The First Dinner Series for Alma Cocina: “Secrets of a Mexican Pantry” Showcases the Edible Fungus Huitlacoche

 

Baby steps. First pronounce it, then eat it: huitlacoche sounds like wheat-la-co-chay. What is it? It's actually an edible truffle-like fungus that grows on corn. Subtly sweet and smoky in taste, this delicacy is one of those mysterious ingredients that makes Mexican food so intriguing. Join Chef Chad Clevenger for part one of Alma Cocina's "Secrets of a Mexican Pantry" dinner series that begins on November 10 at 7 p.m. He has created a five-course menu showcasing huitlacoche in traditional Mexican dishes.

Dinner starts off with roasted cauliflower and red pepper salad, incorporating huitlacoche kernels, sauce and paper, avocado and fried epazote. Next, try huitlacoche tamale followed by huitlacoche masa "fettuccine" with roasted butternut squash, mushrooms, huitlacoche cream sauce, cotija, cilantro and boiled Marcona almonds; and confit pork cheeks with arroz con crema, huitlacoche brown butter and grilled sweet potato greens. Sweet corn atole with huitlacoche cream, dried corn and sweet potato churro ends the evening on a "huit" note. If you’re interested, get in fast because seating is limited to 40 guests at $40 each (plus tax and gratuity). To make reservations, call 404-968-9662.

Four New Market Street Café Openings Bring Healthy Food Selections to Corporate Campuses

The same folks who have placed Marlow's Tavern locations in neighborhoods throughout the metro-Atlanta area are providing delicious morning and midday dining options at new Market Street Cafés on area corporate campuses. Sterling Spoon Culinary Management (SSCM) opened three cafés on NCR office campuses in Duluth and Suwanee on Monday, November 5 and will re-open a corporate café at The Coca-Cola Company office campus in Alpharetta on Thursday, November 15. All of the cafes are open between the hours of 7 a.m-2 p.m.

The warm and inviting eateries showcase atmosphere that strays away from the sterile office environment. Market Street Cafés are known for their fresh, farm-to-fork ingredients, made-from-scratch recipes, healthy lifestyle selections and reasonable prices. The menu is packed with pleasers for a quick breakfast or lunch ranging from sandwiches and salad staples, full-on mains such as hoisin-marinated salmon, USDA prime steaks, vegetarian dishes and accommodations for special dietary needs. Market Street Café menus are chef-driven and customized for each venue. Mornings are looking market-ably more promising already!

Join RA Sushi on Thursday for Aqua Vino at the Georgia Aquarium

Georgia Aquarium's 7th Annual Aqua Vino is all about saving the bird - the African Penguin - by raising funds for the Correll Center for Aquatic Animal Health. In the process, guests can dive into enjoying an ocean of yummy food and wine tastings and live and silent auctions. RA Sushi Bar Restaurant is one of more than 30 top restaurants and 200 wines represented at the 7-10 p.m. (6 p.m. VIP tasting) event on Thursday, November 8. Guests secure another treasure: aquatic viewing opportunities through the water wall in the Oceans Ballroom and crowd-free Aquarium gallery time (ahhhem, no nose prints and sticky fingers on the glass). What's stopping you? Dive in and purchase tickets (ages 21+ only) for $180 per person/$160 members and $325/person VIP tasting.

Melissa Libby & Associates is Searching for Spring 2013 Interns

Are you a student who is passionate about food/wine culture and public relations? Melissa Libby & Associates is currently seeking two interns for the spring 2013 semester. Interns who join the MLA team will work with and learn directly from all agency functions, including media communications, social media, special events and client services. Creativity, positive energy, strong work ethic and great writing skills are important traits for this internship. 

The ideal candidate will also receive school credit for their experience with MLA. Internships are unpaid and are 15-22 hours per week from mid-January to May. Schedules are fairly flexible, although Monday mornings are required. Candidates must be able to commit to the entire semester. To find out more about Melissa Libby & Associates, please visit our website and our Facebook page. If you are interested, please send your resume and availability to atlantadish@gmail.com. 

Appetizing Aperture: It's Your Party with Election Day Cupcakes at Little Cake Bakery

  

Little Cake Bakery is ready for Election Day with party-specific cupcakes. Select elephant or donkey motif from this bakery's capital selection. Every bite's a victory!

Gobble Up Plenty of Thanksgiving Plans at ATL Restaurants and More in this Week's Dish

We are thankful for all that Atlanta restaurants have to offer this Thanksgiving, as well as the delicious events happening around town. Get the whole holiday scoop and more in this week's Dish.

A Hands-Down Winner: Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Offers "5 for $6 ‘til 7" All Night Election Night

Polls close in our neck of the woods at 7 p.m. on election night, and there are three more time zones to go. Too suspenseful? Cross the aisle at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar to order from the "5 for $6 ‘til 7" bar menu -- offered on election night, November 6 until closing instead of ending at 7 p.m. Five different cocktails cost just $6 each. Choose from the Tropical martini made with Malibu Coconut Rum, White Cosmo, Pomtini, Limoncello martini or Stoli Bombshell. The five wines by the glass for $6 are sparkling Mas Fi Cava, Canyon Road Chardonnay, Mark West Pinot Noir, Red Diamond Merlot and 14 Hands Cabernet. Five appetizers for $6 each are baked brie in puff pastry, sweet chile calamari, roasted mushroom ravioli, tenderloin carpaccio and "Wicked Cajun" barbecue shrimp. Guests also may nab Fleming's prime burger with cheese and bacon for $6 or Widmer Brothers Brewing Company Rotator IPA Series – a steal at two for $6. Unanimously, all night “5 for $6 ‘til 7” is a winner. 

Appetizing Aperture: Gobble Go-Time at White Oak Pastures

  

Gobble, gobble goodness can be yours when you order your Thanksgiving turkey from White Oak Pastures. These pasture-raised, heritage breed turkeys are thankful to have spent their days on the range roaming freely, pecking and scratching the grounds on the farm's 1,000-acre Certified Organic farm in Bluffton, Ga. No cage, no crate, these turkeys sure taste great! 

Serenbe on Sunday: Be There

Few food festivals live up to the deliciousness and fun of the LDEI Afternoon in the Country at Serenbe. We're talking cake raffles with creations like this Bold American pumpkin (above), bluegrass music, hayrides, a silent auction and so much food and wine! Members of the Les Dames d'Escoffier International Atlanta Chapter are gathering more than 124 participants for this year's spread, including American Spirit Whiskey, Bantam + Biddy, Bold American Catering, Chicken and the Egg, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, La Tavola Trattoria, Lure, Marlow's Tavern, No. 246, Seven Lamps, The Cook's Warehouse, The Optimist, White Oak Pastures and Woodfire Grill. Chefs and caterers will join with some of our area's best farms and pair fine wines, premium micro-brews and spirited drinks for tastings in the roomy big-top tents dotting the colorful gardens of The Inn at Serenbe near Palmetto, Ga. The catch is this event sells out every year so hit the link now to buy tickets ($95 adults, $35 ages 13-20, FREE under age 12).

What's New on Pinterest: Crowd-pleasing Pies

Scrumptious Pies at Bantam + Biddy

Eating a healthier turkey gives you a little more wiggle room for Thanksgiving dessert. So what's it going to be? One crust, two or one of those lattice tops? Meringue or whipped cream? A sliver of each or a wholesome wedge? We'll pin the pie board spread; you'll have to make those choices on your own.

Let Chef Gerry Klaskala Serve You a Winning Dish at the Falcons Game this Sunday

  

The undefeated Falcons are flying high, and the Dallas Cowboys are their next prey at this weekend's Georgia Dome showdown, Sunday, November 4 at 8:20 p.m. Why should the players have all the kicks at this big game? Upstairs at the 2View Restaurant, Aria Owner/Executive Chef Gerry Klaskala adds to the rivalry by pitting the Georgia jumbo lump crab cake sandwich with lettuce slaw and mustard sauce against the Texas BBQ'd beef short rib padded with spicy jalapeño mac n' cheese. Keep the ball in view at all times on the restaurant's wall-flanking screens. 2View Restaurant is located near Gate F in the Georgia Dome's east end zone executive concourse. 

Atlanta Eats Chomps its Way to No. 246 in Decatur

Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee

The cool thing about the new CBS local-eater show "Atlanta Eats" is that we can watch it and try out the restaurants because they are right here in our city. This Saturday's "Atlanta Eats" chows down on Decatur's No. 246 at noon. You know the chefs involved:  Owner/Chef Ford Fry and Co-owner/Executive Chef Drew Belline. Will show host Steak Shapiro step out back for some Ping-Pong on the patio?  We wouldn't put it past him. The show will surely leave you salivating. Thankfully, No. 246 serves its Italian-inspired and locally driven menu at lunch daily from noon until 3 p.m. and dinner beginning at 5 p.m. each night. Click this link or call 678-399-8246 to make your reservation.

Catch Our Howling Good Halloween Happenings and More in this Week's Dish

Still not sure where you're celebrating Halloween? Do not fret! We have all of your haunting options lined up for you and more in this week's Dish.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Releases Limited-Edition Forty-Six Diamonds 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon November 1

The hottest item at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar this week may be the restaurant’s newest boutique private-label wine, Forty-Six Diamonds 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, available at Fleming’s restaurants nationwide beginning November 1. We say that because each year Fleming’s limited-edition boutique wine sells out quickly, and those in the know watch the calendar for its release. This year’s Forty-Six Diamonds 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a collaboration between Fleming’s Director of Wine Maeve Pesquera and Hall Winery President Mike Reynolds, Director of Winemaking Steve Leveque and Assistant Winemaker Megan Gunderson. Hall Winery’s perfection is a Bordeaux-style blend of 75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 1 percent Petit Verdot sourced from the Hardester Ranch Vineyard in Napa’s Pope Valley, a few miles northeast of Hall’s state-of-the-art winemaking facility in Rutherford. The balance contains 12 percent each of Merlot and Syrah from Hall’s Napa River Ranch Vineyard that straddles the famous Oak Knoll and Yountville AVAs. Leveque tells us, “The velvety Cab blend has rich and opulent aromas of black cherry, spice and toasty oak. The full red fruit palate is vivid and focused and gives way to supple tannins and a long, balanced finish.” Blending a food-friendly, harmonious wine with distinctive origins is a goal for the annual program, which began with the 2004 vintage. Let the kids have October 31 and all its treats – you’re treating yourself to Forty-Six Diamonds 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at Fleming’s come November 1.

Appetizing Aperture: Cirque du Soleil "Totem" Cupcakes at Little Cake Bakery

And, the icing on the cupcake is that Cirque du Soleil has dubbed these Little Cake Bakery beauties the official show cupcakes during the Atlanta run of their show "Totem." Those Cirque-sters may swing over or bend over backward to get them. We think we'll drive over, bend over and pick up a whole box full.

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

 

Not only is it made in the USA, to be on this Twitter feed (@GAmadeGAgrown), it has to be made or grown in our fair state. Georgia Made Georgia Grown LLC markets and promotes in all of Georgia's 159 counties. Follow peanut-sized nuggets or harvest a big batch of items and ideas on their website. Save gas, tweet first.

What's New on Pinterest: Spooky Treats

Don't let our spooky treats scare you away from our Pinterest board. We mean, there's no need to go batty or glaze over zombie-style looking for Halloween food and drink ideas. Ring our virtual bell and pin these treats. 

Atlanta is All A-Cluck about Bantam + Biddy Opening

 

Top Atlanta chefs Shaun Doty and Lance Gummere are birds of a feather sharing passions for locally pastured and all-natural poultry, seasonal, organic veggies and regional fare. Like-minded Atlantans can flock to Bantam + Biddy, their new Ansley Mall restaurant, for lunch and dinner starting Monday, October 29 (breakfast kicks in come November). 

The fast-casual spot will please little chicks on up to rooster status with a "meat-and-three" option, entrées, salads, sandwiches and an extensive gluten-free selection. "Meat-and-three" meal choices include a quarter ($10) or half chicken ($14) or a six-ounce serving of eco-friendly Niman Ranch pork ($10) along with three sides and guest's preference of piri piri, wasakaka, beer mustard or bourbon BBQ sauce. 

Entrée selections ($10-$14) include rotisserie chicken penne pasta, pork schnitzel and meatloaf made with White Oak Pastures ground beef. Salad ($10) and sandwich ($8.50, includes one side) options include the Powerhouse Salad with pastured egg, spicy broccolini, tomato, radish, sunflower sprouts and organic almonds; Southern fried chicken sandwich with bread-and-butter pickles on a potato bun; and a chicken pita with yogurt, olives, tomato, cucumber and sunflower sprouts. Gluten-free bread is available upon request. Bantam + Biddy also will offer daily Blue Plates ($10-$14) starting at 2 p.m. The 10-and-under "little cluckers" menu offers chicken penne pasta, rotisserie chicken quesadillas and more for $5 (including one side). Trademark Southern and seasonal sides and desserts such as individual pies, rice pudding and cookies round it out. 

Opens daily at 11:30 a.m.; closes at 10 p.m. Monday - Thursday, 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 9 p.m. Sunday (8 a.m. opening comes with breakfast time in November). More info online or at 404-907-3469.

Halloween Happenings Worth Howling About

Lucky for adults, there's more to Halloween fun than the door-to-door sugar rush. Atlanta restaurants trick out with treats for grown-up batty boys and ghoulish girls!

Scary good times are in order at both Atkins Park Tavern locations. Ease into it with a local brew and food menu during Atlanta Beer Week, through October 27 at Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland. Cut out some time for the annual pumpkin carving contest with a cash prize at the Virginia Highland bar on Thursday, October 25 at 8 p.m. Between jack o' lanterns, scary movies and drinks sponsored by Terrapin and Jack Daniel's, there's a slice of fun for everyone. On Saturday, October 27 at 10 p.m., Sam Adams and Jägermeister host the annual costume contest complete with individual and group prizes plus DJ Lion mastering the monster sound board. Halloween Hangover on October 31 plays "Rocky Horror Picture Show." Toast the classic with Terrapin beers and Jack Daniel's mischief in a glass.

Oktoberfest at Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna unearths outdoor fun with games, rides, live music and free admission on Saturday, October 27 and Sunday, October 28. Halloween costume contest on Saturday for children at 6 p.m. and adults at 9 p.m. There's more costume contest fun on Halloween as Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna hosts Monster Mash. A ghoul-ore of prizes will be handed out to participants - categories for best costume and best group and couple costumes could land winners a $200 house cash prize. Other random house cash prizes will be given throughout the evening.  

The staff pumpkin carving contest at both the Virginia Highland and Dunwoody Alon's Bakery and Market locations gives employees a chance to show off their blade skills from October 27 - 31. Come see their craftwork mixed in the shops' fall decorations and vote for your favorite.

On Halloween night, October 31, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar extends the popular "5 for $6 til 7" bar menu until close. Tricky drinks include a tropical martini dressed with Malibu Coconut Rum, Mark West California Pinot Noir and Widmer Brothers Brewing Rotator IPA series, all complemented with treats of baked brie in a puff pastry, sweet chili calamari and roasted mushroom ravioli.

Boo Bash 2012 takes over RA Sushi Bar Restaurant in Midtown on Halloween night from 7 p.m. to close. Good for gobblin' "Boo Bites" including sushi and appetizer specials such as Voodoo Crispy Chicken -- crispy chicken sautéed with onion, green pepper and Japanese pumpkin tossed in a sesame chili sauce ($6). Witchy "Potent Potions" abound. Try the Grape Ghoulade made with Three Olives Grape Vodka, Blue Curacao, cranberry and fresh lemon ($8). The Boo Bash costume contest treats the first place winner to a $100 RA gift certificate and hands a $25 certificate to second place. Apparition on the haunting soundboard? Nope. A guest D.J.

Treats only (no tricks) at Little Cake Bakery this Halloween. Made-from-scratch seasonal favorites mesmerize eyes and please tummies. The apples and honey cupcake tops cinnamon cake with a cooked apple and honey compote, cream cheese frosting and a cinnamon dusting. Pumpkin fanatics perk up over the pumpkin spice cupcake frosted with spiced cream cheese icing and crowned with a pumpkin candy. Pricing and more on the website.

In Brookhaven, Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub is Halloween headquarters, hosting its second annual Halloween Party and Costume Contest on Wednesday, October 31 from 8 p.m. to close. Only guests who arrive in costume can enjoy drink and shot specials, including Fireballs, Applefire Caramel Apple shots and Zombies ($5 each), Fireball Shorty's ($3.75) and pumpkin spice martinis ($6). Costumed guests will be entered into the costume contest for the chance to win great prizes. The kitchen crawls with creativity as Executive Chef Joey Riley cooks up Halloween-inspired dishes. Live music plays all night.  

Don't Miss Sirens of the Sea at Ecco This Week

 

 

This was one of my favorite meals last year - and that's saying a lot! Check out Chef Craig Richards' tantalizing Sirens of the Sea menu through Oct. 28 at Ecco and you'll see why.  The menu changes daily but you can expect deliciousness like boquerones (Spanish anchovies), shrimp toast with lardo and roasted shiitakes, sorrel-cured keta salmon, grilled squid with lamb sausage, lobster-chickpea crepes, and house-made spaghetti with sea urchin and crabmeat. Items are a la carte ($7 - $25) and yes, the regular menu is available in case you want to add some goat cheese balls to the order (don't blame you there!). Make reservations online or by phone (404-347-9555) then dive into temptation.

Three Cheers for Broccoli (and Learning How to Cook It)

Nutritional powerhouse broccoli boasts more vitamin C than an orange, phytochemicals, fiber, a skinny portion of calories -- and it's in season locally at Woodland Gardens in Winterville near Athens, Ga. This Saturday, October 27, No. 246 Chef Drew Belline will show Morningside Farmers' Market shoppers some sweet ways to prepare this emerald gem (and keep it that color). Shop 7:30-11:30 a.m. Saturdays at 1393 N. Highland. Super Broccoli for Halloween, anyone? 

Flock to New Bantam + Biddy in Ansley Mall and More in this Week's Dish

Halloween is just around the corner, and we have the when, where and what of holiday happenings around Atlanta. No time to find a costume this year? No problem. There's plenty going on around town - costume or not - in this week's Dish.

American Spirit Whiskey Kicks-off Tailgating Recipe Contest

Whiskey and football make a winning team. Show off your mixology skills in American Spirit Whiskey's tailgating cocktail contest. Share a photo and the recipe of your most creative concoction for football season on Facebook and ask friends and family to vote. The good folks at American Spirit Whiskey will pick a winner from the top-five vote getters in early November, and the winner will take home an American Spirit Whiskey oak barrel (minus the whiskey).