If you’re not leaving the city for the 4th of July, then has Macon got a surprise for you! And I mean surprise in a good way, not surprise in that walk-by-an-empty-storefront-doorway-and-meet-a-homeless-person-SURPRISE! -way. I mean in a more-than-your-money’s-worth-good-time-great-drinks-awesome-music-even awesomer friends- way. Man, Macon, I think I’m growing to love you!

Movies

First Friday is filled with lots of delicious goodies, including $1 beer, $1 pizzas for kids and a $1 movie at the Cox Capitol Theatre (Independence Day – how long has it been since you’ve seen THAT???) on 2nd Street. If you haven’t watched a movie AND eaten food and had a nice beverage in a long time (or ever) tonight’s the night to remind yourself of just how good it can be.

Giveaways

Robins Federal Credit Union is giving away a GPS navigation system to a lucky participant. Go to Robins Federal Credit Union or NewTown Macon (on Mulberry and Cherry Street respectively) and enter your name for a chance to win. Yours truly came in 2nd place in the First Friday Sombrero contest, earning $25 Downtown Dollars to spend at any restaurant of my choice a few months ago. I chose Tokyo Alley because I had been missing their cold noodles and cheese rolls. Mmmmm, so delicioso. So don’t think you can’t win. Go enter if step by step directions make your heart pitter patter. NewTown Macon is also hosting events in Third Street Park (at Cherry and Third) that includes sandcastle building and live music by Joey Stuckey. It’s been a while since I heard him, so I’m gonna have to go see if he remembers me!

Music -Drinks -Food: Oh My!

There are a number of spots open later for the 4th with meal specials or live performances. If you’ve missed out on Molly’s Cafe on Cherry Street because you don’t get downtown before 6pm, then tonight is the night because they have a prime rib special. Call to make reservations 478.744.9898. Market City’s kitchen will be open until 9pm where you know you’ll get good food and good drinks. Now I want a thin crust pizza from them. Greek Corner Deli will have a live band (which means they will be open late, which means you can grab yourself a gyro for your walk or before you go to the Arts Exchange!),Grant’s Lounge on Poplar Street will have Old Soul featuring Bo Ponder , The Rookery has live music by Jeremy and Ryan, Luigi’s Bistro will have live music by Josh Campbell and Jared Wright, which you should check out before heading over the the Hummingbird Stage and Taproom to rock out to MagTard (our Magnificent Bastard with a necessary, uncopyrighted name change) and their friends the Pinx! The admission is just $5, the drinks are good and that’s where you’ll see me if you want to tell me how fabulous I am!

The new spot for local music, the 567 Cafe will be hosting One Bad Catholic and Profound Breadth tonight, so give them a listen. I heard One Bad Catholic on the ones and twos at a City Council concert. Yeah, I’m gonna pop my head in.

Even though I had to go on a rage rampage on the Brackett-Wold porch because of the grilled cheese sandwich incident (if you’re not voting at Coffee Cake Extravaganza, you have been missing something), I will still give a shout out to Club Synergy’s Absolut Red and White party. Pay admission today for the “pre-party” with Absolut drink specials, get free cover to July 4th’s official Absolut Red and White party. They just want you to wear red and white to show that Independence Day pride. Unfortunately, I won’t be checking this one out, but I’ll wear white for solidarity!

Platinum Sound on Second Street will have live street performances as well as studio tours, so if you’ve ever wondered what was behind the blacked out windows (I know I have) now’s your chance to find out!

Stuff To Buy

Don’t forget about the Cotton Avenue/Cherry Street before Second Street “L” that is full of surprises. First, Cotton Avenue – Stop by Meadows Fine Jewelry for sales, music, drinks and snacks and tell my girl Kara, “What’s Up!!!” and maybe buy yourself a little something. Across the street at Treasure Vintage, you’re sure to find something uniquely for you. I got some jeans from there that makes my ass look great and actually fits, so I know you can find something for you. Plus, she always has a sale going, and who doesn’t like a sale? Also, check out Dot’s Forget-Me-Nots on Cherry Street. Have they got a sale for you!

Mid South Travel on Cherry Street will be open until 6:30pm, so if you’ve always wanted to set your sights on far off destination, I suggest you start there!

Studio 481 on Broadway will showcase artist Timothy Hedden’s Original Art Exhibit “Show and Sell”. This dude isn’t beating around the bush. Buy art!

4th of July and 5th of July

Ya’ll, that was JUST First Friday! – Saturday the 4th also has some interesting “doings” – like fireworks at Sandy Beach on Lake Tobesofkee (watch out for werewolves), Fort Hawkins fireworks, July 4th Park celebrations, and birthday parties at Envy (Happy Birthday, Fourth!). The 5th of July brings us Kung Fu Panda at the Cox Capital Theatre for just $5 – not including meal, which you can totally buy and EAT WHILE YOU’RE WATCHING THE MOVIE!!! I know, I get a little excited, but it’s something different and it’s something I love! Kung Fu Panda shows at 6pm. You can also catch College Hill Corridor’s FREE showing of Field of Dreams in Central City Park. You can start hanging out at 7:30, but the movie starts at nine. Pack a picnic (who doesn’t love a picnic?), grab some good friends and head on down. It’s free and you know you’ll have food leftover from your 4th of July festivities!

Damn, that’s a good looking weekend!

The Humingbird has taken to serving food from 4pm – 8pm. I am literally snacking at the Hummingbird right now. Today and tomorrow, the food honour goes to IVP. Thursday, you get to sample the Greek Corner Deli and some mighty fine drink specials.

Today, there aren’t very many people here, which means more pizza for me, but if you ever needed an excuse to show up at the ‘Bird earlier than 10, this is it. And if you want your meal and your liquor too, well then, what the hell are you waiting on, an invitation?

Sitting at the Shamrock, enjoying a gin and tonic as I wait for my fish and chips, because I eat when I’m in mourning.

As heard at dh: the psychidelic squid orchestra at the Hummingbird last night, the ‘Bird will be serving food. That’s right. And it’s free. From 4-8 everyday. Which can only mean that you may see me there everyday, eating and drinking to someone’s heart’s content.

I think this weekend, of any weekend, has been the most eventful. It started out tastefully enough with the Corks and Forks event at Mt. de Sales. If you didn’t go, you should have been there. Tasty sandwiches from Fountain of Juice – they had a little cheesy sandwich with a piece of bacon on it that was fantastic and a roast beef sandwich with horseradish sauce that caused me to groan out loud after the first bite. I will definitely be giving them a visit. There wasn’t anything that wasn’t good. From the green bread sandwiches at the Red Tomato table to the perfectly seared tuna with seaweed salad and calamari from that Inn in Forsyth, everything was delicious. Xocolatl showed versatility by bringing nothing chocolate to the table, but the mangoes foster with vanilla ice cream and that delectable jalapeno toffee made me want to make a grab for a couple of plates and take off running. I overindulged on strawberries stuffed with lime flavoured cream from Polly’s Hospitality Institute’s Chef Vendeville and his assistant chef Leslie Hurdle, who is doing her PHI externship with her teacher. Also, based on future events I didn’t know were going to take place, I’m eternally grateful for the several cups of JCup coffee that I did partake of. I didn’t mention everyone that was good, but all the food was more than excellent at this event.

Okay, so we left before the bidding because we are poor artists and headed to the Hummingbird for a few beers, some music, etc. We got there so early they didn’t even ask us for the cover. We were two of about 10 people in the bar (including one of the bands playing that night – and their following) and it was very nice to sit, talk, and not be fumigated out of the place. Around 11 or so, the music got started. Make the Fur Fly, a band out of Atlanta/Athens, played a completely awesome set. A friend of mine was there to see them and I’m glad she asked me to stand with her because this group made me want to jump around. Very high energy, very good groove, if they put out an album, I’d be interested. I definitely want to see a couple more live shows. 

This is where the night starts to get interesting. My husband and I were standing, listening to Magnificent Bastard when he decided to get his last glass of beer for the night. One of the groupies from Make the Fur Fly decided to pull his pants down over his butt and dance suggestively with a couple of the members of MtFF. They finally get him to pull his pants up. My husband comes back and I relay the story. Then, the guy decides, he’s not just going to show his ass, he’s gonna take off both his pants and his boxers. He drops his pants but before he could get his boxers off someone kicks him in the ass (and by someone, I mean my husband, who doesn’t want to see this guy’s naked behind). The guy pulls his pants up. The lead singer of MtFF, laughing, gives my husband full permission to kick this guy again, which he doesn’t take because his mission is accomplished. This guy is putting his clothes back on. So the singer nudges me as if to say, see what happens and spits a stream of beer at the guy.

This is where it all goes wonkers.

The guy looks around wondering who did that, spots the singer, takes his belt in hand and goes after him with it. The unfortunate thing for pants boy is that he also hits me.

Which is a no-no for my husband. 

Before I could even cry out in pain from being hit, my husband has dashed beer in this guy’s eyes. I’ve never seen my husband mad. He’s pretty laid back, would rather debate his way out of a fight than hit someone, but he was ready to do battle. The entire group was in shock, moving to block their friend from fighting my husband as I explain to the singer why what happened just happened. Pants guy was too far gone to understand anything more than some stranger, who had also kicked him earlier, just threw beer straight in his face. He wanted to fight. But the band, understanding that a husband is gonna stand up for his wife, kept him back until his beer memory kicked in and he forgot all about it. 

Magnificent Bastard was better than I thought. Much better. I was underwhelmed at the 11th Hour Readers Choice Awards, and I almost left before their show started Saturday. I didn’t think they would be a good follow-up to what I’d just heard from Make the Fur Fly, but they more than delivered. I don’t think the music they put up on their myspace page gives them enough credit and if I were choosing which show to go to based solely on that (which you have to in the Macon music culture), I would not have gone to see them. In fact, my friend left before their show started for that very reason, but Magnificent Bastard rocked it. I don’t know any titles and such like, but I was definitely dancing by the 3rd song. By the end of their set, I wanted to buy a limited edition t-shirt, but after paying for a few beers, it wasn’t happening that night.

All in all, a great time was had by some. Not pants guy, who we saw outside as we were leaving. The MtFF bassist was trying to pull him up off of the ground and get him back inside. Fur certainly did fly last night and despite the close fight call, the music made it all worth it.

I am a fan of chicken salad. My mom used to make it out of a whole hen that was cooked in juices and seasoning until it fell off the bone. She would cut it by hand and mix it by hand, adding mayo, eggs, salt, pepper and sweet relish. It was simple and it was good.

I didn’t know that you could do things like add grapes or nuts to it, but as I sampled all the chicken salad around, I learned some things. A lot of people don’t like to season their chicken salad, which can come as an unpleasant surprise. I remember biting into a sandwich I’d piled with chicken salad and having to spit it out. A little salt and pepper helped bring out the natural taste of the almond ground in it and it was a very tasty chicken salad after a little bit of doctoring, the most unique chicken salad I’ve tasted.

The most decadent chicken salad I’ve ever tasted was at an “open house” for a gallery in Warner Robins. The chicken salad was prepared like a cheesecake with cream cheese surrounding the chicken salad all around. I found myself going to the buffet table, cutting out bigger and bigger slices, trying to stop myself and allow other people to find this tasty treat, but there I would be again, standing at the table, urging others to try a bite so that I could grab another piece for myself.

White Lightning’s sweet chicken salad is very good. It’s almost like pulled chicken that gets tossed into chicken salad fixings and comes out moist and delicious.

But the other night at the Foodies!, I had chicken salad in a phyllo shell and almost passed out, it was so good. Getting back into the circles moving around the food tables was like trying to jump into a double dutch rope while walking your dog. It wasn’t happening. I was so glad I’d been greedy and grabbed two. It was so good, I talked with my mouth full, extolling the deliciosity of the chicken salad. Gross, I know, but completely necessary.

I found out today that the fantastic chicken salad in phyllo shells that I ate at the Foodies! came from Good To Go. It has to be the best chicken salad in Macon. No offense to White Lightning. Your chicken salad is very good too. And Chef Audrey’s chicken salad made me drive to Warner Robins for more. Too bad she was closed for renovations/moving when I did that. I’ll have to try again soon.

Apparently, there is a Macon curse for anyone who claims to have the best chicken salad in Macon. If you try to advertise it, something goes wrong. So I will say Good To Go has REALLY good chicken salad, while White Lighting, apparently, has the best children salad in Macon.