ABOUT THE DISH
Looking for the latest restaurant openings, 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.
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up-to-date on new and ongoing restaurant events around Atlanta!
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Sake & Sushi Social At RA Sushi Makes It A
Super Tuesday
Politics aside, there's more than one reason why March 6 is Super Tuesday in Georgia. RA Sushi hosts its monthly Sake & Sushi Social tonight, and you'll have a super time if you're there. It'll be a super-duper time if you gather some friends to come along. The hands-on event unfolds at 7 p.m. with a sushi rolling lesson chased by appetizer samplings and sake pairings. $35 per person or $60 per couple. Reserve your spot ASAP by calling 404-267-0114. Learn more on Facebook.
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Put It On My Tab - Donate To The 2012 Hunger Walk/Run When Dining At Area Restaurants
Help kick hunger by walking or running in the 2012 Hunger Walk/Run on Sunday, March 11, or top off your tab with a donation to the cause when dining at Aqua blue, Aria, Double Zero Napoletana, The Iberian Pig, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, Marlow's Tavern and No. 246 through March 11. Fifth Group Restaurants are not going to be left in anyone's dust -- they're also in the middle of fundraising for the event. For the past three years "running," Fifth Group has been the Hunger Walk/Run's top corporate fundraiser, thanks to loyal and passionate patrons and staff members. This year the group -- including Alma Cocina, Ecco, South City Kitchen Midtown, South City Kitchen Vinings, The Original El Taco and La Tavola Trattoria -- has set a goal of raising $25,000. Join in the event that takes place from noon until 4 p.m. this Sunday at the Turner Field green lot. While participants come from all walks of life, fitness levels, socio-economic levels and faiths, they all share a desire to prevent hunger. In 1984, the first Hunger Walk/Run garnered $30,000. Last year's event raised more than $500,000 toward beating local and global hunger through six benefiting partners: Action Ministries United Methodists, Atlanta Community Food Bank, Episcopal Charities Foundation, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Lutheran Services of Georgia and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
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Head To Fadó For Tastings Of Bushmills, Guinness, Picklebacks And More (Plus, This Is Where It's At For St. Pat's)
March marches a slew of tasting events and St. Paddy's partying through the door at Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant. Several tastings are in the works this week: a Guinness Black Lager and Foreign Extra Stout tasting begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 9; Paddy Pickleback shots are $3 each starting at 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 10; and the Paddy's Day Irish Session is not to be missed at 8 p.m. on Monday, March 12.
If you're over 21, you're the perfect age to have fun at the upcoming spirit tastings at Fadó and to help fight childhood cancer in the process. On Tuesday, March 13, 92.9 davefm radio host Rich Sullivan will be at Fadó for a Bushmills Whiskey tasting beginning at 7 p.m. For $39.95 per person, guests will enjoy a tasting of five whiskeys and six dishes guided by Master of Whisky Kevin Mulcahy of Diageo, the world's leading premium spirits distributor. The food portion of the menu includes salmon bites, lamb and bleu cheese sliders, hot brie rarebit, rasher- and Irish cheddar-stuffed mushrooms and mini cheesecakes. Twenty percent of the night's proceeds will go to the Atlanta chapter of St. Baldrick's Foundation, a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization that supports childhood cancer research. Only 75 people can attend this rooftop-level event so grab tickets here ASAP.
Atlanta's biggest St. Pat's Day party fills Fadó and spills out onto Peachtree starting in the pre-dawn hours on Saturday, March 17. The day is packed with Super Saturday 6 Nations Rugby, Irish dancers, a U2 tribute band and lots more. Buy tickets in advance here. |
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Crustacean Nation -- Prep For National Crabmeat Day With Cookbook Featuring South City Kitchen Chef Chip Ulbrich's Recipes
Surimi (or imitation crab) is absent from the ingredient list from all of South City Kitchen Executive Chef Chip Ulbrich's crab-centric recipes. The award-winning chef uses fresh lump crabmeat in his recipes for crab and shrimp ceviche with watermelon relish, South City Kitchen crab hash, crab cakes and she-crab soup. You'll find all of these recipes alongside Ulbrich's anecdotes in Judy Colbert's book "Chesapeake Bay Crabs." With National Crabmeat Day skedaddling in on March 9, this book and Ulbrich's recipes will cause more swooning than Jack Sparrow. Go ahead and get crabby with Ulbrich's recipe for crab and shrimp ceviche with watermelon relish:
Relish:
4 cups seedless watermelon, finely diced
½ cup red onion, finely diced
1 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
l jalapeño or poblano chile (depending on your spice level), finely diced
2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger, peeled and grated
2 limes, juiced and zested
¼ cup champagne vinegar
¼ cup garlic, chopped
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
¼ cup honey
salt & pepper to taste
2 lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 lb. lump crabmeat, picked clean Relish: Mix all relish ingredients and allow to rest in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Shrimp: To blanch shrimp, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and season with a healthy dose of salt. The water should taste like seawater. Add shrimp and cook for no more than 10 seconds. Remove shrimp and shock in ice water to cool rapidly; shrimp should still be a little raw on the inside. Once cool, drain well. Assemble: Toss shrimp, crab and relish in a bowl and allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes. Serve with fresh watermelon and lime wedges. |
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There'll Be More Happy Campers If You Attend "Best Of Atlanta" Party Benefitting
Camp Twin Lakes
Every year about this time Atlanta Magazine throws a "Best of Atlanta" bash spotlighting restaurants, bars and businesses voted "Best of" by readers. The gathering of Atlanta's best restaurants and some 2,000 guests delivers an awesome double-whammy for beneficiaries: event guests sampling specialties from top-vote recipients, and perhaps more importantly, the children who won't be at the event but will be able to have a heck of a good time being kids at Camp Twin Lakes. Camp Twin Lakes is one of Georgia's non-profit gems, providing medically supportive, year-round camp programs for children facing serious illnesses, disabilities and other life challenges. This year's celebratory shindig takes place Monday, March 12 at the Cobb Galleria Centre from 7 - 10 p.m. (VIP Preview Party from 6-7 p.m.). We'll be on the lookout for the Spice Market samples. Over the years, the event has raised more than $2 million for Camp Twin Lakes. All inclusive tickets are $65 per person and may be purchased
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Claw Your Way To Aqua blue Crabfest And Rock On With Stone Crabs
Stone crab season really rocks, especially when we're talking about the upcoming Crabfest bonanza at Aqua blue in Roswell. From Tuesday, March 13 through Monday, April 16, Executive Chef/Co-founder John C. Metz will offer the crab-tastic cuisine featuring stone crabs raised under sustainable methods in wild fisheries. Get stoned, in the culinary sense, on dishes such as sherry-spiked she-crab soup with spiced hominy frite ($7); jumbo lump crab cakes with avocado, mango, chili aioli, rice wine vinegar and wasabi honey mustard ($15); soft-shell crab rolls made with thin asparagus, crab cake, sweet herb, futomaki, soy paper and red tobiko ($14); chilled Florida stone crab claws (MP); drunken crab legs -- a combo of king and snow crab legs served with tri-color tiny potatoes, corn on the cob slather and jicama slaw ($30); and large Florida stone crab claws served with green peppercorn cocktail, traditional mustard sauce, tri-color tiny potatoes, corn on the cob slather and jicama slaw (MP). The USDA says stone crabs pack in low-fat protein, vitamin B6, selenium and magnesium so come out of your shell and get crabby with the rest of them at Aqua blue.
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Double Zero Napoletana Hosts March 13 Supper Club For The Atlanta Community Food Bank
The Atlanta Community Food Bank's Supper Club has its advantages over the home-grown type. No pre-party cleaning or post-party dishwashing. Menu planning means choosing off the menu without shopping for ingredients, and the dining room seats more than eight or 12. And best of all, your night out benefits the Atlanta Community Food Bank since 20 percent of each tab goes to the ACFB. Book your spot and a few for your friends at Double Zero Napoletana for this month's Supper Club on Tuesday, March 13. Dinner time is flexible, and the whole menu is fair game -- from small plates to real Neapolitan pizza to Double Zero's Italian specialties. Call 404-991-3666 for reservations.
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Save St. Pat's for the Irish - March 16 Is All About Italian Food And Wine At Double Zero's Sant' Elena Wine Dinner
Plan on corned beef and cabbage for St. Pat's, but on Friday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m., Double Zero Napoletana is the place to wine and dine. Dominic Nocerino, Jr., owner of Sant' Elena estate in northern Italy, will join guests at the Sandy Springs restaurant for a five-course Italian spread paired with the wines of Sant' Elena estate. The history of Gradisca d'Isonzo, the town where the estate is located, is fascinating in itself. It changed hands through the Habsburg dynasty, the Venetians, the Austria-Hungarian Empire, the Slavs and finally became part of post WWII Italy.
On the menu: tuna crudo with caper aioli, watermelon radish, micro cilantro, pineapple caviar and verjus vinaigrette paired with Sant' Elena Chardonnay 2009; egg yolk-stuffed ravioli with Swiss chard, brown butter balsamic emulsion and smoky carrot foam served with Sant' Elena Cabernet 2002; grilled flat iron steak with roasted cauliflower, pesto and crispy prosciutto accompanied by Sant' Elena "Tato" 2006 (Cabernet/Merlot blend); goat milk-braised hind shank osso bucco with farro, cherries and marinated mushrooms paired with Sant' Elena Quantum Pignolo 2006; and for dessert, flourless chocolate cake with raspberry preserves and seasonal gelato flavor. $75 per person, not including tax and tip. Please call 404-991-3666 for reservations.
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Eat It And Tweep: If Burgers Could Twitter, They'd Tweet A Hamburger Today
Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, we just want A Hamburger Today. This is the tweet spot for the bold burger crowd. More than 7,000 burger-meisters and misses follow the latest on hot burger spots and meaty news "with ketchup, mustard and opinion" on Twitter (@ahamburgertoday). For more meat, bite into the juicy blog.
Sample Tweet: Weird news: Man in Wisconsin is charged after cooking his own meal at Denny's http://bit.ly/wi2oCx
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