What, no kitchen elves on your shelves? Smart phones and Wi-Fi work just as well in relaying your holiday wish list to Atlanta restaurants for holiday party or house-full-of-family hosting needs. Deliciously done. Like that. Magic.
Chef Shaun Doty caters farm-to-plate-style comforts such as fried chicken and sides like macaroni and cheese, Brussels sprouts and collard greens at Bantam + Biddy (Avalon, Lenox Square, Crescent Ave., Ansley Mall). Pick up or have chow delivered. To order, email wecater@bantamandbiddy.com or call 404-725-5059. Sister restaurant Chick-a-Biddy offers a similar selection at Atlantic Station.
Bellina Alimentari at Ponce City Market caters off-site and in-house, offering antipasti bars, panini platters and primi, secondi and dolci courses. Place orders at least 48 hours in advance; allow a week leeway for parties of 30+. Seeking unique? Book Bellina’s private event space for memorable family style meals, cocktail events and guided tastings of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and wine. Info and reservations:events@bellina-alimentari.com or call 404-330-9933.
FLIP burger boutique plans remarkable holiday events -- in homes, offices or at one of its locations -- with sliders, burgers, chips, vegetables, custom menus and milkshake bars. Info: email stephanie.shaw@flipburgerboutique.com or call 901-355-9323.
Ho, ho, ho, land at HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern in Midtown for pretzels with warm beer and cheese dip, wings and more substantial meals to share. Full catering menu jollies all, your place or theirs. More info: 404-968-2288.
Everyone loves barbecue, and Kevin Gillespie's Terminus City provides a Southern-style feast of smoked wonderment
sure to warm even the North Pole crew. Whole-hog
barbecue, country-fried steak and homemade sides like
fried okra, Brunswick stew and creamed corn will propel
you to top host for years to come. Place orders by emailingterminuscity@gunshowatl.com or calling 404-380-1886.
Tin Lizzy's Cantina delivers a spicy holiday fiesta of fajita fixings, grilled chicken, pulled pork, cantina salads and margarita mix (sorry, tequila not included). Deliveries require a $100 minimum order; $25 delivery fee within 10 miles. Prices exclude taxes and gratuity, and 24-hour notice is appreciated. Book your $500 or more holiday party now and receive a $100 Tin Lizzy's gift card to use for future purchases. More info: email cculbreth@tinlizzyscantina.comor call 404-668-8757.
Consider Twin Smokers BBQ’s catering menu for smoked brisket, pork ribs, chicken, sausage and pulled meat by the pound or half pound and sides like "Burnt Ends" chili, collards and potato salad. Several pricing options; drop-off catering is available with 48-hour notice for parties of 25 or more. Info and ordering: 404-698-4707.
Willy's Mexicana Grill provides cheese dip, guacamole, salsa, chips, burritos and crowd-pleasing catering menu options like build-your-own taco, fajita or nacho bars. Ten-person catering order minimum; order online or call 404-422-7107.
Bedecked with 9,984 ornaments, 72 nutcrackers, 48 stockings and 26 Christmas trees, the sixth-annual Nikolaustag Holiday Celebration at Der Biergarten jingle jangles a fast track to festive spirits on Sunday, December 6 from 5-9 p.m. Cheer flows through $8 liters of draft Spaten Marzen and König Dunkelweiss, and $5 mugs of warm glühwein set faces aglow. Stein Club members shave 50 percent off individual tabs. With music, entertainment, games, giveaways and a Santa sighting, Der Biergarten rocks like St. Nick shimmying down the chimney. What to bring: yourself, friends and an unwrapped toy donation for the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta toy drive (see toy guidelines here.)
Generally in polite Southern circles, mentioning age is a sin. In this instance, it’s party time. Grab your ‘stache and dash to The Southern Gentleman gastropub birthday bash on Sunday, December 6. The dashing gent in fashionable The Shops Buckhead Atlanta pops open the party at 4:30 p.m., providing complimentary snacks and bourbon-spiked punch from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Drivetrain Bluegrass Trio picks and grins from 5:30-8:30 p.m. At this uncanny party with a purpose, receive a complimentary bourbon-spiked punch for every two cans of food donated to the Atlanta Community Food Bank food drive.
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.
Skip the long lines at the mall—Chef Kevin Gillespie’s Red Beard Restaurants offers up one-stop shopping for every food lover on your gift list! The 12 Days of Beardsmas allows you to bundle up great savings on 12 of the most unique gifts and one-of-a-kind experiences. What’s on the menu? Private cooking classes with Chef Kevin, Gunshow and Revival swag, season tickets to next year’s "Hired Guns" series and stocking stuffers galore. Log onto redbeardmerch.com to grab these limited-time gifts while supplies last! And stay tuned toInstagram, Twitter and Facebook for #Beardsmas deal-of-the-day videos.
Spread even more holiday cheer at the checkout by donating to Quality Care for Children, a Georgia resource for information, assistance and support in securing high-quality early learning experiences for infants and young children.
You only turn one once. Complimentary tiramisu is the proverbial icing on the birthday cake when FIGO Pasta West Midtown celebrates its first birthday on Tuesday, December 1. Stop by the newest location of Atlanta’s popular pasta restaurant at 907 Marietta Street, NW between 11:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. and receive a tiramisu dessert on the house. (No purchase necessary; one small tiramisu per guest at the West Midtown location only.) Your tiramisu is just one of more than 600 selections on FIGO’s menu that includes a variety of fresh pasta and sauce options, salads, antipasti, panini, meatballs and other FIGO favorites! Decking the halls? FIGO caters, too. More scoop: 404-963-7950.
Black Friday, whirl through the shopping centers. Save Saturday for Georgia-centered shopping at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. Bag some cool weather produce for a veggie plate dinner and find local loot such as products and handcrafted items that place Georgia on gift recipients’ minds this holiday season. Open Saturdays from 9 a.m.-12 noon through December 19. Remember to buy some Terminus City barbecue at the market this Saturday!
Ormsby’s guests rave about the veal meatloaf, gussied up with sweet potato mash and Brussels sprouts with a balsamic glaze ($16). We give thanks for Ormsby’s elevation of this meaty American comfort food. An icon, stuck in the '50s no more.
DOWN BY THE DOME
MINUTES AWAY IN MIDTOWN
BACK IN BUCKHEAD
Put your sugar cookie dough in the fridge to set up and join celebrity chef, speaker, restaurateur and cookbook author Kevin Gillespie in the kitchen of the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Home for the Holidays Designer Showhouse forSign, Dine + Design: Let’s Party in the Kitchen on Tuesday, December 1 from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Indulge in light bites, wine and refreshments, meet “Pure Pork Awesomeness”author Gillespie, cookbook author/chef Virginia Willis and cookbook author Carolyn O’Neil and sneak in a Home for the Holidays private tour. Holiday helper hint: giftees will squeal with delight over signed copies of “Pure Pork Awesomeness” -- seize this opportunity to pick up a few copies. Buy event tickets in advance here for $50 each plus service fee; includes $5 credit toward the purchase of any book.
Vault over the midweek hump with beer to down and beer to dip at HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern Hop Head Wednesdays. From 6-10 p.m. every Wednesday evening, buy 20-ounce draft beers for the price of 16-ounce beers. That’s a four-ounce upgrade! The friendly staff at this Midtown hotspot will throw in a complimentary order of HOBNOB’s dynamic duo, pretzels and warm cheese and beer dip for you and a friend (one cheese dip order per two guests).
The bird will be history by Saturday. Still, an attitude of gratitude prevails because Santa Kevin Gillespie and his cohorts, elf-chefs Andreas Müller and Joey Ward, are bringing a load of Terminus City barbecue to the Peachtree Road Farmers Market on Saturday morning, November 28. Smokey chopped pork, saucy and peppery, conquers post-turkey cravings whether inhaled in a hefty barbecue sandwich ($6) or packed by the pound ($16) to take home. Touch down to watch your favorite college pigskin rivalry later that day with a few pounds of Terminus City ‘cue in hand, and you’ll surely win MVP with the home team.
Black Friday is almost here and shoppers are checking lists and calculating deal-nabbing strategies. Be sure to schedule time to fuel up during the day. You. Not the car.
Ansley Mall shoppers can cross Piedmont to reach HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern and receive 10 percent off all food and drink orders when showing a shopping receipt dated November 27 on Black Friday only. Bantam + Biddy at Ansley supports power shopping sprees from morning through dinnertime.
Ponce City Market browsers can “ciao" down at Bellina Alimentari's fast-casual kitchen or full-service bar, then stroll through Bellina's market for Italian foodie finds. Outdoor strolling and indoor shopping at open-air center Avalon inspire ducking into Bantam + Biddy or Marlow's Tavern (also found at Mall of Georgia, Merchant’s Walk, Woodstock and Emory Point) for lunch or dinner. Walk off the Thanksgiving meal while shopping at Midtown gem Atlantic Station then take a break at Chick-a-Biddy.
If it’s a Buckhead Black Friday, pull into The Shops Buckhead Atlanta to refuel with style at Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman. Over at Lenox Square, you're in "cluck" with Bantam + Biddy.
OTP bound? Mexican dining options abound around Perimeter Mall with Tin Lizzy's Cantina (also found at Mall of Georgia and Emory Point) and Willy's Mexican Grill (Barrett Pavilion and Town Center at Cobb, too). Finish shopping by wine-thirty at Merchant's Walk in East Cobb so you can unwind over wine, small plates or specialties with Doug Turbush's team at Seed Kitchen & Bar and Stem Wine Bar.
When Thanksgiving and Black Friday roads lead to Birmingham, Alabama or Nashville, Tennessee, be sure to try the Turkey Dinner "burger of the month" at FLIP burger boutique. Down in Jacksonville, Florida, chef Tom Gray'sMoxie Kitchen + Cocktails covers your dining and cocktail time needs.
If your GPS is programmed for Jacksonville, Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, drop by Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails and join them in celebrating their second anniversary. On November 24-25, Moxie is offering $2 specials to the first 22 guests who order them, along with another item, during dinner service each evening. On Tuesday, the first 22 guests ordering Moxie burgers, along with an additional purchase, will pay only $2 for their burgers. The deal bubbles over onto a $2 toast on Wednesday, when the first 22 guests (21+ years) ordering Mumm Napa Brut Reserve will pay $2 for their sparkling glass. Limit one $2 special per person; tax and gratuity not included. On Moxie’s “Kitchen” side, chef Tom Gray’s menu overflows with mouthwatering contemporary American, Southern and globally inspired cuisine. Handcrafted cocktails and progressive happy hour drink pricing beginning at 3 p.m. daily are reasons enough to make any day a celebration at Moxie, located in The Markets at Town Center.
Though the other 364 days of the year may be
crazy busy, Thanksgiving Day interjects a pleasing pause in the mayhem to
express gratitude for blessings and the tasty feast on the table. Find out
which Atlanta restaurants are setting elegant dining tables, bountiful buffet
tables and offering take-away traditions for your home table on our blog.
Travel for the food or the experience? Tastemade finagles crafting culinary temptations into seconds-long video loops so delectable you really want to stick a fork in them. But then a fork appears in the clip, out of nowhere, to stab first dibs. What a bite. Look to their sister website for longer playing travel + food adventures.
Zuppa! A bowl of Bellina Alimentari’s zucca, butternut squash soup with winter pesto and creamy mascarpone ($5), spoons comfort and joy to the soul. Butternut squash is well-coached in vitamins, minerals and beta carotene’s antioxidant riches. Go ahead. Order a second bowl full.
Coming down to the wire on planning the Thanksgiving dinner menu. Still some vacancies on the menu? Dishes to be Thankful For saves the day when you need a proven side dish recipe fast, like brown butter Parmesan mashed potatoes, sweet potato crunch, sausage, apple and cranberry stuffing, pumpkin cornbread and a litany of side dishes under 200 calories. Thanksgiving teepee cupcakes are hits at the children’s table.
10th & Piedmont executive chef Michelle Matlock rakes in autumn’s glory for her savory and filling pumpkin and duck paella. In its native Spain, paella is a chameleon dish easily adapted to show off each season’s bounty. Globally inspired yet not bound by borders, Matlock loads her version with seared duck breast, peas, cranberries, fennel, thyme and sage pumpkin stock. One paella only sets you back $14 or order 2 for $27. Take flight to Midtown for this limited-time special, only available during dinner hours through Wednesday, November 25. Like duck hunting season, this trophy of a dish will be gone in a flash.
Better hop on this tip faster than a cork popping out of a Champagne bottle. Six weeks until 2016 but only a few days until tickets go on sale for the New Year’s Eve bash at Johnny’s Hideaway. Set your phone alarm for 10 a.m. Monday, November 23, the time ticket sales open. Each $40 ticket includes a seat for the evening and a party favor at midnight. Set another reminder on your phone -- you must arrive at Johnny’s by 9:30 p.m. on December 31 or your seat will be forfeited, and your dancing shoes will be welcoming 2016 on the street instead of the dance floor. Purchase tickets at Johnny’s or via phone at 404-233-8026.
Greet the sunrise on National Gingerbread Day, November 21 with gingerbread bagels, pancakes, coffee and lattes. Watch the sunset over a gingerbread martini and truffles. Plenty of time in between to bake autumn’s dynamic spice and squash duo into pumpkin pie gingerbread bars, stir together gift-worthy batches of gingerbread-spiced hot cocoa mix and 15-minute gingerbread Chex mix, and watch a gingerbread house-building tutorial for aspiring architects. Thinking of remodeling? Disneyland’s recipe will surely turn your kitchen into a magical kingdom.
Autism is becoming the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. with one in 68 children diagnosed, and Autism Speaks is on the run toward determining causes, prevention, treatment and a possible cure. Join event sponsor Bantam + Biddy in taking the cause under wing. Slip on those running shoes for a morning jaunt around Piedmont Park in the 4th annual Autism Speaks 5k Run/Walk on Saturday, November 21. The more the merrier! Round up family, friends and coworkers to cross the start line at 9 a.m. Register online before 8 p.m. Friday, November 20. Even if you can’t participate in person, Autism Speaks will give thanks for your “virtual 5k” contribution when you donate here.
Chick-a-Biddy and the Alliance Theatre are offering a dinner and show package that even frugal Scrooge would appreciate. On Thursday and Saturday evenings (except for November 26 and December 24), sit down to a three-course dinner at the Atlantic Station restaurant followed by the evening’s performance of “A Christmas Carol” for just $60 (including taxes and fees, excluding gratuity). Chick-a-Biddy is just a short drive from the Alliance Theatre at Midtown’s Woodruff Arts Center. Dinner includes a choice of appetizer, entrée, dessert and beverage (cocktail, beer, glass of wine, soft drink or tea) from a special pre-theater menu befitting of the merry dinner scene at the story’s end. Magical experiential gift idea for those who already have plenty of coal and other stuff. Use promo code BIDDY60 when purchasing online or at 404-733-5000. Limited to parties of six or less; may not be combined with other offers or discounts; not valid on previously purchased tickets or for all seating sections. Subject to availability.
The Day League’s “A Night in Good Taste” wine tasting and silent auction shines the light on sexual assault, a topic all too often left in the dark. Chef Kevin Gillespie serves as the honorary chair for this year’s fundraiser at the Druid Hills Golf Club on Thursday, November 19 from 6:30-9 p.m. Wine, a delicious buffet and smooth jazz sounds provide a relaxing background so guests can concentrate on shopping the silent auction for goodies and experiences like dinner at Revival. Proceeds sail directly to the non-profit’s healing work in providing sexual assault care, prevention education and advocacy for youth and adult survivors in and beyond the metro-Atlanta area. Buy tickets online, $85 per person. Info:natalie@dayleague.org.
Ray’s Rio Bravo is better than ever with specials for its Atlanta amigos of all ages. Thirsty adults, Ray’s has some all day, every day deals for you: $15 pitchers of house, strawberry and seasonal fruit margaritas and $10 pitchers of draught beer for cerveza lovers. Kiddos, steer the folks to Ray’s on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday nights when kids eat for free. Choose cheese quesadillas, chicken tacos, chicken enchiladas, mini beef burritos or chicken fingers -- all served with a soft drink, choice of side and a scoop of ice cream. That headliner chile con queso or queso blanco? Complimentary from the 11 a.m. opening hour until 3 p.m. Wednesday, November 18 through Wednesday, November 25. Hold your horses, there’s another big deal going on that week. Every hour from open to close, the cantina will cover the final check for one randomly selected table or bar tab. Fast math calculates that’s 80 hours and 80 complimentary checks.
Seen the planning charts for organizing Thanksgiving dinner? One month out do this. Two weeks out do that. Set the table and the buffet. Buy the wine and thaw the turkey. Stop. Reflect. Be thankful for family, friends and Atlanta restaurants ready to gobble up any stress with all-you-can-eat buffets and scrumptious take-away entrées and sides. You’ll only need to make reservations. So blessed.
Kick off the celebration early and give thanks at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland where they’re throwing a Thanksgiving Eve party with New Belgium Brewing Company on Wednesday, November 25. Make your way back on Thanksgiving Day for dinner service beginning at 4 p.m. featuring Big Green Egg smoked turkey and all the fixin’s. Priced at $28 for adults, $18 for young adults and $10 for children 10 and under. Reservations are recommended for dinner. Call 404-876-7249.
10th & Piedmont hosts its traditional Thanksgiving Day buffet from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Stations cover all the food groups: a carving station for roasted garlic prime rib and slow-baked brown butter turkey breast; cold station for salads, fruits and cheeses; a hot station bears roasted butternut squash bisque, Creole shrimp and stone-ground yellow grits, traditional turkey cornbread dressing, triple-cheese mac and cheese, candied sweet potatoes and more; and dessert central offers pumpkin pie, Southern pecan pie, chocolate ganache cake, apple butter crumble bread pudding, Dutch apple pie and Chantilly banana pudding. $34.95 per person. Call 404-602-5510 for reservations.
Ray’s Restaurants’ buffets give center stage to Thanksgiving staples and signature Ray’s favorites. Dine at Ray’s on the River from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. for $45.95 per adult and $22.95 per child (ages 5-10). The spread at Ray’s at Killer Creek also is available from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and is priced at $37.95 per adult and $18.95 per child. Ray’s in the City closes an hour earlier, with its buffet running from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and also priced at $37.95 per adult and $18.95 per child. For full menus and reservations, visit raysrestaurants.com.
Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar spotlights a family style lunch and dinner menu on Thanksgiving Day. For $65 per person, guests can enjoy a traditional turkey dinner or baked Chilean sea bass along with such selections as roasted butternut squash soup, smoked country ham, roasted root vegetables, sweet potato roulade and local apple fritters. Lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner, 5-9:30 p.m. Call 404-745-5000 for reservations.
Turkey to go
Let Bantam + Biddy on Crescent Avenue handle the cooking this year with a to-go Thanksgiving feast that easily feeds 10-12 hungry and grateful guests. Spread includes a 12- to 15-pound roasted Amish turkey, classic mashed potatoes, braised collard greens, sage and wild rice stuffing, homemade giblet gravy, a quart of spicy cranberry sauce, cornbread and North Georgia apple pie, all ready to heat and serve. Place orders for the $200 feast by 5 p.m. on Saturday, November 21. Pick up between 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25 at the Crescent Avenue location only. To place your order, call 404-725-5059 or email wecater@bantamandbiddy.com.
Make Wednesday night prep even easier or say, "arrivederci!" to tired turkey leftovers. Please the family with grab-and-go Italian fare from newly opened Bellina Alimentari in Ponce City Market (PCM). Bellina's Market in the PCM Food Hall has take-home, family style portions of lasagna and other Italian favorites to heat, eat and satiate your crowd pre- and post-Thanksgiving feast.
Feed a table of six to eight guests for $75 with a 12-to 14-pound apple-brined Thanksgiving turkey from Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails accompanied by Madeira gravy and sage-corn spoonbread. Sides of mashed or rosemary-roasted potatoes, green beans, grilled asparagus and pimiento cheese grits are available for $20 per quart. Place orders online by Friday, November 20 for pick up November 24 and 25.
Traditionalists preferring to roast or smoke their own Thanksgiving turkey will give thanks for White Oak Pastures'high-quality American Standard Bronze birds that are Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Humane and rated Step 5+ (highest possible rating) by the Global Animal Partnership. Raised completely unconfined on White Oak’s farm, they come to the table free of antibiotics, hormones and other additives—and completely delicious. Pricing is $75 for small (8-12 pounds), $100 for medium-sized birds (12.1-16 pounds) and $125 for large (16.1 pounds and heavier). Order via White Oak Pastures’ online store. All turkeys will be shipped the week before Thanksgiving (Monday, November 16 – Friday, November 20) to ensure timely delivery.
Post-Turkey Tango
After the big meal, excuse yourself from the table and ease your way to Johnny’s Hideaway to dance off the stuffing and pie. The Buckhead nightspot will open at 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Reservations are accepted until 8:30 p.m. Call 404-233-8026.
Next week, it’s all about the turkey. This week, Davidson, North Carolina chef and Bon Appétit award winner Joe Kindred is the attention-grabber as visiting chef for the last Gunshow “Hired Guns” event of the 2015 season. There are a few seats available for tonight, November 17, and Wednesday, November 18. Don’t say, “Oh, shoot, missed it!” Call now to reserve your seats: 404-380-1886. More details on our blog.
Coat. Check. Gloves. Check. New winter menu at Marlow’s Tavern. Check it out this week! Some of the globally inspired offerings whisk diners away, mentally, to warmer locales while others stoke inner warmth for braving the cold outdoors. Think Tuscany for a fresh burrata with roasted tomato and eggplant caponata served alongside toasty ciabatta and topped with parsley olive oil. Warm and filling, the “Cuban-style” slow-roasted pork sandwich melds together local Berkshire pork loin, chimichurri, red onion and cheddar, all slathered with chipotle barbecue sauce and pressed together in a Cuban roll. Take comfort in grilled Golden Legacy Farms wild turkey meatloaf with seared tomato bacon jam, sweet thyme, shaved Brussels sprouts, creamer potatoes, onion confit, Asiago cheese and parsley oil, or pumpkin seed-crusted pan-seared barramundi served with roast golden quinoa, butternut squash, tiny green beans, sage cider cream and spiced seeds. Marlow’s lighter selections go robust. The grilled Atlantic salmon will soon be served with seared Burbank potato, sweet corn, tiny asparagus, crispy bacon and scallion succotash, roast tomato beurre blanc and a crispy potato stick. The restaurant’s Tavern salad will highlight the bounty of fall and winter with field greens, roasted Bartlett pear, butternut squash, quinoa, Asiago cheese, and spiced pumpkin and toasted sunflower seeds with sweet herb dressing. The sweet spot? A soul-satisfying Bartlett pear torte combining roasted caramelized pear with spiced cake, Baileys anglaise and mint syrup. Marlow’s heartwarming foods and spirits keep the frost from biting into your day or night.
The sidewalk doesn’t roll up for the weekend on Saturday nights in historic downtown Braselton. On the contrary, it leads right into Cotton Calf Kitchen where the new Sunday brunch rules the menu from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Chef Javier Viera, well versed in the art of brunching, fills his menu with pleasers for all tastes. Jump on classics such as jumbo lump crab cakes Benedict with grilled asparagus or strawberry-stuffed French toast. Greet the day with Southern favorites like buttermilk biscuits and gravy, pan-roasted shrimp and yellow stone-ground grits or Southern fried chicken and biscuits, all served with tomato basil gravy and Applewood smoked bacon. Cut into a braised chicken burrito with scrambled eggs, cheddar and pico de gallo for a bit of Southwestern heat. Heading for the links at nearby Château Élan? Drive hunger pangs out of range with Cotton Calf’s center-cut sirloin steak and eggs, “Country Boy” breakfast or sunrise burger of Schweid & Sons ground short rib, Gorgonzola, Applewood smoked bacon, a fried egg, lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun sided by breakfast potatoes. Roasted red peppers, wild mushrooms, spinach and caramelized onions pile into the garden omelette. And there’s plenty more on the brunch menu ($12-$24). What’s the hurry? Relax with a craft beer, classic cocktail or a choice wine from the extensive selection. Who knows, you might want to stay on for dinner; service begins at 4 p.m.
Gypsy Kitchen, at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, turns the post-workday traffic and twilight zone into the two happiest hours of the day. Wine o’clock strikes Monday through Friday evenings from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the bar area and out on the patio where a rotating selection of high-end red and white wines and a sparkling wine, each priced at $5 per glass, will excite wine enthusiasts. Stave off hunger pangs with small bites from executive chef Matthew Ridgway’s updated menu, including house-brined olives, Marcona spiced almonds or chicken croquetas for $4 and plates of patatas bravas, garlic mushroom caps and crispy chickpeas for $5. Sure beats having your seat on the street.
Apples are falling a little farther from their
North Georgia trees and onto the autumn menu at Revival.
Kevin Gillespie and chef Andreas Müller are taking advantage of access to a
healthy supply of heirloom apples by adding classic cinnamon baked apples with
vanilla ice cream to the Decatur restaurant’s tempters. Slow down. Before
heading for dessert, immerse yourself in a plate of creamed Georgia white
shrimp with red Savannah rice or one of the other seasonal dishes catapulting
local bounty onto the menu.
Himitsu, the new companion luxury lounge for
popular Buckhead restaurant Umi, is now open at 3050 Peachtree Road.
Co-owners Farshid Arshid and Charlie Hendon are samurai-serious about their
devotion to high-end service and classic Japanese bartending, right down to the
last individually embossed piece of crystal-clear ice. Atlanta cocktail artisan
T. Fable Jeon takes the shaker as director to execute an inventive array of
libations from the mind of Himitsu creative director Shingo Gokan. A lengthy
libation list features an extensive sake collection, shōchū, cocktails and
wine, plus a menu of small dishes and desserts. To ensure an exclusive
experience, reservations are required to receive a code to enter the 60-seat,
two-level Himitsu. Reservations can be made by emailing hello@puraibeto.com.
Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 7 p.m.-1:30 a.m.
Gunshow, chef Kevin Gillespie’s nationally acclaimed Glenwood Park restaurant, concludes its 2015 "Hired Guns" series this week with another top-caliber chef at the range. Joe Kindred, chef and co-owner of namesake Kindred in Davidson, North Carolina, mans the frontline, creating his award-winning, contemporary take on Southern cuisine at Gunshow on Tuesday, November 17 and Wednesday, November 18 beginning at 6 p.m. As Gunshow carts roll by, guests can take captive dishes like lamb tartare, uni aïoli, katsuobushi with seeded toast, and chicken thighs and baked egg, crispy rice, chimichurri and hominy. The “chef’s chef,” as Gillespie calls Kindred, trained at Johnson and Wales in Charleston, South Carolina, garnered experience at well-known Chicago, San Francisco and Charlotte restaurants and was named 2013 “Chef of the Year” by Charlotte magazine -- all before opening Kindred with his wife Katy in February 2015. Flash forward, the historically minded restaurant has been named one of Bon Appétit magazine’s top 10 new restaurants of the year. Keep Kindred in your scope by calling 404-380-1886 ASAP for reservations. If you miss out, well, shoot. Get fired up for the next round of “Hired Guns” starting with a bang in February 2016.
For the four sisters and a friend who started Food in the Airin 2014, the concept was (and remains) simple. Love food. Love travel. Landmarks and scenery are air-apparent backgrounds with food lifted up in the foreground. As in ketchup-scripted chicken tenders above the 40-yard line. An éclair over the Seine in Paris. An all-American ice cream cone standing attention at Mt. Rushmore. Getting the hang of it?
October’s Harvest for the Cure adds another light to the gratitude glow shining brightly this Thanksgiving month. Fueled by gourmet food and vintage wine pairings and framed with acclaimed art, the event raised $325,000 going toward The Georgia Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society’s research to help treat and end MS globally. Many of Atlanta’s most talented chefs and sommeliers, including Gerry Klaskala and Andres Loaiza fromAria as well as those from Gunshow, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails and others, contributed to the evening’s success. Read more about the event and MS on our blog.
Espresso. Some sip it, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails rubs it in.Espresso-rubbed shrimp wakes up palates with its heady friends blue cheese, port, cherry and candied pecan risotto, pomegranate molasses and basil oil ($16). Spear this starter “Nibble” on the menu to enjoy with a glass of wine while poring over mouthwatering “Feed” entrées. (Photo by Terry Jaszcz)
