musings of a ragamuffin

Taco Bell doing social media right. With humor. 

(Source: maxnosleeves, via angeryourhands)

When I was a kid, there was one phrase I heard more than others, and coincidentally, it’s a phrase I still hear as a husband often: “Put things back where they go!” As a young boy, I’d have the floor scattered with toys, with marbles, with Legos, with Matchbox cars. And surely at some point my Mom would come in and ask me to put things back where they went. Now, as a husband, I’m asked on a regular basis to put things back where they go, whether it’s the pliers, the invisible tape or the orange juice. “Put things back where they go!”

About a year and a half ago, I made a change in my life. I found perspective of my life in the midst of my journey. I was able to place things back into the importance of perspective they were meant to be. To reorganize, to reshuffle, to rebuild and to renew my commitments to those around me that needed it (my family, my friends, and my community.) I actually got tired of talking about coffee, of brewing methods, of recipes, of all of it. My work had consumed my life. It had become kudzu, taking over and strangling out all the real important stuff. 

Slowly, I noticed myself talking less and less about coffee via social media. My blog (the one you’re reading) became more about the broad spectrum of my life, not simply a few waves. I noticed that I started writing more from what I was being reminded of daily, and passing it on with the hope that it would encourage others as well. Sure, there are posts about coffee on here. There are also posts about food. There are also posts about community. There are also posts about video games. There are posts about social media. This blog has become a better, more accurate picture of my life as a whole, every facet of it. Which is exactly what I’d want it to be. 

I would say that finally I’ve learned what true balance means, what it means to put things in real perspective, and this is the conclusion I’ve come to: The most important things in my life are my wife, my family, my faith, my community, and you. That’s it. It’s really that simple. When I divvy  up my time each day, the time after I’m off work and on the weekends, those things have my utmost priority. I still love coffee and talking about it. I also love community and talking about it. I also love food and talking about it. I’ve become passionate about more things that really matter beyond my work life, and that’s made me a better person, I feel. I hope. I think. 

When is the last time that you stopped to assess just where your priorities are, and if they’re in the order they should be, or if you are where I was just a short while ago? I can’t tell you how much happier it’s made me, and more whole as a person. My relationship with my wife is better. My relationship with my community is better. I’m more engaged and more invested in what’s going on around me. And I honestly feel, for the first time, that I actually like who I’m becoming. Thank you for being a part of my amazing journey. 

laughingsquid:

8-Bit Animated GIFs of ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Ghostbusters,’ & Other Iconic Films

Do you really know that you’re a part of a fantastic story? Have you comprehended the idea that you are on an amazing journey, one that is more spectacular than anything Hollywood can create? Can you wrap your head around this notion that every action, every decision, every step you take is a part of the much larger picture of your journey, of your life? Because it totally is. 

For a long time, I spent my time trying to prove myself to insignificant people, I gained my value from how I was perceived by my peers, how I was respected. All the while many of them were doing the same thing. When I pulled myself off that carousel, and took a look at my priorities, I realized I had it all wrong. This mindset will never make you happy, and you will never have the correct idea of what you’re capable of, of who you are, of who you can be. 

When I took a step back and really took inventory, I realized that there are things that I do that I really enjoy and am really good at. It’s not arrogant or pretentious, it’s just knowing what you’ve done and what you’re capable of. And those things I’m good at are the tools I need to be successful on my journey, just like the things you have that you’re good at are the tools you need on your journey. Think about it, there are skills you have that others wish they had, and vice versa. I know lots of folks that know lots more about lots of things than I do. And I learn some of these things along the journey, just as they’ll learn many of the things along their way.  

But for me to truly be successful and reach my potential, I have to grasp, you have to grasp, that you truly are here to do amazing things. You truly do have the tools to do amazing things. Your value is not determined by what others think of you, your potential is determined by your heart and your mind, and the willingness to work hard. This is not some “new age”, Tony Robbins motivational speak, this is reality, and until you grasp these concepts, and understand how amazing this journey is that we’re all on, and realize there is a plan for your life, you’ll just flounder. One can never achieve a goal you don’t set. Set big goals. Dream big dreams. Understand the impossible is possible. Seize the day. And as Gary Vaynerchuk says, “Crush It.” 

jenisicecreams:

Hell of a week in Austin. Take a peek behind the scenes of the epic road trip: sxsw.jenis.com

(this picture is from 1996. That’s me with the striped shirt.)

I first met the guys in Jars of Clay in Augusta, Georgia at an alternative radio station there, in 1996. Their first full-length album had been released not too long before that, and they were touring radio stations in support of that album and of the breakout hit “Flood”, which was slightly remixed for radio from legendary musician and producer Adrian Belew of King Crimson fame. The track went to #1 on many alternative stations around the country. 

And while these friends from Greenville College (and the addition of Matt Odmark, who went to the University of Rochester), became known as a “Christian rock” band, it would become a label they tried to shake off for almost 20 years. While it is commonly known the band was composed of followers of Christ, they spent their years trying to live out their faith through the lives and writing songs through the lens of compassion and grace. When asked about their faith, lead singer Dan Haseltine responded (in the NPR Weekend Edition Interview with Scott Simon) “Ours songs are not really there to explain our faith. They’re written about our life, that is affected by our faith.” 

Throughout their 20 years of writing and recording music, they’ve tried their best to walk the fine line of writing songs about the place where their faith and lives intersected, without being preachers or evangelists. They have written songs about the things that are most important to all of us, no matter our religious affiliations. They’ve written about the value of community and how to build it. They’ve written about sadness and of hope. They’ve inspired people to think about the world around them, and to act. They’ve written songs that have challenged me greatly as a person, and there’s not a time that I hear “Oh, My God” that I don’t tear up. Why? The lines speak to our ravished societies and souls. 

Over the course of my 16 years or so of knowing the guys in Jars of Clay, I’ve always been impressed with not only how humble and gracious they are, but how they genuinely care about this world and it’s people. After a trip to Africa, the guys started Blood:Water Mission, an organization that funds clean water projects and provides HIV/AIDS medication and assistance to folks all over Eastern Africa. Many of you know that my wife and I joined the Blood:Water folks on a trip to Uganda in October, and it changed my life. We saw first hand how large the need is, and we saw the impact that this work is making on a daily basis. We heard from the very people it impacts, people who would be dead if not for the life-saving HIV medications clinics like the New Life Clinic in Kitgum, Uganda offer everyday. 

And this is the work that inspires the Jars guys so much even to this day, and the bulk of the work they’ve done it to promote this and to see genuine, lasting change from it for the people of Africa. In 2005 the guys launched the “1000 Wells Project”, with the goal of creating 1000 wells or clean water projects all over Africa. They achieved that goal in late 2010, and April and I were there in Nashville to celebrate the occasion. They raised over 7 million dollars to make it happen. This is the work that they’ve put their plow to, and it’s been amazing work.

The other thing that I’ve always loved and appreciated about the guys, is that they’re just normal guys. They love great music, and I trade music with one of the guys often, they love good food, good beers, and good coffee. They also love their families deeply. They love the idea of community, and work hard to engage, handling all their own social media, writing great blogs and connect with their fans daily. And they’re open about their failures as much as their successes. I’ll never forget the article lead singer Dan Haseltine wrote about the challenges he faced from being on the road all the time. I love that they’ve worked incredibly hard to just be them. Dan Haseltine has had the same Jeep Grand Cherokee for as long as I can remember. These are incredibly normal guys, who carry their own gear to shows in Nashville, unload it, set it up, and take it back down. 

Which brings me to their new album. When they decided to record their new album, they knew they wanted to do things differently, to breath fresh air, and to look at it from a different lens. So, instead of recording at Gray Matters, the studio they own in Nashville and have recorded several albums at, they went to Portland, Oregon, and worked with producer Tucker Martine. Tucker’s most known for his work producing the last two The Decemberists albums (including one of my top 2 albums of 2011, “The King is Dead.”) He brought a new life into the soul of the sound of Jars of Clay, and I think musically, you’ll see a more organic and pure Jars of Clay. Lyrically, you can expect to see a lot more honesty, and a breaking down this perception they’re a “Christian rock” band. 

Lead singer Dan Haseltine wrote an amazingly honest blogpost about the new album back in July of last year, and I love what he had to say about it: 

“I fear these recordings may get dismissed because Jars of Clay has a fairly entrenched brand conception. People outside of the general church community may not seek this record out.  And since the themes of the record are very far from evangelical Christianity, the church community will most likely not embrace this record.  Which, on one hand, is a relief.  I am pretty weary from years of pretending to be more of something than I am.  I am tired of carrying evangelical expectations on my shoulders.  I have never been so sure of my faith that I was able to find a true home in the church communities where we played most of our shows.  Our particular style of writing and the perspective that we have written from has not been an easy fit into an artistic community that has such a massive agenda and only a single idea of how that agenda gets accomplished.  I don’t fit there.  I may have at one point.  I did grow up as a youth group kid wearing a t-shirt with a picture of Jesus on it.  I did drive a car with a “Christian” bumper sticker on it.  And at one point, I was sure of who God was, and how God operated.  But I am not that way now.  And so it is impossible to write from that old version of myself. I am in the middle space. “

It’s as if they’re finally ready to come out, to be who they’ve wanted to be, to tell the stories they’ve wanted to tell, and to just be them. This is the album I’ve been waiting on them to release. This is the freedom they’ve been needing and wanting. This is the chapter that needed to be written. April and I were at their New Years Party in Nashville, and while there, I was asked if I wanted to hear one of the new songs, which had just been finished and sent to them for approval. Of course I said “yes”, and sat and listened to five minutes of music that I’ve been waiting to hear from them for years. It was like a fresh breeze of air in the form of music notes and melodic harmonies. This is their coming out.

I’m hearing that the new album will be out by June or July, and I recommend you give them another listen when it does. I think you will find something genuine, something refreshing, something surprising and something exciting. If you only remember them from their song “Flood”, you’ll be amazed at how far they’ve come, and how 20 years later, they’re still making very relevant and incredible music. If you only listen to “Christian radio”, this album may be too deep and full of substance for you. It will not be an easily digestible record. I, for one, can’t wait. 

They also have a new EP coming out Monday, March 17th. “Under The Weather” that can be purchased at www.jarsofclay.com. 

(photo credit : Pope St. Victor.) 

Recently, I was having a conversation with someone, when they mentioned that they were getting ready to put their house on the market, and would be moving out of the country as soon as it sold. I was shocked. I couldn’t imagine them leaving the city, much less leaving the country. And they told me it was exactly what they wanted to do. They’d been planning it for quite some time. Again, I was surprised. Almost disappointed. Why? Well, change, that’s why. I’m not a huge fan of it. Most folks aren’t.

I’m working for a coffee roastery where half the folks I worked with directly are no longer there. I remember hearing Heather Ringwood tell me that she was leaving Batdorf & Bronson. I was shocked first, and within seconds of the shock setting it, it was followed by tears and sadness. I would have never expected it. To this day, I miss working alongside her, but she had plans and things that she wanted to do with her life. And as much as I didn’t want it to happen, she did indeed leave and is now working for Espresso Parts and still working with her amazing boyfriend David White on their hard cider business. Her decision wasn’t swayed because I didn’t like change, it was made because she had to and wanted to. 

Change isn’t always comfortable, fun, or simple, but it is necessary, and true success cannot happen without it. It really is the one thing that it is not only inevitable, but constant, and how you prepare for it, and how it prepares you, is the key to your own happiness and financial success. I’m convinced that no matter how difficult change is, and no matter how much I don’t want change to happen, it is vital to helping shape me. It is vital to the journey that each one of us are on. I can look back at my own life at the change I’ve experience, endured and conquered, and see how it’s made me better. 

What is about it about change that makes it so difficult? Well…. fear. Doubt. I think that for me, the thing that makes change so difficult is the unknown, and the fact I know my life will be different. But different’s not a bad thing. It can be the breath of fresh air you need for creativity. It can be the catalyst you need to push forth your own professional development. It can be the spark that sets off the fire within you to do more in the world, to make a bigger difference, to have a much larger impact. Change is inevitable, it can be conquered, and you can and probably will come out stronger, smarter, and more productive on the other side if you prepare yourself in advance and react smartly and wisely. 

togatherinc:

“If you can’t scoop it, you can’t lick it.” Jeni Britton Bauer, proprietor of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and author of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home, a book that the Wall Street Journal called “the homemade ice cream making Bible,” decided to completely reinvent commonly used homemade ice cream recipes that she felt were too hard, too crumbly — too unscoopable.

In the process, she’s created an artisanal ice cream powerhouse that includes 12 scoop shops in Ohio and Tennessee and a brisk retail and wholesale business. From her classic beloved flavors like Salty Caramel, Roxbury Road, Brambleberry Crisp, and Queen City Cayenne to her limited edition varieties like the recent Absinthe & Meringues, created with The Rite of Spring in mind, Jeni has mastered the art of cold, sweet, creamy treats.

As Jeni says herself: “We create ice creams we fall madly in love with, that we want to bathe in, that make us see million-year-old stars. Handmade American ice cream = bliss.” Having tasted more than a handful of Jeni’s flavors, we’re inclined to agree.

Want to book Jeni for a ice cream making workshop using recipes from her book? Ever thought about conducting a sorbet master class once your favorite summer fruits are in season? Check out her page on Togather to get your proposal started!

(via jenisicecreams)

After a few weeks of using Twitter’s Vine app, I have some observations i thought I’d pass along. Since I can’t know the future, and digital moves fast, there’s no real way of knowing Vine’s future. There are tons of reports that Vine will be huge, and maybe it will. Maybe it won’t. Here’s my thoughts:

1. Vine is hard to use. The joy of a video app is that it captures a moment digitally. I don’t know how many Vines I’ve made where I’ve had to start over because it kept going despite trying to stop it with my fingers. Or, it goes extra long. Or, it starts before I want it to. And I have to delete it and start again. It’s very sensitive and not very easy to use. There’s almost a learning curve that makes it not as intuitive as other apps like Cinemagram, which I was using with great success before. Ideally, you’d also want the ability to import previously taken videos in, and splice them in, which Cinemagram allows you to do.                                                                                 I remember the point that I realized Hipstagram was going to lose to Instagram. It was the point I realized that Instagram allowed you to view your pictures with said filters before you posted, and Hipstamatic didn’t allow you to do that. You took the picture and hoped that the filter worked best for that photo. Their reluctance to allow you to see your pics with the different filters first was a major downfall to me continuing to use it, and I suspect others. Instagram came along allowing you to do that, and has taken the market for that style app. Vine stands to be in the same position if it doesn’t make itself more intuitive and inclusive to how folks use it. 
2. Vine’s adoption rate by people has been insanely slow so far. I can catch up on my friends feeds in about a minute. I am currently following 150 people, and of that 150 people, about 10 are regular users of Vine. I’m not sure what the other 140 folks are waiting for, but that’s where it’s at now. I have around 2500 followers on Twitter, and 1100 friends on Facebook, yet only 150 people on Vine. Seems like a very low and slow adoption rate for the app. I’m sure there’s still tons of folks that don’t have it or even know what it’s about, but I’d have though adoption would be much higher with all the buzz it’s gotten from the media. 
3. I think it holds great potential for businesses to even more communicate and engage with their customers if #1 and #2 change. It has to become a little easier to use and unless more folks start downloading the app and regularly using it, businesses are shouting in a forest. 

I’m not sure what Vine’s future will be, honestly. I can only tell you where it’s at today for me. The real challenge is that on any given day an app can come out that is a game-changer, the digital and social space moves so fast. What will continue to be important, is finding new ways to engage and communicate you and your companies culture and identity. 

It’s not commonly known, but I’m incredibly shy. Yep, me, one of the most social guys via social media channels and even in person, is ridiculously shy. I’m not sure why, it’s just always been this way, I think. I play if off well, overcome it with humor, but the reality is that I am very shy. When I’m in a room full of folks I don’t know, my mouth gets dry, I feel it, and I have to fight to overcome it. So, that’s what I do. I overcome it with humor, or at least I try. When I lead these Coffee 101s I try to pick one person I know I can goof off with, and that’s what I do. 

And that leads me to the #2Dto3D Project. One thing that I’ve always believed in, as far as social media goes, is that social should always build social. It should never be the end to the means, but the means to the end. It should be used as a tool for communication and engagement, not a replacement for real relationships that can only happen with face to face time. Social media is a great tool for creating new friendships, but if that relationship is based solely on words typed into a Twitter tweet, or a Facebook status or profile page, a friendship it is not. It is an acquaintance. 

I’ve always challenged myself to make as many of my social media relationships, or my “2D” relationships 3D, meaning I’ve always to use social media to facilitate building real community by interacting in real life with as many folks as I can that I know through Twitter or Facebook. It’s breaking me out of my own shyness and comfort zone. It’s about taking these avenues of social to the next natural level, and about building real community. So, I’ve grabbed lunch or coffee with dozens of folks, maybe you’re one of them. Some have come and stayed with us for the weekend and allowed us to show them around Atlanta. 

Recently, Matt Call, who six months ago couldn’t even walk, the result of a almost fatal hit and run, and his girlfriend Missy spent a weekend with us in Atlanta, and then we spent a weekend with them in Minneapolis. We had a blast, developed a much stronger friendship, and until they came to Atlanta, we had never met in person. We had connected via social media after his accident, and we stayed in contact as I tried to encourage him in his recovery. And now we’re great friends. I have many examples like this one that show how this has enriched my own life. 

However we’ve done it, we’ve made those relationships 3D, and it’s enriched our own lives greatly, and I know if you take the challenge it will enrich yours, too. It’s this simple, look through your Twitter or Facebook list, and identify folks you’ve not met in real life, folks that maybe you have mutual friends or they’ve just heard of you, and ask them to meet you for coffee or lunch. And hear their story. Listen to what makes them passionate and be inspired. And pass it on to others. And watch your world get smaller and your community get bigger! This idea has the potential to make a real difference in your own life, and the lives of others around you. You will benefit greatly by deeper relationships, and they will, too. We all win. So, I challenge you to turn as many of your relationships from #2Dto3D. 

drewhawkins:

Remote working had validated trust from my employer. Having those options showed they had faith in me to be responsible enough to get my work done and stay accountable to the team, whether or not someone was looking over my shoulder at the office. You know, like an adult.

Read more: The Flexible Workplace Isn’t For Everyone

Thank you for your apology (which I’ve posted below) via Twitter pertaining to our conversation on Twitter tonight, which I also blogged about.  It was and remains a disturbing reaction to something that didn’t even require a response. I didn’t say anything negative about the food, the sauce, or the company. It was simply an observation based on my own knowledge. Few people understand the complexities of social media that I do, and yet daily I see brands and their agencies making critical mistakes via social media, this being a great example. Knee-jerk reactions will always result in the wrong response via social media, and must be thought out in detail in advance to eliminate the opportunity for crisis. My goal in both retweeting your posts and blogging about the situation was not to shame the company, to embarrass or to cause loss of business, it was to show others (and you) of what NOT to do via social media, and how a simple response can be incredibly damaging, even with good intentions. Again, I know this well having made many of those mistakes myself. 

@jasondominy I would like to apologize. That was not a Famous tweet.. Please email social-media@famousdaves.com so we may better serve you.

February 18, 2013

Let me start by saying this, social media is a very new tool for communication. As the most widely used method of communication in our current society, it’s surprising at just how many people don’t know how to properly use it. It’s also amazing at the impact it can have, not just on the folks intended for, but the wider audience as a whole. I often say, that social media, while seemingly harmless and innocent, is but a deep hole in the ground, lightly covered with sticks and straw, ready to trap and ensnare any who dare take it lightly. Because that’s precisely what it is.

Businesses use it successfully and unsuccessfully every day. An example of a business using it successfully, is Outback Steakhouse. Yep, the “G’day Mates” steakhouse chain blew me away with their positive social media approach, I wrote about here. The way their social media team handles negative situations is great, and lots of companies can learn from them. I handle social media for a large coffee roaster, maintain 6 Facebook accounts, 7 Twitter accounts, 3 Yelp accounts, 3 Foursquare accounts, 1 Instagram account, 1 Vine account, and two blogs, including this one. I’ve been very active in social media for the past five and a half years, since it’s inception and learn every day how to use social media. There is no good manual for learning it, there are only mistakes and learning from them.

I’ve learned an awful lot since using social media, I’ve learned of it’s amazing responsibility, and I’ve learned of it’s amazing potential if used correctly. I’ve watched some of the best agencies in the country handle social media, as well as brands with social media crises, and I’ve learned what to say and what not to say. I’ve learned how to endear customers, how to build a strong team of influencers, and how you can lose them. I’ve learned how inviting customers who love your products already, to be a part of your business and what you’re doing, makes great business sense and builds loyalty you can’t buy with marketing dollars.

I’ve been a fan of Famous Dave’s since I went to my first one in Nashville, TN. I’ve since been back many times, and been to locations in Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Portland, Augusta and Minneapolis, where I’m at currently for a visit. I came to this same Famous Dave’s almost five years ago when SCAA’s Expo was here. We have sought out Famous Dave’s locations when out of town, and have always been a fan. Today, we had a middle time between brunch and dinner, and my wife and I decided we’d go there for a small order of ribs to tide us over, and since we loved them so much. That’s what we got, and they were delicious, and the service was great.

While there, I Instagrammed a picture of a bottle of their sauce that I found peculiar. It said, “Georgia Mustard.” Now, I’ve been a BBQ guy all my life. My dad worked in BBQ when he was a youth, and he took us to the best BBQ joints all over the Atlanta and Southern Georgia area. Since moving back to Georgia, I’ve been to all the best spots in Atlanta, maintain a good list on Yelp here. I was just at Amos’ BBQ up in Ball Ground, GA last Sunday, and make frequent trips up to the North Georgia mountains for BBQ, having done it even the past two Sundays.

In all my BBQ visits to Georgia BBQ joints, mustard sauces are not the primary sauce used, the ones sold, or marketed. Georgia does not have it’s own style, I’d say it’s a mixture of Kansas City, Memphis and even Texas barbecue. North Carolina, where we lived before moving to Atlanta, and where my wife was born and raised (just 15 minutes away from Lexington, NC, the home of Western NC BBQ), is known for it’s vinegar based sauce, which includes black pepper, and comes with slaw usually. South Carolina is widely known for it’s mustard based sauces, usually a yellowish-brown color.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I give you tonight’s social media hiccup, you might say. I call it a learning experience. I posted the picture to Instagram, and they responded. You can read their responses and react accordingly. The lesson here is that you win a lot more bees with honey than you do vinegar. There is a tone here in their response that shows a lack of maturity in their social media interactions and general customer service. I have to say, it has changed the way I feel about said company, and that’s a shame. With social media, we want to endear folks to our brands, as Outback did with me. You do NOT want to knee-jerk react to them with responses that show a lack of control or tact. (And yes, I’ve made that mistake before and certainly learned from it.)

(Remember to read from the bottom Tweet to the top in the Conversation.)

I hope the folks at Famous Dave’s, their social media team, and/or their agency learn from this. I’m not trying to shame anyone. This is a great learning opportunity for all of us. What to do, and what not to do.

Well, it’s the season of Lent, a time when Christians fast, meditate and pray to prepare for Easter Sunday. It’s a time of reflection, and a time of sacrifice. I’ve never practiced or partaken of Lent, but I know and hear of many of my friends who do. I often wish I was more liturgical in my celebration of my faith, I view traditional Jewish culture as something fascinating, this direct lineage to history incredible. So, this year, I thought I’d dig deeper into what Lent is, and what it means to me, and how I would celebrate it. Many of my friends will be giving up social media, beer, cake, television, you name it, whatever is a sacrifice to them. 

And that got me thinking… What would be a sacrifice to me to give up? If I really had to sacrifice something, as they did in Biblical times, what would I sacrifice? And that got me thinking even more…. What are the things that I view as the most important things honestly, and are they really that important? Wow. Very humbling. If I’m honest, one of the first things I’d have to sacrifice, simply because it stays glued to my hand, would be my iPhone. I use it all day for scheduling meetings, answering emails, phone calls from customers, potential customers, co-workers, friends, family, for social media for myself and my company on and on. For photos, for so many things I can’t let go of it it seems.

But is it really that important? Is it as important as my passion for the causes I most believe in? I’d sure hope not. But there are times when I sure make it seem that way. There are times when I should be engaged with friends and family, and I’m engaged in whatever is going on with my iPhone. This notification and that notification, and this email that popped up, and there’s a phone call, and Oh, what’s the weather supposed to be tomorrow? When’s that meeting this afternoon? It really does become non-stop. 

No, I can’t turn it off completely, I’ve got a job to do, and I take my work and the job I do with great responsibility and purpose. So, I started thinking how could I balance out my have-to’s and want-to’s in relation to using my iPhone, and this is what I came up with: I will use my iPhone when it is necessary for me to do my job to the best of my ability, and I will limit all other use as much as I possibly can. I will NOT pick up my phone when eating with others. I will turn my ringer off, and put it in my pocket when I’m in a meeting. I will give all others the utmost respect and attention. For me, that is one of the things that would be the most hard for me realistically and practically. Instead of spending so much time photographing, I’ll bask in the real moment, and enjoy the memory of it. 

I’ve given up bread/grains/dairy, even any alcohol for a month, which was no problem, and certainly wasn’t a HUGE sacrifice. You may not be a Christian, that’s totally fine! You may not believe in any deity, that’s ok. I would challenge you in this: Think about the things that you would consider the hardest things you’d have to sacrifice, and then ponder if those things are really that important. Follow that up with a self-evaluation if any of those things are affecting your relationships with the things THAT are that important. Things like family, friends, faith or your community. I am looking forward to celebrating Lent this year, in learning more about it, and in experiencing true sacrifice and the benefits of it. I hope you’ll do the same. 

Recently I finally made it up to the recently opened Seven Lamps, in a shopping center adjacent to Lenox Square Mall. It could be easy to miss this spot, as it’s tucked away in a corner behind the Dantanna’s that’s being renovated at the moment. Once you find it, though, it’s a cool little corner spot, and a great hidden treasure for Atlanta’s diverse food and drinks scene. (In full disclosure, Seven Lamps is a customer of Batdorf & Bronson, and they purchase our Dancing Goats Blend and received training from our trainer, Chandler Rentz, on their espresso program.)

When you first come up, you’re greeted by a nice outdoor seating area, which will be great in the Spring and Falls here. Once you enter a nice bright glass entryway, you come into the space, which is warm with woods and a giant wall filled with provisions. To the right of the provisions wall sits the open kitchen. To the right of your entrance you’ll see a nice long bar that looks out over the spacious and well-stocked cocktails bar and espresso machine. One thing I noticed right away when looking at the bar were all the fresh fruits they use, from lemons, limes, oranges, to grapefruits, and Cap’n Crunch on the top shelf.

Arianne Fielder, who holds the bar down at Seven Lamps, has put together a stellar drink menu that includes everything from classic cocktails, to “beer-tails” (including a fascinating drink named “Snow White” which includes Aviation Terrior Gin, Berentzen Apple, Savannah Bee Co Honey, Lemon and one of my favorite beers, the Hitachino Nest White), to “drinkable desserts” and even house-made jerk sodas! They also stock a great lineup of craft beers (including my all-time favorite Delerium Tremens), and a great list of wines.

For those looking for coffee, they have a full line-up of coffee and espresso drinks. While there, it was insisted that I try their Cafe Tacuba, which includes Corzo Anejo Tequila infused with Batdorf & Bronson’s Dancing Goats as espresso, Drambuie, orange and Mexican molé bitters. This drink was delicious, and honestly, I wish I could have drank more of it than I did. Very well balanced drink that highlight both the espresso and Mexican molé bitters. 

As far as food, Chef Drew van Leuvan leans towards a lot of pasta dishes, so you’ll find a great selection of handmade pasta like Idaho Potato Gnocchi with Maine mussels, sweet Georgia shrimp, Sapelo Island Clams in a tomato thai broth, and a Black Linguine with braised rabbit legs, and a white bolognese. There are also regular entrees like “#1 Tuna “Ala Plancha” with wood-grilled baby bok choy, white grapefruit and capers”, and a “wood-grilled hanger steak with marinated cranberry beans, spicy pearls, and citrus.” They also have iced oysters on the half-shell, including Bluepoints and Kumomotos.

In other parts of their food menu, they features artisan cheese plates, and a “salted, cured and whipped” section including rillette and a Mortadella Mousse. There are also savouries and small plates, including a great looking “warm fennel and potato vichyssoise”, and “braised rabbit and pork fritters, pickled ramps and gribache.” Current vegetables include: Broccoli with garlic, Hakeuri turnips, and seasonal mushrooms. 

And ending the menu, they’ve got a nice lineup of desserts to pair with the coffee and espresso drinks. Options include a “Warm, Figgy pudding” (which comes with sticky toffee and a fennel ice cream), a “Winter Citrus Clafoutis” and a “Lemon Buttermilk Panna Cotta”, which comes with a grapefruit champagne granita and Tarragon shortbreads. There’s also a selection of dessert wines, and even two floats to finish up the menu including a “Mexican Coke Float” with lime and vanilla ice cream, and “Four Roses” with Dr. Paz syrup and vanilla ice cream.

As you can see, there’s a really good menu here, and it would take multiple visits to even get a inkling of the great culinary potential that lies in the corner of the shopping center that holds Seven Lamps. Just the drink menu alone needs multiple visits with all the great concoctions they’ve come up with. I find myself not knowing where I’d start, although it brings me comfort knowing that there aren’t bad options. If you find yourself for need of a great new place to try, find yourself in Buckhead, or want to visit a place that has some great adventurous cocktails like ones that include Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch, saffron-infused honey, housemade kimchi, rosemary-infused sorghum, then Seven Lamps is the place for you and has the potential to become one of Atlanta’s go-to spots for food and drinks.