Nicholas Story and mom Rebecca, from left, with 1st Sgt. Corey Myers, wife Julie and sons Nicholas, front and Jacob, back.

Miss New York Alyce Zwick grew up in Cobb County. Photo from www.missnyorg.com

A Cobb County high school graduate has gone to make it big in the Big Apple. Alyse Zwick, a 2004 graduate of the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts at Pebblebrook High School, was crowned Miss New York 2009 on Sunday.

“I am so excited, I cannot believe it,” said Zwick, 23. She held the title Miss Teen Cobb County in 2004, and says her time in Pebblebrook’s well-regarded program prepared her well for success.

“My talent for the competition was ballet en pointe,” she said. “My third period ballet class was ballet with Miss Denise (Reeves). She was always pushing me, encouraging me to do my best.”

The Pebblebrook performance schedule helped hone her stage presence, said Zwick, now studying communications at the City University of New York. Her family lived in Cobb County for seven years, moving back to New York after she finished high school. She says she developed a sense of …

The new decor at Neo literally says, "farm to table."

Luigi Romaniello glides into the restaurant at the back of the Mansion on Peachtree, his high-end boutique hotel. He folds his elegant frame into a chair overlooking the manicured courtyard garden. In a voice richly accented with his native Italian, he starts talking about … fried green tomatoes.

“We’re trying to become more approachable,” the hotel’s managing director said. “Less pretentious. We want to get away from people using Neo only for a special occasion. It doesn’t have to be your 50th anniversary or your 25th birthday. It can be a Tuesday night.”

The restaurant is outfitted in a rustic new decor scheme featuring cubes of growing grass on each table, and has traded pricey Italian cuisine for less expensive farm fare. Arrivederci, gnocchi di fontina. Howdy, succotash. The goal is, of course, to start filling up this little jewel box of a restaurant with diners instead of mere ambience.

“With the way the economy is …

SB doesn’t usually get excited about Facebook friend requests, but one the other day was cause for joy. Our newest FB pal is civil rights icon C.T. Vivian. Finally, an edifying use of social media!

Since we’re so tight now, we’re sure Rev. Vivian would want us to tell you about his big birthday bash, planned for July 31 at the downtown Sheraton. Themed “Narratives of My Life: A Spiritual Journey,” the evening tribute is being hosted by “actorvist” Isaiah Washington and State Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan, D-Austell. The event features the Sinfo-Nia Youth Orchestra and Youth Ensemble of Atlanta.

The celebration begins during the day with a series of discussions. Panelists include comedian and social commentator Dick Gregory, syndicated radio host Warren Ballentine, actress/comedienne Phyllis Yvonne Stickney and Hosea Feed the Hungry’s Elisabeth Omilami, with Angela Yvonne Robinson as moderator. Local steering committee members are Brenda Berry, Annette Bettis, Kawalie M. Fataki, …

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 …

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, and recognized some active …

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 connections, although …

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 internationally acclaimed …

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 …

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 Rose” as its theme a …