The Dish
In This Issue
Alon's Back to School Basket Sweepstakes
Riesling Party at JCT. Bar
RA Sushi at Piedmont Park Green Market
Labor Day
Oyster Specials and Late Night Hours at Atkins Park Tavern Smyrna
Taste of Atlanta
Pinterest: Gearing Up To Grill
Tweep of the Week: @dgritzer
Appetizing Aperture: National Chicken Month
 
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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Alon's Bakery and Market Earns an A+ in our Books for Their Back to School Basket Sweepstakes  

    

Transform that lunch box from blah to favorite subject status with a little extracurricular help from Alon's Bakery and Market. Enter their Back to School Basket Sweepstakes, and you might win a delicious basket of items for your favorite student. Items include Alon's jam, fresh Alon's bread, peanut butter, plain or chocolate Horizon milk, your choice of cookies or brownies, a side of fruit, an Alon's chocolate bar and Alon's hot chocolate and coffee. (Hey, moms and dads deserve a treat for packing that back-to-school lunch box each day!) Click here to enter. Entries must be received before September 5, and a basket winner will be chosen at random. Only one entry per person; winner will be notified via email. Good luck and good lunch!

Sip Riesling on the Rooftop and Watch the Sun Set on Summer from JCT. Bar on August 30

 

 

Labor Day weekend marks the traditional end to the summer vacation season, but JCT. Bar can't let the hot season slip away without raising a glass of crisp, cool Riesling in its honor. If you're at the August 30 End of Summer Riesling party, your other hand might hold a spicy corn dog, Padr�n peppers, $1 oysters, pimento cheese toast or other specially prepared Southern snacks. A Riesling tasting and $6 Riesling punch are headliners, and games and live music keep the party pumped. For $15, you'll get seven different Rieslings to sample. Party starts at 5 p.m. Cornholers, register between 6-6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. tournament (winning team takes home $50 bar credit) then swing at the pi�ata packed with candy and prizes at 9 p.m. If you ask why a pi�ata, you're missing the whole Riesling for being. 

 

RA Sushi Chef Heads Down the Block to Piedmont Park Green Market Demo on September 1

 

 

 

RA Sushi Bar Restaurant chef has ideas for that fresh produce filling your shopping bag at this Saturday's Piedmont Park Green Market. The chef demo falls in the 10 - 11 a.m. hour, which is frontloaded with shopping time. Look and learn before you head out or home to lunch. You did buy ingredients for lunch, didn't you? If not, RA Sushi is only a few blocks away on Peachtree Street and opens for lunch at 11 a.m. 
 

Labors of Love -- These Restaurants Are Open on Labor Day 

White Oak Pastures - Photo by Angie Mosier

When you're looking to labor as little as possible over the Labor Day holiday, turn to these Atlanta restaurants. Alon's Bakery and Market has almost everything you'll need for that Labor Day cookout -- bread, cheese, chips, snacks, desserts, wine, beer, sides and more. Plan to shop before 4 p.m. (They'll close then so their employees can have a little R&R of their own.) 

 

For burgers, pick up some White Oak Pastures grass-fed and sustainably raised beef or chicken to throw on the grill or check out their online sale to pick up some tasty cuts for a great price until Tuesday at noon! Locally, it's also available at Whole Foods Markets and area Publix stores. 

 

Both Atkins Park Tavern locations (Virginia Highland and Smyrna) will be open, with big screens tackling college football games at the Smyrna location. In Midtown, head for Ecco or RA Sushi Bar Restaurant

 

In Virginia Highland, hit The Original El Taco for chips, guac, Tex-Mex and plenty of cold cervezas and margaritas, or settle in at La Tavola Trattoria for dinner centered on regional Italian fare. On the northern Perimeter, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar will serve from the "5 For $6 'Til 7" menu from lunch through dinner hours. 

 

Around town, both locations of Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food (Buckhead and Sandy Springs) and all Marlow's Tavern locations will be ready for you and your friends, as well as Ray's in the City and Ray's on the River. Please note that Ray's at Killer Creek will close on Sunday, August 2 for renovations and will reopen soon to welcome back guests.

 

Dive Into Atkins Park Tavern Smyrna for Oyster Specials and Late-Night Hours (Or Early Morning?)   


     


As Sunday night becomes Monday morning, Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna is still rocking strong. The place is open and rolling with live music from 9:30 p.m. until 4 a.m. $3 well drinks and $2 and $3 shot specials keep coming all night long. Ever hear Grammie's adage about oysters being prime in months that have an "R"? Well, September is almost here, and New Orleans charred oysters and oysters on the half shell are at Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna starting at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays and Sundays. Delectable pearls of wisdom from yours truly. 

 

A Banner Year for Pole-Topping Chefs Overlooking Taste of Atlanta October 5-7

 

  

The 11th Annual Taste of Atlanta places Tech Square, 5th and Peachtree at the ATL's epicurean epicenter over the October 5 - 7 weekend. In this year of polls, the TOA folks polled Facebook fans to determine which chefs should be featured on street-pole banners leading the way through Midtown to the festival. Pole Banner Poll winners include Drew Belline of No. 246, Adam Evans of The Optimist, Ford Fry of JCT. Kitchen & Bar and Joey Riley of Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub. Buy event tickets online and things will be looking up for you, too.

 

What's New on Pinterest: Gearing up to Grill 

 

 

Another all-American grilling holiday is upon us, and we're preparing to "meat and greet" and even veg-out a bit on our Big Green Eggs, classic Webers and gas Char-Broils. Our

Pinterest ideas are hotter than ever.

 

Eat it and Tweep:  Daniel Gritzer is Following His Gut; Follow Along on Twitter 

 

 

 

He loves the audible and edible and goes with his gut instincts on "yeas" and "ehhs." Daniel Gritzer is food editor at Food & Wine magazine. While his job involves lots of food, wine and words (example, his blog at http://www.danielgritzer.com), he's happy to tweet (@dgritzer) his opinions in 140 characters or less for word dieters. 

 

Sample TweetMy mom grew this banana. Puts other bananas to shame. http://instagram.com/p/NhlujjvcmD/

 

Appetizing Aperture - National Chicken Month 

Photo by Lisa Hymel
What's it like to celebrate National Chicken Month in the state that produces the most chickens in the U.S.? It's super barbequed, zinging with wickedly hot wings and glowing with golden juicy-crunchy goodness, as evidenced by our finger-lickin' photo of the Southern-fried chicken served at South City Kitchen Midtown and South City Kitchen Vinings