Amaluna, Cirque du Soleil's newest jaw dropper, opens Friday, October 3 and swings on through November 30. Marvel as you may over the flexibility and movements of the Amaluna cast, you can do something they can't: enjoy a marvelous meal at The Pig & The Pearl or Chick-a-Biddy before the show. These pre-Cirque dinner menus appease appetites, and it's just a short after-dinner stroll through Atlantic Station to the Cirque du Soleil tent. Show your Amaluna ticket and enjoy a three-course dinner for $35 at The Pig & The Pearl. Starters swing toward deviled eggs with eggplant caponata, pimento cheese croquettes with pickled okra or kale salad with pork belly croutons and green goddess dressing. Power up to follow the show's gymnastics by choosing one of the smoked meat entrées -- beef brisket, pork shoulder or Springer Mountain chicken breast -- and a side of mustard greens, apple and local squash hash, barbecue baked beans, vinegar slaw or house-cut fries with Sri"ranch"a dressing. Applaud dinner and head on to the show with theater snacks of a butter cookie, banana bread or caramel popcorn. Reservations recommended through OpenTable. At Chick-a-Biddy, show your Amaluna ticket and enjoy a three-course menu for $18. Choose between plantain chips or fried chicken tenders for a starter and among a quarter wood-grilled piri piri chicken with two sides, fried chicken and waffles or a vegetable plate for a main course. Close out with any dessert from Chick-a-Biddy's daily selection. 

                                                           

Discerning Tastes Wine and Dine for Multiple Sclerosis Harvest for the Cure on October 23

 

5Ks raise funds for good causes. An evening stroll through The Perfect Taste at Avalon in Alpharetta does the same with a lot less sweat, meaning you can wear your nice clothes and cute shoes. On Wednesday, October 29 from 6-9 p.m., enjoy cuisine from Avalon restaurants, wine, beer, spirits, live entertainment and a first look at retail offerings as you explore the streets of this very walkable, luxury community. What's for dinner? Tasty morsels from Marlow's Tavern, Bantam + Biddy, Ted's Montana Grill and Whole Foods Market -- all opening soon and part of Avalon's art of living well concept. Share our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign to end childhood hunger will receive all net proceeds from the event. Tickets start at $125 per person; Club Avalon tickets ($250 each) add more bubbly and gifts. 

"Bon appétit!" and "Cheers!" suffice the other 11 months of the year. October begs to differ. "Guten Appetit" and "Prost!" (rhymes with toast) are more in line with Oktoberfest's appreciation of life, happiness, food and drink. Bantam + Biddy in Ansley Mall rolls out an Oktoberfest special plate of pork schnitzel and one side, German Black Forest cake and a bottle of Victory Brewing Company's Festbier for $18 (tax and gratuity not included) October 1-30. Oktoberfest partying continues at Der Biergarten through October 30 with $9 liter beers and true-German schnitzel­-of-the-week specials. Atlanta's authentic beer garden taps into an Oktoberfest keg of the week each Saturday at 7:30 p.m., working through kegs of Spaten, Warsteiner and Weihenstephan. German oompah band Die Kurtzbaum plays Friday and Saturday nights from 6-9 p.m.; DJ Johnny carries on until midnight. Lederhosen? Dirndls? Soccer shirts? Gemütlichkeit, Oktoberfest's atmosphere of comfort, peace and acceptance, upstages attire wherever you celebrate!

Eat well, travel often. NYC-based CityFoodie (@cityfoodie) reads like a postcard album of global food finds -- and many are submitted by followers around the world. With 1,700 followers, that's a lot of bytes. 

The day is what you maki of it. RA Sushi's signature Tootsy Maki sushi roll of kani kama crab mix, shrimp and cucumber rolled and topped with crunchy tempura bits and a drizzle of sweet eel sauce makes our day. Share some and you'll maki someone's day a roll lot better. 

Cookies in the oven, harmony in the house. Eau de parfum of baking cookies is that powerful...and that addicting. We've stocked our Pinterest cookie jar with recipes to satisfy those Cookie Cravings, from brown butter salted caramel cookies, five-way shortbread, gluten-free chocolate thumbprint cookies and spicy gingerbread twigs to holiday happy candy corn, white chocolate softbatch cookies and peanut butter reindeer cookies.