Archive for May, 2010
Pacci Ristorante | Midtown | Atlanta
All content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)
Domestic Colorado Lamb w/ Basil Pesto Sauce
Pacci Ristorante
866 West Peachtree St. NW
Atlanta, GA 30308
678.412.2402
www.pacciatlanta.com (link)
Since it’s inception 9 months ago, the incubation of this lil’blog venture has rekindled an interest I had at an early age for things culinary. In my schooling years I seemed to opt for the “Home Ec.” and “Foods and Nutrition” elective classes over the “wood shop” and “metal shop” electives, it just made sense to me. For third period, I could either breathe saw dust and risk lopping off my digits on some rogue overused table saw or…hang out with a bunch of girls to make (and eat) cookies. It may have been a risky move in the fragile testosterone driven hierarchy of High School but seriously…sharing warm cookies at 10am with girls…I’ll risk the promise of a beating and some ridicule, just pass me the milk afterwards to wash it down. Membership in the club has had it’s privileges. But since this photographic exploration is beginning to get slight notice, I have come across some privileges that I sometimes have a difficult time with. On occasion I will be invited to an event or dinner for media types. I assume that this invitation is just more than a ‘glad-hand’ in my direction, and the ultimate goal is exposure. When I receive any of these invites, I feel an obligation to let the host know that my deal is a bit more involved than just a taste & write. I come with baggage, literally. For my blog postings to take shape, I show up with lights and equipment, take a bit of space and require a minimum of 3 hours to capture the caliber of images seen on Spoonfed. I also prefer to move about the business to incorporate some of the atmosphere of a dining room that will hopefully result in a cohesive presentation. I feel bad or guilty accepting these dinner invitations only to show up, gorge, and walk away not having taken any shots because of bad lighting, no space, and not wanting to infringe on another’s dining experience with constant flashes. But after receiving an invite from Pacci a few months ago to attend a wine dinner, I decided to let go of my fears and ‘what ifs’ and enjoy a meal. I showed up with a scaled down version of my photo kit but quickly realized that it still wasn’t going to work out. It would have been a hassle for the host to provide me with a special table and also for the other invited guests to endure the dizzying strobes so luckily, I was able to revisit Pacci Ristorante at a later date and take my time…and I am glad I did for these may be some of my new favorites…
All content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)
Kobe Beef Carpaccio (Pacci)- Kobe NY Strip, Tapenade, Rucola, Parmesan
Grilled Alaskan Halibut- heirloom cherry tomatoes, grilled corn, red onion, oven roasted brown alba mushrooms, rucola, corn jus
Duck Confit-Anson Mills Polenta, Gorgonzola, Blackberry Marmalade
Chocolate Strata- layer chocolate, chocolate mousse, pecan cocoa nib, vanilla gelato
All content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)
Babette’s Cafe | Atlanta
All content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)
Babette’s Cafe
573 N. Highland Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
404.523.9121
www.babettescafe.com (link)
A couple of months ago I put out a cattle call to those that are tuned in with my social media outlets. ”Who would you like to see showcased on Spoonfed (Atlanta)?” I asked to all of my wonderful loyal followers and fans. The response was overwhelming as I was hit with a whopping ’single’ reply…from a stylist/recently relocated cupcake shop owner (Sugar) that I have had the pleasure of working with in the past (hi Karla). As the crickets chirped and I scraped myself up from my tantrum of recently realized irrelevance, I inquired into the lone response as it named a restaurant that I had yet to hear about. ’Babette’s Cafe’ the twitter response announced. I surfed around to quell my curiosity into this unknown establishment. After a couple of return emails and a few scheduling speed bumps, I was finally allowed to visit with Marla Adams, Chef/Owner of Babette’s. As we played with food and cameras I learned that the restaurant was named after a story that was turned into a movie called “Babette’s Feast“, popular in epicurean circles, which in a cook decides to spend recently acquired lottery winnings on the creation of a great feast. Babette’s Cafe has been around for awhile in the Atlanta culinary scene and is currently located in a renovated bungalow on Highland Avenue. The setting in this space complete with simple understated decor allows for a correlation between intimate atmosphere and Marla’s rustic European style of cooking. They offer wine tastings every Thursday and a Sunday brunch from 10:30-2 pm. If I recall correctly the friend that recommended Babette’s Cafe was not one to eat ‘just anything’ so I would heed her advice and pay a visit.
All content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)
Scallops Provencale- w/tomatoes, white wine, fresh herbs, parsley potatoes
Navarin of Lamb; spring lamb stew w/ green beans, english peas, carrots, potatoes and glazed shallots
Alaskan Halibut w/mustard crust, lemon butter sauce
Dried Cherry and Almond Tart
All content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)
Stay tuned…Pacci Ristorante…coming soon to Spoonfed (Atlanta)
dinner party | Atlanta | Piedmont Park
All content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)
Dinner Party
www.dinnerpartyatlanta.com (link)
inquiries@dinnerparty.com
This past weekend I had the opportunity to shoot for ‘dinner party’ in Atlanta. The concept was initialized by partners Patrick La Bouff and Darren Carr (a partnered owner of Top Flr and the freshly opened the Sound Table). ’dinner party’s’ clandestine adventure takes the notions of being “a little bit speakeasy, a little bit supper club and definitely unique…” The concept places signed up guests into a dinner party, set in various atmospheres around the city that may be away from the norm of traditional culinary endeavors, whether it be an airport hanger, an art gallery, an empty warehouse space or the city’s central park. The menu (like the location) is withheld until the last moment’s notice adding to the covert appeal. The dinner party’s chef Shane Devereux (also of Top Flr) leads the culinary selections but sometimes enlists the help and variation supplied by a guest chef. This particular event seemed to be the largest to date serving 200 guests and including much help from noted chefs, bartenders and various staff from some of Atlanta’s great restaurants (listed here). The event took place at Piedmont Park Conservancy with cocktail hour being held in the indoor and patio setting overlooking the tents set next to the lake for an alfresco dining treat.
You can visit dinner party website to sign up for the waiting list of upcoming events or follow them on Facebook (here) or Twitter (here).
All content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)
All content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)
All content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)
Click Here: See Top Flr on Spoonfed
