Come Celebrate July 4th at Serenbe!

Details of the day…

8 a.m.:  Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop Opens for Breakfast
Special Menu, 8 a.m. – Noon:

• Serenbe Farms Fresh Blueberry Pancakes with Real Maple Syrup
• Summer Fruit Salad
• Granola & Yogurt
• Bacon & Cheddar Glover Farm Stoneground Grits
• Freshly Baked Bagels
• Bagel with Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread
• Meat, Egg & Cheese Biscuit (with Sausage or Bacon)
• Festive Sweet Treats
• Regular Menu, Noon – 3 p.m.

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.:  Serenbe Farmers’ Market
Join our regular vendors for extended hours.  Plus…

• Homemade Ice Cream
• Hil Doughnuts (in the morning)
• The Hil’s Burgers & Hotdogs, Bread & Butter Pickles, Homemade Chips  (for lunch)
• Outdoor Bar with Mimosas, Bloody Mary’s, Beer & Margaritas (portion of proceeds benefit Chattahoochee Hill Country Conservancy)

10 a.m.:  Annual July 4th Parade Begins!
**The road will be closed to through traffic for the parade starting at 10 a.m. and will reopen after the parade passes.**

We are asking spectators to enter at the Atlanta-Newnan Road entrance and park in the lot up Selborne Way (gravel road by The Hil, across from Getting Around bike rental shop) or on Q-Loop (behind The Hil).

11 a.m. – 2 p.m.:  Steel Drum Band on the Selborne Green.  We welcome steel drummer Scott Douglas, who has played with Jimmy Buffett!

The Shops at Serenbe will be open throughout the day.

5 p.m.:  Back Dock Pig Roast at The Hil

Chef Hilary & Jim White invite you “behind the scenes” while they roast a whole pig in a Chinese roasting box.  Bar service will be available.  (Capacity is limited.)

5 – 9 p.m.:  July 4th Saturday Dinner at The Hil
A few specials on the menu for the evening:

• Riverview Farm Roasted Certified Organic Berkshire Pig with Hil’s BBQ Beans, Texas Toast, & Serenbe Farms Cole Slaw ($18)
• Scallops with Sweet Corn Succotash
• Blueberry Pie

The Farmhouse is closed for July 4th, but open on July 5th for “Fried Chicken Sunday!”  The Inn at Serenbe also has some rooms available for the weekend—call 770.463.2610 to check availability & make reservations.

*For the last two years, this event has sold out.  Order tickets online by August 9 at a special advance purchase price — see details below.

Atlanta Les Dames d’ Escoffier International Announces “Afternoon in the Country” at Serenbe
Annual Fundraiser will be Sunday, November 8, 2009; Ticket Sales Begin with a Summer Special

ATLANTA, GA (6.19.09)—The Atlanta Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, a worldwide society of women in the culinary, beverage, and hospitality industries, will host its ninth annual Afternoon in the Country at Serenbe on Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 1 p.m.  The event is a showcase for the area’s most talented chefs and their creative prowess, along with an array of fine wines, beers and Georgia’s organic harvest.  Proceeds benefit Georgia’s organic farming community and Atlanta’s LDEI scholarship program for women in the culinary, beverage and hospitality arts.

More than 35 chefs from Atlanta’s best restaurants and select retailers will be set up in a tasting format alongside 20-plus fine wine and premium micro-brews under festive big-top tents. The 2008 event featured fine establishments including The Hil, The Farmhouse, Restaurant Eugene, Shaun’s, Rathbun’s, Craft, Repast, Sotto Sotto, Park 75 at the Four Seasons, SweetWater Brewery, Bella Cucina Artful Food, Via Elisa Fresh Pasta and many more. Guests also enjoy meeting Georgia’s dedicated organic farmers and purchasing from their bountiful harvest.

Other highlights include:  live music by renowned Bluegrass band, DriveTrain, a one-of-a-kind cake raffle featuring sweets from Atlanta’s best pastry chefs, hayrides, unique wares from artisan and select retailers and a silent auction offering exclusive dining and travel packages, exclusive merchandise and original art by some of the Southeast’s most prominent artists.  New this year is a dynamic live auction featuring unique dining and entertainment experiences (including a private concert with renowned singer Francine Reed).

Regular ticket price is $95 per person. Children under 12 may attend free of charge. Children 12 to 20 are $35 each. Tickets are now available for purchase securely online at www.ldeiatlanta.org.

Through August 9th, Atlanta LDEI is offering a special advance ticket purchase price of 2 for $150.  Visit www.ldeiatlanta.org to purchase.

Numerous sponsorship opportunities are available for this event. Please contact Sue Anne Morgan at 404.329.8426 or sueanne@idealand.org for event details and sponsorship information.

Les Dames d’Escoffier International is dedicated to creating a supportive culture in the community, fostering excellence and promoting the achievement of women in culinary professions through educational and charitable activities. For additional information, please visit www.ldeiatlanta.org.

Media Contact:
Tucker Berta
tucker@serenbe.com
678.850.3204

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We are extremely excited to share this news with you!

BLUE MEDSPA OPENING SECOND LOCATION IN SERENBE
Spa Magazine’s “Top 3 Medical Spa in the U.S.” is Newest Addition to New York Times’ “Sonoma for the New South”

Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia (6.1.09) — Serenbe is pleased to announce the newest commercial addition to the community, BLUE MedSpa.  The medspa, which was named a “Top 3 Medical Spa in the U.S.” by readers of Spa Magazine and one of the “Top 55 Hot New Spas Worldwide” by Conde Nast Traveler, is scheduled to open in late July.  This is the second medspa for John Stupka, who also owns and operates BLUE MedSpa’s Midtown Atlanta location.  The Serenbe location will offer many of the services offered by the Midtown location, including facials, massage, body treatments, and clinical services such as microdermabrasion and Thermage.

“Serenbe is the perfect fit for BLUE MedSpa’s ever-growing wellness offerings—we’re happy to be able to give this added amenity to residents, visitors and guests of the Inn at Serenbe.  We’re eager to create wellness retreats for companies and groups wanting to create greater balance in their lives,” says Stupka.  “Serenbe is becoming to Atlanta what the Hamptons are to New York City—it’s a chic, close-by, relaxing retreat.  Having a medspa makes this an even more attractive place to live or visit.”

Says Serenbe founder Steve Nygren, “We often say that Serenbe is a great place to come and step off the treadmill of life and just “be.”  BLUE MedSpa is another wonderful relaxation element and a great addition to the community.”

In keeping with Serenbe’s focus on organic farming and environmentally respectful practices, BLUE MedSpa is incorporating organic produce into its services.  The special Serenbe menu will feature “Farm-to-Face” and “Farm-to-Body” treatments using organic herbs, flowers and vegetables grown on the Serenbe Farms.  “Opening this Serenbe location allows us to take advantage of the wonderful, organic produce growing on the Serenbe Farms.  Just as the Serenbe restaurants were pioneers in the farm-to-table movement, we want BLUE MedSpa to be a pioneer in what we’re calling the “farm-to-face” and “farm-to-body” movement,” says Stupka.

Register at www.bluemedspa.com for Serenbe updates and receive $25 off any service at BLUE MedSpa at Serenbe.   A full spa menu and more details will be available closer to the opening date.

Media inquiries may be directed to Tucker Berta, tucker@serenbe.com or 678.850.3204.

Serenbe is a 1,000 acre community located just 30 minutes from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, with a focus on balanced growth, sustainability, green building, organic farming, and smart environmental practices. It was the first hamlet built in  Chattahoochee Hills, a 40,000 acre city with an overlay plan that calls for preservation of a minimum of 70% of the acreage.  Serenbe has private residential homes, commercial space, art galleries, original shops, stables, a 20-room inn with conference facilities, and organic farm with CSA program and Saturday markets.   The community is home to three restaurants, all practicing the farm-to-table concept—Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop (the nation’s smallest Silver LEED certified building), The Farmhouse (which has received national critical acclaim in Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines, and is consistently featured in local publications), and The Hil (owned by executive chef Hilary White, and has received national critical acclaim in Food and Wine magazine, and was named a Best New Restaurant by Atlanta Magazine and the Atlanta Journal Constitution).  In 2008, the Urban Land Institute awarded Serenbe its inaugural Sustainability Award, the Atlanta Regional Commission honored Serenbe as a “Development of Excellence” with special merit in conservation, and EarthCraft named Serenbe the EarthCraft Development of the Year. For more information, visit www.serenbe.com.

BLUE MedSpa, chosen as one of the “Top 55 Hot New Spas Worldwide” by Conde Nast Traveler and a “Top 3 Medical Spa” by readers of Spa Magazine (along with Canyon Ranch & La Jolla), is the vision of owner John Stupka, brought to life first in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, then with a second location in the Serenbe community.  BLUE MedSpa provides guests with expert results-focused care and offers the latest in clinical medical esthetics, traditional spa services and lifestyle-based wellness programs.  The medspa specializes in offering a comprehensive whole person approach to care so that the individual needs of each guest may be fully understood and desired results achieved.  For more information, call 404.815.8880 or visit www.bluemedspa.com.

This weekend, Serenbe will be abuzz with activity from our farmers’ market, to the restaurants & shops, to fly fishing at the Inn at Serenbe.  Here are some details:

Serenbe Farmers’ & Artists’ Market

Saturdays, 9 a.m. – Noon (on the Selborne Green)

This Saturday (May 23), Marie Nygren of The Farmhouse presents “Grits  Greens,” a cooking demonstration featuring Jenny Jack stone ground grits, collards and kale from Serenbe Farms.  Also, Melissa Bukovinac is the musical entertainment.

Here are some of the farm-fresh items you’ll find at the market this Saturday:

Organic transplants for sale: many seasonal heirloom and hybrid varieties of tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, melons, herbs, flowers and more.

Plus…
Collards
Kale
Swiss Chard
Kohlrabi
Sugar Snap Peas
Lettuce
Lamb’s Quarters
Leeks
Garlic Scapes
Onion Flowers
Green Garlic
Herbs
Chinese Cabbage

Fried Chicken Sunday at The Farmhouse, 11:30 a.m. – 3 pm.

Every Sunday at The Farmhouse, enjoy one of our favorite traditions:  “Fried Chicken Sunday” with scrumptious fried chicken and farm-fresh Southern sides.  This Sunday, enjoy two-for-one Bloody Mary’s & Mint Juleps.  Call for reservations:  770.462.2622.

Fly Fishing at the Inn at Serenbe

Spend a day in the country fly fishing with your friends or family.  Guide Smith Levenson will teach you the basics of casting, techniques, knot tying, fundamentals of catch and release, and guide you through your excursion.

Call for reservations:  770.463.2610.

1 Person                       2 People                     3 People                  4 People
2 Hour:  $95               2 Hour:  $170           2 Hour:  $225        2 Hour: $325
3 Hour:  $135              3 Hour:  $245          3 Hour:  $325        3 Hour:  $375

Special Inn at Serenbe Memorial Day Package:

Any available room at the Inn at Serenbe (Monday night, May 25, double occupancy).  Plus, One Hour Fly Fishing Lesson
(for one person; regular rates apply to additional participants):  $150

Subject to availability. Call for reservations, 770.463.2610.

We hope to see you this Memorial Day weekend!

Two films from local filmmakers and food activists Owen and Christine Masterson of Anthony-Masterson Films have been selected to appear at the Organic Summit’s First Annual Organic Film Trailer Competition.  Curt Ellis (producer of King Corn), who helped to select the finalists, will be presenting a prize to the winner on June 3rd.

‘FARM!’  Takes an inspiring look at a variety of people farming sustainably (including Serenbe Farms‘ Paige Witherington) and answers the question “who’s going to be growing our food?”

‘Who Grows Your Food?’ is an in-depth look at a variety of Urban sustainable farmers and gardeners within the Metro Atlanta area.

After viewing the films, you may vote for them by first rating it, then post your comment, then post your vote.

FARM: http://views.newhope.com/organicfilm/Home/VideoPlayer/tabid/83/VideoId/48/FARM.aspx

Who Grows Your Food:  http://views.newhope.com/organicfilm/Home/VideoPlayer/tabid/83/VideoId/49/Who-Grows-Your-Food.aspx

MayDay is always one of my favorite events of the year.  It’s a fun day in the country with artists, live music, great vendors, food & beverage offerings, and tons of fun experiences.  I hope you’ll join us!  Check out the list below of who you’ll see & meet, what you can taste, and some things you’ll experience at MayDay this year:

FOOD & DRINK

The Hil “Taco Blanco”, www.the-hil.com

The Farmhouse grits bar, www.serenbefarmhouse.com 

Serenbe Farms farmstand, www.serenbefarms.com 

Harris & Clark “Cheese Fest,” www.harrisclark.com

Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop

H&F Bread Co. www.hfbreadco.com 

Low Country BBQ, www.lowcountrybbq.com

SweetWater Brewery, www.sweetwaterbrew.com

International Society of Africans in Wine (ISAW) wine bar, www.isawfoundation.org

Souper Jenny cookbook signing and tastings, www.souperjennyatl.com

Bella Cucina Artful Food, www.bellacucina.com

Share Our Strength, www.strength.org, Great American Bake Sale benefiting Operation No Kid Hungry

Les Dames d’Escoffier International, Atlanta Chapter, www.ldeiatlanta.org, chefs signing and selling cookbooks & cupcake decorating station, benefiting culinary school scholarship fund

Fairywood Thicket, local jams & jellies

Pine Street Market, handmade artisan cured meats, www.pinestreetmarket.com.

The Cook’s Warehouse, www.cookswarehouse.com, cooking demos & kitchen gadgets

Nathan’s Nearly Famous Kettle Corn, www.nathanskettlecorn.com  

FUN THINGS TO DO & SEE

Michael David’s “Greenhouse Project” at StudioSwan, www.studioswan.com

Hill Country Montessori’s “Spring on the Hill” with eco-educational games, music, bug discovery walk through the woods, caricatures, “bouncy castles” & much more, www.hillcountrymontessori.org 

Rock Climbing Wall

“Rockn Tennis” with Yvonne Monet; good times & tunes on the tennis court, www.rockntennis.com 

“Grow Your Own” Demos with Farmer D., Serenbe Farmers & Rashid Nuri of Truly Living Well Farms

New Leash on Life pet adoptions, www.newleashonlifega.org

Pony Rides

Face Painting at Paisley Salon, www.paisleysalon.com

Getting Around golf car tours, www.gettingarOund.com

LIVE MUSIC

The Farmland Band

The Drew Allen Band

George Applegate & the Saltwater Band

DJ Yvonne Monet, www.yvonnemonet.com

VENDORS & ARTISTS

shopSCAD, www.shopscadonline.com, artwork of students, faculty, staff and alumni of SCAD

Denise Disharoon Designs, www.denisedisharoon.com, hand-crafted sterling silver & gold jewelry

InkSpotts eco-friendly paper, www.theinkspott.com

Olive & Paisley Umbrella custom boutiques, www.paisleyumbrella.com

Lark & Loon children’s clothing, www.larkandloon.com

Tracey Hartley art & furniture, www.sososouthern.com

Aquanada Jewelry, www.aquanada.com, hand-crafted sterling silver and gold jewelry

Capri Blue Candles, www.aspenbaycandles.com

Kristina Bailey original paintings, www.kbbaileydesigns.com

Nastro Bello Jewelry, www.nastrobello.com

Coleccion Luna vintage & repurposed textiles & handbags, www.coleccionluna.com

Charlotte Scarce art

Phoenix Metalworks by Corrina Mensoff, www.phoenixmetalwork.com

Rinse Soap, handmade & natural body products, www.rinsesoap.com

Peace-Love-Mom at The Bilt-house, www.peacelovemom.com

EcoMeme eco-lifestyle boutique, www.ecomeme.com

Greg Newington Photography, www.newingtonphotography.com

Goode’s for the Home, www.goodeshome.com

Mattie’s Social Circle original painting & more, www.jennihorne.blogspot.com

Anne Genevieve Gallivan Photography, www.annegenevieve.com

Oil Painters of South Atlanta

Meghan McNeer Photography, www.meghanmcneer.com

The Vintage Flea, www.thevintage-flea.com

Jill Massey Couture Jewelry, www.jillmassey.com

Urban Cottage home accessories, www.urbancottageatlanta.com

Becky Minchew World

David Toone Oriental Medicine, www.davidtoone.com

Blue MedSpa, www.bluemedspa.com

We’d love to see you at Serenbe this weekend–The Farmhouse has a lovely Easter Sunday menu and will have baby chicks for cuddling, and candy eggs for all the children dining with them, The Hil has several special items for brunch and dinner (including a “celebration of cakes” with the ever-popular Hil Chocolate Cake, plus a Citrus St. Germain elderflower punch), and the Blue Eyed Daisy bakery case will be filled with sweet treats.  Plus, on Saturday, The Bilt-house boutique is having a trunk show with Smart Glass recycled jewelry designer Kathleen Plate.  We hope to see you this weekend.

Important Notice, April 3, 2009:
We have just been informed that
SOUTH FULTON PARKWAY
will be
CLOSED
Friday, April 3 – Sunday, April 5
(reopening Monday morning)

We suggest using 85 South to the Fairburn/Peachtree City exit or Palmetto/Collinsworth exit as an alternate.
We have found www.maps.yahoo.com to give the most accurate directions to Serenbe
(use 9110 Selborne Lane or 10950 Hutcheson Ferry Road, Palmetto, GA 30268 as your destination address).

You may download a helpful map here: http://www.serenbecommunity.com/directions.html

Join us at Serenbe this weekend for an art stroll—the Serenbe shops and galleries will be filled with unique work for you to peruse and purchase. Meet artists and other art lovers; stay for a meal at one of the Serenbe restaurants (breakfast at the Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop, brunch or dinner at The Hil, dinner at The Farmhouse on Saturday, or our beloved Fried Chicken tradition on Sunday).  Here are some details:

• Select SCAD student-artists in “Studio 22″ (located near The Bilt-house)
• The Bilt-house welcomes jewelry designers Avril & Cindy Joffe, plus works on disply by Tim Mosby
• At Goodes, explore works by Jane Whitehurst, Tracey Hartley & Gail Foster
• Found & recycled art by Tom Swanston & Paul Villinski at EcoMeme
• Photography by Frank Hunter in Getting Around
• Emerging artist Katherine Jones, plus Karen Scwartz & John Paddock in StudioSwan
• Photography by Mary Warren in Paisley Salon

(Note:  Newington Gallery is expanding and moving to a new location within Serenbe.  They gallery will reopen in April with a special Jack Kehoe sculpture exhibition on April 18).

The biggest thrill I’ve had in a while was walking over to the Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop to pick up the Sunday New York Times.  Now, this isn’t an unusual occurrence for me, but yesterday’s Sunday Times had a full page devoted to Serenbe.  (If you haven’t seen the story, click here:  http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/travel/01heads.html?th&emc=th)  

The writer, Kevin Sack, came to visit us with his wife over New Year’s.  They stayed at the Inn and dined in our three restaurants, and enjoyed it so much, Kevin deemed us worthy of a story.  He came back for an interview with Steve Nygren and me over fried chicken at The Farmhouse , then the paper sent photographer Erik Lesser down for a shoot.  Erik and I had a blast touring the property, visiting our farms manager Paige Witherington on the Serenbe Farm, seeing the goats, chickens and sheep in the animal village at the Inn, having a mid-afternoon cookie in the bakeshop,  checking out our shops and art galleries (he especially loved EcoMeme, our eco-lifestyle boutique) and watching the chefs at work in The Hil and The Farmhouse.  Erik’s photos beautifully capture Serenbe, just as Kevin’s words do (see the Times‘ photo gallery here:  http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/03/01/travel/0301-serenbe_index.html?ref=multimedia)

Today, all of us at Serenbe are loving finding the blogs referencing Serenbe in the Times, “tweeting” about it on Twitter, and seeing that the Serenbe story is the third most popular story on NYTimes.com (we beat Maureen Dowd!).  And we’re looking forward to meeting all the new folks that now want to come to Serenbe, and thanking the New York Times for introducing us.

We hope to see you soon.  Be sure to check our events calendar–this spring, we have fantastic art exhibitions, shop openings and, of course, MayDay on Sunday, May 3.

 –Tucker Berta