🧚 Merriment at the meadery
Tuesday, Oct. 6 — Happy Tuesday! Welcome to the table. Beth will be back at the “Family Meal” helm next week, but for now I’m still here (it’s Sarra btw).
🧙♀️ This week’s newsletter features my story on the events at Monks Meadery in Poncey-Highland. If any of your niche interests include Magic: The Gathering, Renaissance Faire prep, chain mail classes, cosplay, or intimate pirate and sea shanty concerts (singing along is not required, but highly encouraged), you’ll probably enjoy one of their events, which typically doesn’t cost more than $5. Their second location in Stone Mountain will open early next year.
🏳️🌈 And scroll down for Pride dining options this weekend. Katie Burkholder has details on food vendors and LGBTQ+-owned restaurants, coffee shops, and bars.
🇮🇹 Plus, Varuni Napoli shares their eggplant Parmesan recipe, which also includes a bonus recipe for their ragu.
Cheers,
🥤 Sarra
Monks Meadery planning big events in Poncey-Highland, second location in Stone Mountain
☠️ On an early August evening, two men in crisp polo shirts accidentally encounter a performance by Land Loch’d, a Celtic, pirate, and sea shanty cover band, playing on the back patio of Monks Meadery in Poncey-Highland.
A member of the band cracks a joke about the gentlemen’s confusion before inviting them to stay, order some mead (honey and water fermented with yeast), and partake in the merriment. They do, for hours.
That’s the vibe at a Monks Meadery event, where expert knowledge of niche subcultures, like Dungeons & Dragons, cosplay, pub singalongs, and Renaissance Faires, isn’t required. At most, enthusiasm, curiosity, and a five-dollar bill are all people need. Costumes, of course, are encouraged, and sometimes even result in a free shot.
“We try and do our best to find events [and] exciting moments and things that the community we’re pouring for are interested in. We’re just big nerds, so it’s a lot of big nerd things,” said Broadway, head of experience and events at Monks Meadery.
👑 Read my story on Monks Meadery events and their upcoming expansion.
A Chamblee Tradition Returns This October
SPONSORED BY A TASTE OF CHAMBLEE
🍽️ The sights, sounds, and flavors of the City of Chamblee will come alive once again as A Taste of Chamblee returns on Sat., Oct. 17, 2026, in Downtown Chamblee from 3-8 p.m., bringing together the community for a day filled with mouthwatering food, unique handcrafted goods, and family-friendly entertainment.
→ For 17 years, A Taste of Chamblee has become a beloved tradition, attracting over 7,000 food and craft lovers who are eager to sample culinary creations from local chefs and discover one-of-a-kind handmade items.
Pride dining guide
🌈 Headed to Atlanta Pride this weekend? While there will be plenty of food vendors selling snacks and drinks at Piedmont Park, numerous LGBTQ+-owned and -friendly restaurants, coffee shops, and bars are within walking distance of the Pride festivities.
🍖 Read Katie’s meal-by-meal guide here.
😋 The sights, sounds, and flavors of Chamblee will come alive as A Taste of Chamblee returns on Sat., Oct. 17, in Downtown Chamblee, bringing together the community for a day filled with mouthwatering food, unique handcrafted goods, and family-friendly entertainment. Get details here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Eggplant Parmesan recipe
This week, we’re sharing Varuni Napoli’s eggplant Parmesan recipe. The dish’s origin is heavily debated, with historians noting that both Naples and Sicily stake claims as eggplant Parmesan’s birthplace.
➡️ Get double the Atlanta food and dining coverage with “Family Meal,” edited by Beth McKibben, on Tuesdays at 5 p.m., and “Side Dish,” edited by Sarra Sedghi, on Thursdays at noon. Subscribe to both here.
