Then 2013 Ancestral Health Symposium descends upon Atlanta in just a few short weeks. We are getting ready to welcome in the third year of the tremendous event and thought it might be kind of fun to share with you a bit about what we are doing to get ready, seeing as how our fair city is host to this awesome event. Being that we are locals in Hotlanta, we hope many of you will get a few tips out of this to make your weekend even more memorable. We look forward to seeing many of our friends and fellow ancestral enthusiasts for what is sure to be another amazing three days.
Item #1: We are finalizing the menu and event details for the Presenters Dinner on Thursday Evening.
No, we aren’t presenting this year. However, we are honored to be working with AHS to help nail down the final details for what should be a fantastic kickoff to the symposium. Boyd and Daphne Eaton have generously opened their home to the presenters and we’ve been able to secure a most amazing duo of awesomeness to handle the food. Arguably our favorite restaurant in Atlanta, Local Three, is teaming up with US Wellness Meats to put together a most memorable feast for the presenters on Thursday evening. Anyone not attending the dinner, we promise to post some drool-worthy pictures!
Item #2: AHS schedule coordination and planning
The program this year is packed with goodness and Julie and I are likely going to divide and conquer to get as much out of the event as possible. Be sure you figure out where you want to be and when. They have also added some special clinics that you need to sign up for in advance. Personally, I’m looking forward to the combative stuff with Kyle Maynard. Click here to register.
Item #3: Gettin our FOODIE ON!
It would be the understatement of the year to say that a few foodies are descending upon Atlanta for #AHS13. With that in mind, we figured we’d at least give you some ideas on some of our favorite eateries to check out while you are in town. We are scurrying to get our reservations in now:
Local Three: Mentioned before..but can’t be mentioned enough. These guys source local and have an atmosphere that is inclusive and fun. Be sure to mention Paleo Comfort Foods when you are there…they will take great care of you. How can you not love a restaurant that lives by this philosophy: “People Matter Most, Local Is Priority, Seasonal Makes Sense, Authenticity Rules, Quality Governs, Delicious Trumps, Pretense Stinks, Comfort Feels Good, Appreciation Tastes Better, Prudence Sustains It All.” If you have time and the kitchen isn’t too slammed, ask your server for a kitchen tour and check out the Bushwood! If you happen to be staying through Sunday, the brunch at Local Three is nothing short of amazing, and it’s served from their impressive kitchen that they just love to show off!
4th & Swift: Located a few minutes from the event, Chef Jay Swift is a frequent rockstar in our gym. Dude grows his own maters and you will likely get a nice dose of local produce with exceptionally good meat. The restaurant is sure to be packed on the weekend, so get your reservations in now. Say hi to Jay when you are down there. He will appreciate that you stopped in.
Empire State South: Chef Ryan Smith is one talented man. Amazing atmosphere, close to the event and they have bocce ball right outside. They serve a rather simple-yet super tasty breakfast (opens at 7am) and are happy to do eggs and bacon (even though it’s not listed on the menu). That leaves you just enough time to get back for the symposium. Did we mention they have bacon?!
The Optimist, JCT Kitchen, King & Duke: Chef Ford Fry is doing some great things these days, and his three restaurants are very popular in the Atlanta scene. The former two being about a 10 minute cab ride from the Sheraton, the latter being more like 20 minutes. The Optimist was named one of Esquire Magazines best new restaurants of 2012. The bars at all locations are wonderful for indulging in some libations, and if we recall correctly there is live music at these joints on different nights. Julie says the bone marrow at King & Duke was incredibly tasty.
West Egg: A super breakfast joint just up the street from The Optimist. They open at 7 and you’ll want to give them a go.
Star Provisions: There are a few choices in this restaurant group. We’ve not been to all of them (sorry). That said, we held the launch party for our first book at Abattoir and have dined at Bacchanalia and Floataway Cafe on occasions. Both come with high marks.
Farm Burger: Locally sourced grassfed beef and a great menu of accompaniments for any burger enthusiast. Did we mention the sweet potato fries?
Villains: Villains is new to the Atlanta scene and run by one of gym members. Yeah…it’s a sandwich shop but they’ll make a lettuce wrap for you in a heartbeat. They are located about a 4 minute drive from the hotel.
If you’re looking to do some exploring, Buford Highway is Atlanta’s treasure trove of ethnic restaurants.
Of course, you can always see what the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s foodie staff have to say about the top 50 places to eat in Atlanta. Alma Cocina is a short walk from the Sheraton, and Julie attests to the fact that they are very gluten-free friendly, and quite good!
For getting your own provisions: There is a Whole Foods about 2 miles away from the Sheraton, and Trader Joe’s just beyond that.
Item #4 Stocking up the backpack with health Snacks
We aren’t even traveling and are loading up on some Well Food Company snacks to have on hand for the symposium. These will come in handy for all you airport travelers and we like to be able to eat clean in a pinch.
Item #5 Making some sweet fish stock for our in town guests
We will be hosting some of our nearest and dearest during the AHSapalooza (one of whom has a very popular book/podcast/blog and is commonly referred to as the Paleo baby Jesus, the other who is a very talented fisher lady, businesswoman, and hot mama!). To try and woo them to the East coast someday, I’m trying out this new stock recipe using the fish head from this gorgeous snapper we landed on a recent trip. I brought the frozen head home just for this reason.
Nicki bringing home the big one!
Fish Stock Recipe
Ingredients
1 Big Ole Fish Head (or several smaller ones with carcasses)
2 tablespoons Ghee
1 sweet onion chopped
1 carrot coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic mashed
1 heart of celery chopped
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3/4-1 gallon of water
Directions
1) in large pot, melt butter and saute veggies of 2-3 minutes
2) add fish head(s), vinegar, water and bring to boil
3) skim scum off top of water, add thyme, bay leaf and reduce to simmer
4) cover and allow to simmer for 4-6 hours (you can let it simmer longer if you want)
5) when done, strain liquid and store what you don’t use in tightly sealed container
6) pick through remaining fish parts for meat you can use for soup or snack later
Item #6: Getting Sweaty!
If anyone is up for some running fun, I’ll be running in the Vinings Downhill 5k Saturday morning at 8am. This race is very fun and super fast. There is a net 280′ downhill drop and the event starts just up the hill from our gym. Walk up registrants are welcome on the day of the race…so join me if you want a little sweat on your brow before we close out what will certainly be an amazing weekend. All proceeds from the race go to charity. If you’re looking to get your CrossFit workout in while in Atlanta, please check out our BTB CrossFit family of gyms. While Julie & I own and operate the Vinings location, we know that the Ponce location (closest to AHS – about 3 miles away) or any of the BTB sites would be glad to have you come in to workout! Here’s all the info on visiting BTB!
Safe travels to Atlanta everyone. We look forward to seeing you in our neck of the woods!