What's cooking this week? 
AQUA BLUE "CHOP MONTH" WILL HAVE GUESTS LICKING THEIR OWN

Aqua blue"Chop Month" at Aqua blue begins Tuesday, September 7, and the Roswell restaurant's limited-time menu takes chops way beyond your initial thoughts of pork and lamb chops!  For starters, the Aqua blue "Chop" salad mixes up baby greens, crisp romaine, hearts of palm, basil, Gorgonzola, croutons and lemonette ($9).  The St. Louis-style hoisin rib chop with jicama and apple slaw ($10) is another tasty precursor to "Chop Month's" chop-licking entrée list, which features bone-in spicy Guinness-marinated chicken with pan-roasted herb broth ($19); Caribbean-spiced pork chop with Maker's Mark glaze, black currants and pineapple ($21); and Australian lamb chop with a pistachio and horseradish crust, Madeira demi and mint ($30).  All chops are accompanied by forest mushroom and asparagus tip risotto with sweet herbs.  Aqua blue has drink specials to pair with your chops:  AB classic martini with Gorgonzola-stuffed olives ($7); the Black Bourbon "Chop" -- Jim Beam Black bourbon and peach with a splash of cranberry and a pickled ginger-stuffed cherry ($7); 2007 Benziger Sangiacomo Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay ($8) and 2007 Trapiche Broquel Malbec ($9). Guests also may order off Aqua blue's menu of à la carte items and award-winning sushi during "Chop Month," but the special chop menu rides off into the sunset on Monday, October 11 so chop, chop and get there fast!

Aqua blue:  1564 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell; 770-643-8886.

DAVIO'S IS EXTENDING HOURS STARTING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8


Davio's DishesOn Wednesday, September 8, newly opened Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse in Phipps Plaza will begin opening the doors even earlier -- at 11:30 a.m. every day!  The restaurant is now offering lunch, Sunday brunch and an extensive bar menu to satisfy cravings at all hours of the day.  Here's the lowdown on Chef Hollberg's incredible menu: under antipasti and marchi, you'll find tempters such as roasted tomato soup with goat cheese crostini; fried calamari with cherry peppers and basil aioli; and shrimp Cotija spring rolls with citrus aioli ($6-$14).  Insalate goes hearty or light, including a chopped salad of romaine, green beans, chickpeas, egg, onion, crispy bacon and blue cheese; spinach salad with roasted peppers, portobello mushrooms, goat cheese, garlic and olive oil; Caesar salad with grilled salmon, chicken, flank steak or shrimp; and a simple baby arugula, shaved Parmigiano and lemon olive oil salad ($6-$19).  Exciting panini and pizzas include Davio's Steak House Burger; sushi-grade tuna with fresh avocado and spicy aioli on a sesame roll; Maine lobster BLT; and margherita, crispy calamari or Kobe beef pizzas ($11-$25).  Farinacei and piatti feature hand-rolled potato gnocchi with organic mushrooms, basil, garlic and truffle oil; angel hair with fresh basil and pomodoro sauce; penne with applewood-smoked chicken, sundried tomatoes, toasted walnuts and cream sauce; as well as grilled flank steak, seared organic salmon and Amish free-range chicken ($13-$26).  Carni and pesce offer purists simplicity -- prime top sirloin, center-cut filet mignon, prime natural-aged rib eye, Niman Ranch double-cut pork chop, grilled Georgia rainbow trout, grilled swordfish, shrimp and scallops ($17-$39).  For a business lunch or a shopping and lunch date, Davio's is the place at Phipps. 


Speaking of lunch dates, have you added Davio's to your Facebook friend list yet? 

Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse:  Phipps Plaza, 3500 Peachtree Road, NE; 404-844-4810.

SAMPLE WOODFIRE GRILL FARE AT TASTE & TOUR OF CHESHIRE BRIDGE 2010 ON SEPTEMBER 11


Tour of Cheshire BridgeCheshire Bridge Road has a rep for being one of the quirkiest streets in the ATL.  The street that never sleeps has an eclectic mix of restaurants, retail, communities and businesses that are eager to share their vibe with everyone who drops by the annual Taste & Tour of Cheshire Bridge 2010 on Saturday and Sunday, September 11 and 12.  Come try Woodfire Grill's acclaimed farm-to-table fare as part of the Tasting & Market activities from noon until 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 11 only.  Live music and art by local artists keeps things colorful.  Purchase tickets online for $20 per person for both days or for $25 per person at the event.  Parking is available at Cheshire Square Shopping Center, along Faulkner Road (and other side streets), or the Piedmont Road lot of Nakato's. Walk or take the trolley to the event.


Woodfire Grill:  1782 Cheshire Bridge Road; 404-347-9055.

MARLOW'S, SOUTH CITY KITCHEN VININGS AND ATKINS PARK SMYRNA OFFER $20.10 MENUS DURING COBB COUNTY RESTAURANT WEEK

Cobb Restaurant Week"Taste the Good Life" during lunch or dinner in Cobb County for only $20.10 per person during Cobb County Restaurant Week, September 11-18.  A whole slew of Cobb County restaurants, from Vinings to Kennesaw, are participating in the weeklong food fest by offering special three-course prix fixe lunch and/or dinner menus, viewable on the Cobb County Restaurant Week website.  Lunch and dinner guests can select their appetizer, entrée and dessert from a menu of options at Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna and Marlow's Tavern locations in Kennesaw and Vinings.  South City Kitchen Vinings has a classic Southern dinner menu that includes a Caesar salad, buttermilk fried chicken and sides and banana pudding.  $20.10 prix fixe menus do not include tax, gratuity or beverages.  Meet the chefs and tour the restaurants on Facebook.   Reserve your seat today! 

Atkins Park Tavern - Smyrna:  Market Village,2840 Atlanta Road; 770-435-1887.
Marlow's Tavern Vinings: 2355 Cumberland Parkway, 770-432-2526.
Marlow's Tavern Kennesaw: 745 Chastain Road, NW, 770-425-8777.
South City Kitchen Vinings:  1675 Cumberland Parkway; 770-435-0700.
YEE HAW!  YOU'RE ALL INVITED TO DEADWOOD'S OPENING PARTY ON SEPTEMBER 15
Deadwood Saloon InvitationHow fast can you draw your thumbs and shoot back an RSVP email for the Deadwood Saloon grand opening party on Wednesday, September 15?  Even those who are not send-button trigger happy can attend as long as they RSVP  first for the 7 - 10 p.m. shindig. No high-falutin' affair this one, come casual and belly up to the bar for $2 Bud Lights, $3 Absolut cocktails, free appetizers and a rip-roaring good time.

Deadwood Saloon:  66 12th Street in Midtown; 404-671-4290.
BRUNCH AT SHAUN'S FOR HALF-PRICE ON SEPTEMBER 18

Shaun'sShaun's in Inman Park is helping Atlantans pinch pennies without scrimping on their Saturday brunch ritual or treat.  On Saturday, September 18, the congenial bistro and neighborly meeting spot is offering their yummy brunch menu at half price (excluding alcohol).  All the favorites are there:  ricotta beignets with chocolate sauce, crispy Sardinian flatbread, cheddar waffles, Berkshire pork schnitzel and Maryland-style jumbo lump crab cakes.  Brunch hours are 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.  Shaun's serves brunch every Saturday and Sunday during these hours.  If you want to take half off, however, you'll have to brunch on September 18.

Shaun's:  1029 Edgewood Avenue, NE; 404-577-4358.
EAST COBB -- MEET MARLOW'S TAVERN, YOUR NEW NEIGHBOR IN MERCHANTS WALK

Marlow's Tavern East CobbThe upcoming opening of Marlow's Tavern in the East Cobb Merchants Walk retail center ups the count to seven of these amiable, all-American taverns in the metro-Atlanta area.  Each Marlow's Tavern location easily becomes the community gathering place to kick back over bar beverages, daily lunch and dinner centered around upscale tavern fare, and spirited sports viewing.  The new Merchants Walk location promises to be equally energizing!  Vouch for that?  Let the Marlow's Tavern crew know by "liking" their Facebook page.

Marlow's Tavern Merchants Walk:   1311 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 208.
ATHENS AUTHOR GENA KNOX RELEASES SOUTHERN MY WAY:  SIMPLE RECIPES, FRESH FLAVORS -- BUY NOW ONLINE!

Southern My WaySouthern tailgates, Thanksgiving feasting, Christmas and the holiday season will be here before you can say "trick or treat." Thank goodness we can put in a pre-sale order for Southern My Way:  Simple Recipes, Fresh Flavors, the newest cookbook from Gena Knox, Athens author and founder of Fire & Flavor.  This simply Southern cookbook is filled with seasonal recipes and a heavy dash of Southern culture that "turns home kitchens into small town farms."   Not only will you drool over streamlined recipes (cut time, not taste), you'll journey through farms and meet the families and artisans that create our region's rich traditions and produce the local foods we crave.  Grace your table with dishes such as toasted pecan goat cheese with Tupelo honey, balsamic roasted chicken and vegetables or gingersnap ice cream sandwiches . . . or grace someone who cherishes the South with a gift of this legacy cookbook.  Southern My Way is the second cookbook from Knox, whose first cookbook, Gourmet Made Simple, was published in May 2008 to take the challenge out of gourmet meals for home cooks.  Southern My Way: Simple Recipes, Fresh Flavors will be available in major bookstores nationwide and online at www.genaknox.com and at www.amazon.com beginning November 1.   The cookbook also will be available as an e-book through www.zinio.com.   For more information, visit www.fireandflavor.com or call 866-728-8332 for sales inquiries.
IMPROVE LIVES SOUTH OF THE BORDER WITH POCKET CHANGE, A CUP OF JOE AND THE STAY PUT FUND

Stay Put FundMichele Niesen was the chef/owner of The Supper Club and Billy Goat's Cantina in Decatur for 10 years.  Now she calls a peaceful North Georgia hacienda home and writes . . . when she's not opening up the hacienda for private parties and serving her imaginative Latin cuisine.  But enough about Michele.  This blurb is really about Calixto from Guatemala, the Stay Put Fund and your daily cup of Joe.  Calixto was deported back to his Guatemalan homeland last month for not having documentation.  He wants to come back to the U.S. because there is no work at home, and they can't feed another mouth on the farm.  Few receive schooling and most are strapped to a life of menial farm labor earning $5 a day. Calixto, like many others, wants to head north toward jobs and money to help his family -- a deadly trip through Mexico to a land that is not necessarily the land of milk and honey for immigrants.  With the help of the Stay Put Fund, there can be a better, safer way to help hard workers like Calixto and others stay put and make a better life in their homeland. This is where Michele and her friends become part of the story by instigating the Stay Put Fund, collecting the change you might spend on a daily latte or by selling a seldom-used item.  The Stay Put Fun decides where the money goes -- school, food, housing, small business funding, agritourism tours, raising coffee, etc. -- and the recipient cannot try to come back to the U.S.  You've just read the short version of Calixto and the Stay Put Fund story.  For the nitty gritty and to donate via PayPal, check in on Michele's blog, http://thekitchentherapist.blogspot.com.
VANILLA IS QUAKING AS YEAH! BURGER BLENDS UP CARAMELIZED PINEAPPLE MILKSHAKES FOR SEPTEMBER'S "SHAKE OF THE MONTH"

YEAH! BURGERIt's not that YEAH! BURGER is banishing plain old vanilla.  The happy, healthy burger and shake place on Atlanta's Westside is being deliciously playful, whipping up caramelized pineapple milkshakes as September's "shake of the month."  Organic?  You know it: Straus Family Creamery organic ice cream and milk are major components in the $5.49 blend.  Cool with a beef/bison/turkey/veggie burger, grilled chicken breast sandwich, salad or chili at lunchtime or dinner.  YEAH! Burger serves all from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. on Fridays and 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. on Sundays.  More info on Facebook and Twitter.

YEAH! BURGER:  1168 Howell Mill Road, Suite E; 404-496-4393.  
AND THE EMMY GOES TO . . . WHITE OAK PASTURES?

White Oak PasturesWell, in a roundabout sort of way.  At last week's 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy® Awards, Claire Danes won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for her performance as Temple Grandin in the HBO miniseries by the same name.  The film was nominated for 15 and won seven awards.  A little known fact brought to our attention is that Dr. Grandin designed the animal handling and processing facility at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Ga. According to White Oak Pastures Owner Will Harris, their facility differs from some others in that it is more humane for the animals.   White Oak Pastures has been raising all-natural, grassfed beef on their family farm for five generations.  Congratulations on the Emmy win and to White Oak Pastures in their humane treatment of farm animals!
ATLANTANS ARE ALREADY CHEWING THEIR WAY THROUGH MIDTOWN RESTAURANT WEEK -- DON'T BE LEFT OUT!

Midtown Restaurant WeekYou only have until Sunday, September 12 to partake in Midtown Restaurant Week and try out restaurants such as Ecco, Pacci Ristorante, RA Sushi, South City Kitchen Midtown and Spice Market at bargain prices.  Enjoy three-course prix-fixe lunches for $15 and dinners for $25 at more than 30 of Midtown's best restaurants.  Prices are per person and do not include beverage, tax or gratuity. Find out more about participating restaurants and make reservations on the Midtown Restaurant Week website.
YELPER RELAYS THE GOOD NEWS, HUGH ACHESON IS BACK WITH EMPIRE STATE SOUTH

YelperYelper Rebecca O. was recently blessed in a food way to attend a pre-opening sneak-a-peek at Hugh Acheson's new Empire State South.  Sounds like the tastes are hugely Southern as the Empire State Building is tall.  Buttermilk and peach soft-serve ice cream?  A cocktail made with muscadine juice?  Y'all, we're coming here!

Attention fellow foodies! The long wait has at last ended ...

It comes as no surprise that chef and restaurateur Hugh Acheson delivers. After all, he's a four-time James Beard nominee - rightfully so - and a super cool guy. It's his latest venture, Empire State South, that is about to rock the ATL.

I had the distinct privilege of visiting the restaurant for a sneak peek, prior to its grand opening. My, oh my ... what a treat!

It was with grand anticipation that I entered the restaurant by way of its outdoor bocce ball court. *cool points* The place was packed with Hugh fans and foodies - all with tasty bites and drinks in hand.

The servers were über friendly and knowledgeable about the yumminess being dished out. More pickled shrimp atop a finely diced watermelon salad? Yes, please. Freshly out-of-the-oven fried chicken with sweet corn relish? Why, of course. And, lest we forget about the signature cocktail with Hendrick's gin and muscadine juice. *seriously delicious* Buttermilk and peach soft serve ice cream, served with a warm peach compote and a lemon/cayenne Madeleine? This is just too good to be true. The tastes and the presentation will simply knock your Sperrys off.

Thank all things southern and holy that ESS serves all meals of the day, including brunch. I'll be there with some regularity, to be sure.

Congratulations, Hugh and team, on a job perfectly done!

Empire State South: 999 Peachtree Street; 404-541-1105.
READ IT AND TWEEP:  BOCCE IS ROLLING THROUGH ATLANTA BIG TIME, EVEN FOR TWITTER-ERS!

Bocce LeagueIf you're reading these bites in order, you'll note that Empire State South has a bocce court.  What a nice segue into this week's Tweep, the Atlanta Bocce League at Piedmont Park.  Ormsby's is a league sponsor and a fine place to end up after the weekly 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night bocce games on the new Piedmont Park bocce courts.  The season starts up September 15.  You can still join the league if you register before September 12 on their website!  "Like" them on Facebook for updates.

Sample Tweet:  Heading to @piedmontpark a little early (7:15) to beat the dewindling daylight. Hope to see everyone there!
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.
 
For information about these and other great Atlanta restaurants, go to www.melissalibbypr.com, check out our Facebook fanpage, follow AtlantaDish on Twitter, or call 404-816-3068.
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