Lining the sidewalk by the Shepherd Center, patients share their determination to succeed as they cheer on Peachtree Road Race runners progressing up "Cardiac Hill" every July 4. The not-for-profit hospital specializes in hope and healing -- via medical treatment, research and rehabilitation -- for those with spinal cord or brain injuries. Founded in 1975, the Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation. Speaking of cheer, share some by dropping by The Giving Tree event at Ink & Elm on Tuesday, November 11. The Shepherd Center benefits, receiving 10 percent of all food and beverage sales on the tavern side of the restaurant from 6-10 p.m. 

Your Business Card Buys an Hour of Play

for $10 at Game-X

Play your card right and an hour of Game-X simulation play is yours for $10 during the 5-7 p.m. time slot every Monday through Thursday evening. All you have to do is drop off your business card during the aforementioned happiest two hours of the day. Up the happiness amps by bringing your whole office team or a group of friends...and tell them to bring their own business cards. Game-X has more than 60 new and retro games, two full bars and a satisfying menu of appetizers, salads and big, honkin' sandwiches and burgers and generous sports viewing options in case you need to take a breather from your own game.

Gather 'round the table at Ted's Montana Grill and share Ted's Thanksgiving Roast Turkey Feast with friends and family this Thanksgiving Day. Whether you take your meal midday, afternoon or evening, Ted's prix fixe Thanksgiving menu runs $25 per person (not including tax, gratuity or beverages). The all-American meal begins with a first-course choice of side salad, cup of soup or Karen's "Flying D" bison chili. Out next, whole-roasted turkey and gravy with garlic mashed potatoes, herb dressing, buttered carrots, "Aunt Fannie's" squash casserole and cranberry sauce. And there's more to be thankful for -- Ted's famous apple pecan crisp featuring Granny Smith apples drizzled with caramel then baked with a crispy oatmeal-pecan crust and topped with Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream. Children get dibs on a half-sized version of the menu with turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, dressing, buttered carrots, cranberry sauce and a "scratch" cookie for $12. Tuckered out on turkey? Other classics available include bison meatloaf, cedar plank salmon and Delmonico rib-eye. Fill wine glasses with Kendall Jackson chardonnay Vintner's Reserve or Gascon malbec at $30 a bottle. See the full Thanksgiving Day menu online. All Atlanta Ted's restaurants will be open on Thanksgiving Day except for Luckie Street. Call your favorite location for hours and reservations.

Willy's Mexicana Grill caters to morning meeting or tailgate plans with mucho "olé!" Breakfast burritos ($4.99 each) encase your choice of sausage, chicken or bacon, eggs, jalapeño hash browns and Monterey Jack cheese in a flour tortilla blanket and have sides of pico de gallo and chipotle salsa. DIY-ers can build their own, same ingredients, with Willy's breakfast bar ($4.29/$5.39 per person). 

Cinnamon sugar Nutella-swirled pumpkin pie pop-tarts. Warm toasted "caramel" coconut gooey chocolate crunch bars. Who needs a hallowed holiday excuse to whip up sinfully delicious treats? Not Tieghan. She's good to go on savories as well. Pictures on Instagram lead to recipes on her Half Baked Harvest blog. 

It's Getting Chili out there, reminding us that it's time to fall back into hearty food mode and pull out the stockpots and Crock-Pots. Chili generates its own kind of aromatherapy as spices simmer in slow cooker Mexican chicken chili, Tuscan-style chili, smoky pumpkin beer chili, bread bowl chili and even kid-approved chili for your little human "beans." This could be our chili-est recipe board yet!