In a world of over hyped and contrived restaurant concepts, Corner Tavern is an authentic reprieve. A no nonsense, local joint with great food, lots of cold, draft beer and a perfect room to shoot pool. So, light up a smoke and head on over to any or all four locations in Little 5 Points, West Midtown, East Point and Edgewood. Urban Eats Consulting Group provided menu item and base recipe cost analysis.
With all the success of brew pubs over the years, it was just a matter of time before a small batch wine boutique emerged. Welcome to Urban Vines, a micro winery which focuses on bringing affordable and accessible wine and food events to Atlanta. Using juice sourced from around the globe, owner India Ramos brings the micro winery to life in a unique, rustic, warehouse setting. Urban Eats Consulting Group is providing concept development expertise for this very organic concept. Cheers! Click here to register for Urban Vine’s first event, A City Harvest.
In the early 20th century some of America’s most famous sandwiches were created. The Italian Beef, The Philly Cheese Steak and The Po’ Boy were as iconic as the cities they hailed from. Chucks Famous brings these great sandwiches together in one place. You’ll enjoy an old school atmosphere reminiscent of a time when life was simple and honest. Sandwiches are custom built with slow roasted meats, garnished then wrapped in hearty butcher paper. Urban Eats Consulting Group developed the concept and interior design. Click here to see interior design photos.
In casual conversation the other day, my 14 year old daughter declared that human beings only use 10% of our brain capacity. At the time, I played it off as something she picked up at school and went about my afternoon, but her comment stilled over me all day. I have heard that 10% theory before and, while I believe it is true, the distinction of the claim never really bothered me. My rational was that, if all we have is 10%, then that is all we have; move on. Then I began to think about what a 10% brain mentality has delivered to the human race up to this point and whether or not we may be reaching a point of maximum output.
Humans, at 10% capacity, have achieved some herculean feats over the last million years. We learned how to speak, develop languages, hunt for food and chisel a wheel…all ground breaking stuff. Even today, we continue to roll out new discoveries regarding medicines, space travel, and alternative forms of energy use. But is not all of that, and whatever else that comes along in the future, contextually the same as discovering the wheel? In other words, is our little human microchip, at 10% capacity, stuck in an endless loop of producing physical outputs with nowhere to go? Have we reached a point where we have no ability for breakthroughs beyond the physical?
Read More Post a comment (2)What’s better than watching a drive-in movie from the comfort of your own car? Watching a drive-in movie in the Italian comfort of a Fiat 500. Kicking off it’s “Simply More” campaign to promote the reincarnation of their mini cinquec
ento, Fiat launched a traveling outdoor drive-in theater event through New York City and Chicago. Complete with an ultra mod snack bar, lounge area and bocci ball courts, the set-up was a throw back to circa mid 1960′s when life was simple and easy going. Urban Eats handled the food and beverage logistics and cafe management in both cities. Click here to see more photos from this event. Ciao Bella
I was recently in New York for five days running an ultra mod café for the FIAT car company. The event was a traveling car show of sorts featuring the new Fiat 500’s. Set up in the middle of Times Square, passersby could actually sit in the mini Italian roadsters and watch movies a la 1960’s drive-in on the massive Sony monitors. It was a very cool experience, except for the fanatical cab driver who accused me of damaging his taxi. He actually called the cops who brushed off his complaint, once they realized his lunacy.
I am big on olfaction and New York just smells different. Not in a bad way, like an old library, a museum…your grandfather’s closet. Whatever the scent, New York owns it and wears it well. The city is big, gritty and simmering culturally; everyone’s skin is some hue of brown, English spoken only when necessary and everyone smokes, (cigarettes are held askew between the forefinger and middle with wrist turned slightly downward as not to burn the million other people walking down the sidewalk…who are also smoking).
My first venture onto the street was an ADHD overload. I did not know what to look at first because there was simply too much to see. I felt like a dog in a new house…sniff here, run there, sporadic. Buildings, people, advertisements, store fronts, pigeons, bums, sidewalk preachers all existing in some unspoken orchestration.
During my downtime I was able to scope out the restaurant scene. If I had to sum it up I would say; small batch, eclectic, single item iterations of familiar foods, perfected. Gone are the big menus hosting a wide variety of food items, in their place, boutiques offering one thing, reinvented in ways that are remarkable, fantastic.
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Summer blazes on and I have to admit that this carpet bagging Yankee is finally becoming immune to the heat. Seriously, I don’t even notice the 95 degree days anymore. What can you do about it anyway, right? So, I say uncork that chilly bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and relax. But, others who reside in our fare city have not mastered the art of the cool down. The heat has rendered them incapable of tolerance. With extreme heat, tempers flare and some people just lose all control.
Flying Purse
Intern Natalie, while driving through Buckhead one night this week, witnessed a woman stumble out into the middle of Piedmont Avenue, attempting to stop traffic. Upon slowing down and swerving to avoid hitting her, Natalie became amused when this bar patron turned traffic cop abruptly threw her purse at intern Natalie’s car window…then cussed her out. This women obviously did not have the chilled Sauvignon Blanc…opting instead for the Jager shots.
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Much is spent on predicting trends, and for good reason. Being in front of a trend, whether it be the stock market, food and beverage or fashion, can mean big bucks for those who anticipate their onset. Some trends are predictable and modest. Others appear out of nowhere, spontaneously combusting like some galactic super nova. Their impact is monumental and viral; altering the way human beings live. One day, for no apparent reason, everyone’s eating raw food or wearing less and less clothing. As a restaurant consultant, I dig for data and research trends for a varied set of clients within the food and beverage industry. At times, I see common patterns emerging across many business segments; trends running on parallel paths. So what is the latest, earth shattering movement in the food business? Well, it seems that what was once in is now, out, and that my friend is sooo “in.”
Do you remember sushi? It was great and still would be if it hadn’t been so over hyped and massed produced. Even Kroger rolls its own Maki now. Where’s the fun in munching on sashimi bought out of a self serve case? The beauty of sushi was the experience, right? Landing two seats at the sushi bar, witnessing nimble Asian artists form intricate, raw seafood delicacies in a show of culinary prowess was the highlight of any Saturday night in Y2K. Now, 11 years later ….”check out aisle 6!”
What the sushi bars and other similar trends, i.e.; (sizzling cast iron fajita platters), ushered in was an outward connection to the kitchen. Guests actually got to experience “how it’s done,” a peek into a chef’s inner sanctum. Those trends were the predecessors of what is now called transparency or experiential entertainment. The machinery creating the end product is now out of the closet and fully exposed for all to see.
Read More Post a comment (0)Check out Wicked Pies at http://wickedpie.net . Meet baker extraordinaire, Dusti Meeks and order one of her amazing pies!
By Natalie Holler
Intern at Urban Eats Consulting Group
I’ve been reading a lot of articles lately on the population segment known as the Gen Y’s. As a 22-year-old Gen Y myself, I have developed an interest in how the media and pundits are portraying my generation. Born between 1981 and 2001, the “Millennials” are the largest generation in America since the Baby Boomers and aren’t going unnoticed. Our population, in numbers alone, has consumer industries scrambling to understand us, and why we put more emphasis on living in the moment, instead of investing for the future. Well, as a Gen Y, I can honestly attest to the stereotypes that have been bestowed upon my age group. We have proudly embraced an era that may leave some (our parents in particular) scratching their heads.
Instead of saving money for a new car, house, or any other major investment, I have noticed that my peers would rather rent a house or apartment, drive the car our parents bought us and use our disposable income on taking weekend getaways or traveling to another part of the world. Buying the new iPad, pampering ourselves with manicures/pedicures, facials, and highlights, and going out with friends to enjoy incredible food and fancy drinks rank high on the priority list. Not to mention a new outfit for every outing. We want to be a part of the social scene, while at the same time finding out who we are as young professionals through interaction and networking. Image is everything now days and being seen at certain events or with certain people can open many doors for opportunities. Several articles have stated that the Y Generation is a major influence on every industry, especially the restaurant industry. Industry leaders are turning their focus to this generation and introducing loyalty programs, experimenting with tech-savvy marketing approaches, and making some serious lucrative adjustments.
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