Twain's in Decatur, GA -- The Dainty Saint

The Dainty Saint: an iced, summery concoction of imported St. Germain and vodka.

I spent my birthday alone under Twain's wisteria arbor while the boys played pool inside.

Not that I'm complaining.

There's a thin line between alone and lonely, and it's hard to feel the latter when you're sipping French liqueur {made of fresh elderflowers picked in the Alps} on a balmy evening, watching Decatur, Georgia, start to come to life.

My precocious little son suggests Twain's whenever we venture out of the suburbs and head south toward the city, and usually, if time permits, we oblige him. I'm never without a book or some nice stationery and fountain pens, so I just while away the time and let them do their boy stuff.

Mary Mac's Tea Room In Atlanta

Did you know that macaroni and cheese can be listed under "vegetables?"

My first taste of Potlikker!

Mudbugs...

Fried Okra...Reminds me of my mama. :)

Fried Chicken, Mac 'n Cheese, Sweet Potato Souffle, Fried Green Tomatoes, Greens, and Sweet Tea.  For Starters.

Bread Pudding  with Wine Sauce

Mary Mac's Tea Room in Downtown Atlanta

Brunch with the Little Guy

Cotton Mill Deli in Woodstock, Georgia

A Good Dog and a River Boat...A Chattanooga Afternoon

Afternoon Delight: A couple of dogs and a shared PBR at Good Dog on the North Shore; From Left to Right: the Dutch Frites Dog (frites sauce, frites and onion) and the Pimento Cheese Dog (Housemade Pimento Cheese, Frites Sauce, and Fresh Tomato)

The Belle of Cincinnati, heading out of Chattanooga on the Tennessee River at sunset.

The Belle of Cincinnati, taken from the Delta Queen

Relaxing on the deck of the Delta Queen...if only those cabins could talk...

The Delta Queen River Boat on Fall Afternoon; The boat is now an anchored hotel.  I haven't been able to stay overnight yet, but I hope to soon.

The moonrise over the Tennessee River; Taken from a bridge on which I yelled, "Let me out of this car...I have to take this picture!"

The Terminal Brewhouse in Chattanooga

How did this...

...lead to THIS?

Well, huddle up, and I'll tell you the story. It began with asking our server Zack at the Terminal Brewhouse, "What do you do for fun around here?" ("Here," meaning Chattanooga.) He told us that he'd grown up around Signal Mountain, and about a twenty mile drive away would produce a hike to a "secret waterfall." He said he'd spent a lot of time there when he was a teenager and that nobody really went there anymore. I was all in. He drove us a very accurate map, complete with landmarks and squiggly lines, on a receipt (think: treasure map) that led my little PT Cruiser up hairpin turns, the like of which it's never seen.

When we got to the Falling Waters trail, it was a short five minute hike to a beautiful view of the gorge and a stream that was cascading over the side of the mountain. It was running a little slower than normal due to lack of rain, but I just felt grateful to someone for giving me privy information to their "secret hideaway." I can't wait to re-visit this spot in the fall after the leaves have had time to do their thing. Thanks, Zack, for the Belgian White Beer as well as the trail!

P.S. The Terminal Brewhouse's menu describes beer as "the wondrous nectar that makes the bad man stop and life worth living." Indeed.

The Globe--An Athens Landmark Pub

Whenever I'm Athens on a hot summer's day, you can count on my stopping by the Globe for a cool, sweating glass of something lovely. The dark wood paneling is a welcome respite away from the recoils of an unforgiving sun, and to sit at one of those thick pub tables with a Bass Ale or Guinness is nothing short of transporting. If you stop in hungry one day, I highly recommend trying their version of the traditional Fish and Chips. They serve them with a cayenne-laced tartar sauce on the side, and they fry the fish to such a startling perfection that would leave the mouths of British chefs agape. (Also, any place that bothers to hang a print of the bios of prominent Irish writers is just fine by me.)

P.S. Forgive the grainy iPhone photo...I left my "real" camera in the car with a dead battery. :)

Athens, Again (and Still)

Cali 'n Tito's; Athens, Georgia

Aretha Frankenstein's, Chattanooga

(iPhone photo)
Oh, yes..the fedora, the new-to-me vintage black cape, and the beer (Magic Hat #9) are all mine...have a sweet, sweet night, blog-friends. And as always, taking you with me, SG
P.S. Here is the description of the beer from its brewery: " A beer cloaked in secrecy. An ale whose mysterious and unusual palate will swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than it answers. A sort of dry, crisp, refreshing, not-quite pale ale. #9 is really impossible to describe because there's never been anything else quite like it. Our secret ingredient introduces a most unusual aroma which is balanced with residual sweetness."

Aretha Frankenstein's

Aretha's has become a steady staple for our family's Chattanooga day trips--their food is so consistently good that we inevitably end up driving around the neighborhood afterwards looking for houses in walking distance to this hip little eatery.

Meet Carrie, a great girl serving up some great food on the North Shore.

We split the shrimp 'n grits...yum!!!