by Liz Attaway

The Atlanta Improv comes to the East Andrews Complex and serves the entire Atlanta area with the top pedigree and name of its big brother in New York City, The Improv Comedy Club & Dinner Theatre . Founded in 1963 by Budd Friedman, the Improv has hosted acts all over the country including Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy and more. I fully expect them to bring in top tier comedians with their spacious layout, wonderful food, and engaging acts.

The Atlanta Improv has already exceeded my expectations with a night of food, fun, cocktails, and comedy all in one place. At the club, we tried the Buffalo Kettle Chips and they were so good my husband, John, kept picking them off my plate and I had to slap his hand. For dinner, the Southwest Chicken salad was one of the best I have had in a while, with fresh chicken and a refreshing dressing. Drink wise, all over the club were fun concoctions of liquor, mimosas, beers of all types, and wines.  They all looked so good but I opted for wine since I was having a light salad. If you have ever been to the East Andrews complex, you know that all the restaurants are so good and that Stout’s burger is one of the best in the city. Yum. Make this your dinner destination before the show and try anything you may want from high end fare like lamb or steak to salads, sandwiches and quesadillas.

Not only were the food and drinks good, but so was the comedy. Budd Friedman, the founder of The Improv, showed up and welcomed us to the opening night. It was awesome to get to see him in person and know what great strides he has gone through to make his clubs famous. We then were treated to Gene Pompa, who was a hilarious opener to Owen Benjamin. I wasn’t familiar with Gene until this show; he has been on Conan and had his own Comedy Central Special. Not impressed? He was on In Living Color for two years and appeared on Scrubs on ABC. Now that I saw that, I do remember him on Scrubs! Cool!

Owen Benjamin has made his way onto the stage and your screen staring or appearing in several shows of note: Jay Leno and TBS’ Sullivan & Son. He has also been in moves, such as The House Bunny, with Anna Faris. I didn’t know what to expect from him since I had never heard of him or seen him on stage before, but I was impressed with him. First off, right away he got heckled by a member of the audience named Rodney with was so fabulous and fun that we all got a good laugh. He went on to mention that he has pretty much done every Improv in the country and that this was just another notch on his list and then went on to heckle my husband, John. I honestly don’t remember what he said but it was pretty funny. Another part of his act is playing the keyboard, singing, and making fun of rappers. He grew up playing the piano and showed off his skills at playing Beethoven, while grimacing, then moving on to an Irish ditty, followed by some country. My favorite part of his keyboard bit was when he made fun of the producer, Timbaland but saying all he adds to his tracks is “uuuhhh,” which is so true if you have ever listened to a Timbaland produced song.  I rolled on the floor laughing! He was a nice gentleman and even was gracious enough to take a picture with me. Side note: he is really tall!

Finally, a real treat for the audience was the unannounced guest that showed up: George Wallace!  A native Atlantan, George Wallace is well-known in the comedian community and was a regular at The Comedy Store with Rosanne Bar and Jay Leno. He not only does comedy but films: Batman Returns, Punchline, and Postcards from the Edge to name a few. He came out and made a few jabs and let us preview a few minutes of his show that he currently does live at the Flamingo in Las Vegas. After the show, I got to talk to him and told him we were going to Vegas soon and he told us to come by and check him out. We didn’t get a chance to but he was a nice and talkative guy who just loves a good time. It was a real treat to see and talk to the legend.

It was a great “Evening at the Improv!” The East Andrews Complex is in a great location with plenty of parking and enjoyable food. You can park, eat, drink, and make a whole night of it here!  I also would like to thank Eskimo Advertising for giving me the chance to experience this place and to have a great time!

PS: Side Hint: Prohibition is a well-known secret of East Andrews.  Entering through a phone booth with a phone number, it’s a gem in Atlanta with drinks you won’t find anywhere else! Go there after a show!

photo courtesy of http://blog.promove.com

This Tuesday, October 30th, Southern Influence Marketing Group will be hosting a workshop-style networking event like none other you’ve come across.

At Imperial Fez, 2285 Peachtree Road NE, beginning at 7 pm there will be stations set up for dancers and models to network and photographers, for a $10 fee, to shoot at their disposal.

Imperial Fez prides itself on their authentic Moroccan food from North Africa. The unique dining atmosphere creates an exciting meal for patrons and event attendees alike.

On Tuesday, their specials include $3 Grey Goose Vodka Shots, a FREE soup or salad pairing with your entree (patio dining), and other dining specials. For more information, please visit their website http://www.imperialfez.com/

An added bonus to the evening we will be taking donations and raffling prizes for Jessica Deal, a team photographer, to assist her in replacing her stolen photography equipment.

Join Captain Jack and the Southern Influence Model Team as they celebrate Halloween Tantra-Style!
Put on your best costume and come have fun!
Photo stations will be set up and a costume contest will be held with prizes to be announced!
Some of Atlanta’s best models and photographers will join in as well.
So practice your “ARRRRGH!” and share in the plunder!
Photographers, register HERE:

http://www.meetup.com/Model-Melee-Photo-Shoots-and-Fashion/events/85812422/

*For sponsorship opportunities please contact Valerie Pierce (404)606-6650.

Welcome to Braves Beer Country!

…where beer flows like honey, the 21 year-old’s dream (or a 35 year-olds’). The second annual Great Atlanta Beer Festival was well underway when I realized this year was so much better with so much to do, taste and see. The bell of the ball was the local only deck, followed by the life size Jenga which was never alone, and you can’t forget the craft beer. This IS a beer festival, isn’t it? Hold on, it’s a beer hazed ride.

With velvet ropes and long lines to enter, the locals only deck in the upstairs chop house was the “it” place to be during the Great Atlanta Beer Fest.  It was like navigating a night club, rubbing elbows with the stars of the show, enjoying the night air with the celebs, but so was everyone else.  Packed! There were a few key moments I’d like to mention that include a new brewery called Strawn, Ode to Mercy is BACK, O’Dempsy’s stout is the best Atlanta-basted stout, and how did I miss Max Lager’s mocha stout? How?

So starting with the newest brewery to the Atlanta brewery explosion is Strawn. They tapped their first keg and I got to taste the very first glass (or second, I think maybe Eric got the first)! I’m special. Not only was this their first keg, this was their first beer fest! Welcome to the club, guys!  The brew masters, Will and Lamar Strawn are fun guys and I really enjoyed talking to them and trying their beer. I thought the ale I had had tons of potential and will do well for them! I went back and they were out, so I didn’t get a second helping.  Their website is under construction but you really need to try them out when they are up and running. Here is their website http://www.strawnbrewing.com/ and hopefully they will be back at another beer fest soon.

Ode to Mercy is BACK, that’s right, I said it.  I don’t know what was going on with Ode to Mercy over the summer but it wasn’t the Ode to Mercy that I loved and cherished; it was some hybrid parading as Ode but wasn’t Ode. Anyway, I took my first sip and literally jumped up and down with excitement; it was back! Thank you, Wild Heaven! And I talked about this in my East Atlanta Beer Festival article but I’ll make it official. O’Dempsy’s Your Black Heart Russian Imperial Stout is the best stout by any brewery in Atlanta. Although I really enjoy Jailhouse’s Breakout Stout (a little more hoppy than I like), I have to say I really LOVE O’Dempsy’s! It’s a thing of beauty wrapped in dark, chocolaty, coffee goodness.  Speaking of Stouts, how did I miss Max Lager’s Imperial Mocha Stout?? I went to try it early on and they were out. I almost dropped to the ground and pitched a fit, but then I realized I wasn’t 3 years old and shuffled away distraught. Did anyone try it? Did you like it? Dislike it? I need feedback, people!

Anyone who tells you beer and wine don’t mix is just full of bologna (I’ve always wanted to use this sentence in an article, thank you, Mike!). Seriously, great idea because people who drink beer typically like wine too, right? Or they have friends who enjoy wine and they can now recommend a new wine at their next outing, dinner party, get together, shindig, hullabaloo, keg party… but I digress. I got into wine a few years back after turning the big 3-0. It’s like a switch when on in my brain and said “you’re 30 now, you have to like wine.” I enjoy all types of wine but have digressed these last two years back into mostly whites. I thought I would like reds more than I do now, but reds are only good for one glass and I like 20. Ok, that was an exaggeration, but seriously my favorite white wine is Sauvignon Blanc or a crisp Pinot Grigio. To be honest, I didn’t try the wine this time, because there was too much good beer to try this time around, but I will definitely be putting that in my back pocket and trying it next time.

Well, that wraps up another successful and fun beer fest. Did you Jenga? Did you try wine? Did you watch Florida barely beat Texas A&M (that was ALMOST a thing of beauty)? Next up is Boos and Brews at Sweewater where my girlfriends and I will be sporting a group costume. Watch out, we may win best group costume. There is a clue in there about what type of costume it is, but shush, it’s a secret. Check back here to find out. The event is Friday, October 26^th at Sweetwater.

http://atlantabeerfestivals.com/boos-and-brews-halloween-party-at-sweetwater-brewery/

Can’t make that? That’s ok; Mike has a new beer festival in November called: NovemBEER Fest on November 10^th. http://www.atlantanovembeerfest.com/

See you there!

Sizzle from the grill, the perfect Ciabatta bun, the right cheese dripping off the side, lettuce, tomato and onion piled up into a peak. It’s burger eating time! Hopefully now that you’re hungry let’s talk about Battle of the Burgers. On Saturday October 1^st at John Howell Park in the Virginia Highlands comes an event for meat lovers and veggie lovers alike. With 25 restaurants participating and a People’s Choice, Best Burger prize wouldn’t you like to dig in? It’s a meat and meatless haven of new burger sensations all clamoring to change your life. And yes, I said meatless; the festival has a category for vegetarians, which last year Grindhouse and Atkins Park won last year. But, let’s not forget about the meat: lamb, chicken, angus, chuck, steak all being consumed on buns. Yum.

Battle of the Burgers not only gives your stomach satisfaction but also gives to the community through Embraced. Embraced’s mission is “to ensure that all people have quality orthopedic and prosthetic devices that improve the quality of their lives.” They are a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organizations that shares gently-used equipment to individuals in need both globally and right here in Georgia. So stuff your face, find your new burger place, drink some beer, and feel good doing it on October 1^st at Battle of the Burgers.

Event Details:

Battle of the Burgers

Saturday, October 1^st at 11:30 am

Tickets are $25 online at Ticket Alternative or found by clicking the Buy Tickets on

www.Battleoftheburgers.com

Charity information: http://embracedatlanta.org/