Good Day Atlanta Viewer Information: February 21, 2020

Paul Milliken Visits "Lagarde Restaurant":  Chef Adams and his business partner Leonardo Moura are now co-owners of Lagarde, a Chamblee restaurant specializing in New Orleans-style cuisine.  Adams, whose parents are from the Big Easy, says he grew up with traditional dishes including red beans & rice, po’ boy sandwiches, and oysters  all of which are now featured on the Lagarde dinner menu.

Brunch at Lagarde features shrimp & grits, deviled eggs, and bottomless mimosas. And just to strengthen those family ties a little bit more, the restaurant’s name is actually the chef’s grandmother’s maiden name and his middle name. This Tuesday, February 25th, will be an especially exciting evening at Lagarde.  It will mark the new restaurant’s first Mardi Gras celebration, and the owners plan to mark the occasion with Cajun music, beads and doubloons, lots of traditional dishes and even a special King Cake Martini.   Lagarde is located at 5090 Peachtree Boulevard, Suite D-100, in Chamblee.  

The kitchen is open from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Fridays, 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Sundays.  The bar opens at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays and 11:00 a.m. on the weekends. 

Good things may come to those who wait but the Good Day feature team has never been known for its patience. So we decided to get the party started a little early, and spent the morning at Lagarde, having a little pre-Mardi Gras celebration of our own!

"Raising a Rapper": Venita D. McCollum, born in Gary, Indiana is the mother of Grammy nominated artist Lil Yachty. She talks about her book "How to Raise A Rapper." Venita literally reveals how she raised a rapper and provides navigational tips that will prepare you for the world of entertainment! Some of the topics include Importance of Parental Support, Finance tips, Lifestyle and more. For more information on Venita and to order "How to Raise a Rapper" click here.

Warrick Dunn: Former NFL player Warrick Dunn has been helping families with housing needs for years, now he's decided to take his mission one step further.  Over the past two decades, Dunn, through his Homes for the Holiday and Warrick Dunn Charities, has provided down payment assistance and home furnishing for single parents. At an event on Perry Avenue, where three houses will be built, he founded his newest non-profit, WD Communities, which aims to provide support services for families to break generational poverty and contribute to the revitalization of communities.  

WD Communities partnered with the Augusta Housing Community Development because they share some of the same vision. Last year, Dunn, through his charity, fully furnished two homes for single-parent family homes in Augusta. He has furnished more than 170 homes around the country through his Home for the Holidays program. Though his charity mainly focuses on single parent families, Dunn said he wanted to create something that could benefit any type of family.  

"A lot of times we start something we don’t finish. I want to be able to help these individuals go through this transition of where they are building better habits, they are committed to staying true to the things they signed up for, he said. I know a lot of times with the charity, we focus on single parents, here we want to help all families. For me, it’s just helping individuals who are trying to help themselves." 

Click here for more information.

Pike Nurseries:  If you consider yourself a "black thumb" or you can just never remember to water your plants, Pike nurseries has ways to turn faux plants into fun. 

Why faux plants?

  • We’re definitely all about the real deal here at Pike, but we understand that some customers simply have restrictions on what real plants they can grow.  Those restrictions might include: Very little to no natural light (like in dark apartments or window-less offices) Busy schedules, a lot of traveling, or simply forgetful! Small children and/or curious pets Allergies
  • Very little to no natural light (like in dark apartments or window-less offices)
  • Busy schedules, a lot of traveling, or simply forgetful!
  • Small children and/or curious pets
  • Allergies
  • Faux plants let everyone bring some greenery and joy into their space without the care needs or worrying if your kids or pets try to munch on them
  • Plus, faux plants have come a long way in terms of quality and look. It can be difficult to spot a fake!

Types of faux plants

  • Fiddle leaf fig Super popular, you see it all over the internet and design magazines, but it has a reputation for being very finicky and it needs tons and tons of bright light
  • Super popular, you see it all over the internet and design magazines, but it has a reputation for being very finicky and it needs tons and tons of bright light
  • Succulents Tons of variety – and very good at mimicking the natural color and texture of real ones
  • Tons of variety – and very good at mimicking the natural color and texture of real ones
  • Orchids Fake ones are incredibly realistic!
  • Fake ones are incredibly realistic!
  • Floral stems or pics Tulips and hydrangeas create beautiful arrangements
  • Tulips and hydrangeas create beautiful arrangements

 

How to decorate with them

  • The key is to make them look as real as possible
  • Always use pottery or baskets like you would with real plants
  • Cover with moss or decorative rocks if they are a tabletop option (or even a layer of real dirt)!
  • If using stems to make arrangements, use opaque vases to mask the ends or put pebbles in a glass vase
  • Keep it simple – overly arranged or too much faux stuff can be a dead giveaway that your plants are fake A stand-alone large plant or a single stem in a vase is understated and sophisticated
  • A stand-alone large plant or a single stem in a vase is understated and sophisticated
  • Faux is a great choice for hard to reach areas like high shelves that you don’t want to climb a ladder to water every few days
  • Placing them near windows (where you’d normally place a real plant) will help it look more convincing
  • Keep them clean and dust-free (wipe with a moist cloth or use warm water with mild soap if needed)
  • Keep them out of direct sun (which can fade the color)

DEMONSTRATION with faux succulents (Emmy will show these steps)

  • Faux succulents look really nice grouped together
  • Here’s how you can create a long-lasting arrangement Choose a pot Use dry floral foam (from any craft store) Choose succulents with different textures/shapes/colors Something spiky or tall as a thriller Something trailing as a spiller Put them together so you can’t see the foam, using hot glue to keep them in place
  • Choose a pot
  • Use dry floral foam (from any craft store)
  • Choose succulents with different textures/shapes/colors Something spiky or tall as a thriller Something trailing as a spiller
  • Something spiky or tall as a thriller
  • Something trailing as a spiller
  • Put them together so you can’t see the foam, using hot glue to keep them in place

Pet of the Day: Maggie from Gwinnett Jaildogs. For more information click here.