It's #FollowFriday; Meet Our Tweep of the Week @ELFMarket!

Planted and nurtured by its community, the ELF Market is growing in a previously crime-ridden section of East Lake.  Friends, neighbors, artisans and local agriculture converge at the corner of Second Avenue and Hosea Williams Drive each Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. 

Support the market and get a vintage-looking ELF t-shirt and shopping bag.  Collard Cookoff, Peachapalooza . . . this market is so hip, the veggies don't talk, they Tweet! 

Don't Forget Tequila Day Tomorrow

Just in case your Hallmark calendar doesn't have it listed, we wanted to be sure you didn't forget that tomorrow is National Tequila Day. And it falls on a Saturday this year - score! So just in case you needed a reason to have a shot or a margarita, you are in luck. And, wouldn't you know it, we have a couple of suggestions for you to celebrate this auspicious occasion.

At The Original El Taco, the tequila portion of the drinks menu reads like a who's who of tequilas to be met straight up, face to face. "FroMos" and on-the-rocks margaritas befriend mixed drink lovers by the glass or pitcher and include a variety of tequilas and mixers. Welcome the Original, Palermo Texas, Key West, El Primo, Resales and El Big Boy margaritas to put some "Ole!" in your Virginia Highland visit.

Over in Buckhead and Sandy Springs, 15 types of tequilas and their margarita relatives are equally sociable at both Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food locations. The Swirl, twirling frozen margarita and frozen sangria, is the most popular of the more than 200,000 margaritas and tequila drinks served monthly at Uncle Julio's restaurants nationwide. Popular cousins include the classic frozen, strawberry and Chambord margaritas and the Baja Gold frozen margarita, which mixes Corona with frozen margarita. Uncle Julio's managers go through "tequila training" in Guadalajara, Mexico each fall to do justice to the magical elixir in drinks and recipes.

Feliz dia de la tequila, amigos!

Veggies on My Mind

It's almost the weekend, which means it's almost time to visit your local farmers' market. While you're there though, stop and watch Atlanta's local chefs demoing some of their favorite fare.

Chef Ford Fry of JCT. Kitchen & Bar stops at the junction of hand-picked and vine -- the Peachtree Road Farmers Market -- on Saturday, July 24. There will be plenty of locally raised raw materials to fuel his regionally inspired dishes and Southern specialties! Don't miss his 10:30 a.m. demo. Maybe he'll hint about the upcoming Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival! The Peachtree Road Farmers Market is open from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Saturdays from April through December in the parking lot of The Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road, NW.

Spice Market Chef Mauro Gomez toques up at the Piedmont Park Green Market on Saturday, July 24. He'll tempt morning shoppers by stirring up Southeast Asian-inspired dishes from Southeastern U.S.-grown (as in Georgia) ingredients. Park your shopping bags and look for him from 11 a.m. - noon under the patio at the Piedmont Park Community Center.

That special, secret grilling recipe of yours can win you some glory!

Marlow’s knows grilling, but for their 1st Annual Marlow’s Tavern Grilling Recipe Contest they want to hear from you! Submit your recipe by July 26, and you are eligible to win: a Big Green Egg and a spot for your winning recipe in the Fall/Winter menu, and a portion of the proceeds from the sales of your menu item will be donated in your name to Special Olympics Georgia. Second prize winner will win a $50 Marlow’s Tavern gift card and third prize winner will win a Marlow’s Red, White and Brew limited edition t-shirt.

All you have to do is click here and fill out the form. Co-Owner and Executive Chef John Metz will pick the winner and will be announced in August. So grab those skewers and spatulas and get to work. Good luck!

There's more to Belgium than just their waffles and frites!

Seeing as how Belgium Independence Day is July 21, 2010, what other way is there to celebrate it than doing what Belgians do best, eating and drinking with friends! Join Ormsby’s in celebrating Belgium’s independence from the Netherlands in 1831 by stopping by to try some delicious food and drink pairings. Starting July 21 through July 27, Ormsby’s will be offering distinct combinations created by Chef Andrew Smith.

The pairings include: Belgium ale steamed mussels with country ham & tomatoes, pommes frites paired with Duvel Green, House ground lamb burger with goat cheese & charred Vidalias paired with McChouffe and Crispy chicken livers with fettuccine, caramelized onions & bourbon paired with Maredsous. These items will be available a la carte or together. Be sure to stop in soon to get your taste of Belgium while it lasts!

Ormsby’s is located at 1170 Howell Mill Rd. For more information, call 404.968.2033.

Voting for Creative Loafing's "Best Of" has commenced!

For the “Best of Atlanta 2010” nominations Creative Loafing wants to hear from you! All you have to do is click here and vote for your favorite item in each category. The types of categories presented range from “New thing about Atlanta” to “Power Couple.” 319 categories to fill out can seem pretty lengthy, which is why Creative Loafing is allowing you to vote for 5 minimum and still have your answers count. Voting closes July 31 and the results will be published September 23. So get out there and make your opinion count!

Happy National Fortune Cookie Day!

Don’t forget that today is National Fortune Cookie Day! Even if you don't have this special holiday marked on your calendar, Spice Market in the W Hotel Midtown, offers the perfect place to celebrate with its selection of unique, yet yummy fortune cookie flavors. Through the end of August, lunch and dinner guests can choose from green tea-, chocolate- or coffee-flavored cookies after their meal and that’s not all. Each cookie contains a special discount such as 50 percent off at Spice Market, a free night's stay at the W Atlanta Midtown or a complimentary treatment at the hotel's Bliss Spa. Start dining on Spice Market's Southeast Asian-inspired dishes now and see what good luck you have coming your way!

Spice Market: In the W Atlanta Midtown, 188 14th Street, NE; 404-724-2550

Winner Winner Whiskey Dinner!

Thanks to Chef Shaun Doty, Atlantans can get a taste of what High West Distillery & Saloon, Utah's first distillery, has to offer without having to head out West. Doty has partnered with the distillery to host a whiskey dinner at his restaurant, Shaun's, in Inman Park on Thursday, July 29. Doty will prepare four courses of Southern fare that will be paired with High West's award-winning Rocky Mountain whiskeys (some neat, some in the form of cocktails made by mixologist Callie Schlosser). The evening begins with an hors d'oeuvre reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:15 p.m. Guests will enjoy dishes like Sea Island red pea soup served with shrimp toast; Riverview Farms porchetta with grilled okra and Benton's smoked ham gravy; and vanilla pound cake served with sweet corn ice cream and cinnamon. Whiskey pairings include Silver Oat Whiskey, Rendezvous Rye, Bourye, Rocky Mountain Rye 16 Year Old and Rocky Mountain Rye 21 Year Old. High West Whiskey Proprietor and Distiller David Perkins, an Atlanta native, will give an educational overview of how whiskey is made, its history and how to appreciate it. The menu is $75 (with alcohol) or $55 (without alcohol) per person. Call 404-577-4358 to reserve a seat as space is limited.

Shaun's: 1029 Edgewood Avenue, NE.