Ray's On The River Jazz Concert Is A Shore Thing This Weekend And Benefits Medically Fragile Kids

Add a little jazz to your Saturday with Ray's on the River's Summer Concert Series. Starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, the riverside restaurant carves out an area for guests to sit back and soak up jazz and blues by Jon Liebman, Scott Glazer, Joe Alterman and friends. Come early and enjoy 20 percent off lunch at the restaurant with your ticket; otherwise, food and drink concessions will be sold at the concert. Concert tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the door with proceeds benefitting the Fragile Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization that assists families in need of aid to effectively care for their medically fragile children. The family friendly event is one of a three-part series of Ray's on the River concerts benefiting local charities. After this Saturday, you'll have to wait until July 21 to sit back and enjoy renowned trumpeter Joey Sommerville at a concert that will assist the clean water efforts led by the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. Click here to purchase tickets via Eventbrite. 

The Cops Are On Top Of It At Columbus Krispy Kreme, Raising Money For Special Olympics Athletes In Georgia On June 9

Stereotypical story puts them in the shop. Reality, they're on top of it from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, being superheroes for a winning cause. For a dozen years now, Law Enforcement Torch Run deputies have been sitting on Krispy Kreme Doughnut shops to raise money for Special Olympics athletes in Georgia. You know it has to be as sizzling hot as a doughnut fryer up on the roof at the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store at 6761 Veterans Parkway in Columbus, so please stop by and help them out with a donation. A $5 donation receives a thank you treat from Krispy Kreme. Donate $1,000 or more, and Krispy Kreme throws a complimentary doughnut party for you. As the deputies mop their foreheads, customers on ground level will enjoy fun freebies such as a space walk (courtesy of Clownin' Around Amusement Rentals) and "Dunk a Deputy" for a $2 donation. Buy a treat from The Ice Cream Girl & Co. and 20 percent goes to the fundraiser. Inside, stock up on all your favorite doughnut varieties and slurp down a cool iced drink or Krispy Kreme Chiller.

Georgia Restaurants Are Crowing About Pastured Poultry Week June 11-17 

Atlanta chefs and eateries are beating the drumstick for a meaty organization and what it is doing to put a healthier chicken in Georgia and on your dinner plate. Georgians for Pastured Poultry (GPP), an alliance that promotes the use of high-welfare, pasture-raised poultry in Georgia, will hold its first Pastured Poultry Week Monday, June 11 through Sunday, June 17. Atlanta restaurants, including Ecco, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246 and Woodfire Grill, are serving pastured poultry on their menus each day to enlighten guests as to its many virtues including superior taste, natural life of the chickens and human health and environmental advantages. Throughout the summer, chefs will lead demonstrations at local farmers markets to heighten awareness and show how to make the most of the whole bird. Shaun Doty leads off at Morningside Farmers Market on Saturday, June 16, and he'll be sure guests learn about where and how their chickens were raised - important to a chef who will be opening a new local free-range and pastured poultry restaurant, Bantam and Biddy, in September. Chickens for most chef demos will be provided by White Oak Pastures, another stakeholder in the group whose mission is to make Georgia the leader in the production and consumption of pastured poultry. Purchase chickens to cook at home at all Atlanta-area Whole Foods Markets; stores will also be hosting demos during the week, so keep your eyes peeled for times and dates at your nearest location. Georgia is already the nation's leader in broiler production - turn that into pastured poultry and there is a lot to crow about. Get a leg up on pastured poultry facts and information by visiting the Georgians for Pastured Poultry website. 

Food and beverages are the way to go for the king of everything on Father's Day, June 17. There are numerous advantages to treating dad to a special meal out or gourmet food and drink items to enjoy with his pals. Family time for starters, everyone gets to try something new, and you won't see that tie or tool in the donation or re-gifting box.

Gourmet-on-the-go dads have places to go and want epicurean foods to eat. Alon's Bakery and Market is a superhero in this department with decadent desserts, artisan breads, chocolates and lots more fit-for-a-king food and beverage items. Locations in Virginia Highland and Dunwoody.

Spirited dads who already have the golf clubs and tennis accessories will appreciate receiving a gift they can enjoy after the action - a cool summer cocktail made from your gift of American Spirit Whiskey (ASW), available to purchase at area package stores. Start his mixology ideas flowing with recipes from the ASW website.

Sleep in or church first? Afterward, head to Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar for a special three-course Father's Day brunch offered from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. $34.95 per adult and $16.95 for children ages 12 and under (plus tax and gratuity). Besides covering taste bud bases from filet mignon to New Orleans-style French toast, guests can celebrate with Blood Orange Fizz cocktails for $6.95 each. Dads receive a $25 gift card for marking the day at Fleming's. Make reservations by calling 770-698-8112.

Calling all grill daddies and Big Green Egg aficionados. Marlow's Tavern locations are ready to thrill with grilled skirt steak and backyard blackened swordfish - all offerings on the hit "Red, White and Brew" menu available Tuesday, June 12 through Monday, July 23 at all eight Marlow's Tavern locations. Dad prefers his eggs big, green and smoking hot?  Suggest he enter the third annual Marlow's Tavern Grilling Recipe Contest, same dates. He could win a Big Green Egg and get his recipe on the menu! Stay tuned for more details on Facebook.

Burger-meisters will relish lunch or dinner at Smashburger, where they can create their own burger or choose the wedge club burger, Atlanta burger or another juicy specialty beef burger or chicken sandwich. Thick, handspun Häagen-Dazs milkshakes might lead to a new mustache look for dad. With five Atlanta-area locations, there's a Smashburger near you.

What's New On Pinterest: Dairy Darlings

20 Best Recipes for Homemade Ice Cream in Southern Living

June is National Dairy Month, and we're milking it for dairy ideas to cheese up our Pinterest board. It would be an udder shame if you miss it! 

Eat It And Tweep: "The Splendid Table" Serves A Delicious Earful For Cooks

 

This week's tweep proves one can host a cooking show on the radio and garnish it with Twitter and a website/blog. American Public Media proves it with "The Splendid Table," the show for people who love to eat, hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. Find "The Splendid Table" on Twitter (@Splendid Table) or online. To cook while driving, find your radio station and tune in. WABE 90.1 FM in Atlanta plays the show Saturdays at noon.

Sample Tweet:  banana tattoos? http://bit.ly/LGju1S

Appetizing Aperture