A
DIFFERENT KIND OF WORLD CUP: FOLLOW
WORTHWHILE WINE FOUNDER TOM LYNCH ON A SOUTH AFRICAN ADVENTURE
 Atlanta-based Worthwhile Wine Founder Tom Lynch
will be in South Africa from July 28 to August 15, and believe us, this is no
vacation. During week one, he'll work
with the non-profit programs Isipho and Water For All in the remote
village of iNzinga. Come week two, he'll
pay calls on sustainable and Fair Trade
Certified™ vineyards and wineries in the area to stay current on what's
going on in the South African wine industry.
Keep tabs on his adventures and learn more about South African life through
his guest blog posts on Eat. Drink...
Better., a blog devoted to food, drink and the environmental impact of both
on Earth. Worthwhile Wine Co. imports
great South African wines that are sustainably produced. Each bottle rated as "great" has scored 90+,
has been rated a "best/good value" or has been awarded a medal in international
competition. The Fair Trade Certified™ wine importer works diligently to balance
the three Ps of profits, people and planet, and donates a portion of net
proceeds to nonprofits in the U.S. and South Africa that focus on sustainable
food gardens. For more information about
Worthwhile Wine, please visit online at www.worthwhilewine.com
or on Facebook
and Twitter.
|
LA TAVOLA'S 8TH ANNUAL
TOMATOFEAST IS A CROWN JEWEL IN YOUR SUMMER DINING OUT PLAN
 Ruby
red globes, sweet golden cherries, sweet and juicy heirlooms . . . tomatoes are
the crown jewels of summer and worthy of honoring with a royal feast. La Tavola Trattoria's 8th
annual Tomatofeast
celebrates this king of the vine in multiple garden-fresh dishes from
Wednesday, July 28 through Saturday, August 7.
Load up on your favorites à la carte or choose the $30 three-course prix
fixe menu. Appetizer selections include
tomato and melon salad with buffalo mozzarella and pesto; octopus salad with
heirloom cherry tomatoes, colatura oil, pickled red onion, arugula and tomato vinaigrette; chilled Brandywine tomato soup with
pickled cucumbers and chili oil; and poached Georgia shrimp with avocado,
tomatoes, Calabrian chilies and opal basil ($6.50-$8.50). Tomatoes work their way into scrumptious pasta,
chicken, fish and beef dishes: burrata
mozzarella ravioli with tomato salsa crudo and Sicilian oregano; garganelli
with house-made fennel sausage, tomato and fresh ricotta; fusilli puttanesca with
spicy heirloom tomato sauce, Gaeta olives, capers, anchovies and basil; pancetta-wrapped
chicken thighs braised in tomatoes with cannellini beans; grilled swordfish and
red onion spiedini with sweet and sour roasted tomatoes and creamy farro verde;
and grilled flat iron steak with tomato, cucumber and bread salad with spicy
salsa rosso ($16-$22). Tomatoes blossom
in a sweet dessert -- candied almond and tomato semifreddo with almond brittle ($6.50). Excuse us, is that drool or tomato juice
running down your chin? Follow
the tomatoes and other La Tavola happenings on Facebook.
La Tavola Trattoria: 992 Virginia Avenue, NE; 404-873-5430.
|
|
ATLANTA CHEFS GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN AND
PLOW THEIR WAY OVER TO AREA FARMERS MARKETS!
 Summer
screams for you to visit a farmers market!
If you look, there's bound to be one sprouting in your neck of the woods
or in a part of town you've been meaning to check out. We can help you with who's-cooking-what-where,
but you'll have to thump your own melons.
Watch a Thursday
night smack down as Woodfire Grill
Executive Chef and Owner Kevin Gillespie slices and dices at the East
Atlanta Village Farmers Market (1231 Glenwood Avenue) on July 29. Other
than his colorful tattoos, we never know what Kevin Gillespie has up his sleeve
for a farmers market demo. We do know
it's going to be lip smacking good and farm fresh! See Kevin in action and glean kitchen
pointers at 6:30 p.m. The Thursday evening
market, open from 4 - 8 p.m., is timely for those of you who can't make it to a
morning market. Meet friends for a
summer's night of eating, learning and shopping at vendors such as Love is Love
Farm, Gaia Gardens, Scharko Farms, Decimal Place Farms, H & F Bread and
Hidden Springs Honey.
Over in Buckhead at
the Peachtree Road Farmers
Market, Gerry Klaskala of Aria will
command the demo action at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 31. Even better, you
can now take in all of the award-winning chef's tips under the soothing shade
of the market's new tent. Market hours for the Saturday shopping
tradition are 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in the parking lot of The Cathedral of St.
Philip (2744 Peachtree Road, NW). Fill your shopping bag with local goods
and garden-grown produce and pick up a couple of tickets to the Attack of the
Killer Tomato Festival. This all-out tomato bash will take over JCT. Kitchen & Bar from 1 - 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 8 -- tasty, harmless, fun
and for Georgia Organics.
Up north
at the Riverside
Farmers Market in Roswell, chefs from Roswell's own Aqua blue will
show guests how to roll sushi on July 31.
Freshly made sushi is a popular commodity at Aqua blue. Watch how to make the healthy and
"chillax"-ing favorite at 11 a.m. This
weekly Saturday morning market is held from 8 a.m. - noon at Roswell City Hall
(38 Hill Street).
Chef Julia LeRoy
gets the early bird demo award. Her demo
at the Morningside
Farmers Market starts at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 7 (1393 N. Highland
Avenue across from Alon's Bakery) and features her working with produce from
Crystal Organic Farm. The market is open
from 8 - 11:30 a.m. Time it right and
you can shop, watch and then plop down for coffee or brunch at one of the
nearby restaurants.
|
SAVOR HANDCRAFTED WINES AND HANDCRAFTED
ARTISAN CHEESES AT WOLF MOUNTAIN VINEYARD'S AUGUST SUNDAY BRUNCHES Gotta hand it to the Boegner family of Wolf Mountain Vineyards &
Winery -- they know how to craft a
superb wine and cheese combo. Handcrafted cheeses from Southeastern artisan dairies will be featured
on the Sunday brunch menu during August at the Dahlonega winery. We can't think of a more delightful way to
savor summer than enjoying Wolf Mountain's multiple award-winning, handcrafted
wines and wonderful cheeses while taking in the lush green mountain views of
North Georgia. $30 per person plus tax
and gratuity. Seatings are at 12:30 and
2:30 p.m.; call 706-867-9862 for reservations. Keep up with what's going on at the winery on Facebook!
Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery: 180 Wolf Mountain
Trail in Dahlonega; 706-867-9862. |
CRAZY CUBAN TURNS
OUT POWERFUL SANDWICHES If you want to show your soft side, buy one of those
cottony grocery store bread loaves and slap on some PBJ. For a meaty sandwich with mojo that you can
sink your teeth into, go see that "Crazy Cuban" Aldo Ramirez at the Crazy Cuban sandwich shop in
Midtown. Ramirez is no softy. He deftly slices into the crusts of chewy
Cuban rolls and piles on the appropriate ingredients for his classic
Cuban, traditional Cuban, mojo pork, media noche, ham and cheese, turkey and
cheese or veggie and cheese sandwiches ($2.75-$5.75). Lettuce and tomato? You got it (unless you don't want it). The hot press turns up the heat, puts on the
pressure and moments later you're good to go with a mouthwatering sandwich of
substance. Still want to rip into
something? Grab a bag of chips and a
drink ($7.79 for the combo). Empower
your office: email choices for 10 or
more sandwiches and pick up time to aldo@crazycubansandwich.com by 4 p.m. the day prior for a
lunchtime fast grab. Want more delicious details about the Crazy
Cuban? Check out Bob Townsend's recent
article in the AJC. Open weekdays from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Crazy Cuban: 290 14th Street, NW; 404-607-7348. |
DINE AT RAY'S IN THE CITY AND TRUVA DURING
DOWNTOWN ATLANTA RESTAURANT WEEK!
 While
you're reading this, Atlanta restaurant tables are filling up with diners
taking advantage of special $25 and $35 three-course dinner offers during Downtown Atlanta
Restaurant Week. Join in the fine
dining experience and save! The epicurean
event continues through Sunday, August 8 at restaurants in the heart of
Atlanta, including Ray's in the City and Truva. Reserve your table online; prix fixe dinner
prices do not include alcohol, tax or gratuity. Ray's
in the City offers metropolitan appeal for $35 per person. Choose from
two appetizers -- chilled jumbo shrimp with watermelon, feta cheese, fresh mint
and ginger syrup or a vegetable sushi roll with wasabi and pickled ginger;
field greens salad with pecans, dried cranberries, blue cheese, roasted red
onion and balsamic vinaigrette; and entrées of Parmesan-crusted flounder,
campanelle shrimp pasta with wilted spinach and diced tomatoes, or grilled flat
iron steak with macaroni and cheese, sautéed spinach and red wine
demi-glace. Truva's Mediterranean menu
runs $25 per person and includes your choice of appetizer -- red lentil soup,
Mediterranean salad or shepherd's salad; an entrée of lamb shank braised in
coriander and mint sauce on a pillow of roasted eggplant, a nine-ounce Black
Angus filet or swordfish kebab and Adana kebab; and Chocolate Fantasy, rice
pudding or baklava for dessert.
Ray's in the City: 240 Peachtree Street, NW; 404-524-9224.
Truva: 60 Andrew Young International Boulevard, NE; 404-577-8788.
|
TOULOUSE EARNS TALK OF THE TOWN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
AWARD!
 We've long known Toulouse to
be a people pleaser, and now it's official. The American bistro in Buckhead has been awarded a 2010 "Best in Region" Plaque of Honor for Excellence in Customer
Satisfaction by Talk of the
Town. Voting took place on several
user-review websites, and results showed a high rate of appreciation for the
excellent service provided by the Toulouse staff. The much-loved restaurant has been a food and
wine favorite for years, and diners always comment on the spirited Steve Penley
paintings filling the walls. Open
nightly for dinner.
Toulouse: 2293 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite B;
404-351-9533.
|
|
DAVIO'S BRINGS TASTE OF NORTHERN ITALY TO
PHIPPS PLAZA IN LATE AUGUST
 Steve
DiFillipo opened Davio's Northern Italian
Steakhouse in Boston in 1985. A second
Davio's opened in 1999 in Philadelphia's historic Provident building, followed
in 2008 by Davio's at Patriot Place in Foxborough, Mass., home of the New
England Patriots. Soon, southern diners
will be able to enjoy Davio's mouthwatering Northern Italian cuisine when Davio's
opens its fourth location in an Atlanta landmark: Phipps Plaza. The restaurant will serve lunch, dinner and
late-night supper seven days a week.
Chef Bennett Hollberg, formerly of The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta, will be
behind Davio's classic Italian-with-a-twist and signature menu items. We'll tantalize you with a taste of what's to
come: homemade pastas, pizzas, the
finest cuts of beef, fresh fish and classic Italian plates; signature items
such as Philly Cheese Steak Spring Rolls®; lobster ravioli with sweet peas and
tomato lobster brodo; grilled porterhouse veal chop with creamy potatoes and
vintage port; grilled prime rib with roasted corn-sweet pepper salad and mashed
potatoes; braised short ribs; and pan-seared scallops. Davio's also offers gluten-free and
children's menus.
Davio's
Northern Italian Steakhouse: Phipps Plaza, 3500 Peachtree Road, NE;
404-844-4810.
|
JUST LIKE BABBA USED
TO MAKE: GIMZA'S PICKLE SOUP AND CABBAGE
ROLLS
 Yelper Nancy The Grand Alchemist B. has Polish blood in her veins and cravings for "Babba's" home cooking. Babba has some competition from the kitchens
of Gimza
Polish Restaurant in
Norcross, especially for those hard-to-make-in-small-quantity dishes such as
cabbage rolls and locally made Polish sausage. Yumski!
Ok yet another of my
favorite places in Atlanta . Gimza is my equivalent of comfort food.
This place is so wonderful that it brought me tears of joy my first
visit. Although it's not my dear Babba's (or Bushia, Grandma) cooking it comes
pretty darn close.
Gimza is located in the middle of suburbia hidden in the middle of guess what
(a strip mall). Do not let the outside mislead you though as the restaurant is
lovely inside in colors of red and white (wooohoo Polish pride) and has a very
welcoming demeanor. Marek the owner and host makes you feel like a guest-
almost family.
The food of course is wonderful- soups, cold salads, perogies, and various
other entrees. I of course recommend trying the daily soup (the pickle
soup is my favorite) and the red sauerkraut salad. As far as the entrees
go the Golumpkis (Cabbage Rolls) are my favorite dish. They tend to be a
pain in the ass to make at home as you can't make three of them at once imagine
a roaster full. Any variety of the perogies are amazing including flavors
kasha, meat, mushroom, potato, and sauerkraut (my favorite). Dessertwise
they have a variety of cakes, deep fried pastries, crepes, and dessert perogies
(stuffed with fruit like blueberries topped with powdered sugar).
Drinkwise I suggest getting a bottle of Warka (sounds like Varrrkka) or a
cup of yummy Turkish coffee which will keep you up for hours.
If you have never had Polish food before I swear it's not anything strange or
weird. Bring a group of friends and
order a bunch of things and share. They even have more safe things like
Polish sausage (locally made 100X better than the store crap) with fries.
So come on over to Norcross and if I happen to be there I'll buy you a
beer....Na zdrowie.
Gimza
Polish Restaurant: 3435
Medlock Bridge Road, Norcross; 770-441-2268.
|
EAT IT AND TWEEP: PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO GEORGIA PEACHES AND MAKE
THE GEORGIA PEACH PROMISE
 Don't
know about you, but we'd rather our peaches take their own sweet time getting
juicy and ripe in orchards than resting on trucks blazing across the lower
48. After all, Georgia is the "Peach
State." Join the bushels of Georgians
who are making the Georgia Peach Promise this summer, pledging to purchase
Georgia peaches instead of those from other states. Peachy-keen Georgians can learn more on the
Georgia Peach Commission's Twitter page, website or by becoming a fan of
"Georgia Peaches" on Facebook.
Then click your pick of recipes, storage tips and other info bites on our
state's official fruit!
Sample Tweet: Check out our feature on With a Southern Twist! http://withasoutherntwist.com/2010/06/its-a-georgia-peachy-weekend/
|
| 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.
| |
