have you ever noticed the statue at the corner of monument avenue and mcpherson avenue in east atlanta? intrigue got the better of me this morning and i pulled over to see what it was.

i found a little park with an upturned cannon marking the spot where general james b. mcpherson was killed in the battle of atlanta on july 22, 1864, exactly 146 years ago today. mcpherson was the highest ranking union officer killed during the american civil war. according to the wiki, “the spot is marked by a union cannon once placed at glenwood road and flat shoals road to protect the flank of the front line and return fire against the defensive positions built by lemuel p. grant.”

i had no idea the statue i see on the way to east atlanta village had such historical significance. i will definitely pull over more often when i see these historical markers.

check out this old photo of the monument from the atlanta history center album archives.

– ryan

mcpherson monument

corner of monument avenue & mcpherson avenue
atlanta, ga 30316

we wanted to remind you that ola podrida is playing tonight in atlanta at the drunken unicorn. entry is $8 and the doors open at 9 pm with ola podrida playing at 11:30 pm. you don’t want to miss this show!

– ryan & gub

we recently went to leon’s full service in downtown decatur for dinner. it’s run by the same people who own the brick store pub, another long-time favorite decatur restaurant of ours. we actually tried to go to farm burger, but the line was so long we ended up at leon’s where we were seated immediately.

we really enjoy the interior design of this old converted gas station. the round booths and old industrial lights help keep the atmosphere of a former petrol station. leon’s also has outdoor seating and a bocce ball court on the side of the restaurant.

leon’s has a great selection of draught beers, including brews from victory, avery, oskar blues, allagash, bell’s and other craft breweries. they also have unique infused liquors, including rhubarb infused myer’s white rum, pineapple infused inca gold pisco and bacon infused bourbon. we haven’t tried any of the infused liquors, but they sound excellent.

another specialty at leon’s is their pub frites, which are basically really awesome french fries with fancy sauces. boy are they tasty! the sauces include: garlic aioli, goat cheese fondue, masaman curry, smoked tomato mayonnaise, bacon & tarragon mayonnaise, cucumber-dill yogurt and a bunch more. the menu also offers a variety of creative and interesting meals. a noteworthy snack option is bacon in a glass for $5. we tried the mussels in a witbier & lemongrass broth and the white oak pastures grass-fed burger, which were both delicious.

if you’re looking for a night out in downtown decatur, definitely try leon’s full service. the food is very tasty and reasonably priced.

check out their menu.

– ryan & gub

leon’s full service

131 E ponce de leon ave.
decatur, georgia 30030
404-687-0500

we are very excited about the ola podrida show at the drunken unicorn on july 21st in atlanta. our friend craig first introduced us to david wingo, singer/songwriter of ola podrida, after they met through mutual friends at film school. david has created the musical score for several great films, including george washington, all the real girls and great world of sound. he released his debut album, ola podrida, in 2007. we brought david to georgia to play at the hand.craft.it festival we curated a couple of years ago. we loved his performance and look forward to seeing him play with a full band.

now based in austin via new york, ola podrida’s latest album is called belly of the lion. u.s. tour dates include andrew kenny (american analog set) on bass, david hobizol on drums and colin swietek on guitar.

tickets can be purchased here for the atlanta show.

ola podrida will also be playing at cine in athens on july 20th. there’s a good article in this week’s flagpole.

– ryan & gub

we had brunch yesterday at le petit marché in downtown kirkwood. it’s a cute little market that features a food counter with breakfast, lunch and coffee items. besides homemade soups and build-your-own egg sandwiches, they offer award winning pb&j sandwiches. the peanut butter options include jungle banana, dark chocolate duo, cinnamon raisin, white chocolate raspberry and chocolate chip cookie dough. your jam choices are raspberry, strawberry and housemade golden fig. we went with the cuban panini and the biscuits & gravy brunch special. very tasty!

we are super excited to have such a great brunch option within walking distance from our house. we will be back soon for some pb&j sandwiches!

check out their menu.

– ryan & gub

le petit marché

1963 hosea l williams dr se no. 108
atlanta, ga 30317
404-371-9888
marchetsparks@gmail.com

i recently visited oak grove plantation & gardens, which is about 45 minutes south of atlanta. it’s this beautiful 1830s plantation home nestled on 20 acres of land, 4 of which have themed gardens. the plantation features a bed & breakfast as well as acres of gardens for touring. if you’re looking for an atlanta getaway, oak grove plantation & gardens is a relaxing option for an afternoon visit or an overnight stay.

– ryan

oak grove plantation & gardens

4537 north highway 29
newnan, georgia 30265

we stopped by the east lake farmers market this morning. it’s at the corner of 2nd ave. and hosea williams drive. the market is fairly small but has numerous farmers with local fruit, vegetables, eggs, chickens, salsas and more. we picked up some local peaches, blueberries, and salsa. the market is open on saturdays from may through october from 9am to 1pm.

– ryan & gub

east lake farmers market

2nd ave. and hosea l. williams drive
atlanta, ga 30317

saturdays
9am – 1pm
may – october

have you seen the pbr murals around atlanta?

we just started noticing them and we like the old-fashioned feel of this new advertising campaign. so far, we’ve spotted them in east atlanta, little 5 points, and in the highlands on the back of manuel’s tavern. each painting is unique and features the artist’s name and city. most of them appear to be georgia artists, although we’ve seen out of state artists as well.

– ryan & gub

did you know atlanta has a replica of the white house?

you can find it on briarcliff road just north of clairmont. from what we’ve heard, a gentleman from iran built it after moving to america and making lots of money. to show his appreciation for democracy and the usa, he decided to build the three-quarter size replica. it’s pretty awesome/weird. if you’ve never seen it before you should check it out.

here are some interior photos.

– ryan & gub

atlanta white house

3687 briarcliff rd ne
atlanta, georgia 30345

i visited barnsley gardens over the weekend while doing a film project with the yacht rock revue. it’s located about an hour and a half north of atlanta in adairsville, ga at the base of the blue ridge mountains. these days, barnsley gardens functions as a resort where you can stay, play golf, quail hunt, or have your wedding. there is also a historic district on the grounds where godfrey barnsley originally built his mansion and gardens featuring flowers from around the world. here you can visit the beautiful 160-year-old heirloom gardens, a museum, and the mansion ruins.

the ruins were really amazing! it felt like you were walking around in what’s left of an old european castle. there were these great vines growing all over the walls, adding to its mystique. i was envious of the event going on while i took photos, having a party in the ruins of an 1840s mansion seemed like the best thing ever. the museum had photos of the estate before it fell to ruins and if you are lucky enough to catch the curator, an oral history of the barnsley family and gardens as well.

barnsley gardens is very beautiful and has a rich history. even if you’re not looking to stay at the resort, the heirloom gardens, ruins, and museum are open to the public and definitely worth the drive for a short getaway from atlanta.

– ryan

barnsley gardens

597 barnsley gardens road
adairsville, ga 30103
770-773-7480