LOCAL THREE PART II

IF YOU LOOK BACK AT MY POST
http://sososouthern.blogspot.com/2011/01/local-three.html
YOU WILL SEE SOME REALLY GREAT PHOTOS OF MY WORK AT LOCAL THREE KITCHEN AND BAR. THE WORK HAS NEVER REALLY ENDED. I HAVE DONE MANY MORE PAINTINGS, MADE COAT RACKS AND TAP HANDLES FOR THEIR DRAUGHT BEER.
THE LAST PROJECT I DID FOR L3 WAS TO REDO THEIR PRIVATE DINNING ROOM.
THEY WANTED TWO PAINTINGS AND THEY WANTED ONE WALL COVERED IN SALVAGE MATERIALS.
THE WHITE PANEL WITH THE LOCAL THREE KITCHEN & BAR LOGO ON IT IS FROM MY NEIGHBORS FRONT PORCH RENOVATION.
THE OTHER WOOD IS FROM A GUY SOUTH OF ATLANTA WHO DISMANTLES HOUSES AND SELLS THE LUMBER.
I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE WAY THIS JOB TURNED OUT.
ABOVE IS A PHOTO I STOLE FROM THE LOCAL THREE WEBSITE NOT SURE WHO TOOK IT.
CLICK ON IT TO ENLARGE.

CHICAGO SEPT 30 -- QCT 3

WE DID A QUICK TRIP TO CHICAGO NOT LONG AGO WITH MY MOM, DAD AND SISTERS.
STACEY DID A LOT OF RESEARCH AS WE HAD NEVER BEEN TO CHICAGO BEFORE.
AND BEING AS WE WERE WITH A GROUP WE WERE LOOKING FOR THINGS WE COULD ALL DO. WHAT WE CAME UP WITH WAS A 90 MINUTE BOAT TOUR ON THE CHICAGO RIVER. IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE ALONG THE RIVER WHICH WINDS THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
WE ALSO DID A 3 HOUR BIKE TOUR ALONG THE LAKE FRONT AND THROUGH SOME COOL NEIGHBORHOODS.
BOTH TOURS WERE VERY GOOD.  THE LADY DOING THE BOAT TOUR DID NOT STOP TALKING FOR THE WHOLE 90 MINUTES. SHE KNEW A LOT ABOUT EVERY SKYSCRAPER ALONG THE WAY. VERY INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE.
THE BIKE TOUR WAS JUST AS GOOD. CHICAGO IS FLAT AND MADE FOR AN EASY RIDE. WE LEARNED ABOUT PEOPLE AND PLACES ON THIS TOUR AND GOT A HANDLE ON THE LAY OF THE LAND FOR OUR NEXT VISIT..
WE TRIED TO GET AN RSVP AT ANY RICK BAYLESS RESTAURANT, BUT NO WAY. SO STACEY FOUND "SEVEN ON STATE". THAT'S THE 7TH FLOOR OF THE MACY'S DEPT. STORE WHERE YOU CAN FIND A RICK BAYLESS RESTAURANT ALONG SIDE OF MARCUS SAMUELSSON THE BURGER MASTER. THERE ARE 5 OTHER RESTAURANTS IN THIS FOOD COURT. AND BECAUSE IT'S IN A DEPT STORE IT'S VERY CAUSAL AND EASY TO GET IN AND OUT AND THE ONLY WAY WE WERE GONNA GET FOOD FROM EITHER OF THESE GREAT CHEFS.
ONE NIGHT WE HAD DEEP DISH PIZZA DELIVERED TO US.  IT WAS VERY GOOD EVEN THOUGH THIN CRUST IS MY FAV. WE WALKED A LOT THROUGH MILLENNIUM PARK.
THERE IS LOTS OF GREAT OUTDOOR ART AND A FRANK GEHRY BAND SHELL FROM HELL IN THE PARK.
CHECK OUT SOME OF STACEY'S PHOTOS AND GET YOURSELF TO CHICAGO, IT'S LIKE A SMALL CLEAN NYC WITH NICE FOLKS WHO LOOK YOU IN THE EYE AND TALK TO YOU.

A FEW GOOD COCKS

        MY LATEST PAINTINGS!  DETAILS AT   TRACY HARTLEY ART AND FURNITURE

NASHVILLE AND ELVIS

Lil LADY AND I WENT TO NASHVILLE TO SEE ELVIS COSTELLO. WE HAD NEVER BEEN TO NASHVILLE BEFORE. WE GOT TO TOWN EARLY AND THE FRONT DESK CLERK POINTED US IN THE DIRECTION OF THE FARMERS MARKET. WE WALKED ABOUT A MILE AND FOUND IT. A LARGE STATE FARMERS MARKET STYLED FARMERS MARKET.
THERE WAS A PRODUCE SHED, A GARDENING SHED, A RESTAURANT SHED AND A FLEA MARKET SHED.
THE FLEA MARKET SUCKED, ALL NEW STUFF. THE PRODUCE AND THE GARDENING WERE COOL AND THE RESTAURANT SHED WAS COOL WITH A FEW PLACES TO EAT THAT LOOKED REAL INTERESTING. 
WE FOUND A LITTLE POP UP KITCHEN WITH A CROSTINI BAR TO SIT AND EAT. IT WAS CALLED AM@FM. THEY HAD A CHALK BOARD TELLING ABOUT THE CROSTINIS AVAILABLE. PORK BELLY CAUGHT MY EYE AND THAT'S WHAT I ORDERED. AS IT WAS SERVED  THE FELLOW TOLD US ABOUT THE HOUSE CURED BELLY AND HOW HE BUILT THIS CROSTINI WITH HOUSE MADE GRAINY MUSTARD AND HONEY.
STACEY ASK FOR THE EGG SALAD WITH CAPERS AND  DILL. HE EXPLAINED HOW HE BUILT THIS ONE USING LOCAL, FREE RANGE EGGS.  HOUSE MADE MAYO AND HOUSE MADE PICKLES.
THIS WAS GOOD STUFF AND WE FELT LUCKY TO HAVE FOUND THE PLACE. WE LEARNED LATER THE CHEF BEHIND AM@FM, ARNOLD MYINT, WAS ONCE A CONTESTANT ON TOP CHEF.

LATER THAT NIGHT WE WENT TO A PLACE RECOMMEND BY THE GUY AT AM@FM. WE ASK FOR A LOCALS PLACE TO EAT AND DRINK CAUSE DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE IS A TOURIST TRAP. THEY SENT US TO THE PATTERSON HOUSE. A SPEAK EASY STYLE BAR THAT IS NAMED AFTER THE GOVERNOR WHO CHANGED THE PROHIBITION  LAWS IN TENNESSEE.IT WASN'T ALL THAT. EXPENSIVE DRINKS, OK FOOD AND ATTITUDE.

BUT ELVIS COSTELLO DIDN'T HAVE AN ATTITUDE. HE WAS GREAT. I HAVE BOUGHT TICKETS TO SEE ELVIS TWICE AND BOTH TIMES HE HAD TO CANCEL. HE DIDN'T CANCEL HIS RYMAN AUDITORIUM SHOW. THE RYMAN IS A GREAT PIECE OF HISTORY AND IT WAS THE PERFECT PLACE TO SEE ELVIS. HE PLAYED FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS AND TREATED US TO A COUPLE OF ACOUSTIC SONGS DURING ONE OF HIS ENCORES. JUST ELVIS AND HIS GUITAR. HE EVEN STEPPED AWAY FROM THE MIC TO SING AND LET THE RYMAN DO ALL THE WORK. IT WAS REAL NICE.