$14 Lunch Menu Pleases at Ray’s in the City

Downtown diners can dive into the new $14 lunch menu at Ray’s in the City. The midday menu boasts dishes from both land and sea. Choose among creamy shrimp alfredo pasta; Southern fried chicken served with Yukon Gold whipped potatoes and braised local greens; grilled Canadian salmon served warm over a crispy Caesar salad; blacked shrimp and andouille sausage po’boy with a cup of soup du jour; cheddar burger joined by house-cut fries; and a blended broiled brisket and short rib chopped steak on a bed of Yukon Gold whipped potatoes and topped with a rich mushroom demi-glace. Ray’s $14 lunch includes soft drink, coffee or iced tea. Make reservations online or call 404-524-9224.

New Lunch Menu at Ray’s Rio Bravo Speaks Fluent Texican

The new lunch menu at Ray’s Rio Bravo in Sandy Springs is a game changer, injecting a fresh Tex-Mex punch into the daily routine. Start with a few group-friendly munchables like “no beans about it” Texas chili Frito pie ($8), duck meat-filled “Taquito Quackers” ($12) or crispy mole chicken wings ($9). Crisp “Field Fare” includes the Meredith D. salmon salad with pineapple-marinated salmon, grilled avocado, roasted corn, pico de gallo, cilantro-lime vinaigrette and cortija crisps ($15). Take the fork in the road toward Tex-Mex and Texican specialties such as the fried grouper tacos that come with three soft flour tortillas -- two hold fried grouper, grilled jicama-tortilla slaw, chipotle aioli and pineapple salsa -- and one catches the drop outs ($14). Fajitas sizzle their way to the table over a bed of sautéed onions and peppers with compadres of lettuce, guac, pico de gallo, El Machino flour tortillas, rice and refried beans ($18 steak; $10 roasted veggie; $12 chicken). When it’s not lunch without a sandwich, grab the Texas brisket sandwich boasting house-smoked brisket, grilled jicama-tortilla slaw, pickled jalapeños, grilled red onion, barbecue sauce and mango on a challah bun with fries ($12). Depending on how your day is going, opt for Ray’s house-made lemonade or a potent margarita. Ray’s Rio Bravo opens for lunch at 11 a.m. seven days a week. Si, lunching along the Rio is “Rio” grand.

Lunching at Lure

Lunch is the newest munch on the menu at Lure, Fifth Group Restaurants' newest restaurant located on Crescent Avenue in Midtown. From 11 a.m.-3 p.m. daily, guests can dine on Executive Chef David Bradley's coastal themes, including smoked trout pâté, fried Rhode Island calamari, fried catfish chopped salad, shrimp and crab gumbo, grilled octopus and pork lettuce wraps and a smoked trout club sandwich. In the mood for something from the mainland? Available only at lunch is Lure's new charcoal-grilled burger with Cabot clothbound cheddar, bread-and-butter pickles, red onion and lettuce. The spacious patio is ideal for fall time al fresco dining, so come join us for lunch today!

New Season, New Reason to Visit Ray’s

Spring is so close we can practically taste it! The chefs at Ray's Restaurants are giving us a chance to enjoy spring flavors with their new three-course menus, by pulling from this season’s freshest market offerings. Guests can choose one selection for each course; wine selections, tax and gratuity are not included in the menu prices. These prix fixe menus are available every day and vary by restaurant:

• At Ray's at Killer Creek, Executive Chef Tracey Bloom's $30 menu boasts entrée choices of roasted chicken breast with bacon risotto and porcini mushroom sauce, Atlantic salmon with herb butter sauce and hand-cut pasta with grilled shrimp and garlic butter.
• A few miles south on the Chattahoochee, Ray's on the River Executive Chef Josh Warner's menu includes entrée choices of goat cheese- and fennel-stuffed airline chicken breast with celery root purée and watercress salad or Moroccan spiced hangar steak joined by Lyonnaise potatoes and Vidalia spring onion. Cost is $39.99 per person.
• Downtown, Executive Chef Ugo Okpareke at Ray's in the City offers entrée choices of mango grilled salmon with a mango BBQ glaze, sesame sautéed spinach and crispy Asian noodles or flat iron steak with blue cheese whipped potatoes, grilled asparagus and wild mushroom demi glaze. Cost is $35 per person.

To round out your dining experience, sommeliers are ready to help you choose complementing wines, and each restaurant has appetizer and dessert selections that are guaranteed to be as delicious as the entrées. 

Ray's at Killer Creek is also offering new Sunday lunch options. Customers can embark on their lunch journey by indulging in a $5 Bloody Mary from Sunday's available-all-day Bloody Mary list. Menu offerings include: 

• Classic French onion soup, crab bisque or soup du jour ($5-$7)
• Meal-worthy salads such as tuna niçoise salad and Chinese chicken salad ($15-$17)
• A soup and salad combo ($12)
• Soy flounder sandwich with spicy Sriracha aioli ($13)
• Jumbo lump crab cake with roasted corn salsa, mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus ($17)
• Shrimp and grits prepared with bacon, mushrooms, red peppers and Gouda and Asiago cheeses ($15).

Guests who want to keep their lunch short and sweet can try Ray's $10 lunch menu. Selections include a cheddar burger, hickory burger, vegetarian pasta, chicken sandwich, Caesar salad with calamari or grilled chopped Black Angus beef steak. Iced tea, coffee or sodas are included in the set price.

Wolf Mountain Vineyards Comes Back From Winter Break

After giving the vines and vintners the month of January off for good behavior and a well-deserved rest, Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery has reopened the Vineyard Café on Saturdays and Sundays in February from noon until 3 p.m. for lunch and wine tastings. The lunch menu is loaded with foods that pair well with wines – hot sandwiches, pastas, entrees and gourmet personal pizzas topped with savories such as smoked venison sausage, smoked salmon, grilled chicken and goat cheese. My personal favorite is the crab cake sandwich.

For ordering ease, wine and food pairings are suggested on the menu. Call to make reservations, and take a leisurely drive north to Georgia’s wine country.

Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery: 180 Wolf Mountain Trail in Dahlonega; 706-867-9862.

Get Out of the Office... and Go Out for Lunch!

Popular lunch destinations off the beaten path may be the best places to grab some food on your lunch break! Eclipse di Luna, located in Miami Circle right off of Piedmont, offers sensational lunch options that may have you branching out from your usual hot spots! Eclipse di Luna is well known with the locals for their specialty tapas, live music, and an artsy, laid-back atmosphere. The menu is packed with a wide alternative of options from tapas ($2.25 to $5.95) as well as Spanish paella ($14.50 or $20). Eclipse di Luna is open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday at 11:30 a.m. offering a great way to enjoy yourself and relax during your lunch hour.

Portofino, a neighborhood Italian restaurant located off of East Paces Ferry Road is a great place for a casual, yet delicious lunch. Executive Chef Marty Eberly is always busy cooking up a lunch menu that is sure not to disappoint! Portofino is open for lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. So head out on your next break, you'll never pack lunch again!


Eclipse di Luna – Miami Circle: 764 Miami Circle; 404-846-0449. Also Eclipse di Luna – Park Place: 4505 Ashford-Dunwoody Road in Dunwoody; 678-205-LUNA.



Portofino: 3199 Paces Ferry Place; 404-231-1136.

Dogwood Restaurant Open for Lunch

As of today, Atlanta's newest refined Southern restaurant, Dogwood, is open for lunch. The lunch menu includes starters ($3-$15) such as fried green tomatoes, a grits bar selection and smoked Georgia Trout cakes. Entrees ($11-$18) like a duck club sandwich on pecan-raisin bread, the delicious Dogwood burger and an Atlantic salmon “BLT” have my mouth watering (it's almost lunchtime!). Lastly, the desserts ($6) include grilled lemon pound cake and a classic crème brûlée. Click here for a full lunch menu.

Dogwood is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The restaurant’s dinner hours are Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Dogwood is located in the Reynolds condominium building at 565 Peachtree Street, Suite A.