ARTIST
AMBER SINGLETON SHOWS WORKS AT SHAUN'S ON AUGUST 26 Atlanta-based artist and educator Amber Singleton will
show her Back to Basics collection at
Shaun's in Inman Park on Thursday, August 26. Join Singleton from 7-9 p.m. and enjoy complimentary
appetizers and a cash bar while contemplating her contemporary works on
paper. Back to Basics explores the foundational elements of line and color
to create movement, rhythm and pattern that reflect a therapeutic and
hypnotic sense of flow. Originally
from Greenville, S.C., Singleton holds a BA in Fine Arts from Furman University
and a MAT from Winthrop University. She
has been teaching fine art for the past six years and has recently exhibited
works at the Arts Exchange in Atlanta and the Anderson Art Center in Anderson,
S.C. Shaun's: 1029 Edgewood
Avenue, NE; 404-577-4358. |
GOING,
GOING, GONE: CLEAN UP ON SUPERIOR WINES
AT SPICE MARKET WINE SALE  The "liquid"-ation sale is on at Spice Market in the
W Atlanta Midtown! The restaurant is
slashing prices on top-notch wines no longer on its wine list to make room for
incoming fall wine selections. Grab this
steal of a deal as two different wines will be featured each week: one that's rarely served by the glass and
another priced at only $5 per glass. Each offer lasts a week or until that stash in the cellar is
depleted. This is your chance to try
those wines you've heard about without making the full commitment to an entire
bottle. On the block this week: Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
Valley ($19/glass, $70/bottle) and Frei Brothers Chardonnay, Sonoma County
($5/glass, $19/bottle). Starting Monday,
August 30, be on the lookout for Duckhorn Merlot, Napa Valley ($12/glass,
$44/bottle) and Chateau Ste. Michelle Ethos Chardonnay, Columbia Valley
($5/glass, $19/bottle). Give these wines
a try and don't stop until they're going, going, gone! Spice
Market: In the W Atlanta
Midtown, 188 14th Street, NE; 404-724-2550.
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RA SUSHI IS ON FOURSQUARE! CHECK IN FOR FREEBIES AND MAYBE YOU'LL BE THE
NEXT MAYOR!
 RA Sushi is
jumping into Foursquare, the hot social media
site of who's where and when. Facebook
and Twitter followers are already familiar with how Foursquare works, "checking
in" through the Foursquare app on their mobile devices (Android, iPhone,
Blackberry, etc.). Check-ins earn badges
for bragging rights, and users can become "Mayor" of a business by checking in
more than anyone else over a 60-day span. RA Sushi has added incentives for Foursquare users -- their choice of a
free order of edamame or miso soup (one offer per day, per person) when they
show their RA Sushi server their cell phone depicting just-checked-in status.
RA
Sushi: 1080 Peachtree
Street at 1010 Midtown; 404-267-0114.
|
DAVIO'S NORTHERN ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE OPENS
AUGUST 25 AT PHIPPS -- BUT YOU CAN BECOME A FACEBOOK FRIEND TODAY!
 Doors open to Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse in Phipps on Wednesday,
August 25...but Windows and Mac users alike can get to know Davio's today by
hitting "Like" on the restaurant's Facebook page. (Hey, when you're
talking Italian food and wine, everyone is part of the friends and family
group.) The Atlanta newcomer has
connections up north: a 25-year lineage
under Owner Steve DiFillippo in Boston plus a location in Philadelphia and at
Patriot Place in Foxborough, Mass. DiFillippo has chosen Executive Chef Bennett Hollberg, formerly of
Atlantic Grill at The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta, to bring on a mouthwatering menu
of appetizers, seasonal salads, homemade pastas, pizzas, fine beef, fresh fish,
savory sides and lots more classic Italian fare. Signature items include the popular 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; pan-seared scallops; and sides such as quattro formaggi
potato puffs and Gorgonzola mashed potatoes. Davio's is pleased to offer both gluten-free and children's menus so
even more guests can savor the rich and refined Italian dinner experience. An Italian dinner without vino? No way, not with Davio's expansive wine list
at your fingertips! Davio's serves
dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from
5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Choose a dining spot to
suit your mood: the grand dining room,
three private rooms for private dinners, a chef's table with kitchen view, out
on the patio, perched at the elliptical bar or on bar seating around the
special pizza oven. Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse: Phipps Plaza, 3500 Peachtree Road, NE;
404-844-4810. |
PACCI'S KEIRA MORITZ AND FOUR OTHER HOT
CHEFS ARE FIXING A DINNER EXTRAVAGANZA AT THE ATLANTA FOOD RAVE EXPERIENCE ON
AUGUST 27
 Pacci Ristorante Executive Chef Keira Moritz is one of the five hot chefs
keeping things sizzling in the kitchen at The Atlanta Food Rave Experience on Friday, August 27 at the Mason Murer Fine Art Gallery. The
dinner menu is hush, hush until you arrive. (Vegetarians quell those food fears; there are options for you). Tickets are $55 per person and include the
Rave Review Culinary Extravaganza and Challenge dinner feast, an open bar with a
collection of signature alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty beverages, plus
complimentary valet parking. Must be 21
or over to attend. Tickets available for purchase online only and will not be
sold at the door. The event benefits the
Atlanta Community Food Bank and its mission to fight hunger by educating,
empowering and engaging Metro Atlanta and North Georgia communities. Pacci
Ristorante: 866 West Peachtree Street, NW, adjacent to
the Hotel Palomar; 678-412-2402. |
SUMMER'S STILL GOING
STRONG! CATCH IT WHILE YOU CAN WITH THE
ORIGINAL EL TACO AT THE MORNINGSIDE SUMMER BLOCK PARTY AUGUST 28
 Morningside
is putting on a first of what we hope will become an annual summer tradition --
the Morningside Summer Block Party on Saturday, August 28. The "block" lies behind DBA Barbecue and The Original El Taco at the corner of Virginia and Amsterdam avenues. Gates open at 12:30 p.m., and the party
cranks on with a lineup of four bands until 10 p.m. Keep up the momentum with your El Taco
favorites, ice-cold cocktails and Abita beer. Purchase these yums and others from DBA Barbecue and Mali Thai. Your kids can frolic from 1 - 6 p.m. in the
children's area. Red and Rover? They have to stay at home. Tickets are $5 online in advance (plus $0.99 service fee) or $10 at
the door; children 14 and under are free. A portion of the proceeds will be
donated back to firehouse station #19 in Virginia Highland.
The Original El Taco: 1186
North Highland Avenue, NE; 404-873-4656. |
PIG OUT ALERT! CYPRESS STREET PINT & PLATE CARVES TIME
FOR 3RD ANNUAL PIG ROAST ON AUGUST 28
 While
others are out hamming it up on a Friday night, the Cypress Street Pint & Plate crew will be pulling an all-nighter and
smoking pork. They're not complaining though; they're roasting up a hefty pig-sized
thank you so pub friends can pile on the pulled pork and toss back some SweetWater
brews at their 3rd Annual Cypress Street Pig Roast on Saturday,
August 28 from 2 - 7 p.m. Admission is
free, pig is free and SweetWater drafts are $4. Music and giveaways up the oink factor and make for big-time fun. Along with Cypress Street Pint & Plate,
event sponsors include SweetWater Brewing Company, The Bakeshop, YELP!, Three
Olive Vodka, Sublime Doughnuts, Sweet T Designs and DUIbid.com.
Cypress Street Pint & Plate: 817 W. Peachtree Street, NW (at the
corner of 6th and Cypress streets); 404-815-9243.
|
AQUA BLUE POURS ON
LIVE MUSIC THURSDAY NIGHTS AND A NEW-AND-IMPROVED WINE LIST EVERY NIGHT
 Lazy days have been few this summer at Aqua blue in Roswell. Not only has the bar staff lined up live
music starting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday nights, they've decluttered the wine
cellar and replaced any ho-hums with knock outs. There are now 33 wines
available by the glass, a much broader selection of wine price points and loads
of American wines. Those crazy about Cabernet
will delight in the enlarged selection of these rich gems. Aqua blue is bursting with exciting news
about a couple of rarities on their list: Chateau Montelena "Calistoga Cuvee," Napa Valley '06, available by the
glass; and Domaine Chandon Pinot Meunier, Carneros '07, which is made from 100
percent Pinot Meunier grapes from California (hint, these grapes are normally
only grown in Champagne, France). Open
for drinks, appetizers, sushi and dinner nightly beginning at 4 p.m.
Aqua blue: 1564
Holcomb Bridge Road; 770-643-8886.
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ATLANTA RESTAURANTS ARE LOOKING PEACHY KEEN
DURING NATIONAL PEACH MONTH
 The
Peach State's been rolling in ripe, juicy peaches since June. The Georgia Peach Commission estimates state
orchards produce more than 130 million pounds and more than 40 different
varieties of peaches each year. In case
you need another excuse to savor the sweet life, we thought you might like to
know we're smack dab in the middle of National Peach Month, paying homage to
the varieties grown in several states. Sweet dreams are made by noshing on peach pie poppers with cinnamon
sugar ($8) and sipping smooth peach juleps ($11) while overlooking the Midtown
skyline at AltoRex Rooftop Lounge. Spoon into the homemade local peach and blueberry cobbler served with
classic vanilla bean ice cream ($4) at Atkins Park Tavern and reflect,
knowing life doesn't get much better. Chef Ford Fry and his staff at JCT. Kitchen & Bar in
Atlanta's Westside are turning out crisp Georgia peach fried pies that ooze
with pure goodness alongside white chocolate ice cream ($7). Spice Market serves ginger ice
cream with their summer peach and blueberry cobbler for a tempting
semi-Southern, semi-exotic treat ($7). YEAH! BURGER doesn't have a peach burger. Even better, they'll whip up a
peach shake ($5.49) using Straus Family Creamery organic ice cream and organic
milk. If you're hankering to prepare
something peachy yourself, click on this recipe link for Gena Knox's bourbon peach bread pudding-- she says it's "over the top good," and it looks easy so we'll be fixing
it!
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THERE
OUTTA BE A LAW ABOUT A PLACE THAT'S SO SINFULLY DELICIOUS AND RIP-ROARING
FUN. NAW! NOT AT THE DEADWOOD SALOON!
 Even if you're not a Western history buff, you've
probably heard some of the Wild West stories circling Deadwood, S.D. About how in 1874, Colonel Custer announced there
was gold in them thar hills, triggering the Black Hills Gold Rush and giving
rise to the lawless little town of Deadwood. Later, Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane were buried there. In 1989, Deadwood legalized gambling to raise
funds to maintain the town's historic qualities. Deadwood Saloon in Midtown
commemorates all that and kicks in with some hi-and-howdy fired-up eats and
rowdy good times of its own.
Sit the posse down around appetizers of hand-battered
and thick -cut onion rings, queso con carne, fried pickles with chipotle ranch
dipping sauce, blue cheese chips and more ($5-$8). Vivid salads pack in greens and
proteins: cranberry pecan chicken salad;
grilled, fried or buffalo-style chicken salad; blackened chicken or salmon
Caesar salad; or the chef or Cobb salads ($8-$9). Warm up your innards with a hearty bowl or
cup of El Dorado chili or the daily soup ($4-$6). Stick-with-ya specialties include country fried
pork chops, Bulleit Bourbon chicken, chipotle penne and Southwest chicken
Alfredo ($9-$13). At the Deadwood
Saloon, you don't order a burger -- you build your own by choosing a beef,
turkey, salmon or veggie burger or a chicken breast; your kind of bun and
cheese; and among traditional and premium toppings such as roasted chili
avocado salsa ($8-$9). If you want to
rest in the saddle, order one of the 11 kinds of house burgers, including the
Wild West burger topped with fried onions, BBQ sauce, bacon and cheddar cheese;
the California burger with avocado salsa; the Deadwood served blackened and
topped with fried onion rings, blue cheese, lettuce and tomato; the turkey Cobb
burger with blue cheese, bacon and avocado; the Southwest turkey burger and the
power-packing roasted red pepper veggie burger on multigrain bread
($8-$9). Legendary sandwiches and saloon
dogs will take care of any growling stomachs ($5-$9).
Saloon hours are a Deadwood giveaway as to the lunch
and suppertime hospitality of the place: Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. - 3 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.
until midnight. Meet you there at high
noon.
Deadwood
Saloon: 66 12th
Street in Midtown; 404-671-4290.
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DANIEL ATWOOD TOQUES
UP AS NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF AT WOLF MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS & WINERY
 Colorado
native Daniel Atwood has traded the Rockies for a North Georgia mountaintop
experience, overseeing all things culinary as executive chef at Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery. Atwood is not a newbie to Georgia kitchens. After graduating from The Art Institute of
Atlanta in 1992, Atwood went to work for some of Atlanta's finest restaurants
including Murphy's, Woodfire Grill, Sage on Sycamore,
Goldfish, Twist, Prime, The Shed at Glenwood and B.L.T. Steak and has
earned recognition in The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, Creative Loafing, Atlanta magazine and other publications. As Wolf Mountain visitors know, the winery's
award-winning wines are crafted from grapes grown right there at the
vineyard. Similarly, Atwood's menus will
draw heavily upon local and regional ingredients. Atwood mountain bikes, runs and canoes with
his dog Max when he needs to refuel. We bet
a cool glass of one of Wolf Mountain's medal-winning wines tastes even more
exquisite after all of that!
Make a
bee line up to Dahlonega and enjoy Chef Atwood's delectable cuisine paired with
Wolf Mountain's fine wines. The Vineyard
Café serves lunch Thursday through Saturday from noon until 3 p.m., and Sunday
brunch is a longtime favorite with 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. seatings. Reservations are a must; 706-867-9862.
Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery: 180
Wolf Mountain Trail in Dahlonega; 706-867-9862.
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YELPER FROM MICHIGAN IS HOME, CRAVING MORE MASALA FROM PANAHAR
 Several clues in Chris T.'s Yelp on Panahar Bangladeshi Cuisine caught our attention. First, the Canton,
Mich. resident was traveling back north from that food hub on the Gulf Coast,
New Orleans; second, he wasn't really a big Indian food buff until his Panahar
stopover; and third, he can't wait to pass back through the ATL to vindaloo it
up at this Buford Highway eatery.
I was here recently when my band was on
tour - one of the acts i was traveling with [from Pittsburgh] had stopped here
a few times and demanded that we stop while in Atlanta, both on the way down to
New Orleans and on our way back home.
Though the nagging was a little irritating as i'm generally not a big fan of
indian food, I'm glad he did. We came in for the lunch buffet both times and I
was absolutely floored by the quality and freshness of everything on display.
It is normally against my policy to not review a place until i've been there at
least 4-5 times, but since this place was out of town (and i've thought about
it a few times since coming home) i thought i might as well get this out of me
before i start waking up in the middle of the night screaming for more masala
and vindaloo...
As i said, we were here for the buffet, and though the selection isn't terribly
large, there is something to satisfy vegetarian and carnivore appetites alike.
The lentil soup is perfectly spiced, great for dipping the very fresh tasting
pitas conveniently cut into wedges. The rice made a great bed for any of the
other well-spiced cuisines which change at the buffet (or, well they had
changed in the space of a week between the first and second visit here).
Highlights were an unexpected beef stew with curry and cilantro, a chickpea
salad with several cooling aspects and several warming aspects, and the iced
tea, which is brewed with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon bark, bay leaves, and
fresh ginger. Very nice compliment to any of the other flavors on offer.
You know a place is good when you are a few weeks away from being there and
still savor the tastes you experienced. Panahar is one of those places for me.
I can't wait to go back.
Panahar Bangladeshi Cuisine: 3375 Buford Highway, NE, Suite 1060;
404-633-6655.
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EAT IT AND TWEEP: JENN HOBBY IS BACK FROM CO-HOSTING WITH REGIS
AND KELLY IN NYC! Thanks
to all the votes from her fans, Q100 Bert Show radio personality Jenn Hobby
made it on "Live! with Regis and Kelly" in the "Women of Radio Co-Host for a
Day" contest. The big day was August 20,
and you can still follow the action on her Twitter,
website and blog. Hobby is loved
by Bert Show fans for her "I feel like I know you already" warm heart and
ability to reach out. The FSU grad is
also a TV host, aspiring foodie (executive chef of her own kitchen) and a
wishful yogi. Namaste, Jenn.
Sample Tweet: What an amazing experience! Thank you to Regis and Kelly and the entire staff for making this girl's dream come true. |
| 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. |
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 Melissa Libby & Associates is an Atlanta-based public relations firm specializing in the restaurant, retail and hospitality industries.
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