In This Issue

Osteria Cibo Rustico Serves Lunch in Toco Hills November 18

Thanksgiving Day Dining

Ormsby's New Menu

New Dishes at Marlow's Tavern

Arianne Fielder Wins Atlanta Woodford Reserve Manhattan Contest

Ford Fry Named 2013 GRACE Restaurateur of the Year

#foodgram: @gamexatl

Appetizing Aperture: Sweet Dee's Bakeshop

What's New on Pinterest? Nutty for Nuts

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.

up-to-date on new and ongoing restaurant events around Atlanta!

Raise a Pint at Bantam + Biddy for Georgia Craft Brewers Guild on November 14

Dine on regional fare and Georgia craft brews at Bantam + Biddy on Thursday, November 14. Naturally raised chicken is king at the Ansley Mall fast-casual eatery, but on this night, the focus will be on Georgia's craft beers. One buck ($1) will be skimmed off the sale of each pint of Georgia-made craft beer and drafted over to the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild to promote and protect locally brewed beer. Toast that!

Osteria Cibo Rustico Serves Lunch in Toco Hills Beginning November 18

Atlantans looking for an authentic Italian lunch spot in the Toco Hills area will have their way when Osteria Cibo Rustico begins offering the midday repast on Monday, November 18. Dip into antipasti ($4.95-$10.95) of warm polenta fritta (Parmesan-crusted polenta fingers), polpettine (house-made meatballs) in tomato-basil sauce or share an antipasto plate with friends. Filling piadine (sandwiches, $8.95-$9.95) come served on toasted rustic bread with your choice of side salads and can veer from "rustico" of prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, basil and herb vinaigrette-tossed greens to tummy-warming "salsiccia" laden with Italian sausage, grilled onions, roasted red pepper pesto, shaved Parmesan and ready to be dipped into tomato-basil sauce. Order any of the four insalate ($6.95-$8.95) topped with blue cheese, grilled chicken, shrimp or salmon for an additional $1-$4. "Brrr" days are pasta perfect ($8.95-$14.95) with gigli primavera with grilled asparagus, onions, mushrooms and scallions, hearty rigatoni alla Bolognese or fusilli with fennel sausage and pistachios. Swap out for gluten-free penne pasta for $1. Bottled waters, soft drinks, tea, coffee, beer and wine cover everyone's hot and cold beverage needs.

Thanks to Atlanta Restaurants for Giving Us Thanksgiving Day Options

How will your Thanksgiving Day roll? Whether you're preparing for a house full or envisioning a chef-led Southern Thanksgiving dinner out, Atlanta's gracious restaurants are ready to accommodate with dine-in and take-away solutions. If cooking the main is your main thing, White Oak Pastures can send a farm-fresh bird and seasonings your way. No matter how you slice this meal, with these tips, you'll leave the table pleasantly stuffed.

Plate up at 10th & Piedmont in Midtown where tradition calls for a traditional Thanksgiving buffet from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Enjoy holiday favorites and dessert for $29 per person (tax and gratuity not included). Wine specials add to the festivities. Reservations: 404-602-5510

Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland breaks bread beginning at 4 p.m., offering a prix fixe menu for $28 for adults, $18 for young adults ages 11 to 16 and $10 for children 10 and under (tax and gratuity not included). Choose between Big Green Egg-smoked turkey breast or braised pork shoulder with sides of green bean casserole, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry Grand Marnier compote and sweet potato biscuits. Dessert includes pumpkin cheesecake or Southern pecan pie. Reservations: 404-876-7249.

Chicken and the Egg in Marietta is all about the South with a meat-and-three menu plus dessert available from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Choose either roasted turkey with cornbread dressing or glazed ham plus sides such as mashed potatoes, mac and cheese and green bean casserole and desserts of pecan pie, pumpkin pie or apple cobbler. Meal includes rolls with butter, cranberry relish, soft drinks, iced tea or coffee. $24.99 for adults, $11.99 for children 6 to 12 and free for children 5 and under (tax and gratuity not included). Reservations: 678-388-8813.

Executive chef Ben Castro at The Mill Kitchen & Bar in Roswell is fixing a farm-fresh Thanksgiving dinner for your homestead. His traditional turkey dinner includes roasted turkey breast, gravy, dressing, The Mill mac and cheese, green bean casserole, cranberry relish and pumpkin pie. Dinner for six to eight people is $95; dinner for 10 to 12 guests is $145. No substitutions; however, additional sides may be purchased. Place orders by Monday, November 25 by calling 770-817-9345. Pick up on Wednesday, November 27.

Milton's Cuisine & Cocktails is smoking apple-brined turkeys and packing each one up with Madeira gravy and sage-corn spoonbread to carry to your house or grandma's house for $75. Additional sides are available upon request, and Milton's includes reheating instructions. Each 12-14 pound turkey feeds six to eight people. Place orders online by Friday, November 22. Pick-up after noon on November 26 and 27 at the historic Crabapple restaurant. Call 770-817-0161 for more information.

The Thanksgiving Bounty Buffet at Old Vinings Inn will please the whole family. Hot classics include curry-pumpkin bisque, herb-roasted leg of lamb, roasted and fried turkey, shrimp and grits, BBO potato gratin, green bean casserole with porcini cream, apple and andouille corn bread dressing, whipped sweet potatoes, plus much more. A cold buffet offers cocktail shrimp with bloody mary horseradish, chow-chow devils, pimento cheese spread with sea salt and olive oil flatbread and roasted spaghetti squash salad with basil and pine nuts. On the dessert table, find pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple strudel and petit fours. $50 per person; $25 for children ages 10 years and younger (plus tax and gratuity). Reservations are available 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; call 770-438-2282.

Ormsby's, located in West Midtown, is staying open on Thanksgiving Eve until the wee hours of Thanksgiving morning. Sip away until 3 a.m. on Thursday, November 28 and try drinks from the fall menu, Monday Night Brewing's Drafty Kilt, Bell's Two-Hearted Ale and more pours.

Black Friday shoppers, RA Sushi Bar Restaurant in Midtown is planning its version of "RA Retail Therapy" with extended food and drink specials from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on November 29. More than 30 appetizers, tapas and sushi selections ($2.25-$7.25) including Tootsy Maki, the Viva Las Vegas roll and other popular dishes await to fortify shoppers. Hydrate with beer, wine and signature cocktails ($3-$7) such as the Absolut Asian Flirtation, Pinnacle Strawberry Kiwi Saketini or Cuervo yuzu margarita.

All three Ray's Restaurants locations welcome Thanksgiving guests. Ray's on the River is offering a buffet from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. priced at $39.95 for adults, $19.95 for children ages 7 to 12 and free for children 6 and under. Ray's on the Creek is offering an � la carte menu from 11 a.m.-9 p.m., and Ray's in the City is offering an � la carte menu from noon-8 p.m.

Spend time at the table, not in your kitchen, at both South City Kitchen Midtown and South City Kitchen Vinings where a three-course menu brings choices and Southern classics your way. Dine Thursday, November 28 from 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. at the Midtown location and from 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. at the Vinings location. The meal is $45 for adults and $22.50 for children 12 and under (tax and gratuity not included). Reservations are recommended at both locations: South City Kitchen Midtown - 404-873-7358; South City Kitchen Vinings - 770-435-0700.

Appreciate the difference of a home-cooked American Standard Bronze turkey ordered from White Oak Pastures. Raised in open-pastures, these birds are free of antibiotics and added hormones. Three sizes: small (8-12 pounds) for $75, medium (12.1-16 pounds) for $100 and large (16+ pounds) for $125. Order online or by phone at 229-641-2081 by Saturday, November 23. Shipping costs are calculated per mile per pound. Spice up that bird by adding White Oak Pastures' very own house-made poultry spice rub made of salt, garlic, black pepper, oregano, paprika, cayenne, white pepper and allspice for $7.99.

Ormsby's New Menu is a Cold Weather Bestseller

Snuggle in with a read so good you can taste it. Ormsby's has updated its menu to satiate cool weather appetites. Crack open the menu online for pages of food, cocktail, beer and wine tempters. A few teasers? Sure. For starters, there are Guinness-dipped pretzels with stout mustard, hand-cut fries with pot roast gravy or other sauces, flank steak salad and a hand-dipped corn dog with Sriracha mayo. Entr�es run wild from grilled fish tacos to veal meatloaf, coffee-rubbed prime rib, hefty sandwiches served with house-cut fries or ale-battered onion rings or bangers and mash with house-made brats. Ormsby's has a sweet spot, too, with chocolate bread pudding, chai tea cr�me br�l�e and baked apple dumplings. Thirsty for more? Devour the descriptions and origins for more than 60 offerings of bottled beer, 16 draft beers and the carefully compiled wine menu. As absorbing as they are, the menus are even more satisfying when experienced firsthand along with the friendly staff at Ormsby's in Atlanta's West Midtown.

New Dishes at Marlow's Tavern are Right for Cooler Days and Nights

Turkey has its place on fall tables, and so do the new stars on the menu at Marlow's Tavern locations. Exit the chilly outdoors and settle in with Start/Snack/Share plates such as lump crab beignets, sizzlin' feta crostini, hoisin BBQ ribs, killer calamari or beet, quinoa and goat cheese. Asian chicken or pomegranate ahi tuna with red and gold beets, field greens, baby spinach, pomegranate seeds and almonds make for substantial salads. Handhelds include the classic burger "Royale" of Wagyu beef with cheese on buttery brioche or a grilled chicken "BLT" panini. Tavern Favorites add crispy brick chicken with angel hair carbonara, grilled salmon with pearl couscous and saut�ed kale or grilled "center-cut" filet mignon. Cold weather calls for warm desserts such as milk chocolate-soaked chocolate cake with pecan and "Jack" syrup and a jolt of vanilla ice cream. Kids will love their menu featuring pita pizza, Tavern-style chicken fingers, crazy cheese quesadillas and a "Big Kid Steak." Marlow's mixologists have been busy developing new cocktail pleasers such as The Fly Bye with Aviation gin, I'll Have Another, Fire on Ice or Kicked by the Mule.

Arianne Fielder of Article 14 Wins Atlanta Woodford Reserve Manhattan Contest

Arianne Fielder has that knack. Last year, Fielder placed second, and this year the Article 14 mixtress won top honors in the Manhattan Experience bartender regional exhibition sponsored by Woodford Reserve craft bourbon and Esquire magazine.

Her muse: "I wanted to create a Manhattan variation that would cater to the female palate. My personal goal has been to convert more women into whiskey drinkers, and that was my drink direction. During my recent visit to bourbon country, I noticed that the standard attire for women at the distilleries was a sundress and cowboy boots. I loved it. So classic, Southern and feminine. I called my cocktail the 'Kentucky Sundress' and sought to bring out the bourbon's feminine and pretty qualities. The cocktail has strawberry- and rosemary-infused vermouth blanc, orange bitters, elderflower liqueur, a green chartreuse rinse and a strawberry rose garnish."

Fielder heads off to NYC in January 2014 to compete in the national finale!

Ford Fry Named 2013 GRACE

Restaurateur of the Year

The ballots are in and the numbers tallied -- Ford Fry is the 2013 Georgia Restaurant Association Crystal of Excellence (GRACE) Restaurateur of the Year. The distinguished honor was presented on Sunday, November 10 at the 7th Annual Grace Awards Gala at The Foundry at Puritan Mill. Fry's originality, quality and service to customers combined with his contributions to the advancement of the foodservice industry, inspiration to industry peers and consistent standards of excellence are just a few of the notable qualities that earned him the title. With upcoming new restaurants St. Cecilia and Superica, plus the continuous innovation at well-established restaurants like JCT. Kitchen and Bar, No. 246, The Optimist and King + Duke, Fry's success with industry peers and city locals continues to grow. Kudos to the talented chef! He's proven there are no limitations to his abilities in providing unique and sought-after cuisines to Georgia residents. For more information on the awards and event, visit www.garestaurants.org/GRACE.

#foodgram

What games are you watching? Instagram's @gamexatl always has its game face on, no "bye" weeks. Picture yourself having this much fun. That couch is losing its appeal.

Appetizing Aperture

A cup of Joe looks lonely without a sweet or savory sidekick. No worries. Sweet Dee's Bakeshop in Tucker brews the coffee and espresso and stocks the cases with cupcakes, cakes, cookies and other baked items such as this puff pastry cradling spinach, eggs and two cheeses. All made from scratch daily. Breakfast and ice cream round out the food groups. Click here for store hours.

What's New on Pinterest?

November is Georgia Pecan Month and National Peanut Butter Lovers Month. No wonder we're Nutty for Nuts on Pinterest. Georgia leads the nation in pecan production, yielding enough of the antioxidant-rich gem to make 176 million pecan pies, according to the Georgia Pecan Commission. And we can't resist spreading the love for Georgia's ground nut, the lowly and lovely peanut. Lick the spoon? Please grab your own jar.