Grandpa is 80. The son is running amok on spring break so JoAnn, the girls, and I headed to McDonough with balloons and cupcakes for a little celebration. Your host went with the flow. Who knew that we'd enjoy art deco, running shoes, a city hall, and dinner at a re-purposed service station?
This is the Blair-Rutland Building at 215 Church St., Decatur, Georgia.
On the way to Grandpa's we picked up some cupcakes at the Atlanta Cupcake Factory. I complained about the price. I admit I was wrong, try the lemon cupcakes.
Next: the girls needed running shoes. I went along for the ride to The Big Peach Running Company in Decatur.
Buying running shoes takes longer than it used to. I bolted the store with my camera before my hate-to-wait bad attitude took hold. The Blair-Rutland Building is nearby. It's pretty but so darn pink and purple. Was it always?
Decatur City Hall is next to the shoe store. It's beautiful but there is a lot of "less pretty" stuff nearby that catchess the eye first. The overgrown summer foliage will soon hide it. A recent renovation produced these beautiful panels. More on City Hall in another post.
By the time we got the shoes we were hungry again. Rachel said we should go Leon's Full Service for brisket. It's very nice for a converted service station. We got there before the crowd and ate like kings and queens. Rachel was right, the brisket was magnificent. When we left, Leon's was very busy and full of cool folks.
Going along for the ride (for almost 7 hours) was pretty darn good.
As a bonus I got the greatest advice from my 3 girls: How to improve my driving, manners, grooming, people skills, eating habits, and all around behavior. They tirelessly and selflessly look for ways to help me improve myself.
Thanks,
Terry
Posts
Looks like a fun trip!
ReplyDeleteAtlanta Cupcake Factory ricks my world. My mom recently had knee replacement surgery and I have used it as an excuse to purchase those cuppies 'en masse'. I am a Highland Bakery devotee, but Cupcake Factory is the best in the city, hands down. I bought 7, 6 for the fam and 1 for my hand. Ok, now for arch stuff...
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I kinda like the purple and I wonder if I will stand alone with that opinion. Something about the optimism and glamorous spirit of Art Deco gives it the nature to pull off the look (should also disclose a bias, as purple is my favorite color).
Leon's is damn good looking! Garage conversions are one of my very favorite types of adaptive reuse projects, I must get to Leons after I stop eating cupcakes!
Opps I said 'ricks', meant 'rocks'
ReplyDeleteI like the pink and purple too. The pictures show them correctly enough, but in person the building is just plain good. Odd certainly but it enhances it neighbors I think. I always give it a double take.
ReplyDeleteLeon's was pleasant in every way. The look and the great variety of places to sit. All seemed cozy somehow. Our seat was a raised booth, higher that every other table. We had a panoramic view but it was still cozy. The blue grays, red seats, concrete floors some with old gas station mosaics, creamy trim, frosted and tilted transom glass.
Our table much preferred the galic dip for our Pomme Fritts. If you get them as an appetizer, they'll fill up right up - even our party of 4 eating one serving.
I wonder who designed Leon's.
P.S. The cupcakes both rick and rock world. Each cupcake was as filling a dozen Krispy Kremes. We has 6 cupcakes (about $16) for 6 people. We couldn't eat them all. And I personally gave it my best effort.
Oh us 'girls' we always try to help out those poor unsuspecting men with a wee bit of wise advice don't we? I love the art deco building in all of it's Barney purple. Your 7 hr. journey sounded quite fun with great company, a bountiful of brisket and the piece de la resistance, lemon cupcakes!
ReplyDeleteHappy new week ahead Terry ~
Great afternoon, and spring is coming, many more great afternoons to come. BTW - count yourself in with the cool folks at Leon's.
ReplyDeletei love that your "girls" keep you on your toes!
ReplyDeletei've always wondered about that building in decatur, and i'm so glad you photographed it because i think it look more beautiful on camera. i'm a bit of a cupcake snob (i only like them very moist) and don't too much care for highland bakery, but i always drive past the ACF on the way to Pure Taqueria (in Inman park--DELICIOUS if you love Mexican) and tell myself i'm going to stop in. now i'm more inclined to do so. i've only had the frites at leon's but i love the atmosphere. i used to live across the street (next to old Atlanta Bread Co) and remember when it was a framing shop/retail store in the converted gas station building. whomever did the renovation did an AMAZING job!
thanks for sharing!
I'm w/ Claire - I love purple. That building is quite fabulous. I don't remember seeing it -was it recently painted or I'm I totally non-observant? Sounds like you had a fun day. Perfect way to spend a Sunday.
ReplyDeleteGrammercy, It's next door to Twains, just south of Trinity. It doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. That's what is so cool about it. If your are in Decatur anyway. Go looking.
ReplyDeleteHey Terry! They just mentioned you on the skirted roundtable I think :) you're famous!
ReplyDeleteYour blog is my new home away from home. Your photographs and writing are so engaging; I especially enjoyed my armchair tour of Decatur. I have been fascinated by architecture since I was about six and followed my father around his building sites. And I see you know Blaine! I had a wonderful time painting with her at a mixed media workshop this past weekend. Forgive me for being presumptuous, but is your bloggers group limited to design bloggers? I occasionally include design and architecture photos, although mine is primarily an art blog. You look like such a merry group, and I would love to get together with other Atlanta area bloggers and photographers. Anyhoo...back to tour some more of your blog!
ReplyDeleteWho would you be without us?
ReplyDelete