The Dish
In This Issue
Full Course Classic Golf Tournament May 20
Smokebelly Opens in Buckhead May 21
Chef Stephanie Alderete at Grant Park Farmers Market
Nicky's Week at RA Sushi May 25-31
Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Kicks Off May 29-June 1
Memorial Day Munching
#foodgram
Appetizing Aperture
What's New on Pinterest
 
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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Nikolai's Roof Bogies Down with Lunch for Golfers in Full Course Classic Golf Tournament Benefiting Atlanta Community Food  

Bank on May 20

 

 

 

Spring showers washed the 26th Annual Full Course Classic for the Atlanta Community Food Bank from its original April 15 date to Tuesday, May 20 at Roswell's Settindown Creek Golf Course. With tax day long past, golfers can concentrate on swings, putts and their box lunches from event sponsor Nikolai's Roof. They'll find Nikolai's Roof noshes waiting for them at the 19th hole - the post-tournament reception. Count on ACFB to score as the biggest winner of the sold-out tournament. The day's food, game and camaraderie will provide financial assistance to the ACFB's annual distribution of 45 million pounds of food and groceries to partner agencies in 29 metro-Atlanta and North Georgia counties.

 

Get Stoked for Barbecue: Smokebelly Opens in Buckhead May 21

 

 

 

When anyone asks Smokebelly executive chef Darrell Rice what he's been smoking, he lays out a litany: pulled pork, sliced brisket, sliced turkey breast, sausage, baby back ribs and a rotation of specialty cuts like pork belly, leg of lamb, beef cheeks, smoked alligator and other wild game that are all within this dry-rub guru's spectrum. Inhale tantalizing smells and flavors generated by low-heat smoking methods when Smokebelly, which is brought to you by the team behind The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Milton's Cuisine & Cocktails and Tin Lizzy's Cantina and Trey Humphreys (the Fur Bus, A Social Mess and the Pool Hall), officially opens in Buckhead at 128 East Andrews Drive on Wednesday, May 21. Stalkers of smoky goodness can add fresh fish, vegetarian fare and "skinny fixins" like watermelon smoked feta salad and barbecue lettuce wraps to their repertoire. Smokebelly's menu lays out upwards of 10 house-made sides plus Southern-rooted snacks, barbecue tapas, appetizers, sandwiches and salads. Quenchers include 20 craft beers on tap, artisanal liquors and handmade craft cocktails. Smokebelly's own house band rocks on cue and welcomes other musicians to join in. A vintage feel extends through the dining room, bar and patio where guests can enjoy lunch and dinner daily. Guests also can spread out on "The Lawn," a 1,500-square-foot patio with faux grass that seats an addition 160. Info: 404-848-9100.

 

Stay On Top of New Ideas with Nikolai's Roof Chef de Cuisine Stephanie Alderete at Grant Park Farmers Market May 25

 

 

 

From the dining room at Nikolai's Roof atop downtown's Hilton Atlanta, chef de cuisine Stephanie Alderete can see Grant Park, a mere three miles away and home to the Grant Park Farmers Market where she'll be leading the celebrity chef demo at 11 a.m. this Sunday, May 25. Alderete will prepare charred asparagus salad with Calabrese feta and egg yolk emulsion. Shop a little, learn a lot and nibble your farm-fresh finds all the way home.

 

RA Sushi Nicky's Week "RA"cks for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital May 25-31

 

 

 

We're Tootsy maki-ing a big deal about Nicky's Week at RA Sushi Bar Restaurant in Midtown because helping St. Jude Children's Research Hospital accomplish its lifesaving mission is so huge. All across the U.S., RA Sushi locations will offer a special Nicky's Week menu from Sunday, May 25 through Saturday, May 31. Order up any of these items and relish them knowing that 100 percent of sales goes straight to St. Jude. Choices include edamame, Tootsy maki, shrimp nigiri, pork gyoza, chicken yakitori, garlic citrus yellowtail tapas, plus a variety of select beverages. The inspiration behind the effort is Nicky Mailliard, a St. Jude's patient and nephew of one of RA Sushi's founders. The 13-year-old inspired many RA Sushi employees during his brave battle against brain cancer in 2005. Since the inception of Nicky's Week nine years ago, RA Sushi has raised more than $1.3 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

 

Explore the South by Fork and Glass at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival May 29-June 1

 

 

 

Fill your tank with Southern foods, libations, fine dining and learning opportunities -- without loading up the gas card (chaa-ching) for a mega road trip. More than 100 award-winning chefs as well as sommeliers and beverage innovators are carting their skills to Midtown where the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival straddles streets over the weekend of Thursday, May 29 through Sunday, June 1. Name drop? Us? Twist our spoon. Shaun Doty, chef/owner of Bantam + Biddy and Chick-a-Biddy, pairs bird and brew in his Bantam & Beer cooking demo and joins Orpheus Brewery for a fast-casual Connoisseur's Breakfast. Gunshow's Kevin Gillespie leads Hillbilly Cuisine, and Orpheus Brewery's Jason Pellet joins in the Southern craft brewers class. Ford Fry and his team of Adam Evans (The Optimist), E.J. Hodgkinson (JCT. Kitchen & Bar), Andrew Isabella (No. 246) and Joe Schafer (King + Duke) take on Empire Breakfasts. JCT. Kitchen & Bar is hosting an oyster roast/fish fry/Floribama-ish Pig Out Coastal-style dinner on May 29. On Friday, Gunshow's Kevin Gillespie and Aria's Gerry Klaskala contribute to the About South dinner at the Atlanta History Center. Visit the tasting tents and set off on culinary tasting "trails" through bourbon, craft beer (including Orpheus Brewery), Southern wines and food favorites (look for the Ray's Restaurants tent where Mike Fuller will spoon up samples of Parmesan scallops with lobster risotto) provided by a line-up of 100 plus chefs. Between learning, tasting, dining and the connoisseur experience, there are so many ticket options from which to choose! Thankfully there's a planning worksheet to organize your thoughts before you click here to buy tickets.

 
Salute Memorial Day with a Memorable Meal Out or Grab Burgers to Grill

 

 

 

There's a lot going on over Memorial Day weekend. Perhaps you're remembering those who've served our nation, enjoying an all-American baseball game or zipping back into town after a mini-vacay to welcome summer fun. Atlanta restaurants are open on Monday, May 26 to help cover meals, and Whole Foods Market stores have a Memorial Day meal bundle for those of you who just want to grill and chill.

 
Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland will be open late on Sunday night, May 25 to welcome the holiday and will follow up on Monday with regular hours beginning at 11:30 a.m.

 

G's Midtown will be open as usual for hearty gastro pub favorites, small plates, salads, sandwiches and a well of ice-cold craft beer, wine and cocktails. Monday is trivia night from 8-10 p.m., and bottles of wine are half-price from 5-11 p.m.

 

HOBNOB in Midtown will be open during regular hours so drop in for lunch or dinner. On Date Night Mondays, a three-course dinner for two is $19.95 (with the purchase of two beverages) and includes a salad, entr�e of a Margarita or veggie pizza or a regular or Piedmont burger plus a homemade cobbler of the day.

 

Hearth Pizza Tavern in Sandy Springs relays that whatever the weather outside, its ovens will be much hotter, all the ready to bake signature, crispy-crusted pizzas. Eat in and enjoy cold brews or cocktails or call for delivery. Remember, on Mondays, mouthwatering mussels and all bottles of wine are half price!

 

In Midtown, both Bantam + Biddy locations in Ansley Mall and on Crescent Avenue will open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on Monday. Flock-sibling Chick-a-Biddy in Atlantic Station will be open for lunch and dinner.

 

In downtown Atlanta, Legacy Restaurant Partners Der Biergarten, Game-X, Glenn's Kitchen, Max's Coal Oven Pizzeria, Skylounge and STATS will all be open for business as usual. All are terrific stopovers following the afternoon Braves vs. Red Sox game.

 

All 11 Atlanta-area Marlow's Tavern locations will be open for lunch and dinner on Memorial Day. One's on your route home after activities out and about or a weekend away.

 

In Buckhead, newly opened Smokebelly is sending up signals that something special is going in the smoker on Memorial Day. Lunch or dinner anyone?

 

10th & Piedmont in Midtown extends its 11 a.m.-4 p.m. weekend brunch through Memorial Day Monday (closed for dinner).

 

Ted's Montana Grill opens at 11 a.m. for lunch on Memorial Day and keeps on satisfying guests with powerful salads, sandwiches, burgers, hand-cut steaks and classics such as bison meatloaf or pot roast, cranberry roasted chicken, cedar plank salmon and pecan-crusted trout. Full bar, veggie burgers and a kids menu put Ted's on everyone's hero list.

 

All six Tin Lizzy's Cantina locations are open from 3-10 p.m. on Memorial Day to satisfy afternoon and evening taco and margarita cravings.

 

On Memorial Day, Ray's Restaurants will follow normal hours. Ray's on the River hours are noon-8 p.m. Ray's in the City and Ray's at Killer Creek will be open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Are you on Ray's Restaurants' e-newsletter list? Look for their e-blast offering a 20 percent discount on Memorial Day. Must show email (paper or smartphone) to redeem.

 

RA Sushi Bar Restaurant in Midtown will be open as usual on Memorial Day. It's an ideal opportunity to order from the Nicky's Week menu to help St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

 

Hit the deck for lunch, dinner or drinks on Monday at The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Buckhead's beachy-est property. Aren't there waves over that next dune?

 

Burritos have their place on your Memorial Day menu, thanks to select Willy's Mexicana Grill locations being open on Monday, May 26. At Willy's, each hand-rolled burrito is made to order. You decide whether to eat in or pack them up and head out on your next adventure. These Willy's locations will be closed on Memorial Day: Peachtree Center, BellSouth, Hapeville, AT&T Lindbergh and Georgia State University.

 

On Atlanta's Westside, Ormsby's opens at 5 p.m. on Monday, which allows plenty of time for some cold brews or spirits, pub menu of hefty burgers and sandwiches, and games such as backgammon, bocce, darts, pool and shuffleboard.

 

On the lookout for a cookout? Over the dates of May 23-26, Whole Foods Market stores are offering a Memorial Day bundle deal: eight dry-aged burgers from Brasstown Beef, eight buns, eight slices of Cabot cheese and two pounds of smoked mozzarella pasta salad - all for just $20! That's a savings of $15 to spend on something else, say some ice cold craft brews to go with your burgers.

 

#foodgram

 

       

 

Smokebelly doors officially open on Wednesday, May 21, but Instagram glimpses convey Q and A (appetizing anticipation) of this joint venture by the creators of Tin Lizzy's Cantina, The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Pool Hall and The Fur Bus. Open a window on your screen for a look at instagram.com/smokebellybbq.

 
Appetizing Aperture

  

Photo by Brandon Amato 

 

Bar Meatball is on a roll in the restaurant's new subway-tile look food truck, popping up at festivals and food truck hot spots around the ATL. Sliders? Check. But the truck does double duty to crank out some mean ice cream sandwiches. Pick your sides: chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter or double chocolate. For the middle, choose vanilla, peanut butter chip, chocolate or spumoni ice cream. Destined to be summer's smash hit at $5 each.

 

What's New on Pinterest

                

   

 

Patriotic plates begin with Memorable Recipes. Our latest Pinterest board honors Memorial Day with American classics, cocktails, groovy grillers and red, white and blue all-stars. Hang the stars and stripes high and salute the men and women who have lost their lives serving our nation.