Our Appetizing Aperture of the Week: Uncle Julio's Guacamole

Too much of a good thing is not possible when it comes to guacamole... and Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food has the good stuff! Check out their new pineapple bacon guacamole, roasted corn and lump crab guacamole and three pepper spicy guacamole.

It's Follow Friday; Meet Our Tweep of the Week @behindtheknife

New York Times best-selling author Lisa Rogak has carved a cutting-edge Twitter niche for herself, and tools, food and the secret lives of chefs are all fair game. Catch her sharp quips on Twitter (@behindtheknife) and learn a whole lot more from her "What's in my Toolbox" chef interviews on her Behind the Knife blog.

Decatur's No. 246 Adds New Brunch & Lunch Delights

Executive Chef Drew Belline of No. 246 adds weekend brunch to the list of tempting reasons to visit the intriguing shops in downtown Decatur. He's adding three new Italian-inspired brunch items to the restaurant's weekend lunch menu: wood-oven poached eggs with Georgia white shrimp, San Marzano tomato, toasted garlic, butterbeans, thyme and toast; breakfast pizza with fingerling potatoes, baked eggs, smoky bacon, Gruyere and farm herbs; and pan-fried brioche with cranberry maple syrup, toasted pecans and fresh cream. Weekend lunch/brunch "hour" extends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restaurant also serves lunch Monday through Friday and dinner nightly.

Cut the Cost with Weekly Blue Plate Specials and Nightly Deals at Aqua blue in Roswell

It's time to put down your go-to 30 minute recipe and step away from the crockpot. Just because it's a weeknight doesn't mean you have to make a date with your kitchen! Instead,  take your friends and family to Aqua blue in Roswell for an affordable three course meal from the "Aqua blue plate menu." Appetizer, entrée and dessert are all included for only $25 per person. With a rotating menu, you'll get to try new specials each week along with nightly deals. Blue plate appetizer specials include AB calamari with sweet chili sauce; tempura green beans with sweet mustard dipping sauce; seared pork dumplings with scallion, leeks and sweet soy glaze; or a hand-made sushi roll. Entrée options include thyme-crusted grilled pork loin tostada with black bean and sweet corn relish, spinach, white cheddar and crispy tortilla; Asiago-crusted scallops with cheesy ravioli and Roma tomato basil cream; and red Thai curry stir fry with shaved beef tenderloin and soba noodles in a spicy red Thai curry sauce. For dessert, choose house-made crème brûlée-soaked ciabatta bread pudding with cinnamon ice cream, chocolate molten cake, house-made seasonal sorbets or something equally decadent.

Additional nightly values include half-priced bottles of wine on Sundays, seasonal cocktails at the bar on Mondays and half-priced sushi, $1 nigiri and sashimi plus $5 large sake and $3 Japanese beer on Tuesdays. Wednesdays fill up for the chef's featured dish. Thursday brings Girls Night Out with $5 cocktails all day, complimentary appetizers in the bar area from 5:30 - 7 p.m. and live music from 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. Live music also plays Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 -10:30 p.m.

Aqua blue: 1564 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell; 770-643-8886.

Double Your Fun at Smashburger Today

Hot and juicy "better burgers" are the buzzwords in Kennesaw this week as Smashburger opens its fourth area location on Wednesday, December 7 at 440 Ernest W. Barrett Parkway. Heed our advice and grab a few napkins to catch the juice from your first bite into the signature Atlanta Smashburger loaded with peach BBQ sauce, Wicked® Pimena cheese, grilled jalapeños and Vidalia coleslaw on an egg bun. Smashburger "smashes" its fresh, never frozen 100 percent Certified Angus Beef burgers and Smashdogs on the grill to seal in those flavorful juices for your chomping pleasure. More flavor-rich fuel includes marinated chicken breasts served grilled or crispy on artisanal buns, handcrafted black bean burgers and salads plus sides such as Smashfries, chili cheese fries, sweet potato fries, haystack onions, fried pickles, flash-fried veggie frites and even steaming bowls of beefy chili with jalapeños and cheese. Kennesaw parents note, Smashburger makes the perfect place to meet friends for lunch or dinner because the fast casual eatery covers the spectrum from kids' meals, hand-spun shakes and IBC root beer floats to buckets of beer and wine by the glass. Open seven days a week, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Don't forget to chow at the Kennesaw store or any one of the other three Atlanta Smashburger locations on Wednesday, December, 7. Each Atlanta-area Smashburger will donate a percentage of sales to DreamWeavers of Georgia. The group creates extracurricular opportunities and produces resources that promote the educational, emotional and social well-being of foster children in Georgia. For Smashburger's complete menu and Atlanta-area locations, click here.

Santa Claus Is Coming To East Cobb

Santa Claus is coming... to Woodlawn Square Shopping Center where Chepe's Mexican Grill is located! Head to East Cobb this Saturday, December 10  from noon to 3 p.m. and let the big guy in red know what's tops on your Christmas wish list as your free photo is taken. 


Kids will love the face painting & craft activities, plus hot chocolate and cookies! And because Santa knows how to party, there will be a DJ with music, games and prizes to entertain the good little boys and girls. Did we mention that live reindeer will be there? Make sure you stay on the "nice" list by dropping by 1205 Johnson Ferry Road.

Swap Out Holiday Cookies for RA Sushi's Pomegranate Pairing

RA Sushi in Midtown is putting a healthier spin on this party-filled month with a dose of antioxidants and omega-3s by way of pomegranates. The restaurant's sashimi and cocktail pairing for December is available through the end of the month and includes tapas of seared albacore tuna and organic micro greens adorned with pomegranate seeds and a splash of yuzu soy vinaigrette, along with a Pomegranate Breeze cocktail mix of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, POM pomegranate juice, PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur, pink grapefruit juice and other citrus flavors. So refreshing compared to all the other heavy holiday treats!

And if you don't have plans for tonight, go try your hand at learning how to roll sushi and sip sake at RA Sushi's monthly Sake and Sushi Social at 6 p.m. For $35 a person or $60 per couple, this lesson also includes a four-course sampling from RA Sushi's menu paired with the perfect sake. Space is limited, so claim a spot by calling 404-267-0114. You can also catch this class again on Tuesday, January 10.

Moroccan Dinner at Woodfire Grill - Cookbook Included

Join Chef Kevin Gillespie as he welcomes Chef Mourad Lahlou of Aziza in San Francisco and the author of the brand new cookbook, Mourad: New Moroccan. Check out the menu below - it's awesome! Each person at the dinner gets a cookbook! Reserve today as this is just for a small group. I can't wait!

Amuse 1: Goat cheese/tomato jam/hazelnut/argan oil

Amuse 2: hirame/ /turnip/feijoa

Amuse 3: roe/cracker/urfa

Amuse 4: eggplant/burnt preserved lemon

Course 1: scallop/cauliflower/vadouvan

Taste course: hen yolk/charmoula/smoked potato/Tasmanian pepper

Course 2: duck basteeya/pistachio/plum jam/endive

Course 3: beef cheek/couscous/carrot jam/harissa emulsion

Dessert: star anise infused chocolate/cinnamon ice cream/dark chocolate cake/hazelnut tuile

The dinner is $125 per person ($175 with wine pairings) and includes a cookbook. Call 404-347-9055. www.woodfiregrillcom