Sushi + Vodka? The Czar says it's Okay

Who knew sushi and vodka went so well together? So it goes at Czar Ice Bar, a super sleek and modern bar in Buckhead that's equipped with 300 kinds of vodka, a bar completely made out of ice, and the perhaps the cutest, little Japanese sushi chef I've ever come across!

Feeling cold? A little bit of vodka will warm you right up!

Being that this place is almost like a vodka arsenal, it was only fitting that Ruben and I order a couple of vodka flights, which were presented to us in blocks of ice. Classy. Very classy.

Fruit infused vodka!

Russian Elite: Beluga, Imperia, Stolichnaya Elit, Zyr

I absolutely loved the fruit infused vodka flight--the flavors were pleasant and the liquor was very easy to drink. Maybe a little too easy if you ask me. The Russian Elite flight, on the other hand, while very smooth, was not easy to put down. AT ALL. In the end, I realized that I'm much more of a rum and bourbon type of girl than a vodka girl. You know, something with a little more flavor to help the alcohol go down. That's not to say I didn't like the vodka flight--I'd take these over Grey Goose any day. In the meantime though, I let Ruben drink most of the Russian Elite flight.

Sushi anyone?

I know, I know what you're probably thinking--damn, these people eat a lot! And the truth is, we do! We really do. How we both don't weigh 600 pounds by now baffles me a little.

While Ruben and I ate, drank, and enjoyed each other's company, Chef Saito--Czar's sushi chef and perhaps the cutest, little old man who looks like he should be retired by now--would come to our table every now and then to see how we were doing, make small talk with us, recommend good sushi dishes, and always insist that Ruben dip the last piece of sushi in the sauce before taking our plates away, because "it's good stuff". As the night wore on, I couldn't help but wonder, isn't it a little bit past his bedtime?

I'm not one to complain though. I'm glad Chef Saito was awake at that hour. His creations were quite inventive, original, and nothing like I've ever tasted in any other sushi restaurant. I just wished that the tuna in our sushi rolls was raw, not cooked! Whenever I see "spicy tuna" on a sushi menu, I always assume that it's going to be raw. Not at Czar Ice Bar, I guess. (Okay, so I guess I complained about something after all.) Aside from the cooked fish, everything else couldn't have been more perfect!

Have you been to Czar Ice Bar? What did you think of it?

www.czaricebar.com

To Keep or Not to Keep? {Statement Necklaces}

When it comes to accessorizing with jewelry, I've always preferred wearing real, dainty pieces over big, chunky statement jewelry. My daily jewelry has always consisted of my diamond stud earrings that I received from my mom back in college, my diamond necklace that my love gave me for our anniversary, and occasionally my diamond ring(s) that I've had since high school. (Yes, I love diamonds!) Granted, they are nowhere near the size what Donald Trump must give to his significant other, but I still find them to be beautiful, classic and timeless.

I thought what I had was enough. It wasn't until I started to read other fashion blogs that I noticed how certain statement pieces can really pull a look together and make an ensemble look more complete. When Amrita Singh had their Mother's Day sale a couple of weeks ago with everything at 50% off, I decided to pick up a few statement necklaces to try out. 

Chicomo Necklace

Apiya Necklace

Napeague Spring Necklace

Out of the three necklaces that I tried out, I think I'm only going to keep the first one, the Chicomo Necklace. It's not that I didn't love the other two necklaces--don't get me wrong, they were both just as beautiful in person, it's just that they were so big it was a little overwhelming. With the Chicomo Necklace, I thought it made a statement, but could still pass for being dainty.

What do you think of these statement necklaces?

Ombre Hair Color + Caged Sandals

Cheers to the weekend!

For the first time in seven years, I finally decided to start coloring my hair again. My hair had always been colored for as long as I can remember--my very first memory of it didn't take place in a hair salon, but rather at home, with my mom "lightening" my hair color by pouring a can of beer into my hair and letting me run around in the hot sun while the beer "went to work". As odd as that sounded, it actually did work and was a better alternative to putting toxic chemicals into an 8 year old girl's hair. Of course, that was a one time thing, and when I got a little older, I started dying my hair light brown with the occasional blonde highlights, consistently until I graduated from high school. (Think Jennifer Lopez in the early 2000's.) It wasn't until I discovered Japanese Thermal Straightening (aka permanent hair straightening) in college that I couldn't straighten my hair over my color treated hair without seriously damaging it, or worse, losing it. So I had to choose: straight hair or colored hair? Being that my hair is naturally very kinky and curly, I obviously chose to have straight hair.

Fast forward seven years later--I was chit-chatting with my current hair stylist about wishing how I could color my hair over my Japanese thermal-treated locks, and she said that she could actually do it for me--she would just have to use a slightly stronger solution, but leave it on for a much shorter amount of time than you would do for regular hair coloring. She also recommended putting on a keratin treatment that would help minimize hair damage. Being that she's had years and years of experience doing Japanese thermal straightening and that she's been doing my hair for nearly a year now, I knew I could trust her and that my hair wouldn't come out looking like I've been electrocuted. 

We decided to do the ombre technique, since it's super low maintenance and the color wouldn't touch any of my new hair growth, which will be ideal for when I go back to get my hair thermally retouched in a few weeks. To be honest, I think my hair looks a little more like I got highlights than it does ombre, but it doesn't mean that I don't love it! I love it, I really do, I feel like the lighter hair color makes my skin look a lot more tan than it really is, which is never a bad thing!

Setting my hair aside/switching subjects, I am IN LOVE with my B Brian Atwood Laplata Sandals! It's my first pair of caged anything, and I think it'll be a challenge (in a fun way) to find outfits that go with these bright purple bad boys.

What do you think of the ombre hair color? And how would you wear these caged sandals?

:: Outfit Details ::

Shirt :: J.Crew

Pants :: Joe's Jeans (similar here)

Shoes :: B Brian Atwood

Purse :: MARC by Marc Jacobs

Sweet and Savory :: Gladys Knight's Chicken and Waffles Concepts

I love soul food. I got my very first taste of the real thing when Ruben's mom made Collard Greens with Ham Hocks for Thanksgiving dinner two years ago. (A little late, I know, but better late than never, right?) It was amazing! After that epiphanic discovery, I attempted to bring a little bit of 'soul' into my own kitchen--for starters, I tried to recreate his mom's collard greens many many times, only to get shot down over and over again with a statement that no perfectionist foodie/cook ever wants to hear: "It's really good, but it's not as good as my mom's." In between chopping greens and boiling ham hocks, (mad scientist style), I've also made time to try out a few other Southern/soul dishes, like smothered pork chops and peach cobbler. There have been other days however, when my body has gone into complete cooking overload, and could no longer stand the sight (and smell, due to all that darn Crisco) of my own kitchen. Enter Gladys Knight's Chicken & Waffles Concepts.

Our adventurous dish of the day: Fried Green Tomatoes! Highly, highly addictive. So addictive that I ate six out of the seven tomatoes on that plate. *Oink oink*

Do chicken and waffles usually come with gravy or syrup? Apparently, Gladys Knight's version doesn't include either of them. I personally prefer my chicken and waffles smothered in gravy--however, since this version didn't come with any, I can't help but wonder if this is how chicken and waffles are supposed to be or if the gravy/syrup feature is just a West Coast thing.

The fried chicken, hands down, was some of the best I've ever had to date, joining an elite mental best fried chicken list that includes Busy Bee Cafe and Ezell's Famous Chicken in Seattle, Washington. I could have easily smashed a bucket full of this chicken if the opportunity presented itself. But if only I could say the same about the waffle! While the taste was there, I couldn't get over how soggy it was. I'm sorry waffle, as much as I tried to love you and make it work between us, I just couldn't. The chicken had stolen my heart.

Do you like your chicken and waffles with gravy or syrup?

http://gladysandron.net/