Archive for May, 2009

The artist and his subject.

Atlanta restaurateur Kevin Rathbun has wowed diners with his “second mortgage” steaks and divine sides like charred cream corn with gouda. He was not only invited onto Food Network’s “Iron Chef,” but he and his brother, Chef Kent Rathbun, took down Bobby Flay.

Now the gregarious Rathbun has been truly immortalized. Christopher M., a San Diego artist known for capturing culinary scenes on canvas, spent time in Rathbun’s kitchen earlier this year. At a private event for collectors Thursday night, the artist unveiled the paintings he created from his time there.

Chef Kevin Rathbun, captured for all time on canvas.

They’ll be on exhibit through June 24 at Vinings Gallery, but at least one of the works isn’t for sale – a piece featuring chef and artist together.

“He made me look skinny!” beamed Rathbun (whom we understand has pared close to 100 pounds since the beginning of the year).

The evening with the artist began with a video juxtaposing brushes on …

Continue reading Chef Kevin Rathbun, immortalized »

From left, Jamie Bucher with “Hutch,” Cheryl Montes with “Fillis,” Mike Riley with a puppy up for adoption, Liz Jassak with “Emma,” and Dr. Jill Odle with “Miss Muffet,” in her arms and “Sweet Pea.” Photo by Kim Link

How much are you willing to spend on your pets? SB’s four-legged friend is under the weather these days, but we’ve told the vet to do whatever needs to be done. If you see me rattling a tin can some day soon, you’ll know it’s for a good cause: my very ungrateful and demanding 22-pound cat.

Anyway, with Yeller on the mend we figured it’s a good time to talk about pet charities.

The Atlanta Humane Society’s annual Pet Parade drew tons of attendees, furry and otherwise, for the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year.

Presiding with panache was Grand Marshal Henry, a white standard poodle, adopted by Owen Halpern and Larry Pritchard. The parade wound through Candler Park to the tunes of “The Seed and Feed Marching Abominable” band, …

Continue reading Pets on parade! »

Belle Deux by artist Bonnie Beauchamp-Cooke, hangs in the John Jacob Astor Board Room at the new St. Regis Hotel in Buckhead. Staff photo by Jason Getz

Walk toward the second-floor ballroom in the St. Regis Hotel, and some familiar images will catch your eye.

There’s Hank Aaron, bat on his shoulder. Author Joel Chandler Harris sits on the porch, legendary editor Ralph McGill at a desk. A glamorous young Coretta Scott King poses for the camera. “Gone With the Wind” novelist Margaret Mitchell poses with her famous book.

The black and white pictures,  obtained from the digital archives of the prints and photographs collection of the Library of Congress, are arranged in silver frames of varying sizes. The clever Atlanta-centric design element was conceived by consultant Matthew L. Whitaker of International Art Collaborative. 

Shimmering Silver by artist Nancy Franke. Staff photo by Jason Getz

The new Buckhead hotel brims with other pieces with strong Atlanta …

Continue reading Fine hotels, fine art »

Frank Ski and wife Tanya slice into Jamie Fine's handiwork

From her small shop just off the historic Marietta Square, Jamie Fine has quietly become metro Atlanta’s baker to the stars. The specialty confections from Sugarplum Visions have caught on with entertainers, including Young Jeezy, Ed Roland of Collective Soul, hip-hop star Diamond of the group Crime Mob and Christian rockers Third Day. Fine created a “windblown” wedding cake for Atlanta & Company’s Holly Firfer’s outdoor reception after she and Shawn Arnold tied the knot.

“During the reception, we had to hide the top layer of the cake, so we had something to eat on our one-year anniversary,” said Firfer, who loved the gold-toned leaves affixed to the cake, as if they’d been carried by a breeze and landed there. “There was not a piece of cake left.”

Earlier this year, Fine cooked up a pink and white shoebox cake (complete with tissue and shoes) for Angela Turner’s birthday party, where …

Continue reading When Frank Ski, Young Jeezy need sweets, they call her »

Remember when everyone dressed like this for church?

Summer’s almost here, and the church-going among us know what that means.

The call for VBS teachers, and the season of sundresses. Rallying volunteers to teach Bible School is a challenge, sure, but at least it’s a pretty straightforward operation.

But how about when ladies comes to church wearing garments that, well, display a little too much of God’s creation? Or the fellows who seem ready to hit the beach or the park right after the final altar call? Do some folks take the hymn “Just As I Am” a little too literally when getting ready for worship on Sunday mornings?

For the beach, yes. But for church?

Some congregations actually tout their casual, “come as you are” dress code. (Really, can you quote a single passage in Scripture where Jesus says, “Hey, don’t let that guy in here. He’s dressed like a bum! Tell him to get some better threads and THEN we’ll talk salvation!”)

The Web site for the contemporary Buckhead Church …

Continue reading Dress up in church or come as you are? »

Tony Conway ensures perfection at the Meal to Remember host committee luncheon at the St. Regis. Staff photos by Jason Getz.

The lunching ladies were on the way. The tables were laid estate-style, set end-to-end like shimmering runways. Tony Conway orbited the arrangement to make sure glasses lined up exactly, that the seats of the chairs barely touched the tablecloths, that the hydrangeas, tulips and peonies were fluffed to perfection.

“My designers say, ‘Nature doesn’t do that,’” he said as he fussed over a bloom. “I’m not nature.”

The founder and president of A Legendary Event, Conway’s client list includes Jane Fonda, Elton John and Tyler Perry (he oversaw the million-dollar opening gala for Perry’s new studio last fall).

A more-is-more kind of guy, Conway’s catering and design company turned a section of the unfabulous Civic Center into a sumptuous event space during the run of the King Tut exhibit. When the Atlanta Symphony Ball chose “La Vie en …

Continue reading The Legendary Tony Conway »

From left, Dr. Henrie M. Treadwell, director of Community Voices of Morehouse School of Medicine; CNN's Soledad O’Brien, humanitarian Malaak Compton-Rock; Children’s Defense Fund president Marian Wright Edelman and Dr. John E. Maupin, Jr., president of the Morehouse School of Medicine. Photo by Philip Shone

 Malaak Compton-Rock is as giving as her husband is funny. The wife of comedian Chris Rock was honored April 30 with the Soledad O’Brien Freedom’s Voice Award. Created by the Community Voices of Morehouse School of Medicine, the award recognizes those who embody the mission of improving health care for the underserved around the world. Compton-Rock, who left a career in PR and events planning to work for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, has since founded the Angelrock Project to promote volunteerism and social responsibility. 

The foundation works with impoverished villages in South Africa to help with food and schooling. Touched by the villagers she and her family …

Continue reading Comedian Chris Rock = foster dad! »

Atlanta Braves second baseman Kelly Johnson and his wife, Lauren, will host the 2009 Prevent Child Abuse Georgia Celebrity Golf Classic on June 29 at White Columns Country Club in Milton. Registration and warm-up will begin at 11 a.m., with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. A reception, dinner and auction of sports and entertainment memorabilia will be held afterward. Sponsorships range from $250 to $40,000. Individual spots are $750 per golfer. Info: www.pcageorgia.org, 404-870-6589 or abbottcom@mindspring.com.

From left, Atlanta Zoo CEO Dennis Kelly Bill Torres, Lovette Russell, Jack Sawyer and Mark Street

The donor party for Zoo Atlanta’s 2009 Beastly Feast was April 30 at the home of Brad and Cynthia Hammond. The crowd included Denny and Renée Hopf, Neil and Mary Johnson, Tom and Celeste Jones, Mark and Ashley Preisinger, Glenn and Danielle Rollins, Joanne Truffelman, Ginny Brewer, Mickey and Carolyn Brown, Chris and Merry Carlos, Bill and Liz Cary, Bob and Jennifer Garlow, …

Continue reading Kelly Johnson hosts golf classic »