For your daily cute fix, here is Mei Lan, the newest addition to the Zoo Atlanta family of Pandas. Sam and I headed over there last weekend for some quality time, and stood in line to patiendly wait our turn for 15 minutes of watching the mom and daughter sleep. The little one did roll over at one point, hence this photo. I hope to get more opportunities in the coming months.
So what was by all accounts the best Japanese chef in Atlanta has resurfaced in New York City with the opening of his restaurant Soto later this week at 357 Sixth Ave. Chef Sotohiro Kosugi came to Atlanta from Japan to lead the cuisine at a now-defunct Japanese hotel where the Hyatt Buckhead now stands, and moved his show across the street next to Disco Kroger in an unassuming strip mall when the hotel changed hands. Now comes the news that Soto has landed in another sushi-hungry town where the competition is fierce among the two-syllable sushi destinations (Masa, anyone?). Anyway, I was always blown away by Soto before he closed the first time, and hope to visit on some future trip to NYC. New York Magazine reports that Architect Hiro Tsuruta, known for his sleekly minimalist designs of ChikaLicious and Momofuku Noodle Bar is behind the design of his new digs - a far cry from the strip mall from whence he comes.
So today will feature a fast update as I’ve been too darn busy with work to post any updates for some time now. Please check out these galleries, and I promise to be back soon with more and more frequent content posts.
In my most recent photo set, we headed out for a walk to the neighborhood playground with Sam in tow this past Sunday. More pictures here.
We hosted a small get-together for the Super Bowl, and Sam was gung-ho for all the action. He, like dad, is sad that we have at least another six months before we can watch football on the tube again. Click here for more photos.
On a recent sunny but chilly day, we headed to Zoo Atlanta with the Silvermans. Check out all the photos, especially this one of a lion’s breath visible as he roars from atop his habitat.
We also finally renewed our membership to the Georgia Aquarium. The pass now allows us to get in without a reservation, and is a big improvement over last year’s system. Sam and Amy have already gone several times during the day - perfect for the cold months here. Anyway, we had a great time on this visit - photos here.
Here’s a cute picture of Kate and Jay Sandhaus’ little guy, Alex. We got together for dinner a few weeks back at the local kid-friendly hangout Dakota Blue. Alex slept most of the time, but his parents were much more alert, even at the end of a long week on a Friday night. More pics here.
Finally, there is this picture from early January and a few others when Sam decided he wanted to play along with Daddy on the Xbox360. Smart little guy - I look forward to years of getting my butt kicked by his much better reflexes than my own!
Tags: aquarium, atlanta, friends, Photography, sam, xbox360, Zoo
Animal lovers around the world are surely saddened today upon hearing the news that the bubble-blowing beluga whale from the Georgia Aquarium was euthanized this morning after a long illness. Gasper is pictured at right being his playful self during a visit in March, 2006. Purchased from a facility in Mexico, Gasper arrived in Atlanta on Oct. 17, 2005. Upon arrival, he was severely underweight and had visible skin lesions. He was later diagnosed with osteomyelitis, an infection of the bone (interactive explanation at AJC.com, registration required). I look forward to seeing the sculpture being developed for the Aquarium’s entry plaza.
It was unseasonably warm on Saturday, so we trekked off to the Chattahoochee Nature Center to see what there was to explore. Sam enjoyed the wandering Canadian Geese most of all, followed by the owls. Check out the photo gallery here.
Guenter Seeger began his career in Atlanta in 1985 at the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton Buckhead. Since then, Atlanta has had an apparent love-hate relationship with this uber-Chef. Noted as much for the food as for the awkward service at his eponymous restaurant he opened in Buckhead in 1997, it was widely reported that he was going to shut his 5-star Mobil-rated restaurant down in late August due to $265,000 in back taxes and the pursuit of ‘other interests’. Well, investors apparently swooped in at the last moment to keep the illustrious restaurant running. So fellow foodie and friend Joel and I decided to go before Seeger ‘closed’ again. Our wives had their own date down the road at Nava - they were not so keen on the high-falutin food nor ‘tude for which Seeger’s is so well known. Well, they missed out - big time. Read on for more about the menu and the experience - including Joel and my ‘anniversary’ desert! Continue reading »
Wow. It’s hard to believe, but in a little over a week Sam will be heading to preschool. Amy and I attended orientation night for the Grant Park Cooperative Preschool. Above, eager moms sign up for parent helper days at the school (more photos are here). We were able to meet fellow parents, hear more about solving the delays in opening the Cabbagetown Campus, and learn about the background of the Reggio Emilia approach. It’s a fascinating approach, and more of a philosophy than a curriculum like some other methods. Founded shortly after WWII in the small Italian town of the same name, the approach focuses on exploration, empowerment of even the youngest child, problem solving and expression of all forms. I think Sam’s going to love it. More on the approach on the GPCP web site is here.
Looking for something to do this Sunday, I discovered there were open slots at the Georgia Aquarium. Wanting to take advantage of our annual membership, we gathered the troops and headed over. We missed Gasper the Beluga, but Sammy had a great time. Being able to stand on his own (unlike our last visit in February), I think he enjoyed some parts a great deal more, especially the big tank window above. I still have to rant about some aspects of the facility, though. First, I booked online, and was supposed to get an email with my tickets. Well, they finally arrived, at 1:30pm for our 11am visit. Second, it’s just far too crowded. The flow of people through a facility like this one is a classic challenge, and I don’t think they’ve done a very good job. Although tickets are for one hour slots, in reality people come and stay most of the day. So the later you come, prepare to feel like a spawning fish yourself! Anyway, it’s all worth it to see Sam enjoying himself. The amazement in his eyes is clear above. Full gallery is here.
In my years as a journalist, there was a saying I was always fond of - ‘It’s the content, stupid.’ Well, I’d like to take poetic license and suggest that this applies to ballet as well. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution article (free registration required) reports this morning that the Atlanta Ballet orchestra has gone up in smoke - they have made the ‘hard decision’ to use only recorded music in all future productions. This move affects nearly 50 musicians, and will allegedly save the organization close to $400,000. What’s troubling in my mind is that the newspaper report indicates the Ballet was in the black with their 2005 fiscal year, yet suddenly needs to find a way to cut this much in costs (their total budget is reported at $7M). This issue is not unique, but for a city of Atlanta’s size, and a dance company of this stature, it’s a sad thing indeed.
After a line of afternoon thunderstorms rolled through town, I was home
grilling a nice halibut steak and picked up the macro to shoot this image above of the rainwater on a hydrangea on our porch. Amazing that just yesterday that plant looked like it was going to croak from the 90+ degree weather we’ve been having. That rainstorm was just the ticket! I also like the colors and raindrops in this other image of the plant’s blooms.
Tags: atlanta, Photography
