Thursday and my Christmas Present

I woke up around 6:00 AM on Thursday. I read in bed for a while so as not to wake anyone up. Then I shaved and showered and went downstairs for a cup of coffee. Jake and Carla joined me and we chatted for a bit. Then we each went off to pack our suitcases (I was borrowing their smaller one again, so I didn't have to lug my monster one around.

We left about 9:30 AM, headed for Atlanta, Georgia. We were in a hurry, so breakfast consisted of stopping at Krystals and getting a sackful of burgers and fries.

We got to the outskirts of Atlanta around 1:00 PM. The difference between Atlanta and Charleston was immediately noticeable. Charles is old charm and comfortable. Atlanta is blatantly modern chic and edgy.

We got to the hotel, the JW Marriot Buckhead (I'm convinced without knowing it to be true that "Buckhead is just the name of the area, like Corktown in Detroit) in the north end of Atlanta.  We checked in and our rooms were on the 17th floor, giving a breathtaking view of the Atlanta skyline (see Photos).

After setting up my stuff and resting a bit from the car ride, I rejoined Jake and Carla. We went down to the main floor and into the Nox Creek Lounge, where we shared two appetizers for lunch: Sweetwater Poached Georgia Shrimp (served with organic tomato and horseradish sauce) and Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Flatbread.

While the hotel in Charleston had a mall built into it, this hotel was adjacent to a large mall (although you did not have to walk outside to get to it). We visited various shops, including a Croc Shop, where I bought two new pairs of Crocs (my old ones were wearing thin on the bottom). I was frankly surprised to learn there was an actual Croc Shop, as I have bought all my previous ones at Dick's Sporting Goods in Westland.

We retired to our rooms again and got appropriately dressed for dinner (I had to laugh as it took me a while to remember how to tie my tie correctly). We left the hotel for our 7:30 PM reservation at the Woodfire Grill, where we all had the Chef's Five Course Tasting Menu.

If you are unfamiliar with the term, you essentially put yourself in the hands of the Chef, (in this case a very famous chef in the food world, Kevin Gillespie). You are not told what you will be eating, the server describes each course to you when they bring it. In between courses, your plate and silverware are removed and replaced each time.

The items are not a secret, you are just supposed to taste them without preconceived notions and realize how each flavor builds on the last.

Since she is just telling you what you are getting (and we were all discussing the last thing we tasted), it would have been very difficult to record what we ate. So, I was gauche and asked her if she could possibly write them down for me for you. She said she would type them up and print them out for me, so she did (see Photos).

Dinner took about 2 1/2 hours and, even though each portion was small, each was outstanding and I was stuffed afterward! It was an unbelievable and unforgettable dining experience!!

We had earlier talked about playing cards or a game after we got back to the hotel room, but when we got there, I begged off. I'm not sure if it was the car ride or the fantastic dinner (seriously, none of us could pick a "favorite" course and we tried) but I was beat.

I thought I would rest and watch a movie or read, but I was asleep 10 minutes after getting ready for bed.