Catch A Wave To The Optimist For June 19 Supper Club Benefitting The Atlanta Community Food Bank

Atlanta Chef Ford Fry and his new restaurant, The Optimist and Oyster Bar at The Optimist, will host this month's Supper Club fundraiser for the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) tonight, Tuesday, June 19 from 5 - 10 p.m. Twenty percent of each diner's tab will go to Atlanta's Table, the ACFB's prepared food rescue project. "The Hamptons meets the South" when fresh-caught and wood-fired fruits of the sea pal around with seasonal farm-to-table fare at this sustainable seafood restaurant run by Executive Chef Adam Evans on Atlanta's trendy Westside. At Oyster Bar at The Optimist, guests dive into a relaxed surf culture atmosphere where small plates, East and West Coast oysters, Maine lobster and peel-and-eat shrimp all lend themselves to easy sharing. 

A glimpse at The Optimist menu catches garlicky tiny clams and pork belly with hand-torn croutons and chili, a simple salad with shaved celery and herbs in banyuls vinaigrette, and seafood gumbo "pot luck" with garlic bread, to start. Wood hearth entrées include Florida grouper with smoked Vidalia onion and horseradish broth, duck fat-poached swordfish with pickled sweet peppers and crispy pancetta, and skirt steak with romesco sauce and a beef jus. Sides are for sharing:  shoestring fries with a malt vinegar aioli, potato gnocchi with lobster butter and corn, "beignet-style" corn milk hushpuppies with cane sugar butter and roasted farm carrot with ginger vinaigrette. The dessert tide rolls in with buttermilk donuts with sweet cream ice cream and hot pepper jam, milk chocolate cloud with chicory sponge and cigar cream or grapefruit tart (pictured above; photo by Taria Camerino) with candied honeysuckle and Venezuelan white chocolate. Reservations strongly suggested; call 404-477-6260.

Lambrusco Day Sparkles At No. 246 With Wine Tastings, Guest Mixologists And Menu Pairings On June 20

Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee

Explore Pinot Noir At Woodfire Grill Wine Tasting On June 21  

According to Wine Spectator, the ideal temperature range for wine storage is between 45° F and 65° F - making the Woodfire Grill wine cellar an ideal place to escape summer's heat. That's where Woodfire Grill Sommelier Cate Hatch has been lately, selecting eight different Pinot Noir wines for this Thursday night's 6 - 8 p.m. tasting. Hatch and Woodfire Grill Co-Owner and Wine Director Nicolas Quinones have planned this month's third Thursday tasting around Burgundy Pinot Noir, the standard to which all other Pinot Noir is compared. Guests dining at the restaurant will discover its depths, from the rich Grand Crus to the lighter Bourgogne Rouge. While the tasting takes place concurrently with dinner, it is not considered a pairing so guests may order as they please. The cost is $15 per person and is limited to 30 guests. Reservations are required; call 404-347-9055 and specifically mention the wine tasting. Looking ahead, summer whites of Vouvray, Muscadet and Sancerre will be offered at the next tasting on July 19. 

Summer In The City Is Here -- South City Kitchen Vinings "Summer In The Kitchen" Menu Ushers In First Week Of Summer Beginning June 21

Obviously, June 21 is the day to start playing hooky from your own kitchen to spend the next 10 days staying cool as a cucumber dining off South City Kitchen Vining's limited-time "Summer in the Kitchen" menu. In addition to the usual beloveds, guests will find new summer loves offered through June 30. 

Drool over heirloom tomatoes and watermelon with minted basil syrup; crisp pig ear salad; "Beer Belly" Sapelo Island clams steamed in SweetWater 420 with house bacon; chilled poached shrimp with grilled savoy cabbage and Benedictine dressing; Gulf shrimp and crab ceviche; or smoked brisket chili with boiled peanuts, cilantro, smoked cheddar and sour cream. ($7-$10). For "hot dog, it's summer!" flair, the kitchen tops Certified Angus beef hot dogs with your choice of fried avocado and sweet corn relish, bacon-wrapped with grilled Georgia peaches or green tomato chow-chow on an H&F bun ($6). Marinated cukes, Valbreso feta and lamb's lettuce dress the flavorful lamb burger; chicken thighs are slathered in white BBQ sauce as they bask alongside vinegared potato salad and grilled summer corn; grilled flat-iron steak goes west next to ranch beans, arugula and smoked chili ketchup while cedar plank salmon hooks up with BBQ Vidalia onions and Georgia peaches ($12-$24). Finish off the meal with a pie plate of oatmeal, moon and fried pies ($9). For reservations, click here or call 770-435-0700.

Get Sauced At Atkins Park Tavern Virginia Highland Beer And BBQ Dinner On June 21

You might anticipate pulled pork and sweet/spicy/vinegar BBQ sauce at a beer and barbeque dinner. Not so fast. Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland is throwing a four-course Beer and BBQ Dinner at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 21 -- and pulled pork is not even in the queue. Instead, look forward to starting with smoked Gulf shrimp, Georgia peach BBQ relish and crispy okra paired with Easy Rider Session ale. Second course moves forward with boneless pork sparerib sliders topped with tomato BBQ sauce and tobacco onions paired with Hopsicutioner IPA. Grilled beef shortribs basted in black cherry cola BBQ sauce served with creamed corn mashed potatoes take third along with Monk's Revenge Belgian IPA. No BBQ sauce for dessert, but who's complaining when it's Dutch oven wild blueberry cobbler and lemon curd ice cream joined by Special Anniversary ale. Terrapin Beer Company out of Athens is bringing on the beer. $40 per person, not including tax or gratuity. Reservations suggested:  404-876-7249.

'80s Prom Night At Atkins Park Tavern Is A Not So Trivial Pursuit On June 22

Devo - "Whip It"

Put down the Rubik's Cube and get ready to party like it's 1989 as Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna turns back the hands of time for a "Back to the '80s Prom Night" on Friday, June 22. We're telling you now so you can work on your hair, find a dress and press that Miami Vice-like white linen suit. Costume contest doles out prizes for best '80s look. Don't cha want to be Prom King or Queen?  Party starts at 10 p.m., and DJ H. keeps on playing until 4 a.m. You're on your own for watching the sun rise over a lake in your party clothes.

Diverging Diamond Paves Way To Dunwoody Restaurant Week With Prix Fixe Meals At Alon's Bakery And Market In Park Place, June 23 - 30

Georgia's first diverging diamond interchange opened this month at I-285 and Ashford-Dunwoody Road. If you haven't driven it yet, a prime time to try out the smooth traffic flow is during Dunwoody Restaurant Week 2012, Saturday to Saturday, June 23- 30. The easy-peasy new traffic pattern provides unfettered access into Park Place and Alon's Bakery and Market for special restaurant week prix fixe lunch and dinner menus. 

Alon's $10 lunch starts with a garden or Caesar salad or your choice of soup. Next, select an entrée of Margherita pizza, spicy Tunisian tuna sandwich or a roasted chicken with pesto sandwich. For $25, dinner includes three courses:  your choice of seared tuna chips, Israeli hummus or a Greco, garden or Caesar salad as an appetizer accompanied by your entrée choice of house-ground Meyer beef burger and fries, any of Alon's signature pizzas or grilled salmon with truffle-crispy mashed potatoes and wilted spinach. Lucky you! Choose any one of Alon's individual desserts as your dinner finale. 

Price excludes beverage, tax and gratuity. Alon's has a wide variety of wines, beers and other beverages available to purchase to complement your meal. Don't forget that Alon's is celebrating its 20^th anniversary so look for anniversary specials throughout the year. 

Lick Fast Or Slow? Whatever Floats Your Vote At Slow Food Atlanta Annual Ice Cream Social At Peachtree Road Farmers Market On June 23

Such a delicious quandary. Seriously cool chefs and ambitiously cranking amateurs are churning up a whole lot of homemade ice cream and sorbet for the tasting at Slow Food Atlanta's 6^th Annual Ice Cream Social this Saturday, June 23 from 12:30 - 2 p.m. at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. Don't expect the usual freezer case flavors. Taria Camerino, pastry chef at The Optimist and No. 246, will dip samples of goat cheese ice cream with roasted peaches and candied fennel. Buy tickets in advance or you won't get a lick. Adults are $15 and children 5-10 are $5 each; free for children 5 and under. Proceeds benefit Slow Food Atlanta.

Ray's Restaurants Give Delicious Returns - Receive A $10 Gift Card With Every $50 Gift Card Purchase

From a financial point of view, receiving a $10 gift card with a $50 gift card purchase is a 20 percent return on your investment. It's also a mouthwatering investment since the cards can be used to savor the sizzling steaks, fresh seafood and other tempting dishes at any of the three Ray's Restaurant locations. Stock up now for gifts and special occasions. Purchase gift cards online or at Ray's on the River, Ray's at Killer Creek or Ray's in the City through July 31. Complimentary dining cards are not valid toward private parties, gratuity or alcoholic beverage and cannot be combined with other promotions. $10 increments can be added to one dining card or multiple dining cards, depending on the purchaser's choice.

What's New On Pinterest: In Season Now - Fresh From The Garden

Grilled Zucchini & Eggplant Parmesan Recipe {Vegetarian} by CookinCanuck, via Flickr

Leafy green, sweet pepper orange and crooked neck squash yellow... eating summer veggies gives you that healthy glow. Besides, they'll look fabulous on our Pinterest board, don't you think? 

Eat It And Tweep:  Beer Man Berrong

Nathan Berrong of Decatur writes about beer for CNN's food and drink blog, Eatocracy and tweets between sips. Pull up a stool to the tweet counter, draft a mug full and tweet along (@nathanberrong). Pour another and read more on Eatocracy. Pour one more (hey, who's counting?) and follow his beer logs at Untappd.

Sample Tweet:  So pumped that Anthony Bourdain is now a colleague: http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/29/anthony-bourdain-joins-cnn-to-host-new-weekend-program/ Here's to seeing some beer-related pieces @NoReservations!

Appetizing Aperture