FOR A SPICE MARKET SPECIAL, PULL OVER, PARK AND
GET AN INSIDER PERK BY TEXTING "TGIW" ON JULY 14  Thumbs up! Keep them limber to text
"TGIW" to 99699 on Wednesday, July 14 and receive a special Spice Market insider deal sent
directly to your phone. Now that's
smart! The insider perk is this week's
offer in the W Hotels of Atlanta "I ♥ W ATL" summer of sizzling specials. Once you receive your text special, you have
one week to show and redeem it at Spice Market in the W Atlanta Midtown. For
more information, please visit W Hotels of Atlanta on Facebook. Offers will be updated by 9 a.m. ET on
Wednesday mornings. Text messaging and data rates may apply.
Spice Market: In the W Atlanta Midtown, 188 14th
Street, NE; 404-724-2550. |
KEVIN GILLESPIE CUTS UP AT PIEDMONT PARK
GREEN MARKET
 Kevin Gillespie, Woodfire Grill executive
chef and "Top Chef" star, takes to the stage again -- the demo stage at the Piedmont Park Green
Market on Saturday, July 17. What's
he cutting up? Depends on what's fresh
from the fields that day. How's that for
keeping you in insatiable suspense? Look
for Kevin from 11 a.m. until noon under the patio at the Piedmont Park Community
Center.
Woodfire Grill: 1782 Cheshire Bridge
Road; 404-347-9055. |
KEIRA MORITZ WON'T GET A T-SHIRT, BUT SHE
WILL HAVE A GOOD TIME AT THE PEACHTREE ROAD FARMERS MARKET
 Keira Moritz is not running the Peachtree in reverse, but the Pacci Ristorante executive
chef heads north on Peachtree from Midtown to The Cathedral of St. Philip in
Buckhead to demo at the Peachtree
Road Farmers Market on Saturday, July 17. As this week's guest chef, Moritz has free rein to show off the week's
harvest through her own original dishes. The market is open from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; Moritz demos at 10
a.m.
Pacci Ristorante: 866 West Peachtree
Street, NW, adjacent to the Hotel Palomar; 678-412-2402.
|
ARIA HOSTS HUGEL
& FILS WINE DINNER JULY 19
  As part of its summer of global wine
dinners, Aria will host a five-course
wine dinner featuring five wines of France's Hugel
& Fils winery on Monday, July 19. Guests will be joined by Etienne Hugel who will share first-hand the history of this winemaking family and the wines
they create in the Alsace region of France. With winegrowing ancestors dating back to the early 1600s, there is a
dynamic and noble story to both the region and to the family's development in
the local wine industry. The dinner, in partnership with Atlantic Wines, begins at 7 p.m.
and costs $100 per person (inclusive of tax and gratuity). Reservations can be made by calling the
restaurant at 404-233-7673.
Aria: 490
East Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead; 404-233-7673. |
WE'LL
"HAVANAOTHER" CUBAN SANDWICH AT THE NEW CRAZY CUBAN IN MIDTOWN There's a pressing matter we have to discuss: what the recent opening of
the new Crazy Cuban at 290 14th
Street, NW means for Midtowners and Georgia Techies. It means they can
now dash out to the bright blue storefront and pick up their favorite varieties
of freshly pressed Cuban sandwiches ($2.75 - $5.75) for weekday lunch. They
also can order and grab these addicting sandwiches for the entire office
(or
class) by emailing their choices for 10 or more sandwiches and their
desired
pick-up time to aldo@crazycubansandwich.com by
4 p.m. on the day prior. Atlantans can also take advantage of the eatery's espresso "Cubano" shots. Now thanks to native Miamian and "Crazy
Cuban" Aldo Ramirez, inboxes, class assignments and dry cleaning are not the
only pressing matters in Midtown. The Crazy Cuban presses the city's best
hot Cuban sandwiches Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Crazy Cuban: 290 14th
Street, NW; 404-607-7348. |
GET FRESH WITH A FARMER. GO UNDERGROUND WITH
A CHEF. IT'S OKAY, IT'S ALL LEGIT. IT'S ALL FOR FOOD'S SAKE ON JULY 25 Mum's the word on location. Mmmm's the
word on the food, beer and snappy bluegrass music at BBQ, Brews &
Bluegrass sponsored by For Food's Sake. Catch the shuttle from Atlanta at 4 p.m. for
a 45-minute ride to an elusive location outside of Atlanta. Upon arrival, you'll spend the early evening hours
of Sunday, July 25 learning barbecue secrets from Chef Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill and Steve Esau of Niman
Ranch, and brew-nuances from Brewmaster Crawford Moran of 5 Seasons Brewery. Gillespie and Moran play harmony on pairing
Southern cooking and brews while forks and toes tap to live bluegrass music. Reservations are open; buy tickets online. Founders Society Membership, $110 beer
tasting and shuttle included; Friends Society and Basic Membership, $120 beer
tasting and shuttle included. Reservations are first come, first served. Event details and directions will be sent four
to five days before the event. |
HAVE A HOLLY, JOLLY JULY --
"CHRISTMAS IN JULY" FILLS BOTH ATKINS PARK TAVERN LOCATIONS ON JULY 25
 It's
going to be a holly, jolly July 25 as both Atkins Park Tavern locations do
their darnedest to make it a frosty, white "Christmas in July" with the help of
sponsors Samuel
Adams® and Jägermeister. Santa and the Jägerettes will be at both locations all night to hand out fun giveaways. (Do you think Santa has AC inside his red
suit?) Visions of icy Jäger snow cones become
reality at the Virginia Highland tavern, and Christmas cookies and DJ spins
keep things merry throughout the evening. Over in Smyrna, live music from Lost City, sweet drink specials
and Christmas cookies add to the festivities. Party starts at 8 p.m. at both locations.
Atkins Park Tavern -
Virginia Highland: 794 North Highland
Avenue; 404 -876-7249.
Atkins Park Tavern - Smyrna: Market Village,2840 Atlanta Road;
770-435-1887.
|
ENJOY A ROCKY
MOUNTAIN HIGH IN INMAN PARK: SHAUN'S
HOSTS HIGH WEST WHISKEY DINNER ON JULY 29
 Two highs -- highly acclaimed Chef Shaun Doty and High West Distillery & Saloon, Utah's
first distillery -- join together for a night of Southern foods paired with Western
whiskey on Thursday, July 29 at Shaun's in Inman Park. Each course of the night's four-course dinner
will be paired with High West's premium Rocky Mountain whiskeys, served neat or
in cocktails, created by mixologist Callie Schlosser. An hors d'oeuvre reception starts the evening
off at 6:30 p.m. with a local heirloom eggplant and Georgia eggplant cocktail;
olive-stuffed sage leaves in beer batter; pimento cheese and Anson Mills benne
crackers; local chilled melon soup and YEAH! BURGER White Oak Pastures sliders
plus a Silver Western Oat Whiskey Comstock punch. At 7:15 p.m., guests will sit down to the
special menu of Heirloom tomato salad with sweet marjoram and white tomato
mousse paired with a Silver Western Oat Whiskey Tarhun Fizz; Sea Island red pea
soup served with shrimp toast and paired with a Bourye Traditional Old Fashioned
with sorghum; Riverview Farms porchetta with grilled okra, Benton's smoked ham
gravy and paired with a Rendezvous Rye Manhattan with Carpano Antica; and
vanilla pound cake served with sweet corn ice cream and cinnamon, paired with
Rocky Mountain Rye 16 Year Old and Rocky Mountain Rye 21 Year Old served neat
with Llanllyr source water. High West
Whiskey Proprietor and Distiller David Perkins, an Atlanta native, will give an
educational overview of how whiskey is made, its history and how to appreciate
it, especially with food. The menu is
$75 (with alcohol) or $55 (without alcohol) per person. Call to reserve a seat at this limited-space
event: 404-577-4358.
Shaun's: 1029 Edgewood
Avenue, NE: 404-577-4358.
|
Y'ALL "COME SASHIMI" AT RA SUSHI The clever staff at always rockin' RA Sushi in Midtown invites you to "Come Sashimi" during July -- which translates to
"y'all come" in Southern speak. First, "Come
Sashimi" at their colorful Facebook page to discover the secret
phrase of the week (hint, it's in the cute box). Then, "Come Sashimi" at RA Sushi and mention the phrase when you
order to receive a complimentary item of the week. Example: a recent posting showed "Hot Mess" as the
secret phrase redeemable for a complimentary order of steamed and salted
edamame. What will this week bring? "Come Sashimi" and find out! RA Sushi: 1080 Peachtree Street at 1010 Midtown;
404-267-0114. |
RAY'S RESTAURANTS HAVE BAR SPECIALS AND NEWS
TO SHARE Snap out of the summer doldrums by tilting back some cold ones at Ray's Restaurants and by trying
the new half-priced bar menu appetizers. From 3 - 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, when the afternoon is at its
steamiest, Ray's bar appetizer prices are the coolest. Ray's on the River, Ray's in the City and
Ray's Killer Creek all offer shrimp cocktail with atomic horseradish, Ray's
"New Orleans" BBQ shrimp with BBQ beer butter sauce on Boursin grit cake, their
famous Maytag blue cheese chips, crispy calamari, oysters Rockefeller and a
dozen fresh, shucked oysters with atomic cocktail sauce and champagne
mignonette ($4-$11). Ahi tuna tataki
with wasabi, ginger and soy sauce make the list at Ray's on the River and Ray's
Killer Creek; Ray's in the City swaps out tataki for the sushi. With choices and prices this tempting, you
might as well make a meal out of the app menu!
Ray's
on the River Executive Chef Tom McEachern has been promoted to corporate executive
chef for Ray's Restaurants. The talented
McEachern will now oversee culinary developments at all three Ray's Restaurants
-- Ray's on the River, Ray's in the City and Ray's Killer Creek. In his new role, Chef Tom will act as both a
leader and a liaison. He'll work with
chefs at Ray's locations to create new menus and dedicate a portion of his time
to culinary events and food industry trade shows to bring back culinary
knowledge and trends to share with Ray's staff. McEachern has 20 years experience as an
executive chef and came to Ray's Restaurants as executive chef in 2007 from
Atlanta's Horseradish Grill. There's
another spoon in his cap -- McEachern is included in Johnnie
Gabriel's new cookbook, "Second Helpings," which will be released in October
2010. Ray's on the River: 6700 Powers Ferry Road;
770-955-1187. Ray's Killer Creek: 1700 Mansell Road, Alpharetta; 770-649-0064.
Ray's in the City: 240 Peachtree Street, NW;
404-524-9224. |
WOLF MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS WINS 10 MEDALS AT
NATIONAL WINE COMPETITIONS! Wolf Mountain Vineyards &
Winery has been busy winning precious medals at national wine competitions
this summer! The Dahlonega winery earned
five medals at the Tasters
Guild International competition, plus five more at the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits competition. Wolf Mountain's European-style wines were among 2,200 wines from 10
countries and 32 states/provinces evaluated at the 23rd Annual
International Wine Judging held by Tasters Guild International in Grand Rapids,
Mich. Five different Wolf Mountain
varietals received medals: Silver for 2008 Chanteloup, 2007 Instinct and 2008 Rose
Brut; and Bronze for the 2007 Claret and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. An even larger competition, the 71st
Annual Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits competition, featured 3,200
wine entries from around the world. Wolf
Mountain took home a Gold medal for its 2008 Brut Rose and Bronze medals for
its 2008 Blanc De Blancs Brut, 2008 Chanteloup, 2007 Boegner Family Private
Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and 2007 Claret. Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery: 180
Wolf Mountain Trail in Dahlonega; 706-867-9862.
|
HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPS? YELPER LOVES APPS, DOLMA, KABOBS AND OUZO AT
CAFÉ AGORA IN BUCKHEAD  Yelper
Shane A. affirms that the small places can be the
best. Café
Agora, for instance, is just a little place that would blend right in if it
were in Eastern Europe. The fresh, house-made
food and reasonable prices make it an Atlanta standout.
This place is a great Mediterranean spot with awesome,
fresh food! It's a small place that is reminiscent of a cafe you would find in
Eastern Europe, a few tables and counter to eat at with ingredients in a deli
case so you can see your fresh lamb/chicken/hummus/tabouli/whatev!
Al, the owner, MAKES this place! He is awesome and will talk to anyone... if
you're willing or not! As for me, I'll talk to anyone... so I got his
suggestions and told him that I was allergic to tomatoes and he was very
careful to only serve me things that I could eat! GREAT SERVICE!!
He suggested a half and half kabob - Half lamb regular and half spicy ground
lamb. We also ordered some dolma (grape leaves stuffed with rice and veggies).
After we sat down, he brought out a surprise app plate with tabouli, hummus,
pita and yogurt. The dolma was great and Al had to brag about how his were made
in house... and they beat any other dolma that I've had lately! YUM!
Then our lamb came out on a huge plate with rice, Greek salad, pita, and yogurt
sauce. One word... AWESOME! I enjoyed the regular lamb better, because I love
how lamb tastes, but they were both great!
Al gave us some baklava after the meal and we drank some raki (ouzo) with a
Greek beer! DELICIOUS! Again, Al is awesome and a great, hardworking owner from
Cypress (not Greece ) who will do his best to make you happy!!
The check was reasonable (for all the booze I drank) about $15 for the Lamb kabob
plate and $4 or $5 for the dolma... I think!
Give this place a try! I guarantee you'll want to come back! I'll meet you at
the bar with a glass of Raki!
Café
Agora:
262 E. Paces Ferry Road, NE; 404-949-0900.
|
EAT IT AND TWEEP, OR
BLOG...SEPTEMBER FORUM FOR FOOD BLOGGERS WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY You're feeling led to blog but don't know how to get started. Perhaps you're a blogster who wants to kick
it up a notch or two. Go ahead and
register for the September 11, 2010 Food Blog Forum that's going to be held
right here in Atlanta. Zoom in on food
photography, social media, technology, and the business of blogging through
hands-on, in-depth training that will send you home with skills you can put to
work immediately. A Friday night
networking social leads into a jam-packed Saturday. Get the short version on Twitter, long version on the website. Join in nightly chats at www.foodblogforum.com and follow Bunkycooks to find out the latest on the Atlanta event. Sample tweet: Hello Atlanta! Our
seminar is coming your way in September! Look forward to meeting everyone http://tiny.cc/yozg3 |
| Looking for the latest restaurant opening, weekly wine tastings and drink specials, or other culinary happenings? Whatever makes your mouth water, Melissa Libby & Associates will point you in the right direction. Our monthly calendar, blog, flickr, Facebook page and Twitter feed will keep you up-to-date on new and ongoing restaurant events around Atlanta. |
|
 Melissa Libby & Associates is an Atlanta-based public relations firm specializing in the restaurant, retail and hospitality industries.
| |
