Chef Ron Eyester and Woodland Gardens

May 16, 2010
Breaking Bread & Theater Go Together

Brunch is one of my favorite meals and to no surprise I was delighted when Ron Eyester agreed to host the May Farmers/Chef  FFS brunch!  If you haven’t been to Rosebud yet for Sunday brunch then you better make reservations as getting a table even after 2PM is slim.  Luckily, last Sunday, For Food’s Sake members and I had Chef Ron and Farmer Celia Barss of Woodland Gardens all to ourselves at the penthouse of Ron & Peg Balzer. Our most gracious hosts opened their home for all to view their unusual art collection and incredible view of the downtown Atlanta skyline.   We were greeted with a medley of  beverage choices- Bloody Marys, Mimosas and even a blueberry royale sparkling made from Neil Taylor’s blueberries.   There was no need of an introduction to Farmer Celia  as most members are part of her incredible following at the Morningside farmers market. If you plan to visit her booth, go early as lines form quickly.  Ron was at the top of his game dishing out his famous “stuff with eggs” and his new introduction of The Little Nasty of  french toast stuffed with Riverview Farms sausage & brie.  After our tummies were full we watched the documentary of Herrens Restaurant which is noted for being downtown Atlanta’s first restaurant to voluntarily desegregate in 1962.  Named after  the lead donors, Bill and Peg Balzer, and the historic building that it occupies, Balzer Theater at Herren’s is the country’s first “green” theater, having attained silver certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).  And if you think the brunch was over, Bill Balzer invited us over for the musical, Blues in the Night! As Tom Key put it  “breaking bread and theater go together” !

Menu
Rosebud Biscuits
Sparkman’s Butter & Housemade Strawberry Preserves
Sweet Baby Shrimp Cocktail
Local Strawberries, Pickled Jalapenos & Thai Basil
House Cured Salmon
Capers, Crumbled Egg, Pickled Red Onion & Vermont Goat Cheese
Chicken Liver Toast
Smoked Bacon, Housemade Bread n’ Butter Pickles & Balsamic
Crab & Buttermilk Gazpacho
Peekytoe Crab & Local Spring Onion
The Little Nasty
Stuffed French Toast with Riverview Farms Sausage & Brie
Farmhouse Scramble
Soft Scrambled Local Eggs with Local Vegetables & Flat Creek Cheddar

Photos provided by Kitty Ray Swain