Zach over at Wordsmiths’ blog gives his 2008 State of the Business a couple weeks early, ruminating over the the book store’s past year of start-up and looks to the future, promising on-site coffee and a used book section in the coming year. Both get a big thumbs up from me. [h/t: InDecatur]

But even local-loving Decaturites shouldn’t become complacent about supporting our independent book stores. They need our business. Outside (and probably inside) our little independent shop haven, writers, publishers and sellers all worry about the future of the medium.

A recent overview of the book industry in the L.A. Times (“A Dismal Year for Books“) summed up worries for the future of independent book shops nationwide and the solvency of the industry as media and publishing evolve into the digital space.

The article ultimately concludes with the uneasy feeling that many a book-lover with his/her wallet on the line must be dealing with these days.

Overall, as the publishing world looks back on 2007, it’s hard to reconcile the unease people feel about the business with the excitement they feel about the books themselves. When he goes to publishing dinners, bookseller Doug Dutton said, the conversation swings between lamenting the state of the business and exclaiming joy over a new novel or history.

“It’s about as murky a picture as I’ve seen,” said Dutton. Then he amended that slightly: “Sort of like last year and the year before.”

Buy local.

Sounds like Atlanta’s got itself a recycling problem.

[Take to] Task has received so many complaints about the need for [recycling] boxes that CityLife recently solicited readers’ comments on residential recycling programs overall.

Of 37 responses received, all but one came from residents of the city of Atlanta, which contracts with Dreamsan Inc. for collection and processing services in the city’s voluntary recycling program. The common thread: an inability to get new or replacement bins in a timely manner. Numerous e-mails described waits in excess of six months.

Meanwhile, I am awash with City of Decatur recycling bins and strive to find a cardboard box big enough that the recycling service will not take.

I also recall that Alvin McNeely couldn’t drum up enough local support for his commissioner-at-large campaign with his “my city garbage bags keep tearing” initiative.

So is everyone out there happy with Decatur’s recycling/garbage program? Anything you want clarified or changed?

If you’ve ever parked on East Howard to feast at “Feast” or dine at “the Depeaux”, you may have noticed a little red building tucked away from the street.  You see the establishment’s name, “Las Brasas”, but your sheltered background lends little assistance to help you figure out what the heck that means.  But for some reason, the cute little hole-in-the-wall beckons to you and you think “I definitely have to figure out what they serve and eat it!  Whatever it may be!”

Well, AJC to the rescue.

They have a pretty favorable review of “Las Brasas” online today.

Their verdict?  A little taste of Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken in the heart of Decatur.

Click the continuation for the full review.

Hattip: [InDecatur]

Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to Dan, who commented in response to my previous posting about Pangaea closing its flagship location on Huff Rd, we now have second-hand confirmation that Pangaea is not coming to Decatur.

Dan writes…

I work over by the Pangea on Huff and in talking to them, they are not going to open in Decatur (at least that is what the cashier told me) and they are closing just because the location was not getting enough traffic. Which is understandable since it is kind of off the beaten path.

I am very sad about it since it was a standard part of my lunch rotation.

Many thanks for doing the footwork and updating us on this story Dan!

But here’s my question. Why would a restaurant that claims to be struggling, up and decide to open a second location just months before it closes its doors? Wishful thinking?

Kind of counter-intuitive to me.

My favorite neighborhood coffee joint, Dancing Goats, has made a very generous donation of coffee, an espresso maker, a coffee grinder and t-shirt to the Blissful Glutton for the 4th Annual Menu For Hope. Proceeds from the auctioned items will go towards creating a school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa.

The Blissful Glutton gives the lowdown on how to win these items…

The way it works is that people put up food-related auction items and you donate a certain amount of money. Each $10 buys you a ‘raffle ticket’ to one of the items. So you can get something pretty pricey for only $10. These aren’t shoddy prizes, people. We are talking a private lunch with Harold McGee, Heston Blumenthal cooking you a historic British menu for 2 at the Hinds Head, “a personal tour of elBulli kitchen laboratory at the new Alícia Institute with Ferran Adrià himself.”

Click here to check out the full list of items available to win.

Click here to make a donation.