Southern Cultural Experiences in Atlanta

With the variety of different local and ethnic p;aces to go and all of the activities about which one could write, I chose to write about my favorite places to go. The things that I value most in Atlanta are going to the theatre at the Fox, dining in the many marvelous restaurants with different cuisines, and participating in the nightlife of the city. There are many activities here, but there is not space eneough to list everything that can be done.

To me Fado, Contigo Peru, and Alhambra offer food choices from some of my favorite places to travel (Ireland, Peru, and Venezuela). Then, who can dispute the grandeur and elegance of any event at the Fox Theater? I know that I am not mentioning a large number of places that I go, but these are my personal favorites.

Quick Tips:

Whether going to Atlanta for one evening, a weekend, a week's vacation, or if you live in the area, you must decide how much time you want to spend with the activities that are available. A good idea is to plan your activities before leaving, otherwise you will run out of time and not see all that you want to see.

Atlanta has a large geographical area, so you need to be careful to stay near the areas that you want to visit. It is easy to drive for two hours going from one destination to another. An example of this is that you will not be able to visit Stone Mountain and Six Flags on the same day. They are both in the Atlanta area, but it takes a long time to travel from one to the other.

Atlanta can be very hot and humid from mid-March until mid-October. Plan on having warm-weather clothes during this time. Also, be aware of the high smog and pollution indexes and the allergy index. This city is great, but your health problems can be a concern.

Best Way To Get Around:

Atlanta has a large fleet of buses and has a rapid transit system (MARTA), but these both have reputations for being somewhat dangerous for travel. Unless you feel comfortable with yourself (physically) and are accustomed to an inner city atmosphere, don't ride the trains or the buses. The taxis are overpriced and are not convenient, but they are all over the city for travellers who need assistance. There is too much area to cover for walking, so plan on some form of motorized transportation. The best ways to get around in the area are by driving, or rent a limo. There are numerous limo services in Atlanta and they provide a great service to the community. The times that I have used them have been pleasant and worth the time and money.

I have stayed in this Holiday Inn Select on two occassions, with opposite results. Overall, I believe this to be a very nice hotel, but there are some obvious disadvantages to those who take a close look.

My first occassion to stay here was on a business conference. I stayed for 5 nights and was very impressed with the facilities. The service at the front desk was terrific, the room was comfortable, and access to my meetings was close at hand.

The facility has a nice little restaurant, where I had a very good breakfast buffet. There was a quaint lobby bar, and I enjoyed spending some time there with friends. I enjoyed speding time in the workout room, where there was a stationary bike, a treadmill, and two universal weight machines. There was a nice indoor pool available, also.

I was so impressed with this hotel that when my wife and I went to Atlanta to see "Phantom of the Opera", I suggested that we stay at that location, instead of closer in to town. This time the air conditioning did not work, the television did not work, and the room had a putrid smell to it. I called the front desk and was informed that someone would be around to help us. After one hour, no one showed. I called the number listed for the manager on duty and was told, again, that someone would show. Again, after one hour no one came. Finally, on my third call, the manager (a different one this time) informed me that someone would get everything fixed in a short time. Since my wife and I were due to leave fro the theater soon, we accepted that it would be fixed by the time we returned for the evening. When we returned at midnight, nothing had been done.

This is a very busy hotel in a very busy area of Atlanta. The traffic getting to the hotel can be very heavy at times. I had one positive stay and one very negative stay. If you arrive on one of the positive days, you will enjoy the location. If you have a night like my second visit, you will regret your decision.

I first visited Contigo Peru while at a training seminar in Atlanta. I have since returned on two occassions with my wife. We enjoy the Peruvian atmosphere of this small restaurant.

When looking at this place from the outside, you see the remains of an American style diner. It has been changed into a Peruvian seafood restaurant. The food does not have the Mexican flavor, but is served in the South American manner. Start the meal with anticuchos (a traditional Peruvian meat appetizer) or Canchas Serranas (fried corn - similar to corn nuts). There are about 150 different dishes that are available, mostly seafood. It does not matter what you choose, as all of the food has a great flavor.

There are many dufferent imported beers available. Try the Crystal, which is the Peruvian beer. Served ice cold it is one of the more flavorful beers that can be found. If you like sweet soft drinks, try the Inca Cola, imported from Peru. It has a pineapple flavor.

Whatever you choose, you will have a fine dining experience in this wonderful restaurant.

"Walk a dog" is only one of the expressions that you will hear when you visit Atlanta's Varsity restaurant. Originally one of the drive-in restaurants that had waiters on skates taking orders at your car window, this restaurant has stood the test of time. It still stands in its original location, serving the same type of food for which it became world famous.

I go to The Varsity as often as I can get into town. The food on the menu includes burgers, hotdogs, fries, chili burgers, onion rings, and Coca Cola. Plus, add the popular fried peach pies and yu have a meal that anyone visiting the local greasy spoon would envy.

The Varsity claims to serve more onions per day than the rest of the world uses in total. They are also the leading user of peaches on a daily basis. Even for a heavy eater, you can easily get out for less than $10. I ordered two chili cheese burgers, one chili dog, onion rings, a large coke, and a peach pie with ice cream. I paid about $7 and left with a pleased expression on my face. What a meal!

Be careful of the time you arrive. Lunch and supper crouds get very heavy, and t can be confusing if you are not aggressive in the lines.

Enjoy!

I am very selective about purchasing Mexican food. However, it is difficult to find other Latin foods. We took a trip to Atlanta searching for a restaurant that served Venezuelan cuisine. We often visit in Venezuela and had the urge for some arepa and pabellon. We found the food that we wanted in The Alameda.

I cannot speak about the Mexican food that is served at the restaurant, but the owner (Eduardo) and his family come from a small town outside of Caracas. They serve some of the best food from that part of the continent that I have found outside of Venezuela. We especially enjoyed the pabellon criolla, along with a nice sangria and "cafe con leche" with desert. You will also find some Cuban, Argentinian, and Bolivian dishes on the menu.

The restaurant is located in a small shopping center as one goes into Smyrna. The service was awesome, as the waiters and Eduardo were very attentive to the customers. You will never have a need that will not be met at this restaurant.

The epitome of an Irish pub is Fado’. The owners have designed this establishment based on six local pubs of different styles that were found in Ireland. Therefore, it should be no surprise that this was the meeting spot for the Irish teams that participated in the 1996 Olympics. Nor should it be a surprise that on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, those Atlanta residents who have emigrated from Ireland will stop by to watch the "football" on the wide-screen television. For these reasons, I decided to take my wife to visit Fado' on our last trip into Atlanta

Anna and I wanted to enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant and to have a glass of Guinness, but we enjoyed ourselves so much that we stayed and ordered food from the menu. Roast of lamb, shepherd's pie, corned beef and cabbage, boxty, and other traditional dishes were available. I ordered the corned beef, and my wife had the shepherd’s pie. Both had such an excellent flavor that we ate all that was on our plates and still had the desire for more of the food, even though we had eaten our fill. However, more than anything else, I was happy to see that my wife enjoyed herself as we spent our afternoon and evening at this pub.

Like my wife and I, most customers come to Fado’ to drink the beer and to warm themselves in the Irish culture. There is plenty of Guinness and Harps, as well as Boddington's and Murphy's. Three different varieties of Bushmill are available for selection also. Since I enjoy a good glass of Irish spirits, most who know me would not be surprised that I kicked back several pints of Guinness and had several shots of Bushmill's.

Wednesday evenings at Fado’ is an opportunity to sample Irish folk music on the live stage. Prior to meeting my wife, I went with friends to Fado' to see my friend Harry O’Donohue perform. In addition to the special music on Wednesday evenings, one can often view live acts on Fridays and Saturdays.

For those who enjoy the Irish culture (and an opportunity to purchase imported products from "the old country"), a specialty store is available near the entrance that has souvenirs imported directly from Ireland. I bought some wonderful dark Irish tea that had an aroma and a flavor that was rich, nutty, and robust. My wife purchased a beautiful wool sweater that had been handmade on the Emerald Isle. Regardless your tastes, Fado' is a place from which you will always walk away with the desire to return. This is a very wonderful pub to visit; in fact, it is a 'must' for visitors to the Atlanta area. I highly recommend that you go to this pub when you are in Atlanta.

For more than ten years the Atlanta Braves have been champions in their division of major league baseball. This has become the best team that money can buy. Really, the Braves have become the team that they once were before they moved from Milwaukee. That is great for the Atlanta fans.

My wife and I have attended games at Turner Field on several occassions. The stadium is one of the newer designs that is friendly to the Southern fan. They have a huge area devoted to concessions; evrything from pizza to brats to burgers. Be sure to bring plenty of extra money for food, though. Turner Field has a reputation for not allowing food to be brought in from the outside. Hotdogs run #2.50 (for the same that you buy in a convenience store for $0.50), beer runs from $4.50 - $7. Bottled water runs $2.

There is an area for children of all ages to play virtual reality and computer games, although I don't understand why someone would pay $28 - $75 to watch a baseball game, then spend their time playing little games instead of watchng the game. There is a beautiful picnic area for families who enjoy eating while watching the game. Everything has been designed to enhance the enjoyment that the fan would want.

However, the Braves and their management have left out the most important aspect of America's favorite sport. That is the fan interaction with the team. Those of us who come from other areas of the country are accustomed to seeing the team, interacting with the players and announcers, and feeling as though they are a part of the team. This is seriously lacking at Turner Field. The stadium guards (really?) are unfriendly and go out of their way to make themselves appear more imortant than the customer. (I have not seen guards at any of the five other stadiums in which I have attended major league games.) The team members do not care about anyone but themselves. In general, the entire organization is quite pretentious. They try to be better than others, yet show that they are nothing more than the losers that existed in Atlanta for more than 25 years prior to their current streak.

On our last visit to the stadium, there was a group of fans who had travelled from St. Louis to watch the series with the Braves. They cheered the Cardinals and had a good time. No one complained until the Cardinals took the lead in the 7th inning. At that point, the stadium guards came down to the fans and thre them out of the ballpark. I was extremely embarrassed to be in the stands on that occassion.

If you want to see the game, go to the stadium. You would have a better time watching the gme on TV. But, don't expect to be treated as though you were important. The Braves are truly a low-class organization.

One of the highlights of the Atlanta area is the Fox Theater. Whether you are interested in live theater or concerts, the Fox provides a luxurious atmosphere for the event. I most recently attended a performance of "Phantom of the Opera" at the Fox. I have seen numerous plays and concerts in the past 27 years.

This theater was once the grand showcase of the South, showing movies and holding plays and activities. Almost, it was razed. A major renovation was undertaken to give this illustrious building new life. One can still see the finely engraved ornamentation on the columns. There is still a grand entranceway. There are elegant seats and decorative touches, many that are original to the building. Even the men's room has a touch of elegance in its appointments.

This was the second time that I saw "Phantom" in this location. There is a large stage, with plenty of room for almost any production. I had a romantic evening watching Andy Williams sing, a wonderful time watching Lynyrd Skynyrd perform "Freebird", and a great time watching "Showboat" and "Annie". Regardless the performance, I have enjoyed everything that I saw.

The only negative is not a problem with the Fox, but with the recent group of those attending the theater for a play. People used to attend all performances in evening dress style. Those attending the last performance of "Phantom" with me were sometimes seen in shorts and shirt, or what we used to call "dressed down". To me, that ruins the effect of the atmosphere. I hope that there is a change in this before the next play to be shone.