We're Not Clowning Around. You'll Flip Over Chocolate South's 3-Ring Circus Chocolate Truffles  

This month, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus rolls "The Greatest Show on Earth" into Philips Arena, and Big Apple Circus tents up "Luminosity" at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Alpharetta. Over on Atlanta's Westside, Chocolate South is unveiling some circus-stantial treats of its own. The artisan chocolate boutique, known for its premium chocolates made with local and organic ingredients, is creating 3-Ring Circus truffles of burnt sugar caramel ganache and dark chocolate tricked out with a coating of roasted, salted peanuts. These mesmerizing confections are regularly $3 each, but during February, they're quite the catch at $1.50 each.

Weekly Slider Nights Slide into New Bantam + Biddy on Crescent Avenue on Tuesday, February 4

Slider Night is sliding into new Bantam + Biddy on Crescent Avenue in Midtown starting February 4 from 5-9 p.m. and each Tuesday thereafter. The Midtown eatery's Slider Night will offer all the same bells and whistles as the weekly Monday night special at the Ansley Mall location: $3 chef's choice sliders, beer and drink specials. Sneak a peek at some of Bantam + Biddy's sliders on their B+B Sliders Pinterest board then consider designating Slider Night as your Tuesday night home plate. Remember, Bantam + Biddy guests receive two hours of free parking with direct restaurant access from the 1010 Midtown parking garage on Crescent Avenue. Slide on in. 

Have a Food and Drink Love Affair with Caviar & Bubbles at 10th & Piedmont

Midtown restaurant 10th & Piedmont is planning a unique event over the dates of Wednesday, February 12 through Tuesday, February 25. For those with champagne and caviar tastes, 10th & Piedmont's annual Caviar & Bubbles event uncorks a live-it-up experience with easy-on-the-wallet pricing and farm-raised sturgeon caviar developed by the University of Georgia! Who can resist these aptly named á la carte items and bubbly companions? Try "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia," a combo of deviled egg, cider-braised collard greens, crisp pork and UGA caviar ($14) paired with Zonin prosecco ($8); "From Russia with Love," smoked salmon mousse in a phyllo cup with crème fraîche and UGA caviar ($14) paired with Freixenet Codorniu Negro ($12); "House of the Rising Sun," tuna tartare, crisp cucumber wheel, Sriracha crema, avocado and UGA caviar paired with Codorniu cava ($13); or a caviar trilogy sample platter of caviar specialties ($17) and Veuve Clicquot rosé ($50, for two). If caviar floats your boat but not your mate's, he or she can order from 10th & Piedmont's regular menu. Make reservations online.

Savor Ribs & Brews at 

HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern

From Wednesday, February 12 through Tuesday, February 25, HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern throws a hearty Ribs & Brews bash filled with meaty stick-to-your-ribs comfort foods and suggestions for beer, ale and porter pairings. For example, SweetWater 420 goes well with roasted baby back ribs basted with SweetWater 420 and served with roasted potatoes, green beans and signature BeerBQ sauce ($15.95); Guinness-braised short ribs with butter noodles, beach mushrooms and Guinness demi-glace ($18.95) teams nicely with Duck-Rabbit stout; smoked BeerBQ baby back ribs with broccoli casserole and roasted poblano mac 'n cheese ($16.95) could partner with Unibroue Don de Dieu triple wheat ale; oven-baked ribs with Porter beer mop, scalloped potatoes and grilled white asparagus ($17.95) calls for Smuttynose porter while Three Philosophers rib roast with mashed potatoes, collard greens and BeerBQ sauce ($15.95) pairs well with Palm Amber ale. Reserve your place online or by calling 404-968-2288.

Choose a Free Salad or Appetizer During Osteria Cibo Rustico Early Bird Dinner Special

If you usually head home instead of making dinner plans, you might want to vary your mindset and rush straight over to Osteria Cibo Rustico in Toco Hills. Sunday through Thursday, each table of guests seated between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. can order one free appetizer or salad. Antipasti ideas include shareables such as polenta fritta with tomato-basil sauce, Gorgonzola and fagioli verdi, ricotta alle erbe with toasted almonds and grilled bread, and polpettine house-made meatballs with tomato-basil sauce and Parmigiano. Salad cravers might order the mixed green mista with imported olives, the Cesare or the Coco mixed greens with toasted pistachios, grilled onions, shaved Parmesan and roasted red pepper vinaigrette. Open the dinner menu for more tempting options. (One per table, dine in only, not to be combined with any other offer.) On Mondays, early bird tables can double dip and receive half off select bottles of wine and a free appetizer or salad if their table is seated before 6:30 p.m. And don't worry about dressing up. In Italy, osterias are casual neighborhood eateries, translating to come as you are and sit down to a delicious rustic Italian meal. 

Pizza Pro Wannabees, There's a Seat for You in Class at Max's Coal Oven Pizzeria

If it's a toss-up between stretching skills and coordinating an interactive outing -- for one, two or an office team -- Max's Coal Oven Pizzeria in the Luckie Marietta District rises to your occasion with pizza-making classes. Upcoming Monday night classes begin at 8:30 p.m. on February 24; March 3, 10, 24 and 31; April 14 and 21; and May 12 and 19. Max's pizzaiolos (instructors) start off with an intro to dough stretching and tossing followed by premium ingredient selection how-tos. Things heat up with an exploratory session on Max's legendary coal-burning process then ease into a hands-on practicum where students create their own pizzas and sample those made by classmates. Each student enjoys a meal and two drinks (wine by the glass, beer, soda or tea). A $30 class fee per person covers all, and spaces must be reserved in advance with a deposit. Price excludes tax and gratuity and cannot be combined with any other offers. Cancellations must be made 48 hours in advance or full deposit will be charged. Call 404-974-2944 to book your seat in a class. Come on, you know you'll ace this course.

Atlanta Restaurants Put Their Hearts into Valentine's Day Specials

Cherish the chocolates, hug the one who's made dinner reservations, kiss the chef for fixing a special home-cooked meal or spread the love with your BFFs. Our blog tells how Atlanta restaurants and shops will send those heartstrings zinging on this loveliest of holidays. Read on for even more sweet morsels.

Buckhead's Aria is hosting a four-course Valentine's Day dinner for $95 per person on Friday, February 14. Reservations: 404-233-7673.

The tide's right for a Buckhead Valentine's Day at The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill with live music and special chef features like "surf and surf" broiled lobster tail and swordfish steak topped with lemon compound butter and a chef-crafted side. Reservations: 404-474-9508.

Love the four-course prix fixe Valentine's Day menu at JCT. Kitchen & Bar for $60 per person with additional supplemental items available. The West Midtown restaurant has fun with that classic Disney love story, shaking up The Lady ($11) and The Tramp ($10) cocktails all through Valentine's Day weekend. Reservations: 404-355-2252.

Buckhead's King + Duke shows "hearth" this Valentine's Day, cooking up a $70 four-course prix fixe menu. Additional supplemental items are available. Reservations: 404-477-3500.

In Decatur, Valentines are heading to No. 246 where they can enjoy a four-course prix fixe menu of rustic Italian dishes for $60 per person (excludes tax and gratuity). Reservations: 678-399-8246.

Cast off for a four-course prix fixe menu plus supplements for $65 per person at The Optimist in West Midtown (excludes tax and gratuity). Add wine pairings for an additional $30. Reservations: 404-477-6260.

Italian food speaks of amore at Osteria Cibo Rustico where the Toco Hills restaurant offers a special chef's Valentine's dish of lobster and shrimp orecchiette pasta in a saffron cream sauce along with the regular menu. Reservations: 678-704-2700. 

You'll have three days and nights to share the love over a special menu for two at RA Sushi Bar Restaurant in Midtown. From Friday, February 14 through Sunday, February 16, $30 per couple touts shareable appetizer options like pork gyoza, pineapple-cheese wontons and tootsy maki; a choice of two entrées such as the Viva Las Vegas roll, tunacado and spicy chicken teriyaki udon; and sweets to share like cinnamon tempura gelato or coconut crème brûlée. Two can sip the oversized glass of umami punch that arrives with two straws ($14). Reservations: 404-267-0114. 

AAA Four Diamond Rating Shines On at Aria

Aria has been awarded the American Automobile Association's (AAA) Four Diamond award for fine dining every year since 2005, and this year continues the sweep. Gerry Klaskala's Buckhead restaurant is once again on the list, which was released on January 17. Only 2.5 percent of nearly 30,000 restaurants approved by AAA make the Four Diamond list. Innovative cuisine, wine, attentive service and simple elegance keep Aria on the tips of tongues way beyond Atlanta's boundaries. Congratulations to Aria's staff for bringing home the Four Diamond sparkle once again!

#foodgram

Freaky snowstorms aside, there's way too much to love about the South. This Nashville-based writer, photographer and recipe developer captures quite a bit of it (@fortheloveofthesouth). Regular posts and reflective commentary could make this a daily check-in. Doesn't "imperfectly perfect flourless chocolate cake" say it all for Valentine's Day?

Appetizing Aperture

The Official Whole Foods Market Blog is another bull's-eye for spot-on recipes, like this one for "The Best-Ever Guacamole." Read up on the nuances of avocados and guac making and try your hand using the recipe post. Where to find the best avocados, tomatoes, peppers, limes, cilantro and spices? Your closest Whole Foods Market, of course!

What's New on Pinterest 

Tempting Teas will knock the chill right out of the wind chill factor. Sip up or think outside the cup to dish, dessert and snack ideas. Stir-fired noodles with green tea, flatbread pizza with matcha, chai-brined pork tenderloin with spiced apple chutney and moonshine sweet tea cupcakes are but a few of our teasers for letting the tea out of the bag.