Whisk Away to Winter in Spain Savoring Bulla Gastrobar’s Seasonal Specialties

An epicurean vacation in sunny Spain is so close you can taste it. Jet to Bulla Gastrobar in Midtown, where the “Winter in Spain” menu simmers, stuffs and slow roasts a Spanish tapas bar excursion you won’t want to miss. Bring friends and share small plates of shishito peppers fashioned after the Spanish dish “padrones rellones,” stuffed with Mahón cheese, panko and spicy tomato ($8). Inspired by Caldo Gallego, warming Galician soup rewards those who spoon into its flavorful broth with mouthfuls of white beans, pork shank, chorizo and good-for-you kale ($9). Mull over tender morsels of slow-roasted pig with pork demi, Bulla’s take on lechon asado, along with its side of melt-in-your-mouth panadera potatoes ($23). Piquillo peppers Vizcaina-style, stuffed with ground beef and pork with béchamel and black currants ($11), and meaty lamb chops basking in honey beer reduction with kale and potato foam ($23) offer more incentive to leave baggage behind and head Spain-ward. To celebrate your mini vacation, enjoy an imaginative cocktail like the Mariposa Negra (made with Old Forester 100, butterfly pea powder syrup, lemon juice and St-Germain), housemade sangria, craft beer or glass of Spanish (or American) wine. Relaxation to the max.

HOBNOB’s New Hearty Winter Menu Warms the Soul

HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern gets a jump on winter with a new hearty menu that bodes well with the restaurant’s warm and inviting atmosphere. Salad lovers can fork into Mother Nature salad ($11.50)  loaded with quinoa, cucumber, edamame, avocado, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, pickled onions, cranberries, candied pecans and topped with basil vinaigrette; and tomato and burrata salad ($10.95) joined by baby arugula, pickled shallot, basil pesto and drizzled with EVOO and balsamic. Filling Mother Load nachos ($10.95) top crispy tortillas with chili, HOBNOB beer cheese, pico de gallo, colby Jack cheese, guacamole and sour cream. Satisfying entrees include short rib pot roast ($14.50) served with buttermilk mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables and red wine gravy and smoked chicken pot pie ($13.50) filled with peas, potatoes, carrots and smoked bacon. New on the sandwich board are a Charleston-style pork belly sandwich ($12.95) topped with peach jam, HOBNOB sauce and sunny eggs; the fried green tomato BLT ($11.50) that loads a country loaf with Applewood-smoked bacon, tomato-horseradish relish, goat cheese, balsamic reduction and mayo; and a three-cheese grilled cheese and tomato bisque combo ($11.95). The pork belly and arugula pizza ($13.95) is covered with grilled pineapple, caramelized onion and tomatoes while the 50/50 burger ($12), made with 50 percent beef and 50 percent bacon, is served with either house-cut fries or seasonal vegetables. No need to wait for colder temps, these new menu items are available now.

Winter's Finest Wows on Marlow's Tavern Menu

Interesting how seasonal eating complements our hankerings. Winter's cold spells send us seeking foods entrenched with depth and flavors that warm souls and bellies yet light enough to entice a brisk walk rather than entering hibernation mode. Marlow's Tavern is winter ready, showcasing seasonal ingredients in revamped classics and new menu items. The crispy chicken stack, long a favorite, now snuggles alongside Parmesan-barley risotto with caramelized mirepoix, seared wild mushrooms, sautéed spinach and roasted thyme gravy. Beef eaters will rave over the melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of the crispy short rib with jalapeño and corn grits, sautéed kale and red wine demi reduction; and the grilled "center cut" filet with roasted fingerling potato, seared butternut squash and a red wine shallot reduction. Cold seas yield more riches for this time of year: pan-seared snapper with celeriac purée, asparagus, tomato fondue and parslied olive oil; and Marlow's popular lump crabcake, served with baby arugula, grapefruit, pickled onion, fresh avocado and jalapeño to heat up your palate. Sweet and zesty citrus shines in the new lemon olive oil cake -- a moist, spongy cake topped with fresh grapefruit, vanilla syrup and candied orange. Rumor has it that an old family recipe inspired this slice of sunny Italy on a plate. Iffy that Santa's leaving a Cancun escape in your stocking? Who cares! Get away to your neighborhood Marlow's Tavern where the glad-to-see-you vibe, a new menu to explore and a full bar shaking up tricky drinks warm your heart, and you won't have to try on swimsuits in winter. 

Appetizing Aperture: Ray’s Restaurants White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Photo by Timothy Thiel

As springtime approaches and Atlanta temperatures rise,  time is quickly running out for the chance to taste Ray’s Restaurants’ warm white chocolate bread pudding! This comforting bread pudding is prepared with a caramel anglaise and served alongside a cooling scoop of High Road burnt sugar ice cream. This dessert is served on  the three-course winter menu, but it won’t last long, so hurry in to Ray’s in the City, Ray’s on the River and Ray’s at Killer Creek for a taste.

Stay Warm at Ray's Restaurants with New Three Course Winter Menu

Photo by Timothy Thiel   If you're still thawing out from Snowpocalypse 2.0, Ray's Restaurants has the perfect new dishes to warm you up.The executive chefs at Ray's have crafted a three-course winter menu encompassing the season's best flavors for $32 per person (excluding tax and gratuity, no splits). Add sommelier-selected wine pairings to each course for an additional $15 per person. Just reading through course options will thaw you out in no time. Start with winter chicory salad topped with Ellijay apples, spiced pecans and farm cheese; soup du jour or crispy green tomato stack (+$3) with Boursin cheese and smoked bacon. Entrée choices include slow-roasted pork "osso bucco" with Logan Turnpike grits; a filet trio with local, wild mushroom risotto; and grilled, marinated Block Island swordfish (+$4) accompanied by fingerling potatoes and grilled endive. End with winter fruit cobbler and High Road vanilla ice cream, chocolate-raspberry mousse cake with ganache and raspberry coulis or warm white chocolate bread pudding with High Road burnt sugar ice cream (+$2). Respective wine pairings include Bliss Family Vineyard sauvignon blanc with the first course, Bell Glos "Meiomi" pinot noir or Steele "Pacini" zinfandel with the second course and La Marca prosecco, Rustico with dessert. Enjoy now at Ray's on the River,Ray's in the City and Ray's at Killer Creek because, like winter, this menu is only here for a limited time.

Baby, It's Cold Outside. Marlow's Tavern New Wintertime Menu Warms the Soul

 

Colder weather usually sneaks into Atlanta with the new year, and Marlow's Tavern is ready with the hot and hearty comfort foods Atlantans crave. Seasonal ingredients in savory dishes lead to highly satisfying dinner fare including: goat cheese French toast served with wild mushrooms; goat cheese "stuffed" turkey burger with sweet and spicy red pepper relish; grilled Prestige Farms chicken paillard with hand-cut pappardelle pasta, asparagus, Roma tomato, caramelized onion, wild mushroom cream and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano; grilled turkey meatloaf made from Golden Legacy organic turkey with shaved Brussels sprouts on the side; and crispy Carolina trout with sautéed spinach, applewood smoked bacon and Pommery mustard cream sauce ($9-$17). Dessert brings out a hot and flakey pecan and apple turnover dolloped with hand-dipped vanilla ice cream ($6). A wintry mix of craft cocktails ($9-$11) features Blackthorn Suppressor with Byrrh aperitif and jasmine liqueur; Blueberry Buck 3.0 with Hanger Blueberry and fresh lime; Classic Martinez of Hayman's Old Tom Gin, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Leopold Brother's Maraschino and orange bitters; St. George Gin Sour with St. George Botanivore Gin, Rothman & Winter Peach Liqueur, Cardamaro, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, Fee Brothers Aromatic Bitters and club soda; and the Orchard Manhattan apple-y spin on the classic Manhattan using Riverboat Rye Whiskey. Saintsbury Chardonnay, Carneros, 2010 and Left Coast Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, 2011 are available by the glass or bottle ($12/$50). Bun warmers, Marlow's Tavern definitely has you beat.