BuckHaven, GA July 2023

Summer Joys

FOOD + BEVERAGE

HIGH SEASON AT THE ASHFORD

THE ALLURE OF A ROOFTOPBARS WITH VIEWS

DOUG MCKENDRICK'S WARM WELCOME

Your North Georgia Real Estate Team

668 Scouts Overlook | Blue Ridge, GA

4 Bedroom | 4 Bathroom | 1 Half Bathroom

Offered at $2,349,000

Introducing a stunning Tommy Wosyluk design that seamlessly blends mountain modern design with rustic luxury. Nestled in a picturesque private location surrounded by Boy Scout protected land, the property offers breathtaking long-range mountain views. Oversized windows throughout create captivating natural light offering a connection between inside and outside. The architectural elements of the house incorporate a touch of contemporary flair with a rustc aesthetic.

No expense was spared on the interior design, resulting in a space that is as stylish as it is functional. Make it yours today!

Share the experience, spread the word

When you’re TIMELESS you’re always IN FASHION.

Hello friends,

Isn't summer the best? On the first day of summer vacation last month, my neighborhood was flooded with tweens trying to squeeze every moment out of their new-found freedom. Sporting short shorts and ponytails, the girls appeared confident and in the midst of the time of their lives. The boys, well, seemed awkward and goofy.  Some will find their footing this summer and hopefully, they all will feel the lightness and laughter of summer this month.

Everyone needs a summer vacation, staying up late watching the stars pop out and indulging in things that make us feel good. I'm thinking, more ice cream, more time on the water fishing or paddling and more time with old friends sharing a meal.

Enjoy this issue and have a super sweet summer!

xo

July 2023

PUBLISHER

Jim Newman | jnewman@citylifestyle.com

EDITOR

Sue G. Collins | scollins@citylifestyle.com

COPY EDITOR

Stacy Conde | stacy.conde@citylifestyle.com

SALES MANAGER

Karyn Slovin | karyn.slovin@citylifestyle.com

ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR

Karla Wilkinson | Karla.Wilkinson@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sean O'Keefe, Casey Kelly

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jolie Loren, Mária Švarbová

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore

DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Mindy Hargesheimer

ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson

WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

AD DESIGNER Rachel Collins

LAYOUT DESIGNER Emily Lisenbee

Proverbs 3:5-6

city scene

Where

neighbors can see and be seen.

Want to be seen in the magazine? Tag your Instagram photos with @buckhavencitylifestyle

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Cheers to Clear Water

Have you tried the newest brew to hit the neighborhood? Helen Yeah is a laidback golden ale that pays homage to the charming Bavarian-themed town of Helen, Georgia, situated along the banks of the Chattahoochee River. Fifteen percent of the proceeds from each sale will go toward Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’s cleanup and water-quality monitoring programs in the headwaters of the Chattahoochee.  CherryStreetBrewing.com

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Want

Organic Produce Bag CSA Here

Le Bon Nosh and chef/founder

Forough Vakili has launched an organic produce bag program with local Georgia farm, Hickory Hill. Each bag features seasonal produce, including seven vegetables, one fruit, a branded tote bag and a recipe for $42. Additional pantry items, grab-and-go products and red, white, or sparkling wine are also available to add, creating a sustainable and healthy alternative to meal kit boxes. To reserve a weekly bag, visit LeBonNosh.com .

We SEE you, BuckHaven!

For our September STYLE issue, we want to know about your family's signature style. Send us a family photo of everyone dressed to the nines, along with your names and a paragraph about what drives your choices. Are you sporty, serious, sassy or classy? Tell us more! Submit your photo(s), family names and a little about your family and where you shop locally. Have fun with it and email by July 15. SCollins@CityLifestyle.com

This stunning 19th-floor unit at 1010 Midtown offers breathtaking views down Peachtree Street from an expansive balcony. Enjoy the vibrant charm of Midtown with its abundance of amenities, including Piedmont Park, shops, and restaurants-all steps away.

If your home is currently listed for sale, this is not intended as a solicitation of your business. This

Savoring Summer

THE ASHFORD EMBRACES THE SEASON AND SOPHISTICATED SERVICE

Chef Randy Lewis loves the long hot days of summer and waits patiently for its heirloom tomatoes to take back to the kitchen at The Ashford where he is owner and executive chef of the beloved Brookhaven neighborhood restaurant. He also celebrates summer’s figs, peaches, peanuts, corn and sweet potatoes.

No stranger to warm weather’s bounty, he is a native of New Orleans, where he opened a restaurant that garnished the “Most Splurge-Worthy” title from Bon Appétit magazine. He was then lured to California’s wine country to serve as Executive Chef and Culinary Director of Jackson Family Wines, where he was showered with more accolades.

He filmed and appeared in four episodes of Ready, Set, Cook on the Food Network.  On the high seas, he served as a celebrity chef for Holland America’s Culinary Arts Center program and was the guest chef aboard the luxurious Crystal Cruise’s Crystal Harmony in Alaska.  Randy was a featured chef in the James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour Dinner Series in St. Louis and has been recognized time and time again for his excellence and redefining America’s regional cuisine.

In 2014, Randy was lured to return South to be close to his family. He took the helm as Executive Chef of Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman, and opened The Ashford in 2022. Since then, the beautiful

restaurant has attracted loyal neighbors and Atlanta aficionados who appreciate fine dining, superb service and a changing menu that features fresh seasonal ingredients and thoughtful menus.

“We’re dedicated to bringing an ever-changing menu with an emphasis on local ingredients to Brookhaven. We aim to serve food that is innovative yet approachable, in an atmosphere that is sophisticated yet comfortable,” says Chef Randy.

The soothing colors and lines of the interiors are sophisticated yet inviting. All the best bottles are on glass shelves framed by an archway in the bar. The dining room is long and lean, dotted with modern art, a wine collection and broad windows flooding the space with light and energy.

And, families are welcomed with a kids menu for the little foodies.

1418 Dresden Dr Suite 170 TheAshfordAtl.com

AND TO ORDER?

“Our wine list is always changing, but we always have champagne and cava on the list. I would suggest our truffle-mushroom tapenade & brie flatbread. Champagne pairs with everything, so it’s hard to go wrong.”

Each table has a view to savor. Chef’s favorites for date night?

“Depending on the weather I would say one of our patio tables or one of our tables in the window.”

THE ALLURE OF A ROOFTOP!

ST. JULEP IS AN OASIS ATOP BUCKHEAD'S BUSTLE

It’s see and be seen at The Sylvan Hotel on East Paces Ferry in the heart of Buckhead Village. An artfully redesigned 1951 apartment building, The Sylvan Hotel is perfectly appointed with mid-century modern décor and it offers a refreshingly cool vibe. One of the hotel’s bestkept secrets is St. Julep, the rooftop bar that is quickly becoming everyone’s hottest destination for summer frolic and fun.

Stepping off the elevator into St. Julep, you’ll walk into a vibrantly colored bar and lounge area with two massive roll-up garage doors, flooding the room with tremendous light. St. Julep feels like an oasis. Cleverly designed conversation nooks inside and outside offer open-air and covered seating, each with a unique view of the city.

It is not just the décor that makes us want to meet our besties at St. Julep.  The creative and innovative bar menu offers some of the finest craft cocktails to be found anywhere. Pick your poison. Try the refreshing “So Hot Right Now” or “Dangerous Liaisons.”

The culinary team has re-envisioned typical bar food into a daring collection of familiar, in name only, classic dishes. Tacos, fanciful corn dogs, and loaded cheese fries are presented as snacks or street food.

Add in a killer DJ and a perfect sunset and St. Julep ascends to the rank of top roof spots and an amazing time for all!

St. Julep in the Kimpton Sylvan Hotel

374 East Paces Ferry Rd NE

The long bar at St. Julep. Enjoy the collection of ombre glass above the bar, setting the tone for a very colorful evening.

Looking west to Peachtree and West Paces Ferry.

Bold colors and fabulous art await in the corner lounge.

Loaded cheese fries with cheddar, jalpeño-ranch crema, cilantro and scallion

A well spirited mixologist can have a lot of fun with the cocktails at St. Julep.

art

Who doesn't love a gourmet corn dog. It is a must when at St. Julep!

The Sweetest Summer

Catering a poolside dessert party or VIP event? Just call Shirley.

Shirley Hughes is an artist. And a baker. And a magic maker.

Her desserts and custom cakes are fantastical, with swirls of edible rice paper flourishes reaching past the buttercream-painted frosting. Shirley creates classic designs with techniques she has honed over decades as a specialty baker, caterer and master of all things sugar from her throne at her kitchen and coffee shop, Sweet Cheats.

She created 850 cookies with a national brand company logo for an important celebration. She personally brings breakfast pastries, tea cakes and custom cakes to Atlanta’s hottest celebs and loves a challenge.

A dessert bar for a home dinner party might include a rainbow of sweet macarons made that morning, whimsical carrot cake pops, delicate cake bites, sculptural cupcakes, shortbread bars and cookies frosted with a scattering of edible flowers, cheesecakes and brownies, pies and cruffles (truffle cake pops).

Brunch is all about custardy quiches and everything bagels,  wholegrain banana muffins and blueberry muffins so light you’ll want two. Or three.

Shirley is dedicated to her craft, mentoring young bakers and entrepreneurs and contributing to non-profits that she feels are important or personal.  From her shopfront and bakery in Cabbagetown, she serves espresso drinks, hot breakfast sandwiches and pastries. She is in the middle of Atlanta’s exploding in-town neighborhood scene, but most of her corporate and A-list clients live in OTP.  She works with discerning professionals who love to entertain around the pool and those hosting a more intimate candlelit wine, dessert and bubbles on the porch.

Sweet Cheats’ custom cakes range from classic to contemporary. She works directly with clients to create one-of-akind cakes to celebrate milestones.

Summertime is the season for slowing down and finding time to share with friends and family. Just don’t forget the dessert!

SweetCheatsAtlanta.com

cakes

Summer Cooking: Asian American and Southern Fusion

ATLANTA'S SAUCE MAVEN PUBLISHES A COOKBOOK FOR PREPARING AND SHARING.

CULINARY CREATIONS | FOOD + BEVERAGE 24

The founder/CEO (Chief Eating Officer) of Global Hearth, a multi-faceted business that breaks down cultural barriers through food, has launched her first cookbook. Natalie Keng’s Egg Rolls & Sweet Tea is a cookbook full of tasty Asian American and Southern fusion dishes, sauces, and drinks that home cooks will enjoy preparing and sharing. More than just recipes, it is also chock-full of

entertaining tales of Natalie’s childhood in the deep South and her food journey to becoming “The Sauce Maven” that make it a wonderful gift or coffee table conversation piece.

The best authentic stir-fry sauce requires a slew of fresh aromatics, but most home cooks don’t always have all the ingredients, nor time to make sauce from scratch. Natalie scoured grocery store aisles and tested dozens of sauces and dressings, but nothing satisfied her taste buds. So she created her own award-winning, premium line of Asian-inspired sauces , earning her the nickname, The Sauce Maven.

A native Atlantan, Natalie holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School. She is a pioneer in the area of innovative leadership development. Her Cooking Up a Better World™ platform is

• Caregiving by Certified Nursing Assistants experienced with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Cancer, Depression and Mobility Issues

• Assistance with activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, toileting, meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders and personal errands Over

a unique diversity and inclusion program that promotes team building and engagement through inspiring, interactive, and impactful presentations, tours, and events.

“Whether teaching hands-on dumpling classes, leading international supermarket shopping tours, or navigating the restaurant jewels of Buford Highway, I am mindful that my role is to help break down barriers and dispel negative stereotypes through positive experiences,” says Keng, “As a leadership development diversity presenter, my goal is to leverage the power of food and culture by ‘opening minds, one mouth at a time’™ .”

Before starting her own business, Natalie was a strategic marketing executive at a Fortune 100 corporation and led leadership development and diversity teams for national nonprofit organizations. She was a recipient of the Greater Women’s Business Council Trailblazer Award and was appointed to serve on the Governor’s Health Task Force.

Egg Rolls & Sweet Tea is available from Global Hearth, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target and through independent booksellers. Purchases through GlobalHearth.com will support local food and health initiatives and women authors and entrepreneurs. (Share the book and sauces as unique, Georgia Grown gifts! Special rates for teams, groups, markets and fundraisers available.)

NATALIE’S SUMMER NOTES.

Since only natural, whole ingredients went into my line of sauces, I am no stranger to the farmer’s markets in Atlanta. I love the Peachtree Road Farmers market. My go-to items include fresh okra, cabbage, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, basil, mint and, of course, peaches. I love the wild-caught Georgia white shrimp, which I cook into Seven-Spice Lemon Garlic Georgia Shrimp and serve over Savory Miso Butter Garlic Noodles, free-range pasture eggs and especially the locally harvested honey for my Fried Chicken Spring Rolls with Honey recipe. I always drop by the Garnish & Gather booth to pick up a farm-fresh meal kit, and to thank them for featuring Egg Rolls & Sweet Tea in their fall line-up of chef-driven recipes.

THE HOST WITH THE MOST

Having lunch with Atlanta restaurant legend Doug McKendrick is like being on a late-night talk show. His stories are highly entertaining and he asks smart questions. His enthusiasm for his eponymous steakhouse is contagious and by the end of my perfect salmon Caesar salad, I was one of the team.

And, teamwork is Doug’s middle name. He and his wife Claudia have been building their business for 40 years, teaming up to open McKendrick’s Steakhouse in 1995. And, to this day, he credits his employees for his success and his customer’s satisfaction.

His earlier days as a basketball star taught him the importance of leaning on team members and working together to get the win. He played for Rice University on a basketball scholarship, giving up opportunities with the University of Michigan and Harvard, staying on to play two more years while earning his second undergrad degree. He then earned his MBA in finance and accounting from the University of North Carolina, serving in the Navy before landing in Atlanta in 1972.

He grew up in Illinois and credits his roots for his appreciation of all things meat and potatoes. That, along with experiences dining at some of the steakhouse greats. “Claudia was inspired by the classic steakhouses from around the world when she decorated this place (on Ashford Dunwoody Road). We love the dark wood and clubby atmosphere,” says Doug, who graciously reminds me that it’s Claudia who made “all this happen.”

Doug is a winner of the GRACE Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia Restaurant

Association. That award hangs in a hallway at the restaurant, where framed photos of all the beautiful people who have dined there are featured along with family photos and glamorous images of Doug and Claudia. He takes great pride in these awards and snapshots, offering him a walk down memory lane when he visits, which is often.

He still reviews the restaurant’s numbers every week. “I’m a finance guy and the numbers tell me everything I need to know,” says Doug.  His career began with a gig as a CPA with Arthur Andersen, and then as vice president of finance for Mimi’s and Max’s Restaurants—formerly of the Omni Hotel in downtown. He opened élan, a disco-themed club, in 1979, and had a successful nine-year run. Then came Mi Spia and Park Place Café piano bar.

Along the way, Doug has built a restaurant family. Most of their employees have long tenures, some dating back decades. During the COVID pandemic, McKendrick’s made sure employees were taken care of and that loyalty runs deep.

Outside the restaurant, Doug enjoys family and yes, basketball. He carries basketball nets in the trunk of his car. “There’s nothing sadder than seeing a basketball court in a city park with empty rims, no nets,” he says. “So, I stop and give them a net so the kids can keep playing.”

Reflecting on his good fortune, I asked about the best investment he’d ever made. “This restaurant, for sure. And, I’m lucky to feel that way.”

The worst investment?  “Hopefully, not this interview,” jokes Doug, the host with the most.

Mckendricks.com

events

A curated selection of the most intriguing upcoming events in our area.

JULY 1ST

Brookhaven Farmer’s Market

1375 FERNWOOD CIRCLE NE |

9:00 AM

Brookhaven’s Farmer’s Market serves to provide healthy, locally-produced food and products to our community; cultivate a sustainable connection between producers and consumers, which will support the local economy and enhance the overall health of the local people and their environment. Street side parking is available in the surrounding area. Support our local vendors!  Every Saturday morning until 1 p.m.

JULY 4TH

AJC Peachtree Road Race

LENOX SQUAREPEACHTREE STREET  54th running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race. You don’t have to run to have fun. Come out and cheer on the participants and start a new family tradition. A great way to start off the July 4th festivities. Plan for road closures and cheer on your runners!

JULY 5TH

Wicked – Broadway in Atlanta

THE FOX

Wicked, the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another girl, born with emerald-green skin—smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent.

JULY 10TH

Brookhaven Bucks Games

4484 PEACHTREE RD NE |

6:30 PM

Antlers Up! Your Brookhaven Bucks are back at Hermance Stadium for another season of collegiate, wooden-bat baseball. Bring the family and pack the stands. Games start at 6:35 p.m. More info at  ExploreBrookhaven.com .

JULY 18TH

Dinner and a Diva: Porgy and Bess

PETITE VIOLETTE | 7:00 PM

Join Capitol City Opera Company for a night of delicious food and performances from George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Tickets include a gourmet four-course dinner featuring hors d’oeuvres, salad, choice of entrée, and dessert, accompanied by two glasses of wine and coffee/tea, for $75 per person (plus taxes and fees).  PetiteVioletteRestaurant.com

JULY 26TH

Food Truck Nights at Blackburn Park

BLACKBURN PARK  | 5:00 PM

Live music, food trucks, and activities for the kids. Make sure to bring chairs, blankets, and anything else you might need to relax and enjoy the evening with family and friends!

Pet friendly.

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Bartender Goals

Mark Hull, a bartender with 25 years of experience in the Atlanta area, is the bar manager and mixologist at Mr. B. Bar, a majestic craft cocktail bar in The Burgess Hotel.

Mr. B. Bar pays homage to fine spirits and iconic drinks. The bar is also a tribute to Keki Bunshah, the owner’s father, who led the first Indian expedition to Mt. Everest.

Enjoy Mark’s cocktails as he puts new spins on old classics like the Brown Derby, Rye Manhattan, and the Mescal Margarita. May these recipes make your summer sunnier.

THE 29-K (NAMED AFTER THE HEIGHT OF MOUNT EVEREST)

• 1.5 oz Mescal

• 1 oz Cointreau

• .5 oz fresh lime juice

• .5 oz simple syrup

HAWAIIAN SUNRISE (MOCKTAIL)

• 2 oz ginger beer

• 2 oz pineapple juice

• .5 oz rose water

• Splash grenadine