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!
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.