American Cut, Smokebelly BBQ and The Southern Gentleman Burgermaster Their Way into Atlanta Magazine’s Best Burger Battle October 15

Infiniti and Atlanta magazine join forces to back their first Best Burger Battle, a showdown of almost two dozen of the best local burger joints, bourbon, blues and brews in the ATL. American Cut, Smokebelly BBQ and The Southern Gentleman are practicing their patties and flips for the action heating up The Shops Buckhead Atlanta on Saturday, October 15 from 1-5 p.m. Tickets are $50 each, inclusive of unlimited tastes, beer and bourbon. Cast votes for the People’s Choice Best Burger and see if the Atlanta magazine judges panel chooses the same as Best Burger Battle 2016 victor. Buy tickets online for this epic burger-rama. Open to ages 21 and over.

Appetizing Aperture: Smokebelly BBQ's Wings

Smokebelly BBQ’s smoked chicken wings seasoned with house rub, slowly smoked and flash fried put points on your noshing and viewing scoreboard. Comes with celery, carrots and a side of blue cheese or ranch dressing ($10.75). Add $1 if you’re an all flats or drums wing dinger – and a few bucks for a cold brew or two.

Experience Culinary Camaraderie with Smokebelly BBQ, The Southern Gentleman, The Big Ketch and More at Taste of Buckhead September 15

Taste of Buckhead, hosted every fall by the Buckhead Business Association, shows off tastes from Buckhead’s premier restaurants as well as samples of wine, beer, spirits and other goodies. More than 30 chefs, mixologists and reps from beloved Buckhead restaurants -- including Smokebelly BBQ, The Southern Gentleman and The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill -- will come together on Thursday, September 15 for this year’s event at The Stave Room at American Spirit Works in the SweetWater Design District. This year’s event premieres The Taste of Buckhead Spirit Wall, in lieu of the wine wall of past years, where attendees can purchase a ticket for $20 and take home a donated bottle of spirits. Wall proceeds will pour into The Giving Kitchen and the organization’s mission to help workers in the restaurant industry. A silent auction and VIP experience round out the night’s entertaining agenda. General admission tickets are $50 each and include unlimited tastings. VIP tickets, $75 each, include exclusives such as a tour of American Spirit Whiskey’s distillery, chef demonstrations, food samples, specialty cocktails, interactive stations and a VIP gift bag. Buy tickets here.

Appetizing Aperture: Smokebelly BBQ

Sink your teeth into a hefty, honkin’ handful of burger at Smokebelly BBQ. Sure to become your beefy bestie before, during or after gridiron viewing, the Smokebelly Signature Burger boasts a blend of ground brisket and short rib piled with smoked Gouda, crispy bacon and tobacco fried onions as well as a nice contrast of crisp lettuce, pickles and juicy tomatoes. Comes your way on a white or wheat bun for $11.50.

Field a Hall of Fame-Worthy Football Feast with Atlanta Restaurants on Your Team

Football season is here, and football parties rack up the first down on any game day. Atlanta restaurants are key players, taking the field with everything you need to host the perfect tailgate or home-front pigskin party.

For antipasti and panini platters and primi, secondi and dolci courses, Bellina Alimentari at Ponce City Market will definitely score points with discerning guests. Place orders at least 48 hours in advance; allow 72-hour notice for parties of 30 or more. For information and ordering, call 404-330-9933.
                                                          
Go for the gusto of the gourmet meat and cheese sandwich platter Ray’s in the City builds with domestic house-cut deli meats and artisanal cheeses, house-made pickles, vine-ripened tomatoes, Bibb lettuce and assorted breads. Two side displays (choose from whole fruit, artisan field greens salad, red bliss potato salad, Southern-style macaroni salad and house-made kettle chips) and one dessert display (graham cracker lemon squares, house-baked cookies, a seasonal fruit platter or chocolate fudge brownies) are included. Serves 12 for $80; $6.75 per additional person. To order, call 404-524-9224.
 
Smokebelly BBQ, Atlanta’s top destination for chef-crafted barbecue, offers three mouthwatering catering options complete with barbecue sauce and buns:  “The Baron of BBQ” ($14 per person) with pulled pork and two sides of your choosing; “The Duke of Smoke” ($17 per person) with choice of two meats and three sides; and “The King of ‘Cue” ($19 per person) with choice of three meats and three sides. To place an order, call 404-848-9100.

Yell a cheer and spell out your favorite team with custom letter-shaped doughnuts (select flavors only) from Sublime Doughnuts. Requires 24-hour advance notice; 404-897-1801.

Georgia pigskin calls for Southern-style barbecue from Kevin Gillespie. Terminus City is serving up an unbelievable whole hog barbecue cooked on-site by chef Andreas Müller with four sides, dessert and paper products. Requires a two-week lead time. Visit the Facebook page for more information, and place orders by emailing terminuscity@gunshowatl.com or calling 404-380-1886.

Let Tin Lizzy's Cantina turn your big-game bash into a spicy FlexMex fiesta with the stacked taco bar, which includes two soft flour tortillas per person, choice of grilled chicken, grilled steak or seasoned pork, and lettuce, rice, black beans, pico de gallo, jack cheese, grilled onions and peppers, sauce, guacamole, chips and salsa fresca for $11 per person. You also can’t go wrong with the ever-popular chicken finger platter ($4 per person), cantina salads, margarita mix (sorry, tequila not included) and other fiesta faves. Deliveries require a $100 minimum order; delivery fee applies outside 10-mile radius. Prices exclude taxes and gratuity, and 24-hour notice is appreciated. For more information, email catering@tinlizzyscantina.com or call 404-668-8757.

Sack those stale chips and dull dips and send in crowd-pleasing catering all-stars from Willy's Mexicana Grill: Willy’s build-your-own taco, fajita or nacho bars, cheese dip, guacamole, salsa, chips, burritos and more. Ten-person minimum on catering orders. Read the whole roster of Tex-Mex flavors on the menu at willys.com/catering-menu. Order online or call 404-422-7107.

Relax. It’s Labor Day. Let Atlanta Restaurants Do the Cooking for You

Labor Day arrives Monday, September 5, signaling the unofficial start of fall activities. Might as well squeeze in one last weekend of summer fun! Spend it in the grocery store and kitchen? We think not, because some of our favorite eateries are open over the holiday. Keep these Atlanta restaurants in mind if you’re returning from vacation, beat from a day of outdoor activities or just ready to let someone else labor over the stove.

For high-quality steaks and seafood, head to 101 Steak. Vinings’ newest chophouse is open regular hours all weekend and will be open for dinner on Monday from 4-9:30 p.m., offering mouthwatering dishes like the 32-oz. tomahawk chop, East and West Coast oysters and more than 100 wines by the glass.

Newcomer 5Church carries its weekend brunch service over to Monday for a special holiday treat. Cornmeal waffles, Southern fried steak, duck confit with cabbage pancake and more will be on the menu from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., with dinner service in the evening.

Out late on Sunday? Celebrate into the wee hours at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland or Ormsby’s in West Midtown. Both are staying open until 3 a.m. Monday morning. Atkins Park will cure your hangover with its full brunch menu available on Monday starting at 11:30 a.m.

Ponce City Market favorite Bellina Alimentari continues its monthly Bluesin’ Bellina live music series on Sunday from 4-7 p.m. Enjoy food, libations and great music from the Cody Matlock Band. Regular Monday hours stand.

Bid summer a final farewell with a special edition of Basque in the Sun on Sunday at Gypsy Kitchen. Enjoy paella on the patio, $5 glasses of rosé, $4 tinto de verano and half off select bottles of wine, as well as a live flamenco guitarist from 4-7 p.m. and a DJ starting at 7 p.m. Closed on Monday.

HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern is open regular hours all weekend and Monday. Stop by and enjoy the brunch menu and $17 bottomless mimosas. Order half-price wings on Sunday from 5-11 p.m. and return for Monday’s date night special -- dinner for two for $24.95.

Johnny’s Hideaway, Atlanta’s favorite neighborhood nightspot, is open late on Sunday for a pre-Labor Day bash with live music from Cold Draft Beer. Monday regulars, Johnny’s is open for you as usual.

Whether you’re attending the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Saturday or going sci-fi at Dragon Con, be sure to make Ray’s in the City part of your itinerary – the downtown restaurant is open all weekend. Come Monday for the two-course 1.25-pound whole Maine lobster dinner available all day for $24.95. More? That dinner also is available on Labor Day atRay’s on the River and Ray’s at Killer Creek. If you’re craving Mexican food, visit Ray's Rio Bravo on Monday for half-priced drinks all day.

Smokebelly BBQ turns the corner from summer to fall by honoring barbecue and the start of college football season. Friday through Monday specials include $3 Bud Light drafts, $10 Bud Light pitchers, $15 Bud and Bud Light buckets and $5 Tito’s drinks. The Whispering Gypsies start in with live music at 8 p.m. Friday. Saturday, enjoy gridiron action on 16 TVs, along with enough barbecue to feed every college team in the country. Smoked brisket and an Irish whiskey are just the ticket for catching Sunday’s Texas vs. Notre Dame game. Cap off the weekend on Monday with waffle fries, mac and cheese and pulled pork as FSU faces off against Ole Miss. Beginning September 5, Monday’s mean 25-cent wings starting at 4 p.m.

Additional restaurants open regular hours on Monday, September 5:

• Affairs in Alpharetta
• Marlow’s Tavern (all locations)
• Sublime Doughnuts (both locations)
• The Big Ketch Buckhead and Canton Street (Roswell)
• Tin Lizzy’s Cantina (all locations) 

Taking a Shine to Sipping Rights on Prohibition Day, December 5

Shot glass-size synopsis on Prohibition Day: In 1919, Congress dryly passed the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, outlawing the manufacture, sale or transport of liquors. Ultimately, bottling up the clandestine flow proved fruitless. On December 5, 1933, congressional ratification of the 21st Amendment repealed #18, spirits soared and December 5 became affectionately known as “Prohibition Day,” which just happens to fall on a Saturday this year. Toast the occasion, because you can, at these spirited establishments.
 
Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar first opened its doors in 1912, making the Virginia-Highland restaurant and watering hole Atlanta’s oldest, continuously licensed tavern.

It’s no secret that The Blind Pig Parlour Bar, hidden away at Smokebelly BBQ, is Buckhead’s premier speakeasy.

Find out if the pirate's life is the life for you with the Jack Sparrow cocktail at HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern in Midtown.

Unlike those 1920s hideaways, there’s no password needed to enter Johnny’s Hideaway in Buckhead for a roaring good time sipping spirits and tripping the light fantastic on the dance floor.

Bootleggers beware, Ormsby’s on Atlanta’s Westside can shake up more mixers than you can imagine and pour some mighty fine beers, too.

The 4.B4.5 Happy Hour at Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails in Jacksonville, Florida, will have you celebrating the happiest of hours a little earlier than usual. Choose from craft beers, select wines by the glass and classic cocktails for $4 from 3-5 p.m., but the bar menu’s regular happy hour pricing resumes from 5-7 p.m. each night. On Friday and Saturday, regular happy hour pricing is in effect from 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m. closing time. 

Tuesday Night Tapas & Trivia at Smokebelly BBQ -- Any Questions?

There’s some “questionable” behavior unfolding Tuesday nights at Smokebelly BBQ in Buckhead. Everything’s A-OK. Barbecue tapas are now half off on Tuesdays after 4 p.m. A little ‘cue sharpens minds for the night’s Q & A session of Dirty South Trivia beginning at 8 p.m. What’s to drink? Drafts of craft brews, both local and national, are logical choices or perhaps one of the “Three Wise Men” cocktails -- the house old fashioned, Pharr South or Papaw’s Sipper -- could help you out.

Turn Up the Heat with Smokebelly at Brookhaven Chili Cook Off

We’re spilling the beans on the fourth annual Brookhaven Chili Cook Off at Brookhaven Park on Saturday, October 10. This family festival in the heart of Brookhaven is meaty with lots of food offerings from food trucks and local restaurants including Smokebelly BBQ; chili and Brunswick stew tastings from more than 75 competition teams; live music from Battlefield Collective, Drucker and Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band Behind the Sun; college football viewing on the big screen with UGA vs. Tennessee at 3:30 p.m.; and a kids zone with arts, crafts and cornhole. Event runs noon-6 p.m. Purchase tickets in advance online ($10) for a spoon and wristband for unlimited tastings; at the door, cost is $15. 

Smokebelly BBQ Kicks Off Pigskin Season at Buds, Burgers & Bellies Party September 5

Smokebelly BBQ in Buckhead tackles football season opening day in a pig way, lining up a Buds, Burgers & Bellies party with live music, games, prizes and food and drink specials from noon until closing time Saturday, September 5. Jot a playbook note that this Buckhead barbecue joint is loaded with 16 screens for game-day viewing from the first kickoff to the last bowl game. Buds, Burgers & Bellies scores a full day of football action, live music and DJ spins beginning with Jacob & the Good People performing on the patio from 3-5 p.m. followed by a DJ from 5-6 p.m. and the Dean Dollar Band from 6-9 p.m. Meanwhile, inside, the Auburn game takes the stage from 3:30-6:30 p.m., and The Park Band parties from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Loosen up that throwing arm over cornhole, ladder ball, darts and a Bud Light table basketball hoops game. The Bud Light Rita sampling team cheers on fun times with prizes and samples for adults. Pound down a bucket of 20 wings for $15 or a bucket of Bud or Bud Light for $15; a Budweiser or Bud Light with Smokebelly’s 50/50 burger of ground bacon and pork with ghost pepper cheese and onion strings on a Holeman and Finch bun plus a side for $9.99; Jack and Coke for $6 or Goose Island IPA Tall Boys or Shock Top Aluminums for $5.

Smokebelly BBQ Rocks the Cure at SweetWater Brewery June 6

Smokebelly BBQ had so much fun doling out a whole hog’s worth of roasted meat at its first birthday celebration last week that the Buckhead barbecue joint is rolling its succulent smoked meats and American eats into another good-time event -- Rock the Cure at SweetWater Brewery on Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m. The annual brews and blues event overflows with a continuous pour of local brews, mouthwatering eats, live music and ooh- and aah-generating raffle prizes, all to benefit the Georgia Chapter of JDRF. Rock the Cure has raised more than $400,000 for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research since holding its first event at SweetWater in 2007. Eighty-five percent of those with T1D are adults, prompting the non-profit research organization to shorten “Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation” to JDRF to better reflect its “all ages, all stages” commitment to curing T1D. Buy tickets online; general admission $50, VIP $75. Prior commitment that night? Rock those donations online anytime.

Team Up NFL Viewing with $20 Bucket of Beer and Wings Special on Monday Nights at Smokebelly

Turn that crumpled $20 bill in your wallet into a bucket of five bottles of Bud Light or Budweiser, a heap of 20 wings and NFL football at Smokebelly BBQ in Buckhead. House-rubbed wings tossed in your choice of Buffalo (hot or mild) or cherry cola barbecue sauce are served up with celery, carrots and blue cheese or ranch dressing for a meal that would satisfy even a linebacker’s appetite.