Skylight Inn BBQ - Ayden, NC

We recently visited The Skylight Inn in Ayden, NC - home to one of our favorite guys in all of BBQ - Mr. Samuel Jones. Check out this short film about the Skylight here, and see a few pics below.

Sam with a couple of whole hogs on the pit:

Tending to the fire:

You can't miss this place when you drive by:

The pan on the right holds big pieces of crispy pig skin, which are chopped and mixed in to the rest of the pork:

The final result - one of the finest pork sandwiches in North Carolina:

Website Design - Restaurant R'evolution, New Orleans, LA

We've finished the design of the website for Restaurant R'evolution in New Orleans. The restaurant, located in the Royal Sonesta Hotel, is a collaboration between chefs John Folse and Rick Tramonto, whose goal is to "push the boundaries and expectations of dining in Louisiana."

The Frito Pie Burger

A few weeks ago, I made a comment on Twitter that more restaurants should serve Frito pie burgers. I've never actually heard of anybody serving one, but how could a Frito Pie on top of a burger possibly be bad? Well, the day after I made the suggestion, I received word that Big Tex in Decatur, GA took me up on the challenge. I promptly headed over to check it out, and it was a doozy:

The following week, while working in Nashville, the folks at Burger Up notified me that they were going to run one as a special. Again, I high-tailed it over there (they tucked the Fritos neatly under the burger patty):

And finally, last week, the guys from Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q came to our office for a meeting, and brought along a one-off creation - a brisket sandwich topped with a Frito pie:

We've been enjoying them so much that we've taken to making our own when the opportunity presents itself. There's nothing wrong with ordering a burger and a Frito pie at Sonic, then combining the two:

 Let's hope this trend continues. Restaurants, let us know if you run one as a special - we'll be there.

Garnish Culinary Productions - Logo & Website Design, New York, NY

We've designed the logo and launched the website for Garnish Culinary Productions, a food media company based in New York:

Logo Design - Proof And Provision - Atlanta, GA

Here's a bit of the design that we've been working on for Proof and Provision - a new bar and restaurant opening in the basement of Atlanta's Georgian Terrace Hotel. Images of signage, menus and website to come soon, but for now, here's the logo:

Krystal & White Castle

There's a corner in Nashville that has quite a curious duo of fast-food rivals - look closely at the picture below:

As far as I can tell, that's the southernmost White Castle location, right across from a Krystal. So we did what any sane person in the same position would do - taste them both side-by-side.

We'd really rather not choose a favorite, as they both have their own distinct charms, but we can whole-heartedly recommend constructing your own Krystal / White Castle double burger combo (White Castle on top, Krystal on the bottom):

Warren Bruno

Our friend, Warren Bruno, was an icon among the Atlanta restaurant community.

Personally, he served as an early mentor and advocate for my career.  He hired me to serve as his publicist some 14 years ago and from time to time brought me back into the fold to serve on his various community initiatives including helping change liquor legislation, raise awareness for Leukemia & Lymphoma, promote too many events and festivals to name and later, to help draft the mission and vision for Camden Commercial Real Estate.  He hired my friends to serve and manage in his restaurants, hired my interns to supplement their stipend.  While I was pregnant with Will, and had gained 60 pounds, he would still start every meeting by telling me that he thought I was beautiful.  Most importantly, he never failed to bust my chops when he felt I was making a misstep.  When I got the call yesterday from his old GM and my best friend, I was in Durham, NC and couldn't fully process the news.  He had been down so many times before and always bounced back by riding some 100 miles seemingly the next day on his bike. 

Warren Bruno created some of Atlanta’s favorite neighborhood restaurants. In the past 30 years, Bruno owned and operated 13 restaurants in the community, including Aunt Charley’s, Groundhog Tavern, Atkins Park Tavern, Ormsby's, and Phoenix Brewing Company (now 5 Seasons Brewing). An owner/operator himself, Bruno worked with many of our clients and friends over the past decade to identify great restaurant space opportunities and served as a mentor for their operations. 

Bruno served on the Morningside Elementary Local School Council, and the Inman Middle School Technology Foundation. Additionally, he worked with committees for governmental issues such as the City of Atlanta Commercial Areas and Public Safety Task Force, and was a member of the City of Atlanta License Review Board. He co-founded and served as president of the Virginia Highland Business Association, the Buckhead Village Merchants, and co-founded the Alcohol License Beverage Council (ALBC). He was a member of the Georgia Restaurant Association and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Bruno was awarded the Aaron Gross Community Citizen Award by the Virginia Highland Civic Association.

Bruno battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma for the last 10 years and spent much of that time raising awareness for a cure through his rides with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's annual events.

We had the honor of working with Warren for many years on various initiatives and on his restaurants.  My last memory of Warren was at our home two years ago.  The cancer was in remission and he, Sandra, his amazing wife, and longtime partner, Kevin Drawe, were in high spirits celebrating their General Manager, Melissa Poss Wall's upcoming wedding.  Warren was full of life. 

Our prayers go out to his loving wife, Sandra, and their four beautiful children, Partner Kevin Drawe, Chef Andrew Smith, former partner and Chef Rusty Hamlin, and the many staff who have passed through the doors.

- Elizabeth

Website Design - Bergmeyer Associates, Boston, MA

We've finished the redesign of the website for Bergmeyer Associates, an architecture firm located in Boston, MA:

Texas Eats Cookbook

Shout out to our pal Robb Walsh for his latest book - Texas Eats. While nothing can top his Tex-Mex Cookbook (my favorite book of all time), this one is a worthy addition to the list of his fantastic books.

Austin Food & Wine Festival

Rather than post a recap of our experience at the Austin Food & Wine Festival with pictures of Morimoto and food trucks, how about what everyone really wants to see from the fest - Frito Pies and recipes for cocktails made with St. Germain and Tito's Vodka?

Another Central Texas BBQ Tour

During the Austin Food & Wine Festival, we managed to make our way down to Lockhart, TX for breakfast early one day. Since the BBQ places in Lockhart open as early as 7:00am, we knew our breakfast would consist of brisket, sausages and ribs. First up - Smitty's:

 Next up - Black's. Note that the rib bone is bigger than the plate:

Finally, we braved the line at the J Mueller trailer back in Austin. The bites of fatty brisket on the left that they gave us as a sample might have been the BBQ highlight of the day.

Green Olive Media Wins Seven Horizon Interactive Awards

We're excited to announce that we won seven Horizon Interactive Awards for our website design for:
Seed Kitchen & Bar (Marietta, GA)
Cibo E Beve restaurant (Atlanta, GA)
Romaine's restaurant (Boston, MA)
Bocado restaurant (Atlanta, GA)
Parlor Market restaurant (Jackson, MS)
Goo Goo Cluster (Nashville, TN)
Capital City Package Store (Atlanta, GA)

Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn - Owensboro, KY

Where else are you going to go for mutton BBQ but the legendary Moonlite in Owensboro? We augmented our plate with a little chopped beef and pulled pork for good measure.

Peak Bros. BBQ - Waverly, KY

The signage for Peak Bros. BBQ in Waverly, KY, supplier of hams and barbecue for countless family get-togethers over the years for Jeff's family in Kentucky:

Culver's Butter Burger

We have a new burger to add to our list of favorites, just in time to kick off National Burger Month. Check out the Culver's Butter Burger, with a side of cheese curds and a maple pecan shake...

St. Louis Doughnut Signage

A prime example of classic restaurant signage, spotted in St. Louis:

Empire Mayonnaise Co - Brooklyn, NY

Our first shipment of Empire Mayonnaise has arrived at the Green Olive office, so we promptly picked up some burgers and fries to test 'em out. The fave was the curry mayo, but black garlic and smoked paprika are no slouches either. Read more about the Brooklyn store opening here.

Website Design - Bravo Gelato, Nashville, TN

We've launched the website for Nashville's Bravo Gelato. We're partial to the chess pie or the maple with Benton's Bacon, but feel free to check out the incredible flavor list...

POSITION OPEN!!!!

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE - PUBLIC RELATIONS / MARKETING

ATLANTA

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

The candidate must have at least 5 years of relevant experience in public relations or marketing communications.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

The candidate should have a bachelor’s degree in a related field and a track record of developing and executing profitable public relations and /or marketing communications campaigns that meet client objectives. S/he should have strong leadership qualities including people management skills. Food & beverage industry experience preferred.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Development and implementation of marketing, communications plans, branding / messaging, sponsorship evaluations, event planning, promotions, strategic partnerships and providing leadership, management and mentoring of a small communications staff which currently consists of 2 account managers and 2 support staff. Work in teams with Partner and fellow Senior Account Executive to identity, develop and respond to new business opportunities. Establish internal and external budgets. The role will be 40% new business, 40% account management, and 20% strategy, process, and leadership. 401k, base + incentive, health ins., generous PTO. This position requires occasional travel, evening and weekend assignments.

· Provide strategic counsel and communications guidance to clients and internal GOM staff, supervising and ensuring the team's success by managing work quality and productivity levels

· Mentor, coach and support team members

· Consistently hold self and staff accountable for behavior and performance

· Seek and suggest process improvements and support positive change initiatives

· Maintain relationships with senior-level client contacts

· Lead client meetings and implement deliverables

· Manage client strategy and planning, execution and reporting

· Grow business prospects with existing and potential clients; expand scope of work using GOM capabilities; lead new business outreach process and win business

· Participate in the development and adoption of new services

· Commit to continuous learning and improvement of leadership skills; set and pursue stretch goals

Logo Design - STG Trattoria, Atlanta, GA

We're excited about the just-opened STG Trattoria, the second restaurant from the folks behind Bocado. Here's the logo that we designed for them...