I'm excited for The Sunday Paper's Nov. 23 issue to hit the streets this weekend. Admittedly I'm biased, but this edition packs a lot of fun, informative and important reading into one free weekly tabloid.
First up, there's our Essential Eats cover story--our fourth annual food issue, this year focusing on Atlanta's top 25 chefs. Life, Food and Style Editor Kirsten Ott did a great job selecting the city's most prominent culinary figures based on their achievements, their innovations in the kitchen and, in many cases, their high-profile status as Atlanta's food ambassadors. I think it's going to spur a lot of debate. Did your favorite make the cut?
Not to be outdone, contributing writer Josh Clark revisits the 10-year-old landmark lawsuit that resulted in Big Tobacco agreeing to pay billions of dollars to smokers in almost every state, and looks at how Georgia's done with its share of the windfall. Regular contributor Mark Woolsey examines how local charities are feeling the pain of the economic crisis. And our own Stephanie Ramage offers her opinion on the topic of unionization and secret ballots.
Elsewhere, movie reviewer Steve Warren weighs in on the eagerly anticipated "Twilight" movie, while Bert Osborne interviews actor Robert Pattinson, who plays the brooding vampire Edward Cullen, about his reaction to the growing "Twilight" phenomenon.
But that's not all, as they used to say in those great old Ronco commercials: Hope Philbrick visits Tennessee's Blackberry Farm, a foodie's paradise resort; Blane Bachelor grapples with the question of how soon is too soon to utter the "L-word" in a relationship (and deals with a little May-December action along the way); Hal Horowitz reviews recent releases by Athens-based up-and-comers Modern Skirts and Atlanta's own Shawn Mullins; and Sports Editor Hunt Archbold muses on missed calls, gives thanks and cracks a few bad jokes. And, oh yeah, yours truly discusses President-elect Barack Obama's election, the legacy of MLK and, improbably enough, the impending release of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy."
That's in addition to Bert Osborne's theater column, Colleen Oakley's fitness advice, Mr. Friendly's snarky celebrity birthdays, the hottest events of the week ahead, a few picks for where to spend Thanksgiving, and the usual comics and games.
So what are you waiting for--an engraved invitation? Pick up a copy already and let us know what you think.