of the Orchid Daze extravaganza the Atlanta Botanical Garden is offering FREE Orchid Care Clinics! You can bring in two orchids to receive care and you can get new planting material for a nominal fee.

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

There are a couple more Orchid Market Weekends where you can pick up an orchid or a few, as well as supplies, orchid advice, orchid art, and jewelry! 

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I like to take this time to remind my readers, especially those who are serious orchid enthusiasts, to read The Orchid Column by Becky Brinkman. It's free and Becky does her own photography—she's brilliant!

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

"Towering" is the word to describe this year's Orchid Daze exhibition at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Crane your necks upward and prepare to be wholly delighted. Make your way to the Garden by Sunday, April 8 to see the magnificent thousands of extra blossoms!

5Church's New Menu...and More!

When I tell my friends that I'm going to dinner, their automatic response is, "Are you going to 5Church?" It's a legitimate question, because oftentimes I am indeed heading to 5Church Atlanta!

Chef Scotley Innis has been with 5Church Atlanta for only a little more than eight months and, proven by his omnipresence at a bazillion Atlanta culinary events, he's totally a celebrity chef! He's one of the most personable executive chefs you'll meet; he was brilliant on 5Church Atlanta's television debut on Late Nite Eats on the Cooking Channel; and he's developed a new menu that leaves even the most seasoned foodie totally starstruck!

Holy Water | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

5Church Atlanta's specialty cocktails take 'craft cocktails' to a whole new level, in my humble opinion. For instance, the Holy Water cocktail is composed of Four Roses bourbon, sweet tea, lemon juice, blue agave, mint and blackberries! 

THIS cocktail is as beautiful as it is delicious! That blackberries happen to be my favorite food has nothing to do with my thoughts on this one. Well, maybe not nothing.

Fried Green Tomatoes | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Chef Scotley is proud of his Fried Green Tomatoes, and rightly so! I would be too, if I had come up with the idea to slather the tomatoes with house-made pimento cheese before breading and frying them. They're accompanied with some salsa verde and a generous drizzle of smoked paprika oil.

I wish they'd jar that smoked paprika oil...I'd put it on everything! I've enjoyed these a number of times and always suggest them when friends ask for a restaurant recommendations.

New Orleans BBQ Shrimp | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

When you order the New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, as soon as it comes to the table go ahead and ask for more bread. That way you don't embarrass yourself licking the bowl in a public place. Seriously, it's that good! Once you've soaked up all this New Orleans flavor, you'll be ready to, "Laissez les bon temps roulez!"

This eat-with-your-hands dish is treated with rosemary and thyme butter. They have a little heat, as you would expect from a New Orleans-style dish of this nature, but it's more spicy flavor-wise than heat-wise.

Duck Confit Flatbread | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

At a dinner with my friend John, I had the awesome opportunity to try one of Chef Scotley's new menu items before it was available to the public. We had the Duck Confit Flatbread. Let me tell you, the foodie gods were with me that evening. 

This 'First Course' dish is easy to share, but there will be a battle between your mother's voice in your head telling you to share and the other voice in your head saying, "This is too damn good to share! Let them order their own!" 

I've been back to the restaurant for this dish time and again, so that makes sharing easier, knowing that I can always come back for more. Mother would be proud, right?

Short Rib Pappardelle | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

If you get to 5Church Atlanta and you're in a pasta mood, fortune will shine upon you in the form of Chef Scotley's new Short Rib Pappardelle. 

You will be feasting on brussells sprouts, carrots, cipollini, smoked parmesan, and beef jus. This dish is definitely comfort food elevated!

Ayman Kamel, owner of 5Church Atlanta and an immediate friend after my first visit, treated a group of bloggers—mostly food bloggers, but I was invited as a super-fan—to a tasting of Chef Scotley's new menu a few months ago. Some of the dishes I'd already had the great privilege of dining on, but this feast was magnificent! My friend Sue, of Field Trips with Sue/365 Atlanta Family joined me and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.   

Lamb Porterhouse | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Lamb Porterhouse. Need I say more? 

Okay, a little more...

This is a personal favorite on Chef Scotley's new menu...it immediately takes you to your happy place. I love lamb—ate a lot of it when I lived in Greece, and a lot more since—but to call this amazing comfort food would be insulting. This is fine dining...elevated! 

The super-thick-cut lamb comes with root vegetables, carrot puree, confit, cherry tomato, and rainbow swiss chard...it's an amalgamation of all that's delicious! Don't let this photo fool you...that plate is massive, the Lamb Porterhouse is a satisfying generous cut.

Rabbit Pot Pie | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

When Nikki and I recently went to dinner with Patti and Eric, he had the Rabbit Pot Pie. Eric has a talent for ordering the best dishes. He's often the envy of his fellow dining companions. This dish was no exception. Although quite happy with the dishes we'd each ordered, when Eric offered a bite of his Rabbit Pot Pie, not a single one of us said no and not a single one of us were without "This is so delicious!" smiles.

Verde | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Nikki and I discovered the specialty cocktail Verde on one of our earliest visits to 5Church Atlanta, and have revisited this amazing libation a few times. She loved it not only because it's made with gin, but also because it's a cocktail that departs from the overly sweet specialty cocktail that's probably been a little overdone over recent decades.

The Verde is composed of Hendrick's gin, cilantro, lime, fresno, and chillies!

5Church Atlanta's beverage menu is extensive. Dining with a group of folks who all have different favorite drinks? 5Church has you covered!

Halibut | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

As much as I love fish, it's not something I usually prepare at home, so I'm grateful for chefs who are brilliant with these treasures from the seas (and rivers, too). 5Church's Halibut dish is treated with an Asian flare, built with gingered bok choy and shiitake mushrooms in a sesame shoyu broth.

Grilled Salmon | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Salmon is a personal favorite, but when I heard "citrus beurre blanc", I was in love! 

Chef Scotley's Grilled Salmon comes with potato gnocchi, grilled asparagus, and a lovely citrus beurre blanc. I say "lovely" because many others, as I did, will fall in love with this dish. 

Whole Fish | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

You know my friend Patti, one of the founders of Atlanta Movie Tours, right? Nikki and I went to dinner with Patti and her husband Eric one evening not too long ago—they'd never been to 5Church for dinner—and every dish we tried was perfection!

I'd been wanting to try the Whole Fish at 5Church for some time and finally placed the order. I'd only had a whole fish at a restaurant once before, in 2004 when in Moscow on a business trip. This fish was magnificent...I really have to ask Chef Scotley for the recipe. It was buttery, silky, and full of flavor yet delicate. I'd definitely order this again!

Eugene, our server, is a fountain of knowledge and he's very attentive and polite, which is so appreciated.

5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I have an insatiable sweet tooth! On the occasion that I have room for dessert when dining at 5Church, I've never, ever been disappointed! 

The 'Chocolate Candy Bar' dessert is a chocolate lover's dream come true! It'made with chocolate, chocolate mousse, chocolate, Dutch chocolate brownie, chocolate, peanuts and almonds, chocolate, whipped cream, and chocolate!  

A single bite will satisfy any chocolate craving, but I just don't have the will power to stop at one bite of this deliciousness. 

5Church Bloody Mary | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

My dear friend Jay was visiting from California recently—we were best friends when we both lived in Washington, DC, and will be always. With precious little time to share, dining had to be special, while also contending with one of Atlanta's recent snow storms. 

Without a second thought, it had to be brunch at 5Church Atlanta. Jay loved the whole experience! Yay! I knew he would, but you totally want your best friends to love your favorite restaurant as much as you do. 

We started with a Bloody Mary, seasoned perfectly, and then... 

Salmon Croquette Biscuit | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I had the Salmon Croquette Biscuit (pictured above). Served on an open-faced buttermilk biscuit—one of the best I've ever had (So sorry, mother!). This dish is built with perfectly poached eggs, peppers, onions, and seafood imperial sauce. Jay had the Crab Cakes & Poached Eggs and loved them! A crab aficionado, his total enjoyment was high praise.

My friend Jeffrey is a huge fan of 5Church Atlanta's brunch. I believe 95% of his 5Church experiences have been brunch. If you're ever with a group of friends undecided on a brunch destination, insist on 5Church Atlanta...you'll be the superstar! 

Nikki and I went to 5Church Atlanta for the first time last May and it has since become one of my favorite Atlanta restaurants. If you're looking for a dining destination for a special occasion, a regular happy hour meeting place, or simply a delicious meal, 5Church is the dining destination!

The Ballad of Klook and Vinette

The American debut of The Ballad of Klook and Vinette has been magnificent! You can still see it at Horizon Theatre through Sunday, February 18, 2018, and believe me, this is one that you do not want to miss! 

Klook and Vinette | Horizon Theatre | Photo by Russell Scott

I've been a Brittany Inge fan for years and will make every effort possible to see anything she's in. She's not only an incredibly talented actress—with a spectacular voice—she's a kind, grateful, and fun human being. As Vinette, she's strong, vulnerable, passionate, hilarious and her beautiful voice is perfect for this role.

British playwright Che Walker, who came across the 'big pond' to direct his play, gives us incredibly sophisticated dialogue, but no so complex that you're not offering the actors a hearty laugh at the appropriate times, of which there are a lot!  

The question has been posed, "Is Klook and Vinette a musical or is it a play with one long song?" The songs meld with the dialogue so well, you sometimes don't realize that a song has started. The lyrics are beautiful and heart-touching, as well as clever as the dialogue.

Klook and Vinette | Horizon Theatre | Photo by Russell Scott

This was my first time seeing Imari Cheatom perform—aside from seeing him in Django Unchained—and I sincerely hope it's not the last! Imari is a shy individual, but a brilliant actor. 

You feel Klook's emotions, particularly the stronger ones, right from your seat. You feel his excitement over meeting Vinette, you feel his love for Vinette, and you feel his love for what he must do in the grand finale. You're going to feel everything!

The set is minimal, lending focus to the performers and the story being told. With that said, the giant 'Phoenician blinds' are used to set incredibly dramatic scenes at the opening and as the play closes. The only props in this play are two wooden stools. They're used quite a lot, but you rarely even notice that they're there. 

Klook and Vinette | Horizon Theatre | Photo by Russell Scott

In its American debut, The Ballad of Klook and Vinette is heartwarming, heartbreaking, hilarious, and saddening. From their hilarious meeting over carrot juice, to Klook's encouragement for Vinette to pursue a previously shelved writing career, to a fire fight with local authorities, you're going on an emotional roller coaster ride...one that I believe you will find enchanting and one that touches your heart.

I expect this play to be around for a very long time. It's such that you can plop it down practically anywhere and it'll fit right in. It debuted in London and with the insertion of "Southeast Atlanta" you would never know that it wasn't written for the Atlanta stage.

Christian Magby, the music director and playing keyboards in Klook and Vinette, is an artist of many talents. The first time I met him, he was doing the music for 'Da Kink in My Hair while simultaneously presenting a musical in the Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival. He's at it again! While he's working on The Ballad of Klook and Vinette, he's simultaneously rehearsing the role of Adam in Freaky Friday, the next show coming up at Horizon Theatre! 

Klook and Vinette | Horizon Theatre | Travis, Brittany, and Elisa

I've said it time and again, one of the things that I LOVE about Horizon Theatre is the post-show opportunity to meet the stars, offer a word of congratulations, and snap a photo with them. In the photo above, that's me, Brittany Inge, and a playwright friend of mine Elisa.

You have only two more weekends to see The Ballad of Klook and Vinette! Get your tickets now to see it by Sunday, February 18 at Horizon Theatre!

Disclaimer: While I am a member of the Board of Directors at Horizon Theatre, the opinions shared here are my own and not influenced by my position or by the theatre. I've been a strong supporter of the performing arts throughout Atlanta for many, many years.