Black's BBQ - Lockhart, TX

Just around the corner from Smitty's (see post below) is Black's, another Texas brisket shrine. This was our first visit to Black's, and while I'm not quite ready to declare it better than Smitty's, it was certainly just as good. Another visit with food of this quality may move them into our #1 spot...

Smitty's BBQ - Lockhart, TX

If we're in a two-hour or so radius of Lockhart, we have no choice but to make a detour to Smitty's. Always a favorite, but see the post above for a newly-discovered (for us) competitor for best brisket in Texas.

Uchiko - Austin, TX

Go ahead and mark Uchiko down as one of our favorite meals of 2011. Some of the best fish I've ever had, and see the cocktail below that featured grilled thyme as the star. Did I mention beef tongue nigiri?

Gene & Georgetti - Chicago, IL

We decided on the oldest steakhouse in Chicago while looking for a nice piece of beef. Definitely the right call:

Gino's East - Chicago, IL

I think it weighed about six pounds.

Longman & Eagle - Chicago, IL

Longman & Eagle is one of our new favorites, for a variety of reasons - great food (see the croque madame below), nice design, creative cocktails, and they have six killer rooms above the restaurant where you can stay for the night.

Seed Store - Maxwell, TX

Spotted in central Texas on a recent barbecue excursion:

Web Design: H&F Bottle Shop - Atlanta, GA

We've launched the website for H&F Bottle Shop, the new spirits shop from the people that brought you Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch in Atlanta.

Spring Break in Airports

I will be posting a bit on airport dining in preparation for our upcoming Spring Break trip. One of the greatest things about having a child with your husband / business partner is that your entire family gets to skip out of work together without guilt and write two-third of the trip off!

We are working on a few airport projects currently (on the heals of one we completed a couple of years ago in Atlanta) and I will go into the details on them in a bit but for today...

I want to point out the brilliant design behind Café Alvar A. at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. The restaurant was inspired by the work of Finnish designer and architect Alvar Aalto and was designed is conjunction with Finnish design company Artek and housewares company Iittala.

Source: SSP Press Release

CAFÉ ALVAR A.

“Café Alvar A. is Finland’s first real design café which brings together the top names of Finnish design. The concept was designed in cooperation with Artek, Iittala, and the Alvar Aalto Foundation. The sales counter imitates the contours of the famous Savoy vase by Alvar Aalto, the furniture comprises classic chairs designed by Artek, and the walls are adorned with a pixel arrangement of Iittala products, such as Kivi candle holders and Savoy vases.

The café is a real calling card for Finland and Finnish quality. In addition to Finnish design, the products sold in the café conform to the ’Best of Finland’ philosophy. The principle of local produce is upheld by serving products from small, high-quality producers, including cheeses and reindeer meat. The café also sells these products as souvenirs.”

Badass Element:

The ’gift-away’ bag made from birch bark and designed by Finland’s most notable modern designer, Harri Koskinen. This modern version of a splint basket cannot be bought anywhere else in the world. Source: Remodelista

Techy Punch:

Guests at Café Alvar A. can charge their mobile phones by simply placing them on top of specially equipped tables. The innovative Powerkiss technology gives travelers the freedom to charge their phones without the use of cables.

"Powerkiss technology consists of a charging sender called ‘Heart´, which is integrated into the tables to turn it into a smart energy platform, and a small charging receiver called ‘Kiss’. Charging is effortless: Kiss is plugged into the device, which is then placed on the surface. Charging is regulated automatically and stops when the battery is full. The charging receivers are the size of USB-memory sticks and are available at the café."

Powerkiss at Café Alvar A. is a joint project of PowerKiss, Artek and SSP Finland.

For more information: www.powerkiss.com

Congrats To The Chocolaterie

Our web design client The Chocolaterie was recognized this month in Atlanta Magazine's 'Best of Atlanta' issue...the AJC also named them in their 'Best of the Big A.'

5-Piece Chicken Dinner by The Beastie Boys is Inspiring Me

Last month Jeff posted about the Fat Boys from his ever-expanding vinyl "investment" collection. As chance would have it, we are working on restaurant design that is inspired by music + food.
Just finished debating what is "Old Skool Rap" versus "Southern Rap" versus "West Coast" (what can I say - we live in Atlanta). I don't know a lot about rap. Had a cat once named Whodini (note the spelling) - but that was in the 7th grade and "Five Minutes of Funk" was popular.
The Brain Trust: Kempten (doesn't surprise me about her knowledge) & Katherine (out of freaking left field - she is a bonafide preppy Harpeth Hall girl from Nashville) - and then there is the master -- Meggan Talley (also my spellchecker).
"So rap is all about where you are from -- kind of like food," Katherine pulls out of nowhere.

"Outcast, Ludacris, T.I., Goodie Mob (Atlanta), Lil' Wayne and Juvenile (NOLA), Three Six Mafia (Memphis), Nelly (St. Louis) -- and then there's Brooklyn (Jay Z, Beastie Boys)...Staten Island's Wu Tang Clan..."
This was certainly not covered in their interviews and is a knowledge base that I had no idea would ever come into my world...

More Adventures In The Dollar Record Bin

I'm always amazed at the food-themed records that people throw out - see our post from last week on the Fat Boys, or Porter Wagoner's The Farmer record. While this one is probably not one you want to listen to every day, I'll admit that 'German Drinking Songs' does make you thirsty for a beer.

Boccalone - San Francisco, CA

What visit to San Francisco's Ferry Market is complete without a trip to Boccalone? Our haul from the shop this week included Brown Sugar & Fennel, Soppressata, and Orange & Wild Fennel salamis. You can also order 'em online.

Cotogna - San Francisco, CA

Here's one of the better pizzas we've had lately. San Francisco's Cotogna was unfortunately out of their sea urchin pizza, but the brussels sprout, pork jowl and egg pie nearly made up for it.

Congrats to Clients Nominated for 2011 James Beard Semifinalist Awards

Us and Them...The Company We Keep

(Our company provides design and communications consulting to food & beverage businesses. The list of nominees below have engaged our team for these services which have included a various combinations of naming, logo design, menu design, website design, social media, and public relations.) Click Here for Client List.

Outstanding Pastry Chef

Aaron Russell, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta

Cynthia Wong, Cakes & Ale, Decatur, Georgia

Outstanding Restauranteur

Mike Klank and Eddie Hernandez, Taqueria del Sol, Atlanta / Athens / Soon...The World

Nick Pihakis, Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q, Birmingham (and 27 lucky cities)

Best Chef: Southeast

Hugh Acheson, Five and Ten

Billy Allin, Cakes & Ale

Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene / Holeman & Finch / H & F Bread Co. / H & F Bottle Shop

Hector Santiago, Pura Vida / Super Pan

Food & Hip Hop

Our pal Francis Lam wrote a nice piece for Salon a while back on Biggie Smalls' culinary rhymes. A great read, but after finding this gem in the dollar record bin last week, I think we need to pay respect to the original hip-hop foodies:

Burger Up - Nashville, TN

Just a quick shout-out to the pimento cheese burger at Nashville's Burger Up:

Red Velvet Doughnut

It's always exciting when a box from Sublime Doughnuts shows up at our office...today's haul includes a red velvet:

Minetta Tavern - New York, NY

Minetta Tavern has had my absolute favorite burger in the country ever since they re-opened a couple of years back - we just checked in to make sure it's still on top...it is. Here's an in-depth look at the burger from our friends at A Hamburger Today.

The Most Fun Place In NYC Right Now - Standard Hotel

The Standard Hotel in New York's Meatpacking District is hard to beat these days. They've set up a temporary ice rink in front of the hotel, along with a rinkside bar serving strong ciders and hot toddys for us non-skaters. After a drink from the 'Kaffeeklatsch,' you can head inside to the beer garden, where you buy carnival-style tickets good for food, then make your way to the sausage and/or seafood carts to choose your dinner. And don't forget the ping pong.