Let’s Party! The Nook’s MARVELous 9th Anniversary Celebration

A 9th anniversary for The Nook? How MARVELous! Join fellow Nooksters March 23-25 for The Nook’s MARVELous 9th Anniversary weekend filled with celebratory events and specials. The fun-filled weekend will feature surprise giveaways, a variety of food and drink specials including $5 Nookster’s drafts, $3 Smirnoff Vodka cocktails, $20 mystery buckets of beer and select $1 Nook shots.

The fun begins with Fishbowl Friday!  Friday, March 23 is The Nook's Annual Fishbowl Contest.  A new Nook Fishbowl will be added to the menu, and it could be yours.  Submit your entry to info@thenookatlanta.com by Wednesday, March 21.  Your Nook Fishbowl recipe must include unflavored, orange, pineapple, apple or peach-flavored vodka. Nook's team of judges will pick the winner on March 23 at 8 p.m.  The winner will get his or her fishbowl and name on the menu and will walk away with a $50 Nook gift card.

Saturday, March 24 brings Totcho Saturday and the  MARVELous Anniversary Costume Party. 

Do you have what it takes to be The Macho Totcho?  Email info@thenookatlanta.com by March 22 to have a shot to compete in the Macho Totcho Contest, the first six entries will be selected. Contest starts Saturday at 5 pm.  Winner gets a $50 Nook gift card, T-shirt, a photo on the Macho Totcho Wall of Fame and the title of The Macho Totcho!
All day Saturday you can enjoy The Nook's Special Totcho menu featuring favorites from the past!  Plus, The Nook is also adding a new Totcho to the menu. Submit your recipe by March 22 to info@thenookatlanta.com. The winner gets his or her name and Totcho on the Nook menu plus a $50 Nook gift card.

Saturday night is party time with drink and food specials, giveaways and a DJ spinning tunes starting at 7 p.m.   All day long, come dressed as a favorite MARVEL Comics hero or villain and get 10 percent off your meal.  Awards for best costumes! 

Sunday March 25th the Nook launches it's Sunday night feature - The Parkside Playlist.  Come sing-a-long with live music from Joe Baia.  The Parkside Playlist Anniversary Edition begins at 5 p.m. Enjoy drink specials, $5 small plates, and more giveaways!  

It’s a true party with a purpose: The Nook is donating a portion of the weekend’s proceeds to its neighbor The Piedmont Park Conservancy.

Smokebelly BBQ Cues Up Anniversary Party Number Two June 11

Smokebelly BBQ in Buckhead is turning two, and like any two year old, the place is barreling full throttle into party mode, eager to have some fun. The Saturday, June 11 party begins at 4 p.m., and porky pickings are especially good for on-time barbecue lovers. Smokebelly divvies out free, succulent servings of a whole hog roast until 5 p.m. or while the grub lasts. Toast the occasion with $5 Tito’s mule and well drinks or $3 drafts of Bud Light and Miller Lite. Get your yeehaw on with the Sandy Creek Band out on the patio from 5-9 p.m. and keep those toes tapping when DJ Mynd moves the music inside from 8 p.m-12 a.m.

Dawgs and Gators Agree: Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails is the Place to Meet and Eat in JAX on “World’s Largest Cocktail Party” Weekend October 30-November 1

Dawgs will be heading south to Jacksonville, Florida this weekend for one of SEC football’s fiercest rivalries as UGA battles the Florida Gators on Saturday, October 31 at 3:30 p.m. on EverBank Field. Some call it “The World’s Largest Cocktail Party.” We call it prime time to visit Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails for some of the city’s best eats from the kitchen of James Beard Award-nominated chef Tom Gray. Relish his locally sourced, authentic American menu for lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch. The strong cocktail menu features artisan and small-batch liquors, house-made fruit shrubs and cocktail classics. The well-curated beer list taps Jacksonville-based breweries and more, a Cal-centric wine list woos vineyard followers and handmade sodas offer bubbles without the alcohol buzz. Moxie extends special 4.B4.5 pricing on handcrafted cocktails every day, offering select pours for $4 between 3-5 p.m. and regular happy hour pricing form 5-7 p.m. and again on Friday and Saturday from 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m. closing time. Other specials include $4 craft drafts, $6 wines by the glass and $5.50 premium wells. 

Relax! These Restaurants are Ready for You on Labor Day

What to do with your day off? Eat delicious food of course! Lucky for you, we have the inside scoop on just which Atlanta restaurants will be open to help satisfy those Labor Day cravings.

Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland will be open from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. serving Labor Day brunch specials including fried chicken biscuits with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, tomato gravy and stone gound grits. Yum! If you’re more of a late riser, not to worry. They will also be offering their lunch, dinner and bar menus.

If you’re venturing out in Midtown on your holiday, make sure Bantam + Biddy in Ansley Mall is on the itinerary. Open during normal hours, breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served. If you’re in the brunching mode, Bantam + Biddy on Crescent Avenue will be offering Labor Day brunch until 3 p.m. followed by lunch and dinner.

Other restaurants to handle holiday weekend hankerings are Chick-a-Biddy, HOBNOB, 10th & Piedmont, G’s Midtown, Hearth Pizza Tavern, Der Biergarten, Game-X, Glenn’s Kitchen, Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria, STATS, SkyLounge, Parma Rustic Tavern, The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Smokebelly, Q & Brew Lawn Party, Ray’s Restaurants, Marlow’s Tavern, Ormsby’s, The Pig & The Pearl, RA Sushi, Tin Drum Asiacafé and Tin Lizzy’s Cantina. 

Be the Yin to RA Sushi’s Yang at Guest Appreciation Night on March 27

You’re yearning for yummy sushi, sashimi, spirited specials and a happening social scene. Yin. RA Sushi Bar Restaurant lives to provide the yang. The Midtown restaurant and lounge honors all who complete them at Guest Appreciation Night on Thursday, March 27 from 7 p.m. until close. Enter the free raffle for a sushi social ($200 value) for you and your friends. Then, peruse the “Pick 2 for $10” menu for pineapple cheese wontons, pork gyoza, chicken yakitori, Asian chicken wings, garlic citrus yellowtail and more. Complete your visit with $5 Kirin or Kirin light, Hakutsuru “draft” sake, Fuzzy Momo Bellini, well cocktail or a glass of Coppola Bianco pinot grigio, Sterling Vintner’s chardonnay, Lunetta prosecco, 14 Hands merlot or Trinchero Main Street cabernet.

Cure Your Case of the Mondays With Half Price Bottles of Wine at Hearth Pizza Tavern

Let's face it, Mondays have a lot going against them. After reveling in the freedom of the weekend, few people welcome the start of the work week with open arms. All that changes when you step inside Hearth Pizza Tavern in Sandy Springs, though, because all bottles of wine are half price all day on Mondays. Yes, you read that right. ALL. Including the premier wine of the month, which happens to be Robert Mondavi cabernet sauvignon during February. That means you'll only shell out $30 for a bottle of wine that's $60 the other six days of the week. We're liking that math, and suddenly we're loving Mondays.

Get Happy With 50 Cent Wings and Tenders Weekdays at Bantam + Biddy

Photo by Angie Mosier

After being stuck inside for so long because of all this crazy Atlanta weather, we're ready to fly the coop in search of some delectable new deals. First stop? Bantam + Biddy for wings and tenders at 50 cents apiece Mondays through Fridays from 3-6 p.m. All of the chicken at Bantam + Biddy is all-natural and pasture-raised. Peck out a text or tweet friends to join you at either the original Ansley Mall location or the new Crescent Avenue venue. Make a toast to finally getting out of the house with a beer, cocktail, glass of wine or classic sweet tea, then chow down on some of the best wings and tenders in town.

G's Midtown Celebrates American Classics with Ribs & Ryes Menu Through January 21

Two American legacies - rye whiskey and succulent ribs - come together for Ribs & Ryes at G's Midtown, January 8-21. Baby back ribs glazed in Georgia peach rye barbecue sauce come with sides of smoked baked beans, coleslaw and Parmesan truffle "chips." Bone-in beef short ribs are slow braised with red wine and whiskey and joined by roasted carrots, celery and onions over creamy whipped garlic mashed potatoes. Hearty pork ribs in a plum and rye glaze are accompanied by skillet mac and cheese and green beans. Rib dishes are priced from $10-$16. Menu loyalists, the regular menu is still in play. From the "Ryes" menu, tip back a Catcher in the Rye or honey rye old fashioned incorporating Doc Holiday Double Barrel rye, Diamondback with Doc Rittenhouse rye or try Bulleit rye whiskey in the Sazerac. All cocktails are priced at $9 or at $4 for rye shorties. Do the rye thing and reserve a table: 404-872-8012.

Daily Dose of Dining Deals During "12 Days of Christmas" at Bantam + Biddy

Photo by Angie Mosier

Scrooges beware: Bantam + Biddy is bringing twelve full days of holiday events and dining specials to Ansley Mall during a "12 Days of Christmas" giveback sure to put a smile on any face. The family friendly eatery rings in a different offer each day between Friday, December 13 and Tuesday, December 24. Check out the specials on their Facebook page and be sure to mark your calendars for your most anticipated deals!

Reel In Free Appetizer with Wine Bottle Purchase During The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill's Ketch a Cork Tuesdays

Get together with your favorite fishing buddies and reel in a culinary catch worth bragging about. During Ketch a Cork Tuesdays, buy a bottle of wine and get a free appetizer (excluding oysters) at The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill in Buckhead. The restaurant offers a treasure trove of tempting appetizer options that pair well with whichever bottle of red, white or rose wine you choose, all day long. Appetizers include calamari fries with smoked tomato dipping sauce, lump crab cake, basil Blue Moon mussels, sweet and spicy shrimp with mango sweet chili sauce, crispy fish bites and more. Share an appetizer, share a bottle and share your greatest fishing tale with friends on Tuesdays at The Big Ketch.

Appetizing Aperture: Back-to-School Bash at RA Sushi

School may have just started, but that doesn't mean it's too soon to pull an all-nighter at RA Sushi Bar Restaurant's back-to-school bash beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 29. Leave the lunch box and thermos at home, because the themed food and drink specials are all straight-"A" hits. With a guest DJ and gift card prizes, you'll have plenty to party about while you study up on Professor Pineapple's wontons, School House shrimp and Teacher's chicken or fish tacos ($4-$7). Sushi studies highlight the Dean's roll and the Honor roll ($6), and Chemistry class stirs up concoctions such as All-Nighter sangria, Brain Freeze cocktails and the Bookworm Bite ($5). Beer and sake specials include School Girl hot sake ($5), Sapporo/Sapporo Light ($5) or Kirin/Kirin Light ($6). No need to enroll to get your hands on these rolls!

Seven Lamps Rolls Out $1 Oysters, $3 "Champagne" Beer-Tails and Sunday Chicken & Waffles Specials

New food and drink specials at Seven Lamps in Buckhead are here to help you get the most out of your week. Keep spirits up during the work week and visit the Buckhead restaurant for $1 oysters and $3 “champagne” (Miller High Life beer-tails). The oysters and “champagne” are available Monday through Friday from 5-7 p.m. For a seriously satisfying and finger-lickin' end to the weekend, try the the new chicken and waffles dinner special. Available only on Sunday evenings from 5-10 p.m., executive chef Drew Van Leuvan whips up  juicy fried chicken, cheddar waffles plus a side, which will change each week. A half chicken portion is $16 and a whole chicken is $28. 

Weeknight Specials at The Mil Kitchen & Bar

 

Here's some parental guidance for moms and dads looking for a kid-friendly dining deal. At The Mill Kitchen & Bar in Roswell, children 12 years old and under eat free from the kid's menu on Tuesday nights from 5-8 p.m. with the purchase of an entrée from the regular menu. Tyke-tempting menu options include a mini burger made from White Oak Pastures grass-fed beef and served with American cheese on a brioche bun; Ashley Farms hormone- and steroid-free chicken fingers with honey mustard; fried Georgia shrimp; mac and cheese; grilled American cheese on buttered challah; a PB & J made from organic peanut butter and house-made jam on crustless challah; and buttered noodles with Parmesan. Mouthwatering full-sized entrées include options such as fried Ashley Farms chicken with cast iron-baked mac and cheese and local greens; Georgia shrimp and Alice's Red Mule Gouda grits; barbeque Niman Ranch pork belly served with not-yo-mama's potato salad and creamed green beans; and seared trout with a creamy cornmeal cake and a radish and micro green salad ($17-$24). Those who can't make up their minds should go back Wednesday night for another special - half-off on select bottles of wine. And every day, every night, Chef Ben Castro draws upon local farms, ranches and artisans for sustainably raised meats and organic fare.

Party It Up on the Patio Tomorrow at The Optimist

Make plans to visit The Optimist on Saturday for a patio party filled with delicious food, lots of drink options and live music. For $17, you can skip the utensils and fill up on an authentic, Louisiana-style crawfish boil prepared by Executive Chef Adam Evans. 

Obviously you'll need some cold beverages to go with all that crawfish, and the restaurant has plenty to keep you from getting thirsty. Drink specials include New Orleans-style punches for $8 and $5 pints of the specially brewed cask of “Hoptimist” from Red Hare Brewing Company. This is also the perfect opportunity to try the spring cocktail menu with newly added drinks like the Scurvy Scoundrel made with Deep Eddy Vodka, lime and house-made grapefruit cordial and the Mermaid’s Crossing with pisco, passion fruit, lime, sugar, paprika and egg whites. Cocktails range in price from $8-$10.

So sleep in and come by at 3 p.m. when the event kicks off with live music from singer/songwriter Justin Borgman and stay for Stefan Cashwell at 7 p.m.! 

Bhojanic Khush Time Specials Beat Rush Hour at Shops Around Lenox

Photo by Ian Rawn

 

For many of us, the 5:30-7:30 p.m. time slot is spent inching through traffic on our commute home. Not your idea of a good time? Bhojanic Buckhead in the Shops Around Lenox has the answer on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with Khush Time! Live music and food specials are ready to join your favorite cocktail, beer or wine selections at the popular Indian restaurant and meeting spot. Central location and plenty of free parking.

New Monday Night Bites at Bantam + Biddy: $3 Sliders Starting April 1

  

As someone who is a fan of the $3 sliders at The Shed at Glenwood, I was a little bummed to hear that the restaurant was saying farewell to the special soon. Turns out my sadness was supremely short-lived since Bantam + Biddy is offering $3 sliders on Monday nights from 5-9 p.m. starting Monday, April 1. This makes me happy for several reasons. Not only can I still get my slider fix, I'll be doing it a lot more regularly since Bantam + Biddy is so close to me in Ansley Mall. Also, Bantam + Biddy Co-owner Lance Gummere was behind the original slider night at The Shed, so I have no doubt these sliders will be delicious! Each week will feature a new chef's selection of sliders. The line-up for this Monday includes:

• chicken fried steak with country gravy
• fried green tomato and goat cheese
• fried Mississippi catfish with lemon aioli
• pork Schnitzel with pear compote 
• house smoked pork shoulder with cabbage

And if those weren't good enough reasons to join me on Monday night, I'm betting the seven-ounce Miller High Life bottles for $1 and beer punches for $3 will win you over. 

Get the Red Carpet Treatment at 10th and Piedmont This Sunday

 

If critics can be believed, there are some sure bets for this year's 85th Annual Academy Awards, like Daniel Day-Lewis nabbing the statuette for Best Actor for his incredible portrayal of our 16th president in Lincoln. (Side note: If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend - Day-Lewis really is incredible in it and Tommy Lee Jones provides some unexpected laughs while playing a cranky and outspoken politician.) Another sure bet for this Sunday is the food and drink specials you'll enjoy while watching the Oscars at 10th and Piedmont in Midtown. Starting at 6:30 p.m., the restaurant is offering special menu items for the occasion including "Les Misérables" French onion soup with house-made croutons and Swiss cheese ($6.50); golden fried chicken with buttermilk mashed potatoes, fried corn and house-made pepper gravy ($12); champagne ($3) and red carpet punch ($7). And while this is an A-list party, no need to get all glammed up. Just come prepared to eat, drink and cheer on your favorites!

New Promotions at Gilbert's for Every Night of the Week

Executive Chef Brett Ring has developed a feast of new Mediterranean-oriented dishes for the menu at Gilbert's Café & Bar in Midtown, but the good news doesn’t end there. Each night, the Communitas Hospitality restaurant is featuring a different special for patrons to enjoy. On Mondays, 12 wine selections have half-off bottle status with any food purchase. Tuesday is “Industry” night, which brings out complimentary pizza and 20 percent off the bill for industry members from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Unleash your inner star with karaoke on Wednesdays from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. From 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on Thursdays, guests receive half glasses of three featured wines along with a full glass of their favorite wine and a personal cheese platter - all for $19. Come in Saturday between 11 a.m.-4 p.m. or Sunday between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. to enjoy an $11.95 all-you-can-eat or cooked-to-order brunch featuring hearty dishes such as blackened chicken omelet, gyro burrito, pancakes, country steak with gravy and French toast, all while sipping $4 mimosas and Bloody Marys. Stick around and cap off your weekend with Sunday karaoke from 6:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m.

'Tis the Season for Specials at Aqua blue

Reach out and message, Facebook or even Bluetooth call a friend or two who you have had good intentions about getting together with this past year. Pick a night and meet at Aqua blue Restaurant and Bar in Roswell for budget-saving nightly specials. Sundays feature half-price bottles of wine; Tuesday serves up half-price sushi specials such as $1 nigiri and sashimi, $5 large sake and $3 Japanese beers. Thursdays "Ladies Night" offers the gals $5 cocktails all day, complimentary appetizers in the bar only from 5:30-7 p.m. and live music from 7:30-10:30 p.m. Friday nights, live music fills the restaurant and lounge -- instant party. 

JCT. Bar Continues Tomato Celebration with $10 BLT and Beer Special

 

In July, I got to check an item off of my food-related bucket list: attend JCT. Kitchen's Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival. I had a blast, enjoying the live music and of course, eating and drinking all the tomato-y goodness my stomach could handle. Although we have to wait until next July for the festival's return, JCT. Bar is offering a new "BLT and Beer" special for $10 we can feast on until then. Replacing the burger in their popular "Burger and Beer" special, the BLT comes with heirloom tomato, house-smoked bacon from Gum Creek Farms, peppery arugula and a pickled jalapeno mayo. The rooftop bar is pairing it with with a smooth, lager-like Southampton Biere de Mars to complete this perfect summer meal. The "BLT and Beer" special is available every Tuesday through Thursday from 5 - 10 p.m. during tomato season. This offer is only available at JCT. Bar, located above JCT. Kitchen in Atlanta's Westside Urban Market.