In This Issue

A Whole Lot of Reasons to Shop Whole Foods

The Huffington Post Touts King + Duke and Umi as ATL Must-Visits

New Lunch Menu at No. 246

Rodney in Exile BBQ Tour Rolls into Gunshow

G's Midtown Ribs & Ryes

Atkins Park Virginia-Highland Whiskey & Beer Tasting

Ryan Hidinger Never Quit

#foodgram: @stceciliaatl

Appetizing Aperture: Marlow's Tavern Ahi Tuna Salad

What's New on Pinterest? Egg-cellent Recipes

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!

A Whole Lot of Reasons to Shop Whole Foods

There's a whole lot to love about living in the Atlanta area, including realizing there are a whole lot of Whole Foods Market stores scattered around the metro area. Eight, to be exact, all ready to top your winter "explore the great indoors" activity list. As pointed out in the article "Seven Fascinating Things You May Not Know about Whole Foods," savvy shoppers find shopping at Whole Foods Market can lead to a healthier table without devouring their grocery budget. For starters, their website offers a bulk bin of information covering healthy living, menu ideas and recipes, plus money-saving coupons, tips and specials in The Whole Deal guide. Check it out, especially the core values page. And you'll find savings add up when you buy the Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value products. These folks are animal friendly, there's no place for added hormones, antibiotics or growth enhancers in their meats and seafood. Hormone-free bears repeating, all around the store. "Artificial" anythings (colors, flavors, etc.) are no-nos across the aisles as well, from meats and dairy products to shelf goods. Whole Foods Market's non-GMO labeling project was a first for retailers, putting "non-GMO" right out there on labels to enlighten consumers' choice making. The labeling project now covers more than 3,300 non-GMO verified products in Whole Foods stores. The money you spend at Whole Foods Market comes back to the community in donations and support for local causes. Where does Whole Foods Market fit in our lifestyle game plan? Whole, in one.

The Huffington Post Touts King + Duke and Umi as Atlanta Must-Visits

King + Duke

Esquire food and travel columnist and The Huffington Post contributor John Mariani continues to be wowed by the ever-expanding Atlanta restaurant spectrum, especially our town's cache of innovative chefs and ethnic offerings. In his January 2 "What's New in Atlanta" article, Mariani posts a high aperitive quotient for lunch or dinner at Ford Fry's King + Duke, where chef de cuisine Joe Schafer centers cuisine preparation around an open kitchen and wood-fire cooking on a 24-foot hearth. Chrysta Poulos earns accolades for her grill use in creating desserts, as in grilled peaches for dulcey panna cotta. He notes King + Duke is "resolutely American," setting forth a 200-label list of beers made in the 13 original colonies. Mariani ventures a short walk to Umi, where Tokyo-born chef Fuyuhiko Ito turns an ocean-fresh catch into exquisite, irresistible sushi. Look up from your place at the sushi counter or a table and you might see a celebrity or two in this "snazzy" sushi spot in Buckhead. Make plans for dinner here Monday through Saturday and add one of chef Lisa Ito's Japanese-meets-West desserts such as green tea souffl� with Cointreau anglaise sauce.

Twirl Squid Ink Spaghetti and More on

New Lunch Menu at No. 246

What's your lunch window? No. 246 in Decatur fills the time slot deliciously and quickly, serving its new lunch menu weekdays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Share fried calamari and peppers, crispy cheese, garlic bread with pesto or the No. 246 meatball ($5-$11). Pasta dishes are rich with flavors: squid ink spaghetti with Georgia white shrimp and chilies, smoked bacon and crispy farm egg in strozzapreti carbonara, and shell-shaped lumache with fennel sausage, ancho pepper, garlic and rapini are three comforting pasta dishes ($10-$13). Seasonal plates include Enchanted Springs trout with sunchokes, Brussels sprouts and pancetta ($16) or Springer Mountain chicken accompanied by Mercier apples, celery root and sherry bacon agro dolce ($18). If pizza suits the mood, selections include mushrooms with almond-arugula pesto; pineapple, prosciutto, mozzarella and Calabrian chilis; fattoria with bacon, greens, tomato and ricotta and the classic Margherita ($10-$13). Sandwiches might get messy, stacked with porchetta, crispy Georgia white shrimp or the No. 246 meatball "burger." Chopped, flatbread and Caesar salads can be topped with chicken, shrimp or steak for extra protein ($9-$12+). Your brown bag? That yogurt and granola bar can stay in the office fridge until tomorrow.

The Fatback Collective's Rodney in Exile BBQ Tour Rolls into Gunshow January 20

In the South, word travels fast and helping hands are quick to follow. Two days before Thanksgiving, Rodney Scott's pit house (Scott's Bar-B-Que) in Hemingway, SC went up in flames. Members of The Fatback Collective, a group of restaurateurs, entrepreneurs and creative folk focused on a progressive Southern future, caught wind of the situation, and they're circling the wagons to help raise money for a rebuild. Gunshow's Kevin Gillespie and Fatback friend Angie Mosier are hosting Scott as the famed pitmaster travels Southern byways on the Rodney in Exile BBQ Tour from January 20-February 4. On Monday, January 20, Gunshow marks the second stop on the tour, and teamwork prevails as all hands come together to prepare a Southern, four-course dinner that night. Gunshow staff will prepare the first two courses for the 7 p.m. meal. Scott's open-pit barbecue and Gunshow's Southern sides set mouths watering over course number three, and Mosier is baking her classic Southern layer cake for dessert. $100 per person, plus tax. Any gratuity will be donated. Limited to 50 seats; reservations required (with credit card; call 404-380-1886). No shows will be considered a donation. Earlier that day at Gunshow, Scott serves up his barbecue sandwich for $5 and offers a $10 boxed lunch that includes a sandwich, sides and drink. Dine-in and take-out options available; first come, first served from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. As the tour progresses, any fund overage will be allocated to help others in need.

G's Midtown Rocks Ribs & Ryes Menu

through January 21

Two American legacies -- rye whiskey and succulent ribs -- come together for Ribs & Ryes at G's Midtown, January 8-21. Baby back ribs glazed in Georgia peach rye barbecue sauce come with sides of smoked baked beans, coleslaw and Parmesan truffle "chips." Bone-in beef short ribs are slow braised with red wine and whiskey and joined by roasted carrots, celery and onions over creamy whipped garlic mashed potatoes. Hearty pork ribs in a plum and rye glaze are accompanied by skillet mac and cheese and green beans. Rib dishes are priced from $10-$16. Menu loyalists, the regular menu is still in play. From the "Ryes" menu, tip back a Catcher in the Rye or honey rye old fashioned incorporating Doc Holiday Double Barrel rye, Diamondback with Doc Rittenhouse rye or try Bulleit rye whiskey in the Sazerac. All cocktails are priced at $9 or at $4 for rye shorties. Reserve a table: 404-872-8012. It's the rye thing to do.

Atkins Park Virginia-Highland Taps January 23 for Whiskey and Beer Tasting

A spirited run or a run on spirits -- both will warm up a winter evening. Opt for the latter and saunter (or jog!) over to Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland for their Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co. whiskey and beer tasting event on Thursday, January 23 at 7 p.m. Try four tastings -- Kentucky Bourbon ale, a classic Manhattan featuring Town Branch bourbon, Pearse Lyons Reserve single malt whiskey and Kentucky Bourbon Barrel stout -- along with Chef Andrew Smith's complementing small bites. Leave whiskey-wiser after the tasting with knowledge imparted by the Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co. representative.

Cancer Takes Chef Ryan Hidinger but Can't Defeat His Heart for Others

Ryan Hidinger never quit. The big-hearted young chef juggled big plans with wife Jennifer -- cheffing at Muss & Turner's, hosting weekend supper club dinners for paying guests at their home, developing Staplehouse restaurant and spearheading The Giving Kitchen initiative to assist restaurant workers with medical expenses -- all while undergoing aggressive treatment for a contentious cancer. On January 9, cancer stole his life but not his plans and dreams.

Backtrack a year to December 2012 when the 35-year-old was diagnosed with stage 4 gallbladder cancer. Rather than give in to despair, Ryan and Jennifer continued to forge ahead with determination. In addition to chemo, days and nights were consumed by blogging, lecturing, cooking, fundraising as Team Hidi, and working with Ryan Turner of Muss & Turner's to turn the Staplehouse idea into a reality that would channel profits to helping hospitality industry workers facing catastrophic illnesses. In addition to inspiring so many, Hidinger leaves a legacy in Staplehouse, which has been funded by a large consortium of Atlanta restaurant groups. Ryan, we will miss you, and we thank you for giving your all. Read more about this inspiring chef and join us in our commitment to remembering Ryan by supporting The Giving Kitchen.

#Foodgram

Peeking at the Instagram album of an opening restaurant is akin to following new parents as they post adorable shots of their baby. With St. Cecilia opening, Ford Fry is a proud papa once again. Open up the album and have a look-see, @stceciliaatl.

Appetizing Aperture

Marlow's Tavern proves there's pleasure in eating more healthily. Their pomegranate ahi tuna salad packs in visual, taste and nutrient appeal for the winter weary. Ahi tuna is seared on the outside and rosy on the inside, sliced standing guard around emerald field greens and baby spinach crowned by red and gold beets, pomegranate seeds and pomegranate vinaigrette.

What's New on Pinterest?

Come out of your shell this winter and make a break for the Egg-cellent Recipes on our most recent Pinterest board. Crack open one fifteen cent, 70-calorie egg and unleash a powerhouse of high-quality protein, choline for your muscles and brain, lutein for healthy eyes and at least a dozen more nutrients. Why wait for Easter?